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[Edda]

---

Camilla sat exceptionally straight, each shoulder blade resting perfectly on the back of her chair. She looked straight ahead, statue still, focusing on the wall in front of her. On one brick, that was a slightly different hue than the bricks surrounding it. She kept her hands folded behind her, allowing her stomach to be in plain sight. Feeling Yuna's eyes going over her, she kept trying to peek at her out of the corner of her eye. Each time she did this Yuna would sigh with frustration.

"You almost done?" Camilla finally asked, after sitting, somewhat impatiently for a while. Yuna closed her eyes, clearly irritated. She swept her ponytail off her shoulder and ignored Camilla's question at first. Camilla let out a groan and whined, "I'm hungry. And bored." Yuna inhaled deeply, trying to keep patience, and replied, "Trust me, you will be grateful that we did this. I hope you get used to it, we're going to do it every month." Camilla let out an even louder groan and Yuna couldn't help but chuckle.

After several more minutes of nothing but the sound of scratching on paper, Yuna lifted her parchment to her face and blew on it. She held it at arm's length and examined it. "Okay," she stated, "I'm finished!" Cam brought her arms around and let them go limp her lap for a few moments, before she sighed with relief, and jumped up, running to the kitchen. Yuna chuckled and flipped to the cover of the book she had sketched in. In large letters she engraved "Camilla's Pregnancy", on it, and set it aside with a smile.

[Kali]

---

For a long while, Kali had been the only female in Blackmarsh. She was seen as just one of the guys... Then Cam arrived. It was Cam who got Kali to quit wearing her hooded shroud everywhere... teaching her to mix and match her clothes. It was Cam (with the help of Selena) who got her to approach Gerard for the first time. Cam who would have secret girl time chats locked in the bathroom of her house.

And now her friend Cam was having a baby...

She had no desire to have a baby of her own. In fact, because of her rough lifestyle and battle scars... it was unlikely that she could conceive one anyway. But for some odd reason... Kali was overjoyed with the news of Cam's pregnancy. (Even if Azunda was the father)

Kali sat on her pink bed in her modest home in Blackmarsh and began to scribble down all the things she wanted to teach the new baby. She figured that the best way to teach a baby would be through the alphabet.

"A is for Assassin." Kali penned in the book.
"B is for Bolts."
"C is for Crossbow."
"D is for Death." She figured Azunda would like that one.

Now that her gift was underway... it was time to start planning the party...

[Edda]

---

Today in Blackmarsh, Camilla was attempting to milk a lot of cows. She had yet more butter to churn for the caravan to Sanctus. If not for the frequent need to stop her work, she would be finished by now. Her patience with her own body was running very low, as it kept giving her signals to empty her bladder, lay down to stop dizziness and spinning, and eat every half an hour. She had started to ignore the hunger pangs, and kept milking to get it done quickly, which was beginning to make her nauseous. Her mood getting worse and worse by the second, she just kept milking the damn cow. She only had two more buckets to fill, she could do it. Sitting, milking, trying not to vomit, she struggled to focus on her work. She was pissed off that something as simple as milking cows was beginning to require this much concentration to achieve.

With both buckets full, she set one aside, and picked up the other. Like a clumsy fool, she lost her grip on the bucket, allowing it to crash to the floor, milk splashing the walls of the barn and flowing through the cracks in the wooden floor. She cursed and kicked the empty bucket across the room. Then she cursed again and kicked the full bucket across the room, causing more milk to splash the walls, and more milk to flow through the cracks in the wooden floor.

She sat back down on the stool and cried. Hard. For a while. She cried harder than perhaps she ever had. Mostly because she hadn't yet. With all the mixed feelings she had about being pregnant, she still had not cried. She was angry with herself for letting this happen and angry at Azunda for trying to convince her it would okay. She had finally began to accept their relationship for what it was. Finally she was less scared and unsure. Now she had his child growing inside of her. This was more than she could even wrap her mind around. She could not imagine Azunda being a father. Assuming he'd never have any part of raising it, she wondered what kind of life she could even provide for her child as a single mother. Would a child be alright, with no male role model in its life? Could she even handle it all by herself?

She sobbed once more, then sat up straight, wiping tears off her face with the back of her hand. She pushed the nagging thoughts out of her mind and dropped to her hands and knees to clean the milky mess.

[Azunda]

---

The young boy was a disheveled mess. Thin, stringy black hair cascaded down most of his back, flowing into his filthy white robe. Quite malnourished, he tried as best he could to devour the bird that was prepared for him; Though his shackles were far too heavy for his young, thin, and immature frame. Thinking better of it, he laid flat on his belly and held the bird close to his face. The burden of the cast iron shackles eliminated, for the moment at least, the child tore into the bird like a starved jackal. Though lacking flavor and quite undercooked, he hadn't eaten in days. It goes without saying this was the best meal he ever had.

"It's quite a legacy you've walked into, I don't think you have yet to appreciate it."

"Whaddya mean?"

"What I mean, boy, is that you will be one of the few heirs to the true legacy of Stygia."

"What's that?"

"How could you ask me such a foolish question, child? Weren't you paying attention before we departed Caina?"

"Well... yeah, I forgot though."

"So be it, we'll go over it once more. Cease stuffing your face and pay attention."

"But I'm hungry..."

"Do you remember who Ezerak is?"

"Yes, Nizar's favored. A necromancer, like us."

"Like me, yes. Like you? Not yet. Why am I bringing up Ezerak, boy?"

"Umm...."

"...."

".... Ummm...."

"Is it because he is the one who taught me?"

"Yes!"

"Our child prodigy, the young heir of the Stygian line. A genius."

"Yeah, I know!"

"Moving on, what was his fate?"

"He died."

"Why?"

"He betrayed Nizar."

"That's not the whole answer, Azunda. Think carefully."

".... Ummm...."

"Was he tricked?"

"No way."

"He was."

"Huh?"

"Unfortunately for my master, two of his rivals caught wind of him having a sister. These two, the Covetous pair, influenced Nizar into believing she would ideal to serve as the first wraith. My master, protective, tried hiding his sister. When Nizar found out, he was most furious that his favored servant would block his will."

"Oh."

"Beware our brethren, boy. They are wolves in the skin of sheep. Furthermore, beware those chosen by the skull. They are petty, vicious creatures. They'll use what you hold dear against you. Grant them no leverage."

Though it was far too late for Azunda. The Lich Lord, the monstrous fiend that he was, knew full well of Azunda's desire to hold the Mirror. It would only be a matter of time until Darrien knew of the new life Azunda had his part in creating.

These times were very dangerous.
_________________

[selena cross]

---

Selena sat staring into the fire trying to wrap her mind around the fact that camilla was pregnant. Selena mind drifted back to the first time she met cam, selena had arrived to the stables and sat for a quick rest she looked over her shoulder and noticed a horse, nothing out of the ordinary except for the sounds it was making irrated her so eventually she stood up and muttered the words of power, flames shot from beneath the ground engulfing the horse in flames. selena was happy and intrigued by just how easially the creature fell to something so simple as fire. soon there she came rushing to this charred remainder of a horse, she turned to me and told me that was her horse i only laughed and walked away. That was the first time i met cam but wouldnt be the last time i saw her.


months later i would once again run into cam, this time was in blackmarsh she remembered me and for a moment i had forgotten how i knew her. as time went on i slowly began to control my urges to start fires, later i believe we can call each other if not friends perhaps acquaintances of each other. my mind drifted back to when i first saw that man start coming here, there was something not right but cam seemed to not mind him showing up now and again so i dismissed it. it seemed as though he was ordering lots of milk on his visits, i often found myself wondering how could someone possibly drink that much milk but then again stranger things have happened i suppose


the sound a glass breaking brought my mind back to the present, i unintentionally knocked over a vial in my trip down memory lane. as i was cleaning up the mess my mind drifted again, i rememberd of the time i went with cam to meet that guy. i remember it because i found it strange that they were meeting in a graveyard, i leaned against one of the pillars as i watched from the distance and soon fell asleep.

my mind quickly snapped to attention, oh my gawd i shouted as i remembered that cam was pregnant, i made my way back to that cemetery and opened up my spellbook, i fumbled through the pages as tried to find the right spell, to the hell with it i mumbled and pulled out of bottle filled with a fiery substance and tossed it to the ground....... in my mind i was doing good.

[Edda]

---

She crouched low in the sand, behind a massive pile of loose rocks, with her pup hovering over her shoulder, staring in the same direction she was. Clutching her bow in her left hand, she let it rest at her side, hoping she wouldn't need it. She was here to observe the creatures inhabiting this area. They all seemed to have special skills, tricks they could do, and she wanted to be familiar with them.

Creeping down the path, came a creature on a mission, who stared straight in the direction of her hiding spot, and immediately took on her exact appearance. It was like looking in a mirror, only with eyes quite unlike her own. It growled and lunged in her direction. She gave her pup the signal and he leapt lightly over her shoulder, standing in between the real Camilla and the monster Camilla. She pulled her bow up and lined up an arrow, aiming directly to the creature's chest and waited, as she watched her pet spring forward and sink his teeth into its flesh. Just when the creature looked ready to surrender, Camilla released the arrow, letting it whiz above her pup's head and land in the creature, knocking it to the ground. Her pup came trotting back to her side, and her hand fell down, out of habit, to stroke his fur.

Other creatures seemed at peace with her and Otis being here, but were angered during the last trip she took here, when she was with a larger group. Blackmarsh was trying to help, but the creatures' lack of trust would make it more difficult. It was clear they would need a large number of Blackmarsh members helping in this. It was distressing, but they would have to harm some innocent creatures, who were merely confused by the presence of outsiders, in order to defend themselves and finish the task set before them. When Otis was still wild, he lived among these creatures in harmony. She hoped he now trusted her enough to help, even though he was just a dog and couldn't possibly understand it was for the greater good of Ilshnear. This was important to Barra, and she did not want to disappoint him again.

She was very delighted to even find the energy for extra activities, such as this. Lots of freshly squeezed milk and churned butter sat back at Blackmarsh, for she had already finished her morning chores. She had thrown corn out for the chickens in Cove, she had watered various plants. Ever since receiving the package from Merrique, she had been far more productive. She was amazed and impressed by how well the remedies were working for her. The decrease of nausea and fatigue was improving her moods, and she was beginning to be less irritated about the pregnancy in general, while before she was annoyed with her child for its existence alone.

With one last look around, she let out a whisper to Otis, who knelt slightly, allowing her to climb on his back. She clutched a handful of his fur in each hand and leaned her body close to his, as he bounded off to Blackmarsh.

When they reached her front porch she jumped off his back and opened the door, pup close on her heels. She walked inside, pulling off her armor and hooded cloak. She tossed her bow aside and walked to the kitchen, where she grabbed two apples. She brought them into the dining room and sat in front of a closed book on the table. Otis came over and pushed his huge nose in her lap, sniffing at the fruit. She laughed quietly and gave him one, while taking a bite of one herself, and opened the book to look at it. She was crunching and reading, quite happily, when Yuna wandered in. Cam looked up from the book and greeted her with words muffled by apple. Yuna looked at Cam, then the apple, then Cam, sighed, and headed to the kitchen. Moments later she came back with a huge piece of broccoli, and replaced the apple in Cam's hand with it and left again. Cam looked at the broccoli in her hand, where there had just been a delicious apple and frowned.

[Edda]

---

Camilla stood at her kitchen counter, slowly peeling apples and humming a song, her bare feet gumming to the smooth tile floor. She set the apples aside and pressed the pie crust she made, from ground up almonds and flour milled fresh from the wheat and corn plants in Cove, into her cast iron baking dish. She sliced each apple onto the crust, drizzled her homemade cinnabutter over them, covered it with the other crust, and began pressing all the edges firmly. She set it in the oven and stood back with her hand on her hip, examining the disastrous kitchen she would have to clean. But, Cal would likely be pleased when he strolled through Blackmarsh and caught a whiff of his preferred pie coming from her house.

Looking down, she noticed a belly covered in flour. She laughed quietly and brushed it away as best she could. Her stomach was definitely starting to be noticeable. Throughout her fourth month of pregnancy, she seemed to have been the only one becoming aware of her weight gain. She had slowly been feeling her hips and stomach filling out. Admittedly, she chose her baggiest clothes to wear, as she didn't feel like she looked pregnant yet.

She began scrubbing the counters of her kitchen, and putting things away. Standing at the sink, washing dishes, the cool water splashed her belly, soaking her shirt. She wondered if she would get used to it being there, or if it would just get worse as it grew. With the kitchen clean, she wandered to the other room, plopped in a chair and sat for a total of fifteen seconds before jumping up again. She checked the pie, tidied things that didn't need tidying, checked the pie again, made tea she didn't even want.

She walked to the dining room and stood, looking out the window at Blackmarsh. Tari flew by the tavern and Jareth could be seen in the distance, knelt down working with wood. Charles and Kali were practicing fighting techniques on each other. She zoned out, in a daze, watching them run around each other. It wasn't until Otis barked outside that she snapped out of it. Ignoring him, she walked to the kitchen and opened the oven, the aroma immediately hitting her nose, causing her stomach to rumble with hunger. She took the (perfect, as always, thank you) pie out of the oven and set it down to cool.

Grabbing a roll from her food shelf, she went back to sit down and eat it. She sat happily eating, wondering what activities would take place in Blackmarsh that evening. The roll disappeared fast, and just as she was about to get up for another, she felt a small pop in her stomach. She froze in place and slowly looked down at it. A few seconds later, she felt another pop. It felt just like popcorn was starting to cook inside her. She slowly leaned back in the chair and pulled up her shirt, placing a hand on her bare skin. Three pops, in a row, hit her hand, softly. She blinked slowly, and just sat in amazement for several moments, hand on belly. This was her baby. Hers and Azunda's. Unexpectedly, she jumped up and ran to the rune collection, searching through them, until finally she found the one labeled 'Charnel Hill'. She left the house with the pie still on the counter, her pup still in the yard, her shirt still dirty with water and flour, and her feet still bare.

[Edda]

---

Cam walked up the steps to the Britannia Royal Zoo, nodded to Iakas the Zookeeper, and kept walking. She paused at each pen to look upon the creatures she had seen many times before, but kept down the stone path until she reached an enclosure of hedges, where a single crane bobbed back and forth. Each of these beasts seemed content inside its restricted section. They knew nothing of the outside world anymore, if they even ever had. She sat and leaned against the hedges with her back to the crane, watching the gate of the yamandon's pen. This was the only place where a creature like him could glance across and see a bog thing, every day. Every day was the same for them. A yamandon in the wild could tear you apart in seconds, and here this one sat cooped up, with so much deadly potential gone wasted. She was completely safe here, with him right in front of her. That seemed so unnatural.

She removed her boots and cast them aside, stretching her legs out, and wiggling her toes in the cool breeze that was often felt on Verity Isle. Often times she came here to think. The animals were the only living souls here, and they were the only sound that would reach her ears. She knew no one would think to look for her here, and she liked that. She took out a pear and bit into it, knowing within minutes her baby would move. At first it had weirded her out for a while, but now she was growing to crave the kicking. She decided she had been completely insane to think this baby's father cared for her at all. Now she even wondered if this was his plan all along. To trick her into thinking everything was alright, and get himself a new apprentice out of it. Every couple of months he visited her, asked about the baby and left. She was beginning to hate seeing him show up. Very little part of her was interested in seeing him, or hearing his snippy little comments.

Sure enough, she soon felt little pops against her stomach. She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the hedge, placing a hand on her belly. She believed this child was the only thing she could put all her effort and love into and get it back completely. She was certain that if she never saw Azunda again, she wouldn't care at all.