Chapter 126 - Beating Heart

7 AM Peru.

From the base of The Sacred Valley, a small cabin served as the check-in and management area for the Skylodge Adventure Suites. From inside, a man was staring blankly at the pieces of equipment at the reception desk. 

"Hey, did the couple from the third capsule climb down already?" Asked the reservations in charge. He was staring at the full payment for the accommodation, the harnesses meant for the said glass pod and other climbing equipment. 

"No. Why?" Asked the other man. 

The reservations in charge held up a note that read, "Sorry, we had to check-out early but we paid in full. Thank you for the wonderful stay."

Utterly puzzled, they called for the radio up in the cliffs and requested a check on the third capsule. To their shock, no one was there. Amanda and Christopher had disappeared out of nowhere. No one saw them descend from the mountain peaks. No one attended to them going down either. 

However, there were no signs of people climbing down the mountain. It utterly bewildered them how the couple can make it down on their own in such a short time and without any of them knowing. 

Amanda and Christopher returned to Aeros with Abasi's help. Everything was so much in a rush that only Trisha came with Abasi to check on Amanda. 

They were inside Christopher's family sitting area, stupefied at the sight of Amanda's belly. 

The most awed was Trisha. Her eyes blinked repeatedly, hearing a loud beating heart. She walked slowly at Amanda and kneeled down. 

The master of the heart rested her ears against Amanda's belly and listened attentively.

Dub-dub. Dub-dub. Dub-dub. Dub-dub. The sound of it gave her chills. It was as if the beating heart was utterly mystical. 

Barging in and pushing the door open, Cassy and Theo arrived, both also in shock at Amanda's belly. 

"I knew it! I knew you were pregnant!" Announced Cassy. "I did tell you, Amanda. I suspected you were pregnant."

"What? How? And why this big all of a sudden?" Amanda asked with a frown. 

Trisha looked up to her in a daze and a tear fell down her cheek. 

"Well, don't just look at me like that, Trisha? Say something? Tell me what's going on with me?" Amanda said. Her eyes were pleading, hoping that the master of the heart had answers for her. 

"Amanda, it's so beautiful. This child's heartbeat is simply beautiful," said Trisha. Her eyes glistened as she said those words. 

"So... I'm really pregnant," Amanda said utterly in disbelief. 

Christopher had earlier messed up his hair. He also could not fathom how this had happened. He said, "No wonder."

"Pregnant?" Theo asked before turning to his son, bemused. "I thought you said you needed permission from the spirits to make that happened?"

Christopher shrugged and turned to Trisha for answers. 

"I have the same questions too," admitted Abasi. "In the history of all the masters, they had chosen to be pregnant towards the end of their term. And yes, it required the blessing of the spirits living inside of us."

"Maybe Mahli missed Fiena so much that he bypassed us?" Amanda said. She meant for it as a joke. 

"No, my love. Remember your dream? It all makes sense now," said Christopher. "We both thought it was just nothing but apparently, it was really speaking to you."

Amanda bit her lip, looking at Christopher. She said, "That makes sense." She looked at everyone else and said, "I just did not think of it because we were supposed to ask permission from the spirits!"

"What dream?" Trisha asked. 

"Yes, tell us about it, Amanda," asked Abasi. 

Amanda glanced at Christopher before she finally spoke, "I had a dream about a boy." Her eyes widened as she told, "Who looks crazy like baby Chris and he called me mother."

Frowning her face, Amanda tried to recall the exact words of her son. She hissed and said, "If only I paid enough attention! I never thought it was possible!"

"Urrggghh!" She curled against her knees, blaming herself for not remembering the exact words. "He said he would see me sooner than expected."

"Yes!" Said, Christopher. He sat next to Amanda and reminded, "And he said that it was the will of the Venusian sword!"

For some reason, Abasi heard the end of Christopher's statement being muffled. He asked again, "What?"

"I did not hear it too," said Trisha. "I only heard up to it was the will then your words faded out."

"My love, do you remember?" Christopher asked. 

Just at that very moment, the voice of her child spoke to Amanda and said, "Mother, it's a secret. Please don't tell anyone else that the Venusian Sword made me grow. Tell father not to say anything."

Amanda frowned. Her eyes panned from left to right, wondering if she was dreaming again. 

"Mother, are you listening to me? You are not paying attention to me," repeated the voice of the child. 

Her eyes narrowed, thinking her child was already so commanding when he was still a fetus! 'He is really speaking to me.'

"Yes, mother. I am speaking to you. Now, do as I say and I promise, I'll be a good boy when I come out," said her child. 

Amanda froze for seconds. She gulped down her fluid and took a deep breath. 

Still, she pulled through and said, "It's nothing. It was just a dream. It must have been the will of the spirits. The spirit of water and the spirit of fire decided amongst themselves to conceive a child."

Amanda then gazed up to Abasi and Trisha to ask, "Did the history say anything about the spirits being lovers? Because... I totally feel it." She shrugged and added, "They probably wanted this for us too."

Trisha nodded and said, "Perhaps."

"But, my love," Christopher tried to protest, clearly recalling she said it was the will of the Venusian sword. 

"No, Chris. I got the dream mixed up. I had a dream about the Venusian Sword from another night," she lied. Amanda wasn't sure why it had to be a secret, but she did as her son said. 

"This is really strange," said Trisha. "And it would seem like the baby is growing at a faster rate."

Trisha listened to the beating heart once again. She smiled and said, "Really beautiful. The baby, base on its beating heart, is six months old already."

"Whaattt?" Christopher asked in horror. He turned to Amanda in shock. 

She pointed a finger at him and sneered. "Don't even think about it. I could not even touch a girl back then, how much more a man!"

Christopher shook his head. He embraced her on one side and apologized, "I'm sorry, My love. I wasn't thinking that at all." He pecked on her cheek and said, "It must be the will of the spirits too."

Amanda nodded and said, "Yes, actually earlier, the boy spoke to me in the dream again. He did say that he will be growing up faster."

Trisha got up and said, "Wow. This is really remarkable." She glanced at Abasi and recited, "This hasn't happened before."

"I'm completely baffled," admitted Abasi. 

Scoffing Trisha said, "We were utterly oblivious but the Jubatus clan knew you were pregnant, Amanda." 

Abasi scratched his head and said, "They could have just said so."

"Well, many things have changed. This included Mahli choosing someone, not from earth, traveling through time by a future master, and even us going to other worlds," told Trisha. "Aside from Hades, the first master of the earth, we are the next generation of masters that have experienced many unique situations."

"Times are really changing," remarked Abasi. 

"Strange, but it should be a reason to rejoice!" Announced Theo. He did not quite understand the rest of the conversations between the masters, including their recent mission, but one thing he was happy about, was having a grandson. "Haha! I will have a grandson? Right, Amanda?"

"Yes, a grandson," answered Amanda, forcing a smile. 

Theo walked closer to Christopher and put a hand on his shoulders. He said, "A grandson and he is growing so fast!" He then frowned and realize something. "I hope he will stay a baby for some time though."

Christopher and Amanda looked at each other.

"Perhaps. I hope so, father," responded Amanda. 

"Father is so delighted with the news!" Remarked Cassy. She hugged Amanda and said, "Father is right. Regardless of how odd - strange this is, it is good news! A new member of our family!"

Speaking through her head, Trisha announced to Brody and Taara, "Guess what fellows. We are going to be aunts and uncles in advance! Amanda is pregnant."

"Whhhhaaaattttt?" Both Brody and Taara spoke in their heads, shocked at the revelation. 

"We aren't even married yet, and now Amanda beats us completely with having a child!" Taara blurted out. The masters could tell she was crying. 

From inside the sitting area of Christopher's family, everyone made plans for the baby's arrival, including managing everyone else's power growth. 

Theo excitedly discussed preparing for a nursery with Cassy in one corner while Trisha and Abasi planned for another meeting with the masters. 

While all this was happening, Amanda let out a heavy sigh and said to Christopher. She said, "I'm worried, my love. Are we ready for this?"

"Amanda, with love and the presence of a child, all the more, we will persevere," said Christopher.