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I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 61: THE OLDEST WITCH

                Kadem closed the door behind her. Light would have been a redundant ally: even within the night’s gloom, she knew the space by heart. Ever since she was little, her brothers’ room had been her truest home.
                She curled up on the bed. She didn’t sleep anymore, but she couldn’t get rid of her childhood habit. Centuries had ruthlessly chased off her siblings’ scent from the pillows, and yet she still found comfort amidst them.
                If she closed her eyes she could almost picture the benign smiles, the kind big hands, the long silver manes. She wondered if Argent and Arian were as tall as she remembered. Maybe now she was as tall as they had been. Or maybe not. There was no way of knowing.
                She squeezed one of the pillows against her chest, stifling a deep lonely sigh. Kadem didn’t sleep, but she longed for rest; she felt too much all the time. Even now she could feel all the children around her. She knew the presences outside were Gorken and Malia. She sensed their worries and their anxiety, dwindling ever so slightly as the two embraced by Gabrielle’s tree.
                She felt Bayard’s and Aldous’ fears too, near the well. Hedera’s and Licorice’s auras were instantly distinguishable, rooted in the earth and reaching for the sky. Theirs were stable and wise. Even so, she could feel human-like weakness in those firm wills. She could tell Hedera was afraid. Not of the battle, not of any enemies. She was afraid of not being enough. She was afraid of not being adequate. Adequate for what? For whom?
                Kadem stopped. She had to reign in her own senses, or she would end up knowing too much. Her own will was a silvery mantle covering everyone and everything around her; she tried to shrink it, to get away from parts of other people no one should ever touch.
                She wondered if her older brothers had had to deal with the same. Selfishly, she wished that they had. That way, they’d have always known how much she loved them, even if she didn’t recall ever telling them. She had been a stupid child.
                She stood up and strolled around the room, caressing all the books and scrolls around her as she passed them. Their contents were a part of her, memorized and assimilated during times gone by. She was Argent’s and Arian’s little sister. She was a silver child, the last one. She was the oldest witch, the strongest one. She had to be.
                The hours passed. She felt the children falling asleep, one by one. Her night was as close to silent as it would get. She could discern what kinds of dreams they were having, but dreams were softer and lighter than thoughts. She could tell Gorken was no longer having his heavy nightmares.
                She tried to rest.
                The promised day was upon them. The children were ready to leave, their plans and their resolves echoing time and again as hopeful prayers inside their heads. The determination of the young ones was a stubborn small flame, crackling so brightly it gave her courage. She was the strongest witch. She wouldn’t lose to them and she wouldn’t let the tiny fire go out. She had to protect them.
                The children left together. They would travel part of the way as a group, as they were all going south. Bayard would be the first one to leave them, when they arrived to the Green Mountain. Then Aldous would leave the party too, as he headed to the Eirian Palace. Plum, Gorken and Hedera would go on to the southern stone seal.
                Kadem and Licorice travelled north together. Kadem was somewhat relieved she wouldn’t be with the children to witness and feel their goodbyes. Hedera kept Licorice up to date about the travel, and thus Licorice kept Kadem informed.
                The last silver child and the ancient demon journeyed in silence. They were fast and efficient and powerful. Nothing got in their way. During the quiet distances Kadem had time to think about the fight ahead; she wished she would be the one facing the white maiden. The dragon was mighty, but his enormous power was raw and apparent, obvious and less vicious… more fit for children as an opponent. The white maiden instead was ungraspable, disquieting, and intimately dangerous. Kadem was the strongest witch, only she should have to deal with such a threat.
                Days of travel delivered them to their destination. Licorice guided Kadem to a cave.
                “This is as far as I got last time.” The demon pointed at stairs that plunged deep into the earth.
                “Let’s go.” Kadem nodded.
                They walked down the stairs cautiously, careful step after careful step. Strangely, the more they descended, the clearer the stairs became. The rocky stairway gradually morphed into shimmery diamond, and so did the rest of the cavern, until they were enclosed in a crystalline, iridescent structure. The silver witch touched the walls, confirming there was no magic involved in their sparkling appearance.
                “The Dragon must have built this.” Licorice whispered.
                They kept trudging through the opalescent cave, their anticipation rising as they approached the stone seal. Their bodies were tense, their strides determined. Finally, it was before them: in the deepest part of the translucent pathway, a large, polished, silvery rock stood. The stone seal.
                And the stone seal stood alone.
                At first they didn’t understand. They gazed around, their senses acutely aware. There was no doubt that was the northern stone seal before them. But there was no maiden waiting for them, no dragon. The empty, clean, prismatic den was dead silent.
                Then Licorice spoke, “…Hedera just contacted me. They arrived to the southern stone seal...”
                Kadem didn’t need to hear the rest. She could feel Licorice’s anguish.
                The ancient demon kept going, “The white maiden is there. And so is the dragon.”
                Kadem’s stomach sank. Her chest constricted her resounding heart. She was the strongest witch.
                And she had failed them.

Description

I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 61: THE OLDEST WITCH

                Kadem closed the door behind her. Light would have been a redundant ally: even within the night’s gloom, she knew the space by heart. Ever since she was little, her brothers’ room had been her truest home.
                She curled up on the bed. She didn’t sleep anymore, but she couldn’t get rid of her childhood habit. Centuries had ruthlessly chased off her siblings’ scent from the pillows, and yet she still found comfort amidst them.
                If she closed her eyes she could almost picture the benign smiles, the kind big hands, the long silver manes. She wondered if Argent and Arian were as tall as she remembered. Maybe now she was as tall as they had been. Or maybe not. There was no way of knowing.
                She squeezed one of the pillows against her chest, stifling a deep lonely sigh. Kadem didn’t sleep, but she longed for rest; she felt too much all the time. Even now she could feel all the children around her. She knew the presences outside were Gorken and Malia. She sensed their worries and their anxiety, dwindling ever so slightly as the two embraced by Gabrielle’s tree.
                She felt Bayard’s and Aldous’ fears too, near the well. Hedera’s and Licorice’s auras were instantly distinguishable, rooted in the earth and reaching for the sky. Theirs were stable and wise. Even so, she could feel human-like weakness in those firm wills. She could tell Hedera was afraid. Not of the battle, not of any enemies. She was afraid of not being enough. She was afraid of not being adequate. Adequate for what? For whom?
                Kadem stopped. She had to reign in her own senses, or she would end up knowing too much. Her own will was a silvery mantle covering everyone and everything around her; she tried to shrink it, to get away from parts of other people no one should ever touch.
                She wondered if her older brothers had had to deal with the same. Selfishly, she wished that they had. That way, they’d have always known how much she loved them, even if she didn’t recall ever telling them. She had been a stupid child.
                She stood up and strolled around the room, caressing all the books and scrolls around her as she passed them. Their contents were a part of her, memorized and assimilated during times gone by. She was Argent’s and Arian’s little sister. She was a silver child, the last one. She was the oldest witch, the strongest one. She had to be.
                The hours passed. She felt the children falling asleep, one by one. Her night was as close to silent as it would get. She could discern what kinds of dreams they were having, but dreams were softer and lighter than thoughts. She could tell Gorken was no longer having his heavy nightmares.
                She tried to rest.
                The promised day was upon them. The children were ready to leave, their plans and their resolves echoing time and again as hopeful prayers inside their heads. The determination of the young ones was a stubborn small flame, crackling so brightly it gave her courage. She was the strongest witch. She wouldn’t lose to them and she wouldn’t let the tiny fire go out. She had to protect them.
                The children left together. They would travel part of the way as a group, as they were all going south. Bayard would be the first one to leave them, when they arrived to the Green Mountain. Then Aldous would leave the party too, as he headed to the Eirian Palace. Plum, Gorken and Hedera would go on to the southern stone seal.
                Kadem and Licorice travelled north together. Kadem was somewhat relieved she wouldn’t be with the children to witness and feel their goodbyes. Hedera kept Licorice up to date about the travel, and thus Licorice kept Kadem informed.
                The last silver child and the ancient demon journeyed in silence. They were fast and efficient and powerful. Nothing got in their way. During the quiet distances Kadem had time to think about the fight ahead; she wished she would be the one facing the white maiden. The dragon was mighty, but his enormous power was raw and apparent, obvious and less vicious… more fit for children as an opponent. The white maiden instead was ungraspable, disquieting, and intimately dangerous. Kadem was the strongest witch, only she should have to deal with such a threat.
                Days of travel delivered them to their destination. Licorice guided Kadem to a cave.
                “This is as far as I got last time.” The demon pointed at stairs that plunged deep into the earth.
                “Let’s go.” Kadem nodded.
                They walked down the stairs cautiously, careful step after careful step. Strangely, the more they descended, the clearer the stairs became. The rocky stairway gradually morphed into shimmery diamond, and so did the rest of the cavern, until they were enclosed in a crystalline, iridescent structure. The silver witch touched the walls, confirming there was no magic involved in their sparkling appearance.
                “The Dragon must have built this.” Licorice whispered.
                They kept trudging through the opalescent cave, their anticipation rising as they approached the stone seal. Their bodies were tense, their strides determined. Finally, it was before them: in the deepest part of the translucent pathway, a large, polished, silvery rock stood. The stone seal.
                And the stone seal stood alone.
                At first they didn’t understand. They gazed around, their senses acutely aware. There was no doubt that was the northern stone seal before them. But there was no maiden waiting for them, no dragon. The empty, clean, prismatic den was dead silent.
                Then Licorice spoke, “…Hedera just contacted me. They arrived to the southern stone seal...”
                Kadem didn’t need to hear the rest. She could feel Licorice’s anguish.
                The ancient demon kept going, “The white maiden is there. And so is the dragon.”
                Kadem’s stomach sank. Her chest constricted her resounding heart. She was the strongest witch.
                And she had failed them.