As they left the archive, Kreet and Kallid heard the monks singing again in the cathedral upstairs. The evening service had begun. Miss Tribi had vowed she would continue to research the birthing of kobolds and let Kreet know if she found anything of significance, but as for the sewer wall investigation, Kreet knew what she needed to do. The Bishop would be at the service, but Kreet needed to speak with her before returning to the Baby Dragon. However it would be at least an hour before the service would be over, so instead Kreet and Kallid stepped out into the darkening evening and walked to the park on the other side of the street.

“Hey! There’s Sig!” Kallid shouted and ran towards the big man who had his back to them. However Kreet was in no shape for running. Kallid soon realized this and ran back, apologizing all the way.

“No, it’s okay Kally. Go on. I’ll be along. But let Sig know we can’t go back yet.”

Kallid shook his head and took her hand. “He’s not going anywhere. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah. Just… fat.”

“There’s a difference between fat and pregnant,” he said. They walked on for a while and Kallid pointed out the red clouds.

Kreet smiled. “They are beautiful. But don’t red clouds signify something ominous?”

Kallid shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Not a lot of clouds down in the Underdark. I don’t talk about it, but I have to say - the sky Outside really fascinates me. I feel like my whole life I was missing clouds and didn’t know it.”

“I’m sorry Kally. I didn’t think about that. Say, we’ve got the roof finished. How about we sleep up there tonight? Nice breeze, and if it rains, we’ll just go in.”

Kallid nodded rapidly. “I love it up there!”

“Hey Sig,” Kreet called when they were fairly close. He was sitting on a bench, and her voice obviously startled him.

“Sig? Everything all right?”

“Oh sure. Just napping. I was looking at the moon coming out.”

Kreet explained the situation, and for the remainder of the hour they sat together on the bench, looking at the sky - each for different reasons. But finally they heard the monks singing the concluding song of the service and they started towards the cathedral.

Kreet met the Bishop at the door as she was greeting the people filing out of the cathedral, but she stayed out of the way until the people had thinned out.

“So, Kreet. Don’t think I don’t see you over there. I trust your time in the archives was fruitful? You met Miss Tribi?”

“Oh, yes! She’s a delight! Why didn’t you tell me you had a kobold right here under the cathedral?”

“I thought you’d appreciate the surprise. I don’t see her or Mr. Feltix much anymore. Duties and all, you know. So what did you find?”

“I didn’t learn a lot about my pregnancy really, but I now know where my monastery is!”

“Really? That’s wonderful! Is it near?”

Kreet shook her head. “About seven hundred miles away in fact. No wonder no one ever heard of it or Fallon.”

“So what are your plans now? Still planning to stay in the city?”

“I am. But Bishop, I need to talk with you. Right away if I could… and in private. It’s about something else I learned.”

“Oh? Well certainly. I’ve a few minutes before I have to get back to the palace. Come, we’ll go to my office.”

“Kally? Sig? Wait for me. I’ll be back soon,” Kreet said to her companions, then followed the Bishop back inside.

***************

Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the cathedral again.

“So?” Kallid asked. “How’d it go?”

“Well, the Bishop certainly took it seriously. She’s bound me to secrecy till she can investigate though. Which is an awfully rare thing under Pelor. We’re supposed to represent bringing light to darkness. Secrecy is antithetical to our beliefs usually!”

“Are we in trouble?” Kallid asked, but Sigmunder spoke over him.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“The sewer wall, Sig,” Kreet began. “It was authorized by the previous Bishop! But Bishop Wynda promises she’ll investigate. And she promised to let me know. But I have to keep it quiet - at least until she can find out why it was blocked up. We’re not the only religion in the Royal City you know, but we are the major one. And we have the King’s ear and the public’s respect. She’s afraid this might threaten that if word gets out. But… before I go on… do you have a cart for us? It’s a long walk back to the Baby Dragon.”

“Oh! Sure do! It’s over here. Follow me.”

Soon they were once again bouncing over the rough streets of the Royal City. As darkness came on, Kreet and Kallid got fewer stares from the locals in their shaded cart.

“Do you think she’ll really tell you the truth, Kreet?” Sigmundurr said without turning back as he pulled the rumbling cart along.

“She’s a Bishop of Pelor, Sig. Look, I can’t imagine why it was done. But there must have been some good reason. Maybe it’s not a reason that anyone wants to get out, but there has to be a reason! I just hope they don’t decide to block it up again! But yes. I have every confidence that the head of my religion will let me know the truth. However…”

“However?”

“I might not be able to tell you two.”

“Not tell me?” Kallid asked. “Your own husband?”

Kreet thought about that. In the eyes of the church a husband and wife were considered to be one body - one spirit - linked for life. She made a decision.

Stolen story; please report.

“You know what, yes. I’ll tell you. No vow of secrecy can prohibit me from telling you. Pelor teaches that the bond between husband and wife is inviolate. Even the law prohibits testifying against your own spouse. No, there will be no secrets between us, Kallid. That I promise you. As for you, Sig…”

“Damn clerics,” he said again, not for the last time.

******************

The Baby Dragon was modestly busy that night, but Kreet let the others do the work. She just didn’t feel up to it.

“No, I’m fine Kally,” she explained. “Just all that bouncing has me wanting to rest. I’ll just stay here and watch the crowd.”

And so she did, getting up only rarely to greet people she had come to know. The foreman and his workers dropped in for a few minutes, but left after having scheduled their free stay later in the month.

Finally the night was at an end and the doors were shut. Kreet made good on her promise to Kallid though, and they brought blankets up to the rooftop and set up a little pile of blankets in one corner where they could watch the moon and stars wheel overhead - and they made sure the pile was big enough for both of them this time.

It was blessedly cool and Kreet dropped off to sleep with her head in Kallid’s lap, looking at the moon and thinking of Eilistraee.

Sometime later, a call of nature struck and she rose from the pile and headed towards the stairs. However, before she got to the stairs, something in her slipped.

Suddenly she felt she had to go to the bathroom. Now.

“Oh hell! Not up here!” she thought, desperately looking for a place she could at least be private. She found a dark place behind the rise where the stairs came up, and squatted for a minute.

Then the something slipped again.

She realized immediately that this was no bowel movement. This was something else. This was IT.

The slipping stopped momentarily, blessedly.

She took two deep breaths and looked up at the sky. Pelor was not there, but probably Eilistraee was, in the form of the moon.

She prayed a short prayer to both Pelor and Eilistraee. Her life - Kallid’s life too - was about to change in a fundamental and permanent way. She thought briefly about the things she hadn’t accomplished yet. Things she thought she would, or at least should have done before this day came. But it was too late now. From now on her life would be refocused and there was no use regretting what hadn’t been done now. She would make the most of what she had.

“Well, I guess I knew it was coming. I’ve done all I could, Lord Pelor. And thank you for your help, Eilistraee. You know I’m not a devotee of yours, but you’ve helped me - no, us - in ways I probably don’t even understand. I could use any help you could throw my way tonight too though.”

“KALLID!” she called. Loudly but hopefully not alarmingly. “KALLID!”

She heard him stir.

“Kreet? Kreet, where are you?” he called, not seeing her.

She heard the anxiety rise in his voice.

“I’m behind the stairs,” she said, trying to sound confident, as she got to her feet. “It’s all right Kally. Really it is. But I could use your help.”

She saw him round the corner, concern etched on every scale of his face.

“Sorry. I thought I had to go to the lavatory… But it’s not that.”

Kallid took her hand.

“Take me back to the pile, Kally. I think I’m going to be laying our eggs under the moon tonight.”

A few minutes later she was back on the pile of blankets. She heard Kallid go downstairs to wake up Sigmundurr and Marge.

She was staring at the moon when the first of the eggs descended. She saw Eilistraee’s face looking down at her, and felt the goddess take her hand. It wasn’t so bad really. An involuntary shove from deep within. A stretching of parts that had never been stretched before, but not really painful. A relief when it was done.

“Two more,” came the voice of the moon. “You’ll be alright, Kreet.”

The next spasm was easier. She really wanted to see the eggs. Two of them. Somehow she knew they were sisters. She looked at Eilistraee again. Someone was coming up the stairs.

She closed her eyes and squeezed the hand again. This one took a little longer. Whatever muscles within her that had pushed out the other two were tired. One more, she willed. Just one more.

He arrived into the world as every other kobold had done since their race first began, and Kreet knew this one was special. She’d have to make sure she didn’t treat him any different from the girls - but that was going to be hard. He was the last though.

“Last one out of the pool!” she chuckled.

She heard the voice of her husband. “What? Kreet?”

She opened her eyes again. It was Kallid’s hand she held. Eilistraee was gone, but it was alright. It was done.

She heard Marge and Sigmundurr then and she looked back weakly. “Hi guys.”

“Hi Kreet,” Sigmundurr said, while Marge looked lower.

“Oh wow!” Marge said, and both Kallid and Sigmundurr looked down between Kreet’s legs.

She laughed weakly. “Can’t a girl get a little privacy around here?”

“Kreet! You… you did it!” Sigmundurr said, an awe in his voice she’d not heard before.

“Yeah, I did. No thanks to you, my absent husband!”

Immediately she saw his eyes start to water.

“Oh, lighten up Kally. It’s okay. Really it is. I’m sorry, I wasn’t serious.”

“But… I missed it!” he cried. “I’m so sorry! And I left you alone.”

“I wasn’t alone. Eilistraee was here with me.”

“Really?” both Kallid and Sig repeated.

“Really. She helped me through it. It wasn’t long. You didn’t miss much!”

“Have you seen them yet?” Marge asked. There was a touch of wonder in her voice.

Kreet marshalled enough energy to lean forward and looked at the eggs. Three perfectly shaped kobold eggs. Under the moonlight one was a pale green, another the brown of Kallid. She knew instinctively those were her girls. But the third one…

She’d never seen that color before. An iridescent and deep blue. It looked like no kobold she’d ever seen. None she’d ever heard of. Kobolds were generally colored in muted earth tones. But this was far from subtle. This was her boy, she knew. But he would not be like any other kobold she’d ever heard of. Not if that shifting shell was the color of the child within. For better or worse, this child was not going to live a normal life. That much was clear.

She looked at Kallid and Kallid looked back at her.

“Wow,” Kallid said. “Did we really make him?”

“Well, I sure haven’t been fucking any other kobolds! I can tell you that! Have you? If it’s not yours, it’s a goddamned miraculous conception!” she spat, knowing she was venting her own self-doubts, and wishing she could stop the words before they came out. But it was too late. The damage was done.

“No! I didn’t mean that!” Kallid said, backing away, but she grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let him go.

“Kally, I’m sorry. I’m… very emotional right now. Don’t take anything I say to heart. Please?”

“Do you think I can hold them?” he asked timidly once he’d recovered from her rant.

“Bring them all up here next to me. I want to see them. And for god’s sake somebody put a blanket over me. There’s not a single kobold doctor here, and I’m tired of you all staring at my lady parts!”

Kallid did so, bringing up each precious egg one by one. The Kreet-colored egg, the Kallid-colored egg, and the one that defied explanation.

“I have seen a color like that before,” Kallid said as he lay beside his wife. “In pictures.”

“Of dragons,” she completed for him, and he nodded.

“Baby Dragon Inn. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad name after all,” Sigmundurr said quietly.