Return to Kiluemar

by Kimberly Marraffino

  One of these agreements was no creature could harm another within the boundaries of Kiluemar. Murder was prohibited. Under no circumstance was killing allowed. The death of one creature by the hands or power of another went against everything Kiluemar stood for and committing such actions led to permanent banishment, as well as a not-so-subtle announcement of their presence within the non-magical world. Although harm was not acceptable within the realm, permitting this type of harsh punishment outside of Kiluemar was acceptable and highly recommended––for many were frightened the exiled creature would provide the hunters with their whereabouts. Informing the outside world of the ousted individual’s existence gave the residents of the island the upper hand.

  While many creatures did not want to be banished, some found it difficult to live lawfully within the realm. Many could not help themselves and acted on their coldblooded urges. While forced to live with these unnatural but basic instincts, these creatures fought against their magically created cravings within the realm. Abiding by the rules, many left the island to perform their devious activities, returning soon after their acts were completed. Vampires were one of these deadly creatures, but, again, not by choice. All the vampires who arrived in Kiluemar were once regular humans but were plagued by a horrendous curse––either by fear, manipulation, or unrealistic expectations. Very few chose the lifestyle of living day to day forced to survive by feeding and taking a life. Unlike other creatures who fed on living, or freshly dead things, vampires could only sustain their life by drinking human blood. Animal blood was poisonous and dangerous, but not fatal. If a vampire drank animal blood, it would writhe in pain for days, twisting and turning in agony as their blood boiled and their skin burned, the charred remnants peeling from their body. They needed the blood and essence of a human to survive. Vampires stole the life expectancy of each person they killed, prolonging their own existence. Although the immortal creatures could live forever as long as they fed, and the more they killed, vampires could still die.

  Other creatures, like ogres, trolls, and sirens were cannibals, feeding on all living things. Even though they preferred the fresh meat of humans or other creatures, they would devour the dead as well. During the early development of Kiluemar, wild animals were scarce on the island––although animals were not their preferred source of food. With their grotesque and violent eating habits, they were required to hunt only within the non-magical realm when fish and birds did not satisfy their cravings. Many of these creatures loathed this way of life but chose to tolerate it. Being able to hide within the boundaries of this magical sanctuary made life easier, and safer, for those who drew attention to themselves outside of Kiluemar with their slayings or hideous appearances.

  Some supernatural beings could not restrain themselves when transformed into their magical counterpart. Werewolves, for example, could not control their actions when in their animal form. Human, nonetheless, they only changed during a precise time with no uncertainties. This gave those around them a better sense of security and acceptance of these predictable creatures. Many precautions were taken with the arrival of these cursed creatures, as well as providing them a home within the realm. Given a large section of the northern part of the island, the werewolves would travel a day or two before the full moon and hide out in a cave designed just for them, complete with furnishings, books to read, food, and other necessities to live on during their confinement. After their transformation, they would return to the village and resume their normal lives until the next month.

  The furies, like the werewolves, were forced to change only during a certain time, but otherwise they were regular humans outside of their magical form. Unlike werewolves though, the furies’ transformation was unpredictable and almost always deadly. The three original sisters were created to help aid in the delivery of murderous and treacherous souls to the underworld. With their ferocious and uncontrollable lethal methods, the sisters were unable to stay hidden within the shadows like many other magical individuals. Forever stuck in their deviant and hostile form with the never-ending sins spilling out across the world, the sisters were eventually captured and murdered. But from their magic, released back into Mother Nature, three more furies were born. Another set of grown sisters were created to deliver the darkened souls into the depths of hell. However, with each resurrection the more human they became––only turning when the sisters were around those they were forced to kill for their souls. The transformation was not only deadly to the one who committed the heinous crime, but anyone around them could fall victim to these vicious creatures. Highly impulsive, unrestrained, and violent, furies became non-existent in the realm without any murder or other immoral actions occurring. Both werewolves and furies, though extremely dangerous during their phases, chose to be good when not in their unpleasant, wild forms.

  Diverse creatures continued to arrive on the island over the decades. With a huge number of them portraying malevolent and unpredictable behaviors, the magic of the island divided a section of the land to help contain these feral creatures. A long mountain range with steep and tall peaks was created along the east side of the island. Stretching from the northeastern side and swooping out and down toward the southeastern side of the island, the mountain reached out to the ocean on both sides. Those who were thought to be evil or unable to control their urges were asked to live on the newly classified forbidden side of Kiluemar. As more creatures arrived—many being evil rather than good––the island became less safe.

  One creature was the cause of many sleepless nights among the magical world. A little over one hundred and thirty years after the barrier went up, an unusual and undoubtably evil creature arrived in Kiluemar. This creature was unique to the realm, in fact, it was the only known one to ever exist. The twice-cursed individual arrived after hearing he could live without the constant distress of being hunted. However, his existence in the realm made many uncomfortable and paranoid by his lack of empathy and his major disregard for life.

  Merrick could only feed on a living, breathing human and only within the form of a large, demonic humanoid bat. He was a rare creature––a vampire demon vexed with never being able to satisfy his bloodthirsty cravings. The spiteful creature brought fear among the realm with his arrival. Though charming and quite normal as a human, the malicious beast he turned into produced an uneasy panic in the magical world. Traveling often through the portals made many even more hesitant to allow him to stay on the island, for his need to sustain himself––both nutritionally and physically––was too much for some. Even the regular vampires did not have to feed as often as he did.

  Craving not only blood, Merrick desired power, control over his curse, and a burning need to become fully immortal. With each human he drained of blood, the longer his life would be. Like vampires, each death meant years were added to his lifespan. But unlike many of the vampires in Kiluemar, Merrick enjoyed killing and took pride in the hunt. But being a demon vampire came with a painful consequence, one making him yearn for the chance to possess more power and gain full control over his transformation. His lack of given magic, or even the knowledge of the curse forced upon him, made him only dream about his never-ending need for control. Forced to live among those more powerful than he, Merrick kept to himself––hiding out in a dark stone room inside the cold walls of Casteya Castle on the forbidden side of the island––waiting for a chance to take control of the realm.

  In addition to Merrick, another ominous event lingered within the boundaries of the realm—a prophecy. An incomplete prediction was uttered fifty years after the arrival of Merrick from the mouth of an adolescent seer named Sadora. Part of a long line of seers, the young lady never experienced any visions for herself before. Her family, originally from a small town in Central America, arrived in Kiluemar a few weeks before the full magnitude of her powers came crashing down on her at once.

  One night, Sadora was forced awake after witnessing visions in the form of a nightmare. A dreadful dream convey
ing the imminent demise of magic and the catastrophic destruction of both the magical and non-magical world. Death consumed everything as visions of blood, mutilated bodies, and darkened skies overwhelmed her. Terrified the visions would come to pass, Sadora kept the nightmare a secret. Knowing it was the duty of a seer to convey the message of their visions, she grew anxious but hopeful. The extremely naïve girl hoped disregarding the visions would stop them from happening. Although, the magic within her would soon emerge again.

  Continuing to ignore the visions, Sadora went on with her life. Marrying a young man named Mathias Dorrasa, she eventually broke free from the relentless turmoil bouncing around inside her head. Her husband made life better for her with his kind nature and infectious laugh, he made her happy.

  Mathias, also from a long line of seers, was never given the power to foresee the future. His family, originally from the northeastern coastlines of North America, always had detailed visions and the ability to foretell the future, but he was different. His powers were unusual, only seeing images given to another seer when he touched them. Only being able to help aid in the predictions of his own bloodline, Mathias never knew about the prophecy Sadora saw when she was younger.

  Despite her effort to continue overlooking the terrifying images, Sadora was soon plagued by the visions again. On a warm spring evening, Sadora was forced into surrendering the long-kept secret while delivering her first-born child. Swept up in the pain, her mind and body became separate entities as she screamed in pain, each contraction tearing through her body. Pushing the baby from her womb, her eyes glazed over, and her body fell back onto the bed. Mathias, waiting anxiously in the chair by the fire, raced over to her side.

  Her voice was loud and raspy as she uttered the warning.

  Evil within will soon stray,

  for those among will be the prey

  Unearthed by powerful magic,

  the fate of innocents now tragic

  In the hands of stolen power,

  will force the world to fall and cower

  Hidden source with magic taken,

  will leave the realm plagued and forsaken

  Magic itself will fight to win,

  and stop the evil from this fateful sin

  Born among ashes and soot,

  a savior will set the journey afoot

  Alive among the smoke,

  powers stronger than the average folk

  Magic now within the one,

  the destiny of all is still not done

  A fate not written in stone,

  for all rests upon the unknown

  Mathias’s hand trembled as he wrote down the strange and disjointed words.

  Sadora sat up and continued pushing as if nothing happened. Her eyes rolled forward, and she screamed, forcing the baby from her body. After a few minutes, Sadora delivered a healthy baby boy.

  Mikel Dorrasa slept in his mother’s arms while his father stood nearby, still confused by the foretold future. Afraid to tell Sadora the truth about the night’s events, Mathias stashed the parchment and urged the midwife not to say a word. He chose to wait for another day to tell his wife about her prediction.

  But that day would never come. When Mathias woke a few hours later to the sounds of Mikel crying, he found Sadora dead on the bed.

  ***

  Time went on and Mathias continued to mourn his wife. Lost within his grief, he forgot all about the menacing words brought forth on the night of his son’s birth, but he would soon face those memories again.

  One evening while Mathias was reading a book and Mikel listened by the fire, the young boy collapsed. Rushing from his chair, Mathias crashed to his knees and gently rolled his son onto his back. The terrified father touched his son and an overwhelming stream of visions flashed in his mind—Sadora as a young girl, blood everywhere, mangled and mutilated corpses, crimson skies with gray and black clouds blocking out the sun, both worlds crumbling in on themselves.

  Mathias fell back, letting go of Mikel. The visions disappeared. His son’s eyes rolled back, and his small body twitched. Reliving the memories of Sadora’s final night, Mathias hurried to his feet and ran to a small bookcase, pulling an old, ripped book from the shelf and turning to the back pages. He took out a piece of parchment from the book just as Mikel recited familiar words. Opening the creased parchment, Mathias read along as the young seer delivered the same exact words his mother did almost six years prior.

  Fearful the magic of the prophecy killed Sadora as punishment for not telling the others about her visions, Mathias gathered a few things as his son lay motionless on the floor. After Mikel regained awareness and returned to normal, he and Mathias rushed a few roads over to the current head of the Guardians and informed him of the prophecy.

  Chapter 14

  Gatekeepers

  Guardians were another unique creature in the realm. A magical individual created with a specific purpose, their sole objective was to guard and protect Kiluemar. Like Telematras, Guardians were given powers to assist in the safety and livelihood of both the island and the occupants. Although, unlike Telematras, they did not start with any kind of natural born magic. The very first one in the Guardian bloodline was an ordinary mortal, a normal human being who risked their life, and the lives of their future lineage, and took on an undesirable task.

  During the reign of the Virgin Queen, Great Britain became one of the epicenters for the various magical massacres pouring out across the world. As word traveled throughout western Europe about these powerful and sinful creatures, the Church of England placed a bounty on all individuals exhibiting signs, or physical characteristics, of having magically gifted abilities. The queen, unaware of this new proclamation, was sheltered from the exaggerated dangers prowling throughout her kingdom. With almost two decades in the dark, she sat low in the hierarchy of magical awareness. The advisors by her side, some who also fell to the hands of the unrighteous hunters, concealed the existence of magic from the queen. Those who were determined to rid this world of these evil and impure creatures felt the queen’s love for her people would overshadow the need to eliminate these vile individuals. This savage and extremely biased public decree left all those with magic terrified for their lives. Those possessing powers, and even some who did not, pleaded for the queen to grant them mercy and sanctuary, but their cries were never heard by the compassionate monarch.

  Most of the magical creatures in the world already left for Kiluemar by this time, but there were still quite a few among the non-magical world. Longing for normalcy, the ones who stayed behind hid their powers, opting for a simpler life. But many suffered premature deaths at the hands of those eager for a measly profit. Without any proof needed for payment, many people, including those without magic, were falsely accused, targeted, and murdered.

  A persistent fear swelled among the villages as the last remaining magical individuals, mostly witches, packed up their things and headed for Kiluemar. One of those individuals was a young man named Zacharia Smyth. The curly-haired and thin man was just a few weeks shy of turning nineteen when he abandoned his home in the northwestern seaside village along Great Britain’s coast.

  His week-long journey began after learning there was a magical doorway not far from a small village on the southwest side of the country. The door was rumored to open to a world where all magic was welcomed and protected. Hopeful he would be accepted by the inhabitants of this mysterious new world, Zacharia loaded up all his precious belongings and headed out on the lengthy journey.

  Days passed and another sunset lowered on the horizon, the dusk air cold and stiff. Determined to arrive sooner rather than later, Zacharia flicked his wrists, forcing his tired horse to continue. However, the extremely pregnant and overly exhausted young lady falling asleep against his shoulder made him canvass the area for a safe place to rest for the night. Turning into an alcove among the dense trees beside the overgrown trail, he pulled back on the reins and the wagon lurched to
a stop. The young lady, supporting her stomach, woke as the wagon halted and a loud snort came from the horse.

  “Are we stoppin’ for the evenin’?” the young lady asked, sitting up straight and tucking the loose strands of blonde hair behind her ear.

  “Aye, my dear,” Zacharia answered, jumping down and reaching his hands up. “Come hither, let me help thee.”

  She bent over and carefully descended into his arms, grasping tightly to his shoulders. Kissing her forehead, Zacharia stepped away and started to unhitch the horse from the wagon.

  The wind howled within the deserted forest, sending chills up the young girl’s back. Owls hooted and rustling leaves echoed among the shadows, forcing her to toss her head around. Wrapping her arms across her chest, she shivered.

  Zacharia glanced over. “Anne? Art thou all right, dear?”

  “Aye. Just a wee bit cold.”

  Rushing over to the back of the wagon, Zacharia declared, “Let me get thee a blanket.”

  He returned, placing a thick wool blanket around Anne’s shoulders and escorting her to a tree root protruding from the muddy underbrush.

  “Thou sit and rest while I prepare a fire.”

  Soon, a fire burned, and the young couple sat in silence, watching the flames dance with the wind as an intense heat rose and warmed the cold air. The subtle hums of the wind through the trees made Anne’s eyes grow heavy. The moonless night—though terrifying to the quiet and timid young girl—brought ease to the highly alert young man who listened for any unwelcome sounds.

  Their destination was within their grasp, only half a day’s journey. The need to get Anne and his unborn child to safety burned inside Zacharia—he had to get them there before it was too late. But he was worried, for if the rumors were true, he would not be allowed to go with them. He would have to say goodbye to his beloved fiancée and the child he would never know.