Esmeralda

POV

The warm color of the rising sun welcomed my eyes as I watch it kissed the morning fog and the animals waking up in the innocent meadow outside my house. I took a sip of my coffee, "Finally, it's my turn." I smiled as the image of my fantasies came to meet me in my head. I got out of my house, scanned the entire area to check if there's some earth-puppets present, but luckily there are none.

I took my dagger out of its sheath, and gently cut my right hand and grabbed the broom that is lying beside my house. I let my blood stain it as I chanted a spell, "Blood of the devil- fair and innocent, I summon thy Boreas grace, bring me to my destination." The broom consumed my blood and a discreet shade of red appeared in the broom's entirety;my spell circle. I laughed, as I rode the broom to the start of my journey-- to the gathering of the damned in the Artifice Massif.

There were only a few Witches present, when I reached the bottom of the Artifice Mountain. Five from the Atlanta Magus, three from the Bee-Hive, six from the Nature Witches and four from my group, The Rouge Ones. I became the center of attention when I settled down with them, their eyes became fixated on me, so as their gossips.

"So what's up with you?" A pretty woman with a red hair asked. I faced her, and cast an eye over her outfit. She sported a suit like leafy crop top, which complimented her eyes and some flare trousers. On top of that she also wore a green top-hat, polka dotted with the shade of white and a pine tree inspired heels. "You're a nature witch, aren't you?" I retorted. She looked at me with dead eyes, "Isn't that supposed to be like obvious. Anyways, you didn't answer my question. What's up with you?" "Uh-um."- I scratched my neck- "I'm a blood witch."

She stared at me with confused eyes rather than shock, "Seriously, kid? Quit joking around. Blood witches are all dead." I faced the ground, "I'm not joking around. That's why they are staring at me, you know? Because I'm the last one and I supposedly sold myself to the devil." She looked at me with pity and out of the blue, the Witch hugged me. "Oh, your poor child"- she sighed- Don't worry about their eyes, it'll be over soon." I squeeze out of her embrace and gave her a sad smile, "Thanks, it means a lot." "Wha-" I was about to ask her name when an Elder Witch announcement cut me off, "I am Ishrinalia, The Elder Witch of the Artifice, I will be your witness for tonight's ritual. Fly to the top of the mountain neophytes, in there the trial of the ritual awaits."

"It's time. I need to get back to my friends, see you and good bye kid," She said hurriedly as she flew off with the rest of the other Witches." I gripped my broom tightly and chanted the flight spell, and without a single interference, I soared through the sky with the other witches.

After a few, detours and instruction from the Elder Witch, we reached the peak of the Artifice Massif, safe and sound. The place was full of dying trees covered with cloudy mist, and within the fog, a deafening screech of The Elder Witch Ishrinalia guardian freaks can be heard. She ordered us to stop mid-air, "Now, one by one you will ascend into the surface of the Artifice." "Andriana!" She called. The Woman with red hair from the nature witches to come to her side. "Follow us, young ones." The both of them flew right into the mist and disappeared within a second. We followed her direction and slowly, we descended into the misty pinnacle of the mountain. The first one to go was the Nature Witches, a girl from their group was engulfed by the fog when her hands touched the fog. The next one to follow was the Atlanta Magus, then the Bee-Hive Witches and lastly us, the Rouge Ones, we are mostly witches who uses fire magic, ancient runes, forbidden dark magic. But me, I'm different, I'm a blood witch, an earth puppet who sold her soul to the devil to practice chaos magic.

I glided leisurely into the mist, when my skin touched the cloud like aspect of the smog a warm fuzzy feeling of calmness surprised my very existence, but that's not all, I was astonished when I saw the image of a very innocuous meadow full with moon roses in full bloom. I looked behind me and saw the mist, but now turned to a transparent veil in a shape of a circular dome that is covering the entire summit of the Artifice. In the center of the field, illuminated by the light of the moon, a giant mirror stands strongly and alone. In its sides, the thorns of the roses intertwined with the metal that carried the whole 6-foot tall looking glass. Up in the sky, Witches from every coven gathered to form a circle for the ritual. At the side of the mirror, the Elder Witch Ishrinalia and the Nature Witch Andriana stood. "Welcome neophytes, tonight we witness the awakening of the magic within you. Tonight, with the power of the moon and the trials hidden behind the ritual. You will become a full fledge women of damned."

The first one to face the mirrors trial was an Atlanta Witch. "Now stand in front of the mirror and close your eyes," The Andriana instructed. She smirked smugly, "That's all." Andriana looked at the Elder Witch with a worried eye. "That's All," Ishrinalia replied. She faced the mirror and she closed her eyes, and in a matter of seconds she fell on the ground, pale and lifeless. Everyone who saw the result of the ritual's trial was eaten by fear, they were petrified from surprise but mostly, scared to die. "Any volunteers?" The Elder Witch asked sarcastically. No one volunteered; no one raised their hands.

The Elder Witch laughed, the sound was filled with the monstrosity of pure evil. "Aren't you neophytes supposed to be celebrating your evolution toward magic-hood? She mocked. A deep shade of green appeared in her hands, it was fire like, and a phoenix covered with the hue of green flames appeared above her head, circling, watching us with amused eyes, "You neophytes are a shame to our existence. Witches are fearless; we are the epitome of fear itself. Shame on you."

I raised my right hand. I don't know what came through me, maybe it's the aftertaste from the comforting feeling from the veil or the excitement that I felt this morning came rushing in again, but whatever it is, I'm still clueless. Everyone's attention, especially the Elder Witch was fixed on me and my shaking right hand. "I v-volunteered," I whispered. "Is that a mouse I hear? Who's the rat who spoke? Can't it speak loud enough?" She taunted me.

"I VOLUNTEER!"

She smiled not a welcoming one but her evil smile, "And who are you dear?"- she raised her right eyebrow- "Are you not an earth-puppet dear? Why are you here?" Everyone who was ashamed by their actions and scared of the ritual laughed. Her words sting, not because it isn't true but because it is the truth. I summoned all the courage in my guts and met her eyes, "I am Esmeralda D'Loueia, an earth-puppet who sold her soul to the devil and the last survivor from the clan of blood witches. I volunteer to face your ritual."

She laughed, and to my surprise there was no evil intent to the sound of her voice but have a little hint of admiration and satisfaction. "If you are true to your words child, come down here and take a look at the trial that you're about to meet."