Dominion of The Beast Masters

The walk home felt like a dream, or more accurately, a waking nightmare. Eratz and Mercury walked side by side, their usual banter replaced by stunned silence.

The world seemed oddly quieter as if the universe had decided to acknowledge their situation by shrouding everything in an eerie calm. The moon hung low, casting a pale glow over them.

Finally, Mercury broke the silence.

"So, uh…" she started, her voice unusually small. "We're gonna have a baby."

Eratz nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the pavement.

"Yup," he said, the word coming out with the weight of someone trying to process a cosmic revelation. "A real, actual baby. Like… a human one."

Mercury stopped and turned to him, her hands on her hips.

"What other kind of baby did you think it would be? A Vulpan cub?"

Eratz blinked, his mind visibly stalling.

"Is there a possibility that a gene gets passed from our beasts to..."

"Nah, don't finish this sentence." Mercury interrupted.

She rolled her eyes, then groaned, throwing her head back dramatically.

"This is insane! Do you know what this means? My belly is going to get huge... I'm going to waddle around like a freaking balloon! And the pain! The pain of giving birth! It's going to be like… holy shit!"

Eratz scratched the back of his head, his expression a mix of sympathy and awkwardness.

"Yeah, too bad you don't have a Terrakrus, if you used Rockbound Fury you would be unstoppable."

Mercury stared at him, her mouth slightly open. Then, suppressing a laugh, she slightly punched his arm.

"You're an idiot," she muttered, but a faint smile tugged at her lips.

Eratz rubbed his arm, grinning sheepishly.

"Hey, you have to admit it's a good idea."

They walked a few more steps in silence before Eratz let out a low whistle.

"I'm going to be a dad. First Milo, now a freaking miniature... Damn..."

Mercury glanced at him, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, but this time, it's not a joke. This is your actual son."

Eratz stopped mid-step, frowning.

"Real?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Mercury gave him a look, then hesitated.

"Well, uh… I mean, Milo isn't your real son, so…"

Eratz's jaw dropped.
Continue your adventure at empire

"What are you... oh... I see, so my son isn't your son... I didn't know you were on that side."

Mercury groaned, smacking his arm again, harder this time.

"Stop teasing me, Eratz! You know what I mean! This one is… different."

Eratz winced, rubbing his arm again.

"Alright, alright... I get it. Now it's a different kind of child."

Mercury's expression softened, her usual bravado fading into something more vulnerable.

"I know," she said quietly. "I'm scared, Eratz. What if I'm terrible at this? What if I screw it up? What if the kid hates me?"

Eratz stopped walking and turned to face her.

"Mercury, you're the one who raised Milo, right? You kept him safe, taught him everything he knows, and made him feel loved. If you can do that for him, you can do it for this one kid too."

She looked at him, her blue eyes glistening slightly. Then, she sighed, her hands dropping to her sides.

"The same Milo I couldn't help graduating from primary school? But thanks… you better not mock me or anything when I'll fail. Be prepared to do everything."

Eratz grinned, nodding firmly.

"Well, I've got enough tutoring from my parents to know what not to do. But I'm not the best either. It's so early.."

Mercury smirked faintly, crossing her arms.

"Well, you're way better at handling kids than me, I trust you."

They both laughed, though it was tinged with nervous energy. After a moment, Mercury's expression turned thoughtful.

"You know," she said slowly, "there's one thing we should do."

Eratz tilted his head.

"What's that?"

She looked at him, her expression serious.

"We need real advice. From real parents."

Eratz raised an eyebrow.

"You mean... mine and Colin's?"

Mercury nodded, then sighed deeply.

"Yeah. They've been through this before. If anyone can help us figure this out, it's them." She groaned, rubbing her temples. "But Cassie… oh man, she's going to kill me."

Eratz looked defeated, running a hand down his face.

"This is going to be so bad."

Mercury huffed out a laugh, her nerves evident.

"Yup. But we're doing it together, so let's get it over with."

Eratz let out a long breath, then nodded.

"Alright. Let's go see them."

Mercury smiled faintly, the weight of the situation still heavy but now shared between them.

Together, they turned toward the path leading home, the prospect of parenthood no less daunting but a little less lonely.

Later that evening, Eratz and Mercury nervously sat across from Cassie and Roger, ready to share their big news.

Cassie and Roger, however, seemed in a very light mood, already assuming the announcement, and kept teasing the couple with smiles and cheerful remarks about how they had been expecting this moment.

They offered enthusiastic support, already talking about wedding plans and suggesting honeymoon ideas.

Eratz and Mercury were surprised by how easily Cassie and Roger accepted the news, but they welcomed it. Their biggest concern was now behind and they could get the support of both parents.

"Hm... maybe we could wait until the baby is born before the wedding stuff, right? Mercury isn't really feeling great, so... no stress?" Eratz said.

Mercury rolled her eyes.

"If I can't do anything for nine months because of this baby, we're going to have big problems."

They smiled at each other, then looked at Cassie and Roger, and realized why it was important to get straight to the point from the beginning.

Cassie and Roger froze in shock, their cheerful expressions replaced with stunned disbelief as Eratz and Mercury's relief disappeared.

Cassie blinked.

"... Baby?"

Roger's jaw dropped.

"... Nine months?"

They exchanged puzzled glances, their smiles fading slightly. Cassie tilted her head.

"Eratz? What's going on?"

Eratz gulped, his voice calm but carrying the weight of the revelation.

"Re...member that time you said that Milo would be your son so I'd have to make mine."

Once the realization set in, Cassie and Roger reacted emotionally. Their initial reaction was a flurry of concern as they lightly scolded the couple for their recklessness.

Then, both quickly embraced the news. Cassie grew emotional, realizing she was going to be a sort of grandmother, and Roger offered his full support, acknowledging that this was a natural continuation of Eratz and Mercury's relationship. make it a little more emotional. They reassured the couple that they would be there every step of the way, providing guidance and help as needed.

The following day, Eratz and Mercury gathered the team in the hotel's lounge to share their news. The mood was warm and cheerful as the team cheered for both of them upon hearing the announcement.

Milo and Colin exchanged glances, processing the fact that they were now, in a way, in-laws. Colin looked shyly at Mercury and Eratz, while Milo dramatically crossed his arms, muttering about the arrival of his very first rival.

Victoria warmly congratulated them, offering a few heartfelt words about their journey as a couple. Zara, however, had a much louder reaction. She brought her hands to her head and screamed in despair.

"Eratz!" Zara exclaimed, storming over to him. "Why do you keep playing against us? First Milo and Ryder, and now you've taken out Mercury for the season and all team battles! You damn monster!"

Eratz raised his hands defensively, chuckling nervously.

"Do you forgive me if I train this child to join the agency?"

Mercury leaned back casually, arms crossed.

"It's ok, the finals are coming soon. I should be able to fight before I resemble a water tank."

Zara groaned, dramatically throwing her hands in the air.

"Reckless! Absolutely reckless! Your year is over, Mercury! You won't fight with that in you!"

Mercury shrugged.

"I'll manage. You'll see."

Zara's face crumpled, and she buried it in her hands.

"You idiot... And in all of that, I'm still single!" she wailed, her despair shifting to her own woes.

Mercury and Eratz patted her back sympathetically, while the rest of the team tried not to laugh. Despite Zara's melodrama, the mood remained celebratory, with everyone offering their support to the couple.

Meanwhile, in the headquarters of Infinite Twilight, the atmosphere was markedly different. Leonidas sat behind his imposing desk, his steely gaze fixed on Kallistra, who stood by the window, watching the city below. The room was tense, the silence punctuated only by the distant hum of activity beyond the door.

"Your hope has crumbled again," Leonidas growled, leaning back in his chair. "The Pharaoh's siblings aren't real Ishtarians. They're half-breeds. Useful, sure, but not what we needed." He groaned, rubbing his temple. "At least they'll make good talents. Their value lies elsewhere."

He leaned forward, his voice lowering.

"They could be valuable leverage. The Pharaoh should care about them. They might be just what we need to bring him to heel."

Kallistra's expression didn't change. She remained at the window, her hair glinting faintly in the light. Without looking back, she said.

"I couldn't care less about his siblings."

Leonidas's eyes narrowed.

"I don't understand you anymore," he snapped. "What's exactly the plan now? You're not planning to give up, are you?"

Finally, Kallistra turned to face him, her gaze calm and unyielding.

"The problem with you, Leonidas, is that you can't see farther than you can touch. That's why you have no name where it matters."

Leonidas's jaw tightened, but before he could respond, Kallistra turned back to the window, her tone dismissive.

"I haven't lost anything. It's just more complicated now. We'll proceed with Plan B."

The sound of the door opening drew both of their attention. Leonidas turned sharply, his brow furrowed in irritation.

"What are you doing here?" he barked.

Kallistra smiled faintly, her gaze fixed on the figure in the doorway.

"He's here for Plan B."

Standing in the doorway, a worried expression on his face, was Rex.