Chapter Sixty Seven: The Elders

Penny and Raven walked through the streets, noticing very few people walking amongst them. They also noticed that everyone seemed to be almost, anxious about something. As though they were waiting for some ominous disaster that Noone could quite see, but feel within the fiber of their beings. Penny approached a few, asking them if they were okay but noone seemed to have much of a response. As if, they should already know what was about to happen. Penny tried pressing further on her questions but she seemed to get nowhere.

" They are worried" Raven explained, as she had been taken mental notes of the body behaviors. She could see through their resistance and knew that something was coming, something that they should be concerned with.

" But worried about what? " Penny questioned.

" If you don't know, considering that you have more insight than any of us within this world, then we need to find out. Because perhaps this will be a key into stopping whatever is meant to happen in the future.." Raven answered as they continued down the streets, finding a rather old lady who was tending to her shop, preparing to close for the day.

Very old but fine crafter pure silver dishes could be seen, strewn about amoung tables.

" Hello" Penny called out to her elder who seemed to offer no response. " Excuse me " Raven stepped forward with a stern tone. The older lady turned to Raven, seeming shocked that she was spoken too with such a tone.

" Why is everyone acting so weird..? " Raven asked blatantly, which was recieved with a look of confusion from the elderly lady.

" The treaty..the marriage of Aurora and that Vampire. That is what the problem is" she scoffed as she continued gathering her merchandise to bundle it up for the evening.

" What about it?" Raven questioned as the woman continued doing her best to hurry so that she could go back into her home.

" If you insist on knowing all there is too know then it would be best to come inside my home. I'll explain it even though you both should know very well what the trouble is"

Raven and Penny shared glances with one another " We haven't been back to the Kingdom in a while so we don't know and are sorry to be an inconvenience" Raven was pushed aside by the lady who gathered up the last bit of her wares and motioned for them to approach the door to her home.

" I told you that I would speak to you inside but I will not do so out here" the lady glanced around the area, checking to see if anyone had heard her before darting over to her door and opening it, rushing inside, and giving very little time for Penny and Raven to push their ways through before closing the door.

" You can have yourselves a drink if you'd like " the lady points to a bottle of ale on the table at the center of the room surrounded by three couches. Raven and Penny took their places on a couch and waited for the lady to return to them.

After a while, the lady returned with a few glasses and placed them on the table before taking her own seat on a couch, opposite the two.

" I don't know how much you've both missed but apparently it's quite a bit" the lady began go explain.

" Princess Aurora, and the Vampire Prince are to be wedded soon..and this is in efforts to bring peace amoung the Kingdoms".

Penny and Raven continue to listen.

" And from what I've heard, the Lycans made a move to attack us..well at least..the Thorns did.." She explained, seeming to have a distain at the Meer mention of Lycans.

" Thornbloods? Are they not renegade Lycans? " Raven questioned which only seemed to upset the lady further.

" Yes but it's the same damn thing and we all know it. You can say whatever you want but at the end of the day, they are Lycans, mongrels, beast that are untamed" She explained.

The sheer level of hatred of the Lycans was evident from this woman which made both Penny and Raven sick to their stomach.

" They have done nothing but cause trouble to this kingdom. And even now, If you were to say that the royalty were to not responsible for their actions, then they should at least keep them on a leash. And yet, they have run rampet. They have attacked us, the Kingdom has tried to keep this hush-hush but we know. The few of us who have been here long enough..we know. And we knew. We knew they would try something and yet we are still talking of peace? We are still considering the idea that one day, we could live as one. It's disgraceful" the lady rambled on as Raven and Penny Grew increasingly more uncomfortable.

" But what was the cause for the attack..what were they after? " Penny questioned, which only made the old lady's face contort and stretch in a rather disgusting scowl.

" They meant to kill us. That's the only reason they would come here. To topple us and to scavenge upon our hard work and ultimately waste it away. There is a reason why their kind have always been lesser. And will always be lesser"

At face value, that would seem to be the most logical answer. That the renegades came to cause as much destruction as possible to the Witches whom they loathed. However, the attack was surely not planned to work based on how quickly they were disposed of. They had to know that there is no way it would be so easy to take down the entire Kingdom, even despite their viciousness.

" Has anything else been going on, anything else that would be a cause of concern here? " Raven inquired to which the woman replied with a displeased groan. " The Castle has been quiet since the attack. They handled it very..efficiently I suppose but it didn't stop some of us from witnessing. They have left us in the dark on this matter. The King and the Queen have done absolutely nothing to stand up for us..and most of us wonder if it's time for a regime change.." She complained.

" You mean..to have the Princess step forward? " Raven questioned to which the lady nodded eagerly. " I have a feeling that Princess Aurora will do whatever it takes to make this Kingdom great once more. And that we will enforce security and our importance upon the other surrounding Kingdoms. That is the only way we can be united, but it will never happen if we continue to stay our hand everytime a conflict arises. Things have to change.." She added.

" And why do you believe Aurora can do what you are hoping for? " Penny questioned as she leaned forward, with complete focus.

The older lady smiled and said " Because Aurora is the future. Aurora is the promised one that will lead us to our promised places. We, the elders have known this for a long time. It was written long ago" She answered which confused both Raven and Penny.

" Wait..what do you mean it was written? Where was this written? Is it a prophecy of some sort? " Raven asked sharply as she listened intently.

" Oh it is all written..the future, the past, the beginning and the end..it is all written and always has been" She smirked and turned her attention to Raven.

" You should know.." The lady now leaned forward and grabbed the ale from the table.

" You should know because it was your kind that wrote it.."