Comes The Raven Prince; By L.C. Bellami

                                              ~ Introduction ~

“Once there was a mighty race, a race that ruled the Skies and the High Places. The Skyborns… also known as… The Airies. These great people were beings not altogether human nor animal. They were something else… some secret in-between. They could manifest wings and fly, or they could transform themselves into birds and soar to great heights and small secret depths.

 They used to be ruled by the wise and powerful Corvini Tribe…The Raven people. Tribal wars for dominance broke out, The Eagali tribe of Eagle people took rule for a short time and their rule was just. All too soon however as tribes rose and fell from power, the arrogant and hostile Vultura clan of vulture people claimed total dominion and subjugated all the tribes beneath their cruel and wicked rule. They were at once vain and ferocious. Under their rule the tribes all but diminished from the world of men, some seeking sanctuary in the elemental realms, while still even more died out, having no place to call home. 

Three centuries ago however, an Owlin Oracle; an owl Prophetess of supreme insight and proficient vision proclaimed the birth of a Raven boy of royal lineage. A Corvini prince would be born and return things to their rightful place… and restore the balance. The vultura Tribe struck out at a multitude of Raven families after finally learning of the prophecy many years ago. A great many people were killed, including the mother of a young Raven boy. A Raven boy with a sublime destiny…

Alright Corin it’s time for you to get some rest my little flyer”.

“But mom…I don’t want to sleep…I want to hear more”.

“You always want to hear more” she said laughing… “you can hear more later…time for bed”!

“Yes mommy” Corin said as he turned over and closed his eyes and let the magical refrains of his mothers Lullaby fill his senses, as she lilted her pleasant voice....

“Oh little Raven where have you flown, where have you drifted on the winds, shall you comeback from the shadows and take up crown for kith and kin. Oh little birdling, little Raven… you are one who flies too high, never run dear, never worry, you will always find the sky. Light shall guide you through the shadows be they deep or be they vast. Time will haunt you, men may hunt you…distant shadows from the past. Come all Airies, come all Airies, guard and guide him till the day, deliver him to his beloved, and he will bring you home to stay. He will reign in wisdom fairly; grant us freedom from their keep. Come all Airies, come all Airies, never give him cause to weep. Let his Love come and let them fly, fly, oh so high and far away; greet the dawning and the moon rise with winged circles on display. And the Lover and Beloved shall once more be made one soul, they shall rule and reign together and our people shall be whole”.

                                               ~ Prologue ~

Mabon (Autumn Equinox, circa September 21^st) in the year 1713

The White Owl Woman, The Oracle Casiphia; sister to the Owl Queen Ceinwen lifted her arms beneath the light of the full moon, as she began to prophecy out of her far away trance. “And behold it shall come to pass, A Raven Prince of Terrible Love and Power shall come as a victors spear, born of a white raven; and Bring Light into the Darkness and the Airies will again Fly Free under his quiet rule; and his Love shall be the undoing and the death of the lord of the Vultura”.

                                                                  ~ ~ ~

Lughnasah (The Festival of Lights, August 1^st) in the year 2013

Knock Knock came the sharp thudding from the door. Keith opened the door with Corin standing right behind him. The sight of two uniformed officers greeted them.

“Yes, how may I help you”?

“Do you know a Sophia Dovesong” the older officer asked?

“Yes, she is my fiancé…is there something wrong” Keith asked in alarm?

“I regret I have to inform you that she was in an accident. She was hit by a drunk driver on the highway about an hour ago”.

“Oh God…is she alright”?

“No Sir …I’m afraid she didn’t make it” he replied softly with his thick Irish Boston Brogue.

Keith fell to the floor in shock weeping, and for a moment the young man behind him was frozen in place. Then he fell to the floor as well, sliding down the wall. Everything Corin knew ended in that moment. Keith turned around and grabbed Corin holding him in his arms and they wept together.

                                           ~ Chapter One ~

Man this had to be the longest bus ride in existence. I couldn’t believe this was happening. My life in Boston had been so terrific, and now here I was on my way to hell…I mean Texas. You’ve heard the saying right? If you don’t like the weather in hell…wait…you will hate it ten times worse in a few minutes. I couldn’t believe this had happened….why her…why did it have to be her? I had always known that Sophi wasn’t my real mother but I never cared. I remember once talking about it shortly after we arrived in Boston. I had asked her if she minded if I called her mom and she smiled one of her great big smiles and said that she was my mother now, so I should call her whatever I wanted. After that she was always mom. I never truly knew my birth mother…though I had vague impressions of her. I just remembered living in a large house in Texas and a tall woman with red hair very unlike my own running after me through the house. I had a few more of my father. He looked very much like me, in my memories of him. He had great dark hair like mine, though his eyes were dark; not at all like my own. He was also tall like my birth mother. Sophi always joked that I was already tall and I was going to be the worlds tallest man. She was wrong of course…I was only just above average, but to her I probably did seem tall. She was only a couple of inches past five feet. Unless she got angry and then she seemed to grow. She had always supported any area of interest I had. For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with birds. Not in the same way as those strange people who do bird watching, but I always drew them and bought little carvings of them. I was obsessed with any old legends involving them. fairy tales to hold my interest for too very long had to have a bird as a key character. My walls were covered with drawings of birds the way other boys walls were covered with sports cars. As I got older my walls started to get some other pictures on them as well. Just about the time other boys started to figure out that their bodies grew excited over girls, I had figured out that my body got excited over young men. It didn’t take long for my mother to figure things out and she never cared, and I will always love her for that. I didn’t go around advertising it however…though I am sure people can tell just by looking at me; and now I was going to bible belt Te-jas. I would never be able to tell anyone about myself there. I would probably get lynched in that back woods inbred deliverance like hole. That is really the only way to describe Texas from everything I googled about it. It looked like a hole right in the middle of hell, were bad red necks went after they died. I was never going to get a guy in this place. I couldn’t wait till I was old enough to get back to civilization. Why did my father send for me now…he never cared before. All I had been told when I was little was that he had business so important that he didn’t have time to raise me. He just shipped me off with my mothers maid. Why didn’t he just agree to let me be emancipated after mom died. I missed Keith already…Mom’s boyfriend of ten plus years. He had been like my dad since he had been around, the only Dad I had ever really known. I wanted to live with him, but the court shut that idea down right away. I had him on speed dial though and he promised to come and get me if life became unbearable. I didn’t really have any friends to speak of or a social life past moms circle, so it wasn’t like I was loosing that. I was suddenly glad I had been socially inept. Why did that drunk driver have to kill mom…..this wasn’t fair….it wasn’t; why bother with finishing thoughts like those…she was gone and I was alone now!

(Sophia)

(Uncle Keith)

Out of all the birds on my walls there had always been one set…one type of bird that I liked more than all the others….Those belonging to the Corvid family. Raven’s and Crows had always fascinated me and comforted me…even if they were a little terrifying in legends at times. Ravens especially haunted my thoughts. This might have been because of the necklace I have had since I was a child too young to remember, or perhaps because of my last name Corvinus. Corin Belitran Corvinus; my name was strange even by my standards. Ever since I could remember I have, always had this necklace. I loved my necklace more than just a necklace. Where other children had baby blankets they had to eventually give up; I had this talisman that I would never give up. The only time I take it off is When I Shower, or when I sleep; and then it hangs on my headboard. When I wake from night mares I can reach out and touch it and it calms me down. The necklace is a ravens head looking down, and there are other small ornaments that hang down from that, and it hangs on a black cord. Sophi used to drench the cord in essential oils for me, and so every now and then it had to be replaced with a new cord.

(Corin)

Besides this, ravens and crows have always watched over me. I know, I know…that sounds silly. However, as silly as it is…it’s true. At our house in the city there were always ravens and crows that hung around and just watched me. I always felt like they were guarding me…protecting me. If guardian angels are real…mine has ravens wings I am totally sure.

When Mom and me had just arrived in the city at our new home, I was bewildered at the size of everything. It was as if I had arrived in the magical realm of the giants. The height of the buildings scared me, the amount of cars scared me, the sheer number of people scared me….now it was funny to think of how I missed those things already.

 After the death of my birth Mother, my Father fell into a deep despair and apparently threw himself totally into his work. He decided that it would be better for me, if I was sent to live with Sophia right away. I had never talked to him. I received a card on my birthday every year. Sophia also told me that he sent child support, and that she kept him informed of my well being.

 When I was little and scared, having nightmares all the time, my mother had given me this strange contraption and told me it would always filter out unnecessary nightmares as she called them. She had a belief that some bad dreams were important. It was a strange spiritual device and she used to make them for people. She made a lot of odd things for people. In our neighborhood she was kind of known for being a mystic or something. She used to read peoples cards for them and make the Dream Oclins. It was sort of like a tribal dream catcher, which mom always taught me was given to tribes people from one of the spirit races. The spirit race that gave dream catchers to tribes people apparently were distant cousins of The Airborn people. 

(Drawing of a Dream Oclin by Corin at age 5)

The Airborn people or Airies were a magical race of people mom used to tell me legends about. Winged people who were birds in human form and they had the ability to change into bird shapes and fly around. Though most of the time they just looked like normal people. Apparently the great ravens used to rule over the airborn races but then were overthrown in a great war and their rule was eventually replaced by the wicked vulture clan. The legends she knew foretold the coming of a raven prince who would bring the airborns back into balance however and step up to rule. She would tell me these stories as I watched the dream oclin spin slowly around as I drifted off to sleep. I can’t ever remember having a random nightmare after she gave me the dream oclin. It was a stick or wand; and there was a circle hanging from the center of it. On the length of the wand were small feathers hanging down, and on the circle there where larger fathers. In the center of the circle hung a crystal. She had put white, blue, and black feathers on mine; and there were charms hanging down all over it. Every one she made for people was different depending on the person. She had taught me all about how to make them. She had even taught me how to read her bird oracle, and gave me my own deck. I had several of her books now which told all about her own strange bird obsession and her even stranger belief system. You see, she actually seemed to believe all the fairy tales she told me, like other people believe in what they are taught in schools and churches. I had only a basic understanding of the healing traditions she used to practice and Keith had given me most of her oils and balms to take with me as my own.

Besides my two carry on bags I had five large suitcases filled with all of my favorite belongings. Uncle Keith as I called him told me he would store the rest of my stuff and her stuff in his storage unit and I could get it whenever I wanted it.

I remember breaking down into sobs when I had to take down my dream oclin, and pack it away in my bag. Keith held me until I stopped shaking and for a while I was able to pretend that he really was my dad.

                                                              ~

So here I was seventeen and a year away from freedom…a year I had to spend in hell before I could go back to Keith and to home. No …no, I won’t let myself think about it. I will just pretend this is all a bad dream and tomorrow; a year from now I will wake up and Sophia’s dream oclin with chase all of my unnecessary nightmares away from me.

The Bus Ride was finally over…I was in Fort Worth Texas. I got my bags and lined them all up as well as wearing my carry on over my shoulder. Thankfully the day wasn’t as hot as it could be. I was waiting for someone who was supposed to pick me up. I supposed it would be my Father and we would have our awkward reunion right here in front of all the hickabillies. I was wrong about that however.

A Man’s voice came up behind me monetarily startling me; it was deep, and very sensual… and went all through me. “Corin Corvinus”? I turned around. The Young Man was tall and beautiful beyond what I had words to describe. I was too stupefied to speak for a minute. When I came to my senses I started to speak “Yes I…” but he interrupted me. “Never mind, I can see by your face that you are” My name is Ravi… Ravi Velesco. I work for your Father. How are you doing young Sir? Did you have a pleasant trip”? “It was alright thank you”. Maybe being in hell had its perks after all. “Good, well shall we go, you must be anxious to get settled in” he enquired? “Yes, thank you” I asked as he picked up three of the five pieces of luggage? I grabbed the other two up and we walked the short distance to the car. I had a feeling the car belonged to my Father because I didn’t think anyone like this guy would drive around in a vehicle that while being reliable looking was not attractive. Ravi belonged in something sleek and sexy; or perhaps sporty, fun, and dangerous. He had a face cherubim would be jealous of. He eyes were dark warmth that spilled into you when you looked at them. Eyes of darkest green brown hazel, that were far too serious for him. His long Dark curls surrounded his divine face which had the perfect amount of facial scruff adorning it. I had to fight the urge to run my fingers through those curls and then graze down across his cheek and that scruff bearing jaw. His shirt was opened half way down his chest partially revealing a body that was going to drive me wild. I hoped my Father didn’t have any rules about fraternizing with the help. Not that I had a shot at Ravi. Even if he was batting for my team, he was way out of my league. I noticed he didn’t seem to have an accent which I had expected everyone in Texas to have. He must be from somewhere else…like me. I watched him walk to the trunk and began putting my bags in. His black jeans were so tight they left nothing to the imagination. Watching his ass move in those jeans I wanted to bend down and bite his beautiful behind. When he turned around and came and opened my door for me which shocked me, I couldn’t help but notice the huge batting ram he was hiding in the crotch of his pants and I suddenly wanted to go down on my knees and orally worship him right then and there. I had never felt such lust in my entire life.

(Ravi Bran Velesco)

I looked at him and nodded my thanks and got in. I think he sensed I was not only lost but totally out of element here. He went around and got in beside me after taking my carry on and putting it in the back seat. “I hope you don’t mind listening to the Radio, I hate driving without music”? “No I don’t mind” I replied. “So where are you from originally, you don’t seem to have too much of a southern accent”. “Well I was born here, but I spent my childhood in Philly and then my teens in Main and then Washington. Until a few years ago when I came back to Texas” Ravi explained to me. “Wow you have been so many places”. “I take it you haven’t…I guess it must be a little scary going from the only home you have ever known in a big sophisticated city and then having to come to the southwest. Don’t worry we will help you adjust in any way we can” He assured me. “Thank you, it is scary and I didn’t want to come, I was forced to. I don’t even know my biological Father”. He could tell the idea of my Father was distasteful to me so he didn’t respond right away, instead thinking it out before he replied. “Well I know this is all hard and probably more than a little strange but I believe it will be alright in the end. He isn’t so bad…your Father, you know. He can be surly at times and distant. I will say he doesn’t have much of a sense of humor and he does not suffer fools gladly. He is a good man though, tough but fair to work. He never asks too much of us. He can be kind and quite generous when the mood strikes him. He can have a little bit of a temper now and then however…please don’t tell him I told you any of this”!

“Of course not! So you said he was fair…is he likely to give me shit about my style or my …um, orientation”?

“I doubt he will give you any grief about your looks, he is not judgmental in that way. I don’t know about the orientation…if by orientation you mean you are queer. I can tell you that he has a staff of about 13 who work for him, and at least five of us are Gay… or Bi rather, including myself which is not something I normally go around talking about and I can’t believe I just told you that. I’m not closeted, or ashamed… or anything like that…I am just a very private person and I don’t talk about myself too much. Actually I am shocked I have told you everything I told you today. I don’t normally… but something about you just makes me feel free to talk I guess” he said and cracked a confuse smirk to himself and cranked the A.C.!

I pulled down the mirror and looked at myself. My hair was up to my standards but my face looked dry. I  reached behind me and pulled out a bottle of water and my cosmetics bag from my carryon. I took a sip before pouring some in my hand and wetting my face. A few drops spilled onto my black vinyl pants. I took out some moisturizer and applied some to my face. Then I took out some lip balm and gloss and after licking my lips I applied them. I redid my eye-liner and put on a splash of my body spray. “Don’t worry, you look fine” Ravi tried to assure me. “Thanks” I said blushing and closed the mirror back up and tossed the water and cosmetics bag on top of my carry on. He softly sang along to a 90’s ballad. “Ravi, how old are you”? “I just turned Twenty in August” He said. So what is it you do for my Father”?  “Oh well, I don’t know how much you know, but your Father is very wealthy. He has rich Oil wells. So most of us work out at the various well sites, but some of us work more around the house. I am his secondary personal assistant. He has two and a private secretary. Besides your Father there is a maid, a cook, three body guards, a butler, and a Valet that live on the grounds. I live there as well. Though now I have been told I am to be your personal Valet. So technically you are also my boss” He said laying it all out for me. I stared dumbfounded not knowing how to respond. If what he was saying was true, my Father wasn’t just well off, he was uber rich.

“I am sorry…did you just say that you were my personal Valet…Valet as in servant”?

“Yes”.

 “I have a personal servant” I said with incredulous sarcasm “…just how rich is my Father”?

“Well let’s put it this way…your children’s, chlidren’s, children will never go hungry or want for anything” he said and gave a wide smile. We were driving through downtown and I couldn’t imagine anyone truly wealthy living in some place like this. On the whole the place was…well it needed some sprucing up; and the historical buildings though obviously once beautiful were in need of some t.l.c. … the ones that weren’t being torn down; probably to be replaced by hideous modern buildings that would prove just how tacky this place is.

I gulped and let the news sink in. it didn’t take long to hit the more rural areas and soon we were in a place called Colleyville. In no time at all we were pulling into the driveway of a very large house. It might be called a small mansion; it looked to be Spanish style. 

We parked and got out, Ravi being a little rueful that I didn’t wait for him to open the door. He whispered to me that he didn’t want my Father thinking he was shirking his duties as my attendant. He told me he would take all of my bags up to my room for me. I went to the crowd of people standing at the front entrance of the house. They were a strange and scary lot. Not that they were ugly or anything, in fact just the opposite for the most part, but there was something unnerving about the way they looked at me. As if they were looking through me or around me somehow; with most heads cocked to the side. In the center, out in front of the rest, was a man I could tell was my Father, Bram Corvinus. He was tall, young for a dad, he had dark hair and eyes just like I remember. His face was more rounded than I remember, and he was more like me than I had realized. 

(Bram Corvinus)

He had tears stinging his eyes and walked toward me after taking a moment to look at me. He pulled me into a tight embrace which took me completely by surprise. “Oh, you got so big…my little Corin is a man now. I wish your Mother were here to see you”. “Um…Hi” was all I could think of to say. He pulled away and looked at me… “So did you have a decent trip”? “Well, it was an experience, I will say that. Has Uncle Keith called yet”? “Yes… I told him you would call him tonight after you get settled in and get some dinner in you”. “Thanks”. “Well come on in and have a look around the house, then we will get you settled into your room which we can redecorate any way you want to soon, and you can meet all of our staff later”. “Alright” I said. I hadn’t been prepared for this kind of greeting. Actually I expected him to be away on business or something. I was sort of shocked that he was being so warm and friendly to me. He didn’t even blink at my appearance, as if he already knew what I would look like, except for the fact that I was apparently… a lot bigger.

We went inside the large light colored stone house and I was surprised at how dark the inside stood in an extreme contrast. Dark wood floors, heavy curtains, large dark leather furniture, and art adorning the walls. The entry way made an… impression. The living room was huge and came complete with a not unsubstantial library. I was showed the dining room and the den. Then I was taken upstairs to the second floor. This house had three stories including the attic level it was explained. My Fathers room was on the second level. I was taken to the other side of the second level and shown my room which had it’s own private master bath and walk in closet. I was stunned yet again…that all this space was for me. I was shown Ravi’s room which was right next door to mine. But I didn’t go in. There was an intercom system if I should need anything in the middle of the night; I didn’t notice the adjoining door to his room at the time. Otherwise, I could find him doing odd jobs for my Father around the grounds I was told. After I was given the deluxe tour Father said, “Well I will leave you to get settled, we will talk tomorrow. Dinner is served at 7:30 in the dining room. Don’t be late…it would be rude to Katelin our cook; who made a small feast tonight in honor of your return”. I simply nodded and he left. I looked around the room.

 I didn’t remember it, if it had been mine before. I went to my bags which were set next to my bed and I placed them on top of the bed and opened them. Two bags contained my cloths, and I hung those up. One bag contained shoes and accessories and I put them away in the closet as well. The remaining bags held things for my room. I opened those and placed what little I had brought with me around my room, before storing all the bags in the floor of the closet. There was a desk on one wall and beside it was a mini-fridge. I took out my oils and put them in there. Also on the desk wall were shelves and I placed my oracle deck there as well as some pictures, books, movies, and c.d’s. I had. I placed my laptop on the desk along with my notebooks, art pads, and Sophia’s journals. On the other side of the desk wall was a large television hanging on the wall like a work of art. Beneath it was a media center. On another wall was my bed. On the far wall there was a fire place with a mantle and also a large widow with a curtain that had cords to pill it closed. To me the room was sheer overwhelming opulence. I pulled out my dream oclin and hung it on a hook that was already over my bed. Well, this room was starting to… look…like my room. I would have to ask that the white walls go away very soon. I hate white walls. I suddenly wished I had brought my collection of daggers to put on the shelves. As it was, most of my posters and art work were in storage; but I had brought a few and I could put those up later.

 I headed into the bathroom and looked around for a towel. The bath room was as luxurious as the rest of the house. I found a towel and proceeded to lock the bathroom door and wash the trip off of me in the large shower which had a seat and walls of iridescent tiles. The amount of places water could come from, and the number of knobs that controlled them… were, intimidating. I managed to make the shower work anyway though. I got out my cosmetic bag after the shower and fixed my hair. I wrapped the towel around my waist and headed out to the closet. I was met by Ravi who was standing there with a strange shocked expression on his face. I quickly moved into the closet and talked to him from behind the door. “Oh sorry Sir, I was wondering if you needed help dressing for dinner”? “Need help dressing…is that in your job description”? “Yes…I am your personal Valet”. “Well I won’t need that particular service thank you”. “Very good sir he said and headed out of my room shutting the door behind him. “What kind of place is this” I wondered to myself? I set about dressing for dinner. 

I guessed from the atmosphere of the house that breakfast and lunch might be a casual thing, but that dinner was very much a formal affair. I tried to dress accordingly while still dressing in my personal style. I wanted my… Father, and everyone else to understand right away that I wasn’t going to change who I was, just because I was forced to move to the southwest. I don’t really understand why Texas is still considered the south west in these moderns times. I mean, you can’t get any deeper south than Texas…it touches Mexico for crying out loud, so it deserves to be called the deep south. 

After dressing I sat on the bed and looked around. This was my life now…things had gotten weird. I sat there till 7:30 and then went to my door and turned the handle, nervous about heading down stairs to dinner at a new table, in a different house, in a different state, with different people. There would be no Sophi, and no Uncle Keith. Just a bunch of strangers. However, Ravi would be there presumably; and that thought managed to bring a slight smile to my face. There would also be a call to Uncle Keith after dinner and I let that thought sustain and embolden me. 

When I left my room I noticed a portrait hanging near my door. I knew at once it was a picture of my Birth Mother. 

I read the inscription at the bottom....

Lady "Bea" Branwen Ravennna Corvinus, Beloved wife and Mother; Her Love will always keep with us.  I didn't know why, but a shot of pain went through me. It wasn't as if I had known her or anything but she looked so Beautiful and Gentle...full of Grace. I almost remembered her laugh as she was chasing me in the yard. I looked at her eyes a moment Longer and then turned to back towards the staircase. 

As I headed downstairs I heard Ravi’s door open and I could hear him following me, though I made myself not turn around and look…for fear that I would be turned into a pillar of salt for all the dirty thoughts I was thinking about him. I continued walking and I looked ahead as I began to descend the steps. I just wanted for Dinner…and in fact the whole night to be over with. I wanted answers damn it, and I wanted them now! My Father had so many things to answer for. Tomorrow would be a day of reckoning I knew. I remembered Ravi’s words about my Father in the car… “He can be surly at times and distant”.….. “He can have a little bit of a temper now and then however”. I knew that tomorrow would bring out some of that temper most likely and I didn’t know if I was really prepared for it, but I knew it had to be. So I let all the thoughts of tomorrow go as I descended down a very different ladder than Jacobs and went to a feast in my honor, in my own personal hell.  

                                                            ~



Chapter 2 Coming in the Future...