DARKER ( Supernatural Beginnings) Book Two

Madam Dorian

Tonya

I sat on the stone bench under the weeping willow tree near the pond behind the cabin. Today we were headed to the fields to meet the people here that Bane and Harper said needed our help. The untouched landscapes there existed a legendary and mystical magic of unparalleled wonder. I didn’t just feel that the Cabin belonged to me, but that this life also belonged to me too. Their Tonya wasn’t missing, she indeed was me.

Drake and the twins seemed to get along swimmingly. It made me think of Phoenix and how she was fairing thus far. It wasn’t a surprise that the trio got along, given they had many things in common. They exited the cabin together, heading straight towards me. For a moment in the distance, I thought I saw Vincent, but it was just a glimmer, maybe even my imagination.

They were whispering and laughing about something as they approached. Leaving my thoughts from a standing point on what I thought I just saw. Harper carried the basket in her hand again, but now it was full of small vials and stripped linen. The herbs and flowers she had brought back appeared to be made into medicine from the scent of it.

I smiled thinking of what she must have learned from back in the lab with my mother. I really hoped to be of use here and able to fix what was needed. I glanced across the pond again, but nothing was there and I let out a sigh. I really missed Vincent and hoped he was okay wherever he was right now.

“Are you all set and ready to go, Madam Dorian,” Harper said.

That name of the address stirred something within me. I had a feeling this past life of mine wasn’t fully unlocked, just like Phoenix had described what happened in her past life memories. We took the stone pathway again, something about it was a little different.

The vision of a woman with a Kitana similar to Drakes flashed in my mind, but I didn’t know her name, only that she had helped me on the day of my awakening.

After walking for some time, the magic field begins to appear. The grass beneath our feet was a brilliant emerald green, luminescent flowers that seemed to glow softly in various hues as if the essence of magic had fused into them. The air was tinged with a sweet, intoxicating fragrance, carried by the gentle breeze amidst the filtering sunlight.

Ancient runes and standing stones line the borderline inscribed with cryptic text and symbols, creating a barrier. Somehow, without fail, we walked through and a whole new world opened up before me.

“It’s amazing, right,” said Bane. He nodded and greeted a few people who were passing by. They paused for a moment when they spotted me, a smile on their faces and eyes filled with excitement.

“Indeed, indeed,” answered Drake. He was taking in everything he saw in this field, or shall I say town or village.

“This place was made by you, and the field to protect us, but now some of it has been compromised. I believe it has something to do with Suxhen. Follow me and I will show you where it started.” Harper said, leading us through the throng of people who were secretly gathering and I took a closer look at the Village.

The houses in the village were charming and whimsically designed. They were constructed with a variety of materials, including stones, wood, and mushrooms, seamlessly blending with the natural landscape of the fields.

The village inhabitants were an eclectic mix of humans and mystical creatures. Their cheerful faces and warm welcome as their Madam Dorian made me feel like I’d come home to a place I had once known before.

We reached the outskirts of the village, the fields seeming endless in size to house everyone. A majestic waterfall cascades down from a hidden cliff, its water imbued with healing properties from its shine. I wondered if Harper would use those things with the medicine she had put in the basket.

However, it was beyond the waterfall that stopped us in our tracks. It stood as a border point to lie behind it. The field was keeping whatever it was at bay. Somehow, it did not cross the water as if it were afraid. I didn’t know how I knew this, but I could feel it was true. Then we saw someone walking in the darkness with a lantern shining through it.

“That’s our cue, come on and stay close,” Harper said as we continued our footsteps forward. The closer we got, the more clear we could see. The darkness we thought we saw at first glance, was black threads spreading at a slow pace filling the town that would have been picturesque without it.

“It’s called the Dark Thread Plague,” said Bane. He handed us each a mask to wear before entering. The person who stood before us with the lantern was all wrapped up in black clothing. The only visible thing was her eyes and they looked familiar, friendly yet clever. They turned around, to lead us through the town and that’s when I saw the Kitana sword attached to the person's back by a strap similar to Drake’s in his Shadow Warrior mode.

Was it her? I had to keep my head focused as I looked around the town. The once bright buildings and colorful houses now bore an ominous pallor. The once glowing river that flowed through the town now ran dark and sluggish. According to Harper and Bane, the plague-infected habitants underwent a distressing transformation.

The infected movements became life drained sluggish as if they were puppets being controlled by invisible strings of malevolence. As if their souls had been tainted by darkness, the loss of a once-thriving community was mourned. A day ago, a glimmer of hope shone over the town when a rainbow appeared over the hidden hot springs. The water was no longer mucky and dark but clear and sweet. This was where Harper would take the medicine and not from the falls as I first suspected.

We arrived at a cluster of houses not far from the center of the town. It appeared more changes were happening and the threads did not come near or touch these spaces. There were other people, both human and creatures alike, dressed like the woman with the Kitana and helping out with medical assistance.

I stayed with Harper and the woman while Drake went with Bane to another place. I felt a new power surge in me growing, shaping, and bending. I closed my eyes, taking everything in and I felt a tear flow down my face. This wasn’t a plague but Suxhen’s thread. It had shattered, but now was trying to multiply and rebuild.

I didn’t have to instruct Harper on what was needed. She handed me one of the vials from her basket and I drank it. Something in me had changed the second that we landed here. As if a part of my soul that I didn’t know was missing was connected and resonated with the nature of the fields. Voices spoke in hushed tones inside my mind.

The spirit of my family’s ancestors was calling, their souls were connected with mine. The words I needed to say were not confusion but natural knowledge from my birthright.

“I raise my hands towards the heavens,

Where stars align, in celestial reverence.

I draw upon their cosmic grace,

To cleanse this space, restore its trace.

With words that dance upon my tongue,

In melodies that must be sung,

I weave the spell, a tapestry,

To cleanse the witches, set them free.

By earth, by air, by fire's might,

By water's flow, both pure and bright,

I cleanse these souls, with love's embrace,

And banish darkness, without a trace.

As incantation weaves its way,

The night's enchantment starts to sway.

A gentle breeze, a subtle shift,

As darkness lifts, the soul's uplifted.

The witches' hearts, once burdened, light,

Their spirits soar, take flight in night.

Released from chains of shadow's hold,

Their purity now shines like gold.

And as the moon begins to wane,

The spell complete, devoid of pain,

The witches cleansed, renewed, and strong,

In harmony, they now belong.

In sacred circle, blessed and true,

With hearts alight, in love they grew,

This cleansing spell, its purpose clear,

To banish darkness, bring light near.

Here my call so mote it be!”

The infected inhabitants, I could feel their pain and despair. They should not have had to suffer because of Suxhen’s selfishness. We had found the threads, but there was more to be done here. If there were threads, that meant he had a vessel. Who would that be? We had to find out or destroying the threads now would be all for nothing. He could still make new ones alone as his vessel was still standing. I wonder who he was most likely to attach himself to here. We found out soon enough. As I opened my eyes from casting the spell, I saw the threads were dying indeed and the streaks of sunlight returning to the land.

Drake and Bane had returned in a hurry. He must have known I wasn’t feeling so well. This spell had felt different somehow, but I couldn’t figure out the difference just yet. The twins lead us to the hidden hot spring where Drake dived in fully clothed with me. The twins gave us space a far distance away as Drake slowly undressed me and then himself. Without clothing, the spring was much more effective and my depleted energy began to return.

“What was that, Tonya? That was not a normal incantation,” he said.

“I don’t know Drake, but it felt like it came from my soul,” I said. My eyes were getting heavy with sleep. A voice sounded in my head before I succumbed to darkness. It said, “ You did well, Soul healer Madam Dorian.”