The Birth of A Demonic Son

This is a world of infinite possibilities. A world where a single person's strength can change the world and shake the heavens. In such a world, there are powers. All kinds of powers; some stronger, some weaker, some completely useless and some that define a new path to strength altogether. These powers can be acquired in many different ways, learned through books, taught by teachers, learned through mastery of unique features of ones body and, the least common of all, powers acquired from birth. People or creatures born with powers are labeled as Divine sons and daughters, or Demonic sons and daughters. There are also beasts who are born with such powers, labeled Godbeasts. Godbeasts are the ones that appear the most often, with numbers in the millions across the world, as opposed to the Divine/Demonic Sons and Daughters which number around a hundred in a good generation. When Godbeasts are born, their roars shake the world and pull clouds from the sky. They are a disaster in the making for any species inhabitating the area they are born. These roars are like an evacuation warning for the area, telling them to get out of become slaves or food to the newly born Godbeasts. The Birth of Divine/Demonic Sons and Daughters also gives rise to phenomena. Compared to Godbeasts, humans born with such powers are usually even flashier. When such a person is born, a manifestation of their power appears in the sky, usually looking either demonic or holy in nature, determining their label. Now, the birth of one such person will soon occur once again. In a relatively small city there sits a house that doesn't look too shabby, nor too fancy. A low fence surrounds a small yard with a single lemon tree planted out front. White walls with dark brown accents and a path of rocks leading to the doorstep. Just walking by, many wouldn't even spare a glance at such an ordinary place. And the people who call such a place home are known by the neighbors as the friendly couple down the street, always ready to lend a hand. The man, in his late 30s is named Lee and his wife Petra is only slightly younger but still gives off the air of a youth in her teens. Lee works at the harbor about an hours walk away from their house, where he uses his large frame and tempered muscles to labor away day after day, easily doing the work of a hundred normal men due to his overwhelming, strength thanks to the power he got from his school, Body Tempered Hulk. Most high schools these days sell different types of books and lectures explaining or teaching different paths of strength, and body strengthening ones, like Lee practices, are some of the most common. Petra, on the other hand, has a power related to food and therefore has chosen to work at a diner just a block away from their house, in the opposite direction of their house. Her power is called Form Shift, which is another one of the most common powers given out in schools, but is unique in that it takes on different abilities based on the person who learns it. Most ability users of Form Shift are able to change their own bodies in some way and rarely are able to change others bodies too. Petras, however is a rare form, which allows her to freely handle and mutate any items she touches, that she has consumed in high quantities before. This rare Form Shift is highly sought after in the food industry and because of her working there her restaurant, "The Hungry Cat" has become wildly popular over the years and now some people actually risk travelling outside of cities to eat there. Outside humanoid cities, Godbeasts and other hostile species have claimed territories, so it takes a brave or very hungry person to travel between cities just for a meal or two. This speaks volumes about the popularity of The Hungry Cat. Unfortunately, for the past few months, The Hungry Cat an extreme lull in business due to the fact that Petra has taken some time off due to her happily announced pregnancy. Now, due to the impending birth of their child, Lee has also taken time away from the harbor.

"Okay, we have the blankets, we have the bottles, the bibs, the wipes, the diapers, the guides, the nurse is on her way, I've got the doctor on standby. Umm. Uhh. What else, what else..."

Lee is frantically pacing around the room looking around and triple checking everything as he mumbles to himself. Meanwhile, Petra is sitting on the sofa, calmly watching and occasionally giggling to herself.

"Honey, calm down. You've already checked everything at least fifty times by now. I'm sure we're ready." Petra gently persuades, her soft voice passing Lee's ears like a dandelion floating in the wind. For a moment Lee actually does calm down and smiles lovingly at Petra, the love in his eyes even bigger than his large body. He walks over and places his hand on Petras belly while looking into her eyes. "I know, I just want to make sure. This is a huge occasion, we can't mess it up." Petra continues smiling lovingly at him and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. She leans back and is about to speak again when she notices Lee's facial expression change minutely and his eyebrows furrow a bit. She sighs, "Oh babe. Out with it, what did we forget?"

He looks startled for a moment, looks at Petra, then looks down and sighs. "We didn't get a pacifier. What do we do if he won't stop crying? When does a baby need one? Can newborns even use it? What if he chokes on it!" Lee looks back up at Petra with a frazzled expression and starts once again when he sees her slightly flushed face.

"Lee. The baby is coming." As soon as the words leave her lips, the doorbell rings and Lee, with inhuman speed, bolts toward it and opens it, nearly ripping it from its hinges. "Nurse, thank goodness, Petra just said the baby is coming, we have to hurry." He leads the nurse to the sofa where Petra is sitting and her breathing is becoming slightly more labored. The nurse looks at her calmly and smiles. "Go hold her hand, I'm sure she will need your support." Before the nurse even finished her sentence, Lee was already by Petra's side. As the sun slowly went down and minutes passed like hours, a baby was born and the earth shook once again. A gigantic projection of a horned creature with a bloodied, comically large mouth and sharp teeth appears in the sky. The projection seems to be glowing like fire and it is even larger than the castle of the City Lord in the distance. The sky seems to make way as all the clouds leave the city and the moon which is revealed is a blood colored one. The horned creature is between thin and muscular, but so toned that when it moved it seemed almost grotesque watching the muscles contort. It had four eyes above its enormous smiling mouth and a nose with a golden ring pierced through. To the many people of the city watching this demonic creature appear in horror, it's forehead seemed too large for its face leaving much empty space. That is, until, in time with the newborn opening its eyes beneath the projection, a large fifth eye opens in the empty space. A second projection appears behind the first. The large mouth of the demonic being seems itself to have manifested a projection, and inside the mouth, past the jagged teeth is a projection of the fifth eye as well. The newborn baby, now in the hands of the mother, who is oblivious to the happenings outside, begins to open it's mouth. As it does, an extra eye slowly opens in the space above its brow, matching the projection in the sky, bright and yellow with black sclera instead of white. The mouths of both projections in the sky also open and a sound that is both low and high at once, like a screech, echoes through the city and travels beyond, causing every being who heard it to hold their breath. At the same time, the Godbeasts, Divine and Demonic Sons and Daughters in the territories around the city, near and far, all tremble slightly, as if sensing that another had been born. Now, back in the city, everything disappears in an instant, like it never happened along with the closing of the extra eye on the newborn baby. The two parents are both sitting speechless and staring at the newborn baby. The nurse, with trembling hands and shaking eyes, gently pulls out an official document from the City Lord. "Do..." Her voice comes out shaky at first, so she clears her throat and composes herself. Her word woke the parents from their stupor, now taking in and processing the events that just took place. "Do you have a name for your child?"

After a long moment of silence, Petra is the one that finally speaks.

"Elrion. We had that name picked out if it was a boy."

Petra's eyes were no longer as wide as a moment ago, as she looked lovingly at the new life in her arms.