"for the beauty of the rose, we also water the thorns."
Descendant of Loa lineage, Karliah Shango stems from masters of Haitian and the old Oyo Empire Vodou. After the nuclear wipe out, she finds herself thrown into leadership with little comprehe...
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For the first time since the bombs went off, rain fell against the debris-ridden ground of the earth. Once littered with smog and radioactive chemicals, the air was crisp and clear, fresh with the scent of rainfall. In the far distance, lightning struck, a clap of thunder following in turn.
"Cabio Sile Shango," Marie all but gasped in awe, squinting past the rain along with the huddled mass of witches beside her, eyes following Karliah as she wandered aimlessly, rain falling in beads along her skin.
The girl suddenly came to a stop, brows tugging together as something glimmered in front of her. Almost involuntarily, she approached it, finding it to be nothing other than a shapeless, white orb. Though, the energy emitting from it rang loud and clear. It reminded her of Damballa, pure and fertile.
Reaching out to touch the floating mass, Karliah frowned to find it dissipate immediately, flowing into the ground at her feet as if it weighed no heavier than a feather. She sank to her knees, fingers splayed against the wet soil. To her surprise, a stem sprouted beneath her palm. She quickly pulled away, blinking as the plant stretched barely a foot high, leaves curling as a bulb of flowers bloomed in its wake.
A blue hydrangea.
Plucking it, she twirled it between her fingers, raindrops falling against the petals. "Beautiful thing, isn't it? It's among one of the many beautiful things you'll create," the deep voice of Damballa called out. The girl looked around, confused to find the Loa wasn't anywhere in sight, rather his voice was only in her head.
She looked back down at the flower seemingly created at her hand, "How?"
"Our power," Ayida's voice sounded, "It lives within you, all you have to do is execute it."
Karliah figured there was no room to question them, let alone time. She reached out once again, eyes squeezing shut as she drew in a deep breath. Her fingers entangled themselves within the soil. Around her, life began to blossom. Bushes of flowers sprang up, making the once dull space vibrant with color and alive with their fragrance.
Grass prickled at the feet of the witches as they watched in astonishment. It was something none of them had ever seen before. None of them knew, let alone believed power like Karliah's could exist. It grew to make sense to Cordelia and everyone else, why Michael was so easily drawn to her. She was a woman of myth, of a legend, a prophecy. Far more powerful than anyone could ever imagine.
Soon enough, the once dreary sight grew to be a plain of grass and flowers, the outpost's walls littered with overgrown moss and vines in only a matter of minutes.
Karliah strained, biting back a cry of pain as energy surged through her, and from her to the earth beneath her. The ground suddenly shook, sending the witches clenching onto one another as several trees rose around them, their outstretched branches sprouting leaves within seconds.
