Lawhey, Shoto, Helton, Kemi and Ryan went ahead to Brim to collect their reward. Atta on the other hand, went back to meet her circus.
"I really don't think we should be going anywhere near Brim right now. Cynthia Mcloiuse wants you dead and Brim is filled with members of the void."
Shoto said to the rest hoping to change their mind.
"I don't care where we go, I just want to get out of Mangoase. "
Helton said and the look on the others face gave Shoto his answer.
He stayed back and kept Kemi with him. Ryan and the rest went ahead.
"We should try to stop him from going. Cynthia definitely has a plan in place. She would kill him and any chance of resurrecting Row."
Shoto said to Kemi and he nodded in agreement.
"Guy we have been walking for hours we should find a place to rest. I saw a bar during my ran somewhere here. "
KEMI said out loud getting everyone's attention.
" A shade and some drinks sounds great."
Lawhey said as they continued walking under the scorching sun. They had on boots but they still felt the heat from the hot sand under their feet.
Meanwhile, Pencil was still struggling to cast any spell. They had been trying for days. She had tried to cast element spells, and most spells all between. There was no positive results and Apia and Hollow witch were fed up.
"Can you tell me at least why, why or what you need me to do?"
Pencil asked Hollow.
"I seriously can't get use to people calling you Hollow."
Apia said to Hollow as the sat on the floor in Apia's living room.
"It's a name I got when I joined void, I tried correcting them but I stopped after awhile. It helped with my reputation, striking fear in the heart of my enemies. "
Hollow said and laidback .
"Void"
Apia said with a sigh.
"I know you don't approve of the void but I needed them to take down Claire. At least I have been trying to do what we swore to do, while you and Dalia hid in holes like rats."
Hollow said to Apia lifting her head a little to look her in the eye.
" I get wanting to bring Claire down but at what cost. Void kill, even children, what's the point of taking Claire down if you become her?"
Apia said, all the while Pencil sat there quietly and listened.
" You may have forgotten how important our duty was. Maybe hearing the story of the book of skins, might jog your memory."
Hollow said and looked at Pencil who was lost in their conversation.
"You want to know why we need you? Every witch, is part of a coven and every coven is part of a cluster. Which all comes together to create a grand coven. The head of all the witches is the grand witch or the weir. The cardinal was established years ago to keep the weir in check.
Many years ago there was no cardinal, nor covens . It was every witch for themselves. Until the word came, well the word was already there. At least that's what is in the history books. The word was not dangerous to us until it became flesh. It went killing everyone witch that got in contact with it.
Then one man Fergus Angus Weir also known as Faw. He travel around the world uniting witches, with the purpose of defeating the word. Since the word had been there since the beginning and had not been a threat to witches. Weir decided it was the flesh, he needed a flesh to put the word. A flesh which would not be a threat to witches. He created a spell to transfer the word into his body. Since no one knew the word, he taught the spell to every witch he could. Still witches were dying, now they had strange writings all over their bodies.
The word was too much to contain in one body. He then cut the skin off the back of five hundred witches. Which he used in making a book."
"The book of skins"
Pencil said interrupting her.
"Yes, with the book of skins he was able to absorb the word. The book of skin is now the most powerful grimoire in the world. After defeating the word, Fergus became the first weir and it continued in his bloodline. Until later, about two hundred years down the bloodline of weirs. Boyd Oliver Weir took the reigns, the power of the book of skins took over him. He started killing witches and absorbing their powers. He was unstoppable, with the book of skin in his possession.
There the lowest rank of witches save us, the Lefevres. Esme Lefevre and her family of ladies. They are a group of witches known as battle witches or battle mages. They have low mana and are good with weapons. They were strong, even stronger than most of the male witches.
Since they were not reliant on magic powers, they were able to defeat Boyd. After, Esme the eldest of the Lefevre girls was made weir. A plague ravaged towns and everyone looked to the weir for answers. Esme could not help her own father and the covens were furious. After the plagues died out, Esme decreed the dead of all males in Isis and it's neighbouring towns. Her argument was, males would be corrupted by the book of skins. The only male in her family was killed by the plague and she made everyone feel her pain.
Most families ran away, and the rest were not in any position to stop her. Down the line witches revolted and Esme had to step down, for another Lefevre to take the reigns.The Lefevre bloodline have been weir since then. After Odette took over from Esme , to further ease the minds of the witches. She asked them to choose four witches to keep her in check.
Four witches were chosen from the strongest bloodline to form the first cardinal.
Esme killed the males and Claire sent the males to war. It's a pattern that is telling us where she is going. She tried to kill the cardinal, she needs to be stopped. As quickly as possible before another Bow is born. The only reason Isis is still standing is because she is a battle mage. If she finds the book of skins, she would definitely find a way to use it.
There is a spell to incapacitate her but all four cardinals need to be in unison. We can't do anything without you and the new cardinal were basically selected by her."
Hollow said to Pencil who had more questions than before.
"Did you feel that?"
Apia sat up and said to Hollow. Hollow stood up and slowly walked out and Apia followed her.
"She is alive, it's impossible."
Hollow said looking around.
"You did feel it too, she is alive. The power of the cardinal has been restored."
Apia said with a smile on her face.
"It can't be, I haven't felt her for years and suddenly…. It must me a trick to draw us out."
Hollow said to Apia.
"It's Fay no doubt about it. She is alive."
Apia said to Hollow.
"My mum is alive?"
Pencil said from behind and they both turned around.