- The Reign [BIRTH]

[Messoria]

It was when Messoria was wandering just outside of the dens, restless and impatient, that the first contraction wracked her body. The dark femme had been close to her time for a while now, her belly so horribly large that it was almost difficult to walk. The sun hung low in the sky, dropping steadily lower as the minutes passed, bright hues of orange and pink streaked across the horizon as the trees lifted crowns of stark bare branches towards the heavens. It would be a beautiful sunset, one that Messoria had ventured out of the warmth of the dens to see – anything was better than stayed cooped up within the caverns, where Goliath had made it very clear that Messoria was to stay close to. Despite this being very close to where Datura had given birth, she would not have dared complain…out loud, anyways. She had found a space as far away from the prying eyes of others as she could, and yet there was a twinge of irritation in the back of her mind…but it was promptly forgotten as surprise and terror washed over her suddenly. It was time.

She tipped her head back, pointing her slender muzzle towards the sky as she called for the only one whose presence she truly desired in that moment: Goliath. She did not care if the others heard and knew that she was going into labor; she cared for nothing else but the pups who she would soon be welcoming into the world. For nearly a month she’d been cautious, avoiding nearly everyone save for those who would offer her food, her dear friend Lichen, and the pups of other femmes that she would sometimes watch. She ate as much as she could to ensure that her offspring would be well-fed and healthy when they took their first breaths of outside air, and no matter how frustrated she’d become with her massive stomach, she’d still been so excited at the prospect of pups. Now, however…now she was admittedly terrified.

She hastened back into the cavern, skirting the dens where the others resided as she moved as quickly as her heavy body would allow, cringing as the contractions began to come more frequently. She found where she’d rested for the last few moons, a soft bed of moss beneath her as she slowly settled down. It was not quite time for her to push yet, but the contractions were becoming steadily more painful, pressure building with each one. She was panting with anticipation, amber eyes constantly flicking towards the distant cavern opening, praying that Goliath would arrive soon. Messoria did not think he would miss the birth of his own offspring, so she did not allow herself to fret over it. Instead she laid her head on her paws, puffing her cheeks out with each breath. She had never been overly religious, although of course she believed, but now Messoria found herself praying that her birth would go as smoothly as possible. The last thing she needed was for Goliath’s gargantuan offspring to kill her before she could even name them.

A sharp stab of pain made her cry out as her head lifted, eyes widening slightly. It mingled with extreme pressure, waves of agony sweeping through the pit of her stomach, outward towards her sex. Dimly she was aware of another presence entering the cave, huge and hulking. The scent of Goliath reassured Messoria only slightly; she was more concerned with pushing now, trying to rid the whelps from her body. The pain was becoming difficult to bare already as she pushed and strained, her tail swept out of the way as she labored. If she’d hoped for the first pup to be small for the sake of easing her into the process, Messoria was wrong. It was pure torture, the pain so severe that she could not breathe, small choking noises slipping from between her teeth. It was like being torn apart slowly, as if somewhere the gods were savoring her worsening torment. Is this my sacrifice? The cost of bringing his glorious offspring into the world? I will bare it proudly. Regardless, this was easier said than done. It was a bottomless chasm of affliction, crippling in its intensity.

A gasp of pain escaped from between clenched teeth as she threw her head back, hardly daring to breathe as slowly but surely the pup came into the world. She turned quickly, relieved to hear the high-pitched whine that escaped from its lips as she licked the clumps of slick blood from the matted fur. Slowly the colors came into view beneath the crimson – grays and browns with a much darker back and chest. Already she reminded Messoria of the coloration of Goliath, whom Messoria cast a quick glance. ”A girl,” she informed him softly, but there was no disappointment in her voice. She would have sons; she was sure of it.

She had barely gotten the first female to her teat before the pain intensified again, driving Messoria back against the stone. This one came easier than the first had by only a mere fraction, although this did little to comfort Messoria. It was another large pup regardless, that much she was sure of as she struggled and pushed. Her body shook lightly as she carefully shifted her position, careful of her first daughter but trying anything to alleviate the pain. After many long breaths the second came in a flurry of blood and burning, and once more Messoria fought the weariness in her bones as she lifted herself to clean it. This one was significantly rowdier than the first already, squealing indignantly as its mother cleaned it. She rolled it on its side, taking a moment to admire the coat that was several shades lighter than the female’s before glancing between the hind legs. A triumphant grin touched her muzzle as she nosed him into place before once more glancing towards Goliath.

”It is a boy!” she declared gleefully, the pride clear in her voice as she was granted the briefest moment to rest. And then, so quickly that it was dizzying, the pain ripped through her like fire. She cried out from the force of it, her claws digging into the stone beneath her. If she’d thought the first had been bad then she’d been horribly mistaken. Her hips quivered and trembled as her entire body tensed, waves of agony radiating through her so harshly that nausea followed. Never in her life had she felt anything like this; anguish filled her as she whined long and low, the sound torn from her throat harshly. It was as if some great beast had caught her hips between its claws and was slowly, torturously ripping her in two. ”Please,” she begged, not knowing who exactly she was pleading with, only knowing that she wished for it to be done. Her vision was washed in red as her eyes rolled upwards, sides heaving as her body struggled to expel the pup that was inevitably tormenting her. It will kill me. I cannot survive this.

Her body convulsed suddenly as another cry echoed through the caverns, her eyes fluttering closed. She could not think through the haze, could do nothing but push and pray. Each time that she was brought to the brink of unconsciousness, the sharp stabs of pain brought her back, low groans slipping from between her teeth. It was after a considerable amount of time, after Messoria began to wonder if something had gone horribly wrong, that the sizable puppy finally tore its way into the world, washed in blood as the dark femme sang her pain to the heavens, shameless in her agony. She lay gasping for a moment afterwards, her wits sluggishly recovering as she roused to clean the silently squirming pup, meticulously washing the dark mahogany fur. It was larger than all of the others she observed as she pushed it towards her stomach, pausing only when she belatedly realized she’d almost forgotten to check the gender. When it was revealed, the struggle was suddenly very much worth it. Without announcing it aloud, she turned the pup so that Goliath could see for himself before bringing her second son to her teats, amber eyes ablaze with deep pain and elation.

While the fourth was still horribly painful, it was not quite as agonizing as the last had been, and for that Messoria was grateful. She was tired down to her very bones and yet her job was not done. She was dimly aware of her own surprise that she was giving birth to so many, and once more she prayed that it would be done with soon. Several soft hums of pain vibrated in her throat as she pushed and pushed, laboring away, no longer aware of anything else besides her body’s attempt to expel the pup. She was exhausted, her muscles sore and her fur around her legs slick, straining until finally it was done, revealing itself to be the darkest of all her pups so far. Its fur was strikingly similar to Messoria’s but streaked with more brown, the markings very nearly resembling spots. She gazed at it as she cleaned it, enthralled by the emerging patterns. She was not disappointed to see that this one lacked the masculine figure between its legs, for Messoria had given Goliath two large, healthy sons already. She pushed her to her side without a word, knowing that Goliath would likely guess correctly.

The pain had subsided a great deal now, so much that Messoria was surprised to feel the stirrings of another pup moving through her body. This one was so easy compared to the others that it was almost laughable, revealing itself to be quite small – a normal size for pups, really, but tiny compared to the others she’d birthed. The realization hit her immediately: if it was a girl, it would live. If it was a male…well, Kairos had no place for small, weak warriors. It was with mounting anticipation that she nosed its hind legs apart, her breath escaping her in one swift motion as her amber gaze lifted to meet Goliath’s icy blue eyes.

She quickly cleaned and turned it to reveal the feminine gender, pausing only a moment to admire the pale pelt and soft spots that were barely visible along the rump. She could only hope that they would remain visible as she grew; they were stunning markings. She pushed the runt alongside the other pups, taking a moment to muse over the size different between her and the other pups. For a long while she gazed down at them with wonder and admiration shining in her eyes as she lifted amber orbs to meet Goliath’s pale blue gaze. She was bleeding still from the largest pup, her body torn badly. Perhaps she should have worried more about the crimson puddle that had formed around her haunches, but she was far too tired and dizzyingly triumphant in her wavering feverishness.

She had done it. Messoria was victorious.

TAG: @datura @zenith
WORDS: 1846
NOTES: Figured I’d get all of the birthing done in this post so that they’re technically here and everyone can have ample time to reply c: Zen, let me know if you want me to change the ghosting I did here on Goliath’s part. Also Sagey, you can bring Datura in during or after the birthing, entirely up to you. Yay Messiath pups! <3

[Deleted]

As the night wore on, she tried to ignore the sounds that rippled through the otherwise silent cavern as the darkness clutched the island. The pain of giving birth was still fresh in Datura’s mind, but she had been listening to Messoria’s labor with some sense of satisfaction. Her own brood slept soundly now, worn out from a day spent exploring their home, taking advantage of their newly acquired freedom. It was hard to let them leave, unwatched and unprotected, but Kairos had grown so large, there was certain to be an adult nearby to help the youth, should trouble arise. Datura still kept an eye on them, but the pups would soon be old enough to follow their father across the waters. They were not babies anymore, and she tried not to treat them as such. They were all growing up so fast. Datura was proud of them all, the boys strong and husky, but she felt a hint of something else when she imagined their departure – perhaps sadness, though it was her dream come true to see her sons fighting alongside their sire, all in the name of Kairos.

Datura had whelped her own litter earlier than anticipated, while Messoria had been less fortunate. The dark wolfess had been ballooning for months. Datura was not even the one carrying, but the pregnancy felt endless. Day after day, she watched. She had minimal interaction with Messoria, due in part to her massive brood draining her of all of her attention and energy. Messoria had watched her pups on a number of occasions. While Datura did not consider her cohort to be a friend, the two were not enemies. Datura knew that her real enemies, the enemies of Kairos, were beyond Ina’mos, not sleeping and giving birth in the same den. Her enemies were the enemies of Messoria, in packs and distant lands waiting to be conquered by her alpha – their alpha.

Still… As the sun had set hours before, Datura could not help but to daydream about what was inevitably about to happen to Messoria, with a large, obnoxious litter of her own. From Goliath, she expected nothing less than a wild bunch, and judging from Messoria’s size, it was going to be a long, difficult night for the female. There was no need for the Mexican femme to make snide remarks about how much Messoria was going to suffer, and whether or not she deserved it. The agony of creating new life would instead enlighten the diminutive black wolf. Datura would only wait around to see who survived the ordeal, mother or child.

For what seemed like an eternity, the cries and groans echoed through the water-worn walls of the cavern. Ears flicking forward, Datura listened for the sounds of squeaks and whimpers from the newborns. The heavy smell of blood permeated from the blackness of the cavern, deep in its depths where Messoria had settled to nest. And giving birth was a bloody affair, hardly different from war in its own brutal way, but there was something – Datura stared into abyss. Why was it taking so long..?

A thought that would have previously tickled her crept into her consciousness: What if Messoria did not recover from the traumas she had now endured? She would leave a litter, likely a large one, behind – and while Datura had no qualms about raising others’ pups, should the need arise, she had no desire to care for another female’s litter along her own enormous brood. She couldn’t let that happen, and Messoria had been an adept hunter, which Kairos needed now more than ever as their population surged. She could still faintly hear the anguish within the cavern as the search began, silent paws stepping carefully outside of the den. If the gods were feeling particularly generous today, Datura mused, her mission would be a short one.

Whether or not the unseen deities were watching, her discerning eyes spotted a dash of color peeking through the darkness. She did not know what it was called, but she remembered what it was for. The sound within the cavern seemed to fade into nothingness. With a quick jerk of the neck, she pulled something growning from the earth. Datura’s pace quickened, an entire plant hanging from her maw, roots and all.

From in the shadows, she appeared wordlessly, head ducked and shoulders bunched together as she approached Messoria. Goliath was there by her side, as Datura knew he would be. He cared too much for his offspring to miss their arrival. Her eyes flicked in the direction of the newborns – she couldn’t count how many there were at first glance, but they were a swirl of mixed colors and sizes, and there were many. Blind, deaf, wretchedly adorable, but most importantly, they were Goliath’s. Messoria had to stay strong for her newborns. These were the future of Kairos, they would fight together, as one, someday soon. As her focus lingered on the pups, some foreign emotion ruminated within her – not anger or hatred, not even bitterness. The hint of a smile toyed her lips. But there were pressing issues at hand, something amiss, whether or not the new parents had guessed it yet. She dropped the plant at Messoria’s forepaws unceremoniously, still tasting the dust. ”She could bleed out. You have to stop it. Eat the roots, and the leaves…” Her voice tapered off as she nodded in the direction of Messoria’s tail. ”They should stop the blood flow.”

”Goliath.” The usual rapture his name inspired was absent that night, the words dry on her tongue as her gaze turned in her mate’s direction – their mate. ”Stay with her tonight – all night.” She hid the urgency and concern from her façade, but her tone was firm as she addressed Messoria once more, already turning to leave. ”Don’t fall asleep. As long as you can manage.” The pups suckled, offering only gentle sounds, content at their mother’s side.

Datura could do nothing more to help her packmate. Her ears pricked forward, still staring back even as she settled down in her beside her young once more. She knew she would not sleep that night, either.

words: 1069
tag: @zenith + Messoria
ooc: Datura is done here!

[Deleted]

HOVER

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[attr="class","pltxt"]The smell of blood was unholy, singing his nostrils with a sickly sweet of omen of tragedy. The time had come for Messoria to give birth, but the delivery promised calamity as much as it promised divine blessing. Entering the darkness of the cavern, Goliath’s eyes shone eerily in concern, twin blue orbs searching for his darkest love – until finally, tucked in a far corner, his search came to an end.

“Messoria, I’m here,” he uttered softly, apprehension lacing his voice. The scent of moss and blood was overwhelming, but the dappled femme barely seemed to acknowledge the lurid stench. Datura’s birth had been a wicked torment, that much he vividly remembered, but the Matriarch had labored prematurely – a blessing, and only a small kindness from the fickle divine. Messoria’s was forecasted to be much longer and with greater pain, yet the enormous alpha had no more words of comfort to offer. She was on her own now – in the hands of the Gods.

The first pup arrived with a throaty gasp from its mother, branded by blood but distinctly resembling him. Goliath saw the gender before Messoria announced it, and a bittersweet satisfaction overcame him; a daughter in his very likeness, mottled with identical colouration to his own. Helping the whimpering pup to its mother’s stomach, the hearty pup latched onto its mother’s teat with blind vigor.

The birthing continued long into the night, each pup a laborious undertaking and brought into the world with profane struggle, yet Messoria persisted, driven by the desire to please him. Goliath watched in silent reverence as his mate fought through what he had burdened her with – no, gifted her with – but with his budding pride at her sizeable brood, came a mounting and unshakeable sense of dread, for as the size of the litter grew and grew, so too did the blood that pooled around her hindquarters. She was losing far too much blood to survive the night, if it continued this way.

Goliath’s eyes were bare, almost sullen in the scant light as Datura appeared beside him. She had smelled the blood, too; surely all of Ina’mos would smell it sooner or later. Datura was silent at first, pensively watching the litter in either scrutiny or unseen approval, but soon the Matriarch dropped upon the floor what she had retrieved only moments ago. The plant still possessed the fresh scent of soil, but Goliath eyed it distrustfully, presuming its purpose. He knew very well of the healing properties of plants, but he also knew that some could do the very opposite – although his knowledge wasn’t extensive enough as to be able to decipher between the two. If Datura, in her heart of hearts, wanted Messoria removed from his harem, there would have been nothing easier than to do it now… But as Goliath’s eyes searched Datura’s for any sliver of guile, he strongly decided against his distrust. The Matriarch was far too clever to do such a thing right before his eyes, if she valued her own life – and perhaps, beneath the obvious distaste, she even have shared a suppressed fondness for Messoria, in her own condemning way. Beyond that, she loved him far too much to hurt him that way; her own love would curse her a thousand times over before she chose to betray him.

”She could bleed out. You have to stop it. Eat the roots, and the leaves… They should stop the blood flow.”

After an explanation of the plant’s purpose, Goliath nodded in understanding, looking to Messoria in reassurance. Perhaps the will of the Gods could be fought tonight, but only time would tell if Datura’s knowledge of healing would hold any substance.

"Goliath, stay with her tonight – all night."

The Alpha obliged the Matriarch a thankful glimpse, before settling close against Messoria, the entire curve of his body enveloping her and his pups. Goliath waited in silence for Messoria to eat the entirety of the plant – a task he doubted was very pleasant at all. He made little attempt to hide his smirk at the amount of dignity it would take for her to eat the hideous thing with any amount of grace. His stare moved down to his five pups, nestled flush against her no-longer bloated stomach. Save for the female runt, who was a delight in her own merit, all of the others were large and strong – a truly blessed litter. Regarding them each with a gentle lick, his attention remained on the largest boy, dusky and handsome like his mother, and a smile too large for his maw caused his teeth to glint remarkably in the bleak cavern.

Messoria had always been a beauty in his eyes – dark, dainty and veiled by mystery, but some of that enigmatic allure was due to the utterly unspoken nature of her history. She had never shared anything with him about where, or who, she came from – but much of the blame was his, for he had never posed the question until now.

“I’m ashamed to say I know so little about you,” he spoke with unfathomable interest in his eyes. Well, that wasn’t entirely true; he knew that he cared for her, loved her, even – in his own unhinged way. But beyond that, he knew nothing – her history was a blank canvas that she could paint in any way she chose, be it bloody or boring. He kept his voice low and hushed so to keep their pups quiet. Soon, they would be named, but he presumed Messoria would appreciate a moment’s rest from them, after the hours of torture she had just endured all to give them life. “What gruesome story can you tell me.”

Messoria

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[Messoria]

Messoria was aware of the warmth of her pups against her belly, the smell of her mate wafting into her nostrils…and agony.

The latter outweighed all others immensely; it was more than a simple twinge of pain, or a dull throbbing. It was like fire in her hips, coursing its way through her very veins, luring her into a downwards spiral of bleak nothingness. Sluggishly she stirred to smile weakly in Goliath’s direction, discomforted by the panic in his gaze but too bone-tired to ask. She could feel her newly birthed young squirming against her stomach, suckling eagerly, and despite the fact that her body still screamed with protest from the fire rippling through her, Messoria was glad to know that each of her pups was healthy – and oh, they were so beautiful, each and every one of them. Everything within her pleaded for her to rest, to close her eyes now that she’d done what had seemed to be the impossible.

A voice, both familiar and not in her haze, filled the cavern. Sluggishly Messoria tilted her head back, the moss rubbing gently at the short fur of her skull as she glanced upwards to find that Datura had entered the den. While normally Messoria might have been wary of the Matriarch’s presence when she’d just given birth, and potentially unwelcoming, the dark femme found that she could not muster the will to care.

”She could bleed out. You have to stop it. Eat the roots, and the leaves…They should stop the blood flow.” The words reached her distantly and slowly, as if from a great distance. Messoria blinked as she allowed the meaning to seep in, a panic blooming suddenly within her chest; bleed out. The blood was still flowing from her wound, the coppery scent assaulting her nostrils suddenly as if it had been waiting for the realization to reach her. Her eyes dropped to the floor of the cavern, where an unfamiliar plant lay just a short distance from her nose. The roots and the leaves, she’d said…Messoria lifted her gaze to thank Datura, but before she could speak the Matriarch delivered one final set of instructions and disappeared into the shadows of the caverns.

It was ultimately Goliath who gave her strength; as he curled around her and their pups, enveloping them with his warmth and offering her comfort, she lifted her head and flicked her tongue out, dragging the plant into her mouth. With each movement of her jaws she ground the plant more thoroughly, and the acrid taste of it caused her lips to peel back from her teeth slightly, eyes scrunching at the corners. It was with great effort that she finally swallowed, sighing as she allowed her head to loll against Goliath's massive shoulder. His nearness was pure tranquility, and as she lay in silence at his side, the seconds ticked into minutes, and the plant served its purpose. It took time, and it did little to dull the pain, but slowly the blood faded to a gentle trickle down her hips. As much as her very bones protested and her eyelids grew heavy, she could not sleep, Datura’s words ringing in her ears.

Her gaze flitted upwards as her mate’s voice reached her odds, amber gaze meeting ice blue, her wits slowly recovering despite the exhaustion that raged through her. Gruesome story? Before she could stop herself, the words were slipping from her lips, the most substantial part of her past summarized in four brief words.

”I killed my mother.”

As she said it she glanced to her own pups, five lovely, healthy creatures that she curled more tightly around, nuzzling against Goliath in the process. ”My childhood was very different than the one that they will experience,” she said quietly, gesturing with her muzzle towards her children. Their children. ”It wasn’t a sacred act for her. She was weak, and she was filled with hatred – for us.” Already she could not imagine how a mother could hate her young; her babies had been born for only a few short moments, and already her heart swelled with love for them. ”She gave me no choice. I take no pride in it.”

For a moment her expression was serious, and then she was gazing up at him, a slow smile spreading across her face. There was no space in her heart for sorrow; not on this day, and not with him beside her, in all of his splendid glory. Later she would consider the implication of what Datura had done for her; later she would allow herself time to deal with her pain. Now she was content to revel in what she had there with her: a strong mate who she loved dearly, and five bundles of fur blessed by the Gods themselves.

”I know just as little as you do; I was too entranced by the sight of you to ask questions,” she said, a joking lilt to her weary tone. ”Tell me glorious stories to keep me awake, love.”

TAG: @zenith
WORDS: 839
Notes: awh <3