Finding Her Serenity

I have spent my entire life knowing that I am not supposed to exist. The Order views me as a monster, an abomination, a threat to them, by just being alive. I’m forced to deny who I am to keep myself from being discovered, because the moment they know what I am they will not hesitate to kill me. For as long as I could remember, my mother taught me once I leave the premise of the covenstead I am strictly human, and no should think anything else. From the time I could talk I learned to always look over my shoulder and to trust no one outside of the coven. My coven was my sanctuary, a place where I felt peace and belonging. But now they are all gone, including my mother and I have never felt more alone. I’m constantly living in fear and was forced into isolation. But I guess it beats the alternative. I desired to find that peace again. And somehow I found it when I met him. He's someone I should never trust, someone who hates my kind, someone who could end me without even trying, but yet he became my comfort, my safe space, my serenity. # (53 Years Ago) It has been over a month since the war between the Red Dawn and the Iron Howlers began. They are both large packs with even larger territories, meaning both Alphas want to be the next Genghis Khan, with their conqueror’s mentality and doing whatever they can to get more and more land. Neither one has hesitated to eradicate smaller packs to expand their territory, at least they left the members with the choice of joining them or becoming rogues. So it is not surprising that both packs are pushing over 700 members with close to 1,000 square miles each. So, when the packs realized there was close to 150 square miles of unclaimed territory between them and most of it was forests, lakes, and fields, a war was bound to happen. Unfortunately, a war between two of the largest packs in America can only end with so much unnecessary bloodshed. And unnecessary bloodshed it was. After nearly six weeks of battling, Melanie, the high priestess of the coven, Wives of Midnight, approached Alpha Samson of Red Dawn offering to lend a hand to them during the war. With Alpha Samson’s frustration at an all time high he reluctantly agreed to a meeting with Melanie. He knew it was normal to get assistance from witches, and some packs even have a coven living within their territory for this very reason. Samson made arrangements for Melanie and him to meet in his office at the Red Dawn Packhouse. Samson, “What can I do for you today, Melanie?” With a smirk forming across her face and a glint of mischief in her eyes, she calmly replied, “Actually, it is about what I can do for you.” “And that is?” She stands up out of the chair she was ushered into when she arrived and begins walking around his office. Carefully examining the different books and items lining the bookshelves. She stops and picks up a paperweight that looks like a crystal ball and starts playing with it in her hands as she says, “My coven may be small but the four of us are quite powerful and specialize in various types of magic including conjuration, healing, illusions, and elemental manipulation, to name a few. One thing that I think will be quite helpful for you is us casting a warding spell to protect your current borders as well as land you have claimed during the battles, this type of spell would protect your more vulnerable members, I heard of the moment when a few Iron Warriors got into your land.” His face drops thinking about the two young children that were killed by one of Iron Warrior members that snuck into the border. “And what do you get out of helping us?” “A place to stay and to freely practice our magic. We don’t have the luxury of having a territory to call our own like you do.” She states with a smile. However, Samson doesn’t notice the meaning behind her smile as he can’t think of anything other than the situation he is in. Samson knows he is currently losing the war despite a few battles his pack has won, and he needs all the help he can get. Feeling like he doesn’t have any other option, he agrees to her coven’s help. It isn’t long before three other women are joining Melanie inside Red Dawn territory. The coven immediately casts a warding spell and gets to work assisting the pack as much as possible. With the Wives of Midnight’s help the war begins to turn around and just a few more weeks the war ends with Red Dawn being the clear winners. A treaty is drawn, the Iron Warriors are given 25 square miles while Red Dawn receives the remaining 125. The war ended on August 26th, but the real war started on September 21st, Mabon, the Fall Equinox. The Wives of Midnight gathered in the middle of the Red Dawn territory at 11:45 pm on September 20th. One of the coven members, Hillary, drew a circle in the ground while Mira made sure all the necessary materials were placed in the correct spots. A crystal in the north (Earth), a candle in the south (Fire), a bundle of sage in the east (Air), and a sea shell in the west (Water). Melanie stood behind the crystal, Mira behind the candle, Hillary behind the sage, and Elena behind the shell. When the moon was above them and the clock struck midnight, Melanie opened her Grimoire and the book began to float and glow in front of her.The women outstretched their arms as Melanie began to recipe a spell in Latin calling on the spirits to lend them their strength, especially from the earth spirits. Energy began to build around them and the ground began to shake below them. The flame of the candle in front of Mira was dancing wildly in the wind but refused to extinguish. The witches in unison began to chant somnum aet ernum (sleep eternally). Due to the warding spell they casted when they arrived the groundwork for the radius of how far the spell would go was already done for them, just like they planned. And in a matter of minutes the spell will be complete and all the werewolves within the radius of the spell will be put into an eternal slumber. The women put their arms down, smiling at one another knowing it was done. They thanked the spirits and left the pack territory only leaving behind a decimated pack. The next morning some members who were outside the spell’s radius learned about the tragedy that occurred the night before. Of those was Beta Ethan Drager who was surveying the new land they acquired from the treaty with a group of ten other men. They all returned home from the mission to find their families gone. There were less than 100 members who survived the attack because they were outside the bounds of the spell for whatever reason. Beta Ethan dreaded having to call the members that were away at school letting them know there is nothing for them to return to. As Ethan held his lifeless four year old daughter in his arms he knew exactly who was responsible. He immediately called the Order, informing them of the crime that took place in his pack. Once the council got word of what happened the Wives of Midnight were all taken into custody and put on trial in front of the Order. The Order is a supernatural council of the highest ranking individuals of different supernatural creatures, not all supernatural creatures are represented in the council, the ones that are not included are extremely rare, extremely uncivilized, and/or are not humanoid or contain a human form. The creatures that have representatives include witches, werewolves, vampires, dragons, fairies, elves, dwarves, centaurs, mermaids, and griffins. It has been nearly 300 years since an interspecies attack occurred. The last was between the dragons and vampires, but many creatures had to get involved to end the blood bath. Once it ended the Order was formed and a Declaration of Peace was made between the different species to ensure something like that would never happen again. Though other species could offer assistance during times of war like the Wives of Midnight helping Red Dawn, there are strict stipulations on what an assisting species can do though. For the Wives of Midnight they were allowed to use healing and protection spells, and any curses used could not be fatal or have long lasting effects. Plus their help must be approved by the Order. In addition to the peace agreement, a declaration forbidding cross-species relationships. The fear was two people of different supernatural species would create extremely powerful hybrids that would lead to arranged marriages of trying to have the most powerful children possible. Relationships with humans are acceptable though. Melanie and the rest of her coven stood in front of the Order without an ounce of remorse for what they did. Many of the members demanded that they reverse the spell. Melanie looks at the High Priestess, Elizabeth, the Order member for witches, uninterested before examining her nails, “You going to tell them or am I?” All heads turn towards Elizabeth, who lets out a sigh, “They can’t reverse it.” “What do you mean they can’t reverse it?” Damian, the king of werewolves grits through his teeth while slamming his fist into the table. Elizabeth shakes her head, “They were only able to cast a spell like that because of the Equinox. They won’t be able to reverse it until winter, and by then it will be too late.” “Can you do anything about it?” Freya, the leader of the fairies asks. “My coven could with the help of another one, but I have a strong feeling there is a seal on it.” Freya, “What do you mean?” “It's a security net, meaning the only one who can break the spell is the one who cast it.” Elizabeth disappointedly asks the women on trial, “Why?” Melaine laughs, “That declaration is just to prevent a ‘Who’s the strongest species?’ type of war from ever breaking out.” She shrugs satisfied, “But it wasn’t like it would be much of a competition anyway.” Damian screams, ready to jump out of his seat and lunge at her, “All of that because you bitches think you are stronger than werewolves.” “Awh, the puppy is so cute when he is mad. Not think, know. I mean four little witches took out one of the largest packs in a matter of minutes.” Before Damian could rip Melanie limb from limb the guards ushered the women out of the room. The Order is in shambles, trying to figure out how to respond. The women will be put to death, as that is always the punishment for killing another creature without cause. But an entire pack is unheard of, and their deaths will not bring any sort of justice to the Red Dawn. Damian yells, “This is unacceptable, something needs to be done by this!” “Something is being done, they are being burned at the stake right now.” Freya states, trying to defend her friend Elizabeth and her kind. “Their death means nothing to Ethan. He wants revenge on all of the witches for killing his family. If this goes unpunished, I-I don’t even want to think of the calamity this might bring. Something more needs to be done." Silas the King of Vampires, “Like what?” “If four witches can do that, just imagine what more covens can do.” Elizabeth shook her head, “No, the Wives of Midnight were different. They are one of the more powerful covens. Most witches begin the practice of the craft at seven by learning Latin, what different herbs do, and practicing very basic spells. Mira’s mother is in my coven. She had told me how Mira’s first language was Latin and started practicing at two. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same for the other girls.” Elizabeth added, “Rumor has it they have been practicing Black Magic.” Damian glares, “But you said your coven and another coven is more powerful than them without the Equinox. And who is to say this kind of act won’t inspire other covens to rise up and show how strong they are.” He began ignoring Elizabeth in the room and started talking to everyone else, “They are too strong. Something needs to be done about this!” Elizabeth started to plead that this isn’t necessary as well as Freya but it was doing nothing. Even though there has not been pissing matches to prove who is stronger there is a clear tier list among the supernatural beings with werewolves, dragons, and vampires at the top. Some of the other council members wanted to protest but they knew their kind stood no chance against them and they knew it was better to be with them then against them. He stood and declared, “If they are this strong, they have no right to live.” Before Elizabeth could defend herself, Damian ripped out her heart. And thus started the witch hunts.