Children of the Wasteland

Chapter Two: Camp-site

In a forest near Padstow, a wiry built man with jet black hair slick back to his head is sat by a small fire and a one-man tent. Anyone watching him would have thought he was camping for a couple of nights, but he is waiting for his master. It was 6 pm, the sun is low in the sky. To look at this man, people could have mistaken him for a ghost for his skin was pale and he walked with ease and grace. He like being alone, due to his height, most people avoid him. He made a very little sound when he moved, trying not to draw attention to himself especially tonight.

"Lucifer" the man looked up straight into his master face, "do you have the new information about the Teague?"

"I'm about too, my informant is about to send a water nymph to contact me. We need to get to the beach."

They walk down towards the small beach, "how have you been, child?"

"I have been very well my King, thank you. I have repaired the tent, and added more protection to it, no one in the village will see it, me included. Everyone in the village thinks I am in one of the nearby campsites."

"That is good news child, what do you expect from your informants?"

"He will have information about every member of the family, but I do not think they will be anything new. Not from the last time I saw you.

They both enter the beach and saw the nymph in the shallows, waiting and watch the water. She stood at an angle so she could look at out for her masters.

The water nymph bows to great them both, "Lucifer, King Dhu"

Bucca Dhu was not the rightful King, his twin sister was the rightful Queen, Bucca Gwidden and now her heirs. Someone had killed her recently. Dhu mourn her death greatly, as any brother would but in the last years of her life, they didn't talk. The council didn't want him as their King, they said Gwidden create a bloodline without Dhu knowing about it.

Dhu is a petite man with long, wavy, silver hair that hit the middle of his back, his eyes were a grass green and wears black clothes. If it was for the fact Gwidden and Dhu wore different clothes no one could tell them apart. Since he became King, he wore a silver crown with several rubies in.

The reasons some Fay follow Dhu as a King is because he is one of the most powerful fays in existence. Dhu has many magical abilities which he and his sister had train and practice when growing up. Furthermore, he can transform humans into Fay, this is how he got Lucifer. Lucifer's birth mother made the choice to sacrifice him to Dhu in exchange for immortality and powers. Dhu accept the small boy as the boy could used to his advantage.

He knew his sister had died, he felt her pain course through him and he fell to his knees, her screams filled his head. When the pain stopped, a coldness filled Dhu's body, he knew that he had to get the council halls as fast as he possible could. The council member had surrounded the body, Dhu had push two of them out the way to reveal Philip holding Gwidden. He would bring down and kill the council and anyone who stood with them.

The water nymph had information from Luca, a sprite who is working for both Lucifer and him. "Luca's message is that 'the plan has worked; they are all together in the same house. The old man is on his way'. We could not infer with the old Queen message. He knows everything, what would you like us to do, my King?"

"The old man will know if we attack. He always does" Lucifer stated

"I know; however, he still does not know that we have been monitoring him for months. We can be at an advantage that he is heading there, we can plan for his arrival before he gets to Truro and the Alter world. For now, we will let it be" Dhu decided, "tell Luca that he will need to keep monitoring the main heard, any changes sent news. Now go".

The water nymph bowed and left. They both walk back to the tent in silence.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Lucifer inquired when they enter the tent.

"You, my son, I want to try to stop the old man."

"But I thought-" Lucifer started

"He can sense common creature but you, my child, are on another level, a complete rarity. I want you to assassinate him on his way to Cornwall and will need to done before he enters Truro. There will consequences if you fail. We cannot stop building the army and he will try to stop us with that family of his"

"I know the father. Our world will bend to you even the elders, my King" Lucifer bow low, Dhu chuckled softly. Lucifer's loyalty never fails and Dhu often wonder about how far he could push Lucifer, what he could do to Lucifer. Dhu knew that Lucifer would never betray him.

"Do you think building an army just in Cornwall is still a good idea? Why not spread-out further like take on Devon or move it further up into a major city maybe?" Lucifer questioned his father.

"I agree, my child, more people, more children to steal and to lure. Our army is small, and those who are still loyal to my sister are willing to die than join me"

"Why don't you present yourself to the council as the King?"

"No, they pick her first they will always pick her first" Dhu snap at Lucifer who in turned coward away. "I am sorry, my son, you will understand one day but for now the council cannot now about this"

"Yes father, I know, and I hope I will"

"Alongside your best weapons, I am going to gain you new powers for your new task as a reward. The power to become invisible"

Lucifer froze and keep opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the right words.

"Thank you, my King, thank you so much" Lucifer sputter out

Dhu created a shadowy mist in his hand, sent it to Lucifer. The mist surrounds Lucifer whole body and lifted him into the air, Lucifer writhed in pain. But it was over as quickly as it has started.

"Try it" Dhu commanded, Lucifer screw up his eyes in concentration, feeling for the new power in his mind. The wind started to pick up, making the leaves russle and with a small click sound, Lucifer blend into the forest behind him. the only problem was his hair could be seen as well as a few fingers

"Practice, make it flawless, I can still see parts of you. We do not want you to be caught, do we?"

Reappearing, Lucifer responds, "yes father, I will practice, thank you again".

"I must go, my child, one of the commanders needs me, good luck Lucifer, for tonight sleep the old man is not near Cornwall yet, I do not worry about him yet."

"Thank you, father. I shall rest here for the night"

Both Dhu and Lucifer left the tent and Dhu changes his body into a wren and took flight. Soon he was no more than a dot against the setting sky. Lucifer watches him go, then turn to rest once more in front of his fire, he picks up a flask he had brought and drunk the water for inside.

Lucifer never knew that Dhu wasn't his biological father, or that his mother sacrificed him to Dhu. The spell Dhu use needed child sacrifice; it was the same spell his adopt father used.

Over the years, Dhu has unlock some powers within Lucifer, similar to Dhu's powers but not as strong. There is one power that Dhu doesn't know about, Lucifer could predict the future. They would always appear to him when he is alone, he tried to control this power so that he can help Dhu further but is unsuccessful thus-far.

His mind wonders back to the last three visions he had. The first vision he had blonde hair girl and a brown boy wearing silver crowns on their heads sat on golden thrones. Another was of a man, who looked like the boy but his eyes were the same as the girls, he was walking through a labyrinth. The last vision was of a woman, the most beautiful woman he has ever beheld. She was trapped in a room all alone, waiting for something to happen.

Throughout his childhood, Dhu make sure that he learnt to control his powers that he had been granted. Lucifer also learnt about the history of the old Kings and Queens. If he fails any test Dhu put him through, Dhu would punish him, there would be months were lucifer wouldn't eat, or he would be lock in a dark room.

At last, Lucifer thought about sleep, for he knew that it would better to be rested, between travelling and practice he will do, the more sleep he had, the better.