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

The Amtrak Auto Train pulled into Lorton, VA an hour late, at 9:45 am. By the time Devin retrieved his truck and met Brandon, it was 10:45 am before they were on the road. “So, which way should I head? I’ve never driven in D.C. before.” Devin was watching the road intently.

“I can drive if you want me too.”

“Nah, I think I can handle it. I’m just nervous as fuck right now.”

Brandon laughed and looked over to his little brother. “Well, first thing, stop being nervous. It’ll be fine. Second, I suggest pulling into that gas station up ahead and setting your GPS. I’d recommend taking US Highway 1 instead of I-95. Trust yourself, but be cautious of everyone else.”

“Alright… thanks.” Devin pulled into the gas station and parked by the air pumps. He went to work programming the GPS to avoid the Interstate and toll roads.

“Be back, coffee run. Want one?”

“Sure. Cream and sugar please.”

Brandon nodded and headed towards the building. Once out of eyesight, he fished his phone out and hit the speed dial. “It’s me… We’re in Lorton, about to get on US1… How’s it looking? That bad? Well that’s really going to complicate things.” He paused briefly as he walked to the coffee bar. He checked the time on the pots, found the freshest, and poured two cups. “So, don’t head back directly to the school? Shit… No, I thought someone was on the train. That chick from New York two months ago. When I went to find her, she was gone. I sensed something and confirmed there was magical residue with a detection spell… No clue. If someone else was on board, I never spotted them, and I know Dad was nowhere near the train last night. I spoke with him.” He finished fixing the coffees and paid for them by swiping his phone on the terminal. “I’ll report in when we get closer. Later.” As he walked back to the car, he checked around the parking lot for anything that looked out of the ordinary.

“Hey, Mom… yes, the train was late getting into Lorton, but I’m headed to the school now. I’m fine Mom, the school sent someone to meet me, and he’s riding back. Nice guy, older, you’d like him… He graduated from St. Mithras and works as part of the mentor program. His name is Brandon… Alright, bye Mom, I love you.” He hung up his cell phone as Brandon slid into the passenger seat. “Thanks,” he said, as he took the coffee.

“You’re welcome. You just talked to your mom?”

“Yeah, I did. Felt it would be best to go ahead and call her.” Devin put his coffee down with a shaking hand. "That was fine right?”

“Perfectly, but I made a call too. Seems the school is being watched. We need to take a different route.” Brandon pulled up the route on the nav-system. His fingers sailed across the touchscreen as he made the adjustments. “That should do it. We should be getting back around noonish.”

“Good. I’m starving. You think we got time to stop for food?” He pulled out of the gas station parking lot.

“You just ate like two hours ago, and you had two full breakfasts!” Brandon laughed. “Where are you putting it?”

“I’m a growing boy… I need my meat.” He laughed. “This happens all the time. I’ll be fine for days, then get ravenous out of nowhere, and just fucking eat everything I can get my hands on. I don’t think I can wait.”

“Alright, just stop whining. Pull through somewhere, and I’ll drive while you eat. I really need to get you back. I don’t think we’re safe out here.”

“I wasn’t going to allow eating in my new truck…” He paused feeling Brandon's penetrating glare. “Fine, I agree to your terms.”

“Good… now choose your fast-food place.”

They spotted a Burger King and pulled into the drive-thru. It took them a few minutes to get to the speaker. “Thank you for choosing Burger King. May I take your order?”

“Yes, let me get your 2 for $10.00 specials, with cheese, and upgraded to larges with Cokes.” He looked at Brandon, “You want something?”

“Yeah, I’ll take a chocolate shake.”

Devin turned back to the speaker, “And two chocolate shakes.”

“Please pull around to the window for your total and payment.”

He drove around, and paid for and got the food. Devin pulled forward into a spot while he and Brandon switched seats. Soon, the brothers were back on the road.

“Thank you… I really… needed this…” Devin said between bites of a Whopper. He quickly washed it down with a swig of his Coke. “Am I really in danger? I mean it’s been eighteen years, and not a fucking thing has happened at all. I didn’t even know about all this shit.”

Brandon glanced over and then looked back to the road. “It’s because you’re turning eighteen today. They have one chance to get you before the ritual tonight. And yes, it is that dangerous.”

“What ritual? You’ve mentioned it twice now. And who’s ‘they’?”

“They are the Agency. An international organization which captures, removes, or kills, anything fantastical.” Brandon merged into the fast lane, and hopscotched past slower moving cars. “In other words, they kill people like us or put us in prison camps to study us. Only a few are left to live freely. They are the ones The Agency doesn’t know about, that have undergone training. Way back in the 1700’s a truce was made at the Vatican, and treaties signed into international law that safeguards us. St. Mithras is one such school.”

“Alright…You still…have…not…” Devin mumbled something as he munched on the Whopper, “the ritual.”

“Seriously man… Don’t talk with your mouth full. Geez. Not sure what’s worse, you talking with your mouth full, or cursing all the time.” He paused as he switched lanes, and made a turn. “As far as the ritual goes, it’s not my place to discuss it. I’ll give you a brief. When you become an adult, which here in the US is 18, in the other realm it's when you turned 16, on your birthday you go through a ritual to introduce you to the Mithras Mysteries.

“Mithras is our living god in the Fairie Realm. He’s very powerful. I’ve met his avatar once. Some humans here on Earth, before ancient Babylon, used to worship Mithras as a god, as did part of the Zoroastrian religion. In Ancient Rome, he was popular among men, boys in the military, and politics. They formed the Mithras Mysteries, base on the real deal.” Brandon glanced at his brother to see how he took the news before returning his attention to the road. “The biggest thing is you may develop powers. Yes, it could happen. One of the rarest is Mithras chooses you as a priest, and you develop abilities that focus on healing. There are others, some even more rare, but most often nothing happens.”

“Did you get anything?”

“I did. It unlocked my ability to tap into the magical source of the Fairie Realm, and to cross over back and forth at will, and go anywhere without needing a crossover point. Just myself and what I’m carrying. Though, I have to study and learn spells to work the magic.” He stopped for a traffic light, just outside of Alexandria, and noticed a car behind them, about 4 cars back, and to the right. “Fuck…”

Devin swiveled his head. “What’s wrong? That’s the second time I heard you swear.”

“We’re being followed. Don’t turn around, use the side mirror. Dark blue car, four back on the right. It’s been behind us at the same spacing since Burger King. You said you called your mom, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“You have it backed up somewhere? Nothing you can’t lose on it?”

“Nothing important.”

“Take it out, wipe it to factory settings, remove the battery, and get ready to ditch it.”

Devin followed his brother’s instructions. He activated the factory reset and waited for it to finish wiping his data from the phone. “Alright done, and the battery is out.”

“Good. There’s a bridge up ahead, chuck it as hard as you can, and try to get it into the water. You didn’t have it linked to your truck’s nav system did you?”

“No. I didn’t know how to sync the Bluetooth yet.”

Brandon nodded, and headed across the bridge

When near the center, Devin rolled down his window and chucked the phone and battery out into the small river. He rolled the window back up and finished off the first Whopper.

“Fuck… They are making their move. They’re coming up behind us, and fast.”

“What do you want me to do, Brandon?”

“Tighten your seatbelt, hold on, and trust me.”

Brandon stomped the gas pedal, and sent the V6 engine into overdrive, weaving between other vehicles on the road as he tried to lose the blue car. The driver of the pursuit car was up next to them, as they dodged each other and the other drivers on the road. The back window of the blue car opened, and someone started shooting a handgun out of it.

“They’re shooting at us!” Devin yelled and tried to duck down.

“I know!”

It was almost noon on Saturday, and traffic had backed up and started to block their way. Knowing they could not keep going, Brandon flipped the steering wheel in a hard left turn; he did a bootlegger’s turn and started to head back along US1 in the wrong direction. He had the truck jump the low concrete median and hit the exit ramp for I-95 headed eastbound over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

“SSSSHHHIIITTTT!!!!!” Devin yelled as his meal went flying across the cab. Fries, Coke, and chocolate shake covered both brothers and most of the front seat and dashboard.

Coming off the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Brandon took the exit for I-295 and headed north away from the chaotic scene. He kept pace with the traffic and crept over to the slow lane. “Looks like we lost them, but we’ve gotta get out of your truck. Still trust me?”

“I do… but we’re covered in shit.”

“Don’t worry about it or your truck. I can take care of it when we stop.”

~*~*~*~

Thirty minutes later, they sat near the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Florida House was a non-partisan showcase of the State of Florida and had been used as an Official State Embassy to Washington D.C. over the years. They parked Devin’s Truck a couple of blocks over, and Brandon used his magic to clean the two of them and the cab. After another spell to camouflage the truck, they made their way to Florida House.

They walked inside and discreetly went through to the employees only section. Brandon opened a disguised door leading to a secret basement compound. The pair sat and relaxed. The entrance to this hidden compound was mostly carpeted and well lit. There was a small kitchenette, and a large-flat-screen TV hung on one wall. Several comfy armchairs, a couch, and an office style desk adorned the room. Three doors, two on the north wall, and one on the west, led out of the main room.

“Why are we here? Is this another St. Mithras place?” Devin moved in his chair.

“Nah… This is actually one of our father’s safe houses. He’s on the board of trustees, and secretly owns the majority of this block. He even has a tunnel leading into the SCOTUS building and Capitol Hill from here.”

“Why would he need a tunnel?”

“Don’t know, I never asked him.” Brandon walked over to the kitchenette and looked at the items in the fridge. “Looks like Dad was here recently… there’s leftover pizza, from last night.” He pulled the leftover pizza out, checking what kind it was. “At least it isn’t weird. It’s a basic pepperoni… want some Devin?”

“Sure, please. I didn’t get to finish my burgers.”

Brandon made up two plates and nuked them in the microwave. He took the food and a two liter bottle of Coke out to share, and sat down in an armchair. “So… we’ll stay here for a bit, and then we’ll make our way out. We’ll have to go in through the underground entrance.”

“Sounds good,” Devin replied between bites of pizza. He had already finished half of his before Brandon was seated. “How are we going to get out of here?”

“I’ve been thinking about that. We’ll cross over to the Capitol Building, via the tunnel, and use the portal in the basement there. It’ll be the easiest way.” Brandon flipped the TV on to the local news. He sat back and ate in silence. Every now and then he’d look over at his brother. ‘Where is he putting it all? He already drank a quarter of the two-liter and most of the pizza is gone. I hope I can keep him safe. I am so going to kick Dad’s ass when I see him.’

The news anchor caught Brandon's attention. “In other news, a gunfight erupted on the beltway today. Eyewitnesses state a blue sedan was chasing a black pick-up truck. CCTV barely caught any of the footage. If you have information police are asking for your assistance in locating the fugitives.” A video showed some of the car chase. Luckily for all involved, it was reported no injuries had occurred.

~*~*~*~

They entered the tunnel to the US Capitol Building, and emerged into a hallway in the basement. No security cameras were in this section, and they moved towards the stairway to the second sub-basement. As they walked down, Brandon kept an eye out for anyone from the Agency that might know of the portal, and kept a spell on his lips, ready to do battle.

A few turns later, they arrived at a secluded alcove. Brandon reached out and placed his palm on the wall. He muttered a few words, pouring some spell energy into the portal, and it opened. Before them was shimmering light in a rainbow of color. A myriad of pictures appeared before the portal settled on one. It looked like a small room with two guards flanking a doorway. They had the symbol of Saint Mithras on the left breast of their shirts.

“Move through, and I’ll follow you,” Brandon said.

Devin stepped through the portal and became dizzy. He stumbled over the small step on the other side, and would have fallen if it wasn’t for one of the guards. Devin knew the former student that caught him from the year prior. “Daniel! Thanks for catching me,” he said, and stood up.

“How did you know about the portal?” Daniel asked, but then nodded as Brandon stepped through. “Brandon. Good to see you. I take it he’s under your protection?”

“Yes, he is. The Agency made a grab for him.” Brandon took the bags Devin carried. “Can you please make sure these get to his room? I must get Mr. Rous here to the Headmaster’s office.”

Daniel acknowledged the order, and the brothers headed off down the hallway. The underground complex looked like a cross between a military installation and a castle dungeon. Signs dotted intersections, along with computer interface terminals which gave directions to common areas.

With Brandon leading, the brothers took a winding path through the complex before arriving at an elevator. “Up we go,” Brandon said to his brother. “Once we reach the ground floor, it will be a short walk to the Headmaster’s office, and then we’ll part ways.”

“Will I ever see you again?” Devin asked.

“Of course!” Brandon said and pulled him into a hug. “I’ll be at the ritual tonight, and I’ll keep in touch. You’re my little brother, and I’m not going to lose you, now that I know you exist. I just fucking wish Dad told me about you.”

“Thanks,” Devin said. “Will… will he be here? At the ritual?”

“He should be, but I cannot say for sure. He was at mine, but I didn’t meet him until well after the ceremony.”

They stepped off the elevator onto the ground floor, and made their way to the Headmaster.

~*~*~*~

It was 10:00 pm, the night of April 1, 2017. Devin was in an antechamber preparing for the ritual that would introduce him to the Mysteries of Mithras. The school had thrown a banquet buffet for dinner, to celebrate his birthday. He was surprised to learn that a number of visiting diplomats from different countries were there, including the US Ambassador to the Fairie Realm. Being an Elven Prince, he brought out all the political factions to witness the event. According to the Vatican Accords, the treaty signed in the 1700’s, a member of the Holy See and an observer from The Agency were also in attendance. Devin stayed away from them throughout dinner, during which he ate four large plates of food. He had looked for his brother and father, but hadn’t seen either of them.

As he waited for the hour to strike 11:00 pm, Devin read over the guide for the ritual. He had already bathed, groomed himself, and put on the shorts he was to wear in the ceremony. As he read, he tried to commit to memory the many different parts of the ritual. He sighed. ‘I’ll never be able to memorize all this. At least the only parts I have to speak are yes and I do. This is not what I expected I was going to get for my birthday.’ With a knock at the door, his mental conversation came to an end. “Come in.”

A younger teen opened the door and looked in. “They are ready now. Follow me, please.”

Devin nodded and followed him. It was a short walk to the room where the ritual would take place.

A single door led into the underground chamber which was the secret ritual room. Carved out of stone centuries before as a temple, the rectangular room looked like a natural cavern. Altars were evenly spaced along the walls, each dedicated to a different aspect of Mithras. Candles lit the room, and incense hung in the air. Padded stone benches sat on a raised dais, and the main altar was at the far end of the room.

A drum beat rhythmically as Devin made his way down the central aisle. For the most part, the benches were filled with people he did not know. The few dignitaries he'd met earlier nodded to him. What he guessed might be pixies hovered near the wall, and an elf and a dwarf sat together in the front row. At the main altar he spied the Headmaster next to Brandon. Beside them was a cloaked figure - his father perhaps? No, he spied a female face under the hood and veil.

Devin came to a stop and looked up at the Priest on the dais. The Priest raised his voice. “Who comes before us this day?”

“I am Devin Rous." He hoped he sounded less nervous than he was. "Prince of House Anfalas, and second heir to the throne.”

“Why do you come to us?”

“So that I might be inducted into the Mysteries, and receive my birthright, whatever it may be, from Mithras, our Lord and living God.”

“Do you come of your own free will?”

“Yes.”

“Do you accept what is about to be given to you?”

“I do.”

“Then step forward and approach the altar, young one.”

Devin stepped up to the altar and placed his hands on a crystal ball the Priest placed before him. He stood still as the Priest began to chant. Devin felt a surge of energy. It did not hurt but felt thrilling and warm. The smell of roses and sandalwood came to him. His hair stood on end as the energy coursed through his body.

“We ask that Mithras, our Lord and living God, bestow upon Devin his birthright. Give unto him what you feel he needs, and open his mystery unto him,” the Priest recited. “So mote it be.”

A surge of golden light poured out of the crystal and made the humans and non-humans alike shield their eyes. When the intensity lessened and they were able to see, Devin hung in the air unsupported, as the golden light passed in and around him. A look of pure pleasure was on Devin’s face, as the energy penetrated his body and unlocked his full potential. Those who had undergone the ceremony before looked on with concern as the events unfolded. This had never happened before in recorded history. After the last surge of light, everyone turned towards the altar, uncovering their eyes, to find Devin lying on the ground, unconscious.

The Priest stepped forwarded and checked him. “He’s alive. Take him to medical.” The rest of the ceremony was forgotten as staff moved to do as the Priest commanded.

~*~*~*~

Devin’s vision cleared, and he looked around the room. After a few minutes, he realized he wasn’t in the ceremony room. The new room was pleasant, and looked like a museum. A wide Persian style rug was in the middle of the room, a wooden couch was on one side, piled with pillows, and two wooden leather clad armchairs sat across from it. Other furniture decorated the room, and many ancient looking trinkets sat upon them.

“Please, sit,” a figure spoke in a guttural voice and moved from what appeared to be a kitchen. He carried a tray with two drinks and presented one to Devin. “Please accept this, and we can talk.”

“Thank you,” Devin replied, as he took the cup of coffee. He sat down on one end of the couch. He was surprised by his host's appearance. Wearing only a waist-wrap, he was a tall man with tanned brown skin, and a dusting of golden-red hair across his arms, legs, and chest. Shirtless, his muscles rippled as he moved. Devin could sense his power. But this was no mere man. Devin found himself looking at the golden eyes of a lion, beneath which the man carried a python coiled around his neck.

His host smiled, then turned and sat in a chair across from Devin.

“I am Mithras, the God of the Fairie, and I am here to give you your birthright.” The lion-headed man said. “I am only in your mind - you remain safe on Earth. I took the steps I did in order to talk to you. I am sorry for any discomfort you might feel.”

Mithras lifted the cup and poured some of the liquid into his maw as he waited for Devin to respond.

“Oh, sorry… I’m feeling alright, though I am still in fucking shock over all this. I would never have imagined any of this was fucking real,” Devin said. He took a drink of coffee, a perfectly brewed Turkish style, and dressed with cream and sugar exactly to his taste. He closed his eyes, and let out a small moan of pleasure. “This is perfect…. OH MY FUCKING GOD!!! I am so sorry… I’m swearing up a storm here in front of you! Don’t smite me…”

Mithras laughed, a sound that was both pleasant and terrifying at the same time. “Don’t worry. I actually prefer it when my followers and children are honest with themselves, and me. You don’t stand on social graces, a sign of your time on Earth. I like it. In fact, if the stuffy Priest says anything, tell him to talk to me about it.” He gave Devin a toothy smile and resumed his speech. “You may be wondering why I brought you here. Well it’s to talk. Did they explain to you what the mysteries are?”

“Somewhat. They are different for each person, and it’s basically our life’s path.”

Mithras nodded at the acceptable answer. “It is more in depth, but that is something you must discover on your own. Each person’s free will dictates how far along you progress in your mystery. Now…your birthright. As a descendant of the Fairie people, and one of my children, you do get some power and ability. You’re half-elven, so you already would have some ability with magic, once it was unlocked within you. In addition I gifted you something special. You are now a Warlock and have unfettered access to the magical source. You can bend it to your will. As part of this birthright, I also impart to you the knowledge to use your abilities, though you must train your body to handle the power. I started this process when you were a child, and it’s why you have such a large appetite at times. Your body was compensating for the lack of magic.” He paused, and waited a moment, looking at Devin’s reaction. “Any questions?”

“A billion, and none,” Devin sighed. “I can’t think of any right now, but I will have a billion of them later on tonight. Most likely while I’m sitting on the shitter… OH, am I going to get fat now, from eating so much?”

Mithras laughed; a real belly roll of a laugh. “Alright, that is a fair question. No, as a side effect of my meddling, you’ll continue to remain at the average weight for your height and body type for the rest of your natural life. You’ll still be able to eat whatever you want, and will need to eat when your body is low on spell energy. Don’t worry, you won’t die if you don’t eat enough after working a large amount of magic. Any more questions?” Mithras waited a moment and watched as Devin shook his head no. “Then I will let you be. Know that I am always with you Devin Rous, and always will be. I approve of you and your sexual preference. My clergy and followers may be short-sighted, but I am not. Remember that. Now, wake up, Devin.”

~*~*~*~

Saint Albans School for Boys was built in the early days of Washington D.C. Located next to the National Cathedral, it was a sprawling complex that was run by the Episcopal Church. However, that was the cover for Saint Mithras School. On paper, Saint Mithras was a subsection of Saint Albans. Saint Mithras School were the true owners, however, and ran things in accordance with the Vatican Accords. Catacombs were built under both schools and the cathedral, and these served as a sanctuary and seat of government for those from the Fairie Realm. The medical center set up in the catacombs was second to none for creatures and beings of magic.

After the incident with the ceremony, they brought Devin to the ER of the Medical Center for an evaluation. With monitors on and leads attached, the doctors kept watch of his condition. It wasn’t unheard of for those going through the ceremony to have a bad reaction to the changes, but it was rare. The doctors confirmed Devin was uninjured, but unconscious for some unknown reasons. The monitors showed a high level of brain activity, and they felt he could be safely observed in ICU. After they moved him, Brandon insisted on staying with his brother.

Brandon sat in a chair next to the bed and held Devin’s hand. It had only been about thirty-six hours, more or less, since the two of them met, but already Brandon had started to feel a bond to his brother. ‘Damn. I just got him, and now I feel like I’m about to lose him. I wish Dad had mentioned him before this,’ he thought, and looked at the clock. It was close to four in the morning, just five hours since the energy surge that put Devin there.

A blond young man entered the doorway. He looked no older than his 20’s and was slim and graceful. He was dressed casually but walked with an air of royalty. He paused a few feet into the room when he saw both boys and locked eyes with Brandon. “Thank you, son. for staying with your brother.”

Brandon nodded, “It’s good to see you Dad. I saw you were a late arrival to the ritual, and it’s only taken you five hours to get here.”

“It’s complicated Brandon. Unlike you, and your brother, the Agency is trying to capture or kill me. They had the portals blocked, and the school was on lockdown for all the ambassadors. Has Devin woken or said anything?”

Brandon shook his head “No, besides a smile and a moan earlier. Both the doctor and a healer have looked him over. They say give him time, it’s a complication from the energy changing his body. They started an IV a bit ago to raise his fluids.”

Shad’ler moved to sit next to his son, pulling up another chair. He reached and laid a hand on Devin’s and Brandon’s hands, giving them both a squeeze. “My boys. Gods, I wish I could turn back time… To start over, and be the dad I wanted to be for both of you.” The anguish in his voice was not lost on Brandon.

“I have to ask… Why didn’t you tell me about Devin?”

“To keep you both safe, at least that’s what I keep telling myself. I’m not perfect Brandon. The gods know I’ve fucked up a lot of people’s lives over the years. I felt I had to protect you both, and keeping you both in the dark about each other would keep you safe.” He paused briefly and sat back in the chair. His youthful appearance belied his true age, and he felt the thousands of years weigh on him. “I didn’t even know Devin was alive until he was eight years old. You, I visited several times, before I had to stop because the Agency almost caught me at your mom’s apartment. You were three then, and it was so hard to leave you.”

Brandon leaned over and gave his dad a long hug. “I’ve forgiven you a long time ago. I can’t speak for little bro there, but if what I saw of him yesterday holds true to his character, he won’t hold it against you. You know he’s gay?”

“I didn’t, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve had many a male lover over the years, almost as many as females.”

Brandon smiled, and looked at Shad’ler once more. “Any other kids we should know about?”

Shad’ler sat quietly for a few moments, as a single tear ran down his cheek. “None that lived. There were two others. The Demons in Fairie killed your sister and brother. They were full elven, twins, and less than six months old. A powerful demon possessed their nanny and assassinated them in their cribs before it killed my wife. That was the opening of the Demon War which led to our downfall.”

Shad’ler sat withdrawn, his emotions playing across his face. “I wasn’t with them. I had ridden ahead to get a report on some border skirmishes, and they were stopped at an inn. By the time word got to me, they had been dead for two days.”

“Damn…”

“No others since then, with the exception of you and your brother. To be frank, elves and humans are rarely compatible. It’s a one in a million or so chance. I was just lucky. I stumbled upon two humans that I could breed with. I suspect it was Mithras’ work.”

Brandon was about to respond when movement from the bed caught their attention. Devin's eyes started to flutter open. Both Shad’ler and Brandon stood up, and moved to the bedside, to check on him.

“Look who’s waking up. Hey sleepy head, you in there?” Brandon pressed the call button.

Devin looked at the two men, and then at the monitors, “Is there a burger shop around here? I’m starving.”

All three broke into laughter as the doctor walked in.