Chapter 1: Miracle Babies
Today, twenty thousand years ago, there was peace. There were no disturbances in nature. One day, a man and his wife wanted children, but they couldn’t have any. Until the man walked along a path far from home as he heard two cries. He walked towards the cries and found two baby boys.
He smiled and took the babies in his arms. “Finally, my prayers have been answered!” But it was not to be... He took them back to the village he lived in and explained everything to his wife. They were incredibly happy for having two sons. “What will we call them?” the wife asked. Referring to the son in his wife’s arms, he answered, “I think his name should be Abigor. It matches his dark hair. It sounds powerful, that someday people would be careful to hurt anyone he cares for...” Evanora looked at the baby and baptized him with her lips on his forehead. “And what about him?” Evanora asked again, trying to calm little Abigor. “I think his name should be Kal... His blonde hair fits the name. What do you think?” At first, she wasn’t sure about the names, but she couldn’t think of any other names suited for her new sons. She couldn’t think of anything else. And for the time, nothing else mattered in the world.
As they grew up, these two five-year-olds played around and chased each other in the house. “Abigor! Kal! No running in the house!” their mother yelled. The boys kept laughing as they chased each other outside. “Good morning,” their father, Marcel said to his wife, preparing a meal. “Good morning. The children are very hyper today. They keep running around in the house. What if something breaks?” Marcel gave her a hug from behind and eased her mind. “Remember how quiet the house was five years ago? I would rather replace a few things if it were to break than to lose the sons we have now...” Evanora realized how lucky they were to have noise so early in the morning in their home. She closed her eyes and she replayed the memories of not having children at all. How badly she wanted children. How she would cry herself to sleep each night, feeling like a failure. She felt guilty all of a sudden and tried to hide it with a smile. “I do, and I wouldn’t exchange it for anything...” Evanora said.
The years grew by, and on their fifteenth birthday, something extraordinary happened. Abigor’s eye color changed into a blood-red and Kal’s eye color changed into an ocean-blue. Everywhere they walked, grass began to grow in their dessert home. Trees finally began to cool them off and the forming of rivers brought new life. To the rest of the village, they were thought to be demons. “Kill them!” one man shouted. Marcel jumped in front of them and said, “Wait! Please, just wait... Fifteen years ago, I found them at the river far away up north. They were crying and I couldn’t just leave them there. So, I brought them home with me. You all know that Evanora and I couldn’t have children of our own and now you want to kill our sons. I am asking you to place yourselves in my position. And look, have you ever felt this cool air, and the fact that there is enough water. We have plants growing more and more with each step my sons give. I don’t know how, but it is a miracle... We owe them, however, they did this...”
Everyone understood and suddenly, every single man and woman began to bow their heads in front of them. Abigor and Kal were shocked to hear that they weren’t Evanora and Marcel’s own children. They began to feel pain and betrayal. How could they hide something like that from them for fifteen years? “We’re not their sons, brother. Where are our real parents?” Kal asked, throwing a rock in the river. They walked away from the village, needing some time to digest the news they received - the news that fell on them like a meteor would on the Earth, crashing and destroying everything. Abigor sighed and took his brother’s shoulder. “I don’t know, Kal. All I know is that they didn’t have to take us in. They raised us, cared for us, and protected us. I feel betrayed too, brother, but when I think about it, our real parents left us. We probably wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for that man... Our father. Look, we may not share their blood, but they are our parents. They love us and I love them. And I know you love them too. Especially when Mother would make your favorite dish...” Abigor said when they both said, “Chicken and sweet peas...” They laughed silently and decided to go back. To go back to their home...
To the villagers, Abigor and Kal were seen as gods. They were protectors, healers, philosophers, and providers. Men had their daughters in line to be chosen by them as their new wives. Abigor had his eye on one girl in particular. As much as he tried to get her attention, she simply did not give him ammunition.
Abigor tried for years to have this girl. Her name was Maitreya. One day, Abigor wanted to know where she would disappear too, and so he followed her. He followed her until she got to a big willow tree. Maitreya opened the leaves, like a curtain and there he saw his own brother waiting for her. He watched as he took her hand and kissed her. Abigor got so angry that he ran to a mountain without stopping and screamed. After a few hours, he saw his brother and the rest of the men returning from their hunting trip. Everyone adored Kal, and Maitreya’s father saw it fit that his daughter should marry Kal. Abigor grew jealous and ravenous for power...
A few months after the marriage, Kal and Maitreya were pregnant. The village was so happy that a baby would be born in just a few weeks. When the day came, Maitreya had terrible pain in her entire body. She screamed and Kal ran to her as fast as he could. “What’s the matter, my love?” She looked at him with a smile and said, “Our child is about to be born. You, you need to help me get home...” Kal was overjoyed and kissed her as he carried her to their home. “I need some women to help here!” Kal yelled. Five women came rushing in and then he saw his mother walking towards him. She stood still and when Kal smiled, she began to tear up. “Yes, mama. Maitreya is about to give birth to our child. Your first grandchild...” She teared up more and more and hugged him tightly. Marcel saw what was happening and knew. Abigor walked towards his brother and stood still. “Congratulations, brother.” Abigor held out his hand and Kal hugged his brother instead. Maitreya screamed and screamed from the pain until she had relief when the cry was heard. The women cleaned the baby and gave water to Maitreya. They nursed her and the baby. “Congratulations,” a woman said and handed her the baby.
A woman came out of the house, walked towards Kal with the rest of the village surrounding him. “You have a beautiful baby girl...” the woman said and the entire village cheered and clapped their hands. Kal couldn’t believe it and closed his eyes from thankfulness. He smiled and went inside the house. There he saw his wife holding their daughter.
Kal began to tear up and walked closer and closer. “Do you want to hold her, Kal?” Kal swallowed hard and softly went to sit next to Maitreya. She handed their daughter to him. He carefully placed his hand under their daughter’s head and held her close to his heart. He looked at Maitreya and said, “She’s beautiful. You did a good job...” Maitreya chuckled with sweat still on her forehead. Still holding their daughter, Kal gave his wife a piece of cloth and wiped off the sweat. She leaned in and kissed him. “What should we call her?” Maitreya tiredly said, “I was thinking of Orphelia...” Before Kal could say anything, he found Maitreya fast asleep on his shoulder. “Sleep now, my love.”
He looked around himself and couldn’t believe he was a father. Looking down on his daughter, he said, “Welcome, my Orphelia. You are my little girl...”
As the years went on, Abigor found himself all alone. The woman he loved was married to his brother and had a baby with her. His family gave more attention to the more successful brother. Orphelia was five years old, at the time when Abigor had enough. His anger got the best of him. He turned his feelings of pain into anger, his love into hatred, his modesty into jealousy, and his care into mischief. He played tricks on the people in the village. He no longer used his powers for the good of others.
“Brother! What are you doing?” Kal asked surprised when he saw what Abigor was up to. “I was just having a little relaxation, brother. It’s not that bad...” Kal looked at his brother like he was demanding an answer that revealed the truth. Abigor sighed and said, “Look, I can do what I want and when I want it. It is my power. So, don’t get in my way, because this is a fight you do not want, brother.” Kal didn’t even recognize the man in front of him. “I never said that I was going to stop you. I just want to speak with you about what got you so...” Abigor interrupted his brother right there and then, “So what? Angry? Frustrated? Because I am. I stood back and watched as you, the younger brother, got everything. You got our parents’ love, the village’s admiration. You got Maitreya!!” Kal turned around and looked confused. “Maitreya? What are you talking about?”
Abigor walked away and bumped into his brother’s shoulder. “Nothing.” “Abigor! What are you talking about? What do you mean ‘I got Maitreya’?” Abigor got so frustrated that he used his powers on his brother and pushed him away with a blast. “I said nothing!!!!”
When Abigor realized what he had done to his brother, he ran away. He hasn’t returned back home since then. He slept on a hill close by. One night he saw something quite strange. The moon and the sun were touching each other. As he was laying on the grass, looking at the stars, he played with his magic. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck him the exact moment the sun and moon aligned with each other. As the moon and sun pulled away from each other, Abigor started burning in the sun. Big fangs started breaking out of his gums and his eyes turned red. He ran to hide in a cave to hide from the sun. “What is this?” He sat in the cave with relief. The fangs returned back into his gums, he didn’t burn anymore and he no longer had the feeling like his eyes were burning or that he tasted blood in his mouth. The feeling of relief didn’t last long.
Abigor felt a horrible pain in his back and fell to the ground on his knees and hands. “What the hell is happening to me?” he screamed in pain. His shadow became its own person and answered in a whisper, “You are becoming who you are meant to be...” Abigor tried to look around and said, “Who are you?” Every single bone in his body was busy breaking. Four large fangs broke out from his gums, his clothes tore apart, his body became bigger and he changed completely. Never to be the same again. As the moon parted from the sun, a howling could be heard from miles away. Abigor became a wolf, and not knowing that he was one, went back home. Women and children screamed at the sight and men came with their bows and arrows. Leading the men was his own flesh and blood. Abigor got shot with an arrow and ran away for good. Never to be seen by the village again. Or so, he thought…
