The night is ours. Maria Spotlight

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СКАЧАТЬ court so close to her, so she could keep a good eye on everything. She had often been envied for her beauty, because unlike the werewolf-women, she didn‘t have to hunt. And while they occasionally injured themselves while hunting, Lucia stayed in her garden and lost more and more her natural hunting instinct. Her prosperity had turned her head. Ephraim, on the other hand, was a born leader. He and Stephan got along splendidly and Stephan didn‘t envy him for his rank. It was enough for him to provide for such a large pack. The vampire prince was eloquent, smart as a fox and yet gentle. He sought contact with the people, gained their trust and persuaded them to share their resources with them. He would pay them more than fair wages for this and also make the country safer for all. If a person had a request or even a complaint to make, he should present it to the Council. Anyone would find a hearing. So Ephraim managed to make himself very popular with the people and they looked up to him. Without knowing which creatures lived on their borders and what they hid behind their masquerade.

      A thriving country

      Three hundred years after the first settlement by Kunolf and Farold, the witches, vampires and werewolves had managed to form. Their number had increased many times over and so in the year 900 after Christ fifty witches, one hundred and twenty vampires and one hundred werewolves were counted in their homeland, the Black Forest. Nevertheless, they were spatially separated from each other. While the witches settled their buildings more in the forest, the vampires lived on the open countryside. They had built themselves a real small town and in the middle stood the great castle where Lucia lived with Ephraim, her brother Michael and his wife Margot. The werewolves had settled near the vampires in order to always stay in contact with them; the vampires thus formed the center. The people avoided those areas and settled far outside the borders; this gave the bloodsuckers and the wolves the opportunity to hunt on great terrain. Their hunting areas were divided and no one was allowed to search for food in each other's territory. After a short time, the trade routes were created, on which people brought their goods to the vampires. These routes had been jointly developed in the Council, and people were encouraged to use them explicitly. The witches formed a kind of protective spell around the routes, which no mortal being could penetrate. So people never got far away from the ways. The clans possessed great riches, not least because the tribal fathers had once recovered a masterless dragon treasure. They also owned a silver mine where people worked for them. Through their gold and silver, the economy of the people flourished strongly. The fields could be cultivated every year, cattle could be bred and the gardens almost exploded. In order not to have too high expenses, Emily suggested that one could also breed cattle and plant gardens in one's own country. Her suggestion met with immediate approval, which only fanned her brother's envy even more.

      In short, the whole country awoke, flourished and grew. And on those days the joyful news went around, Lucia and also Esther carried a child under their hearts. In the year 996 after Christ, the two heirs of the great dynasties saw the light of day. Lucia gave birth to a son named Tim, Esther also gave birth to a boy named Sven. The birth was duly celebrated. All the residents were invited. That's how Ephraim found his pleasure in celebrating. The two boys grew up together; they took great pleasure in romping around in the gardens, annoying the witches and scaring the doves in their shack.

      “Then the feathers would fly all over the place“, they laughed.

      Tim and Sven both adored Emily because she understood them very well. Emily tried to discover hidden talents in each of the children, for she had once had a vision of a child born under the sign of the Dragon to unite the bloodlines of the three clans. This child would have tremendous powers to save the world from total darkness. Neither Tim nor Sven showed these characteristics and also none of the other children. However, the witch felt that something was moving within the community. A connection was established from which this hoped-for child would emerge. Now all she had to do was wait.

      Addition

      . . . from here on Emily tells the story further

      It was the night of the eleventh of September. We wrote the year a thousand. Outside a storm raged and shook with his pale hand the branches of the trees and the shutters of the houses. A great birth was imminent, I heard that in the wind. Then I was called. The mistress Lucia, so to speak the queen among the vampires, expected her second child. She had been in labor for almost thirty hours. Admittedly, the birth of her son had proceeded faster and hadn‘t been so painful. Lucia hadn't expected that she had to torture herself like that. She should know that the child in her bump isn‘t normal. I entered the delivery room. Three midwives and a few servants were there. Hectic was in the air. Lucia was overcome by a contraction and she screamed. One of the midwives came up to me.

      “It's been way too long now. I don't know if she'll make it through the night.“

      “She will, trust me.“

      I have never understood why the vampires and werewolves called the local midwives to the births, when we witches understood much better about births. Probably to strengthen the bond with the people, so that nobody would get wrong thoughts. Lucia screamed again violently. I felt the child in her move violently. It was desperate to get out of her. I put a cold cloth on her forehead and whispered in her ear.

      “Lucia, listen to me very carefully. The child in your body is very strong. Only I can help you now.“

      She looked at me with glassy eyes. “What are you up to?"

      “What I was created for, being a witch.“

      I turned to the midwives.

      “Ladies, I thank you for your services. I'll take it from here.“

      A wrinkled old woman stepped out and filed a complaint.

      “This might suit you. This woman is about to give birth. We can't leave now.“

      “Yes, you can. Forgive me if I speak so openly, but you have neither the knowledge nor the means to get the child out of her. But I do. Pack up your stuff and get out of here, now. Or do I have to be clearer?"

      They disliked it very much, they whispered, shook their heads and finally left the room. Lucia was bathed in sweat. I put my hands on her belly and concentrated.

      “My mistress, I want you to calm down. Take a deep breath. And now look into the flames of the chimney. What do you see?"

      Only with a lot of strength she managed to turn her head, she was soon at the end of her strength, I had to hurry.

      “There's something big, something winged. It's coming to me.“

      “All right, focus!“

      She screamed violently, her head no longer held still, turning from one side to the other as if she was having a seizure.

      “Lucia, if you love your life, keep focusing on the flames.“

      She screamed as she'd never screamed before. The child drilled its hands against the abdominal wall. I had trouble keeping up with it. The window was torn open by a violent gust of wind, the flames of the candles in the room blazed brighter and larger than before, the incoming wind feeding them. The fire in the fireplace exploded, rose to the ceiling; I heard the call of the Dragon. I was still pressing against her belly.

      “Lucia press now, press!“

      She gathered all her strength, screaming, screaming louder. The child's head came out, then the torso. I saw the arms, the legs and finally pulled the child out of the womb. Her lungs unfolded and she gave a healthy scream. I cut the umbilical cord immediately. Lucia didn't notice any of this. СКАЧАТЬ