[Interludes Vol. 1.5] In which we finally meet Lumi, who f*cked around and was made to find out.(2/6)

So, as Husband to Stella and daddy to what's about to come, naturally it was my job to do what I could to support Stella right now. Which meant I quickly took over as standing support for Stella's body which was in labor, and asked Button to go find the biting branch in Old One's room if she had any idea where it was. Thankfully, she did, and left immediately to go fetch it.

"I know it can probably wait, but what's the story with the skeleton?" I asked Mint, who would be the one to give me the best answer out of anyone currently present.

"Ebony and Mint try make new friend like Bitey. Bones belong goblin Beast-talker."

"Excuse me? The bones… belong to… Beast-talker?"

Beast-talker? As in, the one who died to the Black-claws over a month ago?

A glance at the skeleton who was observing me without any visible eyes had lifted her arm and waved at me.

"Are you really Beast-talker?" I couldn't help but ask the Skeleton. Of all of my eventually-to-be wives, she was the one I knew the least.

The skeleton nodded. All supernatural creepiness aside, the skeleton had no vocal cords and so couldn't audibly respond with words. I questioned how much awareness it had, since usually, aside from the ridiculously complicated magic required to become a lich and retain one's sense of self, skeletons didn't usually keep their personalities about who they were while they were alive. Or at least, that's what the compendiums on Necromancy in my mother's personal library stated…

"Not know how know. Beast-talker… still think Husband." Mint spoke further in her small voice.

So now I had a skeleton goblin as a wife? Isn't marriage supposed to end at death do us part?

"Well, if it makes her happy to still think of me like that, then I'm fine with it. Glad to see you again, Beast-talker. Just to let you know, Diana Artemis and I took revenge on all of those Black-claws who attacked you. Their meat was delicious, and their skins and bones were put to good use."

In lieu of a voice, the skeletal jaw of Beast-talker clacked with what I hoped was approval.

"Ark, why are you talking to a fucking skeleton?" Stella grumbled.

"Well, she's technically my wife, so why wouldn't I?"

"Because it's a fucking skeleton!"

Stella took in a deep breath and made a slightly pained expression before speaking.

"Ark… just promise me you aren't going to fuck it."

"I'm not even sure how that would work."

"I didn't ask you to figure out how it would work, I asked you to promise me not to do it at all! GHHH…. Fuck… GRRRRH…."

While yelling at me for the most ridiculous thing she could, Stella entered into another set of contractions. Button had returned in record time, and with the biting branch ready to go, so was Stella.

A small pillar of dirt was raised underneath Glace and she assumed the duties of Old One, pressing down on Stella's belly when she needed to and Button both helping me support Stella and repeating what Glace was telling her.

"Ark, I hate you."

"I know."

"You had better take responsibility for this!"

"I will."

"She better not come out retarded like your other ones."

"I'm sure she'll be as normal as you want her to be."

"I just want her to be smart and strong without being weird."

"Can't promise that. I mean, she's half mine."

"Fuck!"

After a small tirade of colorful words, mostly shouted at me in the human tongue, nature began to do what nature does best.

"Oh god, it fucking hurts! Ark, I'm never letting you put another one of these damn things inside of MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

As two clawed hands found their way outside of her birthing canal and plunged small, pointed fingers into the soft flesh of her thighs, the head crowned and a moment later, my daughter entered the world completely.

And what a daughter she was.

Though she was covered in a fair amount of blood, there was no mistaking that she had a similar skin coloring to both Stella when she was still a human, and of myself. In fact, aside from the pointed fingers, toes, and ears, along with the teeth, she was quite human in appearance. She didn't have the tell-tale greenish gold eyes at all, and just a small hint of growing red hair on her scalp.

Rather than go for the placenta which came out a moment later with a final push from Stella, she stood up and stretched out her tiny arms, turning them over and clenching her hands into fists before looking around the room. She then raised her hand upwards, and a bright light began to gather in the palm of her hand.

I did not have a good feeling about what was coming next…

~~** Interlude | Lumi **~~

Elara! Answer your faithful servant's call! I offer up my body to be a vessel for your grace and mercy so that your holy might may smite these abominations!

I let loose a smiting blast of holy energy at all the evil gathered in this room. To think that I had been sent back to this world only to be reborn as a goblin!

Inconceivable!

I was met with stares from all around. A human, a human-like goblin, and three goblin children, unharmed, hidden behind shields of darkness. The remaining two abominations; the skeleton and the…!

"Hoh? Why does this little goblin have the taint of Elara upon it?"

My body froze in fear when I saw the creature with ashen skin, horns jutting out from its head, and two wings which unfolded themselves in front of me speak. It was something I had seen before, as I took my last breaths when I was still alive as a human…

…It was the thing which tore through the group of holy knights and pious adventurers blessed by the Church of Elara to cleanse the world of evil abominations that would bring it to ruin!

"Taint?" The male human who spoke in the common tongue asked the abomination.

"Ark, do you worship the Goddess Elara?" the Abomination asked him.

"I don't worship any of the pantheon. I am a man of science."

"What about your woman?" It said, pointing to the body of the half-transformed female goblin lying on the ground next to him.

The woman, a half-goblin from the looks of her and the one who must have begotten me just now croaked out an answer.

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