The Power Carried In

5) Ritual

They traveled across ground covered in nothing but tree stumps and weeds, then into a swamp-like area that Jast weaved through and while managing to keep them dry.  They ended up following a small creek upstream until they reached a large circular formation of rocks that contained a small spring.

"This is the Wellspring, the parent, the origin place of all of this land's freshwater," stated Jast.

Pilar looked at the murky, slowly bubbling pool and the outdoors-woman in her said: "that water is not good." 

Then another woman approached them and Jast held up her arms and greeted the new arrival with "Sister" and introduced her as Kol.  The new arrival appeared distressed and abruptly grasped Jast by the shoulders.

"We have lost Zia," said Kol.

"What happened?" replied a shocked Jast.

"It was the Harnar, their soldiers found her and hung her from a tree."

Pilar could tell that this was bad, beyond the obvious loss of a friend, this negatively impacted Jast's plans.

"Then we have no time, we must try now," said Jast with a steely resignation.  She took Pilar by the hand and they knelt down at the edge of the spring, where they were joined by Kol.  The three women were in a small circle and placed their right hands on another's shoulder, and placed their left hands into the water.  Then, Jast and Kol began to speak in unison, their bodies swaying slightly in a subtle rhythmic motion.

A faint glow began to emanate from the witches' hands in the water, and as Pilar watched in fascination, the glow began to push out away from their hands farther into the pool.  The eyes of the witches widened in restrained excitement as they watched the burgeoning success of their efforts and Jast couldn't help but think that the grimoire was right, it took an outsider to cleanse the elements.

Then something changed.  The glow emanating from the witches' hands began to recede until it faded away completely.  Jast and Kol stopped their chanting, their heads lowered to their chests, their bodies no longer swaying, but now shaking from their efforts.  Jast stood, her right hand on Pilar's shoulder no longer as part of the ritual, but now as a crutch required to stand. 

"The cleansing failed."  Jast and Kol looked at each other in dark resignation. 

"Hey wait, I thought that I was the missing piece right?" asked Pilar.  "Jast, you said that the ritual required an outsider to clean the elements - right?"

Jast looked at Pilar and wondered what was to become of this young woman she had stolen? 

"JAST!" yelled Pilar.

"Yes, the grimoire was clear that an outsider was needed, and that they would bring the power required to cleanse the elements," Jast replied in a resigned whisper.

"Then either I have the power and don't know how to use it, or I don't have any power at all, but you have to help me find out which it is," shouted Pilar, who wasn't used to failing at anything.

***

Sep wasn't about to abandon his sister to whatever fate she had been flung.  He coiled the rope and stowed it in Pilar's pack, then put his pack on and put on Pilar's as well, wearing hers in front of his chest like a baby carrier.  Then he sat down and picked up the book and flipped to the last page and the strange writing.

"Alright, Swedish Chef, here goes nothing," and with that, he began to read the words, mimicking the sounds and cadence Pilar had used. 

Nothing happened.  Maybe he didn't read the words correctly he thought, so Sep decided to give it another go, and this time he would try and speak with more urgency and emotion.  Using his finger as a guide, he began to read the strange words, casting aside any feelings of embarrassment and shouting the syllables back at the book with force, and passion, and conviction.

It was only six words, so they only took a couple of seconds to recite, but this time, as soon as he finished, the strange words shimmered with the same iridescence that Pilar had witnessed, and then Sep began to feel that pulling sensation bringing him to his feet.  It was happening, he had succeeded!  He closed the book and clutched it tightly to Pilar's pack as his face illuminated with the glow of a firey spinning circle. 

Then in the blink of an eye, the muddy hillside was quiet and deserted.

***