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Poor baby ... for Almaxi was the only one home at the moment.

Not because of a lack of a doorbell ring, or even a knock, Almaxi approached the door to see who that figure that flew away in the window was. His mouth opened wide when he saw what he thought was a dragon. Quickly, both hands flew up to his mouth, trying to hold back a yelp of joy. A real dragon! Here! Yes!

With enough joy to leap out of his periwinkle robe, Almaxi bolted to the nearest telephone to call up Roka, his dad. When he approached the electronic item, he practically skid on the wood flooring in the main room, but instead slid past the phone. Hurrying back to the phone, he picked it up, and punched in the numbers for Roka's cell.

Riiiiiing.

Riiiiiing.

Riiiiiing.

"Hello?" a tired voice answered, crackled over a weaker phone line.

"Roka! Roka!" Almaxi answered with great enthusiasm.

"What is it, Almaxi?"

"I saw a dragon! A real dragon!"

"... what?"

"I did! I did! A real dragon!"

Roka held the phone in the Grocery store, but did not answer into it. A dragon? Pssh. That could not happen in his neighborhood. 'I mean, come on! A dragon? If Almaxi tried casting an air spell again and created this aberration ... I just don't know what I'll do.'

"All right, I will come on over and check this out. You just hang in there, and do not leave the house. Got it?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good." Roka clicked the phone shut, then slipped it into his alabaster pocket. Leaning on the Grocery cart heavily in the Dairy isle, Roka ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. He had to wrap up his trip, again. With a goal in mind, Roka opened up the glass door next to him, and brought out three kinds of ice cream: Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Oreo. He set them down carefully, in the full cart, then proceeded to Checkout.

Within five minutes, he was on his way home with a load of grocery bags in his trunk. His silver SUV moved smoothly across the pavement on his street. Due to an intersection, the car slowed down, then turned down the right road to his house.

Quickly, Roka parked, then left the SUV. He pressed a small button on his key ring, and the car let out a compliant beep. Grabbing the frozen groceries, he waddled to the front door.

"Gayakaa!"

Roka froze at the high-pitched sound. 'What the - what was that? Was that a Cimera? Or a Gorgon?! I mustn't look!'

But curiosity got the better of Roka, and he set down his bags. What he saw made him gasp instantly.

---

A while later, Almaxi and Roka were sitting at their dinner table. Roka raised an eyebrow to Almaxi, who was trying to be as small as he could be. In between them stood a golden basket with a bundle of cloth in it.

"And why didn't you check if the dragon left a baby outside the door?" Roka asked Almaxi, but without any judgmental tone in his voice.

"Errm ... I was too busy trying to call you?" Almaxi meekly replied.

"All right, then. The infant has not been here for long. And, according to his letter, which, I must say, is very neatly written, he is ours. And I never turned down a soul from my house, so he is now party of our family."

"How do you know he is a he?"

Roka paused at that answer. "The letter says 'he'."

Almaxi nodded, then stared at the basket. "What will I name him?"

Roka laughed, leaning back in his chair. "I?"

Almaxi nodded. "I was the one he was referring to, right?"

Roka's smile spread even further across his face, then looked at Almaxi. "I do not think so, but you can name him anything you'd like."

Almaxi grinned, then frowned at the baby. "I will cast a divination spell to name him!"

Roka's eyes opened wide. "But you already cast that spell with Ruprus!"

Almaxi grinned, then with confidence, "I will cast it again! Ysnarutis Horeferic Lythiun!"

Small symbols began to form over the infant, starting off as a cryptic alphabet. "Good job, Almaxi. I will get to work on translating this, but I'd need -" Roka was cut short when he saw the lines of the letters twist and turn, transforming into plain English. The name pusled and shimmered over the infant.

"Cornelius?! You named him Cornelius?" Roka stammered, gaping at that name. Almaxi just grinned. "Welcome to the family, Cornelius!"

The bundle of cloth folded back, revealing Cornelius laughing gaily.

- October 8,2005

I so hate that computer. I really do. It makes the creepiest faces at me. Shush, journal! That computer does make faces! Eh, what with my magical talents, I will destroy it when the time comes. Muahahah!

Well, we got little Cornelius today. Gosh, he is so small, and a bit needy. Roka said that babies tend to have more needs than kids do, but I am getting a bit jealous. I was always focused on, and now this pineapple munchkin is in my light. Wait a second ... holy moley, I sound so evil right then. Gotta work on my delivery.

Ruprus acted a bit funky around Cornelius, but I am unsure why. It is like ... Ruprus is excited.

More mysteries to solve, eh?