STIGMA

INTRO

She panted heavily as she ran in the dark woods, her legs cutting so many distance in a split second. If it wasn't for the sound of her legs rustling against the leaves and the raucous men chasing after her from behind, she was damn sure her stolid breath would've been overheard.

"Faster!!!"

"We're losing her!!!"

"Lura would have our heads if we let her go!"

The men yelled from behind, and tho she was scared, she made no attempt to look at them.

The little one whined in her arms - the little one which she held to her chest, wrapped in a thick fabric. She must be so scared and tired from all the running already.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry" the woman whimpered and increased her pace.

How does she lose the men behind her? The forest was extremely dark with just a dim reflection of the moonlight aiding her path.

A light sob racked her throat and suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on her leg which threw her to the floor.

"Argh!!!" She cried out, unimaginable pains coursing through her body.

Her baby got loose from her arms and rolled to the floor, also letting out her own cry.

"No....!" The mother whimpered, holding onto her leg.

She could tell she'd been shot with an arrow - an arrow poisoned with Sitos, one of the witches' greatest poisons. No one can survive it.... No one.

Her baby.... her Baby....

She repudiated the pains and crawled to where her baby was, drawing her close and placing her next to her chest as her back hit the floor. No doubt, the men would definitely be catching up with her now.

"Your fight is over, Ayita" she suddenly heard a voice, that menacing female voice.

She'd known it was her; she'd known the poisoned arrow came from her.

She looked up and could see her standing there in the dark, dressed in her long black dress; so long, it swept the floor.

"Lura, please...." The woman on the floor winced.

"You really think you can run away from your judgement, Ayita? " She snapped in.

"You thought you were smart enough to escape the penalty for your foolishness?"

Sobs racked her throat.

"My child has nothing to do with this.... please, don't hurt her...."

"Your daughter has EVERYTHING to do with this!" A lightening cracked the sky as Lura spoke angrily.

"Your daughter, Ayita, is a curse. She became a curse the very day you mated with one of our enemies and begat her. You broke one of our sacred rules, Ayita, and you and your hybrid daughter has to pay for it!"

"She won't be a problem... I've made sure of that. Please Lura, you have to listen to me....."

"You're a witch, Ayita; one of our best. You shouldn't have fallen for an enemy and worst, have a child for him. You disappointed me".

"No, please..."

"Talking time is over, Ayita!" Her roar caused another crack in the sky.

The men chasing Ayita had already gotten to the spot and all stopped to watch.

"As the Queen of the Oceanic Witches of the West, I hereby sentence you, Ayita and your daughter, to death" she stretched out her hand towards her direction and that was the moment Ayita knew her life would come to an end - if she didn't do a thing.

There was only thing she could do - fighting Lura. But with the poison in her system, using her powers would definitely drain and kill her. But her baby.... she had no choice.

So, just when Lura was about using the wand, Ayita let out a loud scream - one that caused a thunderstorm this time around.

The vibration cracked the sky and quaked the trees around, Lura was taken abacked.

"Ayita!!!!!!" She roared the name in agony and quickly released the powers from her wand, but it was already too late as a howling wind swept her off her feet, took her so far, she cut a tree off it's root before crashing along with it.

The men around were not left out as the wind also howled them away.

No one would survive that; Ayita was certain

And few minutes later, after the scream, the entire place became still and calm. It was so calm; only the perkings of the crickets could be heard, and the sharp cry of the little one.

Ayita could feel the strength departing from her already - every single strength, her hand could barely hold her little one beside her.

"I love you, baby...." She muttered weakly and finally.

She heard someone whispered : “Take the baby. Don’t let anyone know she is the next........”

her eyes went close in sleep.

23 YEARS LATER

In a dimmed - light room. Four women could be seen in it; one on the bed, and three surrounding the one on the bed.

"Arghhhh....!!!!!" The one on the bed screamed, her eyes going extremely tight in agony.

Her legs were knee bent and wide opened, granting enough access to the mid-wives.

"Harder, Nosheba! I can see the baby's head already!" The chief mid-wife urged and it gave the weak woman some hope as she took her lips into her mouth and pushed hard - harder than she could. She had to bit her inner cheeks.

This was her second time giving birth and she was really hoping it'd be a boy. She had prayed day and night to the moon goddess to make it a boy so she could be the one to give the Alpha an heir!

But, why was it so difficult this time around?

"One more time....!" The mid wife yelled.

And another push - "Arghhhh.........!"

And pup! Came the baby's round head.

A gasp escaped from the other three women as they meticulously pulled out the head until the two tiny legs came pulling out as well. A sharp tiny cry erupted the room immediately.

Unlike every other birth, the mid-wives didn't break out for joy instantly as they had one more thing to confirm.

The chief was the one doing the job and nervously, her eyes went down to the baby's legs - in between. And her heart skipped heavily when she saw the small pelvic.

Fear and disappointment ran through her face.

"Ahiga, what is it?" One of the two asked, her eyes wide with curiosity and anxiety.

Her heart was on her throat as she awaited the answer.

Ahiga - the chief mid-wife stared dreadfully at the baby before looking up at her co worker.

"It's a female" she finally said and instantly transferred the fear and disappointment on her face to them.

"Oh! Blessed Selene!" The second one exclaimed.

The baby was still crying and the chief looked at the mother who had already fallen asleep.

This was really bad; really bad - she thought.

"Kimi, you should go tell the King about it. He's waiting outside and not hearing the Queen scream anymore, but a baby crying, he definitely knows the baby's out". The chief said while placing the crying baby on the floor.

"What?? And why should I be the one to do it, Ahiga? You are our leader. It should be carried out by you" the second mid wife - kimi- retorted immediately.

"But you're always the one who goes out to inform the couples of the sex of their child, Kimi. What are you saying?" Ahiga asked, her worried face belying the strict tone of her voice.

"I do that with normal couples, not.... someone like the King" Kimi replied.