Duality

"Merla, these are our friends. This is Vantra, and her wife, Yanna." Tazaa said, and gestured to each one. Merla tilted her head a bit. "This is her daughter, Traya." Merla was held in Laenda's arms, and looked at Traya, who appeared much shorter than the other orcs her age. She frowned.

"Grammie, lower." Laenda smiled, and lowered Merla to Traya's height. "Fyzeekal Maap." Merla pursed her lips. "Merla understand." She looked up at Traya's parents, who were surprised.

"Merla, what did you find out?" Tazaa asked.

"Traya short. Not damage. No food lack. Deeper." She frowned. "In-her-ee-tance." Merla said. Vantra tilted her head.

"I've heard of an inheritance when it comes to what a child gets after their parents die." She said quietly. Merla nodded.

"Traya same. Parents pass to Traya. Not from parents. Maybe grammies?" She asked. Yanna's cheek twitched.

"My great mother's mother was shorter and sickly. Could that have affected Traya?" She asked. Merla nodded quickly.

"Damage passed." Merla pursed her lips. "Need core. Lot more manna." Merla grimaced. "Traya. Lot manna needed. Pain. Fix, but pain." Traya looked confused.

"What do you mean, fix?" Traya asked. Tazaa rolled her eyes.

"It's exactly what she said. She can fix your short stature. Your great mother, back two or more generations, was damaged from lack of food, or was just sickly. If she were like one of our home trees, that was passed to her seeds. At first, the trees were still strong enough because of her wife. However, you still are affected by that problem." Tazaa grimaced. "I had damage to my core, and veins. Merla was able to repair them, and it allowed me to grow. However, it will be agonizing." Yanna looked concerned.

"How painful? I don't want Traya to suffer." Yanna said. Merla shrugged.

"Fix, suffer lot, but not long. Not fix, no pain, but short, weak. Children also short, weak." Merla said. Traya hissed, and looked at her mother, Vantra. She folded her arms over her chest, and sighed.

"I guess it's good that Mother Queen decided to remove you and your future wife from the breeding list. If you will only produce weak children, and don't want to suffer now, it's best to forget it." Vantra sighed a bit, but Traya growled.

"I still want to raise a child!" She said angrily.

"You can't with that person!" Vantra said firmly. "This is a child that is blessed by Duality, and that bitch despises her! Her parents also despise me, and you!" Traya paled.

"Momma, I..." Vantra cut her off.

"If you wish to bond with her, then take her and leave the town. The Mother Queen won't suffer her, or her parents any longer." Vantra said firmly. "She will not allow their hatred to curse our home. If they were reasonable, nothing would happen." Vantra shook her head. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought you here. If you can not see...." Vantra slowly turned as Merla's eyes began to glow.

"Traya not love mother?" Merla asked, her voice vibrating with manna. "Vannie Traya mother! Marry orc who hate mother? Traya stupid?" Traya shivered, and got down on her knees.

"I fell for her, Merla. She was nice to me when other orcs didn't want me because I'm small." Traya said in a soft voice. Merla nodded.

"Traya small. Easy bully. Marry. Easy to hurt. Traya not see?" Merla asked her. The small orc's eyes began to flow with tears.

"I didn't want to see, Merla. It hurts too much." She fell to a whisper.

"Grammie. Get elder boar core. Fix Traya. Lot pain. But make Traya big orc. Make Traya strong orc." Merla grinned as her eyes returned to normal.

"Lot orcs want Traya soon."

* * *

"Watch, but do not interfere." Tazaa said to Vantra. "I had to watch Laenda go through agony to get rebuilt, but now she can live another thousand years." Vantra looked surprised.

"She can strengthen you that much?" Vantra asked.

"Yes." Tazaa showed how she could now channel manna to her fists, and pull it away again. "This was her gift. Traya will be in pain, but the effort will be worth the trial." Merla was set on the floor, and wobbled over to Traya.

"Kneel, Traya. Pain make kneel. May fall. Merla short. Better kneel." Merla said. Traya nodded, took a deep breath, and knelt down. Merla took hold of her tusks, and her eyes began to glow.

"Bad orcs bully Traya." Merla said as the manna began to flow into the smaller orc. Her body immediately seeped brackish fluid, and she grimaced while her muscles, bones, and tendons were shredded and rebuilt.

Traya opened her eyes, but she was surrounded by the depths of the void, and small stars far in the distance. A small orc walked towards her.

"Merla?" She asked.

"Here, there is no pain." Merla gestured. "Your body is in bad condition, so I needed to separate your consciousness from it." Merla pointed down. "Now, submit to me, Traya." Traya blushed brightly.

"Like Meena?"

"Yes, and no. Like my grammies. They protect me, and my chosen mate. Now you will also protect me, and my chosen mate." Merla sighed. "I can not take her as an orc should, so that is left to you, and my grammies. Maybe even your parents when I make them submit too." Traya blushed and knelt down.

"Why do you talk so smoothly in here, but like a child out there?" Traya asked. Merla grinned and walked right up to her.

"I'm not talking. I am thinking. You hear my thoughts, which are smooth and without a ripple." Merla grasped her tusks within the void. "Now submit." Merla's eyes glowed brightly again.

"You shall protect me and my mate properly. I shall find you a nice orc to marry, and one that will always respect you, and your parents." Merla's voice began to vibrate with more intent and power.

"Submit." Merla's voice drilled into her consciousness, and as she felt herself start to lose cohesion, she immediately submitted to Merla's will. Her willingness to submit was transmitted through her consciousness, which made Merla smile.

"Traya belong to Merla." Her voice regained the child's tone. "Merla take care of Traya. Make strong." Traya felt a small mouth lay on her neck, and small teeth sink into her flesh.

It was time for Traya's gift.