𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟. 𝐈𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.
Humans reveled in the idea of immortality, but those who possessed it were...
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982 - Vinland (present-day America)
It had been a week since Elijah met Astra in the meadow and she had healed his injuries. Mikael had eyed him suspiciously when he returned to the clearing and Elijah was still continuing his exercises. His arms ached from the strain of the movements, but the injuries he had sustained to his chest and torso were mostly healed.
His mother had asked him to accompany her into the village to carry back some items she had requested from Ayana. Elijah, the ever-dutiful son, immediately agreed and followed his mother to the town center.
When they got to Ayana's hut, Elijah noticed they weren't the first ones there. He recognized the woman as a witch whose family lived on the outskirts of town. However, he almost didn't recognize the young girl that was with her. Her hair was pulled back in tight braids and she appeared less wild than she had in the woods the week before. The girl on the other hand seemed to spot him right away and her light eyes lit up with recognition.
"Helga," Esther addressed the woman coolly.
"Esther," the woman smiled shyly at Esther before reaching for the little girl's hand. "Come along Astra, we should be getting back."
Astra allowed her mom to pull her along, but before she was completely out of the shop, she turned around to wave with her free hand.
"Bye, Elijah."
Elijah looked surprised that she remembered his name or even that she remembered who he was. He waved back shyly to the girl as her mom pulled her out of the hut.
"Elijah," Esther's sharp tone pulled his attention away from Astra's retreating figure, "how do you know that girl?"
"I don't know," Elijah looked nervously at his mother. Esther had always warned him and his brother's away from that family. He didn't want to tell his mother that he had allowed her to use magic on him. After all, his mother had told him their magic was deceitful. Elijah didn't know what that meant but her warning had scared him. He wanted to tell her he hadn't known who she was but he didn't want to admit that had spoken to her.
"Well stay away from her from now on," Esther warned. "She may seem nice but it's just an act."
"Don't scare the boy, Esther," Ayana came from the back of the hut. "Helga and Astra would never harm him."
Esther glared at Ayana's reassurance. Ayana and Helga had always been close, but that didn't mean Esther had to trust her judgment.
"Anyone who can manipulate the will of others is clearly practicing dark magic," Esther had seen her sister sink deeper and deeper into the dark arts and had no desire to see her children get dragged down that path. Although, to her disappointment, none of her boys had exhibited any signs of their own magic.
"I've told you before," Ayana seemed annoyed that she had to repeat their conversation. "Empath witches do not inherently practice dark magic. I can assure Helga and her daughter do not."
