6.
Early one morning several days later as Kate woke and prepared to rise for the day, she was hit with the dizziness again and she quickly sat down on the bed. Waves of nausea hit her and she raced for the bathroom. She returned after several minutes with a cold compress on her head as it was pounding. This can’t be happening to me?
“My love, are you all right?” Daniel was concerned, she was sick yesterday also. She had begged off a flight exercise, saying she was nauseous. He had thought that maybe something was going around. Shit! Who was he kidding? Riders don’t get sick!
“Kate, my sweet,” he began as he helped her back into bed, “you have to face facts, you’re pregnant.” She shook her head no and Daniel insisted, “I don’t care what you say sweet, you have all the symptoms. You’re racing for the bathroom in the mornings; you get dizzy if you jump up too quick, and your nauseous most of the time lately. We both know riders don’t get sick, what else could it be?”
“But Daniel, I had a complete hysterectomy when I was 40. The dragons are powerful, but come on, not even they could… there is just no way this could be happening; no way at all,” she insisted. “Oh my head…!” Kate eased herself back on the pillow and moaned.
“Kate, can I bring you anything at all? Maybe some hot camollie tea to calm your stomach.” She shook her head no and moaned again.
Daniel went down to the great Hall still pondering his conversation with Kate. When he arrived he saw Steve and Michael and Jerry at a table and joined them.
“Kate is sick again this morning. If I didn’t know any better I’d swear...” He was shaking his head.
Michael immediately cut in, “Sally’s been sick on and off for the past two weeks. I did a lot of reading on the subject, and I think she‘s pregnant. She says no way, but even Rah thinks she’s with child.”
“In case you guys haven’t noticed,” Began Jerry, “quite a number of the female riders are suddenly afflicted with this mysterious disease.”
Steve cleared his throat loudly, “ahem… does the name ‘Jake’ ring a bell?
The four of them looked at each other, “son of a bitch!” Daniel hissed, “he knows all about this! Guys, I suggest we march our butts up to the Riders Hall and ask Jake what the hell is going on.”
Just then Sarah and Jackson came into the Hall with Jason and Andrea. Both women seemed fine. They made their way to the serving line joking and laughing with each other and proceeded to load their plates with a hearty breakfast.
Steve quickly commented, “Doesn’t look like Sarah or Andrea are affected at all. Lets check around and see exactly who has and hasn’t fallen ill with this strange malady.”
A half hour later they met at the base of the mountain. “Okay, so it’s Kate, Sally, Beth, Ashley, and the twins, Darla and Carla. Any more?” Heads shook, “Lets go pay a visit to Jake.”
Jake was expecting them and chuckled when they entered the large hall. He was in conversation with Jeffery and Collin when they came marching in. He raised his head and acknowledged them; and then returned to his conversation. When finished he addressed them.
Daniel, Steve, Michael, Jerry; he acknowledged each one, gentlemen is there a problem?
Jake, do you know that most of the women riders are pregnant? Daniel questioned him.
Not all of them, not yet! Jake looked about at all of their stunned faces, well what did you expect? You all act like a bunch of rabbits, mating every chance you get. Exactly what did you think would happen? How do you think we are going to re-populate this world of ours?
Daniel spoke up, but Jake, Kate had a hysterectomy. How can this be possible?
Jake stared at Daniel intently, was she not enhanced? Did I not say that your bodies would become perfection? What part did you not understand? He stared intently at Daniel and then continued in a joyful voice, Gentlemen, I am happy for the women. I had no intention of letting them go into battle with us. They are the future of your race. We can ill afford losing any more of them. They all looked at Collin, remembering.
In three weeks we go to do battle with the evil ones. Some of us may not come back. I am not permitted to see the battle clearly. All of you will go into battle knowing that a part of you is back here, growing in your mates. My Queen and four dragons will remain here to protect the camp. If the black devil comes here looking for revenge, he will die here. There is nothing on this earth more ferocious than a Queen protecting her children. And as far as my Queen is concerned, you are all her children!
“Is there anything else Daniel,” Jeffery asked them, “we are rather busy here right now.” He walked them to the entrance and watched them all begin the descent down the mountain. He chuckled to himself for he already knew that Miss Susan was with child, and she was delighted over it. She had come to him crying with joy; told him it was the only thing she had ever really wanted. That she loved him there was never any doubt. The very first time they had made love she told him all about herself, holding nothing back. She vowed to be his and his alone from that day forward. He never had any reason to doubt her. He was content and fulfilled in his new life. Privately he had thanked God for this second chance.
They returned to their planning. They had been able, thru Collin, to get a good lay of the land and the dragon’s encampment. They had also received the news that the dragons were a very poor lot. Not really maturing naturally, they were abominations, Jake said.
If we come at them when the sun is rising we will have the element of surprise. The Blues will come in from the sea. They are going to perform a maneuver they call ‘riding the surf’. Wolf says that it is very effective, and apparently scares all of them. They are a strange group, but very effective. John says that they can fly circles around us, and they are very fierce in battle; he says he will be able to keep them in check. And he says he learned something else; they cannot breed, so they will be the first and last of their kind.
Jeffery added, that they are strange I do not dispute, Jake, but when this is over; they will be the ones patrolling the coastline out there. It might prove to be a boon that they will be able to converse with the former inhabitants on their same level, just a little something to think about Jake.