The Weight of Returning

Unexpected Encounters

Cara woke up, tied up and with a bag over her head. As she tries to loosen the rope, the tighter it gets, making her more uncomfortable—of course they were spelled—she tried to scream but couldn't find her voice.

“She’s awake; I told you we should have headed back to Erydon immediately; we got her,” a voice called out.

“But you know we cannot disturb the portal twice in one day, or do you want to alert the governors?” Another voice retorted. “Who knew capturing her would be this easy? She’s supposed to be a powerful witch, at least powerful enough for her powers to be felt by the tree,” added a third voice.

Judging by their conversation, Cara was sure her k********g had something to do with her newly awoken powers and her background.

At Governor Morgan’s house.

“Should we have told her earlier?” Mary asked.

“I never expected she would run away from home; she has always been my sweet and understanding baby girl,” she added, walking up and down the reception room.

The doors flung open, and a strikingly handsome young man in his teens entered.

“Prince Aviv,” Governor Morgan started, “Your Royal Highness, I didn’t know we were expecting you; forgive me for not coming to greet you at the door; you are welcome.”

"No, you weren’t expecting me; I was in the neighbourhood when I felt magic in the place, so I decided to stop by and investigate.”

“Your highness, if I may?” Governor Joseph asked.

“You may continue.”

“I am sorry but this is an emerald city matter and, as such, would be handled by the governing council. I believe you are here on a visit and as such, we would not trouble you with an official matter.”

“If you insist.” Prince Aviv said and vanished from sight.

After leaving Governor Morgan’s house, Prince Aviv decides to investigate on his own, curious as to whether the humans were brave enough to pass through the portal and capture a mythical creature. - There had been a number of attempts by humans throughout history to pass through the portal, but none has been successful so far. If a human should successfully pass through the portal by chance, which has only happened twice since the separation, they were sure to be thorn to shreds immediately they landed in the mythical world by the shared guardians of the portal. So such human is assured of death and no way of returning, not to mention returning with a mythical creature.-

“We’ve waited long enough,” the first voice said again. “The queen would not be happy with any further delay. Let’s go home now.”

Cara’s heart quickened. Which home? And to whom? Her home had always been in Emerald Province, and the thought of being handed over to Queen Selvya no doubt filled her with fear and regret. She had no idea how to defend herself, let alone escape from a group of mercenary witches.

The door creaked open, and even though there was a sack over her head, she could still sense someone standing over her.

“Don’t even think about trying to escape,” the voice warned. “We’ve placed enough wards around this room to ensure you won’t be able to use whatever power you think you have.”

Cara wanted to shout to ask for answers, but her voice remained trapped, as though an invisible hand had wrapped around her throat. She was utterly helpless.

Prince Aviv moved through the thick woods on the outskirts of Emerald Province, his senses sharp and his mind calculating. He followed the faint traces of magic that lingered in the air; at this point he was very sure that something—or someone—had disturbed the natural order.

He couldn’t shake the curiosity that gnawed at him. A mortal province experiencing such a significant magical disturbance? That was no small thing. If a mythical creature was involved, it was his duty as a prince of the hinterlands to ensure that balance was maintained and if the balance was already broken he had to make sure it was restored before it escalated into something more dangerous. And if it was something more... dangerous, he would take care of it himself-their is no benefit in King Alexander coming to the surface-

The trail he was following led him to an abandoned warehouse, hidden deep within the forest. As Aviv stood outside, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding, he saw two figures stood guard at the entrance, their hands glowing faintly with suppressed magic. Witches, he thought, but definitely not the powerful ones.

Aviv smirked to himself. He had encountered their kind before— they were blindly loyal to Selvya, too weak to make any real impact but desperate to prove their worth. He could deal with them easily, but something told him to wait. Patience, after all, was a virtue and often a more effective weapon than brute force.

Back at the Morgan household, Mary, Kelly, and Governor Joseph hurriedly prepared for action.

“She’s still alive,” Mary whispered, her hands trembling as she held a small, enchanted pendant that glowed faintly. “I can feel her. But she’s frightened.”

“We need to move now,” Kelly urged, her eyes blazing with determination. “If we wait any longer, Selvya’s people will get her to the portal, and we’ll lose her.”

Governor Joseph hesitated. “You’ll be putting yourself at risk, Mary. If Selvya’s people recognize you—”

“I’ll take that chance,” Mary interrupted firmly. “I’ve spent eighteen years protecting my baby, and I won’t let them take her now.”

Joseph nodded reluctantly. “Fine. But I’m coming with you.”

“No,” Kelly said, stepping forward. “We need you here to cover for us. If anyone asks, we’ve gone to search for Cara in the northern woods.” Before Governor Joseph could argue further, Mary grabbed Kelly’s hand and muttered a quick incantation. In an instant, the two of them vanished in a swirl of light.

Inside the warehouse, Cara felt a sudden shift in the air. The voices outside the room had grown quieter, replaced by an eerie silence. She could feel a strange tension, as though something—or someone—was approaching.

The men holding her captive seemed to notice it too.

“Did you feel that?” one of them whispered, their voice tinged with unease.

“Stay alert,” another replied. “It could be Selvya checking in on us.”

The air grew heavier, charged with magic. The sound of hurried footsteps outside the room caught everyone’s attention.

“What was that?”

Before anyone could answer, the door to the holding room exploded, sending wood flying in all directions. Mary and Kelly stood in the doorway, their hands glowing brightly with power.

“Get away from her!” Mary shouted, her voice echoing through the room.

Before they could move to free Cara, another presence was felt, this one much more powerful and dark.

Prince Aviv stepped inside, his eyes immediately seeking Mary out. His expression darkened, and his hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword.

“A witch,” he said coldly, his voice laced with suspicion. “The governor’s wife is a witch.”

The room fell into stunned silence, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a storm about to break.