Estrella woke up, and even before opening her eyes, she smiled. Around her, the warmth and softness of her Mommy enveloped her, so she knew that her pretty mommy with a dragon tail like hers was hugging her.
She felt a soft yet slim hand caress her hair, face, cheeks, and eyelashes, tickling her and making her laugh. With her laugh, an answer from the woman holding her came to her. "Oh~? Is my little darling awake?"
The voice was so soothing, so gentle, so full of tenderness that even when she was very young, Estrella could feel her mother's love for her. She opened her eyes and looked up beyond her mother's ample chest; she saw her pretty Mommy looking down at her with a smile.
"How are you feeling, Baby?"
Estrella felt a bubbling happiness in her chest and exclaimed with a big smile. "Great! I love you, Mommy!"
Her dragon mother smiled at her and leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you too, Estrella."
Then, Estrella asked. "Mommy, did the ritual go well?"
Estrella has heard the explanation of what the ritual would do, which would, more or less, tell her talent for cultivating. Cultivating was very important to her Mommy.
Estrella understood that much. After all, even though she was a one-year-old, as a dragon, her intelligence was close to that of a typical six-year-old human.
The hand caressing her head paused for a second but then continued like always. The smile her Mommy carried looked as tender as always as she spoke. "Well, Baby's ritual was very special."
Estrella blinked and asked, confused. "Special?"
Her mother laughed. "That's right. Estrella is going to be a great martial artist!"
Estrella tilted her head again. "Martial artist? Like, using swords and sticks?"
Her mother nodded. "That's right. So, from today on, Baby will train in the martial arts path! We need to discover what kind of weapon Baby likes and has talent with, and we need to discover what kind of style Baby likes. We must also find a technique that suits your human and future dragon form."
Estrella hummed and asked shyly. "Um. I also want to be like Mommy and make those big stars appear!"
Estrella saw her mother look at her with a gaze she couldn't understand. As a child, she was perceptive, so she knew that it was not a bad gaze, but it was also not a good one. Estrella didn't know that Yasenia was looking at her with a bit of compassion. "Well, Baby doesn't seem to be talented. But we can practice together if you want after we do the formal training. What do you think?"
Estrella felt a bit down. "I can't make those big stars like Mommy?"
Yasenia shook her head. "At least, Baby will have a lot of difficulty doing them."
Estrella hummed and looked down, burying her face in her mother's welcoming and soft chest. "Hmph."
"Oh? Is Baby upset?"
Estrella harrumphed again and looked up. "Then, then… I want to learn how to make those, umm… Undead? Rise! Like Mama Tatyana!"
However, strangely, her mother, who was always supportive of her decisions, seemed like a different person today. "Hm. That would be nice, but Baby probably can't learn."
Estrella couldn't decipher her mother's expression, but she didn't like it at all. She felt that her chest was a bit stuffy when she looked at her mother's usual gentle golden eyes. So, instead of insisting, she asked. "Then, which, ummm, at… attre… attro… attri… Oh! Attribute! Which attribute is Estrella good at!"
Her mother became thoughtful, and Estrella waited for a few seconds. After a while, her mother finally answered.
"Well, Estrella doesn't have talent with any attribute."
Estrella looked at Yasenia, puzzled. "Hm? I don't understand."
Yasenia's voice was calming like always, filling Estrella with love. Yet, Estrella didn't feel as comforted as she always did. "Estrella is really good at martial arts, but in exchange, Baby is considered attributeless."
Estrella heard that and was stunned. She naturally didn't know how to react. Several complex expressions flashed on her face as she tried to process the information. But, before she could overthink it, her face was lifted a bit, and her mother's smiling face filled her entire vision.
Yasenia poked their noses together and said. "Baby, you are my pride and joy. You being attributeless means nothing." Her mother's tone was loving yet resolute. "Listen well, Estrella. You are gifted. Perhaps not gifted where everyone else is, but you are gifted in your path."
Estrella blinked a few times, not really understanding. Still, she could feel her heart soothing with each word. Her mother continued speaking gently, lovingly, caringly. "Estrella, most of the time, it is better to master one thing than be average at many. You won't understand yet, but I'll make sure you eventually understand. So, don't worry, Baby. Mommy and the rest will guide you. You are my daughter, and while perhaps you have a slower start compared to the rest, Mommy will always, always, always believe in you."
Estrella blinked a few times. "Mommy will believe in Estrella?"
Yasenia gave Estrella a little peck and smiled. "That's right. Mommy will always believe in Estrella."
Estrella felt her heart relax and her body soften while her mother's arms tightened, giving her a feeling of protection. Then, Yasenia commented. "Speaking of Mommy believing in Estrella! Did you know that even Aunty Mirrory and Aunty Valeria were surprised at Estrella's constitution?"
Estrella blinked twice. "My constitution… What is the name, Mommy?"
Yasenia put on a proud face and said. "[Supreme Martial Abyssal Body]!"
Estrella's heterochromatic eyes were filled with little stars. "WOW! It sounds cool!"
Her Mama Dragon laughed and bathed her face with kisses, making Estrella giggle happily. "Of course, it sounds cool. It is my Estrella's constitution!"
Estrella laughed, completely forgetting about her previous depressed mood. Meanwhile, Yasenia looked at Estrella's laughing face and smiled. 'Good. That face is how my darlings should be. Happy and cheerful. As if I'll let her being attributeless depress her.' Yasenia sneered. 'Attributeless? Wait for a few years. I'll make sure my Baby has the tools to become strong enough that no one will be able to mock her.'
She heard the door open and looked over to see Tatyana walking over. Yasenia pecked Estrella's forehead and said. "Baby, I'll leave you with Mama Tatyana, okay? I need to go do a few things~."
Estrella blinked twice cutely and asked. "What things?"
Yasenia smirked. "Well, I need to create a martial art for my babies~. Now that I know my precious Estrella is attributeless, I'll make a few changes so that baby can practice it as well~."
Estrella nodded twice with a big smile. "Good! I want to learn Mommy's martial arts!"
Tatyana laughed. "You will, little one. Tsk, tsk, [Supreme Martial Abyssal Body], my little Estrella is surely a cool little darling~."
Estrella giggled and extended her chubby arms so that Tatyana could pick her up.
After that, Yasenia spent a few more minutes with them and then left. After leaving, she went to the treasury, took all the martial art books they'd collected over the years, and headed toward her cultivation cave immediately.
The dragoness then started classifying all of them individually and creating piles of scrolls, books, jade slips, and other information-retaining treasures.
She worked during the nights, leaving Dual Cultivation to the essential. The others understood that the dragoness was busy, so they also only went to call for Yasenia when the Yang Energy in their womb started getting thin.
Having intercourse for Dual Cultivating and the usual one was very different. While both were done with love, it was clear that Dual Cultivation at these times was done until they were full of energy and not full of satisfaction.
Of course, saying that having sex with Yasenia was not satisfactory was a lie. Even hugging her was enough to make them feel in heaven.
In short, there were no complaints.
The dragoness dealt with all her matters, took care of the children, and was always moving around, leaving her with just enough time to cultivate a few hours daily and nothing more.
Her busy days seemed unending. However, that was not a problem for her. What she was doing was for her children, the children that she had been wanting basically her entire adult life.
Working on these matters was not bothersome; taking care of them was even less. Yasenia felt fulfilled, she felt happy, and she felt that this kind of lifestyle was probably what she wanted.
The girls looked at Yasenia's busy life, and they all naturally helped where they could. When the children played, they discussed everything with their dragoness, helping her with whatever they could and in any way they could. Even if they could just give her a massage or something, they would do it.
Their dragoness's busy life was nothing but their pride. After all, why was Yasenia so busy? Wasn't it for all of them and their children?
And so, time flew by, and soon, Kali and Cecile started feeling restless. Their motherly instincts were telling them to go to their nest and warm up, or, in Cecile's case, cool down, the egg as much as they could.
This was a clear indication that their eggs were about to hatch. Of course, taking this into account, the dragoness put everything she was doing on pause and accompanied the two restless women.
Kali muttered. "Hm. How about I transform into my fox form? I can use my entire body as a big nest for the baby!"
Cecile's eyes flashed, and Yasenia bonked their heads softly. "Silly, do you want to crush the little baby? You weigh as much as a mountain in those forms!"
Kali and Cecile blinked a few times. Yasenia extended her arms and hugged them both closely. "Relax. They will come out fine. There is no need to be this agitated. Look, where are we?"
Kali and Cecile looked around, and Kali answered. "The delivery room."
Yasenia asked again, patiently. "And, what did I do to this room?"
Cecile blinked. "Make it probably the safest room in the entire world."
The dragoness chuckled. "Right? Moreover, where is this room located?"
Kali muttered. "Inside our manor, which has another protection layer."
Yasenia kissed their cheeks and asked again. "And where is this manor located?"
Cecile commented. "Inside our sect, which has another layer of protection."
The dragoness asked. "So, are we, or are we not protected?"
Kali and Cecile nodded. "We are protected."
Yasenia teased them. "You said it so softly…"
The Fox and Phoenix women rolled their eyes softly, but they both followed Yasenia's words and said loudly. "We are protected!"
The dragoness smiled. "Right? So, relax. Each of you goes to your nests and then uses yourselves as protection. When the babies start attacking the shell, tell me, and I will go right away."
Kali blinked. "What if both of them start hatching at the same time?"
Yasenia's lips twitched a few times, and suddenly, she started feeling anxious. "I don't know. Do you want to make me panic now that you are calm, or what?"
Kali and Cecile burst into laughter and kissed the dragoness on the cheek. Kali smirked, "Don't worry. Cecile and I have talked about it, and in case that happens, you need to go toward the child who breaks the egg first~. We won't let anyone see the child until you finish with the other."
Cecile smirked. "I know you want to be the number two they see after hatching."
Yasenia harrumphed a few times and then smiled. "Okay, we'll do it that way. Now, go."
They both stood up and walked toward their nests.
Kali's nest was similar to a cave, making her feel somewhat protected. Moreover, inside, there was a bed made from her own fur and Yasenia's scales.
Similarly, Cecile's nest was also a cave, but inside the cave, there was a bird nest made from her own feathers and Yasenia's scales.
After waiting for two days, Kali's egg started hatching first.