Lethrix

"Then let her try it."

The bear chief grinned lopsidedly. "We don't want a jealous Dragon pouncing down on us from the Sky."

"You won't see one. Let her enjoy her time here. However she wishes."

Whatever made the mother happy was good for the strength of his son. Wasn't that what he'd learned the hard way, long before?

"And if she asks for you?"

"She knows how." Lethrix watched the elder for a few moments. "Keep in mind that she is Baenar, Urs. Typically their females grow more independent after catching. If they get clingy, it is a sign of inherent weakness."

Ursnagal grunted thoughtfully. "Alright, then. Strange ways, but...so be it. Dance is tonight, then. Come join if you want."

Lethrix nodded, and the elder left soon after.

It was not likely he'd join. He'd be brooding.

*Strange ways, hm? Heh.*

Not nearly so strange as it was for Dragons. It had been a while, however. Lethrix's memory of his last pregnancy wasn't so clear. He only remembered the first days of newborn life, and he almost wished he didn't.

The black Dragon champed at the air, lip curling in a snarl.

The entire world is out of balance.

******

Thraekepesk had enough manners to stand outside the Wilder border and wait for him rather than barge in. Lethrix supposed he could be grateful it wasn't Mazdak'pien. The Tilabil usually didn't awaken all four at once, but they could in response to a truly threatening incident to their children. Honestly the black Dragon wouldn't mind seeing a head-on collision like that sometime... he just wouldn't be the one insane enough to trigger it.

"Xarzith is willing to step back as long as you don't interfere between the Ma'ab and the Kurgan again."

Lethrix shook his head. "Xar should not have been interfering himself. At best we could have barred entrance to the refugees, but coaxing a full purge decades later? And by influencing another people directly as a holy war shaman? Tsk, tsk. Really, Kepesk."

The purple Dragon sighed. "Well, I am sure you're satisfied now, Lethrix. Those two won't go to war for century at least after what they've seen."

The black Dragon couldn't contain his chortling and the other frowned.

"When are you returning to the Underdark, Lethrix?"

"A few years, I think. Elves take longer than Humans, you know this."

A slow shake of his three-horned head in disapproval. "Why not take her back now?"

"There's a lot more food here. And the Wilder like her."

Thraekepesk narrowed violet eyes at him. "Sounds like excuses."

"Oh, I apologize, Kepesk," Lethrix bowed mockingly, tail lashing, "would you like to trade places and I'll take the Great Lake?"

The other To'vah only continued his frown.

Lethrix was smug. "Indeed. I didn't think so."

"You know she is untouchable until after the birth."

"You won't come for her after, either. None of you cowards will."

"Is that a challenge, Lethrix?"

"It has always been open, Kepesk. You just don't want to crawl so near to the Broken One again."

Thraekepesk's nostrils flared and puffed out a curl of purple smoke as his greyish lips curled to show a hint of fang. "Know that if you keep her alive beyond the birth, I'll accept that challenge, Lethrix."

Lethrix spat a small stream of green acid down by their feet, where it instantly peeled back the vegetation to show bare earth. "Interesting. Worried I've forgotten the rules?"

"You don't see any of us flying for twenty years over the continent with an empty-womb chosen in our clutches, kicking up dust and making stories for the Yun-gar."

"Maybe because you've forgotten what courtship used to be like, Kepesk."

"Silence your tongue," the elder hissed. "We haven't forgotten. You've taught her far too much of your magic. You've given her too many names which should not be casually spread. You are handling her with too much care to convince me you will do as you must when the time comes."

"Truly? And after all that, I bet my son will beat your son so hard he'll skip halfway across the Great Lake."

Thraekepesk snorted in surprise, then finally... finally he chuckled. "Oh. Oh, I see. You're under some impression of destiny, aren't you?"

Lethrix shrugged. "Nope. Just heritage."

Pinching his fingers to the bridge of his nose, the elder Dragon shook his head again. "Our heritage was never the Abyss cheek-and-jowl next to a mind-shattered tomb, Lethrix."

"More it's the only part of Miurag you won't own," the Underdark guardian said with derision. "Really, even the Hells have it better up here, don't they?"

"Neither of the outsiders have it better."

"Or they shouldn't. If it wasn't all going to Chaos, anyway." Lethrix turned around to head back into the Wilder Sanctuary. "I'll handle her, Kepesk. My way. Don't threaten me or mine again. It will get messy."

******

Three years. Her belly had gotten so big, she could no longer safely use the quickening magic he'd taught her. She had called him a few times as she carried their child; they'd lain together, talked some, even joined in the dances and the orgies a few times. He still brooded more than she'd ever seen him do; he wasn't especially pleased with it being so obvious, either.

But the time was growing closer for his stubborn, strong little mother.

"Take me back underground?" she asked.

He quirked a brow. "You don't want to birth him here?"

"Her. It's a girl."

"It's a boy, Izabal."

"No, she's not!"

Lethrix's face broke into a grin again. "Alright. Why go underground now?"

Izabal slowly shook her head. "My reveries...I keep seeing the Wilder pay the price if I stay here."

The To'vah hissed irritably. Bloody, Star-damned, interfering scale-scrapers... Someone was messing with her dreams. Possibly Kepesk, maybe even the Tilabil.

Still. She was right. And if she was willing...

He could practically hear Ursnagal and the others now, complaining that they wouldn't get to meet the new hybrid after taking so much time to cultivate him like they did their villages. Too bad, really.

But it was time to go back. A Dragon's hoard could only go unattended so long and he'd really been pushing the boundaries this time around.

********

Izabal's labor began within a few weeks of their returning to the eternal darkness with its familiar scents, foods, and deep-earth thrum. He had kept a lantern lit for her at all times, however, as she wasn't used to being without the Sun yet.

She did not become completely comfortable with the dark before the baby started kicking hard, her life-water suddenly gushed out of from between her legs, and the cramping began. The pain escalated faster than he expected and Lethrix pulled her into a nearby pool, using his magic to heat it up similar the Wilder hot springs, supporting her body and massaging her back to ease her tension.

"D-don't...don't leave me alone," she groaned, gripping his wrist and bracing herself through another contraction.

"Breathe, Z'ress. I won't leave, but breathe. Like this."

It helped. At first.

When it became clear within the first half-cycle that his son was too large to pass naturally, Lethrix didn't make her suffer longer. He whispered a few words with a claw pressed just so against her spine, to numb her from the waist down so she could speak without weeping.

"Don't let me die, Lethrix," she gasped.

"Not in my power, Izabal."

"Yes, it is, you liar!"

He flexed his claws, thinking over where to cut first that she'd bleed out quickly, with as little pain as possible.

"Izabal...you'll both die unless I—"

"Don't say it! Don't you dare! You think I don't know that look in your eye, Dragon?! What, are you murdering pregnant mothers, now?!"

Ohhh, ouch.

The stubborn Baenar twisted around to face him in the bath, sloshing warm water over the side as she threw her arms around his shoulders, her hard and contracting belly pressed to him along with her swollen, soft breasts.

"I-I learned some shifting magic from the Wilder! I will change my bones! P-please, help me, Lethrix, I need more magic to do it, I'm too tired, I-I should have done this before she got stuck...my baby...please, help us...!!"

"Alright, alright, Z'ress, we'll try. Kiss me. Let it flow between us, you remember..."

Lethrix fed her all the magic she needed and watched her do the impossible. She couldn't shift like he could, not even to a full animal totem like her cousins, but she did manage to change the shape of her hips. It probably hurt more than the contractions themselves, but he could only listen to the wailing and keep her upright and awake while she made her very insides wide enough to bring his son out.

When she deemed it enough, Izabal pushed, and pushed again. She was so incredibly and beautifully stubborn. He had always liked that about her.

"EAARRRRRGH!" she roared as the head finally emerged, and then one more push.

Abruptly, in a cloud of red as the water changed color drastically, the baby was out. Lethrix caught him, brought him up to where he could take his first breath, trying to hold Izabal up at the same time. Her eyes had rolled back and she wasn't fully aware at the moment; he had to prop her so she wouldn't drown before he could bite through the umbilical cord.

Then he listened to three hearts in the dark as the scent of blood became much stronger, rising up warm and mouth-watering from the pool. One heart was slowing down as there was less and less blood to pump through her body.

It wouldn't be long. Kepesk or any of the others wouldn't have to worry about her surviving past the birth. Just like all their mates.

"Is... he...?" she whispered, reaching clumsily for the small arm of the newborn.

"He's breathing, and moving," Lethrix assured her, then blinked. "Not 'she'?"

She managed a wan smirk as her lips turned grey. "Knew you were... right. Always right. I-Ixen-f-fuck you."

It wasn't the Dragon's usual smooth chuckle that escaped his lips, more a watery rumble that at least acknowledged the jest. He kissed her forehead. And waited.

When enough time had passed, he crawled out of the pool and gently set his son down amid the gems and precious metals of his hoard. He moved enough distance away to where his tail wouldn't accidentally strike the infant when he grew to his full size. His Wards shuddered as he did so.

Then the giant, ancient Dragon with whom Miz'ri had first bargained turned around carefully and stretched his long neck over and above the red pool holding his mate's body. He made it quick, powerful jaws crunching and crushing bone, razor teeth sheering flesh. He swallowed his first meal since returning to the Underdark, thinking only that he was going to need all the food he could find for the first year at least to feed his boy.

Deep instinct recognized when the infant struggled to turn over, crawling toward him in search of that food. Lethrix shifted his body again, shrank down most of the way and taking on the form he had preferred for almost thirty years. His belly rounded with a full meal, he lifted the newborn and sat with him amid the coins, rubbing around his chest, over and over, until he finally found the nipple he'd been searching for. He pulled the boy close, letting him latch on to drink.

Lethrix sighed in the dark, reflecting on the odd sensation of his body producing what was needed for a baby Elf on such short notice. Then again, it was the only way, really.

The To'vah looked down and rubbed at the baby's forehead with a thumb, then used his claw to open a small cut on the tiny chest. He tasted the blood, learned the name, dedicating it to memory:

Morixxyleth.

Lethrix nodded before healing the wound back up and letting his son feed.

"Miz'ri will be waiting a bit longer before sinking her claws into you, of course," the Dragon said aloud, knowing he would get used to not having someone to talk to again fairly soon. "Of course, we already know she will have no idea what she plans to abuse, don't we? Kill her when you will, son, but not before you learn what you need from your mother's people."

The next time he rubbed the soft forehead, Izabal's son responded, opening his eyes to look up at him. Lethrix was surprised, but very pleased. He smiled.

"Mm. You have my eyes."

Lethrix looked around at his relatively small den. Small compared to what it had been for the majority of his time down here. The Great Cavern had been his for long, long before the Drow Queen had shown up with the Driders. They had been something a surprise—his first hint that something had gone very wrong up top.

Kepesk and the others were all fools to ignore it.

"What do you think, Morixxyleth? Maybe it won't have to remain this way forever. The answer isn't down here, I've looked. But... I think the early fissures of the earthquake are."

The black Dragon looked up again and sighed. "The prison walls are ready to crumble. If they thought the little 'dust up' with Xar was causing trouble...well. They haven't seen the rest of what's on the horizon yet.

"Much needs to change to regain the balance."