Embers of the Lost

Where the snow of the mountain melted into the grass of the adjoining lands, it was clear to see the direction the draconians had been taken. The mass of footprints in the damp mud, trapping strands of grass in their wake, couldn’t be missed. Draconian footsteps indented the ground deeper than witches, their tall muscular build making them heavier; though there didn’t seem to be much sign of struggling.

“Why…?” Lily started, glancing up at Kiki who shrugged while having the same thought process. Why wasn’t there more of a fight from the Draconians? With all the training she had seen them do… how could there be such little resistance now they were away from the tribe camp?

“Surely they wouldn’t just give up… what would be the point of all their training?”

Over the next few hours, following the crushed grass after the mud had dried up, Lily, Kiki, and Oscar concluded that they must have been threatened into not fighting back. Perhaps the children had been used to stop the adults from resisting.

Their voices halted immediately as a small village came into view ahead of them. It wasn’t the settlement that caused their hesitation, but the amount of temporary shelter that had been set up and how many witches dressed in guard uniform were pacing back and forth. Increasing the height of the grass a little more, Lily darted to the side of the crushed walkway and crouched herself in the strands to hide herself from view.

“What do we do now?” Kiki hissed.

“Are they keeping the Draconians here?” Oscar added.

“I don’t know,” Lily pondered, her eyes trying to focus on the village through the dense grass. With concentration she was able to move the strands just slightly to create a gap small enough for her left eye to see clearly through.

“What if one of us snuck in?” Oscar suggested.

“They are hunting us, if I go in, even in disguise they’ll likely be testing everyone somehow. They know I can change my colouring.”

“But would they suspect you could change ours? Think about it, you read those books on metamorphosis, if you can change me into a different animal, I would be able to move around freely.”

“I’ve never even tried to do those spells!” Lily squeaked.

“Do you remember them?”

“Yes but…”

“Then try it. It’s our best chance.”

Lily glanced at Kiki though was met with a look of utter amusement. “Oh, please turn him into something hilarious.”

“I was going to suggest a raven or crow as they are common.” Oscar replied stiffly.

“I don’t remember the word for raven…” Lily shrugged. “I can remember the word for rat, mouse or chicken.”

“Oh! Do chicken!” Kiki laughed, slapping her paws over her mouth to try and keep the sound muffled.

“Rat would be better, there’s loads of them as well, both wild and companion.” Lily chortled at the swat Oscar gave Kiki over the back of her head.

“Not ideal… but it’ll do.” Oscar sighed, settling onto his haunches showing he was far readier for this attempt than Lily was. Metamorphosis was something she had only read about and it was completely different to transmutation. Metamorphosis involved living creatures, if it went wrong it was going to be far worse than ending up with a book that still had chair legs out the bottom of it. While the idea of Oscar having tiny little rat legs was a hilarious mental image, it would be a horrific reality for Lily to try to put right.

“It’s all going to be fine. You’ve mastered every spell you’ve ever tried.” Oscar said, pulling Lily from her thoughts. “And if you just give me a few rat features, at least Kiki will be in a good mood for a long time.” He offered her a soft smile while Kiki snorted in amusement.

“Are you sure?” Lily whispered.

“Of course,” he nodded.

Nodding along with him, Lily let out a calming breath and held out her right hand to him. Was there a motion that was supposed to occur with the wand usually? Using hand movements instead of wand movements did seem to help those spells that specified any. Lily couldn’t remember any to go with these spells, though that didn’t mean there weren’t any.

Oh, she’d just have to go for it!

“Okesoma Svica” The stammer in her words caused Oscar’s ears to be the only thing that changed and Kiki’s laugh to continue.

“You’re not helping Ki,” Oscar scolded before nodding to Lily again. “You’ve got this.”

Her cheeks red from embarrassment, Lily held out her hand towards Oscar again. She tried again. His face elongated but nothing else. Taking in a deep breath, trying to ignore Kiki who was shaking in her effort not to laugh at the sight, Lily focused harder than she had when trying to direct magic through her ‘wand’ in the early days.

“Okesoma Svica!”

Finally, stood before her was a little black rat with a twitching pink nose and a flesh coloured tail. It chittered up at her before holding up its paw and giving her a congratulatory pat on her knee. It then turned and dashed into the long grass.

“Huh? He can’t talk in that form?” Kiki mused, jumping onto Lily’s lap and settled down to wait.

“That might work to our advantage, he can’t accidentally give himself away.”

“True… Hopefully he finds something useful.”

“Hopefully I can turn him back.” Lily whispered, setting Kiki off into a set of giggles that lasted for some time.

~

Being a rat made the run to the village so much longer than Oscar anticipated! His new legs were so short and his body was so rotund in the middle.

‘Great. She made me into a fat rat.’

He thought to himself, pausing in the shadow of the first house he reached to catch his breath. Or perhaps it was just because he was used to being able to take long strides or fly when his legs were tired. Lily would have to learn how to turn him into a bird if they were going to do this again.

Darting under a storage box of wood as feet marched past, he dipped his head out to follow where they were heading. Inside the village was definitely looking like a scene described in history books of war. There were people in uniform everywhere, the locals of the village skirting around them and keeping out of their way. Did they not want them there?

One uniformed woman stopped a child and demanded they hand over the food they were carrying, claiming they were thieving and she would let it go if they just handed it over. When the father of the child walked up to clear up the situation, he was thrown back with a flick of the female’s wand.

“How dare you question me, I am Lucretia Byrne, leader of this company! Food delivered here is to handle the hunting effort!” She struck every syllable with cold accuracy. “Could there be a reason you are trying to deter us? Perhaps you are conspiring with the fairies?”

Oscar gasped and ran through the muddy undergrowth to get closer to the scene. A Byrne! Was that someone related to Quintina and Cyrus as well? Perhaps they were someone who could give them information. The female shared the same green eyes that Finnigan had but her hair was a sharp grey colour with stubborn wisps of brown from her original colour.

Hmm, even eternals could go grey?

That was unexpected. Oscar nestled himself into the end of a drainage pipe near the building she was standing in front of and which seemed to have a number of uniformed people entering and exiting.

“The draconians have thrown their hands in with the fairies, hoping to destroy us witches! We are here to stop them. The resources in this village are to help us in the north most stop to the mountains.” Lucretia was scolding over the young child who had started crying when their father had fallen to the floor.

So, that was how they were justifying the raid and capture of the tribe. Of course, this would have to be led by a Byrne, any rational person might have thought to do investigation before spreading the fear. But this lady gave the speech freely and strongly as though it was something she truly believed.

How Oscar wanted to bite her… just jump and latch his now huge incisors onto that finger she pointed accusingly at the village members.

“Please, we apologise. My wife is sick and my child just wanted to help.” The man finally spoke as he pushed himself to his feet and lifted the bawling child into his arms.

“I’ll have medicine sent to your home.” A man leaving the building chimed in, gaining a sideways look from Lucretia. “I’m sure we have something that will help.”

Oscar focused on the man, he was older than most in uniform and looked almost frail. Was he the physician for the group?

“The medicine is derived from the Lanuvi plant that’s only found in the mountains, sir. I’m sure the draconians would burn it before they allowed it to be used on my wife.”

Oscar rolled his eyes. Everyone really was blinded by lies and racial hatred. Shaking his head, Oscar decided to dash inside the building while no eyes were on the ground. Scampering up into the rafters of what appeared to be a small tavern, Oscar’s beady eyes tried to take in what he could see below, though he wasn’t sure he understood it.

Multiple tables had been pulled together in the centre of the room and various pieces of paper appeared scattered over a map of the Xeomont Peaks. Little pins were stuck into the map at different places, one of which Oscar concluded was where Xalina’s tribe had been. Were the other pins there because they’d attacked and captured other tribes too? There wouldn’t have been many in the mountains, but was Lucretia intending on taking them all into custody under the pretence that they were siding with fairies for the upcoming war?

‘It’s just going to cause further segregation between everyone’, Oscar thought as he ground his teeth in annoyance. Quintina and Cyrus really had the whole thing exactly how they wanted it with fear and distrust keeping everyone in their correct places to continue the plan.

Settling into the rafters, Oscar narrowed his beady eyes to focus on the different discussions and different papers below. From what he could gather, the Draconians were being taken straight past this village and taken south-east towards a big empty area of land with a building in the centre. A prison, perhaps?

“Your spell work is pathetic!” Oscar jumped at the sudden shout, his eyes darting to the commotion between two men. One was towering over the other who didn’t look like he wanted to be there. He looked scared, hesitant and almost like he was going to cry under the scrutiny of the older man. “How have I raised such a deplorable excuse for a witch that can’t even get his head around the basics of these combat spells!”

The man smacked the youth over the head with a scroll in his hands, gaining whimpered apologies. Oscar felt the defensive tension rise up within him that was similar to how he always felt around Lily. It would seem the witch world was just as demanding in ways that the fairy one was. Though, it was new to find someone who was forcing another into war… Over all the years, fear had become anger at the other races, and that anger didn’t seem to tolerate failure.

Shaking his head, Oscar focused on the scroll. Combat spells. That could certainly be useful, even if it just gave them knowledge of what kind of spells might be used against them. Maybe there would even be defensive spells described.

Sifting through the rafters until he was above the raging man, Oscar scratched his ear with his back leg, taking a moment to contemplate if his next action was a wise one. Shrugging to himself, he shifted until he was leaning over the rafter so he could aim himself. Falling onto the man’s hand, causing yells of surprise, he sunk his large teeth into the back of the man’s hand. The scroll dropped to the floor. While it was rather nice to make a liche like this man flail in the attempt to get Oscar to let go, it wasn’t the plan to hold on for long.

Oscar wanted that scroll.

Releasing the man’s hand, Oscar fell to the floor ungraciously. Instantly, the man attempted to stamp on him but Oscar was quick to get out of the way and grab the scroll before darting for the front door.

Feet and spells attempted to stop him, but he cleared the front step and scrambled through the people walking in his direction like a salmon swimming against a stream.

Skidding to a halt only when he was safely under the wooden porch of a home, Oscar paused to catch his breath. No one had followed him, which meant they must have either considered him wild or the scroll just not vital enough to get back. Nudging the scroll open with his nose, Oscar scanned the contents with his eyes widening.

Those spells were nothing like what Lily had been learning in Quintegia. These were aggressive, even violent spells. They weren’t for forwarding a community, they were for tearing another one down.

Gulping, Oscar rolled the scroll back up and took it into his mouth before heading back out from under the porch. He had to get back to Lily.

~

“So, they DO rip our wings off?!” Lily exclaimed as they studied the scroll Oscar had stolen. They had retreated back towards the mountain so they would be out of sight and Lily had folded broken tree trunks to provide a small barrier in the direction of the village.

“Must be to keep up the illusion…” Kiki snarled

‘Laceralas - The tearing of wings from the back of an enemy. Use the incantation “Lacera” while brandishing the wand in a large diagonal downward motion.’

“There’s more though, these must be taught solely to those who are going to be in a fight?” Oscar mused. “They don’t teach them in Quintegia, unless they have specific fighting schools too?”

“They’re all pretty nasty…” Lily murmured as she continued to read the list.

’Katanaki - The cutting of solid object in front of you. The cut’s direction will be whichever direction the wand is moved. Use the incantation “Katan”.

Manacht - To take control of another’s mind. Need to be close to the recipient and keep a sharp focus in your own mind. If not, it can backfire and they will control yours if they know what they are doing. Use the incantation “Manac”.’

“That must be why the draconians weren’t fighting back.” Lily concluded aloud. Mind control. “These are horrible…”

There were more; a spell for binding the body completely, one for silencing a voice completely, one for changing objects into daggers… you name it, if it would help with defeating an enemy, it was likely on that scroll.

Every moment that passed the situation they had put themselves in seemed more ominous and hopeless than it had when they had slept the night before.

“How are we ever going to make a difference? I don’t want to have to use this kind of thing against others. Most of these people are just doing what they believe is right because they have been lied to for so long…” Lily pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight.

“So, don’t use them.” Oscar smoothed, nuzzling into her side. “We’ll figure out a way to deal with it. Be defensive rather than offensive.”

“And how exactly do you want to be defensive against them twisting our limbs until they break?” Kiki demanded, pawing at the scroll where the spell she spoke on sat in writing.

“Yes, how indeed?” A cold voice commented from behind the barrier they had created, making all three of them jump. Immediately, Lily threw her hand out to grab the polearm and pressed it against the manipulated tree trunks and grew them wider and taller to give them more protection. Focused magic was certainly stronger. Though this only received a laugh from the cold voice.

“It’s Lucretia…” Oscar hissed. She must have followed him. “I’m sorry!”

Lily shook her head as the tree was slashed in half by a spell from the other side and Lucretia’s face appeared in the gap created. Her green eyes filled Lily with fear and misery.

“They have the same eyes…” she mumbled, her heart clenching in her chest.

“Lily!” Kiki yelled as Lucretia lifted her wand. Lily shook her head, dragging herself back to the present and pulled water from the tree trunks, leaving them shrivelled in shape, and shot it up around Lucretia’s hand and wand, freezing it instantly.

It wouldn’t last. Lucretia was bound to be able to break the ice.

Lily stood for a moment, in the ready stance she had been taught by the draconians with her scythe pointed at her enemy. Could she cut Lucretia down? Her hand trembled. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t cross that space and make that move to end a life.

She had to do something.

“Tikusoma Svica,” She channelled her focus with the first non-offensive spell that came to mind.

Instantly, Lucretia’s wand hit the floor as her body was changed to that of a dormouse.

“Erm… interesting choice?” Kiki chortled as Oscar launched himself through the undergrowth to pounce on the mouse and pick her up in his mouth so she couldn’t escape.

“I blanked! I couldn’t think of anything but the spells on that stupid scroll!” Lily whined in slight embarrassment.

“Don’t knock it,” Oscar mumbled around Lucretia’s body. “It was a blooming good move.”

“True. We now have one Byrne captured and not able to keep scaring people into doing what they want.” Kiki laughed as she raised a paw to poke at the little face of Lucretia, swatting her when she attempted to bite.

“What do we do with her?” Lily asked.

“We could eat her?” Kiki suggested.

“She’s still a person, Ki.”

“So?! She’d kill you given the chance.”

“I told you, I don’t want to be like that.”

Kiki huffed a sigh, glaring at the mouse as though she was contemplating just eating it anyway. However, Lily moved over to the broken trunk and tapped the base of the scythe against it. A small, tight barred cage grew and detached itself.

“Put her in that for now.” Lily sighed, shutting the lid of it once Lucretia was dropped in and sealing it with magic. Lucretia immediately started scratching at the wooden bars. Well, that wouldn’t work. Chewing her lower lip, Lily debated for a moment. “Addari.” The barrier spell that had kept her satchel safe all this time made it so those little claws on Lucretia’s feet couldn’t make contact with the wood. She couldn’t scrap her way out.

“I’ll try to make sure you aren’t like this for too long.” Lily promised the little mouse before placing the cage into the satchel along with the scroll of spells.

“You said they were taking the draconians south east?” She turned to Oscar who nodded. “Ok. We’ll head that way once we’ve taken the flowers to that ill woman.”

“What?!”

“You want to go into that village?! There’s witches who want to capture you everywhere in there!”

Lily turned her eyes to both the cats and her expression was the most annoyed they had ever seen. She understood they were being protective of her, but her mind was made up.

“You said she needed medicine. I’m not just going to walk away from someone who I can help.” Yes, she was still naive and idealistic, but she could at least help save one person right now. It was much more achievable than stopping this war it would seem.

“Do you even know what the Lanuvi plant is?” Oscar questioned with a logic Lily couldn’t fault.

“No.” She admitted. “But there’s not many plants that grow there… so I’ll just draw them all down to me and take them all.”

Oscar let his head fall forward as he laughed softly. “You don’t have to do this.”

“If I don’t, will she die?”

Silence fell over the three of them.

“Then, I do have to do this.”

Lily sighed softly and adjusted the satchel on her shoulder and held the scythe with both hands. Slamming the base of it into the ground, Lily closed her eyes and harnessed the power within her body. Focusing it through the scythe, into the ground and back up the mountain, she searched for plant life. Even if it was just a seed, she honed in on it.

“I wonder if anyone else back home knows just how much they could do if they were willing to break the rules and be creative.” Oscar mused as he watched a few flowers begin to sprout around Lily’s feet. The fact that Lily had to be creative from the start to survive was a blessing now. She was adaptable to any situation and environment she came across.

Once the flowers had bloomed by her feet, Lily pulled the scythe out of the ground and let a yawn wash over her. Today was starting to take its toll. Magic on a large scale appeared to have a knock-on effect on the body; which was news to her. Perhaps that was why she had slept a lot as a child, because she was having to use magic more than any other child in the woodland.

“We should rest before we go,” Oscar chimed in. “It’s been a long day already. Plus, if we go into the village at night, there should be less people around.”

Hopefully.

Lily nodded in agreement. “We have no shelter now though.”

“I’ll keep watch,” Kiki said. “I haven’t burned as much energy as you. Plus, I napped while Oscar was in the village.”

Agreeing to the idea, Lily walked back to the broken tree trunks which would at least mask them from the view of anyone at a distance. Lying on the ground in the open air was hardly warm, but the clothing from the draconians was more than enough to keep her toasty. So, drawing the coat over her like a blanket and Oscar curled up by her chest, Lily allowed herself to find some uncomfortable sleep.