The next day.
"I don't know why we agreed to this, but I am telling you, we should all hope that for Annie's sake, this won't end up in a tragedy" said Maddie as she scoffed and they all walked to the training ground.
"I also don't agree with this Maddie, but Annie wants to do this, and if we stop her, she won't be happy" said Matt as he sighed.
"That's why you allowed to let her go didn't you Curtis?" asked Matt as he turned to look at Curtis.
"Yes, that is why I did" said Curtis.
"Annie is right, she's not a child, you need to relax Maddie" said Ollie.
"You just shut up Blondie, and she's wrong, she is a child, she is the youngest of us all, and it's our duty to look out for her, can't you see that this can go horrible wrong" said Maddie.
"Maddie, don't say things like that, I am sure that Annie will be fine" said Matt as Maddie looked at him.
"But Matt, you are supposed to be on my side here" said Maddie.
"I am, but I am also on Annie's side, if she says that she trusts Griselda, then we should trust her as well" said Matt as Maddie scoffed.
"Whatever" said Maddie with a frown.
"But I still don't like that we allowed Annie to go alone, we should have gone with her, or at least I should have" said Maddie as she sighed.
"Maddie you know that we can't all go, what are we going to tell Katarina?" asked Curtis.
"Curtis is right Maddie, how are we going to explain both you and Annie's absence?" asked Matt.
"Whatever, I just hope that Annie will be alright" said Maddie as she tried her best to change Annie mind, but Annie would not budge at all, she was bent on going on with her plans, and that only made Maddie even more worried.
"Good Morning Katarina" said Ollie as he smiled as they walked to the training ground and they saw Katarina who was putting away her sword.
"Good Morning Katarina" said the rest of them as Katarina turned to look at them all.
"Good Morning to you all" said Katarina.
"Where is Annie?" asked Katarina as she could not see Annie at all.
"Ahh well…" said Ollie as he was cut off by Maddie.
"She's doesn't feel so good, she feels a bit under the weather, I think that she has a cold, so she decided to stay back today" said Maddie.
"I see" said Katarina.
"Yes" said Maddie as she smiled and she nodded.
"Well I wish that she gets better soon, anyway, we should continue on with the training for today" said Katarina as they all nodded.
…
Annie walked through the trees in the direction of Griselda's house, she remembered the way to get there well from yesterday.
Annie walked past the trees as she saw Griselda's little cottage and she walked to the front door as she knocked on it.
"Come in dear, the door is open" came Griselda's voice from inside the cottage as Annie opened the door and she walked into the cottage and she closed the door behind her as she saw Griselda walking in from another room.
"Good Morning Griselda" said Annie as she smiled.
"Good Morning dear, how was your night?" asked Griselda as she smiled at Annie.
"It was good Griselda, and how was your night?" asked Annie as she smiled.
"Good as well dear, I hope that I did not cause you any trouble with your friends?" asked Griselda.
"No, not at all, I explained to them, and well, I apologize for their rude behaviour towards you, they were just worried about me" said Annie as she smiled.
"There is no need to apologize dear, I understand, they all care for you deeply" said Griselda as she smiled.
"I know that they do" said Annie as she smiled.
"So did you decide on if you want to go ahead with the ceremony dear?" asked Griselda.
"Yes Griselda, I have, and I will go on with it" said Annie as she nodded her head.
"Are you sure dear? Your friends did not seem so thrilled about the idea" said Griselda.
"I am very sure, and they cannot stop me, and I trust you, I want to go on with it" said Annie as she looked very serious.
"Well alright then my dear, would you like to eat something before we begin?" asked Griselda as Annie shook her head.
"No Griselda, I am fine, thank you" said Annie as she smiled.
"Alright dear, I can see that you are eager to start, so please follow me" said Griselda as Annie nodded and she followed after Griselda as they walked to another room that was dark as Griselda lit some candles and she opened pulled back the curtains on the window to let light into the room as she walked to the big black cauldron in the middle of the room.
"Will it take long for you to prepare the cauldron like yesterday?" asked Annie.
"No dear, not at all" said Griselda as she looked at Annie and she smiled as she walked to the shelf and she took some different looking vials and bottles as she threw them into the cauldron, and the cauldron started to smoke as a white mist came out of it.
"Some bay leaves" said Griselda as she poured bay leaves into the cauldron.
"The tear of a lizard" said Griselda as she opened up a little clear vial and she poured a little drop of the clear tear.
"The sweat of a frog" said Griselda as she poured the ingredient in the cauldron as the cauldron mist started to change colour from white, to green and then to blue.
"A dry vine from the unripe grapevine" said Griselda.
"Soil from the most unfertile ground" said Griselda as she took a handful of sand and she poured it into the cauldron as the white mist coming from the cauldron changed to orange.
"And finally, the fresh morning breath from the sunrise" said Griselda as she poured in what looked like nothing from a little vial as she looked at Annie.
"Now I need your blood" said Griselda as she looked at Annie.
"Wait... do I have to drink that?" asked Annie in horror.
"No, not at all dear, what is in the cauldron is not for drinking, it is for seeing" said Griselda as Annie sighed in relief.
"Alright so how do you get my blood?" asked Annie as she was scared of that part.
"Like this" said Griselda as she brought out a little dagger.
"It will not hurt at all my dear, trust me, it will only sting a little" said Griselda as Annie nodded and she walked to the cauldron as the mist had remained orange.
"Place your right hand over the cauldron" said Griselda as Annie nodded and she did as she was told, and before she so quickly and swiftly slit Annie's wrist and Annie winced in pain when blood came out from the cut and dropped into the cauldron as Griselda rubbed the cut with some clear substance as it healed almost immediately as Annie pulled her hand back quickly and she looked at it in surprise.
"Now, my turn" said Griselda as she cut her own wrist and she let the blood dripped into the cauldron as there seemed to be an implosion in the cauldron as Annie heard a loud bang noise that came from the cauldron as the coloured mist disappeared in an instant and all the candles lit in the room were blown out as the substance in the cauldron began to bubble.
"It Is done" said Griselda as she looked into the cauldron and she smiled.
"Now, all you wish to know, I will be able to answer" said Griselda as she looked at Annie and she smiled.
"Really?" asked Annie as she could not believe it, it just looked like a cauldron, nothing special there.
"Yes my dear, come sit on the other side of the cauldron" said Griselda as Annie nodded and she walked to sit across the other side of the cauldron as Griselda said.
"You do not trust what I have just did do you?" asked Griselda as she looked at Annie.
"It is not like that, I don't think that this will actually tell me anything, I mean I don't know if it even works" said Annie as she did not want tit to sound like she did not believe, but she needed proof.
"Well then let us test it dear" said Griselda as she smiled, she did not seem offended at all by what Annie had said.
"Cauldron, show me what is happening with Katarina right now" said Griselda as she smiled and she hovered her hands over the cauldron as Annie watched her in disbelief.