Crystals of Nature

SECTION ONE

THE CHILD

CHAPTER ONE

On a winter's night, where the air is cool and crisp, there was no cloud's in the sky, only the sight of dazzling stars throwing across its black velvet surface, with the presence of a full moon glowing radiantly, adorn with five star's shining brightly above its aura.

Beneath the starlight heaven, hidden deep inside a copious forest, ten guardians surrounded an old cottage in the frosty air; each one stood inside a spellbound ring, each one armed with a long sword and a dagger - ready to protect the chosen infant against the wiccans nemesis: the warlock from the old ages.

Five more guardians were positioned inside the cottage: three before the bedchamber door, and by each window - other side of the front door - the other two stood watch. In sight, their eyes were attuned to the spellbound rings dim magic aura. Secounds later, their composure remained firm as they watch thick mist moving on to the cottage ground, flowing knee high around their fellow guardians. They knew, deep in their hearts, that the malicious evil would use nature's elements against them. As they begin to chant soundlessly undet their breath, hoping that the chosen infant will be protected by the ancestral bracelet - for they were unaware of the mist streaming beneath the front door, filling the small room.

Meanwhile, inside the bedchamber, candles had been placed in areas of the room to give ample of light, as the Wiccan midwife stood on the right side of the bed. Her eyes were closed as she held both hands out before her, positioned above the young mother's belly, concentrating her sixth sense to perceive if the baby was in a good position for birth - since the mother had spoken early this morning that the baby had being lying in the same spot, on the right side, for most of the night, and with minimal movement through the day...

One apprentice sat beside the young mother on the left side of the bed; holding her hand, singing an enchanting song to keep her calm and comfortable, while with her other hand she used a small cloth to damp away the sweap from the girl's face, forehead and neck. The second apprentice prepared clean cloths, maintained two extra large bowls of warm water with the aid of magic to preserve the water in a tepid state.

Without warning, the young mother cried out in pain, screaming three words in a different language, squeezing the young girls hand, causing her to grimace in pain from the grip. Instantly, a white halo materialized in seconds after the words were spoken. It appeared over the mother's belly, captivating them like moths to a flame.

Old magic was at work, making the Wiccan mid-wife and the two apprentices oblivious to their surroundings. The young mother continued to speak in the old tongue, talking to them in a steady voice of serenity; as thin invisible waves of magic flowed outwards from her body, stirring the hidden force in the chamber, where it cauded all the candles to burn brighter and brighter.

Outside the cottage, scuttling adroitly across the snow covered earth were group's of small white spiders, paired in two, bearing towards their targets. They reached the spellbound rings, where the pair's slowly verge inside the spellbound ring, finding the atmosphere tingled with magic against their small bodies, and the snow was very sparsely.
The pair's moved inside cursorily where they seceded; each moving towards the feet of the enemy, crawled onto the leather boots, making their way up the boot leg to the rim. Simultaneously, they sank their long thin fangs into the spot, going through the winter clothing, into the flesh.

The guardians felt the frosty bite from the unseen intruders, feeling the icy venom pulsating through their bodies with such velocity, immobilizing them where they stood. What felt even worse, the cool air they breathed in seemed to be freezing inside their chests, making it difficult and very painful to breath with their last few intakes of air. In their chill numbing moment, they felt the icy curse making its way adroitly towards their hearts. Nonetheless, in spirit and mind, they knew they had mere seconds left to utter the single warning spell to notify their fellow sister guardians inside the cottage of their demise. They gathered their last inner strength, coercing the word for enemy, from the old language, past their blue cold lips: "Koirhuz".

The word initiates the magic in the spellbound rings, stirring it to life, radiating a red aura. The souls of the fallen guardians acknowledge in their cold moment of death that they had prevailed in this untimely event - as their bodies succumb to the solidify effect from the icy venom, turning them into life like frosty statues for all of time.

Inside the cottage, the mist churned about the residual guardians. As the alluring spell hold them captivated, bewitching their minds, imprinting a false memory for them, making them believe that the chosen mother was safe inside the bedchamber, giving birth right this moment.

Although deception left its lingering mark behind: by the window, on the left side of the door, the mist churned in the opposite direction. Beneath the hood, a small smirk caress on the traitor's thin lips, her eyes glistened with victory. She began to mouth the silent spell as she turned around, reciting the words inside her mind, as she moved away from the window. Finding her spell prevented the swirling mist from faulting, like a ghost moving through walls.

Remaining attentive to the task at hand, even if a small part of her was appeased with the outcome of her spell: it had enhanced her vision in the darkness and somehow her spell had influence them to mindlessly step aside, leaving the path clear to the bedchamber. The traitor walked casually forward, only to stop three feet from the door. With ease, she retrieved a small black orb from a pouch on her left hip.
Holding the black orb in the palm of her right glove hand before her, watching the instant reaction where the black orb collected small amounts of sparkling white tendril wisps of essences flowing from each of her fellow fallen foes.
Once the black orb had completed its task, she placed it back into the pouch, returning her gaze on the bedchamber door. Closing the three foot gap, and grasp the door handle...

Even by the simple touch, a tingling sensation crawled through her fingers, brushing over the back of her hand; she instantly knew something was amiss before she even opened the door. Her prospect for victory was shortly lived. Nevertheless, she took the next plan of action, speaking the last key words to bind her silent spell in place, giving her adequate time to gather insight from inside the bedchamber - even if she was going against her masters rules of engagement.

The traitor composure was unyielding and alert as she stood before the threshold, and pushed the door open. Inside the bedchamber, she saw the truth: one cloaked individual stood inside the candle lit room before the bed - no sign of the others. She regarded the new intruder with interest; although her mind flased with lessons of history by her master. Where only one lesson stood out ... she was looking at a guardian of old, framed with a light blue aura about it.

In five heart beat's, she gave no secound thought to the others no longer here or the truth standing inside the bedchamber. She turned around and took one step away when she heard a young girl's voice from behind her.
"Vhelora, must more women succumb to death for your master's impious manner for power?"
The traitor pressed onwatds to the front door and stopped, placed one hand firmly on the handle. Not looking back, she merely replied, "Hmmm, look into the past of deception, for the future seems bright." Opening the door and added loudly as she walked out, "Thus I do not dwindle in trivial ways of misfortunes."

Before she could depart into the bitter winter's night, she walked ten feet away from the cottage, briefly rèaching out to grab the invisible orb, placing it inside another pouch on her right hip, moving swiftly into the shadow of the night through the forest - smiling in contentment of the other ten essences held within.

Once the traitor had left, the guardian of old grieved for the loss of her fellow sister guardians, where she unleashed the hidden flames inside the bedchamber. Allowing the raging inferno to cleanse the place, as it combust outwards in a bright wave, burning away any evidence of the infant and the others scent and rescuing the souls of the fallen guardians from their demise.