The Coven of the Black Rose

Chapter Eleven: Nightmares

No matter how he tried to forget about it, nightmares always hunted him down. He was in a living room of a random house he would never forget. A candle chandelier was hung on the ceiling, directly below was a table surrounded by soft couches. The wooden floor was carpeted. There was a huge window. Before it, he saw Floressa and Ronan. Beside Floressa was a child in black hood and cloak. Tasra found himself sitting in one of the couches. He didn't notice much about his appearance, and barely could remember it as it was a dream. He walked beside the child and found out that it was Tessa when she was young.
His mind was rattled. He remembered what this memory was. Then now, it was hunting him. Tasra wanted to resist from seeing this vision. He tried to wake his body from sleep. He would never want to see this again but unfortunately, there was no way to wake himself up from this nightmare. Ronan's face and Floressa's face hasn't change that much from that time. He tried to call them, yet he can't even speak. Finally, he turned reluctantly to the direction where the three of them were facing. On the outside was the temple in western Eclus. It was the one they passed through when he and Tessa were on their way to Aunt Floressa, yesterday. Many villagers gathered before it. Forgonian knights positioned a vanguard outside the temple's door. In front them was a platform of logs where corpses of warlocks and witches laid down. A wooden spire stood in the middlemost. One man and one woman were bind to it. The man has brown eyes and hair, and his face has resemblance with Tasra's. Meanwhile, the woman's hair was black and long, has blue eyes, much the same with Tessa's, except for his sister's brown hair. They were there half conscious.
On the balcony of the temple was Luison in his silver armor and crown. Nothing changed in his long black hair. Beside him were two light sorcerers in their usual white cloak. Each held a staff. The king smiled and spoke no words as he stared to the witches and warlocks below him. It was early in the morning, just before the sun rise, so it wasn't very bright not dark outside.
Tasra glanced to Floressa, to Ronan, then to Tessa. Even she was six years old that time, she can't hide her distress in her face. Tears went down from their eyes. Tasra peeked again and saw Luison chuckled. He softly patted the back of the sorcerers beside him then went into the door of the balcony. When he was out of the scene, the two sorcerers raised their staffs and its amber gemstone ignited. A thunder wave rumbled through the heavens over the gray gloomy clouds. Suddenly, two orange lightning were summoned, smiting the corpses below. Then there was it, a huge pillar of flame swallowed the corpses.
"Mom! Dad!" Tessa cried and knelt. She madly tapped the window and sobbed. Floressa knelt with her and gave Tessa a hug. Ronan remained there standing with his eyes closed. Tasra wanted to burst in sadness upon seeing this again. He felt that he was suffocating upon remembering it again. At last, he woke up with a gasp. He felt it much then he touch his face when he found out he has tears across his cheeks. His body was slightly sweating. He took a deep breath. What's important today is that it's done, and it won't happen again to anyone. Especially not to my family again. He thought to himself.
Tasra was alone on the bed. Perhaps Asha have already woken up and was feeding the animals in the very morning. He locked the cabin then went to look for her at their animal pen.
On his way, he saw the door of the farmer's hut open. He went inside and saw a purple cloak on one of the beds. Meanwhile, a plate of bread and a basket of apples were on the table. He knew it was his sister who just came. He took one apple with him and ate it on his way to the pen. As he went on, he smelled the usual livestock scent even more, especially when he reached the pen's door. The sheep were eating that time with wheats, as well as the cows. He glanced at the chicken's pen and saw Asha and Tessa, feeding the chickens by throwing seeds at them. His sister and Asha were having their conversation until they noticed him coming.
"Good morning!" Asha greeted. "So yeah, we've been talking about your life as part of the coven since I told her that I already knew about it. So..." She went on feeding the chickens.
"Yes. I was surprised she knew about it but after what happened last night, yeah that was just necessary." Tessa added and saw him took a bite on his apple that was already half-eaten. "Oh you're already eating. How does it taste?"
Tasra nodded. "Just good. Why? Where did you get this?"
"From the woods."
Tasra's smile melted. "Wow, it's good that you're safe."
"Yeah." She replied. "After hearing what Asha said, it scared me to go there ever again."
"Let's go and shall we eat now? I'm hungry." Asha said taking the seeds sack with her.
Later on, they gathered back in the hut and ate. Asha and Tasra sat before the table while Tessa preferred to sit on the bed while eating an apple. Tasra thought about the wolves they fought last night. He asked Tessa if she saw anything strange in the woods earlier.
"No, I didn't." She replied. "As usual, it was quiet and peaceful out there. No wolves, no any other beasts hunted me earlier when I grabbed apples from the trees. There were no sheep either." She took a bite from her fruit.
"It was sunset yesterday." Asha remembered. "Maybe they only lurk in the dark?"
"Maybe you're right." Tasra said. "It was the only time when I see those."
"Yes, truly. I never hunted such beast before. They are so large and I can't kill them."
"They're naturally healing." He added. He and Asha took bites of their apples.
"Healing? Is it like when you bruised them or slashed them, those vanished instantly?" His sister interrogated.
Asha nodded. She was finished eating her apple then replied. "In fact, one scratched me in my arms then suddenly it became tame to me? Like it felt sorry for hurting me. I don't know, that's very weird."
Tasra thought about it. He also noticed that there was a moment when a wolf just stood before her for a few seconds. That allowed him to buy time, shoot arrows, and charge towards it. He nodded upon realizing it. "But why? I don't understand. Where did they even come from?"
Tessa shrugged. "I've never heard of them. Perhaps they're lurking out there somewhere. I doubt they're only three."
"And an owl." Tasra remembered. "I think it was together with those wolves. I feel that they were hunting for someone."
"Warlock and witches?" Tessa asked. "I don't know but I think the Frogonians might have sent them to hunt us."
"You have a point." Her brother agreed. "They have hippogriffs and dragonhawks as war pets. What else do we know about them? Maybe the sorcerers know how to tame them —"
"Maybe it's from another hunter." Asha interrupted. "I encountered other hunters out there, sometimes."
"But where was their master?" Tasra asked her. "I know that hunters can lurk in the woods to look for prey. Because that's what you're doing with the lost sheep these past few days, right? But I don't feel that it is from another hunter."
"Although, it's possible, too." Tessa added. "But seeing that kind of beast was really, terrifying to encounter, as you say."
"They literally ate the sheep." Tasra recalled the sheep's carcass. "I don't know why would they kill a sheep if they're working for their master, if that sheep is their prey."
"Oh, yes you're right about the sheep. No hunter would let their pets eat their prey. Maybe they're really from someone else who's not a hunter." Asha stood and glanced at the window to observe the morning sky outside, only to find out that the sun rays weren't too scorching. "Shall we continue our work yesterday? Come on until it's not yet high noon."
Each of them took their hats on, have their own fertilizer sack, and shovels from the barn then did gardening on their crops from the other half of the carrot field, which they didn't finish yesterday.
"It's been a while since I did this." Tessa said upon pouring fertilizers to the crops
"Yeah, the farmers went off for few days of vacation. Pretty much we don't have other option. Though I like to try doing these things by myself." Tasra said, planting beside her and Asha. When it was nearly noon, Tessa went back to prepare their lunch. Tasra and Asha left there and continued while waiting for Tessa. The heat was getting hotter, yet they endured it until Tessa called them back from the hut when their lunch was prepared. Three bowls of mushroom soup that smells so good, and three plates of grilled mutton of sheep, along with spoons, forks, and knives.
"Woah, you prepared it faster than expected." Asha applauded, then they ate.
"Learning it fast, eh?" Tasra said in glee and took a scoop of the soup. Afterwards, they cleaned it up and Asha brought their dishes with her, on her away to the well to wash it. Tasra helped her prepare two large basins of water beside the well and handed her a bottle of yellowish substance. It was a scented oil of which they use in cleaning. Tasra carried all the dishes then place it on one of the basins.
"I got this, Honey." Asha said. "Let's finish the crops later in the afternoon. I will just take a nap after cleaning these."
"Okay, Honey." He kissed her on the cheek then went back to the hut for a rest, and also to let the high noon pass before gardening again. Tessa was laying herself on the bed and saw her brother coming in. "How are you? Did the spirit talked to you again?"
Tasra shook his head then straightly walked to sit beside her. "No. Ronan said that it usually talks to people when they are nearby the Black Rose. I told him about the words it told me. It says something about a key, then Ronan and I thought it is about the missing key for the Dark Spell chamber, which confirms it more. It is just urging me to be tempted and be corrupted, as he said to me."
"Hmm... yeah. I see on why he doesn't consider it as our first choice." She faced him. "Have you already heard? He, Floressa and together with other coven heads will have an assembly with Luison tonight."
Tasra's face became more serious. "You mean for his plan to talk about his written agreement? On the central Loverra, isn't"
She nodded. "Where his main forces are built in."
Tasra's faced was brushed by anxiousness, then he took a deep breath.
"Yeah I feel the same as you do." His sister said. "Hopefully the king will accept it."
"Do you want to join me later?" He asked.
"Sure. I want to see what will happen. I don't want to wait and be nervous throughout the time."
"Fine." He laid on the bed and softly scratched his wounds which don't ache that much.
"Will Asha go with us?" Tessa asked.
He shook his head. "Definitely not. She may but herself might be in danger when the Forgonians knew if she's associated with us. Luison gives punishment for humans who takes the same side with the coven."
"Sadly, yes." Tessa stood then went to the window to glance around the fields from afar.
"I'm surprised that she already knew about it when I arrived earlier." She chuckled and faced him. "Good thing you've made her understand everything about us."
"Absolutely, she would." He assured Tessa. "Being cornered by these ferocious wolves, we really have no choice so yeah... I know we could trust her, Tessa."
"Yes... I know we could. The both you have proven how much do you love each other. You already know everything else so I know you've been doing the right thing all along."
"Yeah... surely." He replied. "I hope didn't scare her or made her feel betrayed since I hid something from her. That makes me quite guilty. Yet after that, she understands me well."
"You're really lucky to have her." She glanced back at the fields.
Tasra felt it hard. Indeed, how fortunate he was to be with someone like Asha. As her parents also died at her early childhood, she lived on her own without her family. She wandered everywhere and managed to thrive. In spite of everything, she was kind-hearted after all.
"I dreamed of them, again." He spoke in his low voice.
Tessa faced her with a worried look. "Did you, too?"
Tasra rose from the bed and faced her. "A coincidence again?"
She shrugged. "I think? It scares me even more when both of us are dreaming about it, aside from having the nightmare itself." The siblings were aware that both of them were sometimes dreaming about their parent's death. What was more startling was that they always have it on the same night.
"I don't even know what does that mean." Tessa said and yawned. "I think I'll take a nap first. It's so hot outside. Wake me up later." She went to the other bed and slept.
When it was already afternoon, it wasn't very scorching outside. Tasra woke up his sister and decided to went back to the field crops. They didn't wake Asha and let her get the amount of rest she needed. He knew that she often got tired easily when farming in the field crops. Finally, the two of them finished the entire carrot field.
"Go ahead. I'll rest here first while I wait for you." Tessa told Tasra as she sat on a stool nearby and observed the scenery around. Tasra walked back to the barn to get new new sack of fertilizer. On his way to the barn, he met Asha who just woke up, her hair was stringy.
"How are you feeling?" He greeted.
"Just fine. Are you both done?" She yawned and stretched her arms. Tasra noticed that the wound in her arm was gone. He can't even spot a single bruise on her body.
"Your injuries are gone?" Tasra muttered in astonishment. "That's so fast! It was just last night."
Asha looked at her arm then spotted all around her body to look for any marks of bruise or wounds. Her eyes widened, too. "What did just happen?" She asked him. "Gods, you're right! Come on don't be silly, I know you used some of your spells to heal me. Maybe you put it or mixed it with the ointment we had last night or —"
"I don't know how to cast any healing spells, Asha." He replied sternly. "No one in our coven can do such incantations. We can only brew potions, but I assure you, the ointment is only from the marketplace. It's effective though but it's healing is in a gradual process..." He gently grabbed her left arm and looked closely. It was absolutely healed as if nothing happened last night. "How though?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, Honey. I am just feeling good when I woke up and I didn't even notice it was already healed." She pulled her arm then continued. "Should I get more fertilizer?"
Tasra shook the thought off him and nodded. "Yes, please." Together, they went to the barn and found many sacks that contains more small white stones and powder which were the fertilizers they use. "Sometimes I am just feeling thankful that people in the market are really producing these from smelly manures."
"Although they're not that good-smelling, leastwise it is not that dirty and is more convenient for us."
"Better than animal stool." He agreed. "As far as I know, farmers don't use any magic when  making these. I don't know how they make such but it's amazing." They took what they needed and went back to the field.
"It's time for the potatoes." Tessa said. They all just did gardening until the dusk came. In evening, they decided to rest first before they prepare for dinner. Later on, Tasra thought of fishing in the stream for their meal. He took a fishing rod then went on the stream all alone. The odds of catching a fish was low since the water was quite hot, after being exposed in the sunlight the entire afternoon. Even though, he went on his boat and started fishing.
He remembered that he and Tessa will leave for their assembly with Ronan and the coven heads along with King Luison on the Central Loverra. The siblings already informed Asha about it and she was also quite nervous for them. Luison can be a tricky person. Tasra knew it would be nearly at midnight since the coven wanted it that way.
After few minutes of placing his rod's strings above the stream's surface, he felt that he already caught one. He pulled it harder, feeling its weight. Finally, it was a big one. He caught a salmon which was not yet adult, though was good enough for them. He placed it on the bucket beside him, leaving it flopping until the fish suffocated in air. It didn't take any longer for him to catch three fishes, how fortunate he was especially that they were hungry. The grilling won't be taken for too long. He was ready to grill it and stationed the boat back on the shore. When he stepped on the ground, on his way back to the hut, Tasra heard footsteps from their farmland's fence gate. He glanced and saw an army of Forgonian knights. There was a dozen of them and was led by a sorcerer in blue cloak and hood, who also has a staff. He raised it and pointed his staff to Tasra's direction. At once, all the knights behind marched on, slashing their blades to destroy and passed through the fence gate. Tasra was astounded in horror, his hunger drew back as the Forgon people already discovered where they were hiding all this time. He left the bucket of fishes on the ground and rushed towards the hut to warn his sister, as well as his love one.