Chapter 1: Tavistock Shadows

By Joe Bandel

The morning air hung heavy with the scent of polished wood and stale coffee as Tobal Kane, now 18, sat at the breakfast table in Uncle Harry’s sprawling mansion, its high ceilings swallowing the faint creak of Harry’s wheelchair. Outside, the gray Oregon sky pressed against the tall windows, casting Tavistock Township—a rich enclave near the golf course—into a muted light where manicured lawns clashed with the jagged pines clawing the horizon. Tobal was tall and lean, his brown eyes catching more than he let on beneath a mop of dark hair that flirted with Tavistock High’s strict uniform code. The blazer itched at his shoulders, a constant reminder of the polished cliques he drifted through like a ghost, a life shaped since he was 2, when his parents, Ron and Rachel, died in a mysterious air sled accident over a lake. Only a fleeting memory remained—a woman’s laugh, soft and warm, cut by a man’s low murmur, slipping away before the Federation’s silence took hold.

Harry wheeled closer, the squeak of rubber on hardwood grating against Tobal’s nerves like an old wound scraped raw. Once a broad-shouldered Federation commander, Harry now slumped, his gray hair wild and legs limp—twisted relics of the outpost blast that stole Tobal’s parents and Harry’s wife, Lilly, when Tobal was just 2. Harry had taken him in then, raising him amid secrets. His right hand, gripping the table, revealed a faded scar across the knuckles, a silent testament to a past he never spoke of. “You’ve got to make something of yourself, boy,” Harry growled, his voice rough as gravel, gripping the table until his knuckles whitened, coffee trembling in its chipped mug. “No son of my brother’s gonna waste what I can’t—what I’d kill to have back.” Tobal nodded, his lips parting just enough to mutter a quiet “Yeah” before shoveling down the last spoonful of oatmeal, its bland warmth sticking in his throat. Harry didn’t know him—not really. Sixteen years of raising him had built a wall of duty, not understanding.

The memory clung as he cleared his plate, the clink of ceramic against the sink barely audible over the hum of the house’s forced heat. Harry’s wheelchair squeaked toward the den, where whiskey and grudges awaited, leaving Tobal to climb the stairs—two steps at a time, dodging the fifth step’s creak he’d memorized over the years. His room was a cluttered refuge—books piled on the desk, a jacket slung over the chair, muddy boots staining the rug—but it was his, a corner Harry’s wheels couldn’t invade. He dropped his bag, fingers flexing with an itch that pulled him beyond the walls, past the garage where the stable waited under the pines’ shadow.

There, Shadow stood—his black gelding, sleek coat glinting, mane catching the wind, bright eyes mirroring a wild spirit Tobal felt deep in his chest. He loved that horse more than anything—more than Tavistock’s sterile halls, more than Harry’s barked orders. Harry had bought Shadow cheap off a broke rancher when Tobal was 16—“Something to keep you busy,” he’d muttered—but it was freedom. The stable’s earthy smell cleared his head as he saddled up, hands steady, Shadow’s warmth seeping through worn leather. He swung onto the gelding’s back, feeling the familiar jolt, and nudged him out, the trail opening ahead, pines clawing the sky.

They rode hard, hooves pounding the dirt, wind biting Tobal’s face as the wilderness blurred into streaks of green and brown. Up a ridge, the ground sloped sharp beneath them; down a gully, the earth softened, trees thickening—hours melted away, the sun dipping low, painting the pines in gold and shadow. A rustling in the pines caught his attention, a strange shiver running through him as if the Wild stirred. The air thickened, a dancer’s face rose briefly in his mind, gone as quick as it came. He reined in at a clearing, breath fogging in the chill, Shadow tossing his mane with a snort. He patted the gelding’s neck, brown eyes scanning the trees, the quiet settling like a blanket woven from the forest’s breath. Out here, he wasn’t Harry’s ward or Tavistock’s misfit—just Tobal, Shadow’s steady heartbeat grounding him.

Back home, dusk deepened as he stabled Shadow, brushing him down with slow strokes, hay dust clinging to his hands, the horse’s warmth a balm against the chill creeping in. Harry’s voice barked from the porch—“Riding won’t fix anything, boy!”—but Tobal lingered, reluctant to trade this peace for the house’s silence. In his room, he adjusted the colonial American Revolutionary War-style uniform, the blue jacket and white pantaloons stiff and unfamiliar, the long silver sword at his side awkward and dangerous, its weight clanking against his leg—a two-week struggle to master without injury. His brown eyes stared back in the mirror, shadowed with dread and a flicker of something else—tonight’s ball at Tavistock High, a gaudy circus Harry insisted he attend. The house fell silent as he descended the stairs, dodging the fifth step, the air heavy with polish and a trace of whiskey drifting from the den.

School had loomed that day, two weeks ago—calculus with Mr. Henshaw’s drone, equations blurring into a haze Tobal scratched into his notebook margins alongside rough sketches of Shadow’s ears. During a break between classes, he spotted Fiona by the lockers, her red hair swinging under fluorescent lights, green eyes catching his. Nervously, he approached, the blazer itching. “Hey, Fiona… uh, want to go to the ball with me in two weeks?” he asked, voice low. She paused, then smiled softly. “Sure, why not?” she said, her acceptance a quiet anchor, and he nodded, a spark igniting despite the crowd’s buzz.

That evening, Fiona waited outside her place, red hair glowing under the streetlamp, green eyes sharp against her stunning dress—not quite period-perfect for the colonial theme, its flowing design accentuating her figure in a way that stole his breath. She nodded, no smile, her presence a quiet anchor as Tobal approached, the uniform’s sword clanking awkwardly. “You look stiff,” she said, voice soft but firm, a faint tease threading through, and Tobal shifted the sword. “Feel it,” he muttered, her laugh hitting him like that fleeting memory—his mother’s, soft and warm, gone before he could hold it. They walked to the gym, her steps light beside his heavy shuffle, the air cool with a hint of pine drifting from beyond town. Her arm brushed his, a spark jolting through—a touch he didn’t expect, a hum stirring deep, the Wild whispered to him.

The dance hall was dimly lit, colored fog and mists swirling through the air, Tavistock’s rich kids swirling in uniforms and ball gowns like peacocks. Tobal shifted, the uniform’s starched edges and sword’s weight digging into his side, brown eyes darting for an exit drowned in the haze. Fiona stayed close, her fire quieter now, green eyes scanning with a steadiness that tethered him. “They’re all fakes,” she whispered, leaning in, her breath warm against his ear, and he nodded, her strength a flicker against the chaos—a glimpse of the Wild he didn’t know yet. She tugged him to the dance floor—“Come on, don’t just stand there”—her voice a challenge, hands guiding his through clumsy steps, the sword clanking as he moved, her stunning dress swaying with a grace he envied. The hall faded—noise, figures lost in mist—and it was just them, her touch sparking. He buried his face in her tangled hair, breathing in her violet perfume eagerly, nibbling her ear as his hands slid up, feeling the softness of her breast beneath the silk, her nipple hardening under his thumb. She caught her breath, snuggling closer, whispering, “I feel something strange too”—a secret that deepened their bond, its future unknown. Their bodies pressed, teasing each other with slow, intimate movements that quickened into a wild spin. The Wild whispered to him, a fire he could not yet name, as they weaved through the fog and mists, laughing and shouting at other dancers in the gloom, the swirling haze making their path treacherous.

As they spun, the air thickened, a strange pulse rippling through. Anubis’s statue shifted, its dog head turning, yellow eyes glinting briefly before stilling—a vision that jolted Tobal. Fiona laughed, unaware, and they weaved faster, lost in the dance. Suddenly, a violent collision with Becca threw him off balance, the fog and mists obscuring their path. He let go of Fiona, the sword snagging her dress and clattering to the side, turning to see Becca, her emerald gown torn, hanging around her waist, exposing small white breasts with rosy pink nipples. His gaze locked helplessly as she spun, fury flashing in her eyes.

“You bastard!” she screamed, knocking him to the floor.

“No! It was an accident!” he cried, feeling her nails tear into his face. Pain exploded, and darkness swallowed him.

He awoke in a hospital room, groggy and aching, bandages covering his face. Panic surged as he reached up, an alarm blaring. Uncle Harry’s firm hand pushed him down. “Take it easy, son,” Harry said, voice dry. “You’ve been through hell.”

“What happened?” Tobal rasped.

“Some girl nearly gouged your eye out,” Harry chuckled. “Scratched your face raw. Doc says scars are coming. How’d you piss her off?”

“I bumped her… her dress tore,” Tobal whispered, heat flushing his bandaged face. “Then she clawed me.”

“I can’t see!” he panicked, clawing at the gauze.

“It’s the bandages,” Harry soothed, pulling his hands away. “Something on her nails peeled your skin—messing with healing. Your eye’s safe, but rest.” A nurse injected his IV, dizziness sweeping him into sleep. Fiona’s hand lingered on the bed’s edge, a gentle touch he felt even in his daze, a connection he’d regret pushing away.

He awoke to violet perfume, Fiona’s voice cutting through. “It’s about time you woke up,” she said, concern in her tone. She touched his arm; he pulled away, bitter. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Leave me alone.”

Her eyes teared up. “Can I come back?” she pleaded.

“Maybe after Christmas break,” he lied, watching her leave, her hand brushing the bed one last time, regret hitting too late. He never saw her again—yet.

Days later, Christmas Eve arrived, the house silent under a heavy snow. Tobal fretted, fingering the bandages, itching to tear them off. The doctor had instructed him to wait one final week, and today was the day. With trembling fingers, he entered the bathroom, grabbed surgical scissors, and began cutting the layers of gauze. It stuck to his skin, pain flaring as he lifted the last piece off his right eye. Bright light stabbed into him, sharp pain flashing through his head.

He closed his eyes, waiting for it to fade, then touched the newly healed skin. Opening his eyes, he faced the mirror.

“No!” he screamed in horror.

Four angry scars ran diagonally across his face, about an eighth of an inch wide. One stretched from his right temple across his eye, slashing his nose and jaw—the worst, nearly costing his sight. A smaller scar swept from his forehead to his left eyebrow, two more across his cheek and jaw. Swollen, discolored, and raw, they marked him forever.

With a curse, his fist smashed the mirror. As it shattered, he screamed, clutching his bleeding hand, sobbing as blood flowed into the sink and onto the floor.

“No! Goddess No!” he sobbed.

Blood spattered the shards, erasing his reflection as he slumped, holding his ruined face. His life would never be the same.

I am sharing this book with my trusted friends during this coming Saturn return. It is only being shared on this webpage and PaganSpace where I hang out a lot. Where people know me and what I do. This is the first book in a trilogy that I am working on. Enjoy!

I am also posting this book on Royal Road at http://www.royalroad.com