Shades Part 1
#1 of Shades
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my hands. I was going to be sold tomorrow. My hands looked so...normal. Petite really considering I'm male, but I knew deep within them were the symbols of those demons that roamed the world. Shades are what the humans called them. Creatures of varying shapes and sizes, but there are two things they all share. A black aura with insignia's flowing all across their bodies is the first. The second is their need for blood. Shades have an incredible dark power, a dark power that is based from the lifeblood of others. They kill relentlessly to sustain themselves and their strength. That being why they are so feared. Why I am so feared...and hated. As for how I became this repulsive half-breed, my mother was a slave to a evil man. He beat and raped her as he pleased. It makes me sick to my stomach to say that man is my father. He never touched me though thanks to my mother. She made sure I was always out of his reach, even if it meant putting herself within it. As I grew older though, he began to take more interest in me. I recall, when I was around age 10, I was scrubbing the kitchen floor when he walked in. My mother was cleaning dishes and was very cautious when he and I were in the same room. He walked up to me and gently caressed my face. I was trembling, frightened he might try and hurt me.
He forced me to look him in the eyes and whispered to me, "Well my little one, you sure are growing into your true potential. Mommy can't protect you forever, and I plan on enjoying your virgin body as much as I do your mother's."
Tears streamed down my face as he walked off with a smirk. My mother had heard every word and she knew it was all true. And so she resolved herself to find a way for me to stay safe and protect myself if need be. One night, I was awoken from my sleep by my mother. She sneaked out of our master's room and took me to an old cottage on the edge of a nearby swamp. The home of a witch. My mother knocked on the door and a hideous old hag answered it. She wore a black cloak with the hood up, yet strands of scraggly white hair made their way down her face.
"Everything is prepared," she told my mother in a raspy voice.
We were ushered inside and I screamed as I saw what she had within the rotting home. It was a shade, no bigger than me, and somewhat human-like with the exception of the black aura and extra limbs jutting from it's body. It struggled against chains, suspended above the creaking floors.
My mother gave me a tight hug and kiss before giving me my instructions.
"Sweetheart, Ms. Lockheart is going to perform a ritual. It will give you the power to defend yourself. Please, do not stop her for any reason and do as she says. And remember...never let go of your humanity."
I was confused by her words but understood that I needed to do as I was told. It was what I had been doing my whole life. She gave me one more hug before leaping into the clutches of the struggling shade. It grabbed her with deformed hands and sunk its fangs into her, tearing at her flesh and releasing her blood.
"MOTHER!" I screamed and ran at her only to be stopped by the witch.
"Stop child and sit down over there," she said pointing to a cleared area of the house.
I sat and watched in horror as my mother's lifeless body fell to the floor and her blood swirled in the air around the shade before it absorbed it. The black aura became even thicker as it became more powerful. It let out an incomprehensible roar before the old hag drew a dagger from her sleeve and cleanly slit the demon's throat. The smoke coating it's body withdrew into the blood now pouring into a bowl the witch produced. Once full, she poured the shade's blood into a circle surrounding me. She filled it once more and placed it in front of me. It was red like any other person's, with the exception of the dark symbols strolling across it. The witch began to speak in a tongue that seemed oddly familiar. I recognized it as the language of shades, assuming it to be a language at all. Gutteral roars is what it sounded more like. The symbols rose from the bloody circle around me began to swirl. Once she had finished her chant, the witch instructed me to place my hands in the bowl. I did so and all of the floating insignias' were sucked into the bowl and through my hands, absorbed into my body. I started to choke on the dark power as symbols ran across my body and a black aura emanated from my being. I fell backwards and began to writhe on the floor as my body took hold of this demonic power. Once the symbols faded, I was left panting and sweating on the floor. My soul felt...tainted. The witch stood by and merely watched as I regained myself. I sat up and looked at my hands. I clutched them into a tight fist and watched as the dark aura and symbols enveloped them. I had the power to protect myself...now to learn to use it. I decided to try it out and put my palm on the floor. I guided with my heart a shadow that sneaked across the old wood before stopping it at the bowl. I released the power and a crooked obsidian spike rose from the ground and shattered the bowl to pieces.
"Amazing..." The old witch said to herself.
I looked up at her and gently slid my long black hair out of my face. All of that pain and fear...It turned into anger. I wasn't a timid little boy anymore. I had power...and a wicked scowl spread along my face. The witch seemed to have noticed my personality change and spoke up.
"You would do well to heed your mother's advice, lest you become a blood-thirsty creature like all the rest."
She was right. I was still human...half-human anyways. I composed myself, giving only an irritated expression.
"Well now what? Go back to my dear old dad?" I said sarcastically.
"Hehehe...I'm afraid not my dear. I've made preparations for you to be taken far away from here. To a city actually. However, you will still be a slave. So do try to mind your place. And be careful when using that power. People fear it...and they will despise you for possessing it. I am hopeful my dear. You will do just fine. Now, come along. The ship will be leaving any minute now."
She gave me a black cloak like hers to wear. Better than the rags my cheritable master gave me. We walked along a muddy trail, lit with a lantern the old hag has. We made it into the nearby port town of Luinsk. A German Shepherd in official looking clothes was waiting around a ship with passengers already on board. We approached him and he looked me over. I gave him a dirty look which made his lips curl in a smile. He then turned his attention to my guide.
"This him?" He asked.
"Yes. I no longer have any want for a slave and he could use a bit of slave education," she said glancing me.
"Heh..." I said, wondering just how well I'll do at "slave school"
"Very well. We'll give him just the attitude adjustment he needs. He's ten correct?"
"That is correct," she replied.
"Good, good...he'll be put with other slave children in his age group. When he's 18, he'll be sold to a store and eventually a master," he explained and walked up onto the boat's deck.
"Now, practice that power in secret. I shouldn't have to say this, but please, don't kill anyone to use it unless necessary. If I'm correct, you can use that power without having to kill. Use the power of your humanity to sustain it. And one more thing. As you know, slaves don't have names unless given by their master. Your mother wasn't your master, but she wanted you to be named Deven. "Divine." Now go Deven, and start your new life.
I simply nodded and turned to walk away before one more question struck my mind.
"Why are you doing this for me?" I asked.
"It's not entirely for you my dear. From my perspective, consider this an...experiment," she said with a sly smile.
"Hmm..." was my only response as I boarded the boat that took me to slave school.
I never saw the old woman again.