"She's Mine"

Chapter 22

"So you've come puella electi"

Damian stepped in front of me defensively.

"Who are you?!" He growled out. The stranger stepped forward giving no reply and Damian immediately shifted into his wolf snarling at the man, daring him to come closer. The man simply chuckled and with a wave of his hand he spoke, "Down wolf no one here would ever hurt puella electi"

Damian shifted back into his human form but not of his own consent.

"What did you do to me?" Damian said in a furious tone. He stepped closer to the stranger threateningly as he was still taller and more built.

"Relax, I simply forced you to shift." He paused for a moment, "I am of course like you" he stared straight at me while he spoke.

"Your a sorcerer?" I asked peeking out from behind Damian.

He nodded is head, "my name is Koa, it is a pleasure to meet you puella electi"

"What does that mean what did you call her!" Damian said once again stepping in front of me. Damian's anger and frustration of the situation was quite evident. His short temper was amusing Koa.

I placed my hand on his back and gently rubbed, I could feel his muscles slightly relax but he was still on alert.

"Relax Damian it means chosen girl" I said gently trying to reassure him. I felt no threat from this man. I trust him.

"We have lots to discuss, about well, you" Koa said.

"Like?" Damian and I stated at the same time. Of course I said it much nicer then Damian.

"No, not here, anyone can hear. The fairies love to spread gossip and that is dangerous. Follow me and soon everything will be explained."

"Fairies?!" I gasped.

"Fairies only live in sacred places you wouldn't see any back home." Damian explained to me he then turned to face Koa. "Why should we trust you?"

"Why not?" Koa said laughing. "You came all the way up this mountain and it is now dark, trying to follow the trail is near impossible, you might as well come with me and rest before you set out to meet your death" Koa began to walk towards the cave entrance. Damian sighed knowing that he was right.

"I still think we shouldn't go" Damian leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"We don't really have a choice Damian, besides I trust him, my magic feels light with his presence, fate brought me here I'm sure of it. He can help me figure out what I am, I know it" I looked into his eyes to reassure him.

Damian didn't look at all happy about this but deep down he knew trying to trudge our way through the forest at night was useless.

"Wait, how did you find this place? The fairies use their magic to keep people or, any creatures actually, away. So how did you end up here as a coincidence?" Koa said suddenly stopped in his tracks and turning to once again face us.

"It wasn't a coincidence." I spoke out.

Koa stared at me for a minute, "we have a lot more to talk about then expected. Follow me."

Koa turned away from us and walked into the cave with Damian and I closely following behind him.

At first it was pitch black but then a small lamp came into view. Every six or so feet was another dimly lit lamp. It felt like we were walking for hours when in reality it must've been only minutes. The lamps just continued to come and go and the walls of the cave looked the same as we continued on. I started to drift off into my own thoughts until I felt Damian tug at my arm. I looked at Damian and then proceeded to look forward. We reached a dead end with nothing but rock in front of us.

"What game are you playing at!" Damian growled at him. Koa gave no response, he just stood facing the wall.

Damian pushed me behind him and slowly started to back away from Koa.

"intrabit" (open) Koa suddenly spoke, I felt the magic flowing through his words. Nothing happened at first but then the walls started to tremble. Damian immediately grabbed me pulling me to him so that nothing would hurt me. The dead-end started to reveal an opening and I realized it wasn't a wall at all. A huge boulder blocked the entrance to the mysteries that were behind it. Koa stepped to the side of us allowing Damian and I to see what was waiting beyond the entrance.

"Welcome to the villa sacris!" (Sacred Village)

Inside the mountain itself was a surreal scene. Tiny cottages were scattered everywhere, there must have been at least 100. A giant tree was set  in the center of it all, the top of it almost completely covering the caves open roof that if you looked close enough through the leaves you could see the stars. A waterfall flowed down from a higher cave opening across the clearing  that flowed to the base of the tree surrounding it with a body of water. The water at the tree base then flowed through the village and the more rural areas of the massive clearing as a steady stream. Lanterns  hung from the huge tree illuminating the whole village with a light glow.  Moss covered almost everything as it  grew on most of the houses and the walls of the caves making the place look like it was one with nature.

"This is beautiful" My jaw dropped due to the shock that something so magical and beautiful could exist in this world.

"This is the sacred village of sorcerers." Koa said sounding prideful of his home, he had every right to be. "It was originally a small group of guardians but when sorcerers started to be hunted many fled here and our numbers grew. Soon we will start building houses along the side of the cave that wind up close to the leaves of the tree in order to keep up with the growing amount of people. You can see a few on the sides over there" he pointed to the left of the cave where 10 homes where connected on a ledge of the mountain vines hung down from them giving the houses a tropical look and bridges connected them together. A trail was made from the ledge to the ground where people could be see walking up and down.

"What is a guardian?" I asked him. Damian looked at Koa as well wanting to know the answer just as much as I did.

"We will talk at the elders house, they can explain far better then me." Koa motioned for us to follow him so we did.

The boulder rumbled as it went back to its place in front of the cave entrance. Koa then began to walk down the stone steps that led to the ground and village. Finally reaching the bottom we walked past fields of wheat and other plants that produced harvest. Once you pass the fields you enter the village. Surprisingly it was bustling with people walking about, there were even tiny shops that sold food and other Knick knacks. We continued to walk through the village and I finally got noticed by the residents. It grew silent as people mumbled when I passed them. I faintly heard people say 'it's her' and 'the chosen girl' as we continued to walk to the other end of the village. I wondered if everyone here was like me, a sorcerer. It seemed our destination was the elder tree at the center of the clearing as Koa continued to lead us out of the village. Damian held onto me closely not trusting  any strangers that passed us.
Once we reached the base of the tree I noticed a small stone pathway that went through the water that surrounded the base of the tree. The path led to a small grass circle following the bottom of the giant tree. We hopped from stone to stone, Damian thankfully helped me so that I didn't trip, and we reached the other side. I had never noticed before but along the sides of the tree was a spiraling wooden stair case. However the stairs were simply planks of wood that jolted out from the tree.

"Is this even safe?" I questioned Koa, not all trusting these makeshift stairs.

"Of course they've been used for years and have remained sturdy." Koa responded making his way up the winding tree stairs.

Damian sighed, "honestly we've already come this far so fuck it" Damian started up the stairs.

Hesitantly I followed behind him unsure of what awaited at the top.

All I knew was whatever awaited there would change my life forever.