A/N: Mmkay. I shall be revising this story one chapter at a time instead of taking the whole thing down. Please bear with me, and excuse the dust and gaping plot holes.
It was early in the evening, just past sunset, and sometime in early summer. Dante Oscurita, quite possibly the wealthiest man in Coorhagen, paced nervously around in his study. His wife, Vitoria, had gone into labor an hour ago, and her chambermaids tried to help her while another had gone for the midwife. The midwife would likely be arriving at any moment. But Dante was concerned. The baby was coming earlier than expected, of this, Dante was certain. When the midwife last visited, she'd said that Vitoria would give birth later in the summer. He ran his fingers through his coal black hair and stopped pacing, telling himself that everything would be fine. It was, at that moment, that he heard a firm knock on his study door. "Enter!" he barked, unaware of how irritated his tone of voice made him sound. The door opened and a middle-aged woman carrying a four year-old boy walked in. "Begging your pardon, my Lord, but...Benedetto...wanted to see his mother, and can't understand why he isn't able to see her just yet. Perhaps...you can explain?"
Dante's heart softened at the sight of his older son. The boy's black hair was tousled, and his eyes were wide, full of curiosity.
"Where's Mama?" he asked.
"Your mother's...very busy. You can't go see her yet. But she won't be busy in a while. She'll be happy to see you then."
"What is she busy with?"
"She's..." Dante tried to think of how to explain what was going on so that a four year-old could understand. Then he knew what to say.
"Mama's getting your new brother or sister. Her maids are helping her, and the midwife will be here soon to help her, too."
"Is it hard to get a baby?" Benedetto asked.
"Very," Dante said, "That's why she needs all that help."
The boy's nanny looked relieved. "Come on, Benedetto. Let's go back to your room now."
"I wanna stay with Papa."
The nanny sighed. Dante smiled in spite of his worry. "He can stay, so long as he doesn't make any trouble. You'll behave, though, won't you?"
Benedetto nodded.
"You see? He'll be no trouble."
The nanny nodded, and left the room, closing the doors behind her. Benedetto climbed into the chair in the corner and looked around. Dante watched him for a minute, then began pacing. After a few minutes, there was another knock. "Enter," Dante called. The doors opened again, and one of the maids who wasn't helping Vitoria peered in. "The midwife is here."
"Did you show her the way?"
"We did, my Lord."
"Very well."
Dante looked over at the chair his son had climbed into, to make sure he was still there. To his relief, the boy had fallen fast asleep.
Ariel was in her private chambers. Something was wrong. She could sense it. There was something...not right. Something hadn't been right for days now, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Moebius had seemed more smug than usual, lately. And Mortanius acted suspiciously whenever he was around her, always seeming like he wanted so badly to say something, to warn her about something, but could never get the words out. But Ariel wasn't the only who'd noticed that something seemed off-kilter. Nupraptor, too, had sensed that something was wrong. "There's a treacher in the Circle," he said one day, for no apparent reason. His words had sent chills up Ariel's spine.
Someone knocked at her door. Curious, she opened it. There was Mortanius, standing before her.
"Oh. Mortanius...what is it?"
"I need to speak with you. May I come in?"
"Of course," Ariel said, moving so that the Necromancer could enter. "What...is going on?"
Mortanius took a deep breath. "There...are times when you are forced to do things against your will...things for the greater good..."
He slowly walked over to Ariel's scales. "I'm sure you...understand."
Ariel backed toward the scales. "What do you mean?"
"Even now, things are being set in motion...and I am only a man. I cannot stop them."
Ariel turned around and looked at the scales. "Something is wrong, Mortanius."
"I know that better than you do." He winced, he could feel the entity taking over, and he muffled his cries with his sleeve. Fortunately, Ariel had not turned around. Against his will, he took out the dagger he kept at his side.
"Mortanius...something..." Ariel shook her head, and placed some energy on the scales.
"I know," Mortanius said, in a voice that belonged not to him, but to that entity. Ariel turned her head, to see who was speaking, but, in that instant, Mortanius drove the dagger into her back. She screamed, and fell, tipping the scales on her way down.
By that time, Mortanius had already gone.
"One more push, Lady," the midwife urged, "Just one more."
"I've not the strength..."
"Nonsense! You have borne a child before this!"
"He was not as stubborn," Vitoria groaned.
"Push, Lady." The midwife's tone was firm. She looked over at a chambermaid. "You! Fetch me a blanket, a pail of water, and a rag!" The chambermaid nodded and hurried out.
Nupraptor felt a strange, rippling sensation. He couldn't explain it. His instinct screamed "Someone has died!" but he didn't want to pay attention.
(someone has died, Nupraptor)
Nupraptor shuddered. There was his intuition, speaking loudly, clearly. He stood up.
(someone has been murdered someone close has been murdered)
"Ariel!" Nupraptor said, aloud. He hurried out of his own chambers at the Pillars and ran to Ariel's.
(Don't let it be Ariel, not Ariel let Ariel be safe ohgodohgodohgodoh)
He yanked open the doors, and the first thing he saw was that the scales were tipped, that there was blood on the wall. And sprawled out on the floor, face down with a gaping wound in her back was Ariel. The blood blended in with her red dress, stained her golden hair crimson. Nupraptor dropped to his knees beside her and rolled her over, hoping, that somehow, she was alive, that she could tell him who did this to her. But all he saw was her blank, hollow eyes. Dead eyes.
(there is treachery here someone in the Circle did it I'll make them all...make them all...make...them...)
Nupraptor howled with grief and pressed Ariel's head close to his chest.
In the distant city of Coorhagen, Vitoria's child cried for the first time.
(suffer)
After what seemed like hours, a chambermaid burst in. "My Lord! My Lord! The baby's come! Vitoria wants to see you!"
Dante's breath caught in his throat. The child was born? And his wife still lived.
"Watch Benedetto!" he said as he hurried out, toward the bedroom he shared with his wife.
Lady Vitoria looked pale and very tired, but was fine otherwise. She cradled a baby with a mass of black hair on it's head in her arms.
"It's a boy," the midwife said. Dante took some gold from his purse and gave it to the midwife.
"Thank you, Milord!" said the midwife, surprised to have been given the gold. Then she left.
"He's beautiful..." said Dante, stroking the boy's hair.
"Kain..." murmured Vitoria.
"What?"
"That's his name, Dante! Kain, because Kain means beautiful..."
"I see." Dante said, stroking the boy's hair again.
"Kain. I like the sound of that."