“The ‘problem’ is that you are your own person and have your own life whereas Solus can stay at his finger and inside his thick head.” Leegaain said.
“So if I stay with him, I too can protect Lith from himself.” Kamila said.
“Yes. So take turns, do whatever you want, but know this. If Lith doesn’t find a way to fix his life forces, sooner or later he’ll go so deep into the rabbit hole that there will be no coming back.”
***
The two women took Leegaain’s words to heart, making sure that Lith was never alone during all the time before Kamila’s pregnancy came to term.
Solus did all she could, using mind links and fusions to relieve the burden from his three lives but it was like emptying a river with a bucket. New water kept flowing from the mountain and facing that kind of negative emotions was exhausting.
Kamila used the Dragon scales as often as she could to understand his trauma and try to make Lith feel safe but to no avail. Her presence and feelings calmed him, but only as long as they kept physical contact.
The moment she let go of him everything went back to normal. Or rather what now was to be considered normal.
Lith could now feel the call of the Void Demon Dragon at all times and even though the blue flames hurt him as well, he craved their power. He was desperate to achieve the bright violet core and the safety that the unstoppable flames would bestow upon him.
Lith tried everything, from talking with Faluel to spending time with his family in all of his three forms, but nothing helped.
It was another morning of failed experiments and meditation training when something as scary as it was ordinary happened.
“Gods! I’m so sorry, Rena!” Kamila said pointing at the wet floor. “I’ve had problems holding it in for a while, but I never thought I would wet myself like this.”
“That’s not pee, dear. Your water just broke.” Rena replied while sounding the alarm on her communication amulet.
The code birth summoned every family member, Queen’s Corps soldier, and magical beast at Lith’s service for kilometers. Of course, Lith and Solus were called as well and arrived at the Verhen house first.
“Is it really the day?” Lith’s voice was filled with fear and awe.
“Yes!” Kamila grunted in pain as Salaark helped her to lie down on a bed. “Is it supposed to hurt so much?”
“Yes.” All women in the house but Tista nodded with confidence.
Elina looked at her own womb, wishing her turn would come soon.
“Great! You! Don’t stand like an idiot and come here. I’m scared!” Kamila beckoned at Lith who promptly moved to her side. “Grandma, what are you waiting for? Do your trick.”
She took Lith’s hand in her own, using the Dragon scales to find courage and strength.
“This doesn’t work like that, child.” The Guardian said and Faluel nodded. “You are the one who’s going to give birth. I’ll make it as fast and painless as possible but this must be your achievement, not mine.
“I’ll just check on your condition and deliver the baby the moment she starts to come out but not a moment sooner.”
Kamila burst out in a long streak of vulgar words as the contractions became more frequent and painful.
“Salaark is right, dear.” Tyris wiped the sweat off Kamila’s forehead and gave her ice chips to keep her hydrated. “Pain is a big part of life and you are creating a new one. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to appreciate the miracle you are performing.”
“I swear to the gods that the moment I can stand up again, I’m going to appreciate my knife up your ass!” Kamila snarled while clenching Lith’s hand so hard that he could actually feel the pressure.
Since everyone was a healer or had at least witnessed giving birth, her violent outburst triggered by the pain impressed no one. Zinya was at Kamila’s left side, after leaving the kids at the Mansion with Tezka and the others.
“Be strong, Kami. If a blind human woman could do it, it should be a breeze for an Awakened like you.”
“You can lecture me with your feel-good bullshit when a melon with horns and wings comes out of your body! Gods, I hate you so much! How can you say something so stupid?”
“She doesn’t mean that.” Lith said.
“I know she doesn’t.” Zinya chuckled. “You have no idea what I said when I was like this.”
Even though Lith and Solus had helped hundreds of babies to be born, this time it was different. Seconds seemed to last minutes and minutes hours.
“Gods, please protect her. I’ll do everything you want!” He was so afraid that he found himself religious.
“Thanks for the offer, dear.” Salaark patted his head. “But we’re going to do it anyway. So just relax.”
“How can you tell me/him to relax?” Lith and Leegaain said in unison before looking at each other awkwardly.
“I mean, I’ve had plenty of children but I’m still antsy every time. I can never forget how scared I was my first time.” The Father of All Dragons cleared his throat in embarrassment.
“I couldn’t have said it better.” Raaz patted Lith’s shoulder. “It was your mother doing all the work and I felt so helpless that I thought I would go insane.”
Lith knew that it was stupid of him to be scared despite the presence of three Guardians and Faluel overseeing the delivery yet he couldn’t help it. Hearing Leegaain’s and Raaz’s words at least made him feel normal.
Between spells and Kamila’s Awakened body, it took less than one hour to reach the critical point but to Lith it seemed to last an entire lifetime.
“That’s it, dear.” Elina said. “I can see the head. Just take a deep breath and push!”
“Okay, it’s my time to shine now.” Salaark used her personal Rebirth Magic spell, Midwife, to make sure that push would be the last one.
It relaxed muscles where needed, flexed others, and elongated bones and tissues to limit the resistance to a minimum.
Elysia came into Mogar in her human form, crying at the top of her lungs. Everything was suddenly too cold, too bright, and too noisy, scaring her out of her wits. She shapeshifted in her Tiamat form, using her scales as a shield and her Origin Flames to keep herself warm.
The membranous wings were normal instead of upside-down like Lith’s while the second set of wings was featherless, barely two pink stumps coming out of her hips. Her black scales were veined with all elemental colors but emerald.
“We’re almost done.” Tyris caressed Kamila’s head. “Clench your teeth because the worst is about to come.”
“Wait, what?” Kamila had already stopped feeling pain since Salaark had healed her and Tyris was already restoring her body to its pre-pregnancy shape so those words made no sense to her.
Until Salaark offered Lith to cut the umbilical cord and he obliged.
At that very moment, the connection between mother and daughter was severed forever.
