Duality

"The Mother Queen is here to inspect the pit." Thrull Yeshra said. Lyra turned slowly towards the Mother Queen, and felt uncomfortable. She was ordered to stay away from the gate, but she's here, in a dangerous situation, with a child favored by the goddesses. Lixiss smirked a little as she noticed her discomfort.

"Mother Queen." Lyra said, and shivered a bit. Vanya looked at Merla who laid quietly in her mother's arms.

"Lyra. How is she?" Lixiss asked. Lyra swallowed a lump in her throat.

"The expression drained her quite a bit." Lyra said softly. "It was from her imagination, so it was not built efficiently." Lixiss frowned slightly.

"Let me examine the pit." Lixiss said. Merla looked at Vanya.

"Big Momma. Boars momma pay." Merla said, her voice weak. Lyra hugged her.

"Shush, little one. Mother Queen will make that decision." Lyra said softly. Vanya smiled a little, as the child's concern over her parents was quite admirable.

"I'll agree as it was her expression that stopped the advancement of the herd." She said with a gentle smile. "Our squads would not encounter elder stone boars in such a large group like this. They are usually solitary beasts, and the younger pups like to run in herds. We should send word to the other towns and let them know about the odd migration." She turned to Lixiss, and growled a bit. She didn't like how far away Lixiss was right now.

"A deep pit that is deep enough to make sure the boars fell and impaled themselves. Stone spikes formed with any stone in the pit. Compressed to such a degree, the boars couldn't break them." Lixiss used her manna to scan and determine all aspects of the pit. "Even the sides and bottom are hardened so they won't collapse."

"With this pit, we won't be able to leave easily." Yeshra said. Lixiss snorted.

"How hard is it to make a drawbridge? It's just a platform that is raised and lowered by ropes." Lixiss walked back to Vanya's side, and felt her hand immediately close on the handle.

"Can it be replicated?" Vanya asked.

"Yes. Little Merla's imagination must have been strong, and highly agitated." Lixiss smiled gently at the small child cradled in Lyra's arms. "Rok Aganie is an expression designed to hurt the boars. In other words, it is 'Agony in Stone'." Vanya thought about the expression for a moment.

"She sought to punish the boars for daring to attack. What an odd child." Vanya smiled and sighed. "So can we use it to surround the town?"

"Yes. It will take a while to do so though. It is such a high leveled expression that the manna draw will tire them out with each use. We'll be able to surround the entire town with deep pits to prevent attacks from unthinking beasts." Lixiss said and watched as Merla looked at her.

"Momma safe?" Merla asked. Vanya nodded.

"Your mother, Taen, is safe." Lixiss said in her wife's place.

"Boar momma pay?" Merla asked. Lixiss laughed.

"Yes, little one. They are transferred to your mother as her pay for this month." Lixiss said with a wide smile. Merla sighed, and snuggled in to her mother's chest.

"Momma, Merla tired."

* * *

Meena stayed quiet while she guided Lyra and Merla back to their home. She was concerned that Lyra might blame her for she was the one who guided her to the gate, which gave Lyra a reason to be able to be there.

Lyra stepped onto the platform, which made Meena bite her lower lip. She sighed a bit, and stepped onto the platform.

"She's going to make you worry a lot in the coming years." Lyra said quietly. Meena grabbed the rope and started to pull them upward.

"I just realized that, but I have no choice, as I've already submitted." Meena said.

"She's only a child, Meena. She has time to get over it." Lyra said firmly. Meena lifted an eyebrow. She tied the rope off and waited for Lyra to step off before she let the rope go.

"How can I do that?" She parted her robe and showed off the rings, the chain, the pins, and the new band. "I've submitted. I've already been told by Duality that she's chosen by them too." Meena said, but she looked at Merla. "You've submitted to Taen. Could you walk away?"

"Bitch." Lyra said. "Don't ever become one of those old perverts that we are protecting her from. I won't put up with that."

"Do you think anyone can get close to her?" Meena asked in surprise. "Don't you see them?" Meena reached out and let the silky gossamer strands that were attached to Merla run through her fingers.

"See them?" Lyra asked and frowned.

"I see that you don't." Meena shook her head. "If you think that Taen and yourself are the ones who watch over her, you really don't know our goddesses." Meena said firmly.

"Duality chose her. They left her in the forest for the orcs to find. For Taen to find. They watch over her right now. I will not disobey my vows to both Merla and to Duality. She's not my lover, as that would anger Duality." Meena turned towards the stairs.

"I will wait, as I should."

* * *

"You're my baby, Merla. I have to protect you from everyone who wants to hurt you." Lyra said softly as she held Merla to her breast. Merla weakly bit her, so she pulled away.

"Meena belong Merla. Not hurt Merla. Protect." She put her mouth back over her nipple, and sank in her fangs. Lyra closed her eyes and sighed. The pain itself was a reminder from her daughter that she loved her, and wouldn't let go, even if they pushed her away.

"It's going to be hard on her. Waiting for a century for her mate." Lyra said softly. "It was hard for me to wait for Taen to mature as well." Merla frowned.

"Don't be fooled, little Merla." Lyra said softly. "I am a full ten cycles older than Taen. I didn't want to share a tusker with anyone else. When your mother was fifteen cycles(fifteen decades) along, Taen was only five. I had to wait until she was fifteen before her parents would allow us to bond." Merla grinned.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Merla. Finish your milk." She felt a poke in her side. "Don't get smart with me, little orc. I saw how pretty she was, and felt like an absolute pervert. I waited until she was ten cycles, and didn't find another tusker to love. That's when she made me submit. I had to wait another five cycles before your grandmothers would allow us to bond." Merla looked up at her, but tilted her head.

"Do you wonder how she made me submit?" Merla nodded. Lyra sighed a bit, and smiled fondly.

"Easy.  She beat the sap out of me."