So, this is Magnus's birth. As for a more detailed plot, if you're interested:
Alec gets his hands on Magnus's journal and delves into his past - literally! Alec finds himself in the middle of a war. Shadowhunters have decided the Downworlders can run be free to do as they please no longer, however the Downworlders find this to be an outrage. And somehow Magnus Bane is in the center of it all. :O
Okay, not gonna be as dumb as it sounds. Enjoy.
I own nothing. Except a few OCs and the storyline. :D
Prologue
Cries of pure agony broke through the stormy night. Thick bands of black clouds hung low in the atmosphere, threatening a downpour. The air itself was charged with a hum of electricity; it stunk with the dank smell of earth. Wind raged against the little farm where a woman was giving birth.
The day started off normal, if not peaceful. A pleasant blue sky with fluffy white clouds; green blades of grass rolling like a wave in the wind. A girl no more than 16 years of age, waking up with her stomach swollen with life. She felt well today, for once in her pregnancy; the weather was doing wonders for her mood.
It wasn't until the woman was about to give birth that darkness took over the land and the sky opened up. She threw her head back against a pillow, a mix between a sob and a scream passing her lips. It felt as if she were giving birth to flame itself.
As if taking her scream as a cue, the storm began. Lightning cut through the clouds somewhere in the distance, cutting the rain free. The lightning came down in two separate rods, met in the middle, and finished as one. It didn't look like it came from Heaven, but as though it was the Devil's pitchfork spiking up from Hell.
Nothing about this pregnancy had been easy. Her sister was pregnant the same time as she, though their experiences could not have been more different. Where her sister could eat anything she could get, this woman could not even bear the thought of food. There were times when she could not get out of her bed chamber. It felt as if the devil was poking – no – stabbing her with pure white heat.
However, she was more than thrilled. She and her husband had been trying for years now to have a baby. It was a miracle.
Dark hair matted against her head; damp with a mixture of sweat and tears. It clung like tentacles, sticking everywhere it could; the base of her neck; temples; her flushed cheeks. It was claustrophobic; hard to breathe. Humidity blanketed the small confines of the room, making everything seem smaller than it already was.
The soul light of one candle flicked an orange glow around the room. It elongated shadows, making it seem as if everything were demons of the darkness, called to witness this birth. They danced around the bed. There one moment, gone the next; replaced by another.
The eyes of the maids were dull, forced to be kept open for almost a day now. Bruise-like circles filled the two girls' eyes; skin glistening with a shine of sweat and sleeplessness. They lingered by the woman's side, running rags over her face or trying to calm her down.
The older of the two—with her graying hair and steady gray eyes—was the most relaxing. Her hand was firm and soothing in the woman's hand. The older maid —Elspeth— had been doing this her whole life. She had sat in on everything that could happen in a pregnancy. Not much could shock her.
Even the storm was nothing more than a hindrance, at best. It would be easier to work in the daylight, but this wasn't unmanageable.
Like a snake recoiling right as it's about to strike the final blow, agony exploded from the woman's stomach down. The young woman's screams were drowned out by an eardrum shattering sound. Thunder roared so loudly that it shook the whole room.
Outside the storm raged on, full force. Rain pelted off the roof, sounding as if someone was dropping stones. Wind moaned; the walls fought against its strength with groans of protest. The air that gushed through the window searched out the only source of light. The fire didn't stand a chance.
The shadow demons swooped in the room, laughing into the wind. They put out the fire and danced around in the dark.
Then lightning struck, illuminating the bedroom in an eerie blue/white light.
It looked like broken pictures of the same piece. The woman, with her back arched, mouth agape in a scream. Her normally beautiful, youthful face twisted into a look of pure pain and horror. She had her sheets in a death grip, knuckles white. Then it went black. Once more the lighting struck. The maids were now prepared for the baby's arrival, down by the end of the bed. Determination shined on their pale, sunken in faces.
With one more scream, the woman pushed and the world seemed to stop all at once. The wind halted all together. The lightning vanished, along with the horrendous thunder. It wasn't even drizzling outside; the rain had stopped, like it was never there at all. It was as if the storm was satisfied.
They were left in darkness and silence.
Until the silent wails of a new life sung out. The woman slumped into the bed, thankful for the pain to be gone, but even more thankful that her baby was alive. He was a miracle. She could only make out the shadows of the maid —the younger one with the curling blond hair and an infinitely…innocent look on her face. Her arms curled around another squirming object.
The maid came over and handed the baby to her. It was a boy, with a shock of dark hair on his head. He felt heavy and awkward, at first before Elspeth took her arms and taught her how to hold him properly; resting his head on the crook her elbow and then cupping what was left of him.
Elspeth and the young maid looked at each other. A silent understanding passed between them. They both took a few steps back from the bed, allowing the mother and child the proper bonding time.
But what happened wasn't bonding. The child opened his eyes and the young mother began to scream; horrible, high-pitched screams as if someone was in here abusing her. She screamed one word over and over again:
Monster.
It wasn't uncommon either—a mother to dislike their baby at first sight. Elspeth went over to reassure her that everything was all right, but stopped short, sucking in a breath herself. There, shining in the dimness, were eyes of the strangest color of green and yellow ever seen. But that wasn't what left her speechless.
The pupils were just slits down the middle, like a cat. This was no normal human child.
It was the devil.