Magika [Completed]

Chapter 3

The things I have to put up with...

Kitaya watched Aldeheid exit the Orchard with more of a pep in his step than when he'd entered. To think simple things like compliments held so much power. She'd seen him, sitting by the lake, looking as though someone had stripped him of every shred of hope. Such a rare thing for an immortal.

But seeing him in such a vulnerable state had reminded her of a time when she'd felt as pitiful as he'd looked. And in that moment she'd felt connected to him, somehow. A complete stranger.

Too bad he was a blithering idiot.

She shook her head and extended her marked hand. Cryptic words from a language nigh forgotten spilled from her lips, and a golden glow engulfed the swirling mark that denoted her as a cape.

Vibrations tingled up the soles of her shoes as the markings beneath her feet activated, shifting the Orchard into its state of invisibility. She glanced up in time to see Aldeheid whirl around with clear intentions of reentering the Orchard.

His abrupt halt told her what she needed to know. From his vantage point, there was only rolling heather knolls to be seen. A gambit of emotions moved through those beautiful eyes of his, then he turned and ran off to the east.

Not the first traveler to wander unwittingly into my Orchard, Kitaya mused. But definitely the most amusing.

She leaned her head against the tree as a wave of dizziness hit her. The fruit-laden trees doubled and tripled into an amalgamation of colours. She sucked in a breath and held it, waiting for the bout to pass.

While being able to use magic was both wonderful and convenient, getting sick every time was a crippling annoyance. But capes weren't supposed to be able to use magic, so Kitaya supposed this was the price of being an abomination.

When her vision finally cleared, Kitaya took Alvere's reins and guided the black steed deeper into the trees. The late blossomers came into view, their floral scents permeating the air.

Such a beautiful place, the Phantom Orchard. But, as many humans and immortals had learned, it was a beauty to be admired at a distance. And as Kitaya got closer to its sinister heart, she was reminded why.

Alvere stopped and pulled against her, nickering softly.

Kitaya swore under her breath. They weren't even halfway there and he was already kicking up a fuss. "I know, I know." She stroked his silken fur to calm him. Animals were always the first to react. "Go, Alvere." She let go of his reins and continued up the path alone, the fallen blossoms crunching under her feet.

Please let it be something trivial...

As the sound of Alvere's hooves disappeared behind her, she broke into a jog. Her long strides ate up the distance, and in short order, she was passing the pillar that marked the Orchard's center. The air was as still and quiet as death, making her heavy breaths sound louder than they should. The tall grass and wildflowers that dotted the clearing stood ramrod straight, like soldiers at attention.

Kitaya crossed to the row of stones that ran the length of the clearing. They stood half her height, lined in a neat row. The swirling runes that covered their surfaces reacted to magic, and they, along with the animals in the area served as her only warning system. The first stone was warm to the touch, the second was hot enough to burn her finger.

It's not trivial.

So, there was a surprise waiting on the other side. Well, it wouldn't hurt to peek. She rolled up the sleeve of her tunic, and pushed her hand past the marked rocks to a place beyond the human realm. To Magika. Her hand disappeared as though the air had swallowed it up.