The night was quiet. To most of the commoners, this was seen as a blessing; however, the king and queen knew better. Thus, all the guards were on edge: what would the gods send next?
Lancelot shifted his weight from foot to foot. The silence was unnatural: there was no wind, no crickets, no rustling anywhere. The silence pressed in and quietened even his own movements. "This is uncanny," he murmured to the other guard, Nyxen.
"Yeah, well," Nyx grunted. "The gods play games, Lance. This is one of them."
"Wait." Lance squinted. "Do you see that?
What Lance had seen was a flicker of movement just outside of the gates; all he could see was that it was pale, and though wriggly, it stayed in one spot.
"It's probably just an animal, Lance. Stop being paranoid."
"I have to go look," Lance insisted, and before Nyxen could stop him, he jogged over to the bundle.
It was a baby. Human - or as human as you could get with those eyes, an extra one placed in the venter of its forehead, all pitch-black. Small feathered wings, also pitch-black, also protruded from its back. Its skin was a rich golden brown, which provided a stark contrast to the off-white swaddle it was wrapped in. The baby grabbed at a loose strand of Lance's hair, and Lance noticed the one thing about the baby that changed everything.
It was a note on yellowed parchment, tied to the baby's arm. It was written with bloodred ink, and the handwriting was elegant, flowing, and inhuman.
This Angel, child of the gods, will be either the savior of your kingdom...or the downfall. Your actions will choose your destiny.
Choose wisely.
"Nyxen!" Lance cried. "Nyx, come look at this!"
"God's above..." Nyx murmured when he saw the baby. Lance showed him the note, and Nyx swore. "Lance, we can't-"
"We have to. We have to show them - if they find out-"
"What if they blame us, Lance?"
"There won't be a 'what if' if we don't turn it in."
So Lance carried the baby gently to the throne room, where they had to wait for the queen to be properly robed.
When the queen entered the room, Lance and Nyx bowed. "Your majesties," Lance murmured. Nyx stayed silent.
"Stand," the queen murmured impatiently. "Why have you bothered us at such a late hour?" Her demanding tone filled the room, and her annoyance betrayed her ignorance of the situation.
"Your majesty," Lance started. "We were keeping watch, as instructed. The silence was very abnormal, madam, yes-" He stopped, flushing, at the impatient look on the queen's face. "Er - all this to say that we saw a movement, and when we went to inspect it, we found this...baby."
"So?" The queen demanded. "Children are placed at our gate all the time. Just leave it."
The king then spoke. "Beloved, there was a note-"
The queen pinched his arm. "Show me the note. I've no idea why you didn't start off with that."
Nyx frowned, evidently annoyed. Lance remembered how he always complained about her - she can never even pretend she cares.
Lance walked up to the queen and held out the baby. The queen looked disgusted as she tore the parchment from the baby's arm, ignoring the baby. Lines creased between her eyebrows as she read.
"No issue!" She said. "Nothing to worry about. We've ended the war, what more could they want? We will - we will just raise him in the nursery."
Only her face betrayed her worry.
A baby's wailing pierced the silence, and all sound returned.
》《
A sweaty Ehlder woman sat in a cave, holding a bloody newborn baby in her arms. She whispered motherly condolences to the newborn, who was unnaturally quiet. Tears fell from the mother's eyes, and the baby reached at them unsteadily.
"Mommy's sister is taking you away, okay baby? Mommy will come after you. Mommy will see you soon." The baby cooed happily, and the mother sobbed. Another Ehlder came and took the baby stealthily. Then they were gone, and the demon arrived.
"Where is baby?" the demon asked in a guttural voice.
"Stillborn," answered the mother.
"Lies!" the demon roared. "I smell life!"
"It is mine," the mother whispered.
"Not anymore," the demon roared, and sliced her head off with his giant claw.
And so she died without even a scream to betray her fear.
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