Duality

Up to chapter 26 for first tier patrons, and chapter 28 for second tier.

Merla wasn't aware of when she spoke in a clear adult voice, as in her own mind, she hadn't spoken at all.

"Momma? What wrong?" Merla asked Taen.

"Baby, did you say something just now?" Lyra asked her gently.

"Said momma use ex-press-sion. Not use, weak. Use, strong. Muscle." Merla said and blinked. There was nothing else she said. Meena lightly pursed her lips, then leaned in.

"You should go back and make sure she uses her manna, Merla. I need to get to work." Meena lightly kissed her cheek. Merla grinned and blushed.

"Momma work?" Merla asked Taen. She watched her cheek twitch.

"I have to go to the gate. I won't get any food credits as I failed to report." Taen sighed. "Lyra is not allowed near the gate." Merla frowned slightly.

"Merla see momma work?" Merla asked. Lyra wanted to say no, but Meena lifted an eyebrow slightly.

"Tell you what, I'll go with you both, and make sure Lyra doesn't go near the gate, so Mother Queen won't get upset with her." Meena said, which made Merla grin.

"Meena belong Merla. Meena good. Make band reward." Merla said with a wide smile. Meena blushed, while Lyra rolled her eyes. Taen lightly tapped Merla's nose.

"You naughty girl. You shouldn't do so much so early in life. You have plenty of time to decorate your mate when you grow up." Taen said.

"When grow, made more." Merla licked her fangs. "Like momma." She lowered her eyes to Lyra's belly. "Merla protect little sister. Need practice." She lifted her eyes once again.

"Momma! Go work!"

* * *

"Gendran Taen, is it 'bring your baby to work' day?" The orc on duty asked with a cold look in her eyes. Merla stared at the orc.

"I am no longer a gendran, Thrull Yeshra. Due to my failure, I have been demoted to Ninn, and must work for the next month without pay." Taen said and bowed respectfully.

"I was not informed. You know the drill then. Take your post, Ninn Taen." Yeshra didn't intend to give Taen a hard time, and now that she was pinned with a stare by Merla, she felt an unusual desire not to anger that child.

"Merla, do not cause trouble." Taen said. "I have to go to work. Be good for your mother." She kissed Merla on the cheek, and walked up the stairs to the top of the gate.

"What momma do?" Merla asked.

"Your mother is a guard." Yeshra said. "It's an important position. The guards protect our homes, and keep an eye on the forest. Sometimes wild beasts come close to the walls, and need to be killed."

"Like that?" Merla pointed. Yeshra's cheeks twitched.

"Merla?" Meena asked.

"Big, like momma. Four legs. Big tusks, like momma. Red eyes." Merla said and pointed to the wall. Yeshra turned.

"Is it possible?" She whispered. She made a snap decision. "Ninn Taen! Scan for hostiles!"

* * *

Lyra wanted to take Merla away from the gate, but it was already too late. The gate was in chaos.

"Not one. Three." Merla said. She looked up at Lyra.

"Someone is going to get hurt!" Lyra said, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I just got her healed!" Merla looked outside the gate, while the alarm was rung, and several orcs rushed towards the wooden palisade.

"Lyra, we should leave!" Meena said. "We'll get in the way, and Merla could get hurt!" The gate vibrated. It was chaos.

Orcs formed a line, with spears, and shields. They prepared for a fierce battle as these boars were not small ones. They were as tall as an orc at the shoulder, and more than a few thousand pounds. They could handle one at a time easily, as long as there were two or three orcs, and they weren't elder stone boars.

Unfortunately, Yeshra heard a call from the top of the gate.

"They are elder stone boars!" Taen called out. "Five! now there's five!" The number kept increasing, as it seemed to be a small heard migrating.

"Five?" Meena said. "How many will die?" She whispered fearfully. Merla looked at Lyra, then Meena. She turned to the gate, and began to growl.

"Merla home." Her eyes turned white and a fog began to leak out of her body. "Rok Aganie!"

At the same time the ground began to shake, the boar's tusks had managed to break through the wooden gate. As soon as it pulled back enough to look through, it disappeared from sight.

"A chasm is opening up in front of the gate! The boars have fallen in!" Another orc called out.  She peered over the edge cautiously.  "There are stone spikes in the bottom! All are impaled, but not dead!" Yeshra turned as the fog began to flow behind her, and saw the white eyes of Taen's child.

She heard the magical expression, felt the ground shake and heard the squeals of the boars as they fell into the wide pit in front of the gate.  Yeshra felt a chill run through her manna veins.

"So glad I didn't give Taen a hard time."

* * *

"Report." Lixiss said as Thrull Yeshra knelt down before the throne. Lixiss felt Vanya's hand slide into a handle she wove into her hip bands, one on each side, and pulled her closer.

"There was a stone boar herd in migration, but in an odd pattern. They arrived right at our gate, and were led by five elder stone boars." Yeshra said. Lixiss noticed how her hand seemed to shake.

"How many casualties?" Vanya asked.

"None."

"None?" Lixiss asked. "How was that achieved? Have the Ninns been able to express heavy attack magics?"

"No, Royal Consort Lixiss." Yeshra said. "Ninn Taen went to the top of the wall, but her daughter had visited." Lixiss twitched a bit.

"Continue." Vanya said, and turned away from her wife's figure. She had her attention completely on the report.

"Her daughter detected a boar, so I asked Taen to scan. It was confirmed, but the number grew to three, then five." Yeshra said. "We knew there would be casualties, but we formed up, and were ready to sacrifice our lives for our sisters. The daughter grew angry." She shivered.

"Continue, Thrull Yeshra." Vanya said quietly.

"Her eyes glowed white, she leaked a fog, and she used an expression I've never heard before. It opened a wide and long pit in front of the gate, and filled it will razor sharp stone spikes. The first two fell in the pit right away. The other three had already started to charge, and landed in the pit." Yeshra shivered again.

"So the Ninns finished them off?" Yeshra nodded at Lixiss's question. "What was the expression? Be careful to not infuse manna into the expression."

"Rok Aganie.  Agony of the Stone."