Chapter 1 - Warlock, Demon Or Human?

~Born into a malevolent world of dark legacies left behind by my parents and the ones before them. I am a tribrid; a rare mix of demon, warlock, and werewolf from the tales you've heard about supernaturals. My name is Valerius, and this is the story before my birth. ~

***

 There was an unfamiliar voice after someone pressed a finger against the side of my neck. I couldn't tell if it was reality or just one of my many hallucinations. 

"He's alive!" Her voice was laced with desperation and hope. 

My toes sank in the mud, and my face pressed into the scorching sand. The sun's heat glided over my back. My wet clothes clung to my skin. The waves crashed onto the shore with a roar, covering my lower body before quickly receding. My mind drifted further into a dark gulf, while my body laid in the reality of warm and cold. 

I wanted to open my eyes to see who had come to my rescue, but as laden as my limbs, so were my lids. 

"Father!" The sweet voice came again. "He's alive."

Two strong hands grabbed my arm and pulled me up. The soft breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean, mingling with the dampness of my clothes. As they propped my back against something hard and flat, the familiar numbness encroached and I surrendered to it. I sank into the darkness, floating in a void. 

 I blinked my eyes open, almost forgetting what seeing felt like. My blurry gaze landed on a silhouette sitting beside me, its hands swaying above me. A feminine hum filled my ears in the dark and small room. Shadows danced along the walls, an oil lamp burning dimly behind the figure. It was heavenly. A heart soothing tone from a voice I recognize, the first voice I heard over my subconscious.

***

Laughter and chatter drifted into the room and I slowly opened my eyes, squinting at the daylight glow in the room. I sat up in bed, spreading my limbs to the air as I stretched every muscle in my body. It was so good to feel alive again. My gaze darted around the room as I wondered where I was. It was sparsely furnitured with a musty smell that at its age. Dust motes danced in the sunlight that streamed through the window. 

I threw my feet to the ground and the bed board squeaked slightly as I stood up. The sudden creak of the door collected my attention, and a girl walked in. 

"You're awake!" She grinned from ear to ear with her hands knotted together. 

Her red curls were neatly pulled up in a full bun, with the strands bouncing above her chins. She gazed down at her shoe, then back up at me with her glassy green eyes, which were like a forest in a full bloom. Despite her petite frame, she carried herself with such a grace that belied her youth. 

"Um..." I cleared the lump in my throat. "Yes, I am."

"My father wishes to see you." She said. "Come." She exited the room. 

 I walked with her through the small village, nestled amidst mountains and lush vegetation, with colorful flowers blooming at every corner. The faint sound of the waterfall added to the tranquil atmosphere. The breeze rustled around, carrying with it the scent of earth and flowers. 

"Who are you?" I asked, my gaze flashing around the greenery. "Where am I?" 

"Zoar," she breathed. "It's the last standing coven of green witches and warlocks."

My eyelashes fluttered. Did I just hear about witches and warlocks? My jaws instantly clenched. Just the thought of witches swung my mood. My head whirled with conundrums, but my tongue was frightened to ask. I kept my breathing on a normal level while we walked as I tried to hide the irritation on my face. 

The village was vast, its occupant going about their morning routines. Their green eyes fixed on me with an ultimate scrutiny as we passed by. 

"Are you okay?" Her voice pulled my attention to her. 

I gulped and looked at her. "Sure, why?" I asked, trying to mask my unease. 

She studied me for a moment with a searching gaze. "Nothing." She shrugged nonchalantly. "What is your name?" 

"Huh?" I raised my brows. 

"Name." She repeated slowly, as if to a child. "Mine is Valerie. What is yours?" 

I searched through my empty head and, like standing in a desert at night; I found nothing. "I... I don't know."

"You cannot remember your name?" she inquired with surprise. "nor where you come from?" 

"My mind is a blank slate." I admitted. "I cannot remember anything." 

I had just woken up after being unconscious for a period I can't even tell how long or short. I had not really had the time to think about who I am but now that I did; it was like this moment was the first events of my life. I couldn't remember anything from my past, not even how I ended up half-dead by the ocean side. 

We walked until we reached the small agora. There was a bustling market at the far edge. She hurried to my front, making me pause in my tracks. "Are you a warlock?" She asked. "Even with your memories gone, you should be able to feel your magic."

"Warlock?" I etched even a deeper frown. "I might not remember who I am, but I know that I'm a normal human." 

"Shh," she looked around nervously at the people passing near us. "You can't be human. When I touched you, I felt an energy inside you."

"Well, I hope you're wrong, because I can't imagine being a male witch." My gaze locked with hers. Her eyes were mesmerizing, a deep shade of green that sparkled with energy. 

Turning away from me, she walked further away with a tense posture. "My father is the Patriarch, the coven leader and if I'm wrong, then he will have you execute."

As her words lingered in my ears, my muscles went numb. I just stood still, watching her elegant movement, letting her words sink deeper. 

I rushed towards her. "Your father will have my head for being mere mortal?" I asked while we both climbed a four-step wood. 

She stood in front of the door and nodded solemnly. The sudden sadness in her eyes made me wonder about her past. She pushed the door, and we both stepped in. 

It was a small, square room with a few wooden chairs occupied by men of middle age. A finely carved chair on a platform faced the entrance, and a man sat upon it, his muscular arms resting on the sides. 

The morning light seeped in through the tiny spaces between the wooden wall, brightening the room. A small window at the top left provided a glimpse of the outside, its view obstructed by the roof's edge. 

"Young man," the man on the platform began, "my daughter was the one who urged me to rescue you. But pray tell, how came you to find yourself on the shore, in such a dire state?"

I hesitated, the weight of his gaze pressing down on me. 

My eyes dropped to the floor. "Sire, I must confess I do not know. I awoke on the sand, my body weak and aching. My mind was muddled, and I could not remember how I came to be there, but I owe my life to your daughter."

"A most troubling tale," he mused. "This I have to know. Are you human?"

"He doesn't remember, father." Valerie stepped forward. "I'm afraid the young man lost his memories, but he's not human, that, I'm certain of."

"The safety of our coven must come first, and human or not, we cannot accommodate a stranger." He looked at me intently, his eyes green and piercing. "It is simply too great a risk." 

"I am not a threat." I said. The Patriarch's gaze on me was like that of a man about to cast me into a den of hungry lions. "I'm a warlock." I mentally kicked myself for blurting out such a claim. Was it the fear of death? 

But If claiming to be a warlock was all it took to spare my life, then I'd say it a million times over. 

"Then we shall find out ourselves." He clapped his hands, and a man approached, carrying a stool and a watermelon. He placed the fruit on the stool and stepped back. "Now, all supernatural beings possessed psychokinesis, be they demon or warlock," his voice reverberated through the room. "Show your power by crushing this fruit with your mind alone." 

He paused, as if letting the weight of his words sink in. "If you can, we shall be rest assured you're not human, but either a warlock or a demon." 

"Are you saying that you would spare me if I proved to be a demon or a warlock?" I asked. 

"A warlock? I sure would grant you clemency, but if you prove to be a demon, you would meet your end," he intoned. 

My heart skipped a beat. I don't know how to move a leaf with my mind, let alone explode a watermelon. But I had no choice. My life depended on it. 

"Father, there is no need for this." Valerie stepped forward. "Look at his eyes. They are green." 

"They are not green enough for a green warlock, Val." He turned to me with a stern expression. "Make haste now. Shatter the fruit."

I fidgeted, my eyes darting to the fruit in front. Since psychokinesis works with the mind, I closed my eyes and imagined the fruit shattering into a million pieces; the juice sliding down the Patriarch's face. With a deep breath, I focused all my concentration on the image in my mind. 

After what felt like an eternity, I opened one eye and noticed everyone staring at me with their green eyes. I realized I had been standing there for over twenty minutes, trying to mind-blow a fruit. Drops of sweat drenched my shirt, with the room heating to ten degrees. 

"Okay. We've seen enough." He rose from his chair. "Warlocks, seize him." 

"No!" I yelled, my voice echoing off the walls as I glanced from one warlock to the next. "I promise I will go if you cannot bring yourself to trust me. But please, do not kill me. I am not a threat, I swear it." My words hung unanswered in the tense silence of the room. 

The warlocks continued to advance, their faces impassive. I wanted to fight, to defend myself, but how could I possibly? They had magic, and I had no weapon, let alone magic. 

"As you can see, our village is a well-guarded secret," Zach said. "If I were to allow you to leave, it would put our entire coven at risk. I cannot, in good conscience, permit such a thing. No outsider has ever come here and left alive. Our secrets remain with us."

The two warlocks seized my arm, their grips like iron, preventing any chance of escape. 

"Take him to the dungeon, and he will be executed at sunrise tomorrow." He said. 

My eyes widened as they darted around. I would not escape death and die alas! There was a twist in my stomach, accompanied by a great deal of heat. 

"Please!" The word tore from my throat. Instantly, energy exploded from my body, sending everyone in the room hurtling backwards. Chairs overturned and bodies crashed against walls. 

Staggering in shock, I tried to comprehend what had just transpired, my heart pounding audibly in my chest. 

The coven leader gritted his teeth, his dark gaze piercing. "I knew you were trouble. Ephonēo." With a swift motion, he pushed his palms toward me, and a powerful force threw me against the wall. I felt as though my back was being crushed, the pressure increasing with each passing second. I struggled against it, but it was futile.

"Father!" Valerie cried out, rushing to his side. "Clearly, this was not intentional. It was simply a mishap, a result of inexperience..." Her voice trailed off as she noticed the blood trickling from his nostrils. "You're bleeding!" she gasped.

Zach wiped away the blood, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "It's fine. I'm fine," he muttered, "Just getting too old for magic already."

"Valerie, we are in the dark as to this lad's identity and intentions," the first man said, brushing off the splintered remains of a chair from his clothing. "It would be best to be rid of him before he causes any more trouble."

"He's probably a demon, Lord Zach," another man suggested. "You should tear his heart from his chest."

Valerie drew a deep breath. "That is a most unjust decree, Marcus. My father is everything but cruel. He would never sanction such cruel act!" She turned to Zach. "I beg you, grant me two weeks to teach him some spells and how to harness his magic." Her voice echoed across the room. "Please, do not condemn him to death before he has proved himself."

Zach considered her words, his expression thoughtful yet stern. "One week!" There was fury in his voice as he released me from his spell and I plummeted to the wooden ground, gasping for air. "After seven days, he will face a trial." His gaze shifted to me as I huddled on the floor. "If he does not prove himself a warlock, then the consequences will be his life." 

I looked up at Zach, trying to mask up my terror as I met his gaze. All around me were the stares of green and angry eye, sending chills down my spine. 

What a terrible event for my first day of consciousness, I thought, letting out a sigh.