Kettu, not from the future

{What do you mean she said no!?}

Tithalia raged around the volcano's inner sanctuary as Kettu stood off to the side and literally burnt through her own mana supply to keep her clothes from being consumed by her flames. She herself was extremely resistant to the heat, having spent most of her life around the Dragon, but fabric was a different story.

"Well, you did say Dragon's mate for life, Tithalia. Your daughter is just following your teachings in the only way she knows how." Kettu kept her voice even as best she could, as slight bits of anger bled off the Dragon in her attempt to hide the loneliness that had been building for so long.

{Are you saying it's my fault my daughter has not returned to me?}

"Noooooooo." Kettu drew out. "That would mean I'm against you, Tithalia, and we both know I do everything you say because you're such a kind and caring Dragon."

The sarcasm in her tone was loud enough to be unmistakable. Tithalia had yet to remove Kettu's Livestock status, and the Kitsune couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not. Tarakona's words were still heavy in her mind.

[A Deed owner can impregnate any Livestock bound to their farm regardless of species.]

Kettu would have called bullshit if Tarakona hadn't shown the Kitsune her own egg. There was very little argument she could make there, and even if she wanted to debate it, her empathy kept showing her waves of satisfaction and impatience coming from the soon-to-be mother-to-be. The egg was hers, and she fully believed Clovek was the father.

Hard to argue against that when Tarakona had only ever slept with him. So unless someone magically impregnated the Dragon, she was correct. Something she doubted would ever happen, as Tithalia would outright kill entire continents if she thought they were hiding those responsible.

And then there was the egg itself... It was alive, Kettu could feel traces of the growth emotions that she longed to hold in her own womb.

{You would be wise to hold your tongue, Kettu. My patience for you is not endless. I can still leave you as livestock for the rest of your days.}

Ignoring Tithalia's tantrum, Kettu addressed the Dragon without the expected fear; she had been a victim of Tithalia's manipulation before. "Is it true whoever owns the Deed can impregnate their bound Livestock regardless of the difference in species?" The Kitsune held the Dragon's glare and added. "Even if that species has been cursed?"

Tithalia growled. A sound that bounced through the mountain and set Kettu's fur on edge. Her tail, which had a red tip, glowed faintly to ward off the extra heat.

{What does that have to do with my daughter?}

Kettu didn't answer straight away. She had Tithalia's full attention right now and didn't want her to misunderstand her next words. It would be awfully bad for Clovek if she did.

"Your daughter." Kettu started slowly. "Is an egg layer. That's her produced resource as a Livestock."

Tithalia continued her low growl as Kettu felt impatience and worry from the Dragon.

"Well. One of her eggs she believes to be fertilized. You did your research on the Deeds, so I want to know if it's possible." Kettu finished trying to cover her own interest in the subject.

Kitsune were a difficult species to get pregnant as the magic in their bodies hinders conception once they've reached a certain degree of magical control. A child in a mother's womb is a bit like a parasite, and their magic does an incredible job of healing any and all foreign objects. Kettu only learnt this after she was strong enough to protect a Dragons den from intruders; not that she was given much of a choice, but she still yearned for what she lost.

Her future was taken before she even realized it. But if this Clovek could give her that again... Well, she wouldn't go against Tithalia, but she would gladly make sure he appreciates her company. Hell, she would make sure he never wanted her to leave.

She'd laughed her sadness away on nights she thought no one was around. Forced to look after another mother's young but never allowed to have her own. It was infuriating. This was only compounded when Tarakona had given her a chance.

{That should not be possible. The Deeds allow for many impossible things, and I do know they can change the fertility and compatibility of some species, but there is a limit. If he was to be able to do that then...}

Tithalia growled again as she came to her conclusion. A conclusion that Kettu was now very interested in. She knew that her species was compatible with others without the assistance of the Deeds, but that only applied to Kitsune that haven't excelled in magic. She was far past excelling at her point in time.

{Did you meet him?}

There was a demand in her voice that left no room for negotiation. Reinforced by a wave of heat so thick it weighed down on Kettu. Only experience with this kept her standing.

"No. It was not part of my requirements, so I didn't bother. Tarakona only said that she would not leave."

Finally, Tithalia looked away, and the pressure ceased. Kettu was a bit miffed that the edges of her dress were now singed and her fur was starting to fall out.The only annoying thing about being a Livestock was that she shed her fur way faster than she used to, and her natural resistance did not apply to the strands just before they fell out. Most of this resulted in more ash on the floor right now.

{He had to be a Dragon. There is no other way for him to have fertilized my daughter's eggs. But if he found a way to become one, even temporarily, he would be able to.}

"Wouldn't that mean anyone with a polymorph potion could just screw a Dragon and make babies?" Kettu asked, walking with Tithalia as the big Dragon made her way towards the entrance of the mountain, apparently needing a bit of fresh air.

The Kitsune had to give the Dragon some space so that none of her spikes accidentally got in her way, though it had become second nature at this point. It was a lot harder with hatchlings that wanted to play and didn't know how dangerous their budding spikes were.

{No. For starters, we can choose when we get pregnant, but the polymorph potion you speak of does not contain the required... Strength, I guess you could say, to change a species seed to be strong enough to make it through to our wombs or to trigger the fertilization in the first place. It could be possible if the species was strong to begin with, like a Phoenix or a Leviathan. But I'm guessing the Deeds had a bit more to do with it than we first thought. If she truly has laid her own hatchling.}

Tithalia could not hide her yearning for knowledge she did not have from Kettu. The fire Dragon loved her studies even if the subject was far beneath her status. The only thing she loved more was her own children, and now the potential grandchild.

There was also a fair amount of mischief coming through from the Kitsune's ability. This caused her to bite her lip in annoyance. Tithalia was specifically not mentioning if this would help her own condition, not that she was prideful enough to not ask. "What about me? Could the Deeds extend this... Power to allow me to have my own?"

Tithalia waited until they were both outside and looking down at the valley beneath her mountain. The land had its fair share of scorch marks, though the Dragon had been better at controlling herself as of late, if only because it meant she had to travel further for food.

{I cannot give you a proper answer; I'm sorry, Kettu. Your species is a bit of an enigma to me. If you didn't live for centuries, I would have thought you would go extinct with how bad your breeding is.}

Kettu slumped. Her hopes had been so high.

{But I don't believe it's a no either. The Deeds themselves are a primordial magic, one that does not have a beginning nor an end. The rules your species follow could potentially be guidelines they can choose to follow or break at their whims.}

"You make them seem like Gods," Kettu said back, regaining some hope. If there was even a chance, she was going to take it. Consequences be damned. She'd gone from a slave to a maid already, why not add a humans concubine?

{I have killed those that thought themselves Gods, Kettu. But these Deeds... Whatever they are is older than even that. Yet no one properly taps into their power, and I can't blame them there. Who wants all the power in the world but only be able to use it to assist another? It's completely backwards, not to mention those that successfully bind a Deed but then refuse anything more than the basics of their power. It's why I left him alive after my last visit. I want to see what he does, and learn what the extent of the strength they possess.}

Kettu nodded along to Tithalia's cryptic words, not really following along. Her mind had latched onto the chance, regardless of how small it was. If it didn't work, then she would be back to where she was now; no point in letting the opportunity go.

{Did I make a mistake, Kettu?}

The directness of the question brought Kettu back to the Dragon as she stared at the sun.

"About what?" The Kitsune questioned.

{About lying to my daughter that Dragons mate for life. I had meant to scare her into making sure she was happy with her mate before fully committing, but now? I feel my own words have pushed her away.}

Kettu felt the vulnerability of the question hit her like a boulder. Tithalia was very rarely this open about anything.

"You had good intentions." She started but struggled to find the rest of what to say.

{Good intentions can still lead to bad outcomes.}

Kettu sighed. "You meant well, Tithalia. It's not like you could have predicted this would happen, and we both know your last mate was an absolute dick. I mean, who abandons their child because they weren't happy with their element?"

Tithalia hummed but didn't say anything. She didn't need to; Kettu felt everything.

"My answer is simple, Tithalia. Do you think Tarakona is unhappy? Because from what I saw and felt, she is extremely happy with where she is. That by itself tells me you didn't make a mistake."

{You just want me to keep you as a Livestock so that you can see if there's any truth to the Deeds.}

The humor was returning to her voice.

"I can't deny that. I'd even go so far as to say that if you did remove it, I would probably research my own way of becoming a Livestock again." Kettu countered. "Though I doubt you will do that. I'm pretty sure you are going to tell me to go continue looking after your daughter as a fellow Livestock on this farm."

Tithalia rolled her eyes but didn't deny it. There was no real reason for Kettu to stay with the Dragon if Tarakona wasn't returning, and they both knew that. It had been long enough.

{Then go. Go be the maid my daughter doesn't need but will have. And I do hope, for your sake, the Deeds are strong enough to give you what you want.}

Kettu smiled at that before turning around towards the mountain so she could pack.

{Just one last thing. Make sure this Clovek is worthy of both my daughter and you. I will be visiting to see if my grandchild actually exists and would hate to be disappointed.}

Kettu quickened her pace. If Clovek wasn't up to her standards, she very much doubted he would continue to live regardless of what Tarakona says, and if that was the case, she needed to get her child before Tithalia arrived.