Three weeks had passed. Something about Elizabeth seemed...different to Philip. She seemed to be getting sick a lot lately. When she wasn't throwing up, she was fatigued. It would often cause her to miss days at work. Something's wrong...He went to go check up on her. She was laying on her bed, though she was still awake. She was barely able to sleep the past few nights.

"How're you feeling, darling?"

"Ugh, terrible..."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Maybe you can make some soup? That seems to be the only thing I can have right now without throwing it back up."

He went out into the kitchen and gathered ingredients. He couldn't recall the name of a lot of the ingredients, but some of them were very similar to wheat and barley in the human realm. Maybe I can make bread...

He suddenly had a revelation. Her symptoms were a lot like those experienced by human females when they're...

Philip went into her room with the soup. After he handed it to her, he sat down on the bed.

"I need to ask you something...stop me if these questions are too...personal...but something about your symptoms made me think I might know what's causing them..."

Elizabeth shrugged her head. "Ask away."

Philip asked her questions regarding her monthly cycle, and when she said that she missed her cycle this month, it became clear to both of them what that meant...to make absolutely sure, Elizabeth took Philip down to see someone she knew that could help.

They walked down the trail. Elizabeth wasn't up to flying today. They walked past the Titan's skull far in the distance and came across a house. Elizabeth knocked and the door opened.

"Ah, dearie, what can I do for...Philip?" The old woman looked over at Philip.

"Edith?" So this is where you went...

"You...know each other?" Elizabeth asked.

"You remember how I've been living in the human realm for a while? Well, I've known Philip since he was a child."

Now that Philip had a chance to examine Edith, her ears looked more pointed than they usually did. So, she is a witch, huh?

"I had come to your house to warn you. The townsfolk..."

"Were gonna put me on trial...I know...that's why I had to get out of there...I only had a little bit of Titan's blood left to make the journey..."

Titan's blood...

"I've been trying to get back to the human realm by creating a portal...I'm getting close, but I am starting to think I might need to mix Titan's blood in it to keep the portal from collapsing...the magic I'm using isn't powerful enough..."

"I'm one of only a few that can tap into the power of Titan's blood to travel between realms, but...I'm afraid it's been harder to come by as of late...anyway..." She turned to Elizabeth. "What seems to be the issue, dearie?"

"I need you to check...if I'm pregnant..."

"Oh my...I see you fancy my daughter quite a bit, huh?"

"Mother!"

"What? It's about time you got yourself a good man! Now, let me check you..."

Edith put her hands over Elizabeth's stomach as Elizabeth tried to hold back her embarrassment. She moved her hands over her stomach...Edith smiled.

"I can feel him..."

"You...can already tell?" Philip asked.

"Yes...and...I can tell he's half human..."

Elizabeth gasped and held her hands over her mouth. She started to cry tears of joy.

"Philip...we are going to be parents!"

Philip could hardly believe the news. He held Elizabeth as he smiled brighter than he ever had before in his life. I'm gonna be a father...

"There's a chance that your son will not be able to do magic, but we won't know that for some time. In the meantime, we can start making preparations..."

Elizabeth hugged her mother.

"Thank you, mother..."

"Now, Philip, if you want to try and find Titan's blood, the heart of the Titan is the best place to look for it...though it flows very slowly. But beware...it is very valuable...make sure that nobody is following you, or you could be in grave danger."

"Is there anything I could use to defend myself?" Philip asked.

"You can use my palisman," Elizabeth said. "It has it's own source of magic. But you'll need to be trained on how to use it. Luckily, my mother is the one that taught me, so listen to her."

Elizabeth handed her staff over to Philip. The Nightjar palisman came off and rested on Philip's shoulder.

"He likes you already," Elizabeth said.

After chatting for a few more hours and Edith showing Philip how the palisman works, Philip and Elizabeth were on their way back home. She was having a hard time walking back, so he helped her. All the while, he couldn't stop thinking about going to the heart of the Titan and trying to get the Titan's blood. That was the final ingredient he needed to create the portal home. He still wasn't sure if Elizabeth coming with him to the human realm would be safe, but so long as she was with him, he would never let harm befall her or their child.

He wanted to start his journey to the heart early tomorrow, but first he needed to get a map. It was also starting to get colder, so he'd need to bundle up if he was gonna start his journey. He managed to get to the market before they closed and found someone with a map of the Boiling Isles.

He went back to the house and checked on Elizabeth. She was sleeping. He made sure she had a bucket by her, just in case, and he went to his study to add another entry into his journal.

Entry 209

December 16...A lot has happened since I arrived in these isles. Tomorrow, I head out for the heart of the Titan. This majestic beast that forms these isles may be the key to me returning home. I also have received splendid news. I am going to be a father. Someday soon, I feel like I am going to ask Elizabeth for her hand in marriage. Perhaps once we're in the human realm, I can have the priest officiate a wedding ceremony. I feel that I have been blessed by the Lord.