Year 2526 of the Elyndra calendar.
The storm came without warning or mercy.
Crackling thunder boomed and echoed over a dark and ancient forest. Bolts of lightning sliced through the clouded sky and the ground was pounded by heavy torrential rain, making travel extremely difficult. Trees bent like they were trying to flee from the sky itself as the branches groaned and bent under the force of the wind.
In a secluded part of this ancient forest, dwelt a large community, hidden from the rest of the world. Fire pits lined the communal areas, powered by mana crystals to fight back against the raging wind and rain. Thick metal poles lined the edges of the camp, thrumming with mana and power as they illuminated the dark reaches of the campsite.
The crystal poles provided a modicum of protection against the lightning as a powerful bolt came crashing down on the outside edge of the camp perimeter. The light from the crystals flickers in and out, straining from the effort to keep the storm at bay.
A woman's scream ripped through an overcrowded tent; though it could barely be heard above the pounding rain and howling wind. A blast of thunder responded to her cries of pain causing the flaps of the tent to vibrated and the poles tremble.
"That's it baby, just a little bit more," a male voice murmured as large arms wrapped around the struggling female. The male sat behind her on their small cot; broad and imposing over her smaller frame. As he brushed her hair out from her face, her right hand tightened over his in a weakened, trembling grip.
She was covered in a fine layer of sweat as her body shuddered. For twelve long hours they had been in this tent, pushing through every contraction, fighting through every wave of pain. All in expectation of meeting their precious child.
An elderly female with snow white hair sat before the woman, her presence a small comfort during the birth. The elderly female's voice was soft and filled with authority. "That's it Luna! By the god's I can see him crowning!" She grabbed a clean white sheet from the shelf nearby in anticipation of the strong child about to enter their world.
Another boom of thunder filled the campsite as the lights from the mana lamps flickered in the tent.
A group of elders stood off to the side, their yes glued shut, hands clasped and mouths silently moving in their prayers. Luna threw her head back and let loose another gut wrenching scream, the man behind her winced and tightened his hold around her body.
An eerie quiet filled the tent as she finally inhaled another breath, tears flowing freely. I can't keep this up. By the god's this child is stubborn, but the pain, it's almost too much to bear. My body won't last much longer at this rate. Luna's thoughts were running rampant, desperate to finally have this painful birth come to an end so she could hold her baby boy.
As everyone flinched at the crescendo of her next scream, the male tightened his grip to an almost painful level around her. The sensation helped to anchor Luna in the present as wave after wave of pain wracked her body. With Drogo here, I have to keep pushing. What kind of Alpha gives up? What kind of mother would I be?
"That's it, Luna. Your son is almost here, give another push in three, two, one. Now!" The elder female encouraged her as Luna let out another gut-wrenching scream. She gripped the man's hand tightly as her body was wracked by another contraction and pain.
"I swear to god, I will cut your balls off for doing this to me Drogo!" she shouted as another wave of pain hit her body as she pushed again. Drogo stayed silent, a hint of a smirk on his face. I knew my little Luna was fierce and strong, but I never would have expected her to literally crush my hand. Thankfully I lost all feeling in it hours ago. He didn't dare try to remove his hand from her grip.
Sweat covered his brow and he gestured to one of the attendants to tie back one of the tent flaps.
Thunder cracked in the forest; the vibrations were felt through their bones as the rain continued to pelt the tent and the ground outside. The open flaps of the tent brought in fresh, cool air to the cramped space.
"Come on, my love. He's almost here, you are doing such an amazing job," Drogo soothed her softly as he grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from her face. A pair of determined brown eyes met Drogo's gaze. The fire was evident as she took a ragged breath, her body shuddering.
"That's it Luna, show everyone the strength of an Alpha female. Prove to them all the depth of your conviction!" Drogo sat there, holding his wife with nothing but adoration and praise in his heart.
She gave one last push. This was the last of her strength. It's now or never. I WILL birth my son! The final scream that tore from her throat was a pure, raw wolf's howl that resonated with everyone as she screamed towards the heavens.
This was the most excruciating pain she had ever suffered in her life. She felt like her body was being split in two as she pushed their son out of her body. Her body burned from the pain that rushed through her veins. She couldn't keep this up; her body was about to give out.
A flash of lightning could be seen beyond the open tent flap and the sound of a tree being blasted apart could be heard as it crashed in the forest.
Just as she was about to beg for the child to be cut out, to end her pain and deliver him through a knife to her belly, a loud angry wail filled the tent as everyone went silent for a moment. The rain itself let up for the briefest of moments.
The lights from the mana crystals thrummed strong as the barrier was reinforced by other members of the pack. An eerie silence came over the forest, as for a heartbeat, the storm appeared to vanish.
Drogo held his breath as he heard his son's angry wail for the first time; a bright wide smile appeared on his face. Tears flowed freely down his face as he heard the most wonderful wail. The elderly midwife pulled his son from Luna's ravaged body and quickly cleared his lungs and cleaned him up.
Luna struggled to catch her breath, the pressure in her body was suddenly gone. She felt something akin to euphoria as she watched on through hooded eyes as her precious bundle was cleaned up and wrapped in a soft blanket.
This was her son. The next heir to lead their pack. She smiled as she heard his strong angry cries at being born into such a cold and unforgiving world. She reached out a trembling hand for the bundle in the midwife's arms.
Drogo exhaled in gratitude as she let go of his hand. He let it rest on his thigh as pins and needles stabbed him relentlessly; the blood finally flowing freely once again. He winced as he clenched and opened his hands numerous times, slowly getting feeling back into his extremities. Drogo sucked in a shaky breath, his voice breaking with the weight of emotion. "You did it Luna! You brought our boy home." He let out a hushed whisper of emotion and delight at what he'd just witnessed.
The fact that she went through twelve long hours of this pain without any painkilling nanomeds or numbing glyphs was astounding. Drogo was in awe as he looked down at his wife, cradling their bundle against her chest.
She wanted to prove her dedication and resilience to all those that doubted her authority as the Alpha Female. No one can doubt her strength after this display. She was exhausted, she was weakened, but she pushed through and birthed their son.
Drogo leaned down to place a soft kiss on the back of her messy hair. She sighed in relief. She was done with the hard part. Her shoulders slumped and the tension left her body. She was sore, spent, and exhausted.
But she was filled with such love and emotion as she held her son, her flesh and her blood in her arms. "What should we call him, babe?" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she loosely held their bundle to her chest. Her mana flared faintly, a soft red glow tinged in hues of yellow and orange as she felt a radiant warmth spread through her chest and out to her limbs.
Drogo looked out through the open flap of the tent. It was no longer raining, and the air was refreshing and cool. The soft, gentle breeze delightful in the stuffy, heated tent.
He considered different options for a moment as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. There are all kinds of names, but he should have something strong, powerful. Something with meaning. Drogo was debating before he looked down at his son.
This tiny little shifter, with such a strong clear cry. At that moment only one name from the myths of old came to Drogo's' mind. "Fenrir. Fenrir Cerberus Lykos." Drogo put his massive paw of a hand over the child's head softly. "We can call him Fen, for short." He gave Luna a wide toothy grin as she turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. His son would have a powerful name, one worthy of leading their clan into the future.
The midwife smiled warmly at the couple. "My Alphas, that is a wonderful decision." She stepped forward with a face weathered and worn from years of arduous work. She walked over to a basin powered by a blue water crystal and began cleaning her hands as she checked the equipment that monitored the vitals of mother and child.
"Alpha Luna is weakened but still resilient, despite the twelve-hour labor. Little Fenrir," she said with a smile as she turned to face both the parents before she continued. "is healthy and strong. A powerful progeny."
Fenrir chose that moment to let out another loud cry that made everyone in the room chuckle as the tension could be felt leaving the tent.
A feint rumble of thunder echoed through the forest overhead. The other elders: relieved their prayers were answered, began to file out of the tent, their boots sloshing through the muddy ground outside.
"Congratulations Alpha Drogo and Luna," the midwife called over her shoulder quietly, her voice breaking from exhaustion. She allowed the tent flap to fall into place, providing a small modicum of privacy from the rest of the clan and camp. A moment of respite alone to themselves.
"Thank you, Tellania, for everything." Luna's' hushed tone belayed her own exhaustion. Her eyes remained glued to the bundle in her arms. She kept her arms wrapped gingerly around Fenrir as she bounced him soothingly against her.
The tent flap opened and a tall, pale elderly male entered the space, his boots leaving muddy prints as he walked across the tent. "My Alphas, congratulations are in order." His voice was weak and sounded exhausted. He strode over to a nearby chair and picked up a bottle of beer from the nearby case on the ground. He popped the top with a fingernail that he had hardened. The sound of pressure releasing like a hiss drew Luna's attention from Fenrir and her ire.
"Do you have to drink that now?" Her tone was ice as her mana grew slightly brighter around her. All traces of exhaustion and sleep deprivation were momentarily gone. Her normally soft brown eyes glowed a faint red in response to the magic around her awakening to her will. The elder stopped mid drink as he felt the sudden tension in the tent and glanced at her.
"Apologies Luna. Tonight's communing with the gods was… taxing to say the least." I'm not looking forward to the conversation he was about to have. Hell, I'd be lucky if she doesn't gut me.
"Thank you, Seraph. But why are you here right now?" Drogo gently extricated himself from behind Luna. The cot creaked from his weight and he arranged some of the bedding so Luna could be propped up in a more comfortable sitting position.
She offered Drogo a grateful smile, the edges of her lips just barely moving before she returned her attention to the soft, precious bundle in her arms. Drogo leaned down to kiss her briefly, his lips soft and tender against hers as he turned to face the old man.
The fact that Seraph is here, and not in his tent in prayer during such a dangerous storm does not bode well. Drogo stood there in front of Seraph and noticed his friends' disheveled appearance. He took a deep breath, his jaw clenched as he awaited the bad news.
As the resident speaker of the gods, Seraph was most often found in his tent in prayer. Rarely, however, did any of the gods commune back with him.
Seraph's face appeared to grow even paler as he looked at his Alpha as he stood there, weary and broad shouldered. Seraph ran a trembling hand over his face before he started. "Drogo, please forgive me for disturbing you. I received a prophecy from one of the gods this evening." Seraph paused for a moment, taking in the fierce strength in Drogo's eyes, a stark contrast to the exhaustion in Luna's.
Drogo's eyes narrowed dangerously, and his mana flared out around him as he focused his attention on the old man. Dark, crimson red swirls of mana radiated off Drogo as his mood darkened and his blood ran cold at hearing Seraphs' ominous tone. Another crack of thunder filled their ears as Luna tried to soothe their crying child.
"You better explain what is going on, and be quick about it," Drogo snarled impatiently, his voice dropping an octave. His nerves were already shot, and he dreaded any bad news.
"Forgive me, my Alpha." Seraph bowed his head respectfully. "The god, Koray has sent a prophecy about your son. It goes like this: The child born under the pouring sky will one day bring either ruin or salvation to the alpha shifter clans. He will be the one to find the Ancient Valley and decide the ultimate fate of the Alpha Shifter Species."