The little mute witch part 2

Bouzid had enrolled in the palace with the other witch applicants. Around twenty had registered to become one, but the survival rate was usually below one in ten. The young girls would endure gruesome training to build up their bodies. For months, the young girls would be pushed to survive many tests to weed out the weak and unprepared for the final ceremony.

One test was to trek through the desert with no water. Over five of the girls would perish along the way. The second test was to swim through one of the largest lakes on the moon world, hoping one of the swimming insect monsters wouldn't devour them. Three girls died, with Bouzid being close to dying as well. The most horrid test was when the girls would be placed naked in a tomb filled with thousands of cockroaches. The insects wouldn't do anything if the person lay still and were calm, but if they resisted or made a sound, they would eat them alive slowly. The cockroaches would enter the girl's hair and ears and crawl all over their naked bodies. They would be kept inside the tombs for three days, and when it was over, only three girls and Bouzid had survived.

Bouzid looked back and saw the palace servants taking the remains of one of the girls that had been eaten. She felt terrible for them but understood they were not strong enough.

The three other girls that had survived went to their rooms along with their clan members who were accompanying them. Bouzid went with the queen to her room since Bouzid was not part of any clan. The relationship between the queen and Bouzid made the three girls think she had been receiving special treatment from the queen to pass the trials.

~~

"So, it seems you have survived the last tests fairly well. You most likely will be able to survive the final trial," the queen chatted as she brushed Bouzid's hair.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not like I had another choice. You blackmailed me into enrolling," Bouzid complained in a harsh tone.

"Would you rather go back to the streets to pickpocket people's belongings?"

"..... Naah, and anyway, after tomorrow's last trial, I'll be able to live an easy life as a locust witch."

"Being a witch will enable you to live an easier life, but that is not supposed to be the main objective," the queen scolded her.

"Yes, of course. The only reason to become a locust witch is to help your respective clan in the politics of the moon world....."

"And what clan are you from?" the queen said in a wise-ass tone.

Bouzid was about to leave the queen's chamber, but before that, a swarm of locusts stopped her.

"Remember why I enrolled you to become a witch. You are to become my eyes and ears in the desert. Report any misuse of demon books and keep the other witches in line. I can not constantly be wondering about the desert and keeping tabs on the different clans and witches. Our job is important. Never forget that," the queen said and let Bouzid leave.

~~

In the meantime, four witch applicants were scheming in the palace's hallways. They were fuming with jealousy and envy. An unknown girl had entered the last stretch of the trials and was now one step away from becoming a full-fletch locust witch.

"That damn Bouzid. I don't know why the queen insists on giving her special treatment. Because of it, she has been acing the tests and made us look bad," one of the witches complained.

"I know....My clan leader yelled at me tonight since I barely survived the last trial. All because of Bouzid," another witch said.

"Do not worry. I am sure I can get that city rat to fail the last trial," a witch said menacingly.

"How are you going to achieve that?"

"I am receiving help. Just let me handle it," the witch said while holding a book behind her back.

~~

The last trial was about to start. During it, the queen would place each candidate on an altar carved with divine text. During the ceremony, the queen would forcibly inject each girl with her divinity, giving each girl the divine power to control and summon insects.

The test was deadly and dangerous. Forcibly injecting divinity into another person was like changing a person's blood type by removing all the blood at first and then injecting them with a new kind of blood. The operation would need to be performed without any intrusions or disturbances, or the one doing the procedure could die or receive permanent damage.

Two girls had already gone through it and successfully survived it. As they did, they screamed in agony and had to be tied up to the altar so they wouldn't squirm out of it.

As Bouzid was getting ready, the last girl was talking to a book behind a door.

"I need some answers now! Tell me what to do so that Bouzid fails in her trial!" the girl yelled to the book.

Texts then appeared on the pages, saying to cut her thumb, for if she did, she would get what she wanted.

Without even a second of thought, the girl took a knife. She laid the book as a cutting board on the ground and cut off her finger. The girl crunched her teeth to prevent her from yelling from pain, but she also smiled. What pushed her was the intense emotion of jealousy.

When she cut her finger, the pages started to turn fast and glow with an ominous glow. Soon laughter started to echo in the hallway, and the smile on the girl began to fade away. A large shadow enveloped her as something big and evil stood before her.

~~

As the trial for Bouzid was about to end, a loud sound came from a dark hallway. The queen, who was in the middle of the operation, was too focused to hear it, but another locust witch did. As the locust witch went to investigate, she got decapitated in an instant with a large blade.

The queen turned around, and what she saw shocked her. It was a demon that stood behind her. It had a large body with horns rising from its cheeks and the characteristic look of a demon by not having eyes.

"Hahahahahahahaaa. Finally, I am free, and all I had to do was stroke this girl's envy. I have you to thank mainly. If you hadn't shown any special treatment to that girl, my freedom wouldn't have been secured," the demon laughed.

The demon showed her sword that had eyes and a mouth on it. It was the girl whom the demon had turned into her weapon of flesh.

A couple of witches tried to fight the demon, but it quickly cut them apart with its immense divine power.

The queen couldn't move as the operation of Bouzid still needed to finish.

"I will grant you your wish, little girl, do not worry. I will grant you your wish since you have freed me from my millennia-long imprisonment. That girl on the altar will dieeeee," the demon said to its sword and licked it.

The queen looked horrified when she heard the demon's plan. The monster started to walk toward the altar with a grim smile. The nightmare was about to summon a blast of pure menacing winds of pandora on the altar to kill Bouzid. At that moment, the queen stopped the ritual and used her divine power to stop the demon. The room filled with locusts that swarmed the demon, preventing it from striking at Bouzid. The monster tried to defend itself by flailing around with its sword, but it was for naught. The demon was not powerful enough.

The demon was destroyed and was turned into ash as anything left was eaten by the locusts. The queen then turned around in horror and rushed to the altar, and she opened the restraints and saw that Bouzid had blood coming from her mouth and eyes.

"Bouzid, BOUZID!" the queen yelled.

She opened her eyes and screamed, but no sound came out. The queen and Bouzid were shocked as it was clear the ritual had failed.

The operation had given Bouzid a divine power but simultaneously took her voice, as it had stopped early. For this reason, Bouzid retreated into the village hidden in the rocks. She couldn't be the one keeping tabs on the other witches anymore. Her body was also badly burnt and was weaker than your average locust witch's.

~~

After the queen had explained the past of Bouzid, Rufus finally understood why Satifa gave such special treatment to her.

No one would accept a mute girl as their witch, and anyone else would feel responsible if they had been in the queen's place.