Half-Mark

Preface I stood in the field with my army behind me, waiting for the battle to begin. The sword in my hand felt heavy as I stood silent and listened. To weaker ears, the night was peaceful, but mine could hear death’s hollow screams. Nothing was visible yet, but the enemy was coming. I stole a glance at my team and their apprentices, all ready to fight for life. Blake at my side stood eight feet tall with teeth bared, as did his trainee. His night-black fur and three inch claws made him look incredibly fierce, though his friends knew better than to fear him in all his howling glory. Luke stood beside him, gold eyes alight and his skin glowing with the heat he was creating. He stood silent until we were being charged, so he waited to morph into his fiery flying self. His apprentice stood boldly at his side. Casey looked back at me, a reassuring look in his eyes. He nodded at me as he put a steadying hand on the shoulder of his trainee, who looked fearful but determined. I looked to my other side, where Macey and her apprentice held their wands in a tight grip, and Perry began to shift alongside the teen boy he was leading. His skin turned to scales and his body elongated to wrap around the cluster of us on the field. He blew smoke from his nostrils and the greens in his eyes burned like the fire he would soon breathe. Evette stood to my immediate left, gazing in the same directions as the rest. The gold band across her forehead caught the light of the moon above us. She had a sword stuck in the grass that she rested her hands on, waiting. Her apprentice stood beside her in their traditional dress and armor, looking at the black mass that surrounded us. Evette, like the others, was a strong fighter. But I didn’t want her here. There was no way to protect her when I had to fight, and the thought of losing her made my chest tight. I turned to face the enemy line again. My Successor was not with me. Another plan had been devised beforehand, and any help was refused for the mission. I tried not to worry as I stared into the distance. Beyond the knee-high grass, on the other side of our small world, the dark army scurried at us with fleshless feet. The stars above didn’t dare shine tonight, and the pitch-black scenery made the perfect ambiance for war. Evil’s private army drew nearer, and their screeches became louder with each passing moment. Rotting skeletons raced across the field toward us, their hollow eyes burning with hunger. A sense of dread fell over us, and I felt it settle in my chest. But I had a promise to keep, so I would fight with everything I had, until there was nothing left. I charged forward, my blade pointed at the Soul Eater before me. The weapon pierced the rotted flesh of its face and it turned to black dust. Thousands followed it, black venom dripping from nightmarish fangs. One bite would end it all, so I gripped the hilt of my sword and sent a silent prayer. I wielded my sword with delicate precision, killing one with every strike. They were easy to eliminate, but they existed in great numbers. For every one I killed, another lunged at me. My heart thudded in my chest as I struggled to fight on. Flashes of light blinded the demons as Perry and Luke set the vermin on fire. Blake howled a few feet away, warning of a coming danger. Ground shaking flapping sounds made even the Soul Eaters stop and turn. Scream like roars filled every square inch of our atmosphere, echoing in my head and shaking trees. “What the hell was that?” asked an apprentice. “Scorpios,” I said under my breath. Flying scorpions the size of horses flew from the dark mountain, covering the horizon in a hellish haze of oversized insects straight out of a nightmare. I kept fighting the demons at hand, trying to focus on the immediate danger. The Scorpios could wait a second or two. “Daemon!” a shrill scream pierced my ears. I fought to get a glance in the direction of the scream. Evette had been bitten. Chapter One In the beginning… Sitting on her hammock on a balcony just off of her room, Devyn Black had her nose in a new book. She’d always loved to read, and this was one she could tell would be an emotional roller-coaster. But like any good bookworm, she loved every page. Barely hearing the buzz of her phone, she reluctantly tore her attention from the chapter to find her bookmark. Scrambling over shoes and clothes that inhabited the floor around her sitting area, she dug her phone out of the couch and answered it before the last ring. “Hello?” “It’s about damn time you pick up your phone!” a deep voice shot through the earpiece. “Sorry, I had to dig it out of the couch again,” Devyn replied, restoring order to the cushions as she did so. “You were on the balcony reading again.” It wasn’t a question. Her ‘non-biological brother’ knew her all too well. “…maybe…” she answered him quietly. “Whatever, anyways, we’re all going to Bechlynn tonight. So bookmark it and throw some sneakers on,” he ordered. “Fine, I’ll be there in an hour, okay?” she answered. “You better!” he yelled teasingly into the phone. After hanging up with him, she grabbed some clothes and headed for a shower, mulling over the chapters she’d read instead of getting a head start on researching colleges. She continued this while changing clothes and all through curling her dark brown hair; she only burnt herself twice in the process. Her favorite jeans and Vans fit comfortably, and the white tee she’d chosen fit well with the hoodie-jacket combo she’d put together. Bechlynn’s pumpkin patch was chilly at night and one or the other simply would not do. She checked her hair one last time before grabbing her phone, wallet, and keys off of the shelf over her desk. Rushing down the stairs, she yelled goodbye to her mom who was curled up on the couch with the cat and another book. Her dad was most likely in the shop getting into a project. Emmett, her brother, wasn’t home from his girlfriend’s yet, so she shot him a quick text, notifying him of her whereabouts. On her way out the door, she texted Garrett, or her ‘non-biological brother,’ saying she was on her way and to meet her at the south entrance as she hopped into her towering vehicle. Garrett Hayden was easily the tallest of Devyn’s group of friends. He hadn’t completely filled in after his growth spurts, so he was very lean. His light brown hair was never styled, but still stood perfectly due to a cowlick in just the right spot. His skin was darker than the rest of the guys, and made the girls jealous that he maintained a perfect California tan all year round. His maturity level had grown since they first met. He was still a big kid, like most of the guys Devyn had befriended, but he was less of an annoying little punk now that he was older. She started the engine and clicked her seatbelt. Setting the radio to her favorite station, she backed out of the driveway, windows cracked to let in the early October air. She loved her Chevy Blazer. It was a project car that took her and her dad about a year to finish, and no other vehicle in town came close to its uniqueness. The matte blue paint hid the home-made rust fixes and any dents she’d acquire in her travels. The roll cage over her had what her family called “Oh Shit!” handles with stickers that labeled them. That was probably her favorite part of the truck, other than the roar of the engine as she drove. Being sure to mind the road signs and speed limits, she made her way to Bechlynn’s Pumpkin Patch. The abandoned farm was rumored to be haunted by the Bechlynn family, and was condemned twenty years before. Devyn’s friend circle was the only group brave enough to chance it; especially at night. Though, it was stupid to think Bechlynn was scary. The barn did look sort of horrific from the outside at night, its splintering and rotted wood