Welcome to Gaia! ::

Death cradled the small infant in his arms. His features were delicate and beautiful, but never before had death ever looked into a pair eyes so startling. They were the most peculiar shade of green he had ever seen. The witch doctor crawled on her knees to where he sat near the blazing fire. She murmured softly in the ancient language- blessing the child. The baby squirmed in death’s embrace as an unearthly glow developed around the three of them. It shone bright like a soundless explosion before dying away just as quickly.

“You will keep him safe,” said death. “No one is to know where it is he is hidden. Can you promise me that?”

Lovingly the witch doctor stroked his weathered cheek. Death turned away from the striking gaze of the child to stare gravely into the eyes of the woman before him. Her expression was that of anguish but she nodded mutely.

“I will come for him when the time is right, but no sooner.”
The witch doctor bowed her head and lifted her arms as a gesture of obedience. Death gently placed the baby in her hands and made to depart, but she stopped him.

“Why, Arthur? What is his use to you? Why create him only to abandon him?” she asked.

Arthur stood in a fluid motion. He turned his head, unable to face the scene he was about to leave behind. Reaching down he grabbed a log and tossed it into the hearth. Sparks erupted from the flames as the fresh kindling ignited. The room, casted in shadows, felt smaller- almost suffocating as she stared holes into his back. Thoughtlessly he leafed through books that lay open on the mantle. With a tired sigh he briskly crossed the room and opened the door.

“There are those who choose to defy death, Gabriella. Servants of the ancient blood are needed now more than ever,” death confessed. “Zander will be the first of many. It will be his job to find and awaken them.”

With those being his final words he disappeared into the night. The witch doctor Gabriella, though now aware of the sever truths of the future still offered a faint smile to the baby.

“He cared enough to name you, my sweet Zander,” she whispered to the child who merely blinked his tired eyes.



He sat beneath her open window plucking the strings of his harp with delicate fingers. The tune he conjured was as mournful as the first time she had heard him play. As she lay in bed with closed eyes his music consumed her. She drifted in and out of consciousness- coaxed by his lullaby. She wasn’t sure how long he planned on haunting her every step- following her through the city- appearing miraculously when needed, but when nightfall came she savoured his presence hoping dearly that he would still be there like a second shadow come morning.

Her parents worried for her sanity. Too often they over heard her whispering to him but to them he didn’t exist- to them it was like she were talking to herself, saying strange and peculiar things. Sighing she turned over and buried her face in her pillow. She didn’t know what to do. She felt selfish and afraid. She knew he wouldn’t leave unless it was with her by his side and though she fought the idea of it he still waited patiently, determined she would change her mind and see reason.

Without a second thought she lifted herself from the folds of her sheets and tiptoed carefully across her floor. In the hallway she passed her parent’s bedroom. Did they know what was happening to her, what she was? Her father’s snores sounded softly from within. She pressed the flat of her palm against the country green door- she would never hear that sound again.

“Goodbye,” she murmured before slinking down the stairs and out the side door.
Concealed by the garbage bins next to the garage was a plain, black duffle bag filled with clothes and other necessities. She reached for it with trembling hands. This was it.

As if sensing her decision finally being made Zander emerged from her backyard, his harp nowhere to be seen. He nodded at her in approval, but she bit her lip still unsure. He didn’t say anything, then again he never said much of anything, but she knew if he could muster the words he would tell her everything was going to be alright which made her feel a little better, but not entirely.

He led her to the forest path she had wondered down only four months ago. It was at the end of the trail that she had met him, and Bastian, and Eliza, and the rest of them. It was at the end of the path that started the beginning of all this chaos.

Zander stopped abruptly and pulled her closely to his side. They had made it half way through the woods but there was something in the distance, a figure, blocking their path. At first she thought it was Bastian but she didn’t see the usual gleam of platinum blonde hair she had grown accustomed to. Whatever it was staggered forward. Fear gripped her insides as it fell to the ground on all fours. The sickening cracking of bones made her nauseated as the person twisted and shook- it’s body transforming.

“Run,” Zander hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

He took her bag from her hands and tossed it aside.
“Run!” he shouted.

Caitlyn nodded numbly before turning on her heels and racing back to the forest entrance. A ghastly roar cut through the air soon joined by the snarls of Zander. Tears welled in her eyes but she resisted the urge to collapse like a frightened child. Her leg muscles screamed as she forced herself to move faster. She could almost see the opening.

“Caitlyn, over here!”

Frantically Caitlyn swivelled her head in search of who had called her name. Perched in a tree at the end of the trail was Eliza. She leapt down with ease, landing in a low crouch. Caitlyn rushed to her, almost knocking the small girl over. She gasped for air and tried to explain what had happened but Eliza already seemed aware of the situation.

She latched on to Caitlyn’s arm with an iron grip and dragged her back to the house. Caitlyn stumbled up the porch steps and slid open her back door. Eliza closed it firmly behind them.

“They’ve been watching you,” she said. “They saw you and Zander leave.”
Clutching a painful stitch in her side and heaving, Caitlyn pressed her nose to the glass doors, desperately looking for any sign of Zander.

Eliza hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder, “He’ll be fine. Fighting demons is what he does- it’s what we were made to do.”

Bitterness laced her words as she spoke to Caitlyn, and Caitlyn knew this was because she didn’t want to admit that Caitlyn, weak and helpless, was one of them.

A tall form with a shock of light blonde hair pounded on the kitchen window. Eliza quickly withdrew her hand from Caitlyn and gestured towards the sliding door. Bastian burst into the kitchen with an air of excitement.

“I found us a car,” he said triumphantly.

“Meaning you stole one, right?” scoffed Eliza.

Before the two could resume their usual bout of insults and arguments, Caitlyn thrust her finger to her lips signalling silence. The two stared at her quizzically but obliged. Straining her ears she tried her hardest to hear past the mundane. Zander had told her about her new abilities and how the simple ones such as enhanced senses would be easy enough for her to master. At that moment she felt like a radio attempting to pick up a clear frequency. It took a lot of concentration but she found it; his heartbeat.

Zander’s heart fluttered like the wings of a butterfly- sporadic and out of rhythm, but still beating nonetheless. A second heartbeat, the one belonging to the demon, was crawling to a stop; Zander had successfully killed it.

“Can the two of you hear that?” she asked, torn between relief and anxiety.

Bastian ran a hand through his hair and vocalized what they all feared, “There could be more and I don’t think he’s in any shape to keep fighting.”

Eliza agreed and the three of them sprinted back out into the yard. Hunched and staggering, the silhouette of Zander emerged from the trees. Bastian slung an arm around his waist to keep him steady while Eliza examined him for any serious injuries. Momentarily his eyes flickered to Caitlyn who wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to ask if he was alright but felt incredibly silly and foolish at the thought of asking. His shirt was stained and in tatters, mud matted his hair and smudged his porcelain complexion; he was clearly in rough shape.

“Hold him while I pull the car around,” grunted Bastian as he gently released Zander into Caitlyn’s less than capable embrace.

She wrapped both her arms around him and for the first time noticed he wasn’t that much taller than she was. His slumped neck left his mouth level with her ear- his heavy breathing heating the crook of her neck.

“What was it Zander?” Eliza asked as she fretted over the cuts on his forearms.

“Ugro-Wok.”

Eliza gasped in horror.

“What’s that?” asked Caitlyn, a tad bewildered.

The headlights of an old Cadillac illuminated the lawn. Bastian jogged to the short distance they had managed to meander and slung Zander over his shoulder. The smaller young man protested feebly, but didn’t show any sign of resistance.

“An Urgo-Wok is a herding demon. It takes the shape of a human but its true form is a wolf like creature,” explained Eliza as she and Caitlyn followed Bastian and Zander to the car. “Only the most powerful witches can summon them because they’re extremely hard to control.”

Bastian carefully laid Zander across the back seat before hopping into the front. Impatient and anxious- Eliza pushed Caitlyn into the car and squeezed in after. It was cramped and uncomfortable- definitely not made for three people crammed so close to the dash board. With a flick of his wrist Bastian brought the car to life. Its engine groaned loudly and spluttered.

“Couldn’t you have stolen a car from this century?” Eliza asked irritated as the car jerked forward and then stalled.

“Would you like to walk princess?” offered Bastian.