All in a Day's Work

Khord returns from his mission and speaks to Sophia about their unborn daughters.

29.

All in a Day’s Work

 

Khord was relieved to find the office empty when he teleported back to Flux.   The lack of the smell of recent Dart’loxinchu smoke told him that Sophia and Eioldth had not yet returned from their audience with Yesh.

 

He never knew for sure what time it would be when he returned to Flux, for time seemed to flow a bit differently there than it did back in Synomenia.   Everyone had left the Museum and Offices for the day and the clocks read nearly 7 PM, so he quickly changed clothes and decided to call it a day.

 

Hopefully, his visit to the newlyweds would not get him into too much trouble.   But he had fretted that the two would be too consumed with desire for each other and would ruin the needed magic to enter the tower.   Too much was on the line to allow something so preventable from occurring.

 

Of course, Sophie would already have been told by Yesh what to do about his little visit to the Sylvan Kingdom.   He both dreaded and anxiously anticipated her return.

 

The trip across town did little to relax him.   It was early winter in the city-state, but the snow had not yet begun to fall here.   It was all artificially controlled though, so even though no-one knew when the snow would fall, it was fairly predicable when it would occur.

 

People were returning from dinner throughout the city, so the streets were full of relaxed, casual couples and groups.   He wove through them, too distracted in his own thoughts to notice any of them.   Sometimes he wished that he and Sophie could just live in Synomenia without any knowledge of Flux at all.

 

There they would have family and more friends, but on the other side, they’d still be in the middle of the drama, helping them against those that threatened them.   So even there, it would be stressful.

 

The ride up the elevator reaffirmed his desire for a house rather than an apartment.   There were new homes outside of Flux proper on wooded land, and it would be a perfect place to raise children.    The thought of being a father of twin daughters both excited him and scared him to death.   Of course he knew they would be girls, for Sophie’s Dart’loxinchu addiction dictated that.

 

They’d be perfectly healthy, but would be born addicted to the magic drug just as their mother had been.   That fact really bothered him, for he didn’t want to see them slaves to Dart’loxinchu at a young age.   Sophie had made it through her childhood without trying her mother’s Dart’loxinchu cigarettes, but Zeatt had not been nearly as addicted as Sophie.

 

Could he stop them from taking up the habit?   Aurei had never succumbed to it, but of course she had been raised by humans with it not present.   He knew that Sophie wouldn’t refrain from smoking around them.    For she labored under the idea that daughters born to a mother addicted to Dart’loxinchu would already be helplessly addicted as well, and would suffer if the enchanted smoke was removed permanently from their presence.

 

In a way, he wished that there were some bad health consequence for smoking Dart’loxinchu, as there was with inhaling smoke of tobacco or other drugs.   Then maybe he could persuade her to at least keep it away from them while they were young.

 

But he knew Sophie would adamantly refuse.

 

The elevator door opened and he walked across the hall to their apartment, started to unlock the door, but found it unlocked.   Alarms went off in his head as he pushed it open.   She stood leaning against the doorway arch leading into their small ‘dining room’ glancing through the glass patio doors out to their balcony.

It was a frequent ritual of hers on one of those rare days where they were apart doing different jobs, when she got home first.    She’d light candles throughout the apartment, put on some soft music, dressed in a very skimpy see-through negligee and stand around chain-smoking nervously until he got home.

 

Even though he disapproved of her habit, she knew there was something about seeing her in that setting that always fueled an intense desire for her, which would result in a wonderful, exhausting night.

 

He had thought when she had learned that she was pregnant, this would all change - at least for a while.   It had for some months as she experienced bad morning sickness.   But that had passed and she had found her expectant state had heightened her hunger for him.    So when he saw her there leaning against the archway in the thick haze of Dart’loxinchu smoke, with her huge pregnant belly thrust out in the maternity negligee that she had recently bought, his desire for her was as intense as ever.

 

She came over to him without a word and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him wildly and pulling him with her to their bedroom.

 

***

 

She lay against him, hours later, her ashtray resting on her belly, blowing smoke rings as they recovered from their passion.

“So,” she said lazily, “I hear that you visited Aedric and Snoe on their wedding night.”

“Yes, it was very awkward, but I feared they’d mess up Helios’ chess wards if I didn’t.”

 

She blew smoke lazily his way, “I can understand that.    Let’s see, ‘Reluctant King, Virgin Queen…’.”

“That second verse especially.”

“And to think that refers to shy Snoe.”

“She’s growing up, Sophie.”

“How did they take the news?”

“I honestly think they both were relieved!”

“Relieved?!   They were scared of sex?”

“It seemed that way to me.”

“So it could be ‘Virgin King’ too!”

“Apparently.”

 

Sophia laughed and rubbed her swollen belly, “But not for long, I imagine.”

“They have to refrain until they have gained access to the tower, at least.”

“Well, speaking of ‘refraining’, as you can guess, Yesh has now officially commanded us to not interfere in their situation, until He tells us to do so.   He knew you were going to contact them, and of course He allowed it as it was His will all along, but that is the end of it.”

“How did Eioldth do, meeting with The Lord?”

“Wonderful - she was so comfortable, and she is going to easily handle the job.   I should have no worries during maternity leave, except perhaps getting my old job back!”   She laughed, but noticing something was bothering him, she leaned up on her elbows, “Okay, tell me what is on your mind.”

“I was just thinking about our daughters, Sophie.   You know that Aurei wasn’t addicted to Dart’loxinchu when we met her, so if you didn’t smoke-“

 

Sophia just rolled her eyes in exasperation, “Will you PLEASE stop worrying!   Dart’loxinchu won’t hurt them!   I’ve told you this a thousand times!   I’m not even worried about the effects on you now after what Yesh told me that he did for you.   Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“Because I didn’t want you to think that would give you free-reign to smoke more.”

 

Sophia just grinned mischievously, “Well, now I know, so there is no excuse for you, mister.   I plan on buying larger ashtrays tomorrow and putting them in every room!”

“Don’t get carried away, Sophie!”

“Well, it would suit you right, for going behind my back.”

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Well, stop worrying; it won’t hurt them or me.”

“Yes, but they’ll be addicted like you are.   Slaves to the Drug.”

“I think it’s too late now, Khord!” She patted her belly.

“Just promise me that you will let them decide whether they like it or not, just like your Mom did with you.”

“That is an easy promise to agree to, because I know they’ll love Dart’loxinchu as much as I do.”

“That doesn’t bother you?   Wouldn’t you rather see them addiction free?”

“I understand it, Khord, and look at it far differently than you look at it.    But if it will ease your mind, I will promise that I won’t try to make them like it.   If they show withdrawal signs; I will not let them suffer, but if they have no withdrawal, I will let them decide for themselves.”

“Thank you, sweetheart, that is all I ask.” He kissed her and then quickly changed the topic of discussion, “So is there any new news I should know?”

“Well, they are going to pass dangerously close to a band of Faesidhe rebels tomorrow, so that is what we need to focus on.”

“Our work is never done.” He said with a sigh.

“Except during maternity leave.” She replied, hugging him close.