Chapter 2

Several months had passed since I escaped the silent space. Nothing could ever erase the nightmarish time spent fighting for my existence but the memories were at least not so fresh in my mind.

I had attempted to quantify how long I had been imprisoned there.

This proved completely impossible.

My consciousness recorded every moment and the further back I went the more I realized that my time in the silent space had been more than a few years, more even than a few centuries.

I had been trapped there for longer than I could possibly fathom. Clinging to my life in an endless cycle of pain and darkness.

The seed of desire further rooted itself within me.

I would not waste the second chance I had given my everything to grasp.

After meditating to calm my thoughts I decided to conduct an experiment.

My willpower was powerful, immensely so. My experiments with modifying my body proved that I could use this willpower to effect reality. So far I had only affected flesh and blood that belonged to me, but was that all I was capable of?

I started to create a mental picture of what I wanted to happen.

For too long I had been clueless as to the world beyond my mother's womb. Now it was time to change that.

My experiment proved a huge success.

"Annette, you cannot possibly still be hungry? Are you sure the baby that dwells inside you is mine? It's appetite is inhuman." A male voice questioned. His tone was loving but contained an undertone of suspicion.

I felt the next voice rumble through me as a woman, who I took to be my mother, shot back, "Are you accusing me of being unfaithful John!"

The male and my father, John, hastily defended himself, "No, no, of course not! I merely said it in passing, it was a poor joke my darling. Nothing more!"

Somehow despite my wisdom I hadn't considered whether my body modifications would affect my mother. Fortunately it seemed that her health had not been severely impacted.

I relaxed a few moments later after using my perception to inspect her body.

Other than an empty stomach, on account of me requiring multiple times the nutrients of an ordinary baby, she was fine.

Selfishly I was also relieved that I could continue with my modifications. As I was still in the early stages of growing and developing this was the ideal time to transform my body. Missing out on such an opportunity would be an unacceptable waste.

"Just hand me the plate will you John!" My mother demanded.

Hurrying to please her my father immediately responded, "Yes my dear!"

"This is wild pig isn't it John, I told you those pigs we rear are not nearly filling enough?!" My mother said pointedly.

"Of course my dear! I watched my men drag it into the keep! It was a mighty beast, it's tusks nearly took several lives and spears could hardly pierce it's skin!"

Unimpressed my mother snorted mid-mouthful and replied pointedly, "Well if they're so incapable why not hire that Witcher something! Perhaps he has some rare tooth or skull that could soothe this child's appetite."

Say what?

"You jest surely Annette! I cannot dispute their skills but their beastly presence would surely scare you and the baby! Rupert told me his Charlotte gave birth to a babe so terrified by the monster the Witcher brought back that the child's eyes became crooked!"

My mother retorted swiftly, "What do two old men know of childbirth, you speak nonsense! Besides, if this child of ours continues to eat at this rate then he will have no need to fear Witchers. In fact I should think they would stay away for fear of ending up in his stomach!"

I felt my world move as my father gently sat down on the bed beside my mother.

"I know my dear, I shall call for the best doctors with their most potent herbs and ointments. I shall even try to tempt some young sorcerers to inspect your condition...although you know your beauty hasn't changed.

I promise you my dear, everything will be alright."

If not for the roasted meat rapidly disappearing into my mother's stomach I was sure that this would be a touching moment.

Nonetheless I could tell she was soothed by my father's words and allowed him to plant a tender kiss on her belly.

"Thank you John, I know this child has not been easy on us." She said softly.

"No my dear, I would not wish it any other way."

The bed sank further as my father laid down next to his wife. The two quickly began to discuss and giggle at some unimportant matters.

I continued to glean information from their conversations while evaluating what I had learnt.

Some words stood out to me.

Witchers.

Monsters.

Sorcereress.

As the pair talked happily they occasionally revealed tidbits of further information. A plague had recently wreaked havoc on a nearby village, a powerful sorcerer had joined a king's court, strange noises prevented hunters from venturing into the forests at night.

This wasn't earth.

This discovery stunned me. I hadn't even considered such a possibility and to think I had been reborn into a word of magic and monsters!

How-how-how-

Exciting!

The possibilities were endless! I had so much to learn!

Did these sorcerers transform naughty young boys into toads and newts? Where did these monsters dwell, were dragons and goblins and giants among them? These Witchers, the monster killers, did they truly slay with iron and silver, did they-

I paused abruptly.

Oh, well this was certainly interesting.

I smiled a mischievous baby smile. It seemed I held yet another advantage in this new world.

This place I had been reborn into, I had read about it.

I wondered whether the inhabitants of this world would look as they did in the books, or sound as they did in the television series.

This new life kept getting more and more interesting.

If only I could walk.

For now I would continue my meditation and listen to the amusing discussions of my parents.

"I told you dear, those flowers were poisonous! I ended up with a rash all over my hands!"

"Then you must've touched the orange ones, I told you, I don't like the orange ones!"

I could get used to this.