The breeze blew from the north, across the farms and gentle rolling hills of Mercadale. As it travelled it gently shook the budding leaves of the trees in the orchards and young grains of the farmland swayed gently as it passed. Gifting the farm labourers with it refreshing coolness from the heat of the sun. It blew passed the town of Grendeen, down a a narrow winding lane passed a girl in a flowering grove and through the cottage of Mary Dean.
Mary looked up and breathed deeply from the fresh breeze and frowned. The old woman stood up and hobbled, with the aid of a stick, out of the cottage, beyond her fence to the grove just off the lane. But she did not enter the grove itself. Instead she stood between the trees at it's edge intently watching. A girl sat in front of a large stone, the last remanent of the mother she had never known. As she watched the girl with long black hair sat absent-mindedly arranging flowers while chattering away quietly. After a few moments the girl sighed deeply. Picked up a withered flower and held it in the palm of her hand. Muttering a few word she brought the flower to her mouth and blew gently over it. The girl smiled as the flower returned to it's former beauty. She gave a little laugh"it worked!"
Mary took a step into the grove then, purposely stepping on a twig. As it snapped the girls smile dropped and she scrambled to stand up and face the intruder hiding the rejuvenated flower behind her back. The initial look to fright turn to guilt as she recognised her guardian.
For a moment the grove was silent. Eventually Mary spoke in a stern crackled voice. "So today is indeed the day of your birth." She appraised the girl before her narrowing her eyes in scrutiny. "Let me see it."
The girl was hesitant but obediently brought her hand holding the flower in front of her for Mary to see. The old lady couldn't help but be amused at the downcast looking girl in front of her but forced her self to keep a straight face and her voice stern. "Not bad. Effective enough but." she knocked the flower from the girls hand they both watched as it withered and turned to dust before it reached the ground. "it's a good thing it was it was just a flower and nothing more complex. AND!" Then she took a sudden step forward startling the girl. "it is a very good thing it was only me who saw that little trick!" The girl flinched as she spoke sharply. It was necessary, magic was not some childish game. The girl before her was now of the edge of tears and Mary sighed and spoke more gently
"Come inside now Claire. It is time for your medicine and learning."
Mary turned away and started to hobble back towards the cottage. Once fully turned she allowed her lips to turn up. This girl is turning into a woman but still she knew exactly the petulant look that would now be on the girls face.
Back inside the their home Mary settled into her wicker chair as Claire put on the kettle and gathered papers from a small table next to her bed. Tea was made and all was placed on the window ledge near where Mary sat waiting. When Claire had finished her preparations she knelt down on a cushion in front of Mary.
Mary admired the girl before her for a moment. Remembering the baby she had once been and the child that she had brought up. Now before her was a beautiful young woman. She had grown up with a wonderful nature about her that naturally drew people too love her. Her emerald green eyes just like her mothers. Her other features and black hair clearly taking after the man that had fathered her. Mary had taught Claire many things about who she was but much to the child's annoyance refused to give details on who her parents really were. She claimed ignorance but they both knew in truth she knew more.
"Let's begin. I would like you to start with the origin of the Alpha's"
Claire sighed. She was a smart girl but she had a particular resentment for reciting history.
"Before the Alpha's all people were equal in birth." She began in a bored monotone voice, reciting the word she had learnt so many times. "As humans developed some people grew stronger than others. But their children's abilities still varied greatly. Until the warlock Lord Bowten use his powers to enhance the children in his wife's womb. Each child born of this spell was born strong, smart and with a great immunity against illness and disease. As his children grew, there outstanding nature was noticed and admired.
Bowten family grew is power and wealth as other gave much to have their own children born with his spell. The new generation of alpha's, as they because known, flourished and grew. They surpassed there own parents even when young. Many started to act on their superiority suppressing those of normal birth, now called beta's. There was much unrest at this time. When the children came of age to marry and bare children of their own it became clear that Bowten spells would be needed to continue the line of Alpha's.
But the strain of constant magic and age eventually caught up with Lord Bowten. He had spent so much time casting spells and researching a longer term solution he had not properly trained apprentices to succeed him. Bowten died in his study.
His apprentices tried their best but within 5 years they had all been executed for their failures. Each creating a new breed of human, not alpha's. Magician and witches were despised. So Alpha's captured and gather those with magic to force them to continue the research but many refused and suffered terribly for it.
It was 15 years later that it was learnt that one of his apprentices, Mathias.. eerr Mathias Krieger? I think. It turned out that one of the new humans he had created could produce Alpha's. His own children and that of those he had cast spells on all produced Alpha's. But Alpha's were in their hundred and only 100 had been born with this new ability.
Power hungry Alpha's tore these young people from their families even those who had already been married. The Omega's as they are now called, were fought over and sold off to help the alpha produce alpha heirs. Even the male Omegas, it was found were able to produce children.
But still Alpha's can not produce more alpha's so the problem was not solved until it it was discovered that some of the omegas young had been born omegas. The parents of these rare children had tried to keep their existence a secret but they were sold out. It was after that discovery the birthing camps were organised. The Alpha's needed more omega's to continue their line. So the Omegas were gathered together to produce as many children as possible so that as many Omega's could be produced." Claire paused her recital and pulled a face of disgust. "I was born in one of those camps."
"Yes" Mary replied sadly. "Who knows how many brother and sisters your mother bore before you. But at least she had a little time with you child. Now tell me how you can identify, the different breed of humans."
Claire breathed in deeply. "Alpha's are born with above average strength, intelligence and resistance to illness. Their physical appearance is like all humans apart from additional glands found behind each ear. Beta's are just normal human's. Omega's like alpha's are born with above average strength, intelligence and resistance to illness but don't have the gland's behind the ears but on the groin." Claire stopped, believing she was finished.
"2 more." Mary said cheerily looking at Claire knowingly. The omega's had not been the only new humans created even if history chooses to ignore their existence.
"Oh, yea. Gamma human's born with above average strength and immunity but weak minds. Have abnormally small heads and brains. Delta's born with extreme intelligence, even greater than a alpha's, but frail bodies and immunity." Claire bit her lip trying to remember the next details. "When first born were originally mistaken for Alpha's because of the gland behind their ears but these shrivel and fade after 2 years? Is that right?" She looked up at Mary.
"Yes that is correct. Now can you tell me why these other 2 species of human still exist?"
Claire giggled a little "Because they are very fertile, and reproduce their own every time."
"Correct, but also because they are useful to the alpha's. We do not see them around here but it is said in the capital Gamma's are used for hard labour even front line soldiers. Delta's intelligence was the one that came up with the idea of the birthing farms."
Mary shuffled in her chair to make her self more comfortable.
"Well done. Now to learn something new."
Claire drew herself up straight in anticipation. So many of these lessons were just her repeating facts and words for spells that she wasn't allowed to use or didn't work for her.
"Well my dear. It appears today is your true birth date as I said to you earlier. Now you might wonder why it is that I can confirm it today? Hmm?" She lent forward and looked down at Claire waiting for her to respond.
Claire in turn twisted her face in thought. "but you always said this is the date I arrived here." she looked up confused.
"Ah yes true." Sitting back comfortably again. "but you mother never told me clearly she escaped with you on the day of your birth. And well teleporting magic is complicated. Sometimes not only distance is travelled." Mary rubbed her chin with her fingers absent-mindedly. "I once heard of a magician travelling 5 years into the future. The worst part was for him that is those 5 years he was to go bold. Time catches up with up all and well his what would have been gradual hair loss happened in matter of minutes." She laughed at the tale. Claire sat silent with narrowed eyes. She was never quite sure if Aunty Mary as making it up.
"Well anyway. Today the northern breeze blew. A sign of great change and it brought on it your truth didn't it?" she look expectantly at Claire who just looked back blankly.
The older woman sighed. "Don't pretend you have felt no change. An omegas life cycle is very clear cut. On the day marking your 16th birthday...." She looked again at the girl whose eyes widened for a second in realisation then went down cast in embarrassment. "And you left the cottage grounds and tested your magic before telling me hhmmm?"
Claire cowered away from her aunts scrutiny.
"Well.." she started in a small voice.
"I did not raise a mouse. Speak up girl!" Mary reprimanded sharply.
Claire bit her lip. "I..I just wanted to talk to mum and well.. you know see if I was right... I just.."
"You just put all mine and your mother efforts in danger!" Now she had come to talk about it anger grew at the possibilities this child had not taken into account.. "You discovered your gland open. Don't take your medicine and leave the safety of the fence. What if the wind had blown in a different direction? What if an Alpha had been nearby. Never mind the fact you were practising magic out in the open anyone could have see you!" Her hands flew wildly about her head as she got more animated. "Don't you realise...." her voice cut out and she took a shaky breath in. "Don't you realise what could have happened." Mary's face crumpled as her anger fizzled out. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "how many times have I warned you, prepared you for today of all days and still..."
Claire looked at the floor ashamed. Aunty Mary had always been so patient with her. And it was not till now she realised how foolish her actions earlier had been. She had been taught, the day her glands opened would be the day the pheromones they produce would be most potent. Even her mothers ageing spell wouldn't be able to conceal it. Aunty Mary's had cast charms her beloved fence to protect them. Including one that would mask any scent coming off from Claire.
Claire had lived her life as a beta. Easy enough is an area of predominately betas when the only physical difference between then was well hidden. The Alpha Lord of the region, Duke Kingston, had little interest in the betas so rarely left his complex other than to travel to the capital. Every year there would be a presenting, as they called it. The Duke's men would visit every town. It was all under the guise of keeping informed of population matters. Elders would give report and speeches to all the folk from the area who were force to attend. Aunty Mary had told Claire the truth that many knew. In fact it was an excuse to screen the populous. Trained Alpha would walk through the crowds during the speeches, breathing in deeply. Claire always thought it very creepy. Even more so when Aunty Mary told her the reason why. Alphas can smell the pheromones given off by Alphas and Omegas.
It was rare, but every so often one would be born from beta's due to latent genes from ancestors. Aunty Mary had explained that Claire's mother had used her last of her life force to put a spell on her that suppressed her pheromones. Even the seekers hadn't found her yet. But her mothers spell was 15 years old and not as effective as it once was. Aunty Mary had warned her as that the onset of her Adulthood and the opening of her omega gland would slowly breakdown the spell. Claire had to drink a vile medicine that her Aunt had swore would extend the potency of the spell and was not even allow to leave the cottage if she had not taken it.
"The presenting will be in a few days." the old woman croaked pulling Claire out of her thoughts. "I have taught you how to control your emotions and your body so that you can close the gland. You will practice that. And nothing else. Until you can do it with ease. I doubt it will be comfortable but you must master this before you can leave this cottage again. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND!" Mary looked pointedly at the girl until she nodded in agreement. Contented enough with that response she continued in a calmer tone. I will prepare a more potent solution for the day of the presenting." Claire grimaced dreaded to think what she would have to swallow. "I want to you to start practising now. You remember the words from the ease of comfort spell?" Claire nodded again vigorously eyes still downcast. "Then let us begin."
No sooner had the words been spoken that there was a twinkling sound alerting them that someone had entered the fence. Moments later a familiar voice called out. "Miss Dean. Miss Dean?"
It was a boy from the village. There was a moment of relief between the women that it was a friend. Mary opened the door just as the boy was about to knock. "Miss Dean it's my brother!" The boy burst out. Frank Singer was a 14 year old lad from a family of farmers. The distress in his manner clear. "Miss it got worse as you said it would. He's been home all week and no better mother thinks he's dying!" He continued.
Aunty Mary was known in the area as a gifted healer so such calls were not unusual. She had already started to pull on her boot. "Tell me boy. Has his mother been giving him the herbs I told her too?"
"Yes Mam, with every meal, with out fail." As Mary walked out the door Frank caught sight of Claire. "Oh miss C C Claire I didn't see you there." In the time it had taken to say those words he had turned bright red.
Aunty Mary raised an eyebrow with a smirk in Claire's direction. Even without her omega pheromones to help. She was quite popular with the lads.
Claire ignored Franks embarrassment and was about to follow Aunty Mary out, as she regularly followed to assist her, when she was pushed harshly back through the door. Claire caught her self from falling backwards and looked up in surprise. "But"
The look on Aunt Mary's face was clear. "You stay here. You have important things to be doing. You hear me."
"But.."
"Don't take one step out of this house until I return you hear me.!" she stared Claire down until she agreed. It did not go unnoticed that Frank singer seems a bit disappointed in this development but the urgency of his errand meant he had little time to dwell on it.
Claire breathed out deeply as she closed the door of the cottage.
Claire's practises paid off eventually but Aunty Mary did not return that night. Leaving Claire alone and very bored.