21. Epilogue

Chapter 21

Epilogue

Roxanne

M aybe this green dress? I run my hand through the flowing soft fabric. Yeah, I’ll definitely be taking this one with me, adding it to the pile on my bed. How much do I have now? Glancing at the heap of clothes now dominating my room, a twinge of apprehension grips me. Krogoth’s going to have a field day when he sees this.

I bite my lip. Just one more should be enough, although I might’ve thought that five outfits ago. Better safe than sorry, when we’re going on a warship to an intergalactic battle zone for who knows how long. And I refuse to wear those horrible brown robes again. The thought of the coarse material on my skin makes me shudder.

I rummage through my giant wardrobe, practically inside the secret trove of forbidden treasures. Oh, this purple outfit looks nice, and Krogoth likes me wearing purple. The thought creases my lips with a smile. Wonder if he’s nearly home yet? Extending my awareness, attempting to detect his emotional energy, a curious yet familiar sensation washes over me.

The presence of two nearby, but when I delve deeper into them, I detect no thoughts. It’s an unsettling feeling. This happened once before, when I had projected myself into a cyloillar bug out in Draxxi forest.

“AHI, are there any lifeforms in this house, intelligent or otherwise?” I ask, thumbing my necklace in thought.

“Roxy. Negative, this domicile is void of lifeforms, intelligent or otherwise,” the robotic voice answers, the exact source hard to detect.

“Hey! I’m still here, you know” I retort, narrowing my eyes, wishing I could glare at AHI.

“Roxy. Do you require further assistance?” AHI asks, in a robotic tone I can swear has a touch of mockery to it.

No intelligent life forms. The cheek. Still, the mystery remains unsolved. Maybe I’m detecting some puffrio’s outside the window? Must be a nest close by or something. I shrug, absently returning to examine this exquisite purple dress, as I scrunch my face, wondering if I should add it to my rapidly growing mountain of clothes.

“Trial by fitting. It is the only way,” I decide with a nod. One must be ruthless in desperate times such as these, where only the fabulous can survive. Gods, Krogoth must be rubbing off on me. In a flash, I throw the silky one-shoulder flowing dress over my head. But my excitement is short-lived as I feel an uncomfortable tightness around my midsection and bust.

“AHI, have my clothes shrunk in the wash?” I ask, craning my neck, trying to catch a glimpse of my ass.

“Roxy. Negative, you are expanding exponentially. At the current rate, your mass will exceed this room in two years,” the sneaky trickster artificial intelligence declares.

“What do you mean, I’ll exceed the room? That’s impossible!” I protest, outraged, heat rising in my face at AHI’s brutally efficient response. “AHI, why do you keep feeding me all these treats, then?” I ask incredulously, looking towards the wooden plate of snacks. Maybe I have been indulging too much, but it has been so nice relaxing with Krogoth in our cozy house rather than trudging through forests and mountains.

“Roxy. Nourishment is essential for all lifeforms, particularly expanding ones,” AHI replies in its unemotional voice, hiding its shifty ways.

“I wouldn’t be expanding if you weren’t feeding me so much!” I exclaim, ignoring the nagging little detail that I’m the one actually eating it. “AHI, are you like a weird feeder robot? Is that your game, hoping I explode?” I tease, curious how the AHI will respond.

“Roxy. Negative. Such a colossal explosion would require many resources to remedy,” AHI responds immediately.

“Aw, you’re all heart AHI,” I reply, chuckling softly, wondering why it cheekily adds ‘colossal.’ It’s like an artificial intelligence created by Xandor or something. Running my hands over my stomach, the truth can’t be denied any longer. I have put on fat. With a deep sigh, I struggle to remove the purple dress, adding it back to the wardrobe of defeat.

Maybe I should give Rylar a visit? He’d soon whip me back into shape, although thinking about those sprints again sends a shiver down my spine. Yeah, cutting back on the food sounds like a much better plan, now that I think about it.

“Welcome home Korgy,” AHI declares, pricking my ears up with excitement at the announcement. I hurry down the massive corridor to the front door to find my beautiful man smiling.

“Hail my love,” he greets, scooping me up and kissing my face in a flurry of smooches that makes me sputter with laughter.

“Hey, big guy.” I kiss him gently on his full lips before he sets me down. “How did it go at the meeting?” I ask, curious since he had left to speak with some elders.

Krogoth expression darkens slightly. “Young Dracoth and Elder Ignixis are still among the missing,” he reports, shrugging off his massive cloak as he heads towards the bedroom. “Drexios and the other Scythian loyalists fled in the Ravagers Ruin,” he adds, his tone unwavering.

His words cause a pang of anxiety, thinking that we could cross paths with the scary and unsettling Drexios again. “That guy will definitely be trouble,” I assert with confidence.

Krogoth nods in agreement. “I will slaughter him,” his purple eyes flash for a moment until his face softens, as he looks at me with a smile, “Never mind that. How are your preparations?”

“My preparations?” My preparations are a giant pile of unorganized clothes. That awaits just behind the door that Krogoth is currently heading towards Ahh! My pulse rises at the realization. “Wait, Krogoth, the room is a mess. I’m still not done yet,” I protest.

“What’s a little mess between Mortakin-Kis and Mortakin-Kai?” he replies, throwing the bedroom door wide open. A silence seems to stretch on forever as I cringe inside until Krogoth’s shoulders shake with laughter. “Gods, is this all for you? How could someone so tiny need so many clothes?” he inquires, incredulous as we both gaze at the colorful heap that nearly reaches the ceiling.

“I knew you would laugh.” Feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration. I half-heartedly attempt to tidy up the chaos. “I was still in the process of elimination,” I explain, turning toward him. “You know, survival of the fashionable?”

“An impossible task. Everything is fashionable on you,” Krogoth assures me, his fingers skimming through the pile, his words bringing a smile to my lips.

“You’re sweet, Krogoth. But most of them barely fit me anymore,” I confess as I lean in closer to him. “I think AHI is trying to make me fat… possibly to expand me.” Whispering conspiratorially, I cast nervous glances around for any sign of AHI’s drones.

Krogoth scoffs at the idea. “Expand you? Surely not Pebbles,” he says, disbelievingly.

“Then why does it keep leaving these giant dishes of snacks beside me?” I gesture towards the mostly finished plate. “Every room I’m in—”

“Korgy and Rocks. Dinner is served.” AHI’s interruption cuts through our conversation, almost as if to emphasize my point.

“Coincidence?” Krogoth suggests with a shrug, exchanging an uncertain glance with me.

Already the smell of a hot, delicious cooked meal wafts into the bedroom, stoking my senses. Perhaps my diet can wait another day? Krogoth heads out of the bedroom in a hurry, his voracious appetite leading him by his nose, and I follow closely behind.

“Why does AHI refer to me as Korgy?” Krogoth questions with his eyes narrowed.

I suppress a laugh, having forgotten I’d edited his title recently. “Hmm, I have no idea. AHI is very sneaky, you know,” I reply as innocently as I can.

“Is that so?” Krogoth raises an eyebrow. “AHI, who last edited my title?”

“Korgy. User Roxy,” AHI’s robotic voice answers.

Such a snitch! “That’s what he wants you to believe,” I retort, prompting laughter from us both.

In the dining room, the aroma from the meal grows stronger, beckoning us onward to its deliciousness. Mercifully, Krogoth had adjustments made to my chair, so now the side contains tiered steps up, which I ascend with ease.

My eyes widen, looking at my feast laid out on my plate that rests upon the enormous table, now displaying deep fissures. “Look at this,” I exclaim, stabbing a fork accusingly toward my meal. “There must be twenty pounds of steak here and the vegetables are piled higher than my clothes!” I glance incredulously at Krogoth.

Krogoth chuckles as he surveys my plate. “That is a little excessive.” He rubs his chin.

“Little is not the word I’d use. There’s more on my plate than yours,” I declare, comparing our meals, before sighing deeply. What the hell is going on with AHI? “Do you remember when AHI used to give me smaller portions? Like much smaller than yours?”

Krogoth frowns before speaking. “AHI, why have you given Roxy so much food?” He demands, leaning back in his chair.

“Korgy. User Roxy is expanding,” AHI replies simply.

“You see what I mean?” I ask, glancing at Krogoth, feeling vindicated.

Krogoth scratches his head. “AHI, elaborate on this ‘expanding.’” he urges, his curiosity piqued.

“Korgy. User Roxy is expanding with new life,” AHI’s robotic voice announces, dropping a bombshell that reverberates through the room.

Krogoth and I stare at each other with unblinking eyes, with only the noise of our rapidly increasing breaths breaking the silence as the realization dawns on us.

“I’m pregnant?” I exclaim after what seems like an eternity.

“I’m to be a father?” Krogoth shouts excitedly simultaneously.

Gods, this can’t be happening. I mean, I know it could happen, but now it’s happening. It’s really quite frightening and awesome. How am I going to look after a baby if I’m on a spaceship? Maybe I’ll stay here and get a room setup. I wonder if they even have cribs on Klendathor? Will Krogoth be around? My heart pounds in my chest as my mind bombards me with too many questions.

Krogoth picks me up and spins me around, his face beaming. “You did it, my beautiful Mortakin-Kis!” He laughs. “The first Klendathian to be born naturally in over two hundred years.” I start to feel dizzy as he continues turning, lost in his exhilaration.

He sets me down gently, placing a giant hand on my stomach. “How I long to hold our little boy or girl!” I place my hand over his and enjoy the look of excitement mirrored in his face. “We should call a clan meeting and celebrate,” he suggests, “Invite all the clans to witness this beacon of hope for all Klendathians.”

Uncertainty grips me. “No, Krogoth, it’s bad luck to announce a child so soon,” I say, my hands trembling with worry, overshadowing my initial excitement. Can I even give birth to a Klendathian? It’s never been done before. Judging by the size of Krogoth, I’m in for a rough time. God’s what happens if something goes wrong? Gazing into Krogoth’s excited face, I worry it would shatter his heart.

“AHI, how long will this pregnancy last?” I ask, attempting to control my breathing.

“Roxy. Insufficient data,” AHI responds.

“Klendathian pregnancies last two years,” Krogoth interjects, smiling like this fact is good news.

“Two years?” I gasp in disbelief. Surely not two years. “Human pregnancies last nine months. How can I carry our baby for two years?”

“AHI, speculate given a human and Klendathian pregnancy between nine months to two years,” Krogoth requests, his excitement still obvious.

“Korgy. Speculation fifteen months, however the presence of twins may shorten this further,” AHI answers matter-of-factly, as if it hasn’t just blown my mind once again.

Krogoth’s fervor reignites, his purple eyes sparkling with joy. “Twins? Pebbles, the Gods bless us with two,” he exclaims, his joy undiminished by the uncertainties swirling in my mind.

“What’s wrong, my love? Are you not pleased?” Krogoth questions, his eyes laced with concern.

I avert my gaze, struggling to reconcile my conflicting emotions. “I just worry something bad will happen to them. A pregnancy like this has never been done before, Krogoth.”

But Krogoth’s eyes shine with renewed excitement, and he envelops me in his warm embrace. “You think too much,” he teases, coaxing a smile from me. “The Gods have led us here for a reason. They will not abandon you now. Trust them and trust yourself,” he reassures me, his voice filled with conviction.

His words offer me a sense of comfort as I release a heavy sigh, calming my nerves, allowing myself to picture our two little ones running around playing and laughing. The thought warms my soul, and I feel my excitement building once again. “Two little mini us’s running around. Can you imagine it, Krogoth?” I ask, peering up into his handsome, smiling face.

“I’ve dreamed of it for decades, and you’ve made those dreams a reality,” he whispers, leaning in to place a tender kiss on my lips.

In that moment, as our lips meet in our intimate embrace, I feel a surge of love and blessing wash over me. Despite the uncertainties that may lie ahead, I know that with Krogoth by my side, we can take on anything as we build our own little clan together and usher in a new age for all Klendathians.

THE END

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Krogoth and Roxanne have completed the Mortakin-Tok, the Council of Elders breathing down their necks, and the War Chieftain's menacing return, can their love survive the coming storm? Continue with Xander's epic journey in Uncovered by the Alien Commander, available for pre-order now.

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