A Cultivator's Cauldron

11. Springtime

I try to stare at myself in the pool. The image ripples. No one could even mistake me as a man anymore. I squint. Maybe from very far away? I cup one of my breasts again, watching the tip harden. I squeeze slightly and gasp. Nope they'd have to be blind... with no hands... maybe just dead and buried. Fuck, I was not going to cry and have another damn pity party.

"You and Nik were hot together"

I turned round to glare at him. Wren was a pain at the best of times... and guess what? This was not the best of times! Admittedly, he didn't look like the Wren I used to know - more androgynous - but he could probably still pass for a guy if it wasn't for the pregnant belly. 4 eggs I think. Less than me... and it hadn't done anything for his character. He was still an asshole.

"Go away Wren"

"You seemed really into it at the end"

I can never decide if Wren is a dick because he likes fighting, a dick because that's how he distract people from sad stuff or a dick because it's just his natural state. Right now I'm going with it's just his natural state.

He didn't let my glaring faze him "If I had my dick back you're hot enough now that I'd definitely fuck you!"

And that's when my patience finally snaps.

I can feel my emotions lock away. My anger isn't the hot fiery type it's the numbing chill of ice and the slow onset of frostbite. Options flicker through my mind as I rise from where I was sitting by the pool. My eyes are ice cold as I turn to face the idiot.

"Would you care to repeat yourself, Wren?" My words fall into the silence that is broken only by the gentle trickle of water through the pool.

I can see him gulp. A small part of me is smug that even pint-sized and pregnant I can still scare others.

"No?" I tilt my head slightly to the side.

"Let me inform you of a few things Wren. First, you apparently do not need a dick to be one. Second, I did look into the guards I would have on this trip and was warned by no less than five others that you were a troublemaker, a frequent user of brothels, and a manipulative bastard. Third, whilst there is limited proof, I suspect you to be behind Argiv trying to lose his eggs, and that this is an attempt to get me to attack you such that you cannot be blamed for any accidents. Now Wren, am I right?"

He tries to punch me. I think that means I'm right, but I'm a little too distracted to tell. My Qi rushes from me in a desperate attempt to mitigate any damage.

The floor is wet you see.

And I'm still not used to me centre of mass being so off-centre.

At least the pool is still behind me.

And it's decently sized and quite deep.

I return to the surface spluttering and trying to wipe the water away from my eyes. Bastard. I'm just debating whether it's worth trying to punch him back, but the loud splash seems to have made him come to his senses somewhat. My pregnant belly still seems to be wobbling from the sudden movement. 

It hurts.

Consorts POV
I was on my way to see my love when the first guard found me. A fight in the hatching grounds was all the message I needed to start slithering my way there as fast as I could. Humans. So disgustingly aggressive and volatile. They had better not have damaged any of the eggs this close to hatching. I got the second message mere moments before I reached the grounds. "Your bearer... protected the eggs... used Qi... they're hatching early!" The messenger gasped out.