(Two months earlier)
–Azriel–
I could only stare off at the forest before me, lost in thought. Many people were waiting around outside of the healers den intrigued and concerned.
Mutters of sickness and disease were passed around between many of them as they all awaited for the healer to come forth with news on the human inside.
Everyone was fearful that a plague might be brought upon us, that the human was contagious and would end up infecting others. I grit my teeth at the mere idea. They are simply blaming the human because it's the easiest excuse they could come up with.
My gaze moved to Elazar who sat beside me close to the healers dwelling with his head in his hands. He was far more anxious than the rest of them, far more concerned, all this talk of sickness and fear was only making his anxiety worse.
After all, it was his mate there. It was His mate who had been suffering from a strange unknown illness for the past few weeks. Shortly after THAT day she has fallen ill, often emptying her stomach and having severe pains as well.
The idea that this was a human illness that she had obtained was possible but there was also a good chance that she has simply been affected by something from us. Tarkov warned me once that a simple fever or bug bite for us could prove deadly for a human.
There were so many possibilities as to what was happening so many variables that it was hard to keep oneself calm in this situation.
There was a good chance this sickness that kora had might only affect humans and although that would be ideal for the rest of the tribe, it caused a select few of us the most worry. If Kora got sick what would happen to Alita? She was frail enough as she was… perhaps it's a good thing she's not here with us now. I do not think I could handle the stress.
A few words of the possible demise of the human female were passed around the crowd and I noticed Elazars form tense up even further. All this talk was making his inner turmoil worse.
Growling I pushed myself off the wall I was leaning against and snarled at the ones currently engaging in such talk. “Enough of that! If you wish to run your mouths and continue to stir up nonsense then do it elsewhere!”
The group quickly shut up and backed away as I snarled in their direction with my tail flicking around wildly behind me.
A hand on my shoulder, caused me to stop and look over. My gaze was met with tarkov’s form as he eyed me sternly before Facing the crowd. “Azriel is right, we must not continue to jump to conclusions as to what is happening when we have no information. The spread of false ideas will only cause panic among us.”
The crowd quickly quieted down and a few scattered as we stood there.
Looking back to Elazar, he lifted his head. Stepping over I offered my hand and he hesitantly took it, standing to his feet once more.
“I give you my thanks-” he spoke.
“You would have done the same had it been my mate in there.” I admitted and Elazar was silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.
“Pay no mind to the words of others, I am sure your mate will be fine, for now we must be patient and await the healer's judgment.” Tarkov spoke up and we all glanced towards the Den's opening.
“I truly hope you are right.” Elazar lowered his head.
Feeling worried for my friend I grabbed his shoulder in an attempt to pull him from his dark thoughts. “He is right. Kora shall return to you as she was, do not friet so much, it is unhealthy.”
We continued to wait in silence a bit longer until finally the healer emerged from behind her curtains and gestured for Elazar to come inside.
He took a deep breath preparing himself before stepping forward and entering the den. Both of them disappear behind the curtain once more.
“Azriel, tarkov!” A voice called out to us from across the cavern. Looking over we both noticed the boys rushing towards us in a hurry. “Is there any news yet on El's mate?” Xeith asked as they came up.
“Nothing yet the healer just called him inside.” Tarkov replied.
“What of you two, do you have anything to report?” I questioned the younglings while crossing my arms over my chest. Tarkov gave me a questioning look in response but didn't say anything.
“No… nothing today either but we'll still keep our eyes and ears out! We just wanted to come check in to see if anything new happened.” Nanku beamed happily and I nodded. “Alright, take nezu with you when you go back out, he needs to stretch his wings.”
“Yes sir!” Xeith responded and both boys quickly made their way out of the cavern as I returned my attention to the healers den.
“You are still waiting?” Tarkov questioned behind me. I didn't respond nor look in his direction, knowing he may scold me for such, but I didn't care.
He took my silence as an answer and sighed. “You speak to Elazar about unhealthy habits yet you continue to torment yourself with her return.”
“I'm simply making sure I'm prepared to greet her-” Tarkov cut me off and grabbed my arm.
“Azriel! This is not preparation, this is madness! It has been 6 weeks of silence from the humans you are only hurting yourself with this.”
I turned on him with a growl, pulling my arm free as I faced him. “6 weeks, 6 months, 6 years– I will not stop. I will wait an eternity for her if it means that one day I'll see her again!”
He stared me down as sternly as ever and I glared back at him defiantly. “Azriel. You know what they said when they took her. She isn't coming back. You need to realign your focus on what is happening right here, right now. If you continue to keep hoping for her to suddenly return one day, and continue to live your life looking over your shoulder, it will get you killed!”
I snarled back at tarkov, as my tail continued to slash the ground behind me. “So what, you expect me to just forget she ever existed?!” I snapped.
His gaze changed to a sorry one as he looked at me. “Azriel–”
We both stopped as movement from the corner of our eyes caught our attention and Elazar emerged from the den.
Forgetting about our previous conversation I couldn't help but worry over the shocked expression upon Elazar's features as he stood before us.
A few onlookers hushed each other as we awaited the verdict and explanation to koras sudden illness.
“I–” he started and shook his head for a moment as he grabbed his head to clear his thoughts and look at everyone. As his gaze moved to mine he finally found the words.
“I am to be a father…” he whispered. It felt like I was hit with a rock as those words took a moment to register in my mind.
“I am to be a father, Kora is carrying my kit!” He spoke more clearly. Murmurs and gasps passed through the crowd before numerous people approached as they started congratulating and praising Elzar over the news.
I stood back still in shock, as the weight of those words came crashing down. Kora is carrying? That means humans are…compatible?
Blinking a few times I refocused my attention to Elazar as he spoke to a few others, elated over the news. After a moment I stepped forward through the crowd to stand before him and he looked at me.
“Are you sure of this?”
He smiled and nodded proudly. “Yes. Human females tend to get a bit sick when they are carrying kits. That upon other evidence the healer discovered, they determined she is indeed carrying.”
I could help the feeling joy such information gave me over the news, hot only was this huge for the tribe, and Elazar and kora, but it also answered the long awaited question that I had been wondering for months.
Humans are compatible with our kind.
Alita is compatible with me.
“We must celebrate with a feast and grand hunt!” I locked arms with Elazar and he nodded as many others cheered before rushing off to start preparing.
El parted the curtains urging me and tarkov both to enter so that we may discuss things further. I stepped forward but hesitated for a brief moment, looking back towards the cavern entrance where the forest lay beyond the bright light, with one thing on my mind.
‘Alita…we can have a family.’ I smiled.
Turning my head back I resisted the urge to go outside and stepped into the den.
—-
(4 days after the paper signing)
-Alita-
“Is this some kind of sick joke!?” I snapped.
“Alita please!” varin harshly whispered while grabbing my shoulders to calm me down.
“Miss Asmora! I suggest you quell that attitude of yours before we have you removed!” One of the council members snapped back.
“Baron please– let us keep this civil.” Another replied.
“Ahem” another cleared their throat as he looked down at us from the stand. “I can assure you miss Asmora this is no laughing matter on our part–”
“Indeed this is a serious matter of security upon krosa!” Another finished.
I couldn't believe this. “Security!? This is my child you are talking about! Not some potential security risk!” I exclaimed.
“That's just it! That's where you are mistaken! That thing in your belly isn't even human!” the first spoke
“Indeed is the father not that of a savage alien native? Who's to say it won't come out as a rabid animal that may attack innocent civilians when it grows!” Another member continued.
This time it was Varin who spoke up against the council. “You can't seriously be thinking like this– it's a baby!”
“Yes, it's a baby for now! What happens when that thing grows up and starts acting as wild and crazed as the alien creatures that thing comes from? Can we just freely let that little serial killer grow up and wait for it to cut off someone's fingers for it to snack on?”
“We must get rid of it before that monstrosity is ever born! It's the most humane thing to do!”
“You are all blind as bats! You cannot simply destroy this fetus before it even gets a chance to take its first breath, have you all missed the fact it's not human?! This is a revolutionary breakthrough! We must study it” The head of the science department shouted, standing from his seat.
“Please, all of you calm down this is not the way to go about things the mother should have more say in this than us–” the head of the medical department was quickly cut off.
“The mother!? She's hardly in any position to make such decisions regarding the safety of the entirety of the colony!”
A huge argument broke out amidst the stands in the council room as people argued back and forth about what decision should be made over MY Child.
My head was swarming as so many shouting voices called the room and security was suddenly called in to prevent any fighting. My breath quickened as I became overwhelmed and found it hard to breath with so much happening.
“Alita? Alita!” Varins voice called out as he suddenly stood before me grabbing my face.“Alita please, focus on me!” Varin pleaded as he looked over to Zena who was commanding her guards to get control over the courtroom.
“Enough!! This meeting is adjourned until order is restored among the stands!” The first councilmen declared before slamming down the hammer at his desk.
Zena quickly rushed over with two guards and guided us to the exit. “Let's get out of here.” We made our way outside into the hallway, where there were no more shouting voices and I immediately leaned against a wall to stabilize myself.
“this can't really be happening… they can't do this-”
“Hey, it's okay… the council isn't going to do anything to you or your baby!” Varin tried to reassure me.
“not yet at least.” Zena spoke up looking back at the council room with her arms crossed.
“not really helping-” Varin hissed at her.
“I'm just trying to be mindful, it's the truth, they can't lay a finger on you now but if they end up declaring an emergency meeting and decide that your kids are a threat? Well that's game over.”
Immediately my arm went over my stomach protectively.
“I'm sorry to say this but we need to start preparing for a worse case scenario.”
As much as I hated this… as stupid as all of it was, she was right. The matter of my pregnancy just became a political battlefield. One that I had to fight in order to keep this child, the only thing I had left.
I sat down on a bench in the hallway before burying my head in my hands.
But how. How am I supposed to win this fight when there's so many odds stacked against me?
Varin sat next to me pulling me into a hug. “We won't let them hurt you Alita. Not you, not your baby. We're gonna find a way to fix this.”
“Whatever we do, we better do it quickly, those sick bastards aren't going to sit around for long once they realize your not going to roll over for them, they'll use whatever tricks they can pull to enforce their decision to get rid of your kid, they'll probably even go as far as claiming your insane if they have to.” Zena mused.
As much as I didn't want to believe it, I knew she was right. I needed to figure out something quickly to protect us because no one else could.
Letting out a shaky breath.
Azriel… I wish you were here.