Steady Pulse

Chimera’s intuition had been spot on. As she grew rounder with their steadily growing children, Aliana's mobility decreased more and more. Where she had once been able to maintain all of her daily routines, now she was down to simple gardening tasks, mixing potions, concoctions, and medicines in her alchemical study, and relaxing. She didn’t try to push herself like Viper had done, too afraid to harm the delicate lives inside her womb. Chimera saw to her every need with diligence and patience, and never once did he allow her to feel like a burden. She appreciated his involvement in the pregnancy more than she could express.

Today, Chimera came to rouse her from her rest to help her get some exercise and fresh air, which Ali was grateful for. Together they exited their shared bedroom and leisurely made their way into the atrium—only to find a strange world awaiting them. Glowing blue crystals protruded from almost every surface on the walls and floor, growing like barnacles on the side of a ship. Wide aqua eyes studied the strange glowing objects that had invaded their home like parasites, marveling at the light they emitted, yet also unnerved by their sudden appearance. She glanced to Chimera at her side, looking to him for answers, but he seemed just as perplexed as she did. He told her to stay close, and she nodded silently. She had no intentions of leaving his side now.

Aliana followed close to Chimera, feeling an overwhelming urge of motherly protection for their family inside her. The crystals didn't seem inherently dangerous, but she had no idea what they were. The two wolves approached the large tree, her eyes roaming over the crystalline growths covering its roots and bark. They didn't seem like they had burst from within the tree, but were growing on it instead. Were they some sort of bacteria or virus? Chimera carefully touched one, and the glow intensified for a moment before fading away. Drawing closer to a cluster of the crystals, Aliana watched the way they hummed with light. It took her a moment of intrigued staring before she realized they had a rhythm. Some were glowing in time with her beating heart. The rest were glowing in the same rhythm, but at a slightly faster tempo. Faster heartbeats. Or maybe she was just being silly and paranoid. "Where did they come from?" she asked aloud, more rhetorical than seeking an answer from her mate.

"Aliana"