Prologue

Prologue

TREVOR DEMKAR

X

undar is a magical place not for peace but for diversity. Everyone, whether you are an angel or a sorcerer, has power, but I secretly want more. This place has food, love, and lavishness, yet something is missing. I’m the most powerful being here except for Valcrum. We were created in Valcrum’s image and given the power he deemed fit for us. Why should our power be limited?

Everywhere I look I see green. The lush foliage that covers the grounds and the vast trees that stretch across the realm bore me. The pink flowers of Henstar have a sweet coconut aroma, which tickles my nose. My heart raced as I heard heavy footsteps approaching. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dylan Johnson.

“What is the matter Trevor?” asked Dylan, as he pulled a dark purple berry from a tree and popped it into his mouth.

“Don’t you want to see more?” I said. “I’ve grown bored of the trees and grass.” The wind flowed over me and I closed my eyes allowing myself to drift southward. When I opened my eyes, I stood at the bank of enchantment. Its waters were blue and the currents stronger than the night before. I dove into the water plunging deeper beneath the surface. I swam until every cell in my body vibrated and fuzziness gathered in my mind. The further I swam away from the surface the darker the water became, and the temperature turned cold.

Changing directions, I swam to the top. My head popped out of the water and my eyes burned in the sunlight.

Dylan ran his fingers through his hair yanking at his tousled locks. “What are you doing?”

“I am trying to swim to the bottom.” Dylan is smart but he always asks dumb questions. Water drops fell from my body while crawling out of the water.

“Everyone knows that the bank of enchantment is bottomless. You will die trying to see the bottom.”

“Maybe but maybe not. One day I will see the bottom for myself.” I’m tired of Valcrum’s laws. Why did he give us power then put limitations on it? I want to see the bottom of the bank for myself. I want to know what will happen if I see it; my powers should protect me from death.

“Do you want to travel to Realm of Vertum,” asked Dylan?

“I want to see what is beyond the Realm of Xundar. What else is below this spiritual realm? What kinds of creatures live there? You must be curious too, Dylan.”

“Valcrum has forbidden us to leave Xundar. Xundar is home and all that we know; leaving it might kill us,” said Dylan.

“I’m leaving Xundar. I’m going down there.” I pointed downward through the white fluffy clouds and jumped.

My body soared through the clouds as I plummeted downward. I landed with a thud upon the hard ground. The brown soil that covered the ground didn’t look much different from the soil up in Xundar. Black crows feasted on the dead carcass of a four-legged animal with fur. It was much too small to be a Garmulet. The animal had one head when Garmulet’s have three. Getting to my feet, I walked toward the woods.

Something smelled like decay. Looking down I noticed the brown stains on the bottom of my pants. I dabbed my finger in the glob and brought it to my nose. This place didn’t smell sweet like Xundar, and there was death and feces covering the land.

Interesting.

Closing my eyes, I envisioned my clothes clean and olive green in color. The material darkened and changed clinging to my muscular limbs. I’m glad some of my powers work in this place. Leaves on the trees shifted in the breeze that flowed from above. Something or someone was coming. My feet barely touched the ground as I rushed through the forest. Who knows what dangers lurk on this planet?

Thick mist made it hard to travel putting two feet in front of me, so I took to the trees. Once I scaled the tree branches, I perched on the highest limb. A harmonious sound drifted to my ears. Jumping to the next tree, I waited to get a glimpse of who was making that sound. I saw a female human. She had long blonde wavy hair flowed about her as she skipped through the trees humming along with the birds. She was painfully beautiful. Her alabaster skin looked like porcelain.

These humans looked like us but without power and immortality. I’ve always thought of humans like birds, something small and insignificant. Why would Valcrum keep us from this planet? I floated to the tree adjacent to the tree she stood underneath. She belongs to me. She and I will have a beautiful life in Xundar.

Closing my eyes, I envisioned several wolves. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw three, mangy, wet, dark grey wolves heading toward her. Jumping down from the tree I approached her. She startled and turned toward me.

“You scared me,” she said. Her yellow dress flowed about her.

“I won’t hurt you.” I placed my hands in the air, so I appeared less threatening to a female in the woods alone.

“What is your name?” She backed away from me her fingers clutching at the ends of her dress.

“My name is Trevor Demkar.”

“My name is Lily Lawson. It’s nice to meet you.” She turned and started walking the other way.

“I’d love to talk to you some more. Don’t rush off.” My nose twinkled, as I smelled the scent of wolf dander in the air.

“I’d love to stay longer but I can’t. I must get back to my mother. She’s ill right now and I’m taking care of her.” She bent down and picked up a wooden basket full of blackberries.

“Can you help me find my phone? It’s the only one I have.” I turned and looked at the ground and walked north toward the wolves. I pointed toward the direction I had met her and kept walking. Once I was a few feet ahead of her I disappeared up the tree.

“Sure. Where were you last?” asked Lily. She stopped next to every tree looking for my phone.

That dress was so beautiful I hated to ruin it. Her butt looked nice and firm in the material. I allowed my mind to slide inside the wolves making them famished and yearning for the next kill. Once they thirsted for blood, I drew them to her.

The ground pounded as the wolves rushed toward her. She looked up and all three wolves appeared in the mist surrounding her.

“Trevor!” She screamed my name then ran in the opposite direction but stopped short when the black alpha wolf took three steps toward her.

I savored hearing her call my name. The frantic panic that made her voice edgy didn’t dull my excitement. This wouldn’t be the last time that she called my name. I promised that I wouldn’t hurt her and, after today, I won’t. Why should she want to stay here on earth taking care of her mother when she can be with me?

What’s a little pain? She will never have to hurt or feel sickness again. Surely that is worth a little pain today. I’m sure she knows that she can’t outrun a wolf let alone a pack of wolves. Her death is imminent. I hope she allows it to be quick, but if she does not; I’ll get to see her feisty side.

Lily backed up. She looked behind her and saw the three wolves. Jumping up she grabbed a tree branch. The grey wolf ran toward her. She swung and hit it in the face. Before she could lift the branch again the black wolf leaped in the air and bit her neck. Her screams echoed through the woods as she tried to fight the wolf. A few minutes later the black wolf had torn a huge bite from her neck and her legs shook as blood colored the dirt.

The wind suddenly changed. Turning I grabbed Dylan by the neck.

“What are you doing here?” Dropping my hands, I narrowed my eyes at him. His scent was very different. His aura was green. He had mated.

“I like planet earth. What happened here?” asked Dylan.

“These wolves were hungry.” I shrugged and turned toward her just as the wolf ripped off her right leg.

“Too bad, you cannot use your power to save her. We had better get back to Xundar soon before someone notices we’re gone,” said Dylan.

“I would have helped her if I could. You smell of mating. Whom did you mate with down here?” The stench was pungent and not at all enticing.

“There was a beautiful creature running through the mountains. I followed it and we mated,” said Dylan.

“Let’s get back.” Dylan always liked hairy creatures. It was something about them that excited him. Valcrum forbids us from mating with creatures because the offspring is not in his image. Dylan’s indiscretion could cause Valcrum’s wrath to rain down on us. I’ve gotten my Lily so there’s no reason to come back down here.

“When are we coming back down here,” asked Dylan.

The wolves had run off. There was not much left of Lily. I saw her spirit ascend to the sky.

“We can never come back down here. You were right. There’s nothing for us here and we do not want Valcrum to find out.” I rushed through the forest. The sky had darkened, and time had passed without me noticing it. Valcrum could be waiting for us as we speak. The thought brought a shiver up my body.

“If I come a few more times Valcrum might not find out,” said Dylan.

“If you have fathered an offspring Valcrum will unleash your spirit in the realm of torture where you will be tortured for all of eternity. Do you want that?”

“No. It is best that we never come back or speak of tonight ever again,” said Dylan.

“Yes. That is the best. You have had all day Dylan.”