Chapter 22 - Mount Saphirrus.

Above the dark clouds blanketing the Realm, panting breaths ragged and tired as Cyren soars through the thin air, losing consciousness the more she flies in the direction of home. Her jet black hair flows like water before she plummets to the ground at high speed, her magical energy fully drained.

If she hadn't saved those citizens she may have had enough magic to reach Candervale. But as she fell faster she collides with an ashy ground causing the rock to be seperated like a trench, a vrash landing strip that went on for a few feet.

Fading further into black vision and deaf ears, completely imobilised and vulnerable. But to her luck, she crashed into the side of a volcano, and not inside its gapping maw. Not an ordinary volcano either, there was a purple mist rising at the top.

Where skinny silhouettes stand on the volcanos edge gazing down upon Cyren. Their identity and motive were unknown to the Sky Witch, but she couldnt control anything, finally giving in and passing out from her injuries.

She wasnt aware of anything that happened after, but the people living there recovered her from the side and brought her to the maw, where a raging pool of gorgeous sapphire lava, its illuminating blue smoking with purple steam, the ground surrounding was black and covered in a thick coat of equal coloured ash.

They carry her to a secret entrance into their hideout, just at the rim of the volcanos maw, the stone moving like it had a mind of its own, allowing them access into the tunnel.

Stairways go spiraling down, handmade and well kept after, they've been here for quite some time it seems. Carrying Cyren carefully into the hole, before reaching level ground, it wasnt too far down as there was a window hole in the side of the volcano.

Showing vast amounts of different buildings and archetecture that was in ruins, burned by the heat of Mount Sapphirus and its quaking wrath.

They lay the witch down near a spring of some sorts, the purple haze drifting from it and seeping deep into her nose and lungs. Her eyes gently opening while her purple iris pulses with a lilac hum every few seconds before calming.

She wasnt entirely sure she was even awake or dreaming, but she could see the air infront of her. Billions of particles so small it drove her crazy.

But a voice calls out to her, even though nobody was there. A mysterious form in front of her standing silently. His mouth not moving.

"Calm yourself, you are hurt...we only wish to help" the echoed voice mimics his actions, moving his hand in a swaying motion and stepping to the side.

Revealing a vast dreamscape, it reminded her of the visions that Omar would show her from time to time, her future was never sure in his eyes but she knew she was made for something...anything...

"Who are you? Why do you wish to aid me?"

"We are a peaceful people, we believe that silence is the best solution to aggression...or at least that's whats kept our civilization alive for so long"

She takes a few swift glances around before setting her eyes on the monk, his appearance coming more into view, his robes were a light cream colour and a sigil holding the fabric in place, she squints at it, just barely making it out and recognizing the familiar sigil.

"That symbol?...its from the gods...yes?" she asked as the monk smiles.

"Yes, it is the sign of Karlan...god of illusion"

"Illusion? you take pride in deceitful magic?" she snaps back with a passive aggressive tone, showing her bias of human magic to her own.

"You're mistaken, illusion can lie...but it can also manifest truths and memories, it can heal the mind of doubt...grief, even corruption if the will of the participant is weak"

She stays silent as she processes her flight path, still unsure of where she is in reality.

"Where are we? I have to keep moving onward"

"I sense a great deal of trauma in you...its suffocating, but you're still breathing...Which may also explain the power emanating from you, it is impressive yet terrifying to even be inside your mind..."

Her eyes prick slightly at the mention of it, suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of fear, the dreamscape around her shifting in tone, the ethereal sky melting into a warding purple that warned of the coming danger as thunder crashes through the misty setting. Flashes of white and black swarm overhead around her.

Cyren's face contorts in fear at the sight of it, slowly feeling her limbs freeze in place.

"No no no...NO" she pleads for release as the monk watches on in a worried manner, an invisible force surrounding his body keeping him safe from the change in weather.

"You must calm yourself before you tear the dream apart!" he warns her but the emotions of her past coming back for her, leaves her petrified. He has no choice but to step in before the shadows reach her, putting two fingers between his forehead, chanting incantations as light flows from his fingers with great finesse.

Her feet stay plated to the floor she stood on, but the dream starts zooming past her, feeling like she was moving at the speed of light. Before everything around her turns black, slowly lighting up to show her new surroundings. Discovering her room at home, childish coal scribbles on the cave walls of stick figures and the sounds of giggling coming from a blanket lump in the corner of the room.

She gasps with pleasant surprise, gazing at long forgotten memories and secrets, happy ones that escape her mind from time to time.

"I-I'm...here?" she exclaims.

"Yes, I thought this memory may calm you" The Monk assures her, but a questioning glance darts from her bedroom walls to his eyes.

"How do you know so much about my memories?"

He chuckles and sits on the ground in a crossed legged position, patting the spot in front of him, offering the unoccupied space to her as she stands a few feet away from him, unable to walk around...or maybe she didn't want to...

But she relents and joins him on the caves ground, her gaze peering to to the blankets that giggled and cried with excitement.

"What about this place makes you so happy...yet trapped? uncomfortable?"

"Nothing here makes me feel that way, its just a shame..."

He tilts his head at her as she sighs slightly.

"That things are not the same...they used to seem so easy and carefree...now its just nothing but blood and pain"

"Yes, pain and blood seem to be a prominent thing in your mindscape...is that because of?..." he points to the blanket again and her face scrunches in anger at his accusation.

"No!...not entirely"

Then her eyes point up at him from the ground, a squint of distrust in them.

"You still didn't answer my question"

"If it puts you at ease, i haven't infiltrated your mind to learn your secrets, or cause you stress and discomfort...its to help you heal"

"There's nothing to heal, you're just unearthing shit to mess with my head!"

He sighs and waves his hand with a faint yellow haze, the memory shifting again around them, but this one less happy and warm, an immediate change in temperature as familiar walls surround her, a fighting pit surrounded by stone chairs that acted as seats, scaling into a massive dome above them.

"No..not this one..." she begs him, but he shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, but you can't get better if you cant accept what happened"

They float away from the pit to the sidelines as smoke clusters all around, suddenly a full wave of witches appear in the fighting pits audience, full to the brim. while two young witches stand in the bottom of the pit in fighting stances.

The two watch on at the fight as their faces become clear in the light as the matrons speaks up from her seat at the top where she could see everything.

"Tonight we will celebrate the coming of a promising witch, before me stand two apprentices, Endarryne Firelight and Cyren Numeri"

Cyren and Endar circle each other, they both look serious, but then he flashes her a smirk, and she flashes one back. Seconds before they duel, the Matron speaks up one last time.

"And remember...you can only use the magic you were born with...nothing else"

The line sent chills down Cyrens younger self, knowing she wasn't a match for Endar's blood magic, but he nods at her reassuringly, bringing a smile to Cyrens face in the stands as she watches on at the match.

"You're smiling...may I ask why?"

"Just watch..."

The two of them wait for the signal to begin as Matron's hand remains lifted in the air as the seconds go by...

Cyren counting them down to herself.

"5...4...3...2...1..."

Then at the moment of complete silence, she drops her arm down.

The duel officially beginning, neither witch hesitates and starts throwing everything they had at each other, blood spikes erupting from Endars palms while Cyren lightly glides above the ground. A sizzling bolt of lightning dances along her knuckles and hands. She starts off on the offensive, floating to Endar with a quick gust of wind, propelling her forward dealing blows to his guarding arms, each hit cause sparks to fly off her white hands.

He deflects move of her attacks but the final one stuck him back into the wall. Cyrens purple eyes glazed with intense focus; while Endar looks up and his eyes a blazing blood red, tendrils of blood seep from his back and outwards like spider legs. Waving in the air menacingly, blocking each one of her attack with ease, the added limbs effective.

Cyren retreats once he begins striking at her, she glides in multiple directions with grace, avoiding each deadly strike, once or twice she wasn't fast enough, the sharp points cutting her arm and legs, not deep enough to stop her fighting however, her hands raising in the shape of an X. The wind pulsing from her hands creating a shield to block the piercing spear he stabs into it, the wind cracking under the pressure, changing positions and hitting her from the side. The wall she crashes into caves, leaving a crater in her wake.

She groans in pain as she lurches forward to her feet, the crowd was cheering for their preferred winner as they stare at each other for a moment, they were both pretty beaten up already, and the fight had already lasted longer than it needed to, so with an understanding nod, they get ready once more to finish it.

Blood floats in Endars palm as it shapes itself in many different ways, spiky, smooth, messy and symmetrical...showing his skill and control for the crowd that cheered. While Cyren, gaining in height as she glides higher in the ring, the lightning spreading from her hands to her entire body, a floating conduit of pure energy that shone bright.

Then they dash at one another with deafening speed, hitting each other with their most powerful magic, a flash of white light blinds everyone including the Monk and Cyren in the stands.

But once everyone's vision was restored, they gaze upon nothing and the fighting pit as completely empty, but while everyone else was panicking, the Monk and Cyren were sat still, she was smiling happily as he cocks his head in confusion again.

"What happened?" he asked, looking to the pit to see where the witches were.

"Come, I'll show you" she says standing as the memory seems to slow down, the people exclaimed faces freezing in worried and suspicious expressions. The two reach the pits edge, then she steps in, disappearing into thin air. The monk follows skeptically, until he gazes upon the inside.

Seeing a force field surrounding the pit in a protecting dome, keeping whatever was inside a secret and invisible to the naked eye. While the younger witches stand together in a tight and secure hug, with present Cyren watching on at the two with unbreakable focus.

The Monk resuming the memory, the two separate from their hug.

"Are you sure about this, you don't know how long it'll take to get this chance again?" she asked him.

He scoffs at her, before nodding his head at her.

"I'm sure, besides, you deserve it more than I do...and I cant take back using this magic now so...no take backs" he says as she hugs him one more time.

"You're a true friend Endar...I'll repay you one day for this"

"I'm sure you will" he chuckles, lifting two fingers to his temple as a turquoise glimmer races into his head, his eyes closing and his body slumping limp to the floor, asleep as the illusion wears off as everyone gazes upon the witch last standing, Cyren Numeri.

Matron's face wasn't amused while the rest of the audience cheered and cried for their newest member of the higher tribe, she felt the warmth on her cheeks as she smiled with amusement at the victory, somewhere in her mind she was worried she didn't deserve it, but in the moment, she basks in the glory for however long it lasts.

The monk hums delighted at the sight.

"He seemed to care for you a great deal to throw away his chance..."

"He was the only person in there that understood me...before I left"

"Give me a moment..." The Monk asked with respect as he waves his hand again, the scene fading out into a much darker one, the only lighting was dim torches that lay neatly on the walls, Cyren stood leaning against it right next to a blazing fire.

She moves a strand of hair from her face as she waits for someone, the tapping of shoes coming from the shadows of the tunnel. She looks towards the noise and gasps slightly with a short breath, not seeing the person she expected.

"Matron?! what...why are you here?" she asked concerned.

But she didn't answer, instead a look of regret and shame washes over her face while lifting her claws hands to her hips, a red and murky spell cradled in both hands.

Present Cyren cant bare to look as she turns away, hearing more than she ever needed to.

"I'm sorry...but I cant let your victory taint his reputation...you must leave"

"Wait! don't do this, please!"

"Forgive me"

She propels the spell at her with a vicious hand thrust, the murky red seeps into her skin as her hands and body begin to shake without hesitation, the bare skin she showed began to rapidly grow black wispy hairs, her skin wrinkling and scaled.

The transformation taking a hold of her like a snake constricting its prey, her arms and legs bending out of natural shape. her groans and cries of pain were muffled, like she was screaming under water, but while she was being transfigured, a portal opens in the floor just behind her, nearing the end of it, she falls to the ground.

Looking up at the person she trusted to protect them, and lead them...as she brought down a wrath of blood magic upon her, just like it should have been in the pit.

"Don't come back"

And with that she heaves her foot off the ground, kicking her through the portal, it closing quickly behind her with the last glimpse of Matron she saw. A cold and harsh stare bearing down on her.

Cyren looks down at her hands, the rain from the sky pours down in between her now enlarged fingers, and the sharp claws they carried, no longer a witch or an apprentice.

Just a filthy rat...

Her jet black eyes well up with angered tears as she lets out a blood curdling scream into the thundering sky, her snout and facial expressions were unrecognized and she barely looked human. Her claws raking through the mud as if searching for something, slinking around a necklace she had dropped through the portal.

A chain with a coin at the end, it shows an eagle in the midst of a storm, cradling it in her hands close to her chest as she mutters something, the new jaw and teeth getting in the way as she cuts into her gums, the pain only interrupting the incantation. hot tears stream down her furred cheeks.

But was cut off before being able to call for help, an arrow soars through the air, striking her square in the back. She yelps, attempting to get up and run...but her spine stops her from standing up straight, forcing her onto all fours. Humiliated, beaten and near death, she turns and sloppily runs though the tree line as hunters pursue her in a frivolous chase.

Cheering and whooping for their new find, but after he'd seen enough the Monk closes the memory, turning to his guest with a solemn face.

"I apologize, but if you are here now...then you survived for a reason"

She doesn't speak, simply sitting on the floor staring out into nothing.

"I thought in my whole life I'd never have to experience that again...and you just throw it out there like it was nothing...like my pain! was nothing!" she shouts at him hugging her knees with glazed eyes clutched closed.

The empty feeling at the bottom of her stomach had sunken deeper, and wasn't going to stop, feeling like her head was going to explode, following a piercing headache.

Holding her forehead wincing.

"Perhaps we should take a break...you're looking better already out here" he suggests as she looks up at him with squinted eyes.

"That...would be the most helpful thing you've done since I met you"

He sighs then chuckles, looking over at her with a clear and understanding glance.

"Trust me friend, we have only just begun"

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