Hybrid Trilogy

Chapter 48 Alliance

"Calm yourselves my brothers & sisters" Isabella shouted loudly, raising her arm to try & quiet the square full of restless & agitated Witches & Warlocks, who had been coming here daily since the lady had gone, all of them jostling for a view just in case there was any news. The lady Alcina had left, leaving her friend & confidante Nighmeara & her daughter Isabella to prepare them all for the impending battle. They had naïvely felt that she wouldn't be gone for long & in truth she hadn't been, but as time passed very differently in both dimensions, she had been gone from this one for over a year, & the civil war started by her twin sister Cassandra & the Vampire Mandrake had been raging on predominately unchecked for nearly 20 years. So, it had proved very difficult for an aging coven leader & a young pretender to the throne, to keep an increasingly disconcerted crowd at ease. "HOW DO YOU KNOW, THAT THE LADY ALCINA IS NOT DEAD?!" came a cry from someone in the crowd, accompanied by lots of yells of agreement. "Because dearies" Nighmeara interjected "if she were, then......Young Isabella here would become your new lady, & can I ask do you feel any different? She finished asking Isabella, who in turn shook her head then turned to the gathered worried onlookers "IF THE LADY WERE DEAD, DO YOU NOT THINK, THAT AS HER DAUGHTER I WOULD KNOW?" Shouted a decidedly frantic Isabella of the restless masses, then as the color suddenly drained from her face, she pointed to the back of the square. Were a localized mist was forming, the crowd all turned in unison, gasped & moved back in a wave as the mist grew. All around the square people looked on captivated, by the shear size of what they saw. The coven leaders & Isabella were it seemed unable to move paralyzed as the mist grew yet larger, mists were not an unusual occurrence in the Witches world, but one this large had never been seen before, thunder & lightning began emanating from the mist as it became bigger still. Then almost as soon as it had appeared, it stopped growing, the thunder & lightning ceased & the mist began to dissipate. Apprehensively the crowd of Witches & Warlocks waited for the mist to evaporate, (this is seeming like an age none of us can move) thought Isabella. All of them frozen to the spot, when in fact it only really took seconds.

Isabella ran down the three steps of the village hall then across the square, through the parting masses, throwing her arms round the lady as she came into view, "MOTHER, OH, MOTHER, where have you been, I have missed you so very much, its been so long" she sobbed into her mothers long white gown, in turn the lady returned the hug with an equal amount of passion, she had no intention of remaining stoic as was the expectation of someone in her position, she looked round confused momentarily, but then understanding settled on her, she had in her eyes only been gone a day, but clearly time here had moved on considerably more. Ruby, George & Unity looked around at the very concerned looks on the faces of the gathered Witches & Warlocks looking on, Ruby & Unity may as well have been wearing a neon sign saying, "IM A VAMPIRE." Agnashus ran forward, casting a spell directed at them, George stepped in front of them instantly changing to a 8.5ft hulking Werewolf erupting from his clothes roaring at Agnashus as he did, at this the crowd all gasped & then a barrage of spells from all of them were directed at him, the spell cast by Agnashus was the first to strike hitting George square in the chest, but as with most previous spells bounced of him as he roared ever louder. The remainder of the changelings some thirty strong, led by Theon, irrespective of the lack of both night-time & moon light all stood alongside George encircling Ruby & Unity & all transformed into a pack of growling snarling Werewolves. As this happened the crowd screamed & started to run in a panicked stampede Agnashus let loose another spell ball of fire, but it along with the others never reached its target, because quickly the lady Alcina waved her hand dissipating the spells in mid-flight.

"THESE PEOPLE ARE UNDER MY PROTECTION" she announced sternly, waving her hand again ensuring that as all the Werewolves changed back to their human form, they were all clothed. The gathered throng all immediately knelt down & bowed their heads in shame. Walking forward with Niregg at her heel Nighmeara, & said "well to be fair dearie you have brought Vampires & Werewolves into our village, how would you have us react?" "I expected you to act as you did, but please bare in mind, that these people" the lady started pointing as she did at Ruby, Unity & George "are here to help, we need to sometimes fight fire with fire" the lady finished soothingly "but a Vampire Dearie, is that not inviting destruction?" Nighmeara asked in her croaky Scottish tone as the crowd looked up.

The lady Alcina pointed over to a sheepish but confident looking Unity " it is prophesied that this young lady whose name is Unity so named because she will unite Witches, Werewolves & Vampires" she said addressing her knelt down subjects "to bring peace & defeat evil" Isabella added as she beckoned Unity over to her, as though her mother were speaking through her. "And you know this how?" A very brash & over confident Agnashus asked "I am surprised that you feel the need to ask such a question" the lady replied smoothly. Apprehensively Unity stepped forward, feeling almost compelled, reaching out & took hold of Isabella's hand, but instantly felt at ease, as a calming influence descended over her. "This is Ruby" the lady indicated "she & George" she continued pointing at George "is he not a Werewolf dearie? I thought that Werewolves & Vampires were mortal enemies?!" Nighmeara asked shocked to learn of this alliance. "Both Ruby & George pledged themselves to one another long before they became what they are now, & they are committed not to take human life......ever" the lady finished.

She then proceeded to tell the crowd of massed Witches & Warlocks the history surrounding Ruby, George & Unity, & all about the prophecy. Whilst this seemed to placate the gathered crowd, they all remained largely unconvinced & uncomfortable, but trusted in their lady Alcina. Her audience began drifting apart, but those who remained stayed a little on edge as reluctantly at the behest of the lady they made the visitors as comfortable as possible. "That makes us kind of cousins as my mother is your auntie, come on let me show you where you can rest" Isabella said happily to Unity as they ran hand in hand across the square.

"Do you know what you are?" Isabella asked "what I am? What do you mean I'm a......girl!" Replied a confused looking Unity "well" began Isabella conspiratorially " your father, my uncle is a Werewolf, & my auntie, your mother is a Vampire" Isabella whispered "oh...I...see...I think" replied Unity still totally confused "you my dear cousin are a Lycan" Isabella announced proudly.

The days carried on as an uneasy peace appeared to be maintained between the groups of reluctant allies. The Witches & Warlocks not convinced that Ruby & Unity wouldn't kill them, or that George, Theon or the other Werewolves wouldn't eat them. & Ruby, George & the others not convinced that the coven wouldn't use their magic to kill them.

One night a group of Vampires whilst out hunting came across an invisible seemingly impenetrable wall of magic. It appeared to keep the third territory safe a, lone Warlock stood watch over this the only viable access point to the territory. The Vampires tried & failed to get through to where the young Warlock, who was no more than twenty stood, & their daylight protectors couldn't, even though they tried using all their magic, the young Warlock stood, defiantly ready to defend, in case they got through. The noise of the magical sparks bouncing off the protection barrier, woke the lady, Isabella & Nighmeara, & they all came out into the square at once. Ruby, George & Unity also came out from where they had been sleeping, & all three stood looking at where the sparks of light emanated from, lighting up the darkened sky just beyond the trees outside the village. in his deep throaty voice Theon came out & said "I will go & see what's up!" As he ran off in the direction of the light, & as he did he transformed into a monstrous Werewolf. He made his way as stealthily as he could, through the trees, he heard the young Warlock say defiantly "you wont get through our whole coven has contributed to this wall, & strengthened by the lady Alcina!!!"