The Kingdom Of Vemos
The castle was cloaked in darkness, the corridors dull and quiet. Most everyone was either in the Atrium or in any of the guest rooms that were held open for long term stays. The only room beside the Atrium that was brightly lit was the kitchen where Lauri, Cassie, Christian and Bram sat, talking about the news that had just been made common knowledge by the council. Judgingly in certain council members mutterings.
"There's been portal movement? How is that even possible?" Lauri asked her eyes narrowed. "The Witches. They must be opening the portals." Cassie said. "We should let them." Christian said. "Why? Because that's what the Vampires want?" Cassie asked her eyes narrowing at him. "Not just the Vampires. If the portals are open anyone can come and go." Dorian said walking into the kitchen, stealing one half of Cassie's sandwich as he walked past making her scowl at him. "but some of the portals are already open, like the one that took us to Belmora." Lauri said.
"The forests are outside of the Council's Domain. There's lots of portals that was never closed, because they were not even aware they were even there." Dorian said, glancing at Lauri before he looked back at Christian and Cassie who were both staring at him knowingly. "The council never care about what they can't control. They will care about this." Cassie said looking at Dorian. "We aren't thinking about the obvious. If they are opening portals they are also opening the portals that make it easier for them to travel from place to place. Including here." Christian said. "I for once agree with the Vampire." Simeon said appearing in the door way. Dorian looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were in the realm of Hades." Dorian said. "I was, but we all made it back to Vemos." Simeon explained. "The portals are all open so I jumped through the nearest one that would take me here." He said looking at Dorian with an expectant look. "The king wants me to jump into one and go help Terry, doesn't he?" Dorian said, narrowing his eyes. "Actually, Terry is in good hands. For some bizarre reason, he seems to look up to Darius, and Mina seems to like him enough, that both of them have not left his side." Simeon said amused, he looked at Lauri. "It's about time I taught you, a new trick." Simeon said his mouth curling into a smile. Lauri smiled, "Does that mean I get to use this thing?" She said holding the amulet. Dorian and Simeon exchanged smiles. "It means' you get to be the leader of this part of the war."
Simeon's tower was made out of seven layers each representing the seven elemental powers. There were six elemental powers and the seventh, and what was the very top of the tower represented all the different elements. Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Light, and Dark. Each witch had the capacity to use both to their advantage, but there were certain elements that witches were born into, and were easiest for them to use. Lauri glanced around the circular roof she was now in. "What are we doing here?" Lauri asked glancing at Simeon and Dorian who both stood in front of her but further apart from each other, while mirroring each other, Lauri noted. They both stood watching her and glancing at each other with their arms crossed. They made her think of the stone soldiers that used to be in the ruins just beyond her village. "The Necklace of the Strigoi, is a very valuable witches' talisman. It not only has the power to take other witches' powers but has the capacity of being able to allow the witch that is controlling it to control her own powers. Something that you have been having trouble with." Simeon said pointedly looking at Lauri who scowled. "In my defense, I didn't know I had powers until a couple of months ago." She said glaring at Simeon. "In order to get control of the talisman you need to focus internally on yourself. Take a deep breath, focus on everything that is around you and try to locate the additional power of the amulet." Dorian said his voice soft, almost hypnotic in a way.
Laurena took a deep breath, not entirely believing this would work, but afraid not to try. She understood that a lot was riding on her being able to use this amulet, in order to save the kingdom from these crazy ass witches. But there was something else at stake. Her own freedom. She understood what Christian had told her, and she understood what he had left unsaid. The amulet would give her the power to focus her own power, to make her independent and free to live in Vemos. But the portals were open. She could kind of see how they worked, and she knew that if she used the time when Simeon wasn't training her, and Raphael wasn't demanding her attention, she knew she could spend that remaining time to learn all she could about the portals and how they worked. And she would find the book Dorian had been talking about that told the story of all the history of earth. Past, Present and Future. And then when the time is right, she could truly become the lost princess. She could leave. Leave and never return. She didn't have to belong to anyone but herself. She could be one of those independent women, the kind of women that Cassie had been telling her about. The ones that weren't afraid, of fighting for what they believed in. Actually, fighting in a man's world. She barely could believe it, but that is what she was about to do. Fight for the kingdom. And she would later fight for her right to be free. No matter what it would cost, no matter if she would spend her whole life running from her brother, his brother, and the man she knew in her deepest heart that she loved.
She closed her eyes and tuned out everything as she took a single deep breath. She held it, not breathing for a minute, and when she let it go. She listened to the world come back to focus. She heard the steps of soldiers around the castle making their rounds. She heard people moving in and out of the castle. She heard people reading quietly in Simeon's tower. Heard the erratic heartbeat of Christian and the impatient pacing that she could tell was Cassie, by the break your neck high heels that seemed to be her signature shoe. She felt Dorian and Simeon standing right in front of her, their breathing even in the space. Then as amazing for her to feel, she felt the rocks that made up the tower, each one singing with power. And she felt the individual markings that made up the elemental powers on the walls and floors around her, she made a fist and she felt her calming fire heat her hand. She felt the power that she controlled. A mix of fire, earth, light and dark. And beyond that, in the middle of her chest, the power of the necklace, the thirst it had to collect magic to be a balance to all who wielded it. The power felt almost orange to her. She knew that when she used the amulet it would shine a bright warm orange. Not a weird color, but a warm orange, that spoke of sunlight, and warmth. Of fire that healed not harmed. Water that was calm and warm to the touch. When she opened her eyes she was holding the amulet in her hands and she knew with clarity how exactly to best use this magic she had been given.
The talisman hungered for the power that would soon fill it. The power of witches' too hungry with their own power to ever notice the girl who would take it away. The necklace hummed with the power. And she knew with clarity that the necklace would be able to tell her where the witches were. And so, it did. She looked at Dorian first, his eyes were warm as the brightest blue in an ocean of green and Simeon's eyes were shining with the multi-colors of an oil painting. "I know where they are. I will be able to find the witches'. And I know how to stop their magic." Lauri said looking down at her amulet.
Simeon smiled his eyes bright with mischief. "Then let's go to war."
The first group of witches they found were by the lake of souls. The very lake that Terry and his group had left to go into the realm of hades. Lauri smiled as she approached, the witches all stood in a circle around the lake and they were so busy with their casting that they didn't even notice their approach. Lauri glanced at Dorian and Simeon who both nodded and went to either side of the lake.
Lauri smiled. "Let's make this a fair fight." She said putting a hand on either side of the amulet, which shone a bright orange as bright as a sunset before the light hit all the witches that stood by the lake with their eyes closed. As the light hit them they all broke their concentration and their bows bowed backwards their heads lifting to the sky in an earth-splitting stream. Lauri saw both Dorian and Simeon bow slightly covering their ears with the sound. The witches stepped forward away from the lake watching each other with shock. "What just happened?" one of them asked looking around. "We just evened the score." Simeon said. All the witches turned to him, seeing him draw out a sword it's blade gleaming in the gloom of the forest. "We are going to say this once. Just so the council knows we gave the option. Come quietly or we are going to take you by force." Dorian said his eyes cool and calculating. The witches all glanced at each other, their hands went out as one their fists clenching and unclenching trying without fail to use the powers that they no longer had. Both Simeon and Dorian pulled out their swords a demanding presence on either side of the Lake. And to the front of the witches stood Lauri, who opened her palm and a line of fire burst forth in her palm making a sweeping line of fire that spread in a thin line around Dorian and Simeon, and all the witches that stood by the lake. Trapping them in a circle of fire. Lauri closed her palm and pulled out two thin silver rods. A present from Bram who thought she might be more comfortable with them rather than the swords that many in Vemos she twirled both of them, smiling at the feel of them. "This is going to be fun." Lauri said before she, Simeon and Dorian launched at the witches. Despite not having any powers the witches all fought back furiously, for a moment the clash of swords echoed in the air. Seraphina a witch who mainly used earth powers grabbed Simeon's blade twisting slightly making Simeon's eyes widened as he was flipped backwards Simeon kicked out at Seraphina making her back bow as she was knocked back in surprise. Fury filled her eyes, as she jumped Simeon around the waist making both of them go down. Lauri fought two of the witches; Ana and Kaia who had both pulled out retractable blades. Lauri used her twin rods to block and parry their wicked blades before she whacked Ana in the midsection and slammed the other rod in Kaia's wrist making her drop her blade Lauri grabbed her by the wrist and swung her throwing her into Ana and watched them both crumble to the floor. Lauri turned and threw her rod, which landed at the back of Paige who turned around away from Dorian who she had been fighting with Rowena. Paige and Lauri locked into battle and Dorian seeing that Rowena was slightly distracted bodily grabbed her and threw her into Seraphina who had just moved away from Simeon. Lauri made quick work of Paige flipping her on top of Ana and Kaia who both grunted with the impact of her body falling on top of theirs. Lauri grinned wildly, her eyes looking at both Simeon and Dorian who both sheathed their swords and spread their hands floating all the witches upwards. "You can't say we didn't warn them." Dorian said, glancing at Simeon who was nodding solemnly. They headed back to the castle, Simeon and Dorian walking calmly side by side. Lauri retracted her rods, sliding them into their respective holders that hung around her waist. She glanced around the lake where the witches had been casting their spell, the remains of the magic were heavy in the air. Lauri sniffed, the fire she had been using to make a barrier had fled as soon as the witches had been subdued. Lauri walked back, walking beside Simeon. "What were they casting?" She asked. "Uncasting." Dorian answered. "There's a layer of spells that were cloaking the closed portals." Dorian explained, seeing the confusion that filled Lauri's face. "The portals are open now." Simeon said. "They weren't the only witches casting. Eliza and her trio of Blonde heralds must have been casting in another location." He said scowling slightly.
Lauri hid a smile, at Simeon's obvious distaste of the blonde witches that Eliza had used to declare Raphael's kidnapping. Although she thought calling them heralds were a bit much she understood what he meant. The blondes had reminded her a bit of back home. In her village, peoples main source of information had been the use of people who heralded the news of the day. Announcements of the chiefs, and even important dates like anniversaries and birthdays. Lauri's own engagement, and Wedding had been announced by two of the heralds. When they walked through the courtyard they immediately realized that something was wrong. The guards that usually milled around the perimeter were out in full force at the front of the castle. Lauri slipped past Simeon and Dorian and located Cassie's bright red hair.
"Hey, what's going on?" Lauri asked.
"There's been a sighting. Eliza is on her way here." Cassie said, her usual smile missing. "Time for you to get to work." Christian said nodding at her amulet. Lauri touched her amulet that was still singing with the power it had just taken from the witches. She looked up her eyes searching for Dorian and Simeon. The crowd of people milling around the front of the castle had gotten considerably larger in the few minutes since she'd been here. Even so, it didn't take her very long to locate the tall thin forms of her warlock trainers, Simeon and Dorian. They strode towards her, their mouths moving rapidly as they spoke to each other in hushed tones. Or at least, that's what Lauri had assumed they were doing, when they got closer she realized that the hushed tones were actually in fact latin, some sort of spell they were casting. Dorian paused in his whispering, his voice raspy as he answered the unspoken question in both Cassie's and Lauri's eyes. "We located the witches to a hillside North of here. We put up a barrier."
"Are you ready to meet Eliza in battle?" Simeon asked his expression thoughtful as he looked at Lauri. "Do I really have a choice in that matter?" she asked him, her eyes narrow. "Not really. Let's go." Simeon said grabbing Lauri's elbow hard, Lauri watched surprised as the scene around her blurred and suddenly the people and the Castle disappeared from view. Lauri turned to Simeon her eyes wide. "What did you just do?" Simeon smiled at her question as Dorian materialized behind her. "Teleportation is one of the perks of being a witch." Dorian said. He nodded towards the left. "There they are." He said.
Lauri and Simeon looked to where he pointed. "Isn't that a sight. A blonde quartet just for us." Simeon said sighing. Lauri tensed at his words. The three Blonde heralds that had spoke so eloquently about Raphael's kidnapping stood in front, Eliza's sapphire hair shone like a beacon behind them. "You think they know, that they are about to lose their powers?" Dorian questioned Simeon. "Maybe. Maybe not." Simeon said. Lauri scowled as she felt the weight of their stares upon her. She rolled her eyes. "I guess that means that it's my turn." Lauri said her voice laced with irritation. Dorian's eyes widened, "Not if they attack first." He said grabbing Lauri's arm and ducking. Lauri felt the flash of fire race across her back. Her eyes widened. "Time to move!" Dorian said his eyes narrowing as Simeon rolled to the right and threw out his hands hitting one of the Blondes with a burst of white light. She made a gasping noise, the other two screamed like banshees and threw up their hands and the very ground started to shake and lift up at their very feet. Lauri moved rolling away from Dorian and put both her hands on the ground and the light of her fire filled the ground and burst crashing into the faces of the other two Blondes. Eliza's eyes glittered at the sight of Lauri's untapped power. She disappeared and reappeared in front of Lauri. Lauri looked up her eyes wide at the blue-haired beauty who smiled cruelly. Her fist opened and Lauri watched as her nails turned into talons. Lauri rose up on her feet ready to fight but with a whoosh, Eliza was tackled to the floor by Dorian who didn't bother with any powers whatsoever and proceeded to punch the lights out of her. Lauri turned around and saw blue light arching towards her. She ducked into a roll, and her hand went to a dagger that was sheathed on an ankle holster, pulling it out she flung it wildly, and watched as it slid into the chest of one of the blondes. She was surprised however when all three of the girls screamed in unison. Simeon pushed the girls that he had currently been fighting until they all clambered together screaming in what seemed to be pain. "Lauri, DO IT NOW!" Simeon screamed. Lauri kneeled on the grass pulling out her rods and focused on the power of the amulet. She focused it until the orange light that surrounded the amulet pulled out of it like a wisp of orange flame and gathered at the edge of her rods. She did a spinning flip and the power of the amulet hit all three girls at the same time. Lauri felt as their power gathered together in a cloudy ball before it rolled back into the amulet. Lauri stood shakily to her feet. She turned back to where Dorian was still fighting Eliza. Lauri moved closer, twirling her rods as she approached before she could summon the power of the amulet however Eliza made a rough movement and Dorian was thrown forwards. Lauri froze watching Dorian moan, his shirt laced with dark marks of red. Lauri watched as Dorian clutched his chest moaning. Her hesitation cost her as she felt a lance of power shot to the side of her. She heard Simeon yelp behind her but didn't dare turn around as Eliza's full stare met her head on. Lauri moved rapidly swiping her rods against Eliza's sharp talons, the witch smiled her eyes cruel. "So, you are the pretty little lost princess everyone has been whispering about." Eliza said her eyes sharp as she moved her talons against the X Lauri had made with her rods. "And you're the evil witch everyone is so afraid of." Lauri said sweat marking her brow as she tried to make sure that Eliza didn't mark her with her winding talons. "Fear is power, dear." Eliza said. "Anyone who tells you differently is lying to themselves." She said her eyes flicking towards Dorian and Simeon. Her eyes went further, Lauri tensed as she realized that Eliza was now looking towards her cohorts one of which was dead, the others seemed to be knocked out for some reason. "What have you done to my daughters?!" Eliza said her voice turning dark with rage. Lauri's eyes widened. Eliza pushed away from Lauri and pushed forward, an ancient power pushed Lauri off her feet, making her scream. Lauri tried to push one of her rods to protect herself, but Eliza grabbed it and gave Lauri a backhand, that made her fall back. She tasted blood in her mouth from Eliza's claws and felt her power weaken. Lauri's eyes widened as she realized that the claws took away her power, like the amulet did to other witches. Her eyes went down slightly as Eliza grabbed her by the arms her knees pushing her down deeper to the ground. Lauri glared at the witch hatefully. "I did no more than they deserve!" Lauri said her eyes darkened with pain. "You kidnapped Raphael! You were going to kill him." She said trying to ignore the pain that came from the near death grip Eliza was holding her in. "One day I swear you will wish I had." Eliza said her own eyes dark. Lauri growled, and pushed her chest forward summoning the power of the amulet. An arc of orange light burst forth and Eliza's claws ripped through Lauri's skin as she was thrown off her in a heap. Lauri's hands fell to her sides as agony ripped through her. She turned her head, and saw Dorian shakily getting up trying to make his way towards her. The last thing Lauri saw was Dorian's clear grey eyes, the color of a storm burning into hers as darkness consumed her vision.