The Trials

The Ritual

Ariana tapped her foot impatiently as Morgan speeded her way through the interstate.

"Ari, don't worry. Trust me I will give all it takes to rescue Luna."

Ariana nodded but stayed silent. Since the beginning of their friendship, Luna had always been there for Ariana, helping her with the disasters of her early magic and especially with the crisis at Fineland. Now the tides had turned. Ariana was going to save Luna from the mess that her magic made. She looked out through the window, staring at the radiant full moon that encompassed the forest around the interstate. Somehow, Ariana could feel the strength of the moon, enriching and energising her.

"You feel it too? A full moon makes a witch's magic last longer and gives them more stamina. We'll be a powerhouse when we get there," said Morgan.

The Nissan slowly decelerated to make the hidden turn of the groves. It was 11:30 pm. The car continued into the unwelcome shade of the trees; the path was barely illuminated by the streaks of moonlight that made their way through the cracks of the vines. Morgan stopped the car and shut it off.

"We're gonna have to stop here so they won't hear or see the car. My plan is to walk around the perimeter to infiltrate the camp," planned Morgan.

However Ariana wasn't paying attention. All the ride she was thinking about spells and plans, until she realised that she was too pissed to give a rat's ass about dying. She opened the car door and began walking. As she made her way through the path, the trees at her side began dying at the magic of Ariana. She was absorbing the vitality of plant life to fuel her strength. Morgan, who remained in the car, was speechless and astonished. Ariana couldn't have been a natural mortal, her connection to magic was so pure, so deeply routed. Morgan opened the car door and followed behind Ariana, stepping in the wake of the dead plants who were sacrificed for her vendetta.

Upon reaching the opening where the hunter's camp resided, Ariana came across the RVs parked all over. With one hand she lifted the RV and with all her strength, she crumpled the vehicle like a tissue paper, killing all those on the inside. The horrendous screams of the victims and the creaking of metal attracted the attention of all the hunters, who came running from all over the camp. All of those brave, stupid mortals who charged at Ariana were pushed back by Morgan's telekinesis.

David ran out of his trailer, with his first glimpse of the action being the sight of 6 hunters going airborne into the adjacent trailer. All of the unlucky few had, upon revelation, smashed in skulls with the look of dead on their face. David realised that this was no training gone wrong or the stupid misuse of a weapon; the camp was under attack. He ran back into his trailer and took out more weapons than a redneck in the south from his locker. With an automatic rifle in his hand and a semi-automatic shotgun as his secondary he charged into battle with Spartan pride.

"Where is she?" Ariana, despite in a complete rage on the inside, was calm, cool, and collected on the outside. The hunter was held up in a choke by Ariana's telekinetic 'hands'. In a lasting effort, the hunter flipped Ariana the bird and, in response, she snapped his neck. Morgan was secretly terrified, she knew what anger could do to a person. The two witches advanced forward, eventually clashing with the prodigal David. It was a very rude welcome that invited the witches with bullets. Morgan hid behind an RV for cover and yanked Ariana in. "Are you trying to get killed? I understand you need to rescue her, but you can't get there in pieces", exclaimed Morgan. Ariana silently stared at her and then slowly walked away from the cover. Morgan had a double-take, astonished at how Ariana had blatantly defied her.

Ariana walked slowly with her hand in front providing magical cover. The bullets headed for her, whizzing, but immediately ricocheted off her magic shield. David stopped shooting when he realised his attempt was futile. His first instinct was to run, but before even lifting a leg, his body bended back. His limbs contorting like a possessed girl in a horror movie. His bloodcurdling screams were filling the forest. Ariana had committed the ultimate crime in magic, a technique banned in the 1800s by the Order, whose torturers had to stop using it. It was nicknamed Puppeteering, the control of bone marrow in the body to achieve a sort of puppet-like affect on someone by controlling their movements and joints. As she clenched her fists, David's pain was made unbearable. Blood dripped out from his nose and eyes, and his bones crackled and clicked to position him. He was on his knees, arms twisted completely around and bent back.

"Tell me where she is", said a calm-sounding Ariana. Her cool demeanour made her terrifying.

"Deep in...pyre...burned...stake", was all David could muster.

She let him go and then said, "I'll show you mercy this time, but cross me again and don't think that for a minute -no, a second that I won't make you have the worst death imaginable."

Morgan stared at Ariana, speechless. She didn't know her anymore, the caring soul that once inhabited the young witch's body became cold and distant. Morgan put her head down and jogged further into the camp. She slowed down when she lifted her head, revealing the surviving hunters on their knees. They were offering their surrender. Ariana walked over to the pyre and untied an unconscious Luna. She carried Luna over her shoulder all the way to Morgan's Nissan. Morgan followed and entered the diver's seat. This was followed by the painful silence that continued through the drive. Finally, Ariana broke the silence with five words, "Never speak of this, understood." Morgan just nodded and kept driving.