~
Riya watched as the young Meridith struggled with the task for a while till she finally spoke up.
"I apologize to everyone present for my thoughtless actions, please forgive me." She said.
"Come over here." Her grandmother said.
"You cannot be considering to initiate this....."
"Adriana, leave it." The leader said, cutting the other elder short.
The woman stepped back but kept shooting the young witch arrows with her eyes. Riya recognized her now, she was also there in the circle that day when her mother was going into labor, she had also disagreed then too that she'd be born and raised amongst them.
The young witch walked up to the leader and the woman ripped the dress she was wearing and went to a bigger stone platter on the ground and smeared her hands with the content. She then came to Meridith again and started to rub it on Meridith's naked body. Looking closely, Riya saw that it was also blood like the other girls had.
After making sure Meridith was covered properly except for her hair, she looked at her for a while like she was contemplating something, she then smeared her hands with the content on the stone plate and drew her symbol on her right upper arm since she already had one on her forehead.
"He just had to choose the forehead." The woman said as she continued to draw the symbol.
The young witch chuckled hearing this while the woman just shook her head and continued. When she was done, she gestured for her to go and pick a spot in the circle and went back to stand close to the other elder with the name Adriana.
Meridith went to a spot to stand in between two girls who giggled when they saw her, it was clear they were friends but Riya didn't think she would have a friend, let alone two.
Seeing that everyone was in place, the leader started to chant something inaudibly as she pointed her fingers to the sky. Suddenly, lightning struck a tree not far from them and the markings on their foreheads shone including their eyes.
"Let the chaos begin." The woman shouted.
Riya was shocked to see the girls attacking each other with spells while the elders just stood there and watched. Riya scanned the whole scene to look for Meridith and saw her fighting together with the two girls from earlier, they fought together as a team, each complimenting each other's moves and spells.
After a while, only ten girls emerged winners inclusive of Meridith and her friends. The leader gestured for them to come forward.
"You have your keepers." The woman said and the rest of the girls clapped and cheered except one girl.
"She didn't fight fair and square." The girl shouted in fury, pointing Meridith.
"I did, you're just jealous you didn't emerge a keeper Tira." Meridith fired back.
Silence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The leader said, silencing the girls.
"If you don't find her worthy to be your keeper, will you challenge her then?" The leader asked the girl.
The girl immediately stood up and walked to the middle of the circle where the winners and the elders were standing.
"I accept." The girl named Tira said.
"I accept." Meridith said, consumed with anger.
"I know when demon energy is being used, so whoever wins will tell who's lying." The leader said.
That been said, the girls started to fight while everyone made way for them to have enough space. They fought and fought, each attacking each other with spells and use of fists until Meridith subdued the girl, trapping her in an ancient spell.
"Where did you get that knowledge?." Adriana asked in utter shock.
"I saved it right for this occasion." Meridith said casually.
The ancient spell in question was a spell used to trap a witch in a carved out spell on the ground that causes the witch to turn on herself and self destruct. It was a spell the witches used for traitors in their midst when caught.
"You have your winner." The leader declared loudly as the other girls started to cheer and clap.
Meridith released Tira from the spell and raised her hands in victory.
"What will you do to appeal your case for challenging a potential Keeper?." The leader asked Tira who was still on the floor trying to heal herself from the torture the spell inflicted.
"For challenging a keeper, Tira of Thíva, you will bow." Meridith said with her silver eyes glowing brightly.
"You have your punishment." The leader said.
Tira fell to her knees and bowed to Meridith while Adriana clenched her fists in rage silently.
"Ohhhh I'd be really pissed if I were Tira." Riya whispered, unaware of Adriana's reaction as she chuckled.
Sitting by her side and watching Riya closely, Voleth Meir and the others noticed the mark on her forehead glow more than once.
"That's a good girl." Voleth Meir whispered, smiling.
Back in the forest, the scene before Riya immediately faded away slowly with Tira still bowing to Meridith.
"I guess this theatre just kicked me out." Riya murmured.
She left her hiding place and walked back towards the South where she was previously coming from, she had seen an old empty house not too far from here on her way. She needed to just crash for the night and continue on her way tomorrow morning.
Morning came with rays of light trickling into the house through the little spaces in the woods used to build the house. Riya yawned and turned on the frail and thin bed in the little house. After turning around for a while, she sat up and took deep breaths before standing up.
"Wonder who would sleep on this thing." She muttered as she walked towards the door and opened it.
Riya stopped in her tracks as she saw a man standing outside the house with his back turned to her. He was dressed like any other man in ancient Greece would, but there was something about his Aura that told Riya he wasn't a regular guy. She stepped out of the house slowly and closed the door before going to hide beside the house.
She watched closely as the man placed two lilies in his palm like Nephele did last time and whispered a spell before it disappeared.
After a while also like last time, Meridith came running with her hair disheveled like she ran off from her bed without even thinking. She stopped in her tracks and suddenly started crying as she saw the man.
"Uncle Elijah." She whispered and ran into the man's arms.
"Elijah?". Riya whispered in shock.
She continued to watch as the man named Elijah and Meridith continued to hug each other. Meridith broke from the hug and looked up at the man.
"I thought you were mad at me and you wouldn't come to see me again." Meridith said.
"No princess, I've just been quite busy." He said smiling.
"Would you come often now?." She asked
"Of course." He replied, trying to straighten her hair with his fingers.
"Let's go inside." Meridith said and dragged him as she walked towards the house Riya slept in.
"I need to tell you all about what has been going on and how I emerged the winner and a keeper in the initiation last night." She added with smiles as she continued to drag him towards the house.
"You did?" The man asked amazed.
"Yes." Meridith said, giggling.
Now that his face was turned, Riya took a close look at the man and just couldn't recognize him. The Elijah she knew didn't look half as good as this guy.
"Ohhhh right, he's dead, that's a body he just jumped into." Riya immediately corrected herself.
Was this how Elijah truly looked in the past? She pondered.
She came out from where she hid beside the house and came to stand in front of the house.
Why exactly was she still hiding? She asked herself.
"Can't take chances, they're witches, shoulda asked Voleth Meir about this." She muttered.
She walked away from the house and continued on her journey and wondered within her what she'll find today.
Behind her, someone stepped out from behind a tree and smiled.
"How satisfying to have you back at the very beginning Meridith, I've really missed you." The woman said with a sardonic smile.