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Ninti the firewolf

Ayla’s breathing deepened as she succumbed to sleep, and I lingered a little longer, thankful to have found the strength to appear in my astral form. She’d been relieved to see me, and I was desperate to reassure her.

Still, exhaustion clung to my every waking moment, everything so much harder than it used to be. It had been nothing short of a miracle that I found the strength to help Ayla reach Zayne.

It was one of several miracles I’d seen lately.

And we’d need even more in the time to come.

Ayla was now tethered to both Zayne and the Starlit Throne. Both bonds were jealous and neither would be inclined to share her fragile mind. For Ayla to safely ascend to the throne, the Starlit Isle herself needed to evolve.

Ayla needed support, and for the foreseeable future, I wouldn’t have much strength to share. My presence would have to be enough.

Behind me on the bed, she leaned closer, and I ensured my warmth kept her company, my gigantic firewolf body filling most of the bed.

I curled around my belly, noting how the subtle changes already appeared in my astral form. They wouldn’t remain subtle for long, and even if I couldn’t find the strength to speak, Ayla would soon understand.

My puppies were growing bigger by the day.

The knowledge filled me with pride. It filled me with fear. It made me furious that Rimu wasn’t here. I longed to show him what we’d accidentally made.

Another miracle.

My astral form slipped away as fatigue claimed me. Sleep took me under, and when I woke, I found myself exactly where I had settled upon the shoulder of Leo’s shell. Blinking my eyes open, I glanced down as my sister lifted her turtle head.

“How was the journey?” she asked. Somewhere between doting and fussy, she had kept a close eye on me since my return.

“Everything seemed normal,” I answered.

“There may still be risk.”

She was right. We had never heard of a deity becoming pregnant and had no idea what to expect. Already, my belly bulged far sooner than seemed typical.

“No more shifting,” I promised my sister. “That does feel wrong.” I’d remain in my firewolf form through the entirety of the pregnancy.

Not for the first time, I scanned the forest on Leo’s back, wondering where I wanted to birth my pups. My babies would be tiny and fragile and born into a world driven toward war. I had to find somewhere safe.

I rested my chin on my paws. “I’m not exactly a dog, so what will my puppies be? Will they take after me, their father, or somewhere in between? And what will Rimu think?”

“All things to be resolved in time.”

I squeezed my eyes tight. “What if I’m not a good mother?” I took a deep breath.

“What makes you think that?”

“I couldn’t teach Ayla.” And the attempt had nearly killed me.

Leo shrugged and waves splashed up the sides of her shell. “You will learn to be a mother. We can all change, even millennia old deities.”

I shifted my hips to make room for my growing belly. Obviously, my body had changed, but my personality was cemented by the centuries.

Still, I hoped Leo was right.