Avalanche, Florida

'O-ri Septunava

Protecti ya ashh va nevo-eh.

Protecti ya ashh va magiia-eh

Protecti ya ashh va na-ah uns.'

Our protection spell. Our coven's protection spell--not for us--but for those around us.

When people thought about covens, they usually imagined a bunch of witches in robes. No one really thought about male witches--or warlocks. I'll admit that not even I pictured that until I was forced to join a warlock coven. 'Forced?' you may ask. Yes, I'll tell you about it. But first let me tell you about the city where I live: Avalanche, Florida.

Now Avalanche was a little north of Ft. Lauderdale: sort of in-between West Palm Beach and there. It was a tourist spot, thanks to the resort and the Florida-isms. You read that correctly. Florida-isms. Everything that people assumed about the state, it occurred in Avalanche: from random gators popping up almost everywhere, mostly old people living there, always raining, usually a threat of a Hurricane, everyone in sandals, Southern accents, and a lot of crazy folks. See, most of those were exaggerations that out-of-towners made about the Sunshine state, but a group of warlocks found it funny to take all of the stereotypes and place them into Avalanche.

As I mentioned, those funny bits were outside the resort, which was called the Slopes. Now I know what you're thinking this time: why was it called the Slopes and why call a town in Florida Avalanche? I could explain the latter later, but as for the resort, it was a secluded spot by the beach and surrounded by palm trees on its other sides. It was supposed to resemble a ski resort by the beach, which made no sense, but hey. People all over the country loved it. Why did they love it?

Because it was the only spot on the East Coast where where the Mystical could rest, traverse through realms, or meet up after a long journey. It was also where regular humans could meet with a real life figure of the Mystical. And in Mystical, I meant anyone with so-called supernatural or magical abilities. Many of these types were not allowed to engage with humans without a bracelet that suppressed their magic. It was supposed to be because the original Ancient Order didn't want to disrupt or overtake the way of the human species. Humans were seen as the last hope for many in the Mystical world; so that was why a Magia (or magic-wielder) was just as fascinated to meet a human when given the chance in Avalanche.

And this was partially where I came in. See, witches were our superiors: the female witches. They ensured that a beautiful balance was kept in the city. They created Avalanche so that everyone of different types had a home, even if it was a temporary one. The Slopes were the perfect respite: for human or Magia alike. No violence or hostility were allowed, both being punishable by the witch version of isolation, and believe me--you didn't want to go through that. So, it was up to us--the warlocks--to ensure that that balance was kept, and that we supplied enough magic to keep Avalanche as some sort of whacky and fun haven.

It was why we chanted this morning. Groups of college students were going to visit for spring break soon all at the same time that groups of winter mages were going to vacation here. They were scheduled to arrive at the Slopes in a few hours. Wish me luck.

And oh. I forgot to say: my name is Thomvildegaard de Noctyrne, but you could just call me as everyone else did--Tom. I was forced to become a warlock three years ago at sixteen because...well...I had discovered that my mother was a powerful witch and descendent of the Ancient Order. I would tell you how crazy her own coven got when she got together with my dad--a human--but one thing at a time.

Let's get started first with the college students and the winter mages and their first day in Avalanche, Florida.