The Half-Elven Warlock - 1. 1/2Elf - Chapter 1: The Train

Devin Rous had always known he was not a normal person. Raised as an only child to a single mom, Devin’s life was hard, but the pair of them managed to get by. When he was born, the hospital staff was shocked by Devin’s elven features. His face was angular, and his ears pointed. Directly over his heart was a perfectly detailed birthmark. It resembled a tribal design of a downward pointed three-pronged arrowhead. Otherwise, Devin was normal in all other ways, according to the doctors.

What neither the medical staff nor his mother knew was of his father’s otherworldly origins. To her, it was a blissful one-night stand, which left her a lifetime of joy and sorrow. April 1st, 1999 went into the quarterly Medical Journal as a baby born with an oddity of unknown origin.

Over the years, his appearance turned into that of a fine photogenic young man, with curly locks of blond hair, soft pale skin, and sea-green eyes. This contrasted with his athletic build, and the fact he could eat anything and not gain an ounce. His mother, Brenda Rous, was approached several times with modeling requests for Devin, but she refused the offers because she didn’t want her son to sell his looks for money. In school, Devin was a popular child, made many friends, and excelled in his studies.

While in second grade, one of his teachers, Mrs. Eason, felt Devin did not have the challenge he needed. She encouraged the boy and his mother to have testing done to see if he was gifted. It was a pivotal moment for Devin. When the tests came back, he scored fairly high on the IQ and spatial awareness tests. Mrs. Eason, who liked young Devin and wanted him to succeed, sent the scores to a review board for gifted students. This drew the attention of a prestigious all-male boarding school, St. Mithras, a division of the St. Albans religious school in Washington D.C. They offered Devin a full scholarship which included boarding, the cheapest transportation to and from the school, and any monthly expenses. It was an unexpected and mysterious gift to say the least. Brenda was hesitant of allowing Devin to attend the school under such a mysterious circumstance. However, after they both attended a weekend visit and interview with Headmaster Stevenson, they accepted the scholarship, and soon Devin was off to the religious school.

~*~*~*~

Spring break 2017 came and went, and Devin was to return to classes on the 3rd of April. It was early in the afternoon on Friday, March 31st, and he was prepared to head back to D.C. after the vacation time he had spent with his mom.

“I love you, Mom,” he said to her, giving her a warm smile as they stood at the loading dock at the Amtrak Auto Train station.

“I love you too, Devin.” She smiled and ruffled his hair. “Now don’t forget to write, text, or call me. And, most definitely call me when you get to D.C. Not like last time.”

“I will Mom. It’s nothing to worry about. We’ve been doing this for how many years now?”

“I know, I know. But I worry about you. You have that nasty tendency to not stay in contact as you should. I swear you have a boyfriend you’re not telling me about.”

He shook his head, “Sorry, Mom, no significant others. Besides, why did you say boyfriend?”

“Consider it Mother’s intuition, but I’ve suspected you favored guys for a while now. It was confirmed this past week. By the way… does Helix Studios, and a certain video, called California Creampie, which was still queued up on the desktop yesterday morning, ring a bell?”

“Um…” Devin turned bright red. “Surprise… I’m gay. I didn’t mean to come out like this. I just recently came out of the closet to myself and accepted it. I couldn’t believe I was gay for a while there. I was hoping I was bisexual, but I tried once with a… um, maybe I shouldn’t talk about that right now.”

“All aboard, last call for boarding on the Amtrak Auto Train,” the announcement over the station’s public address system came. Devin let out a sigh of relief.

“It's fine hun, you’re still my precious,” she said. “Just be yourself and be happy. That’s all I want for you. Now, get on that train before it leaves without you. We’ll talk about this when you call tomorrow.”

He kissed his mother goodbye on the cheek and sprinted to board the train.

~*~*~*~

Even though the school paid for his transportation to and from D.C., Devin was forced to use the least expensive mode. In the past, that had been by air, but after he turned sixteen, he had to use Amtrak when traveling to and from school. Luckily for Devin, Amtrak had a station in Orlando, Florida, but for this trip, the Amtrak Auto Train served his hometown of Sanford, Florida, and had a direct route to the D.C. metro-area up the eastern seaboard. With it being an overnight trip of just shy of eighteen hours, the school only paid for a reserved coach seat, which also included dinner and breakfast. He didn’t mind the coach seats since he would be able to do his second favorite thing, people watch.

Devin liked to observe people. This had led him to the subject he wanted to study most once he got to college; anthropology or archeology. Or maybe history, he could never pin down which one of the three topics. All of them appealed to him. He sat looking out the window, mindful of the loading dock. It was only 3:30 p.m., but it looked like the train was preparing to depart earlier than its 4:00 p.m. departure time.

“Devin Rous?” A young man dressed in an Amtrak uniform asked, stirring Devin from his thoughts.

“Yes, that’s me,” he replied looking at the man’s nameplate. “Is something wrong, uh… Brandon?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Master Rous. I’m the attendant for this car on this trip. I saw you were listed as an unrestricted unaccompanied minor. I thought I would touch base with you before we pulled out of the station.” He smiled. Brandon appeared to be not much older Devin, perhaps just a year or two. “If you need anything, just press the request button, or flag me down if you see me.”

“Thank you, but I’m only an unaccompanied minor ‘till midnight tonight. Tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday. If I need something, I’ll flag you down. And please, call me Devin.”

“Well then, an early happy birthday to you, Devin. I’ll check back with you in a few.”

Devin waited for Brandon to walk away before he checked him out. He was a good-looking man with a Latino look, over six feet in height, dark brown hair and eyes, and he filled out the unflattering Amtrak uniform nicely. ‘If I was only a few hours older, and in a sleeper unit…. Lord, what I wouldn’t do for him to take my cherry,’ he thought. ‘What the fuck, am I thinking? I swear I’m turning into a slut. Mentally, at least….’ He turned to look out the window and saw some late arrivals for the train. It appeared they would not be departing early.

The train left promptly at 4:00 p.m. Devin settled in for the long trip with his Galaxy phone playing music, earbuds in his ears, and a book, but he was interrupted by Brandon. “Devin, I've got good news for you.”

“What’s up?” Devin turned off the music.

“There was some space available up in the Business Class. It’s on the top floor of this car, so you don’t have to go far.”

“Awesome. Thank you, Brandon.” The two of them gathered Devin’s belongings and moved to the Business Class seating of the Superliner car. Aside from a better view, there was more legroom. Not many had taken the Business Class option going to D.C. on a weekend bound train. They chose a spot near the center of the car and stored his carry-on baggage in the overhead area.

“Thank you, Devin. You’re making my job a lot easier on this trip.”

“How so?”

“Well, technically you’re not restricted on travel being seventeen and unaccompanied, but it’s my backside if anything happens to you. Even with your birthday tomorrow and becoming a legal adult, until you leave the train, you’re still under a classification as a minor. I checked for you. With the majority of my time spent up here, this way I can keep tabs on you better. Wait one moment.”

Brandon smiled and stepped away. He returned with a few items. “Here you go - one complimentary comfort kit, today’s newspaper, and bottled water. Now, if you need more water, or some tea, coffee, or soda, let me know as those are freebies for Business Class. Also, this was a free upgrade, so consider it a birthday present from me.”

“Thanks again. I really appreciate this.”

“My pleasure,” he said, and gave Devin a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. Brandon turned to head back to his station in the back of the train car.

Devin watched as he walked away and intently stared at his backside. Finally, Devin turned away right before Brandon sat down and spotted him. He took his book out and resumed reading. Every so often, Devin would look up, and stare out the window, watching the landscape pass by. Old townships along the rail track came and went, some being revitalized, while most falling into decay and disrepair. Losing track of time, Devin retreated back into his thoughts, with his book forgotten on the seat next to him.

“Earth to Devin, are you there?”

Startled, Devin turned and looked at Brandon, who stood next to his row, “What?” He looked around, trying to catch his bearings.

“You were pretty out there man. I asked you if you wanted to go to the dining car for dinner, or would you rather have it brought here? It’s almost 8:30, and that’s the last call in the diner.” He slid into the seat next to Devin. In a lowered voice, he continued, “I’m not going to bust you man, but if you’re tripping on something, let me know. It took you 15 minutes to respond to me.”

“Shit man. No, I’m not on anything. Just got lost in thought is all.” He paused and wondered how much he could trust the older man, “It may sound strange, but I feel like I was daydreaming or something. I thought I saw some weird lights following the train, and when I looked at them, they looked like little people, trailing some sort of colorful energy.” He gave a nervous laugh.

Brandon nodded, “The fairies. They are fey creatures who sometimes will follow the train and dance right outside the windows for a while.”

Devin was surprised Brandon sounded serious. “Many of us who work here have seen them, though we never talk about it. It’s like the housekeepers who work in haunted hotels and buildings, or airline pilots who’ve seen alien things while flying. We know it’s real, but no one would believe us; they would think we’re loony.”

A shiver ran down Devin’s spine, “So, that was real?”

“Very real. I’m only confirming it with you. because I can sense you’re different. I’ve seen them myself.” He smiled that beautiful smile, which captivated Devin. “Now, before you end up not getting fed… here, or in the diner?”

“Here, please.”

“Alright, I’ll get it ordered.”

Devin enjoyed the better meal Business Class afforded him and then went back to reading. Soon he became too tired to keep his eyes open. He opened the comfort kit and found the inflatable pillow, blanket, and a sleep mask inside it. Reclining, he prepared to sleep and was soon rewarded with a restful dream.

~*~*~*~

The room was lit by a single desk lamp. Shadows cast upon the faces of those present, two men and a woman. The well-dressed older man sitting behind the desk had a glass of amber colored liquor next to a smoldering cigar. “Our man on the Silver Meteor is saying he’s not on board. Where is he?”

“Sir, it seems that there was a last-minute change yesterday evening, and he switched to the Auto Train this morning out of Sanford, instead of the train out of Orlando,” said a much younger but well-dressed toady.

"Why did he do so? Is there a reason?"

"Um… well Sir, it seems his grandparents bought him a vehicle we weren't aware of. It's a Honda Ridgeline, details unknown, and there are seven Ridgelines on the train. Seems Devin requested permission to bring the vehicle to school." The assistant read from a tablet.

“We’ll need tracking chips installed on that when it arrives. Do we have anyone on the Auto Train?”

“No Sir, we don’t.”

The man behind the desk took a drink of the liquor, catching the implied meaning. “Who does?”

“We are unsure, Sir. But they appear to be powerful.”

“They? Is there more than one?”

“No, Sir. We know there is only one operative on board, but we don’t know who or what it is.”

“Damn it. I have a feeling I know who it is. How long before he arrives in D.C.?”

“The train will reach Lorton, VA around 8:40 a.m.; however, we may have a chance to get someone on board before then. They stop in Florence, SC for maintenance and crew change, Sir.”

“Get on it.” He drained the glass, as the other man turned and left the room. He picked up the cigar and took a long pull. He walked to the window and opened the drapes to look out upon Washington, D.C. “I will not let this one slip away.”

“No, you won’t.” The lady’s voice came from the corner. “If all else fails, he’s to be killed. He cannot reach the ceremony tomorrow night.”

“I know.”

~*~*~*~

The train lurched as it came to a stop in the old station in Florence, South Carolina. The Auto Train was a ‘non-stop’ service; however, they always made one maintenance stop along the route. This was to top off supplies, empty septic tanks, and for a crew change for weary personnel. Devin slid the sleep mask up, looking around the car. It was sometime after midnight, and the dim night lighting was in effect. The few Business class travelers who were here were slowly waking up.

“Attention all passengers, we’re currently in Florence, SC for our scheduled stop. However, due to a mechanical issue with a CSX train further along the track, we will be delayed longer than normal. Business class and sleeper room riders may disembark to use the station’s Rail Lounge services, and due to the delay, coach class riders may visit the station’s café for free refreshments. We thank you for your understanding.” The female conductor’s voice carried through the train.

Devin watched as the other riders made their way to the stairs before gathering up his valuables. He was looking around for Brandon when he spotted him coming in from the rear connector hatch. “Brandon,” he said while waving him over.

“Devin. What can I do for you, buddy?”

“How long are we going to be here?”

“They’ve told us to expect at the earliest an hour longer than normal. So, we’ll be here for an hour and a half, at least. Is there, something you need?”

“Oh no, I was curious. I was thinking of checking out the Rail Lounge.”

“You should, there will be plenty of time if you need to download a movie or something. The Wi-Fi is a lot better. Oh, and happy birthday, officially.” He looked around the car and saw that everyone but the two of them were gone. “Now that you’re eighteen, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Brandon.”

“All day yesterday, I noticed you kept checking me out.” Brandon sat next to Devin. “It's fine. I don’t mind and you’re good-looking. Since you’re legal, are you sure you want to flirt with an older man? I’ve got ten years on you. I’m 28… today.”

Devin was unsure how to respond. “Wait… you're twenty-eight? You don’t look a day over 19 or 20?” He blurted out, first.

Brandon laughed. “I get that a lot. Yes, I am 28.” He fished his wallet out, and revealed his Washington D.C. driver’s license. Brandon Sims, date of birth April 1st, 1989, was prominently displayed. “As you can tell, I live in D.C. too.”

Devin, looking white as a ghost, gazed at a picture of Brandon posing with a man that Devin knew personally. It was the headmaster of St. Mithras, and Brandon was dressed in the school’s traditional graduation cap and gown colors.

“Devin, what’s wrong?”

“You went to St. Mithras?”

“Yeah, I was in the class of 2007. Why?”

“Class of 2017,” he looked up into Brandon’s eyes. “What are the odds, that we share the same birthday, and you graduated from the same school I’m attending?” He shivered.

Brandon nodded a few times, “Fuck… follow me. Only bring your backpack. Don’t worry. Trust me.” He stood up and motioned for Devin to follow.

The pair moved downstairs, and through the employees only divider to a private room. Brandon opened the door, to the small sleeper roomette, and stepped in, “Come on. We’ve got to talk, and this is private.”

Devin hesitated some and finally stepped in. After Brandon shut the door and drew the privacy shades, he said, “I really need you to trust me, keep an open mind, and do as I ask. Okay?”

Devin nodded.

“Good. Take your shirt off, please. If I’m right, then is really going to be awkward.”

Nervously, Devin hooked his hands under his shirttail and raised it over his head. His pale skin was dotted with goosebumps.

“You have got to be fucking kidding with me.”

“What?” Devin said. He twisted his shirt in his hand.

“It’s better that I show you, and then… I am so going to kick his ass.” Brandon unbuttoned his uniform shirt and slid it off his shoulders. He slid up the Under Armour shirt he wore to show Devin his chest. It was very lightly dusted with the same dark brown hair and the skin tone that showed his Latin heritage, but what stood out in stark contrast was a familiar birthmark. It was identical to Devin’s, and in the exact same spot.

“What the fuck, man…” Devin said as he started to panic a little.

“Calm down. I’ll explain… just get your shirt back on please.” He put his own clothes back on. Brandon paused briefly while he collected his thoughts. “Keep an open mind. Please.”

“Just explain what is going on.”

“We’re brothers, that’s what the mark means. It’s our family crest, and all members of our family are born with it. The Royal Elven House, House Anfalas.”

“Wait… Did I just hear you say, we’re brothers, half-brothers as my mom is not your mother, and we’re from an Elven Royal House?”

“Yes.”

“You seriously, want me to believe this shit?”

“Open mind, remember…”

“Alright… I promised…”

Brandon nodded, and muttered something under his breath, as he made a hand sign. A small ball of light formed in the palm of his hand, while he looked at Devin. “Are you starting to believe?”

“That’s impressive…”

“There’s a reason why you’re at St. Mithras,” Brandon said as he dropped the spell. He turned to look Devin in the eye and reached over to take his hand. “Our father’s name is Shad’ler, and he has been in exile here on Earth for over 1000-years. He’s from another plane of existence, called the Fairie, which touches Earth at various places where energy transfers and physical crossings can happen. His kingdom was overrun by evil forces that wanted to destroy House Anfalas, and our people fled. Some stayed in the Fairie Realm, while some came to Earth like he did. There are lots of magical creatures that can cross over, and magic is real. St. Mithras’ has a secret chamber where one such crossing point is located, but it's only stable enough to allow magic to bleed over to Earth.

“The school itself is a front. Most don’t know its true nature, but you’ll learn more about that tonight. Now that you’re eighteen, there’s a ritual you’ll go through. I was tasked with overseeing you on the train. But, I wasn’t told who you were…” He paused a moment, looking a little green. “And I was about to… never mind.”

In the silence that followed Devin sat dumbfounded, ‘I’m half-elven. I have a half-brother, and he went to the same school as I do. He knows our father. He just did a fucking magic spell in front of me. Not to mention those fairies from earlier. What the fucking SHIT!!!’ The confusion played itself across his face. He gripped his brother’s hand and realized how soft, but strong it was. “I’m not sure I believe this, but you’ve shown me some undeniable evidence. I can’t shake the feeling you’re speaking the truth… So, now what?”

“Now, I keep you safe till we get to D.C., and I can get you back to the school.”

“Do we stay here?”

“No, we go back top side to the Business Class seats. Unless you want to go to the Rail Lounge, and get something, then we’ll head out there.

“Wait… we’re half-elven? As in Dungeons and Dragons, J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and every fantasy story ever told, half-elven?”

“Yes,” Brandon said with a chuckle. “Ever noticed you can see better in the dark when there’s a bit of light? Better than your friends? Or that you only sleep on average, four or five hours a night? How about, how you’re gifted in education? How many languages do you know? Math, Science, and Politics are strong areas for you?”

“Shit…”

“I’ve had ten years to get used to this, little brother. Though, Dad never told me about you. In fact, it was the school that got me on this train to watch over you.” He chuckled a bit. “I don’t work for Amtrak. Well, I do this trip.”

“What do you do then?”

“Freelance work for St. Mithras, and I cross over to the other realm. I sometimes do an occasional odd job for Dad as well. Pay is good, the work is dangerous, but mostly it’s fun. Though most of the time, I do a lot of studying and reclaiming old Earth magic that’s been lost, by searching private libraries across the globe for hidden grimoires.”

Devin was bewildered. “Well, I do want to get to the Rail Lounge. Some stuff I do want to download and check email. Can we go?”

“Sure.”

The brothers filed out of the roomette and made their way to the Lounge. It was part café, part bar, and part newsstand, and there were very few people inside. Devin grabbed a table pulling out his Surface Pro 4 and connecting it to the Lounge’s Wi-Fi. With a few clicks, he accessed his online storage and started the transfer of data of what he wanted for the next part of the trip. Bandwidth on the train was so limited, streaming services were virtually impossible to use.

While his little brother was busy on his laptop, Brandon touched base with the Amtrak personnel conducting the shift change. His request for a double shift was approved, so he made sure that he was still assigned to Business Class, and to Devin. Afterward, he went to the Lounge to grab two coffees. After prepping his own, he grabbed some cream and sugar for Devin. He walked over and sat across from his brother. “Not sure if you like coffee, or not, but I grabbed you one.”

“Thanks,” Devin said, as he took one of the cups. He ignored the cream and sugar. “I’m going to sound like some diva, but I don’t like the powder stuff, and can’t stand coffee with just sugar.”

Brandon chuckled, “Me neither, and there’s fresh cream over on the counter. I guess we have a lot of stuff in common. Look, Devin. I know this is very new, and frankly awkward, but now that we know each other, I don’t want to lose you. I was an only child, and while I have a ton of cousins, I never had a brother. I want to make this work between us.”

Devin nodded, “One second.” He walked over to the counter and fixed his coffee. He returned to his brother. “Sorry. It takes me a little to process stuff. I want this to work out too. It’s going to take me a bit to get used to the idea of having a big brother, but yeah, I’d love that.”

The brothers talked quietly about nonsense while waiting for the data to finish downloading before heading back to the train. As they approached, Brandon spied someone who looked familiar, that he hadn’t seen on the train earlier. “Move quickly, back to your seat. I’ll be there shortly.”

Devin went on ahead. Brandon turned, and fell in behind the lady, as she spoke with a conductor. She was tall with straight black hair pulled into a ponytail, and she walked with the stride of a warrior. She was dressed casually, able to blend in easily. Brandon stepped over to the conductor, “Hey, that lady you were talking to. I think she left her cell phone in the lounge, do you know what section she is in?”

“Her boarding pass says she’ll be in the Sleeper Roomette on car four, number 12.” The conductor replied.

“Thanks, I’ll check with her.” Brandon headed back to the Business Class car and boarded.

~*~*~*~

“We have an issue,” The black-haired woman held her phone in her left hand as she shut the door. “I think I’ve been made, and I’m sending you a picture of the target.”

Her call was interrupted. “Wait One. Director coming online.”

“Acknowledged,” She swallowed. She had never met the Director. Hardly anyone had in the Agency.

“This is the Director. I understand your code name is Violet?”

“Yes, Sir. It is, Sir.”

“Violet, where was this picture taken?”

“It was taken in the Rail Lounge, in the station. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but according to my scanner, the target was downloading music files to his laptop.”

“Stand down. If the train hasn’t left, get off, now. That man he’s with… well even with your extensive training, you would be hard pressed to stand against him.”

“Order confirmed, Sir. If I may ask, who is this guy?”

“You may. The target, the boy, is the second Prince of House Anfalas. His Guardian… is his half-brother, the Crown Prince. Alone, you can take them, as only the Crown Prince has training and powers. However, if both Princes are there together… well, let’s just say Daddy shouldn’t be far away, and He is someone you don’t want to fuck with alone.”

Violet trembled, “I’ll be off the train before it starts. Violet out, Sir.” She hung up, not expecting an answer, and grabbed her bag. She made her way to the ground exit, but unfortunately, she did not make it. The spell made her immobile and unable to talk. In horror, she watched the knife pass over her face. She screamed silently as the cold blade pressed against her skin. She felt her hot blood run between her breasts.

The assassin opened a portal and pushed the dying woman through it, satisfied no one would find her.