Ravenfell Chronicles: Origins

by Brand J. Alexander

  “Very well, old bird. As if you didn’t play a part in this,” Hildegard grumbled back. “I knew this day would come.”

  “Ah, the fallen Raven King. Far you have fallen from your lofty perch,” a spirit voice taunted. “Farther yet, you still have to fall.”

  “Funny thing about being a bird,” the raven croaked back. “We can always fly back where we belong.” The Raven King launched himself from the branches and alit upon Beaumont’s shoulder, causing him to flinch. “Fear not,” the bird warned as the young man shielded his eyes from its beak. “I have waited a long time for you to be ready, young Ravenfell. I have too much use for you to peck your eyes out. Though one probably wouldn’t be missed.”

  “Death is your gift no longer, raven. The dead rule their world once more. Now give us the child you denied us.”

  “I am still connected to the true veil, however,” the bird answered. “I can still shut the door between worlds.” A swirl of mist slowly overtook the shadows in the distance, and everything beyond the small glowing circle of demon bones and the dead trunk of the old Ravenwood vanished from sight. The Guardian spirits howled as they were denied, but their voices vanished into the nether.

  “Quickly, boy,” Hildegard called. “Down beneath the Ravenwood. This trick won’t hold them for long. The roots will hide you from them.”

  “Free me,” the spirit of Corvus called. “Do not leave me bound here, for when they break through.”

  Beaumont moved to break the circle, but the raven pecked the side of his head.

  “Stop,” the bird croaked.

  “Why?”

  “Because we could use him.”

  “I have already provided the truth for the boy. What more could I offer?” Corvus demanded.

  “You have twisted the gift of the Raven’s Fel for your own benefit more times than I can count. Look at what you made of yourself in the process. It’s time to be more than a power-hungry fiend. It’s time to serve the Pact of the Raven’s Fel for once,” the Raven King answered. “Beaumont, command him into one of the bones. We will take him with us.”

  “Will that work?” It was frustrating to know so little about the forces of death in such an encounter. He was always prepared when it came to magic. These secrets swirling around his life had left him vulnerable, and that vulnerability enflamed his anger.

  “Trust me,” the bird croaked.

  “Spirit, I command you into this horn,” Beaumont ordered fiercely, then he willed the demonic essence to compel the being. He felt a little guilty capturing a Ravenfell spirit like this, but the Raven King had saved his life. Who was he to refuse? Apparently, Corvus was the opposite.

  “I will pluck your feathers for this, raven,” the twisted man-bird growled as he was drawn into the glowing demon bone. His voice and the feel of his presence vanished immediately.

  “Now, let’s take up Hildey’s offer and go hide beneath her old tree. The original veil between worlds is not what it once was. Being cut off from the world of the dead has had an impact on it and my powers. It will not hold them back for long.”

  Beaumont nodded, then he lifted the hem of his black robes and fled into the tunnel carrying a glowing demon horn spirit prison in his hand and the newly revealed Raven King upon his shoulder.

  Chapter 4:

  To Hide from Death

  “How could you let this happen, raven?” Hildegard berated the creature as they reached her kitchen deep beneath the twisted Ravenwood.

  The walls were an entanglement of roots, rock, bones, and rich loamy soil. Dark, dank life flourished everywhere, from the bizarre luminescent fern fronds unfurling from the walls to the plates of spongey mushrooms sprouting from the wooden shelves, cabinets, and tables.

  “Our bargain merely required me to not reveal the secrets. No part of it required me to prevent him from uncovering them on his own.” The Raven King sprung from Beaumont’s shoulder and perched upon one of the old witch’s cauldron stands to glare at her challengingly.

  “As if you played no part in urging him along,” Hildegard grumbled. “Always a trickster.”

  “Once more, madame, I do not believe that was mentioned in the bargain, either.”

  “You and your bargains, bird. We’re in this mess because of you and your bargains.”

  “Well, our deal is complete. You raised the boy as requested, and I have hidden my identity and the secrets of the boy’s birth until such time as he discovers them for himself. Now I can finally work on regaining my place as the Raven King.”

  “And just how do you expect to do that?” she inquired suspiciously.

  “I haven’t figured that out yet. That’s how the boy is going to help me.”

  “I demand to know what you two are talking about. Start making sense,” Beaumont demanded to the surprise of the others.

  “He definitely has a sense of authority about him,” the raven croaked, ignoring Beaumont’s insistence. “Perhaps a bit too much.”

  “Would you prefer a simpering coward, then? Or perhaps a lunatic like Dorga?” Hildegard asked.

  “I would prefer him manageable for what must be done. Like you and your sisters were when I came to you,” the raven clucked.

  “Oh, you mean easily manipulated.” Hildegard gave a throaty cackle. “My sisters and I were hardly that. We knew you were coming and why. We discussed what our answer would be long before you ever popped into our lives with your cunning plan to save the world after your tricks and bargains nearly destroyed it.”

  “So, you secretly raised him to spite me?” the bird challenged.

  “I raised him to be strong and calculating as I predicted you would drag him into your battle with the forces of death all along.”

  “Enough!” Beaumont spoke with resounding force, enhanced by an amplification spell he used for commanding demons. “You both speak as if I am not even here.”

  “This doesn’t concern you, my Dark Heart. The Raven King and I have a long history and much to work out if he wishes to resume his place among us.”

  “No, Hildey,” Beaumont responded in a lighter yet still stern tone.

  It was one of the few times he dared challenge her. They were both powerful, but he often deferred even now that he was grown because he sensed the old woman was connected to far greater forces than he could imagine.

  “This dark heart loves you dearly, but you have kept secrets from me. Secrets about my very existence and lineage. Do you have any idea how risky it is to command the type of forces I do without truly understanding all the powers aligned against me? There will be time for you and the bird to work out your differences later. Now, I think it’s time for the two of you to start answering some questions.”

  He sent his emotions into the aura around him, allowing it to permeate the room. It was doubtful either of them would be affected by such a trick, but he didn’t want anyone to mistake the severity of this moment.

  “Very well,” Hildegard relented. She glared over at the raven accusingly, then suddenly, a dastardly grin spread across her face. “Seems like a perfect time for some tea, then.”

  ◆◆◆

  Beaumont leaned back in his chair and rubbed his fingers through his short dark beard as he considered everything he had just learned. He was born in the land of the dead. His parents weren’t just deceased. They were murdered, and their essences were destroyed by the Guardian spirits, who now threatened him. Even more than that, Beaumont was the reason for the Raven King’s fall because this peculiar bird, who had followed him for most of his life, refused to let the spirits murder him as well. It explained a lot while simultaneously leaving him with a whole new host of questions.

  “Why did you keep this from me, Hildey?” he asked.

  “I didn’t want those spirits to find you until you were strong enough to protect yourself.”

  “I’m almost thirty. I can bend the wills of demons and monsters to my command. I have mastered every tome of dark magic you granted me permission to learn. Yet
you prevented me from mastering the very forces that now threaten my life. If I had known, I could have been prepared for those spirits.”

  “Death is not so easily controlled,” Hildegard cautioned. “My dearly departed sisters are a testament to that.”

  “And not everyone should be allowed to wield such forces,” the Raven King croaked with a tinge of regret.

  “As your great ancestor Dorga proved quite effectively,” Hildegard added.

  “So, you kept this from me because you feared what I’d become?” Beaumont’s eyes flared a little. Hildey had always encouraged him to explore the dark shadows where secret powers lurked. She always trusted him to wield his magic with care and control even when he tampered with demons and beings of chaos. But apparently, such trust was a ruse.

  “The power of death is seductive, Dark Heart. It is why the Ravenfells came into being. We are here to counter the Raven King should he lose his way and suppress the forces of death should they ever grow too strong again.”

  “And you feared I might become one of those forces of death. Like Dorga the Mad?”

  “I cannot deny fearing what you could become,” Hildegard admitted. “You carry a piece of the Netherworld in your soul. A piece of the land of your birth. Such darkness has never existed. You cannot blame me for being cautious about introducing you to the powers of your birthright. The very birthright that almost cost you not just your life but your soul on the day you were born.”

  To hear it spoken sent a slight tremor through the tightly clenched muscles of Beaumont’s face. He always knew it was there, a darkness at his very core. When anything died nearby, there was always a part of him that reached out to their escaping souls as they crossed over. He was always able to see the spirits too. But Hildey warned against tampering with such forces.

  When he was younger, he listened because he trusted in Hildegard’s wisdom. But as he learned more about the world and himself, he began to question. His curiosity at what secrets lingered in death had led to his attempt today. Perhaps she was right in a way. But still, it would have been better if he knew.

  This was why few living Ravenfells would visit. And why those who did acted as if they despised Beaumont. They blamed him for the curse. They referred to him as the Ravenfell Curse. He felt the demonic essence in his blood burn more furiously. His reserves were depleted after the feat with the circle, but he still had enough to stir a demon rage and bring a burning fire to his eyes.

  He kept a vial of werewolf blood tucked in his robes to refuel for just such an occasion, but with the sensitivity of the news being revealed, Beaumont thought it best to remain unsated. His audience was capable of withstanding such an outburst, but demon rage could be dangerous in an enclosed space such as this, especially considering the werewolf that provided the blood.

  “Well, I know now. And clearly, I am no longer hidden from those spirits. It’s time to stop hiding things from me, so I can master my birthright and learn to defend myself.”

  “Tampering with the forces of death will only make matters worse. The Guardians have full command of their realm now. Even a Ravenfell would have little chance of challenging them. And our family is not what it once was,” Hildegard warned.

  “The only way to protect yourself is to help me regain what I’ve lost,” the raven insisted. “We must find a way to destroy the new veil and break the Ravenfell Curse.”

  “Of course, you would say that,” Hildey countered. “You’ve been waiting all this time to use him to get back what you lost. Now you want to drag him on a fool’s errand to challenge the forces of death. Everyone dies. Nobody can escape its touch.”

  “You did, madame. You outlived them all,” the raven said appraisingly. There was a hint of affection, revealing a less contentious side to their relationship.

  “Barely,” she grumbled back. “But now you’re dragging me into your featherbrained scheme, so it can’t be much longer.”

  “You already helped me when I needed you, Hildegard. Twice, in fact. I do not ask you to do so again.”

  “No, you never asked the question, but you left me no choice the moment you dragged my boy into this and got him all excited to reclaim the Ravenfell glory.”

  “I never said I intended to help the raven, Hildey.” Beaumont interrupted.

  “You didn’t have to, Dark Heart.” The old woman smiled a crooked grin. “The fire in your eyes speaks more clearly than your words ever could. You are already exploring the darkness inside you further now that you know what it truly is.”

  Beaumont paused his mental probing of the dark fragment at his core. Of course, she would know. She had been watching for it his whole life. But why didn’t he know more about it? It was there within him all along.

  “How long will this old tree keep them out?” the Raven King asked.

  “The Ravenwood once fed on the feast of Dorga’s folly, but few have given their bodies or souls to these grounds in a long time. Its aura once completely repelled spirits. The roots still devour any unbound ones that draw too close to our home, but few come near anymore. What’s left of their sprawling protection has withered in this drought of death. If the Guardians are as powerful as they seemed, not long, a few days at most.”

  “That’s how you hid it from me?” Beaumont exclaimed. “You created a perimeter to prevent any spirits from coming near me.” He had tried to speak with the few spirits he saw, but something always prevented him from interacting and learning. “That’s why it required the circle to summon Corvus. It kept him bound, so the roots couldn’t take him.” He held up the glowing horn he had been carrying the entire time, gazing at it as he realized its importance. “And why I had to entrap him here. Can I just let him out at will? How does this work?” he asked the raven.

  The grizzled spirit suddenly coalesced nearby, managing to look even grouchier than before. “I am bound to the bone, not in it, you dolt. I can move freely around the object binding me until I am released or commanded by one of my blood.”

  “So, you’re like an enslaved imp?” Beaumont deduced.

  “Is this the sort of insolence you raise, Hildegard? I should tear out his heart and devour it for such disrespect. I am nothing as low and subservient as an imp. I am a Ravenfell.”

  “In case you haven’t heard, the Ravenfells aren’t as scary as they used to be,” the Raven King countered. “But I hope to fix that. Perhaps you could offer your assistance, as you would benefit as well.”

  “Not as if I have a choice. Although, I have often mused in curiosity about the Ravenfell child of death. It would be interesting to see if any of the fear is warranted. Will we unleash the next Dorga?” Corvus broke down into a rather maddened cackling laugh.

  “To have any chance to succeed, we must hide you from the Guardians,” Hildegard spoke over the twisted spirit’s breakdown. “The root's power will fade, and once it does, the spirits will see anything you plan.”

  “I may know of someone who can help,” Gleam offered. “But they are even madder than Corvus here. Still, they may be our only option.”

  “Do you even know how they did it?” Corvus asked amidst continued laughter as he calmed. “How they banished the Raven King from the realm of death? They used your own veil against you. They tricked the trickster.”

  “What could you possibly know about it?” the raven challenged. “Look what your obsession has done to you.”

  “I was trying to become you, oh mighty Raven King. I was trying to fix what you broke. Undo the curse.”

  “You failed, it seems,” the raven croaked.

  “True. But I learned something important in the process. I learned the secret of the new veil. It is just a new layer of the old one, constructed to hide from its own master and built for one reason, to keep out the Raven King and those bound to the Raven’s Fel. Strangely, the ravens who betrayed you are not included in this curse. I used their blood and essence and almost touched the Netherworld, but they turned me back in the last moments. It is what
finally ended me. If anything should be called the Ravenfell Curse, the new veil is it. It strikes down anyone bound to the Raven’s Fel who tries to cross and consumes any Ravenfell spirit. It was only by the gift of the raven’s blood that I managed to escape before it devoured me.”

  “If that is the case, then there may be a way to counter it,” Hildegard suggested. “Spells bound to a specific purpose can often be undone by defying them.”

  “So, we would need to get a Ravenfell into the Netherworld,” Beaumont suggested.

  “The Ravenfells are merely an extension of the Raven King’s power. Even if you could force your way across, it wouldn’t be enough,” Corvus croaked. “But if the Raven King, the source of all Raven’s Fel, were to make it across, that might do it.”

  “I have tried many times since that day. I cannot cross through the veil into the world of the dead. The new veil resists me. And my old flock always senses when I try.”

  “There is always another way,” Beaumont interjected. “Like with summoning the dead. Hildey refused to teach me the secrets of death. But she allowed me demonology. I merely used demonology to summon the dead. Most magic is the same. There is always a workaround. The amount of will power and energy you would need to cast a spell that covered all possibilities would take a ridiculous toll and likely be noticed. Something like this must have a weakness. We just need to figure out what it is.”

  “Until we do, we need to hide you from the Guardians,” Hildey insisted. “Did you say you knew a way, raven?”

  “I know someone who can hide you. But getting there and convincing them to help are not so easily done,” the Raven King admitted

  “If you can give me a point of reference, I should be able to get us there. I have been dominating a Phasebeast recently to study portals.”

  “You were planning to travel somewhere, Dark Heart?” Hildey asked with a bit of concern.

  “You can’t keep me here in the hollow forever. The world may be purging magic, but I need something more than this,” Beaumont answered with sincerity.