Silver's stomach had grown exceptionally large in the last four months. He wasn't sure how many pups he had, but there seemed to be a lot.
And Manic just seemed to absolutely love the sight of him round with pups, even though they weren't his own.
He claimed them as his own whether he was their biological father or not, so to him it didn't matter.
Manic was currently kissing him that day, rubbing his hands over his stomach.
And Silver was just one happy, healthy little uke right about now.
Silver was very happy. He hadn't felt so full in so long. And even as he was pregnant and his pups were constantly draining him, he never had so much energy. He wasn't used it at all. He found himself moving around because he wanted to. That wasn't a normal thing for him.
"Manic, do you have anything planned today?" Silver mumbled in content as they just lounge in one of the Manor's sunny foyers.
Manic groaned. "Mmm, unfortunately, my sweet. I have a few partners coming over for dinner so we can discuss some issues we've been having with handling their branches." He rubbed his forehead. "Just a bunch of old world demons with no sense."
"Oh...I see," Silver mumbled before hesitantly asking, "will I have to be there?"
To this very day, within the supposed 'prejudice-free' Emerald City, he could still see disgusted glances thrown his way whenever Manic wasn't looking or wasn't around.
So much for that 'worry free' life he'd heard so much about....
Manic murmured. "I'd like you to be... I know you don't much care for my work, but these dinners are very enjoyable. I have the servants make more food then we'd usually eat, and there's a bigger variety of desserts... I'd think you'd like it very much..."
Silver couldn't help but smile when Manic kissed the back of his ear from where the uke lay comfortably against him, back to chest.
"Of course I'll be there," he murmured softly, turning slightly to miss his mate, "anything for you, love..."
Manic smiled. "Perfect..." He murmured, kissing him sweetly before getting up. "I'm afraid I have to go over look some preparations, but I'll send a servant to you so they will get you ready."
"Alright," Silver smiled as he left, the pregnant male deciding to make a detour at the kitchens for a bowl of strawberries before he went off to take a nap.
The servants gave him what he wanted, and asked repeatedly if he wanted anything else. Again, being mortals, they had no problem with his race.
Silver kindly declined each offer, but in the end, he still left up out of there with a bowl of melted chocolate to go with his strawberries.
And a few lemon cookies.
He just couldn't say no, really. But this was again, something he didn't encounter often. He ate his food and rested, completely relaxed.
He snuggled up in bed, finding a nice cool spot beneath the sheets.
Rubbing his belly, he wished he could already see his pups as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Hours later, Silver was awoken by a servant to be dressed.
Once he was bathed and clothed in a manner that depicted his high station as the Lord's mate, Silver was then escorted to where Manic was waiting.
Manic smiled, he loved seeing him all dolled up. He kissed him upon sight. "How are you feeling now?"
"I'm feeling a while lot better," he smiled before curiously asking, "did you manage to get finished with all that you had to do?"
"I did, everything's ready." He murmured, kissing him. He had Silver wait by the door with him so they could welcome their guests.
Internally, Silver was uncomfortable and self conscious when meeting other demons. He would always wonder how they viewed him in their eyes.
But, on the outside, he would always smile and politely greet all their guests, playing the part of a perfect mate rather well.
The demons reacted politely. They bowed and sat opposite side of the table as they all ate.
Once dinner was done, it was time to discuss business affairs, so everyone proceeded to the nearby sitting room.
Tea was brought in and Silver served them all hy pouring tea for his mate first, followed gy their guests, and lastly himself. It was his way of displaying respect to one's mate by doing so
Respectfully, they drank their tea, thanking the hanyou. Manic had to leave to relieve himself. Leaving Silver alone with the demons.
Silver immediately became nervous and tried his best to make himself seem as less noticeable as possible.
But all the demons in the room were glaring at him. "Trash." One of them snarled. Together, they got up, approaching the pregnant hanyou.
Silver's eyes grew wide as he tensed up in his seat, frozen with dread and caught like a deer in headlights as the males all approached.
They slowly circled him, sneering at him in disgust. "Now, how did a hanyou ever fine his way into a demon's home?" One snapped, showing his teeth.
"Especially one with bastard children."
Silver whimpered, trying to get up from his seat, only to be roughly shoved back down.
"Yes, be afraid." They hissed, "If you hadn't mated with such a powerful figure, we'd have gutted those wretched mongrels from you by now..." And they had the power to do it, with the council turning a blind eye to their actions because of their status.
"P-Please...whatever I've done to upset you, I...I'm sorry," he whimpered, wide eyes filed with tears as he trembled with fear.
They smiled in amusement. One placed a hand on his belly, running his deadly claws against his kimono, too close for comfort. "I wonder how long they'll last...."
Silver gasped, swallowing the lump in his throat as tears finally fell, the pregnant uke now pale with uncontrollable fear.
They all backed off once they sensed Manic returning. They all sat together, mingling amongst each other as if nothing happened.
Silver gasped for breath and panted slightly once they backed off, all the males having raised their auras enough to make the air around Silver close to suffocation.
He visibly trembled and choked back a sob, his hand coming to clamp over his mouth to stop any cries from being hear as the other wrapped around his belly--his wide eyes unfocused and streaming endless tears as he stared at his lap in horror.
That was how Manic found him when he returned.
Manic hurried to his love, grabbing his wrist with one hand and his chin with the other.
Silver gave a cry of fright when he did so, the sudden movement scaring the already shaken up male--Silver having thought it was the demons again.
He then gazed into the concerned eyes of his mate, his own eyes reflecting fear, hurt, and confusion.
The demons crowded around, their auras letting off legitimate concern. Except not the kind Manic had thought. Manic had his mate stand up, thinking he had enough excitement for the day. "Come, love." He murmured, guiding him away.
The near traumatized uke was led out the room, glancing over Manic's shoulder.
The demons all smirked at him and one slitted a finger across his throat.
Silver quickly turned around, just wanting to get away from them...
Manic brought him to their room, laying him down. "I'll send a servant to bring you some water and tea." He murmured, stroking his quills. He opened the sliding door that lead to their balcony open, so he could get some fresh air. "A servant will be left outside the door as well, in case you needed anything else."
The trembling little male sniffled and curled up in bed, too scared to say anything in return.
Manic kissed his forehead. "Just rest my dear."
"You won't be gone long, will you?" Silver asked quietly.
"No... Not very long. I'll just finish our arrangements, and I'll send them off." He murmured, stroking his quills.
"I love you, Manic," he mumbled softly.
"I love you too..." He murmured, getting up and reluctantly leaving.
The silver male watched him go and slowly fell into a fitful sleep where his dreams were plagued with demons ripping his children right from his own body....
Hours later, Manic returned. He rested beside his beautiful mate, a little worried about his mentality from what happened earlier.
And after curling up with his mate who whimpered in his sleep every now and then, Manic whispered soothing words in his ear as he gently rubbed his belly to help calm him down.
It was only then, a few moments later, that Silver managed to finally slip into a peaceful slumber.
Manic fell asleep soon after. They slept together all night and woke up together.
"How did you sleep my love?" the young lord asked the next morning.
Silver, now snuggled up into Manic's chest, murmured, "In the end...It was rather nice."
"What did you dream of?" He asked, curious as to why Silver had such a terrible start.
"Demons," he mumbled, curling closer, "they were everywhere. They....they'd tortured me and ripped my pups right from out of me."
"The dream kept coming back. It never would go away," he whimpered quietly.
"All I could hear was their evil laughing," he pouted. "There was blood everywhere. And my babies....They were all dead..."
Manic stroked his quills, reassuring him that everything he'd seen had only been a dream, nothing more. "I dreamt of our pups..." He murmured, "They played in the garden, napped the afternoon away, and were always with their beautiful mother. They were all so beautiful...just like you," Manic kissed his forehead. "You have nothing to worry about, all your pups will live and they will be happy. I'll make sure of it..."
Silver smiled happily, gazing up at his mate, saying, "As long as you're there with us, of course we'll all be happy."
The mated couple then shared a soft, loving kiss.
Again, they spent their day together, only parting so Manic could do his business affairs as a lord.
Manic dreamed about his lover that night, thinking of all the years he'd spend with him. And Silver dreamed of living happily with Manic forever, with cute little pups that looked like a mixture of the two of them.
The pregnant male slept peacefully that night.
~~Eight month time skip~~
Manic awoke early, he was supposed to leave on a short trip further into the city so he'd be gone the whole day.
And Silver was too far along to travel, so he would have to stay behind.
He wasn't all too happy about it.
There wasn't much he could do that day, besides rest in his bed, eat, and sit out in the garden. The servants were supposed to keep a constant eye on him, make sure he had enough energy and everything. It was especially crucial since the pups were on the last remaining moments before they could start making their own energy. It was known to drain their mothers completely if not careful. They still needed a healthy mother to survive.
Silver relaxed into his bed that night, a little upset he had no mate to cuddle with, but he would be returning in a few hours at most. It wast long until he dozed off, a bit short of energy.
He was awoken with a shake, he saw his mate above him, an expression of urgency on his face.
"Manic?" He asked sleepily as he slowly say up, yanking and rubbing an eye as he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Something has happened." He murmured, moving away from him briefly to get his mate something to wear. "You need to get out of the city straight away."
"What? Why?" He asked in confusion, "What's going on?"
There were horrid cries coming from outside in the distance. Silver crept outside but Manic pulled him away. "Don't go near the window." He ordered, pushing the grubby kimono into his arms. "Demons are killing hanyous. It's best we leave until things calm down." He murmured, ordering a servant girl in.
"No, this....this can't be happening," the uke said, his frightened eyes widening when another horrifying scream was heard from outside, only to be suddenly cut off.
"It is, but I'll take care of you, and our pups. You'll be safe." He murmured, getting him to change. Soon after he pulled a blade from his belt and took the servant's arm before slicing into it. The demoness was in pain but she didn't fight back. "I just need to hide your scent." He stated, smearing the blood across Silver.
He didn’t enjoy doing this to his mate, but it was what had to be done. Once he finished, he took his mate to the stables and soon sat in the carriage with him, the wounded girl and him sitting on the seats while Silver sat on the floor so he would not be seen. They only needed out for a couple of days until this was all sorted.
And with a trusted driver to steer the horses, the carriage began to pull away from the Manor.
Manic kept his composure all the way through the streets. Most of the killings were handled inside of homes. He saw grieving mortals alike mourning over their hanyou spouses and children. More commonly, entire hanyou families were dead. It wasn't a pleasant sight. The gates were left wide open, which was suspicious. But they made it through and left safely.
Silver, from where he quietly lay on the floor, placed a soft hand on Manic's ankle, looking up at him with scared, tear-filled eyes.
Manic glanced back, seeing they were a safe distance from the city. He then gently pulled his mate up, and despite the blood, held him.
The servant girl with them quietly watched as the heavily pregnant male clung to his mate, silently crying as Manic held him.
Manic eventually had the driver pull over into the trees so they'd be well sheltered from the path. He wanted to clean off his love and himself before they went any further.
Carefully, he helped Silver out of the carriage where they walked a small distance away to were a small river trickled through the woods. There, Manic had his mate sit while he used a cloth, wet from the stream, to cleanse off his quiet mate.
Manic noticed his mate was still distraught. "I promised I'd keep you all safe... You have nothing to worry about..." He murmured, kissing his forehead once it was clean.
"I just...Can't believe this is happening," Silver mumbled sadly. "All those people....dead. Killed because of their mixed blood. They... They came to that city as a place of refuge, just like I did, but all along..." he sniffled, tears coming once more to his amber eyes, "all along, it'd been a trap."
"I don't understand," he whimpered, tears falling, "what is so wrong with wanting to be happy? Why does my kind always have to suffer? What have any of us done wrong to deserve this?"
"I know... But it wasn't a trap, love. A half breed murdered a very highly respected demon. No one knew who had done it, but they could smell his breed. We all felt a sense of justice, and most of us had used this as an excuse to murder. This was less of our hate for hanyou. Demons just like to kill." He murmured, it made his species sound horrible, but it was just their nature.
"They'll all be prosecuted. Even the demons from the council are enraged by their actions. They believed in a peaceful home for all species," he quietly added.
"Do you think it'll ever be truly safe to go back?" He quietly asked.
Manic stroked his cheek, "I do... After this, I'm sure all of us will be a little more careful with how we handle our issues with each other." He murmured, very sure it would be alright. Quickly, Manic's pupils went small and he stood up, one hand on his sword that was around his waist.
"What? What is it?" Silver asked, immediately on edge as he looked all around them. And just how Silver was attacked by Mephiles, three demons came down from the trees and attacked Manic.
Silver screamed when he was attacked, unable to do practically anything in his condition as he struggled, Manic trying his best to hold his own against the others to get back to Silver.
"Manic!!" Silver cried out helplessly where he was held in a near crushing grip by the one male he never wished to see again, the heavily pregnant male unable to move much. Manic was outnumbered and quickly grew tired. He was battered to his knees, while the much bigger demons stood over him. Manic glanced at his love, apologetically. He couldn't protect them as well as he had first thought.
Silver, staring back at him with watery eyes wide with worry and fear, struggled even more in Mephiles' grip, though it was quickly draining him of his energy.
"Dammit, Mephiles, let go of me!!" He shouted as he tried his best to get free. Mephiles held him to his chest with almost no effort. "I'm surprised to see you alive..." He growled, obviously not happy to see him. "I thought I killed you."
Manic cringed away when a blade was held to his neck, he knew what was next. He had basically betrayed his own kind, mating to Silver.
"NO!!" Silver shouted, reaching out an arm to his mate, "Don't hurt him, please!!"
The demon holding the sword grinned at Silver holding the blade closer to his throat. Manic closed his eyes and looked away from Silver. Not daring to give his love any more grief from pleading eyes. And with a quick slash of the demon's arm, Manic was gone. Silver's breath hitched in his throat as his beloved mate was killed right before his very eyes, the young male frozen in horrified shock.
His stunned face then grew pained as the most heartbreaking scream of agonized loss escaped his lips at the loss of the one demon that ever cared about him.
The demons then looked at Silver wanting to use him at a means of their own sick entertainment. But Mephiles glared at them in warning, knowing the agony he had was worse than any torture they could inflict upon him. The others quickly ran off, respecting the demon's dominance over all of them. That then left Silver and Mephiles alone.
Mephiles allowed him to cry, though he wanted to speak to him. "Are they mine?" He soon asked, very calmly.
The mourning uke didn't speak for the longest, crying his heart out over the loss of his treasured mate. However, when he finally did manage to make at least coherent words, he choked out, "You may have been the one who fathered them...but they were never yours," he hissed through his pain. "It was Manic's energy and his alone that kept them alive...I-if it wasn't for him, your heirs would've been long dead for all the good you did....."
"You may be their sire, but they're Manic's," he whispered harshly in his grip, "I don't care what you say otherwise...."
"If they are his... Then they hold no benefit to me." He growled, moving Silver onto his back so his stomach was facing upwards. Mephiles pressed the tip of his blade to his belly. If he really wanted to, he could get away with raising these kids. With his blood, they'd be considered pure enough to be demon. But it was unethical to raise pups without their birth mother. And he didnt want Silver in his presence.
And to the Demon Lord's shock and confusion, Silver didn't put up a fight. He just....lay there.
"Go ahead...do it," he mumbled, his gaze turned towards the night sky, "you'll be ridding yourself of a pathetic half breed life me, killing your own pups, and giving me and my children a greater chance at seeing Manic in the afterlife. In the end, you'll be the one not gaining much from this...I'm tired of suffering anyways, so please...get on with it..."
Mephiles frowned, sheathing his blade. "You're no fun," He growled, seeking entertainment from the hanyous struggles.
"Besides, I don't kill children. I'm not as heartless as you seem to think.
"You were heartless enough to kill my innocent mate when he'd done nothing wrong," Silver mumbled sadly, averting his gaze from where Manic's body lay.
"I didn't. I just held you in place." He stated. "I never went near him."
Silver growled weakly at him as he slowly managed to sit up to glare at the other, "Yes, but you could have prevented all of this. What do you want anyways? Why, after all this time, have you stepped back into my life?"
"You've been gone for nearly nine months, and youre close to popping. There is no way you could've made it over here in a few days." He stated, starting to leave. "I wanted to be sure they were mine before I left you for dead."
"And now that you know, what do you plan to do about it?" he snarled after the other.
"Leave, of course. You won't find a strong enough energy source by the time you are ready for birth. You'll die anyway."
Silver gasped in shock before angered tears spilled forth as he shouted, "You bastard, how could you?! You'll be killing your own heirs!!"
"Yes, but there will be others," He murmured, "Less embarrassing heirs."
Silver's watery amber eyes filled with uncontrollable rage as he watched the other leave.
"Mark my words, Mephiles the Dark, you will live to regret this," he said loud enough for the other to hear as he raised his hand--said hand glowing turquoise blue as placed a curse on the demon male, "Any heirs you have after this by any other will all be stillborn, everything you eat and drink will turn to ash, you will never sleep, you will be plagued with endless nightmares and hallucinations, and every time you lay with another, both of you will feel as if your very members are on fire and there will be no cure for it. And when I do die, I swear that I will haunt you for the rest of your miserable life; no matter what you do, I will make your very home a living HELL!!!"
The glowing curse shot from the enraged pregnant male and impacted with Mephiles' body, though nothing happened. And Mephiles, think the other's attempt to scare him.
Mephiles rolled his eyes; no hanyou even had the power to leave a powerful curse like that.
Leaving Silver, he returned to an inn where he had been staying at while he had been doing business. He was ready to sleep.
Silver, panting heavily from using so much energy to place such a curse and to have it actually work. But, what Mephiles didn't know was that for the past nine months--while Silver had been in Manic's care--had taken up reading since the uke's late mate wouldn't allow him to do any form of labor that would affect him or the pups. So, the silver hanyou had taken to reading magic tomes, books, and scrolls which he had found were quite fascinating. And since he had had an endless supply of energy back then (thanks to Manic), Silver had practiced countless spells and had gotten the mastery over them in no time. Manic had always said that he was a fast learner.
Now, the pregnant male--if he would have chosen to make career out of it--would by now have the power to hold the title of a rather powerful and experienced Mage. So, there was a guarantee that his curse would work.
Unfortunately for Mephiles, he didn't know that...
When he had returned to rest, he was immediately attended to, despite all the killing that had happened just hours ago. Mephiles hardly participated in the killing as it was. He killed hanyou for sport on his own land. Not in such a petty manner that these Emerald City demons had. He had come to respect the leaders of this city, hanyou or not.
He sat down at a table in his room feeling tired. He decided to read a bit before he fell asleep.
And as he read, he couldn't help but wonder just how long Silver would last out there on his own...
He couldn't imagine terribly long. He was tired from fighting his grip, grief stricken, and with all the demons still running around he wouldn't stand much of a chance.
Mephiles soon after went to bed, resting peacefully. For the first little while.
And as the Demon Lord slept, he was soon pulled into a nightmare that scared even him.
It almost seemed as the he couldn't wake up, but eventually he had. In a cold sweat. He hadn't been that scared since he was a pup. He got up from his mattress and went to a water bowl so he could get a drink of water to settle his nerves. He did relax as the cooling liquid came to his maw, but shortly after the water became thicker and denser, he coughed it up, spitting up a cloud of black. Ash.
Mephiles' eyes widened as realization hit him. Silver. The curse had been real. It worked...
He was filled with a mixture of emotions of both rage and impression. But surely not all of the curse would work. He did pay a demoness to carry his pup so he could have an heir. She was at his manor now. Ready to bear. What of his child? He had invested so much into that child, and put quite a bit of emotional investment into it.
He had to get Silver to lift this curse, if he had the power to enable it, he could disable it. He had to find him before the demoness had his child.
Silver, however, was now wandering through the woods--the still grieving male tired from having to bury his own mate. It'd been both physically and emotionally draining.
And now, once again, the young male was on his own. He knew that he couldn't go back to Emerald City; all of Manic's work to get him safely out of there would have been in vain. And he knew for a certainty that he wasn't welcome back in Mephiles' territory. And the nearest village that wasn't under Meph's rule was on the other side of Emerald City, in an entirely different country that would take over a month's travel to get to if traveling by horse and carriage alone. There was no way he'd ever make it before the birth. He honestly had nowhere else to go.
But, he just couldn't stand there and do nothing. His pups would be here soon, within the next week or two, whether he was prepared for their arrival or not.
He had to find shelter and fast; he had to prepare for this birth despite the current circumstances.
And so, with Manic's sword in hand as his only means of protection (other than his energy-draining spells), Silver wrapped the cloak he'd found in their ransacked carriage (both driver and servant girl dead as well) tighter around his body to keep out the cool winter winds that came from the mountains surrounding Emerald City, as he slowly made his way away from the wreckage--the sky above getting lighter and lighter as the sun started to rise upon a new day.
