44. Athenia, Goddess of Finias

        After spending her first night in the medical lab, much of which she could not remember, Zara learned she was just one of hundreds of pregnant Gens at the Meden Institute, she couldn't look away from them, everywhere she turned there were Gens with enormous bellies, she could not believe her eyes! So many other gens were pregnant? Was she really going to look like that? Didn't it hurt?

         Her first appointment was a counselling session, Dena had prepared her for these sorts of things more than those. Visualizing the string as Hedena had so helpfully helped her to envision, she sat poised as best she could in the waiting room chair, clutching the red folder, avoiding eye contact with anyone, feeling completely ashamed to be there, secretly on the verge of tears.
         "Hi there, you must be new?"

         A pretty, bubbly voice sat down beside her, Zara turned to greet a young looking Breeder, holding out her hand, welcoming her.

         "My name is Medra, and you are?" 

         For a moment Zara's tongue was jelly. She fought hard not to look at the biggest belly she had ever seen in her entire life.

         "You're from Fina?"

         "Yes..." Zara smiled nervously. "I... My name is Zara... I just arrived."

         Medra scanned her physique. "Wow... So skinny... Look at you!" She clutched her heart, reminiscing of her good ole days, excited nonetheless to be all that she could be. "How far along are you?" 

        For a moment Zara hasn't heard, mind stuck on whether or not she was joking or not. Medra wasn’t afraid? Fears of the pregnancy troubled her mind, she couldn't hide it. "Um... I think its just over six weeks... And you?"

         "Eight months" she squealed, clearly excited about it. "I'm finally having twins so I’ll get twice as many gold beads this time!"

         "Twice as many gold beads?" Zara had never even thought about the possibility of twins! Medra seemed so brave! "How many examples have you produced already?"

         Medra counted her fingers as the wheels of her memory churned. "Nine, plus these two." she smiled, proudly. "Eleven!"

         "Eleven?" Zara echoed, eyes wide open, jaw falling. "But you look so young!"

         "Thank you!" Medra blushed, flattered by her comment. "I know... I’m only twenty six. I started super young, I’m going to retire by the time I’m, like, twenty seven!"

         The girls were interrupted by an announcement. "Zara?"

         Zara handed the counsellor the red folder and followed her into the office. Like a mature version of Dena, the counsellor was a spark in the dark, dressed in hot pink and donning plenty of sparkling things, the counsellor could brighten up any room she walked into.
         Zara sat down as directed and scanned the room as the counsellor leafed through her red folder, like the exterior of the Meden Institute, the walls inside were just as depressing, there was no color on the wall, even the paintings of Atalon and Medena were faded and old.... No spooky skulls here...

         "Zara, is that how you pronounce it?" The counsellor sounded stern all of a sudden, a lot like Hedena.
         "Yes, Your Honor."

         "You can call me Malena, I am the goddess of Labor. This is your first time, am I correct?"

         "Yes, Malena."
         "Good. When did it happen?"

         "I think it was about six weeks ago." She noticed Malena was making notes in the strange code!

         "Do you know who the donor is?"
         Zara hesitated, feeling embarrassed. "I… I don’t know."
         Malena let out a sigh. "Was he Nefilim or Anunnaki?"

         "Nefilim or Anunnaki…" Zara echoed, confused by the question. "How do you mean?"

         Malena studied her naive expression. "Was he a giant or was he your size?" 

         A Nefilim? Zara was shocked by the blatant suggestion, she wouldn’t dream of having sex with a giant, nor had she met any! Was it a trick question? Was Bell a Nefilim? Heart pounding, she recalled those horrible memories of that morning, she had never really studied him in great detail…. He was large, but not that large... "Regular... I think."

         "Anunnaki Gen" the counsellor concluded, recorded the information. "What was he wearing?"

         Again, Zara only remembered seeing his naked back. "Nothing… I mean... I can’t remember anything about that night."

         "What club did you meet him at?"

         Images of the flashing neon sign returned almost immediately. "I think it was The Green Serpent..."

         "Hair type?"

         "I have no idea… Buzzed... Brownish..."

         Malena wrote down the information and slid the report into the red folder.
         "Very good" she stood up. "You can take this with you" she handed her the red folder. "Give it to the nurse, she is expecting you. Her office is down the hall to your right, follow the red line on the floor."

         Zara noticed the red line on the floor as she left the office, wondering why she hadn't noticed it before. She followed it out into the hall but as it led her through the waiting room she noticed a fresh face waiting in the chair, a beautiful goddess... She recognized her from the university... Then she gasped, realizing who it was. "ATHENIA?"