Prologue

Forest Feesh's Witches

The music of the forest was a lullaby to her ears: the sound of the muffled rustling of leaves caused by the blowing of wind, the soft chirping of birds and the caws from the distant crows. The song was soft, but the symphony she'd thought that would ease her pain did no good, her heart clenched, not from the elating song sang by the birds but from the sadness of its anonymous lyrics.

Ariadne had walked this very forest a thousand times, she has even memorized the shortcuts and hidden trails to where she wanted to go, its outskirts and even the narrow paths and their destination. She even memorized the animals that inhabited the forest: the beavers, squirrels, the birds. She even knows where the herbs and plants grow.

The afternoon sun shone from far above the almost cloudless sky which now had few cottony cumulus clouds accumulating.

She walks wobbly as both of her feet are growing weary. She follows the secretly hidden trail to the hut albeit the muscles on her thigh throbbed quite painfully that it causes her to walk slowly, yet she still had managed to walk as far as her feet would, deeper into the thick forest. She had just finished her quite perilous task, orders are orders so she obeyed it a bit forcefully. She brought with her the exotic leaves and plants her master had demanded her to bring.

She rolled her eyes at the far edge of the forest's trail. Her auburn hair dangles from her head as it covers her face. Erected on that far edge is the crappy-looking hut that was built from the finest bamboo slants and perfectly fine woods, it is roofed with dried cogon grasses that were in deep brown colors.

Waiting inside was Ariadne's master, a curly-black-haired woman with eyes a pure black and a skin of a fairly light brown. Colleen was her name. Ariadne had finally arrived in front of the hut which looked like a bungalow house except for its features and how it is designed, the hut looks sketchy and classy. She inched closer towards the antic looking door and gripped the silver knob with her hand, twisted it and pushed the door open. Ariadne walked inside and found Colleen standing at a corner, in an elongated rectangular long table. Colleen was stirring potions busily like she was some sort of an apothecary in a shop, behind her were the sets of cabinets and hanging exotic leaves hung on an aluminum wire. Not far from the corner of where the empty bottles, cauldrons, and other witch's paraphernalia are placed, at the next corner, next to it, is placed the white mattress.

The overall impact of the hut was cozy, its outside appearance could be called a deception and what matters most is the inside which looks like a mini version of a mansion with its mini intricacy: its dome shaped ceiling, glassed windows, a well-furnished floor, fabulous kitchen that is only divided by green knitted curtains and two identical rooms for each witch.

"Seems like I need to find another maiden to complete this potion," Colleen uttered in a hiss as she scooped another handful of bone powder in a brown shabby bag and poured the white powder down into the sizzling pot of sludge. The mixture popped which then was followed with an oozing of green smoke on top of it. Ariadne moved herself at the table, pulled the shabby satchel from her neck and put it on top of the long table, her gangly figure faced the average build of her master. Ariadne's face was covered with the slightest traces of exhaustion while her master's on the other hand was relentlessly blooming. Ariadne wore a green hooded cloak with its tattered hems while Colleen wore a black one with red velvety stripes knitted from its sides.

"Right in time Ariadne," Colleen said as she stirs a teaspoon into the small shot glass with a murky red water inside.

"Just right in time Master," Ariadne replied tiredly. She opened the satchel and pulled out the things she had brought from her perilous mission: the golden sparkling odd-shapen leaves that were edgy, magically growing basil leaves, herbs and vials of serpents' blood that are green in color. Ariadne then joined her master in mixing ingredients on the pot full of brown goo.

"Perfect." Colleen blurted as another green smoke oozed from above the sludgy potion that she keeps stirring.

"It is now time for the testing Master." Ariadne said it weakly, almost lifeless, her face shifts into a look of relief as her strength is slowly creeping back to her.

"Indeed." Colleen smiled. Ariadne gets the hint and smiled back sheepishly.

"And a maiden," they said it simultaneously that they almost giggle, their sullen faces are lightened.

"So, where will we look for a maiden then?" Ariadne asked, looking back to the beautiful face of her master.

"Let's see," Colleen waved her hand and a blurry image flashed in the air, it then slowly clears and shows an image of a shore with lush mangroves, huge boulders, and white fine sands, "Goosebay," Colleen replied, smirking at the thought of being able to find a fine one.

"Goosebay?" Ariadne asks reluctantly, "that's quite odd."

"Prepare the things and the brooms. We'll start off our flight," Colleen ordered. Ariadne moved quickly, a new power surges throw her veins that brushes off the tiredness she feels. She gets the shabby broomsticks which were laying idly on a corner and another brown satchel on top of a squared table, filled inside were the things they all needed.

Once outside, the two witches stood side by side as they left the hut. The weather was nice that it only took them thirty minutes of flying past the Feesh's forest trees before they reached the shore of the sea called Goosebay.

The sky was in the amalgamation of crimson and orange with the afternoon sun almost setting. They landed on the sands as waves after waves of sea water came splashing to the shore.

"Master, are you sure that we'll find a befitting maiden for your beauty potion in here? You know that Goosebay is a training place and not a place for abducting unannotated witches, what if. . ."

"I know, I know Ariadne. I'm not some fool who simply runs into some mess, I make mess myself, my own way. You've known me much so don't worry." Colleen assured her but Ariadne could not help but feel uneasy, her intuition tells her that something terrible is about to happen and that always happens, her intuition hadn't betrayed her, not even once, or so she thought, not yet.

The witches wandered the white sands, passing a huge boulder. In quite sometime, something feels different in the ambience, Ariadne could sense the change of aura in the air. She noticed her master biting her lower lip. "Evil." Colleen said through gritted teeth. Upon walking along the rocks, another huge boulder was on there way and beyond that boulder is where the intimidating and quite peculiar aura looms.

"Let's hide." Colleen edged near the boulder and hid, Ariadne followed. Colleen peeked over the boulder, Ariadne did the same, on the other side they saw a girl strolling along the sands. Her skin was white as snow with lips red as fresh blood and cheeks rosy as pink roses in fresh buds. The witches observed the small girl who stared at her reflection on the clear crimson water, watching the waves splash the image of her face together with the sand on the shore.

"Sadness, hate, anger, evilness, she's sure to fit to be a black witch," Colleen murmured in a whisper, Ariadne nodded in response.

"I could feel it too, she seems to possess a great power. Is she here to train? She seems lost." She wondered and made a wry smile to her master.

An even odder karma began looming in the air, the girl looks frightened. The two witches hid on the rocks still on a huge boulder at a hundred meters away from the woman who looks like feeling despondent, it seems like the ambience is responding to her wails. Colleen narrowed her eyes as she seems to probe the girl.

"Is something the matter master?" Ariadne asked in concern.

"Nothing."

Colleen glowed her hand in prismatic light and was about to shoot a spell to the girl when wizard cavaliers came. The wizards wore brown tunics, one wizard had a shaggy brown beard with a shaggy brown curly hair, one was blonde and descent looking, he was tall with a handsome face and a muscular build while the other one was black-haired, short and buffy. Colleen unlit her hand and stayed still. This was it, the bad moment her intuition keeps stirring inside her guts. Ariadne gulped her own saliva and stared at the wizard cavaliers and the girl.

The bearded wizard cleared his throat and spoke to the girl in a deep voice. "Is something troubling you lil' witch?" The girl cringed as she steps away from the group of wizard cavaliers.

"Is something the matter?" The buffy man asked. The girl shook her head and ran.

"Wait, we mean no harm, we're wizard cavaliers after all." The tall guy yelled as they ran after her.

"Get away from me, I don't want to go home, my mother banished me and she would not want me back." Ariadne noticed the tears falling from the girl's eyes as she runs towards the boulder where they were. Ariadne lowered her head and hid harder.

Cornered, the girl faced the wizards with her lit hands, blue lights swirl around them.

"A fight is not needed." The bearded man assured her.

"I said I don't want to go home!" The girl screamed and shot off blue rays from her hands sending them to the wizards' direction, but the wizards evaded the beacon-like beams as they took stance to defend themselves.

"I said it, we mean no harm." The tall guy urged while glowing his hands green, but the girl looks furious and devastated so she shoots beacon after beacon of blue lights at them which were evaded by the wizards not quite easily. The bearded man shot back spell and it collided with the blue light beacon which created a spark. The wizards are now dispersed. Ariadne could see them clearly as they fought, the girl was skilled, so were the wizards. The girl stepped back and aim to shoot the small man, the beacon shot past directly just above his head, the frustrated girl attacked and attacked while the wizards defended themselves only sending spells if necessary, they meant what they say that they mean no harm.

"Get away from me!" The girl screamed, sending off blinding light rays, Ariadne was blinded. Slowly, the lighting dissipated, not clearly though, just enough to let Ariadne see, she narrowed her eyes and saw Colleen piercing the small wizard's chest with her dagger, blood spilled through his mouth. She could see another two bodies lying on the sands, their tunics coated with their bloods. On the other side, she saw the girl just beneath the rock where she hid, the girl was lying on the sands and she looks like she'd overexerted herself that's why she'd ran out of mana and fainted. Colleen wiped the blood off from her dagger with her kerchief and approached the lying girl. Ariadne moved out from where she hid and aided her master. They carry their victim to the rocks where they have left their brooms and they rode back home with sinister grins.

The witches reached the hut with their victim. It was dusk already. Torches and evil-looking jack-o-lanterns began lighting the hut.

"Isn't it wise to abduct a maiden from Goosebay master?" Ariadne asked while she supports the maiden they abducted in her shoulder, she could still feel the uneasiness that keeps twisting her guts, something bigger is about to come.

"I suppose it is." Colleen twisted the knob and they went inside, the candles on the corners of the house were lit automatically. Ariadne carried the girl to the mattress and let her lie there, Colleen had used a spell to make her weight lighter so Ariadne would not have to deal with the girl's heavy weight.

"Nonetheless, that was a decisive move you've made." She commended her master as she keeps collecting basil leaves as well as simultaneously finishing the potion they have left earlier.

"What an intricate flow of mana," Colleen scanned the features of the black-haired girl who's sleeping on the mattress. Ariadne looks at her master who had seemed to notice a necklace entwined around the girl's neck.

"This seems odd." Ariadne heard Colleen says as she saw her held the pendant closer to her face, looking at the cursive letters that were chained together.

"Joreyna," Colleen reads. There was a moment of dreary and a wary silence when the girl starts opening her blue and delicate eyes. She stirred from the bed for a moment.

"Who are you?" The girl asked, aghast by the sight of a woman holding her necklace and pulling it out from her in the process.

"I'm Colleen, I and Ariadne found you fainting on the shore of Goosebay," Colleen introduced herself amiably while touching the girl's hand. The girl shrugged from her touch and firmed her grip on the necklace. Colleen let go of her.

"What happened to the wizard cavaliers?" The girl asked suspiciously. Colleen moves her gaze away from her and smiled as friendly as she could as she stared back into her eyes.

"We haven't seen wizard cavaliers by the time we saw you. You should be thankful we came to your aid rather than acting tough."

"I'm not acting tough!" She raised her voice, "Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you, but I'm fine, I need to go now." There was sourness in the girl's voice. She stood up but was forced by Colleen to sit on the bed.

"Look, you're in a bad shape now, and you can't go on a travel alone. The night is old and cold. If you want to stay, you're pretty welcome here and it seemed like you're going nowhere." Colleen said soothingly, her eyes are glinting in mischief.

"Well, really?" The girl looked daze.

"But I don't need help. I'm alone and I don't want to be a part of someone else's burden anymore. Thanks by the way, but I need to go."

"Alone you say? How about I give you a life, a life alone by yourself, forever?" Colleen invited.

"Oh, well honestly, I love the idea. Thank you, but no thanks." Joreyna managed a sheepish smile and stood up from the bed.

"Well if you would not, I won't force you." Colleen moved her gaze away from the still dazed woman and eyed Ariadne who was busy scanning the beautiful woman in the white robe, probing her curiously.

"Joreyna is it?" Colleen asked in a bewitching tone.

"Yes." Joreyna faced her and Colleen made a step near her.

"You're evil, you are fitted to be here," Colleen whispered in her ears and let out a grin before she walked away, the wooden floor made creaking sounds everytime she steps. She eyed Ariadne, passing out a message. Ariadne looked at her but was unable to read what she intends to tell.

"Ariadne bind her!" Colleen commanded. The startled Ariadne complied and send spell after spell of binding spells at the girl but she dodged it perfectly through rolling off of back to the bed and running into the kitchen passing the two rooms, Ariadne barely misses hitting her target with the spell which sends the summoned ropes splattering towards the walls and through the doors, only binding the air instead. Joreyna runs wobbly as if her head was spinning.

"And you think you can just simply run out of here?!" Colleen raised her voice, anger rising from her guts, a deep familial resentment. Ariadne missed another binding spell, sending ropes on bottles, glasses and kitchen wares. Joreyna was seemed trying to figure a way out from the hellish hut, she kept running from here to there, but no matter how hard she tries, she always ends up cornered on the widening hut. Without having the idea of where she is heading to, to the doors which seemed to have not existed, she just barely escaped the hits through dodging the binding spells that are cast upon her. She's slowing down, she looked even and even more daze like her mind is growing fuzzy.

"It's no time to play games, my beloved niece." Colleen blurted out the sudden revelation which made the panting Joreyna stood there frozen, her expression was of a shell-shocked contestant who had just realized she had won the game.

"Niece, you say? How come you two are blood related?" Ariadne asked as shocked as the girl was.

She had known her master quite well since she'd lived with her since she was a child. She had well known that her master has sisters so that's just natural to hear that her master has nieces and nephews. But abducting her niece in the strangest way possible without even having the idea that they're blood related is a very rare coincidence.

"I have sensed the power of evilness after I touched the pendant, the power of my dearest sister, the power of the witch who had left me alone in these woods, leaving me powerless and dreadful. And now Joreyna, my niece, she abandoned you. Alone, just like what she did to me, leaving you on the shore of Cowardice and Frailty, the shore of Goosebay." Colleen gawked at the dumbfounded Joreyna who was cornered in the corner.

"And what will you do to me, my Aunt?" Joreyna said forcibly, her voice was pitiful through one's ears.

"Simple, I'd let you suffer the fate that I had taken, alone, unloved, and sealed, and I'm going to turn you into a book." Colleen retorted, completely forgetting her main reasons for capturing the maiden, putting her plans of making the girl an ingredient to her beauty potion into oblivion.

"In that way I will be able to cast my vengeance on your mother."

Ariadne processes something in her mind, something unthinkable but possible. Didn't Joreyna go to Goosebay to train? But she said earlier that her mother had banished her.

"A book, you mean the Book of Barnania? Are you trying to open the land of the misery, the land of plague, the place where you escape came from?" Ariadne almost squeaked.

"The place where I escape? No, no, Barnania isn't a place of strife but of course I'll reclaim it and I'll be the most powerful witch again so I can then fully extract my vengeance on my dearest sister by killing her,"

"but, that's insane." Ariadne cut her in mid-sentence.

"Doing insane things are the most challenging." She made a wide evil grin and lets out a witchy giggle.

"Wait, why would your niece be a part of this? Why would she be. . .be, the one who. . .should be turned into a book, a book opening the-that place."

"Are you naïve?" Colleen scowled.

"Which side are you siding with, you fool?! I have now Josephine's daughter, her blood. Josephine, the witch who had opened the gates of our realm, my once was bliss. My kingdom. And now I'm holding the seed of the witch who opened the gate. I will use my loving niece by turning her into a book and open the world of beasts and witches, to open Barnania. Only the blood of Josephine are keys to open that place, and my niece is just perfect." Colleen blurted out a witchy laugh again.

"Blood of Josephine? But you also have the blood of my mother, so why not make yourself a book?"Joreyna butted.

Colleen chuckled.

"A nice try dear. It almost fooled me, to be honest." She laughed out raw.

"Does this mean we need to find the writer?" Ariadne asked worriedly as well as hoping to divert the topic.

Colleen stopped laughing.

"First things first, we need to turn this lovely niece of mine into a parchment," Colleen said as she casts a binding spell, tethering the shocked Joreyna who cowers in the corner of the fiery hut, her hands glowing.

The torches that illuminate the hut make the hut creepier. They would give goosebumps and chill to one's spine.

They placed Joreyna on the mattress, tethered her with white ceremonial ropes, then they started the chant. Word by word, phrase by phrase and slowly. Joreyna feels her body lightens, her limbs and organs shrinking, turning every part of her body into pages, pages of evilness and ruthlessness of the place, the place called Barnania, the place of ruthless beasts and wicked witches. Joreyna shrieked in pain, screaming by the agony she's feeling, and then she dissolved into pieces of paper, bound into a book, a parchment of malice and mischief.

"It's complete," Ariadne said agape.

"It's time to find the writer." Colleen said evilly, probing the golden covers of the book, gently holding it safely in her hands.