"AHHHHHH! MMMMAAAAAA!"
"OH!" Wylen's voice rang like a clear bell amidst the screams and words of encouragement, "I SEE SOMETHING! JAELAN, I SEE SOMETHING!"
Latching on to that single phrase, Jaelan squeezed his eyes shut. Every fiber of his being was screaming. He was certain something was trying to rip through him. A dull, throbbing pressure ached in his gut, and the spasms kept on coming. He couldn't control it. His buttocks clenched.
Another stab of pain assaulted him, and all he could do was scream at the top of his lungs.
He begged to be removed from this misery—prayed to whatever deity was listening that he'd promise them the moon and stars if only they'd make this torture end. He'd rather be gutted and choked with his entrails than suffer any longer. Even death was better than this!
"Jaelan!" Wylen popped his head up and tried to catch his lover's eye. "I see something! A few more minutes, and it will be all over! You got this!"
Jaelan shuddered as another wave of spasms assailed his body.
Whatever it was, he just needed to work a little harder. It was all up to him. He concentrated on Wylen's voice and focused on the words he said. A few more minutes. It would be just a few more minutes, and the torture would end. He just needed to push. He needed to suffer just a little bit more, and then it would all be over. He'd be free of whatever this crazy sickness was.
So gritting his teeth once more, he tightened his already deathly grip on Nokiel and Soral's hands and clenched his muscles.
"AHHHHHHHH!'
Soral and Nokiel replied in tandem. "AHHH!"
Wylen watched in complete amazement as Jaelan's body stretched wider revealing more of a deep golden shell. With every forceful push Jaelan managed to expel, more and more of the egg came into view. Almost hesitantly, Wylen brought his cupped palms to Jaelan's trembling thighs, mesmerized by the golden egg.
Heekam and Minow were doing the best they could at keeping Jaelan's legs spread, practically putting their whole bodies into the task. Surprisingly the warrior still had a lot of power in his body. Restraining him from squeezing his legs shut was proving more complicated than they initially thought. Still, though, they determinedly put all their strength into accomplishing their task, while words of encouragement tumbled off their lips, their biceps rippled as they held on to Jaelan's legs.
On the other side of the tent, the Great Priestess put the final touches on the hypnotized Lady Senisari's body. A few of the priestesses clothed in violet held Lady Senisari's legs open, awaiting the egg.
Any minute now.
It would be any second now.
Wylen held his breath as the egg was pushed halfway out of Jaelan's body. He reached out for it with trembling hands, bloodied fingers coming in contact with the shell first.
As if recognizing Wylen for who he was, the egg suddenly gave off a brilliant yellow light.
An impenetrable silence took over the room as all eyes turned sharply to stare at the mystical object.
Awed, the young warrior almost jerked backward as he felt the egg lurch into his awaiting hands. He froze to the spot, utterly amazed at the thing he was holding. He could feel the heat radiating from the soft, smooth shell, not to mention the slight movements from within the almost translucent egg.
Silence reigned in the tent as everyone just openly gawked at the radiating shell.
Even Jaelan was now staring, the pain almost instantly disappearing once the egg had been removed. Mouth open and face drenched with sweat, he laboriously breathed as he looked upon the golden egg in Wylen's hands.
Tears started to leak down his cheeks again as a foreign feeling filled his heart. His blood pulsed in his ears as he stared at the object in Wylen's hands. It was as if, without anyone telling him, he knew what it was. Knew that he should protect it and keep it safe with him, he wanted to take the egg back.
"Give it to me." He whispered hoarsely.
Wylen looked up, jolted out of his fascination.
"It's mine." Jaelan stretched out his hands, eyes desperately locked on the egg. "Give it to me!"
"Wylen!" The Great Priestess anxiously called, having been warned something like this could occur thanks to Lady Senisari's earlier visions. "Quick! You must hurry!"
"It's mine! Give it back to me!"
Outside, the clamor of thunder sounded, shaking everyone to the core as more lightning illuminated the sky.
"You need to place the egg inside Lady Senisari!" The Great Priestess repeated, eyes watching Jaelan wearily.
It was just as they had thought. The egg had enchanted Jaelan.
"He can't have the egg back! He doesn't have the power to birth it! You must listen, Wylen!"
"Give it to me!" Jaelan screamed and began tugging at his arms, trying to free them from Nokiel and Soral's iron hold. "That's mine! I made it! Give it back!"
Wylen stood there, torn between giving the egg to Jaelan and listening to the Priestess. He looked into Jaelan's eyes. A wildness existed in them he had never seen before. Those midnight orbs that used to gaze at him with adoration and familiarity were different. Cold and wild, like a cornered beast.
Having known this might happen, the others did their best to restrain Jaelan while they turned their heads and instantly called to Wylen, urging him to heed the Priestess's words.
"HE'S CONFUSED, WYLEN!"
"HURRY, STICK IT IN THE PRIESTESS, WYLEN!"
"WE KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN! LISTEN TO US, PLEASE!"
"IT'S THE GOD BLOOD INSIDE HIM! HE CAN'T CARRY THE CHILD! HE'S CONFUSED!"
"HURRY!"
Closing his eyes, Wylen shivered. He could feel something in the egg moving, just small tiny pulses against his palms. There was life in his hands. This was his child. He needed to focus and make the right decision. Not just for them, but for the many people who would depend on his son in the future. His eyelids drifted open, and he once again stared at the golden egg in his hands. He could see tiny veins through the golden shell running directly into a small form in the center. It rhythmically pulsed like a drum in his grasp. Wylen knew what he needed to do. He had to take the reins and take responsibility.
Taking a deep breath, he quickly began to approach Lady Senisari's bed, all the while hearing Jaelan's insistent pleas for the egg to be returned to him.
He mechanically went through the motions, almost unfeeling as he bent down to his knees.
Wylen had to put up a wall inside himself, block out the urgency he felt in his heart to hold on to the egg and not part with it.
He knew deep inside himself that this was what he needed to do.
And so, with a firm resolve, he stretched out his hand with the egg and shoved it as far as it would go.
Lady Senisari's eyes opened as she let out a blood-curdling scream.