Dark Crow Rising

"Now hold on a min-"

"WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON'T!? WHAT DOES SHE HAVE!? TWO LOVES SHE HAS TAKEN FROM ME WHEN I AM BETTER THAN HER! MY NAME IS FULL, I AM THE IVY-MOTHER! YET...! Yet..." Rose screams before she loses the strength to do so, her magic vanishes. Toppling to the floor, tears burst out once again and I frown as I look away. Rubbing one arm, my lips tilt as I stand here, listening to her crying.

I need to get her to focus and reassure her that it's not what she thinks it is when it comes to Dandelion. Something to make sure she understands me fully... Taking a step closer, I drop to my knee and pick her up so I can see her face. Going for it, my lips land on her cheek and the familiar wet puck rings out.

The crying stops.

The closest hand lingers on that freshly kissed cheek and a small smile engraves itself solidly. Our eyes meet as her tail wags from side to side. Leaping up for me, I fall onto my back and she repeats what happened not that long ago. An excited, passionate tongue makes use of my baffled, surprised mouth and she breaks the kiss.

Blasts of sweet breath enter my nose as she pants out of her wide-open, upwards-curving mouth. It closes to a smile and the tip of her nose comes to mine as she giggles. My fingers move to trap her wiggling tail and she glances back at it as her hips sway. She comes in even closer.

"There... Do you understand that my eyes are only on you?" I lie as I mentally thank the part of me that made it a kiss on the cheek. She already took my first literal kiss, but she's not taking my first -personally chosen- kiss, she's not having it! I have no idea how my life will go in regard to it, but I want there to be some romantic meaning to it.

Rose's bitterness returns in the form of a pout as she moves back so I can sit up, "Putting a seed into me would be much better..."

"I can do that... Later... Now, the root you imprisoned?" I ask with a somewhat hopeful tone as she settles down on my lap. Fingers playing with the laces of my shirt so she can loosen me up. Though, rather oddly as well, she's straightening my collar out.

"Yes, you want me to free her so you can leave with her..." she snarls as her burning bulbs touch my forehead. One of her soft palms caresses my face as her expression droops miserably.

"Y-Yeah..." I tell her as I try to play along by rubbing an exposed part of her leg. Putting my fingers under the strap and tickling the bit of skin they hid.

"I need some form of proof of your loyalty to me, my Champion. You need to fill me with certainty, seed it into me." she blatantly explains as she kisses my human palm as one of her hands tests the fastens of my trousers.

"Ro... Rose-sweerui, look at my eyes, are they broken?" I ask and she moves back.

"No?"

"Yes, they work, this root is completely scarred from head to toe. That's not attractive, why would I care about her?" I actually honestly argue. Rose looks away embarrassed as her fingers fiddle with my shirt. Clumping it up into her palms, she tugs away at it by the fistful.

"I know, I know! I... I just don't feel comfortable with this. I don't..." she tells me as her head falls forward and down.

"And you want me to put one of these into you so that you can be comfortable?" I ask as I point up at the seed on its cushioned pedestal. She frowns at me, her suspicions are obvious and she is clearly thinking about it. Releasing my shirt, she throws it at me and then nods.

"Yes..."

"Can I hold the one up there, then?"

"W-Why?"

"Well... If... If I am going to be a father of a beautiful little... Seed. I need to get used to holding it, especially if I am going to put so many into you... I have a responsibility as a budding father." I say to her as my eyes lock onto the seed so it doesn't just look like I can't maintain my gaze on her. These lies are all so blatant and clear to me that I really cannot trust the idea that she's buying into it. But, when my eyes finally turn to hers again, I see her smile and energetic tail. A quiet song just barely escapes her closed mouth.

She rubs her hair and hides her blush, "I'll get it for you!"

Her sudden step up, however, sees one of her tubes smack me in the face, not that she notices. I can't say I care either, I feel no pain because of it, but, I care very much for the seed I am now getting. I've held it once before briefly, but, now, I feel like I can hold it without possibly breaking it. Weighing the firmly ridged object, I keep my hands to the thicker, bulkier bottom.

A child is meant to come out of this thing? Seems so peculiar.

"Now, as I go and solve one problem, look at that pedestal. It's going to have yours on it soon." I lie at the end as I quickly make my way out of the tent.

"My love!" she calls out just before I reach the flaps. I turn to face her and she hands me her staff.

"Huh?"

"They'll know you go with my authority as you leave my bulb." she explains before pecking my cheek. I nod my head slightly as I shake the staff so its decorations can swing and jump with their little dings. Hurrying out of the tent, her giggles follow me and the crowd steps aside before they start to swarm Rose'lhia's tent, thankfully.

Wandering aimlessly, I try to find anything that looks like a prison. Spotting some guards eventually, I head towards them and their eyes focus on the staff. They snap to attention and I walk on by without any issue. Many cannot help but indulge themselves with the sight of the seed.

"Maybe this way, maybe that way..." I mutter as I reach what must be the very top of the flower, or its rear. Most of it seems to be much more of the same old petals portion, only more militarized. This place is filled with scantily armoured aelenvari and many of them appear to be 'witches' as everyone seems to call them. Light moving like the wind is as common as they all are.

A chunk of them are dancing or practising for something, their bodies flowing with the glowing air. Their movements are smooth and repeated with anything pale green or similar. But, as the deeper emerald gusts come blowing down from the mountains, they fight it off. Barbed chains slash the light apart and glowing baubles develop along the rivets of the weapons.

Noticing me, they start to flip and slide around my immediate circumference. Magic halts the weapons way too close for comfort and they back away. Free of being a totem for whatever it is they're doing, I start to back away close to someone that can obstruct future attempts. Their skill is quite impressive, though, the control they manage to have over these whips and chains is astounding!

Gods would have it, as well, I spot Dandelion and the cage she is being held in. Walking up to it, with Rose's staff presented as loudly and as obnoxiously as it can be. The surprisingly heavily armed and numerous guards for the one cage step aside without issue and I tap on it. Alerting the injured root within, she looks up at me whilst being mindful of all the spikes on the bars.

Looking at the seed, she starts moving forward and tearfully reaches for it before stopping. Her hand stays at her side as the guards watch us but she's struggling to keep herself still. She wants to hold -her- baby. I frown as I look for the lock and I think I open it properly.

Almost as if it is a living thing, the metal moves and slides out of the way, compacting itself into a spiked wedge.

"Well, come on, then." I tell Dandelion as I help her up off of the ground of her former cage. She desperately insists that I keep the seed in my grip and we start to move away from the guards. Dandelion comes to a stop and her eyes linger on the currently empty throne. She suddenly turns to go elsewhere.

I follow her with haste as I start to get confused.

"What're you doing?" I ask as she bursts into a thoroughly gilded and decorated tent. She rummages through it with obvious familiarity until she finds a book. Snapping it open, she starts to write something down with contradicting purpose. Neatness does not come with erratic panic.

Picking up her namesake flower from a nearby pot which also has an oak sapling by the looks of it, she snips the top off. Slamming the book close, she crushes the flower's petal head and steps away from it. She sobs and looks around. Shaking her head, she rushes back outside and I chase after her.

Catching up with them, I try to grab her arm so I can guide her properly. She latches onto the arm with the seed and strokes her unborn baby boy. As we enter the safety of the eyeless trees, she takes the seed into her arms. Hugging it tightly, she nearly collapses as she tearfully kisses it countless times.

"Th-T... Thank you for saving my son!" she tells me as she gets in my way, violently coughing right after. I nod and smile as she bounces the hard little thing in her arms. Gesturing for us to continue, we leave the flower behind and find a growing pile of stuff. Vadei kicks a pebble away and groans at us.

"About time you got here!" she moans as she eyes the staff as I stab it into the ground for the time being. I fiddle with one of the bags in our pile and ponder who's going to be carrying it, there's quite a bit here. It seems easy enough to assume that I am playing pack wagon, again. As I did back at the hive with the guns as we left.

"Where's Vapooliar, is she gathering more things?" I ask as Dandelion hides her seed in one of the bags. Her head keeps rising as she shows her sensitivity to the potential wrath of the aelenvari around us. Once packed, she refuses to leave that bag alone and she hugs it in place of the seed directly.

"She's got a few more things to get, some tools, her sword, Ho." Vadei answers as her ears focus on Dandelion. Her eyes, however, remain on the staff.

"I'm going to need to return this..." I mutter as the words I've said to Rose linger in my head. I don't want to, but I don't also want to prove my word to mean nothing. Gods damn me, indeed.

"That's the Ivy-Mother's, isn't it?" Vadei asks and I nod.

"Rose gave it to me, presumably so I can get Dandelion out safely."

"She's the one who imprisoned her, though." Vadei remarks.

"About that..." I grumble as my promise echoes in my head again. To get away safely, I need to go and get her pregnant... Very least, put in the effort.

"Well?"

"Rose thinks Dandelion here was trying to... And I... I need to prove that it's not the case by having... Having sex with her." I explain, clicking my tongue at the end as I wobble the planted staff. Vadei continues to stare before a snort escapes, then a cackle. Roaring with laughter, she falls to the floor as her feet fail to keep still.

I snarl at her behaviour, but, noticing this, she only does it more, now with a raised finger.

"Alright... Alright...! I've had my fun." she claims breathlessly, though, she still continues to cackle as she gets back up. Rolling my eyes, I take the staff up and out of the ground and walk away.

"I'll be back soon." I grumble as I head back for Rose's tent. If I don't do this, Rose will just come after us with whatever she wants. There are worse fates, admittedly, some might even say I am just whining. But, I don't want to just get some woman pregnant, I want to love them when I do it.

Motrtha's teachings haven't mattered to me for so long, but, now, it feels weird to go against them. Goddess of Love and Motherhood... It's right there in her title, love before the mother. In and out as quickly as possible.

Maybe the gods won't notice my insincerity...

"What to do with you, though?" I ask my bug arm as it dangles aimlessly, hitting whatever it can. It tightly clenches a tree as I pass by and I snap the piece of wood off.