A feather for Kitty

Heading toward Payit, I begin to feel more anxiety than I suspected. Though the party is excited to finally deal with the Chalice of the Gods, Kitty and I had important plans of our own. We had not had time to plan as we had wanted. We had the idea to make this relationship right in the eyes of our parents and to celebrate with our friends in attendance. It all so idealistic back before we went to Nexal. Even when we sent out the Pluma Messages in Nexal to both of our sets of parents, it all seemed a beautiful dream. I particularly wanted to see you in a white dress walking up the temple steps on the arm of your dad. Though you insist that I have met your dad before, I do not remember him. I hope he will not dislike me for supposedly forgetting him. Since we have already met my mom in Ibn-Tulum, I know the messages went out. I find it strange that dad has not answered from Ulatos. I guess we will see how he takes the news of my oath and wedding and his grandchild. We enjoy watching your belly grow, but as yet, you seem to still hide the fact that Ana is getting larger. I suspect vanity and minor illusions have something to do with that. I like you thin and athletic but I love you even more, round and pregnant. I wonder if you will show yourself for my parents or the ceremony. I haven’t brought up the topic. I let you decide, especially after how awkwardly we told the party in the waterworks. Still, we will have to tell our parents about their grandchild somehow.

The feather lift that we borrowed is comfortable. It rides on magic and glides along t jungle paths behind our Far Payit guides. I still do not trust the wild halflings who dart amongst the canopy. They make me nervous because it is so hard to protect Kitty from their darts. The guides are not concerned as they have a truce with them. I must trust this. I try not to show this concern to you though. You hold back your anxieties too. I wish you didn’t but then again I’m a hypocrite. I know you are nervous about this wedding. I have tried to express how large my family really is and how much they are tricksters in their own right. Since you were an only child with so few cousins and whatnot, I thought I needed to at least warn you how crazy my family reunions can get. A wedding will be just an excuse for some wild behavior. It might take a week or two to get all the partying in.

But for now, you sleep and dream in the feather lift with the curtains closed all morning and I snuggle in with you and hold you tight. We choose to enjoy the luxury of the lift rather than our rope trick seeing as the lift was moving and we wanted to enjoy the scenery.

"My bride, how are you this morning? I am so excited to finally see this wedding through. But I’m also excited to show you around Ulatos. It is a garden city on the eastern sea. It’s really beautiful and has incredible food. You will love it. I’ll take you out to the best restaurants in Ulatos and dance with you under trellises of blossoms. Oh and the dress makers are excellent. My father will be able to get the best dressmaker for you. What do you think you would want? Do you want a ceremony at e temple or the beach? Aren’t these details something that little girls dream about, even when they claim to tough and unconcerned about it all as adults? I want to do it up. Our band of heroes want to see pomp and fireworks! But love, what do you want?"

I groan, not being a fan of waking up. I do greet you with a smile though. "Hello my groom, I am lovely, excited despite so much to do! To answer you, I..." I debate whether or not to address the dreaming side of my wishes or the practical side. I decide to share both. "I would love the pomp and perfect fantasy of course! I also don’t want to inconvenience anyone or be too expensive. I don’t want to use up all of our gp on this with Ana on the way. But imagine lilies everywhere..." I drift off my speech as I start to envision it.

"Then we must find a hilltop and call forth white lilies as far as the eye can see. Everyone can wear white and you will be in bright green as the goddess that you are. How would that be? I believe mother has emeralds you could borrow. And you could buy some new lingerie for underneath for later.

I'm trying to picture Stormy as a white clad Goliath."

I chuckle and quietly mumble as I look down at myself, "Bright green might be too attention grabbing..." I laugh at your statement about Storm before looking at you curiously. "I could lay here and describe the beautiful lavenders and pastel green colors that I could see all around the decorations in a little shelter near the beach that we could get married under with my waterfall bouquet of calla lilies and a gown that makes me look like a princess... But my love, what would you like? It's just as much my day as it is yours!"

"In this land, you are a princess no matter what you wear. And if a goddess wants a little shelter on the beach, then I know just the place. On the eastern shore from Ulatos, there stands two giant visages of a man and a woman carved into the cliffs. There is a small ziggurat temple, washed by the sea breezes and covered in flowers. It is dedicated to Qotal and was the last step of the god when he fled Maztica after he first made love to Kiltzi and it was the landing of the god when he returned with the silver knights of Helm to set the land aright from Loliath. That would be perfect for our small party and friends. I myself could stand naked as the visages with my dong upright and proud to wed you, for all I care. I only want to marry you before the gods and father. Then of course, maybe I should be clothed, but I do not care the cut or color. As log as you are there and pretty as princess, I will be happy. We will have to get a Tunqua stone rendering of the scene and keep it for our great grandchildren to see how a goddess marries. Ana will see it and gasp, Mama and Dada!"

I kiss you lovingly before flipping over and cuddling my back up to your chest and putting your hand on my belly. You do it often on your own, but I love the feeling of you, our protector, my doting husband, Ana's loving father, holding my belly that I will prompt you to do it too. "She'll say, 'Mama, Dada, and me,' she'll be there too." The sentimentality starts to hit more often with each new adventure in her growth, yet I fear sharing it with the world still. The sharing of our news had been less than well received by our friends, and with my own insecurities seeing myself become more heavy, even if it is with child. I had hoped that we'd get here before I started showing, but I've since had to maintain a combination of magic and my disguise kit to keep up looking "like myself." I know I can only keep it up for so much longer, but I'm nervous to let myself be seen in a way that's, to my mind, shameful.

I know I'm easy to read, so I switch tracks of thought in case you start to pick up on the anxiety the thought gave me. "Besides, a tunqua stone rendering would be lovely as it can show not how a goddess marries, but how two mates of both heart and tiloni share that love with the world. Now, what's on our agenda for today my love? I know there are many decisions to make! Oh, we get to taste foods for the after celebration!"

I touch my wife's flat stomach and feel the baby bump before I see my hand touch you. "If Ana is to see herself in the Tumqua stone, then you may want to show a little more." Before I can see resistance in your face when I say this, I hear loud hunting horns approach. We lurch forward as the pluma sled halts abruptly. The sled tenders have stopped walking and look into the jungle.

I tell you to wait in sled and watch for trouble. The horns are persistent and overlap each other. I jump out, readying my weapon and see a bare chested hunting party on an indistinguishable number of horses pull our of the jungle with long bows drawn. A blonde headed warrior with a pluma stone tipped spear charges me with a wicked howl. I can do nothing in range as he bears down upon me.

Happy that I’d insisted we both wear underclothing to bed since we didn’t have the most private of settings, I jump out as well, not listening of course, as I see trouble heading right towards you. Instantly, I activate my charming presence out as far as I can, hoping we can get some of them calm at least, if not just the person charging us.

I walk up smiling, despite my genuine confusion, and looking at the hunter, say, "Hello there! I do hope that us passing through didn't disturb you all."

The hunter scrambles upright at the sight of you. As he does, he takes the exhausted Duke in his locked elbow and pulls him up as well. "Hello little lady!" He grins a familiar grin. His face has that same cockiness that you know so well. "Name's Torroch, and I've been beating this jungle boy for all his life. I'm his aunt's oldest, but more importantly I'm his better." He drops Duke on the ground and approaches you. He offers his hand in the Faerunian way, but with a smirk still on his face.

Laughing, I shake his hand and respond, "That's a very Faerunian gesture, have you been? It's lovely to meet some of Duke's family... Oh! I'm so sorry!" I suddenly realized that I'm only standing there in lingerie and quickly, I edit my disguise spell to include clothing. "I apologize for not having been more, uhh, well, clothed I guess... I didn't realized you all were related..." My whole face goes beak red as I deal with the embarrassment of having just shown myself in practically nothing to my husband's cousin and relatives.

I cheat and use my shield feat to shove him down to the ground. Serves him right for looking at my wife's titties. After I get up and then offer him a hand to get up, he yanks me down and starts talking again, ...

"I have heard Lulu was bringing a Fay to our jungle. I did not know she would be a queen. I humbly off my services as guide, since Lulu can't seem to find his way in his own backyard. My home is off your path. I guess I just had to come and greet you myself or he would have missed dinner entirety. You are worth it."

I raise my eyebrows as I smile. "You're too kind. I'm Kitsune and I'm impressed, I can see you studied your Faerunian social norms. You certainly know how to be charming." In the back of my mind, I'm reminded of my previous life as I mentally note how easy of a mark he would've been. His overeager compliments made him an ideal target for her skillset. On the outside, she just maintained her smile as if his charm had worked on her. "I'm so glad you did come introduce yourself, I'd hate it if we missed dinner. Shall we Duke? We haven't eaten yet."

"Let's ride!" I rouse the hunters and lead the pluma sled back to my home. As we take the hidden byways, we pray to all the totums to gain passage, we pass the halfling villages in the canopy and then pass into the South Village. Smells of cook fires and tanning stretchers and children come to me. Home. Boys and girls were practicing sword play and spear chucking in the field. We were proud of how we survived the war. We held our beliefs. We carry on the traditions.

"Fair lady from across the Sea, Come! Take my arm. I lead you to the feast table." I lead Kitsune and Dukalu to the table and motion for Zac to feed the fire a bit and bring platters. "Now. Are you real family, my queen?"

I place your hand on the table and protect it with my own. "Tor, don't give her treatment. I've already married her. She's family.
Feed her first. Interrogate her later. You'll be most rewarded if you do it in that order. I chuckle as the children start to file into the hall.

I walk into the room and see the play between my husband and the new couple. Kalu looks happy. Judging by the lady, he had better be. I've always like Kalu. He's the romantic to my Prince Charming. "Lady Kitsune, I am Lunni, master of this hall. If Tory laid a finger on you, I hope you showed him what to do with it, yes?"

I was more than happy to climb back into the shed as I was honestly wearing nothing. Dropping the illusion, I put on actual clothes, but before I can fix my disguise that hides the baby bump, I'm captivated by the sights and forget to do so. I ask you many questions about all the different things to see and we enjoy the trip talking about your home. Once we arrive, I step out only to realize that I'd forgotten to recast my illusion. I quickly put it back on and hope that no one noticed.

As we enter the hall, my sensitive senses allow me to already smell the food and I'm even more hungry than I had been before. I'm a bit taken aback by Torroch's question and you're quick enough to save me from the uncertainty that question gave me. This is nothing like I've ever experienced before and I'm appreciative of your hand on mine, flipping my hand over to hold yours. I laugh at Lunni's statement before responding, "He was nothing but charming so I never had to, but I will keep that in mind in case he decides to try anything. It's lovely to meet you, please call me Kit though. How long have you two been together?"

I smile at the detente. With her charisma, I think she could be a leader. She certainly has Kalu wrapped around her finger. "We were born together you might say. Do you believe tiloni can be twinned? That they are only whole when mated? We are royal to the temples. Our mother and father were priests and magic users, of the Pluma and the Hishna. Tor and I married and had all these children. The high priesthoods skip a generation. We hunt and trade in the south of Payit, but from our children the next high priests will be chosen. Tor's and my tiloni are joined and happy. I see you must be the same. Uncle Yulus was furious when he found out that Dukalu broke off the engagement to the acolyte and ran away to chase waves and sorrow. All for the passing love of a Faerunian like yourself. But Kit, he found you here in Maztica, did he not?"

For a moment, I'm a deer in torch light. Chuckling awkwardly, I squeeze your hand tightly. "Yes, I do believe in tiloni mates and yes, we did meet here in Maztica on the ship we captain together."

I'm trying my best to remain calm on the outside, but mentally, I'm calling out to you. "They don't know?! What do I say?! Help please?!"

Smiling, I wince at the squeeze. Is this how hard you are going to squeeze when Ana is born? Shit! "How the fuck do I know? Shall we play it like we never met in Aum? Could anyone even know? I mean, it would never happen that they find out... I'm just glad you don't mind the unusual relationship between Tor and Lunni. I didn't think we would see them on this trip, so didn't warn you. I tried hard to avoid South Camp after all."

"Oh I'm not sure how much I can't say I 'don't mind' the fact that two siblings married and had children... That's just not something that would happen in Faerun. I guess let's just go with dinner I guess and see what happens, I apologize! He said food love!"

Trying to change the topic, I ask Lunni, "I hope it's not terribly rude of me, but is it alright if we go ahead and eat? I'm terribly famished!"

I smile sweetly and with as much innocence I can muster, all the while I try to figure out if you are so dim to think only of food, or too smart to answer a leading question without thinking about it or misdirecting. This could be a dragon ante face of yours. Leave it to Kalu to pick someone without regard to their smarts, but you could be playing him for the romantic fool that he is. I have to protect the royal line. If they have a child, all my hopes could be dashed. "Yes of course Kit. Let's eat. The hunters have been very successful of late. The plague has not affected the deep jungle as much as the plains of Payit. It came on so suddenly. Where were you when the sky changed and the sundering took our gods? Oh no, My apologies. You asked to eat and not talk. I have so many questions for you, my sister, if we are to be family. Let's talk about something less demanding. Tell me of your Kalu? Do you use that nickname?" Now to see how much she talks of silly or of serious things...

I giggle at Lunni's more lighthearted question, a bit relieved to not have to be probed about how she'd been at the sundering and how hard it had been. "It's more than alright, I would have many questions for anyone entering my family too." I take a bite before continuing. "I'm very aware of his Kalu nickname, however I don't use it, no. If I'm not calling him my love, I'm usually calling him Duke. This is delicious by the way, did you make it yourself?"

"Duke? How marvelous and unique! Yes, Kit, it is delicious, I agree." I need to throw something in to test her position on the war. This will do nicely. "My oldest daughter used to make it all the time, but now she has gone the way of the one church of Uhti and no longer remembers how. I wrote down the recipe on a scroll and still cook it in memory of her. Do you know the loss of someone as dear to you as a child? She is a priestess in Ulatos. Perhaps you will see her when you go."

"Yes my lovliness and favorite cook. You feed my stomach as you do my heart, but such talk about Elena upsets my stomach more than I can handle."

My hand instinctively goes to my bump at the mention of the loss of a child. "I know lost love, but fortunately, not the loss of a child or anyone like it, I'm very sorry for you." Upon the mention of Elena's name, I freeze for a second, but recompose myself quickly and looking at the pair. "I apologize, who is this Elena person?"

Inside, I'm freaking out. "Love, is there something important about your cousins here that you forgot to tell me?!"

I am enjoying the lunch. So great to reconnect with an old side of the family. They have been in the jungle edge of Payit for as long as I can remember and still I remember the South Camp being the exact same as it has always been. "This is some of best food we have have had in an age! Thank you Lunni." I stare at your telepathy. I wonder what you mean? I give you an unknowing glance. Is that a thing now? "Torr, I thought your first born was named Atzi? You must be confused with another daughter. You have dozens and you still look so young. However do you manage it? Elena is a funny name for a Maztican family. We knew a person ..." You stamp your heeled boot into my toe. "Oww!" As I look at you with pain, I continue, "A funny name indeed."

Really? You must not be that bright after all. Didn't I say she was my oldest child. I should be more gentle with you and speak slower. "Yes, Lulu, you have it right. Elena was my daughter before I married my brother. Had the father not been divine, she surely would have perished during the rites. Kit, this family has survived many an age such as this one we are in. Our traditions will protect us. The gods were our strength and our magic. Is that not the way of gods? But we are stronger without them. Our bond with each other is great as well. Do you not respect the idea of gods even as the old ones are banished. I believe that the gods will yet come back. Maybe in a new tiloni. A new form. Divinity will never cease to express itself in Maztica." I reach for my husband's hand and put it on my belly. I smile to see his pleasure and pride. Our new life stirs to its father's touch. "Even a life such as the one that thrives in my belly as we speak could rise to be a god. Our children could succeed where the First Man did not. Since we lost Camazotz, the way is clear for a new generation."

Years of practice helps me hide my true feelings as I smile at them. Turning to you, I see the shock that I feel. I say, "Wow love, can you believe that? I wonder if our child can rise to become a God!" Looking at Lunni, I add, "We’re hoping to start a family soon!"

Mentally, I tell you, "Play along, but we have to get out of here!"

"But we just got here! Ok. If you know something I don't, let's go. Shall we ask Torroch to escort us?" I reach to touch your belly and smile widely at Lunni.

I grab your hand and hold it in mine, remembering that if you touch my bump, it might draw attention to the illusion. I smile widely as I think to you, No! Just make up a reason to leave and get us out of here!"

What!?! "This food! Oh my gods, this is so delicious! I haven't had this since...This is ...What grain is this? Faerunian wheat? No, Kitty! We need to get you back to the sled. Pardon cousins, I need to get Kitty back before she explodes. Kitty? " I grab your hand and pull you into my arms and run!

I yell over your shoulder at them, "So sorry, I'm allergic! Thank you for dinner!" Once we're back in the shed and you put me down, I lose all composure and freak out to the point I'm no longer concentrating on my spell and my bump is showing. "What in the gods was that?! Why didn't you stop me when I accepted Torr's dinner invitation?! Did you know all this time that you and Elena were related?! Oh by the gods, I killed your cousin... this is going to go over splendidly with the rest of the family!" I'm pacing erratically as I try to get all of these thoughts that have just now hit me into some sense of a logical order when they don't seem logical to me.

"I don't know. I never liked her anyway. She gave me a job as First Mate when I couldn't do anything else, but really, that was about it. She really was the bitch I called her. Good thing the rest of my family are more normal, though I am setting a low threshold right now." I look at my frantic and panicked wife, and stop. I reach for you to kiss you and don't quite get the reaction I was expecting. "What?"

I see you reaching for me and I immediately dodge you. "Don't touch me. I can't believe you didn't tell me! Lunni was one of Camazotz's wives?! She was the mother of the same fucking thing that tried to kill both of us! That almost killed me! Or is it just me who remembers you having to lay your hands on me to save your WIFE AND CHILD?! And we just sat down to dinner with her mother?! YOUR COUSIN! No warning! Not even a mental message to say, 'Oh love, by the way, his wife is a vampire and we're the ones who killed her daughter, you remember her, the captain we overthrew that wanted to kill you. Just thought I'd let you know.' Are you even sure the rest of your family is even close to normal?! How many other vampires share your blood that I don't know about?!

And she wants one of her children to be the next generation of vampire creators! Great idea, let's just sit down with her family of vampires and my expectant wife! That'll go over well!" I finally take a breath and realize that I'm crying with both hands over my bump as if to protect it. I see you move towards me again and I snarl, "Don't. Fucking. Touch me."

"You mean lil ole me?" My image comes to your mind as you berate Duke. He looks very small now and lost, but my image triggers every pent up emotion and anxiety surrounding meeting his family and then making the marriage and perhaps even your pregnancy publicly known. This motherly protective instinct against even Duke are perfectly justified beng expressed right now.

I get the pluma sled moving as fast as I can back onto the path. Luckily my blood still triggers the Jade totems as we pass. Being family to vampires has its perks I guess, though I would trade that fact for anything and obviously buried it even from myself.You are absolutely right love. I am sorry. I should have told you. I just didn’t think it mattered. I was wrong. So wrong. The vampires are such a part of Maztica and the struggle against the gods that I thought you appreciated what they do. Death and undeath are natural Parts of .

I stop babbling these views while seeing that you don’t approve of them. I don’t understand why, but nevertheless I know to stop. Frantically. Find something else to address you fool.

"I swear to you that I don’t have any vampire blood in me. The South Camp has all the vampires that I know in my family. Does that help? Of course I can’t say I like the other factions either..," I say with the hopes I can at least sleep in the same sled as you. I look around to see if there is enough floor space.

"No, that doesn't help much! That's it! No one can know we're expecting no matter which faction they're in! Nor can they come to the wedding! IF we even still have it!" I paced for another second before I just couldn't anymore. "I'm going to sleep. I am livid, I'm aching, I'm hurt, and I'm still hungry! Goodnight." With that, I grab the blanket off the bed and a pillow and curl up on the floor to try to sleep.

"We can still have the small wedding for the party and ourselves at the Two Visages. That will be nice. No vampires. No baby bump. But no, I won't have this. You take the bed. You need it. I'll sleep on the floor." I throw my pillow on the floor and cover myself with a light sheet. I offer to help you up.

I want to smack your offering hand away and yell at you more, but I stop myself. Realizing that sleeping on the floor while also half way through my pregnancy isn't the most comfortable of ideas I've ever had. And you could've let me suffer the consequences of my own tunnel vision, but you didn't. Softening a bit, I accept your offer to help me up. I grab my pillow and yours and throw them on the bed. Putting the light sheet and blanket back on, I comment, "Just sleep up here on your side." Once the bed is one again, I shed my clothes and lay down.

"I'll be your perfect Paladin."

"Better be..." I mumbled as I fell asleep. The sun in my face in the early hours woke me. As I grumbled and stretched, I realized that naturally sleeping, we'd ended up in a cuddle with your hand on bump as you tend to do now. I laid there for a while thinking before I nudged you awake. "Duke, hey, wake up."

I mumble a bit, as this was a bit earlier in the night for a witching hour chat. But I hear your voice clearly and answer, "Yes love. I'm awake." I don't think my eyes are open yet, but I feel your body snuggled up against mine and my hand on your bump like you like it. I think nothing of it until last night's fight comes to mind. My heart quickens and my chest tightens but I do not move. I don't want to do anything to disrupt my touching you. I know you will want to enforce my promise that I seemed to forsake to be the perfect Paladin and not touch you. How can I be blamed for not wanting to hold you? I wait until you tell me. I suffer the seconds. I enjoy the moment until it will be no more and I have to move.

Placing my hand on top of yours, I sigh before I speak. "I'm sorry that I freaked out so badly last night. I was really scared! Between the situation of learning about the familial relationship with Elena, her determination to learn my thoughts on the sundering for some reason, and hearing her talk about a future new generation of vampires, I panicked! I understand there's a balance to the living and the dead, and even the undead, but Elena and Camazotz are just... Elena would've stopped at nothing to have me dead and there was no way I could feel close to safe bringing our daughter into a world where I would fear Camazotz trying to take my tiloni in the process. I just didn't know what to do. You still should've told me though.... but I ultimately just want to keep Ana safe," I squeeze your hand under mine to emphasize my point.

"As well you should, love. I do not fault you for feeling any of that. I would expect nothing less. Your feelings are the most precious commodity to me, and I hope you know that you may check me anytime that I don't think straight or if I should forget you in anyway. You are my compass and my astrolabe, my rose and my star."

"I love you Duke, I feel the same way about you." I snuggle in a bit closer to you, both of our hands still on me when I suddenly feel a fluttering feeling inside my bump. I gasp for a second before asking you, "My love, did you feel that?"

My eyes go wide. "By Zaltec, that's a barbarian in there!"

Having totally lost focus of everything but the kick inside your belly, I suddenly recognized that you just said that you loved me. I am stunned. My world is in order again and I'm in love. "I love you too Kitty. And I love you Ana." I whisper to your belly and kiss it and then you, my love of loves.

I kiss you back and smile at you before rolling onto my back and asking you more questions. "Okay, I might've been overreacting a bit last night when I said what I did about the wedding and my bump so let me ask you this. My own thoughts aside, what do you prefer? Do you want a big wedding or a small one or none at all? Do you want..." I have to swallow my nerves a bit to finish my statement, "me to not hide my bump at all or at least from your parents?"

I look upon you and smile in my heart. "You know that I only want to see you in a ceremony and declare you before the gods as my wife. We could be ourselves for that matter. Of course there are friends and family that would really enjoy being there. I think our parents and the party too. We will see if Jacob would come even if he is not the star of the event. But other than that, I'd say that Ana should be the guest of honor. We had her in wedlock. She should be at out renewing of our vows in Ulatos. Wouldn't it be more honest and truthful to just be ourselves? To show our love as a family to our families and our gods?"

"I... Well of course we should be ourselves... But..." I look at you with a bit of shame in my eyes. "I don't look thin anymore! I mean, look at me, I can't even hide this. I look like I'm gaining weight and it's not even changing my breasts yet! I'm losing my attractiveness... and to make it even better, who knows how your father will react when he sees just how pregnant I am... I don't want him to hate me or Ana. Do you think he will? You haven't exactly told the kindest stories when it comes to him."

Hearing your complaints, I am befuddled, not that that is unusual. Still, I think I understand what you are saying. It is the conclusions that just don't make sense. "Kitty? Wherefore do you even begin to think that you are any less attractive to me or would be an object of hate because of your pregnancy? Must I admit something to you? I am overjoyed when I look at you these days without your illusion. Nay, I am excited in ways that are unbecoming a Paladin. My thoughts drift to the night where I tasted you and saw that your juices were thick from ovulation. That has been only once in my life to have seen that of you. My body shook and my mind went numb with anticipation. We were so newly married that I forced myself to beg of you to go inside of you and explore your fertile body, when I knew that your body had only one purpose in mind for me. I had to let you know what you were doing. I wanted you to want the same thing I did, to feel in your orgasm. We were not just making love. We were making a baby, and even those days and weeks thereafter when we still did not know if you were pregnant, I was weak with lust for your body. I saw our life together as parents and I wanted nothing else. I knew you were with child and I fucked you harder for it. I still see you differently yes, but more of a proud cock or a protective father would. But dear love? That does not describe my feelings truly. How do I say this? I can't wait to see you give birth to our Ana. I do hope that we can find a midwife detached enough to allow us to make love that night for she will tease us, since all babies wait until the pull of the moon. I long for that night when I can take my sex with you on your hands and knees and your belly down, Ana's head dropped, and my penis going in you for that last time before she slides out of the very same birth canal that I used to plant my seed. I look forward to pleasuring your clit as your pushing releases all sensations through your body. I've seen the girls at Temple give birth, but you are my wife and this will be the climax of climaxes for our act of mating. Her head will crown in your pussy and push through and I shall catch her if I can, the midwife willing. Nay, the midwife can set aside. I want to have my hand down there touching you as she comes out. I want to be at least that much a part of your birth.

This all goes through my head every time I see you these days, and will continue as you walk down the path with more and more of your baby bump. Your growing belly is a sand clock to that birth day, where we both will see our daughter and begin to know her and hold her together. Your visage now is driving me insane with anticipation. You can see from my cock now. Just talking about it makes me great. If ever you catch me looking at you and you think you are unattractive in my eyes, just come over and check my loins and know differently. I hope when you do, that nobody else is around, because I'll be ready to make love to your beauty right then and there.

How's your tea? More sugar?"

"A touch, uhhh" I sat there for a long moment, processing everything I'd just heard before finally responding, "I'm so relieved to hear you say that! I'm most excited for that as well honestly, although I'm also scared, I've never given birth before. Alright... if you love me and find me irresistible like this, then I guess I don't need the illusion. Pardon my surprise, I'm still a bit shocked that anyone could find me desirable right now. Maybe that's not the most Paladin way to see things, but I love that you do see it your way! And I'm sure we can find a midwife like that, I wonder how the midwife in Quezalici would feel about that... Oh love!
I can't wait to meet her with you!" Hungry for you, I kiss you passionately as I turn to you and press my body against yours.

I add a little sugar to the tea and as you speak, I wave my hand over the Tunqua stone cup to warm the tea a bit before I hand it back. I'm not hearing much of the words though, as you are absetmindedly stroking my morning wood. I wonder if you are testing out its flexings to see where you might chop it down into firewood based on our fight last night. I wasn't minding it. It was actually driving me insane. Ok, I am going bonkers. When you got to the part about wanting to meet Ana with me and then pressing your body against mine, I absolutely lose it. "Oh love dearest! I can't wait for the same. But I can't wait for this either." I wrap my arms around you and dig my fingers into your ass to give you a massage as I give you that kiss you seem to hunger for. I am still sorry for what I did to raise your ire, but I do intend to make up for everything by making out with you. Is this makeup sex?

Your bump fits so nicely in between us, your hands on my cock, my mouth on your neck and breasts and lips. I know, however, Ana is getting a little bit in the way for me laying on you like a devouring blanket. She tends to get excited in her own way when I hug her, and she starts kicking hard as if the little barbarian is going into her rage. I slip my hand under silk to feel you vulga and onto your vagina lips that I stroke. This is the place I most love to tough you. Fondling your clit and pressing my palm onto your mound of hair, my ring finger pushes through your wetness and hooks into you to touch the other side of your clit as well. After some stroking and more necking, I move us about and help you off with your sexy mama lingere and manuever you and your bump up on top of my cock that I spring upwards into you. "Let me help you love. Use my strength to hold yourself up and push against me to take me in." You have learned to counterbalance Ana a bit while walking and even fighting, but this bit of acrobatics may need my leverage. She won't mind, I'm sure.

Every touch feels so intimate and delicious. We've danced together enough that you know all the spots to touch, and you treat me for my own touching too, touching I didn't even realize I was doing. Must've been the excitement I felt caused a muscular reaction. You roll on top of me and I love every action! We both feel Ana flutter, but past the acknowledgement, neither of us give it much thought as we're engrossed in each other right now. By the time I'm above you, you're offering to be my support. I love you and how sensitive you are. I push against you and you lower me onto you. You go to raise me, but I stop you. Taking your hands off of my hip, I bring them to my face, kissing each palm, and place them on my sides. My walls squeeze around you and I watch you close your eyes and groan as I do. "My love," I whisper, "if I can fight, I can fuck. Reserve holding me up until Ana's so big that the extra support is genuinely needed. For now, I can handle this." I lean further back onto my backhand a smidge, just to counter the bit of extra weight that is our daughter. Still being the strong goddess that I am, I rise and fall on my own. I'm enjoying the slight lean backwards as it's a different angle than we usually use and it feels amazing! Occasionally, I squeeze my walls around you to make things more pleasurable for you too. I moan loudly as the sensation is quickly intense. As I do, I start moaning, "By the gods, yes! Let's make love just like this before we bring Ana into the world!" I feel you still deep in my canal and I can't imagine not doing it like this as we enjoy our bodies in between pains.

I wonder how a baby's head would ever fit through that! "Oh that tight pussy! You are strong! You aren't kidding!" I find your rythm and push up to it, making your movement even more productive, sending more waves of pleasure through both of us. "Fuck! You won't be doing this on Ana's birth! No! I'll wait as you finish a contraction and take you pussy from behind. That night I will ride you like a mare you can't get enough of her stallion! "

All this talk is getting me excited! "Yes! Fuck yes! Fuck me from behind! Fuck me from in front of me as I'm laying down and you're standing there towering over me like the protector you are! Penetrate my gate as it's opening! Make my canal slick with our juices! Fuck me! I wanna cum love!!" The physical pleasure between us with the mental pleasure as we talk about the acts we'll perform is sending me over fast and I can feel myself wanting to let go, but I'm waiting to feel you cum before I release.

"AhH! Fuck! Ahh! Fucking fuck!" To your screams, I am pile driving you, but melting into you at the same time. As I sense you are close to exploding in pleasure, I feel a strange sensation as you are reach this divine moment. I loose conscious awareness of the physical and see a thousand suns burning, the night sky shifting into a million paths of stars speeding through time, my own body radiating light and energy that burns away flesh and bone but I still exist to fuck you harder still. A loud groan comes from inside me that I do not recognize but know to be Qotal, "Kiltzi, wake up from your slumber and taste your power! Be a goddess for this moment at least! We must make this child you carry immortal like ourselves. CUM WITH ME!!!!!"

My hand on your chest goes to my bump as I feel myself also lose conscious awareness as well as Kiltzi awakens to her love's call. My own light highlights me as the love I feel radiates out from me. Myself and Kiltzi have become more one than I knew as I see a vision of my family in rose colored view. The view of us in a beautiful home at a port with four children running around as I carry another with you holding my large bump, each of our children radiating a dimmer light than ours, each of them containing their own connection to divinity. A moaning voice not quite my own raises in response to yours. "Yes my love Qotal, I am here with you! Let us share our power! Feel our unity and bless this child, just as we will all others we share! I'M COMING!!!

As we drop to the bed exhausted and tingling, I look over to you and see you wide eyed as well. "That wasn't just a sexual experience. I may not have ever experienced make-up sex, but that didn't explain what just happened, would it? I saw you through other eyes...and you were radiating light! I was... what was I?"

I stare into your eyes, trying to make sense of what just happened. "You were radiating light too! And that voice... I've never heard you sound quite like that before! What happened to me was beyond strange too. Don't misunderstand, I love you more than anything, but the love I felt just then was... I don't think there's a word to describe it. Wait... I was radiating light? Are you sure? Duke, the only times I've ever radiated light is when it seems Kiltzi is channeled through me, but... this was different... maybe she took over somehow?"

As I lay there thinking out loud, I stop suddenly, eyes going even wider as I sit up and look at you with the biggest realization. "Radiating light, seeing through another's eyes, the voice change... my love, did you see something that you can't explain?"

"I saw too much that I do not understand. I lost conscious awareness of the physical and saw a thousand suns burning, the night sky shifting into a million paths of stars speeding through time, my own body radiating light and energy that burns away flesh and bone. It was as if I could see infinitely, like a god, but my mind could not comprehend it and so it created illusions. I don't like not being in control. This is the same self magic that deceives and binds your mind. I don't like it, but... I saw Ana glow inside you."

"I knew it! I've suspected for so long, but this! This has to be true!" For a second, I celebrate my own realization seeming to be true before I continue. "My love, you didn't create illusions to comprehend something, what you saw is true. I saw Ana glowing as a little girl, all of our children glowed. That wasn't an illusion at all! Baby... that was Qotal taking over. It has to be! Oh... I accidentally lied, I have heard that voice before! I thought it was just half-awake mishearing, but you spoke to me in that voice one night not long after we took over the Skulker. Does this mean you have a double tiloni as I do?! Try to do something divine!" I'm excitedly bouncing and nudging your arm awaiting some spectacle of intentional divinity as proof to us both that my suspicions are accurate.

Your excitement is so infectous that I am swept up in the thrill. Everyone wants to be divine, don't they. What is it about that? To live forever? To have any flavor of ice cream you want? To not have to get out of bed? You have had quite a while to get used to the idea that a source of all love lived inside you, was the girlfriend of Qotal, was a goddes in her own right. To say that I shared a body with Qotal, the hero of my father and of me for the longest time, before I encountered Kiltzi in my arms, to say all that was to admit that I was a god. That still seems such sacrilige still...but oh my oath! "Do you really think that could be true? Oh love! I would be to you as Qotal is to Kiltzi, twinned tiloni, lovers forever! But how do I do anything divine? I thought that last bit of sex was close, more than close really. I would have to do something intentional like you have done for me showing me Ana and waking me from Drow poison with only your word." I look around. We were still traveling in a pluma sled. "Pluma was the magic that Qotal gave to the True People. I could try to lift something with a feather magic? No I was the sourse of that magic. It would not be magic. It would have to be the divine will itsel I saw meself as Qotal make love to you and orgasm with you. He did not do magic per se. He was magic. That still does not help me with what I could do that was intentional divinity. Do you have any idea, love?"

I think seriously for a moment before I respond. "You make a fair point. None of my divine acts have been necessarily "intentional," I just wanted to do something and Kiltzi delivered. But it was things that happened came from a place of love. I still don't know how I exactly knew that your protection falling away meant that you were dying... I just did. And I wasn't there to help you. My heart broke, I can't lose you! I closed my eyes and I thought what I'd say, what I'd do if I could to keep you here, keep your heart beating, get you to open your eyes. I guess my love for you, Kiltzi's love for Qotal, is strong enough that she channeled that into a vision of myself and Ana and gave you just enough healing to keep you here." Tears of love roll down my cheeks as I smile at you and kiss you. "You make a good point though love, we both just showed signs of our divinity. You'll fine your source of divinity one day. Oh by the gods my love, we're not only tiloni mates, we're divine mates! Our love will continue on with us for all eternity, equal in our status as gods! My Qotal... my Duke... I love you so much!" I pounce on you with a passionate kiss. It's not comfortable to pounce anymore with the bump a bit in the way now, but I'm so excited that I don't even notice.

Your enthusiasm is infectious. I have to try at least, I concentrate on what I have just experienced and try to replicate the feeling of being divine. "I love you too Kitty ... Kiltzi. Your Qotal is a god of order and judgement. He rules the natural world... " I think about this hard, but I am distracted by you. I love you pouncing on me. I feel Ana hugging me too and look forward to her growing inside you. I let that feeling wash over me as I lift you up. My kiss and my fingers in your back and hair keep me in this embrace, but as I open my eyes to see why my back has gotten a cold breeze across it, I see that I am floating a few feet above the bed with you floating in my embrace. I freak out, and so we wobble in the air. You notice the movement and opening your eyes as well, you squeal with excitement and start to giggle uncontrollably. I steady us in the air, and blurt out, "By Qotal, this is going to make pregnant sex so much easier!" Your giggles increase at this. I would normally enjoy seeing you like this, but my head aches. You see the tell tale signs of my old scar glowing purplish blue below my skin on my face. "The scar! Pain!" I hold my face and weep under the pain and we fall back to the soft bed.

I look at you a bit concerned for a moment before memory comes back to me. "Wait... Oh you're so playful!" I tease you as I realize you're joking with me. "I remember we got your curse removed. Pregnancy memory fog might be getting to me at sometimes, but I do remember that we got that removed in Nexal!" I lean down and kiss you with excitement. "But my love, that was still amazing! I mean, I knew you were Qotal of course, but I've never seen you do anything like that! I mean, I haven't either! We should have cosmic sex more often!" I snuggle up to you and enjoy laying with you as we ride through the countryside. The fight of you being related to Elena a part of our past and despite my own anxieties, I resolve to not hide the bump that is our newly celestially blessed daughter.

"You look good with that prego belly. I know, by Qotal, that you carry my baby, but it wouldn't take my knowing that to find you extremely sexy right now." I start to rise off the bed again. "Look! I'm excited again already." You yank me back down to the bed saying I can't do that without her! "That's right. If I walk behind you in party file, I might just start to look at that expanded leather armor and see those tight fitting hips and lose myself. Won't it be embarrassing to have to explain to the party that I'm getting horney for my wife, and I start to float?

I heard in Kiltzi's Temple that the priests asked the most romantic lovers in all of Maztica the secret to cosmic sex. They found a Payit, a Nexalan, and a Tesca Dwarf to tell them. The Payit said that after sex he would kiss his lover on the neck and she would rise off the sheets. The Nexalan said he could do better. After sex he would give his tiloni mate a foot massage and she would float two feet off the bed. The Tesca Dwarf said well hell, that wasn't nothing. After sex he would get up, walk over to the window and wipe his dick off on the drapes, and his bitch would hit the ceiling!"

I laugh way harder at your joke than I should, but I enjoy every second of it. Once my laughter is under control, my lips are on yours, climbing on top of you, thinking, "Let's join the flying high club... don't let me fall."