The Cursed Gift | B1 [EDITING]

17 | A Coronation of Witches

Seven years ago...

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The tribe had gathered in the largest tent in the their little, nestled town of Naporia. A town they loved to keep in illusion charms to ward off the suspicious and violent naturals that lived across from their home.

The Town of Eyebis held more than just haters but hunters as well.

The space in their camp had been allocated for a massive tent that held many of their grand meetings for various events.

Information came at a price for them but a willing one nevertheless. They were hungry to be steps in front of their opponents.

However, today was different and much more special out of all of the events - A coronation was being held for a coming-of-age witch.

A special time in one's life that solely cemented them to their gods and the sacred duty expected of them. The very sacred duty that bound them to the laws and customs of their life.

A literal signing away of their life to their cause that held only death in the end. For with war, there could be no winners at all.

Every time a new witch was about to turn eighteen, three nights before their birthday, a group of witches would begin decorating the tent in preparation for such a great cause.

It was a sacred time for any witch and it wasn't to be messed with.

On the night of their birthday when the moon claimed the night for its own, magic would begin bursting out of them in waves of honour.

For if the Gods blessed you with such power, you must be an anointed soldier of theirs.

It was time to take over their sacred sworn duty and begin the endless road to salvation.

That tricky part wasn't always known to all until that very same night. It kept panic and chaos to a minimum in their coven. It always kept them silent and obedient, just the way the masters desired their followers to be.

"She's about to inherit her full magic, watch carefully!" Ace instructed his two friends as he pointed at a freshly turned eighteen year old witch.

A beauty to behold for sure.

The communal tent was adorned in lavish decorations and colourfully bright ornaments made of sticks, bark and pebble stones.

Stringers made of flowers and leaves, tastefully showing off their love of the land.

There were make-shift, knee high length tables across the place, paired with table clothes made of various things and the floor-seats made out of soft, buffalo skin.

Made proudly by the witches themselves the very three nights before.

The blonde girl in the middle of the room was dressed the most extravagantly, preparing to show off her newfound magical abilities.

As the moon neared in the sky to its fullest, the girl began to softly glow like a humming bird mid-melody.

The beginning of the rest of the girl's life.

"Let the Gods bless you with their fullest capabilities to aid us in our times of need. Bless it be, Catalina!" The Clan Leader bellowed across the grand tent, gesturing his arms out towards the crowd.

Little sparks of fire began bursting from his fingertips as he grinned over at the young girl, preparing for his favourite of their various celebrations.

He often relished in getting to boast about his powers, for they were supposed to be the most powerful in the clan.

"Show us what the Gods have bestowed upon you, my child," the blonde elder man said as the sparks of fire became a roaring flame above the girl's head before disappearing in a flash.

A trick he loved to reuse many times.

The crowd showed their appreciation for the mini-show in murmurs and claps in preparation for the real one to begin.

The very same one the girl had been practicing for twelve months prior in her excitement to be a full witch of the Coven of the Hallowed.

And with that one simple command of her master, magic began bursting out of Catalina in waves of rose petals and intricate dances of fire laced between them.

A show she had been nervous to broadcast but a birthright she would never deny herself of.

Magic made their world wonderful.

The magic may have come from the earth below their feet, but there was some that lingered in their bodies like a genetic birthmark.

Essentially, the witches overtime had become magic itself.

They harboured the ability alone to manipulate it anyway they chose to see fit. A gift only those of their kind had and they often boasted about too.

They alone believed they were the most powerful beings to walk Eaviopia. It stemmed back to their greatest ancestors.

Arrogant, prideful and almost selfish at times.

A race that believed they were above the naturals themselves.

A belief Catalina shared wholeheartedly, hoping her allegiance to the Clan Leader showed in her most difficult performance of her life.

He was the harshest critic among them, and her mother came only second to their master.

"Oh, I love those rose petals," murmured Hestia, as if she were taking notes for future reference.

Never wanting to be one step behind but four in front.

"What if she used water instead?"

A harmless question but was met with silence and glares from those around her, excluding her two friends.

"Because that is utterly forbidden," Ace stated in a matter of fact way, as if to dismiss the idea all together in one swift motion.

"Imagine what you could do by manipulating the water though?" The eleven year old pressed, as if she couldn't read the audience when asking such a dire question.

A few more on-lookers had heard their discussion, creating more awkward silence among the witches.

"Leave it alone, Alisa. An Aryan's word is final," Asha scolded her daughter, pulling her back in her chair at once.

"Now watch the show or I'll make you return to our quarters without supper tonight."

A cruel punishment but was surely needed for the public's eye to return to the events and believe Asha's word would be enough to settle the young curious girl.

"Yes, Mother."

Ace frowned, knowing he had gotten the young girl in a little bit of trouble.

At only sixteen, he knew many things but the more he got to know the brunette girl, he wondered how much of it could be wrong instead.

With her constant questions about their way of life, it had planted subtle but sure seeds of doubt in his own mind.

Maybe the way they lived life was a little odd and warranted some questioning.

"Why water?" He leaned over and whispered in her ear, trying to be as subtle and discrete as possible while all the other eyes were focused back on Catalina.

"It's much more effective when used against fire," she replied swiftly in the same low voice, their cheeks almost touching.

Redness spread across both of their skin's, but was much more noticeable on Ace's fair skin.

Water may been more effective but Ace doubted anyone had the abilities to manipulate such things on this land.

"But Fire is our signature move," the blonde boy retorted in a soft murmur, making sure his lips brushed across her cheek.

He lived for those close moments they shared at the back of meetings when all others were watching his father or some other person show off what kind of magic they had.

"Well then it's a bad signature move."