Spinning around the Wheel

Introduction

Let's go back to when it all started, the 1690s. It was a time of hardship and food and resources were scarce, and as usual, the people needed someone to blame. People didn't like those they could not control, those who in any way held power over others, and those who acted out of their station.

A family with the family name of Blossoms soon fell to the fate of the people's wrath. The Blossoms were a family who only ever did anything to help others around them, but the methods in which they used, went against what mankind could comprehend, therefore, they were dangerous.

I am sure you have heard many of the same tales from back then, it was the time of the Witch Trials after all. The Blossoms were herbalists and only ever healed villagers with herbs and plants, but eventually even their most loyal and regular customers turned the family away.

At the time, in a small cabin, just out to the side of the Moorland village, in the woodland sat the Blossoms' home. A tiny hut for so many of them, but they never asked or wanted for more, as they had what mattered most, family and the blessing of their God and Goddess. A mother and her five young girls made the cabin a home but also a sanctuary, where anyone could visit in their time of need. The mother was the village's healer and herbalist, her children were her little helpers. The mother, Dea, taught her children everything that she knew, and they too became very good herbalists, all but one who never had the chance to learn from her mother, for she was too young when the villagers and their torches and pitchforks charged at her family.

That's right, they were determined guilty of being witches and worshiping satan. Only the first part of that was true. Dea and her daughters were witches, they were very capable of destroying the village and probably any other, but they were only powerful because they had the God and Goddess's blessing, and they chose to do good with their power and knowledge.

On that dreadful night when their villagers had turned against them, those who were considered family friends had already bolted up their doors and boarded up their windows in the late afternoon. Dea knew what was coming but had no idea how she could hide herself and five children in the woodlands, it was clear no one was willing to help her cause and time was running out.

The time had soon caught up to her, she heard shouting from afar in the village, she had no other choice, she gathered her children close and gave the orders, and kissed each one of them on the forehead. Four of her children were to all run off in different directions, she prayed that not one of them would be caught, she hoped that the angry, blood-thirsty beasts of men would chase her down, to give her children more time, but not before she could hide her youngest child with someone.

"Ventus, you will head north. Ignis, you shall go east. Terra, you head south. And Aqua, you will go west." Dea stated. "You will all head straight in those directions, never try to stray your path. You shall never see each other again, as once you start running, you must never stop. Pray to the God and the Triple Goddess for your strength, dear children, for you will need it. You are all powerful beyond belief, but you must never use those powers, not ever, this world is not ready to accept your gifts, and although man does not deserve forgiveness, they shall never feel our wrath, even if theirs catch up to us. Blessed Be children, now go!"

The children were young in body and wanted to hold on to their mother and never let go, but that evening, the Goddess provided them with strength and wisdom, and they followed their mother's instructions.

Unfortunately, the youngest, Spiritus, was just a babe and therefore couldn't even run from the fate of those that meant her harm. So Dea ran blindly through the woodlands, trying not to go close to her other children's tracks, carrying Spiritus as fast as she could. "Maiden, Mother, Crone. I ask that you protect my children at all costs." Dea repeated this prayer over and over again whilst she ran through the forest, jumping over roots and escaping vines.

Her chant became barely audible over the shouting of her hunters. She kept on pushing through the woodlands hoping it would provide everything she needed as it always had before... the men were catching up to her, she was running out of energy, and she knew she was fighting a losing battle, all she wanted was to find safe haven for her child. 

SNAP! She fell with the baby in her arms into a shallow ditch, she had snagged her foot on a tree root and her ankle was in excruciating pain, tears swarmed her eyes, but she couldn't scream out in pain, for that would only help her hunters find her quicker.

"God and Goddess, I beg of thee, save my children..." Dea sobbed.

Twigs snaped and leaves rustled from beside her, too quiet for her hunters.

"Pssst." I voice whispered from the undergrowth. "Pssst."

Dea held onto Spiratus tightly, she wanted nothing more than to protect her baby, but she couldn't move.

"Give me the babe." The voice whispered.

Dea shook her head. "She is in danger, I must protect her."

"I bet you would give your life to do so too." The voice whispered again, this time closer.

Dea nodded, biting her lip from the mental and physical pain.

"And you shall. If you give me the babe, I will provide her with a safe haven, and you will be found and taken back to your village and die burning on a wooden stake." The voice seemed happy about this suggestion. Dea found the voice untrusting but what other choice did she have?

"Show yourself!"

The movement in the undergrowth stopped. "Give me the babe or don't; trust me or don't. Either way, you die, but only one-way Spiritus lives."

The hunter's voices were becoming clearer, Dea had run out of time.

"How do you know her name?" She demanded quickly.

"Time is running out." The voice taunted her.

Dea could now see the light of the torches approaching. "I pray you look after her, if not I curse thee..."

A dumpy creature jumped out of the undergrowth and snatched Spiritus out of Dea's arms. Dea couldn't make out any of its other features as it had gotten too dark. "No need for curses. I have every interest in keeping this little one alive. Now you shall die, by the elements in which you named your children after. Ironic, isn't it? You shall burn with fire, after which Ignis is named, oxygen and air are in fact going to help the fire, from which Ventus gets her namesake, you will be begging for water to put out the flames but Aqua won't be there, and all because the earth made you fall and break your ankle, and for that, you can blame Terra."

Dea knew she had made a huge mistake, this being couldn't be trusted with Spiritus. "Give me back my child. None of this is their fault!"

The being cackled, "Of course it isn't, they are all already dead!" Dea wailed and attempted to grab Spiritus but the horrid being had already vanished with her baby.