Derek stirred from sleep to the unsettling sight of Marie’s body contorting in muted pain. Realizing her evolution was underway, he slid off the bed, creating space for her to transition smoothly as possible. Walking around the bed, he knelt next to her, hesitating just a moment, as he weighed his options. Opting for a subtle intervention, he gently channeled a pitifully low-level healing spell into her, mindful not to disrupt the natural course of her transformation.
Derek stared, transfixed, as the transformation altered her body. Marie’s skin took on a lighter hue, and her limbs delicately extended. Her hair, once a deep black, cascaded into a river of soft brown, catching the light in a way it never had before. The subtle reshaping of her ears into elegant points. She seemed to almost gain a faint ethereal glow that seemed to emanate from her very being.
Her eyes opened as her body settled down, and she looked up at him with a smile. He moved to the shelf and collected some snacks and water to give her some energy. Marie’s smile, warm and grateful, lit up the room as she accepted the snacks.
“Thanks love.” She said, her usual mood peaking through the exhaustion. “I feel like I could eat a hor…”
Before she could finish, a shadow crossed her face. The smile didn’t just fade; it was replaced by a sudden grimace. She grasped her abdomen, her body tensing as if trying to shield itself from an invisible blow. Derek watched, helpless, as silent tears began to mark her cheeks.
“Marie, what’s happening? How can I help?” Derek asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
Pain like this was unexpected after a race evolution; at most, there might be some minor discomfort or soreness, but nothing like this. Derek pushed his feeble healing magic into her body as her focus was directed inward.
Her tears broke the silence. “Derek, it’s the baby,” she gasped between sobs. “I can feel its pain! I—I didn’t know.” Her apology was a mere whisper, laden with an unforeseen fear.
The pain in her eyes was crystal clear. Derek saw her magic wash over her abdomen as she activated a healing spell. Without a word, Derek was already moving, his heart racing with urgency. He knew they needed more than what his meager healing could offer. He darted out of the room, his determination fueling his swift descent down the stairs. Moving so fast that he cleared the stairs, he was on the bottom floor near instantly.
“Phil!” He was shouting before he even opened the door to the boys’ room.
Phil was sitting on his bed, trying not to hit his head on the top bunk. He had some changes, but Derek didn’t pay any attention to them as he grabbed Phil’s shirt as the man started to stand.
“Help! Marie needs your help!” Derek pulled him out of the room without giving him any chance to talk.
They raced up the stairs, Phil realizing the urgency, instantly ran to Marie’s side and started pushing his own healing magic into her abdomen. Marie’s response was instant as relief flooded into her body. She was still in pain, but a moment later Carson pushed past Derek joining his healing magic to theirs and the pain left her face completely.
The relief in her eyes was crystal clear, but as he watched the scene, Derek was caught between relief and lingering concern, watched closely, noting the subtle shifts in her expression.
“Talk to me,” Derek urged, his voice a steady despite the emotional storm.
“When I started changing my race, I asked the… that being if the changes would harm the baby and it said that the baby would be fine. I used the aspect of nymphs and angels to infuse my body. When I finished, the… that being… said that there were conflicting energies in my body, but that it was minor and wouldn’t harm my health. I didn’t think to ask if it would harm the baby and now… and now our baby is in pain. I can feel it crying out to me for comfort… The healing magic helps, but it’s using more energy than I can sustain alone to keep the baby from feeling the pain.”
In the midst of their worry, a new interface notification appeared before them, as if summoned by their fear.
Quest: Prodigal Child of Legend
As your child grows it inherits traits of both parents. As lineage from multiple races runs through the child’s veins, it has created conflicting bloodlines between the draconic and nymph natures. The fierce dominating draconic energy clashes with the harmonious nurturing nymph nature, creating a volatile mix that threatens the life of the unborn child.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
To harmonize the opposing natures, the carrier must ingest a Crystal of Harmony, infused with the blood of each parent.
Crystal Locations (nearest 5 locations):
Prince William Sound
Mount Saint Augustine
Cheena Hot Springs
Duke Island
Teshekpuk Lake
Automatic Failure In: 4 months, 1 day, 20 hour, 39 minutes
Reward: Advanced Offspring
If completed within 45 days, a bonus will be applied:
Reward: Unknown
Failure: Stillborn
Quest Status: In Progress
“Oh my God,” Marie muttered in horror as she read the screen. “No, no, no! I didn’t think this would happen.”
Derek wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
“What is it?” Phil asked.
Derek shared the looming quest before them, causing them to go silent as their eyes slowly widened. Each word in the notification was heavy with the weight of the responsibility and impact of failure.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get the crystal so our baby can live.” Derek said, rocking her. “This isn’t your fault. You made the best decision you could with what information you had.”
“But you might die!” She cried. “It is hundreds of miles away and there are going to be monsters and it’s going to be winter soon. What happens if you get lost?”
“Do we have a choice?” Derek asked, his resolve clear.
“I should be at your side,” she insisted, her gaze unwavering.
Derek’s words were measured, each one a stone laid on the path of his argument, his plea hidden between the lines. “No. We have commitments here, to our people and I can’t risk losing you. The journey is dangerous, yes, but it’s a risk I will bear for our child. If anything happens to me, the baby might still be safe, losing only the dragon aspect.”
Marie’s eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. “Then let me be your guide from here, with my Oracle abilities. Promise we’ll stay connected, morning and night.”
Derek agreed, the weight of their decision heavy on both their hearts, but Derek didn’t really think she wanted to let him go. He couldn’t risk taking her into this much danger. It was going to be much more dangerous than the fight with the golem at the power plant. Of course, she knew that too, but she wasn’t much of a fighter and he couldn’t protect himself and her. He wasn’t sure he could protect himself. One thing was true, and that was that he was going to have to kill the golem if he had a chance at saving his baby’s life.
“I think you can stop now.” Marie said waving Phil and Carson off. “The baby has settled down and their body is doing better.”
He watched with a cautious eye as the flow of their healing magics gently extinguished, leaving only Marie’s healing to support the baby. She smiled as she rubbed her baby bump affectionately. “There there little one, mom and dad will keep you safe.”
Phil and Carson wished them a good night and disappeared through the door. Derek remained quiet as he watched Marie care for their unborn as if already born. She whispered to them while rubbing her little bump.
“So…” Derek started after they both had been quiet for a few minutes. “What did you change into?”
Apparently, she just now looked into her notifications. After a minute of reading, she sent it to him.
Congratulations:
You have evolved your race, leaving the fragility of normal humans behind.
New Race: Half-Nymphael
You hail from a mix of humanity and Nymphaels of the lost planes. Two races who were destined to never meet. The strength of both races runs strong in your veins and extends your life far beyond that of humanity. Be warned, the greedy nature of humanity combined with the power of the Nymphael nature can insidiously corrupt even the purest of souls.
Nymphaels are a race of nature spirits who served the gods and were blessed with a portion of their divine power. Their lineage traces back to powerful unions between guardian angels and nymphs, often during times when the Feywild and the Material Plane were in close alignment. They worked in unison to maintain the balance between the Feywild and the Material Plane in a time when greedy forces captured the fey for their prized beauty and power.
+2 Mental Ability
+3 Emotional Capacity
+5 Magical Capacity
“You really look quite fetching.” Derek said, kissing her on the head after dismissing the window.
“I thought you might like it.” She smiled. “Too bad our little one is making me look fat.”
“I still think you’re beautiful.” Derek said sweetly, running his hands over her curves.
“Oh, you lecherous man! Come on, hold me while I sleep. Maybe in the morning we can have fun. I need some sleep.” Marie said, moving back under the blankets.
Sleep didn’t come easy for him. As the night stretched on, Derek lay wide awake contemplating the gravity of the situation pressing down on him. In the quiet, he planned, aware that the road ahead was fraught with dangers unknown. Derek held her as she rested easily, deliberately maintaining the flow of his pitiful healing magic on her womb. He would have to leave her to save their child, and he needed to prepare. He wasn’t sure that any amount of preparation would be enough to travel hundreds of miles across the Alaskan wilderness. Derek would ensure that at the least the family would be prepared for his absence.
In the predawn silence, as the first light crept through the window, Derek’s vigil continued. He knew the path forward was fraught with peril, but his resolve and defiance were unshakable. About the time he started drifting off, she started waking. Marie scooted against him, feeling her back against his chest.
“Mmm,” she mumbled happily, snuggling with him. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, love.” He replied, kissing her on the back of the head.
She dozed in an out of consciousness as he held his only real attachment to the human race. This woman was his only anchor to the world. If it wasn’t for her, he would happily turn into a hermit. His perspective had changed so much since he met her that he didn’t even think he was the same person.