KETHRA stood on the top of the weathered wooden stump in front of her cottage, her wrinkled feet planted firmly on the moss-covered surface. The stomp had been a towering tree once, a long time ago perhaps, but as time went on and it got harder and harder to go into the forest to search for woods to keep her interior warm, she had hired the help of the town's men to help in turning that towering tree into firewood.
Now, the wood served her during the cold nights, and the stomps that were left behind served as a chair for her to rest her weary body, offering an unobstructed view of the night sky after her hard days' work.
On this day though, the night sky was different. It had the shade of deep indigo and a sprinkle of stars that twinkled like diamonds scattered across its canvas. It was beautiful and it held her attention but this was not what made the sky different.
It was not this beautiful twinkling light which seemed to glow bright with every passing moment that made her gasp as she stared up at the sky, neither was it the sight of the color of the night sky that made her heart jump ferociously and her insides to burn with anticipation.
No. All these were spectacular sights but it was not what had caught her attention.
In her eyes, unfolded two full moons – a sight which was foreign even to a land of magic and Sorens such as Adalevia – she recognized the two moons and knew their names by heart. They were the moons that she had been waiting for and she had thought that her time too would pass without her seeing them.
She had even begun to teach Elara, who was to become the next Sorceress after she passed how to recognize the two moons which would signify the awakening of the Yajan.
"Elara." She called softly, although her voice rang with an excited tune. "Elara." She called again when she heard no reply.
From behind her, she heard the creaking of the wooden door and the girl's pattering footsteps. "Kethra," Elara answered, wondering if it was time to help the sorceress up and light the fire. The sorceress was getting quite old, after living several hundred years and soon, it would be time for her to join the fathers.
Elara was sure that was why Kethra was beginning to rush her lessons. She knew that soon she would be gone from this plane, tethered no more to this world by any thread. Even now, she could see Kethra's thread and it was no longer as thick as it used to be. If it got any thinner…
She pushed the thought aside and stood by the woman on the stump which had now become her favorite place. "You called for me?" she asked.
Kethra nodded her head and slowly, lifted her wrinkly hand to point at the night sky. "Look." She said.
Elara obeyed. Perhaps, it was another lesson but when her eyes landed on the twin moons in the sky, she gasped loudly. This was impossible. She thought. Kethra had been trying to teach her of the moons but she had not been taking the lessons seriously.
The awakening was a myth and even if it was, the moons had never been spotted in more than a thousand years. She glanced at Kethra who had a mysterious glint in her eyes.
"Kethra..." she said and trailed off, the words getting lost in the many thoughts that now occupied her head.
"The time is here, child," Kethra said in her usual slow manner of talking. "Our Sky is adorned with Luminaria and Khthonia and they have brought with them the Yajan."
Elara knew the stories of the two fabled moons. Kethra used to drone on about them all the time. They were complete opposites and they never appeared on the same night, each made their rounds every thousand years.
While Luminaria symbolized good fortune and prosperity, Khthonia symbolized the underworld; death, and rebirth. Luminaria brought with it life and light, but Khthonia was said to bring with it a curse. There was an old saying that went; "On the night when Luminaria and Khthonia meet in marriage, then the Yajan would be born. He would come again and waive the threads of magic to bring peace and unity to the land."
Elara lowered herself to the small space that remained on the stump and glanced up at the moons. "Kethra," she said softly. "There is going to be trouble."
Kethra smiled and nodded. "Get ready then. The dark one's army would be on their way here now. If they are not here already."
Elara laid her hand on Kethra's wrinkled ones and glanced up at the moon one last time. "I will protect you with my life."
They heard the battle cry before they saw the warriors. Elara jumped to her feet, pushing Kethra behind her. Her hands glowed a soft amber hue as she tapped into her threads of magic, using it to form a protective shield around herself and her master.
She could not believe the dark lord with sent over a hundred soldiers for just one small, old woman. Still, given the things Kethra could do with a snap of her finger, a hundred soldiers were only child's play for her.
She was about to advance on the men when she felt Kethra's firm hand on her shoulder, pulling her to a standstill. "No," Kethra said, pushing Elara to the back with her magic. "It is I who will protect you. After I am gone, pick up my mantle as Sorceress, that is your task."
Elara shook her head stubbornly. "We fight together Kethra. I will not let you do this."
With a flip of her wrist, Kethra weaved her magic to create sharp spikes from the ground around Elara. That should keep her busy for a while I deal with the soldiers.
"My time here is over, child. I have lived long enough and now, it is your time. You must find the Yajan and protect him at all costs."