The Witching Stars

Part 2 of chapter 1

Coughing and sputtering, I shove myself off the ground in a single graceful move. Maverick mounts Frostbright and without a second look back, flees. “Don’t you dare leave me! Hey! Come back!” I begin to shout, fear and anger rising inside me. Maverick doesn’t even flinch nor turn back to look at me. No… he can’t do this…. HE CAN”T DO THIS TO ME! But its already too late now, the ogres have blocked off my exits. They loom over me like living towers, their red eyes fixated upon their meal.

“I won’t die like this!” I howl, My life has been nothing but survival! I want more than just this! but I know it’s pointless to argue with dumb beasts… they don’t understand, they never will. Charging forward, a mortal against the giants, I face the ogres head on. One tries to grab me, but I jump and scale its arm with ease. Perhaps it was my adrenaline pumping, the call of battle urging me to slaughter more, or a blessing from Sanctuary above. I didn’t care which, I wasn’t going to die, I wasn’t about to give up.

Seeking my freedom by escaping anyway I can, I force myself to make the biggest leap I’ve ever done in my life. For a moment, I fly upwards, sailing above the shoulder of the beast I’ve scaled. Then, I fall, plummeting to the ground… only to be stopped by two hands slamming together to catch me.

Then.

Nothing.

No light, no darkness. No bliss or peace, just, nothing. Yet I could think… all I could is wonder at the marvelous feeling of not breathing. Of not feeling hungry, tired, or bound to a body.

That is, until the nothingness gives way to an image. An image of person, staring down at me, as if I am lying on the floor and they’re bending down to look closely at me. Its shape is that of a human male I assume, being more bulky and square than I. He wears a full body robe made of silver silk. There is so much of it, that at the neck and shoulders it doubles up, making him seem larger than he actually is.  At the shoulders, a leather wind guard comes down to his waste, hiding most of his arms and chest underneath. But from what I can tell a thick dark brown leather chest guard firmly hugs both him and the robes trapped underneath it. At his waist a beige colored silk cloth, tied tightly down to act as a belt, but the excess amount of it flows down along with the robes which end at his ankles.

A tabard of some kind comes out from under the belt, being bright gold and yellow, it has no particular design to it. On his hips, a large curved metal plate fits them closely. From his back four majestic wings spread out, covering nearly three times his size with their faded blue feathers. Imbedded in the wings are long golden peacock like feathers with large blue gems in the middle of them.  But what terrifies me most about this man, is that the cowl hides all of his face, showing only a black void where it should be. That black void, is staring down at me, like a gaping wide abyss.

“I told you not to harm her.” Snarls a crooked voice next to my ear. I know it’s not from the man before me, because the voice if female.  The image moves, the man holds up a brown, leather gloved hand to his cowled face. Using his index finger, he signals for silence. Even if I wanted to disobey, I can’t feel my body. The man above me dissolves away, like ink in water. The blinding light fades to black and at once I feel the agony that is my body. Everywhere hurt. the scratchy torn flesh that encases me burns from the cold. My hair feels nearly scalped and my mouth is full of blood. How am I alive? This… this isn’t right.

“If it weren’t for my skills...” Continues the voice, “She would be beyond repair. At least you left something for me to work with…” the woman hisses. Something traces along my face, I let out a yelp as something seems to dig into my face and burn. “Ah, you’re awake.” They pry my left eye open, revealing only the darkness of night. “I’ve waited so long for this night. To finally awaken the witching star. It took years to find this thing, precious years of my life. Now I shall finally awaken the evils within!” Witching star? A real Witching star? I strain my eyes to see through the darkness.

“Ah, I see you too wish to honor the Witching Star.” The lady laughs.

Coughing and hacking, I sneer at her, “I would never idolize something evil. I only wish to spit in the face of whatever cursed me. At least then I can die somewhat happy.”

“Heh, you scoff in the face of power. You curse that which branded you better than others. Why would you hate that which makes you strong? It doesn’t matter now, once the deceiver inside is unleashed; it will discard you for your insolence and unfaithfulness. And then I will take your place. Now, let us begin.” At once, fire springs up around us, revealing the horrible sight before me. An ogre holds up a woman to me, I myself being chained to something that’s thirty five feet up in the air. The snowy ground is flattened down and the dark storming clouds around and above us howl in anger.

 Craning my neck I peer into the eyes of the woman before me, from what I could tell in the reflection of her sinister eyes, the thing I’m chained to is a large pillar made of a purplish brown smooth rock. Engraved all over the rock are symbols, perhaps runes of some sort, but their image burns into my mind. So… this is a Witching star… all this suffering… for just a hunk of rock? What makes it so dangerous?

“I know you...” I whisper… the cloaked woman cocks her head at me. The familiarity finally hits me like a rock, “Lady… lady Ana?” I stare at her in horror.

“I’ve spent seventeen years of my life, just trying to nab you from that village. Sending hordes of these weak minded deceivers trying to goad you out into the open. Twelve raids you’ve escaped me, twelve! Now I can finally regain what I lost so long ago. Oh great Witching Star! Hear my call and awaken with the blood of your child! Release the infernos once again on this world!” Ana lifts her hands out to praise to Witching Star. The wind shifts slightly, blowing against us, but nothing else happens.

“Child! You call it!” Lady Ana bellows at me, jabbing her finger into my chest causing me to let out a whine.

“Why? Aren’t I the pathetic child?” I laugh bitterly.

“Do it!” she screeches, slapping me across the face. I begin to vomit blood till my stomach empties. Wheezing harshly, I lift my head and rest it against the Witching Star. My vision blurs, I’m so tired… I need to close my eyes. Shutting them gently, I let out a sigh of content. “DO IT!” Ana snaps at me. A burbling noise rises in my throat… laughter. Such loud, cackling laughter that it fills the air with useless added noise. Finally I reopen my eyes and gaze up at the heavens. Above me, the sky has cleared to show the full moon above me, along with a man who is peering down at us. It’s the man from my image, his wings wide open, shaking in anger.

“You torture my child in front of me, seeking to please Me.” he says evenly, his melodic voice holding anger at the edges.

“I do not approve.” He grinds out and launches himself at Ana with all his might.