The Last Theiro

13

Tessa
•••

Suddenly, a black smoke erupted in front of us and a woman walked out.

There stood a witch; her skin was like molten lava, wrinkled and as dry as a bone. Teeth, well what was left of them, were rotted out to the core of yellow and mottled. Her snake-like eyes glared at us and her misshapen, raven nose stuck out, making her face even more world-weary. She wore a loosely hanging black garment and her fingernails were so long that they turned down at the ends. In the woman's hand, was a large silver bowl filled to the top with misty water.

The witch then walked over to us, her long nails grazing our cheeks. When her nail scraped over my skin, I bit my lip, forcing myself not to wince.

She turned to the crowd, who watched attentively, their eyes wide with horror and fascination. She smirked cynically and her voice was thick and groggy. "I am Alvah, the Perodexa!" Alvah announced. "The one with all the answers. I know of all possibilities and I know of your capabilities. Thus, I shall pick your strength for you, but the rest is for you to choose!"

The crowd erupted into cheering and Alvah bowed. She then summoned a table and chair and seated herself, placing the silver bowl in front of her.

"Who is going to come first?" She asked and glanced at us.

I glanced sideways at Amber and nudged her slightly. Amber gulped and reluctantly joined Alvah at the table.

Alvah lifted her chin up, her snake-like eyes searching Amber. "Amber, you know what must be done." Alvah beckoned to the silver bowl and I noticed a shiny object that laid beside it.

Amber bit her lip and nodded slowly. She picked the knife up and slit the palm of her left hand, flinching at the pain of the torn skin. Amber placed her hand over the silver bowl, letting her blood drip into the water with a light thud. Her eyes rolled back and Alvah's eyes did the same, her lips moved slowly but nothing could be heard.

I glanced around me. It was eerily silent, everybody's attention focused on the two people sitting at the table. Amber and Alvah stayed like that for about a minute and suddenly, their eyes popped open.

Amber looked around and a smile spread across her face. A blue smoke now protruded from the water and it rose up above the silver bowl. It floated off to Amber and surrounded her until she was completely hidden by the ominous blue smoke.

The blue smoke soon disappeared to reveal Amber who was now dressed in a blue outfit, the logo of Philanthropy imprinted on it.

A group of the crowd who was dressed in all blue began cheering as Amber joined them, knowing that in the beginning, she had chosen the correct Strength.

Troy seated himself across Alvah confidently and he did the same as Amber. His blood dripped into the water and he's eyes rolled back. A moment later, white smoke floated from the water and surrounded Troy.

Troy walked out from the smoke dressed fully in white with the logo of Astute imprinted onto it. The people who wore white cheered as Troy joined them and they nodded their heads in acknowledgment.

Chase stumbled forward and smiled nervously at Alvah as he seated himself across her.

"Why are you so nervous, Chase Andrews?" Questioned Alvah with a sly smile. "Afraid you had picked the wrong strength in the beginning?"