Shadow Witch

Chapter 4

My head was resting on the bars when I heard someone start hitting them. "Wake up!" I looked over to see the same Vampire with a scar, Rig was his name. I stood up, kind of shakily, dizzy from the ride.

"I knew there was more to you, witch." The way he says 'witch' was definitely in a non-pleasing way. We were nothing but a tool to them.

I stepped out of the carriage and got a quick look around. The Trials would be held in a stadium, it was quite large and can hold many spectators and bidders and wouldn't be surprised if there was some gambling.

As I was trying to look around Rig grabbed my jaw, "eyes forward!" On instinct I charged my hand and grabbed him, he instinctively let me go, but came back with a vengeance, hitting me square across the face. Not hard enough to bring me to the ground but enough to make my head spin.

"You better watch yourself; you may be Lord Cassius' now, but right now you're in my yard, I make the rules." He then spat at me and started walking away. It was expected that I follow, and I did think for a moment not to, but that would only bring me more grievance.

The so-called 'yard' was literally just a large oval field filled with Vampire guards, and witches all over. Some were practicing spells on heavy objects, I could see some casting elemental spells, others were just sitting starring, waiting for the Trials. Rig had stopped in front of one of the small buildings, when he knocked on the door, a petite female with green eyes opened it up, she was a witch.

He pushed me forward, "she will be bunking with you and your crew." He then turned and walked away.

She immediately stuck her tongue out at him, childish but greatly amusing.

"Hi, I'm Nova."

"Hello, I'm Aviana."

"Come in before we get pulled out onto the grounds." I hustled inside and she closed the door behind me.

There were four bunk beds, there were only three beds made, soon to be four.

"Please pick whichever unmade bed you would be most comfortable at." I looked at them all and picked the one furthest from the door, it was a bottom bunk, but I would rather stay away from that door.

"So, Aviana how did you get caught?"

"You just like to jump into the personals, don't you?" I looked back at her as I sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sorry, a habit of mine."

"It's fine, I had a run-in with the Lord himself. Didn't really leave me with a choice." Her eyes grew wide, she knew what that meant, no one would touch me here, I would be 'safe' until the end of the Trials, but there were also other speculations.

"So, you must be like a class four or five!" She was excited almost a bit too much?

"You already asked me a personal question, I don't think it's fair you get two and I get none." I smiled at her in a teasing way.

"Sorry again, just my magic is weak, I can barely pass at a level 2, I'm going to be sold off to the crummiest, sketchiest, piece of garbage there is." She felt this truth very strongly.

"How long have you been here for?"

She looked up at the ceiling, that I now noticed I should be thankful I took a bottom bunk because once it starts raining, that is going to leak.

"I would say maybe two moons." I was a bit shocked for her to be here that long and only be a level two, usually, you can practice as much as you want before the games. "Everybody just kind of keeps to themselves, no one helps each other out. I was thinking you were maybe a level one or two like me because you didn't have one of those collars, but then you said Lord Cassius caught you, so now I'm not sure."

"You mean those godforsaken collars that cancel out our connection to the Earth?" Ultimately voiding our power unless given permission by our masters, created by our own kind. The garbage scum who thought of it should be murdered.

"Yeah, I had only seen one other person with it on, but even he says he's only a level three."

There aren't many as strong as me. They stay at the Royals table, they didn't want freedom they wanted power, so they now get to grow their magic but have to serve a Royal family.

"Well, Nova..." As much as I wanted to tell her I could probably kill everyone here and escape, I couldn't. I would be found again by stronger Vampires, maybe even high-level witches, and who knows the torture they would put me through then. "You see it was only by coincidence that I ran into Cassius, I'm only a level two maybe top a three." Luckily witches were easier to lie to than a Vampire, they can see every change in your muscles as you talk to them, every eye twitch or movement, and if you lied to them and they knew, you might as well chop your own arm off.

She nodded and accepted my answer, "so do you want to go take a look around?"

"Honestly right now I want to sleep, I haven't slept much in the last couple of days."

"Ok, I'm heading out to practice on the levitation spells, you can come to join us anytime." I nodded at her, as she got up and left.

The place was basically a shack, and the rain was coming, probably be here by tonight, and there was a charge in the air. I laid on my hard, mouldy-smelling bed, wrapped my cloak around me, and fell asleep.