Nyota breathed heavily, thankful for the delivery to be over. A dozen women stood around her, all open felinids save for the three royal magi –representing the kingdom’s pre-eminent healers– and each of which were umbraquins in hiding. Spy-magi who’d infiltrated King Aldric’s personal retainers yet were here in case their true Queen required aid. For Soren would never allow a human mage near the child born of two Lightning Lords, he would never risk any but the most vetted and worthy to even see the child.

By Taloc’s grace the delivery had gone smoothly and now her daughter rested in Nyota’s arms.

The first child she had ever held.

Within her bedchamber the soft gleam of moonlight filtering through ancient curtains, Nyota lay in a bed of cushions, her heart beating with an unfamiliar rhythm. Time seemed to slow, the very world outside her small circle of warmth held at bay by the momentousness of the life now resting in her arms.

The child was far larger than any of her previous, and alone. Fragile as a leaf newly fallen, yet imbued with the wonder of all things new. She gazed down upon this tiny creature, feeling a wave of emotion stir within her, deeper than any she had ever known, akin to the sudden rising of a distant storm across the horizon. She marveled at how such a little being could fill the world entire, as though nothing else mattered in all of time and space.

"Not all gold glitters," she thought, recalling a phrase she’d never understood. Until this moment. For no treasure could ever gleam as brightly as the life cradled in her arm. It was a subtle joy, deep-rooted and quiet, beyond description.

In that instant, the mother knew she held in her arms more than just flesh and bone. This was a spark of something pure, part of the great song of the world, as if the very earth had whispered its secret into her soul. Her heart swelled with love, fierce and protective, gentle and all-encompassing, as though the very stars themselves had aligned for this single purpose. Or been dragged into alignment –kicking and screaming– by a relentless god.

In holding the child, she felt a sense of completeness, as though all the paths she had ever walked led to this one moment. And in that, she found peace, a peace beyond understanding, for she knew in her heart that she would love this soul with all the strength in her being.

Despite this child being the strangest she’d ever produced. For the infant did not cry, her eyes focused on faces, blinking with intelligence, seeing clearly. She was covered in a thin coat of orange fur, velvety soft, with black stripes running across her ears and tail. Her claws worked, flexing in and out at irregular intervals, yet they never pierced Nyota, never harming her.

“Ah, you’re finally here. Muwa!” Said Nyota, planting a kiss on the infant's forehead.

It flopped backwards, as if trying and failing to evade the kiss. Uncoordinated from the overdue pregnancy the child half curled and half gasped for air. Her oversized eyes darted around the room, pupils sharpening at Niana, Lyra, Nyota, and Soren. Then onto the other umbraquins, as if she could see their mana.

“Oh my, baby, you’ll be okay.” Nyota whispered, covering her youngest with a cloth. “Soren, can we get some privacy? I’m a bit tired.”

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“As you wish my Queen.” Said Soren, quickly dismissing most of the eclipsiarchs and felinids.

Kira escorted Nora from the room, while Lyra ran between their legs on all fours, tickling their legs with her ear tufts, and eager to be free. They’d come to see their sister, and received a bit more than they bargained for, though they’d seen more than one birth within the slavepens. All eclipsiarch’s were doubly excited at having a new sibling, and whispered of the first one born in freedom. Soren waved the last nurse out of the room, leaving Nyota alone with Catpian Niana and her youngest.

“What will you name her? She’s so… hairy, with claws already!” Said Niana, holding the newborn’s hand and manually articulating the claws. They were nearly as long as Niana’s, but that wasn’t surprising. The newborn was a strange tiger mutant that reeked of eclipsiarch instead of the expected umbraquin. “Mom, you were huge! Lyra and I expected at least a dozen sisters, and maybe a dozen brothers!” Said Niana, teasing her mom.

“Heaven help me! Twenty four children all at once? I love you all, but I’m not sure I could handle that alone.” Laughed Nyota, gently cleaning her newest.

“A name… Liam named you Furana, but look at these!” Said Nyota, raising Furana’s paws into the air by its pad. Her claws extended like a sabertoothed serval’s, somehow managing to be longer than her paws were wide.

“She’s more of a cat than a person, how…? Liam was fully human!” Said Niana.

“Can you feel it Nia? Her magic has already awakened, she probably understands everything we are saying. Oh, hold still, you’ve got a booger, just a second, ah! Got it.” Said Nyota, using the tips of her own claws to pinch the fetal nose plug and pull it out, drawing a full inch of extra solid boogie out of Furana’s nose.

She shuddered and collapsed, all tension leaving her body as she breathed easy. Glad to be alive.

“Hmm, her fur is more yellow than orange, you’re quite the prickly little rose.” Said Niana, examining Furana.

“Meow.” Was the newest child’s answer, vocalizing a sound she should have been months away from uttering.

“Taloc’s had more than a hand in this.” Whispered Niana, earning a nod from Furana.

Niana blinked, cocking her head as her little –newborn– sister responded intelligently. She blinked, and Furana winked at her.

“She’s got Liam’s sneakyness.” Whispered Niana, straightening her spine.

“Furana Green, to commemorate her father’s wishes, that way she will always know how much he loved her, even if he couldn’t be here… But we need a first name for her. Furana, I don’t like it. Somehow it’s...” Nyota’s voice trailed off, thinking as she groomed her child.

“Familiar, yet foreign? As if you’ve heard the name before, in an old story, and never again?” Said Niana.

“Exactly! Maybe Cody will know.” Said Nyota, referring to the partially sentient Teutonic Codex she’s stolen from the Lord Bishop.

“Desert cats. Hmm… Lion, cheetah, servals… Linda? Eeta? Vala? Vara?” Suggested Niana, earning scoffs and chuckles from Nyota.

“Those are too silly! But it gives me an idea, Cody mentioned the name of the first eclipsiarch born on this continent. ‘Sarin’ or Pandora’s poisoner. I think ‘Saryn’ the desert flower is far more fitting, and it matches her fur so well! I bet you’ll be a shapeshifter like the umbraquins. What do you think of that name? How does Saryn Furana Green sound?” Asked Nyota,

Saryn flexed her claws, looking from Nyota to Niana twice before bobbing her head once. A decisive and unmistakable move.

“Oh great, she’s just as strange as Liam.” Said Niana.

“I wouldn’t want anything else.” Answered Nyota, smiling down at Saryn.