Early the next morning as Axia got up, she did notice her stomach larger then it was the night before. Leaning over to Aldo she slightly touched him, which awoke him instantly and said to him "Look"
Reaching over, he felt her stomach as it was more distended then the night before and smiled. "I love you pet" he said and kissed her softly on the lips.
"If we start this now, we are not going to get going.." Axia said a few minutes later
"True enough pet. You may want to borrow my shoes so that you will have some balance today. If we are going to get there by tonight, we will have a lot of hard walking." Aldo said as he had gotten some of his older shoes, from his room, when they were last in Juno.
"Thank you Aldo, that was really thoughtful of you" Axia said as she put on the shoes he had handed her. Getting on her new outfit that allowed the space for her wings, she placed Axis on the holder that was on her waist and then turned the door handle to leave. "I will meet you downstairs alright. I want to talk to Mother before we head out." she said
"Alright pet" Aldo said and headed into the shower
OoO
Drake had already risen and was getting the rogues together for a final search for Saphia's body. Melianta herself had been busy most of the night brewing pots for her daughter and new son-in-law. She remember Isagani from the academy graduation and remembered that he, like her daughter, had gone the path of the battle brewer. Herself, being a pure potter, as Drake had always protected her, had a very lucky success rate with her pots, a trait she passed to her daughters. Finished with all the blue and white pots that she had made with the herbs from the Teng Gardens, she collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion. She then heard a knock at the door. Lifting herself up, she wearily opened the door, to see her eldest daughter there, and looking very pregnant.
"Hi Mama. I was wondering if you could do something for me?" Axia said
"Of course my darling. I am sorry about Drake these last few days, and about him forcing you to marry. For forcing all of you to marry." she said
"I know Mama, none of this is your fault. Mama can you make me some aloe vera for the trip? We might be a few days, and with the growth of my stomach..." she trailed off
"I already anticipated this and made a bunch for all 3 of you. I suspected that Misty will need this eventually." Melianta said as she handed her a pouch of the precious ointments
"Mama, there is something else I have to tell you. It's about Callista..." she said as she told her what was going to happen
"I see. Now I understand her reaction. And I love Sirano now even more. He is such a noble boy." Melianta said with a few tears in her eyes.
"I think Dad already knows...Dad always knows these things, though I never could figure out how he could sense things" Axia said sitting on the bed
"Your father always wasn't like that, it was a job he did in Magma, before we became lovers. After that, well, he seemed to always know things. It was very strange, but it did make the love life interesting!" she said
"Mama! I did not need to hear that! Thank you very much for that mental image...Gross!" Axia said laughing as she stood up and then paused, as she put her hand on her stomach.
"Your granddaughter didn't want that image either. Her brother is laughing at her" Axia said
"I beg your pardon?" Melianta said at her daughters strange remark
"I said your grandson is teasing his sister, because she is just as grossed out by you and Dad." Axia said
"How in the world do you know that!" she said
"Because I have communication with my children. So does Aldo." Axia said
"How!" Mel said
"Through Axis. As long as I carry Axis, I can hear my children. Very soon Tatiana and Isa will be able to hear their children. Probably about 2 weeks from now." Axia said
"Amazing!" Melianta said
"Mama, there is also something else...when we return, I will be close. Very close..." she said
"Say no more, I understand and things will be ready for my grandchildrens arrival." Mel said as she hugged her daughter close and kissed her on the cheek. "Now go, your husband and your destiny awaits you. Let me handle things for when you return."
"I love you Mama" Axia said
"I know you do. Keep the girls safe for me." she said
"I will Mama" Axia said and she took the pouch and left her mother's room
OoO
Meeting all downstairs, they headed out of the main city north heading back towards Juno. It was a long trek, filled with danger as the Drillers and the Grand Pecos in the area made it hard to venture through. No one spoke, but as Axia was faltering a bit, they slowed the pace as they finally, at the end of the day, reached the entrance to the Magma Dungeon.
"I know that we have to do this, but I have to rest." Axia said when they reached the entrance
"Of course Axia" Isagani said and he summoned a Geographer to heal everyone as did Tatiana. Then they started to hit each other, so for entertainment they summoned them for over an hour. At the end, they were exhausted, but everyone was laughing.
"I don't think it is a good idea to be going in at night, so me and Callista, with Bizi's help of course, should go in and find out what is going on. As we are both Stalkers, our senses are better then Sirano's" Drake said to them as Axia was starting to get very sleepy. "Besides, Axia is exhausted and she will need rest" he said softly
"Thank you old man, I appreciate that." Axia said to her father, and with that laid her head onto Aldo's lap and fell asleep. Aldo leaned down and removed his cape and laid it onto her, stroking her face as she slept
"Misty, this is really tiring for her, so you are going to have to stay behind and watch her. Tomorrow she is going to be slower because of the pregnancy." Aldo said
"I understand." she said to him as she watched Bizi get up to help Drake and Callista. He then leaned down and kissed her goodbye. "We will try again tonight acushla" he said to her as he and the others disappeared into the dungeon. "I love you Bizi" she whispered as he disappeared from sight.
"So Aldo, will I really be showing soon?" Tatiana asked, looking down at her still flat stomach
"Yes Tatiana, thats what Axis said. Most likely by tomorrow." Aldo replied
"Lovely, I will love you no matter what you look like" Isa said as he leaned down and kissed her.
"Aldo, did you want me to do sentry work first?" Mistress asked
"No need, I used all of Tatiana's marine spheres. They will watch us" Isa said waiting for the pain.
"That was thoughtful of you. Grab my flora's as well love" Tatiana said to a shocked Isa. Usually when he used her stuff, she hit him, but tonight, he thought, she must be far more tired then he imagined.
"Right away" he said as he got up and began to cast the spell to bring them to life. When all 50 of her flora's were surrounding them he returned to find the women all asleep and Aldo, still stroking Axia's face.
"How long have you loved her Aldo?" Isa asked as he watched him stroke Axia's stomach as she slept.
"It seems like all my life." he said as he sighed. "She was nothing like anything I had seen. Angry all the time, yet she was so shy with me. She was called "Ice Queen" in the academy, did you know that?" he said slightly smiling. "But when she danced with me, it like dancing with fire. I don't know why I never saw that she was in love with me for all of these years. So many wasted years..." Aldo said wistfully as he caressed her stomach.
"I don't know why I was so afraid to love Tat." Isa said as he brought her head to lie in his lap as he sat cross-legged and across from Aldo.
"I think it can be very daunting for a man to admit that. For you, I think, it was the fact that she was so forward. You are a very shy man, and even I can tell that. I know that if Axia had been far more bold, we would have most likely been married for a long time now. When I saw her body for the first time, that, to me, was my wake up call that she was not just my best friend, but an incredibly desirable woman, and one that loved me. All the gestures she had done over the years, all the hints, all came into clarity. When she came to me that first time, I though her dancing was fire...it was embers, compared to her passion. If Axia is anything like her sisters, and I think you know what I am talking about." Aldo said smiling at Isa's blush "We are brothers now, so this kind of conversation is alright. I can tell that you would be embarrassed about asking Sirano about all this, and well Sirano is going to be needing us shortly." Aldo finished cryptically
"Aldo what is wrong, why is everyone so scared about what is going to happen. Please, tell me" Isa implored him
"Aldo, I am asking you right now, not to say anything to my baby brother. This is something both me and Callista are dealing with and I am not going to have Isa's pity. With his children coming, he is going to have more to deal with then a blubbering brother" Sirano said as he approached the camp and sat down, and stared at his baby brother.
"I am not a child anymore. I am going to be a father and I am demanding that you tell me what is going on here now" Isa said firmly
"CALLISTA IS GOING TO DIE...OKAY YOU HAPPY NOW!" Sirano screamed at him
"What do you mean, she is going to die, why is she going to die?" Mistress said softly as she had awoken from Sirano's outburst
"Callie was created 30 years ago as the catalyst for the items. Drake made a bargain with the woman within Magma. To spare his life, his essence would be altered. What resulted was the 2 sets of twins. Callista was created 30 ago but kept in incubation for 5 of those years. She was never born. That was why she was so smart, and became a rogue so early. She was Drake. When we get in there, her essence is going to be given to your items, so that they may take human form. That was all she was created for. So that they can become humans and create the last and final piece. When that happens, my beautiful wife is going to cease to exist." Sirano finished and held his head within his hand and began to softly cry.
"Aila, why do you have to do this" Tatiana said as she had been softly sleeping and heard every word
"It is part of the process. This is why we told both Sirano and Callista before they married. Sirano, you are a rare human and I am very sorry that this is the way it has to be. I don't want to tell you too much, but you will find joy, I promise." Aila said
"How can I find joy, knowing the woman I love is going to die, and there is not a thing I can do to stop it." Sirano said standing up.
"Because she is pregnant with your child." Aila said
"What.." he whispered
"She is pregnant with your child. The one you conceived 4 nights before Aldo touched Axia." Aila said
"What does 4 nights have to anything!" Sirano said now even more upset
"Because if Axia is only 3 days away from giving birth, just how close do you think she is, mister smart man?" Aila said almost with a smirk in her voice
"But she isn't a chosen! You said it yourself!" Sirano said grasping at straws
"You are such a silly man. She has always been chosen. Same as you. She is the chosen saviour of all of us. Her life force will be given to save this world, and the power given to Axia and her sisters. Your joy is that we will not allow the chosen protector's child to be taken away. And, Sirano, if you had noticed, she has been showing for the last 24 hrs." Aila said with a chuckle.
"I haven't had the time to even see her like that." Sirano said softly. "Drake has kept us so busy looking for Saphia, that we have not even been able to enjoy each other" he added sullenly.
"Then take tonight, this will be your last night with her." Aila said "Axia is too close, and so she will have to be back in Alde by tomorrow night, the latest by the next morning." she added softly
Aldo then brought Axia into his arms and held her close to him. Deeply tired, Axia did not awaken by this gesture but continued to sleep. Stroking her ever burgeoning stomach, he gently rocked her. Everyone was deeply touched by this open and raw show of love, that they just watched the two of them in deep silence.
By midnight, no one could keep their eyes open. Aldo by this time had stopped rocking Axia, and had lain her down again and nestled himself behind her, keeping his cape onto her front to keep her and his children warm. Isa had done the same with Tati, taking off her cape first and wrapping it in the front, and using his cape, to keep his own back warm. Only Mistress and Sirano were awake, awaiting their spouses return. When they did come back, Bizi wordlessly dragged her to her feet and deeply kissed her.
"I missed you wife" Bizi said possessively, placing Lachlan back onto her hand. He then led her to a spot away from the camp, yet still within the flora and marine sphere barrier
"You like using him, don't you?" she said mischievously
"He has his uses, but when he gets human form, I am going to punch his lights out." Bizi said
"He told you..." she said
"Yes he told me within my mind." he answered her. He then kissed her again as he leaned her against one of the trees, hidden from the group. "Did you miss me wife?" Bizi said as he undid her ties to her robes.
"Why no...but if you keep that up, I am sure I will remember" she said as she slid her hands within his robes and found fire.
OoO
Sirano too took his lovely wife away from the group. Softly crying still, he kissed her deeply as he began to remove her clothes.
"Sira I love you" Callista said as she began undressing him as she was softly crying as well.
Sirano had already decided not to tell her about their child, as he knew that if she knew she would not be accepting this, and the Snake Lord would win. Softly massaging her small breasts, he kissed her neck as she freed his erection from his tight rogue pants.
"I love you too wife. Even when you are gone, I will always love you. Till the day I die." he said groaning as she had taken him into her small mouth and was greedily tasting him. Holding her head, and guiding her, he reveled in the feeling of his wife's tongue on him. Knowing that this was the last time he would ever be able to touch her, he stopped her from making him cum so quickly, and set her down on the forest floor. Starting at her neck, he slowly used his tongue and traced every inch of her upper body, settling on her breasts. He had seen her other "sisters" but he loved her breasts. She was smaller then her sisters, but he adored taking them all into his mouth, which he did right now. Arching at the sensations, Sirano held her as he plundered her breasts. Leaving them as Callista was having trouble breathing, he moved even further to the junction between her thighs. Knowing that only a short distance away was his child, that she did not know about, he delved into her soft thighs, tasting her every inch. When he felt her release, he leaned up and very gently entered her. Joined in this way, he could feel the sack that held his child, so was very careful to not thrust to deeply, in fear of breaking the barrier.
Callista, mindless to what he was trying not to do, thoroughly enjoyed this. Sirano was never slow and easy with her, as usually they didn't have time for anything drawn out. Today was no different, but, knowing that this was the last time she would ever feel him, the tenderness that he was showing was more then she could bear. Coming undone for him again and again, and laboured breathing between orgasms, she moved him to his back and rode him as hard as she could. Sirano, fearing for the baby, grabbed her hips, and forced her to slow down.
"Sira, why are you stopping me? You love it hard?" Callista asked as she stopped all together and questioned him
"Not this time. Please I want to take this easy, okay?" Sirano said fearing the breaking of the barrier. He knew that according to the incubation period she was the equivilent of 9 months, and memories of his own mother being taken with the birth of Isagani, made him so fearful. Looking at her, in all her naked glory, she was barely showing. Just the slightest indentation in her rock hard abs, which she hadn't even noticed herself. He then remembered a position that was easy and slow, yet would not harm his child. Easing her off of him, he moved to his side, and snuggled beside her. Then opening her thighs, he entered her from this safe position. Arching into him, Callista felt like she was on fire. Deeply within her, he could hasten the pace for her or slow it down, all the while fondling her glorious breasts. Remembering that they would never suckle his child, he began to cry anew, as he opened her up further and pounded into her, allowing his own release.
Spent, Callista turned to him again and cried softly into him. "How am I going to let you go? Sira, I don't want to let you go!" Callista sobbed into him
Holding her and crying with her, he said "We already talked about this my darling. If you don't do it, the Snake lord wins. He is going to kill every living person with the Wrath of the Valkyries. The pieces need to change the Wrath into the Hope of the Valkyries. Only you have the power to do this. Only you can do this. I love you so much, and I don't want you to go either. But it has to be done my love. This is your destiny, and I am honoured to be your husband." Sirano told her, knowing that he was leaving out their child.
"I don't want to sit with the others, do we have to go back?" she said
"No we can stay here for a while" he said and cast Safety wall for them
"When did you copy this?" she said within the barrier
"Few days ago with Bizi. He was kind enough to allow me to try" he said
"Well I am glad Sira. God, how am I going to let you go..." Callista said crying again
"You don't have to let me go, just accept your destiny." Sirano said as he held her and rocked her softly, as Aldo had done with Axia
OoO
As morning arrived the party got themselves ready. Then they noticed Axia. She was now showing at 8 months pregnant and was very large. Knowing that with her size, it was going to be very hard for them to keep the pace going, until Axia reminded them of her wings. As they began to pack up the supplies, Axia attempted to see how much effort it would take for her to use her wings to float.
"Pet, I don't mind carrying you when you get too tired. Why do you want to tire yourself even further with hovering" Aldo had asked her for the third time that morning
"Because I don't want to be a burden to anyone, alright!" Axia said exasperated with him and flew off to the entrance to wait for the others
Meanwhile, Isa had been petting Tatiana's stomach as he could now see the distended stomach that was carrying his children. "Isa we have to get going, you can pat it all you want when we get back?" Tati said getting very embarrassed as he had a big dopey grin on his face as he continued to ignore her and kept patting her stomach. Bizi, remembering Isa's reactions the first time they spoke, he signed in longing. Within his mind, he heard two words from the voice that has become his bane "It took".
Grinning for the first time in days, he stared at Mistress and asked Lachlan "How many?"
"Just one, like before, and it is a son as well" Lachlan responded
Getting up, he grabbed Mistress and swung her around. "Bizi! What in god great name are you doing!" Mistress shrieked.
In the loudest voice possible he yelled "We are going to have a baby!" and continued to swing her around grinning.
"Congratulations Bizi!" Isa and Aldo both said together
"Sweet!" Tatiana said, grateful that Isa had been distracted enough for him to stop patting her stomach.
"Lachlan is it true? Am I blessed again?" Mistress said softly crying
"Yes my sweet chosen, you are." Lachlan said to her in the softest tone she had ever heard.
Bizi finally set her down, and kissed her deeply. "We are going to have a baby!" he said softly to her.
"Sister I am glad that you are once again pregnant. It is too bad that I was never blessed with it, but considering I will be dead by the end of this night, I suppose it doesn't matter too much now does it?" Callista said forlornly
"But Callie you..." Tatiana was about to say when Isa clamped his hand over her mouth and finished by saying "You are loved by us and we are grateful that you are sacrificing yourself for this world. We will always remember you and you will never be forgotten"
Within Tatiana's mind, Aila reminded her "Sirano wanted her not to know, so that she can feel better about her decision. If she knew she was leaving behind her son, she would never agree to do this"
"I had forgotten, and I'm sorry" Tatiana said within her mind
"No worries, your husband is a very quick thinker. She is still very unsure and is very torn about leaving Sirano. She does accept what she must do, but is having a very hard time accepting the fact that she has to leave him behind." Aila said to her in her soothing voice
"We should all get going" Drake said, not hearing Bizi's announcement.
"Alright" Bizi said, taking Mistress in hand
OoO
When they all reached the entrance, Axia hugged her twin and said, "Congrats love"
"Axis?" Mistress said
"Axis." Axia stated "Stay with me okay. I'm not as steady as I am appearing to Aldo, and I don't want to worry him." she said to her twin in a hushed voice
"Of course sweety." she said as she patted her older twin's hand. Saying to the guys and younger sister "You guys go on ahead, us girls are going to talk"
"About babies?" Tatiana asked missing her own twin's closeness
"If you want to stay behind with us, of course love." Axia said trying not to wheeze and opened her arm to her sister. When Tati took it, Axia whispered "Its also because I am very unsteady and I don't want Aldo knowing."
Entering into the Cave, they were hit with a tremendous amount of heat. As Bizi had done the night before, he cast Kyrie Eleison as fast as he could to protect them from the heat. He then cast Assumptio on the entire party as they ventured through
As Drake and Callista herded all the monsters, Sirano used a copy of Storm Gust that he had made of a pathetic wizard, and destroyed the monsters within their path. When Axia was feeling more steadier, Mistress went through as many of the monsters as she could. Casting all her combos, and with the spiritual help of her husband, they finally reached the deepest part of the cave. As they approached the center alter the all stood still as they saw a very familiar girl deep within.
Saphia was strapped up onto a pole and LoneWolf was torturing her.
"Hello my Mistress, I see that I have found you again. It seems my master was not content with me corrupting you, so left me this beautiful and delectable morsel to corrupt. And she has been enjoying my favours...something you rejected my Mistress" LoneWolf said to Mistress
"Guys get me out of HERE!" Saphia screamed
"Shut up slave" Lone said as he struck her against the face "I have not told you to speak"
"Tat, Isa, get me out of here" Saphia sobbed
"Lone, release my sister now" Axia said holding Axis firmly in hand.
"Mistress, give me Lachlan NOW" Bizi said enraged at Lone. Mistress without turning to him, took Lachlan off of her hand and handed him to Bizi.
"How dare you treat Saph like that" Isagani said narrowing his eyes, holding Aila as well.
With all three weapons in hand, fire, wind and lightning were released from each of the weapons, using the rage of the wielders. Both Bizi and Isa turned the fire and lightning towards Axia, and with wings outstretched, turned to face Lone. Gathering the power of all 3 weapons she asked Lone what his purpose was with them.
"My job, as always, was to find you. When I found out about Mistress, I arranged that meeting, and lowered myself to that pathetic and groveling monster that you all knew me as. When my master contacted me, and told me to make Mistress take me in lust, that was why I entered her shower. You, little monk, made my master very upset with me, when you rejected me. That was why he staged my death. Then he found out about the other twins. That alchemist was never far from the white haired man, but this little morsel" Lone said as he cruelly grabbed a hold of Saphia's breast and twisted it "had no man to protect her, and so when Ruchan had finished raping her, he gave her to me to torture to my hearts content." he said as he slowly raised one of his katars over one of her breasts and began to cut, leaving drips of blood on the ground.
"Touch her again and you die" Tatiana said, taking Aila out of Isa's hands
"You mean like this?" Lone said as he slapped Saphia with one of his katars, causing a deep wound across her face.
"Never touch my twin again you bastard!" Tati said as she summoned the strength of her children, Aila and the others and with a force unreckoned, held Aila overhead and ran towards him and sliced him into 2 halves.
"Really little girl, do you think that this is going to stop me?" Lone said as he grew back into one person again after her onslaught.
"What manner of demon are you" Isa said
"The kind that is going to devour your little alchy after finishing with the blacksmith" Lone sneered at him
"Touch my wife, and I will kill you myself" Isa said, eyes narrowed.
"Tat, Misty come to me now" Axia said floating down as she had gathered her energy together. "Place one hand on mine and think of your children." Doing so, a vast amount of energy radiated from the woman, as the essence of all the children and themselves all came out and added to the energy beam
"Children! You miserable men, you got them all breeding, you all can rot in hell!" Lone said as he began to charge towards them, bent on using Soul Breaker. He targeted Isa first, thinking that he was weak and would be easy pickings. What he didn't expect was the shield of Aila protecting him and then Bizi quickly casting Safety wall and encasing Lone into it. Bizi, still holding Lachlan, then send a bolt of Lightning towards the safety wall and it shocked him to the core. Then Aldo used Arrow Vulcan and sent it flying into the safety wall.
"Devour my wife will you" Isa said and sent a homunculi into the safety wall with the one thought...tear apart.
Inside Lone was screaming as he was still charged from the lightning and the homunculi made sure that he was unable to reform himself. Then the power transfer was complete. Chiming in tune with their children, they sent the ball directly into the safety wall. When it made contact with him, the rage of the children over this evil creature, made his past screams sound like whimpers. Shrieks of pain and rage over the enormous pain that was being inflicted on him, Lone writhed in absolute agony. While Lone was in the safety wall, Drake ran over to the tied up Saphia. As he slowly took her down, she began to sob on him. "Honey, Daddy is here, and I will protect you. Never again will this happen, I swear to you." Drake said as he picked her up into his arms and moved back over to the others that were dealing with Lone.
Within the safety wall, Lone was very blackened, but still alive. Narrowing his eyes at them, he said "You will never defeat me, you don't have the power to kill me"
"But I do" Callista said in a unearthly voice
Beginning to shimmer, she allowed the nearby Wrath of the Valkyries to use her essence and before losing all coherence, took all items from the party. She then walked over to Sirano and for the last time, kissed him deeply.
"I love you husband, and I will never forget you" she said as she held all items within her as she began to shimmer out of existance.
"Aila!" Sirano said, as she was almost out of sight "Save the baby!"
"B...a...b...y.." Callista said with tears as she began to be transparent. She then looked down, and saw her child within. Aila had encased it within her protective bubble and Callista then faded out of existence.
OoO End of Chapter 14 OoO