• Last Chapter
• Home

Chapter 1:
For Eternity...

"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams are something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."- Monty Oum
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
CONTENT WARNING
This book contains many things not meant for light hearts or more civil audiences. Such things may include: Most adult themes, violent graphics and descriptions, blood and death, and other similar content.Reader's discretion is advised.

🌙 // ???

It was a beautiful night.

The moons shining bright in the night sky, the larger silver Sera and her smaller red sister, Phoenix, dancing around her celestial brilliance. The moonlight bathed onto the village, crickets chirped as the night flowed on, peaceful dreams and restful sleeps all around. The peaceful woodland critters in the forest snoozed away, living at harmony with the villagers. On any other night, this might've been the peak, until the morning came and a new dawn began.

Like I said: It was a beautiful night.

But then my eyes burst open at the sound of screams crying out. I stumbled out of bed, my head throbbing and my ears ringing, feeling like one of the Gods themselves had lifted me to the heavens and tossed me back into my bed. I gag, struggling not to vomit as I throw my cloak over my shoulder and strap it with the violet gemstone that locks it in place before hurrying outside to witness horrors I haven't ever seen before.Giant, beasts made of dark storm clouds snarled and bounded across the village plaza, looking vaguely like wolves but easily double the size and being wrapped with strange red lightning surging throughout their bodies. I shudder as I look around looking at shattered windows, doors ripped off their hinges, and even worse- Blood everywhere. Painting the ground, bloody handprints on doorways, and a few of the beasts had blood dripping from their maws.

I feel a sharp pain rocking me out of my grogginess and fear as I look down to see one beast biting down on my leg. I cry out in pain, falling to the ground as I kick it in the snout with my free leg. It releases me as I sharply pant and crawl backwards and feel myself bump against a wall. I turn ever so slightly to look out of the corner of my eye and see I've backed myself into a literal corner.Why do the Gods curse me so?As the beast closes in, so do the flames surrounding me. Tears pour from my eyes as my body practically vibrates from fear as I hold up an arm to block myself as the beast towers above me. I cry out again as my wound aches, and I look down to see my wound look like it's burning itself shut. But I don't have time to wonder about it as the beast inches closer to me every second, as I wait for the inevitable.

I mean, there is no stopping this. Even still.... I always thought I might have been unafraid in a situation like this. But I guess I wasn't expecting something like this. Some- stormy wolf beast thing ripping me to shreds along with the rest of my village and everything else I've ever known. I had always figured the certainty of the end would calm me, but it just made my fear and anxiety worse.Are the Gods true about an afterlife? I think to myself, Or is that just some comforting lie we were told, in order to more easily pass on? And if it is true, then am I even good enough? Am I a good soul? Did I even earn a happy end?I think back on my life, and realize that even though I've done no bad- I'm not really good either. I've done next to nothing- I'm practically no one. Where does a nobody go- Somewhere good, somewhere bad, or somewhere else?My thoughts are swiftly ended as the beast opens it's jaw. My eyes catch onto the rows of fangs designed for one thing: Devouring prey. My heart pounds as my eyes fixate on the teeth lightly stained with blood, awaiting the inevitable.

BANG!

The inevitable never ended up coming, after all.

Instead, I stare stunned as a hole in the beast's head opened up as it falls to the ground, corpse limp as a weak crackle of lightning flickers through the beast. Behind the body stands a young woman smirking at me, holding a smoking firearm. Her deep blue eyes shone in the firelight, as her black hair whips in the wind. And yet, none of that really matters to me- Instead, what I'm currently wondering is even a hallucination or not: Her ears.Instead of being small, or rounded like anyone else I've ever met in the entirety of my life, they're instead long and pointed like some kind of fairytale creature.She turns away from me, beginning to fire repeatedly at several of the beasts growling and leaping towards her, only stopping for moments to assumably recharge her strange firearms- More advanced than anything I've ever seen, and using them in an incredibly unusual way.

I should have accepted all of this as some sort of hallucination, or a conjuration of the mind to ease my transition from life to death. But I can't help but remain fixated on her, the savior. Leaping from place to place with fascinating speed, smacking beasts upside the head with her weapon to stun them with staggering strength before firing through their head without hesitation.I should accept this as a hallucination... But I can't. Maybe it's hope, maybe it's stupidity, but some part of me can't help but believe this is real- That she is real.That, and her abilities and weaponry are nothing I could've come up with in my wildest dreams. Such compact firearms, recharging in flashes of light, as she fires and reloads over and over while zipping across the plaza faster than a frightened rabbit.And it continued like that for several minutes, the strange dance of back and forth- Or, mainly just back given the beasts don't really forth in return. Gunshot after gunshot, howl after howl, and collapsed beast after collapsed beast. Soon, the beast corpses piled up nearly as much as the people had before they were devoured.Finally, an eerie silence all around as I can finally hear the chirping of bugs again as the crackle of fire now accompanies them. The savior looks around with disinterested look on her face, as though bored the combat ended so quickly. Then her eyes locked onto mine as a smile formed on her face. And, just when I thought I was done being stunned, she just tosses her guns in the air as they disappear into a pair of circular symbols in the air, drawn in some strange blue energy, before those disappear too. The savior hurries over to me, her strange black clothes, likely some kind of combat gear, whipping in the wind as she holds out her hand to me."Need a hand?" She asks me, as I slowly and very anxiously grip her hand and get helped back up to my feet. Still shaky, still frightened beyond belief, but something about her helps ease me a bit. Perhaps it was the fact she saved my life, or perhaps something else entirely. Our hands finally release as she brushes herself off and my eyes lock onto a tattoo on her shoulder: A blue crescent moon with a matching four point star in the center of the crescent gap. Finally the woman sighs as she rests her hands on her hips, "That wasn't all of them I think, but we should be good for now. What's your name, are you injured at all?"I open my mouth to speak, but I just cough and squeak from the hoarse throat and the screaming in fear. I take a deep breath, clearing my throat, and finally shake my head, "N-No, I'm fine. I'm Accalia Gale, by the way." I finally manage to croak out, running my hands through my messy blonde hair.The woman smirks at me before patting my shoulder, "I'm Amelia Lynx. I'm glad I was able to get here in time to save you at least..." Amelia says before frowning and looking around, "Although, I'm surprised those Dark Hounds managed to do this much damage this fast. They're not the most powerful monster, I-" Her eyes dart back to me as I reailze I'm giving her an odd stare, 'Something wrong? Have you never seen a Witch before or something?" She says as I just stare at her even more confused."A.... Witch....?" I say slowly, my confusion growing, "Isn't.... Isn't that just some insult to motherless girls....?"Amelia stifles a laugh, "Uh, maybe a few hundred years ago....? And what's with the way you talk? It's so... Posh."Now that she mentions it, I have noticed her voice sounding... Different. Less emphasis on her 'R's and her words.... What's the word.... Curving less? She says everything so flat and blunt.Amelia shakes her head, "Wait you've never seen a Witch before? Or even heard of one?" She asks me again as I shake my head. Amelia steps back, pacing around as she thinks with her hand clasped around her chin. "Why could that... But... Why would... Maybe..." She mutters to herself, and I'm only able to catch every other word.I just tuck my hands behind my back, "Erm.... Anyway.... Your fighting was- That was unbelievable. I wouldn't have believed it, had I not seen it for myself. It was almost... Almost like-""Magic?" Amelia finishes my sentence as my eyes grow wide."You.... You're not saying....." I trail off as Amelia twirls her pointer finger in the air as an aura of glowing blue follows the tip."That's- That's magic? Like- Like MAGIC magic? Like- what the Gods wield?" I nervously sputter as Amelia raises an eyebrow at me."Geez, you really DO live in the middle of nowhere, huh?" Amelia says before shaking her head with a huff, "Alright, alright, we can worry about all of this later, for now let's just-"My eyes lock onto movement behind her as I can only manage to yell, "LOOK OUT!"But, before either one of us could react to the prowling Dark Hound, a glowing green blade slashes through the beast's head as it tumbles to the ground. Standing behind the beast's corpse, eerily similar to Amelia standing behind the other one after saving me, a smug redhead smirks at us, studying us with piercing emerald green eyes. She holds two glowing green blades, where she lifts one into the air and snaps her fingers as it disappears in a swirl of matching colored... energy? Light?

"Hey Amelia," The redhead says, "You missed one." She points out with a wink as Amelia groans and rolls her eyes."Took you long enough..." Amelia replies in irritation as the redhead grins back eagerly."Yeah, Carter was being slow and careful, so I ran ahead since I figured you'd probably need my help. Which, uh..." The redhead looks down, kicking the limp corpse of the Dark Hound, "Yeah, you apparently did need my help with the monsters." Her eyes then dart back up to the duo, "So... Who's your new friend?" She asks, pointing at Accalia standing nervously behind Amelia.Amelia clears her throat and sidesteps out of the way before waving her hand towards Accalia, "Jann, meet Accalia Gale: The sole survivor of her village. Accalia, meet Jann Leon: My cousin, and a cocky-""Monsters.... The Dark Hounds? They aren't... Natural?" I timidly call out as Jann kneels down to poke the corpse."Most monsters, no. Some are though, and these natural ones tend to be corrupted and deviate from their true purposes. Storm Hounds, for example, are physical manifestations of a storm. Normally, they're invisible to most people most of the time. But Dark Hounds deviate from the storms, being corrupted by-" Jann then stops abruptly, biting her lip like she caught herself almost saying something she shouldn't. "Point is...Dark Hounds become corrupted and separate themselves from the natural weather patterns and just cause chaos and mayhem wherever they can. Strange thing is..." She pokes the corpse again, "They're made of clouds, so they're supposed to just dissolve back to the sky when they die. But these...." Jann waves her hands around at the various Hound corpses to emphasize her point.Amelia sighs, tapping her chin, "Not to mention it's odd how Accalia was the last survivor. Not a single other person is alive and....." She turns to me with an embarrassed blush, "No offense, but you're not exactly much of a fighter, are you?"I hold up my palms defensively, "Hey! No offense taken, I barely managed to kick the one biting me in the snout and get the bloody thing off me."Amelia sighs, rubbing her shoulder over her strange tattoo, "Anyway, we should probably get going. We've got a long walk back to the Coven."Jann chuckles nervously, "Uh, probably for the best. Your mom is not going to be happy to find out everyone but one person died here.""Going? Coven? What are you talking about? I'm... Still a tad confused over here, buds." I say as Amelia and Jann turn to me. Amelia waves Jann off, who scoffs and rolls her eyes before strolling down to the far end of the plaza."Look...." Amelia takes a deep breath, "I get that this is a lot to take in. Especially if you really know as little as you claim to. But... You didn't just survive for no reason. And that Hound that was on you? Seemed pretty hesitant to attack you. Someone did all this, and wanted you alive. It's for the best if we-""I'll do it." I say, "Go with you, I mean." I run a hand through my blonde hair with a deep sigh as I turn back to eye up the burning village, "I wasn't going to struggle with that. I mean, there's nothing left for me here. But... How long is the journey to your... 'Coven', was it?""About half a month's journey on foot, assuming we don't take any detours." Amelia says, "Probably a week at minimum."I hold my hand and clutch the gem latching my cloak together, "Would that give you enough time to explain.... I don't bloody know, everything? About what's going on, what you are.... All of it?"Amelia exhales deeply, "Whoof, I mean.... I don't know about everything everything, but I can definitely give you the rundown of the basics, sure."I turn back and hold out my hand to her, "Then I suppose we have a deal. I come with you, and you tell me what in the bloody hell is going on." I say as Amelia chuckles."It's a d-" Amelia grasps onto my hand as her eyes go wide and she collapses to the ground."Woah, hey, Amelia! Amelia!" I call out, helping hold her up as best I can so she doesn't bash her head against the stones as Jann runs up, helping me hold her up."What happened?!" Jann demands as I shake my head frantically, the both of us gingerly lowering Amelia to the ground."I don't know, she just collapsed!" I call out, as we both look down helplessly at her motionless body.

🌙 // AMELIA

I groan as my eyes slowly flutter open, my head throbbing and my ears ringing, all of it paired with a lovely and distinct amount of nausea. I lift myself upright, looking around to see myself all alone in the plaza, no one else in sight.I slowly climb to my feet and rub my head, "Accalia?" I call out, "Jann?...Guys?" I grip my head with both hands, something infinitely worse than a headache ripping through my skull. My nose drips, and I wipe my face with my hand and look down and instead of snot or something more manageable, I find myself wiping blood. And of course, not just a small nosebleed, no, more like my nose just managed to strike red oil.I start to cough, collapsing back down to the stones as my hands move on their own and draw a Sigil in the stones. Once it's done, my hands are free and my head stops throbbing and, thankfully, my nose stops bleeding. I pull my arm cloth off of my shoulder and wipe off my face and sputter as I gag slightly from the stench of blood.I look down and am left staring in concern at the summoning sigil. Once complete, a summoning sigil reforms itself with a design more befitting of the being that's being summoned. It could be an emblem they prefer, or some symbol of their power, but I look down and see one I can't place or recognize. It looks like a winged sheep, but the most confusing part is summoning sigils are always clean, precise and perfect once they reform themselves for the summoning.

So when I look down and see the rune stained with splatters of blood, I get even more worried. It's almost like whatever it is, it's so tainted that the rune itself refuses to be drawn properly.But that doesn't stop it, as the blood begins to glow red as it pools and spirals up. Up above the moons and stars dim, while all around the wind slows and the grass and trees begin to wither and die. It's almost like nature itself is rejecting whatever is being summoned... Just what exactly is this thing....?And I quickly get my answer, as the blood dissolves into a mist and reveals the form of what looks like a short man, who is entirely head to toe black- As if forged in shadows itself. I reach my arms up and try to summon my pistols, but the sigils never appear."Oh, heh, yeah that's not going to work." The man says as I look at him, stumbling back."W-who... Why-""Because..." The man says, disappearing from in front of me as I feel a tap on my shoulder and look over to see the man walking his fingers like some kind of puppet along my shoulder with a smirk, "...This isn't real. Can't exactly use your magic in a dream, now can you?" He then rests his whole arm on my shoulder and sighs, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Amelia Lynx... After all the stories, I thought you would be better. Of course, I am a bit early, so credit where credit is due, I guess."

I take a moment to finally take in his whole visage. His body is still blurry, like he isn't fully formed physically- Which would make sense, considering his hair is also just as abstract: A flowing mess of inky blobs, floating up and disappearing. The only distinct feature I can name is he's short, and he has whatever his hair is supposed to be pulled back into some bun. Other than that, he's featureless. That and his equally abstract eyes, that are disturbingly the same color as my blood.I shove him back and shake my head, "Who- What are you?!"The figure laughs, "I'd tell you honestly, but we're a bit too early for that. So, for now, let's have you call me....." He hums in thought for a moment before snapping his fingers, "Let's say Kasi. I like that for now." He rests his hands on his unformed hips as they sink in slightly, "I also do occasionally go by Eskie if you like that more. Or, 'The Darkened Prince'. 'The Eternal Eclipse'. 'You Rat Bastard'. Oooh or-"I hold up my hand as I struggle to take in everything that's happening, "No- That's uh, that's good, Kasi works." I say as he crosses his arms and huffs."Buzzkill." Kasi snarkily remarks, floating into the air and turning away, kicking his legs as he leans back and tilts his head even further to eye my from behind, "You know, I've met generations of Lynx's and I'm gonna be honest: You're probably the most boring one. Aside from your mom, she's also kind of a wet blanket. Now, Colorra on the other hand-""How do you know my mom? And my sister? And 'generations'..." I repeat in disbelief, "How ancient are you?"Kasi snorts, "Leave it to someone from the Shit Ages of all time periods to think only backwards, not forwards. But chronologically? I am far older than you could even begin to comprehend." His eyes widen, "Oh, and as for your family- Well, let's just say the LaVie's are destined for just as important things as they've been overcoming for centuries. You of all people should believe me, your family's tied to.... Oh, well, I suppose you're not very connected to Omne, are you?"My eyes widen as he mentions Omne: My family's patron Goddess. The Goddess of Fate. "What does someone like you know of Omne?"Kasi grins wide as he floats back down to standing upright, crossing his arms, "Oh, I know plenty. Like I told you, I know and have seen a lot. I could tell you, oh so much. Like how your so-" Midway through speaking, Kasi's form flickers as he groans and rolls his eyes, "Guess there's no time for the whole thing... Look, kid, I'm just gonna give it to you straight-"He's cut off as thunder rumbles in the distance as he huffs, "FINE! I'll give it as straight as 'Oh, Mistress of Fate' allows. Go to Flores, and use the looking glass."I scoff, "And why would I do that? I don't even know you."Kasi glares at me as his eyes glow, "Oh, but I know you will. Because I know you've got a bad feeling about the situation surrounding little miss Gale. You don't want her to die, and I don't either believe it or not." Kasi then presses his hands on his hips then taps his chin and visibly starts thinking like he forgot something, "Oh! That, and because of the incoming extinction of Witchkind.""The what?! Okay, no you're going to explain to me right now-""Uhp, uhp, uhp! Flores, looking glass, now hop ass!" Kasi says, jutting his thumb back to urge me onward as he pauses with a smirk, "Oh hey, that rhymed. Maybe I'm getting better at this 'fate' thing. Oh, and if you end up surviving this whole ordeal you've got ahead, I'll make sure to buy you a beer some time. You'll be needing it."Kasi then snaps his fingers, and my vision goes black.

• More to Come...

• Last Chapter
• Home

Chapter 2:
The Brightest Day

🌙 // ???

A bright, harsh light shines on my face as I blink my eyes open and squint. I grumble, trying to cover my eyes as I hear someone clear their throat next to my bed."Princess Star," A voice calls out to me, "You were supposed to be out of bed ten minutes ago. You asked me to give you twenty minutes, I did that and then some, so if you'd kindly wake up." I look over the side of my bed to see a very tiny pink-skinned girl with pink furred goat hooves, exceptionally pink hair, bright pink eyes- Why did I make her with so much pink...? "Goodness, how in the heavens a Goddess of the Sun has such trouble waking up in the morning-"I scoff and slowly rise up, rubbing my eyes with a yawn, "Pardon me, Dawn, I'm the Goddess of the Sun, not the Goddess of the Morning. If you want someone easily awoken you should go talk to Ra or Apollo, I hear they're lovely in the morning." I say as she glares at me before I grumble and hop out of bed, my nightgown billowing around me as I walk towards my dresser.

As I stand before it, watching as Dawn collects my royal garments, I can't help but study her as I do on occasion. The way her hair coils around the two small sheep horns curving back, or her little hooves that clack across the floors. Apparently if a God creates a Cherub, it's supposed to represent some part of their soul deep within. Part of the past, part of the present, but mostly the future. What does something bossy pink hooved say about me?Finally, Dawn huffs as she slams the final drawer shut as she plops my clothes beside me as I smile, "Thank you, Dawn." I say with a slight curtsy as Dawn face palms."Your highness, you know you don't thank me so.... royally. Cherubs are made to serve, and if your mother caught you doing it-"I scoff, "She won't do anything. Mother loves me!" I call out and stepping behind my dressing curtain as I pull off my nightgown.I hear Dawn scoff and weakly mutter, "You're not the one I'm worried about...."I pause hearing that with a frown. Those things... People are saying cannot be true. Could they? Mother isn't cruel, she's just strict. She likes things done a certain way, there's nothing too wrong with that. I quickly shake my head out of these thoughts and resume dressing.Dawn gasps, "Oh, right I almost forgot, you received yet another letter from King Zaebos of the-" I burst out from the curtain only mostly dressed as I kneel in front of her with a pleading look in my eyes as she groans. "Of course you'd come running for that...." She says while taking the letter out gingerly as I snatch it out of her hands."Of course!" I call out, tearing open the envelope, "He is my beloved, after all. We don't get to see each other nearly as often as before. After what happened with Thanatos, he has to rule the Underworld..." I stand upright, slowly turning the envelope as I look at Zaebos' handwriting of my name.

Star*

I smile at the cute little star he draws next to my name. I gingerly wipe my hand across the dry ink and sigh gently."....His duties take so much time down there, as do mine up here.... These letters are our only respites of our days anymore." I say as Dawn nods."I.... Of course. I wasn't meaning to be cross about the letter itself, your highness." Dawn then clears her throat before tucking her hands behind her back, "And, er, speaking of your duties, the Queen has requested your presence. Oddly enough, she also requested I gather your sister, Princess Sheba, as well." She says as my eyes widen."Sheba... and me? For a ROYAL concern?" I ask as Dawn nods before I give the envelope a small kiss, "Sorry, my love... You know how Mother can be, sometimes." I set the envelope down on my bed while running back to my dressing curtain and scooping up my royal necklace and clamping it around my neck as I hurriedly towards the door as Dawn stands in front of me. "What are you doing, I'm in a hurry!"Dawn just clears her throat and points downward as I look to see my bare legs with neither leggings nor boots on, as Dawn then waves her hands upwards as I run a hand through my hair and feeling my messy bedhead curls, littered with knots. I sigh and shake my head, "Alright, let's hurry and then I'll get going."

...

After finally getting myself ready for the day, I run down the halls and bump into various beings ranging from large winged Angels to small tiny Cherubs like Dawn. I take the final turn, standing before the massive doorway of the throne room as I see my sister Sheba standing before it, and looking like she's been waiting for a bit as she leans tiredly against the wall. Her cherry red skin glistens brightly in the light of the hall, as she studies me with her blood red eyes. She swishes her devilish tail angrily as she rolls her eyes.

"Took you long enough," Sheba starts, "You know that any minute now-" Both our eyes widen as we hear a creak and turn to see the doors parting open. We immediately stand side by side and at attention as the doors swing open to reveal the massive, grand throne room. Sitting in the far back of the room on the large throne is our mother, Queen Celestara. A massive, slightly lanky woman standing at a minimum of 7 feet tall, undoubtedly more. No one knows for sure, because I doubt she'd let anyone stand that close to her long enough to truly measure it. Her marble white skin, her cold blue eyes like the night sky, and a swirling mass of void black hair dotted with white sparkles like stars, it's all very off-putting to most. And, sometimes, myself included. Mother smiles down at us, her inky black lips pursing at us as they curve into a smirk.

"Why good morning, girls. I trust you both slept well?" Mother asks as we both gingerly nod as she laughs loudly, floating off of her throne and then over the floor to us as she cups our cheeks, "No need to be so timid, girls, you're both centuries old. We're all grown goddesses here!" She says with a chuckle as Sheba lets out a weak scoff."Maybe two of us." Sheba says, her eyes darting to me as I glare at her."Excuse me, I'm double- Maybe triple your age." I say as Sheba stares down at her nails."Doesn't stop me from getting double, maybe triple more things done than you." Sheba says as I scoff at her before Mother claps her hands."Okay, lovelies, that's enough. We do have plans for this week that deviate from the usual, and I figured it would be best to keep you both informed, especially on matters such as this, and especially you, Star, given you'll be crowned Queen someday." She says as I nod, and notice Sheba glaring at me.I nervously clear my throat, "Mmm, such as?""I know the timing is a bit sudden, but tonight I'll be calling a meeting of the Pantheons, and I want you both there beside me."That alone seemed like the moons just crashed into me. "You.... What?"Mother laughs, her hair glowing slightly as she does, "I know, I know, like I said: A bit sudden! But I need to speak with the leaders of the others, and want you both there for my little moral supports!"Sheba nervously crosses her arms, "Yeah, sounds good."I shake my head, "Uh, no! Most definitely not! So we'll, what, be standing before BOTH of them? Like- Ra, and, and- Zeus?!"Mother bites her lip, "Well, apparently his highness Zeus cannot be bothered to join us, but will be sending his closest advisor, Athena, in his place." Mother chuckles, "He's likely busy cheating on his wife again!" She chuckles again before frowning steeply, "I do hate that man." She claps again, her smile pulled back up as she looks down at us."I...." I rub my arm, "If- If you think it'll be fine, then I'll be there, Mother. But- But what is this even about?"Mother's face grows dark, as she looks above and behind us as I turn to see the portraits of the three Primordials, the creators of the three pantheons: Gaea, the matriarch of the Olympian Pantheon; Hathor, the matriarch of the Kemetic Pantheon; and my grandfather: Albedo, patriarch of the Aetherial Pantheon, and the one who ruled over all the others when the Primordials still inhabited our world. He's the reason we rule the Aether, and why someday I'll be Queen.Mother turns to me, resting her hands on my shoulders, "My dearest, as you know, we few of the Aetherial Pantheon are not affected by the belief of mortals. Given we are made to rule over the others, our power is supreme and uninfluenced by belief. Correct?"

I slowly nod, "....But the Kemetics and the Olympians, they require the belief of man to survive. The less they are worshipped, the less power they hold. This was put in place so the Gods must be decently benevolent to man, for while they rule over them mankind must equally place their trust in the ruler. It ensures the pantheons don't do something rash, like wipe out humanity."Celestara nods, "But as of late, haven't you noticed how rarely around many of the Gods are? Outside of the few others of our Pantheon? As Witches have been growing more powerful and popular, man has been losing belief in gods."I nod, "That does sound like a rather... complicated problem.""Exactly why I need my daughters by my side!" Mother then leans forward, cupping my cheek, "I know as long as we all stick together, this will all work out." She then kisses my forehead and ruffles my green curls, "Now you and your sister run along- Maybe play with that Cherub of yours, or one of the other Angels- and Mommy will handle everything."

🌙 // ACCALLIA

My mind still jumps around, back and forth, pushed around and around like a swirling current of water. Magic. Monsters. Gods were one thing, they created us after all it's hard not to accept that they're real. But..... I rub my eyes as the sun shines down on us, the lack of sleep burning my eye lids with every blink. I instead keep them open, forced to stare upon Amelia pacing around in front of me, her strange long and pointed Witch ears lightly bobbing with every step. ....it's hard to deny when they're right in front of me.I'm rocked out of my thoughts by the sensation of someone bumping against me as I turn to see Amelia sitting down beside me and rubbing her head, "Gods, that was awful....." She then takes a breath and shakes her head before turning to me with her big sapphire eyes staring me down, "...So... Questions? I'm sure you've got hundreds."I gingerly rub my forehead, "Perhaps.... Two or three.... Million...." I say as Amelia snickers, her long ears bouncing a little with her laughter, as thought reacting to her emotions like an animal's ears."Well," Amelia starts, coiling a finger in her black waves, "...We've got until Jann comes back with the firewood. I just really needed a breather before she started prodding me about what happened when I passed out...." She says with a tired look in her eyes as I look down at me feet and pick up a stick, poking a rock near my foot."I suppose.... Gods, where do I even...." I take a deep breath and sigh heavily, "I.... What are you lot? You and Jann. You aren't.... 'Human'... Like me. You aren't.... Gods....? So.... What.....?" I trail off as Amelia waves a hand over her ear."The biggest defining feature- Well, visually anyway- Are our ears. We can disguise them, but odds are you'll be able to spot a Witch a mile away with these." Amelia then takes a deep breath before rubbing the emblem tattooed on her shoulder, "....Jann and I- Witches, are like you. On most functional levels we are Human. But a long, long, long, long time ago- An ancestor of mine, Jann, and our cousin Carter came together to stop this big world ending war of the Gods." She says as my eyes widen."The Gods- Were at war? That sounds-""Bad? It almost was." Amelia snaps her fingers as a blue glowing symbol appears above her hand like the one on her shoulder, "...But our ancestors, three girls born from different dads but one mom, came together and got help from three Gods who didn't wanna fight in the war: Athena, Omne and Hestia."Athena..." I repeat, "That's the Olympian Goddess of Wisdom, right? And Hestia she's also an Olympian Goddess- Goddess of the Hearth, right?" I ask as Amelia nods as I set down the stick and pick up the rock and tossing it, "....Omne.... Omne.... I... Don't recognize the name. Who were they?"Amelia takes a deep breath, "Omne of the Aetherial Pantheon is the Goddess of Fate. Granddaughter of Queen Celestara, firstborn daughter of Princess Star. The three Gods each bound themselves to one of the three, becoming the patron goddesses for our three families- Athena for Jann's family, Hestia for our cousin, and......" Amelia trails off as she furrows her brow, her face growing dark as I tilt my head in confusion."Are.... You alright? Is.... Is something the matter?""Omne is- Supposed to be the patron Goddess for my family. She's supposed to give us the ability to see into the future....""But....?"Amelia sighs and runs a hand through her hair as her ears droop sadly, "....I've never once even spoken to Omne. No one has seen her physically in generations, and only my family is supposed to be able to communicate with her. But she's never once opened up to me." Amelia crawls up into a sitting fetal position. I reach out to her shoulder, about to say something as she turns away, "....The three were then also joined by three demon daughters, from the other side of the war, who also saw the war as foolish. Together, all of their powers combined gave the girls the power to grab the attention of the gods and stop the war before it started. It left them forever changed, and they were joined by everyone who was cast out for being wrong.... And they used the name most of them had been called all their lives: Witches. The end.""Amelia..." I start, wanting to reach out and say something, but just then Jann storms out of the woods and angrily huffs as she dumps down a stack of logs and wipes off her hands. She then kneels down, flicking her fingers as her snaps spark and fly into the stack of logs and starting a small flame that quickly grows."Okay! Campfire started. Now Amelia- Talk."

...

"So..." Jann says, clapping her hands together, "Just to recap: Some mystery being, that by the way- Summoned itself into your dream through a sigil of blood, and flat out admitted it's a being of Shadow, tells you to go Flores of all places, and you actually want to go?" I would put some input in, but I honestly have no idea what sounds good or bad with all this talk of magic and monsters so I decide it's better I sit on the side and let them hash it out- Especially considering I don't wanna flare up Amelia's emotions again.Amelia crosses her arms as she scoops up a stick and pokes the fire, "Well... When you put it like that-""THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT!" Jann cries out in frustration, rubbing her face as I clear my throat and step forward."I... Have no idea what a 'being of shadow' is so I'm not even going to try with that, but what's so wrong with Flores....?" I gingerly ask as Jann huffs and digs into her pocket and unfurls a map of the world with lots of stars littered across it. Jann lays out the map and points to a star fairly close to where my village is- Or was. And not to mention close to where we are right now."This right here." Jann starts as she taps her finger again onto the star, "...Is Flores. It's a fairly small kingdom, but they are a very condensed population with a surprising military might."

"The one near the red x?" I ask as Jann nods and rests a hand on her hip."The red x is where we're heading- It's where the Coven Manor is, the heart of the Lunar Coven." Jann then immediately bolts upright to glare at Amelia, "Where we should NOT be taking detours from." She angrily calls out as she rests her fists on her hips."This... Isn't right...." I say aloud as Amelia and Jann both turn to me."What... Isn't right? Heading to Flores?" Amelia asks as I lift up the map, studying the map with confusion. All across it are stars that I assume are the capital of a nation, but most of them are in spots other nations are, or that there never was a star before."No, it's....." I slowly set the map down, "It's nothing." I say, not wanting to distract the group before shaking my head, "...And, as for the 'Flores' situation- What's so wrong with heading to Flores, exactly?"Jann huffs as she scoops up the map, scrolling it up before stuffing it back into her pocket, "The Kingdom of Flores is a heavily anti-Witch Kingdom. The few that live there are only admitted by acceptance into the Floria Coven- Which, if you didn't already guess, is heavily controlled and regulated by the Flores royalty."Amelia huffs and taps her chin, "....And a group of anti-magic humans with magic wielders at their beck and call-"Jann holds up her hand to interrupt Amelia, "-Is bad and exactly why we should not go." Jann finishes for her as Amelia groans."You know what else is bad?" Amelia calls out, "The 'incoming extinction of Witchkind'. If you ask me, that also sounds pretty bad, Jann!" Amelia angrily barks back as Jann glares back with intense malice as I quickly step between them. I'm still so confused but them being at each others throats is not helping."Ladies!" I call out as I rub my face as they separate a few paces away from each other, "Look, Jann, I can understand why- Okay, actually I can't but with enough context clues I think I get the basic idea- Of why going to Flores is such a bad idea." I take a deep breath, "But if that map was right then Flores is on the way anyway, right? What could hurt to at least.... Check?"Amelia leans past me, beaming at Jann who just rolls her eye and turns away from us, arms crossed, "We had a planned detour around it. Far around it. And, for the record, I never asked for the powerless civilian's opinion."Amelia pats my shoulder and leans against me, tapping her chin with a goofy smile on her face, "I meeeeeean..... If it was in the plan, then that means if we did go through Flores, that'd make for one hell of a shortcut, right? We'd make it home- What, weeks sooner, right?"Jann groans loudly as she facepalms, glaring at Amelia over her shoulder, "I'm going to assume that, one way or another, you're going to go to Flores."Amelia rests her hands on her hips, "That is a correct assumption, yes." She says with a sly smirk on her face as I can't help but chuckle.Jann grumbles before turning back to us with an exasperated sigh, "Fine! Besides, if we do get in, then we can find a nice enough pool of water to check in back at home. Maybe your Mom or Carter will know what to make of this... 'Kasi'."I smile, "See? Everything worked out, no need to... To..." I clutch my forehead as it starts aching, falling to my knees as my leg starts to burn. Amelia and Jann run up to me and hold me up.Jann huffs, "Is this going to be a running occurrence? One of you two fainting every five minutes?"Amelia's eyes widen, "Oooh, what if it's Kasi again?" Amelia's attention then snaps back to me as she grips my shoulders, "Accalia! Do you see a cryptic weirdo made of ink?"I shake my head, "No I'm...." I take a deep breath, "I'm fine, but... Agh, my leg...."I sit on the ground, Jann rifling through their spare bags while Amelia rolls up my pant leg. I can't help but blush as she does so, given it's not very proper for a lady to show off so much skin. But as I look over at Amelia's face my embarrassment fades as I look down to see what she's staring at so intently. And then I realize my bandage is glowing. Amelia gingerly undoes the binding, and the wounds where one of the Dark Hounds bit my leg is glowing and- Sizzling?Amelia stares bewildered, "Okay that- That is most definitely new."Jann rushes back over with some ointment and bandages, "I've got the-" She looks up and drops the supplies as she stares stunned, "What in the 9 circles of hell?"I gulp, "You ladies aren't, uh, helping my worries here. Is- Is something wrong?"Amelia shakes her head as she quickly scoops up the bandages and tosses my old one away, "....It's nothing- Just another reason to not take any detours getting back to the Coven."I furrow my brow anxiously, "Why.....?" I nervously ask as Amelia takes a deep breath before cutting the bandage roll and tying up my new wrap."Sometimes magical creatures have magical illnesses that don't bother them, but can do serious damage to mortal beings- Like us.""And...." I nervously start, shaking a little bit, "....And if it spreads too much.....?" Amelia and Jann clean up the medical supplies, saying nothing but the looks on their faces say it all.

If I don't get this handled soon, I could die.

• Next Chapter

• Last Chapter
• Home

Chapter 3:
The Darkest Night

🌙 // ???

I take a deep breath, stretching out further onto my throne of red cloth and dark stone, waving my arm over the armrest as a black scroll appears, written on with white ink. I eye up the list, before being distracted by a loud, annoyed fake cough. I dart my eyes past the list down to a woman far beneath me. Deep red skin, horns curving around her head as she stares at me annoyed with black eyes, etched with red pentagrams."Your highness," The demoness says, "Are you even listening?"I sit upright fully with a sigh, crossing my arms as the list disappears, "Yes, of course Lilith... What was it, again?"Lilith rolls her eyes before pacing slowly across the room, her thigh high black leather boots clicking intensely loud with every step. She runs a burlesque in the Lust Domain but with being a Succubus as well as the Incarnation of Lust itself, I forget she's entitled to dress so... Risque everywhere she goes.

"As I was saying, your Dark Lord, was that you must tell the Incarnation of Wrath to stop encroaching on my territory." Lilith says, angrily stomping a hell on the ground and very slightly cracking my marble floor, "My lands are a safe haven for the succubi, incubi, and all other lustful souls of the damned. But, heh, it seems Paimon is too bloodthirsty for that-"I massage the bridge of my nose, "Lilith, I- I can't just tell Paimon what to do. You're an Incarnation of Sin yourself, just flash your title put on a little show of power, and he'll buzz off."Lilith scoffs as she glares at me, resting a hand on her wide hip, "You think I didn't already try that? Why do you think I'm even here. He called my bluff, blathering on with something like 'Lust doesn't outrank Wrath' and then he went on like, 'Lust is weak, it makes you vulnerable, strength and raw power is all that matters' bah bah bah, all that nonsense."I take a deep breath as I lower my head before pressing my hands together, "How about this: Tell him that if he continues to expand into your territory, I will personally come beat the shit out of him. Sound good?"Lilith slowly smiles warmly at me, and I know her well enough to know how fake it is. "Good. Thank you, King Zaebos." She says before bowing to me as her heels click loudly. I sigh, snapping my fingers as a large chunk of flesh appears."LaVianna, catch!" I call out before tossing the meat beside me, as I hear a loud SNAP! as I look over to see my pet crocodile, LaVianna, munching happily on her chunk of flesh. I smile, enjoying the company from the little creature gifted to me by my wife. Even if her warmth cannot be by my side, this little sharp toothed thing can.I sigh with a smile, waving my arm across the arm rest as the black scroll appears, and I scratch out 'Lilith, Incarnation of Lust' in the white ink. "Well, that's most of our appointments of the day handled. Up next is....." My eyes widen on the next name on the list, as I lower my head with my hair drooping in front of my eyes as I mutter to myself, "Oh for fuck's sake...." I then straighten myself back up, throwing my hair back into place and readjusting my crown atop my head, "Come forth, Monarch of the Monarch Demonesses." I call out loudly, slamming my fist onto the armrest as a loud boom echoes outward.I watch as a mass of shadows slithers into the throne room, shimmying from side to side but making sure to stay within the bounds of the red carpeted walkway across the throne room. The puddle of shadow ooze begins to hiss and sizzle, green eyes popping up along the sludge as it writhes and wriggles upwards as it cracks and pops joints into place, before finally settling on the vague form of a short humanoid, before the ooze hardens into flesh and cloth, revealing vibrant green skin, pitch black green hair with splashes of a bright putrid green, and horns stretching back behind her head matching her flesh with a strip of black across them. Monarch bows to me, struggling ever so slightly in her long dress-like sweater. She eyes me up with a warm smile, "King Zaebos, your undying essence is a most lovely one for my eyes to feast upon once more. You're-"I hold up my palm to stop her, "Monarch, please, enough with the pleasantries. I've had a very long day, and wish to be done with my list of duties sooner than later, as to hopefully visit my beloved Star sometime before the next century."A few demonic eyes pop up along Monarch's skin as her shadow sizzles on the floor before she returns to normal, "Mmm, of course. Although I hope you don't mind my daughters peeping in, I just can't keep them out of my business." I dart my eyes behind Monarch to see three pairs of eyes staring at me from the shadows. An annoyed pair of blue eyes, a sultry pair of red eyes, and a scared pair of purple eyes. Monarch chuckles, "I'm sure you know how hard it is, handling kids- Or, well, I suppose just kid these days. Or...."I clench my fists onto the armrests of my throne, the stone creaking as a few cracks form, "Monarch, if you've come to antagonize me, you will surely have made a grave mistake doing so. If you have something you'd like to say, then say it.""As you know, centuries ago during the Great War when the tensions were still rising, I was one of few who argued with Thanatos, and my daughters of even fewer who went behind his back and-"I rub my forehead, "Yes, helped the LaVie Triad, stopped the war, destroyed Thanatos' essence permanently, and....?" I say, waving my hand as Monarch's eye twitches slightly."Yes.... and, if you might recall, you quite heavily stripped our duties ever since then, and-""Monarch...." I say before rubbing the bridge of my nose as I sigh, "We've been over this. Your time to 'do things' are done. Things are at ease in the realm. Enjoy it! Perhaps go on a vacation. I've heard the lands of Gluttony are particularly lovely this time of year. Or maybe partake in the Grand Fair in Greed-""Zaebos! My daughters may be content in simplicity. My husband may be content in simplicity.... But I know what simplicity leads to. My senses grow dull, my weapons even more, and then what? You had me release all the souls of my Deals-""Because beings who live in the Realm of Light, that you were invited to after your courageous assistance with the LaVie Triad during the War of Worlds, do not own souls. Especially after most of your souls were being tortured in significantly violent ways-"Monarch chuckles, "I mean, what were they supposed to expect? It's meant to serve as a warning: Don't make deals with Demons! I'm a lesson to learn for the living! And do I get the teeniest, eensiest satisfaction from the torture? Maybe. What's so wrong with that?"I just stare at her before shaking my head, "I, I don't even have the words to begin with that...." I take a breath, "Look. Bottom line: Demon or not, if you're living in the Realm of Light, the Land of the Honored, the Perfect Afterlife, whatever you might call it- You're not owning souls. You're not making soul deals. And you're certainly not torturing souls. What kind of example do you think that will give to the Angels who watch over the Worthy?"Monarch shakes her head, "So what? They're Angels! Practically a dime a dozen with that lot."I groan, "Monarch-""King Thanatos would have-"I slam my fist against my armrest, severely cracking my throne, "Do not speak of Thanatos! He was a traitor to Gods, Man and Demons alike! The darkness whispered to him, and he succumbed to it! If his actions were left unchecked, the entire world may have been destroyed! You aided with his defeat, but that doesn't make you infallible, Monarch! You stuck by his side for far far too long."Monarch hisses, the shadows beneath her coiling and swirling as green eyes and fanged jaws swirl in them branching across the room, "You were nothing more than Thanatos' glorified maid before my daughters and I helped those Witches stop the war!"The daughters step back as the previously annoyed looking purple one shakes her head, her eyes and face etched with fear, "Mother...."I stomp down the steps of my throne, "You dare come into my domain with such insolence?" Beside me, LaVianna chomps the air angrily, her tail swishing furiously as I lift up a clawed hand as a force of my power clamps around Monarch's throat, lifting her into the air.

"You have gravely misjudged the situation, Monarch. You insult me, you mock the absence of my children both living and dead, you mention the name of a traitor in these hallowed halls, and worst of all-" I pull my arm back, pulling Monarch in close as I stare, practically nose to nose with her, "You dare waste the time I could be spending with my beloved?""Get away from her!" A furious voice cries out, as three flashes of darkness fly forward and surround Monarch, pulling her back and crowding around her as their shadowy essences reform into three colorful demon girls, in various states of fear and fury as they stare at me and clutch onto their Mother."Girls-" Monarch starts as the purple demoness snarls."I said BACK!" The girl cries out at me as tears ripple on the edge of her eyes, as quickly do the other girls as my emotions quickly die down.

I take a breath and adjust my coat, "You are lucky, Monarch. On any other day, I may have obliterated your smug essence from this palace. However my love and I have decided that the day of our daughter's birth is not one for death or carnage, not to mention I wouldn't dare rip apart another family as mine has been so many times over. So, I suggest you leave this palace before I reconsider annihilating you."Monarch slowly nods as the four demonesses dissolve into a puddle of darkness and multicolored eyes as it swiftly slithers away as I sigh and look down at LaVienna, who tilts her head curiously at me. "Me too, LV... Me too."

🌙

Beneath a violet sky, littered with celestial bodies and shining lights, a black mass of ooze littered with eyes slithers across the ground, weaving it's way out of a massive black stone palace and squirming across the ground until it finds itself alone in alleyway as it starts lifting up, sizzling and forming four bodies of various shapes.The smallest, Monarch, collapses to the floor as she clutches her chest. The tallest one punches the wall, her purple fist bleeding black liquid as she cries out, "That bastard!" Before whipping around to glare at her sisters, "Why did we run?! We could have taken him!"The red sister glares as she rubs her arms, running her hands through her now messy burgundy curls, "Saturn, you've gone mad. We would have not been able to take him. Especially when you consider that..." She says, tilting her head towards the third, lime colored sister who shivers up against the alley way as her hooves nervously tap the ground.Saturn huffs, rubbing her eyes and the bridge of her nose angrily, "Mercury, just calm down.""C-calm down!?" Mercury nervously cries out, her hands reaching up and clutching her messy black afro and shaking her head, "W-We just invoked the wrath of the KING! W-w-we're DOOMED!" She desperately cries out before whimpering and covering her face with her curls as Saturn rolls her eyes and turns towards the red sister."Venus, do you mind....?" Saturn trails off, waving her hand towards Mercury's sad state with an annoyed look on her face as Venus grumbles, strutting over to the cowering Mercury and patting her head as Saturn looks down at Monarch, still lying on the ground and clutching her chest. "So, Mother... How are we gonna retaliate? There is no way we're just going to let him get away with-""Saturn." Monarch snaps without turning as Saturn shudders, her body tensing as she bites her tongue. Monarch exhales deeply as she rubs her forehead, "...We can't 'retaliate'. The only reason we were even allowed to leave was because he explicitly allowed it."Saturn scoffs as she stomps her foot, "We are the most powerful family of demonesses in the Underworld! Not to mention Mercury, Venus and I were the ones who teamed up with those- Ugh, Gods to help the LaVie's during the war. We could probably convince others to-""Saturn!" Monarch snaps, whipping around as she stares down her daughter, her neon green eyes glowing violently with a furious glare. Saturn tucks her arms behind her back as Monarch takes a deep breath, "Our best course of action is to maybe go to the Manor, speak with Morgana Lynx-""And become indebted to Witches even more?" A voice calls out from further into the alleyway as Monarch glares."Who dares to intrude upon, and even more foolishly, interrupt Monarch of the Butterfly Demonesses?" Monarch calls out as the voice chuckles, stepping forward into the light as Monarch recognizes a Goddess standing before her."Sheba." Monarch says surprised, "...What are you doing in the Underworld? I had figured a daughter of Celestara would have better things to do than spy on a demon."Sheba snorts, "Oh, I go where and do what I please. And I know you do too. So I must ask... Why not listen to your daughter? Why not fight?"Monarch huffs with an eye roll, "Even the strongest demon is weaker than the weakest God. I had assumed that one of Celestara's young would know math better than that, so I suggest if you have a point you'd best get to it unless you wish to test that equation."Sheba chuckles, "Okay, okay, I know how you ladies play down here. So I'll cut to the chase- How would you feel about making a deal?"

...

The sun finally falls beneath the horizon, as the sky grows quickly darker and darker. To think my first day away from home passed by so quickly... Accalia thinks to herself. She can still recall everything that happened so vividly, that she can't help but shiver. Amelia notices, and she quickly draws one of her magic circles in the air as it forms a ball of blue light- Strangely warm, too, even from several feet away. Jann walks ahead, ensuring the path is clear of brush and monsters, while Amelia and Accalia stay a few paces back and silently walk. Accalia's leg doesn't hurt nearly as much as before- But she can still feel it there. And the words echo in her mind even now: ....But can do serious damage to mortal beings- Like us.Neither Jann nor Amelia would admit it, nor say the words aloud, but Accalia knows what they mean. Especially considering Jann gave up arguing and immediately began to press on towards Flores. No one wants to waste any time, Accalia least of all."Does it... Still hurt?" Amelia finally asks as Accalia looks over before looking back down."Not really." Accalia lies. It still hurts enough to grab her attention, but she doesn't want them slowing down. She's still so lost in everything, part of her wants to stop and actually manage to take it all in. But now she's on a deadline. If she doesn't make it their 'Coven' soon, she'll die.Amelia claps her hands together, "How about while we walk, I answer more of your questions? I'm sure you've still got some. Hell, I still ask questions now and again."Accalia takes a deep breath and puts her thoughts aside for now, "Okay.... How about....." Her eyes dart over to Amelia, lighting the path with her warm blue orb of light, "Those little things you draw- With the colored light. What's that about? I haven't seen a God do magic in person, but I've heard stories and nothing like that ever comes up."Amelia smirks, snapping her fingers as another one appears in her free hand: A rounded outline, with an emblem inside- This time the mark of her shoulder tattoo. "Sigils like these help us channel magic. Long ago, Witches had to draw runes- Really basic spells that had lots of power on their own- Nowadays we use these advanced sigils to control magic into what we want- But the power depends more on the Witch." She says before waving her hand as the sigil fades.Accalia nods, "And.... You said you, and Jann, were some special Witches at that?"Amelia nods, "The LaVie Triad is what we're called most often. The three families of the sisters who stopped the war and were blessed by Gods and Demons alike- The Lockes, the Leons, and the Lynxes.""I'm guessing that has something to do with the mark on your arm?" Accalia asks, "...And the one on Jann's chest." She says as Jann ahead pauses for a moment before heading further ahead and slicing harder with her glowing blade as she cuts the thick brush away."Our Coven marks help identify where we belong." Amelia says, waving her hand over her emblem, "...The moon with the falling star- It symbolizes the eclipse that changed everything for us.""That sounds incredible, wielding all that power and responsibility." Accalia says as she runs a hand through her messy blonde hair, "....My whole life the most responsibility I've had is helping Mother with chores or making myself worthy for suitors."Amelia grimaces as she stuffs her hands in her pockets, "That is.... Yeesh that doesn't sound fun."Accalia shrugs, "Just the way things are, I guess. That must be why you're so fascinating to me...." She says as Amelia blushes."I-I mean I wouldn't say I'm-" Amelia stammers before pausing as she turns to see Accalia stopped, looking down, "....Something the matter?""I.... Didn't even have time to think about it. My parents..... My friends, they're all...." The harder she thinks about the loss, the more her leg throbs and aches. Amelia looks down, clenching her fists.
"It's my fault." Amelia starts, her fists shaking as tears start to well up in her eyes, "....I had the power and the responsibility, and I failed. I... Wouldn't blame you if you hate-""Wait." Accalia says as Amelia looks up, confused as she rubs her eyes, "Where's Jann?" She says as Amelia turns around, looking ahead and not seeing Jann cutting through the thick bushes and vines.Amelia gasps, as she draws a sigil in the air before a puff of smoke blasts her in the face. She coughs, falling to the ground as her sigil sizzles and cracks away, "Shit!" Amelia coughs out, "Accalia, run!" She calls out as she tries to do just that before getting pinned down. She tilts her head to see a Witch with a mask on their mouth who pins Accalia's head to the ground, strange smelling smoke filling the air as Amelia coughs intensely."What do a couple of Triads think they're doing in the territory of the Kingdom of Flores? I'm sure the Princess will definitely wanna see you lot." They say, digging out some rope.

• Next Chapter

• Last Chapter
• Home

Chapter 4:
Welcome to Flores

🌙

"Well.... Isn't this just splendid." Jann bites out bitterly, "....Being dragged through the streets of a Kingdom. Some of the most powerful beings in the world- Hopelessly subdued by rope."Accalia looks around, thankful that most of the kingdom's citizens are preparing for bed, the moons getting bigger in the sky as the night grows longer. Accalia couldn't be sure of the time, but given that sunset was just an hour or two ago, it's likely still a few hours until midnight.Accalia shakes her head as she struggles against the binding, "Why don't you guys just break free? I've seen you fight giant storm wolves like it was nothing."Amelia huffs as she winces against the rope, "....It's been dipped in Witch-hazel water. They must've ground up the same stuff they blasted me with- It's an anti-magic herb that neutralizes the powers of Witches and weakens them."Jann tilts her head to glare at Amelia, "Now is not the time for a lesson, professor!""Hey!" One of the Witches escorting the group calls out, "Stop squirming, LaVies. You're lucky the Princess wanted to speak with you- Otherwise you lot would already be dead."Jann chuckles loudly, "Of course! And yet somehow I was the crazy one for wanting to go around this witch-forsaken place."Amelia glares at the captors, "Speaking of, what's a group of Witches like you guys even doing serving the Flores royalty?" Amelia scoffs as she tilts her head back to smugly smirk at the Witch behind her, "You know they hate Witches, right?"The lead Witch just shrugs, "This is our home." They say, clenching their fists, "And it's not like the Lunar Coven's bothered to try protecting us, so we either had to fall in line or leave our homeland. Blame your mother, Lynx." They say as Amelia looks down shamefully.Accalia raises an eyebrow, "What do they mean?"The leading Witch laughs, "Go on, tell the girl! I bet she'll love it."Amelia grumbles before sighing, "Sometimes.... Witches get a bit preoccupied helping humans and their villages, that-""That they ignore their own, and cast them out for speaking against such tyranny." The leading Witch finishes as Amelia scoffs."'Tyranny'- Oh grow up. Sorry we're busy helping people-" Amelia stops as the leading Witch turns on their heels to glare nose to nose with Amelia."And because we're too busy helping humans, or Werewolves and helping them with their unintelligent pack laws, or Vampires and finding ways to feed them without going on human feeding frenzies, we're letting down our own people." The leading Witch barks back, clenching their fists, "All because your family thinks we should put things like them-" They pause to glare at Accalia for a moment, "....Before us."Suffice to say, the rest of the walk through the streets were mostly silent after that- Save for the occasional chirp of a cricket.Finally the group stands before a massive pair of ornate wooden doors that the Flores Witches don't hesitate to push open, creaking loudly as Amelia, Jann and Accalia are dragged through the doorway and along a violet carpeted path. Accalia is confused as she notices the group tripping over messy roots and pushing past dangling vines, but she doesn't have time to ask or think about it before finding herself along with Amelia and Jann standing in front of the three thrones: Two large ones, carved into the base of a massive oak stretching up into and through the castle, and another smaller one next to them carved into a younger, smaller tree is a younger, smaller girl wearing a silver tiara atop her head."So," The girl starts, "You lot are the Witches caught trespassing through Flores land." She says before eyeing them up with her intelligent jade green eyes, the thoughts almost visibly twisting and turning as her eyes dart around. She huffs, brushing a hand across her cheek as she pushes her black braid away from her face, "....Triad Witches, at that.... And.... Another human, curiously enough." She says, as the leading Witch kneels before the throne."Yes, Princess Florei, we brought them just as you asked."Florei nods and waves her hand, "Very good. You are dismissed, Flos Monarcha.""'Flos Monarcha'?" Amelia says confused as Florei scoffs."You Lunar Coven lot may have your mother as 'Prima Regina', your 'First Queen' but here the leader of my Coven is the Flos Monarcha- the Monarch of Flowers." Florei then stands up, walking forward and kneeling before Amelia, lifting up her prisoner's chin, "Now, you must be Amelia Lynx, yes? Heir to the throne? Next generation of the Lynx bloodline?"Amelia glares at her, "And what exactly is it to you, Princess Florei? Enjoy getting to know your executed before they die?"Florei stifles a laugh as she releases Amelia's face, "As much as my Mother and Father would surely relish in tossing you three in a pit of lava and being done with it....." The smile fades from her face as she takes a deep breath, reaching up and playing with her single thread of braided hair, "....I need your help."Jann scoffs, "You need our help?" She jokes as Florei glares at her furiously with a light blush of embarrassment."You want to hear me say it? Fine. If you all help me with my dilemma then you'll be set free- Hells, I'll throw in some steeds or supplies- Whatever it takes. Gold? Jewels?"Amelia raises an eyebrow, "What could have you so worried? And- I thought all of Flores despised Witches."Florei takes a deep breath, turning away and walking back towards her throne as she lifts her tiara off of her head and sets it in the seat, "....Several months ago, on the first new moons of that month, a magical beast attacked. Our guard and Witches were enough to keep it at bay. The next month, on the waxing crescent, it struck again. Then, on the first quarter moons two months ago, my parents...." Her voice breaks, clutching her chest as her eyes dart over to the pair of large empty thrones.Florei takes a deep, shaky breath, "....We thought it was over. Surely, the beast had what it wanted. Until the next month, when it struck again. My Witches, my guard, all of it wasn't enough. I locked myself into a secluded chamber, and it almost broke in when dawn struck. And tonight is the full moons of this month, meaning...""Let me guess," Amelia starts, "When midnight strikes, it's going to come back and when it does, you're pretty sure you're going to die."Florei takes another deep breath and whips around to face the group, "....You can probably guess the deal. You protect me, and I'll let bygones be bygones. I doubt anyone even remembers why the Humans here hate Witches to begin with. My Witches and guard aren't enough- I need some of the more powerful beings in the land, and the Gods have ignored my prayers- Or, perhaps, they've very well answered them by laying you all upon my doorstep."Amelia shakes her head as she holds up her bound wrists, "We don't really have a choice, so...."Jann bumps Amelia's shoulder, "What she meant to say is- We'd do it regardless, Princess." She says, being far more gentle than she was before after having heard the Princess' story.Florei nods, walking forward and undoing the bindings on the ropes as Amelia sighs happily, "Sorry, Accalia, I know we're supposed to get back as fast as possible, but-" Amelia turns to face her as she loses her train of thought, fixating on Accalia's confused look, "Everything alright?""Huh?" Accalia says as she looks up, her lilac eyes wide, "O-oh, yes, I'm fine..." She says, her thoughts going back as she focuses on something the Princess said.And tonight is the full moons of this month... Accalia knows that to be wrong for a fact. The full moon was a few nights ago, reaching it's peak when Amelia and Jann saved her. Then again.... She also vaguely recalls the moons also looking not as full at the same time- Which is impossible. It couldn't have been both.... right?Accalia is shaken out of her thoughts as Amelia literally shakes her shoulder, "Accalia, did you hear me?""What?""I said," Amelia starts, "We'll set out first thing in the morning after we kill- Well, whatever this thing is. Shouldn't be too hard, I doubt these Flores Witches can summon even 1/100 of the power Jann and I have, so...." Amelia shakes her head, "Hey, are you sure you're fine?"Accalia nods, biting her tongue as she's left thinking before Jann steps between the two and claps her hands together."So..." Jann starts, "Which one of us is gonna call the Coven?"

...

Jann annoyedly trudges down the ancient stone walls of the palace, "Of course, send Jann off by herself, leave Amelia to her alone time with her new human. Why didn't I guess that sooner?" Finally Jann stops in the middle of a hall and stomps her foot, "Oh for the love of- Where is there some bloody water in this place?!" As her voice echoes out, she hears the slightest trickle. She follows the sound and gasps lightly as she finds a rounded room, all by itself, with a glass dome roof high above covering a small pond with the lightest trickle pouring in. Two flowering lilypads float by as Jann tilts her head before her eyes widen.Flores is all about nature. This must be some grave for Florei's parents.... Jann thinks to herself before shaking her head and fishing out a golden coin and standing upright and clearing her throat. Hopefully her parents won't mind this...."O Hermes, Messenger of the Gods, heed my prayer and show me the Prima Regina of the Lunar Coven."Jann tosses the coin into the water, as it dissolves into a golden mist before the water splashes and waves on it's own, the water reflecting on the surface changing from her own surroundings to a more familiar place- Her Aunt Morgana's office at the Lunar Coven, where she has a small flowing waterfall just for times like these."Aunt Morgana?" Jann calls out as she looks around, not seeing anyone before she leans far to the side and sees out of the corner of her eye- Or out of the corner of the pond's view- Morgana Lynx with her head in her hands at her desk."Gods, this Solstice Celebration has to go well, it just has to....." Prima Regina Morgana Lynx says to herself, Jann not saying anything as she bites her lip and continues to listen while Morgana stands up, her gown flowing around her as she stares out a window behind her, "Of course it has to go one hundred and ten percent perfectly, I already knew that. So why do Jennifer and Carla keep pressuring me?" Morgana asks herself as she crosses her arms, "'Oh don't forget to not use any wolf pelts anywhere while the Werewolves are visiting. Wouldn't want to insult them! Make sure to have plenty of donated blood stockpiled, wouldn't want to have any of the Vampires go hungry and do something bad in front of the Witches and Werewolves!' Ugh...."Morgana takes a deep breath as she rubs her chest, "And of course this time of year is just worse than normal, with all of this on top of it.... This.... was our anniversary.... 'It's not working out, Morgana. The girls are grown up, it's time we end this farce we have going....'" Morgana lowers her head, raising a hand to her face and sniffling, "And Amelia... She just keeps pushing.... Doesn't she understand the enormous amount of stress on top of me? Maybe I should teach her.... These struggles will be her own one day...." Morgana shakes her head, wiping her eyes as she turns around as her eyes go wide as she sees Jann staring at her from the other side of the fountain as she blushes intensely with embarrassment.Jann nervously clears her throat, "U-Uhm.... H-hey, Auntie?"

...

"...Of course. We'll do what we can from our side, Jann." Morgana says with a nod, turning around as she looks at her helpers: A small brunette Witch girl with glasses waiting patiently and a large blonde Witch boy with glasses taking down notes feverishly as Jann waves from the other side of the water."Oh, and tell Carter and Colorra I said hi!"Morgana facepalms as Jann blushes, "Oh. Right. They can see me. Uh, hey!" She says as Colorra half-heartedly waves as Carter nods without looking up from the notepad."Now..." Morgana starts, "You sure you didn't leave anything out?" She asks as Jann bites her lip.I can't tell her about the whole 'entire species dying' thing. We can't know for sure yet if he's telling the truth, or just wanted to scare us into finding him."Nope!" Jann says, as Morgana takes a deep breath."Well then, now go and help your cousin take down whatever beast is coming for the Princess. I'm unsure of a monster that attacks once a month on phases of the moon, but it must be gaining power with every phase so ensure that you do not underestimate it's power." She says as Jann nods before Morgana blushes lightly, "Oh and... Jann? Try not to spy on people, sweetie. See you soon."Jann nervously nods, "R-right! S-sorry! Uh... Bye!" She says before splashing her hand in the water as the vision fades. Morgana pauses to take a small breath before turning to Colorra and Carter."So... Carter, with your mother Carla out with the Vampires, and Aunt Jennifer out with with the Werewolves, you and Colorra are the brightest minds in the Coven. Any ideas about this... 'Kasi'?"Carter looks up from his notepad, "Oh, oh, I have some theories! I'll be right back while I grab some of my-" He turns on his heels and trips on the floor, before he climbs back up and cleans up his notepad and glasses and smiles back at Colorra and Morgana embarrassed, "-I-'ll just go grab my things! Sorry!"Morgana rubs her forehead, "Oh, that boy.... Sweetheart," She starts, turning to Colorra, "You, my daughter, have read more books in the Grand Library than anyone else in the Coven- Possibly for generations. Surely you have some idea?"Colorra nervously tucks her hands behind her back and avoids eye contact, "Well, I'm not sure.... That name sounds familiar, but also not familiar. And those powers... The way they said he spoke, the things he said.... He very well could be from the future."Morgana shakes her head, "No, that's not possible. Time isn't set in stone, it's-""Always changing, right." Colorra starts, adjusting her glasses, "...Our family especially knows better than to think time doesn't change. But that doesn't mean time just ends- Well, it does but not minutes from now. Not years. Likely not centuries, either. Time and choice are closely connected, many people mistake the Primordial of Time for Janus, the God of Crossroads often. I-""Colorra. Sweetie. The point?"Colorra winces as she adjusts her glasses again, "R-right. This 'Kasi' could be from a specific version of the future- Or the current version of our future, here to change it.""Change it.... From what?" Morgana questions aloud as Carter bursts back into the room holding a leather bound journal."I'm back! Your- Regina-ness.""Carter! Slow down, you're going to trip again.""I'm fine! I'm fine. Now this being..." Carter flips through his notepad, "His powers got me thinking. The way he talks and acts, and seems to be quite literally made of darkness, spells that he must be something ultra powerful if he's able to maintain even a semblance of his consciousness while being so heavily tainted by the Dark Aether." The temperature in the room drops as Morgana shivers from the chill and shakes her head."Carter! What have we said about saying that name under this roof?"Carter looks up from his journal, "Oh. Right. Sorry." He says as Morgana facepalms again."So he's powerful. I believe he made that point. What is he?"Carter shrugs, "A number of things are possible. But the only ones able to withstand darkness that potent.... Well, something... Aetherial."Morgana's eyes widen, "You're.... You're not saying.... He's a God?"Carter shrugs, "A God, an Archangel, a Demigod.... I'd suspect a Cherub, but he seems a bit bigger than your average Cherub from how they described him." He then taps his chin in thought, "Although Jann did say Amelia said he was shorter than her, and she's already fairly short. Archangels are typically large so I suppose that could rule out...." He trails off as he notices Colorra and Morgana staring at him as his face flushes, covering it with his journal, "....Nevermind."Morgana taps her chin, "'The Darkened Prince'..... 'The Eternal Eclipse'......" She says to herself as Colorra and Carter lock eyes for a moment before turning to look at Morgana."Uh, Mom? Something... the matter?" Colorra asks as Morgana shakes her head."N-No, you two just... Go check the library for any information on this 'Kasi'.""But... Mom-""Go." She reaffirms as Colorra sighs, following Carter out of the room as they shut the door behind themselves.Morgana leans against her desk as she looks up at the ceiling, a large glass dome with the Lunar Coven insignia painted onto it. "'The Darkened Prince..... The Eternal Eclipse.... What do they mean....?"

• Next Chapter

• Last Chapter
• Home

Chapter 5:
Coven of Dreams

Meet colorra, being magicless and trying to help her mom.middle of chapter is Celestara trying to appeal to the Council of Pantheons and being told off by Athena and Star as the other pantheons decline.end of chapter is Colorra discovering the Book of Kali while trying to research Kasi.

...

Text

...

Darkness fills the room, the only thing visible are the three women lit up by the light of a white fire: Sheba, Star, and Queen Celestara. Celestara takes a deep breath, "Here we go..." She holds up her hand and snaps her fingers as two more fires light in front of them: A green one and an orange one. Only one person visible in each fire: In the green fire a tanned woman, her skin speckled with freckles, with intelligent brown eyes, and long chestnut hair pulled back into a ponytail. She dons bronze armor, covering up white clothes and leather straps.To the right, in the orange flame, a dark-skinned man wrapped in a fairly loose white dress adorned and wrapped with gold. His head, rather than one of a man, is that of a falcon, and around that a serpent wraps with a large golden disk embedded into it like a crown. In both he hands he tightly grips an ankh in the right hand and a scepter in the left.Celestara smiles warmly at them, "Thank you for coming, Athena of Olympus and Ra of the Sky." She darts her eyes over at Athena and coughs slightly, "Er, might I ask, where exactly is Zeus this time?"Athena shrugs, "It is not my place to know where my Father is at all times. And often, neither is it my 'Mother's'. But I do wonder exactly what was so urgent to summon us?"Ra nods, "The summons implied a demand for our presence, in order to speak of defending the presence of all Gods. With both demands and defense in the same sentence, I still now wonder if this is an act of peace, or....?"Celestara laughs loudly, "You think I'm going to declare war on you?"Athena shrugs, "I could believe it."Celestara narrows her eyes at the goddess with a smile plastered on her face, "Very narrow-sighted for the Goddess of Wisdom, don't you think?"Athena shrugs before crossing her legs and staring on with a curious yet disinterested look, "Go on, then. Prove me wrong."Celestara scoffs before taking a breath and floating upright and adjusting the cuffs of her sleeves, "Gods of your pantheons, as I'm sure you both recall, are bound by mortal belief. Prayer, sacrifice, wishing for a miracle, begging for forgiveness, etc. etc..... And thankfully for my daughters and I, as members of the Aetherial Pantheon, are not bound by such need. However, I cannot help but look on and see as mortals rely more and more on Witches help over Gods."Ra tilts his head as his beak chitters for a moment, "...I.... Have noticed some of the powers of my brethren fading. It started when the wars between the human nations of the Middlelands began, and it got worse when the Lunar Coven interceded the conflict and ended it."Athena crosses her arms tensely, "I.... Might have been noticing some of the Minor Gods of Olympus behaving rather sluggish as of late."Celestara clicks her tongue sadly, "You see? It's already beginning. If we don't do something to nip this problem before it gets worse, I'm worried we won't be able to stop the destruction of both of your pantheons." She says as Athena glares at the Queen, pursing her lips."And what exactly do you suggest, your Majesty....?"Celestara smirks, "Why... Destroy the Lunar Coven, of course."An air of unease quickly fills all three rooms. Athena stifles a laugh, "You- You're not actually serious, are you?"Ra clenches his fists nervously against his throne, "...I believe she was.""Oh, I am. Think about it- The only reason you're all losing power is because Witches have been getting on a higher and higher horse about 'protecting' mankind- And the humans are buying into it. I'm not saying exterminate Witches, but perhaps tear them down a peg. And we'd have to do the same to the Werewolves and Vampires, to ensure none try to follow Witches' example in the future.""What are you saying!?" A voice from behind calls out as Celestara's smile fades and she slowly turns to see Star's furious face, "Tear them down?! Need I remind you that many Gods and Goddesses align themselves with Witches, one of whom being Zaebos. The father of my children? King of the Underworld?"Celestara looks around, Sheba nowhere in sight as she takes a breath, "Star-""No! I won't have any part of this! This- This is wrong!" Star calls out before storming out of the throne room and bursting out the door.Ra squawks lightly, "...I believe the Princess shows my sentiment fairly well. Both of our domains belong to the Sun- We give life. I will not be party to taking it. Good day, Celestara." He waves his hand, and his flame extinguishes as Celestara tilts her head over to Athena."I suppose you share their same opinion?" Celestara asks as Athena takes a breath and slowly stands, summoning a spear made of white light."I may very well be a Goddess of War, but as the Goddess of Wisdom, I cannot help but see the shortsightedness of this plan. What of the martyr's? What will humans say when they learn of our massacre? Many Gods enjoy deriving their power from fear. I am not one of them." Athena says as she shakes her head, "Not to mention I cannot help but get the feeling that you are doing this for more than the good of helping your fellow Gods. The Olympians might will not be party to your ego trips, your Majesty." Athena says before slicing her spear through the flame and blowing it out.Celestara left alone in darkness, slowly lifts her hand and snaps her fingers, the curtains over the windows burning away in blue flame as the dying cinders of the messenger flames float up and form Sheba, who crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow as her tail swishes behind her, "I doubt that went well.""Sheba.... Leave."Sheba narrows her eyes, "Maybe now you'll see that little miss perfect Star isn't anywhere near as loyal as you might wish. Myself, on the other hand...."Celestara spins furiously to face Sheba, "I may have adopted you all those years ago, Sheba, but that does not give you the right to-" Sheba holds up an unfurled scroll as Celestara reads it from afar as her eyes widen."That.... What-""I knew from the start this 'begging for attention' thing was gonna fail. Trust me, it's failed me for centuries. So, while you tried your plan, I figured I'd help you get a new one underway."Celestara straightens her gown, brushing off her sleeves, "...And what exactly does my youngest daughter get from this? I raised you myself, I know we don't do things out of the goodness of our hearts." She asks as Sheba smirks."Oh, Mother, I am so glad you asked..."

...

Carter huffs, calmly closing another book shut before laying his head on the table, his blonde curls falling all over his head like a mop, "...It's hopeless. There's no mention on some 'Kasi'.Colorra rolls her eyes, striding deeper into the library as she adjusts her glasses, "Maybe there's something around here... Somewhere...."Finally Colorra's eyes lock onto a vaguely similar title on the spine of a book. She tugs it out of the bookcase, wiping off the dust covered black leather binding, reading the cover as she grumbles and recognizes her mistake: The Book of Kali. She reaches up to put it back, but some part of her feels like keeping it. She stands on her tip toes, struggling to put it back when her hand glows as the book floats up slightly, but stops the moment she stops touching it. She ponders it for a moment, but she decides to instead reach around and stuff the book into her satchel just as Carter rounds the corner causing her to jump slightly."Everything alright, Colorra?""H-huh? Oh, yes of course. There's, eh, nothing over here either unfortunately."Carter rubs his face, "I guess we'll have to tell your mom... Which I'm not looking forward to. Maybe there's another library nearby we could check."Colorra rubs her neck, "You uh- You go on ahead, I'm gonna do a final once over."Carter walks off as Colorra pulls the book out of her satchel again, opening her palm as a sigil appears and forms a ball of green light."....No.... Way...." She holds up the book in confusion, "What are you....?"

• Next Chapter