War of the Races - The Verdant Realm

Blessing Of Selene, cont. 1

I grinned. That was exactly the question I wanted to hear: “Do you have clothes and armor that can withstand Transformation magic?”

“Clothes, no,” Summerset answered with a shake of his head, “Armor, yes. To an extent. The Breastplate of the Guardian, and those gauntlets you're wearing, the Claws of the King. Their old teknology and magic are still effective.”

Walking to an armoire, Summerset opened its doors and stepped back, revealing the Breastplate of the Guardian. The armor was beautiful, being made of two solid pieces of one-inch-thick wood. It was oiled and polished to a high shine and seemed to reflect the light weirdly. It was almost as if I could see a woman pacing back and forth in its reflection.

“This piece is very special,” Summerset said as he looked at the armor, “It was given to me by a lonely elm’drya at the very bottom of the world at the end of the Dragon’s Spine Mountains. She grew it from the very body of her tree, and she imbued it with a sliver of her consciousness. Once the two pieces are put on and lashed together, the lashings and the seams disappear, and the armor becomes one piece. Quebracho told me that if I ever managed to purify an elm’drya’s chi, I would be able to communicate with her, and she with me.” Summerset laughed and put a hand to his forehead at the memory before continuing, “The one time I tried to purify an elm’drya. A cute little pink-haired, white-skinned girl called Cherry. She had amazing golden eyes, but she turned into such a monster once in the throes of her pollination, I had to run away before she killed me!”

Memories of Sequoia ran through my mind, and I found myself nodding in sympathy.

“Anyway,” Summerset continued, “I have worn this piece for a hundred and fifty years, but maybe it’s time I looked into wearing something more modern. Son, why don’t you come over here and try it on?”

“Are you sure, Father?” I asked hesitantly, “I don’t want to take your most cherished piece of armor.”

“Nonsense,” Summerset answered with a wave of his hand to come forward, “Your mother, you, and your sisters are the most cherished things in my life. No piece of armor can even come close. So, if this will keep you safe so you can better protect Glenna, all the better that you have it.”

“I understand, Father,” I said with a solemn nod, accepting the gift graciously. Shrugging off my coat, I laid it across the map table, then walked up to the armoire. Summerset then pulled the breastplate off its pedestal and raised it over my head before lowering it down onto my shoulders. He tied the lashings, and sure enough, as soon as he finished, they disappeared, and the wooden armor grew together, making it a single piece.

“Greetings, young Viridian Vale,” The Breastplate of the Guardian greeted warmly in my head, “It is an honor to meet and speak to the son of Summerset Vale. My name is Quebracho.”

“Uh, hello Quebracho,” I answered out loud, “It is very nice to speak with you too!”

“Oh, Holy Moon Goddess,” Summerset gasped excitedly, “Is she really speaking with you?”

I nodded as Quebracho asked, “Is there any special form you wish me to take?”

“No, not really,” I answered out loud so that Father could hear that we were still dialoguing.

He smiled and shook his head before closing the armoire and walking back to the map table.

“I just needed something that wouldn’t be destroyed as soon as I used my transformation magic,” I answered as I got the sense of a shadowy elm’drya pacing around inside my body.

“Yes,” Quebracho answered with a nod of her shadow head, “Now that we are one, I can see your potential and your skills, and I can be of great aid when you are using Sequoia’s abilities. In the meantime, would you like to transform into a Moonbeast and see what else I can do?”

“It will destroy my clothes,” I objected.

“It’s okay,” Quebracho purred, “You have me now, and I am all you will ever need from now on!”

“Okay,” I whispered, “I am, after all, entrusting my life to you.” I reached within and grabbed hold of the Book of the Moonbeast and chose my newest Lion-hybrid form, and began growing thicker, heavier, and taller as white fur grew from my walnut-brown skin, and my hair poofed out in a golden lion's mane.

Andra walked in that exact moment and jumped in fright, but recovered quickly with a yell, “For the love of the Goddess! My Lord, quickly, stand behind me,” as he charged over and placed himself between father and me.

As my transformation happened, Quebracho didn’t exaggerate her ability to adapt. As I grew, so did she, and so did my Claws of the King all the way up my arms to armor my shoulders. Quebracho, however, stayed a solid breastplate, but beneath it she grew a long wood plate mail coat that fell as far as my knees.

“Yes,” I purred as I ran my hands over the coat of mail, “This is perfect, Quebracho, simply perfect!”

“Young Viridian,” Andra asked in an uncertain whisper, “Is that truly you?”

“It is, Master Andra,” I answered with a laugh. I was now only about a half a head taller than him.

“My son,” Summerset laughed and slapped his thigh, “I had high hopes for your potential, but this! You have taken the title Guardian of the Forest to a whole new level!”

“Sir,” I addressed Andra, “I just wanted to thank you for your daughter's hand as a mate. I will love her with my whole being.”

“Well said, son, well said,” Andra said with a laugh as he walked up and hugged me, “I have no doubt you will, and she is going to just love this version of you.”

“Um, yes, sir, she does,” I admitted with an adamant nod as Andra and Father laughed.

——(!)——

When Bastet led Glenna to Huxian, she asked them to remain outside. The fox was curled up on her bed in a fetal position. Walking over, she began channeling the spell Delve. A white aura extended from her palm as she touched Huxian’s forehead, and she roused and opened her eyes.

“Oracle,” She said in a tired voice, “What’s happening?”

“Shush,” Glenna purred in a warm motherly tone, “Everyone was worried about you. So they can and got me to check on you.”

“Oh,” She sighed and then shook her head, “I have never been tired like this before in my life. I can’t for the life of me guess what could be wrong, especially at a time like this!”

“Turn onto your back,” Glenna commanded.

Huxian did as she was told, and Glenna moved her delving hand down to her breasts. She groped them both as she examined them and pushed them aside or slid her hand under her breasts so she could examine her heart and lungs.

“Your mind is sound, your heart and lungs are strong,” Glenna mumbled to herself, “I sense no reason for this fatigue.”

As she spoke, her hand began moving back and forth across her furry belly, checking liver, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, intestines, and as her hand moved over her bloated lower belly just above her pubic mound, she chirped, “Oh, OH!”

“What? Did you find something?” Huxian asked in a panic.

“Yeah,” Glenna answered as she moved her hand to different positions on Huxian’s belly, “I found something amazing, and impossible.”

“Please, don’t leave me in suspense,” Huxian begged in a panicky whine.

Clearing her throat and looking up so that her black orbs met Huxian’s glacial blue eyes, Glenna smiled as she purred, “Huxian, you’re pregnant!”

“This is a cruel joke, my Lady. It is impossible. Why would you even jest about such a thing?” Huxian growled as she shook her head in denial.

“I would never jest about such a thing,” Glenna answered with a laugh, “After all, fertility is sort of my stock and trade, and frankly, I am as surprised as you are. Did Selene make genetic changes to you to make this possible?”

She paused in her thought, then continued as she pulled Huxian up to sit, “You will have two sons and four daughters very, very soon. Here, I want you to drink deeply from my breasts. It will restore your bliss and bolster you for the weeks ahead.”

She proffered a n****e, and Huxian latched on and suckled as Glenna gasped and moaned in pleasure. Huxian drank until she was glowing. With a sigh, Glenna stood up and walked over to the door. Opening it, she saw Bastet, Burza, and Leandra.

“Please come in,” She invited, and they marched in. “I take it you all were snooping? Please line up; I must give all of you a wellness checkup.”

Bastet and Leandra looked guilty by the way one looked over at Huxian in hot jealousy and the other in hopeful anticipation. Burza was the only one without feline hearing and honestly didn’t seem to know what was happening.

Delving Bastet first, Glenna immediately put her hand on her lower belly. When she was satisfied, she asked, “You haven’t been intimate with your Lord since his return, have you?”

“Not for a lack of want,” Bastet growled, “But every time I try another woman’s got her claws in him, and he’s mating again!”

“Strange,” Glenna purred as she stepped back and moved to Burza, “I can see now raising you with Virdy has done you a disservice, Bastet. You are oddly monogamous and possessive for an Animal. I am sorry for that.”

Placing her hand on Burza’s lower belly, Glenna's mouth fell open as she moved her hand from one hip to the other. Stepping back, she congratulated Burza, “Very soon you will be a mother again to a son and a daughter.”

Burza gasped, and then she smiled and cried, “Thank you, Oracle! Praise be to the Moon Goddess!”

Leandra was nearly bouncing with anticipation and smiling and giggling when Glenna placed her hand on her belly just above her pubic mound. She moved her hand to several different locations, and then she paused and sighed, “Implantation must have just recently happened. Leandra, your pride has earned you a Pride of your own. Congratulations, you will be dealing with sons in a few weeks!

“Sons?” Leandra asked excitedly, “Oh, father will be so happy to hear the news!”

“So,” Bastet sneered sourly, “I am the only one not pregnant!”

“It’s only a matter of time,” Leandra said to Bastet’s back as she ran out of the room. She paused at the door only long enough to cry, “Not if I don’t ever get a chance to breed with my mate again,” and then she slammed the door behind her!

“This is a new dynamic,” Glenna said with a shake of her head. “No one saw this coming. It’s not supposed to be possible. I will speak to her. In the meantime, keep what you know from Viridian. He must leave with me in a few days, or death will be the only fate we will all share equally.”

“Yes, my Lady,” was murmured by all three remaining women as Glenna left the room and followed the sound of crying to find Bastet.

As Glenna approached, Bastet looked up, her eyes tear-filled, and she asked, “Why? Why me?”

Glenna sat on the edge of Bastet’s bed, and she calmly combed her fingers through the fur on her back as she answered, “He couldn’t get you pregnant. If he had, you would have been a long time ago when he first became sexually awakened. At first, I thought Selene had done something to Huxian, but it turns out she did something to Viridian. For the first time in all recorded history, an Alfar can procreate with the Animals.”

“Maybe if I can get a little time with him before he leaves,” Bastet mumbled to herself.

“Bastet,” Glenna interrupted, her tone reproving, “Many trials are coming that will soon test us all. Do you not think that Viridian would find it immensely beneficial to have at least one mate that isn’t pregnant?”

That got her attention and dried her eyes. With little sniffles, she asked, “Does that mean I can go with you?”

“Not initially,” Glenna answered with a shake of her head, “But who's to say when you will join us, and it will be all the easier for you.”

“I see what you mean,” Bastet answered.

“Good,” Glenna purred, “Then I need you to join your sister-mates and keep this all a secret from Viridian until after we’ve left. I don’t want this distracting him from the task at hand; everyone’s lives depend on it!”

“I understand, my Lady,” Bastet agreed.

When Glenna left Bastet's room, she went straight to her temple, knelt before the image of Selene, and prayed for clarity of her Goddess's intentions for her son.