Gemma watched as the life faded from Madeira's eyes, and for a moment, she was sure that the mother of the child in her arms had passed on. But Yonatan never lost his focus.
"Don't stop." He almost growled. Gemma continued to pray, tears now streaming down her face. She channeled every drop of power her goddess allowed into healing Madeira, but there was no wound she could see. There was blood, of course, but she didn't know why. It was just there. She had never witnessed an event like this, and instead of the excitement she thought she was supposed to feel at ushering new life into the world, all she felt was fear.
"Please don't let me lose her. Please don't let me lose her." She repeated, not knowing what else to pray. She didn't even realize she'd slipped back into Common.
The building around her seemed to have a mind of its own with all the wind and rain. Something slammed behind and above. The cottage rocked. Was it an earthquake? But then something caught on fire behind her, flashing up into a blaze. But when Gemma looked, the fire was contained in the fire place. Wind howled through the chimney, hurting Gemma's ears and causing the babe in her arms to cry out, adding to the cacophony. The wind whipped the windows open and the rain defied nature, flying almost horizontally as it raged at them with its frigid claws. What was happening? Her mind instantly flashed back to the cave she had escaped only two days earlier. The water had acted strange, pushing against itself and moving almost with a mind of its own. And now something similar was happening here.
Gemma wanted to clutch her hands to her ears and fall to the floor, but the baby in her arms kept her standing as she clenched her eyes shut and let out a silent scream, bending over Madeira's unconscious and trembling body as she tried to shield the baby from the water with her body.
Then suddenly, it was over. Madeira coughed and gurgled, and almost as if she had spoken in some strange language, commanding the storm to abate, everything within the cottage went quiet. Well, everything except for the baby.
"Madeira!" Gemma exclaimed in joy. She thanked her goddess for bringing Madeira back, and looked all around as things returned to normal in the cottage.
The new mother was gifted a second wind. Gemma was sure it was Rak'keli's doing. The second birth was still hard, but compared to the insanity of the first, this one seemed... normal. Almost easy by comparison.
Yonatan never stopped. Once the second child was out, he tied and clipped the cord that tethered her to the mother, and expertly cleaned the child while also clearing her airway. Gemma took note, now that things were calmer. She would have to learn how to do all this in case she was called on to aid again in the process.
While Yonatan took the boy from her to lay on the mother's chest, he motioned Gemma over to apply pressure over Madeira's bleeding genitals. She wondered for a moment if Madeira minded, but when she saw her, she could tell that her attention was focused on her children.
Twins. Crazy.
She applied pressure, watching the woman's face for any negative reaction. She grimaced against the pain of her recently relocated shoulder and braced the arm against her body awkwardly as she tried her best to complete her orders through the pain. She then began to massage her belly as instructed, praying as the glowing hand circled slowly.
Yonatan seemed content with her performance for now and left the cottage to yell at the Shinya outside. Gemma had forgotten that they were still there. They reminded her of the bodies she had seen outside.
"I'm a mother..." Gemma heard Madeira try to speak through the fatigue.
"You're the strongest woman I've ever met." Gemma said genuinely, still massaging and applying pressure.
"How's your hand?" She asked. She knew there wasn't much time before this quiet was broken once more, but she would keep tending to Madeira for as long as she could.
"Don't stop." He almost growled. Gemma continued to pray, tears now streaming down her face. She channeled every drop of power her goddess allowed into healing Madeira, but there was no wound she could see. There was blood, of course, but she didn't know why. It was just there. She had never witnessed an event like this, and instead of the excitement she thought she was supposed to feel at ushering new life into the world, all she felt was fear.
"Please don't let me lose her. Please don't let me lose her." She repeated, not knowing what else to pray. She didn't even realize she'd slipped back into Common.
The building around her seemed to have a mind of its own with all the wind and rain. Something slammed behind and above. The cottage rocked. Was it an earthquake? But then something caught on fire behind her, flashing up into a blaze. But when Gemma looked, the fire was contained in the fire place. Wind howled through the chimney, hurting Gemma's ears and causing the babe in her arms to cry out, adding to the cacophony. The wind whipped the windows open and the rain defied nature, flying almost horizontally as it raged at them with its frigid claws. What was happening? Her mind instantly flashed back to the cave she had escaped only two days earlier. The water had acted strange, pushing against itself and moving almost with a mind of its own. And now something similar was happening here.
Gemma wanted to clutch her hands to her ears and fall to the floor, but the baby in her arms kept her standing as she clenched her eyes shut and let out a silent scream, bending over Madeira's unconscious and trembling body as she tried to shield the baby from the water with her body.
Then suddenly, it was over. Madeira coughed and gurgled, and almost as if she had spoken in some strange language, commanding the storm to abate, everything within the cottage went quiet. Well, everything except for the baby.
"Madeira!" Gemma exclaimed in joy. She thanked her goddess for bringing Madeira back, and looked all around as things returned to normal in the cottage.
The new mother was gifted a second wind. Gemma was sure it was Rak'keli's doing. The second birth was still hard, but compared to the insanity of the first, this one seemed... normal. Almost easy by comparison.
Yonatan never stopped. Once the second child was out, he tied and clipped the cord that tethered her to the mother, and expertly cleaned the child while also clearing her airway. Gemma took note, now that things were calmer. She would have to learn how to do all this in case she was called on to aid again in the process.
While Yonatan took the boy from her to lay on the mother's chest, he motioned Gemma over to apply pressure over Madeira's bleeding genitals. She wondered for a moment if Madeira minded, but when she saw her, she could tell that her attention was focused on her children.
Twins. Crazy.
She applied pressure, watching the woman's face for any negative reaction. She grimaced against the pain of her recently relocated shoulder and braced the arm against her body awkwardly as she tried her best to complete her orders through the pain. She then began to massage her belly as instructed, praying as the glowing hand circled slowly.
Yonatan seemed content with her performance for now and left the cottage to yell at the Shinya outside. Gemma had forgotten that they were still there. They reminded her of the bodies she had seen outside.
"I'm a mother..." Gemma heard Madeira try to speak through the fatigue.
"You're the strongest woman I've ever met." Gemma said genuinely, still massaging and applying pressure.
"How's your hand?" She asked. She knew there wasn't much time before this quiet was broken once more, but she would keep tending to Madeira for as long as she could.