Gifts aplenty

The group follows you to the first room you had built. “So, each of you is getting a gift. Obviously, some of them are available for others to use as well. By way of example, I’m showing Yura her gift first.”

You open the door and the little selkie’s eyes open wide. “You built me a pool?”

You nod. “I know you miss the water. This pool is special, as well. I hired mages to enchant it so it’s always comfortably warm.”

Yura walks up and hugs you. “It is perfect. Thank you.”

You smile, leaning down to kiss her. She gives you one of her small smiles, and gently touches your cheek. “You are always so thoughtful. May I stay here and swim?”

You nod, and she smiles again, stepping into the room. As you watch, she quickly strips down and dives in. When she surfaces, transformed, her smile is dazzling. She waves to the group and goes back to swimming.

You turn to see smiles on everyone’s face. You gesture across the hall. “Ruka, your gift is behind that door.”

The dryad gasps, bouncing over to the door and throwing it open. Looking inside, she stops, stunned. The room is large, and open air. It’s a complete forest in miniature, complete with trees and small animals. Ruka let’s out a gleeful squeal and runs inside, scooping up a squirrel and laughing. “Amazing, it’s like a little piece of home, right here! Thank you, Josh!”

You laugh as s she disappears into the small forest. Leading the girls onward, you come to another door. “I didn’t build everyone a room, but they’re easiest to show off! Clarissa, this is for you.”

You open the door and a wave of heat washes out. Clarissa looks inside and smiles broadly, her glowing orange eyes seeming to get brighter. “A forge? You put together a personal forge works for me?”

You nod. “Magical as well. It requires no fuel, and many parts are magically automated. Hopefully it’s up to dwarven standards.”

Clarissa looks to be on the edge of tears. “I never thought I would ever have my own forge…thank you so much!”

The metallic dwarf hugs you tightly, then happily walks into the room, looking around in wonder. You lead the remaining girls to the next room. “This one is for a couple of you…Sadie and Uzume.”

You open the door and and the excitable pair gasp in delight. It’s a combination of a training space, weight room, and playground, perfect for them to expend energy and have fun. Uzume darts inside immediately grabbing the biggest weights she can find. To her amazement, she struggles to even budge it. A look of confusion and excitement crosses her face.

You chuckle. “More enchantment. It will always be a struggle to lift, no matter how strong you are!”

Meanwhile, Sadie is gleefully swinging around on an adult sized jungle gym, laughing happily. Smiling, you leave them to their fun.

You gesture across the hall. “This is the last room I built as a gift. Rachel and Elys, this is for you.”

They open the door and look back at you, surprised. It’s a large library and study, with comfortable chairs and desks, with various items that you need to explain. “A magical coffee and teapot, it will turn water into the hot beverage of your choice. The desks are enchanted to contain pens and paper whenever you need them. But I’m most proud of these, however.”

You gesture to a pair of mirrors, each engraved with one of their names. “Communication mirrors, attuned to your parents. Elys, yours was simple, as your mother is in Mermouthia. Rachel, we found a way to communicate through the portal by hooking into a cell signal. Your parents will see it as a video call.”

Elys smiles and hugs you, but Rachel is in tears. “I can’t believe you pulled this off! It shouldn’t be possible!”

You chuckle. “It’s not, unless you’re an absorption mage with almost unlimited resources. I won’t go into the details, but this is a huge secret, don’t spread it around that it’s possible.”

Rachel leaps into your arms and kisses you. “Amazing…thank you so much!”

You smile, and she immediately goes to call her family. You leave them to their privacy, leading the girls to another room. “This isn’t a gift, just a room, but the rest of the gifts are in here. It will be a nursery when the babies are born, however.”

You lead them inside, and gesture to the chairs set up for them.