Witch Crystal (Witches of Zrotaz Book 1) Page 10

  Larissa shivered at the thought of his canines tearing into her skin.

  “You wouldn’t dare!” Marcaria’s voice broke.

  Jake, Mike, Rita, and Eveliyah formed a barrier, blocking Larissa from the werewolf’s line of vision. Ripaz laughed however, as more werewolves joined him.

  “None of you will survive an attack from us,” he warned.

  “And neither will any of you werewolves survive an attack from us!” came a deep voice from above.

  Larissa gasped, as she saw four armoured unisus’ circling them. The werewolves looked up and howled. Larissa saw fear in their eyes. Changing back into their four-legged form, they scampered off into the woods. Larissa and everyone else were stunned. Why did the werewolves run?

  The unisus’ descended, and bowed to Marcaria, then to Larissa.

  “Our greetings, Councillor Marcaria, and Larissa, The One,” said a fair unisus, with a sphere shape on the base of his nose. “I am Myeth, from the Unisus Council. The Sacred Witch sent us here, for your protection.” The mystic creature looked at Jake. “My greetings to you, Xyth, son of Councillor Zarina.”

  “Hello Myeth, it’s good to see you,” said Jake. “How did you find us?”

  “We found you by sheer luck,” said a female unisus. “I am Cyle. The Sacred Witch told us of your plans, and felt you would need protection. It wasn’t easy locating you with the little show the Empire Witches put on with the blizzard!”

  “Yes, and I must applaud you on your quick thinking,” said Myeth. “It was a clever way to diffuse the problem.”

  Larissa stepped forward. “I have never met a unisus before...can I?” she asked Cyle.

  “Go ahead,” smiled Cyle, whilst Myeth harrumphed.

  “We are not mere animals,” he muttered.

  “Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Cyle said. “And I can’t refuse The One, can I?”

  Larissa touched Cyle’s beautiful, silver mane and caressed her face. She heard some stamping, and her eyes locked on the third unisus.

  “That is Quin, a new recruit. Quin and I are recruits of the Royal Air Battalion, trained to fight and protect,” Cyle said proudly.

  “Hello Quin,” Larissa said shyly. Quin nodded his head in acknowledgment.

  “Myeth, how is Zleus?” Jake asked.

  “Your brother is fine. He is on his way to meet the Sacred Witches of the north and south,” the unisus replied. He directed his next words towards the group. “It is time we make progress. There aren’t enough of us to allow you to ride our backs, I’m afraid.”

  “We can walk,” said Marcaria, “But please take Larissa. She is unwell.”

  “She can ride on me,” offered Cyle.

  Jake lifted Larissa onto the unisus’ back, where she settled down. Larissa watched Jake put his coat back on. Soon, the now larger group, once again headed towards Mount Shard.

  15

  Marcaria was grateful for the protection the Sacred Witch had sent. She shuddered just thinking what could have happened if the unisus’ had not arrived in time to save them. Like the others, she wondered why the werewolves had fled for their lives. She looked towards the mountains; it seemed this journey was going to be anything but easy.

  The walk towards the mountain became treacherous as they went deeper into the region. Icy winds blasted around them, trying to seep into the core of their hearts. The slow snow flurries soon whipped into a frenzy as the winds joined forces, causing poor visibility. Mike cast a wrap spell around them, which kept the snow at bay. They carried on walking as the road twisted into an upward climb.

  “This path will take us to Mount Shard,” said Eveliyah. “There is a lodge where we can stop to rest and eat.”

  Larissa was sitting up now as her strength had returned. Her mother, who was walking beside Cyle, squeezed her hand.

  “How are you feeling Larissa?” she asked.

  “Much better, Mum, but I feel so tired.” Larissa yawned. “Eveliyah, when will we reach the lodge?” asked

  Marcaria.

  “It will take around four to five hours to hike there,” he

  replied. “Will you be able to carry on?”

  “Can’t we just fly?” Jake asked. “We are witches, after

  all.”

  “We don’t have broomsticks, Jake,” said Rita. “Why do we need broomsticks? Can’t you conjure up an

  aviation spell? It will get us quicker to the lodge at least,”

  Jake pointed out.

  “He’s right,” Mike took his side.

  “No.” Marcaria shook her head. “Flying in these

  conditions will be treacherous.”

  “I agree,” said Rita. “We already have two charms active;

  adding another in such conditions will weaken the other two

  and that will cause more problems.”

  “We need to find a temporary shelter to rest, Eveliyah,

  otherwise none of us will make it to the lodge,” Marcaria

  advised.

  “There are caves, but they could be inhabited by the

  White Bears, or Wolverines,” said Eveliyah. “I’m sorry, I’m

  not being very helpful, am I?”

  “No, you’re not,” said Jake.

  “Jake!” said Larissa, a little too harshly.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean...”

  “Never mind,” Cyle said. “I have an idea...why don’t we

  fly you?”

  The rest of the group stopped and looked at the unisus

  in bewilderment.

  “No, we can’t,” Myeth said gruffly. “There are only three

  of us!”

  “But we can get there faster, Myeth, and we can take two

  each,” Cyle insisted.

  “She is correct,” said Quin. “We have been trained

  specifically for the protection of magical creatures and

  witches. It is our duty.”

  Myeth looked from one hopeful witch to another. “Very well,” he sighed and Cyle beamed.

  “Er...there is one problem,” Jake said. He looked

  embarrassed.

  “I’m afraid of heights and I have a low, actually, zero Gforce tolerance.”

  Larissa couldn’t contain herself and laughed so loud that

  her voice echoed around them. Marcaria scolded her

  daughter and she stopped, although the laughter was still

  apparent in her eyes.

  “Sorry,” she said, sheepishly.

  “Jake, do not worry. We can put a spell on you to fall

  asleep. You won’t know anything and it’s not harmful at all,”

  Mike said.

  “What sp-” Jake began to speak, when, to Larissa’s

  astonishment, Jake’s head dropped to his chest and he began

  to snore.

  “Well, let’s not waste time; let’s get on the unisus!” Mike

  rubbed his palms, chuckling to himself. Larissa let out a little

  giggle.

  Soon, they were all sitting on the unisus’ backs. Mike and

  the sleeping Jake on Quin, Larissa, and Marcaria on Cyle,

  and Eveliyah and Rita on Myeth –who sported a scowl on

  his face.

  The unisus’ soared into the cool, crisp air, rising high out

  of the snowstorm and above the clouds.

  Larissa’s breath left her in absolute astonishment as

  green, blue, and purple lights danced above them; it was the

  most beautiful sight she had seen. Each ribbon twisted and

  straightened in and out of the other, creating a mystical

  performance.

  “Is this...?” asked Larissa.

  “Yes, the Aurora Borealis, known to some as the

  Northern Lights,” said Cyle. “I’ll show you something.” She

  climbed a little further up. “Look closer,” she said. Both Marcaria and Larissa looked, and together they

  gasped. There were the hol
es, the ones she saw at the

  Witches’ meeting. Only these were bigger and many more

  than what she saw last time, she was sure of it. The holes

  gaped like craters, and she could see right through them.

  Through one of them, Larissa saw a faraway planet. It shone

  bright red, and then it disappeared out of sight as dust the

  colour of red wine, blocked her view. Marcaria was

  dumbfounded too.

  “I can’t believe it,” she said.

  “Mum?”

  “Yes darling?” asked Marcaria.

  “With the holes this big, anything can pass through,

  right?” Larissa asked.

  “That’s what we are afraid of,” said Marcaria. “Those

  holes need to be repaired, and soon.”

  As Cyle dropped back down to the others, Larissa

  looked at Jake and wondered how he had come to Earth. He

  must have used one of those holes. Then another thing

  struck her. How did he come here, if he was afraid to fly?

  * *

  With the wrap spell and the charmed winter gear, Larissa and the others were safe and warm in the freezing night sky. Out of habit, Larissa looked at her watch. It was eight in the morning! Why then, was it still so dark?

  “Why is it still like night time?” she asked her mother. “In the winter months, there is no sun. Therefore, there is no light. Darkness surrounds Norway and the north for most of the winter season,” explained her mother.

  “I would hate to live here.” Larissa yawned. “I’d miss the sun.” Her eyes drooped. Soon she was slumped against her mother and fast asleep.

  Marcaria put her arms around Larissa protectively.

  “How long have we been flying?” Marcaria asked Cyle after a while.

  “It has been nearly three hours,” the unisus replied.

  “Don’t you get tired?”

  “We can fly long distances for a period of time but we do need rest, like most creatures.” There was a hint of a smile in those words.

  Suddenly, Eveliyah shouted and pointed to a speck on a white-capped tip on the mountain. “I see the lodge!”

  * *

  The lodge was cosy; the fireplace was burning bright, sending warmth to all corners of the room. Larissa was still out, and Marcaria left her dosing in an armchair. Mike put Jake who was still knocked out from the spell, onto a fur rug.

  That spell must have been quite a powerful one, Marcaria thought, smiling. She sipped her welcoming mug of tea and turned to the window.

  The light from the moon made everything look charming, and she stared at the soft falling snow for a while. Eventually, she turned back to the room. Mike was talking in low tones with Eveliyah. Marcaria was sure she heard the words ‘football’ and ‘game’ in the same sentence. Typical men!

  Rita came up to her with her mug of tea.

  “Where are Myeth, Cyle, and Quin?” Marcaria asked. “They found an empty cave not far from here.” Rita

  shivered. “It must be freezing in there.”

  “On Zrotaz, the unisus live high on the mountains in

  caves and benefit from the clean air. It’s their natural

  habitat,” Marcaria said. “I have a friend on Zrotaz, an old

  and wise unisus. His name is Abyliss. I do miss him greatly

  sometimes; I wonder where he is now.”

  “What’s Zrotaz like, Marcaria? You have never really

  spoken about it,” said Rita. “I don’t remember it much; we

  came to Earth when I was very young.”

  Marcaria looked at her friend. It was so easy to forget

  that Rita was not much older than Larissa, just a six-year

  difference between them. That would make Rita twenty-six. Rita had come to Earth when she was very young, at the

  age of only three years old. Her parents fled to Earth after

  the Empire Witches destroyed their house but not long

  before they were cursed. It killed them eventually. Rita grew

  up with foster parents who were witches. They had been

  friends with her parents, and loved her like their own

  daughter.

  “Zrotaz is one of the most beautiful and wonderful

  places in the Universe. In some aspects, it is similar to Earth,

  but there are many differences. For one, there are two

  moons and the sky is purple at the end of the day. Where we

  lived, it was my private haven. I loved my small garden

  where we grew our vegetables and nurtured our flowers to

  help growth,” said Marcaria with pride.

  “Are the flowers and vegetables very different to the

  ones here, on Earth?” Rita quizzed.

  “Yes, very much so. The vegetables are somewhat oddly

  shaped but provide the nutrients that one needs on such a

  planet as Zrotaz. A potato or a strawberry would be

  poisonous on Zrotaz, as it would exude fumes that could not

  be tolerated.

  “The flowers grow much taller on Zrotaz and give out

  the most beautiful aroma too. One of my favourites is White

  Velvet. Its colour is silver, and milk is extracted from the

  flower. It is widely used in cooking and healing.”

  “I would like to see it one day,” Rita said. She had a

  faraway, dreamy look on her face.

  Both women were quiet for a moment, and then the

  silence was shattered when an ear-splitting scream pierced

  the sky.

  “What was that?” Marcaria exclaimed.

  Rita shrugged and Marcaria turned to the others. “Did you hear that?” she asked everyone in the room. Mike and Eveliyah were already on their feet. The need

  to investigate passed among them. They put on their winter

  outfits at once.

  “Mike, I would feel better if you stayed with Jake and

  Larissa. Please?” Marcaria asked.

  Disappointment etched Mike’s face, but after looking at

  the sleeping teenagers, he agreed.

  “Thank you so much,” said Marcaria.

  “Go on then but I want to know what is happening.

  Keep me informed,” Mike said.

  Marcaria, Rita, and Eveliyah wasted no more time when

  they heard another scream.

  16

  When Larissa woke up, she was alone in the room apart from Mike, who was snoring and cradling an empty bottle. She wondered where did he got it from...she stood up and stretched, looking towards the fireplace.

  The fire was burning low, so Larissa added a few more logs. The flames jumped back to life. Larissa warmed her hands, enjoying the heat. She looked around, hoping for some water. Her throat was parched. She wandered around the lodge; there must be a small kitchen somewhere.

  “Try the second door on the left,” said a voice. Larissa turned around in surprise.

  “Who said that?” her voice was shaky.

  “It is I, the Crystal,” it said.

  “What? Where are you?” Larissa tried to find the ‘voice.’

  She looked at Mike, who hadn’t moved a bit.

  “Only you can hear me, Larissa, but others can also, if

  you want them to. Look in your backpack.”

  Larissa found her backpack lying against a wall, nestled

  among Jake and Mike’s. She pulled it forward, opened it, and

  found the Crystal, It was securely resting deep within her

  clothes. Her touch caused it to glow a pale yellow. “Thank you,” said the Crystal, glowing a deeper shade. “I don’t remember packing you in this bag,” Larissa said.

  “How did you get here?”

  “Your mother had the hindsight to do it. Oh, I don’t

  blame you, you are still so young and naïve in many

  ways…but you mu
st remember that we are part of a team.

  You will not survive this task alone. You need me,” the

  Crystal said.

  “I’m…sorry,” she said.

  “There is no need to apologise,” said the Crystal. “I am

  here to help, and guide you. Now, you were thirsty?” “Yes.” Larissa began to feel the dryness of her throat

  even more, and she went to fetch a glass of water. She came back, much relieved, and with more questions

  on her mind that she wanted answers to. The Crystal seemed

  to know many things. However, when she reached it, it

  seemed to be asleep. She held it between her hands, and

  turned it, willing it to wake up. However, she felt no warmth,

  and no magic. That’s odd, she thought, perhaps the Crystal

  only operates for a few minutes at a time, or when there is a

  need...

  Larissa would have to wait to ask the Crystal that the

  next time it awoke.

  * *

  The snow was falling steadily. Larissa thought she heard a howl and shivered. Where was her mother and the rest of the group? With nothing to do, Larissa decided to go outside. She stepped into the cold air, and lifted her face to the snow. She laughed as the flakes dropped on her nose and melted. Larissa decided to lie on the snow and, spreading her arms outward, she twirled slowly in a circle, enjoying the sensation.

  “What do you think you are doing?” Jake’s angry face loomed in front of Larissa’s, a mask of pure fury. He picked her up and practically threw her back inside the lodge.

  “Jake!” Larissa shouted. “How dare you!”

  However, Jake didn’t back down. Anger seemed to be radiating through him.

  “Are you alright?” Larissa asked cautiously.

  “Larissa, how could you do something so stupid? The cold could have contaminated your magic. Have you forgotten what Eveliyah said?”

  Larissa had forgotten, and she felt very irresponsible, not to mention stupid, as Jake said.

  “I...didn’t think, I’m sorry,” she said.

  She looked at Jake and could tell that something else was bothering him.

  “It’s not just that, that you are angry about is it? You can talk to me, you know,” she said softly. “Jake, is it your mother?”

  Jake’s face crumpled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lash out at you...Larissa, I am very worried. I feel frustrated not being able to help mother, especially when she needs it most. My brother, Zleus, is on Zrotaz. I have been trying to make contact with him, but all I get is a block, like something or someone is trying to stop me...”