Post by Messoria on May 6, 2015 23:52:40 GMT -5
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