This is my second Discovery of Witches story. It will be a retelling of the series with my own additions and OC characters. I do not own A Discovery of Witches. Only my OCs. I really hope you all enjoy them. Anyways hope you all enjoy this first chapter.
A Tragic Past
It begins with absence and desire.
With blood and fear
It begins with a discovery of witches.
But first, it begins with dark witch magic changing the life of a young boy who would become one of the world's most powerful vampires.
In the late 1070s, a six-year-old boy was playing around the medieval villages during the era of William the Conquerer. His mother kept a close eye on him as they walked through the streets, passing stalls. The little boy was determined to find a perfect gift for his mother. It was near Christmas and he wanted to make his mother happy.
They came to a market stall where there were so many trinkets and special items and ornaments for sale.
"Slow down Thomas!" the mother cried out.
"I'm just so excited mother! It'll be Christmas soon!"
"I know! You've been saying that all day!"
"I just can't help it! I wanna buy you a special present to show how much I love you!"
The mother chuckled and she picked up her son. "Having your love is the only thing I need for Christmas!" she kissed his cheek and they walked over to a nearby inn. Inside the father and a little sister were waiting for them.
"Isabella!" Thomas cried out to see his sister.
"Tommy!"
Thomas was let down by his mother. He rushed over to his sister and started to play with her.
The parents laughed. They sat down watching their children play with little toys. The inn was filled with festive dancing and fine feasts which everyone dined on like kings. It soon became nighttime and it was time to take the children home.
The mother carried Isabella whilst the father carried Thomas. They were walking down a street when they heard a strange whooshing noise. It was mysterious.
"You hear that darling?" the father asked.
"Yes. It's probably just the wind. Let's get back to the house,"
Suddenly the nearby torches in the braziers snuffed out.
"The wind couldn't have done that. It's not strong enough," the father tightened his grip on his son.
"What other explanation is there? You're not telling me it's any of that witch nonsense you've been hearing around town are you?" The mother snapped It's ludicrous! There are no such things of witches!"
"I hate to see this but there have been strange circumstances that sound supernatural,"
The mother scoffed. "Let's just get home. You're probably gonna give the kids nightmares," She attempted to walk further on but she stopped. In front of her, she saw the shadows of houses drawing in on her. She stepped back.
"Darling..." she breathed. The father pulled an arm around her shoulders.
"Don't panic..." he said.
The shadow loomed around them, swallowing every bit of light until it was completely dark.
"Who's there?!" the father shouted. "We're just a simple family so leave us!"
"You should care to rumours next time!" a loud and threatening voice rung the air. Footsteps approached the parents and their sleeping children. From out of the shadows appeared a powerful figure in long black robes. He was a powerful man in his sixties in short-shaven grey hair and dark eyes that struck fear into the eyes of the family who were looking across at them.
"Who are you and what do you want?!" the father demanded.
The powerful man didn't answer. He stepped closer.
"You're a witch! A male witch! A warlock" the mother realised.
"A perfect guess," the witched smirked but then it dropped along with another foot forward. "But I do not appreciate the word 'warlock',"
"So the rumours are true indeed," the father couldn't help but say. "What do you want?"
"Nothing. But let's say...when humans begin to spread rumours...they have to be silenced,"
"No!" the mother screamed. "No! You can't!" she clutched the child in her arms protectively.
"I'm sorry...that I have to do this. But when rumours spread, witches will become under threat," he raised his palms. "I will take that chance,"
"No! No! Please!" the father cried.
The witch's palms ignited on fire.
The parents turned and ran the other way. They fear the ground rumbling behind them, loud explosions drawing in on them. Their children began waking up in their arms. They became scared.
"Run! Everybody run!" the father cried out to the nearby villagers. They turned and behind the running family, they saw chaos, destruction drawing closer to them. A magical wicked being was marching forward, arms raised, dark magic emerging from his vigorous body. Soon the entire village screamed and they began attempting to escape.
The father turned his head and he realised the witch would crush them all in seconds. "Margeret!" he cried.
"James!" she turned. Her heart dropped when she saw him stop. "What are you doing?! We'll die if we stay here!"
"Not all of us can make it!"
"What?!"
"Take Thomas!" he pushed Thomas into her arms.
"What?!"
"If one of us has to die so that the rest of us can live, it has to be me!"
"No!" Margeret was suddenly kissed by her husband.
"I love you my darling. James kissed the heads of his children in his wife's arms. "I love you, my children!" With great regret, he began standing back. "Go! GOOOO!"
He turned his back and he started marching towards the witch, to stall him, to buy his family time to escape.
The mother could do nothing but watch him march towards what would be his death.
"I love you...my darling," she cried. With great regret, she turned and ran.
A boy was running across the dark fields, tear-faced, cold, blooded, bruised. A burning village was behind him. He made it to the forest across the River Thames. He turned back and saw his home, his life vanishing behind him. He cried and he collapsed in exhaustion. His tiredness overtook him and he fell asleep.
It was almost midnight and the child was still all alone in the dark, unconscious.
A group of horse riders came riding into the forest. The one who led them had black shaven hair, well-trimmed bristles and powerful blue eyes. As he led them through the trees, he saw the sleeping boy.
"Stop!" he raised his hand. His fellow riders stopped behind him.
"What is it Matthew?" the one behind him asked.
Matthew narrowed his eyes as he saw the child. He dismounted his horse and walked gently forward. He bent down and saw how hurt and exhausted he was. He could hear his heart beating numbly. He lifted the child into his arms and he carried him onto his horse.
"Ride on!"
The first thing Thomas saw when he woke up was a burning candle. As he opened his eyes wider, he saw a giant window. Looking around he found himself on a large bed inside a room. He wondered how he got there, who might have brought him there.
Just then he heard the creaking of a door open. He turned to see a powerful man in black enter. His blue eyes were fixed straight on Thomas and they sent a shiver of frost snaking down his spine. He shuffled back against the head of his bed and pulled the blanket up.
The man closed the door behind him. He felt scared.
"You've nothing to be worried of little man," the man said. His voice wasn't icy but it didn't exactly sound very kind. "Are you alright?"
Thomas didn't nod.
"I'm not going to hurt you," the host came forward and he took a chair from a stool and he sat in front of him. "You've nothing to be scared of. Are you alright?"
Thomas nodded. "Who...who are you?"
"My name is Matthew Glanville. What's yours?"
"Th-Th-..." Thomas coughed. "Thomas,"
"You must be hungry Thomas. You looked so exhausted from yesterday. You've been asleep for nearly 20 hours,"
Thomas realised at that moment that this man Matthew Royden had rescued him. He had brought him here to this house for safety.
Matthew pulled out of his pocket a bell. He rang it.
A woman with an apron appeared through the door with a tray of food and a jug and a cup. She placed it down on the table.
"Thank you," Matthew said. "Make sure to prepare some new clothes for the boy here,"
"Yes Master," the woman obliged, then left the room.
Matthew put the tray on Thomas's lap and he dove into the food, scoffing it up like a very hungry pig. Matthew made no complaints. He was a very hungry kid.
"Thank you, Master Glanville," Thomas said.
Matthew took the tray and put it back on the table. He then glanced carefully at Thomas and crossed his fingers. "I am very sorry for what happened to your village Thomas,"
Thomas felt scared. "You...you know..."
"I know that it was a witch who destroyed your village,"
"You mean they are real after all?"
"I am afraid so. I saw the ruins of your village the night I found you in the forest. There were no survivors. I'm so sorry that you lost your home and your family," Matthew snaked his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a locket. "Here," he offered. "Have this,"
Thomas took it tenderly and looked at it. He opened it. There was a picture of himself, his parents and his sister.
"Take it. Treasure it always," Matthew said.
"Thank you, Master Matthew,"
"Your welcome,"
Thomas couldn't help but see the warmth in Matthew's eyes, a sort of genuine feeling.
The same woman who brought the food in entered the room with new clothes.
"New clothes for the young sir Master Glanville,"
Thomas was surprised again. "New clothes?"
"You're going to be staying with us for quite a long time my boy," Matthew smiled.
"You mean you're..."
"I can't leave you out there all by yourself. Now come on. Let's get you dressed. We've got a long day ahead of us,"
For the first time since losing his family, Thomas suddenly felt happiness. Matthew was going to be his new guardian, perhaps a new family.
And so time flew by. Thomas became Matthew Glanville's son. Eventually, when he turned twenty-five, he began to learn some shocking secrets about his father's true identity. His real name was Matthew de Clairmont from France. He and his stepfather and mother and brother and sister and the rest of their family were vampires, creatures who hunted and lived forever He wanted to turn his adopted son into a vampire so that he would not lose another child again like he had when he was a human.
Thomas accepted, wanting to live forever with the family he loved, with the father who had raised him. For many centuries, Thomas lived a long life, witnessing human advancement as centuries went by and the world became more modern. He even found love along the way. He adapted to fit in with the human world but one fact remained clear. He would never let go of the hatred he held for witches because of all the pain they had put him through as a child. Little did he know was that everything was about to change one day.
And so that was the first chapter done. What did you all think? What did you all think of Thomas's background and how he developed a distaste for witches? Anyways, just wanted to say that since the era is around the 1060s, it means Matthew would not have been known as Matthew Clairemont as he did in the 1590s so Matthew Granville is just a made-up identity. Just wanted to say that so that no one is confused. If any of you want to picture the adult Thomas for later chapters, you can find more about him and his actor in a small character profile on my profile page. Please send reviews and let me know what you all thought. Get ready for what's coming later! See you all soon.
