The Magic Within

Chapter 2 (unedited)

       The ride to the Grand Chamber was rough. The carriage bounced and shook and groaned and, quite honestly, I thought we were all going to die. We arrived in a little under an hour, all of us just talking or reading the whole time. Every now and again I would catch Jas looking at me with a concerned expression, but they would look away as soon as I noticed. It really sucked not to tell them, but I wanted to figure it out first. I don't normally get visions like that, and when I do they always mean something. Solomon and Sedna were looking more grim by the minute. I didn't ask them about it because I knew they wouldn't tell me, but it was making me feel uneasy.

       The carriage doors swung open quickly and we climbed out, glad to finally have our feet back on the ground again. The induction ceremony always took place at the Grand Altar of the clan of whoever was being inducted, so we wound up in northern Chile. The sky was wondrously clear, and the Grand Altar of Althea's Daughters glittered in the starlight. It was just after dusk, and more stars were appearing by the second. Everybody filed into the Altar, which was designed like a Greek full circle amphitheater, which I always found odd considering they were in South America. The Faelyn were sectioned in the north, the Ventum the east, the Evian in the west, and the Shula in the south. The Evian were so large that they needed the second level of the west section as well to fit everyone. Althea's Daughters were in the center surrounding a raised platform, as is the custom of the induction ceremony. The Animus were in the second level to the east, with Soliard and Nova in the north and south, respectively.

       As everybody continued to file in, I saw Jas making faces at Brooke, who was on the other side on the lower level, and her making faces back at them. I chuckled to myself, and nudged them while waving to her myself. She was a nice girl, and I personally considered her like a sister to me.

       Once everybody was all in, the High Priests and Priestesses from the other 7 clans all met on the raised platform, proudly wearing the colors of their clans, as well as the golden stoles that all of the heads of clans wore to ceremonies. I couldn't yet see our new Grand High Priestess, but that was normal for ceremonies like these. Those who didn't already know her were to only know her as the Grand High Priestess and nothing else. As the last of the clan members filed in, the doors slowly and silently swung shut. The High Priest of Soliard, I believe his name is Saleem Faris, took to the center of the stage, the gold on his stole casting a glow on his caramel skin. It made him sort of look like some sort of sun god. With him, he carried a staff with the alchemical symbol for the sun. He struck his staff three times upon the stage, and silence consumed the crowd.

       "Friends," his voice boomed, definitely amplified by magic. "We are gathered here for a most joyous occasion. While we are sad that Grand High Priest Randall is no longer with us, he has ascended to the astral plane with the other Priests and Priestesses. But tonight we welcome Cypress Hawthorne with open arms, as our new Grand High Priestess!" He gestured his staff to the staircase behind him, where a middle-aged woman with red hair pulled back neatly into a bun ascended with a supernatural grace. She was not yet wearing a robe of any sort, and was instead dressed simply, in what was likely a linen dress. There was uproarious applause from Althea's Daughters, and polite applause from the rest of the coven. She approached the group slowly, a soft smile on her face as she shook the hands of the High Priests and Priestesses. They all formed a circle around her, and knelt down, as per tradition.

       Hawthorne raised her arms as she spoke in a honeyed voice. "My friends, family, and fellow witches. It is an honor to have been selected to be your Grand High Priestess. I truly believe that I will bring a powerful new era to our Coven." There was more applause from Althea's Daughters, and some mildly confused murmurs from the rest of the crowd. She layed on the stage, palms facing up.