Orbs & Prophecy

3.
 Orbs & Prophecy

lex lifted himself from the ground, rubbing his hands against heavy eyelids; his head weighing greatly on his shoulders. Blinking his eyes awake, Alex glanced about the room. His memory foggy… to say the least; he remembered the silver orb that had appeared, coming to rest beside his foot. That had happened in the chamber of the First Council, but this was not that place. Alex had somehow arrived home. 

The glass doors at the rear of the house were closed, the wooden slats tightly pushed together to hold off the light. Alex nudged his head out the door; the sky was an unusual shade of red. Clouds were pulled across the murky sky as if being drug along by the nails of an angry hand; the sight was rather unnerving. Red and orange covered the landscape as far as Alex could see, but there was no sun in sight. It suddenly occurred to him that there was no wind, as if the world were holding its breath.

“HELLO!” Alex cried loudly, his voice echoing over the smooth grass of the field. The air rippling as his words somehow became an invisible solid.

No response was returned, the wrinkling of the air a disruptive sight. Alex was very much alone in this place. It was like the world had stopped turning while he had slept. A dense and heavy heat was coming from somewhere in the distance, hot enough that Alex felt the need to shield his face. Running a hand through his hair, Alex realized it had grown long again, long enough that it almost touched his eyebrows. Was he in a memory? 

Rounding the corner of the house, the hollow thud of Alex’s footsteps against the dark stained planks that made up the walkway were all that could be heard. The landscape below the house was picture perfect, blanketed by the red of the sky. The winding little river that wove its pattern across the valley looked as though it had stopped. The trees held their leaves still, the grass holding in a desire to sway. No birds overhead, no cars on the distant expressway. Whatever this was, it wasn’t home. 

The sporty red car that Alex had stolen in a previous moment of desperation was no longer parked in the driveway. However, like a hungry mouth, the door of the garage hung slightly open; daring Alex to look inside. Bending to gaze in at the eerie darkness, his stomach tightened. A strange and sickening fear arose, forcing Alex to run.

Alex sprinted down the road that connected the house to the main street; gravel scattering in all directions. Running as forcefully as possible, Alex made his way towards town. Though his steps were blistering, Alex’s feet made little sound as they beat against the black road that lagged behind. Passing hand painted meadows, parked cars, an empty church, and several tiny houses, not a single person was to be found. 

Sweating and out of breath, Alex slowed to a heavy walk as he arrived at Fifth Street. Pausing for a moment, he looked at the street sign. A tall silver pole, dented in several places, paint marks from car bumpers and dirt around the bottom. The sign itself hung very proper, green with white lettering: Fifth Street. The naming had always perplexed Alex. There were no other main roads in the town, though this particular sign suggested there might be.

Passing the first few houses on the street, having left the overgrown fields of brittle grass and wheat behind, Alex approached a window. There was no one to be seen. The love seats of the first house were empty, the kitchen of the second quite vacant, and the front door to the third tightly bolted. Alex didn’t call out; it seemed as though there was no point. If his voice was doomed to echo into nothingness he preferred to save his breathe. 

Arriving at the steps of Practical Magic, Alex stopped. He examined the lettering, noting the cracked and peeling red and gold that was once so smooth. Atticus, Alex’s most trusted friend, had been scrupulous when it came to painting the sign on the doors. Having done it several times before getting it ‘just right’, Atticus had declined magic in his efforts. 

Alex pushed against the tarnished handle of the door; it trembled, the door staying firmly in place. Though the door remained stationary, it was as if it feared denying Alex entrance. Unexpectedly, the handle ripped from Alex’s hand, the door thrusting open, slamming forcefully against the interior and swinging back. Shards of glass ripped from the door, raining over Alex. Shielding his eyes out of instinct, a terrible rumbling came from overhead. 

As the stoop beneath his worn feet began to shutter, a significant piece of the building’s wooden molding came crashing down from the third story narrowly missing Alex. The aged molding splintered into pieces as it met the steps that led to the door of the shop, the white paint that was crusted over the wood scattered like snow across the searing ground. With a jerk and a shift the entire building shook more forcefully, Alex, leapt from the steps, rolling into the street as an eruption of flames tore through the building. The rumbling continued, like an earthquake in the distance; bricks dislodged themselves, shattering as dust against the sidewalk. 

Pock marks of white appeared as more bricks flew forwards, several more windows shattering in a chorus of shrill shrieks. Like a hiccup from deep within; the building sunk down a foot, the brick face leaning back a considerable distance. Alex, helplessly confused and terrified witnessed a massive ball of orange erupt into the bloody sky, black smoking forming a wake. 

Splintered wood and bits of brick rained down over Alex, who quickly covered his head and coiled his body tightly in to avoid injury. As the scene began to settle Alex lifted himself from the rubble, the dust beginning to settle. 

“ALEX!” 

Surprised and thoroughly relieved, Alex spotted Jen standing at the corner.

“Where have you been?”

Running up to Jen, Alex gripped her by the shoulders.

“Are you ok?” 

“Alex… where have you been?” demanded Jen.

“What?”

“I need your help.”

“I need your help. We have to help-” Alex glanced around at the place where Atticus’ shop had self destructed.

“Alex, what’s wrong with you?”

Alex didn’t reply, staring blankly at the sight. The boards that had engulfed him as the fireball shot into the air were missing. Everything was remarkably clean, the street and sidewalk all but bare. There was no shattered glass, damaged merchandise, or even scars of charring left on the brick walls of the buildings that now stood only to hold open the space where the magic shop had been. Jen seemed blissfully unaware of this. She watched as Alex ran a hand over the tightly packed dirt of the vacant lot.

“It was just here.”

Jen glanced around as if expecting something to make itself known. Alex remained on his knees, knuckles upon the ground. Clearly frustrated, she was hesitant to speak.

“Where’s Atticus?” Alex asked, a somber note on his tongue. 

“He died… you know that.”

Alex looked about the lot where he knelt; thick grass was overtaking large areas, tall flowering weeds appearing.  

“Let’s go,” snipped Jen, gripping Alex by the wrist. In that moment Alex noticed that Jen was different, as different as the lot had suddenly become.

The two of them were swallowed from head to toe by a slender ring of blue. Alex felt his stomach churn as he squirmed in Jen’s clammy hand. He couldn’t feel the ground; the only things to be seen were the rear of his eyelids. As a bitter cold beat against their faces, tears formed in the corners of Alex’s tightly clenched eyes. With a hollow thud they met the ground, Jen on her feet, Alex on the street.

“Where are we?” Alex questioned, gazing about frantically.

A massive wall of fire raged in the distance; touching the mountains on both sides of the city. The heat Alex had felt before was greatly intensified. It felt as if he was getting a sunburn, but there was still no sun to be seen through the mass of red clouds that covered the whole of the landscape. The storm, or whatever it was, grew in the distance. It was expanding in all directions, the intensity of the heat growing with it. 

At the base of the fire: homes, trees, and lawns were bursting into flames before even making contact with the red giant. As they passed inside the cyclone of red the fires were extinguished and all that was left behind were black twigs and burnt out structures.

“What is that?” Alex cried, in shock, his legs feeling weak.

Jen turned her head slowly, as if Alex were out of his mind. Alex stared back at her; Jen’s face was strong, there was no sign of the timid witch he had first met. Strands of long blonde hair whipped around her face, adding to the intensity she was already presenting.

“That’s Meg’s mess,” she replied, shouting to be heard.

Alex had no idea what Jen was saying. 

“Are you ready?”

“What?”

“Are you ready?” roared Jen, irritated.

Alex didn’t know what to do, his mind spinning. Jen held out her hands

“Start the incantation!” Jen saw the blank stare on Alex’s face. “What’s wrong with you?” she cried, her arms dropping to her sides. “Did you forget the incantation? It’s Sambra. Lucen. Octan. Haun.”

“I shouldn’t be here,” yelled Alex, the heat of the flaming storm becoming unbearable.

“Alex, I can’t do this alone!”

“I don’t know what you want me to do, Jen!”

“You have… to do… it!” Jen’s words became muttered, coming out of her in a deep slow voice that wasn’t her own.

Jen’s mouth continued to move, though no other words passed over her lips. Beneath Alex’s feet the ground jumped, ripples tearing through the air similar to the effect he had witnessed outside the house when this nightmare began. Alex ran; he turned from Jen, running with desperate speed. He had to get away from her, from this place. 

Alex felt more confused now than he ever had. He suddenly wondered where Melissa had been in all of this. Why wasn’t she with Jen? Alex could feel his heart pounding, his breaths shallow, sweat forming on his brow. Stopping for air, he couldn’t escape the glare of the red beast in the distance.

Leaning against a building for support, he glanced around what had been downtown. The city had been completely deserted. Empty buildings and abandoned cars were the only figures to be found on the streets. The pavement was soft from the intense heat that was approaching, pulling at Alex’s shoes as he began to sink into the blacktop. Clenching his eyes shut, Alex searched for a moment of solitude. Trying desperately to escape the scene of destruction that was set around him. 

Opening his eyes, Alex was shocked to see Melissa sitting at the dining room table; spoon in hand, shoveling down what appeared to be oatmeal. Blue decorated the sky beyond the window, a bulky bird resting on the back of a colorful lawn chair. There was no sign of red anywhere on the horizon, the grass of the field beyond the house dancing in the summer breeze. Alex was confused. Was any of that real?

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The Rules of Life and Death

Only a handful of things have carved a lasting memory in the back of my mind. The day I was given my pug, Chico, is one of the rare memories.

It was Christmas Eve and my dad entered the kitchen bundled up with something in his coat. My parents had banded together to get me the dog I had wanted since I was a child, and at the age of seventeen they finally cracked. When he pulled out a tiny ball of wrinkles, I couldn't contain the excitement. Chico was the runt and the last one to be selected. How the barely open eyes of this puppy could not force anyone to fall in love is beyond me. Everyone that passed over my Chico doesn't understand what they missed out on, but I am incredibly glad they left him for me.

This was my first day with Chico. There were so many days with him that I could recount and smile about. Running circles in the street when all you wanted was for him to come in. Peeing on Ray Ray as she sat in the grass oblivious. Crying like a baby as you left him in the car to pump gas. Never have I met a dog with more personality.

What is unfortunate and almost to depressing to recount is the last day. My Chico slowly lost the use of his back legs and became ill. It came to a point where my family had to let go of him to prevent any pain or suffering, but it was the hardest decision and if it weren't for my mother I doubt it could have been made. When I received the call that hew was gone it was one of those moments that blindside you, leaving you standing in a puddle of sadness.

I do my best to show no emotion in public. There has only been one other instance that broke me down and that was the death of my aunt. This loss should have been expected, but the thought of Chico passing left me tearing up in the corner of a dark bar. Fortunately, I have friends that are there to offer any comfort, not that there is anything anyone can do.

My greatest fear is that my poor memory will get the best of me and I will look back someday and not truly remember. Like childhood pictures, I know them but I have no memory of them. I hope that the eight years I had with Chico will remain vividly present. I miss my Chico and can't help but stare at his pictures and wish that life weren't so set in stone with the rules of life and death.

Megnificent Plans

2.
Megnificent Plans
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Moments exist that are often regretted; things that cannot be changed. Sometimes it is the change we make within these moments that causes us such distress. Alec had been an accidental creation of Alex’s. Returning to a memory through the Pharaoh’s Eye, a rather shabby and haggard block of wood that had been forged into the head of a long dead pharaoh, Alex had managed to cross directly through himself. Though details were not fact, a rip in time split their threads apart. Alec was born of memory, fortunate only for Meg.

With the accidental creation of Alec, Meg had found a vicious companion where she had been lacking one. Alec had Alex’s face, body, and even snippets of his genius. He was a far sight better to look at than her two servants. Their rotting flesh, looking as though it were ready to part from their bodies; hair that was nothing more than small tuffs of lanky black; and those soulless eyes. All traits quite common in Ritifs, though it was rare to find these creatures outside the bowels of the hell realms. Meg, a creature of darkness herself, had a soft spot for the eyes of Ritifs. After what had become a lifetime of murderous endeavors, it was a relief to look upon something that didn’t truly look back.

Meg stared almost longingly at Alec with her distant brown eyes, recounting their first encounter. Meg vanished from Alex’s sight, reappearing in the shadows of the trees. Moonlight weaving it’s way through the heavy branches above, defined Alex’s silhouette. Alex picked up an unconscious Jen, carrying her away from what he knew to be lurking beyond his sight. Alex’s pace was much slower exiting the forest than it had been upon entering. He did his best not to rattle Jen too much; aware that she could wake at any moment, but unaware what damage had been done to her.

Meg orbed herself out of the forest, waiting for Alex to appear. The minutes of waiting felt like hours of anxious anticipation. Meg was relieved to see a figure breaking through the black of the thick trees. Much to her surprise Alex was no longer carrying Jen. A light flashed in the distance, forcing Meg to turn. What must have been the opening of a door allowed light to flood from Alex’s house and into the forest like someone signaling for help. The light relinquished, but Meg was left standing before an empty handed Alex.

“Who are you?”

“Did you hit your head?”

“Alex?” Meg asked. The attitude was there, but something wasn’t right. It was as if looking at Alex through the back end of a mirror, he just seemed… different.

“Yes,” replied Alex, sounding very much like himself.

“Where’s the witch?” Though Meg had come from humble beginnings, she loved to remind anyone when she got the chance, that she was a god, not just another witch in the crowd.

“Alex carried her to the house.”

“But… you’re Alex?”

“Yes.”

Meg’s growing frustration was apparent even in the fading moonlight. Her flesh was a pale blue in the night air, but it was clear that her eyes were pointing like daggers at this possible impostor. Before Meg had the chance to ask another question the ground beneath her began to shift. Her feet were sinking into the dirt, the entire landscape turning on its side. Like a page being turned over in a storybook, the trees were bending towards the ground; the sky was falling, the moon coming drastically close. The tall grass at their feet bent as if a wind had kicked up.

Falling into Alex, he embraced Meg as the world continued to turn over. Meg pressed her face into his chest, feeling a slow rhythmic heart beat against her cheek, the air was screaming like paper being shredded furiously; rapidly the two of them sank into the damp ground. With a jolt they dropped through the floor of the Earth, landing in a pile in the same spot they had just left. Meg jumped to her feet, adjusting her dress,

“What the hell realm was that?” she shrieked, sunlight beaming on her pale flesh.

“We’ve moved into the present.” Alex was speaking as if this were a perfectly natural act, like Meg should know what had happened.

“What are you talking about?”

Alex smiled, his white teeth appearing in a villainous fashion.

“Alex went back in time. Unintentionally… I ran into myself.”

“So… you’re not Alex?” Meg felt like her head had been put in a vise. This made no sense.

“I’m the Alex you fought in the forest… but I’m not the Alex that carried Jen out. I’m the past brought into the present by a ripple,” Alex explained.

“We’re going to have to change your name if I’m going to pretend to understand any of what you just said.”

“What would you call me?”

Meg stared at the non-Alex for a moment, the wheels in her head cranking away. His characteristics were all those that she had become familiar with: The short messy brown hair, the dark eyes. They were trademarks of a backfired jinx Meg had once used on Alex, hiding his dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Never had she regretted the accident; transforming Alex, even in the slightest sense, gave her the ability to distance herself from him.

“Alec,” she spat.

“It’s nearly the same name.” Alec wasn’t pleased. Though he was a duplicate of Alex, he felt the strangest loathing for him. Sharing even a partial name seemed a cruel punishment, especially coming from Meg.

“Exactly. You’re almost the same wizard,” grinned Meg.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Wha- what?” stuttered Meg, coming from her daze.

“What are you staring at me for?” asked Alec, once again.

“Don’t question me.” Meg felt starting a fight was her best defense. It was either that or admit she had been thinking about someone other than herself, even if the memory involved her.

“Whatever… let’s get this over with.”

It was good fortune for Meg that she had met Alec. He was the only wizard outside of Alex and the Sisters of the Black Circle that knew of the Anomaly. There were currently two things working in Meg’s favor: Alec had retained most of Alex’s memories, even if only in fragmented form; Alex was quickly losing memories having been stripped of his own powers by Meg’s extraction orb.

This was perhaps Meg’s greatest triumph to date. She would never forget standing in front of Alex, plunging the dazzling orb of white into his chest and watching him collapse. For a single moment, a twinge of something appeared in Meg’s chest. Something that told her she regretted what she was doing. However, not interested in falling victim to conscious, she suppressed the feeling, extracting the orb.

The story was somewhat of an embarrassment to Meg, considering Alex had managed to escape her enchantment, meant to hold him until death arrived. Alex had never told anyone about the incident outside of Jen and Melissa. Alec knew only because he assisted Meg in creating the enchantment through his memories of Alex’s home; no one else had a clue as to where Alex had gone for the eight mortal-month period. Alex had never been able to reach out to the Council, forcing them to assume he was dead, then sidestepping questions after his abrupt return. Meg assumed Alex had informed Anna, knowing how much wasted trust he placed in her.

The Primary, a powerful energy created from bits of each realm, was hidden not so much inside Melissa; as Melissa was more a shell created to hide it. Meg had taken Alex hostage in hopes of discovering the whereabouts of her desperately desired Primary. When she finally discovered in what form it now existed, the window of opportunity had closed. The amount of time and power it would take to transform Melissa out of her current form would take more power than Meg had access to. Time was running out for Meg to open the barrier between she and the hell realm that was home. The Anomaly however was still in its pure form, hidden within Alex’s chamber of the Council Hall.

Without invitation from a Council member it was impossible for Meg to visit the Council Hall, but with Alec’s help there was nothing to stop her. Though she had separated them by a single letter, the realms still felt Alex and Alec to be the same wizard, having come from the same thread. There were very few recorded cases of wizards having their threads accidentally split in two. Many of those that had done so on purpose managed to disfigure themselves horribly; some even managing death by mistake. No, Alex and Alec were a very rare case. Meg assumed it must have only been possible to divide them in two due entirely to the incredible amount of power that resided within Alex. Though it was clear Alec had not taken the better portion of these powers.

Alec drew a circle in the air with his finger several times, a spark of blue finally igniting on the tip of his index finger. The buzzing spark followed Alec’s lead until a circle was formed, withdrawing his hand, the portal grew to an appropriate size, Meg pushing her way through, Alec following close behind. The corridor leading to the Council Hall was empty. It was no secret that Alex was to face trial by the First Council today. His arrival was imminent, meaning that Alec had to get Meg into Alex’s personal chamber before anyone arrived.

Their shoes pounded against the black and white tiles of the floor, the sound bouncing furiously off the white doors that lined the corridor from end to end. Meg had been here a thousand times before. Previously she had needed no invitation to enter, but her decision to take residence within the confines of a hell realm changed that. Demons of any sort were not permitted into the Council Corridor, or any of its many doors, without written permission of the Council Head.

Reaching the enormous wooden doors that concealed the Council Chamber, Alec pressed a hand lightly to one of the carved doors. Meg had forgotten how impressive they were, her eyes catching on the story that had been carefully crafted upon the wood. The story of Trejun, whom she felt much sorrow for; tales of Terra and Accadia, the wizarding cities; battles of wizards that were long forgotten, and even a small mention of the hell realms near the bottom of the doors. The dark wood slowly retreated, allowing the duo into the quiet black ahead of them, the closing doors swallowing the light of the corridor.

“I can’t see anything,” grunted Meg, as if this weren’t obvious, Alec reaching through the dark for her hand.

Alec led her through the dense blanket of black. Passing between the six wooden pews that Meg was unable to see, and around the massive stand where Alex and his Head Council members perched. All of Alec’s steps were memorized and precise even in the darkness. He didn’t have to search for the handle to Alex’s personal chamber; he knew just where to reach within the darkness. With a push their eyes were attacked with a vibrant light that pressed desperately at the darkness behind them. Meg allowed herself ahead of Alec into the room.

“So… this is where he spends his time,” muttered Meg, her eyes examining the white room.

The large wooden desk, another mortal-crafted trinket of Alex’s, was cluttered with books and piles of paper; many spilling onto the surrounding floor. The bookshelves that lined the walls were cluttered with books of every sort; an assortment of dark colors making up the leather bindings. The only comfort in the room was Alex’s winged chair behind his desk. It looked old, the black suede wearing in many places. There were no chairs for visitors, not that anyone would ever be allowed in long enough to sit.

“It’s in there… I think,” said Alec, bringing Meg’s attention to the tall double door cabinet; like Alex’s chair, looking as if imported from the Mortal Realm.

“Shouldn’t you know where he put it?” hissed Meg, her patience tested.

“Anything he’s done after we split isn’t in my memory. For all I know, he moved the thing.”

Meg ran her slender fingers over the smooth silver finish of the cabinet.

“Just a door between myself… and everything I’ve been fighting for.”

“What are you fighting for?” asked Alec.

Meg rolled her pouting brown eyes, wishing that Alec wasn’t beside her.

“I want to go home.”

“I know that… but what’s the point? Why not just find a new realm?”

“That’s the point! I clawed my way to the top. I built an empire and then Alex and his Council stole it away from me.”

Meg placed a hand around Alec’s neck, her pointed red claws digging into his flesh. The fury she was feeling for Alex bit at the back of her throat; perhaps sacrificing Alec would be enough to trick her mind into ease.

“How would you like if I threw you back into the time loop and you lost the independence you’ve gained from Alex? How would you like if I stole the life that was yours?”

Alec whisked Meg’s hand from his neck, the mark of her hand remaining as a vivid pink outline. “I think you have forgotten that I’m on your side,” he growled, thrusting her hand away from his own.

“You’re still Alex somewhere in there. If there is anything I learned from him… from you… everything is a lie,” Meg’s words biting at Alec.

“Just open the cabinet, drama god.”

Meg scowled, wrapping her fingers over the dull silver knob of the cabinet door. Applying some force, the door opened with a terrible screech. Meg’s reaction was instantaneous, a vicious grin ripped across her face.

“Finally,” she uttered, relieved.

Alec checked over his shoulder. He swore he heard someone step up to the door. A moment’s silence allowed him to shrug off the suspicions, turning back to Meg. Alec, not nearly as clever as Alex, failed to realize that Jen was fading in and out of a vision with Philip beyond the cracked door. It was her wheezing breaths that he had thought to be imagined. Jen peeked through the crack of space between the door and its frame; her vision more blurred than she would later remember. Something purple was pulled from the cabinet, a small corkscrew; Jen’s attention faded momentarily as she refocused on her attacker.

Meg held the castduv in her hand. It was the key to unlocking the power of the Anomaly.

“You never told me he had this… I thought Philip…”

Meg examined the castduv in her hand,

“Where’d Philip find it? I’ve searched like mad?”

“Trejun hid it in the depths of the Forest. He assumed no one would desire it enough to search.”

“I’ve been to the Terran Forest a thousand times. Where was it?” Meg was annoyed at her own ineptitude.

“One of the caves… who knows what he did to get it. You know how Philip can be.”

Alec reached into the cabinet, extracting a large gray orb, the purpose of their visit. Meg’s trademark grin flashed once more. Gently taking the Anomaly from Alec’s hands, Meg held the thing in front of her. The storm of gray spun slowly inside like thick puffs of smoke.

“Let’s go,” instructed Meg, unable to control her smile.

Alec closed the doors of the cabinet, in no rush to draw attention to the now stolen objects. They hurried out of Alex’s chamber and into the darkness of the Council Hall.

“Wait.” Meg stopped, pulling from her pocket a small orb of metallic. It seemed to capture a trace of light that wasn’t there.

“What is it?”

“A little gift for Alex,” replied Meg, holding the silver orb in the palm of her hand, she pressed her lips together. A gentle wisp and it was gone. Alec waited… the room remained dark.

“Was that it?”

Meg didn’t respond, her lips turning up in a grin darker than that of the Council Hall.

Melissa, who had not been in the corridor on Meg’s entrance; sat in the wobbly wooden chair that had been provided for her; strumming her fingers along the bottom of her seat, rocking in bored anticipation. Melissa waited for the massive wooden doors to open and for Jen to step out. She anticipated Anna taking her inside the Council Chamber for the first time.

Melissa was rocked from her daze, as the doors were forced open.

“Finally,” she snapped, jumping to her feet.

A woman came from within the Council Chamber.

“What the hell-“ Melissa didn’t have time to finish, Meg slamming her against the wall.

Melissa fell to the floor in a heap, her head-lulling forward; face hidden beneath a mop of tussled brown.

“Let’s get out of here,” cried Alec, pulling at Meg’s free arm; terrified Alex would discover them and instruct the Council to eliminate him.

Meg shot Melissa a hate filled smile, giving in to Alec’s pleas. They hurried down the still empty corridor, an explosion of red opening and consuming them. Exiting the portal, Meg couldn’t have been more pleased with herself, showing no gratitude towards Alec for his efforts. There was a burning in Alec’s chest, a feeling Alex had often experienced when he thought of Meg.

“What?” snapped Meg, noticing the pathetic look on Alec’s pale face. “Shall I reward you? Perhaps… free time to play with the servants.”

Shaking his head, Alec left Meg with her new objects of affection; doing his best to ignore her cruel insults.


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Sisters of the Black Circle

1.
Sisters of the Black Circle
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Candles flickered dimly about the stale room, clinging to the ancient black holders that curled out from the roughly forged walls. Several poorly formed pillars of gray stone supported the ceiling that stretched beyond the glow of the orange candlelight. The center of the room was occupied by five cloaked figures. They moved in a synchronized fashion around an enormous mound of gray; lowly chanting a haunting spell.

“The universe unwind, planets collide, threads combine. Linear time, demon design, threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of day, hidden away,” speaking in perfect harmony through their exhaustion.

Unwavering in their form, the figures followed one another in hypnotic fashion. Their robes billowed behind, sweeping along the silent floor, trying to keep up. The Sisters’ steps shuffling along with the chant, their small bare feet leaving prints on the damp floor; a ruckus coming from somewhere beyond the walls. 

The low humming continued as the doors began to shake. Violent pounding came from the other side; forcefully rattling the worn black bolts that cemented the twin doors to their feigning frame. The Sisters did not break from the pattern of their ritual, moving a bit more quickly around the dripping mass at their center.

“The universe unwind, planets collide, threads combine. Linear time, demon design, threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of day, hidden away.”

A silver spark appeared as a singular drip from the unpleasantness that was the gray, hitting the terracotta colored floor that was made momentarily visible beneath it. Like a dragon licking ice with its fire-drenched tongue, the spark sizzled into nonexistence. Another followed, the Sisters hastening their steps.

“The universe unwind, planets collide, threads combine. Linear time, demon design, threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of day, hidden away.”

The door throbbed, holding back those that were furiously attacking the outer façade. Chanting through the cries of compliance to ‘open the door’, the Sisters did not give into the temptation their attackers were so tastelessly offering. The pulsating gray in the midst of the cloaked witches dripped, shrinking at a steady pace, a shower of sparks dancing about the floor below. The faces of the witches were illuminated beneath their tattered black hoods. Their pale flesh stood without a glint of emotion. Black hair framing all five faces from smooth forehead to sunken chin, pink lips of each moving at the same steady, disturbing pace,

“The universe unwind, planets collide, threads combine. Linear time, demon design, threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of day, hidden away.”

Their eyes were nothing more than hollow pits that reflected the darkness of the room as if to mirror it. The Sisters stopped, the pounding on the door continuing to echo within the room, nearly drown out by the sound of the silver and white sparks that drummed upon the now charring floor. The Sisters’ heads turned in unison to face the sparking mess. They threw their hands into the air, the sleeves of their cloaks pulling back to reveal ten ghastly pale and bony arms. Dimly though the room was lit, the darkened veins that decorated the arms of their decaying bodies were a hideous site; topped off by nails that were yellow and flaking. Time had not been a friend, fueled by the deplorable state in which the Sisters of the Black Circle had been forced to live, cut off from the magical community by order of the Council.

“The universe unwind, planets collide, threads combine. Linear time, demon design, threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of day, hidden away,” their chant becoming louder, nearly hysterical.

Rising into the air, the lump continued spewing fantastic sparks. The oversized, poorly crafted door exploded from its frame; having given way to the persistence that came from the orbs being thrown at the grainy wood, scattering in splinters upon the floor. A group of wizards stood on the other side of the exposed exit with palms outstretched before them, orbs of red pulsating, ready to attack. It was unnecessary for any of the Sisters to pay mind to those entering the doorway. They had more than anticipated the arrival of Anneliese and her Council of forced followers.

The Council had spent a considerable amount of time trying to locate the legendary Primary, informed it was hidden within the Sisters’ Castle. Though there was no proof to support or deny this theory, Anneliese had found every infraction of wizard law that would allow her to raid the castle. Dragging the entire Council to the castle upon rumor of ill-obtained charms that turned out to be nothing more than mortal necklaces, properly purchased and imported with the permission of the Department of Mortal Relics.

Alex recalled the second time Anneliese had drug he and three other casters of the Council to the castle. A rumor of ritual sacrifice that turned out, as Alex and presumed, to be perfectly legal. The Sisters were sacrificing Watts. Terrible little creatures with razor sharp wings, sticky legs, and plump round bodies; coming from the depths of the Terra-Accadia Forest. If anything, it was a blessing to rid the magical world of a few.

Flares of green burst from the illuminated lump, lashing out like whips. The Sisters continued in a fearless fashion, not to be deterred in their task. The unwanted wizards rushed in, orbs pummeling the nonreactive Sisters; all except one collapsing upon the dank floor. The single witch continued,

“The universe unwind, planets collide, threads combine. Linear time, demon design, threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of day, hidden away.”

“Alexander, stop her!” roared Anneliese, firing off another round of crimson orbs.

It was Anneliese that had forced the Council members here tonight on another ‘tip’. It seemed her sole purpose (of the time) to bring about the downfall of the Sisters of the Black Circle. Not even Alex could understand the reason she felt them to be such a threat, but there was no option other than to obey; no matter how he detested the orders.

Coming within a foot of the hollering Sister that appeared undisturbed by the attack, she turned her empty eyes to Alex. In a split second her hand fell from the air, grabbing hold of Alex by the wrist. The two connected, Alex able to feel the power that was coursing through the witch and the furious monster at her helm.

“Keep it safe. Keep it secret. Keep it hidden,” spoke the Sister.

Alex hearing the words somewhere inside his head as she vocalized,

“The universe unwind, planets collide, threads combine. Linear time, demon design, threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of day, hidden away.”

Whips of green continued to beat out into the dark corners of the room, combining they spun around the now radiant orb. Unannounced winds circled the room, attacking the lingering sources of light, the flames hissing as they were vanquished. The vicious swirl of green retreated furiously into the terrifying mass; something like water down a drain, allowing the room to fall back into dark silence. Extinguished candles still neatly in their iron holders, hung wearily as amber dots, gray tails rising from them.

A rush of heat and blinding white exploded from the hovering point of fixation, leaving everyone on the floor in its wake. The Sister’s hand continued holding tightly to Alex, his watering eyes glazing over. Alex couldn’t hold a proper thought, his mind spinning feverishly, and the grip on his arm unexpectedly releasing.

Opening his eyes, Alex sat in darkness. Running his hands over the smooth surface of the chilled floor, bumping something just as solid. Carefully examining the object through touch, he climbed to his feet. A bit dazed and unclear on what had happened, Alex glanced around. It was impossible to see, but he knew he was in the Council Hall. With memorized steps he walked the distance around the large judge-like stand that stood silently in the darkness.

Without touch the door to Alex’s personal chamber opened. Alex had recently inherited this particular chamber. It had belonged to Anneliese until she recently felt the Council was in need of a new home. With the completion of her current Council Palace, as Alex referred to it, there was plenty of empty space left behind. Though the immense hall just beyond the door of his chamber was left to collect dust, it would eventually be home to a Council of Alex’s control.

Alex’s chamber was a brilliant white that was impossible to look upon without squinting. Visitors often had watering eyes as they spoke with Alex in this place of oppressive light, a sight that gave him an inappropriate rush of pleasure and power. Silvery-gray doors of a newly made cabinet that stood against the adjacent wall were slightly open as if closed in such a rush that no one had checked to make sure they were properly secured.

 As if in a dream, Alex moved through the light that hung in the room like a fog. Arriving at the cabinet that stretched several heads above him, there was something to be seen. The doors silently swung outward, pulled by an unseen hand, allowing Alex’s brown eyes to peer inside. A large glass orb sat upon a shelf, a gray haze swirling around inside like a summer thunderstorm.

Pressure was again being put on Alex’s forearm, looking down, the Sister was again there. Her face distant, eyelids beginning to droop over the vacant holes she had for eyes, and her flesh nearly translucent now. The fog was sucked from the room, replaced by a heavy darkness that collapsed upon Alex with such force that he was unable to keep his knees from buckling. He laid on the ground, the Sister at his side, a storm of noise rushing at his ears.

The sight was not what Alex remembered. Two head-sized orbs hung above, emitting a dim glow that was just enough to outline the room and its many occupiers. The gray lump the Sisters had been chanting around was gone; the terracotta floor scorched where sparks had danced down.

“ALEXANDER!” cried Anneliese.

Alex slowly turned his head to face the witch that had shouted his name with such rage. Her pinched, pale, and pointed face was furious even through the darkness. Her tightly twisted blonde hair glimmered somehow in this unremarkable lighting. Anneliese was never a fan of Alex. Had it not been for his remarkable talents, she would have never allowed him anywhere near her Council. Though, the way things were moving with Trejun’s death and Amen’s continued resistance of Council law, it seemed a good idea to keep him at hand.

“Grab her!”

Alex turned his head back to the Sister in the same slow, almost sinister, fashion. Her lips didn’t move, but her voice was clear,

“Keep it safe. Keep it secret. Keep it hidden.” Something like a mirage in the desert at midnight, the Sister vanished as dust on the wind.

Alex’s attention was refocused with the forceful, cold slap of Anneliese’s hand against his cheek.

“You let her escape?”

“How would you have liked me to stop her?” snapped Alex, his cheek turning red, heightened by his anger.

“I didn’t lead my best casters down here to have my time wasted. I want these witches brought to justice.” Anneliese turned to leave, her casters following, their black robes scaling across the stones of the floor.

“What justice is there in persecuting the innocent?”

Anneliese stopped with a jolt. She was well known for maintaining a dignified appearance at all times, even on news that innocent wizards and mortals were being slaughtered. With no one around other than Council members, sworn to secrecy, her rage was evident. The pale cheeks she wore with such a high-and-mighty snarl had fallen to a furious shade of pink.

“You are on thin ice, Alexander,” her voice heavy. “Your job is to do as I say.”

“Unlike the rest of this Council, I will not follow you blindly.”

“Perhaps you should not be a part of my Council,” hissed Anneliese, leaning close enough for Alex to feel the warmth of her snake like breath.

This seemed enough for Alex to bite his tongue, though it nearly crippled him to do so. Anneliese stormed off, the dwindling casters following at her heel.

Alex remained in the room that was full even when no one was there. It grew dark as the abandoned attack orbs conjured by the other casters diluted into the air. Alex ignited the smoldering candles overhead with a flick of his wrist. The room was as tall as it was long, even with some light in the space there was no way to see the ceiling. Crates covered nearly every inch of the outlining walls, some opened in such a way that the tan boards were left in shreds upon the ground.

Alex had been here several times before Anneliese started her witch-hunt. There was a time when the Sisters had been trusted allies of the Council. They had served under Trejun, with his unexpected death and Amen’s uprising, Anneliese saw the Sisters as a threat. To date, the Sisters of the Black Circle had done nothing to show allegiance with Amen; though they had not made a point of proving to Anneliese that their interests were in her favor.

Anneliese was more inclined to believe the Sisters were conspiring against her when they refused to vacate Trejun’s castle, claiming it as their own. Of course, Anneliese was the only one that felt they needed to leave. Members of the Council, other than Alex, would never speak up, but they all felt the Sisters to be entitled to the castle in mark of their faithful servitude to Trejun. The Sisters were aware that their actions would lead to banishment, if not worse.

Alex’s last visit, outside the ongoing raids, to this room was when he was presented with a life altering decision. It was almost possible to see the characters of his past standing in front of him.

The room was filled with a burning sunset that draped over every corner and façade of the castle. Alex and Meg stood at a balcony that overlooked an incredible landscape. Beyond the carved limestone railing was a hundred foot drop into a valley of green. Trees as tall as skyscrapers, animals of unknown origin and flowers blooming in a multitude of vibrant colors.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

A man appeared in the room looking the way Alex would always remember him. Trejun was wrinkled in the face with the glow of a grandfather. His hair was long and white, as it was with many of the more traditional and elderly wizards. His purple robe was made of a fine silk that looked dangerous to touch, as if perhaps a hand would shred the finely woven threads.

“I brought you both here to make you an offer.”

Meg slipped her hand into Alex’s, giving him a gentle squeeze.

“You are both aware that of all my pupils there are none more capable. The two of you are an incredible duo with powers that will someday, I believe, change the wizarding world. What I would like to offer you is the chance to embrace your powers.”

Meg gave a short smile, her brown eyes glistening as she listened to Trejun’s hypnotic and intoxicating words. Alex’s face didn’t have the same enthused look. He remained still and unaffected.

“What are you offering?” asked Alex, not entirely prepared to know.

“This is the time to take advantage of your strengths. This is the time to make your mark on the world.”

“What are you offering?”

Alex was never patient enough to make it through Trejun’s ramblings. Though he had spent what felt like a lifetime listening to the well-respected professor. Magical training was reserved for those born of wizard cities, something Alex had always thought to be a ridiculous practice. Those that were born of the Mortal Realm were forced to wait upon trainers finding and nurturing them. Something Alex had no idea he would someday be doing.

“Gods.”

“What?” replied Alex, Meg gripping his hand more tightly.

“I’ve convened with the Demon Council and they are interested in adding the two of you to their circle. You would be endowed with unimaginable powers beyond that of your own.” There was a hint of lustful want in Trejun’s voice. Alex was afraid his old professor and friend had become more interested in the connections he would obtain, than the well-being and growth of he or Meg.

“We would be Demon Gods?”

Trejun nodded graciously.

“So, we would be going against all of our beliefs?”

“Alexander, you know that names are not always as they sound. You would take on the title, there would be no obligation to do anything you would be unwilling to do now.”

“Alex, this is an incredible opportunity,” encouraged Meg, breaking apart their clasped hands, her voice drowning in enthusiasm.

Meg was always quick to accept whatever was presented to her, as long as it was done so in a way that clearly benefited her. Though she was perfect in appearance, this was her fatal drawback.

“How can you say that?”

Though it wasn’t immediately apparent, this was the moment that Alex disconnected from Meg. Alex would later come to regret this moment time and time again. Having spent so much of their lives together already, it was common thought that they would be together forever. Some saw Alex and Meg leading the Council and wizarding world into a new future, hand-in-hand.

“There is no need to make a decision now. Take your time to think it over.”

“I want it,” blurted Meg, mostly to defy Alex.

“I don’t,” retorted Alex. There was an immediate eruption of tension between the two. Their eyes locked in a vicious stare of combat.

Trejun looked upon his prize pupils, fearing that perhaps he had made a mistake in presenting the opportunity to them in this fashion. Meg was not the desired party here; the Demon Gods were seeking Alex. Using Meg was a ploy they had unwittingly suggested upon Trejun in hopes of making their will a reality.

“Megnificent, are you sure?” Trejun asked, hoping he could convince her otherwise.

“Absolutely.” Meg’s response seemed to cut Alex, his face twitching a bit.

“Alexander?”

“No,” Alex muttered, looking properly defeated.

Trejun took Meg by the hand, the two of them walking towards the door. Alex remained on the balcony, the sunset standing behind him, watching as he and Meg settled upon the decision that would forever put them on parallel paths, only marked to cross one another when ill was to come.

Alex stared at the place where he and Meg had once stood together. The balcony was gone, the opening closed up with rigged gray bricks. Before the Black Circle had moved into the once prestigious castle, it had been home to Trejun and his trusted advisors. When Trejun removed himself from the public eye, a move many thought due to illness, his advisors vanished.

Through some coaxing, Trejun was able to move the Sisters into his Castle. He was well aware of their impressive powers, also he knew them to be the gypsies of the magical community. With no real home, the Sisters of the Black Circle were convinced to take up residence in Trejun’s castle with the promise that they would no longer be forced to seek out shelter on a regular basis.

This castle was haunted with memories that would never die. Alex had been admitted into the Council, met and lost Meg, and learned of Trejun’s death in this place. Alex’s steps erupted through the room like small cries from his past. Crossing the threshold into a dim corridor the light vanished as Alex’s shadow followed him out of the room.

Check back soon for chapter two!