Darkness

All encompassing never ending darkness as far as the eye could see, or as far as one could see when they supposedly had no eyes; or a body for that matter. Darren had been ‘floating’ in this space for as long as he could remember. 'Wait this is the exact same as when I met the Gods. But I thought I was to be..' That's when he finally clued in on his peculiar situation 'I haven't been born yet have I?' He tried to move around a bit and to his surprise found he had arms and legs, a whole body even. 'Ah, it's not that I can't see I just can't open my eyes yet and even if I could it would be the same as keeping them closed anyway's' he mused to himself.

Suddenly he could hear a sound. It was high and then low, changing in volume, but he couldn't quite make out what it was as the noises couldn't reach his ears quite well. 'Is that singing? Is.. is that my mother?' The sounds continued for a while, Darren feeling warmer and happier by the minute for some reason. It was almost as if he could physically feel how his mother loved him already even though she had yet to meet him. He kicked out in response to the music, letting her know that he was there and could hear her voice.

The sounds stopped and were replaced by a new one that sounded excited and higher in volume, Another sound joined into the first but this one was deep and joyful. 'My father?' the darkness around him felt as if it was pressing in a little on his left side. 'Ah, he must be pressing on my mother's stomach to see if he can feel me move. People did that on earth too.' Deciding to oblige his new father, Darren kicked out again but towards where the pressure was.

In response, he heard a loud sound that could only be laughter coming through from his father. Deep and booming yet full of love and excitement. This continued for a while, Darren kicking out every once in a while in response to the pressure around him. Eventually fading out of consciousness as his body and mind went to sleep.

This continued for many days, Darren spending his time in the darkness feeling warm and comfortable, listening to the sounds his mother and father produced outside. Happy to already belong to a loving and caring family and excited at the prospect of meeting them. One day something in the darkness changed, his body felt a pressure against it that he'd never felt before. 'Is it finally that time?' He waited a while until he felt it again, pressure all around him, his body being moved ever so slightly in one direction 'It is the day. My mother must have gone into labor.' The pressure continued to build until it was happening every minute or so. He could hear the voice of his father encouraging his mother over her screams. Another voice had joined as well, one that sounded as if it belonged to another woman. 'That's most likely the doctor assisting mother' The new voice was talking in a soothing tone, likely trying to guide his mother through his birth.

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Finally, after what seemed like hours, Darren left the warm darkness and was thrust into the new world. The world of new adventures and possibilities. Thrust right into the waiting arms of a hulking bear. 'Wait! I thought I was being born as a human!' The booming voice of the one he associated as his father in the darkness was coming out of the bear "Aeten erf alro braga thronin" he exclaimed while wrapping Darren in a blanket and wiping the viscera and fluids of Darren's mother off his body. 'What is this monster saying, do bears have their own language in this world?' As his eyes cleared he finally noticed that it wasn't a bear who held him, it was only a giant man covered in hair and a massive beard. 'Ah, I guess he must be speaking the language they speak here.. that makes more sense' His father spoke some more towards the third person in the room. A wizened elderly woman who only smiled and nodded in response before walking out and closing the door.

'My father looks like how I'd imagine a Viking would. Does this mean I'm going to look like that as I grow older?' As Darren mused about his future his father beamed down at him, cooing at him and wagging a finger in front of his face. Darren made a small noise in response. His father's smile widened and he started laughing which made Darren shake in his giant arms. A few moments later his father walked Darren over to who he could only presume was his mother.

She was lying on the only bed in the room hair splayed out all around her on the pillows soaked in sweat. It was a lovely reddish color but what really caught his attention were her eyes, they were an amber color and showed nothing but happiness contrary to the rest of her which looked tired after the ordeal. She was smiling widely and focusing all her attention on him and him alone. She reached out to him and took his small body gently from his father. Staring down at him as she softly rocked him in her slender arms. 'She's beautiful, I hope I get more of her genes than the bear man's.' Reaching down, she stroked his face with one of her hands, it was warm and soft on his skin and he enjoyed the feeling which elicited a small noise from his mouth. His mother smiled down at him as his father sat down beside her, both of them leaning on one another as they watched Darren slowly get more and more tired.

'This is going to be a nice life' he thought to himself as he slowly drifted off to sleep the way babies tend to do.

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"He has your eyes Laela, your father's chin as well." The man said to his wife while staring down at their newest family member.

"Yes, he also has your nose and cheeks Jarik." Laela said to her husband. "Now that we know it's a boy have you thought of a name? I'd chosen Lynne for a girl but none for a boy."

"Aye, I have just the thing my beautiful wife." He looked once more at his son before turning to kiss her on the forehead "He'll be Alder. Alder Skoven