THE FARAWAY LANDS OF OZ - Book One

Part Seven, Chapter Thirty-Seven: Purple Magic

GLINDA

If it were up to me, I would never want to prepare any funerals ever again. But death is a part of being alive so there was nothing I could do but force myself through the grim atmosphere. But the Magick's Honor was something quite different from regular funerals.
We had done something similar with father: celebrating everything he had achieved while he was still alive, instead of being sad that he is no longer with us. The Magick's Honor is a celebration with colors and dances and music. Black is not welcome. It truly did its magic of distracting one from mourning.
At the end of the celebration, the deceased will be taken to a podium and burned with a special tool only used in this rite, engulfing the dead in rainbow flames and sending him onward. One of the most beautiful celebrations that Oz has the honor of being allowed to hold. Not even Tamriel has the Elder Mages' approval.
Walking down the corridor towards the main entrance hall, I heard a loud tear and saw the space down below split open several times. Zion holding the Whispmother and his deployment of Winkie Guards all tumbled out of them, almost simultaneously.
"Rise the Guardians!" Was all he shouted before I saw exactly what he meant: A purpleness crawling towards us from the horizon. The slight blast of light a little further off was what woke me from my trance.
"RAISE THE GUARDIANS!" I leapt down the railing. The council room was behind me and the throne below. I ran past Zion and the other people, crashed open the gates and had my wand in my hand in no time.
I shot myself into the air and drew a large circle from out of my elbow joint, activating the walls around the Emerald City. Theodora and Aliyah were next to me within seconds. I flicked my wand, Theo snapped her fingers and Aliyah did one of her Umbra poses so we could do what we had to. Three towers shot out of the wall, looking similar to Tesla coils. Green pillars with golden tips.
They continued to grow before beginning to bend inwards and touch each other right above the Emerald Palace. The heart of Oz – a crystal born of magic – created a beam into where the Guardians touched, forming the protective shield over all of Oz that had held back many a threat.
My sisters and I lowered ourselves back to the ground. For now, the Emerald City was safe but we had other counties to worry about. I hurried back towards the Palace, only to be met by Zion at the gate.
"I've sent out fire messages. The Lords and Ladies are on their way," He was out of breath. "The Whispmother is better than a few minutes ago. She recovers quickly but is still very weak. What are we going to do with that mist? We don't know what it does?"
With that said, purpleness engulfed the dome of protection.
"I have no idea, Zion. We'll have to see what the others say. I cannot decide on my own. I'm unable to even." And I was... hopelessly lost describes it best, I believe. What was I supposed to do if this magic killed the entire population of Oz? I will have to wait for the more experienced opinions of the other Lords and Ladies. They would at least have two or three ideas...

"So, you tell us you were encountered by one witch? One single witch who killed the Overlord, almost killed you, Madam Whispmother and has the Seeker in custody? If that is as true as I believe it is, we stand no chance against her. Not without Queen Evanora and Forgemaster Ruby."
Iarann always truly was the realist of the group. This and his short temper were what had earned him his reputation of the-one-who-always-leads-unnecessary-discussions. But today, I could only agree with him. And judging by the lack of murmur, the others thought the same.
"Right now, we have to find something against this mist. I don't know if people are dying and the possibility of it happening is killing me," I added to the pool of opinions. These meetings were getting worse with each time that we gathered here in this room. I always wonder what Ev would do in these scenarios. I can imagine her keeping her cool more. That was what I could say for certain.
"Milady Glinda," Aureliu stepped up from behind Zion, walking up to the table to speak. "The former monastery's light is working against the magic. It was unable to touch even the tiniest bit of saintly ground. And all that the mist does is send people to sleep. My fellow Vampires who were unable to reach the academy on time fell prey to its power."
I never could have imagined the weight of the rock that fell from my chest. It was as if I was finally free from the boulder that was slowly crushing me down. And then it hit me like another boulder: The monastery's sacred ground is not blessed by priests but tainted with light and Lumen magic. I was wielding it. I could extend the protective circle and send the mist to its former place. It may drain me and leave me incapacitated for long, but it was a risk worth taking.
"I will go with Aureliu. I wield light magic; I can work myself around the machinery and try to spread the light to all of Oz."
"But Glind-"
"It's worth a shot!"
Without even initiating a discussion or a vote on that matter, I walked past the table, waved Aureliu to follow me and left to take the Yellow Brick Road to Regal – the new Vampire Academy. Things needed to happen fast and any second spent on voting for something I would do despite the outcome – as much as it would hurt me – is a second wasted.
Aureliu and I hurried down the stairs through the entrance hall and out on the streets of the Emerald City. I did not want to say it looked pretty, the way the mist was forming a dome over the city, but the twisting magic had something captivating in it.
It was also rather wonderful and – how to say... – inspiring to see the people of Oz continue their everyday lives as if nothing was happening. People walking down the day market, buying their groceries. Mothers, leading their children to school, Kindergarten or to playgrounds – mind you, we do not only have magical schools in Oz – and people visiting mother's shop for medical care or supplies.
We walked past booths of fruit, pastry and fresh game meat. Ended up receiving three apples and a batch of mince pies. We reached the gates after another ten minutes. This was the moment of moments. Will my light work against the mist or will I doom us for good?
"Aureliu, you can open it," I told the Vampire Lord. My voice was shaky and faint. I had never been as unsure as I was now, ever since my big solo concert as a teen. Ev had fallen sick, and I had to make the duet a solo. The stress almost killed me twice that day.
Aureliu walked in front of me, yanking at the two large emerald blocks that formed our main gate. The mist began crawling through the slit already. I was firmly holding onto my wand, its diamond tip already glowing a warm light. I flicked my wrist upward and with a sound that resembled the crack of a whip, my magical vessel turned into a bright lamp. The mist was forced back immediately. It was like a safety bubble that Aureliu and I were in now.
I walked some hesitant steps forward but the mist remained repelled. The light worked against it. It was either infernal magic that I was dealing with, or magic born of hatred. But that mattered little right now, our little feat was distracting me from the imperative.
Aureliu closed the gates behind us and we began our walk up the Yellow Brick Road and towards our destination. We had to pass the poppy fields and cross the Dark Forest. The former monastery lay directly at the Green Dawn's and Red Field's border.
"So, Aureliu. You have been coping well here?" I flashed him a side-eyed glance, having to focus on maintaining the light. He nodded absentmindedly.
"Yes, very much. I have never seen my people thrive like this before. But granted, I have not been fighting the fight for a place for too long. You have helped the Downworld – not only us Vampires but Werewolves and Fairies alike – more than you could possibly imagine. It feels good to belong."
My heart melted away. It also feels good to know that you have helped someone finally be themselves. All thanks to Ev for once again doing what her heart tells her without minding the consequences.
"I am glad you found a home in Oz. If asked now or anytime, we would have taken you in without hesitation still. You have been a significant help to Oz as well. Every new face is an enrichment to our country. And between us: Zion appreciates your presence more than anyone. He just may not like to show."
I offered him a quick chuckle and he responded with a smile. The remainder of our three-hour walk remained quiet, except for several breaks to grab a thing to eat and drink a bit of water. We crossed the forest, past the Witches Castle. The memories of how it all started were still etched before my mind's eye.
We reached Regal, not much after. Remembering how run-down it was when my sisters cleared it out a while back, looking at it now, I felt transported to a different dimension. First and foremost, it looked like a magical school you would expect from movies and TV.
It was a baroque-style palace basically, only much smaller and much darker. Black and dark brown walls with red banners hanging at regular intervals. The lusciously green yard highly contrasted the aesthetic of the building and the gloomy forest around it.
People were walking all around, wearing uniforms and their bags over their shoulders. Things were going on as regular, even here. It was not only Vampires going here but also Magicks and other Downworld creatures seeking to extend their skills or higher education.
We crossed the threshold of the premise and I suddenly felt like I was reborn. Even in Merlin's and the monks' absence, this place was overflowing with light magic. It charged me and rejuvenated me. I lowered my wand, following Aureliu into the building.
It became evident once again how much work he and Ambra had put into making this a pleasant comfortable place to live. It strongly reminded me of their castle back in London with the darker woods and white marble floors.
"Follow me." Aureliu led me through hallways I was familiar with during my own stay here – even though now, they looked entirely different – but also down new ones that the couple must have added to the floor plan. Behind a locked door was the thing we were here for.
A machine built by Merlin himself, using technologies long lost to time. It was a Lumen device, responsible for keeping the place flooded with light and preventing the darkness of the forest from spreading to the remaining country.
It was something called a Lumen Watch. Something that is typically worn on a person to prevent them from aging – Aliyah wears the Umbra Watch counterpart that will allow her to look young forever, unlike us others – but Merlin had built a thousand times larger in scale to keep the forest in its current state.
My plan is to use the Lumen Watch in order to extend the light circle but also return Oz to its state before the mist had spread across the country. Normally, this would require almost all my magic but given that I was standing on a well of light, I figured that I would walk out of here tired but not depleted. And if so, I would not mind. The safety of Oz is what mattered. Ev would do the same.
I walked up to it. It was in a glass-domed room – or rather tower – entirely filled out by the device and held barely any room to walk in. At least for one person.
"I would advise you to step back a little. I have no idea what will happen and what could happen." He did as I advised him, and I walked right up to the little control panel of the large machine. It was like the inside of a clock tower. Cogs, gears and pistons working their way to keep the light flowing that it was also powered by. It was like a circle: The light powers the gear and the gear keep the light going.
I used my wand as key, holding it above the panel. The machinery stopped moving for several seconds before slowly beginning to turn in the opposite direction. It was difficult to maintain the energy flowing. I felt the resistance of the device as if someone was pushing the air against me.
It even managed to force me into the air, that was how much energy was coming from it. Did I overestimate myself? No! I had to keep going. There was no room for doubts. Ev would have kept going as well, no matter what stood between her and victory.
I gripped my wand with both hands now and the Lumen Watch finally started to spin faster, reaching its original speed only backwards. I felt part of the circle now. The light was flowing into me, and I kept the device going. I was now another cog in this grand device.
Right until I was not. I released all the light that connected me to the power source and all I could hear was a sound that reminded me of slamming a hammer against a metal pipe. Next thing I knew, I was kneeling on the ground, feeling Aureliu's arm around my shoulder, helping me up.
"Ugh..." My head was spinning, and I had no control over my body. I wanted to throw up and already having thrown up simultaneously. My eyes could not focus, and I had lost my wand.
"My wand..." I heard myself like through a tunnel and forgot within the minute what I had said. A beep in my left ear grew louder up to a point where I had to close my eyes to resist the pain within them and only focus on the feeling of my brain tearing.
But when I opened my eyes again, what I saw was alright again. I could see, it was quiet – apart from the machine's whirring – and the pain was gone. But so was my wand still. And when I looked down, I figured out why. It had not only slipped my hand, but it had shattered to pieces from the Lumen Watch's impact.
I had this wand ever since school. I had used it to learn magic and up to this point, for every chore and task to be done. It was like losing a precious stuffed animal. You know it's not alive and breathing but you still hold it close to your heart. Now, my wand was gone.
Not that I needed it, but it helped me channel my magic. Now, I had to rely on the hard-light that I could build weapons, tools and such from. Practical but a bit too forceful in my opinion. I picked up the bits of the golden rod and laid my head into my neck, looking up and through the dome's glass panels.
The sky was no longer covered in the singular purple cloud but clear, cold and grey as was usual for a late winter's day. Aureliu and I walked out of the building and – I never would have thought to say it – I for one, enjoyed the whip of cold air in my face and the feeling of my cheeks splitting open from the frost. One thing was off my to-do list, and I could finally lay back for a minute and have a decent rest and sleep. I deserved it.

I slammed the gates to the Emerald Palace shut and locked them. It was midday, but I needed that sleep and no distractions or disturbances. The Guardians had been lowered and things started to feel like they used to. I dragged my feet up the stairs, feeling the emptiness of not having my wand.
I had given the shards to mother, both of us hoping that she would find something in the library to fix it. There was not a single thing she could not do and especially with the help of her books. She was not only a walking encyclopedia and medical bag but also a walking toolbox. A true mender.
I noticed the open council room door, opening it to see whether someone had stayed behind and to imagine the way that Ev would have handled all of this. How she would have thrown orders around, would have taken a seat in the library herself to aid in research and would not only participate in any fight – past or future – but also lead them. She was one of a kind and her absence was noticeable.
I looked around the empty chairs and the rainbow they formed. Metaphorically speaking. I had the door almost closed when realization hit me. Had I miscalculated? Was basic math even leaving me nowadays? Or was I just tired from everything that had been going on in the past few days? To make sure, I turned back into the room.
My eyes had not fooled me after all. Three additional chairs all in colors that I could not identify. I was standing there, rooted like a tree and was just blinking. My tired head could not wrap itself around this occurrence.
I jumped slightly when the crack ripped the air open in front of me. Out of the rift stepped a woman, wearing dark grey robes. Her olive skin was hanging from her skeleton. She looked sick and the hollow eyes did not make things better.
But her face was wearing a smile as bright as the light that I had just had within me a couple of hours ago. I was still planted in the doorway but that did not stop her stepping closer to me, resting her weight on her staff.
"You cannot imagine the thanks that I have to offer you..." Her voice sounded as tired as I felt but also relieved at the same time. It had something airy to it that reminded me of the Whispmother.
"The curse me and my two friends had been under. You freed us from the mist. How, I do not know but I don't care. I had lost all hope when the Morningstar and his family imprisoned us. But now, sixty years later, I have regained it!"
If I had not thought of the Whispmother and if she would not have mentioned the Morningstar, I never would have thought of the woman that the Whispmother had described. A woman of immense power, able to take down two Sovereign and a Magick at once. The skepticism must have been written on my face for she only widened her smile and stretched out her hand.
"I'm Sapphira by the way, nice to meet you..."