While Mason was just reaching Sanctuary, the home of the Blue Moon pack. Another boy was just on his way to make his first step towards his own destiny.

*****

Do you know what is worse than having an overprotective parent? Try having an overprotective parent who is also a voodoo witch doctor. 

"Did you pack your inhaler? The last thing I need is for you to have another asthma attack." A man called from a long winding staircase, the voice bouncing off the stone walls creating a soft echo. The house they were in was massive, basically a castle. 

"I haven't used that thing since I was five!" The boy said with an eye roll.

"What about your eye of newt eh? You always forget the eye of newt."

The boys' eyes widened, he made a mad dash to a small room next to his bedroom, the room had been converted into a comfy apothecary/ laboratory by his dad for his 15th birthday. The room felt smaller now because of all the shelves lining the walls, each filled with varying sizes of vials and bottles.

On one of the top shelves he found a small bottle labeled: Le Newts Eye. Verdanin Co. He quickly went back to his room and tossed the small bottle into one of his open luggage bags; the bottle made a musical noise as it clinked against similar bottles.

Each bottle was labeled for what it contained, boar's earwax, uncured salt, dead man's blood, and of course axe body spray. All the things he'd need for class and his studies at his new school, the best school in all the Realms, Roxelt's Academy. To say he was nervous was an understatement; he'd always been homeschooled by his father and numerous tutors since he was in diapers.

"I knew you'd forget it, you're not nervous are you?" A tall wiry man filled his bedroom doorframe. 

He was dressed in a stylish royal purple and ash grey suit, the colors of the Kincaid family. His angular face was framed handsomely by his short dreads, his hazel eyes twinkling with pride for his only son. His son looked just like him, a slight muscular yet wiry frame, his face was just as angular, but his eyes were his mother's. A startling purple, as if his very mana filled his irises. The man licked his lips thinking of how powerful his son would be.

"My own son, Tobias Kincaid, is taking on my own alma mater. They'll be groveling at your feet before the years end!" the man grasped the amulet at his neck, feeding the glittering stone a surge of power.

Tobias rolled his eyes, "Dad, calm down. You're starting to sound like a comic book villain, people already think we're evil..." He smoothed down his eyebrows, a nervous tick.

"Then we must show them that we are better, show them that the Kincaid's aren't all boogeymen. You'll be a huge target, even at this school. Maybe we should wait another year-" 

"No! I may be a little nervous, but it is a... happy sort of nervousness. I'll have my emotions under control before I get there." Tobias smoothed back his eyebrow once more. "Plus I really want to check out the famed libraries of Roxelt's"

"Hope you glance at a few girls while you're there." His father muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Oh nothing, let's move your luggage downstairs."

Atticus continued to look down at his son, watching the boys' expression. It was a Picasso of both nervousness and excitement; maybe he did baby him too much. But he couldn't help it; his own father had thrown him into the woods naked and afraid. Told him it was "A test to see if you are worthy of the Kincaid name." His father was a true tyrant, everyone feared him; especially when he tried to overthrow the High Court. 

The High Court was the cream of the crop of the magical society, where the most powerful of lords and ladies decided what was best for the Realms. Atticus's father, Luscious Kincaid, brought them all to their knees. He made them all take notice of the Kincaid family; he was going to change things. He had plans, plans that many would consider genocidal. But that's a story for another time.

Right now it was all about Tobias; it was his turn to show the Realms another kind of Kincaid. Atticus tried to make sure that Tobias was well aware of how important that was, for Atticus had plans of his own.

"Do you think they'll target me?" Tobias asked, breaking Atticus out of his train of thought.

"Have you looked at yourself in a mirror son?" He gestured at his son, flipping his hand in the air as if dismissing him. "You scream Kincaid. Those purple eyes that barely contain your brilliance, that handsome heartbreaking face; just like my own." He said this with a toss of his dreads, as if he were a supermodel. "Even though you cut off your wondrous dreads for that ridiculous frohawk"

"It's not ridiculous, it's cool. Don't hate"

Now it was Atticus's turn to roll his eyes, then he roughly patted his son of the head. Tobias made a show of swatting away his father's hand. A part of him was going to miss this, teasing his son and goofing around. But another part of him knew what needed to be done. "Wait here for a sec; I have a departing gift for you"

*****

Tobias scrunched up his face as his father walked off; he just wanted to hurry this up so he could get to Roxelt's. "Hurry up, 
Bonita will be here soon. You know how she hates to wait"

Bonita Rose was one of the Kincaid family's most trusted ally and friend. She had been best friends with Tobias's mother; they were so close people often thought they were sisters. After his mother passed away, Bonita became one of the most faithful benefactors to his father. Thanks to her help, his father was able to lift their family name into higher circles. 

Tobias turned on his phone, made a face at the zero notifications icon. Apparently being the grandson of a villain didn't grant you many friends. Though Tobias didn't care about having friends, he saw them as things only weaker minded people needed. Though he was secretly hoping he'd meet someone with similar interest at the Academy.

"I leave you for a single minute and you are already rotting your brain with that...cellular phone." The way Atticus said cellular phone, you'd think it was a swear word. 

"Just checking my syllabus in the email they sent me." Tobias replied, shoving the phone back into his pocket. "Are you ready to go now? Bonita is-"

Atticus thrusted a tree branch in Tobias's face, cutting him off mid-sentence. Though it wasn't a normal tree branch, it was a staff. Carved from the wood of an ancient oak tree, carved with runes of a long dead language, it had a reddish black hue to it like dried blood, and at the top an eerily green ord. It just wasn't any staff; it was his grandfather's staff, the staff of a madman. It had its own fame; it was called The Staff of Deviltry.

Whenever someone told a story of his grandfather, they always spoke of the staff as well. They say that in order to boost his own magical affinity, his grandfather hunted down a  Loa demon, ripped its eye out, and stuck it onto a stick. Immortalizing it as a weapon of sheer overwhelming power, fueled by the chaotic energies of the Loa's realm. The Loa are the gods of voodoo,  they are also referred to as The Invisibles. They are the intermediaries between Bondye, the Supreme Creator, who is distant from the world and humanity. Unlike saints or angels, however, they are not simply prayed to, they are served.

Tobias pushed the staff away, "Where did that thing come from? I thought the High Court had it destroyed."

A sly smile creeped onto Atticus's face, he set the staff onto the ground upright. "As if those twits could destroy this work of pure art, no, they tried to use it. But you grandfather was always two steps ahead. He placed a binding spell upon it, only those of Kincaid blood can wield it, and only those it chooses."

The pupil in the orb flicked from Atticus to Tobias, it widened hungrily when it focused on Tobias. It really was an eye, with its unblinking stare.

"It... it's looking at me" Tobias said nervously, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the orb. It seemed to beckon him, begging for him to take it, to use it.

"It's chosen you son, you should be honored. It won't let me use it." Atticus said, a tinge of jealousy in his tone. "Take it son."

"But it's a deadly weapon; grandfather was going to use it for evil"

"So? The staff isn't a weapon, it's a tool. Your grandfather used it one way, you can use it another way." Atticus shoved the staff in Tobias's direction, "Use it to carve out your future, redeem your family."

With a gulp, Tobias grasped the staff. Once his hands were upon it the orb glowed brightly, so bright he thought he'd be burned. Magical energy flowed freely between him and the staff, then the orb relaxed into a calming greenish hue.

"Congratulations my son." Atticus licked his lips. "It just bonded itself with you, now you'll be inseparable."

Just then a car honked outside followed by someone shouting. "Atticus! Tell that boy of yours to hurry or I'm gonna round house kick him in the throat"

Bonita was here. She had the body of a runway model, but the attitude
of a sailor.

"Thank you father." Tobias said as they wrapped into a hard hug.

As they loaded his bags into the car, Bonita noticed the staff. 

She eyed Atticus, "Are you sure about this? That staff will make him an easy target."

Tobias flicked his wrist to shorten the staff to wand size then jumped into the passenger seat, face focused on his cell phone. Totally oblivious to the others.

"I can find a suitable bodyguard for him if need be. I have a pack of wolves who owe me a favor, I'm sure I can work out some kind of deal." Bonita said.

Atticus gave his son a small wave goodbye, though Tobias didn't notice with his face glued to the cell phone screen.

"If our plans are to succeed. Sacrifices must be made..."

♢♢♢ A Witch Doctor? What does it all mean!? What is Atticus planning? Find out next time on dragon ball... erm, I mean Freak of Nature heh. Hope you are enjoying the story so far! Don't forget to comment and star☆