The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight (24 page)

"And what is that, wizard?" the squire inquired.

"There is now the threat of&well&motherhood."

Both Ka-Ron and Jatel separated.

"Do you mean I could have a child?" Ka-Ron asked as her face filled with both shock and amazement. "But I was once a man! Is that possible?"

"Dear, you're fully capable, from what I can see here." The wizard absently pointed back towards the bloodied sheets.

"Damn that evil woman!" the knight shouted.

"Yes," Keeth agreed.

Not knowing what else to do, Ka-Ron started to weep.

The wizard, awkwardly, decided it was time for him to leave. "I shall provide clean bedding and shall leave the two of you to your&rethinking of the situation."

Jatel silently nodded to the man, accepting his kindness in both his and his master's name.

"Master, all will soon be well."

Ka-Ron turned from Jatel, wiping away her tears. "I have cried more in these few suns, than I have my entire life. I hate the feeling, Jatel. I want it no more."

The squire did not know what to do. How could he even remotely know what his master was going through? What would it be like to have your whole identity suddenly reversed? To have your way of life, which all take for granted, changed and become alien? All Jatel knew, for sure, was that he loved his "woman" and wanted to comfort her in any way possible.

"Master, I am so sorry," the squire stated, walking up from behind and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Ka-Ron responded. She laid her head on one of Jatel's arms, cupping them at the elbows with her warm hands. She hummed a soothing tone, as she accepted his embrace. Both rocked slowly back and forth.

Before either knew what he was doing, they had landed upon the bed.

Staring at herself, Ka-Ron brushing her long hair and studied her reflection in the mirror. Her mind was filled with puzzlement. She did not know down what path her life was taking her. She had always prided herself upon being able to plan clearly where and when she would be, not ever having to care, or think, about the why. For the first time in her life, there was no focus.

This was to be expected, she had told herself. After all, normalcy would not be hers again, until she was turned back into a man.

Into a man
&

She played with those words, never taking her eyes off her reflection, enjoying the soft and soothing strokes of her brush. She mulled the words Kai had offered, about breaking her squire's hearts with the successful completion of her quest. As if on cue, Jatel grunted a few times and turned upon his stomach. The knight could only smile. Lately, everything the man did seemed greatly to amuse her - even his common tasks. The way he grumbled when forced to do a chore he hated, the way he laughed, and, most importantly, the way Jatel gazed at her, when the squire thought she wasn't looking.

Her life was becoming quite complex.

"You have done well as a woman," Ka-Ron repeated, only lip-syncing. There were no sounds coming from her mouth. She did not wish to wake her squire.

A thought entered the knight's mind - the first time she had ever considered it - that she was indeed a beautiful woman. She took great comfort in those thoughts, and found it surprising, given that she never turned back. Could she live her entire life as a female? It wasn't really that bad. She admired the attention. She appreciated the curiosity. And she enjoyed the love-making. What was there to even consider?

Duty.

That simple word kept coming back to haunt her. Her king relied upon her courage and her skills in battle. Without her to lead Idoshia's armies, what would become of the stability of Teal? She could not live with herself if the village of her fathers fell into the hands of the Xows.

"I must proceed," Ka-Ron whispered. "My nation needs me."

For now, however, the brave knight needed her rest.

Ka-Ron turned to her bed, realizing that the excitement of the day had taken its toll upon her.

There was a tightness about her stomach, which suggested that her body was still reacting to the final stages of Kai's spell. She found herself laughing, when she realized that her breasts and grown a little, causing the buttons of her nightshirt to pop open a little.

"Big breasts do nothing to me but hurt my back, Kai," the knight whispered, getting between the sheets with her squire.

It did not take long for Ka-Ron to fall asleep.

What the knight of Idoshia failed to realize, was the nature of Kai's final spell. It completed the cycle of her curse upon Ka-Ron, who she accused of causing her daughter's untimely death.

The knight's breasts began to leak a yellowish-brown liquid.

More buttons began to "pop" in the night.

Ka-Ron was too deep in her sleep to know.

Ka-Ron woke to the warm welcome of sunshine invading her cabin. The
Argo
was still floating in the heavens, easily taking both she and her squire to their predestined ends. All was well.

The warmth of the bed's covers was just too much for the knight to deny. Ka-Ron smiled and snuggled close to her sleeping lover. His warmth was all she required to forget her troubles.

"Oh!" Ka-Ron whispered, her face flashing discomfort. "What was all that, then?"

The knight was feeling a "bumping" sensation coming from her stomach. She surmised that it had to be something that she had eaten. However, she suffered also from a certain heaviness and fatigue, which suggested just the opposite - that she had not been eating enough.

Jatel rustled himself awake. He hummed a tune of satisfaction, discovering that Ka-Ron had placed her arms around him. Gently, he kissed one of the knight's hands.

"Many a season I have dreamed to be in such a place," Jatel whispered.

"What do you say?"

"I have dreamed of the time when, upon waking, my sun starts such as this," Jatel shuffled, turning to face his master. "To be in the arms of a beautiful&"

Ka-Ron's face beamed with happiness as she awaited the finalization of her squire's words. Flattery seemed to work wonders upon her disposition, and made all hardships seem that much smaller. Again, the knight's concentration was interrupted by the "bumping" coming from her stomach.

"For the gods!" Jatel said, almost horrified. The squire slowly rose and retreated away from the bed.

"Jatel? What ails you?" Ka-Ron asked, her hand reaching out for comfort.

Jatel's features turned almost to a panic, for there was something in his sight that terrified the man. Of that, Ka-Ron was quite certain. In reaching out to comfort him, the knight's attention turned toward the discomfort of her body. She felt odd, and was only now discovering the realities of her situation.

"To the gods!" Ka-Ron screamed. "No! Gods, no!"

The knight's breasts had indeed grown more, not by much, but enough to bust open the remainder of her nightshirt's buttons. They were both heavy and wet. Her nipples had turned an attractive tint of brown and quite sensitive too. In grabbing one, Ka-Ron was quite surprised to discover that it was loaded - spraying out an incredible fountain of milk.

"This cannot be&" the knight's voice trailed off to almost a whisper.

"I will get the wizard, sire." Jatel almost broke his neck running from the room.

Alone, Ka-Ron pulled down the bed sheets, discovering the origins of her discomfort.

Ka-Ron the knight was at least six lunas pregnant!

Keeth chewed nervously, upon the end of his pipe, while he knelt down and studied the enormous belly of Ka-Ron the knight. The woman, herself, was holding up quite well - that is, after the wizard had provided the most powerful relaxant pill his powers had the skill to muster. The drug was the only thing that kept the knight from screaming.

Upon discovering her condition, Ka-Ron screamed as loud and as long as her constitution would allow - and she had quite a constitution. After her silence, came the tears. It took both men to get her off the bed in her cabin. Each time she had tried it on her own, her bulbous stomach kept her from reaching her goal. All the knight had managed to do was waddle like a duck from left to right, causing both men to smile and chuckle.

So, after a fashion, Ka-Ron stood upon the main deck of the
Argo
, silently rubbing her huge stomach, unable to ignore what was growing inside of her. Jatel, although quite calm and quiet, appeared to be controlling his own demons. Cocking his head, the wizard admired the squire's strength, for he knew that if given the chance, Jatel would have need of the same relaxing drug Ka-Ron was now enjoying.

"Is this an illusion, then?" Jatel asked, hiding his shaking hands behind his back.

Keeth shook his head after placing a hand upon the knight's soft stomach. He searched deeply with his powers for an answer to the squire's question. The response he received was more than real, for the child growing within had decided to kick the wizard's invading hand with a great defiance.

"Oh!" Ka-Ron stirred, rubbing her belly. "This one's a kicker."

The wizard shook his head in agreement. Clouds of smoke rose from his stern countenance as he continued with his curious studies.

"Oh, dear no, sir," Keeth said, "This is certainly real."

"You think!" Ka-Ron retorted, her eyes full of rage.

"But she appears six lunas into her&" Jatel could not bring himself to say the word. "How can all this pass in just one night?"

Keeth silently counter-questioned with a "Are you serious?" glance upon the squire.

"I do not know how this could have come to pass," the knight said, covering herself.

Puffing on his pipe, Keeth gave the woman a knowing glance.

"Oh, miss, I believe that you do."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Jatel challenged.

"Nothing more than the fact that you two are at it more than a flock of red hares!" Raising his voice, the wizard pushed the squire away from him. "And it would not be wise to challenge me in such a manner again, young squire!"

"We&we&" Jatel tried to counter, but soon trailed off. The truth was impossible to combat.

"I apologize, dear knight and squire." The wizard bowed. Upon the old man's face, clearly, was the emotion of deep regret. "It has been some time since I have talked with real people, and I am short upon my graces."

"No need to explain, wizard," Ka-Ron said. She sat down on a nearby bench, exhausted. "We all have our little faults."

Jatel kept his distance, watching the wizard. If the wizard were to verbally attack Ka-Ron, he would be ready to confront him. Ka-Ron was deeply touched.

Keeth continued smoking his pipe. His eyes never seemed to leave the knight, studying anything and everything. For the longest time, Ka-Ron knew that the old man was looking at her stomach. She could feel the wizard's very concentration upon her skin, as she, every now and then was moved by the subtle kicking that was continuing to grab at her attention.

"Are you comfortable?" Keeth emptied his pipe, finally breaking his silence.

"I do not feel unwell."

"That is good!"

"And the importance of all of this questioning?" Jatel asked.

"I thought that would be obvious," Keeth said. "Her spell, thus far, has not hurt. I was just curious to know if that had changed."

Jatel huffed but surrendered.

Keeth bent down on one knee, silently asking the knight's permission to apply his hands to her body. She gave that permission, and was surprised to experience the wizard's gentle touch. The wizard's hands rubbed Ka-Ron's stomach, while his eyes remained closed. He was, Ka-Ron surmised, exploring with his mind, not his senses.

"This is unlike any magic I have ever encountered, my child. I am amazed at the child's speedy growth."

"Still&there is no pain." Ka-Ron stated, adding her hands to the rubbing of her stomach. The knight said nothing, but she thought that her stomach had grown even more since her sitting down. Her skin was tight and was starting to itch. When she had a free moment, she would change her dress - her top was soaked with dripping milk.

"This is dark arts at their worst," Keeth whispered.

"This once, I agree, wizard."

Keeth gave Ka-Ron a long, silent gaze. "There is a spell I could try that could relieve you of this burden."

Ka-Ron stared long into the wizard's eyes.

An incredible sensation came over the knight. While the
Argo
continued her trek through the skies towards their shared destination, Ka-Ron became aware of everything. She felt the tiny kicking, and subtle movement of the being growing inside of her, and it was wondrous! The feeling was more fantastic than she could ever have surmised. There was a joy there, inside of her, that felt more right, more intimate, and more godly than any she had ever encountered in her old life. She was becoming a mother. And, to the knight's complete surprise, she was enjoying it.

"No, Keeth," Ka-Ron whispered. "I think not."

The wizard was taken aback. Ka-Ron realized that she had given a response he did not expect. That made her even surer of her choice in the matter.

"Child, I do envy you."

"How so?"

"You are the bravest soul I have ever encountered," the wizard said, chuckling tiredly. "And take it from me, love, I have encountered quite a few. You, perhaps, are the only true "man" alive."

"Speak for yourself!" Jatel huffed from the bridge deck, insulted.

Keeth and Ka-Ron smiled.

"I shall leave you to your thoughts." Keeth soon joined Jatel at the ship's wheel.

Alone on deck, Ka-Ron tried her best to feel rage. She tried to feel hate toward Kai, and the terrible thing she had done to her. She tried. But hate was not what the knight felt.

She was happy!

Her hands paused over a spot on her stomach, feeling the tiny bumping of a baby's kick. Her whole body responded, and it was a terrific feeling. For one brief moment, Ka-Ron remembered honestly why she had become a knight. One brief moment, when upon hearing from a practitioner of the medical arts that it would be impossible for him, as a man, to father a child&one horrible moment, when as a young man he had had stolen from him that chance to be a father, to have a family, to be normal. When one loses all of that, all that was left for Ka-Ron was honorable service and an honorable death.