.:Where Fears and Lies Melt Away:.

[Rhionnan Everwind]

.:Hunger:.

The mud felt slick underneath her palms, in between her fingers and along her exposed stomach. Her bare body coated with muck, she slithered along the ground like a snake, the slimy, disgusting residue from the murk she writhed in gathering in between her fingers and her toes. The smell of algae, decaying plants and filthy creek water invaded her nostrils and made her gag, the stench almost overpowering her. But she was hungry, so hungry, she must find something, she must eat. The tightening of her abdominal muscles and the slow, lurching pain that gripped her body made her clamp her teeth together; a low, guttural sound rumbling in the back of her throat as she continued to make her way along the ground in complete darkness; her progress tracked by the soft, wet sounds her limbs made in the mud as she moved.

They must feed, she must feed them, before they feasted upon her.

The silence that pervaded the warm, humid night was unnatural; the animals that usually occupied the lake missing, their instincts warning them that tonight was not a night to be caught out in the open, tonight a predator that none of them could equal had come into their domain. And she would hunt any one of them down and slaughter them if they gave her half the chance.

Leathery wings unfurling, Giada paused a moment, lifting her head just enough so her crimson eyes looked out over the embankment of the small lake, the reeds rustling softly as the wind teased its way through them. Dark face streaked with mud, the demoness sniffed the wind briefly, her keen senses picking up even the faintest change in scents. Only after a moment did she lower herself back down onto the muddy terrain, eyes glinting as she slowly started forward once more, though this time not a single sound could be heard from her. Almost like a cat stalking its prey, she crept through the reeds, every muscle in her body coiled beneath taught skin, waiting for any sign of movement.

Without warning she lifted her body off the ground and lunged forward; the loud splash that followed shattering the silence and sending some unknown creature dashing into the nearby bushes. When she pulled herself out of the foggy water, a good sized bullfrog was frantically struggling within her grasp. She wasted no motion as she brought the frog up to her mouth and sank her fangs into it; tearing a mouthful of its flesh from its still squirming body.

The creature croaked feebly as it slowly died in her hand, being consumed as she crouched - covered in water, mud and other unidentifiable matter - within the shallow waters of the lake. She finished her meal in just a few quick mouthfuls, a trickle of the creature's blood dripping down the side of her chin, and she wiped her hand across her gently rounded stomach; neither hers nor her children's hunger sated.

Her tail coiled silently in the air behind her as she flattened out across the ground once more, closely following the shore of the lake as she hunted for more, always more. So hungry, so hungry. A soft, scratchy noise issued from her parted lips as she moved, her eyes scanning the night for movement, nostrils flaring for any scent. Any sentient part of the demoness was gone, all that was left was an instinctive need to feed, to eat and eat and eat. No consciousness, no thoughts, no calculating.

Tonight, there was simply an animal that needed to feast.

 

[Rhionnan Everwind]

.:Arrival:.

The sound of violent retching could be heard throughout the small, dimly lit room; the cringe-inducing noises echoing out from the half-open door of the bathroom. Light spilled from the tiny room beyond the door and out into the rest of the room, illuminating a bed, a dresser and a chair. The cold, white light was unflattering to the sparsely furnished room, glaring against bare walls, a worn, ugly brown carpet and the dull off-white bed set. It was obvious that this room had not had any sort of tender, loving care in its life, or perhaps the owner simply didn't want to waste a single fraction of space with frivolous decorations and accents.

The bathroom door suddenly swung open and Giada emerged, hair falling about her pale face; wings and tail dragging limply behind her. As the door slammed against the wall, a soft moan spilled from her lips, the sound seeming to drive a nail into her forehead and she squeezed her eyes shut. Body swaying a moment, she slapped one hand flat against the doorframe, trying to steady herself before attempting any further movement. Every blink of her eyelids caused her head to scream with pain, every twitch of her muscles induced nausea... what the hell was happening? It felt like someone had driven a metal screw into the core of her body; every twitch or flick and the screw twisted further into her.

She leaned forward, beads of sweat across her smooth skin causing her hair to plaster against her face; body trembling as she clutched at her increasingly rounded stomach. It had only been what? Two or three weeks since she had learned she was pregnant, already she looked like she was in her third trimester and nearing the labor itself. It certainly felt like she was going into labor, but she knew had at least a week left. Still, this was complete agony for her! She didn't know if she'd be able to last another week, let alone the labor itself. And it wasn't just one that was coming, it was two...

Making an effort to traverse the gap between the bathroom and the bed, as small as the distance was, Giada stumbled after two steps away from the wall and was too weak to keep herself from falling to her hands and knees; rigid fingers digging into the dirty, worn carpeting. She sat there for a moment, frozen and staring downwards, mouth open and lungs heaving in breaths of the musty air. As sweat dripped from her nose and chin, her body feeling as if it were burning, she reached up and tore the robe she had been wearing from her body; leaving her clad nothing. As the shredded garment fell to the floor about her, she lifted her head and closed her eyes, the pain, nausea and unbearable heat tearing another moan from her throat.

She had been wrong.

All this time, ever since she had first gone back to him, she had fully believed she would not need anything from him. She had intended on leaving and never going back after she let him know, after she watched his reaction and fed off of his confusion and angst, she had intended on letting him taste everything and then leaving him with nothing. She had wanted him to know about them, had wanted him to think about them, had wanted him to care... then she wouldn't even give him the grace of seeing their innocent faces, the faces of the lives he had helped her create. She had wanted him to suffer for an eternity, but now... she realized it had all been wrong.

She couldn't do this alone.

Another sound escaped through her lips as she lowered her head, hair shielding her face; softer, filled with something more than just her physical anguish, the sound that floated through the air was almost a whimper. She dipped her head forward until her forehead touched the ground, twisting the lower half of her body sideways as her protruding stomach no longer allowed her to kneel in any other fashion. Her tail coiled about her sweat-laced legs, wings drooping to the floor behind her, and she folded her arms about her head; hands curling into loose fists within the strands of her bi-colored hair as the pain writhed and twisted within her.

I... need you...  

[Rhionnan Everwind]

Please...

Giada exhaled loudly, the rush of air gaining pitch and mutating into a moan halfway through. Everything hurt, everything burned, she couldn't even focus on the room any longer; eyes impulsively squeezed shut as warm, salty tears leaked from the edges of her eyelids. She lay half on her side and half on her chest, shoulder bent at what looked like an excruciatingly awkward angle, but how she was positioned was most likely the least of her worries.

Make it stop...

She didn't even realize he was here with her until he spoke; magenta eyes cracking open for only a moment before falling shut once again, vision too blurred to capture any of his features. She pressed her hand to the floor near her face, trying to lift herself up, but found any attempt at movement on her part caused more pain, more nausea. A soft groan broke through her lips, her breaths coming in shallow gasps, and she gritted her teeth as she felt her abdomen muscles clench tightly, the nausea hitting her even though there was nothing left within her stomach.

It hurts...

She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but all she managed to do was gag herself; her already raw throat screaming as she coughed violently. It had never been this bad before, it would always pass in a few minutes; leave her with a moment's peace... what made this time so different? Could it be possible that she really was going into labor? She hadn't had any contractions that she was aware of, her water hadn't broken. Maybe...

No. She wouldn't even think about it! It couldn't happen, it wouldn't happen! This was normal, for all the horrible suffering, this was normal. She was fine, would be fine, she would get through this. They were fine, nothing was wrong. Everything was fine.

The muscles of her throat worked painfully as she coughed, half her mouth smothered by the rug as she lay there, and she managed to reach out a hand to the vampire, her sweat covered fingers touching the back of his hand. She recoiled immediately, her scorching fingers feeling as if they had touched something even colder than ice, and a single word in the form of a sob erupted from her lips; a fresh trail of tears mixing with her sweat as one of her hands instinctively clutched at her stomach.

"...please..."


Help... me...


I'm afraid...  

[Rhionnan Everwind]

Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. That was easy for him to say! He didn't have two rabid hellspawn trying to claw their out of his womb, which was certainly what it felt like to her. She had never been one to gripe about pain, in fact she at times liked it, but this was so sharp, and it had been going on without rest for so long; it felt like someone had taken a white-hot poker and jammed it straight up her—

Giada let out a short cry as a new bolt of pain flashed through her midsection, eyes widening and hand involuntarily clutching at the vampire's shoulder. This new position he had dragged her into seemed to do nothing more than intensify the pain, every muscle in her body pulling tight. Only a moment after the pain had spiked, however, it lessened a great and she found herself able to manage huge gasps of cool, blessed air - something she hadn't been able to do since the pain had started.

Oh Christ, now that was a contraction; she really was going into labor! But she hadn't even been pregnant for that long, what the hell was going on? Maybe something really wasn't right, maybe they should take her to a hospital. Were there even hospitals that dealt with the births of non-humans? She realized she had no clue, as she had never stepped foot into a hospital in all her life, and a strained, breathless laugh leaked through her lips at the thought.

"I... I..." But she couldn't get anything else out through clenched teeth. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head forward and dug the nails of one hand into the carpet, a few droplets of sweat falling from her jaw line onto her chest. She didn't want to go to a hospital, but if the lives of her children - their children - were in danger, she had no problem with taking a small trip there. She doubted they'd make it in time, so the question was, should they even bother?

Giada clamped her mouth shut against a second cry as another contraction hit her, and she found herself running inane thoughts through her mind. Somebody should time the contractions. Her water hadn't broken. She wasn't a human, maybe she didn't give birth the way they did. Maybe that's why it was so painful. Maybe she was going to die during labor. Maybe they were eating their way out of her. Maybe they were going to burst out of her stomach while she was still alive.

This last absurd thought tore a soft, distressed groan from her closed lips and she managed to crack her eyes open, rolling her gaze to the vampire that knelt beside her. Parting her dry lips, she took a few more deep breaths of air and murmured a hoarse, "Don't leave me."  

[Rhionnan Everwind]

She parted her lips, attempting to say something - anything at this point, to hell with the vampire's question - but her throat was raw and constricted, letting only the weakest of groans through, allowing her the smallest amount of air. She had never really been one for dramatics, but it really did feel like she was going to die via the process of bringing her children into the world. Perhaps even before they had a chance to savor the fresh air that now seemed to draw itself away from her.

"No, no, no, no." She nearly panted between her gasps for oxygen, damp hair sticking to her face as her head jerked from side to side. She knew she should be breathing some certain way, pushing when the contractions hit or something... something! Oh Christ, it wasn't supposed to happen yet, she shouldn't be going into labor so soon. She wasn't ready for this, wasn't ready for them; she had no idea how to care for an infant, let alone two! She also knew that she shouldn't be panicking, but she couldn't help it, damnit, she was about to give birth!

"I-" She licked her lips and then clenched her teeth together, another contraction hitting. Her breath hissed out through her teeth and she loosed a strangled groan, words spilling from her mouth in a rush, afraid that she wouldn't be able to get them out fast enough, "I can't do this, oh Christ, this is so <********>, you did this to me!"

Not that there was really anything she could do to stop the labor, but at the moment her mind was already thinking ahead to when she had the children in her arms, was taking care of them and nursing them. Could she really picture herself doing that, keeping them safe? It didn't really matter at this point, she was going to have to play that role, and it was going to start in a matter of painful moments.  

[Rhionnan Everwind]

At the moment, Giada couldn't care less if her words angered Lars, she was too busy trying to not pass out from the mixture of pain and lack of oxygen. Hands clenched so tight her nails bit into her palms, jaw muscles squeezing together so hard her teeth grinded against one another, she wasn't making this any easier on herself, any faster. But then, you couldn't blame the demoness, she had never had dealings with these kinds of things, and even though she had been pregnant for what seemed like a lifetime, she had never really studied anything to help her once the time came and her body was ready to let the children into the world.

And unfortunately for her, that time was now.

Breathe and push, breathe and push, Her mind chanted this almost like a mantra, as if it could fight off the pain or keep the darkness from encroaching on her vision further. That's the only thing she knew, the only thing she had to help her, and it had to be enough. What would she do if it wasn't?

Another contraction hit her and she slowly let her body take over, do what came naturally for it. She couldn't control the labor, she couldn't set rules and expect it to abide by them, couldn't just say get the ******** out of me and the beings within her would listen. Though perhaps on some level they wanted to be out as much as she wanted them out, because this contraction was different; the first of two was on its way.  

[Rhionnan Everwind]

If there were a higher power, surely they had used their godly will and cast this upon her as punishment for her years filled with hatred. The path of vengeance had led her here, for she chose such a life, and here lie the consequences of that life; the life of sin.

Bright, white-hot stars twinkled before her eyes as she let her head fall backwards, gritted teeth exposed for the heavens to see. Any divine beings that dwelt amongst the stars must have found amusement in her suffering, for there was no end as wave after wave hit her, burning her, tearing at her very soul and sucking everything from her, leaving her withered and hollow. There was only one clear thought that circled in her mind, cutting through the haze of pain like the beacon of a lighthouse through the night's fog.

My children.

Had it not been for them, her want to deliver them and keep them safe, she would have given in to the anguish long before the end was nigh. Even as the first entered the world, the son's sharp cries overpowering the mother's soft moans, the second gave her no reprieve; another contraction hitting almost before the vampire had taken up the child and cradled him in strong, gentle arms.

There was no pause, no lull to regain vigor or breath, and the demoness slowly felt her strength ebb away, the deepest black eagerly encroaching upon her vision. Her limbs felt like appendages cast from stone, her body nothing more than a cauldron of burning agony, and yet she struggled to keep conscious, refusing to yield to the comforting, painless oblivion that awaited her.

If I am to die, please... let my children live...  

[Rhionnan Everwind]

A soft sigh passed over the demoness's dry lips, the only sound that came from her in the moments following the birth of her children. Sweat trickled down her brow, following the contours of her cheek and jaw line, sinking lower and lower across her weary body; neck, shoulder, arm. Her eyes had fluttered closed sometime during that final, crucial moment, that horrible, anguish-filled time when all she knew was pain and push. Pain and push.

Now it was over, the pain still throbbed within her, but it wasn't as needle sharp, wasn't as intense. She had thought she would feel relief, a calmness maybe, perhaps sleep deeply until her body was fully rested. But the only thing she felt was an emptiness inside of her, a hollow, dark spot where the two life forms had once been. She had held them in her womb, nurtured them and protected them and now they were gone. Somehow, she had thought she would be happy to finally get them out. Now, it seemed all she wanted was them back in.

Another sigh escaped from her, quieter than the first, and soft creases formed on her brow as the vampire's voice registered, but his words drifted apart and their meaning was lost within the thick fog that surrounded her mind. She could feel him, she could feel herself and him and them, but it all felt very far away. She could hear them, their cries and warbles and squeals, but it was muffled and warped, almost dream-like. She just wanted to let it all go and fall into the darkness that surged beneath her, beckoned to her with soft whispers and beautiful promises. But she didn't give in, tempting as it was, she didn't give in, didn't let go; she held on. For them.

Magenta eyes rolled beneath smooth lids, full lips thinning and losing their color as she pressed them tightly together. The pain and the weakness and the separation were bearing heavily down upon her lithe shoulders, but after a brief moment, she exhaled in a louder sigh and her eyelids parted; casting a soft glow across her sweat-slicked face. She probably could have managed to lift her head from its bent position, resting upon the bed as it were, but she felt it would be a waste of what precious little energy she had left. Later, she would rest, but now, she would be with her children. Consciously with them.

Upon what seemed like instinct alone - there was no possible way she could see what she was doing - she raised both her hands; eyes drifting downwards to stop somewhere at the vampire's neck or chin. Her slender fingers easily found the soft curves of the children’s heads; fingertips gently running over the fuzz of their hair, the points of their ears, the small, rounded nubs of their horns. A smile found its way onto her dark lips then, eyes sliding shut once more as she trailed her fingertips down their arms. The smile was soft, genuine, warm; the smile of a mother.

"Our babies."