The Ballad of baby Merlin [Plot/Private]

Act 1 - The birth of the Baby

Webs were more enigmatic than Merrze had ever thought. At least it's what she realized many months ago. Her time in the Black Spiders was strenuous. It was downright unrewarding most of the time. She had to struggle hard to save those that were enslaved, risking her self constantly. Yet Merrze persisted despite the harsh conditions. She had to pretend she was going after slaves, taking in people, to fool and kill other slavers. She had to assassinate, sneaking kill the traders, sellers while seeming like a proactive slaver herself. She had the power to deal with them, but she was trying to transport and free those enslaved in Helio first. The most draining part of it was when she had to leave the operation.

She had nearly died killing off most of the slavers in the spiders she encountered. Being a prime target at that moment the white-haired fanalis wore a short, black-haired disguise. Her skin a soft caramel, her skin had darkened from its normal tan. The Heliohaptian sun brought help to her disguise it seemed. She had to hold back her strength, even as well as keeping her metal vessel tucked up between her thigh inside her body armor. It was difficult to hold back during some of the fights. Even during a kill, the white lioness couldn't afford to show her true fanalis nature. A strength that magnificent would raise questions when seeing the environment, or worse the corpse.

She had help from one man as well. Thinking about it she wasn't sure if she actually liked him but found him helpful and attractive instead. The young magician was versed in the ways of magic, so he was a good ally in case of trouble ever arose during their assassinations. His name was Lynzel and he was Merrze's greatest accomplice during her mission in Heliohapt, to unstable the spiders web and gain more refugees and people for Meridia.

Merrze often did the killing, but Lyn was her cover guy. During her time in Heliohapt, they became well acquainted as abolitionists. The fanalis found him when looking for those who opposed slavery in this desert country. Lyn was from Magnostadt, he had come to the country with a friend who was a native. During the visit, the young magician couldn't help but get himself involved in the destruction of this evil institution. They had a simple dynamic, Merrze would attack them, using whatever weapons they had. Lyn would create an illusion. Often it would be something along the lines of it appearing as if they were gone or the target just kept moving. Merrze would then during this illusion take their body away. Taking their slaves and turning them in for herself.

After the slaves had been reacquired for Merrze things would start to sail a bit more smoothly. The plan of action was they would be guided to a boat, under the guise of traveling to the plains for redistribution and bringing more slaves back. They would travel in a medium size sea vessel that the two had acquired. It was a medium size ship, good for carrying decent sized groups of people across the vast ocean. The journey was often perilous, sometimes people had died during the travels or there would be a plague and ailment, some sort of trouble. Sometimes the young woman thought like the world was against her, but she persisted in keeping her people's, well soon to be people's hopes up. That sometimes felt like the biggest burden of them all, but she had some relief from the stress.

It was wasn't the most pleasant thing to reveal but she and accomplice had spent many a night together. Lyn would seduce her, o so he thought. In honesty she thought he looked young and perky, letting him have his fun while she did too. His personality was rather idealistic. It wasn't bad but hey there was definitely some relaxation or distressing in it. Sublimating her inner frustrations in a way that she could control. It was all in good fun until it had brought another risk to the mission. After one too many nights of their mingling, she had found herself sick. Oh god, it was a familiar feeling all right. Her body felt groggy, she threw up without eating anything in the morning. As her stomach turned it was obvious what these feelings were. She had faced these bodily troubles before, it was the same thing that plagued her with Menat. Merrze had morning sickness, the white-haired lioness was carrying another cub.

At first, changes weren't obvious, or even a bother. Sure they were inconvenient but the fanalis had good acting skills. She had fooled the slavers she had worked with for months until eventually, she was in her late second trimester. It was becoming more obvious that she was pregnant. How could she hide it any longer, it was risky but it might've been time for an unveiling. It made her baby a target but it protected it from being killed.

It felt like swallowing a lead ball when she took her breath in front of her commander. SHe had to inform that she had fun with a man while on her vacation, during that time she got pregnant. Surprisingly her had taken it well but seemed oddly interested in the seed that was growing in the warrior's belly. Merrze had tried to pull away but wondered how far along she was, what did the father look like. Was he a slave, a slaver or something else?

While it was mostly harmless prodding, Merr had managed to slide on through the barrage of inquisitions. Yet there would be other troubles in the 3rd trimester. Lyn had helped Merrze get rid of big targets. He would help her isolate and assassinate targets. It worked for the most part. Yet things had started to get risky, with Merrze being heavily pregnant slip-ups were possible. Eventually, one was bound to happen, and it did happen.

There was a high target spider. A stronghold commander that was a leftover in Heliohapt, that was keeping up the local trade in the city. It was during the minor market collapse. The white lioness was only one small help in getting rid of big targets. Getting rid of their web of influence would be hard, but making them retreat and regroup, redistribute their resources.  While Merrze was scoping out the target she and Lyn would bump into him, Merrze attacking up close and Lyn then taking him away to burn away the body. He would try to hide it with illusions as Merrze would soon go in for the kill. She approached the man on the street, falling over in his way faking a contraction. She would attempt to attack him as she fell in his way.

It felt like as if the entirety of Merrze's insides had been violently pulled back and snapped back into place. Pain reverberated through her. It was the familiar pain, the act had become real life. The magician watching wouldn't realize that things were wrong as he approached. Quickly rushing he would put up an illusion, which would catch the spiders attention. Things would go by in a flash as he turned towards Lyn who would attempt to shoot a ball of light to damage the slaver. Yet his realization would come at the moment that he saw Merrze fail to move from the pain in which she was in.

His attack missed, the slaver barely ran past as Lyn would rush towards the young fanalis in labor. The world slowed, each moment was drawn out. The fanalis, who normally thought her memories, visualizing things like a vivid image more than a story perfectly remembered those brief 20 seconds as if every word, sensation, and emotion was branded to her.

Everything was so clear, the Heliohaptian slaver moved his hand, pulling out a ring. The flash from it blinded Merrze, the light from it's magic circle would burn into her memory as a storm cloud appeared above them, a searing ball of light sizzling slightly as it whizzed past the slaver. Heat radiated from the small sun which came by, the cool rain waterfalled over the agonizing mother. Her hands pull through the now muddy sand. As it squished through her fingers the pulsating, stinging heat coming from her womb consumed her. It was not the prime condition for her water to break, yet the water joined the rain. As her contractions continued black streaked down her hair, the dye was dying.

The black streams rolled over her face as her white hair was now seeable. The heliohaptian man saw, the words rolling out of his mouth. "FANALIS" echoed over her as he recognized Merrze, the officer had been warned of her appearance. of that deceiving white hair of hers.

Lyn rushed past, his feet kicking up sand as he ran past. Their prey was going to escape, fear had cloaked the young woman in that moment. She had been found out, she had singled out and identified. Her undercover mission was exposed because she wasn't careful. She was in danger, her baby, she would be forced to hide or put another child in protection. Her body shook amongst the pain, as her cry for help sang out. "Don't let him get away, get him, I got my baby, just get him! AGHHHHHH PLEASE JUST KILL HIM BEFORE MY PAIN KILLS ME!!" Her screams swelled from her chest, as tears mixed with the magical rain. Her sandy fingers were outstretched, attempting to grasp at him.

Her pleas resonated in the body of the light magician. He shot out his ball of light, the sphere of light hazily shot forth, engulfing half of the slaver's body, charring it. The smell of his flesh cradled their nostrils for a moment, he stumbled by, running around into the streets. It would only be a manner of seconds before there would be spiders, citizens, guards swarming the area to come to get the pair.

The world had collapsed around the fanalis, the mission was over after nearly a year of work. There were still spiders to squash, there were still slaves to free. The complex web of her planning, she had killed so many spiders, pulling out each string so as not to get noticed. Even at her most careful, the fanalis had failed because she didn't prepare well enough. She could protect others but she could never protect herself. It was because of this, that for once another's life was truly in danger. The small child trying to escape her was now in danger.

A migraine swelled in her head, the confusion. She was weak, her mind began to race from her inability to move. Once again she was on the ground, once again the spiders were a threat to her life, she felt helpless, like a failure who was the cause of her own life's pain. Lyn coddled her, tears starting to form as they sat on the side, the magician creating an illusion to hide them for a second, Merrze stifling to contain her moans.

Her white hair dwindled down in front of her. It had caused her to be notified, it would be her downfall. It was so frustrating, her white hair was a cause of the spiders. They had taken that security, her vibrant beauty, her mental strength. Now they wanted to try it again, to take her away, to try to take one of her babies even. The thoughts gathered in her mind, swelling up like a steam spreading through her body. A heat began to rise from within the fanalis, pushing past the contractions and the fear of the moment. Even with the baby on the way it wasn't time for flight and fear, it was time to fight.

The heat provided energy for her fatigued body. Gritting her teeth power came from her legs, they ached. As her fanalis features showed in an intense glare she started to stand, holding her stomach. Lyn approached her, hoping that she would stop. His arms grasping at her while keeping the illusion up. There were people approaching, some were seeable even. As a crowd would form around the puddled sand there would be eyes looking for them.

She wore her noose like a necklace, the pain was obvious but Merrze was going to get through the crowd despite the pain. She had to go slow, so as to avoid contacting people. Each step feeling like a punch from herself, being light would be difficult but Lyn managed to create minor distractions, having more easy to move despite the excruciating pain. She focused, trying to clear her mind. The adrenaline easing the pain for her, all she needed to clear her stress was more stress after all!

She barely snuck through, feeling peoples breath against her body, smelling their natural odors. Her fanalis senses were starting to kick into overdrive. Each scent burning at and poking her nose, all the noise ringing and rolling around in her head. Some, barely brushing the baby, acting as if there was a wind. Holding back noise from herself was also difficult. This pregnancy was more violent than the one with Menat, this baby was forcing it's way out.

To slowly step her way through the crowd was a lifetime. It felt as if each step, despite being evenly place, were out of order. Her normal walking had been distorted into a slow crawl in her mind. The pain and stress would stretch the miserable experience, Despite this, it would only be a couple paces, she had made it through, the illusion barely stay up as they got through, Lyn talking to her now that they were mostly safe.

"We need to get you to safety" he plead.

"No, it's too dangerous to stay here, we need to get to the boat as quick as possible." she would say sternly, going forth despite the magician's protest. His words like a sweet honey to soothe her fire. The passion from within pushed her, she was going to be a leader, to be a queen. She was a fanalis who pushed through the pain, she would deliver this baby, first, she would get it to safety. In her own weakness, she could strive to be stronger with support and power of will. It was tempting, she wanted to just give up and maybe settle down with the baby to keep it safe. No this was her heir, she had ambitions, and this baby was going to be born into them. She had to be strong, to lead, to make the world fun and safe. To guide and teach this child, it was her time to be a mother. She would have to give up it's first few months, those important months yet she knew what had to be done.

Soon she had reached the port, sweat rolling over her body like a boiling pot at the limit. Her intense red eyes glared, her white mane flowed over her shoulders. The magician now desperately trying to cling to her as sweat, and fluids from the baby exiting. It was preposterous yet she was giving birth as she walked forward. Her feet thudding into the into the docks, a steady but strong earthquake. The pain was unbearable, her stretching body was burning as tears ran down her face. The illusion began to break as Lyn let go, running to Merrze. There were no real eyes as they had made it to their boat, the crew aboard, slaves, warriors, fanalis, all people who had followed Merrze or helped bring the groups to the soon to be settlement of Meridia.

The crowning baby would soon be noticeable through the fanalis white dress,  the hair of the child being visible. It was such a beautiful red, like her old dress. Lyn, holding onto the baby would slowly guide it out by the head, being the oldest of 5 he had been around during many childbirths. Soon it was free, the magician holding up the child, showing off it's features. The baby opened its eyes briefly, showing a nice red hue. It was her baby, after all, even having the same skin tone as Merrze. The baby seemingly a boy, had his fathers face it seemed. Who knows, he still had time to grow.

"What do you want to name him miss fanalis?" Lyn would say, warmly he was just glad that Merrze was okay.

"How about part of each of our name, we can call him Merlin." She said chuckling. Breaking her nervousness, ignoring all the pain her body would be suffering for later. The baby was beautiful, it was a shame she wouldn't get to see it for long.

"Lyn, you'll need to take him with you back home to Magnostadt for a bit, he isn't safe with me back in Meridia," she said abruptly.

"I can't leave without you, you're not safe by yourself!" he said his voice raising.

"Please just keep him safe, bring him back to mean once things have died down. They're going to pursue, they know I have activity somewhere in the plains near Kou. Just please, keep our baby safe." Her voice was soft, the strong woman allowing herself to show vulnerability for just a moment.

"Alright, I'll bring him back to you, you just stay alive so you can show him how strong his momma is." He joked. Merrze would sleep, resting with the baby so as to spend her time with it while she could. It wouldn't be goodbye forever, she would see Merlin again. It was fine to spoil herself for these few moments. Drifting off as the warm body of her beautiful boy comforted her.

---

She remembered the day the web collapsed on her well enough, it wasn't hard to remember. She thought about her baby every single day, the stress piling up amidst the war efforts. Yet they were coming, after so many long months they were coming to Meridia. The overwhelming joy of seeing her baby was her crown. it was time to prove herself as a mother and a ruler.

NEXT CHAPTER: Magic and Might!