I yelled. I screamed. I cried. As my bike tore through the wet forest, branches whipped my face and arms. Panicking, I jumped off my bike when I saw an opportunity. That was a mistake. I tumbled down the muddy hill, hitting rocks and trees. Finally I managed to grab hold of a tree trunk to stop my fall. The rain that came when fall did pattered on the leaves around me as I slowly sat up and checked my injuries. Both my knees were bleeding and my face was stinging, so it was probably pretty scratched up. I had cuts all over me and felt shaky. As I tried to stand up, I heard something. It sounded like…singing?!
I followed the sound of the singing. It seemed ethereal, delicate and haunting. The cold September rain stung my face as if it were snow. As I trudged through the wet fallen leaves, the voice got louder and closer. When I listened closely, I realized that there were no words. Just chanting. It seemed the closer I got, the thicker the undergrowth making it difficult to walk. Finally, I reached a clearing. Not wanting to be seen, I hid behind a tree and peered carefully at the chanting woman.
She was dressed in black robes and was kneeling over a small pool of water. She seemed to be holding something in her arms. I looked closer and I realized that it was a baby, not more than two months old. The woman's chanting got louder as she stood up and held out the child above the water. No. She isn't going to- My thoughts were interrupted by a splash of water. I saw it but I just couldn't believe it. She dropped the baby! I gasped and covered my mouth. I ran out from my hiding spot and stopped just at the edge of the lake.
"What do you think you're doing?" I yelled at her.
"Child, what I am doing is beyond your comprehension," she said, dark eyes glaring at me. "Now get out of my way!"
She flung back a hand towards me and I felt myself being pushed backwards. I tried to run towards the lake, but I couldn't move.
"What are you doing to me?" I cried. "Why can���t I move?"
Ignoring my cries, the woman started chanting again only louder. Soon it got so loud that it seemed like she was yelling. She raised her arms over her head and opened her eyes. When she did, the space around her turned a brilliant white. I closed my eyes and looked away. When the light dimmed, I looked back. The woman's hood fell off and I could see dark hair braided with green leaves. When I looked closer, I saw the baby in her arms. W-what? How? Suddenly, I could move again. I stumbled forward and landed on my bleeding knees.
"Get up child, and fix those cuts," she said. With another wave of her hand, I was suddenly standing. A bright light seemed to shine around me and when it faded, my cuts and pain were gone.
"Who-who are you?" I asked, voice shaking.
"That is none of your concern," she said, glaring at me again. "Now tell me why you're here."
"Well, my bike crashed and I heard singing and got curious. I decided to check it out."
She looked at me.��Hmm. Well tell me your name. I might have to wipe your memory for seeing this."
"My-my name? My name is Alessia." She looked at me with shock.
"Alessia? As in Alessia the Cleric? The greatest cleric of all time?"
"Huh? No, I'm just Alessia. I was named after my grandmother."
"How old is your grandmother?" she asked me.
"Um, she died 18 years ago," I said, lowering my eyes.
"I see. And how old are you?"
"I'm 12." I looked back up again. Those dark, cold eyes that once stared down at me, the eyes that could see my soul, suddenly became warmer.
"What did your mother say about her, child?" she asked me, her voice softer than before.
"She said that her mother was, well… unique," I said, biting my lip. "That she stood out from others… that there was something magical about her."
"Well, your mother wasn't wrong. Your grandmother was a great cleric, perhaps the greatest of all time! You see, magic users are dying out. I was a servant for the greatest witch of all time. Her life was prolonged using magic, as many of us do. Your grandmother refused. She lived the life of a true cleric. What you saw here was a very complicated spell. I transferred the magic of my old master to this child, making a new witch, though she doesn't yet have the knowledge of how to use her new magic powers. You come from a great family of clerics, though I don't suppose you've had a chance to learn."
"No. My mother never showed me, but she does talk a lot about someone named Solaris."
"Ah, Solaris. The great god of the sun. Your grandmother was a follower of Solaris, so it makes sense that your mother is as well, which means that you may take a liking to him. I am a follower of Hetheria, the goddess of life and death. My powers are similar to that of a necromancer though I am a cleric."
"Wait. Necromancer? Cleric? What are you talking about?" I asked her. What does she mean by that?
"As yes. I forgot you were never taught. Please, allow me to teach you. It would be an honor to teach the next great cleric of the Someris family," she said, bowing
"How do you know my family name? Who are you?" I asked, becoming suspicious.
The woman looked up at me.
"My name is Faynelle. I am a servant to the newborn witch September and it would be an honor if I could serve you, too, Alessia Someris."
"What do you mean by that?" I looked at Faynelle nervously. Did she really have good intentions?
"I mean, I will help you reach your true potential as a cleric. I have taught many others, including your grandmother."
"Wait, you knew her?" I was so shocked by that. It was really not what I was expecting to hear. "How old are you?"
"My life has been prolonged. But, back to my proposal. Will you let me teach you?"
I took a deep breath. If what she was telling me was true, then I could learn magic. That would be pretty cool… and if not, then I would have at least tried.
"Okay. Please, teach me magic."