Pine Barrens, New Jersey November 19th, 1734 8:40 pm
Mary Redfearn never considered herself very fortunate.
A dirty blonde haired woman, she was leaving the prime of her life behind at age forty-three. She was still reasonably pretty for a lady her age, but the years had plumped up her body. Her dull gray eyes had become tired with the years of child bearing and keeping her status as a witch secret.
She came from a large, extended family of witches that could trace their roots back to the British Isles, but that did not afford any sort of financial security. The most successful magic wielders in the age of empire still lived on the European continent or were clustered around places like London, Boston, or New York.
Mary had to settle in a swampy forest several miles away from the sea in southern New Jersey.
She had married a man with absolutely no magical talent whatsoever: a fellow who came down from Hackensack named Charles Leeds. He was a fur trapper and small time constable in the modest village where they had planted roots. A wholly unremarkable man with dark hair and dull green eyes, he was only interested in two things: skinning animals and making Mary pregnant.
She had successfully birthed twelve healthy children. It was a remarkable feat that earned some Mary and her husband some sense of pride. It also sparked rumors that she had either been blessed by an angel or had made illicit deals with the Devil to accomplish this.
On this night, she was technically doing the latter, though it was hardly for the sake of producing a child. She was already pregnant with her thirteenth infant. It was not a good revelation for the Leeds family finances. Between Charles' struggle to get the money needed to buy essentials such as cloth and bread, and Mary's status as a lower class brewer, it had been a miracle that her three eldest children were able to go on as reasonably skilled adults to make their own destinies.
True, her sixteen year old daughter Elizabeth and her fourteen year old son George helped around the house, but most of the children still living under the Leeds' house were unable to add much to the family's income. Four of the children were still under the age of nine.
Mary's best means of getting money was through her skills as a witch. She was a poor spell conjuror, but she was a prodigy in the ways of brewing potions. It was Mary who had developed a potion that prevented frostbite, as well as an elixir that could effortlessly cure headaches and dizziness. Unfortunately, her outreach with her medicinal creations was limited. Decades of scouring markets for rare and potent ingredients had left her heavily in debt. The last thing she needed was to be arrested for defaulting on these payments.
It was for this reason that she was walking out in the cold of late autumn for a rendezvous with a very important person. She was going to summon a member of the Lesser Key of Solomon: the Goetia Demons.
Many witches and magic casters had contracts with powerful demon families. Even Mary had managed to receive a contract with help from a cousin who was making her craft on the island of Manhattan. In the past, summoning spirits in general required complex rituals that could take several minutes to accomplish. However, the advent of the printing press made it easier for mortals to create little paper slips that could initiate contact with those of the Lesser Key of Solomon with only one measly sacrifice: a little drop of blood.
Mary carefully looked about her surroundings. Any suspicion by her gossiping neighbors could spell death for her. Nearly three hundreds years after her practices were declared to be heresy by the Catholic Church, the chance of being killed for witchcraft by an ignorant mob was still high even in the years after the Salem witch trials.
After she was satisfied with the belief that she was alone, Mary produced a black piece of paper with orange highlights. It sported a circle in the middle of one of its sides. This circle was composed of various Roman Numerals and archaic symbols that would not be out of place in the days of Abram and Sarai. Mary also produced a small needle. Pricking the palm of her left hand, she produced a bit of her blood and dipped one corner of the paper slip onto the red liquid.
Breathing in, she made her request. "Summon forth to me the President of House Haagenti. Let him reward me with the riches that I desperately need."
The blood soaked corner of the paper suddenly caught flame as if from nowhere. Mary tossed the igniting parcel in front of her, and it disappeared in a sparkling fashion. Instantly, a large magic with the same design as the image on the mystical card appeared before her. Moments later, a man stepped out.
Tall and handsome, his pale face housed two piercing eyes, the color of ice from the most inhospitable wastes to the north. Chestnut hair draped around his shoulders to meet his sternum. Dressed in a powder blue and white waistcoat and black slacks, he also bore a navy blue cape with silver spaulders over his shoulders.
"Lord Statera Haagenti at your service, Mary." He greeted with an oily voice.
Mary sighed tiredly, but gave a customary curtsy befitting the lord of a Devil House. "I need to pay off my debts, my Lord. If it would please you, I would like to perform a contract that would see all of my expenses swept away."
Statera's smile withdrew into a thin line. "I am well aware of your financial situation, daughter of Redfearn. I would, of course, be willing to assist you, but you would have to accomplish a great task in return."
"I am a most capable brewer sir. If you wish an elixir of great potency and power, I shall endeavor to make it."
Lord Haagenti yawned, unimpressed. "Potion peddling is all well and good, but such concoctions are only as good as their one use. Not to mention that they do not last long, either on shelves or in effect. I fear that no potions would suffice, my dear."
"Please, my Lord." Mary begged. "There must be something I can provide in exchange for your patronage!"
Lord Haagenti stared at her for a moment. He then noticed her distended belly. It was a clear sign of her pregnancy.
"You are with child." He said offhandedly.
Mary's gaze quickly fell to her stomach. "Yes. My thirteenth child as a matter of fact."
This information was quickly absorbed by the Devil lord. He recalled that he had been searching for someone to fulfill an important role in his peerage. It was a most illustrious position, one that could not be fulfilled by any ordinary being. This unborn child was a clean slate; Statera siezed the opportunity.
"Your child..." He began.
Mary froze as she heard his response.
"I have been needing someone to take on the role of Queen in my peerage. So far, my search has failed to bear fruit. However, if you birth a child who is strong and capable of magic, then I might consider taking them in as my servant. In exchange, I will absolve you of your debts to the Potion Guild and other organizations from whom you have purchased magical ingredients from."
Mary Leeds took a few seconds to properly articulate her words. "Your knowledge of my debt is truly impeccable, Lord Haagenti."
Statera smiled knowingly. "My forebears once turned objects into gold. Wealth and finance are as natural to me as breathing."
He stepped closer to Mary. A well manicured hand stretched out towards her. "Do you accept this proposal, or shall I be on my way?"
Mary swallowed thickly. The offer was mildly insidious, given that it asked her to give birth to an innocent child who would be immediately be brought into what she assumed was indentured servitude. However, the elimination of her increasingly burdensome debt could not be ignored.
What other choice did she really have?
She timidly grasped Lord Haagenti's hand. "Yes, your Lordship."
Statera chuckled in a mirthful fashion. "Excellent."
Mary's attention was drawn to the back of the hand which had grasped Lord Haagenti's. The sigil of House Haagenti imprinted on her hand as if pressed by the finest ink stamp. It disappeared after a few moments.
"Consider our deal made in good faith. I expect you to do well in giving me a worthy servant, madam."
"Yes, my Lord."
Statera nodded, his smile becoming more subdued. The magic circle from whence he came appeared behind his regal form. Turning around with a flourish of his cape, he prepared to step through the gateway back to the Underworld. He stopped just before committing himself to his return trip.
"One last thing: if you exceed my expectations, I might even give you a boon to go with your debt relief."
At last, Statera stepped into the portal, which slowly disappeared, taking its conjuror to his destination of choice. The last vestige of magical energy produced the black slip of paper that was used to call forth Lord Haagenti. Appearing completely unblemished from either bloodstains or burning, it fluttered briefly in the air before falling to the ground.
Mary swiftly grabbed up the paper and turned about to head home.
She would not admit this aloud to herself, but she had some reservations about using her own unborn child as an offering to receive a Devil's services. However, she had eight other children still in residence with her to sustain, and the fear of her debts catching up to her was too great.
One infant for a secure financial situation was a cruel, but necessary sacrifice.
As she put away the black paper in her pocket, she grabbed up a small cloth to clean her hand of the blood that had stained it from the summoning ritual. There was no need to raise any questions from her unaware husband or her nosy neighbors.
She had work to do.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the beginning of my main series about the infamous Jersey Devil. Many of those who have followed and favorited other Benjamin Leeds-centric stories of mine have probably been asking either themselves or explicitly what Benjamin is capable of and where he comes from. This story is my means of explaining all of it.You ever wondered what his martial arts skills are?You'll see it in due time on this story.Curious about his powers and why he wound up back in the Pine Barrens?Look no further than this story.Because of the intended scope of the story, it won't have a consistent schedule. I will not be able to update it at a specific time in X amount of days or weeks. However, I will do my best to frequently update the story with short, informative chapters. Think of it along the lines of the Clone Wars micro series from 2003. It will have short, descriptive, chronological segments that will build up arcs around Benjamin, detailing his skills, powers, and the experiences that made him the person who he is in the present.I will very much appreciate reviews for mistakes and continuity issues. I have no estimate for the length, but it will likely be dozens of little chapters that will culminate in Benjamin breaking free of being a servant and living on his own in the Pine Barrens, becoming the Jersey Devil of infamy. As always, I must thank you for your support of my writings, and I hope to do well in entertaining you.