"Avatar, step away from the Keeper or else this child will die after its first minute." the shadow figure said as he held the newborn in his hands.
Jordan stood defensive by Kezi; he didn't exactly know what the figure wanted. Kezi groaned as the markings of the seal spread more, signifying that it was weakening. Jordan looked down at her anxiously; he realized the seal was in danger of breaking.
"Well, move aside then Avatar. Don't you care what happens to your little brat?"
"Stay calm..." Jordan growled.
"Speak for yourself...I am extremely calm." The masked man through the baby in the air.
"Marnaya!" Kezi yelled. Jordan used every ounce of power to catch the baby before she hit the floor.
"Impressive." the figure commented. "But..."
Jordan saw what the 'but' was for; Whoever this alien was, he'd attached some type of bomb device as thin as paper onto Marnaya's blanket.
"Jordan! Marnaya!" Kezi yelled as she realized this as well. The bomb went off.
Jordan teleported himself and the baby to the middle of a wooded area on Oban. He anxiously looked down at the infant in his arms.
'Marnaya's not hurt.' he thought to himself in relief. He processed the alien's actions.
'He attached that bomb because he knew it would force me to teleport away from there. His target was Kezi...I have to hurry.'
But he found Hunta and gave Marnaya to him before he went after the figure.
The masked figure had left the explosion sight a split second before Jordan had, taking the weak Keeper with him to an isolated region of Oban.
The alien had been able to use the seal's markings like a rope which forced Kezi to stand up, her arms stretched out as wide as possible. The seal on her stomach seemed like a black circle now. The only thing that kept the weak girl on her feet was the force of the markings holding her.
"What...do you want?" she demanded weakly of the stranger.
"I'm going to extract the Wolf from you and crush Oban." he answered, not seeing any threat from her.
"W...What?"
He laughed darkly. "The seal has weakened due to childbirth...and that Avatar is now far away. There's no one around to save you."
Kezi cold see his eyes through the mask; they were violet and glowing. He forced her eyes open with his magic and she felt the Wolf inside her respond.
"Do you know how long I have waited for this?! Now come on out Wolf!"
Light emitted from the seal on Kezi's stomach. Then a force came out; Kezi felt as though another sword was piercing through her and she collapsed as the markings suddenly disappeared. The force shot like a bullet from her abdomen, and in midflight transformed into a terrifying creature which let out a roar as soon as it hit the ground. The masked figure turned to lead the beast onward until a small voice spoke to him which honestly surprised him.
"W-w-wait..."
He commented. "My, my. You Hawkins family are just incredible. You don't die when the Wolf is extracted."
He was silent for a moment before saying, "You were his Keeper...I'll let you die by his hand."
As if understanding, the Wolf turned to look at Kezi who was curled up clutching herself as she tried to crawl. He stretched an arm back, preparing to strike.
The Wolf hit the spot she had been in and land flew out from the force of his blow. But when the dust and debri cleared, the masked alien found Jordan had swept in and gotten Kezi at the last second. The Avatar was on top of a large rock, holding Kezi in his arms. His back was turned away, but the alien knew he could hear.
"You're very fast, Avatar, but...you're too late."
Jordan heard him, but ignored as Kezi was trying to talk.
"J-Jordan. Marnaya." she got out weakly. "Is...Marnaya...alright?"
Jordan gently replied. "Yes. She's in a safe place right now."
"Thank...goodness." She tried to gather strength as she continued. "You...have to stop...that alien...and the Wolf...They're planning to destroy the Creators...and Oban..."
Jordan processed this and his eyes shifted behind him. But he teleported away with Kezi.
The figure simply said, "He went away again? Oh well."
Jordan teleported back to the underground barrier he'd found Hunta at. He carried Kezi into a room where he saw Marnaya laying in the middle of the bed.
"W-why?" Kezi breathed as Jordan layed her down next to their daughter.
"Shhhh." he answered. "Just be with Marnaya."
She looked up at him and her eyes slowly drifted to the sleeping baby. She moved the baby closer to her. "Marnaya..." she said.
Jordan was going to stop this alien freak. Luckily, Kezi's life force was strong enough to survive the extraction. He was still going to pay for hurting Kezi and trying to hurt Marnaya. He prepared to leave the room in his anger, but Kezi called him back.
"Jordan...thank you." she whispered. "Good luck. I wish...I could...help."
Jordan calmly replied, "You can help by staying with Marnaya. I'll be back as soon as I can."
He set off to meet the wolf along with Hunta and the others he'd summoned, praying Kezi did what he asked this time.
As soon as they reached the Wolf, the force of Gumarians took on the Wolf while Jordan dealt with the one who'd released it.
Kezi laid with Marnaya on the bed, too weak to even move. She could feel the tremors in the ground from the Wolf fighting them. She was worried sick about everyone, especially Jordan, but knew she couldn't be of any help right now in her condition. The extraction had drained most of her strength and where the seal had been left behind extreme pain. Kezi managed not to shriek from it, but every now and then she let out a moan of pain when she couldn't contain it.
The pain didn't lessen but after some time, Kezi found she could endure it without making any noise. It merely seemed to keep her from regaining her strength.
Tremors continued to shake the shelter; it scared Kezi although she knew the shelter wouldn't give in. Kezi finally gained the strength to prop herself up. Marnaya started to cry when a tremor knocked a piece of pottery off the stand. Kezi wasn't sure what to do right now to calm the baby until she suddenly remembered something Jordan had done.
'Kezi!' Jordan said when he came through the door of their 'home'. She got up to see what he wanted, cradling her huge stomach as she went to door. He held up some kind of rattle.
"What IS that?" Kezi asked him.
"I thought Marnaya would like it." he replied.
"Oh my god." Kezi answered.
"What?"
"I can't believe you bought that! When she hasn't even been born yet! You're being very hasty, ya know."
"Don't get excited." he walked over to her and patted her stomach. "Your mom says this now." he started. "But you'll love it, right Marnaya?"
"Enough." Kezi tried to scold but she ended up giggling. She placed her hand beside his. Before they removed their hands, they felt movement for the first time.
Jordan's face was shocked. "Did...did...you-?"
"Yep. She moved." Kezi answered, shock on her own face.
"I told you she'd like it."
"It was a coincidence, Jordan."
"I don't care what the reason is. As long as she's happy!"
Kezi glanced around the room, frantic because Marnaya continued to wail. Then her eyes rested on the tiny wardrobe along the wall. She sat up.
"It...was on...top of that wardrobe." she mumbled to herself. She forced herself to stand up. Walking over to the wardrobe, she fell on it when a tremor shook her. She let go to reach the object and another tremor knocked her off her feet and she fell to the floor. Using every ounce of strength she had, Kezi rose to her feet and grabbed the rattle. She made her way back to Marnaya.
She picked up the crying baby and shook the rattle. The baby paid no attention to it.
"L-look, Marnaya." Kezi whispered. "Your f-father bought this...f-for you."
The infant's wails became lower as Kezi continued to shake the rattle. "Everything...is...going to be okay..."
The baby stopped completely and watched the rattle shake. Kezi talked to her daughter more for her own benefit since the baby didn't understand what was happening. "Don't...worry. Your f-father...will get rid of...that bad...man s-soon."
The new mother hummed a tune and before she'd finished, Marnaya was asleep again.
Kezi stroked her cheek. "What...a good girl."
The tremors seemed to get stronger; Kezi laid down with Marnaya beside her, hugging her close.
"Marnaya..." Kezi said. "My...my little baby. Our daughter. We finally met...but..."
Jordan was pleased with himself when he'd severed the tie between the masked man and the Wolf; however he still had to tackle the Wolf. And from what he'd heard of its attack on Erridan, it would be by no means easy. The conversation between himself, Hunta, and Kezi ran through his mind now.
'How come no one from Earth has heard of this Wolf?' he asked Hunta. Jordan didn't doubt the Gumarian's word; he was simply curious.
'The Earth Coalition tends to ignore things that they can't explain.' he replied gently. 'Erridians...well...'
Kezi answered, 'Erridan was extremely different than Earth. It had another race of people living on it before humans colonized it. Most of them were dead or had left. But a couple had remained. They actually taught the humans how to survive on Erridan. Without them, there probably wouldn't have been a successful colony.'
Jordan processed this; Kezi was reliable when it came to Earth and Erridian history. Obviously, she'd paid more attention in school than he had.
Hunta continued. "I believe Earth blames massive weather disturbance for the Wolf's damage?" Kezi nodded in agreement. "Well, my race wasn't really keen on letting Earth in on the truth either; Earthlings tended to be rash, and they destroy things with mere force. There are some forces that you just can't win with that tactic."
Jordan nodded, understanding what Hunta was saying; he wasn't bashing people from Earth, he was just stating an obvious fact. He replied, "Erridians always seemed more cautious when in battle and in strategy...I guess it's because of their history. I never understood before."
"We're taught at a young age to think before you act unless you're in immediate life-threatening danger.' Kezi said. "But if you have a chance to think, do it. I always had problems with that. When I was in the Academy, I acted completely on impulse."
Hunta replied, "The race before you stressed that to your ancestors, Kezianna. And your ancestors thought it best to pass the ideal along."
Jordan felt another question rise to his lips. "How did Erridan know of you, Hunta?"
"I appeared one day out of no where." He smiled. "I was actually in search of a Keeper since there weren't any qualified Gumarians. I was surprised when I found the first human man capable of surpressing the Wolf.
"Joseph Hawkins. In fact, his entire maternal side showed capability. He was the youngest of them so that's why I asked him. When I explained the situation, he seemed very eager to help. This was Leah's maternal grandfather."
Jordan seemed wrapped in the story and was brought back to reality when Kezi asked a question. "Does the seal weaken in males?"
"Not until death."
Jordan was confused. "How come? It weakened early on with Kezi's mom...and she didn't die until nine years later."
Hunta explained carefully, "It only weakens in females during pregnancy, its weakest point after childbirth. Since men do not ever have to support another life with their own body...well, there's no reason for the seal to weaken unless they die. If a female never gets pregnant, the same applies...That why we try to have male Keeper's. No real threat until they get older."
Kezi asked another question. "Why is it that my uncle was not the next Keeper? Why was it my mother? If you prefer male Keepers..."
"It was impossible. He did have mogur just not the right kind to suppress the Wolf. Your mother was the only one of them capable and the youngest one available. She became the next Keeper at sixteen. It's the same as when you were chosen...in case that was your next question. Keni was not able but you were. Even if Korra was born as your twin, you would have been the only one able, Kezianna."
Kezi and Jordan looked at each other with concern. "What..." Jordan started to ask Hunta, but he stopped himself. The Gumarian looked at him questioningly. Kezi asked another question, one that had arisen when she realized what Jordan was beginning to ask.
"What happens if the seal comes undone when I give birth and the Wolf gets out?"
Hunta had a solemn expression on his face as he answered, "You'd best hope your child can be a Keeper. Or that Kezianna could survive an immediate resealing."