Chapter 262 – Early Babies
*** Azula De Vil ***
It hurts just to breathe. All the dragon did was fix the punctured lung. My ribs are still broken. And my arm.
Fuck! Why did I go with that stupid bitch? If it was anybody else, I wouldn't be like this now.
"Miss," comes from the corner.
"Go," I manage to say. "You can't save me. I'm too far gone. Just get Alzi when the time is right. I did this to myself." Did I? Esiyae was the one who did it all. I just happened to be on the ship. Why did Mother have to kick me out?
"But."
"Just go. I'll figure it out." I don't know if the shadow leaves. Maybe I wasn't even talking to anyone. Who knows what's going on with all the pain I'm in?
Please, have mercy on me. I didn't like what that stupid bitch did, either.
*** Elora ***
I guess they know about Syro. The damn Queen is still fighting my Mother, and my sister is getting the same resistance she has always had. Yet, I'm to hold off on pushing.
It has given everyone, including Alzi, a nice break. But the fight after this break will be terrifying. Mother still thinks I should defend, and I can't go against the Queen, but I think I need to relieve some pressure. If I could just launch another attack...
Does she think Lyrei is forgetting to tell me about some forces coming my way or something? I think everyone is accounted for, so what is Mother scared of?
I'll give them two more days before I do something. I can't remain perfectly still.
*** Tanatsu ***
"Oh, you fucks are here," I say. A white-tailed Kitsune and Orange appear in the teleportation circle Mother made me create for the stupid healers. Yumanea asked for them, so why do I need to babysit them? Can't the guards or her wives do that?
"Fucks?" my sister says. "Who kept that girlfriend of yours alive long enough for you to do whatever it is you are doing now? Think we want to stay around your cursed lab rats? We are here to help mend some royal mistakes. Calling us 'fucks' is bold."
"And your assistant?" I ask. The orange one just smiles softly, swaying in the back.
"My wife," Miki says. "Recent development. Now, I would like to see the patients. An older dragon carrying twins that could be royal dragons needs a check-up, and I want to see what goes on with a vampire's pregnancy."
"Tomorrow."
"Today. What is stopping you from taking us today?" Miki asks.
"I need to keep my love alive," I say. "I have to fill the runes for today."
"Hiroko, could you please help her? I refuse to let more of my mana go to that thing. Her time is over, Tanatsu. I know it's hard and unfair that her life has to be so short, but that is life."
"There's no Goddess of Life to define that," I say. "Death only gets them afterward."
"I can do that, dear," Hiroko says. "Show me the way we need to do this quickly. Miki is worried the dragon won't make it to term."
"Whatever," I say. Miki may hate my experiments, but she won't sabotage them. She knows I may be able to defeat her in the running to become Queen if she pisses me off enough. Not that either of us really has a chance to beat the eldest. But miracles do happen, and it'd better be to heal my lover to full health.
I show her the box and continue my work, filling it with my mana. Hiroko should be smart enough to know where to put her mana now. Most of the box is done already.
"You've upgraded the box," Miki says. "A whole extra row of runes, and they are all smaller than in the last one. What would happen if you used this passion on something that helped everyone?"
"I wouldn't have any passion for them, so nothing," I say. "Now shut up, or help."
"I may have women in labor I need to help."
Like you don't have more than enough mana to help those two give birth. Do you think they're going to burst out through the stomach instead?
"You said one was likely a royal dragon?" Hiroko says.
"Yes."
"Genders?" Miki asks anyway.
"I didn't look for the rod," I say. "I'm not a pervert."
"Didn't you think it would be worth it to know if we are about to have a royal male dragon born with us around?" Miki says.
"I thought I told you to be quiet if you aren't going to help?" I say. "It doesn't matter about the kids. We have eighteen years before we can do anything with them. Not that the dragons would let us do anything with them."
"Alzi is going to marry Yuki."
"Is she? I wouldn't be surprised if Yuki finds a way to mess that up."
"Yuki is not that much of a failure. She knows how to play almost every instrument, sing, and dance. She has completed plenty of assassinations. She just isn't made for fighting like you are."
"Nearly a century to get a man, and when she picks one, it's a slave that she doesn't own and refuses to buy. No, Yuki is that much of a failure. It'll take Mother stepping in for that marriage to go through."
"I'm done," Hiroko says. "Anything else?"
"No," I mutter. "Come on."
...
Yumanea brought the dragons up to the castle already, so we have to deal with the guards at the gate. It only takes a few words for them to let us through, but that's a few words more than I would like to deal with.
"This is it," I say, waving to the front door of their manor. "Have fun."
"You know them. Come in with us," Miki says, following the stone path to the front door. The guards give her tails a single look before ignoring her.
I groan but follow her. It would be nice to see how they are doing; they're quite a sweet group.
"What," comes through the door.
"I am a healer sent by my Queen to help Yuki's friends. May I come in to check up on the pregnant women?" Miki says in the sweetest voice, no longer filling the air with disdain. I would almost think she is some innocent Princess trying to help the world.
"Please," the voice says. "Armirynth went into labor an hour ago." The door bursts open, and Miki takes a single step past the doorframe and disappears with Hiroko. She found herself a damn space mage to marry? How did I not know about this Hiroko? Do space mages grow on trees now?
"What happened?" the green dragon asks.
"Magic," I huff. "Come on, we should go support your wife."
...
"Hmm, a bit premature but healthy," Miki says. "They shouldn't need any help after the birth. Now, I need you to work with me, Armirynth. You've done this once before, and I'll help you do it twice now, ok? You've been doing well, and the first one has crowned. There we go. Now, push with the contractions. Give me a big one."
"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Armirynth screams. Her wives take up positions on either side of her, and my sister is between her legs, ready to play catch. The vampire sits in the corner, biting her nails.
"Good. Just like that with me, ok? Three. Two. One, and Push," Miki says. Hiroko tries to hide to my right. I guess we are packing a few more women in here than we need to, but I want to see my discovery come true.
"Last time for the first kid, Armirynth. You're doing a great job. I know this one will do it. Breathe in, and let it out. Now, Push."
A baby's cry fills the room, drowning out his Mother's screams. Miki does a bit of work on him and then passes the child off to the green one.
"Healthy boy. Fertility must have smiled on you. But we have more work to do, Armirynth, so stay with me, ok?"
"Yes. Yes, it hurts. It hurts."
"I know, I know. But you have one more beautiful child to bless the world with, ok?"
...
The same song and dance continues for another hour or so before another little scream fills the room.
"Golden," my sister whispers. I can hardly pick it up through the noise of two babies crying. But when the first was red, I knew this one would be the royal. I know my blood. "Sorry, healthy girl." She goes directly into her Mother's arms. The vampire in the corner seems to know what gold means, but the dragons seem to be the ignorant ones. The traitors don't even know the significance of their colors.
No wonder Alzi was left to just a single mother and then handed over to a brothel. The only ones who knew anything would be the silvers, who were happy Alzi left.
The idiots should've attached themselves to her.
"Both are a little small," Miki says. "Um, but congratulations. Are you all ready to produce milk? I can help with that if you like."
"Please," Ilka says.
I should be respectful to the family that has a male dragon and a royal dragon, and Alzi is what I need. Just a drop of her blood or enough mana to make her pass out should do it.
"Very well. This will hurt a bit."
The wives grimace a bit before thanking my sister.
"Mai, I believe. Can I check on you?"
"Please," the small vampire says. My sister is nice and walks over to her, gently placing a hand on her belly for a second.
"Everything is fine. I think you all have extra rooms, right? Is it ok if my wife and I stay here? I would like to watch over the kids for a bit so I can help you immediately when the time comes."
"Yes," Armirynth says. "I haven't gotten all of the rooms ready. But I can."
"No need. Just tell me which is the free room, and I will do it," Hiroko says. "You have two little ones to look after now."
"Yes. Yes, I have two new little babies," Armirynth says. She starts to cry, likely thinking about her missing baby, the one out on a battlefield.
Shit, should I go and make sure Alzi lives? But can I trust Hiroko and Miki that much? My love would probably die, as I know they won't do everything that is needed.
*** Alzi ***
A BOY! I just had a son! Mommy must have given birth, and I missed it because of this stupid fucking war!
"My Lady, is everything alright?"
"Mommy just gave birth," I cry. "I missed it."
"Did she have a boy? Elora said the Kitsunes were providing a healer, so they must all be doing well."
"I miss her."
"I know my Lady. I know. But we have the winning piece captured here. Just clean up and take a city so you can safely have your kids. Then you can have wonderful playdates for the siblings to all get to know each other."
"I want it now."
"I would love that, my Lady. I would love nothing more than to let you meet your kids right now. I would love to watch you and your Mother playing with the kids. That is what a kind soul like you deserves. But, we're at war, my Lady."