Wasteland Survivor – Culmination - ch30
#31 of Wasteland Survivor
"And that's why I want you to teach me women's magic grandmother." I told the older Kitsune gravely.
"In all our history, males have held the power of destruction and women have held the power of growing, healing and protection. Our old ways of male dominated tyranny have been shattered, so why not this bond as well. All right Ryst, I will teach you these ways." She replied and I sighed with relief. "It won't be easy, all the time you spent learning your path of destruction, all your time you spent training in how to cause pain and damage. You will need thrice that to learn these ways. The only advantages you have is that you already can channel well and you appear to be the most willing trainee I have ever had."
I smiled happily, this was the next step of the training Bri and I had agreed with each other to undertake. We had detailed our plan to Sergeant Hicks, who had approved it and refined some elements.
"Well then, the best way to begin is with healing. Since you already know how a body should function quite well from your studies in how to stop it functioning, I will skip that. Don't hesitate to ask if you don't understand something." She paused, seeming to take a deep breath then drew a rune into their air, "This is the rune for healing, variations..." I turned all my concentration toward her, I would soak this knowledge as surely as I had soaked everything to do with observation and killing that the Sergeant had trained us in.
-
"Thanks again Fox, Drath, this is great." I said again, dismounting the great creature, in the heart of the Wolven lands, their shining... no, it wasn't a shining city, it wasn't much more than a hovel-town in the middle of a forest.
~"As always little cub, I delight in seeing you grow, and if this place will help you grow, then to this place I will bring you. Your strength is the packs strength."~ The dragon told me.
"He speaks for us all Bri. Learn all you can about your magics here, but don't forget what is waiting for you back at camp" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, Ryst and I had had two days together before we had to split apart again for this next step.
The reason I was here was for one thing, the Wolven had, after hearing of our treatment, declared the Elves 'no ally of theirs', but there was five Elves who lived in their city, long exiles of their homelands, two of them in fact had been born here among the wild wolf men.
It was one of them that caught my eye now, standing five foot eleven tall, dark blue eyes, light hair, very 'elfin' features... grubby as hell hair a wild tangle, definitely not of the same ilk as the others I had seen. At his side were a mix of wolf like creatures, similar to Crystal in build and shape, but juvenile.
"Is, is that a real dragon?" One of the children asked.
Fox, who still never got tired of showing off Drath, who as well never got tired of being shown off, replied, "Of course it is, what other creature is so majestic and grand!"
The children were in awe, clustering tight around her and the dragon.
"Ahh, the trainee we were told to expect I gather?" A female voice asked from my side.
I turned to face them and realised I was almost looking in a mirror, the Elven woman in front of me was exotic beauty personified, curves in the right places, face a perfect match for her body. She stood six foot two inches tall, dark almost blood red hair, blue eyes that seemed familiar, ahh the child, I realised all of a sudden I was almost stareing.
"You will forgive my rudeness" I began, "but it is so refreshing not to have an Elf trying to kill my friends or enslave me." I gave a half smile to soften the words.
"Yes, we had heard what they did, I was one of the supporters for the severing of ties with them, their goddess is barbaric and childish in her wants, although your peoples actions gave me a laugh to think of her being slapped on the wrist and told 'no', about time someone did." She said and I couldn't help but chuckle along with her at the end. "My names Ellise, welcome to Wolvenshome."
"I am Brianna, Bri for short, and I am very happy to be here." I introduced myself.
"Yes, your leader said you seek training in the magic of Elves?" At my nod she continued with a smile, "I have not the offensive magics their priestesses use, but I do know the ways of our hunters and the spells they use."
"It is all I ask, just to learn." I replied.
"Ok, lets drop the flowery speech right now shall we? Its for dignitaries and priests. I can see by the way you stand and by the look of you that you are neither, A fighter is what you are and that was how I was raised." She said, dropping the high accent and speaking in an almost guttural tone.
"Fair enough, yes I am a warrior, trained by my packs best to be their best, now I ask you to help me be that little bit better." I stated.
"Ok then, follow me. At least we will not be disturbed by the boys while your friends are here. Although I do confess I would love to see him up close myself." She replied, stepping away from the impromptu landing field.
"That can be arranged." I said with a smile.
"Really? That would be great. Now, lets start with an explanation. Elven magic is drawn through yourself from the natural world, your own inner power is just used to channel it, hence why it is so powerful compared to other magics..." She began.
-
I sat, I seemed to be doing a lot of that of late, despite my powers, despite my strength I still felt weak and tired if I had to stand for too long. "When will these little demons come out? Its starting to become a problem just how often I have to go to the bathroom each day!" I said to the nurse, who took it all in her stride.
"The babies are growing steadily, it shouldn't be long now though, you appear to be almost at full term." She patted my now swelled stomach, "They will arrive in their own time, there is no rushing these things." Her happiness was infectious and I couldn't help but smile and bring a paw up to my belly too.
I felt a paw inside me tap the spot right where I was touching, and deep in my mind I felt a presence reach out blindly, ~"Contentment, love, happiness"~, they were just feelings, but it was definitely a presence.
~"Your young seem to share some of your mates power it seems, little lover."~ Brathnians presence flowed with mine, our shared pregnancy was bonding us closer than the mating ritual had and more than one night of restlessness had seen me retire to her roost, curling up with her and her eggs, only to find peaceful sleep.
I beamed, it made me feel so amazing that these lives would be coming into the world because of me, ~"Seems so, I wonder if any are going to have my power?"~ I pondered back.
~"It would not be unusual for a child to carry a trait of its mother, Fox."~ She said sleepily. ~"Oh, Drath says that Bri is done with as much training as she thinks she needs, he will be flying her back today."~
I chuckled deeply in my mind, ~"Dear one, do you think the camp is ready and prepared for when she is reunited with Ryst. I don't think we have a bed strong enough..."~
~"They were a little enthusiastic after their last lot of training, poor Kevin and Lyl had to sleep in another flat for two days."~ She confirmed.
"... and try not to work yourself up over anything, your pups will feel the tension in you as well. Anyway, goodbye until your next visit." The nurse was saying, I felt a little embarrassed because I had tuned out but tried not to let it show.
~"She just told you what you already know, wait patiently, try not to do too much... But one thing, Fox, never discourage their powers, if they reach out to you, reach back, it will do no harm and will bring them into their full strength more quickly."~ The dragon told me.
I sighed getting up and made my way to the mess for lunch, well, brunch really.
"Hungry again Fox?" The cook on duty asked, "If I didn't know better I would think you were eating for two... dozen." The panther had to duck quickly to avoid the spoon that flew his direction. "Whoa, it seems pregnancy has made you a little short tempered I wo-" he had to cut off, or risk having more cutlery hit him.
"Just bring me some food dammit." I finished with a mock growl and a grin on my face.
"Aye aye ma'am." he said, flourishing a plate that had already been prepared.
I was happily eating when wing beats stired some dust up at the camp. ~"Little love, I am returned with our cub, and I must say she is getting to be quite the fighter."~ Draths voice called.
~"What happened?"~ I asked, still chewing food. The best and most wonderful thing I had found about telepathy during my condition was that you could keep talking while eating.
~"A young male Elf, the son of the one who was training her, made a romantic gesture toward her."~ His mind was full of suppressed laughter.
~"Oh dear love, how many pieces did she leave him in?"~ I asked, mock fear ladeled onto my words.
~"Oh she didn't hurt him, well, apart from his pride, it was more of a shock to the young man that he wasn't his goddesses gift to Elven women."~ I laughed now, thankfully my mouth was not occupied or I would be wearing my food.
I left what was remaining of the fine meal to the cooks to clear up and hurried outside to where Drath had indicated he landed.
They had already found each other again, wrapped up in their embrace, I could swear I felt something almost divinely right about these two being together.
"So, now that your little holiday is..." I began with a jibe, but something felt really odd.
"Fox," Bri said, a little surprise colouring her features, "your water just broke."
"Oh shit oh shit oh shit..." I began, but was suddenly swept up by Bri. She carried me to the infirmary seemingly little effort needed to support me.
"Fox!" Crystal's voice called, "Fox! You are in labour?" She closed with me.
I looked up into hey eyes and everything passed between us, aided by the link the dragons had forged. She just leaned down close to me and hugged and then kissed me, "Hold in there babe." She said.
For once in my life, I was the absolute centre of attention, its just a shame that it wasn't my upper body that they were all intent on. I was told to stand up an walk a little, which, with Crystals shoulder to lean on, I did.
Then a massive force caused me to suddenly strain in place, unable to move.
"The contractions have started then." The doctor said, sounding pleased with me. "Ok, back on the bed and lets-"
It was my love, Crystal, who knew exactly what to do then, and did it without any pause. As the next huge contraction caught me halfway to the bed I felt something within ease and suddenly a crying mewling sound, Crystals power thrummed in the air as she cradled our first born.
The doctor however was fast to catch up, "Get her on the gurney Crystal, right NOW." he told her.
I felt myself lifted and placed very gently on the bed, it was then my world faded for a second once more, this time the doctor was ready. "Wow, she is really popping them out." He said, making some light of the situation. I didn't laugh.
Three, we had three wonderful, amazing pups.
My breasts, sore for weeks, now shared their bounty to the pups, nature revealing that the extra, seemingly minute nipples trailing down my front had also engorged with milk, enough it seems for all my pups.
Crystal never left my side.
I was tired as hell, I felt like I had run a marathon, used all my power and still collapsed at the line.
"Two wolf boys and a little fox girl." She said, for the seventh time.
I looked up in her eyes, "Look after us a while babe, I think... I think I am about to fa-" The world faded to black, the comfort of my mates arm around me, and all my mates minds rested softly against my mind. And my children nursing softly.
Peace was very welcome.
Wow, its been a long ride of late, who'd have thought me not working for two weeks would result in so much writing...
Another fun fact, its been nearly as many pages since I 'psudo finished' the story as it had been before that, leaving the current count of A4 sized pages of text at one hundred and thirty three :)