The Coven of the Black Rose

Chapter Twenty-One: A War's Conclusion

"It's all fine now, I swear." Tasra told Asha everything that happened. They were both in his bedroom, at the Hedsens' home. Asha stayed on the bed, in her white dress. Beside her was Tasra who sat.
    "Good." She said with a smile. She rose up and leaned beside him. "So how are you feeling now?"
    "Uhm, good, I guess? Although I am not really comfortable upon using these powers." He took a deep breath. "I don't know what I should feel right now. Ronan warned me on how dangerous this spell could be. Yes, I used it against our foes but... yeah. I really have no other choice."
    Asha hugged him. "Yeah, Honey. It's okay, I understand how these hidden laws of survival exist. And it's just, sometimes, awful."
    Tasra nodded. "To kill or to be killed. Yeah, I don't really like it. But it is my desire is to avenge our coven."
    "I agree. It seems that Forgonians would learn things the hard way, just like their foolish king." She yawned.
    "Looks like you have to get enough rest, eh?" Tasra gave her a concerned look. "How do you feel?"
    "Just good." She pulled away from him and laid again on the bed. "Anfred was a greedy jerk. Although his sorcery is powerful, too, that is why he was able to capture me and Tessa."
    Tasra remembered how distinct the king's magic was. His white, illuminating sword was truly scorching and devastating compared to Hagan's lightning. His power was distinct from his entire legion. The symbol of the white lotus on his head, he wondered what it was. "Perhaps he mastered it. You know, a king is much closer to the Highest House of Light Sorcery."
    Asha nodded and glanced at the window outside, seeing the gloomy sky. "So what's your next plan now? How about the remaining Forgonians here? What will you do with them?"
    Tasra remembered about them. Definitely, he wouldn't kill them. "I'll take care of it once the coven and I had an assembly. You and Tessa just stay and rest here, okay?"
    Asha smiled. Tasra kissed her and was on his way out of the room until she called him again. "Wait!"
    He turned to her. "What is it?"
    Asha rose and spoke. "Even when you put Mirillios in an isolation under the Black Mist, can I still visit Galem? Because I've been thinking to visit the Second House of Light Sorcery."
    Tasra knew that her grandparents have died long ago, and no other Deherons was left there. He agreed to her with a nod. "Sure. I know someone who can help us so don't worry about it."
    Asha nodded again. The prince of Forgon is in their vault. She recalled in her mind. "Okay, Honey." She pulled herself back on the bed and yawned. Tasra left the door closed and visited Tessa, who was still sleeping on her bedroom. He didn't bother to wake her up and let her rest. He can tell her everything when she wakes up. He left her on her bedroom, then glanced at their dining room. He remembered that he did not eat though he felt lazy to cook for his own. Tasra was not hungry, but he knew that he has something to do first before anything else. A black cloud spawned beside him and Tasra went through it. 
---
    Soon, the two warlocks on the door of the assembly hall bowed down to Tasra and opened the door for him. It was cold, there was no one inside. Like before, petals scattered on the floor, even beneath the table. Tasra cannot glance around the faces of all portraits on the wall. He couldn't believe that he was the one who will be the coven head of all warlocks and witches in Mirillios. He and Tessa were the remaining ones who have the blood of the coven heads. It did not matter to him when he already killed Luison and majority of his forces, or how powerful he was upon harnessing the absolute power of the Black Rose. None of those thoughts can disregard the mournful silence of the assembly hall.
    Tasra sat where aunt Floressa usually seats. He waited for the rest of the witches and warlocks to come. Later on, the doors were opened and there were about twenty people in black cloak who entered. All their faces were veiled. Tasra knew that this hall was only for coven heads. But now that there was only two of them left, he wanted to welcome the remaining witches and warlock to the place where the coven heads gather, no matter if they were just normal warlock and witches. He let them occupy all the seats and he started.
    "Today marks the thirty-sixth day of spring. The Coven of the Black Rose gathers, once more." He greeted to everyone and told them everything. He began on how the prince of Forgon has discovered their farmland, then on how he found out the massacre of Floressa and Ronan, along with most of their coven upon their visit on the Central Loverra. They were also surprised when Segraum helped the siblings as the head councilman has been on their side, all along. Tasra has also disclosed to them about the Chamber of Old, and on how the Spirit of the Black Rose has appeared and guided him as the Superior Warlock of the Black Rose. When he was telling about the Forgonian king's death, one of the warlocks asked him in disbelief. "Excuse me, sire. Is he truly dead? What about his men who left here?"
    Tasra nodded. "Yes, but let's figure that out. I'll be thinking on what we will do with his remaining army in Mirillios..." After several moments, he continued on how he summoned the Black Mist that concealed their land from any outsiders' eyes. Tasra did not know how it exactly worked, and on how he was able to use this power so easy. Since the Spirit told him several times that the power bends upon his will, so he trusted it and that makes him believe that his spell shrouded the entire Mirillios. "And, unfortunately, none of us can sail out of this land, either."
    All of them nodded to him in agreement. One of the witches asked Tasra. "But, sire, what will we do now? Even Luison is gone, I don't feel any comfortable with his forces strolling around there."
    "Oh, yes." Tasra replied. "For that, I need you all to gather and we'll talk to them. I am certain that they won't be very hostile to us. Not with their king dead. Prepare yourselves now, we'll venture to the Central Loverra."
    Tasra travelled them all to the Central Loverra, specifically at the Central Temple. The thin black mist around him became visible as he led their way to the outside of the temple. From last night, corpses scattered everywhere on the pavement. Leastwise, Luison bid his people to keep this place neat from the mess he has brought. Well, it wasn't totally a mess, but it was distressing whenever Tasra remembers that thought. Mundane villagers were agitated by their presence, yet they did not hide inside their houses. The knights patrolling out there stopped and just stared at the coven. The witches and warlock weren't used when Forgonians were not attacking them. Perhaps they knew about their king's death and that made them hesitant to be hostile against them? 
    As soon as Tasra reached the main door of the Central Temple, he faced the coven. He closed his eyes and sat in the air with his opened palms over his knees, just like what he did on the Chamber of Old earlier. He wished to speak on all of them, to all people in Mirillios. With that, he trusted the power he holds so he tried to speak in their minds.
"Greetings everyone." His voice has deepened a little when all the people heard Tasra speaking inside their head. All the faces of the people around him were baffled. The knights, the villagers, even the warlocks and witches looked around and weren't certain on how Tasra did it.
"It is I, Tasra Hedsen, the coven head of the Black Rose and I speak to everyone within here, the beloved land of Mirillios." His body levitated few feet above the pavement's surface. The swirl of the wind around him got stronger, blowing his hair and cloak. "I, the Superior Warlock, declares the death of Anfred Luison of the Forgon. I call upon his people to forfeit themselves and let the coven of the Black Rose live in peace..." He remained silent and heard their thoughts. Some of them accepted their defeat, while the others refused and were hesitant to believe him.
"Wait what? Luison is dead?" A voice of a villager said.
"At last...We deserve this." A witch thought.
"Our king has died? I can't believe it!" A knight said.
"This is our end..." Another voice of knight followed."
"Anyone who refuses to believe my words will follow their king in the afterlife...Surrender now, as I say." Tasra's vision showed him an army camp of a dozen Forgonians. Each of them was confused but were petrified at the same time as several gargoyles scattered around them. All the knights froze in terror but one called Tasra out and yelled through the air.
"Who are you? How can you say that our king is dead? How can you say that everything is true?" He exclaimed.
"So you don't believe me?" Tasra replied through his mind. At once, a gargoyle landed beside him. The knight stepped back but did not pull out his sword. It roared to him and bared its sharp claws. Other gargoyles landed around him, too.
"Okay! Okay! I surrender!" He pleaded. The knight took off his helm and dropped it on the ground along with his sword. It was an act of forfeit. His comrades did the same thing. Tasra's vision shifted on all other places in Mirillios. All the knights dropped their weapons, even the light sorcerers threw their staffs, too. He saw no dragonhawks nor hippogriffs. Anyway, those beast were no longer a threat for their coven. He and his gargoyles can easily keep them in control. Soon, he heard clanking of falling swords and iron helms around him. All the knights around them have surrendered, too.
Tasra never knew that most of them would follow him, although he knew he has his gargoyles to watch them. To use fear to keep them in line was much a better choice than killing them right away. "Now, I declare peace among all of you. No Forgonians, nor anyone shall dare to commit the same wrongdoings that Luison has done to us over the years. Let us, the coven of the Black Rose, live in peace and harmony in our own land. Let the Mirillios attain the prosperity it had long ago...No matter what, I am always watching you..." He opened his eyes. He felt what he said to them was more of a threat than a public speech. Tasra was glad to see all the knights around him knelt and bowed their heads to the coven, with their right fist placed on their chest, a gesture of apology. The sky rumbled, then black lightning struck the Central Temple, desecrating it with purple blaze. All the people outside remained calm. Roaring gargoyles flew behind him. They entered the temple upon breaking into its windows, and they obstructed everything inside. The pews, as well as the statues of the angels and the altar of the light god were smashed into fragments. All the Forgonians held their position as a sign of respect for the witches and warlocks. The coven just fixed their eyes on the Superior Warlock, and watched the temple being destroyed. A gargoyle punched one of its spires, and it cracked, then fell afterwards with a loud tremble on the ground.
From here, Tasra hoped for the better days to come. For his parents, aunt Floressa, Ronan, Trisida, and all of the slain people within their coven who died fighting for their own freedom, and for those who survived. Finally, it was time for them to rest from the bloodshed and the torment they had over the past decades.