The Ancients A Tale of Survival

Introducing Dárkmëre

Mỷrἇ awoke with the worst pain she'd ever experienced in her life. It radiated throughout her torso. It was like the pain she experience during her monthly flow, but she was currently pregnant. She curled up into a fetal position and waited for the pain to ease. Mỷrἇ's water had broken several hours ago, but she hadn't let anyone know.

A sound drew Mỷrἇ 's attention to the temporary shelter Ƒáeláƞ had built for her. "Ƒáeláƞ is that you?"

The man who stepped through the shelter wasn't her husband. It was Maŗŗők and he wore a lecherous leer on his face. Fear jumped in Mỷrἇ's chest. Jåcóbӱ should have stopped Maŗŗők from ever reaching her.

"Where's Jåcóbӱ?"

"You're brother had a little accident." Maŗŗők fingered his knife. "He won't be showing up anytime soon."

"What do you want?"

Maŗŗők sneered. "You know exactly what I want. I couldn't have your mother, so I'll have the next best thing."

Panic blossomed in Mỷrἇ's chest. "I'm pregnant!"

"Too bad about that and by the looks of it, you're water has broken. This'll be easy. All I have to do is wait for you to deliver your bastard child and all I have to do is kill it."

"No!" Mỷrἇ cried in pain and fear.

Maŗŗők's grin froze on his face and he crumpled. Standing over him was a bleeding Jåcóbӱ. He kicked the prone body of Maŗŗők before he moved quickly to Mỷrἇ's side. He helped ease her back and tended to her as another contraction shook her.

"Are you okay Jåcóbӱ?" Mỷrἇ panted.

Jåcóbӱ chuckled weakly. "I'll live, but Maŗŗők will wish I had killed him when he wakes up."

"What did you do to him?"

"Knocked him out with some snake venom. He'll wake, but he'll have a killer headache."

All talking stopped as Mỷrἇ's contractions came harder and faster. Jåcóbӱ gave her encouragement as he helped her as much as he could. A sudden release came as Mỷrἇ finally gave birth. Jåcóbӱ tended to the newborn babe before he placed it on her chest.

Mỷrἇ cried as the look at the tiny body of her newborn son. She wasn't even aware of Jåcóbӱ tended to her afterbirth. Jåcóbӱ settled down by her side and ran a hand over his nephew's fuzzy head.

"He's beautiful Mỷrἇ. What are you going to name him?"

Mỷrἇ looked up at her brother and gave him a tired smile. "Dárkmëre. Ƒáeláƞ thought that we should name our first child after one of our parents."

"It is a good choice."

Mỷrἇ hummed in agreement as she began to nurse little Dárkmëre. "Will you watch over me as I sleep Jåcóbӱ?"

"Of course," Jåcóbӱ said as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

Mỷrἇ finished nursing her son before she fell asleep. Jåcóbӱ kept watch on her as he waited for Ƒáeláƞ to show back up. Mỷrἇ had given birth a month early so Ƒáeláƞ had thought that he had plenty of time to make his trip to the village they were close to.

Maŗŗők stirred. Jåcóbӱ got up from where he was sitting and walked over to where Maŗŗők lay. Just as Maŗŗők began to push himself to his feet, Jåcóbӱ kicked him in the face. Jåcóbӱ decided to tie Maŗŗők up. Maŗŗők would regret his actions on this night.