I called the nurse into my room in a frenzy, but she was just happy to see I was awake and healthy. I feared the worst about my baby, but when asked, I was surprised to find that even though by my account the baby was a month premature, he was perfectly healthy and of normal size. What they did find strange was that his affinity and echelon could not be detected, and was inconclusive.
This left me with a jumble of emotions, because the implications of it all seemed to be nothing short of divine providence. From being able to find the small clinic that did not turn us away or ask too many questions, to the phenomenon that was keeping my baby safe from the ravenous eyes of the world. The nurse told me that given the fact the baby was very resistant to needles, and he was perfectly healthy, it was almost certain he was unfortunately an Earth Affinity, since they were sometimes known to gestate much quicker than normal. As for why the attunement could not be detected, I was told there had been some rare occasions in documented history of such happening where the child’s echelon was so low it was not able to be measured.
I immediately dismissed the woman’s ignorance for being sympathetic that my child was Earth attuned, surprised that such people were allowed to work in the medical field. I was told that the baby would be tested again before I left, as sometimes when first born, they are so weak it does not register properly. I knew quite well it had nothing to do with the strength of the child’s attunement, as it was much higher than her own.
I was given the opportunity to hold my child again for the second time as they said he would be no doubt hungry, and my sudden fainting had prevented earlier bonding and care. The nurse brought the baby back in, this time accompanied by the doctor, which allowed me to ask the question I had been wondering about. My inquiry into why the second child had not been born shocked the doctor to no end, her confusion stemming from the fact that when I first arrived, I was under the impression I only had one child in my womb.
Regretting my loose tongue, Dinu quickly came to my rescue by telling the doctor that she had informed me of the other child and that is why I was aware despite my immediate fainting. The doctor seemed pleased with that explanation and reaffirmed the baby’s health and resistance to needles and other testing. When she asked me what I planned to name the child, I found myself stunned and embarrassed. I had never given much thought to naming the child given the situation I was in.
I was assured this was common amongst new mothers and there was nothing to worry about as paperwork could be filled out at a later time. Since the doctor was present, I could not help but further inquire about the state of my yet unborn child. I could not understand how it was possible for one of them to be born, but not the other when they were identical twins. Once again the doctor found my words strange, but she proceeded to explain nonetheless.
She told me there was no way the children could be identical since they would typically share a placenta and amniotic sac. In my case, the other child was still firmly nestled in my womb, complete with placenta and amniotic sac, with what looked to be no intention to make his way to the birth canal any time soon. The doctor’s words suddenly made so many things clearer once she had explained it.
I had already come to the conclusion the child was siphoning my own power to preserve itself, as every time I attempted to terminate the pregnancy before, I became extremely tired, so much I would either faint or be very weak for a time. It should come as no surprise that the child would be capable of doing the same in a situation of a premature birth, which would explain why I became so exhausted post-delivery. I was confident that the child still within me had not only siphoned my energy, but recreated the means to allow it to continue to develop since it had taxed itself. I was already amazed what my children could do, and they were barely or not yet even born.
My joy and amazement was very short lived because as I was happily feeding my wonderous child, a deep chill crept down my spine. Though it was faint, I felt the presence of their father closing in on our location. This terrified me because I was not sure how he had managed to find us so quickly. With such an unfortunate realization, my fear activated my abilities for the first time in months.
With a flash, I obtained a horrific glimpse of what would come to be if Meysam was able to get his hands on the children. It was already clear my children were worldbreakers, defying all logic that we currently knew, but in the hands of this man, there was only despair for the world. Dinu who had become used to my mannerisms could identify when I was having a waking vision and immediately asked what I saw. With tears in my eyes, I could only describe it as the end of the world.
My visions had always shown one child before, and that had now changed to show two. It was reckless and the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life, but I knew what must be done. Meysam could not get his hands on this child. I would have to risk recapture to prevent my vision from coming to pass. If he did not know there were two children, he would not think anything of seeing me in my still pregnant state, which would draw him away from the child who had already been born.
In a strange turn of events, it was now time for me to run toward Meysam rather than away, all for the greater good. With my child returned back to the nursery, Dinu and I painfully made our escape, leaving behind a child to be raised by providence in order to ensure his safety. The name Madeleine Costa was the only thing in the world he would know of me, and even that was nothing but a lie.
Though Dinu thought my plan was foolish, she had come to trust in my wisdom as a shamaness even though she was not one of our people. Together we raced toward cloying doom, all in order to enact the plan that very well might be giving one of my children and myself over to a life of pain and misery. It did not take much to home in on his location and bring myself before him.
Rather than having an entourage like he was known for, he stuck to keeping this particular misdeed private. When we had finally met up with him, he seemed completely pleased, the smirk on his face indicating his imminent victory. Rather than put Dinu in danger, I chose to face him alone, hoping to plead for the life of my child.
I had already been lucky enough to have fate chose to protect one child, perhaps it would do so again. Remembering how I felt when I awoke and expected my baby to have already been apprehended by government agencies due to his uniqueness, I stood firm as I made my case with Meysam. I would not let abandoning my child be for naught.
“I know not how you managed to escape, but I see you have come to your senses to bring back what is rightfully mine. Where is the rat that allowed you to slip away?”
“Please Meysam, she had nothing to do with this. You do not understand what you seek to do!”
“I know very well what it is I seek! I see a world were Earth Affinities are finally free. We are the majority of the world, yet we have forever been under the yoke of everyone else! This child will be the flames that scorch this planet so a new way of life can spring forth!”
“You would burden a child so with your aspirations?! Can’t you see the world is already changing?! This is not the world you grew up in. He will inherit a world that will see much greater equality than we could have ever imagined! You don’t understand the powers you play with when you try to subjugate this child’s destiny. Are you not simply doing to your own child what was done to you? How will that change anything?”
Meysam’s blood practically boiled as he looked into the tearful woman’s eyes. It became clear to him that she knew much more than she led to believe.
“What have you seen?! What of this child terrifies you so?!”
“Everything. That is why I cannot allow you to have him.”
Meysam laughed with delight as he looked on at the woman’s fear and anguish. Even though he held her kind in contempt, he could not deny their usefulness. Particularly with a woman such as she who had such unspeakable power. She might not have his ability to decimate the ranks of an enemy, but she was the greatest of her kind, her visions known to be absolutes.
In
his new world he had even decided to keep her around since her usefulness could only help his cause. She could never have interaction with their child once she had played her part in nurturing and birthing him, that prospect was too dangerous. Instead he would once again keep her locked away and utilize her powers for his own to achieve his goals.
He had another reason for allowing her to live, despite the annoyance she had caused by fleeing from his capture. If the mixture of their genetics was this potent, it would be worthwhile to continue trying for more children that could only further his power and cause. He could see it all coming to pass, but that was simply an addition, a cherry atop the already decadent dessert. He would not hesitate to dispose of her once she had fulfilled her main purpose.
There was something else that had changed about the woman as he observed her. Before there was nothing but contempt and disgust in her eyes when talking about their child. What he saw now was something altogether different. It was undying love, but on top of that, there was hope. This gave him pause for a moment because if this woman who was thought to be the greatest bearer of Prophecy to exist, this display of hope meant she knew of something that would change his plans and that was something he could not allow to happen.
“You thought me simple! This is an attempt to bring to pass a different path! You damned seer! I will not allow you to-”
Never before had there been a vision so intense, but also near in the future I had experienced. I saw Dinu on the ground, smiling as she petrified. I knew that to be the most insidious of Mesyam’s abilities, one that he could not utilize frequently, and was reserved only for those he held in true contempt. When I was yanked from my vision, I looked around immediately, but found I was too late.
“No!!!”
From the shadows Dinu had sprung and stabbed Meysam in the neck as hard as she could with a jagged metal shard. His eyes bulged as it hit a major artery and blood began to gush forth. Though he was naturally resilient and could make himself neigh invulnerable, he was not prepared and had let his guard down. Dinu had seized that moment and used it to do what she could to salvage my failed plan.
“Go!!!”
I watched as Dinu began to petrify just like from my vision. Meysam holding his neck in an attempt to prevent the blood loss he was experiencing, yet he refused to let Dinu go unpunished. I utilized my Slip Stream to get to Meysam’s car and speed away as the two laid on the ground, both locked in their death throes.
My heart was torn to pieces because this woman who loved me so dearly and I had come to love in return, provided me with the ultimate sacrifice. She traded her own life for the life of me and my yet unborn child, and in doing so spent her final moments alone in the most excruciating death possible. My tears continued to flow forth from my eyes as I sped away in the distance to get as far away as I could. With my body in tatters and my only ally that I had known for months now gone, I knew I had no choice but to seek new assistance for the sake of my second child.
37
For what felt like an eternity I had been blessed by the spirits to have Dinu by my side. Even though she came to respect my wisdom and counsel despite my unfortunate predicament, it was she who helped guide me along my path. Her loss pained my very soul, so much so it felt like even my unborn child mourned her passing. It would be the most egregious affront to allow myself or my child to falter and be captured after all she had done for me, so I set my sights on my new beginnings.
I knew I could not go back to my village as that would be the first place Meysam would look if he survived. Grievous as the wound Dinu inflicted might have been, that man’s resilience was not just skin deep, and I would not doubt he could endure on pure strength of will. There would also be the strange and uncomfortable explanation to the village and the elders.
If the High Shamaness who abandoned her post were to come back not only disgraced, but with child when I was supposed to remain pure, even with my status I was not sure I would be welcomed back. I needed somewhere that was secure, but also had people I could lean on. It may have been my own weakness, but I was certain I could not handle this trial alone.
It was most fortuitous that the vehicle I had stolen from Meysam also contained his wallet. He was known for being somewhat extravagant, so the large sum of money he had on his person was to be expected. Thinking about his nature, I searched the vehicle thoroughly and was overjoyed to find he had a nice cache of money, supplies and weapons in the car.
The money and supplies made sense to me if he were setting out to reclaim what he thought was rightfully his, but the firearms were confusing. There was no world where I would expect a man of his supreme might to require weapons. He was no stranger to the shadier side of the world, so my best guess was that this vehicle was provided to him, and the supplies were intended for a normal man.
Whatever the case might be, this left me with more than enough to survive until the baby was born, and that was presuming he came when he was expected to be due, and not early like his brother. If you wished to hide a tree, you place it in a forest. With that in mind I sought out one of the biggest cities I knew where I had contacts that could assist me.
With so many people, I felt the threat of Meysam was all but gone even if he did manage to survive. Though he was a wrathful man, he was not a stupid one. He could destroy entire cities if he chose, but this would only make him a target and also potentially rob him of what he sought. I was confident in my decision, even though I lacked Dinu to help guide me.
My allies found it quite shocking that I was with child, especially since I was known to not be able to have children. It would seem this was enough to overshadow the fact that I was no doubt on the run, or that I had suddenly disappeared for over a year. No one asked questions, something I was grateful for, which allowed me to pass the time fearfully, but in relative peace.
When my due date had come and gone, I found myself beginning to worry. Considering my first delivery was so painful and unexpected, I had been staying with a wonderful family whom I had helped in the past. They insisted on caring for me, and their own children were no stranger to a pregnant woman in their midst.
In my worry, I went to the doctor to have the baby checked on. The doctor seemed to think that my child was perfectly healthy and there were no complications with my pregnancy. When I asked if we should induce labor, he was convinced my timeline was off, and it was best to give the child a bit longer to come about naturally. Though it besmirched Dinu’s name and expertise, I heeded the doctor’s advice and continued to carry my child.
When I focused my attentions inward, there was no doubt the little one was indeed thriving, and clearly gaining strength. I could feel his power inside of me, and it was growing daily as was he. With little else I could do, I continued to wait out the birth of my second child.
I chose to leave my friends’ care, something they vehemently opposed as they were concerned about my welfare, but I promised them I would take good care of myself. I never liked intruding upon others’ hospitality for too long, and they had more than enough mouths to feed and care for. Since they would not allow me to give them anything for their generosity, I used that money to find myself a temporary residence in the city so I would be nearby, but no longer a burden on them.
I will never forget the day when my baby finally saw fit to arrive. It was a surprisingly cool and rainy day for June 21st, the winds high, and rattling the panes of my windows. It was by this point a full 31 days past when I was originally supposed to be due, but as I had experienced no further discomfort, nothing the likes of the birth of my first child, I decided that the doctor was perhaps correct and my timeline was skewed.
The difference in their births were as night and day. When my water broke this time, I expected the pain and contractions to overtake me as they had done before. I was also worried because though I had nearly recovered from my first birth, there was sure to be much more pain as I was ripped through again. To my surprise, none of my fears came to pass.
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The baby came so quickly I did not even have the opportunity to leave the house. Where he was stubborn and refused to be born before, this time it was as if he could not wait to be free. There was absolutely no pain whatsoever, something that made me question if I was actually giving birth. The most I felt was a slight discomfort as he slid from me, but I did not even need to push, as he essentially birthed himself.
As I held him in my arms, I was filled with so much love it was as if my heart would explode. I came to realize that it was because it was due to a strange feeling of déjà vu. The two children were indubitably identical. Everything from their beautiful eyes to the gorgeous mop of hair on their heads was the same. The only difference in them was the power than flowed from them.
My first child was brimming with the power of Fire and Earth. He felt unstable, as if the two warring attunements in him was causing him pain. That was perhaps why he cried so intensely when he was born. This child instead seemed to be completely at peace, his Water and Air attunements playfully dancing with one another in glee. He also did not cry, something that concerned me at first, but his beautiful clear eyes were wide and attentive, as if he was taking in everything around him.
There was something about this child I did not experience with his brother that gave me an odd sensation. It felt as if he knew me on the deepest level. The way he felt, it was electric, but warm and soothing. This only further compounded my feelings because it reopened the wounds in my heart for the loss of my other child who looked exactly alike.
When my mind thought of pain, I immediately expected to become aware of the pain and damage childbirth had caused, but instead it was the most curious occurrence. I am almost certain he smiled at me as I checked myself over, and I was not only intact, but completely healed from my previous birth. There was no sign I had ever borne children. Could it be that this little wonder who arrived much stronger than his counterpart had healed me, almost as gratitude for creating and keeping him safe?
Apotheosis (Song of Sophangence Book 3) Page 44