Chapter 8

She recovered quickly from the birth, and soon was anxious to take their new daughter out to show her off to the neighbors.  They were the last of the couples married, and had been the last of the couples to produce offspring.  How Estrella had longed for a baby of her own when her friends would bring their little one's over to visit, it seemed hardly believable that  her little girl was here.

Kyla grew fast, before Estrella knew it she was walking all over the place, and talking up a storm.  She was as inquisitive about life as her mother had been, and as ornery as her father.  The days of Estrella and Trae being inseparable were over now, Estrella frequently had to stay home with their little girl while Trae hunted, but she didn't mind, she loved every moment of being Kyla's mom.

Estrella was shocked when the news reached her, Kern was a widower, with two tiny babies left to raise alone.  Duray had died a few days after giving Kern a daughter.  Estrella traveled over to visit her brother as soon as she heard the news.  He was devastated, he had loved Duray with his whole heart, and her sudden departure from life had left him shattered.  Estrella stayed with him for a few days, helping with the baby and just giving her brother a shoulder to lean on.

Trae was amused by his Shelan's new love for visiting, of course her extended visit to Kern was completely understandable, but it seemed she was off visiting one of their neighbors now at least once a week.  He couldn't blame her really though, he loved showing their little girl off as much as she did.  It seemed the older Kyla got the more charming she became.  He had seen that little girl turn the most macho of the warriors into babbling fools with her smiles and giggles.  Any of the warriors would do just about anything to protect her and keep her happy.

"They found the Coven, but failed to eliminate any of them, they seem to be growing stronger, Torek was injured pretty bad in the fight, and we almost lost Gideon."  Jareth sat with his wife over breakfast, he had returned home less then an hour before, and was exhausted from the journey and the battle, but he knew Celia anxiously awaited any news he had to share.  "Maybe the old timers should retire and leave the battles to the young men.  Marrok's youngest is growing into a fine warrior and soon it will be time to start training our own children."

Celia looked over at her husband, so primitive in so many ways, he still clung to many of his old customs, but for her he had gentled a lot.  She remembered her wedding day now with just a shade of embarrassment, how doomed she had felt.  That changed, not immediately, their wedding night had been brutal, and she was left feeling even more terrified of her husband after the event.

Time changed it though, when she gave him their son, then she saw how gentle he could be. Finally she gave him the chance her mother had begged her to give.  They started talking really talking after that and he explained to her that he was only keeping with their ways, and she accepted a bit of roughness as she knew it pleased him, and though reluctant to admit it, she found she enjoyed just a bit of pain, but he never took it so far again. Watching him with their little daughter, melted her heart completely towards him, when he looked at her and held her, well as far as Celia was concerned he could walk on water!

"Perhaps we should call another meeting, before things get worse, is there any sign of them multiplying?" She knew he could smell how frightened she was, his nose was good for that, he knew how she was feeling often before she even knew.

 "Nay my wife, as far as we could tell, and from Estrella's reports of her time in there, there are only males, so they can't multiply, not unless Moldak has a new trick up his sleeve.  Not even Moldar himself can reproduce without a female!"  It was their greatest fear, they would acquire a female and breed more of them, more of them when they weren't able to get a handle on the few that already plagued their island.  "Seems they aren't doing much right now, which makes us all a bit jumpy, they are up to something, we just don't know what it is!"

" Estrella, are you sure Jareth shouldn't escort you home, it is awfully late."  Estrella smiled at her friend, "Nay I have Moldar to protect us, we shall be just fine!"
He watched them from afar, her carrying the girl child..the child held their future in her and he had been given the privilege of making sure she fulfilled the destiny his master had planned for her.  His master wouldn't be kept weak for long, already his feeding from their time with the child's mother had strengthened him, now it was just a matter of time before he would be as strong as he was in the before and as he strengthened so would they.  The shadowy figured passed quickly out of sight, for now he had other matters he had to attend to immediately.

Chapter 7

He would give just about anything to see her able to hold one meal down.  It seemed she brought them back up as quickly as she got them down.  It had quickly become a battle to get her to even try eating, she just wasn't interested in food.  He couldn't blame her really, but she was already so thin, he hated to think of what would happen if she lost any more weight.

Life was good for both of them, mostly.  Estrella still woke several times in the night, and if he wasn't in the bed she went into a panic.  She still heard the voices whispering threats and promises to her, she didn't tell him, but he could see it in her eyes.  Despite all that, she seemed intent on living for the moment, and that moment included him, a very lucky, happy him!

They did everything together, whether it was gardening or fishing, or visiting relatives and friends they were inseparable.  Neither of them minded, they both seemed to have this intense need for constant touch. Their nights were lit with the flames of desire. He would have never guessed the passion that would flow out of his tiny bride, the enthusiasm she would have for lovemaking.

That faded away shortly after the vomiting had begun.  Now she seemed to have little energy for more then the daily work they had to do to survive.  He was worried about her afraid she had caught the same illness that had destroyed his family.

It ended as quickly as it began, one day she woke up starving, and the vomiting stopped.  He didn't understand what it was, couldn't imagine a virus just disappearing like that overnight, but he didn't care, she was well and soon she had put back the weight she had lost.

"Trae, I think I'm having a baby."  she looked so tiny and fragile standing there, wringing her hands,  "I haven't  been visited in almost four months now, and there are other things that are different."  It was as if his eyes had been shut and he hadn't really seen her until she made the announcement, now he could see it, her breasts were fuller, her belly had the tiniest hint of a bulge, why hadn't he noticed or thought about it.

He grabbed her in his arms, "Are you certain? We are going to be parents?  Blessed be Moldar!" He spun her around and she squealed and laughed as he set her back onto the ground.  He wasn't sure what made him happier, knowing they had created a life, or knowing she didn't have some mysterious illness that would kill her.  Childbirth was natural, she was going to be just fine!

The next months there was much to do, a bed had to be fashioned for the baby, and of course there were clothes to be sewn, and blankets to be knitted.  As Estrella grew larger she found the weight of the baby slowed her down.  It was harder to breath, harder to move.  By the end of each day she was happy to sit by the fire with her Helran and work quietly on the baby things and just talk.

She was miserable, he could see it in her eyes, her careful way of moving about the house, he knew that it couldn't be much longer before the baby came, and he couldn't wait.  He wanted his Shelan back, the full of life, bouncing all over, endless energy girl he had married.  He could see her wince every time she bent over, or stood up. He felt her tossing and turning every night in their bed, and had noticed how many nights she would get back up to walk the floors, unable to find a way to sleep.  "It's time little one, come out of your Mama, you are too big to be in her any longer."

Estrella paced about the house unable to get comfortable in the bed.  She had been having pains for several days now, but when she asked her mother about them, she was told they weren't regular enough yet.  Her mother had given her a tea to drink, it was suppose to strengthen her uterus and make labor quick and easy for her.  She had been drinking several cups of it every day for the past week.

She decided she might as well do a bit of cooking to pass the time when another pain ripped across her abdomen, this one was different, and with it came a gush of fluid pooling at the floor.  It was time, finally the baby would be here.

She moved around a lot in the early stages of the labor, walking, and leaning on the wall when the next pain would hit, he felt so helpless, the best he could offer her was a shoulder to lean on, or a massage when the pain was at it worse.  Hours later she still didn't seem much closer then she had been, but her energy was waning, and he was growing concerned for her.

They tried putting her in a squatting position, hoping it would help to move the baby on down, and it seemed to work, the pains came closer together and the pressure increased, until she was certain she couldn't take it a moment longer.

After twelve hours, she no longer could stand to walk or squat, and so he lifted her on to the bed and held her as each pain left her breathless and exhausted, and they kept coming, one after another, with no signs of stopping.  "Birth is natural,"  became his chant as he tried to keep himself calm for his Shelan, "This is all natural, women are made for this, it's all going to be ok."

Darkness came  yet again, and another dawn, still no baby, he wondered if it would ever happen, she had been in agony now for over twenty four hours, but something had changed, she was shaking now, and had thrown up twice in the past hour, and in the last few moments she had begun making tiny moans followed by what sounded like little grunts.  

Estrella was exhausted, she didn't know how she would do anymore then she had already, her body had other plans, and the pressure was unbelievable, as was the pain, she had only one choice, to push as if her child's life depended on it. She could feel the baby moving down the canal, the head trying to come out of her, but each time she stopped pushing it would slip back inside.













"Estrella, push little Shelan, push hard, it's time for our baby to come out!"  He was worried, she had been pushing for over two hours and nothing seemed to be happening, and he noticed her pushes were getting weaker.   Estrella heard her Helran through the fog, heard the worry in his voice, and somewhere deep inside her a strength awakened, she pulled herself up and pushed with everything she had.

"I can't something's wrong, its stuck, Trae, the baby isn't coming any further!  It hurts!"  She screamed again, a familiar sound as their infant's head had finally begun emerging out of her, tearing her.  Now the head was delivered, and once again her pushes were not producing anything.

Trae heard a voice inside his head, soothing and strong, "Turn the baby Trae, the shoulder is stuck, just give it a little turn and help it out."  He did as he was told, as his Shelan screamed in pain, he finished bringing their child into the world.  He knew then that Moldar had been there with them through it all, and with a shudder wondered if the outcome would have been much different without his help. His Shelan fell onto the bed exhausted as he wiped off their little one and wrapped the baby up.

"A beautiful baby girl, we have a girl Shelan!" Never in the world's history had a papa been so happy to see his first daughter, "We should name her Kyla, our beautiful baby girl, look at her my Tiny Star, look what we created together!"  Estrella sat up as far as she was able and gazed down at her little daughter, a smile spreading across her lips.  Their love have made her, and their love would surround her.

Trae tiptoed out of the bedroom after helping Estrella get cleaned up and changed, carrying his daughter with him, he looked down at her tiny face, and over at her mother, both of them sleeping peacefully.  He knew he would go to hell itself to save either of them.

Chapter 6

Being a humanoid had it's advantages, Estrella was healed from her injuries days after the event.  Her emotional scars ran much deeper though. Estrella was no longer able to sleep out in her hut alone, her mother had taken to sleeping with her.  The nightmares prevented her from ever getting a full nights sleep.

Fire was another hurdle she had to overcome, every part of their life dealt with fire, from the candles that lit their homes at night, to the flames that warmed them and cooked their food.  Being afraid of fire wasn't really an option, but Estrella was terrified of it.  Oseron did his best to help his daughter overcome her fears, looking at her each day and watching her, he knew she would never be the light hearted sprite of the past, they had stole that from her.

The wedding had been postponed by almost a year to give Estrella time to recover from her ordeal.  The men had searched in the year for the ZeeGogs, but had not succeeded in finding them.  Finally the day had arrived, Estrella had kept busy all morning fixing food for the feast that would follow the wedding, trying to settle the wedding jitters that fluttered in her stomach.

As she stood there under the arch with Traezek she wondered how she had become this girl, a year ago she felt so young and full of life and believed they lived in an eden.  Now she knew the boogeymen were real and they were still out there waiting and whispering to her. She cleared her mind and focused on her groom, happy that he was to be the one to take her to the marriage bed that night.

Her family and friends had all gathered to watch, it was a wedding in the grandest of Fae styles, not ones to ever skimp on a chance for a celebration of love and beauty, the wedding had been planned since the day she was born, trees were transplanted, flowers sown, all to be ready for her big day.

After the ceremony the cake was cut and the feasting began, her mother had outdone her self with the confectionery delight, layers upon layers of sweet strawberry cake, filled with a rich cream frosting.  Everyone exclaimed over not just the cake but the entire event.  It was decided, when it came to weddings no one outdid the Fae.

Estrella mingled with the guest a bit longer, but finally sought retreat back in their home, there her brother and his new wife joined her and her new husband.  Daray was expecting and Estrella gazed at her growing belly with a tinge of envy.  She couldn't wait to have children of her own, she had been taking herbs for the last month, a mixture her mother had made up that was suppose to increase her fertility and give her children easier.  She just hoped they worked.

Finally the time had come for them to leave to their new home, everyone came out to wish them the best, and the jokes began about the wedding night. Estrella tried to hid her nervous fear, smiling as she hugged her parents goodbye.  They were only moving across the path, but right then it seemed like a million miles from the safety of her parents home.

The home was breath taking.  Her Helran had outdone himself in preparing their new dwelling, he had thought of every convenience she thought.  She stood in the bedroom, waiting for him to join her, wondering what the night held for her.

Trae walked in and pulled her into his arms, he could feel her trembling just a bit.  "It's alright, I won't hurt you if I can help it my little Shelan." He gently kissed her, and began helping her out of her gown.  His hands sliding down with the gown as it hit the floor.

He lifted her up into his arms and softly laid her across the bed, kissing her as he lay down beside her.  His hands caressing her arms, and brushing across her nipples. His fingers trailed down, brushing over her navel, and slipping into her soft folds.

 He slowly rubbed until he felt her body begin matching his hands in rhythm, then as the moisture engulfed his fingers he slid them inside of her.  She gasped as did he, he had never imagined a female could be that tiny.  He kept them there, using his thumb on her sensitive flesh, while his finger worked inside her, until he felt safe to slip another one in.

He watched the heat rise up from her chest, spreading across her cheeks, felt her quivering around his fingers, he had managed to work three inside her now, and he hoped it was enough to not cause her too much discomfort when he entered her.  As her body arched up off the bed he watched the way her lips parted in ecstasy  and felt her body clutching his hand inside of it, she continued to arch as he rubbed with his thumb, slowly working himself between her legs.

He knew she was close to climaxing again, without missing a beat, he brought his manhood to her tiny opening , as he began to push inside she cried out, and stopped moving for a moment.  "Relax, my love, don't tense now, please don't tense now, I don't want to cause you more pain." As he spoke he began rubbing her sensitive flesh again until he felt her quivering beneath him, as she arched into him, he pushed into her.

"So tiny, I never thought Moldar would make something so small for someone such as myself!"  He finished and collapsed next to her, pulling her in his arms.

It hurt, it hurt more then she would let him see, she decided.  He had tried to make it easy, but in the end there was blood and pain.  Still she wanted more, she wondered if it was normal, to want something even when it had hurt you.  The pleasure he gave her dulled the throbbing that was now between her legs, suddenly she smiled at the thought, "That throbbing means I'm married in the eyes of Moldar now, I am truly his Shelan in every way."  She fell asleep in his arms with the happy thought dancing around in her heart.

Chapter 5

It was dark in the room, did she really sleep so long?  Estrella slowly became aware of her surroundings, feeling the cold rough stone under her,  realization of what was happening sent icy claws through her body.

She slowly turned her head towards the sound of breathing she heard.

Traezek heard the scream, her scream, it brought him running out of the house, before he realized it was in his head, he heard her scream in his head, heard her pleading for her life, for help.  "We're coming Estrella, please stay strong, we will be there."  It was the best he could do, he just hoped that she could hear him as well.  If she was going to be in his head, he wondered if he would be able to hold onto sanity, hearing her cries and screams made concentrating difficult, almost impossible.

They had all gathered, and began discussing how to find the missing girl.  " The Island isn't that large, I say we split into three teams and spread out, as soon as one team finds them, send for the rest."  Marrok had gathered everyone as soon as Oseron came running to his home with the news that their daughter was missing.

" There's a problem with that, how will we find everyone quickly enough, there isn't time to split, we have to move fast or we won't be recovering a bride, we will be bringing home her corpse."  Oseron paled visibly at the harsh reality Jareth spoke.

Nothing made sense to her anymore, her world had become a kaleidescope of colors, the reds of blood, the black of robes, the green of evil eyes, grey stone, yellow candlelight, colors exploded with each mark placed across her, then she saw the candle being brought over to her, wax dripping onto the floor, and somewhere inside she knew what they would do to her now.
She had no voice left to scream as the hot wax dripped into the open wounds covering her back, tears had long ago dried onto her cheeks, there was nothing left to show the agony they were causing.

" Now we finish this, turn her so I can view the virgin bride we have dedicated to our Master, Moldak."  The High Priest stood at the bottom of the alter, fully robed, he slowly pushed his robe aside, exposing his naked member, "Moldak I annoint this bride for you,  as your servant, my seed is your seed, my pleasure, your pleasure, I feed you so you may grow in strength again.  May this sacrifice be pleasing to you."
He began to climb onto Estrella, now too weak to put up any kind of struggle, to far gone with the pain they had caused her to even notice that her body was about to be violated thoroughly.  The Priests Head snapped over to the side before he was able to finish what he intended to do a sword sliced through the air.

It turned out not to be much of a fight, the ZeeGogs dissapeared  as each warrior attempted to end their life, in the end the warriors stood in the room quite alone, the only sound was a steady drip, coming from the table in the center, where blood pooled on the floor.  They ran over to her, fearful it was too late.