Two Eyes Cenote [b] sooner or later

many times had khusobek wished to drive his hard fist into the nearest face as inji's helpless cries of grating pain reverberated in every fibre of his soul. he did not remember his first children coming so harshly, but then again, the crocodile recalled very little of that life.

he had been useless in the beginning, following inji here and there, offering to massage her lower spine until she at last took to their chamber and began her travails in earnest. then their rooms had lit with activity which had first driven him into the hallways, and then flattened him to the wall.

he had to leave, at times, to avoid watching injii's harshest tortures; his rage was not fitting for the moment of birth, and so khusobek collected himself, over and over.

and then, when it seemed as though a thousand years of anguish had racked inji against their furs, a child arrived, a redbloom child, a girl; and his breath cracked in his throat; and he could not take his eyes from the tiny portion of them which had magickally separated from his wife and become a whole being.

the second, a boy; khusobek near vibrated with anticipation and wonder, torn between his deep worry for his wife and his exultation at her deep mysteries.

the third, another boy, and their fourth, a daughter; and the crocodile stared at each one in turn for so long he forgot that they inhabited, all of them, a birthing room for a moment.

he was breathless, mouth dry, eyes stinging; he dropped his muzzle to her shoulder as the sesh shifted to the cleansing of birth, dipping his head low when pharaoh herself came to attend inji, which pleased the guardian very deeply. "your wish is my will, great one," the crocodilisk murmured hoarsely. and then their regent had passed from the room, and he was free to look back upon inji, upon their children, alone for a space of time as tavina too left them.

only then did his tears fall upon the soft, glowing features of inji as he reached to softly kiss her radiant face.