Nausea creeped his senses and a hot bile threatened to spill as Gabriel laid weightless on his small bed. Despite the ailments caused by exhaustion many things were contributing factors delaying his needed rest.

His heart raced the moment his mind explored the past epics and many questions arose. What was that snow? Where did that music come from? Who was Roy Firestorm and who was that witch? Not to mention the magic, it almost seemed unreal.

Gabriel sat up straight and rubbed the sand from his eyes. Standing up from his bed, he took notice of the window, seeing several ravens sitting on the sill looking in. It was not uncommon to have those birds plaguing the town, however what did not make sense was the litter of pages and black feathers in his room. “...I must have left the window open,” the child concluded.

The child glanced outside through his window, feeling a sense of longing as the snow fell. It was not the same black snow as the night before, however, there were trails of black snow and feathers around the perimeter of the house.

Gabriel turned and looked down at his poems and drawings, one by one he gathered each page and admired them. His latest little rhyme still needed work, he had trouble making words but drawing it out was easier even if it did not make sense.

There were so many stars out of bound in his spiritual allegory,

a byproduct of an anxiety he couldn’t shake,

but embrace into a new core of resilience in rainbow hues.

A new found strength and resolve for adamant skin to reach new heights and stars.

He drew many bubbles trapped inside prisms and diamonds, connecting with one another in the proses he poured from the soul.

The little boy heard quiet murmurs from the first floor. Curious of what occurred below, he snuck out his room and stood at the base of the staircase. Gabriel saw his mother and a few other midwives working around the clinic. Not so much as caring for newborns, but working among the white tarps over dead bodies.

He overhears them, “Who is he?” one of the girls, Else, asked Grizelda as she jolted several notes into the clinic ledger.

“I haven’t the slightest idea, what I do know is that he will rest here till he wakes up,” Grizelda explained as she examined a caramel colored potion she worked on for a while.

“Is he a hunter sent by the church, is he a new member of the Aschfahl?” Else asked.

Grizelda, growing irritable with the useless questions, grimaced at Elsie, “We have a lot of work to do. hurry along, Else.”

“Yes, Grizelda,” the youngest midwife curtsy and wandered off around the clinic.

Grizelda let out a strained sigh and looked up towards the stairs where she locked eyes with Gabriel, the child automatically smiled and waved to his beautiful mother. She smiled back and blew him a tender kiss and crossed him.

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The little boy steadied himself and tiptoed down the staircase ready to throw his arms around his mother, who crouched and set the ledger down to pick up her son. “My sweet little prince,” she cooed and pressed tender kisses all over Gabriel’s head and face. “You mustn't be down here, I will take a meal up to your room.”

“Is everything okay? Where is papa?”

“Papa is outside with the Aschfal,” Grizelda said with the sweetest tone. “I will tell him to go see you, I do not want you to run off on your own,” she joked.

“Where is Roy?” Gabriel never saw his mother falter before but something about the way she froze for a few moments weighed heavier on his shoulder causing a mild sting to pierce through the back of his neck.

“Gabriel? Are you okay?” The midwife skilled in her field quickly noticed his pain.

“Grizelda!” Johan called as he rushed into the clinic holding a child in his arms and right behind a woman, who Gabriel assumed was the mother, rushed in. “We got a cursed child!” he shouted as he ran in the examination room. Grizelda had a moment of hesitation, she looked towards another midwife, Matilda, and she quickly took Gabriel up the stairs.

Matilda just dropped Gabriel in his room, “stay here…” she said with a mean look in her eyes.

“Matilda, my back really hurts-” before he could even finish his sentence the midwife slams the door in his face.

It was loud downstairs, it is to be expected when a cursed child came in. The child screamed in pain, almost nothing alleviates them and when a sedative does take effect it is only temporary. Most of the time they don’t make it, Gabriel hoped this one could.

Gabriel sat there quietly as the sting on his back grew from irritable to excruciating, he knew better not to interrupt his parents in their work.

The smaller Amesthyn turned and stared at the window. Something didn’t look right. There was a creepy grinning face staring right at him outside through the open window ready to crawl inside. It looked like an old woman with black eyes and rotted teeth. “We are coming for you, Gabriel…” she laughed. “We will eat you Gabriel!”

Bile sat at his throat, and the pain in his back creeped down his spine. Gabriel sobbed, “Papa… papa…” unable to get an answer he called louder, “Papa! Papa!”

The door burst open with Johan stepping into Gabriel’s room. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Gabriel pointed at the window, “witches! They are trying to get me!” The child screamed as he latched on to his father.

Soon after, his mother Grizelda entered the room almost out of breath. “What is going on?” she asked.

Johan plucked the little Amesthyn and held him close. “He said witches are after him, but I don’t see or sense any.”

The midwife inspected the room and made sure the window was closed before walking back to Gabriel and Johan. “Could it be that he is stressed over his encounter…?” Grizelda said as she rubbed the back of the crying child soothingly. His mother was really gifted in healing, it was no wonder many trusted her when it came to the weak and sick, just with her touch Gabriel felt weightless which eased the tension in his vessel.

“I am afraid so… We are responsible for this, Grizelda… we really should be paying more attention…” Johan said as he pressed his forehead against Gabriel’s. “I think it would be appropriate if he slept with us for the time being.” The way his father spoke with such a strong tone, along with the way he pillared himself and his family made Gabriel feel safer and untouchable.

“I couldn't agree more,” Grizelda said. “Gabriel, sweet prince…” she cooed and wiped his tears gently with her clean handkerchief. “It’s alright, there are no witches, see?” She walked further into the room and picked up the ancient book by his night stand, and his crucifix. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” She prayed softly into the distraught boy’s ear.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Johan quoted with a confident smile.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Both Johan and Grizelda recited slowly lulling their little lamb to rest and relaxed in their arms.