Disclaimers: BeastMaster characters and concept are property of their creators. No copyright infringement intended. Original characters and story are exclusive property of the author. Please do not use or post without her permission.
Spoilers: "The Demon Curupira," "A Simple Truth," "The Last Unicorns."
Rating: PG-14; drama; some swearing.
Partial Note: As you will see by the fact that the Sorceress has a different name, this story takes place in a separate "universe" from the Debts of Love series-fic. For this universe, episodes are arranged in the following order: "Riddle of the Nymph," "The Chameleon," and "Minotaur." This story takes place sometime after "Circle of Life," but before "Riddle." Also: The name Atylanta comes from the Greek myth of Atalanta, a proud young woman who refused to marry anyone but the man who could best her in a footrace -- an impossible task -- only to get tricked into losing by a few shiny baubles laid in her way. (Yes, that is a summary, and a biased one. So sue me. ;-)) For full Author's Notes, see here.
Atylanta
© 2000, Grace Macy
Prologue
The Sorceress' Aerie.
1200 years ago.The experience of being pregnant was truly unique. The Sorceress, once and occasionally known as Elorene, had decided that before she took a lover for the purpose of conceiving a child. She had wanted to know what it was like, so that she could add that information to her own store of knowledge and experience, use it to build upon her already great sorcery. Besides, she was curious to see what the mixing of blood between a sorceress and a "normal" man, albeit an exceedingly handsome one, would produce.
It was too bad that the mortal warrior had died so soon after their exertions paid off. She would have been equally curious to see his reaction to their child, for she had not told him of her reasons for choosing him as her lover. But . . . well, she had warned him that that next battle would be the end of him. He had chosen not to listen, however, and she really could not be expected to exert her energies to save someone who wouldn't heed her advice.
Would her child have power?, the Sorceress wondered as the days passed and her belly rounded with the new life carried within. If it did have power, would it be on a par with her own? And would it favor her or the warrior-prince in looks, be fair or dark? She rather hoped it would be some combination of the two -- his dark hair and her pale eyes, perhaps -- but she had absolutely refused to touch the child's development in any way. She wanted this to be completely natural.
Each day of the pregnancy had held something new, and not always pleasant. She had expected that as well, and worked through the discomforts with the single-mindedness of a student facing a difficult problem. Morning sickness, for instance, had very nearly made her decide to end this little test -- until the Ancient One had laughingly suggested just that. Then her pride had kicked in and she had refused.
The first day that the child kicked within her womb had startled her, and made her very glad she had been so stubborn. A couple of more months of that, however, and she was again ready to get this over with. That last part, unfortunately, was far worse than she had been led to believe when it came, despite the child-births she had witnessed.
It hurt, dammit all!
The Sorceress clenched her fingers tightly about the poles of the birthing-chair and bore down as she had seen the other mothers do. She could feel the child working together with her body and with gravity, slowly -- too damned slowly!! -- moving down the birth canal. She had no one to catch it when it emerged, for she wanted no one to be witness to an event that required such vulnerability and weakness on her part, so she had rigged a levitation spell to secure the child when it finally left her body. If it ever left her body. Elorene growled and muttered a rather impressive string of completely non-magickal curses.
"Come on, blast it!" she hissed through her teeth. "You waited nine months to get out into the world, the least you can do is hurry . . . up . . . nowww!"
The last word came out on a howl of pain as another contraction hit. Elorene clenched her teeth and breathed through it, roundly cursing herself for ever having come up with such an idiotic plan.
In another room, on another Plane of reality, the fair-haired goddess of mothers and healing circled her scrying fire, watching carefully as the Sorceress' child entered the world. It seemed normal, natural, unhindered by magicks. Which was precisely what concerned her.
Pelagia turned to the man who stood a short distance away her. "Why have you allowed this?" she asked. "Are you not afraid of what this child will teach your precious student? What it may cause her to remember?"
The Ancient One shrugged. "Not at all. You see, love had nothing to do with this. Elorene chose to conceive and bear a child solely for the purpose of seeing what it would feel like. She may feel some . . . fondness . . . for the chit, but to her, this is all just an experiment. A trying one, but an experiment all the same."
Pelagia shook her head. "If that is true, then you truly have changed her these past nine thousand years."
Her half-brother smiled again, his eyes taunting. "Thank you."
Pelagia glared at him and looked away, her attention shifting as she felt the new life preparing to enter the world. She reached out a hand, sending her power outwards through the veils of reality, to touch the child in welcome, as she did with all newborns be they animal or human.
With a shock, she felt the power rebound off something that felt almost like a wall. She stared in disbelief from the fire to her hand, then turned to face her half-brother's smirk with fury in her eyes.
"How have you done this?" she demanded. "And why? I am goddess of mothers! My place is in that birthing room! With that child!"
The Ancient One smiled pleasantly. "Not this time, sister dear. And lest you have forgotten, I have power, too."
Pelagia glared at him coldly. "I have not forgotten. I see the evidence of it every day. But while you have power, it seems you still have no true compassion." She advanced on him. "What are you planning for that poor innocent? What punishment for daring to be born?"
The Ancient One laughed. "No punishment. I merely wish to prove a point by her. Left to itself, a human being -- with or without magickal ability -- will know nothing of love, nor need it. Elorene will hardly teach her about something of which she has no memory, and which my magick," he added, smirking again, "prevents her from feeling in the slightest." Pelagia started to speak, but he raised a hand. "And you will not interfere this time, Pelagia," the Ancient One said with a smile. "Until the child is well past her formative years, you cannot have any contact with her. My rule is set, and the Powers uphold it."
"Formative years," Pelagia repeated. "And how many would those be?"
Her brother smiled. "A nice round number. Say . . . a full century."
"A century!" It took all Pelagia had not to throttle him there and then. She turned back to the fire, frowning as she sensed the baby's entry into the world.
The Sorceress had nearly done with the delivery, only the afterbirth left to exit her body now as a minor spell levitated the healthily screaming infant into her arms. It was a little girl. Dark hair was slicked to her head, her features scrunched up as amazingly powerful little lungs proclaimed her new presence to the world. And there was magick present in her very soul, as there was within that of her mother.
The Sorceress stared at her with wonder despite herself, a small smile curving her lips. "Well, well," Pelagia heard her say. "Hello."
Pelagia's fists clenched. There was nothing she could do -- his power was strong, and the spell was set. She could not circumvent it, and she could only hope that Elorene would care for the child herself, as a mother should. But perhaps. . .
She smiled, and had the distinct pleasure of seeing the Ancient One suddenly look worried. "Very well, brother," she said. "I will abide by this rule. But I set in place a measure of my own: until that same time is elapsed, you may not have any contact with the girl either."
The Ancient One glared at her. "Now wait just --"
"No!" Pelagia interrupted. "If I cannot influence the girl, then neither can you. You wish to prove that without guidance towards love, the child will never learn of it? Then the opposite must be true -- there must not be guidance away from love either." She felt a surge of approval from yet another plane of reality, and smiled in triumph. "The Powers uphold it," she observed.
The Ancient One opened his mouth, then closed it again. He squared his shoulders, seeing the light of a challenge in his sister's eyes. "Very well," he agreed. "We shall see whose theory proves correct. This should be a most interesting experiment."
Pelagia nodded, and sent herself Elsewhere, to fume or to ease another birth. The Ancient One didn't know which, nor did he truly care.
"Most interesting indeed," he said to the scrying fire, and laughed as he left Pelagia's domain. As he rematerialized in the Sorceress' well-appointed cavern, Elorene looked up from the child in her arms. "So, my dear," he said pleasantly. "You have your reward for all these long months. What do you plan to name it?"
Elorene frowned. "I was expecting you sooner," she said lightly. "I thought that surely you would wish to chide me during the most difficult part of this self-chosen lesson."
The Ancient One chuckled as he moved forward, peering down at the still squalling infant with an expression that mixed curiosity with disgust. "I considered it," he told her. "But I've never been good around such messy things as childbirth. I trust you enjoyed it, however."
She glared at him lightly. "You watched the whole time, didn't you?" she asked, her tone almost teasing.
"Mmm," he confirmed. "An interesting process. No easier for a Sorceress than for a human."
"I chose it to be so," she said in defense. She looked down at the baby. "But you are right. It is . . . messy."
The Ancient One smiled, something dark and secret behind his eyes. "What?" he asked. "No surge of maternal goodwill? No insistence that this is the most beautiful babe ever to grace the earth?"
Elorene chuckled. "She is beautiful. As I find all life to be beautiful -- unique. I am too tired for anything else."
She started to try to stand, but the Ancient One clucked at her. A small wave of his hand teleported them all to her bed-chamber, as well as providing the Sorceress with a waiting tub of warm scented water to wash in. The baby was cleaned as well, the umbilical cord severed as cleanly as if by a blade. The Sorceress raised an eyebrow at her mentor. The Ancient One smiled. "Self-chosen or not, this lesson was well-executed. You deserve a reward."
Elorene smiled. "Thank you," she said. She settled the baby in the crib she had prepared months earlier, and set that close to the tub as she gratefully pulled off the soiled gown.
The Ancient One watched without comment or reaction as she stepped into the tub, then looked down at the newborn critically. "She has her father's coloring," he commented. "Too soon to tell yet about her eyes."
Elorene smiled almost drowsily as she leaned back in the tub. The enchantment in the water removed all of the blood and sweat, leaving the water filmed only by the scented oils that softened her skin and soothed her weary muscles. "But she has my power. I can feel it in her already."
He nodded. "Yes. A good deal of magick in this little one." He cleared his throat. "I'm afraid I won't visit much -- well, at all. At least, not when the child is here." Elorene looked at him, startled. "An agreement I made with Pelagia."
"The goddess of mothers? What has she to do with this?"
The Ancient One shrugged, managing to look wounded and innocent. "She does not wish me to influence the girl. A sorcerer's power should be taught by its mother, she believes. I am not to be near the child, just as she will not be. So I'm afraid you'll be on your own, my dear."
Elorene stared at him. "But -- I --" She swallowed whatever else she had been about to say, her pride returning. "Very well. It will be one more lesson."
"Indeed." The Ancient One bit back a smile. "However, as a favor to your mentor during his exile . . . perhaps you would allow me to name the child?"
The Sorceress smiled. "I would be honored," she said sincerely.
He gave her a small bow and pretended to think. In truth, he had already thought of a name, one from a time and place in the future of another world. The name of a girl, from a story which Elorene would never be aware of unless he chose to enlighten her. It was a myth about foolish choices and pride, which were precisely what he privately thought of this little adventure his student had embarked upon. Still, he changed the spelling and pronunciation a bit as a concession to his own pride over his creativity. "What do you think of . . . Atylanta?"
His student smiled softy as she repeated the name, enjoying the rolling syllables. "Atylanta," she said again. "It is beautiful. Thank you, Ancient One."
The Ancient One smiled. "It is my greatest pleasure, my dear."
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