Disclaimer: Neither High School DXD nor Elder Scrolls belongs to me, all rights to their respective owners.
Chapter 8
Throat of the World - Middas 13 Sun's Dawn of 203 of the Fourth Era
The icy wind blew fiercely, almost tearing off the bear fur cloak that Edzard wore over his clothes, made entirely of fur to keep warm. He had decided to climb to the top of the Throat of the World to talk to Paarthurnax about what happened when he almost died a month ago. He left Asia at the College of Winterhold to continue her magic studies.
When Edzard reached the summit, he could see the dragon he had come to look for. It was a white dragon, with somewhat worn wings, missing a horn on its head and another on its jaw, and its tail ended in an arrowhead shape. As he approached, the dragon opened its eyes and flew to land in front of him.
"Drem Yol Lok. Greetings, Fahdon. What brings you back to my strunmah… my mountain?" Paarthurnax asked.
"Drem Yol Lok. Greetings, master. I have come to seek your wisdom." Edzard replied with a slight bow.
"Umm, Onikaan… wisdom about the Kiir… the girl." Paarthurnax spoke. "About how to Wundun Lein… travel between worlds."
Edzard's eyes widened as he realized that Paarthurnax already knew what he wanted to ask.
"Yes, I wish to know if it is possible to use shadow magic to travel to another world."
"It is possible, but onikaan… wise it is not. The fabric of the lein… the world cannot be torn again." Paarthurnax replied, looking at the sky. "Our Bormah… our father, will not allow it."
"Why won't he allow it?" The desperation was clear in Edzard's voice.
"A new kren… a rupture could remove the barrier that protects the lein… the world from the deyra… the daedra."
'Damn it, if Akatosh doesn't allow it, I won't be able to open the portal.' Edzard thought, searching for an alternative.
"Paarthurnax, will Akatosh stop me personally if I open that rift?"
"No, Bormah… our father will not. He will send our fahdon… our sisters, the Jills." Paarthurnax replied with a slight tone of fear. "The power of the Jills is much greater than that of a Dovah."
Edzard raised an eyebrow, noticing the fear in Paarthurnax's voice.
"How powerful are they?" he asked, trying to understand what he would face if he went ahead with his plan. "Compared to the Dovah I've defeated."
"Facing one is like facing three Dovah."
Edzard sighed; that was a lot of power. He knew he could face them, but Asia could not.
'It seems I'll have to find a way to avoid my new sisters.' Edzard thought when he suddenly heard a voice.
'You know, I always knew you were very unruly, kul.' said a voice that seemed to come from nowhere. 'You're already thinking about how to bother your new fahdon.'
Upon hearing it, both Edzard and Paarthurnax began to search for where it was coming from.
'It's useless to look for me in Mundus. I'm speaking from Aetherius.' Upon hearing this, both their eyes widened.
"Bormah." they said in unison, as Edzard knelt and Paarthurnax bowed his head.
'Ha, ha, ha, please, my children, raise your heads.' Akatosh laughed, amused. 'Edzard, my son, it seems bringing that girl to Mundus was a good decision.'
"What do you mean, father? Did you bring Asia to Mundus?" Edzard asked, standing up. "If so, why did you do it?"
'No, son, I did not bring her, but I allowed her to be brought.' Akatosh replied. 'However, I'm sure you can guess who it was.'
Edzard began to think about which deity could have brought Asia to this world. His eyes widened as he finally understood who it was.
"Mara, it was Lady Mara." he replied. "But why did she bring her?"
'To save her from her cruel future in that world.' Akatosh replied with sorrow in his voice.
"What cruel future awaited her?"
'You know that shadow magic allows one to see worlds with slight changes from the origin of the mage using it, right?'
Edzard nodded, as that was the basic theory about shadow magic.
'In another world, that girl would be excommunicated at sixteen. She would meet a young man who would take the place you hold in her heart.' Akatosh explained. Edzard tried to interrupt, but Akatosh continued. 'However, in the world from which this version comes, she would be forced to become a demon and suffer all kinds of abuses at the hands of the demon who turned her, until her mind finally broke.'
When Edzard heard that, several images began to appear in his mind. In them, Edzard could see how Asia was raped and tortured every day, but despite seeing this, he could not see who the aggressor was. It was like watching a movie, he tried to run and help her, but he couldn't. Every attempt he made ended the same way, in failure. In the real world, Edzard's body began to emit an enormous pressure of magical power, his eyes changed color, and his canines began to grow. All of this was due to the rage that was beginning to appear from him. Paarthurnax realized this and tried to calm his brother down.
"Dovahkiin, calm down! Do not let your bah… your anger control you!" exclaimed Paarthurnax, worried that his younger brother would fall into the thirst for domination that all Dovah harbor.
Edzard began to see red, his bloodlust surfacing; however, when his father spoke again, his anger increased.
'If what I told you upset you, this will make you even angrier…' Akatosh knew that what he was about to say could unleash Edzard's fury. 'The demon who would do that to her is the same demon she healed.'
Upon hearing this, something inside Edzard broke. In his mind, images of the abuses Asia would suffer appeared, but now he could also see the perpetrator. The magic that began to emanate from his body before was terrifying, but now it was so brutal that Paarthurnax had to fly away to escape the vortex of power Edzard was creating.
"Bormah, why did you tell him that?" Paarthurnax asked, seeing his younger brother literally tear himself apart under the power he was releasing.
'It was necessary.' Akatosh replied with sorrow, pained to see his son in that state. 'Your brother is not the most powerful mortal currently. There are others who surpass him in knowledge, experience, and power. However, he has the potential to reach a power like that of a Daedric prince.'
Paarthurnax's eyes widened in astonishment as he saw his younger brother. He saw how Edzard's body began to show physical changes: black lines, like veins, spread across his body.
Edzard felt his body being destroyed and regenerated at the same time, an extreme pain, but insignificant compared to the rage he felt.
'You should stop him, Akatosh.' said a new voice. 'The boy won't be able to withstand maintaining so much power at once.'
'DREM! DOV! HAH!' The shout shook the world, and a golden lightning bolt struck Edzard.
The lightning struck him, calming him. His clothes were destroyed, leaving him naked before he fell unconscious, while his body returned to normal.
'Odahviing, take Edzard to Winterhold.' ordered Akatosh.
Odahviing, who had recently arrived sensing the increase in power, nodded. Taking Edzard with one of his claws, he flew towards Winterhold.
'It seems you have questions.' Akatosh said to his son.
"Yes, Bormah, why tell him what you did?"
'It's simple. You know very well that emotions influence the power of a Dovah.' Akatosh replied. 'By forcing him into a blind rage, I made him release the power he was unconsciously sealing.'
"So, the final question is, why force the awakening of his power?"
'So, he can face the future.' Akatosh replied, but his voice began to fade. 'It seems my time to speak with you is running out. When your brother returns, tell him what I am about to teach you.'
After that last request, a multicolored beam of light descended upon Paarthurnax, who landed on the mountain and began to meditate on what his father had revealed to him.
Evermore - Tirdas 16 Sun's Dawn of 203 of the Fourth Era
The cold winter breeze seeped through the window of the room where Edzard and Asia were resting. They had arrived in Evermore the day before, after an exhausting day-long journey flying on Odahviing.
Edzard had planned this trip since Saturalia, as today was Heart's Day, a special holiday for lovers. The inns, in honor of this date, offered a free room to couples.
His eyes opened as he felt the cold invade the room. Looking to his side, he noticed that Asia had curled up under the entire blanket. Rubbing his eyes, he got out of bed to get dressed. He chose a gray wool shirt, black leather pants, fur-lined boots, and a leather belt, from which hung a short steel sword.
"Asia, wake up." Edzard murmured as he gently shook her.
"Umm, no." Asia responded sleepily, turning over to continue sleeping.
Edzard rolled his eyes at the scene, but a smile appeared on his face. Shaking his head at his lover's attitude, he decided to go out to get breakfast.
When he returned, he brought a tray with two plates of porridge and a couple of cups of coffee. Entering the room, he saw Asia already dressed. She was wearing a short dark blue wool dress, black leather pants, and brown fur-lined boots.
"You're awake." Edzard commented as he placed the tray on the room's table. "I brought you breakfast."
Asia got up and approached him, giving him a kiss. After sharing that moment, they both sat down to quietly enjoy the meal.
After finishing breakfast, they put on their fur cloaks and left the inn. The street was covered by a thin layer of snow, as winter was coming to an end and spring would soon arrive.
Couples roamed in large numbers, of all kinds: men and women, same-gender couples, diverse races, and the same. Everyone enjoyed the holiday dedicated to love. The shops offered sweets, winter floral arrangements, clothing, and jewelry. Asia decided to separate from Edzard for a while to buy him a present.
"Umm…" Asia saw the vendor's products with interest.
"Miss, have you decided on something?" the merchant asked.
"Yes, I want that necklace over there." Asia pointed, looking at a delicate necklace on the counter.
"Good choice." praised the vendor, placing it in a small wooden box lined inside with soft fabric. "That will be two hundred septims."
Asia took the money from a small purse on her belt and handed it to the vendor. After receiving the necklace, she quickly headed to the place where Edzard was waiting for her, at the docks by the Bjoulsae River. Upon arriving, she found him leaning on the railing, absorbed in watching the river.
Edzard was lost in his thoughts. Since Akatosh had revealed the truth to him, a primal rage had taken hold of him, a fury so dangerous that, according to Paarthurnax, it had left marks on his body.
Flashback
"So, my body is no longer that of an ordinary mortal?" Edzard asked days later, upon returning to the Throat of the World. Asia had been distressed by his departure; she didn't want him to leave again after the traumatic experience she had when Odahviing left him naked in the middle of the College of Winterhold.
"Geh… Yes, your body has changed due to the Suleyk… the power you released during your last visit." Paarthurnax explained, looking at Edzard seriously. "But it is also influenced by what happened during your battle against Alduin."
"What do you mean?" Edzard inquired, trying to recall the details of the fight.
"At the end of that battle, something unexpected happened."
"Are you referring to the black miasma I absorbed?" Edzard remembered.
"Yes, that miasma was a small portion of Alduin's soul." confirmed Paarthurnax. "And that shouldn't have happened."
"Did that cause the changes in my body?"
"In part."
Edzard sighed before asking the question he feared. "What kind of changes?"
"Your body is transforming into the closest thing a mortal can become… a Dovah. You won't have our glorious appearance, but you will become a human with almost all the benefits of being one of us." Odahviing intervened with a grave voice.
"In short, you are becoming a humanoid Dovah." concluded Paarthurnax.
Edzard stood still upon hearing this. Moments later, he did what any normal person would do: he fainted from the shock. Odahviing and Paarthurnax burst into laughter at their younger brother's reaction.
When Edzard woke up, he began to pace back and forth, worried about the consequences of his transformation.
'If I'm becoming a Dovah, that means I'll be immortal.' he thought anxiously. Although for some this would be a gift, for him it was not.
"Stop pacing back and forth." Odahviing growled, irritated. "You're putting me in a bad mood."
"How do you expect me to calm down?!" Edzard exclaimed, distressed. "I don't want to be immortal; I want to live a mortal life and then go to Sovngarde."
"It's not the Unslaad… the immortality that troubles you. You're worried that your current partner doesn't possess it." commented Paarthurnax. "And also, the fact that you might not be able to leave descendants."
Edzard's face turned red at Paarthurnax's words. That was, in fact, his greatest concern: not being able to have children. The two dragons laughed at him while he tried in vain to get them to stop mocking him.
End flashback
"A septim for your thoughts." Edzard heard as Asia hugged him from behind.
"It's nothing important." Edzard replied, turning to take Asia's hands in his. "More importantly, did you finish what you want to do?"
Asia nodded with a smile. Hand in hand, they began to stroll through the city, taking part in the festive events.
After lunch, they arrived at the palace gardens. Despite the snow, the design was magnificent.
As they walked, Edzard noticed that Asia suddenly stopped. Worried, he turned to her.
"Asia is something wrong?" he asked, seeing her nervously hiding something behind her back.
"No, I just wanted to give you something." Asia replied, her face so red it seemed like steam was coming out of her ears. "I bought it with what I've earned working as a healer in Winterhold."
Edzard watched as Asia slowly took out what she was hiding behind her back. He was surprised when she handed him a box. Opening it, he found a necklace made with a leather cord and a silver pendant in the shape of a sword. Edzard took the necklace and put it on.
"Thank you, Asia. It's very beautiful." he said with a smile, while reaching into his pocket and taking out a small box. "I also have something for you."
Asia took the box, and her eyes widened when she saw that inside were two gold bracelets. The bands were smooth, and in the center of both was engraved a cross, with an emerald in the center of each. Asia took them and put them on.
"They are enchanted." Edzard explained when Asia looked at him curiously. "They will allow you to use your Sacred Gear without alerting any mage."
Asia looked at her bracelets again and smiled. She could finally use her Sacred Gear without the risk of being discovered; however, before she could say anything, Edzard interrupted her.
"That's not all. Look closely at the box." he commented while averting his gaze, trying to hide his blush.
Asia, intrigued, examined the box more closely and saw a small ribbon on one end. Pulling it, a hidden lid lifted, revealing a ring wrapped in velvet. Her eyes began to tear up at the sight: a gold ring with traditional Nordic engravings on the bands, and in the center, a diamond. Edzard took the ring and placed it on Asia's left ring finger.
Seeing it, Asia burst into tears of happiness and, with a leap, hugged Edzard, who began to spin her around as they both laughed with joy.
As evening fell, the two walked near the river, on the outskirts of the city. They moved in silence, enjoying each other's company. They stayed like that for a while until Asia spotted a column of smoke in the distance. Edzard had a bad feeling and decided to investigate. Despite his protests, Asia insisted on going with him.
They quickly headed to the stables, where they rented a couple of horses. Once mounted, they rode at full speed towards the source of the smoke. Upon arrival, Asia covered her mouth in horror: where there had once been a farm, now only smoldering ruins remained.
"What happened here?" she asked, sobbing.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Edzard replied, scanning the surroundings. "We need to hurry, there might be survivors."
Asia nodded, and together they began to search through the rubble. They lifted stones and searched for a long time, but only found corpses. The bodies showed no signs of torture, leading Edzard to think it had been a massacre.
Hours passed, and they both began to lose hope of finding anyone alive. Asia cried, shocked by the brutal scene, while Edzard tried to console her. At that moment, a faint sound from the rubble caught his attention. He at once separated from Asia and began to look around.
"Ed is something wrong?" she asked, still in tears.
Edzard didn't respond immediately. Instead, he slapped his forehead, remembering something important. 'I should have used a life detection spell.'
He quickly cast the spell, and it showed him a small red light among the rubble near the mill. Without wasting time, he ran in that direction, closely followed by Asia, who didn't understand what was happening. Upon reaching the spot, they both began to clear the debris desperately. After a strenuous effort, they discovered the corpse of a woman. Although sadness overwhelmed them at seeing she was dead, they heard small grunts that surprised them.
Edzard lifted the body, and underneath it, they found a small bundle of furs. Opening it, they saw a baby.
"Asia, use magic to diagnose its condition." Edzard said, kneeling beside the corpse and taking a piece of cloth she was holding. Lifting it, he saw it was dark blue, but what caught his attention the most was the golden symbol on it.
"This is a piece of Thalmor robe." Edzard muttered through clenched teeth, gripping the cloth tightly.
"Ed, the baby is fine, it just seems to be hungry." Asia commented as she approached but stopped upon seeing the look of hatred on Edzard's face. "Ed, what's wrong?"
"Asia, take the baby back to Evermore and explain to the guards what happened here." Edzard ordered as he stood up. "I'm going to hunt down those responsible."
Asia looked at him, astonished. It was the first time she had seen such fury in him.
"But…" she tried to reply, but the determination in Edzard's eyes stopped her. "Ed, promise me you'll come back."
He looked at her and nodded. Asia gave him a sad smile before mounting her horse, hugging the baby as she headed back to Evermore.
Edzard also mounted his horse and cast a clairvoyance spell, which created a misty line showing the path to his target. Following the signal, he rode at full speed. Time passed, and when he noticed that night had fallen, he spotted a clearing where a small camp stood. There, several Thalmor chatted carelessly, boasting about how they had massacred the "inferior" humans.
'Seriously, these elves are either too arrogant or incredibly stupid.' Edzard thought as he prepared to attack, but something made him stop.
"So, my lord, any news from Alinor?" asked one of the Thalmor soldiers, wearing golden armor.
"Yes, the plans for the invasion of the Empire are almost complete." said a Thalmor wearing a mage's robe adorned with gold.
"Ha! Those humans won't be able to defend themselves this time." commented another Thalmor. "Tell us, my lord, what are the plans?"
"I can't tell you, it's classified information."
"My lord, shouldn't you be heading to Nubelia in a few days?" asked another Thalmor. "Won't your family be worried about your delay?"
"I don't think so, I can excuse myself by saying I was celebrating Heart's Day." he replied nonchalantly. "After all, it has been very fun eliminating those humans."
As he finished his sentence, all the Thalmor began to laugh.
Edzard, who had been listening, became enraged again, but this time he had a plan. He walked towards the camp.
"Stop in the name of the Dominion!" shouted a Thalmor upon seeing him. "You have no…! Agh!"
He couldn't finish, as Edzard pierced his head with an ice spear. The other Thalmor stood up and began to surround him.
"So, a pathetic human tries to attack us." said an elf with an arrogant tone.
Edzard did not respond. He was examining the soldiers and realized there were no archers, which meant they all used magic and one-handed weapons.
"The human doesn't seem to have anything to say." mocked another Thalmor before throwing a fireball at him. "Maybe this will make him talk."
The fireball approached, but Edzard smiled and stopped it with ease. The Thalmor, astonished, drew their weapons.
"For a race that considers itself superior, you are quite pathetic." Edzard mocked as he advanced towards them. "I don't usually do this kind of thing, but this time I'm very angry."
"MUL! QAH!" roared Edzard, using the Dragon Aspect Shout. Normally, this Shout would envelop him in an ethereal dragon-shaped armor, but since the incident at the Throat of the World, things had changed. Now, the effects were physical: parts of his face, chest, arms, and legs were covered with black scales, his right eye turned golden and his left, red. His fangs elongated slightly, and two black horns grew on his head. Additionally, his physical and magical abilities increased considerably, and he could absorb the magic of the spells cast at him.
The Thalmor were filled with terror upon seeing Edzard's transformation. They had never seen anything like it. Desperate, they began to attack him with magic, but he advanced undisturbed.
"What the hell are you?!" shouted a Thalmor before Edzard killed him with a punch that nearly tore his head off.
'I knew this Shout made me stronger, but this is incredible.' Edzard thought as he headed towards the Thalmor leader.
'Well, let's try that spell I found with Valerica while we were researching shadow magic.' he thought as he concentrated his magic, merging it with his willpower. In his hand, a greatsword made of magical energy formed, pale, misty, and shining like light.
Wielding the greatsword, Edzard charged at the Thalmor. Seeing him approach, they tried to attack, but he was too fast. Reaching the first one, he executed a horizontal slash. The Thalmor tried to block it, but the sword cut through his weapon, armor, flesh, and bone as if they were butter.
"He's just a human! No matter what he's become, he's still one of them!" shouted the Thalmor leader as he prepared a spell. "Everyone, attack with magic!"
The soldiers created a space between themselves and Edzard. Soon, a rain of spells fell upon him: fireballs, ice spears, lightning bolts, and explosive familiars.
Edzard raised a hand and conjured a barrier that blocked the spells. He was so focused on keeping the defense that he didn't see the Thalmor who had approached from behind. The soldier cast a lightning bolt, but just before it hit, the spell was absorbed by a small vortex in front of Edzard.
"You know, I'm tired of playing with you." Edzard said as the Thalmor retreated in terror. "WULD!"
Upon uttering the word, he disappeared from their sight. He reappeared in front of an armored Thalmor and disintegrated him with a powerful lightning spell. Then, using the same tactic, he positioned himself behind another Thalmor and impaled him with an ice spear. Thus, the massacre continued, killing some with magic and others with his greatsword.
A few minutes later, almost all the Thalmor lay dead. He left only the group leader alive. Slowly, he approached the fallen elf.
"No, stay away from me!" screamed the Thalmor as he crawled. "I'm the nephew of the Arch-Mage Arcane!"
Edzard stopped upon hearing this. He knew the Arch-Mage Arcane was one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. The Thalmor, seeing the doubt in Edzard, smiled and cast a powerful fire spell.
"Die, human scum!"
When the elf saw his spell had hit, he began to laugh, sure he had finished Edzard. But his laughter faded as he saw Edzard, unharmed, approaching.
Edzard lifted him by the neck of his robe and threw him against a nearby rock, leaving him nearly unconscious.
"I don't give a damn if your uncle is the Arch-Mage Arcane or if your father is a member of the Thalmor Council." Edzard said as he approached. He placed a hand on the Thalmor's head and began to read his mind. He discovered that the elf's name was Hendare, that he was indeed related to the Arch-Mage, and the plans for the invasion of the Empire. Additionally, he saw the massacre of the farm, which fueled his anger even more.
"Normally, I would give you a quick death for the information you gave me." Edzard commented as he conjured a bound dagger. "But what you did at that farm… has pissed me off a lot."
Hendare was terrified when Edzard placed him face down on the rock. He didn't understand what was going to happen; however, he began to scream desperately when Edzard started to cut his back.
"Please, mercy!" were his cries of pain, filled with anguish.
Edzard didn't listen and continued his work. He began to cut towards the spine, then sectioned the ribs, exposing them like blood-stained wings. When he finished, Edzard was covered in blood, and the elf's corpse lay completely open from the back. The elf had died when Edzard ripped out his lungs.
After that, Edzard gathered all the bodies of the fallen Thalmor and piled them on top of each other.
"YOL! TOOR! SHUL!" he exclaimed, exhaling a torrent of flames. Being in his Dragon Aspect mode, the fire was so intense that it incinerated the bodies, leaving them unrecognizable.
After that, Edzard remained still, waiting for his draconic aspect to deactivate. When it did, he fell to his knees, panting.
'Note to self, the Dragon Aspect greatly enhances my abilities, but it puts a lot of stress on my body.' he thought, feeling almost out of energy.
After recovering, he collected the weapons left after the battle and stored them in his enchanted bag. He mounted his horse and headed too Evermore.
When he arrived, it was almost midnight. Returning the horse to the stables, he was met by a guard who informed him that the captain of the guard wanted to speak with him. When Edzard met with the captain, he was told that Asia had already reported the attack on the farm. Nodding, Edzard explained that he had "resolved" the matter definitively.
After that, Edzard retired to the inn where he was staying. Opening the door, his eyes widened at the sight of Asia trying to put the baby they had found at the farm to sleep.
"Asia, why is the baby here?"
Asia looked up, and upon seeing Edzard, she smiled; but her expression turned worried when she noticed the blood on his clothes, almost panicking. Edzard reassured her, showing that he was not injured, and she continued caring for the baby.
"Asia, you still haven't answered me." Edzard said as he took off his shirt to put on his nightwear.
Asia looked at him and blushed upon seeing him almost naked. Images of the times she had seen him like that began to flash through her mind.
'God, please forgive my sinful thoughts.' she prayed internally.
When Asia finished feeding the baby, it fell asleep. She placed it in the center of the bed, and then they both sat at the room's table to talk.
"So, why is the baby here?"
"Ed, I don't want to send him to the orphanage." a sad Asia replied.
Edzard didn't understand why she didn't want to send him.
"Asia, he is an orphan. We must send him to the orphanage."
Asia's eyes filled with tears upon hearing that, and she began to cry. Edzard tried to calm her, but she wouldn't let him approach.
"Asia, what's wrong?" he asked, worried.
"I don't want to let him go." was her response, as she looked at the baby sleeping on the bed.
Hearing that, Edzard softened his gaze, understanding what Asia felt. He got up and approached the bed to see the baby more closely. The little one had light brown hair, and when he looked at him, he woke up, showing a pair of emerald-green eyes. Edzard brought a finger close and gently touched his cheek, but the baby grabbed his finger with his tiny hands and began to laugh, causing Edzard to smile.
He spent some time playing with the baby, and when he finally let her rest, he looked at Asia and decided.
"Asia, I want to ask you something." Edzard sighed as he sat in front of her. "Do you want us to adopt her?"
"I… I…" Asia began to stammer.
Edzard took her hand and gently caressed it to calm her.
"Yes, I do." Asia said with a smile.
"Alright, but why do you want to do it?"
"When I was in the church, I heard stories about how orphanages weren't the best place for children to grow up." Asia replied sadly. She herself had been an orphan but grew up in a church, which was a considerable improvement compared to common orphanages. Although children weren't mistreated, they didn't experience the warmth of a family until they were adopted or reached adulthood, at which point they had to leave.
Edzard nodded, remembering his own time in an orphanage after losing his parents. Although he hadn't suffered mistreatment, it hadn't been the best place to grow up either. There was also the possibility that another "Grelod the Kind" might appear at some point. The nickname "the Kind" was pure sarcasm, as that old witch was a true sadist, mistreating children, chaining them up, and leaving them without food for days.
"Well, I suppose we need to know what it is." Edzard said as he got up to approach the bed, but Asia stopped him.
"It's a girl."
Edzard turned to look at her. Asia, smiling, walked past him and took the baby in her arms. As she cradled her, she began to think of a name. After a few moments, she came up with the perfect one.
"I have the ideal name for her." she said happily. "We'll call her Marie."
Hearing the name, Edzard understood its origin. It was a variant of the name of Christ's mother. Smiling, he approached and kissed Asia while hugging her, leaving little Marie between them.
After Asia decided on the baby's name, they both lay down on the bed, leaving Marie in the center. And so, while smiling, the new family slept peacefully.
Author's note:
To those who have made it this far, Thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a comment if you liked the chapter or if there is anything that needs to be improved.
With nothing more to say, until the next chapter.