The Dark Witch And Her Knights

52

Eversio.

Eversio was the name of the God of Darkness.

For witch-kind, the word translates into destruction. Not just destruction. It also meant to overthrow. And he without a doubt was going to help me destroy my father and overthrow the wretched kingdom he built.

When I awoke from the dream I was sure I was trapped in this strange world for the rest of my days. Never to see the men I loved, my mother, or sister ever again. Never to slowly start an uprising of witches in the kingdom my father ruled over. A kingdom that abused its power. Mercilessly executing the innocent by claim of witch. For revenge, greed, or lust. No one was safe from the hangman's noose, strung up by a magic wielder who despised their own kind. The hypocrisy is what sickened me the most. I wouldn't let it go.

I needed to free those who could not free themselves.

Venefica was the shell of a fresh kingdom by the sea. Eversio had introduced me to his shadow staff who cared for the castle until my people would fill its halls and the small city surrounding it. He promised once I had seen the full Venefica he would teach me how to get home and back to the kingdom again. I was impatient and argued with him over the importance of the time I spent here when I should be back home plotting a war.

And again I was wrong about him. He ignored my outburst. Taking my hand in his, he placed a small object in my palm. "Our worlds are not the same." He released my hand allowing me to inspect the small golden pocket watch. "From birth, we are taught how to tell the time with the path traveled by our ancestors- the moon and the sun. This is from your world. I have enchanted it to be imperishable. It will keep time with its place of origin."

"It will tell me what time it is there?"

"Yes."

"It hasn't moved," I told him not seeing nor hearing the annoying tick of the gears inside.

"Because our worlds are so far apart, not even time is the same."

The thin delicate hand dedicated to seconds finally ticked. My eyes shot to his and the color of his eyes fluctuated from green to deep blue.

"The time there passes by much slower."

***

The creatures of myth and legend called this realm their home. Eversio gifted me the company of a sylph to show me around and answer any questions I had about their realm. My brain was a wet sponge absorbing anything and everything I could learn from her. Her name was Amina, a spirit of air from the floating isles. Gossamer wings hung from her back reminding me of a weeping willow, white and shimmery similar to a moth. I didn't know how she could flap them or catch enough wind to fly.

We journeyed to the tallest tower in the castle. Amina insisted we must start from there. Gliding seemed to be her preferred form of travel. The air itself carried her about. Directing me to a window, she waved a long delicate hand calling forth the wind to brush back the velvet curtain of the window. The view was unfathomable. Beyond the warm forest bordering Venefica to the north was endless land of mountains, ice, and snow.

To the east, the horizon built up and grew massive white mountains that blocked the sight of anything beyond that. Directly north she pointed out a few shapes that I first glanced over believing were clouds. But as the true clouds parted I could see that these were the floating isles Amina had come from.

"That is your home?"

"Yes. It is the capital of the north, holding several cities, and thousands of souls. King Eversio rules from there."

"The floating isles are large enough to hold a city?" They were the most fascinating thing I had ever seen. "They are not at risk of floating away?"

"Magic keeps them anchored to the realm and each other."

She pointed to the eastern window this time pulling back the curtain without the use of her magic. "This is the aurora fields. It is particularly important to warn your kind of this area." The east was covered in rolling hills of oversized flowers that varied from blue to purple to pink and orange and back again. "The flowers produce a hallucinogen that will intoxicate your people and cause dependant effects."

My words were lost to me and I began to veer to the south window when her cold hand grabbed ahold of mine and led me west instead. It was nothing but ocean. I had already gotten a great view of it from the balcony in my room.

"In this realm, there are several temples dedicated to the elements of our world. To the west of your Venefica is the Water Temple. From here you can not see it but I have been there and several miles out it lies. Its residents are the kind that live in water. Half of the structure sits under the sea and below the island it rests. Many travelers, acolytes, and others will pass through your city to reach the Temple. It will be your duty to ensure their safety within the walls of Venefica. Now you may look out the other window." She could sense my fervor and finally nudged me in the direction I was slowly inching towards.

She pulled back the beryl curtain with a bit of flourish. "This is the city of Venefica. Soon to be the home of the witches."

The city was more than I had expected. I could easily make out a port, a shopping district, and a residential one. It was grander than the kingdom of Truci Malitae. I surely did not know enough witches to fill the entirety of Venefica. Though I stood at that window gazing out to a city I could see filling over the decades- flourishing, growing, and evolving with a kind that was meant for more than the noose. I could see the glowing ball of light blazing and bright as it made its journey across the sky. Time was fleeting as I dreamed of the world waiting at my fingertips to be molded into something devastatingly beautiful.

"Show me what I need to see. Then return me to King Eversio." I had stood here long enough envisioning a future of freedom when I should be back in my world making it a reality.

With a nod of her head, all the curtains fell back into place before leading me back down the lengthy stairwell.

Venefica's Castle had been bleached white by the sun. And again I found myself making comparisons to the large dark flagstone monstrosity that the Malitae family ruled from. Amina did not seem bothered by my dismissive behavior. We walked the halls and she talked about everything the kingdom had to offer. Yet I no longer held an interest in this place until I could bring my people here. And first I needed to get back to my world. There would be time for all this after.

Amina stopped before a large set of black doors using her gift to swing the doors open. Inside was the throne room but there was no throne in site just Eversio. He leaned against a pillar looking out over the sea to the west. I wondered if his sight was good enough that he could see the island out in the distance where the water temple was.

"Thank you, Amina. That will be all," he said without sparing either of us a glance.

When the doors shut behind her with a gust of wind he flung a hand out to the side motioning me to grab it. I joined him between the columns placing my hand in his and taking in the view. The sun was setting casting a rosy lavender glow over the horizon separated by a wine-colored sea and the deep blue sky. The sounds of the surf crashing against the rocky outcropping that the castle was perched settled me in a peace I had never known before. I knew this would be my home and the home of my people for generations to come. This was the home I had been searching for my whole life.