Chapter 21 - Sinking Claws.

Remaining in Candervale, Endar was reeling from the blow Oman had shown him from the future. Feeling faint and uneasy knowing the he would be the cause of everything dying.

"You said you were wrong..." He says to the old man, who stares blankly into the wall with his blind eyes, unable to see fully what Endar was doing but he could use his psychic magic to peer into a void, seeing an outline of everything around him.

"I did, but there has been a change in time...an anchor for the future is already set in place" Oman mumbles to him with a grave tone of voice.

"Anchor? what is it?!"

The old man remains silent as Endar approaches him with a determined stride, kneeling before him on the soft pillows before him with a pleading cry.

"Please! I need to know!"

"It is...fuzzy, and uncertain"

"You must know something, is it a place?! a person?!" he begs the old man for any sign of direction, scared for the first time in years since he heard the first prophesies against him. Declaring him something he wasn't, or that's what he thinks to himself, clutching onto Oman's legs while bowing to his grace.

Psychic witches are powerful and all knowing, though the details are often lost in the fabric of time, they can gaze forwards and backwards through eras but after the their first time the majority of psychic witches lose their eyesight as a result. Oman was the oldest witch in the tribes present day and was a revered patriarch, although he isn't leader he holds the most respect.

Even Endar worshiped him greatly for the help he gave him as a child, but eventually the good times had to stop somewhere. When Endar was nine...Oman told him the truth about his future. The same one he shown him today was the vision that haunted Endar like a poltergeist most of his life.

Permanently worried, an unceasing attack on his mind.

"There is only one thing I can see...golden hair...and a power so large it rivals everyone in the tribe...they will be the end of you should you go rogue" Oman says to him with

"But i wont!" he yells at him, anger in his eyes.

"But you will...if you fail to find your father"

"Why?! I don't even know who he is let alone how hes important!"

Oman doesn't speak and lifts his hand as a signal to stop and leave, Endar silently fumes as he strides out angrily of the curtains closing off Oman's room. On the other side of the caves Camilla was in her bed brushing her hair as disbelieving tears leave her eyes. Wiping her nose with a handkerchief daintily.

Thinking of anyone else over Endar for her own sanity, this whole time he'd hidden the truth from her purposely. Even when she admitted to not knowing her mother that well. Then her mind starts sifting through her memories as a younger woman, when Major was just starting out as her bodyguard.

She remembers her first impressions of him, that his armor was shiny and sleek and he was just starting to sprout the small grey hairs in his beard that she liked, his smile was endearing and from that moment on she put her life in his hands. It didn't take long before she began falling for his prickly charm.

"Oh Albert...I miss you so much..." She whispers to herself, wiping more small tears from her cheeks.

The door to her room opens slowly as The Matrons stiff fingers wrap around the side of the door while she enters, her nails were long and sharp like most of the older witches Camilla saw when she was passing through observing. Her tall figure looming over the vulnerable princess, a neutral smile on her face as she approaches.

"Why would such a pretty face cry such sad tears?~" her cunning voice cuts through the silent air, catching her off guard.

"Matron?!...why are you here?"

She lowers her body to her bed and sits next to her. Comforting her with a gentle touch on the shoulder as Camilla looks into her blood orange eyes with resistance. But Matron had a strong charisma that was difficult not to pull away from.

"I mean no offense my child, but everyone heard your yelling well~"

Camilla shy's away from her embarrassed by her own unladylike behavior, poising herself before facing the Matron with a deep determination in her piercing gaze.

"You're his mother...my Aunt...how could he keep this from me for so long?" she pleads.

"I wouldn't blame him so harshly, he always knew what you were capable of...he even taught you the first spell that you cling to so desperately" she explains as Camilla listens closely to her words.

"You see Camilla, the moment my sister left to start her new life she told me what she'd call her first daughter should she be forced to give you a human name..." Camilla's eyes widen when Matron gently takes her hand in hers, a soft maternal touch that Camilla wasn't often exposed to.

"What was it?" she asks her softly.

Matron smiles down on her with reverence, closing her eyes as a light glows from the middle of her brows, Camilla was stunned by the pretty light until her vision goes white from the magic energy pulling her into the vision with the Matron.

It took a moment for Camilla to see what was happening, but soon she was seeing through the eyes of the head witch in those last moments with her sister, Camilla's mother was a vision of pure beauty and looked a lot like her daughter. She was preparing a sling to hold her things close to her back while she traveled.

But as the Matrons eyes peer down Camilla discovers her pregnant belly, and when she grazes her stomach with her fingers Camilla could feel the baby's power from inside her, it was something shes never felt in her life time. It was like love but so much deeper than that, an appreciation of power and respect for something that isn't in the world yet.

These were Matrons feelings while she was carrying Endar, she always felt it constantly pulsing while she was halfway through her second trimester. So much that even Camilla's mother could feel it.

"Wow, the little one seems to be active today" she chirps with a happy smile on her face, her teal eyes were bright and happy. It's hard to see why she would choose to make something as evil as Camus. Matrons lips curve into a pleased smile before gazing on her sisters packed things on her back.

It drops sadly.

"Yes...perhaps its his only aunt going away that disturbed him"

"Oh please sister, your guilt trips do you no justice, ill be going to live with the humans while you'll become the Matron here in Candervale" she replies in confidence.

"But what if they discover who you are? you'll be in danger and i wont be able to save you little sister" Matron presses but her sister calms her with a comforting gaze, her smile was always showing when she was home...why did she leave, Camilla thought to herself.

"I can protect myself...you have your own responsibilities now as a mother...as will I some day"

"Then don't leave, we can send someone else in your place or we-"

Camilla's mother cuts her off and hands her a necklace from their childhoods many years ago before the tribes where in full swing.

"No, this is my destiny...but promise me that if my daughter ends up in her real home..."

"Daughter?" Matron asks confused.

"I have a strong feeling my first born will be a girl...Oman gave me some insight before i leave...and I want her to know her true name" she says while holding her sisters hands closely to her.

Her lips approaching her ear with a pleasant whisper.

"Her name is Evanora...Evanora Firelight"

After her words leave her mouth the vision begins fading away and Camilla's eyes shot open to gaze into her aunts eyes, finally learning some truths she wasn't upset by, her own name wasn't even the truth.

"Why did she have to go live with the humans..."

"Because we needed someone on the inside to relay back to us about their plans against the monsters...as powerful as we are we're bound by the beings that gave us our gifts in the first place"

"What beings?" Camilla asks her, the Matrons eyes growing dark and grave as she gains closer on Camilla, her serious tone putting the princess in a heavy discomfort.

"Ill show you soon my darling, but first..." she says turning her head to the door just as Endar steps through into the room with his eyes ablaze on his mother, shifting to Camilla which calms his expression for a few moments. Assessing the situation as Matron opens her mouth to speak.

"My son, come to apologize for your wrong doings or antagonize me more?"

"Be silent mother...there's more pressing matters at hand" he replies turning his attention to Camilla, softening his face at her saddened expression as he slowly approaches her.

"Camilla...I-"

"You know what Endar, I don't need your apology...There was way too much to tell and I, understand why...but I'm not just going to forgive you straight away" she sternly pressed onto Endar as he shakes his head sighing.

"That's great and everything but like I said, pressing matters...Mother, its happening again...and this time its true" he says to his mother with his brows arched seriously, She seemed to stay in place calmly but the news rocked her on the inside. Just as sick of the visions and prophesies as her son, Camilla stands there confused between the two.

"Whats happening?" she asks concerned by Endar's expression.

"Something very disastrous if not treat properly" Matrons says as she speedily takes off from the room leaving the two in the room alone.

They were fairly distant and silent but after about a minute he opens his mouth first.

"You may not need it but...I really am sorry for not telling you even the smallest thing, but i don't know as much as my mother does"

"I...listen, you're the only person i have from before everything happened, id hate to lose you to idiotic emotions" she replies with a satisfied smile, He smiles back from where he stood and opens his arms for a friendly hug to reconcile everything.She happily takes the offer as they hug tightly before separating.

"So cousin, whats this about a disaster?"

As they both catch up on the Matron in the caves she seemed to be addressing certain witches in robes, their talking incoherent to the two as they gaze up to them curiously.

"So you're the realms end in a few weeks? I don't know Endar that seems a little far fetched, you're not evil in any way"

"You don't know me as well as you think you do Camilla"

From behind them a figure lurks in the shadows behind stone pillars, sneaking up behind the two unnoticed.

"Yeah you really don't know him at all~" a voice calls from the figure as Endar spins to see who was speaking to him but his eyes widen at the sight of her, taking a step back in hesitation.

"Zeroth...I was wondering when i'd see you"

"I would say the same but I've been spying on you the whole time and you didn't even notice...you've lost your touch master" her tone of voice was childlike but her features were very mature, just as tall and strong as Endar and Camilla.

"I've hardly lost my touch when you've forgotten the first rule of camouflage...don't give away your position"

Suddenly his hand shoots out above him as his arm transfigures into a sharp ended blade, stretching to the ceiling at high speed just stopping before piercing the stone. The person in front of them remains shocked before fading away into thin air.

The end of Endar's blade was pressed against an invisible force, slowly revealing the real Zeroth clung to the ceiling with the sword just inches away from stabbing her stomach. Pulling his weapon back and transfiguring his hand back to normal. Zeroth still hung there with a very angered expression staining her face.

Dropping from the ceiling and in front of him with displeased body language, However there were minor differences in her illusion, she was a few inches shorter than Endar and her eyes were not longer jet black, but the illusion got her strength right. Her arms were muscled and bared in her red robes.

"I am extremely confused" Camilla admits to them both as they gaze on her, then back to each other.

"This was one of my old students, Enya was my most recent but-"

"But he dropped me because hes afraid of me~" she says in spite of him, her eyes slit and focused on her old masters eyes, finally noticing he doesn't have the metal covering his body anymore.

"Then he left cause he was ashamed of his new body...banishing himself in a pathetic excuse of pride!"

Endar gets in her face with stern and glowing red eyes baring into her, she does the same as her eyes also glow a bright red colour with a fiery expression.

"Keep treading on that ice and eventually you'll fall through..."

"I'd love to see that happen~"

Camilla was unsure if she should step in between two powerful witches but Endar quickly reels in and strides away from her at a speedy pace, leaving Camilla to attempt to catch up with him in pursuit.

"En wait up! since when have you been a runner?!" she calls out but Endar was focused on getting away from his ex-student as quickly as he could before stopping behind a pillar in a random hallway, leaning his weight against the stone walls and calming himself. Taking fingers to his eyes and rubbing them with frustration while breathing in and out of his nose.

Zeroth was a strange young woman, ever since she was declared a blood witch she'd been paired with Endar to hone her powers. But before she was old enough to train with him he was sour about his blood magic and the things his mother had planned out for him. He never wanted to do it in the first place or be a blood witch from the beginning.

Some witches use to say to him that being born a witch in rotten blood was a early sign, that eventually they'll turn dark and go rogue, but the chances of that happening are 15 out of 100.

Its slim, but its still possible, and when she was finally old enough to start training with him he finally noticed what was happening and refused to train her further, which caused her to hate him in a vengeful manner, so vengeful that her next move he predicted off the bat, while Camilla was shocked to hear her voice in her head.

Everyone in the tribe could hear Zeroth's voice loud and clear in their minds, she was projecting and had something to say.

"Witches of Candervale, hear me, my master has returned and attempts to avoid me...he is afraid and I've no choice but to show the rest of you just how weak he is...Endarynne Firelight!"

Endar's face goes grim and dark once Camilla approaches holding her ears in resistance to her angry voice, confused and worried for her cousin.

"Whats happening?!" she asks him.

"Patience..."

"I challenge you to a witches duel!" Zeroth cries out as every witch around them cheers ecstatically with the news, Camilla only growing more suspicious and curious of the situation, looking at Endar with determined eyes.

"A duel? what does that mean?"

"It means she wants to fight...and its to the death"

Her eyes widen as Endar projects his voice to the tribes like she did, calling out to her with a serious tone to his voice, unwilling to back away from her challenge.

"Zeroth Shadowmend, I accept your challenge"

More people cheer as Camilla faces him with an anxious scowl.

"What are you doing?! what if you lose and I'm here by myself?!"

"I'm not going to lose...and she sure as hell isn't winning like she wants to"

He takes a moment to look Camilla in the eyes and nods to her

"But if that does happen, my friends will be yours...they can protect you and train you in the art of magic..."

He looks down to the floor.

"Like i should have..."

Without hesitation she wraps her arms around him tightly while her mouth goes straight to his ear.

"You will win...even if you have to kill her"

"Thank you Camilla..."

And with that, the two part ways, Endar heads over to where his mother was as she smiles at him greatly for accepting her duel. While Camilla walks off feeling emotions run wild in her mind for a few silent minutes, a gentle hand coming to her shoulder, looking back to see Alstroe and the gang behind her, reassuring expressions putting her at ease.

"Hey, hes very talented, he'll be fine Princess" she says with a charming smile.

"And if he doesn't?" Camilla asks as the group look at each other dreading the thought.

"He will...he has too..." Alstroe says nervously.

Cam was unsure, but she had strong faith in him, and knew that if anyone could win a fight like this one.

It was him.