A New Son is Born

We spend months practicing magic. Well, Mom and Paul are practicing together, while I’m practicing in secret from my room. Paulus and I are eating so much. Magic training completely depletes us of energy, and it burns calories at a rapid rate. I now understand how people can be so thin in this world. However, I'm making an extra effort not to lose weight. With my mom and dad’s genetics, geeks are going to drop left and right at the academy. I will be the hottest. It is ridiculous that it seems like Dad is the one who eats the least.

Mom also eats a lot, and she is about to give birth any day now. Dad is working half days, and we have everything ready for the baby's delivery. Eugina is vigilant to come for help as soon as she hears Paul screaming, “It’s happening!” This world has various methods for delivering a baby. The plan is for mom to deliver the baby in the warm bathtub downstairs. It seems to be the easiest and most convenient. We have plenty of towels ready and a doctor who is coming for check-ups every day.

I was surprised to see a doctor. Doctors wear something similar to a scrub and a Jiu-Jitsu gi. She was carrying a yellow backpack with a brown lizard icon on it. In her backpack, she had various kinds of medicine in small jars and a small wand that resembled a pen. I wonder if there is no healing magic; otherwise, why would there be doctors in this world?

“Yeah. Everything seems to be normal. The baby will be born at any moment now. I will stay today.” The doctor said while examining Mom.

The doctor examined Mom's eyes and mouth, touched her belly, and held her belly from the sides. She listened to Mom's breathing from the back and placed her ear against Mom's belly to listen to the baby. This seems so precarious to me. I think she is using magic, but I don’t know how.

“Perfect, thank you so much.” Said Mom.

“Hello Cato, are you ready to have another sibling?” She caught me looking at her wings. I want to touch them.

“Yes! I’m very happy.” I said with my eyes shining. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“We don’t know for sure. What would you like?”

“I want a girl acci-Acci-pi accipi-accipipitri-tridae.” I smiled. This is a good chance to learn more about this world.

“You see, Cato, the mother defines the type of human. This means that if a couple is having a baby and the mother is a homo felidae, the child will be felidae, regardless of the father's race. This means that because your mother is a human, the child will always be human.”

“Oooh!” I said eyes wide open.

We all went to sleep. Mom, Dad, and the doctor are downstairs while Paul and I are in our rooms.

…

This white image again. “Cato, please help my people.” Said the navy blue-haired bovinae. “The demons want to destroy this world.” He was crying in desperation. The rest of the people from different races were kneeling, crying their souls out. The four large beasts on the horizon, which resemble mountains, are Sapere, Bovina, Felida, and Accipitry. There is no doubt about it.

“Eugina! Eugina is happening!” I could hear Paulus in the distance screaming his lungs out.

Mom is giving birth. My head was still trying to make sense of the weird dream. That’s a memory from when I was resurrected. Was that the Hero of the stories? What was that white space? Was it a spiritual place for the soul? Or is it an actual place somewhere in heaven? Enough thinking, let’s hurry downstairs.

When I got downstairs into the bathroom, I saw Mom and the doctor inside the bathtub while Dad was embracing Mom from behind outside the bathtub. Mom was having jagged breathing while gripping the side of the tub with all her strength. Dad was with his eyes closed, chanting some prayer.

“Can you shut the f-up! This is not our first rodeo!” Mom screamed from the top of her lungs.

“Yes!” said Dad, tightening the eyelids.

“It’s almost out. Keep on pushing.”

Some minutes went by when suddenly…

“It's out. You can relax now. Cato, the warm towels.” She carefully took the baby out of the water and handed it to my mom, covering both of them. She grabbed her wand and, without incantation, cut the umbilical cord. Mom stayed in the water for a couple of more minutes, and the doctor examined her and the baby, saying it was okay. Dad and Eugina clean them both. Dad could not stop sobbing.

“Are you okay, Dad?” Mom asked Paulus while grinning.

“I don’t understand how you can be so cool in a moment like this.” Said Dad, still sobbing.

“Take a breath. Come here, let’s do it.”

Dad embraced Mom and the baby, and both put their hand on the baby’s chest.

“Sapere, Bovina, Felida, and Accipitry. We entrust this child to you. Let him grow in strength and wisdom so he can glorify your name through his actions. We ask for your blessing, for the gods.”

“What is this?” I asked the doctor.

“When a child is born, it is always dedicated to the gods, and both parents let the child feel their magic. That way, the children awaken their magic sense. Your mom will keep on embracing the children and let them feel her magic from time to time.” Explained the doctor.

I didn’t know that. I don’t remember much from my birth. I was too tired and uncomfortable to pay any attention to my surroundings, and every time I was in my mom's or Dad's arms, I would fall asleep.

“So?” Everyone in the room was looking at Mom. I was puzzled by that.

“What is going to be, Mom?” Paul was kissing the baby’s cheeks.

“Camillus. Because he will help his father and become a blacksmith.”

“Welcome, Camillus.”

I was almost ten years older than my younger sister in the old world. And more than fifteen years older than my little brother. I took care of them since they were born. I changed their diapers, played with them, provided warm food, helped with their homework, protected them from the world, and ensured they were okay. I missed them so much.

“Here, Cato.” Mom took me away from my deep thoughts.

I grab Camillus and hold him tightly in my arms. I could not keep the tears running down my cheeks. What is family? Why do I want to protect this human being with everything I've got? Oh, how much I miss you, Mama, Papa, brother, and sister. How are you doing? What or where is home?