Story Snippets

The Test

Tiny cocoons hung from a thick blue fungus, glowing slightly in the dark cave. Water dripped not far from the large mushroom that housed the dangling eggs. Nothing else stirred, until the faint sounds of footsteps echoed through the empty place that was so far underground. A purple light trickled into the vein of rock where the fungus stood and a young witch came walking into view. Her dark skin seemed darker in the cave as she walked along. Curls lay across her shoulders the color of the night sky. Her bright almost white eyes shone with recognition as she spotted the fungus growing not far from her.

"I found them...." She muttered, quickly stepping forward and tearing them off the fungus. The blue light that emitted from the mushroom slowly dimmed as she pulled off each cocoon and soon the only light in the cave was her own purple light. She stood, adjusting her hat and turned around, holding her wooden staff tightly as she headed back to the entrance.

As she walked, the sounds of other frantic footsteps reached her and she sped up slightly. It sounded like everyone else was in a hurry and it was either due to the creatures that lurked in the caves protecting the eggs she held in her pouch at the moment, or time was running out and she wanted this test to end quickly.

"Charlie!!" A voice echoed through and she instantly knew that voice.

"Sadie?" She muttered, her own voice carrying farther than she wanted. An orange light joined her own green one and the face of her cousin came into view. She was a tan witch, not as dark as Charlie. Her golden eyes brightened when they met eyes and Sadie rushed forward.

"Did you get the cocoons?" She asked, fixing the dis-leveled hat that was sitting on her head and pulling the robes closer to her.

Charlie nodded, "Yeah, I got them. They were difficult to locate..." She looked around as the scurrying footsteps continued around them, "Let's get out of here, what were you doing anyway?"

"I was chasing off some students that were coming a bit too close and some of those creatures attacked." Sadie answered, suddenly becoming a bit more pretentious, "Come on, before they come back." She ran off with Charlie right behind her.

Charlie was beginning to feel a bit better when a screech came from behind them. Charlie looked back to see the mother of the eggs that sat in her pouch. The creature was huge, filling the tunnel completely. Claws jutted from four feet that were large and could easily squash them if the thing had enough room to so do. It's face was covered with shell, but it couldn't hide one large, angry eyes and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. Charlie could just see the tail behind it with a stinger that was sharp and could pierce through anything. It screamed and scurrying after them, its eye latched onto Charlie.

"Sadie!!! We have a Grovler on our heels!!!" She yelled and Sadie quickly sped up. The two of them turned a corner and nearly missed being squashed against the cave wall as the Grovler snapped at them. Charlie held up her staff and concentrated with all her might as she gather her magic. She gave it a swing, hoping her spell would work, but her magic just fizzed out and died in the air. Sadie brought out a slender piece of wood and flicked it at the walls. Cracks formed and the tunnel behind them collapsed, cutting them off from the shrieking Grovler that was the sad victim of their test.

Charlie leaned against the wall and gasped for air. She looked down at the owl that was carved into the top of her staff and scowled, "Failed...again..." She growled.

Sadie looked up as she gasped herself, "You tried to cast one?"

Charlie nodded, "And of course...it died in the air before it even became a spell...." She jammed the staff into her pouch, watching it disappear into the bottomless bag, "I'm a night witch though...so of course it does. You heard the professors....my magic is the weakest."

"Yeah. They also said that I'm going to become a great witch one day because I have the rarest type of magic." Sadie countered with a small smile, "I'm might have been born during an eclipse, but do you really think I'm going to create a new spell or something?" She snorted, causing the round glasses that sat on her nose to bounce slightly, "The time we were born doesn't dictate what we are. Now, we have a test to finish." She pat Charlie on the shoulder gently.

Charlie smiled slightly, "Right..."

She followed Sadie out of the caverns and to her surprise, found that they were the first team to make it out. She could clearly tell that the professors were surprised as well, except for one.

"I know you could do it!" Professor Nilson exclaimed with his usual broad smile. His wrinkled face had Charlie smiling as she pulled out the cocoons that were slightly warm in her palm, "These were hard to find..."

Sadie gave her a hug, "It was all thank to you and that fine nose of yours. Who knew that these things could be sniffed out."

"No....magic?" One of the other professors said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well of course not. She's a night witch," another interjected and Charlie's smile fell.

Professor Nilson turned to them with the same smile plaster on his face, "I find that witches and wizards who rely too much on their magic become a bit...pompous and arrogant. Charlie has done excellent and I say she is as good as any other student here."

Charlie put the cocoons into their basket and didn't say anything, but felt grateful at his compliment. Sadie seemed to agree, for she was giving them a rather harsh glare.

They sneered back and Professor turned back to her, "You've passed the test Charlie and in first place none the less. The next level of magic will be difficult, but I'm sure you can handle it.

Charlie smile at his confidence and nodded, "Thanks Professor."