3 ch3

By the time Meg was awake Morty was dead asleep and it was too late to change the boys names. Not that the thought had even crossed her mind. No, she was so embarrassed about the previous days events that she was using her silver rank 1 cultivation to flee for her home. Unfortunately for her when she opened the door she found an orc twice her size standing over her, with his hand outstretched as if to knock on the door.

    Meg gulped and was about to slam the door in fear, when an elderly woman's voice distracted her by asking " Is this the Chesires household?"

    Meg distractedly answered "yes"

    "and are you Marianna Farmer Chesire?"

"No, she is my midwife I was staying here while recovering." thinking that she should cover for her actions despite there being no way that anyone would know her intentions to flee the house, she added "I was just starting to feel beter and thought some fresh air would be nice. so I opened the door."

after an uncomfortable pause she said "um I will get Marianna right now." Then slammed the door, only to instantly reopen it and say "how about you come in and take a seat while I get her" then with a blush of embarrassment went to the master bedroom and nocked".

    The shrivelled up old lady looked at her orc bodyguard and whispered "interesting". the guard grunted did a quick security check of the room and dusted off the nicest looking chair. then took up position to the right of it waiting for her to take a seat.

    Ivy meditation was interrupted by a knocking on the door. At first she was annoyed then the thought that perhaps it was Morty missing her which made her super excited. quickly checking herself in the mirror and straightening the black spider ribbon that Morty had given her. she practically ran to the door opening it.

Ivy was distraught to see that it was the terrible woman that tried to take her away from her family yesterday. 

The woman looked almost as stunned as Ivy felt. a moment passed then Ivy acted.

Using Leaf step she jumped out the door to the side and started running to her Moms room. that's when she saw an orc in the room ahead of her knowing that she could not let him stop her she ran up the wall, onto the ceiling, and over his head. as she did this, she noticed a little old lady whom seemed to be muttering "very interesting."

Getting to her Mom's room Ivy started to knock with all that she had.  it was rather adorably soft and if Marrianna had not been getting dressed due to all the weird noises going on in the living room she doubted she would have heard it.

Ivy was super relieved when her Mom opened her door. then with a quite yet panicked voice she said "Mom that terrible woman that went into labor yesterday and separated me from Morty for the entire day, is here to take me away."

Marianna did not hear any of it, for as Ivy was talking she squealed for joy "Ivy you are spider striding on the ceiling!" Then grabbing her daughter in an awkward hug whispered "and you forgot to wear your pants under your dress so your panties are showing."

Losing focus and trying to cover herself up Ivy fell from the ceiling into her Mom's grasp.

after a slight grunt and some awkward movements Ivy was back on the ground and behind her Mom, and hiding her blushing face in Mom's dress.

"Now, Ivy what is going on?"

In a whisper Ivy answered "I was meditating because the lady's last night said that you and Morty were exhausted from all of your work yesterday and that I should not disturb either of your sleep. when that mean lady knocked on my door." Ivy pointed at Meg who was standing at her door with an astounded look on her face. "so I ran over to get you, but there is an orc in the living room. so I just kind of ran up the wall and on the ceiling."

"I see." then looking at the orc and Meg. Marianna asked "Where are the babies?"

Meg's eyes bugged as she just realised that she was a mother of... was it two baby? and she screeched "you lost my children?"

"No" Ivy shook her head "Misses Olson said that their dad was taking care of them."

"Dad!?!"

"Yup"

Meg spoke up "What is this about a Dad? I thought your husband died?"

"hmm, no Ivy was saying that the babies are with your husband."

Tears filled her eyes as Meg replied "That's not possible he died in battle a month ago, and you know it."

at that a silence filled the house. The little old lady looked back and forth between the two women to absorbed in the drama to do anything more than mouth "very, very interesting."

Then Marianna eyes went wide, and her face went deathly white as she slowly looked at her son's door. slowly every other eye in the room went to the door as she cautiously walked to it.

When Marianna opened the door she could not help but, to "cu" at the sight of her son asleep, with three babies clinging to him. at the noise Ivy, Meg, and the old woman looked in on the scene each making adorable and happy noises at the sight.

Being a midwife Marianna new that the scene could not last so she took a mental picture of it.  Then with the stealth that comes to every loving mother. she walked across the room avoiding discarded diapers, empty bottles, and burp rags to gather up the babies one by one. she handed the first baby to his mother, the second to the little old lady whom came out of nowhere, and the last she had Ivy take a seat and laid him in her lap.

    Then as the host she made each of the baby a bottle of milk knowing it would not be long before they would wake up hungry. then made her unexpected guests what she would describe as a simple breakfast of eggs, bacon, hashbrown, pancakes, sliced fruit, and fresh squeezed orange juice. 

    As Mariana was cooking Meg noticed a little band around her sons wrist with the word Abendigo written on it. seething Meg asked herself "who would be so bold as to name someone else's children." Out loud she said in a barely restrained tone "it seems someone has taken it upon themselves to name my children does anyone know what Abendigo means? oh! and what are my others children's names?"

    Ivy responded in shy whisper "I have shadrach."

    The old lady responded "ah, it seems that the boy must have named them Meshach.  Radshak and Abedego after a story that is common in many realms. They were good men, good friends, and strong in the face of adversity all and all good names."

as the explanation finished the babies all awoke and started fussing. each woman finished taking care of their charges various needs as Marianna brought in breakfast.

as they ate Marianna said "excuse me miss, I am not sure who you and your… orc? are and as you can see things are rather hectic at the moment so... how may I help you?"

It took a moment for the old lady to swallow the food in her mouth before responding "oh! deary didn't you get my message? oh my of course you didn't considering that you were helping to deliver these beautiful children. well let me introduce myself you may call me Grandma Yaga."

    A gasp came from Meg as she quickly put her son down and groveled on her knees before Grandma Yaga. "Grandma Yaga I am so sorry that I did not recognize you, I just had no reason to think you would ever come to such a humble little place as this.  specially to settle the claim over Ivy's standing in the Wolf spider coven considering that her mother and father died i thought it would be left up to me as the high priestess as to what actions should be taken."

    "Quite." Grandma Yaga's face went cold as she looked at Ivy and asked "Ivy arn't you going to grovel before me as well?"

    Mariana tried to intervene in this sudden mood change but, she felt as if a dragon was eyeing her for a meal and was able to do nothing more than collapse on the floor and try to inch her way to protect her daughter.

    Ivy shakingly met Grandma Yaga's eyes and shook her head in the negative unable to do anything more.

    then a door slammed open and out ran Morty screaming "BACK FOUL MONSTER LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!!!."  swinging around an empty milk bottle, as he looked franticly for the threat.

    Then the pressure was gone.  Grandma Yago opened her mouth twice before saying "relax young man I am a godly cultivator and I was just testing your sister."

    looking the godly cultivator strait in the eye Morty asked "did she pass?"

    "Yes, and better than most." before she had finished talking Morty had collapsed on the ground asleep and was blissfully snoring.

    The babies were crying, Marrianna was off the ground standing between Grandma Yaga and her children, Meg was on the ground mewing in fear, and the orc was eyeing the plate of food that was spilled all over the ground, that Marianna had been bringing out for him.

    Sighing grandma Yaga quietly snapped her fingers and the babies went back to sleep. she calmly pointed at the plate and food making it seem to flow back in time till it was whole and floating in the air, it drifted over to the orc who with a smile grabbed it out of the air and started eating.  Then ignoring Megs mewing looked at morty and said almost without sound "most interesting".

    after a minute or two of calm. Marianna said with a tremble in her voice "what just happened and why?"

    "it's called prestidigatation, it uses a conglomeration of elemental cultivations to create a spell to do small things like that."

    Marianna took a deep breath and said "thank you for the information, though I was asking about the event that just took place."

    "very well… but first Ivy explain to me why you refused to grovel."

Ivy started to whisper.

"speak up girl I am old and don't want to strain my hearing over the mutterings of a child"

"YES GRANDMA YAGA" seeing grandma Yaga wince and motion that she could lower her voice Ivy continued in an unsteady but normal volume. "my Moma Elizabeth told me that if I ever met you to treat you with respect, BUT that I should never do Anything UNLess I could respect myself after wor..words. so if I was con...convicted of a crIMe or seeking your favORe to learn from you. Then yess I would be ok with GROveling before you. but in my house with a baby in my arms that I can not safely put down and wouldn't, even if I could because Shadrach is a newborn and that cant be good for him."

     Giving a thoughtful nod Grandma Yaga looked at Meg and said "Meg in clear concise detail explain to Marianna about your petitions, why you made them, your reasoning and I want the whole truth… Or Else"

    with a mewing noise Meg answered "yes Grandma Yaga, during the final battle of this campaign.  as the preparations were being made for sealing off the demonic plain with a Mana Tree seed. the three high priestesses of the Wolf spider coven left me out of the ritual because i had joined the coven in the past year and I was pregnant. I was given special instructions to document the ritual so that it could be used again in the future, or if the worst should happen others might be able to fix it. Then high priestess Elizabeth the only one who had her daughter initiated in the coven due to compatible cultivationonal elements. took me to the side and told my that her husband had recently died, so if she died she needed me to help take care of her daghter. I promised I would. after they died sealing the rift, the generals took me away to document as much as I could for the college. I did so. upon being released I had very little my husband had died months before and while the points he left behind and my points had been good I knew things would be difficult so I started looking to join another coven to get the support I would need to take care of my new baby and Ivy. I had searched for three days to find a coven willing to bring us in and had found one yesterday. but they said that they would only accept us if, me and Ivy returned the same day to make the vow. So I quickly filled out the proper forms with the High Coven and rushed over here to grab Ivy.  only to have Marianna refuse saying that she would raise her own daughter. Which is ridiculous, they are not blood related. then when I gave Ivy my command she sat there unmoving we were on a time crunch so I grabbed her arm and that's when that little monster violated my butt and I went into labor."

    "Enough" Grandma Yaga rubbed her chin in thought for a bit handed Meshach over to the confused looking Marianna, then picked up Abendigo who started squirm uncomfortably. "hmmm it seems like Meg, misunderstood the reason for me being here, and her casual dismissal of her own child.  Peeved me off. So thinking that since your daughter was in the same coven and may have gained some bad habits I released a portion of my power. Only to find that you Marianna have a remarkable little family. as for you Meg your abuse of the system might have been well intention but, I dout it. so I will have to think of a fitting punishment."

    Meg shuddered and tried not to cry for fear of her punishment.

    sitting down in the chair Grandma Yaga tutted over the baby in her arms then said looking at Marianna "now deary let us get down to business. I can think of several good sutors who would be interested in a woman like you, your generosity in points for your dowery will also help, the children will narrow your options, but that is just the way men are. what is your cultivation?"

    "I am copper realm third level healing cultivator."

    "Mom when did that happen? I thought you were stuck at level one?" Ivy excitedly asked accidently waking the baby on her lap. 

    as Ivy spoke sweet nothings to Shadrach to get him to fall back asleep. Her Mom answered "it was helping to deliver thees sweet triplets. I got a bit of inspiration when I had too explain what i was doing during the breach birth, then I had to explain to Morty how to untangle second brother from third brothers umbilical cord."

lowering her voice Marianna said to herself "the hardest parts were convincing Meg to grab onto Mortys ankle instead of his wrist, then bribing him to do the work.  Since his hands were the only ones small enough to fit… I hope that does not scare him off from girls…"

Coming out from her self musings Marianna finished with "dispite all of that hard work and explaining. I couldn't sleep so I did the basic meditation hoping to sleep and when I woke up I was level three."

    "congratulations deary, that is a bit low for an adult cultivator though… oh that's right the note said that was why you could be a stay at home mom correct? "

    "Yes, that's correct."

    "good, good men like having a woman to take with them to battle, but they like not having to worry about their kids and their health when they are left behind even more. Are you willing to have more children?"

    "of course … are you saying some women don't want a lot of kids?"

    "hahaha you deary are the exception not the rule. now I have a note here saying that you had some requirements? something like a man with a huge…" looking at Ivy, Grandma Yaga changed her word  "cultivation, perhaps wealthy or of high rank in the military?"

    blushing Marianna waved her hands "no nothing like that I am actually worried about the kids… but before we get into that could I make a request about Megs punishment?"

    raising her right eyebrow Grandma Yaga gestured for Marianna to continue.

    Blushing Marianna presented her request. "You see Meg's parents like my own were none cultivators as such even though she is five years younger then me. I knew her and her family rather closely growing up. so when I found out that she was a plant and dark cultivator and that she had some skill in spellcraft I suggested to Elizabeth that she invite her to the coven, Elizabeth agreed. as such I feel responsible for her"

blushing deeper Marianna glanced at her daughter took a deep breath to steady her nerves and continued "Elizabeth, Meg, and I often spent long nights together having S...S...Studding rituals together and Elizabeth was going to ask Meg to become the families third wife when Meg suddenly got married to Gregor. So the idea was dropped. but I was thinking that perhaps if Meg had to be my subordinate wife as punishment. I could help her over come those flaws you were talking about. she could be the lady and Ivy could be the maiden in the Wolf spider coven. that and with her beauty and points added onto what I have to offer perhaps that would make us both more appealing to a sutor?"

    the silence lasted for a minute before Grandma Yaga started cackling like the oldest and most powerful witch in Damaclies. 

    after several hours of discussing the exact details of the punishment and Marianna's requirements for the contract. The Damaclies Crone of Fate left the house still chuckling under her breath. after all, it had been over five hundred years since the last time she was truly surprised. smiling she paused and looking back at the little house she said "Scyth, I think we should find some time to go back and visit with that fine family."

    Scyth nodded "I agree that little lady was a good cook… and that boy… I have never heard of anyone below gold rank talking to you like that before, even considering that you restrained your aura."

"I know. exciting isnt it?"