The Gaia Jumpstart Chapter 1 Athens 1985

“Eeeeeepp” Iris’s screams pierced the forest quiet as the contractions hit.

Insects stopped chirping, rodents paused for the briefest of moments as they scurried for food. Startled birds arched their heads in the half eaten moonlight.

She inhaled deep mouthfuls of forest air and exhaled, her strong hands gripping the earth, a blue blanket spread underneath her. The contractions were now only a few minutes apart.

“Deep breaths “she chorused with Penelope, midwife of their tribe who was knelt beside her on the grass.

Above them the fruit laden Myrtle tree gazed down.

Unimpressed.

Just take a bite of fruit and be done it seemed to say as its leaves rocked gently in the night.

On either side of the tree were neat rows of palms .A refreshing orange like aroma wound it’s way upwards from the shrine at the base of the tree. It enveloped the small group of the gathered behind them who had come to witness the birth of the child they had all been anticipating. Penelope wiped Iris’s forehead with a damp towel whispering in an ancient dialect that only a handful of the living still knew.

On the grass sat a bowl of warm water.

No one could tell how long ago it was that women of the Neuri tribe started worshipping Aphrodite. At some point it became practice to give birth with symbols of her displayed during brith. Myrtle was one of the chief preferences and the myrtle tree was believed to have been fancied by the goddess herself. Which was why apart from helping with birthing it seemed incapable of dying like all normal, good trees. The forest where they were all currently standing had been in the possession of the tribe for centuries, 250 acres of land passed down along the lineage of neuri the very first werewolf. Now it was held in trust and administered by the heads of the tribes’ four houses who were all present.

This wasn’t iris’s first time of grabbing earth under the myrtle tree nor was it the first birth that her husband Alcibadus would witness with mixed feelings and a parched throat.

“Deep breaths” he mouthed absentmindedly.

“deeeeep bree breeeeathhhh” iris shrieked as she grabbed his fingers squeezing the blood from them.

“keeeep ” He grimaced his attention fully focused on her “Thhhhat’s it oooooow”

“ho ho hooo don’t…you ….dare…..start” she breathed. Like all the others they were dressed in ceremonial black gowns beautifully embroidered at the neck.

“Okay my love” he responded quickly

Underneath the pain and joyful anticipation, self loathing and fear gnawed at his insides. Self loathing, at what he had become and fear that should this birth end up being the same as the others he would be forced to ……. Sigh he needed whiskey. His favorite brand of therapy. There was no fear or self loathing in the company of jonnie walker.

There was only escape.

For many years he had been unavailable more a companion to the bottle than to her. She deserved a better husband a werewolf warrior and a child, werewolf or not. He wasn’t the right kind of husband but.….no he wouldn’t think like that. Guilt would only create distance would only stop him from being here. He would be here now! Not in body alone but also in spirit, for her sake. He would be the man she deserved. But by the gods it was hard.

Iris intuitively sensing what was going through his mind eased up her grip on his reddened fingers.

“Wee will birth…..hooo hooo” she tried to assure him.

He gritted his teeth at her nodding.

The seer had seen the signs “You will birth the one” she had told them.

That was two births ago.

He fervently hoped that this one was different he was tired of merely existing, living at the mercy of a seer’s signs or the whims of the tribe.

He was tired of being powerless.

He would become master of his own fate one way or another. He ran his hand over his right pocket to see if it was still there.

It was.

A vial , containing nightshade. A mixture so potent and fast acting that it could knock out anyone who took a whiff in seconds. Another property of it was that it was capable of making anyone who inhaled it more susceptible to mental control especially the mental control of one with a strong will. It had served well to ensure that a mother whose child did not have the genetic disposition of their werewolf tribe did not resist or remember when her baby was taken away never to be held again.

He took a glance at the house leaders a few feet away from him and caught George the leader of the tribe and head of the Grecian house staring at him through cold grey eyes.

The alpha.

To people outside the tribe he was called George but to tribe members he was known as Aetius the demon. Partly because he had a face that looked like the milkman had backed into it-pale skin, flat head atop bushy eyebrows, cleft nose and thick lips. Also because he was the coldest and most ruthless there was. Boris the tough had the bright idea of challenging his methods. Why should newborns without the gift be taken away? At least they will outlive us, we are dying he reasoned. Following in the line of that reasoning he challenged his authority. Boris the tough lost disappearing soon after and then he reappeared dead of course, this time minus the parts that Aetius liked. No one did any challenging after that. Alcibadus felt anger well up inside him.

How much longer will you debase us you monster? How much more of our pride and humanity will we lose?

“Ahhh “ Iris screamed squeezing his fingers again this time harder.

“Deeeep deeeeeep ” he chorused moved close to tears as he tried to extricate his fingers from her grip.

Aetius allowed himself a grin. Idiots! None of them knew what it was like to have the weight of a dying tribe on one’s shoulders. To be like a drowning man who was slowly being ripped apart by piranha. Werewolves who tried so hard to hold on to their humanity. Pathetic. The very future of the tribe was at stake yet there were many amongst them who thought his methods for repopulating extreme. Why could they not see that allowing children without the blessed gift to be born would doom the tribe even further. It would cause a dilution of genes. There were 400 of them across the world years ago now there were barely 40 including the heads of the houses. Yes he knew it was the gods who blessed them with this trait but they all had a responsibility to preserve that gift. If this girl was gift blessed she would represent a new beginning for the tribe. That’s what the seer said.As a werewolf she was not as weak as normal women, she could give birth 20 years straight. She could help jumpstart the tribe. For Alcibadus to entertain thoughts of her having the freewill to choose if she wanted to do otherwise was wishful thinking. He would not allow it, not while he remained Alpha.

“Push” Penelope urged

Iris closed her eyes screaming as she pushed

“I can see its head” Penelope said. “Praise the goddess it is blessed. ”Push, iris just a little more “

“What? Aetius started. The other house heads Salome and antichus moved closer. Did they hear right?

Iris mustered what was left of her strength and pushed.

“Yes” the midwife exclaimed excitedly as the baby came out. She proceeded to wrap her in a blanket wiped off the amniotic fluid and handed her to Alcibadus while she continued attending to iris.

“Blessed she be” Alcibadus said his eyes beaming with pride as he held his daughter in his arms. His eyes became misty with tears.

He ran a smarting finger down her long nose and the wet fur on her jaw. When babies with the werewolf gift were newly born they were never in human form. That was something they learned to do as they grew older.

“Blessed she be” the others chorused smiling. Except for Aetius.

He had other ideas.

“Bring her closer Alcibadus“ he ordered. His eyes had a frightening look about them.

Alcibadus gave him a steely look of defiance for one moment, then turned to look at Iris.

“Or do you plan to throw the vial of nightshade in your pocket at me” he grinned

Alcibadus turned in surprise fear filled his eyes. How did he know?

“How did I know? What amuses me more is that you thought you could pull it off. My will is the strongest of everyone in the tribe. Not even the house leaders come close and you thought a weakling like you could deceive me?

“No’ alcibadus said shaking his head. He could hear Aetius’s thoughts inside his head. Hand her over. Hand her over he kept whispering. No. He gritted his teeth, trying to resist. Tried to…the words became louder more insistent. More forceful. They began to fill his head chasing out every other thought. Weakening his resolve. Dominating. He began to lose awareness of his environment. Sensations in his arms faded. Could no longer feel he was carrying a baby. He knew that soon the only thing that would exist in his reality would be Aetius voice. Nothing else would matter. He had to fight .Would keep on.

For family.

Fight……

Aetius’ voice stopped

He opened his eyes and saw phoebe looking at him

“Are you okay? She asked. Phoebe the seer. She was pleasant to look at if one could get past the bony protusion on her forehead. Behind her Antichitus had a handkerchief clasped over Aetius’s mouth while Salome stood by him concentrating on dominating him.

Antichitus! How? It all made sense now.

“You were all in on it. You gave me the vial , you figured he would know. I was the distraction ”

“We have merely bought you time. He will remember eventually, he will come after you. He will find you. Be prepared.”

Penelope had helped iris to her feet and brought her to him.

“we ’ve made arrangements for you. The tribe has survived for thousands of years. It will continue to do so. The gods go with you” Phoebe said

“Thank you” Aetius replied still in shock knowing just how costly the gift they had been given was. He did not intend to waste it. He had just been gifted a new start.

A new beginning.