I laughed, "You've been thinking about this awhile, haven't you?"
Evan blushed. "Yeah, well, deep down I'm still a girl, and you're still a guy, so I knew you'd forget."
Now I blushed, "So, Cam it is. Thanks, Evan. So how many births have you helped with?"
Evan smiled, "I was studying to be a midwife when Roden found me."
"You haven't done this before, have you?" I wasn't angry, 'no harm, no foul' right?
"Well I did watch it once."
"Well, that's better."
"On film," Evan smirked.
"You're not improving your case, Evan," I warned.
"It was in a foreign language too."
"Did you really have any training?" I grumbled, but I couldn't move or do much, and not just because the baby was feeding, but because the feeling was starting to come back to my lower pelvis, and I was sore.
"Hey, I did alright, didn't I?"
"I think I'm going to ask Roden if I can deliver your first born."
Evan grinned, "Hey, you've been through it now, so you know what to expect."
I sighed and closed my eyes. I need to sleep.
"Did I mention that the film broke before I could watch it a second time?"
"Shut up, Evan."
I looked around, I was in Fel's bar. I hadn't been here in a while, so I was a bit surprised. I was still getting used to the stage with the instruments on it. I couldn't recall if the stage had always been there, or had just been added when he'd partnered with Fordessa.
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you," Fel started off.
"It has been a few months," I said leaning back and relaxing. I wasn't stiff or sore here, so I was enjoying it. "At least the baby is born and I can come back now."
"Not right away you can't," Fel said surprising me.
"What?"
"It's dangerous for a newborn to go through a portal, even one you make coming back here."
"How dangerous?" I asked concerned.
"Deadly in most cases."
I swore, "How long do I have to stay here?"
"Another month should be enough for you," Fel started.
"Then I can bring her home?"
"Enough for you, Cam will have to stay longer than that," Fel warned.
"Longer? How much longer? And what do I do? I can't stay here!"
"No, you can't stay there; you're going to have to foster her with someone else."
"I can't stay?" I said, I was torn too; I wanted to go home, badly. But I didn't want to leave Cam here alone either.
"No, I have work for you to do, and your wives, both of them are starting to complain."
"But to leave her here...."
"You can visit, Will, besides, how much time do you really get to spend with any of your kids?"
"Yeah, but I birthed this one myself, Fel," I sighed.
"That's why I'm giving you a month to settle down and find her a foster home. Give you some time to bond."
I nodded, "Any suggestions on who I should foster her with?"
"I can't really help you with that; you're outside of my sphere."
"Maybe I should go to the temple in Scopuli and ask Sireen for help." I sighed.
"No!" Fel said sharply and rather loudly, startling me, "Do not take her to Scopuli or any temple or church of any god or goddess! In fact, make sure that whoever you foster her with doesn't even go to church."
I looked at Fel shocked. "Why?"
"Just don't, William."
"But--" I stopped a moment and thought about it. I'd never seen Fel so emphatic about anything before. "Rules?"
"I can't say anything more on the subject, William," he warned.
I nodded slowly, "Can I ask a question?"
"William," Fel said in a warning tone, "no more."
I felt it when he said that too, a sense of, of that I had best leave this subject alone.
"I don't understand, but I won't ask anymore probing questions."
"That would be best."
I wondered if I could even ask, if I could ask? I shook my head; this was going to be like the old joke of 'don't think about pink elephants.'
"I'm very confused." I admitted, though I was sure he already knew that. "I'll start looking for a place to foster her. How long until it will be safe for her to travel? Can you answer that?"
"I'll let you know when the time comes, William," Fel said, having settled back down to his usual relaxed demeanor.
I nodded, and fell into a deeper sleep.
We spent a couple of weeks there, with Evan waiting on me and helping me to recover, as well as helping me care for Cam. I cheated quite a bit and used healing spells on myself, but I learned that they weren't all that effective, as I was recovering from a 'natural' process. So there really wasn't all that much to heal.
When we left there, we headed off to our previous destination. We splurged and got a room at the inn.
"Well, now what?" Evan asked, "We're almost out of money."
"I'm thinking of going back to Lionesnesc, doing one or two big money gigs, and then heading back out." I told him.
"I can't stay much longer, Roden told me last night that I've got another couple of weeks before I have to return. What do you need more money for? I don't expect you to be staying much longer either."
I sighed and shook my head "Fel told me that she's too young to survive a portal."
Evan looked surprised. "Really? So what are you going to do with Cam?"
I shook my head, "I have no idea, I need to find someone to take care of her."
"Try Alice."
I laughed at that, "Alice? Oh right, I can just imagine how she'd feel about that."
Evan shrugged, "She might surprise you. Did Fel tell you how long until Cam will be old enough?"
I shook my head again. "No, just that he'd let me know when. That makes me think it could be a while. Guess he didn't want to stress me out talking about it," I said a little sadly.
"Well, you can get your friend Joseph and your sister Nikki to come check up on her when you can't," Evan noted. I'd told him about the two of them during the time we'd spent out here alone, when we'd been trading stories about ourselves.
I smiled, "I hadn't thought about that. Thanks, Evan, I just might do that."
Evan smiled and changed into his champion form, even as a female I could still appreciate just how hot Evean was. Evan had been spending the nights as Evean ever since we'd started out on this little odyssey of ours, mainly because the felinoid bodies had a better sense of hearing and could see better in the dark. But also because as a champion, Evean had the far greater strength and all of the other benefits of being a champion.
"Well, time for bed. Sleep well." Evean said and lay down.
I set Cam in the small bassinet that Evan had bought at the last town and laid down myself. I could have shifted into my own champion form, but I didn't know what effects that might have on my body, or Cam, while I was nursing, so I decided it would be better if I didn't.
Eight
On the road to Lionesnesc
We'd been on the road for over a week, I hadn't realized just how far from Lionesnesc we had gone, until we started heading back to it. There really was a rather large 'outback' type of an area to the east of the whole country of which Scopuli was the capital. As it was pretty arid, I wasn't too surprised that it could only support scattered small towns.
We'd been staying in inns almost exclusively, because I wasn't sure how healthy it would be for the baby to spend the nights outside. It could get pretty cold out at night around here. Fortunately, I'd been able to perform at most of the inns, who were very interested in the latest music from the 'big city' and that got us a break on our lodging, plus tips, which let us stretch what little money we had left a lot farther.
"I'm going to have to leave here in a couple more days," Evan told me that night, as we were getting ready to bed down.
"I think it's only about two more days back to Lionesnesc at
this point."
"Any ideas on what you're going to do?"
I sighed and shook my head; we'd had this conversation at least once a day. "At this point I think I'm going to ask Henry for his help."
"I still think you should ask Alice first," Evan said.
"What is it about you and Alice?" I asked. I was really pretty curious about that.
Evan laughed, "It's a woman thing, you wouldn't understand it."
"I wouldn't understand it?" I said and gestured to myself with my free hand. I was supporting Cam with the other while she rested.
"Just because you're one part-time, it doesn't mean you understand us," Evan laughed and I just shook my head again. Perhaps he was right, maybe I'd be better off checking with Alice first. I knew she wasn't at all religious, so I could probably steer clear of things like Fel had commanded.
I put Cam down and started to get ready for bed.
"Hey, did you hear something?" Evan said, and instantly switched into Evean.
The door suddenly blew in, with a loud explosion, and there were two people outside with what looked like shotguns. Evean attacked pulling out the pistol, which I had given over to her care some time ago.
She killed the two with the shotguns, shooting one in the head, and ripping the other one's throat out with the swipe of a clawed hand.
There was more gunfire then, I started to reach for one of the shotguns that had fallen into the room when Evean waved me back.
"There's at least a dozen of them out there, take Cam and run, I'll hold them off here!"
Evean charged out the door then, and I heard a lot more gunfire, screaming, and Evean swearing.
I picked up a chair and threw it through the window and then grabbing the bassinet I jumped out onto the roof.
However there was already somebody there and he was moving as fast as I was. I didn't recognize him, but I knew that he had to be somebody's champion. I didn't even get the chance to draw my knife before he was on top of me, hacking at me with a sword.
I healed the first wound, but my body exploded in pain as somebody shot me from behind! Obviously there were several people on the roof.
"Be careful fool! We want the child alive!" Yelled the champion I was fighting.
I head butted him and kicked him in the crotch, and healed the wound, then tried to bull him forward. Which didn't work well as I was up against someone both bigger and stronger than I was. I started to shift; I needed my larger and stronger champion form now, if I was going to save Cam....
And I suddenly found myself standing before Sireen.
"What... What happened?" I said trying to figure out just what had happened and where I was.
"You were shot in the back of the head," Sireen said and led me over to a seat.
"What happened?" I said, still confused, I was having trouble making sense of things.
"Head wounds are nasty, just sit and relax a moment, it will come back to you."
I sat and blinked at her a few times, and then suddenly I realized what had happened.
"CAM!" I screamed standing up.
"Is alive, they took her alive. She's okay, they'll take good care of her, don't worry."
"Who? Who!?"
"Trespon, his champion and his priests killed you and took your child."
"Why?" I said. I wanted to throttle someone, I wanted to kill a lot of someones, but I guess Sireen was exerting some sort of control over me, being as I was in her domain, as I felt my anger and upset become contained.
"The children of champions are special, William," Sireen told me, "At least those that are the offspring of two champions."
"I have to get her back! I have to go!" I said trying to move, but my feet were rooted to the spot, and everything felt heavy.
"You have to do your time here, and then those along the way, plus the ones at your god's. But don't worry, I will send my troops after her. Could you perhaps give us a song to use?"
I thought of some of the nastiest punk stuff I'd heard when I was in college and she smiled.
"That will do, now you just go to sleep, and don't worry about a thing."
Nine
Fel's Bar
"I need to go get her, Fel," were the first words out of my mouth when I opened my eyes in the bar.
Fel nodded, "And you will. Aryanna is rather upset by this turn of events."
"I had hoped they'd given up on following me after all that time." I said sitting down in one of the chairs at the bar and hanging my head in my hands.
"When they found out you were pregnant, Trespon decided that he wanted the child. Now that he has her, it's going to take some effort to recover her."
I nodded and my spirits sank even more.
"Sireen said she would help."
"Yes, I know," Fel sighed, "But it would be better if you got Cam yourself, and got her out of either side's grasp. I fear that Sireen might be tempted to keep Cam herself if she should get her hands on her."
"Why?"
"Remember what she told you?"
I nodded, "That the children of champions are important. Well, if both parents are champions I gather. I haven't seen anything overly special with my own offspring."
"Gods are fickle, William; you of all people should know that. If we don't give her the opportunity to be fickle, then there's less chance that she will be."
I thought about that, it made sense.
"So what do I do?" I asked looking up at Fel. I needed answers. I know I needed help. Storming in there would be one thing, but I didn't want to end up in a situation where they might kill Cam.
"Well, first of all, don't worry about Cam. They're not going to do anything to hurt her, quite the opposite. They'll treat her very well.
"But they are going to guard her heavily, because they know you'll be coming back to get her eventually, so they're going to be ready for you."
I nodded, "I wonder if I should bring Evean with me, she actually was quite helpful."
"Oh, Evean is still there."
I sat up and looked at him, my mouth open in shock. "Whu?" I mumbled as I tried to make sense of that.
"They left her for dead on the floor and took off with your child. But she wasn't dead, she just faked it."
"So what is she doing?" I asked.
"She's following them back to their base. From what I gathered, she's really rather pissed off and apparently is holding quite the grudge."
I nodded, "Sounds about right. What's Roden think of that?"
"That you owe him a rather big favor," Fel said, and moving behind the bar he drew us each a large beer.
I took it and took a long draw off the mug. While things here were somewhat hazy when I was asleep dreaming, everything was quite real and detailed when I was here waiting to be resurrected. And the beer in Fel's bar was always the best. Aryanna had her garden with its many plants, Sireen had her music room with its many instruments, but Fel had his bar with its many many taps of different types of beer.
"Sireen asked me for a song," I said as I drank.
Fel looked surprised for a moment and then sat back and took another drink. "Hmm, so I see." He paused a moment, "yes, I'm going through your head. She almost managed to hide it too. Hmm, she shouldn't be able to do that."
"What I want to know is how she can teach it to her people. I got the impression that gods and goddesses couldn't pass on those kinds of things."
"Oh, she can't pass them on if she learns them herself, but you offered it and you had made some rather generous contributions to her temples. That was probably also part of the reason that she didn't have her own people out looking to bring you in."
"You really think she would have?" I asked surprised.
"I'm a pessimist when it comes to the other gods, William. Oh, I know there are gods out there who are still romantics at heart, and Sireen actually does seem to fit that mold. But why take chances, right?"
I laughed and shook my head, "Aryanna strikes me as quite the romantic."
&nbs
p; "Oh she is, that's why we get along so well!" Fel laughed.
"Excuse me?" I said surprised.
"Romantics never get along with each other, they need more pragmatic people like me and you, so their romanticism can be fully appreciated," Fel said smirking.
"I bet you never told her that!" I said grinning.
"Oh no, I told her that all the time, why do you think I put up with your shenanigans?"
"Umm," I looked at Fel a little guiltily. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
"Only occasionally." Fel said and I sighed.
"Well only occasionally now," he corrected himself.
I spent my three days meeting with the recently departed, and learning what I could about what had happened in the many months that I'd been away. I also spent time with Fel, just being with him and talking with him. Fel's presence had a big effect on me and on my state of mind, and right now I needed that influence. I knew logically that Cam was okay, it just took a while for me to accept it.
At least I didn't have hormones in my body messing with my emotions.
I also spent some time with Fordessa, which was rather pleasant, while I wasn't her champion, she was now in a pantheon with Fel, so I owed her my respect as well. We actually spent a fair bit of time on stage playing songs together, I still enjoyed music, and I enjoyed learning the songs of my adopted people. They taught me quite a bit about the history of the region, as well as places further away.
"And here you are," Fel said as I awoke on the small altar in the back of the temple. I looked around; Narasamman was the only one in the room. I sat up as she walked over to me.
"It's so good to see you again, Will," she said and gave me a hug and a kiss.
I returned both with heartfelt affection.
"How are things, Nara?"
"I think Rachel is about to kill Goth," Narasamman laughed a bit darkly. "And I might be willing to help her."
I slid off of the altar and onto my feet, standing up. "What? What happened?"
"Goth is an adult woman now, William, with an adult woman's taste."
I nodded, "Yeah, so?"
"Goth has decided that she wants you, and that she's going to steal you away from Rachel."
Portals of Infinity: Book Five: Demigods and Deities Page 7
