Chapter Eleven

Ivy was feeling weaker. Her mouth was dry, and her legs ached with the exertion of walking. The blurriness had returned to her vision so much that she could barely see anything in front of her and relied on the feeling of Ellora beside her to feel sure that she as still following the right path. Mhavrych led them through the trees, his path winding and seemingly random, and then they dipped down a steep hill. At the bottom was what looked like the entrance to a cave inset into the ground. Mhavrych dropped down into it and Ellora walked around behind Ivy to help her lower herself down through the entrance. Ivy felt Mhavrych take hold of her and help her the rest of the way down. When Ellora dropped down behind her, they continued forward into the cooler dampness of the cave.

They had gotten through two further caverns when Ivy sudden felt a pain shoot through her lower back. She cried out and reached for Ellora, finding the only strength and security that she could in the woman who had struggled to accept her but was now the closest thing to family that she had with her. Another pain shot through her and Ivy felt her knees weaken. She couldn’t hold herself up any longer and she crumbled to the damp ground.

“Ivy!” Ellora gasped, trying to support her as much as she could so that she didn’t fall with all of her weight to the ground.

Ivy had scarcely recovered from the last intense pain when another, even harsher pain caused her back to arch and tears to spring to her eyes.

“Maxim!” she cried out.

She knew it was inevitable now. The baby was coming. She wasn’t going to be able to get any further, she wasn’t going to make it to Penthos. A sob tore from her chest and she lay back, letting her body tell her what it wanted.

“Maxim,” she said again, less a scream this time than a plea.

“Please,” she heard Ellora say. “Please.”

Without saying a word, Mhavrych turned and she heard his footsteps pounding away from her, going deeper into the cavern. Ellora sat down beside her and Ivy felt her lift her head so that it settled onto a folded blanket. The pain was coursing through her with greater frequency now and Ivy fought to regain control. She was desperate to have Maxim beside her, but all she could do was wait.

****

Maxim felt like the world was closing in tighter around him as he walked until he could hear his breath seeming to reverberate off of some unseen barriers that surrounded him. He had found nothing but a seemingly endless expanse of sand and even now that he could look over his shoulder and no longer see the ship he felt that he had made no progress. Rather than making him want to turn back and return to the ship and to the bed that he had abandoned, this only compelled him to keep going. He couldn’t go back without having found something to justify their return.

The feeling of eyes on him had his skin prickled and now it was feeling more pronounced. Maxim couldn’t tell if the increased feeling was only because of the masking of the darkness or because he was actually detecting something that had changed around him. He couldn’t let it stop him and he pushed on, lifting his light higher to provide more illumination to the sand so he could follow it ahead.

Suddenly from behind him he heard what sounded like a shuddering breath. Maxim paused and strained for more of the sound. He hoped that it had been his own breath, merely amplified in his ears by the rest of the silence that seemed to stretch on all sides of him. Within a few seconds, though, he heard the sound again, louder this time, and knew that there was someone else close by and drawing steadily closer. He whipped around, his hand moving to his hip.

****

Ivy clutched Ellora’s hand, letting it support her through the surge of pain that took her breath away. She still hadn’t opened her eyes again since Mhavrych left. Opening her eyes would mean that she had to confront the emptiness of the cavern, that she would have to accept that Maxim still wasn’t there. When the pain eased enough that she could breathe again, she blew out a breath and concentrated on letting her muscles relax.

“How are you feeling?” Ellora asked. “Are you feeling any pressure?”

Ivy nodded. She gestured at her back and around the front of her belly.

“It hurts,” she murmured.

“I know,” Ellora said. Ivy felt Ellora’s hand brush her forehead, smoothing sweaty tendrils of hair away. “I think it’s time to get undressed,” she said gently. “I’ll lay out a blanket for you.”

It was becoming so incredibly real, so quickly. Ivy let Ellora help her undress and felt her slip a soft, thin gown over her head, so it settled over her body but didn’t constrain her in any way. She settled onto the blanket that Ellora had spread out across the ground and laid back to rest her head on the folded blanket again. As a light cloth came down over her, Ivy opened her eyes and looked at Ellora.

“I wish Maxim was here,” she said.

Ellora nodded, the emotion clear in her eyes as they reflected the glow from a torch that had been lit on the wall over her head.

“Trust Mhavrych,” she said, giving the same advice that she had at the beginning of their walk.

“Who is he?” Ivy asked.

“I don’t know,” Ellora said, “but I do know that he knew Aegeus and that he saved Kyven.”

Ivy suddenly remembered where she had heard his name.

“That was him,” she said. “He saved Kyven on Penthos. He’s the reason Kyven and Emerie are alive.”

Ellora nodded. Ivy started to say something, but a pain even stronger than any of the others tore through her. She gritted her teeth and gripped at the blanket on either side of her.

“Don’t fight,” Ellora told her. “Your body knows what it’s doing. Just let it.”

Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes as she focused on the image of Maxim’s face in her mind.

****

Maxim’s hand touched the coarse fabric of his pants and he realized that he hadn’t picked up his weapon before leaving his pod in the ship. He couldn’t believe that he had made such an incredible mistake. The breath came again, but it sounded like it was behind him again, as if whatever was there with him was following his movements, taunting him. Armed only with the lightstick in his hand, Maxim turned again and immediately felt something hard hit him in the stomach.

Grunting at the impact, Maxim stumbled back, struggling to right himself. He couldn’t overcome the impact and hit the ground. His head slammed back into the sand and bright spots burst in front of his eyes. The lightstick fell from his hand and fell, digging down into the sand. Though it cast him into deeper darkness, it freed his hands, reminding him that he could still fight back. Maxim clawed at the figure that had come down on top of him, trying to pull it away. He managed to take hold of fabric on the figure’s back and pull up so that the pressure of its weight on top of him eased. Maxim took the opportunity to bend his knees and turn up one foot, panting it into the creature’s gut and using the power of his legs to send it flying backwards off of him.

Not wasting a second, Maxim scrambled to his feet and rushed toward the lightstick so that he could dig it out of the sand. He pulled it out, but set it on the surface of the sand again so that his hands remained free, but he would have the advantage of the light that would allow him to see what he was battling. Whatever it was had retreated into the shadow at the edge of the circle of illumination created by the lightstick, keeping itself concealed. They seemed to be locked in place, jockeying for position, but an instant later the figure surged forward again, and they caught in a fearsome clash.

The sand was loose and unstable beneath his feet, making it difficult for Maxim to maintain his footing as he fought off the creature. In the light he could see that it was wearing what looked like a worn dark blue robe, its hands covered with black gloves and its face concealed. He reached up and grasped the hood of the robe, yanking it down so that he could see what it was that he was battling. Rather than revealing the figure’s face, pulling down the hood only revealed that the creature was wearing a black featureless mask that had only small slits over the eyes and one over the mouth. Maxim could see the ends of ties coming down from the back of the mask and trailing over the figure’s shoulder.

Removing his hood seemed to have infuriated the figure and he let out a growl, forcing himself forward to take Maxim off of his feet again. There was an almost frantic, determined nature in the fight and Maxim wondered if this person was fighting so hard against him because he knew who he was, or because he was just one of the people on the planet, making him a target of the hybrid army and of the Valdicians.

****

Ivy felt sweat streaming down the sides of her face and the muscles of her legs shaking as she struggled through another wave of the searing pain. She could feel the baby moving within her, sinking lower in her body as it prepared for birth.

“Ivy,” Ellora said from beside her. “I need you to listen to me. I have witnessed births before, but only in Mikana women. I have heard from the midwives that human babies are born differently than Mikana babies, but I know very little about it. I’m not sure what to expect, but I promise you that I’m right here and I’m going to do anything that I can to help you.”

“Tell me,” Ivy said through the raged breaths that came at the end of the one of the pains. “Tell me what’s going to happen.”

“I don’t know,” Ellora told her. “I don’t want to say anything that might frighten you.”

“Please, tell me.”

Another pain hit, and Ivy felt excruciating pressure in her hips. Everything was happening so fast. She didn’t think that she was ready. She didn’t feel like she knew what to do. She longed for Maxim, her soul feeling as though it was tearing with the agony of being away from him in this moment. Suddenly a calm came over her. It didn’t matter if she felt like she was ready. She had no choice. All that she could do was be as brave and as strong as Maxim and give of herself to whatever her baby required of her. Though the pain was coursing through her with greater intensity and near-constant frequency now, Ivy felt herself relax. Peace settled through her and she focused inward, concentrating not only the pain, but on what the pain represented. With each breath that she suffered through, she was closer to bringing her baby into the world. Her body was no longer hers. It was a tool, an instrument that had been protecting this child and was now going to usher it into life.

Everything around her seemed to fall away and she felt the birth begin.

****

Maxim felt the sharp pain of a blade down his back and realized that the figure had a weapon that he hadn’t seen. Rather than trying to pull out of the way, he forced all of his bodyweight forward. The sudden movement achieved his goal of pushing the creature off-balance and it stumbled, the pressure of the blade against Maxim’s back lessening until he felt only the lingering pain of the wound. He kicked the figure in the gut again, causing it to fall. As it did, however, it swept one of its legs around to catch Maxim by the ankles and send him crashing into the sand again. Before Maxim could process what had happened, the figure’s weight was on him again and they were grappling, both trying to overcome the other through brute strength.

Maxim looked to the side and saw that the figure had managed to maintain hold of the blade. It was coming toward him, the figure’s immense strength starting to fold Maxim’s arm so that the sharp edge was threatening his eyes. He gathered all of the power within him and forced the arm back, pointing the blade down. Spinning around, he thrust his elbow up into the creature’s throat and then down into its gut. The creature stumbled back slightly, and Maxim used his continued grip on its wrist to pull the knife toward him, so he could pry it from the figure’s hand. Before he could fully loosen it, however, he felt a hard punch to the back of his head and his legs went shaky.

He was starting to feel weakened, the exhaustion of the day and the intensity of the fight dragging him down. Suddenly he saw a piercing bright white light burst around him. It seared into his eyes and stilled his movements. Though he was startled by the light, he was instantly aware that the creature had stopped just as he had. He heard a growl and a deep grunt as the feeling of the figure’s grip on him disappeared. The burn in his eyes started to fade and Maxim was able to see another figure clashing with the first. When he felt like he was able to react, he rushed forward, joining the fray. Within a few moments, the figure that had attacked him lay sprawled on the sand, blood trickling from the slit in its mask.

Maxim turned to the second figure. He saw the stern face of a young man staring back at him.

“Are you Maxim?” the man asked.

Maxim nodded.

“Yes,” he said breathlessly. “Who are—"

Before he could finish the question, the man cut him off.

“You need to come with me. It’s about Ivy.”

The words were instantly sobering, and Maxim nodded. The man scooped a glowing ball from the sand and started off across the desert at a run, Maxim falling into step beside him.

****

“You’re doing so well,” Ellora said. “Keep going. You can do this, Ivy.”

Ivy could hear the words, but they were little more than a stream of sound. All of her focus was on the indescribable feeling moving through her and her determination to see it through. She drew in a breath and pushed again, concentrating on drawing the emotion and love from the image of Maxim in her mind and driving it deep within her to make each of her pushes more powerful. Her body was responding, but something felt strange. Though she had no reference for what this moment should feel like, her mind was struggling to interpret what was happening.

Ellora gasped and Ivy’s eyes opened. For a moment she thought that she was still visualizing Maxim, but then she realized that it was truly him there with her, his beautiful face hovering just inches away. He was kneeling beside her and he took her hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss it.

“I’m here,” he said.

That was all she needed to hear. With one more push, she felt an almost unbearable pressure and a sharp, searing pain and she screamed with it, using the surge to push harder until she felt a rush of relief. She collapsed back against the folded blanket, gasping for breath. Around her she could hear Ellora and Maxim gasping and cheering, their enthusiasm bringing a laugh to her lips. Finally, Ivy opened her eyes, but immediately the smile melted from her lips and she felt herself recoiling.

Rather than cradling a beautiful baby in her arms, Ellora was holding what looked like a glistening green bundle of leaves. Ivy scrambled up to a sitting position, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Maxim looked at her and immediately reached his hand toward her.

“It’s alright,” he said. “Ivy, calm down. It’s alright.”

Ivy shook her head, tears streaming down her face. She didn’t understand what was happening and all of the fear that she had felt when she was laboring came surging back with sharper definition. Ellora handed the bundle of leaves to Maxim.

“Ivy, look. Watch.”

Ellora sounded calm and Ivy forced herself to stay in place, looking to Maxim. He was holding the leaves in the crook of one arm and gazing down at it adoringly. He brought his other hand up to the leaves and peeled one out of the way. The pressure of his fingers seemed to start a reaction within the bundle and Ivy saw it shifting, then the individual leaves seemed to swell. Quickly Ivy realized that they weren’t swelling, but opening. The fear within her started to quiet as awe took over.

The green outer layer of the bundle opened and fell away, revealing what looked like bright pink flower petals. An instant later they, too, began to open. The blooming laced the air with a sweet, perfumed smell and Ivy breathed it in. It was oddly familiar though she knew that she had never smelled it before. There were several layers of petals, but soon she noticed that there was something more within the petals. As the final ones fell away, she could see a tiny baby nestled on the layer that was pinned against Maxim’s arm.

Ivy gasped, the tears flowing fresh again. She laughed through the tears, reaching her hands out for the baby. Maxim tenderly handed it to her, moving the remaining flower petals and leaves away. As Ivy gazed down at the baby she noticed Ellora gathering up the leaves and petals and slipping them into her bag.

“I’ll dry them for you and make them into a tea,” she said. “It will help you to regain your strength.”

Ivy looked back at the baby and lifted one finger to run it along the baby’s velvety cheek. She spent a few moments looking over its tiny body, checking every little finger and the rise and fall of its chest. The baby straightened out one little leg and Ivy marveled at the precious toes.

“She’s so beautiful,” she whispered.

The feeling of love that came over her was breathtaking. It was beyond anything that she could have imagined and instantly she knew that this was what she had always been meant to do. She may not have ever thought that she was going to be a mother, but this baby girl had known better and chosen her, and now Ivy’s life was devoted to loving her and Maxim with everything that she could gather from within herself.

“She’s the first baby to be born on Penthos.”

Ivy looked up at Mhavrych in shock.

“Penthos?” she asked. “We’re on Penthos?”

“Yes,” he said, “and your daughter is unique among all living beings. She is the first purposeful blend of human and Mikana, and the first to begin her life on Penthos. Her birth has begun a species.”

Maxim took the baby from Ivy’s arms and wrapped her in the blanket that Ellora had made so many years before. He cradled her in his arms, stroking her face tenderly.

“We have claimed this world. All conflict here has to be resolved. This is her planet now and it has to be at peace.”

Ivy wanted nothing more than to continue watching Maxim hold their child, but she could feel the exhaustion of the labor and birth draining her. Ellora came to her side again and rested her hand on Ivy’s forehead, then gently covered her again with the cloth.

“Rest now,” she said. “You did it.”

Maxim leaned down and touched his lips to hers, the kiss holding more than any other ever had.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you.”

****

Maxim followed Mhavrych back through the cavern and up the gradual incline out into the quarry. Just as he had assumed, this quarry was close by where he had been attacked, similar to the one that was closer to the compound. He had confirmed that there were several of them scattered across the planet and were the source of the stones used to craft the buildings and the surrounding wall of the compound.

Despite the fight that he had encountered less than an hour before, Maxim felt safe and secure as he stepped out onto the rocks of the quarry. He held his new daughter close to his chest, turning her so that her tiny face was directed up at the sky. He wanted her to see the stars, though few and faint on Penthos. One day she would see the abundant, sparkling stars of Uoria, but these were hers, the stars that defined a planet that now belonged rightfully and truly to her.

Ivy slept peacefully in the cavern below, the rest well-earned. He would allow her to sleep for a while longer before they decided where they would go next. All had changed, suddenly and beautifully. He didn’t know if he should bring them back to the ship so that they could then go to the compound with him, or if he should send them back to Uoria where they could stay in the kingdom. They would decide later. For now, he wanted to savor these perfect first moments of his daughter’s life.

Ellora came up behind him and rested her hand on his back. Maxim turned and looked at her. She gazed up at him with tender unspoken emotion in her eyes. He offered the baby to her, settling her into his mother’s arms so that his daughter could feel the same loving embrace that had welcomed her into life.

“Maxim!”

He heard his name from the darkness ahead and looked out toward it. The glow of a lightstick was coming toward them at a fast pace and he narrowed his eyes in an effort to see through it. Being in the quarry seemed to manipulate the sound so that he couldn’t recognize the voice.

“Maxim!”

He heard his name again and it was closer this time, helping to overcome the warping effect of the quarry so that he knew exactly who had come across the desert to find him. He turned toward Ellora.

“Mama,” he started, not sure how to say the words that were hovering in his mouth.

He didn’t have to.

The glow from the lightstick came to the edge of the quarry and surrounded a figure standing just yards away, his silhouette strong against the green light and the thick darkness behind him. He paused and looked into the depth of the quarry, his movements stalling.

“Ellora.”

Her eyes snapped to the edge of the quarry and the sound of the voice she thought she would never hear again.

“Aegeus.”

To be continued…