Here it is, the rest of chapter one.
This part comes right after the "Aina went into labour" aprt.
[align=center]*****[/align]
Lupin stood on an outcrop of the mountain that gave him a nearly perfect view of the East. He noticed that the Twin Moons were almost at their zenith, which meant that he must now begin the incantations that would hopefully make a bloodmoon rise. He quickly drew the markings and sacred words into the dirt and proceeded with the ceremony. He removed the symbol of brotherhood from his bracelet and carefully pressed it into the ground and removing it, leaving a perfect imprint of the symbol. He then drove his spear into the ground beside it.
"By the powers granted to me by the Omrissana, I command the forces of nature to yield to me. By the power of brotherhood and the spirit of the hunt, I; Lupin command the natural forces to grant me their power so that I may serve a greater purpose."
At this point, the symbol he had imprinted in the ground and the tip of his spear began to glow white and emit a high pitched chime. He uprooted his spear from the ground, spun it around so that the tip was now facing the ground, and thrust his spear into the centre of the symbol. The chime got louder and louder until it suddenly dissipated into a great shockwave. Lupin raised his hands and held them together in such a way that his two thumbs and four fingers formed a triangle between them and pointed with his hands eastward.
"Aurora, please forgive me," was all he said before he recited the incantation that would give rise to a bloodmoon.
[align=center]*****[/align]
"Push Aina, push," Natalia commanded. Aina cried out in pain. It was unbearable. "Breathe for me, breathe," she commanded again as she coached Aina through the whole process. The only sounds were that of the heavy breathing of Aina and the crashing of the waves.
"Maera, wrap Aina in a blanket, please."
"Yes ma'am," said one of the aides.
"Natalia, it hurts."
"I know Aina, but please, I need you to push for me."
Aina pushed with all her strength. It was unbearable. She felt as if something was wrong, but she couldn't tell waht.
"Natalia, I think something's wrong. It's not coming out!"
"Calm down. Nothing is wrong, the baby is just being a stubborn little thing."
"Come on, honey," chimed in Daes. "You can do it."
Aina pushed again and cried with pain. She did not enjoy giving birth. It was excrutating and to make things worse, the wind was picking up to a almsot violent level.
"Looks like a windstorm is coming on," commented one of the aides. Their attention was brought back to Aina giving birth when Natalia made an announcement.
"I think I see the head."
"Aina," began Natalia, " I need to give me another big push. Aina?"
Aina's eyes and thoughts were fixated in fear to the east across the sea. Everyone turned to see what had struck such fear into her eyes.
A bloodmoon.
It hung low over sea, red as a ruby, glaring at them. The bloodmoon was both a blessing and a curse for those born under it. While it granted you protection from Lupin, it also meant that you had to answer to his call.
Aina simply whispered through her heavy breaths "Lupin, how could you do this to me?"
It hurt their eyes to stare at the bloodmoon, especially with the intense winds hitting them in the face making their eyes water. Daes had a sneaking suspicion of something. A violent storm but a cloudless sky. He looked up. Twin Moon directly above them. Bloodmoon across the sea. These were all the signs that would mark the Sojourner of prophecy. His stomach sunk. He was almost too afraid to ask, but he knew that he must. He looked at Aina, who was still panting adn sweating from labour.
"Aurora?"
She looked up at him and gave him such a face of guilt and regret, that he almost broke down crying. She simply nodded but then cried out in pain. The baby was finally coming out.
"I can see the head. Push Aurora, push." Natalia was a diligent as ever.
One of the aides turned to her wide-eyed.
"Well," explained Natalia, "it was pretty much out in the open once we saw the bloodmoon in front of us and the Twin Moons above us." She focused on Aurora again. "Push, the baby's almost out."
Aurora summoned the last of her strength and pushed with all her might while uttering a scream that could wake the dead.
"I've got it," declared Natalia. "Aurora, Daes...You are both the parents of a beautiful baby boy and the Sojourner of prophecy."
Upon uttering these words, the sky cracked and rumbled with thunder. Everyone looked skyward, only to see a perfectly clear sky.
"I need a blanket for the boy, or else he'll freeze in these winds." Immediately, an aide handed her a blanket which she wrapped the boy in. "Have you two decided on a name yet?"
"Dael," they said in unison. "Dael Amestidi Nazcavar."
"That's beautiful name," said Natalia with a smile. "Here, he should be with his mother. Amazing. The thunder didn't make him cry." And without a further word, she handed Dael to Aurora. Aurora smiled as she cradled the boy, who looked curiously at the world around him.
"Hi baby," she whispered. "I have a gift for you."
She placed her first two fingers to her lips, whispered something in Ancient Elvish, and placed those two fingers on the child's chest. A strange, black seal appeared on the child's chest. Dael made a small grunt as the seal appeared on his chest. Aurora smiled and said:
"This gift I give to thee, child of the Gods."
Now having used the last of her energy, she fainted from exhaustion.
[align=center]*****[/align]
Lupin suddenly felt a disturbance. It echoed through his body. He listened closer. He tried to locate whatever caused the disturbance, but was having trouble. Suddenly, all went quiet with the exception of a baby gurgling. Lupin could not see the baby in his mind, but saw a glowing mark on the child. It was the Blocking Seal.
He opened his eyes. He knew what had just happened. That child had just been blessed by a God or Godess.
"Aurora..."
Lupin suddenly knew that Aurora had placed the blocking seal on her child to protect the child from him. He knew that this would complicate things to the highest degree.
"Damn it, Aurora..."
He glared eastward, and then dissolved into the dark, wind-torn night.
[align=center]*****[/align]
Orisian, Shaman of the Jetatani craned his neck skyward. Winds whipped his face and clothes as he stared skyward at the Twin Moons hanging high above all. He brought his eyes back down and stared out across the sea. A moon as red as blood hung low, staring down the world. All the signs he had been told of were there. The young Shaman cracked a smile.
"It would appear that it is time."
[align=center]*****[/align]
It had been a month since Dael was born. There were no complications with the delivery, all went smoothly and the baby was healthy as could be. The only problem was the sense of dread that hung over the house. It became clear to everyone in the house what this child would have to suffer through. Daes had gone silent and Aurora was second guessing having brought this child into this world. She still loved Romm and her two children in Artana, but also loved Daes and her newborn baby. She also knew that her newborn child would suffer all his life. "What kind of mother would condemn her own child to that fate?" she thought to herself.
She slowly stood up and gently walked over to the crib in the den. Dael was sleeping quietly in his crib, safe and sound. Aurora bent down and lightly kissed his forehead. She got up slowly and decided to have a quick walk to clear her mind. She knew that Daes was upstairs, and Natalia was just outside hanging up some laundry. She stood in the doorway for a moment looking back at her baby. She felt an uneasiness envelop her, which sent a shiver down her spine. She stepped through the doorway. She saw Natalia to her left.
"Dael is sleeping and Daes is upstairs. I'm going on a quick walk."
"See you shortly, Aurora."
[align=center]*****[/align]
"I want you three to guard the front door. Maisara, you go in and get that damned child. Koda, you're with me. We'll cover the back."
"But Sir," began one of the agents, "is it really necessary to murder this child?"
"We are under orders from the Gaimana himself and I expect you to follow them. One more word out of you and we'll have two dead souls by the day's end. Now everyone, take up your positions."
Little did these men know, that right above them, Daes had hidden himself on his balcony and had heard every word. He crawled back into the house and ran to grab a club. He hid around a corner, where he could hear the men breaking in to his house. Now he heard footsteps. They were heading through the kitchen to the den, where the baby was. He peered around the corner where he saw one robed individual slowly walk towards the crib. Daes tip-toed up behind him.
Daes said "hey" which promted the man to turn around dumbfounded only to be hit in the face with a club.
Dael started to cry in his crib. Daes picked him up and carried him upstairs, burst through the upstairs bedroom door, leaped onto the balcony and jumped onto his neighbour's balcony. Below him, he saw the men who had been talking earlier arguing with city guards. Unfortunately, his crying son and the noise he made earlier was noticed by these men who shouted and pointed up to him.
"Stop Him!" they cried.
Daes jumped down from his neighbours balcony. The fall winded him, but he knew that he had to run away from these people. He ran as fast as he could towards the harbour. He knew that his old friend Rayos the merchant was in town and owed him a few favours. First though, he had to ditch these men and the city guards. Thankfully, he knew a shortcut. He deked around a corner and crouched down behind a large pile of crates. As soon as he heard the footsteps dissipate, he got up and continued to run down this narrow alley. Soon, the dark alley turned into warm light as the harbour unfolded in front of him. He could see Rayos' ships at the edge of the inner-most dock. He ran over there, with the now silent Dael. Apparently, he enjoyed being carried while running as he had a smile of pure delight on his face right now. Daes smiled back at him as he continued to run and soon found himself at the end of the dock.
"Oh crap, it's you," cracked a voice above him. It was Rayos. "I'm sorry," he continued, "but I cannot pay you back this time. We are just about disembark and I haven't a cent on me!"
"Forget the money and dried fish you owe me, take this child."
"What?!"
"I don't have time for this. This child is extremely important to me and many others, but right now there are a bunch of men after me who want to kill my son. I'll forgive all the debts you owe me if you promise me that you'll take my son and care for him. Here." He took off his seashell necklace and handed it to Rayos with his son. "Give this to him when he's older. Tell him it's his fathers, but don't tell him who I am."
"Daes, what are you going on about?"
"Just shut up, and take him. Keep him safe. I'm putting my faith in you."
Rayos looked into Daes' eyes, and could tell that he was being serious. They stood there for a moment, frozen in time. Rayos broke the silence by calling in his crew and telling them that they were disembarking. He watched it disappear into the horizon. His heart sunk lower tha it had ever been before, for he knew that this was quite possibly the last time he would see his only son and wouldn't be able to see him grow up.
[align=center]*****[/align]
Aurora was returning from her brief walk when she saw a sight that horrified her. Her house was clearly broken into and Natalia lay unconscious on the ground. She rushed over to Natalia and tried to wake her. As soon as she did, she began to cry.
"Aurora, f-forgive me! I should've been more aware..."
"Natalia, what happened?!"
Natalia looked up at her with eyes of pure guilt and sorrow. "They took Dael!"
Aurora's eyes widened. Her heart fell and a lump formed in her throat. No, she begged with herself. Please, no, not so soon.
Later that evening, she was searching furiously for her child or anyone who knew of their whereabouts. She couldn't find Daes or her baby. She kept calling out, hoping that someone could help her in her search. As she turned down a corner, she was met by Lupin. Her face of despair was replaced by a face of pure hatred.
"You bastard!" She yelled. "You back-stabbing, heartless bastard!"
Lupin calmly replied by saying: "Quiet. You will draw attention to us."
"Lupin," she began, "how could you do this to me? How could you curse my child?!"
"It was necessary in order to protect him."
"But why the Bloodmoon?! He was innocent!"
"Aurora, it was necessary. The boy will face many tough challenges that we have laid out for him in his life. His own strength may not be enough, which is why I gave him the strength of the Bloodmoon and currently, he is the only one to be born under the Bloodmoon that is still alive. The others have passed on. I can guide him and teach him. But you had to place a blocking seal on him, which will severely inhibit his power, unless he learss to unleash it, which will more than likely not happen. Do not come to me asking me how I could do this to your child, you did that to him yourself."
"How dare you. Do you not have faith in him? He's a demi-god, and has powers of his own."
"Yes, but in order for the Prophecy to become true, the child must be born under a Bloodmoon. It was the Omrissana's command. The child will be fine, I will watch over him and guide him, and when the time comes, so shall you. Come, Natalia is already back in Artana."
And with those words, Lupin disappeared into the night. Aurora stood there, frozen in thought. Putting faith in Lupin and the Omrissana, she said one last prayer, looked yearningly to the sea, and disappeared into the night.
CKA Uber 
![[BB]](./images/smilies/beers.gif "Beers")
