Duality

 

"Lyra." Vanya growled as she was led into the main room of Taen's home. Lixiss grimaced a bit as Vanya's hand grasped her harness firmly, and pulled her off her feet. She lifted her, held her in her arms, and pushed her between her breasts.

"Every time we are in the middle of something, we are asked to come over." Vanya growled again. Lyra lowered her eyes.

"Mother Queen, I apologize." Taen said respectfully. "Talyn will not settle down. She's been fussy for the last two days, and can't be soothed. No matter what we do, she just keeps getting worse. This is not like an orc child at all." Vanya frowned slightly, and set Lixiss on her feet.

"Take me to her, sister. I hope there is nothing wrong, while at the same time, I also hope there is. My master is unhappy about sharing our time with others." Vanya snorted at Lixiss's words, but stayed silent. Lixiss was correct, but at the same time, she didn't wish there to be something wrong as that would make her even more upset than she already felt.

Lixiss tilted her head as she heard Talyn cry like a human baby. She walked into the bedroom. Talyn wouldn't calm down. She reached out her hand, scanned her carefully, and drew her hand back.

"How odd. She's out of balance." Lixiss said softly.

"I don't understand, Lix." Taen said. "What do you mean 'out of balance'?"

"Her manna should normally be placid, and would circulate in her core and manna veins. Right now, her own manna is growing stronger, as it should, but she's rigidly holding on to the manna that flows within her body that isn't her own." Talyn sobbed and sniffed, but seemed to calm a bit as Lixiss scanned her.

"Not right!" Talyn cried out. "Not blue!" She sobbed again and squirmed in discomfort. She looked up at Lyra. "Momma! Blue! Give me blue!" Lyra looked up at Taen, and to Lixiss, her sister.

"She means the blue manna she is used to." Lixiss said, and watched her sister, Taen, open her mouth in surprise. Neither herself, nor Lyra had blue manna. Even her mother's manna was not blue.

"Blue! Give blue!" Talyn cried out. Lyra's face closed up.

"Baby, I can't. My manna is not blue. It never has been blue." Lyra said. Talyn's face scrunched up.

"No blue?" She asked miserably. Lyra sighed, while Taen rolled her eyes, and knelt down.

"You may not know this, baby, but Merla is the only one who can make blue manna." Taen watched as Talyn looked at her mother.

"Merla?" Talyn asked as she sniffled and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was exhausted as it had been two nights since she had been born, and had not been able to sleep without the comfort of the blue manna that swirled within her body.

It was gentle, warm, and transmitted a deep affection for her while it was within her. She had even been flooded with it when she was first born.

"Your sister. The one you bit."

 

* * *

 

Talyn curled up against her mother's belly, finally soothed by the soft and warm manna she's been desperate to feel once again. Her sister, Merla, left the room as quietly as she entered, almost seemingly unnoticed by everyone else within that room. All who belonged to Merla could sense her presence, but Lyra, Lixiss, and Vanya did not appear to notice.

"After two whole days, she's finally fallen asleep." Lyra groaned as she cradled her daughter in her arms. Taen laid down on the bed beside her main wife, and her newborn daughter.

"If not for Merla, her health would have been at risk." Taen said softly. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Merla? But it was her fault in the first place!" Lyra said angrily. Taen opened her eyes and sat up. She glared at Lyra, which startled her. "Taen? Love?" Taen stood up.

"Her fault? Who do you think caused Talyn all the trouble? Who was angry at Merla all the time, and for no damned reason?" Taen grit her teeth. "You blamed her, but all she did was be alive, create new expressions, make artifacts, and help cleanse us of our damage! She saved my life! Even the fact that she died was your fault! Not hers!" Taen growled angrily. "No wonder little Talyn is so messed up! Her fanger mother is an empty nut shell!"

This was the first real argument they had as a couple, but Lyra was shocked that her mate called her an empty nut shell. She just insulted her twice in one statement. Either she was useless as there was no nut in the shell, or her head was empty, and she had no intelligence at all.

Talyn closed her eyes tightly, refusing to open them. She heard her parents argue, but she also listened more closely to the words spoken.

Her sister had died. The sister that didn't get angry at her for biting her. The sister that came back and gently swirled her manna with her own blue manna so she could relax and sleep. That same sister continued to treat her with warmth and affection in spite of how Talyn got angry at her.

Lyra, her fanger mother had cried many times when she was alone, and cradled her belly as she cried. She promised she would not let what happened to Merla happen to her.

In the second half of the pregnancy, orc children gained intelligence, and could learn the language of their mothers. Though she had no reference for what she learned, little Talyn now knew what her mother meant.

Her mother had allowed Merla to die, even though she was now alive. Talyn squeezed her eyes shut, and fell into a fitful sleep.

While in the world of dreams and nightmares, blue manna lit up her dream, and warmed her thoughts. A voice spoke within her mind, and gently soothed her.

'Do not be sad, little sister. Do not be mad at momma either. I will protect you, just as I always have.'

 

* * *

 

The next day, when Talyn woke up from her undisturbed slumber, she greedily fed from her mother's breasts before she decided to get up. Once sated, she crawled forward and used her mother's hip to hold herself up.

"Momma?" Talyn called out as Taen was not in the bed with her, or laying beside Lyra. Taen soon walked into the room, and smiled down at her gently.

"You're awake? Did you sleep properly?" Talyn nodded, and lifted her chin as she looked around. She wanted to lift her eyes up higher so she could see up and over her mother's hip. Taen thought she was precious, lifted her from the bed, and placed her on her hip.

"Where sister?" Talyn asked softly, and laid her head on her mother's shoulder. Taen smiled gently.

"Are you still angry at your sister?" She asked. Talyn shook her head. "She's in the kitchen, eating with Meena and your grandmothers. Did you want to see her?" Talyn nodded, and became subdued as she was carried into the kitchen. She looked down at Merla as her sister looked up at her.

"Momma, let me hold my sister for a bit." Taen gently lowered Talyn so she could sit on her sister's lap. "Your manna is unsettled, little sister. You need to learn how to swirl it to keep it fresh." Merla put her hand on Talyn's back, and gently circulated her manna so she could learn how to do it herself. Talyn's face scrunched up, her lower lip trembled, and unable to handle her emotions, she lowered her mouth to Merla's shoulder, and bit her firmly.

"It's alright, baby sis." Merla said, and gently comforted her. The girl's mouth continued to tremble, and she soon began to bawl.

"Why? Why Merla nice to Talyn? Momma mad at Merla! Talyn mad at Merla!" Talyn cried out, but Merla smiled sadly, and continued to help her circulate her manna within her young body. Merla held her against her chest, and let her cry.

"Why am I nice to Talyn? Because I've wanted to see Talyn since I named you a full cycle ago." Merla said, and her eyes began to glow. A white fog leaked out of her body, and blanketed Talyn in warmth.

Taen watched as the manna fog surrounded both her daughters, but Talyn's face calmed, and her tears stopped. She snuggled in to Merla's neck, her trembling eased off, and she whined a little.

As an orc, she could sense things humans could not. Emotions, and intentions. Strength, and power. Merla had an overwhelming amount of power within her young body, and it made Talyn want to submit, as it was their orcish nature to submit to strength.

While her mother had been angry while she was pregnant, usually at Merla or others, Merla had not responded to her with anger.

She could sense Merla's affection, and her strength through her manna. Her sister was strong, and could harm her if she so wanted. Merla never responded with anger, even though she's bitten her twice in anger.

Merla loved her. For an orc child, that was enough.