𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂 || 18+ 𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚜 𝚡 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝙵𝙼𝙲

┉┈◈†𐌷𐍊𐍂†𐌸-†𐐎𐍈◈┈┉

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Ash covered Charlie's hands, knees, and much of her cloak as she crawled into the fireplace. The flask of tea was safely tucked away in her dress pocket. She looked up, relieved to find the makeshift chimney was wide enough for her to pass through, though much taller than the main entrance. It would take every ounce of strength and willpower she had to make it all the way to the top.

She would do it. She had to; she was at the end of her rope, and if living meant lifelong isolation with Ja'kadira, she didn't want to live at all.

This was for her life. And for the lives within her. She closed her eyes to send a quick prayer.

When they opened again, a raging fire ignited inside her—one that had long been dormant, but always there. Tük'hala had seen it in her, even when she didn't have the sight to understand. But she would see it now. She would be the strong, fierce fire bird he'd always said she was.

Adiwé.

Her ashy fingers dug into the stone and earth as she began her ascent, limbs working strenuously to lift her heavy weight up higher and higher, bit by bit. The uneven, rough texture of the walls allowed her to keep a good grip, her feet notching onto small protrusions to help her climb.

Her body ached and burned, her lungs straining for breath. She pushed through and kept going minute by minute. But halfway up, her foot slipped. She cried out, nails dragging down the walls painfully as she dropped, but she quickly managed to stop herself. She panted as she remained suspended there, tears welling up in her eyes. She blinked them away, determined to keep going.

As if the Universe was watching, taking delight in her plight and wanting to test the limits of what she could handle, a new, poorly timed issue came upon her at that moment.

Her water broke.

It was a sudden gush of fluid between her open legs, soaking her underwear and splattering onto the hearth below. No. There was no way this was happening to her. This couldn't happen. Not now.

She was frozen from a different kind of fear, a million and one worries tore through her mind at once. She could only pray her labor wouldn't progress as fast as the unusually short gestation period. She had to make it to safety first, somewhere she could scream when the pain became too great.

But unfortunately, her experience would be just as one would expect after developing so fast. The first wave came, tightening in her abdomen and bringing with it a shocking amount of pain for being this early. It was big, but somewhat bearable and she squeezed her eyes shut, teeth gritted as she struggled to breathe through the following forty seconds.

She drew in a sharp intake of breath when it eased and immediately resumed climbing. As if she didn't feel enough urgency before, the full weight of her situation was nearly enough to crush her.

Charlie was almost to the top when another contraction began to crest. It was just as bad, maybe a little worse, and she couldn't help the small whimper that escaped as all her muscles tensed from the overwhelming feeling. Even through it, with sheer willpower alone, she kept climbing—albeit, much slower.

You can do this. Be an Adiwé.

Momentary relief filled her when it finally passed, but then she realized with dawning horror what it meant to have another contraction not even three minutes from the last one.

She quickly pulled herself over the edge of the opening once she'd grabbed ahold of it. The clinging sensation of cold, wet air enveloped her. She didn't let herself pause to feel the triumph of making it to the top, instead stumbling to her feet and carefully walking down the little hill she'd emerged out of.