Holier Than Thou

The city closest to the border. It is a city filled with traveling people and inns that hold many of the roughest people in Ighten. It's a good place to find weapons and an even better place to find trouble.
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Soran Nightblade
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Maxwell applied himself sternly to his task over the next two hours, giving his patient strict instructions about when to work and when to rest. After a while, Vlad accepted his ungentle instruction without further protest. His hand was wrapped tightly around Tenele's while he sat, perfectly straight and still, watching over her. Sinead glanced up at Vlad briefly before returning her gentle attention to her struggling maiden. "Why don't you take a walk, Vladimir. Stretch your nerves.

"I am fine here," he responded absently, focused on his wife, her painful screams branded into his mind. She looked so tired. He'd never seen her in this much agony.

"You haven't moved an inch, and it's been hours. The child won't arrive if you take a small break."

He wasn't worried about the child coming while his back was turned. He was terrified of Tenele going in the same span. "Do not ask me again," he said in the same easy, calm voice he'd adhered to since he'd taken his place beside Tenele's bed. Even a death threat would be delivered in that tone, until the moment he knew she was safe.

"How much longer?" he asked of Maxwell.

"If the child is as stubborn as you, a few years," Maxwell muttered. "If it's as impatient as you, five minutes." Despite his mocking tone, his expression was serious. Tenele's body was paying a heavy toll.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Tenele heaved, sinking heavily against the pillows and soaked with sweat. "I can't," she cried. "I can't do this." Exhaustion tugged at her, caught between complete blackout and being suddenly brought awake by something akin to being ripped apart from the inside out.

"Maybe you should sit behind her my Lord," one of the nurses piped in as she carried in fresh hot water as the other had gone cold. "It may offer her more support than the pillows."
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Vlad moved automatically, almost overwhelmed with the relief of having a helpful task to complete. He lifted Tenele's shoulders gently and slide the pillows out of the way before taking their place behind her. Leaning her back against his chest, he caressed his cool fingers along her feverishly hot neck. "You are doing well. You are a good way along. When it is all done, you will have nothing but rest and our child's voice and my merciless affection."
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Tenele chuckled wearily. "Merciless affection..." she mused. She reached for his hand at her neck and held onto it as another wave of pain rolled through. It passed and left her shaking. "Okay, okay..."
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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"Five, four, three, two, one," Maxwell counted down passively. "Serious push."

Vlad glanced at him. The pushes he'd been requesting had fallen into categories, from light push to sustained push to medium push, to strong push. This was the first "serious" push. He fought the urge to ask what that meant.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Tenele did as he asked, and gave it everything she had. She pushed back against Vlad, clutched his hands tight, and screamed.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Maxwell let her go much longer this time than he had before, until Vlad had to choke back a protest. "Maxwell," he said gently, his arms loosely surrounding his trembling wife.

"Break for ten seconds," the man relented impatiently. "...Four, three, two, one. Resume."

"Light-?"

"Serious push," Maxwell demanded.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Tenele pushed, sobbing the whole while and shaking her head. She choked and fell limp against Vlad, head lolling wearily.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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"Five seconds, then be ready," Maxwell demanded. His eyes scanned her exhausted figure with disapproval. Vlad knew that look. It was the look he'd always gotten when he wasn't up to one of the scientist's experiments, and the whole thing had to be aborted. Only a life or death situation produced that kind of frustration on the man's face, like he'd lost a bet.

"What does she need?" Vlad asked firmly, his gentle tone sharp enough to dig razors into Maxwell's spine.

"She needs to push. Serious push, now, Tenele," he ordered. He hadn't used her name once previously.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Tenele wanted to protest, but she was too tired and too tired to push. She gasped for air, wanting to beg mercy, and instead clenched her teeth one last time and pushed. She pushed until everything around her went black and a scream tore through her.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Maxwell gritted his teeth as he peered under the sheet. Frustrated, he threw the fabric to the side and out of the way. "Vladimir, hands, here and here," he ordered, grabbing Vlad's wrists and positioning them just above her diaphragm.

"You want me to..." Vlad murmured, suitably mortified.

"You must. It is not ideal," Maxwell said. "Her body is not prepared, but the child will not last if she is further exhausted.

"Could it kill her?" Vlad demanded quietly.

"Your queen knows the healing arts. The bleeding can be stopped."

"Not for a birth," Sinead interjected. "Her soul will be too similar to the child's these first few hours. I could destroy one in healing the other, or worse."

"Vlad," Maxwell growled at the vampire. "Obey, if you want your child to live. Now, serious push."

Vlad cupped his hands carefully along Tenele's belly, feeling the contours of the child inside. Wide eyed, he called upon his telekinetic powers and used force, proportional to Tenele's natural strength for such a task.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Tenele had almost let the darkness take her, and then she felt the pressure. The pain. It set her on fire. She knotted her fingers in the sheets until her knuckles were white. Tenele had made many sounds that day, but nothing like that.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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When Maxwell finally permitted him to stop, the vampire was a wreck. Tenele's horrible screams had him at the edge of his sanity, but the dangerously unsteady beat of her heart was far worse. He felt like he was killing her with his own hands.

Sinead's long fingers drifted over his, resting assuringly over the backs of his hands. It was only under her calm grip that he realized how badly his hands were shaking.

"Once more. Five, four, three, two, one," Maxwell directed without mercy. Vlad set in with all the mental focus he could muster, wondering how hard he could press against the child without hurting it, wondering what it would do to Tenele if he didn't press enough and get this over with.

"You're doing well, my love. You are nearly there," he heard himself say. He was shocked that he could sound so composed, and grateful that his panic was completely invisible save for his trembling hands. He bore into the small weight inside her. Maxwell made an approving noise and gave him a small gesture to keep going.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Tenele didn't hear his words. The next push was too much. Her sanity broke apart and she choked on her scream, on air. She couldn't breathe. It felt like she was strangled by that pain, until she slumped back in exhaustion and her fingers dislodged from the sheets.
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Re: Holier Than Thou

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Ice locked up the vampire's throat as he heard his wife's pulse drop off almost completely. He turned openly startled red eyes up to the doctor and moved to retract his hands.

"No. Hold pressure," Maxwell said so urgently that Vlad found himself complying, managing the steady force the doctor requested. Maxwell snarled to himself and grabbed something out of his kit before sterilizing it with alcohol. Vlad's stomach flipped as he recognized the small, sharp blade.

"What are-"

"She's not dilated enough. No matter what, don't stop pushing," Maxwell barked. Vlad could smell each notch the man cut into his wife, her blood filling the air. He clenched his eyes and focused on the maddening task, smelling Tenele's blood run with each telepathic squeeze.

He wasn't sure how much time passed. When Vlad realized where he was, Sinead was gently lifting his hands away from Tenele's stomach so they could move her.

"Get her legs and hips up on pillows, now, above her heart. Vlad, get over here," Maxwell ordered.

He heard it then, amidst all the bustle and panic in the room, a tiny voice was sobbing. "How is she?" he demanded.

"The child? She seems healthy, as early as she was.

"Tenele," Vlad interjected, too worried to react to the realization that the child was alive, and healthy, and female. His daughter was female.
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