Sisters of Sorcery and Men of the Wand
Do You Believe in Magic?
Do You Believe in Magic?
I journey on Thunder, my trustworthy horse of fifteen years as my father is in terrible danger. I kick Thunder mercilessly on the stormy night. The winds are strong and it pours unceasingly.
Wicked men seek his life. My brother has been slain. I just saw him and found the note:
The Men of Drack seek Father’s life this very night.
Vigh’s lair where he and his men lived were murdered. It wasn’t forced entry. They knew who came to them in the dead of night. They knew the traitor.
I make it to his castle being the King’s only daughter whose husband went to war to never return. I sought him but found arrows through his decaying corpse. Killed by Sleeth Men. Men of the West, who fear nothing, who fear only dying without honor. And so I trained with them infiltrating their army and killing my husband’s murderer, the Captain of Sleeth.
I have made many enemies. Blood is on my hands. My killings are too many to count. If they knew the horrors I have committed vengeful eyes would seek me out. Upending the entire land, a price would be on my head. But I am hunted either way, hunted by my past.
My family in ruins, my father, a once noble and mighty duke, is now old, and his memory failing. My mother, accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake ten years ago today.
All I have known is misery and sorrow. When will it end?
But I go further and stop at the gates of my father’s domain. The guards rush me through.
“My Lady, your father has guests that demand your assistance. I think they have bewitched your father.”
“And you’ve done nothing?” I demand.
“No, my Lady, they barred the doors with black magic. You must do something.”
“Where is Mane?”
“He is nowhere to be seen or heard.” I feared that much.
I hurry into the castle. The gates are open but my guards are kept from entering. They want me here or maybe because it is my home that the dark magic has no power over me. I go through the many halls and rooms.
I find two guards who are frozen in place by a force inside my father’s halls.
My father sits on his throne with a pale face and a deadened look. Four men in black robes with hoods covering their faces turn and I see the tall one. His red eyes, gleam with hate.
Mane.
“And so she comes after all,” he says quietly.
“Father!” I approach but they bar the way.
“Your father is under our control, my Lady. We won’t be needing your assistance any further. Why don’t we have a chat in the next room?” His three fellow sorcerers suggest with their presence and magic that I must obey.
“And if I don’t?”
“Oh, you must. I do not think it wise to enter through that door.”
“Why not I just kill you myself then?” I draw my sword as Mane backs away.
“And why would you do that, my Lady?”
“Did you kill my brother? Did you kill Vigh?”
“Not me, but the Men of Drake did as I bade them. The simplest magic sometimes is bribery.”
“After everything my father did for you, you’re gonna stab him in the back.”
“Not me, he has done that himself.”
“The people won’t stand for your tricks!”
“No tricks, simply weaving words together.” His scarlet eyes shine with delight. “We have already told them.”
“Told them what?”
“That your family is a coven of witches and warlocks. Evil sorcerers who have plotted to control the Kingdom, gain more land, and eventually conquer the surrounding territories. The Ministry knows. The Sisters of Sorcery are aware.”
“You fiend! My family trusted you, I trusted you-”
“Which you shouldn’t have. You should have known that Men of the Wand are treacherous. We are self-interested and demand a little in return for our services. A life for a life.” Fangs grow upon his treacherous smile.
“Speak for your time is limited!”
“Your father gave me his life and he made me promise not to hurt you. You shall be forgiven for all that you have done and will live your days as Lady of the House in solitude away from court. You are safe, my Lady. I rule, but this Kingdom is still yours.”
“I will not do that. You are not King! You stole it!”
“I like to think I won it by force. A Man of the Wand shall get what he deserves. We shall take back what was once ours!”
“You are no man but a wicked cruel deceiver!” I raise my sword. “And I shall rather die than serve you, and be a housewife until my dying days.”
“So be it…” Mane says as he stretches out his hand, but I hit it as he bleeds and falls back. “Seize the wench!”
The three others shoot lighting and fire through their twisted wands. I evade them running into the shadowed halls.
I run up the stairs. The sorcerers are on my heels as they cannot focus long enough to fire their magic my way.
As I ascend the wide staircase, I turn suddenly and kick the one in front as they fall like dominoes.
I run to the South Tower across the cobblestone bridge as two guards notice me crossbows in hand. “Stop them.”
“Yes, m’Lady!” I run to the tower entrance but it is locked.
I see Mane approach the guards as they fire. The crossbows disintegrate in the air as Mane chokes them snapping their necks.
I try again to open the tower. But it is futile.
Now I turn and face the magician.
“There’s no escape, my Lady! Quit running! Time to fight!”
On the stormy night, I clench my fists as power surges through my bloodstream and my eyes glow with a blue hue. Mane smiles and pulls out his wooden staff as a red light shoots out straight at me.
Holding up my hands with my forest magic countering his steel magic, I hope I can stop it in time. I hope I can defeat my old friend. Once he was my master and I, the apprentice.
Now we are enemies.
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