<6 - Our History> Blud’s look turned incredulous. “But-“ ”Dad… call me foolish, but I think this was the work of the spirits. I did everything within my willpower, but I know there were forces guiding me to what I wanted.” This wasn’t so reassuring to Blud, who let out another deep sigh. “Then it is as I thought. The spirits wish for the cycle to repeat.” ”Cycle?” ”Yes, cycle. There’s… something I never told you about your mother.” Chela’s heart began to race. “And… that would be…?” Blud grimaced. “Think about it, Re’ka. She is nearly two decades older than I am.” ”Oh,” she said quietly as it all clicked into place. Blud looked his daughter dead in the eye as he spoke. “Yes. She is also my mother. Tehka was wed and bore me when she was barely an adult. My father spent much of his time away from home. Claimed to be adventuring, until my mother found out we didn’t have a copper to our name. He repeatedly spent it all in Silvermoon on whores and fireweed. He was… not remorseful when Tehka confronted him. He had tarnished our clan and proven he had no honor. So we left. Went clanless and made it on our own for ten years.” Chela clung to every word. “Seriously? How come you never told me all this?” ”Why do you think?” He rumbled with a half-chuckle. “We lived in the middle of nowhere. We hunted and communed with the elements to survive. She accompanied me on my pilgrimage when I was barely fourteen, and she nearly gave her life for me to succeed. By eighteen, I was capable and far stronger. We thrived… but the one thing neither of us could have began to gnaw at us both. I discovered her behind the house once, pleasing herself. I was entranced. We both knew that others would frown upon it, but she let me stay and watch. We were able to satisfy our desires for a time, but it became less effective with each passing day. We grew bolder. One day I dared to touch her. Another day she suggested I thrust somewhere different. After months of this game, we gave in, and she wound up with child by month’s end.” ”That make me an accident?” She said teasingly. ”We talked about it before our first tryst, and we were both prepared for the potential outcome of a child,” he said more seriously. “You were always welcome, but we knew we could not manage living in exile with you. We abandoned our old names and took new ones -you will never hear us speak our old names, we swore we would not- and returned to Razor Hill, where I was born. No one recognized us, and we had the help we needed for you to have a healthy birth. And I suppose you know the rest.” Chela remained quiet as she tried her best to absorb this massive change in her parentage. Her parents were not who she thought they were, but that ultimately didn’t change her past or her generally happy childhood. After a long silence, Blud had to speak. “What are you thinking?” ”I’m just… surprised,” she admitted softly. “But, like, it makes sense. I get why you two did what you did. It’s… weird to think that I don’t really know you guys, and maybe kinda odd that my mom and grandmother are one and the same… wait, does that make you my brother, too?” Blud couldn’t hide the snicker. “I have found it’s best not to think too hard about it.” ”Yeah,” she returned with a giggle, then went somber again. “But still… I just had you cheat on Mom.” ”Of everything I just told you, [i]that’s[/i] what you’re worried about!?” Her father looked at her incredulously. ”You’re not worried?” She pushed, growing a bit more serious. “Even after your dad cheated on Mom, what we did doesn’t bother you?” ”It does… in the essence that we hadn’t spoken about this sooner,” he admitted. “Your mother, however… well, we have spoken at great lengths about our unusual relationship. Part of her feels like she cheated me out of a life with a buxom elf or a sturdier orc. She has tried to encourage me time and again to seek out another partner.” ”You’re kidding?” ”Not even a little. She wouldn’t let it go, so at one point I actually [i]did[/i] meet another orc. We had fought together on guard duty and watched each other’s backs. I spoke to your mother, and she was elated. She asked me to bring the new girl home. So I did, and upon their insistence, I ravished her right in front of Tehka.” ”Wow… I never in a million years would’ve guessed Mom was [i]that[/i] kinky. I’m in shock.” ”As was I. Once my guard friend left, we spent nearly the entire night in bed together. To spare you the extreme details: She loved it. I haven’t done it since -it is a very odd thing to do with the orc who gave birth to me- but she has repeatedly stated she would do it again in a heartbeat. That being said… I do not know what she might think when she finds out what you and I have done, but knowing all of this, I doubt she will be particularly displeased. And I do not intend to keep this from her.” Chela felt her stomach turn just a little at this. “I understand, Father.” “Good. I still love your mother. [i]My[/i] mother. It has been difficult being away from her.” The orcess snickered softly. “Don’t tell me I’ve been tempting you.” “That’s a loaded question,” Blud returned with a deep rumble. “Yeah…” she agreed. Both of them fell silent for what felt like an eternity. Chela tried to get a read on her father, but she knew she couldn’t be certain unless she outright asked. “So… can we stop dancing around the [i]real[/i] question here?” Blud stiffened. “And [i]that[/i] would be?” “If you wanted to… try that again?”