He had been running for several hours when the scent of something familiar met his nostrils. Chimera. Reaching a patch of grasslands, some movement in the middle made him slow down, then finally stop all together. The sound of tearing meat and bone sounded through the air as the head of a beast raised itself to their level. The chimera was slightly larger then Damian, though, more lithe and graceful with curled black horns and a bloody mountain lion face.

"We should probably turn around now-" Damian whispered to Windige behind him. It's not that this chimera was in a threatening stance yet, but Damian knew from experience that things never quite worked out when he met his own kind. Damian, in fact, was a wingless half breed and his kind never saw him as equal. Why would this be different?

The hackles along the neck of the chimera raised, making itself look quite larger then he really was and went back to eating, the creature readjusting its wings. Windige, on Damian's back and quite humanoid perked her ears as she tried to look at it, "I don't think I am safe in this form here..." She whispered back, becoming her true form and floated to the ground behind him.

"Let's go around-" Damian told her softly. He didn't want to fight with him thing if he didn't have to. "Told ya they are jerks..." He turned to the side and worked on making a circle around the other chimera, passing him slowly.

Windige followed him, slinking forward with her body close to the ground and keeping her head slight to the side so that she could keep the other chimera in sight. "I wonder... if this is their territory?"

"Usually they travel in small herds. He must be a loner..." Damian replied, getting a good distance away from the chimera. "Seems the animals get bigger the further we get away from the kingdom."

As they went around the first chimera, they nearly ran into another. She was smaller and lacked a mane. Her horns weren't as defined and were shorter. The chimera ruffled her wings a bit. "What happened to you?"

Windige's neck swivelled around her mate, her eyes widening at the female. "Uh... Hello." The Himmel greeted.

"These outsiders causing you trouble?" Countered a male voice, as the chimera from earlier sneaked up behind them.

"No, not really. But doesn't he look funny?" the female approached and circled them around to the other male. "Poor thing had his wings ripped out."

"It's a defect-" Damian muttered, feeling quite his self esteem plummet instantly.

"Defect?" The male responded, then laughed, "Wait. Wait, are you serious?"

Though Windige was smaller then all three, she raised her hackles and growled lightly, "It isn't nice to make fun of someone." The dots along her sides and shoulders began to slightly glow, the fins growing but then stopped. Her neck stiffened along with her tail as the flag that makes her an elemental flickered.

"And what is that?" The female gestured to Windige, "Some sort of long ferret?"

"NO." Damian said firmly. "She is my- erm..." He wasn't sure if it would be wise to finish in front of these two natural, wild chimera.

"Oh, OH!" The male chuckled, nudging up to the female, "They are..." He laughed again, "Mates!"

Windige's ears wilted at that, was Damian ashamed of her?

"Dammit! Back off!" Damian growled, the fur on his mane flaring up. He forced it away and turned to Windige, "Let's go-" he turned his back to the others and guided the Himmel away to a forest around the field they were in.

The female Chimera laughed with the male. "Hehe! It's sort of cute- in a pathetic way, you know?" When she saw the two leaving, she said, "Hey! Come on! You were kidding right? I mean- she is so puny. How the heck can you fit in? Unless.... you DO fit in because you are-" she faded and laughed hysterically.

Eyes closing, Windige's ears fell against her neck as she was herded away, their taunts ringing in her mind. The male trotted after them after a moment of waiting before flying in front of them, "Wait, you must be a city chimera! I've heard of your kind... wingless!" He laughed, "You should stay with us, we can show you how to be a REAL chimera."

Damian kept his head low in a scowl. Although he really wanted to fit in and be a "REAL" chimera, Windige never left his eyes. "I would love to but- I can't." he paused, "I have other priorities."

"But... you'll never be a real chimera with her..." The male countered, "Besides, I'm sure her kind and ours won't be able to produce any viable young. They'll all be freaks! Think of your future," He finished, his king snake tail watching them both while the Himmel held her head low, pain in her heart for her mate at this exchange.

Damian looked away. She loved her but- this was a wonderful opportunity for him to truly be a wild chimera. His comments about Windige severely pissed him off, but he really wanted to take this chimera up on the offer. "Excuse me." he turned and brought Windige away from the two for a moment of privacy, "Darling..." he began, pausing.

"I... I don't know what to say..." Windige murmured, not meeting his gaze. Feeling a little light headed, the Himmel sat her rump down, wincing in pain at something. Hopefully he didn't notice. "It is your choice, Damian, to be with your people." With her head held low, a blemish in her fur caught her eye. Normally in this sort of talk between loved ones, such a thing would never keep her attention. However, her maternal instinct kept her eyes on it. "By the forgotten gods..." Windige gasped, rolling onto her side for a closer look. Three, barely distinguishable bumps on her stomach poked out further under her investigations.

"What?" Damian asked quickly, hearing the strain in her voice. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. He leaned in more, crouching down to her stomach.

"I don't understand... they said I couldn't have..." Windige looked up at him, completely shocked, "Eggs. Eggs!"

"What?! You're hungry?" Damian asked, confused if she wanted to have omelets. His kind had live birth and he had no knowledge of her reproduction.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said it again, "Eggs... Damian, I'm..." She couldn't say the word out loud. All she could do was cry at this point at even the miracle of this happening, a union between species. Because Himmels laid eggs, they formed rather rapidly after consummation and as a species as a whole, the growth from birth to adulthood takes many years.

Damian's eyes widened. Was she? He leaned in and sniffed her over. Her scent was a little different now. She was! Immediately, he embraced her with his head and neck. "Windige! This is wonderful!" He embraced her more, almost completely knocking the himmel over. Damian licked her tears away, he had never been happier.

The other chimera stared at them with a disgusted look on his face before turning and strutting off. She laughed, but couldn't stop crying, laying on her back just looking at him, "The gods said that I wouldn't be able to bear children... because I was a premature pup." Windige looked away, as tears of happiness began to flow once again.

"The gods must really like you!" Damian nuzzled her cheek, licking away the tears again. "We're going to be parents!"

"But... what if that chimera was right? What if they are freaks, or worse, what if they don't survive?" Windige had no idea when the eggs would need to be laid, but she knew they needed to find a place to make their permanent home.

"Shh Shh.." Damian cooed, moving down to her stomach. "If they are freaks, I will love them just the same. I'm a freak after all too, you know." Stopping to look at the little bumps. "And if they don't survive incubation- we will try again, ok? It's going to be fine."

"I do not know how to do any of this..." She muttered, sifting through the few memories her mother did give to her. Then she shook her head and chuckled, "I do know that I cannot make anymore eggs for a year after they are done," Windige was of course hinting about his instinct to mate.

Not even thinking about it, Damian went to her face again. He pressed his cheek onto hers. "Then we will try in a year. If not again, another year." His kind of course travelled in small groups of only one male and many females but Windige was all he needed. At least- he didn't have that urge yet.

She licked him, "Okay." Windige stood, now very wary as she became protective of not only herself. "I do believe we should find a place where there are no chimera." She didn't want to risk losing him, even if it was to his own kind.

Damian nodded, nuzzling her again. "Sorry- I just can't stop doing this." He was so happy that he couldn't hold it in.

Windige pushed her nose against his mane and sighed, "This means we can't run if we need to." She was still scared that hunters would eventually find them.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you with my life." Damian assured her with a confident smile. "I can carry you easy if need be too."

"I meant... once I lay the eggs." Windige said, giggling. "But, we should get a move on... I don't know how long, or large these are going to get, or how long I have till..." She coughed lightly.

"Oh, alright then. Did you want me to carry you now, love?" Damian asked, looking around to see the others had left.

She smiled and licked at his ear, "I appreciate the concern, but I think for now I'll be ok, just, I think in the next few days we need to look for a place to live." Sniffing around, Windige also looked around, then set off in a slightly different direction then before.

"This place is fairly flat but it looks rockier over there. Let's try and find a cave." Damian said, walking with her.

"Just for tonight, right?" Windige was uncomfortable staying in the same territory as other chimera.

"Unless we find a perfect place- then I don't see why not." Damian explained, looking around as they headed into the forest, out of the field.

"Because... I don't like this place." Windige replied hesitantly, "I don't like the feral chimera presence so near..." She sighed then moved to a trot. Feeling the need for his acceptance among his own kind weighed heavy on her heart.

"Oh-" Damian faded, "Alright then." He had to admit that he felt a little sad, but Windige and his offspring were more important right now.



About a week and a half passed and Windige was getting close to laying her eggs. They had found a nice little cave off the side of a cliff so that no land mammal could approach without being spotted. Windige was on nest rest now and Damian had the job of protecting her and bringing food to the cave. Though it was more difficult for him to jump up into the cave, he had gotten used to it in the past few days.

Before she had been denied passage from the cave Windige had collected many different types of herbs- Sage, thistle, and lavender to name a few to make a viable nest. She spent the last few days sleeping, getting ready for when the eggs were going to be finished. It seemed her body knew what it was doing, for she had been eating twice a day to prepare.

Damian crawled up onto the ledge with some sort of large deer in his jaws. "Huungra?" he asked with his mouth full. He set down the carcass and sat himself next to the nest.

Windige yawned toothily and nuzzled him, "Have you already eaten?" She asked, making sure he was getting enough to eat while still hunting for her.

He scratched his shoulder with his hoofed back leg. "Yea, I'm fine. How have you been feeling lately?" The scent of her nest tickled his nose a bit and he sneezed.

"Bloated..." Windige grabbed onto the deer and tore off a leg viciously, then swallowed, "Yet... I am still hungry for more." She smiled at him and shook her head to ruffle the fur of her cheeks before tearing back into the meal.

Damian rolled over onto his back like a giant cat and scratched himself on the rough stone under him. "You'll be such a cute mom." he said, looking at her eat from his upside down position.

Windige couldn't respond. The meal was only half eaten but she suddenly hissed, getting to her feet with her body hunched over. She wasn't in pain, just in sudden focus as her body told her what to do. The Himmel hunched even further, her back legs slowly moving back and forth as her tail stiffened and lifted. Her vent opened, as something leathery looking and ivory glistened into existence. Gently she eased the egg, quite oval looking and thin to the nest. For the last week her hips and back part of her belly had swelled to fit the babies, and now they were shrinking back to normal. Back pedaling again, another egg, this one larger then the last one slipped to the herb nest. Windige breathed a sigh, with her jaw still open and closed her eyes, the muscles of her uterus visibly working. After a few moments the final third egg dropped gently.

Damian immediately rolled over the right way and went to her side. His attention went to the three little eggs. Damian opened his nostrils and sniffed at them gently. His natural instincts told him to lick the eggs clean, so he started. This would be the normal thing to do for live births, but he didn't really see the difference. 

Licking herself clean, Windige laid herself around the eggs, watching Damian being completely gentle with them. She was exhausted from that few minutes of work. "I wonder why that middle one is a bit larger then the other two," She murmured.

"Heh... must be from my side." Damian joked, chuckling at himself. He moved back so Windige could properly warm them. He laid himself near her head. Reaching forwards, he licked her cheek a few times, trying to comfort her the best he could.

The Himmel nosed through the now dry batch of eggs, the shells beginning to harden quiet nicely. Not moving them, Windige wrapped her tail and body in a loose circle around them but kept her head against Damian's. After a few moments of silence, "Damian, do you remember your parents?"

"My Mom raised me." he said flat out, "I remember her quite vividly. But-" Damian's eyes shot to the ground, "I only have one memory of my Dad, if you can call him that. He left when I was very young. To be honest, I don't even think I could talk yet. The only thing I can recall is looking out of a window as he flew off. He was massive and nearly took up the entire sky." Damian paused, "But that's just what I remember from the mind of a child." He licked his lips and rested his head on his folded paws, "My Mom was great though. Supportive and always there for me. She tried her best but- I just didn't fit in the human world like she had hoped."

"She was human?" That was interesting. "I don't remember much of my mother, only a few memories she sent me before she died. I think... my father died first defending us." Windige thought back to when she was united with three other elementals to destroy the beasts that had murdered her parents. "I never thought this day would come." She admitted.

"Yes, my Mom was human and my Dad was a Chimera. Ever wonder why I'm so much smaller then my kind and am wingless?" Damian frowned. It was also why his humanoid form looked more human then anything. "Is it wrong for me to be... a little proud of my Mom? Even a bit proud of my human self?" he looked at her. 

Windige frowned and didn't answer right away. "I don't know. I have always felt that humans were too frail. They think they own everything they see, and have the right to anything they want. Every other species that surrounds them is inferior, when in reality it is they who are." She shook her head, "You have proven that some exist that don't believe this, but I will never trust a full blooded human again."

Damian kept his head low, not sure what to think anymore. He turned his face toward the cave opening. Sure, Damian agreed about what she said about humans but- he loved his Mother dearly and he just couldn't swallow that completely. He closed his eyes and rested, in deep thought.

She whined softly, his feelings washing over her and she felt guilty for what she said. "Love, we have had different experiences with them... and we are both entitled to our own opinions..." Windige licked his ear, murring softly to try to calm his thoughts.

Damian's ear flickered when Windige licked it. "To think, all this happened in only a month and a half." He took a deep breath before he rolled over onto his side, staring up at her. "So- about how long is the incubation period for your kind?"

Windige shook her head again, "I don't know. But, I DO know that when I was born I was about the size of a dog. I believe it shouldn't take more then a few months, if less." So she hoped.

"Alright then." Damian smiled, nuzzling her with his thick mane wrapping around her thin neck. "Can I get you something? Water maybe?" he was truly doing his best to make sure his mate was comfortable.

"I just need rest my love, that is all." She licked his cheek and settled back down, wrapping her neck around the rest of her. Windige would be able to go out later for her own needs, once she got the eggs to the right temperature.

Damian smiled and stood up. He took one last look at her before walking to the mouth of the cave. He stretched and shook out his mane before looking up at the cloud formations. Though something caught his eye. Black figures were approaching. As their forms got bigger, Damian could see that they were in fact Chimera.

The male from the week earlier was there, as was the female, though there were several chimera that were new. All had fresh blood on their muzzles. One snarled as they got close, then hovered around the slightly smaller chimera, "How dare you consort with that creature," The eldest looking growled, "We are here to right this wrong from nature."

The hairs and spikes on Damian's back flared up. He showed his teeth off threateningly, "This is non of your concern! We left your territory-You have no business here!" he shouted up as the group of chimera hovered at the cave entrance. The snake tail lifted up and hissed at the group, venom dripping down it's fangs.

"WRONG!" Screamed the alpha male, "Everything on this side of the mountains is ours, and we rule it with no excuses! You are interbreeding with an over sized ferret creature so I am told, we cannot allow this! Chimera belong with chimera. If you kill whatever offspring you have begat with that primitive beast then we will accept that as an apology, halfbreed!"

His eyelid twitched with the word, 'halfbreed'. He wanted to tear off this guy's face right then and there- but he had to think about Windige and his little ones. He closed his lips and got into a more relaxed stance. Keeping his eyes on the alpha, Damian went back into the cave. He spoke low in fear that the others could hear him. "Windige... can you carry them?" he whispered, "There are nearly a dozen out there and I think I can distract them long enough for you to fly out."

"What is going on?" Windige asked fearfully, tightening her coils slightly, then shook her head, "I... I am not supposed to move them, not now, not till they finish hardening." Her hackles raised besides herself and the flickering flag stopped moving, "What should we do?"

"Windige- we can't stay here. THEY can't stay here." Damian looked to the three eggs in her coils.

"What's taking so long?!" a female chimera growled.

Damian closed his eyes and pressed his forehead onto hers. "You have to take them and go far away from here, alright. I love you." His head snapped to the cave opening quickly. His teeth were barred and his claws, out and ready. He charged out as fast as he possibly could. There was little warning for the alpha as Damian came into the light and jumped up at him. His massive jaws aimed at the male's throat where he clung on for dear life as they hovered over a rocky cliffside.

"But... But I can't." Windige's voice cracked, as she watched him rush out, feeling love and despair all at once. Her urge to protect her unborn children, to protect her mate kicked in, but she did not move. Instead her fins flashed into existance along her shoulders and back, waivering in a unfelt breeze. The air steadily cooled and instantly dark and angry clouds formed above their position. Windige was weak from bringing forth the eggs, but there was no way she could get them and herself out safely. They say a cornered animal is the most dangerous... and Windige let herself get pushed aside mentally by a more powerful being. Nyadwynn, defender of the North wind.

This changed happened in just a few seconds, but it was long enough that two chimera rushed into the cave, only to face a furious Himmel that looked to be made of crystal. They were tossed from the tunnel as a horizontal tornado formed directly on top of them.

Damian was still clinging to the throat of the alpha. Other's came to their leaders defense quickly. They chomped down onto Damian's back and rump, trying to pry him off. Unfortunately, it worked and Damian's bloody body crashed into the side of the cliff. He fell a few feet before his claws caught onto the stone. Though he still had the throat flesh of the alpha in his jaws.

The Alpha's body fell, spurting blood as it partly burst when it landed. The two chimera that had run in to kill Windige also splatted against the rocks, breaking their necks from the impact. Nyadwynn, in midst the tornado roared at the remaining chimera, them avoiding the tornado and roaring back. A smaller chimera darted for the cave entrance while the rest dove at the Himmel. She only had so much strength left, repelling one beast before another slammed into her.

Damian couldn't rest now. He reared up and climbed up the rocky mountain side as fast as he could to reach the ledge of the cave. A female chimera was about to chomp down on Windige's throat as she was pinned up against the wall. Though Damian pounced on the female immediately and tore her away from his mate. He roared furiously at her before biting onto her skull.

Nyadwynn didn't have time to thank Damian as she rushed back into the cave and with a cry of alarm rammed into the chimera that was about her size, right before he smashed her last egg. Tears fell from her eyes as she clawed at his wings, shredding them and slammed her thick tail into his face. Dazed, the chimera snarled at her, just as the color seeped back into her form and Nyadwynn left, spent. Windige tetered and collapsed. "Stay away... from my eggs!" She hissed, trying to look threatening from the ground.

Damian immediately ran in when he heard his mate cry. With a sore jaw, he swipped at the chimera from behind with his claws. "LEAVE HERE!" he growled at it. Luckily this was the only one that he was bigger then. Not satisfied with how quick it was leaving, Damian stood in front of Windige and lowered his head, aiming his horns at the last chimera. He charged at it.

Skittering out, the now handicapped chimera scrambled for a foothold, climbing up at out.

Windige stared at the mess that it had made of the two smaller eggs, pieces of the shells splattered this way and that... She cried, a yowl deep in her throat erupted, and she buried her head against her mate's bloody mane.

Damian bent his head down, keeping Windige close. His throat let out a sad moan as his legs shook to hold up his weight. He fell onto the cave floor, unable to gather enough strength to stand right now. Damian hurt all over as blood escaped his wounds and formed a pool where he lay. "You...were right...about humans being weak." he sputtered. Bruised and bitten, he could barely keep his eyes open any more. Damian's stomach rose and fell but his breathing was uneven and tired.

"You, my love, are not human... nor weak," She replied back softly, licking gently at his wounds. There were just too many cuts, and he wouldn't stop bleeding. The elemental closed her eyes, halting back the tears as she prayed softly, dilligently. Time froze. There had only been one other instance when the gods had approached her like this. The night she became their servent, was the night she lost the human that had raised her.

Stepping away from Damian reluctantly, she bowed deeping and ignored her own pains.

We have come... The voices echoed around the cave, a mix of male and female as a light glowed from the back. Windige stood again, "I ask for your help." The light flared, then faded slightly, but extended towards the frozen form of her mate.

His wounds are grievous. Windige nodded, "Protecting me, protecting our..." Her head drooped, "Our child." The light now extended to the last egg.

You mean children. The forgotten gods corrected her, but Windige, though confused, didn't comment. "Will you help us?" A crack of lightning sounded outside, and she flinched in response.

It is done. Time was corrected, and Damian, now with only a few cuts here and there breathed easier. Slumping to the ground, Windige moved the egg so that it was on her coils and wrapped herself tiredly around it.

As Windige and Damian slept, the air around the cave was still and wreaked of death. Though before the sun rose, Damian woke up. Thinking perhaps it was all a dream, he came to realize that there was only one egg left in Windige's coils. Damian frowned at the two broken piles of eggshell as it stuck in a pile of some sort of gooey substance. He glanced over at Windige and shifted into his humanoid self for a moment. Damian had tears streaming down his face as he scooped up the mess and tossed it to the outskirts of the cliff. It would be better for her to not be reminded in the morning. Silently, he laid himself down next to his mate and shifted to his chimera form. He brushed up against her side and slept until dawn.




Brushing away the dried tears from last night, Windige cautiously stood, reluctant to seperate herself from the last egg. The anguish flooded back, and the Himmel set herself back down, against Damian's still sleeping form. Was her species and offspring destined to be wiped out by things they couldn't control? Windige blinked away more tears, and licked at one of the few cuts unhealed on her mate's hide.

Damian woke up and looked up at Windige. He stood to greet her and brushed his head up against hers. "I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you better." Since it happened, Damian had a heart crushing amount of guilt weighing inside of him.

"Oh honey..." Windige whispered, kissing him, "There were too many. They had absolutly no right, NO RIGHT to barge in here. My love, we are both alive, and we still have an egg, isn't that what matters?" She licked him again, finding some strength in her soul to purr quietly.

Damian couldn't help but smile when she started to purr. He always loved it when she did that. "But-" he began, "I don't understand. I was bleeding so much and- my wounds were so big."

She didn't respond for a moment before she sighed, "I called in on a favor."

Damian looked at her, confused. But then it hit him. "No-...the gods?" he guessed. He didn't say anything else about the matter. "Thank you." he whispered before licking some blood off of her cheek.

His attention went to the lonely egg. He bowed down to it and sniffed it's shell. "We should move when we can. I don't want to risk staying here any longer."

Windige nodded, nuzzling him when he went to the egg half hidden among her body, "I think we can move now, when they... came the gods touched it." She also bent her neck to sniff at it and stopped, "They did something to them." By her tone, Damian shouldn't be alarmed, but the Himmel moved to the egg was against the rock and touched it with a hand, then closed her eyes. She gasped a moment later, "Damian! There are two... two babies in here!"

Damian blinked and sniffed the egg more, "Two?! That's why it was so much bigger? Twins?!" he wagged his snake tail like a happy puppy. Finally some good news after a terrible experience last night.

Windige started crying again, this time because of hope; their family would survive. "I... I think they sped up their growth... the egg looks older, and is heavier then it was." That would be better, for them to travel with. Thanking the gods for her thumbs, Windige sat on her haunches and picked up the egg gently in her claws, "Our babies..." She murmured.

"Did you want me to carry you?" Damian suggested, feeling fine now. He bowed down just in case Windinge took him up on the offer.

"Well, where will we go?" She didn't want to try to cross an ocean, but where would they be safe with the chimera around? Windige clutched the egg closer unconsiously.

"Don't worry, we'll find sanctuary somewhere unexpected. Come on-" Damian bowed for her to climb on. She wasn't healed like he was after all. Not to mention, he can't hold onto the egg.

Unexpected? Windige cocked an ear before sighing, then hovered above him and settled herself in the crook of his shoulders. She had a good grip on the egg, now more protective then ever and licked him once.

Damian stood straight and headed out of the cave. His eyes avoided looking at the dead chimera bodies scattered around. He turned his attention to the cliff and started to climb, careful to make sure Windige could hold on. After making it over the rocky cliff, they had a fast field in front of them with a golden grassland that was bordered by trees and a stream. "Wow- I like this direction."

"Do you know where we are going?" His mate asked him quietly, wondering where they could go that would be a sanctuary for them.

"Not a clue whatsoever." Damian said with a cheery voice and grin. "I guess that's one of the benefits to not having a tie to a particular place- you never really miss it."

"Ah..." Windige commented, "We Himmel are nest builders... and we miss our homes." She shifted around to get more comfortable and kept her eyes open for any more suspicious behavior.

"Always on cliffs?" Damian asked. She seemed to like caves a lot and he did't really care for the hard stone on his paws.

She nodded even though he could not see her, "It is our natural habitat. I like making nests in trees, but my herbs always got stolen by birds, so I went back to caves."

"Maybe we can find one that isn't so rocky. I don't think my paws can take it any longer." Damian admitted as he ran through the field. At this point, he just wanted to get as far away from the chimera population as possible. Though he hated thinking about it. Poor Damian didn't belong anywhere. Not in the human world and not in the chimera.

Windige could feel his loneliness, and her heart went out to her mate's as she whinned quietly, nuzzling him while he ran them and their egg to safety.

After a few days of walking, Damian and Windige came to a jungle-like setting. The air was more damp and the leaves on the trees seemed to be bigger then the woods before. 

Carefully sliding down, Windige surveyed the land and took in a good whiff of the air, "This... is an interesting place." She commented, taking the egg, now ever so slightly larger into the air with her as she floated forwards. "We need to hunt." The Himmel muttered, trying to ignore her growling stomach.

"I can go find something- unless you are getting antsy to hunt yourself? You always look so sexy with blood all over your lips," Damian said, ruffling out his mane. "I can watch the cubs if you want to."

Windige giggled and almost dropped the egg, but caught more of it's weight in a mesh of air, "Let us find a good, and defendable spot, then I will go hunt for us."

Damian smiled, "That's better." He liked seeing her brighten up after the past few days. He looked around, trying to find a nice spot.

Swirling around, she entered above the forest, keeping an eye on her mate at all times. There was an old tree, quite large, but not big enough for Damian to climb, but its roots were quite tangled. Maybe there would be a cave. "Over here love!"

Damian ran through the jungle. His big body found if difficult to weave as well as Windige could, but whatever he couldn't fit through- he broke through. "Oh wow- look at this thing." he said, marveling the enormous tree.

"It has to be one of the biggest in the forest," Windige replied softly, "It is a titan among the rest here." Setting the egg down in the roots, she sniffed around, doing a loose circle around then deciding it was in the best place. "At least you will see them coming." His mate said.

"No one will come, love." Damian told her with a smile. "Now go hurry up! I'm starving." he encouraged. He climbed up the roots and sat down with the egg between his paws. He shifted to his humanoid self and brought the egg into his lap.

Finding it hard to look away from them both, Windige crouched down, then ubruptly plunged into the treetops then into the air above the trees. She flew for a while, looking for something, anything that would sustain them both. It took a while, but she finally caught onto the scent of some bird, or maybe a turkey.

"I'mma bck!" Windige announced, an hour later with a large grey feathered bird, easily half the size of the Himmel in feathers. She dropped it at the edge of the tree, "I hope this is enough. There isn't much game here."

"Wow- that was quick." Damian stood with the egg in his hands. "What the heck is that thing?" he tilted his head, accidentally knocking his horn against the enormous tree. "Ack!"

"It took long enough and I think it is some sort of... turkey." Windige glanced at Damian, "I wonder if the twins will have your horns..." She proceeded to tear out the birds feathers, not that much meat to the thing, but she figured it should be enough. Once it was bare, the Himmel latched onto its neck, sucking out the blood instead of gorging on poultry.

Damian smiled as he watched her. He rested the egg near the base of the tree in a little protective circle made of roots. He soon shifted to his chimera form and wagged his tail happily as he watched. "You're so sexy when you have blood dripping from your mouth..."

She grinned, pausing for a moment to respond, "If you don't want your meat dry I suppose you better join me. The blood will sustain me long enough till the next kill, but you are larger, and need more food then I do." Licking the blood from her lips, Windige leaned back down and clamped her jaws over its throat.

Damian gave the air one last sniff before leaving the egg's side to stand be his mate's. He leaned down and started to tear into the stomach, avoiding feathers the best he could.

Only a little while later she was satisfied, and Windige curled around the egg, pressing it against her warm stomach while she waited for Damian to finish. "This place doesn't have much large game, I don't think we can stay here."

Damian agreed, but kept on eating at the bird. He had eaten most of it already but was trying to get whatever was left around the ribcage. Finally unable to get anything else out of the carcass, he left it and went to his mate, "If you're not happy, I'm not happy." he said before licking some bloody fur on Windige's spine. 

Purring, Windige leaned into his licking, but stayed wrapped around their young. "We'll find someplace, and we'll both be happy." She said, in return licking his cheek fur that was also blood, "Should we stay here for a night?"

Damian nodded, "We'll head out first thing in the morning." He smirked and laid himself down next to his mate, letting his body heat warm her. Damian was always so tired after eating and it felt good to rest after a long day's travel. He rested his large head on his front paws.

Snuggling closer to him, Windige laid her head against his shoulder and brought the egg in tighter.



The Himmel yawned wide, standing and stretching after carefully placing the egg against Damian's side. She shook the dew from her fur and stretched again, brushing her claws against the old tree's roots to clean them.

Damian groaned and rolled over and off of the pile of roots. "How are you such a morning person?! A few more hours mom..." he mocked a little, closing his eyes.

"Careful!" Windige rushed to steady the egg, then sighed, "Sorry, I didn't warn you I had set the egg against your side..." Taking it up in her arms, Windige hovered in the air, then brought the egg and herself to the ground, where she proceeded to urinate behind a small tree.

Damian yawned and stood up. Stretching a little, he followed her lead and walked over to find himself a quiet spot to go to the bathroom.
When finished, he walked back to meet his mate. He ruffled his fur and bowed down, offering Windige a seat again.

Carefully, Windige placed herself in the crook of his shoulders, settling down with the egg and ready to go. "Lets go... that way!" She pointed with her nose; she remembered seeing some sort of grass or marshlands in that direction.

"Hm?" Damian looked around before glancing up at the way she was facing. "Hold on, babe." He bounded towards where she aimed. "You know what? For our sake and theirs, I hope the cubs can fly."

"If they can't fly you think the pups would be weak?" Windige gripped his spikes and leaned forward to lick at his ear and nuzzled him, "You're not weak... and you can't fly."

Damian smiled, "You are trying to make me blush, aren't you?" He jumped over a small creek in one bound. "Thanks."

Windige giggled, "Not blush. But you are my mate, and you are strong. You have proven yourself many times over to me, and I wouldn't have you any other way." She kissed him again and settled back.

Damian smiled and kept on running. He felt so much love for Windige. It was almost unbelievable that she loved him for who he was and nothing less.

They ran for quite sometime, and more then once Windige had had Damian stop so she could go to the bathroom. By the time the evening came around again, they were in some rather dense grasslands surrounded on two sides by giant mesas. Windige looked up at them in awe. "May we check that out? There might be a cave close to the ground, or we could make one!" She was excited to see cliffs again.

"At least this place has soft soil to run on." Damian said as he ran in the direction of the large mesas. His fur also blended nicely into the sand and red rocks in the area. Perhaps this was similar to his natural origins? "I like the idea of making our own."

"Maybe not tonight," She replied, not sure if they would have time. They could always sleep in the open... well, sort of in the open next to the mesa wall. Running a claw over the egg, Windige pondered on how much longer till the kits would hatch.

"This place probably gets nice and cool in the night. We need some sort of shelter..." Damian argued, not wanting the egg to get too cold. "Unless you think fur alone will be ok?" 

"Between you and me?" She made an odd sound in her throat, "I'm sure the egg will be fine. It has had my heat all day. If not I can surround it completely in my coils." Windige licked his ear, "Don't worry, that's my job."

Damian glanced up at her, "Then what's my job?" He had instincts of course, but was there something he was in charge of that he wasn't doing properly?

The Himmel laughed at that, "You're already doing it! Protecting me, protecting our young... we both share the hunting, but for the most part dealing with the egg is my responsibility." Windige thought hard for a moment. "If they are male, you are the one to teach them to be a male, females are my main focus. However, it is both our jobs to hunt... I think." She didn't mention the relaying memories to the babies to him... They would figure that out when the time came.

"Speaking of which- I'm starving." Damian called back to her as they got closer to the plateau. "I wonder what there is to eat around here."

Just as he said that, the grass in front of him exploded as several giant creatures took off running and bounding to escape, their physique of moose or reindeer, but their fur was green and spiked for camoflage.

"Woah woah!" Damian skidded to a halt, startled by the creatures. "Huh- that works, I guess?" He turned up at her, "You or me?"

Windige slid off, licking her chops but she clutched the egg safely in her arms, "Have fun." Floating closer to the Mesa, the Himmel winked at her mate and proceeded looking for a suitiple place to stay.

Damian shook his head and chuckled. Extending his claws, he reared towards the deer-like creatures. Slowing down, he his in the tall grass. It fit the color of his fur perfectly. Luckily for him, he saw right where the group just to hide and they knew not of his whereabouts. He watched them graze and mingle, looking for an opening.

A sudden movement among the herd, and all their heads jerked upright. They were frozen in place when all of a sudden a bark sounded and hounds, about the size of horses and tan with black and white stripes along their hindquarters ambushed them.

Damian bounded forward when their heads perked up as if he was spotted. Though the dog-like creatures caught the moose's attention first. The prey were spooked in his direction and luckily Damian kept his cool and went to attack one.

The creature already had a hound latched onto it's leg, screaming in pain and trying to kick it off. Bucking wildly, the dog was thrown off, but the rest of the pack ran in to help, growling and snarling at Damian.

Damian couldn't outrun these things. Especially as a pack. Dropping the wounded animal, he growled back, "It's mine!" he snarled. Hot smoke billowed out of his nostrils.

Barking, the gathered around him, growling and trying to intimidate him with pure numbers. One wild dog reached for the leg of the moaning beast.

Hearing the moose squeal, Damian shot around and snapped at the dog attempting to steal it. His snake tail hissed at the others behind him. It lashed out and tried to bite them.

The dog leapt backwards, startled momentarily before they surged forward then stopped abruptly. Yowling, Windige swooped in from the air, the egg safely with her, but she was a fearsome sight to behold when defending the one she loved. The dogs looked from Damian, to his tail, to now Windige.

"Stay back!" Damian called up to Windige. He didn't want her or the egg to get involved in these pests. As some of the wolves came closer, he unleashed his fury in the form of a fire blast from his mouth.

Yelping, they scrambled back, then decided they would be better to try some other kill. Running away, some looked back but most continued running, chasing after the retreating herd.

"Sorry," Windige mumbled, "I heard your yell and I thought you needed help..."

"It's fine- I just didn't want to risk your safety or the egg." Damian explained, "I'm getting better at this fire thing too. Oh- did you find a place to stay?" he leaned down and sunk his fangs into the dying animal.

"Well..." She looked back from whence she came, "Sort of. It's more like a dent. But it should do." Turning back fully, Windige floated back to the Mesa, making sure he was following her.

Damian didn't tear in the beast yet. He moved over to let Windige take the first bite. She had to bear milk to the little ones(at least, that's what Damian figured she would have to do) so she needed proteins.

Setting the egg down, "I thought males eat first?" She asked, tentitively.

"They do, but go ahead. You need it more then I do." He said, sitting himself down near the kill. "Hurry up too- I don't have much more willpower to resist."

Windige looked from him to the kill then shook her head, taking a few steps to the legs. Tearing one off, Windige backed off, so he would have the freedom to eat if he wanted to. "Mmm... Tastes... earthy." She mumbled, enjoying the taste.

As always, Damian tore right into the stomach. The animal gave a few last breaths before passing away. "One of the interesting things about traveling around the country like this is all of the different meats." he commented before eating some more.

"And different scenery." Windige added, licking away at the blood and dark meat. She wondered if this place would be the best to raise their children, and how much longer they would stay in the cooker. The egg was slightly growing each day, it had to be sometime soon.

Damian finished up in a few minutes. "So- this may sound odd but, you breastfeed right?"

"Breastfeed?" His mate repeated, confused, then shook her head. "If that was the case, I would have never have made it growing up. No, if they are like me, we are born ready to hunt. I was able to stand within a few minutes of breaking through the shell."

"Should we keep some of this just in case it's hatching time tonight?" Damian asked, looking at the carcass.

Nodding, "That is a good idea. I would say it is going to happen sometime soon, their emotions are getting stronger every day." Windige smiled, "One boy, one girl."

"Pff... yeah right." Damian argued. He paused and stared at her, "You don't REALLY know that, do you?"

Her smiled faded somewhat, "Well of course. Just as well as I can tell that you are a male with my empathy."

Damian chuckled a bit. "You couldn't tell from when we made those eggs?" he joked. Reaching down he ripped off a big chunk of stomach muscle.

Giggling, "Well of course I could silly, I was just saying. Emotions emanate feelings, which inturn reveal many things." Windige gnawed on the leg bone for a moment, splitting it to get at the marrow.

"Well thanks for spoiling the fun. I'm glad I didn't bet on the genders." Damian said with the meat still in his mouth. He would save it for the two cubs.

Windige's ears fell, "I'm sorry, I didn't know if you cared to know what genders they were..." Every Himmel had a true name, she wondered if their young, halfbloods in their own right had that Himmel quality.

"Oh no no no." Damian set the meat down for a moment and walked up to her. "I don't care at all if they are male of female, as long as they are ours." He licked her cheek.

She leaned into his affection happily, then cocked an ear to the egg, "Did you hear that?" Windige perked up, getting to her feet and turning her head fully to their egg.

"Woah woah- don't say things like that, we aren't in a secure home yet." Damian said, bringing himself down to the egg.

"Then lets hurry!" Windige murmured, trotting over to the mesa's edge. Jumping to a ledge, she climbed to another, wanting to be at least twenty feet above the ground. Then, feeling with her front feet, Windige felt around the stone, making sure the rock was in good repair, so it wouldn't crack and fall on them, "I'm going to make us a cave here. Guard the babies."

Damian waited on the bottom with the egg. "You sure you can do that?" he called up. He had the build and horns for something like that and didn't want her hurting herself. Though he stood above the egg, making sure no debris would fall on them.

"Yeah, when I was younger I would make them for the human that raised me." Carefully, Windige felt with her thin fingers, then turned her tail to the wall, smacking it really hard. She did this several times in a circle, pulling away large chunks of rock, throwing them over her shoulder and away from her mate and offspring.

"Wha? You were raised by a human?!" Damian asked. She had somehow forgot to mention that detail. He brought his head down to the egg. It wiggled a little, "HURRY UP!" he called.

"I am!" The Himmel responded, not pausing in her work. Soon she had a good fifteen foot dip in the rock. It was not large enough for the future, but it would work for now. "Go get some bushes! If you find some herbs that would be really nice too," Windige said quickly, jumping down to the egg.

Damian gestured to the chunk of meat, "Take that too. I'll be back in 10." He leaned down to the egg, "Now don't you two start the show without me." He smiled to his mate before running off.

Grinning back, Windige stayed down on the gound, touching the egg gently to halt the movements, "Hush my babies, your father wants you to wait for him."
Even though Damian wasn't too skilled in...herb collecting, he did what he could. A half an hour passed before his return with a whole garden in his mouth. A variety of plant life was a bit harder to find then he had thought. He climbed his way up to the ledge Windige had built. His climbing skills had evolved and he had become much better at it. Though his fear of heights was still there. "Honey I'm home!" he said, muffled from the plants in his jaws.

Windige had by then gathered the egg and into the start of the cave, cooing to the babies struggling to get out. Looking up as he walked in, "Oh good, put them down here..." She lifted the egg up into the air so he could put everything down.

Damian quickly set the plants down under the egg. "What did I miss?" he asked excitedly.

"Oh, nothing, I had them stop." Windige set the egg down gently, then nuzzled his neck and cheek, "Ready?" Her body shivered in excitement.

Damian laid down and kept his eyes locked on the egg. He nodded, eager to see what they looked like. "I really hope they have your nose."

In return she licked his muzzled, "I'm sure they will have the best from both of us." Murring, Windige carressed the egg with a claw, cheeping. In response, the egg rolled slightly to the right, landing on its side. Soft cheeps, echoing the ones she was making muffled through the thick shell.

"Come on, push!" Damian encouraged the two little ones inside. "Mommy and Daddy want to see you!" He was so cute with all of his attention focused on the egg as it wiggled.

"Push!" Windige also urged, gasping as she saw a small pink nose appear on one side, then another on the other side. They quickly retracted and began to squabble inside the egg. "Oh c'mon babies, you have a big world awaiting you!" She took on a motherly tone, hoping they would not fight once they were out of the confinements of the shell.

Damian tried to peer into the little holes, but it was so hard to see. He brought his nose up to the hole and sniffed a little. It was so strange to smell a creature that had the same scent as your own mixed with another.

Yelping, one baby jolted to the side, and the egg burst in two. The babies mewled, struggling to stand as their eyes had yet opened. "Oh my goodnes..." Windige took in a sharp breath, "They are beautiful!" Little nubs were in front of their ears, large and Himmel ears. Their necks were short, like Damian's but the rest of their bodies were quite long. Stripes were on both of them, the female kit had the sage green stripes along with light bronze intermixed, while the male had dark brown and minty green stripes. They mewled again, and Windige quickly leaned forward to lick at them, drying their fur.

Unlike typical mates, Damian joined in on the cleaning of the cubs. He sniffed at the male before licking him, accidentally knocking him over at first with his huge tongue. It was truly adorable. "What will their names be?" he asked his mate.

"I... I don't know... We'll find out soon though." Pressing her forehead to the female, she meeped, then closed her eyes. Baby?

Mo... Mommy? The baby mewled, opening her mouth and showing tiny nub teeth. Then her eyes finally opened, a bright emerald and piercing. More then piercing, they were full of intelligence.

Damian blinked in astonishment at the little female cub before looking at the male. "Come on now," he leaned in and touched the tip of his wet nose to the baby's. "You're not going to let your sister beat you like this, are you?" he whispered.

Smiling, Windige touched her forehead to the boy, and he too opened his eyes after she mentally said hello for the first time. Windige cocked her head as she saw that the boy had minty green eyes, and no pupils, "Love, he has your eyes!" Touching his arm with her paw, Windige tucked in the babies in one arm, Say hello to your daddy!

"They are both perfect." Damian smiled, leaning in to sniff at the two some more. After nuzzling his nose with theirs, he brought his head up and did the same to Windige. 

Murring, the two snuggled against their much larger parents, kicking back their little hooves and curling up their long tails. "Oh honey they are darling..." Dream my babies, and you will tell us your names tomorrow.

Damian started to lick at Windige's neck, cleaning and cooling her off. "I love you." he said. It had been quite some time since he had said it last. The result was a little strange so he resisted repeating it. But Damian couldn't help but say it now.

Windige turned her head to look him in the eyes before responding, "And I love you. And our small family." The babies lay sleeping between then, "They will need to eat in a few hours."

There was still the hunk of meat sitting near the cave opening. "Should I go hunt now?" Damian proposed, glad to contribute to their babies. "Something fresher then that?" he gestured to the older meat.

"Hmm... maybe a rabbit later. For now, they sleep. They need to discover their names anyway, might as well let them dream." Windige nuzzled the boy, smiling softly when he yawned, then slipped back to sleep. They were bigger then she was when she was a baby.

Damian's attention went to the cave opening. He carefully stood up as to not wake the babies. After walking to the entrance, he gave the land a quick look over. There was no threat that he could see. Coming back to his mate, he laid himself back down and rested his large head down in front of Windige's chest. His massive body and tail curved around her, blocking her from the entrance. Damian wanted to do what it takes to protect her and his offspring with all he had.

Her neck was already around the two sleeping kits, but when Damian leaned himself down around her she pushed slightly backwards, so that she was completely touching him. Windige took in a light breath, and unable to sleep, she just laid there and still couldn't believe this was happening.

Damian, on the other hand, had no problem sleeping(as usual). He closed his eyes and drifted off. Though his ears and nose never faltered. He would be alerted by the slightest sound or scent of an enemy.

One of the babies kicked back with a hoof, surprising Windige with the action and nuzzled the two. They were both curled in a ball around each other, looking similiar to their parents. It wasn't long till a few hours passed and Windige had spent them just gazing at the twins, which by now began to mewl again, standing on shaky legs.

Damian awoke and yawned, a deep lion's growl echoed in his throat. "Ah- that was perfect." He got to his feet and nuzzled his mate, "How are they, love?"

Windige smiled and looked at him with one baby struggling to climb over her arm, and the other looking at its twin from her back, "Very lively, and I am sure they are hungry as well." She licked his cheek.

Damian walked over to the chunk of meat from a few hours ago. He sniffed at it, "This is still good." Reaching down, he grabbed it in his jaws and walked over to the little ones. Setting it down, he watched the two little ones move sloppily towards it. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit at how clumsy they were.

The both fell in front of it, not afraid, grabbing on with their little baby teeth and pulling with tiny tugs. Windige joined in her mate's chuckling, finally leaning forward and splitting small slivers from the meat. They fought over one strip before Windige nudged the female away, discovering that there was more and she hunkered down to gnaw on it.

"So what are your names, little cubs of mine?" Damian asked, leaning down to watch at a closer range. He didn't expect them to answer, he was merely having fun interacting with the two.

They both ignored their parents, fully focused on eating. "Well, I think they are strong enough for our memories now." Windige murmured, nuzzling Damian's neck and cheek, "Then they should be able to tell us their names."

"My mom is human remember? I don't really...understand what you mean." Damian admitted. He watched his little son tear at a hunk of meat. Damian's tail moved near and bit on the other end, pulling it away from the cub. In turn, the little one pounced on the meat, fighting to take it away from his father's tail.

"Oh, right." Windige nudged at the boy's tail, making him release the meat in surprise, then turning to clumsily chase the meat being dragged slowly from him. "Well, we have a mental link to our children. Through me, you will be able to... connect as well. They will tell us their names, then, we will transfer our memories to them and in turn they should get an understandng of our language, and in turn be able to speak... well, they should in a few days. If they can fly, they will learn that from me."

"Err... I'll try. You might have to tell me what to do though." Damian explained. "I do admit though, your species is fascinating." The little female started to climb up and over her father's leg. Damian smirked and lifted his leg, inadvertently lifting the cub up too. "Strong little one, aren't you?"

Windige grinned, "The memories will mostly be focused on chimera behavior, in your case since they are a fourth human, some human behavior. And some language, and I would mention the fire breathing. For me, it will be how to fly... since you have a bit more to relay I will show them basic hunting skills and what not." Twisting her head to watch him play with the female, she frowned slightly, "It looks as if the girl is a little bigger. She reminds me more of a chimera, where as our little boy seems more sleek, and more like Himmel."

"Why would that be a bad thing?" he asked, seeing her frown. "My little girl is going to be strong." He leaned in and nuzzled his nose against hers gently. The girl nuzzled back and even licked his nose once. She growled playfully and tackled his nose. "Haha- see?"

"Not bad, just, unexpected. I assumed they would both be either more Himmel, or more Chimera." Windige explained, watching the girl, then turning her gaze back to the boy, who had by now caught the meat and was happily munching.

"So again, how exactly does one do this...mind memory... thing?" he asked, brushing his tail from side to side lazily. This all sounded so surreal.

"I will create the link, and you will just collect those memories and send them through me, to them." She smiled, feeling his tail move through their contact.

Damian nodded. He had no idea what to expect and just hoped that he didn't mess up at all. "Is this how you got your name?" he asked, wondering since she was raised by humans.

Windige looked away. "No," Frowning, she looked even further off to the side. "The gods revealed that my real name is Nyadwynn, but my human named me Windige, because of the Himmel skill to fly, and that when I do so I sway, like the wind."

"What kind of person raised you from birth?" Damian asked, having realized that he didn't know much about her history. "If you don't mind me asking."

"His name was Ramsies, and he was a solder at the outpost that had caught me. They were using me as a guard dog. Fortunatly for me, Ramsies knew what I was from old history texts his family had kept. His ancestors used to live where the Himmels were naturally found, and they had an alliance with them." She chuckled, "I don't know why, but we have a thing with herbs in our nests, and no herbs grew where we live. So, they would grow them for us, and we would hunt for them." Turning slightly, Windige nuzzled his cheek. "Then the Lavabeests came, and wiped most of his tribe out. They left. Those mindless creatures almost killed off my whole race."

"What about Ramsies?" Damian asked, curious. "And...why did you leave?" He glanced over to the two cubs as they started wrestling one another playfully.

"The night I became an elemental... was moments after a Lavabeest pulled him from my back." Windige replied quietly.

"Oh.." Damian paused and frowned. He extended his head and nuzzled under her chin, "I'm sorry. It must have been very hard."

With a mix of sorrow and pride, "I summoned a mile wide tornado." Windige licked his throat, "Thank you. I thought I loved him as a mate, though I never acted on it. But I believe, it was more a love for a parent then a mate."

"You...summoned it?" Damian paused, not really knowing she could do that. "Wow- well that's a way to demasculinize a male." he pouted, joking more then anything.

"Heh, well, the earthen elemental could do the same with an earthquake, it was how we got into their hive. And, Ichor was most definitly a male." Licking at his neck again, she purred softly, as the babies eventually slowed their play down.

"I meant the fact that you can call TORNADOES and I blow smoke." Damian chuckled, not really caring about it anymore. "So- do you think they are ready to tell us their names?" He was quite excited.

"You blow FIRE hon, not smoke." Windige corrected him with a smile, and let us find out." Windige leaned forward to lick at the babies, waking them from their catnaps and lifted them one at a time by the scruff of their necks. She placed them gently between them, twisting around so they were completely surrounded by their parents. With her back legs touching Damian, she took a baby in each hand. Hello babies, Windige said in their minds, and both looked up at her. "Say hello, with a thought," The Himmel said, grinning.

Damian looked at his mate and swallowed hard. He wasn't sure if it would work, but trusted her. Looking at them, he thought, Hello my little ones, Umm...I'm your Dad. he thought. He was suddenly strangely nervous, wanting his cubs to like him--unlike how his own father did to himself.

They now turned their eyes to him, both wagging their long tails. Babies, we would like to know your names, have you figured them out yet? I'm your mom, and my name is Windige. She blinked away some tears as she couldn't stop wondering how all this had happened.

Damian smiled now and rested his head on the foor, at their level, Oh right, my name is Damian. he thought, Please tell us your names, little ones.

Jubilynn!The girl said happily, nearly shivering in her excitement. The boy on the other hand looked from dad to mom, I am Pathyn.

Damian blinked widely. It worked! His eyes started to water a little with excitement. Their little voices were so cute and appropriate. Jubilynn and Pathyn...those are great names!

Windige cocked her head, Very Himmelish names. Welcome to our family! Windige nuzzled both of them, Are you ready?

Yes! they both answered excitingly.

Ready? Damian wondered. Not sure what Windinge was about to do, he stayed quiet and would observe or wait to be directed.

Windige closed her eyes, and touched her nose to Jubilynn. The air hummed around them and Jubilynn glowed softly. "Oh!" She squeaked, and Windige smiled and turned her nose to Pathyn, doing the same.

Damian blinked and just observed, what else could he do? Was this the 'memory sharing' that Windige mentioned earlier? He started to wonder if it was such a good idea. I mean- he used to be a stable boy, working odd jobs around the palace. Not to mention that he was very clumsy at time...
Damian was starting to not like the idea of his kids knowing everything about him. They might not look up to him the way he wanted them to.

"Hon, gather the memories of being a chimera, and some childhood memories, that should be enough," Windige murmured, "They are part human after all."

Damian took a deep breath and paused, trying to collaborate everything he knew about his kind. Even though he wasn't raised by a chimera, he still had his natural instincts and what his life was like as a hybrid. Not to mention his father...or at least what Damian could remember from him. Closing his eyes, he touched his large nose to his son's, then to his daughter.

They both as well glowed again and shivered in shock and excitement, receiving more information about the language from him. Then, Pathyn spoke, "Mo...ther an' fater?" Windige grinned and corrected, "Mother and father."

Damian smiled and nuzzled his mate's neck for a moment, unable to contain his excitement. "Amazing...." he muttered. He brought his head back down to their level and licked them both, "That's right and we love you very much."

"Very much," Windige echoed, bringing her head down next to his much larger one. Pathyn yawned, and stretched much like Windige does.

Jubilynn noticed her brother stretched and felt the urge herself. Instead of doing what he did, she rolled over onto her back and wiggled around. Damian chuckled, seeing much of himself in her.

Windige chuckled as well, "Twins, yet... not twins." She kissed at Damian's muzzle, "We have breed two very beautiful babies. I wonder what they will look like as humanoids." Pathyn shook out his mane, which his mother noticed had blood on it from their meal. Sticking out her tongue, Windige cleaned him.

"Of course they are beautiful, they come from a beautiful mother." Damian flirted. The little daughter went to the meat again and had a few last bites. Damian smirked at her, "Looks like they got the best of both of us."

"You must be right." She responded, "Will you need to eat again today?" Windige asked her mate, sniffing at his stomach.

"You know me too well, don't you?" Damian chuckled, getting to his feet. "I can go now and bring you back something." he offered.

The Himmel shook her head, making the fins on her ear tips tremble, "I will finish off what they haven't eaten. Go hunt, I will guard them." Both babies by now were dozing in their respective positions.

"Alright, I'll be back before the sun sets." Damian said, giving her a quick lick on the cheek before heading out of the little cave. Climbing down quickly, he headed out in search of food.

Windige nuzzled the babies, both curled into neat balls and were sleeping soundly. Grabbing onto the leftover meat with her teeth, she quickly swallowed it in one go.

Damian made it back quicker then he had expected. Most of the animals here were small so he didn't have much of a challenge. He had made a little pit stop on the way back to surprise his mate. Climbing back into the cave, he had herbs and desert flowers in a bundle, held by his tail. "Hope this isn't too human of me." he remarked, offering her the bouquet.

"Um," Windige looked at it, then looked at Damian, "What is it? More for the nest?"

"Uhh...it's a gift. To show my admiration." Damian explained, feeling a little stupid in doing this gesture. Maybe parts of him were too human for her.

"Oh." She took them from his tail, unsure of what to do with them.

"Err...usually females like this sort of thing." Damian sat and itched his shoulder with his hind leg. "You're going ot have to get used to it- I'm quite the charmer."

She laughed at that, "Yeah, well I find you charming in everyway, not just, for bringing me... things." Windige sniffed at the babies, still very much asleep.

"Like I said, get used to it. I'm going to spoil you rotten." Damian smirked. "So- are we staying here?" he asked.

"I think we should, for the twin's sake." Windige made a face. She REALLY hoped the twins wouldn't... poop where they were.

"Well, when they wake up, we should remodel a little- this place could use to be bigger. Especially now that there are four of us." Damian explained, ruffling his fur a little.

"You can do that if you would like, do you need me to take the twins out while you do?" Windige set the bundle of flowers her gave her near the entrance while she waited for an answer.

"Sure' they've been getting itchy from not being in use." He scratched his large left horn against the stony wall, eager to hit into like a ram.

Lifting both babies with her teeth gently, they didn't wake, but she figured they would once Damian began. So, hovering outside, Windige dropped them into the grass and curled around them, so no other animal would be able to see them.

He immediately went to work. He scratched at the ground before charging at the back wall, hitting it with all of his force. There was a ear shattering CRACK before a moment later...another SNAP! He tore and crached off bolder after bolder, whipping it back behind him.

Both babies awoke with startled yelps, which Windige soothed instantly, "Just your father, making our home better." She licked them, then allowed them to play in the grass, the mother making sure no boulders her mate threw out might come near them.

He was working at it for nearly an hour, carving away and smashing things. Towards the end, he went on chiseling and smoothing everything out. The cave was nearly 20 times larger with two little cubbies that would eventually be his kid's rooms. There was one 'main room' for him and his mate. He designed the cave to resemble something similar to a modern, human household.

With both kids on her back, Windige hovered in and surveyed his handiwork, "Very impressive my love." The Himmel licked at his cheek and settled down on her feet. Looking around further, she picked off some leftover rubble from the nest and looked up again, "Mind if I go off on my own?"

"Oh no, go ahead- I have...a bit of a headache." Damian said, a little woozey. His head was spinning until he finally sat himself down. "Where you off to, love?"

"Off to gather more herbs, and find some water." She picked up each baby one at a time, first Jubilynn, then Pathyn and set them against daddy's stomach, then nuzzled him. "It is my responsibility to make the nest anyway."

"Until they are older for their own holes, I kept this area open for the nest. I can chip out a little bowl for water if you can bring some back." he smirked, pleased at his handiwork. He rolled over on his stomach, the two little ones quickly jumped and cimbed on top of him. "Ow! You two got me!" he played.

Windige nodded, "I can try." The swiftly she turned, sticking her head out to look around, then slinked off into the underbrush.

Jubilynn pounced on Damian's head and started nipping at his ear. "Oh no! I'm done for!" he joked. He looked over to his son, Pathyn, who had stopped playing. "Come on Pathyn, you can't let your sister get me all to herself!" he encouraged.

He whinned, "I wawnt mommy to come backt..." Pathyn said, pouting.

"Hey hey- come on now." Damian slid Jub off of his head before leaning in to Pathyn, "Mommy went to go get something to drink. You don't want to see her all cranky and thirsty." he smiled.

"Mom... get cwanky?" He asked with big pupiless eyes, tilting his nubbed head, "Whoy?"

"Oh umm...well- who wouldn't get cranky when they don't get something to drink?" Damian spat out. He was talking himself into a hole with this one. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Did you two check out your rooms yet? You can stay in there when you get older." Jubilynn looked at the two holes, then at her brother, "I'm ta get da beeg wone!" she puffed out her chest.

Pathyn looked to the holes, then, "They are da same sise." But bounded clumsily over nonetheless, inspecting it with his nose. Sure he was slightly smaller then her, but he was more graceful, though still clumsy.

His sister quickly followed, tumbling into her room to be. Jub didn't seem to care that she spent more time falling on her face then on her feet. She wagged her tail happily. "RRrrrrawr!" she shouted. Her pitch echoed through the hole.

Damian chuckled and watched from a distance at his two lovely children.

Yelping, Pathyn ran out of his hole, a cockroach, not even a tenth of his size skittering about and chasing him. "Daddy daddy get em get em!" Sliding to a halt at Damian's side, his miniature hackles were up and he snarled with his little baby teeth bared.

Damian chuckled under his breath. "Sounds like there is a monster in there." he mused. Jub perked and ran out from her den, "Don'ta lettit get meeee!" She stumbled as she ran and knocked right into Damian's paw. "I think we should try and scare this monster off. What do you say cubs?"

"Grrrrr!" Pathyn agreed, his body still posed for attack, though, with his baby teeth, barely nubs for horns and blunt tiny claws... he wouldn't be able to do much.

Damian slowly walked up to the hole and glanced down to his kin. "So- Roar as loud as you can to scare it away!"

Jub looked up at her father, then to the cave. Taking a deep breath, she let out her loudest growl, though it sounded more like a kitten mew.

Pathyn also looked up to daddy, and after Jubilynn growled, he also did, but added more of the speaking growl, sounding more masculine. Puffing up his chest, "Did I do good dad?"

"Of course you did! You both did excellent!" Damian said, looking thrilled, "Didn't you see the monster run out with it's tail between it's legs?"

"Where? Where?" Jub looked around, having missed the 'monster'. She was a little sad that her brother's roar was a lot stronger then hers.

"I don't see it!" Pathyn added to his sister's, looking around with wide eyes and his hackles still raised. His tail curled and uncurled looking around then lowered his nose to the cave floor, sniffing around, "It's gone!"

"See? I told you!" Damian smiled. He looked to the cave entrance. "Hm...what's taking your mother so long I wonder."

"I was just about to say the same thing," Windige said from the entrance, smiling. In one hand she had an array of greens, and the other, held suspended in the air was a good amount of water.

Jubilynn perked when she saw her mom. "Mommy mommy! Did you see? Did you see the monster run out?" The little chimera hybrid ran over clumsily to her side.

"Monster?" Windige glanced sharply at her mate before realizing, "Oh, sweety, he was running for the hills! You did a good job." She looked to Damian again, and grinned, "You have that dent ready?" Pathyn joined his sister at his mom's feet.

"Oh- right." Damian said, having completely forgotten. He was distracted by the two little ones. He walked over to an open area and jumped up. Angling down, he slammed his head into the ground, immediately causing a divot to form. Again, he rammed, making it deeper. Brushing out debris, he stepped back for Windige.

"Woah...." Junilynn stared in complete awe.

Her brother didn't say anything, just stared at his father. Windige hovered over the kits, setting the water down in the hole and the herbs over the nest. "Are we gonnta grow as big as you?" Pathyn asked, trotting back to his father, "And... why is mom smaller... and mom looks diff...er...ent?"

"Well-" Damian started, "Can you imagine how silly Daddy would look all skinny like that? I wouldn't be able to hold my head up with these big horns, now would I?" he smiled.

Pathyn nodded, understanding, but still questioning. "Well, you see, your father and I are different, because we aren't the same... species." Windige tried to explain, although, she felt they were way too young to understand at this point. "You both are part Himmel, Chimera, and Human."

Damian smiled, "Best of all three worlds, I guess?"

"Human?" Jubilynn asked, standing next to her brother now.

"...A species I hope we have limited contact with." Admitted Windige, knowing that Damian would most likely want to see his relatives, which... would be ok.

"Not all of them are how you think." Damian argued, "Besides, I think the cubs would like to see their grandma."

"Limited, not none at all, " Windige countered, "After all, they are only a fourth human. I would like to meet your mother as well, but I would prefer it if our brood doesn't see much of the human world. It will confuse them."

"Confuse them? What are you talking about? There are fascinating things that the humans have done and created. They should learn about human intellect." Damian argued back. "Why should they be secluded from anything in this world? Our cubs should know everything!"

"Facinating things like things that bite you and make you fall asleep! Swords, knives, axes, and nets! I will not have my children be subject to be hunted like I was!" Windige had her teeth bared at this point, unwilling for such things to be forced upon her brood.

"Don't be ignorant!" Damian growled back. The fur on his back flared up, "They are not all hunters! I lived peacefully in the kingdom as a humanoid and it was fine- I was never attacked by anyone!"

Jubilynn cowered and whined under her breath as she backed him from the two. She turned her head into her brother's shoulder, scared to hear and see her parents yelling.

Also whinning, Pathyn wrapped his tail around her to try to comfort her.

"True, but the moment they see me, or my children which resemble me, they will not let us escape again! You know my other form is only HUMANOID, I look nothing like a human. There is a chance they would capture and harm our children, being their father I would think you would be more protective of them!" The Himmel snarled.

"I AM protective! I'm just saying that our cubs should experience human life. It's part of who I am AS WELL as them!" Damian growled, lifting his lips to show her his large fangs. His claws extended out and scratched at the stone under him.

"We don't even know if they HAVE a humanoid form!" Windige was torn between comforting her babies and continuing to argue. Collecting the babies against her, she cuddled them lovingly and pushed back her ears, submissive, but still stubborn. "I thought we escaped human life, for my sake. You would risk the safety of your mate and children just to immerse them within that culture?"

Damian's stance relaxed a little, but the hairs on his back were still standing up. "I gave up everything! Everything that makes me human for you. I ran away from my job, my home AND my mother. I didn't even say goodbye to her!" 

They both mewled and pushed themselves further against her fur while she licked at them, "Why is being human so damn important? Isn't your family now more important then that?"

Damian angrily stomped to the cave entrance. His ear flickered back, "Important?!" he looked around, glaring at Windige. "Human is half of who I am! Of course it is important!" Damian growled, "I thought you were more understanding then that!"

"If you were captured, then hunted for your whole life, how would you feel about them?" Windige murmured, her feelings hurt that he was only thinking for himself.

"Windige, you think I don't know that?" Damian's shouting fell, "I just want our cubs to know a little bit of where I come from... just a little." He repeated. "I want them to know both sides of the fence. I want them to meet my Mother."

"And I said that was ok..." The Himmel whispered back, her ears falling completely as she stared at the two kits that were in her arms. "I don't want anything to happen to them, what if the humans think they are freaks? What if they are captured?! I... I don't know what I would do."

Damian sat on the edge of the cliff. He laid down and rested his chin on his front paws. Even if she was his mate, Windige still wasn't able to understand him. He took long breaths to calm himself. Slowly, his eyes closed as he rested, thinking everything over.

Jubilynn perked up from behind her mother's arm. She whimpered, not liking to see her dad sad like that. "Ma-ma?" she looked up at her. "We didn't make you two mad, did we?"

"No... not at all sweetie... just being that me and you father are different, we have our histories to think about, which causes us to disagree." Windige closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek at the fact that they were fighting. Nuzzling up to her, Pathyn timidly licked the tear from his mother's fur.

Jubilynn snuck over to her brother and whispered into his ear. "Go talk to Daddy."

"Meeee?!" Pathyn shrilled, cringing and shook his head fiercly, "No you talk to him!" Windige chuckled besides herself but also shook her head, "How about we all do?" Carrying them, Windige slowly hovered over, her ears low and submissive as she sat as close to him as possible without touching him still.

Damian opened his eyes when they came over. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, he simply said "I'm sorry. I should've been more attune to your feelings and our family."

"I... I am sorry too. I don't want to keep them in the dark of their heritage." Windige replied, her gaze wavering from the scenery to the closest paw of her beloved. "I'm sorry..." She whispered again, pushing her head against his mane, hiding her face.

"It's alright, darling. I'm not upset anymore." Damian nuzzled back, feeling equally as sorry. "I don't like yelling at you like that."

"We don't like it either... you were scarey, Daddy.." Jubilynn said.

"I've never been yelled at before... I mean once, when I accidentally let loose my bladder in Ramsies bed one time, he yelled, but it was only my name." Windige murmured softly, remembering the days when she was young. Pathyn nudged his mother's arm and slipped free, brushing up against Damian and purring. "I want to be fierce like you and mommy, when I grow up."

Damian smiled to his two cubs as they complimented him. "Hehe...you thought that was fierce? Wait til you see your Mommy take down a kill. She is quite swift and agile. Me, I'm just a pair of strong legs and a mouth....and horns...and a snake tail..." he faded.

Jubilynn looked up at her Mommy, "Will I get big horns like Daddy too?"

"Ah... Well, we don't know Jubilynn, there has never been a chimera and himmel mix before I don't think." Windige took a moment to survey their skulls, thinking. "It looks like... Pathyn's horns are going to curl... and... Jub I think your horns are going to look like your dad's!" Windige chuckled.

Jubilynn smiled and looked at her brother. She bowed her head down and reared to headbutt him.

Leaping forwards, Pathyn twisted in the air and over her then landed clumsily. "Hah!" He growled, then went to headbutt her back.

"Oof!" Jubilynn grunted as she was hit in the butt. "Hey! No fair!" She shouted, getting to her feet again. Getting into a standing position, she ran at him again.

Damian motioned for his mate to lay with him.

Timidly, Windige stepped over the play fighting twins, sitting down next to her mate. Yelping, Pathyn slammed into her, turning quickly to jump back into the fray with his sister.

Damian brought his large head over and nuzzled her some more, still feeling guilty. "Do you want to talk about this?"

Jubilynn, even though her brother was a little bit faster, still held her own. "Grrr..." she growled, waiting for her brother to attack.

"I... I think we've done enough talking about it for now." She responded, one eye still on the babies as they played, "There is no way I would go back into the human territory... unless I was following you. My heart knows I shouldn't go near them. But my love... it is a part of you, I know." Windige swallowed back tears and leaned against him.

Damian rubbed against her, "It's ok- I don't care for that life either. I just don't like it when you judge the entire group of humans. It's just that- although you make a point, I'm half human."

"Yeah..." Windige closed her eyes and laid down fully next to him. "I mean, I understand that. I do want to meet your mother, just, I'm not looking forward to entering their civilization again."

"That's fine. She doesn't live in the bulk of the kingdom anyway so you dont have much to worry about." Damian laid down fully too, not minding a nap right about now. Then again, he never did.

With their parents to the entrance, they had no fear for their babies, letting them play. Windige nuzzled Damian and set down her head next to his for a nap too.

Charging at his sister, Pathyn slipped on some water and slid into Damian's rump.

"Oof- careful you two." Damian smiled back at them before laying back down. He also laid his head down with his cheek next to hers.

A week went by.

From their constant playing, they grew a few inches, more in girth then height, and were now with their parents while they both hunted. Windige had taught them both to fly, making them much safer then they were before being that they could escape to safety.

Damian was out and about with his family now. They had just eaten a few minutes ago and- as usual, he was rolling around in the sandy ground as he digested.

Both kids were imitating him, while Windige yawned widely while she sunned her tail. The last week had gone by smoothily, with the children's first thunderstorm, so a close run in with the local pack predators, though, they gave Damian wide berth. She yawned again and finished cleaning herself thoroughly.

"Rrrawr!" Jubilynn pounced on her father's stomach. "Oof!" Damian grunted, ceasing his roll. "Woah...easy on the tummy, Jub."

"When will we see our grandmother?" Piped Pathyn, scratching at his shoulder with a hoof. Windige turned to glance at Damian. "That is up to your father."

"Well- it's still early and we all just ate. Let's leave now!" Damian smiled, flipping over to his feet. "How about we go around the mountains instead of through them this time though, love?"

"That sounds like a good idea. I don't want to run into any huge birds again," Windige replied, standing and stretching, "I put my scent fresh on the den this morning, so if we return, hopefully we won't have anyone else living there."

Damian nodded, "Alright, let's get going then-" he turned and headed East, towards the kingdom once more.

"Yay!" Jubilynn shouted, running in front of her father. She ran around him to meet up again with her brother so they could run together.

Pathyn trotted around like a gazelle, bouncing happily. Walking next to Damian, Windige stepped over the twins daintily, shaking her cheek fur and chuckling.

"Hey- should we show them our humanoid-selves?" Damian asked lowly to his mate. "They might be in shock at what my mom looks like otherwise."

"Oh... you're right. I don't think mine is necessary however, as I simply look humanoid where as you look mostly human. But I will do it if you do." She winked at him, "Just don't get any ideas while we are different."

"Mmm-hmm." Damian smiled, shifting into his humanoid form without warning.

Jubilynn reared into a halt when her father shape-shifted. "Dad!" She looked at her brother, "Pathyn, look at Dad! What did you do?!" she looked back to her parent.

"I didn't do nothing!" He shrilled, then blinked as Windige shrunk in size, coming to a halt a few inches shorter then Damian. Though, it was obvious she was very different then him.

"What happened?!" Jubilynn stepped back, running into her brother in a tumble.

"Haha...this is our humanoid forms. Mine is a lot more human then your mothers because I was born half human." Damian explained.

"So..." Pathyn started, looking from parent to parent, "We are going to look like... something inbetween you two?"

"We don't know, to be honest." Windige answered, reaching out to scratch at his sisters head. They were about the size of hounds, heads reaching midthigh.

"You probably won't look as human as me but...still a bit more then your Mother." Damian explained, only guessing.

Jub leaned into her mother's scratching, purring lightly like a cat.

"We'll see," She said, her thick tail swaying slightly then turned her head back to look at her mate. "Should we get going babe?" Windige wanted to make sure that they weren't stuck out in the open.

"Alright." Damian smiled, shifting into his normal state. "Come on kids, let's get moving." He picked up in a light jog through the fields.

Windige grinned, then shifted as well, "C'mon babies." They followed their parents as best as they could, running in strange lopes after them.

The small pack made it a good 20 more miles before the kits got hungry.
"Mom... What can we eat?" Jub asked, rubbing up next to her mother.

Windige perked her ears, "Well there is a stream nearby, lets get you some fish." Trotting slightly to the right, they topped a small hill and below, creating a steep grade was a small stream.

"Race ya!" Jub said to her brother before darting down the hill. Her running was sloppy and she tumbled a little every few feet.

"Careful you two." Damian said loudly, still protective of his little cubs.

"We'll be okay Daddy-" Pathyn murmured before chasing down his sister. Windige watched them, walking with Damian shoulder to shoulder. "Maybe... when the babies are asleep we can have some fun..." She purred into his ear, then, with her tail high she rose into the air, swirling towards the water and keeping an eye out for any large animals.

Damian smiled a dopey smile as he followed her. With having to protect the eggs and now cubs, it seemed like ages since they were...alone together.

Pathyn dashed into the water, letting out a strange bark like sound in pleasure as the water hit him. He had no fear of drowning, as they could fly, and the water felt great!

Smirking, Windige puffed herself up; they were definitly part Himmel.

Jubilynn jumped and splashed around like a good cub should, laughing the whole time. The little ones stayed on the edges, where the water was shallow. The stream was deep in the middle and the current was stronger. Though- there was a strange scent in the air.

From above, Windige frowned as she looked down... then looked further downstream where the water went from thin to quite large and still. Several movements made her eyes narrow, then widen in recognition. However, she was quite far up, and she didn't want to scare the kits. Hell, she was scared stiff and it took all of her control to gradually drop to the ground. Her hackles raised, but she couldn't speak.

Damian saw his mate stiffen and how her spikes rose. His eyes went to the river and how there were strange currents of movement. "Out of the water kids. Now." he said calmly, yet with a strained voice. He took long strides to the cubs. He didn't want this thing to suddenly know it was detected.

Jubilynn was busy dancing and splashing about, "Aw come on dad! We just got here!" she tackled her brother.

"Omph!" Pathyn went below the water and sputtered back to the surface, smiling to both parents, then frowning when he saw his mother like that. "Mom? What's wrong?" Windige barely contained a growl, "Get out of the water. Obey your father."

Jubilynn tilted her head and before she could say anything, there was a fast splash behind them. A gator-like creature reared up and landed down towards the cubs with his jaws gaping open. The babes and parents didnt have any time to react. The creature came down and managed to get them both in his massive jaws, Pathyn moreso however.

Maternal instinct kicked in a second later as Windige darted into the water, clamping onto the jaw before it could close. The creature let out a snarl, before going into a deathroll with the Himmel keeping its maw open. She grunted in reply, relying on her element to keep her alive as she could not breath, so much was the strain on her arms so that the gator could not swallow her kits.

Damian barreled in as well. With the cubs being tossed out during the rolling, he went to grab them. He reached down and shoved his face into the water, grabbing Jubilynn in his mouth. Lifting up, he tossed her back to the shore and went to do the same with his son.

Sputtering, Pathyn was thrown onto the shore with his sibling, bleeding slightly from a cut on his leg where he watched wide eyed as his mother wrestled the giant water lizard. With both babies out of danger, Windige let the jaw go with a wet snap, her body wrapped around the body of the beast as it continued its rolling.

Damian stood right next to the gator's front now. Leaning in, he planted a paw on it's body, attempting to stop it's rolling. "Windige! Let go!" he shouted.

Windige did just that, dissipating away from him to a few feet to the side, standing guard over their children with her hackles sticking straight up even while soaked as her teeth were bared. Besides herself her chest pumped for air, drained.

The instant she let go, Damian head butted the gator with his thick skull and massive horns. He reared up and tossed it nearly 20 feet back into the water. Damian instantly went to his little ones to check them over. They seemed alright. A few cuts here and there but that was it.

Jubilynn ran to her mother, "Mom! Are you ok?!" She started to cry, scared out of her mind. "Mom!" Jub embraced her parent, nuzzling firmly against her leg.

Pathyn, with his leg bleeding limped to Damian and pushed his muzzled into the fur of his forearm. "I'm alright... just winded," Windige murmured to the babies, picking up Jub gently and setting her down next to Pathyn, leaning into Damian's mane tiredly.

"Now- when Mom and Dad tell you to get out of the water, you do it immediately." he said. Damian bowed down and started to clean Pathyn's wound with his large, flat tongue. He was gentle as to not hurt his cub any more then he already was. Jub just had three little tooth cuts on her back. They stung, but all in all weren't as bad as Path's leg.

Windige licked daintily at Jubs wounds in turn, "We should move, babies do you think you can go hungry till we find a better spot?" At that Pathyn's stomach growled, and he turned to look at his sister.

"How long till a better spot?" Jubilynn asked, sitting on her hind legs, turning from her brother up to her mother.

"I... I don't know. Maybe further upstream, where the water is thin and we won't have to worry about large things in the water." Windige responded, glancing up at her mate. "Will that be ok?" She asked, whispering it to Damian.

Damian smirked at his mate and turned around and sat, his butt facing his cubs. "Al abroad Dad express!" he said, allowing them to ride on his back for a while from what they just went through.

Pathyn tried to climb up his father, but slid down the silken fur and not making it to the spikes. Windige picked him up, placing him along the shoulder spikes. She chose for the moment to stay on her own feet.

Jub used her nails to climb up, making her dad's face flinch from the little pokes. She sat up by her brother and looked at his leg, "Does it hurt really bad?" she asked.

"Not that much," He lied, giving his sister a lopsided grin.

Damian stood up so the cubs could properly ride. He waited for Windige and nuzzled his head against her when she walked by.

She nuzzled him back, then took to the air above them, watching out for anything that could harm their little ones. "How far do you think it is to your mothers?" Windige asked softly.

"Maybe one day's travel yet. We aren't even in the kingdom yet. As far as I can tell that is." Damian made sure to be careful of his horns and the twins on his back.

"Is it alright if we avoid any settlements on the way?" Windige asked tentitively, not looking at him when she voiced her question.

He glanced over to see her looking away. Damian set his eyes on the land in front of him, "That's fine."

Jub looked up and saw her father's horns bobbing above them. She reached up and started to paw at them like a cat with yarn.

Pathyn on the other hand was happily chewing on one of his paws, the fin on his tail flicking back and forth, "Do we have huma... humanoy forms?" He asked his parents.

Windige glanced at him. "Perhaps. You should considering we both do."

"How do we do it?" Jub asked before looking at her brother. "Mine is probably better then yours." she teased.

He stuck out his short tongue in response. "We will try to teach you when we reach your grandma's place." Windige interrupted their banter, "I don't want to be out in the open and risk you two again."

"Yeah- that was too close." Damian said in agreement. "Almost gave Mom and I a heart attack."

"Well it isn't their fault, we should have surveyed the river before hand anyway." Windige shrugged, licking at some blood on her arm. "Further up shall be safer."

"How old is your kind until they can shift?" Damian asked his mate.

"Uh... I'm not sure." Windige didn't know she could do it until the gods had made her, when she was meeting with the other three elementals. Glancing at their children on his back, she wondered if they would appear more human because she didn't think that Himmels naturally had a humanoid form.

"Well I was born in my human form. It wasn't until I was ten that I figured out how to shift into a chimera." Damian explained as they headed into a patch of wood.

"Did you know... that your father was a chimera? Or... did you guess? I'm sure you knew you weren't all human." She remembered the way he looked in his human form, so docile looking compared to his true form.

Damian chuckled loudly, "The four foot horns protruding out of my skull was a hint that I wasn't completely human." He glanced over at her, "My mom told me, but I didn't know that I had an animalistic form for a long time. Mom doesn't like talking about him much. I honestly barely remember him. He left when I was very young."

Windige smiled, but didn't reply. Her eyes for the moment were on their children that were curled up and tangled in one another, fast asleep. "Life is so precious..." The Himmel whispered, blinking away slight tears. "I think I hear the river again, but it has to be smaller now." The kits deserved to play in safety.

Damian nodded and pressed on. He kept his head low, glancing up at the high sun through the clouds for a moment. Damian secretly hoped that his mom wouldn't be too shocked about all of this. Undoubtedly she would...

---

After another day's travel, the family made it to Damian's mothers house. It was out on the edge of a small village in the kingdom. Surrounded by pine trees and a little brook with a wide open yard. Weeds had sprung through the garden and it wasn't as well kept as it once was.

Windige was skittish, if not downright timid as she slunk through the trees with her ears kept low. She jumped at every sound as she was wary and not looking forward to the next few minutes. The kits however were active and happy, laughing while they played.

Damian stopped the group in the bushes. "I'm going to let her know what happened alright? I don't want her having a heart attack from seeing you guys." he smiled before bounding to the house.

Herding the babies under her, "Alright." Windige watched him go, a tremor of nervousness spreading through her body, making her shiver. Pathyn glanced up at her, followed by Jubilynn, "You okay momma?" The more Himmel looking of the two asked. "As fine as I can be, babies." She partially lied.

"Why haven't you met Daddy's Mom?" Jub asked, seeing the strain in her mom's eyes.

"I... just haven't had the chance." Windige answered, her eyes still on Damian.

Damian knocked on the door with his horn. A woman in her late 40s answered the door. She immediately hugged her son with welcoming arms, "Damian! It's been too long! It's about time you visit your Mother!" She started to cry a little.
"I'm glad to see you too, Mom."

Windige stuck out her head from the line of trees, her ears back meekly.

"I actually came here to tell you good news." Damian smiled, sitting like the giant cat he was on her porch.
"Oh? That's wonderful! Did you get promoted in the castle?" she asked, hopeful.
"Eh heh... not exactly." Damian smirked before he told her the whole story. He told his mom how a strange beast was brought in and how he helped in escape. Damian left out the chimera battle bit and went on to discuss how he had fallen in love with Windige and that they had children. His mom couldn't help but burst into tears as she pulled him into a hug. "I'm so happy for you Damian! You've grown up!"

Pathyn saw the strange woman crying, perked his ears and started to run forward. In her haste to protect him, Windige grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and therefore skidded to a halt in view of the human. Dangling a good ten feet in the air, "Mom..." Pathyn pouted.

Jubilynn yelped and cowered back into the bushes more.

Damian's mother blinked widely at the creature that had barreled out of the brush, not to mention the little babe in her mouth. "Oh... Damian...is that-"

Damian smiled up at his mate and cub, "Yes."

"She's beautiful." she smiled. Having fallen in love with an animal herself, she was accepting to Damian's love for Windige from the start.

With her ears lowered in respect, she dropped Pathyn gently to the ground, where he the size of a medium dog cocked his head at the strange tan being. Windige pushed herself reluctantly into full view.

Seeing her shyness, Damian walked down the steps to his mate. He brushed his cheek up against hers, "Don't worry, love." he whispered for her ears only. Damian then looked back to the bushes where his daughter was hiding. "Jubilyyn? It's alright- you can come out." he called.

"There is..another babe?!" the woman gasped, placing a hand on her heart as the other little cub hopped out of the bushes timidly.

"Twins," Windige said softly to his mother, letting out a nervous smile. "I'm Windige..." She pushed Pathyn forward a little more, "This is Pathyn, and..." Bending her neck to look behind her, "And Jubilynn."

"They are so beautiful!" As Windige turned back, she was met with Damian's mother bringing her into a hug. She only managed to grip at her chest, but it was heartfelt. "You are going to have to forgive me." she stepped back, "But what are you? I've never seen your kind before."

Windige couldn't help a small flinch at her motion, but tried to give some back by touching her nost to the woman's hair. "I'm a Himmel. As far as I know my species inhabits the land across the sea, I do not know if there are any here. We aren't very... large in number."

Damian walked with his daughter to the house. He nuzzled her side and pushed her rump towards the group. She was hesitant but ran up next to her brother.

"I'm terribly sorry." the woman said, "I know Damian will do whatever it takes to take care of you and your kin." She looked then to the little kit-cubs and knelt down. "Hey there little ones..." she smiled.

"Hello-" Pathyn chimed, looking at her hands expectantly. He was sure those would be very very nice in his fur.

She extended her hands as she knelt, hoping the kits would approach.

Jubilynn walked along her brother, sizing up his height. She looked up at her parents before walking cautiously towards the woman, "You are our grandmother?"

"Yes Jub, this is a human and happens to be your Dad's mommy." Windige commented in her soft sopranic voice. She had pride in her children. "Your paws... may I have a scratch?" Pathyn asked eagerly.

"Of course." the grandma smiled, eagerly itching behind Path's ear.
Jub moved forwards and licked at her other hand, wanting to be itched too.
Abiding her little grandkits, she itched Jub as well.

Damian smiled and walked up next to Windige. It was such a nice sight, seeing her mom again as well as her seeing his own cubs.

Barely audible, so that it was decently private, "Maybe we can have her watch them while we... bond." Her tone was quite suggestive and she added to the offer by lifting her tail much like a husky so that it was curved and the tip touched his rump.

Damian knew that she had been hinting to it for a long while now but they just hadn't any alone time to do it. Her tail motions almost made him lift up and 'bond' with her right then and there.

"Mom." he said, getting her attention, "I need to speak with Windige, can you watch the little ones for a while?" He chuckled when he saw how much they were loving her itching fingers. His mom nodded and led the little ones into her warm house. "I'll bake you two something wonderful."

"Come on- let's get moving." Damian said, running off into the woods.

Taking one look back at the house, Windige hesitantly chased after him then playfully stuck out her tongue at his snake tail. They raced along a forests edge before stealthily slipping within. It was dark here, hidden. Windige would enjoy the privacy immensely.

Damian could already smell her heightened pheromones. He circled around her and sniffed. There was a low, horny growl coming from deep in his throat. He nuzzled her before nipping at her neck and ears.

Mewling, she extended her neck in a tall arch, her skull almost perpendicular to the mossy ground, and obbediently she lowered her torso to the ground as well. Wiggling her hips in the air, she mewled again and batted her eyes at him.

"You're so cute when you want it." Damian purred, pacing around to her backside. He leaned in and sniffed at her pheromones intently. "You can beg a little better then that, can't you?" he encouraged.

Her slit opened, revealing her gleaming insides at him while she chuckled evilly.

His human side, not really sure how oral played into the animal kingdom, went for it. Damian sniffed and leaned towards her opening. His large, flat tongue glided over her opening. He kept going until she would react, licking savagely.

Gods she loved it when he used his tongue! Her tail shivered above her as Windige opened her mouth so she could breath. The slit was now fully opened and waiting for him, glistening even brighter from his saliva.

From the licking, Damian was already hanging out of his furry sheath. He walked above her. She could feel his body heat and his mane gliding from her rump to her back. Reaching down, Damian opened his mouth and pinched a chunk of her back skin between his teeth. Holding her in place, he moved into the proper position. Now that he knew exactly where her opening was, it didnt take long at all before he found it.

Windige moved her tail to the side as she grew giddy, excited by his heat surrounding her but when he "bit" her she froze, unsure. It felt instinctivly right... her back legs shook slightly at that, then locked as she grew more confident.

Damian plunged his member into her lubricated opening. There was a low growl and sent vibrations threw his mouth, onto her skin and then echoing inside of her.

Quivering below him, she moaned softly at that and pushed against his stomach, squirming slightly under his weight.

Damian growled and held her down as he thrusted suddenly again, pushing his entire length into her.

Windige gasped, the air coming out in a squeak of pain. As her body naturally began to adjust to his size, she breathed a sigh of relief as the pain ebbed, then turned into pleasure.

Damian grunted and jerked his hips forwards and back. His pace picked up quickly as he worked himself. Releasing his grip on her back from his mouth, he kept Windige forced down with his horns- as he had done before.

Squeezing him within her, she mewled softly, pressing her hips against him as much as she could. At this point Windige didn't care about her own pleasures, instead focusing on that of her mate's.

Damian could feel her tighten and let out a loose shiver as he arched his back more. His hips jerked forwards and back roughly, giving her all he had. She could hear and feel him breathing right behind her head.

Suddenly Windige stopped moving, then let out a growling command. "Stop."

Damian snapped out of his lustful hypnosis. "What?" he asked sharply, with a bit of a growl. He didn't much like stopping in the middle of something as important as this.

Dissappating away from him, Windige twisted in middair, shrinking rapidly before she landed in a crouch. In her humanoid form, she was covered in a light fur, with no nipples, but the normal anatomy of a female human. Her own juices were dripping slightly from her as she waited for him to respond with unreadable emerald eyes.

Damian was confused and didn't shift right away, "Wind..?" he tilted his head, not knowing what to think about this.

"I'm sure your mother would like to see you humanoid... as I would like to enjoy you as such." She explained softly.

Damian shifted, though his horns stayed the same. "Are you sure? It doesn't make you...uncomfortale?" he asked, coming closer. He grabbed her shoulders and held her close.

She made an effort to lift the corners of her mouth in the human version of a smile instead of just the front part of her lips, "I would like to try."

Damian smirked. "I would like to try something." He brought her down onto the grass then laid down flat on his back with his erection at full staff. "Can you handle being on top?" 

Staring, "Ah... I'm not sure what you want me to do." Windige, slightly awkward in this form lifted her thigh over his hips, still upright as she waited for instruction.

"Shh...don't be nervous, love." Damian cooed, placing a warm hand on her cheek, pulling her into a kiss. One of the many benefits of this form. "Just move to your hands and knees above me. Align yourself and slide down...Maybe you will like being the one in control?"

The skin around her eyes went red as she blushed. "In control?" Then she did as he said, carefully setting herself on his pelvic bone and gently sliding down on his manhood. Windige let out a slight gasp. The pleassure in this form was much greater then her real shape.

A shiver went up his spine as she gasped. Not only did it feel great to be fucked...but her expression was a wonderful addition. "I like seeing your reaction..."

Her ears went back, "Is it really that different?" Windige experiemented by rocking forward slightly, a heat growing in her navel at the movement, "...It feels... wonderful."

His eyes rolled back as his lips parted, really enjoying this. He grabbed her hips with his hands and assisted in rocking her body up and down, then back and forth. He slowly opened his eyes to see her more.

Windige moaned softly, bending her torso over and nibbling on his neck, licking him with her feline tongue.

A hand wandered around to her backside. Extending a finger, Damian gently caressed her anus. He purred into her licks, wanting more.

Her tail stiffened at that, her mane going stiff as well before grabbing his hands and pinning them behind his head. Windige's grindings increased in speed.

Damian smirked and let her do the work. She seemed to like it. "That's my girl." he moaned, wanting to buck his hips.

Windige pulled back, letting him almost slide out before pushing him all back inside, the muscles pulsating at that movement of pleasure.

"Ohh....baby... If you keep doing that I won't last much longer." he warned.

Immedietly she froze, unsure what to do, "Oh! I'm sorry..."

"Oh no no no..." Damian opened his eyes and placed two fingers under her chin. Bringing he closer, he kissed her lips, "That's a good thing. But if you want to keep doing this, you should watch it. It feels so good that I could blow any second." With Windige leaned forward like this, Damian jerked his hips forward, plunging his length into her again.

"Ah, Damian!" Windige gasped, not controlling a quick squirm as her muscles pulsed again. She couldn't stop them and pushed further down on him, every nerve in her body afire.

Damian tried to arch his cock to hit her g-spot. He was unsure if she had one, but he tried nonetheless. Damian was determined to make her cum before he did.

"Da... Damian..." Shuddering, the Himmel made humanoid gasped, tightening her muscles even more and arching her back in ecstasy. "Oh... gods..." Her orgasm peaked and she couldn't breath.

He took the hint and it didnt take long at all before he blew his load into her body as hard as he could. The pulsating muscles on Windige's insides massaged him in such a way that almost sucked his cum out. "Uuaahh....Wind!" he grunted, grasping firmly on her hips. He held himself there for a moment before relaxing back onto the grass, exhausted.

Unable to keep her weight up because her arms were so shaky, Windige collasped onto his chest, having to focus on slowing her breathing. "That... that was incredible Damian." Windige sighed gently, feeling sleepy.

Damian slipped out of her opening when she moved. His cum leaked out onto the ground between his legs. Damian gently stroked her back as she rested on him. A wide grin spread on his lips, "Yes it was..."


"We need to get back to the babies soon..." Windige murmured quietly, her eyes closed as she listened to his heartbeat slow.

"Don't worry...Mom is probably having the time of her life. Let's not rush." Damian cooed, stroking her back some more.

She lifted her head to look at him, scrunching up her cat nose, "I'm sticky."

Damian chuckled, "I guess that's my fault, hm? Alright alright, let's get movin'."

"Bath?" She asked, her ears perked up. Windige smiled, hopeful at the prospect of water.

"At Mom's place?" he asked, standing up.

Windige's head tilted, "She has a stream running through her house?" The Himmel was of course talking about a river or lake for a bath.

"No, but there is a well. Though she might be suspicious if you come back smelling like....that.." Damian rolled his eyes, getting rid of the thought. "I think there is a creek over this way."

"Smelling like what?" Windige repeated, too innocent to realize what he meant as she stood up next to him, staying close as she felt vulnerable in this state.

"Like certain bodily fluids, love." Damian explained, standing with her. He wrapped an arm around her hips and guided to where he suspected to be a creek.

Like earlier, her ears perked when she heard the sound of running water. They reached the edge of a creek, possible a few feet deep in the middle. Gleefully, Windige looked further down. "Look, there's a miniature waterfall, and an even bigger pool beneath it!"

Damian took her hand and led her to the water's edge like a true gentleman. Some of his seed was starting to leak out of Windige.

"I feel like I'm peeing..." She muttered to herself, hurrying into the water. It felt good against her fur and skin, and Windige quickly submurged into the depths.

Damian walked in until he was knee high in the water. He washed himself up properly after taking a little drink beforehand. He then splashed himself in the face.

Settling down at the bottom, Windi came up after several minutes, coming up laughing, "There's some lobster looking things down there!"

"I dare you to eat one!" Damian laughed, sticking his head under the water to see. He came up, "I don't see any from here..." he headed her way.

Going below, she came up a moment later, one sticking out of her mouth. Giggling, she threw it at him.

Damian was smacked in the chest by the little crustacean. "Aiiiee!" he squealed like a girl and tried to run. The water fought back, forcing him to fall clean into the water.

Cackling evilly, Windige's shoulders shivered in her mirth, "Oh come on, it's not very scary." They were brown mottled with some lighter brown spots, several being caught in her four fingered hands.

"Ack!" Damian gasped for air as he emerged out of the water. He got to his feet and shuffled away from where the crayfish dropped. "You meanie!" he splashed at her.

Windige turned her ears back, not minding the water at all, "Hehe... you're always hungry, thought you might want a snack!" Her large tail churned the water, before throwing a good amount into the air back at her mate.

"I hate crustaceans!" Damian shouted before sinking underwater. He swam at Windige and wrapped his arms around her hips tightly. Planting his feet, he lifted up and out of the water, bringing her with.

"Woah!" Windige gasped, startled then laughed as she looked down at him. "I love you." She uttered, softly, holding up her torso with her hands on his shoulders.

Damian smiled, "BUT- will you love me after...." He jumped and fell towards the water, "This!" he shouted, tossing her into the water along with him, dunking them both under playfully.

Windige came up laughing, getting out of the stream and shaking herself, "Well of course my dear, why wouldn't I?"

Damian laughed with her and wrapped an arm around her hips, pulling her close. "I like this..." he smiled, "We should have Mom cubsit more often."

Her ears flicked back, revealing a slight unhappiness but to her credit she forced them back up, "It will grow to be a habit I would assume," She commented, "Our den isn't too far... if we flew it would be much faster then running."

"Well next spring, I imagine the little ones will be able to fly themselves. That way you only have to carry dear ol' dad." Damian smirked.

She nuzzled him happily, "I don't mind that, you know." Windige took in his moist scent before closing her eyes, sighing. Being in his arms was so peaceful... a different experience then her real form.

The water was at their thighs, but Damian didn't care. He placed a gentle hand on her cheek. He was attracted to both versions of her. But he figured that he would take advantage of this moment. He leaned in and pressed his lips onto hers romantically.

Understanding the premise of this from last time, Windige tried to respond in kind, puckering up her lips and looking quite silly. Hopefully he wouldn't mind her clumsy return.

He didn't care at all as he kissed back. He knew that she wasn't human but appreciated her trying to fulfill that side of him. Parting the kiss, Damian smiled down at her.

Windige lowered her chin, looking at him with wide puppy eyes, "Did I do okay?" She was a little worried that she kissed horribly.

Damian laughed wholesomely, "Of course! Utterly adorable, Wind." He kissed her forehead, "Now come on, let's go see how the others are doing."

"Alright," Moving away from him, she changed back, flicking water from her fur and making her look quite thin. Sitting back on her haunches, Windige waited for her mate to change.

Damian stepped out of the water and shifted as well. He shook out his fur and straightened up. "Hopefully Mom made pot pie. Sounds stupid but...it's delicious."

She didn't respond, but instead stretched, sticking her haunches in to the air as she popped her back and shook herself again. "Hope the babes aren't giving her a hard time."

"Nah, they are good cubs." Damian said surely, "But I hope Mom doesn't have 'em all chalked up on sugar."

"What is sugar?" Windige asked him, touching her nose to his cheek before withdrawing. She had twisted so she was alongside him, and had already begun moving.

"Oh that's right... you've never had things like pie and cookies." Damian went wide-eyed. The two kits, who have had nothing but natural foods, suddenly with large amounts of sugar in their stomachs. "Oh boy- we'd better hurry. Sugar is used in cooking treats. But with little ones like Jub and Path who've never had it before...they are probably jumping off the walls!"

Windige joined him in a slight panic, "Let's go!" She took off running, going at a faster then normal pace and following their scent back.

When the two came closer to the house, Damian shifted human so he could open the door. He quickly stepped in but it appeared that the damage had been done.
There was flour, cracked egg shells and batter all over the table, counters and floor. His mom was calmy sweeping up the mess. The kits however weren't in sight. "Damian!" she looked away, "Your manners!"

"Wha?!" Then he looked down to realize he was nude in front of his mom, "Ack-" He grabbed a coat from a hook on the wall and shielded himself.

Windige came in behind him, not having to worry about being nude. "Jubilynn? Pathyn?" She called, a slight look of worry flashed across her muzzle.

"Shh!" Damian's mother waved at Windige. "They are over here..." she said quietly. She led them through the cabin, to a guest room. The two little kits were curled up with full tummies and fast asleep on the bed.

Awkwardly managing through the house, a sharp intake of air let anyone know her surprise at seeing them fast asleep. "Oh my babies..." Carefully she sat next to them, a little surprised at the softness of the bed. Pathyn yawned, but fell back asleep when he felt his mother's hand on his back.

Damian smiled and looked to his mom.
"They helped me bake cookies. Though it was a little difficult since they can't shift yet." she explained, "They got a bit messy...and after a bath, they were so sleepy that they fell asleep right away."

Letting out a quiet sigh, Windige brushed Jub's horn nubs, "I'm sorry I doubted you..." She looked up at his mother, a slight smile on her lips, "I apologize."

Jub rolled over like a cat onto her back.

Damian's mother smiled and waved away the thought, "It's fine. The first time away from your babies can stress out any mother." She was such a kind old lady.

"Ahh..." She looked back down, unable to dim the smile. "Thank you for watching them while Damian and I... talked."

"No trouble. I don't get company very often." she replied. "They are little angels."

"Any cookies left?" Damian asked.

His mom smirked, "You still think with that gut of yours." she looked at Wind, "Is he always like that with you too?"

The Himmel bobbed her head, "Of course." She stood then, expecting them to leave before her.

Damian and his mom left the room, towards the kitchen. "If it's one thing I DO miss..it's your cooking. Well... you too of course."

"Yea...SURE you do." her mom joked, sweeping up some more before handing him over the plate of fresh, warm cookies.

In her urgency to check on the children, she had ignored everything, including smells. Now her pink nose flared. "What... is that mouthwatering smell?" The 'cookies' on the plate must have been emanated the scent.

"Peanut butter cookies." she smiled, proud of her recipe. "Have as many as you like. I think the kids had a bit too many as it is."

Damian was already on his third one. "Mmmm......"

"Peanut butter?" Windige flicked one ear to the side and tilted her head, creating an angle that made her look adorable. Her hand extended to the plate, lightly taking one in her hand. Her nose took in the scent from the source, then bit down with a delicate motion. Windige's eyes widened in amazement.

Damian stopped mid-bite to watch Windige eat the human treat. He kept his face blank, waiting for her to say something.

Her purr was so loud if the children were awake they would probably have heard it, "Ah... this is... is... so good!" Windige pushed the rest into her mouth, licking the crumbs from her lips before asking for another, "May I?"

"Of course, I made them for you guys." she smiled, stepping back to finish her cleaning.

"You are adorable..." Damian complimented, taking another bite. "Isn't food wonderful though?!"