Prologue
A cloaked figure hurried along the cobblestone road. Cold nipped exposed skin and the night filled itself with its many sounds. Clouds passed over the moon causing a deathly chill to instill itself into all life. A babe sleeping soundly in the figure's arms stirred, but remained silent. The figure approached a shabby tavern and rapped thrice on the door. Light flooded the street and revealed the cloaked figure to be a tall, stocky man. As he entered the tavern a small group of about twenty gathered in a dark corner in the back. The tavern was empty being it the wee hours of the morning and a dark tense atmosphere hung over the solitary group.
Weary eyes followed the new comer as he came towards them and no conversation seemed to have been conjured in his absence or then. The babe became the main focus of the scrutinizing stares. Nods and scared eyes were plentiful, but the elder leaders remained stoic. The child was set on the table and unraveled from its many cloths. Brown wisps haloed its head and pink danced across the fair skin. Its caramel eyes popped open with surprise and curiosity.
"Leo," a young woman with ebony hair and russet skin questioned the rugged man.
"He wasn't an easy pickin' Carla," accused the man "I'll be mighty ashamed if he be found and we all get a lynchin'. Wouldn't rightly be worth any of this and nothin' would ever change."
"I know, but it's just a little hard to except."
"Carla," an old mountain woman spoke "stay strong. You must do this."
She addressed the group now, "This child shall be bound to this woman and his ever growing powers detained. I call upon the spirits of this realm to aid in this!"
The old woman pulled out a stencil and on the babe's shoulders tattooed a swirly intricate design. It glowed red and settled to black. The poor child cried in desperation and the witnesses scattered out the door in fear. Everyone was gone with just that, leaving the young woman to tend to the babe. After many hours she finally got him asleep and so began his lie of a life.