The Moonwitch (girlxgirlxgirl)

Chap 27; Swords and senses

"I feel something bad coming soon"

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"I don't want to hear a single sound come out of your mouth. You sit here and train until you have mastered the spell."

Maryann hates her mentor. Her old one just gave her up as her magic got more advanced, and she took on some younger Moonwitch students. The eleven year old Maryann is left with a new mentor, someone who is more used to teaching difficult magic.

But she seems to hate Maryann.

Every day everyone else gets to go back to their rooms for the day, all while Maryann has to continue training. The others pass their tests easily, but Maryann has to stay even though she gets the same results. For some reason her mentor holds her to a higher standard, and it's way more physically demanding.

At eleven years old, Maryann hasn't even eaten since the morning. The sun set a long time ago, long shadows spreading across the temple. It's already dark and cold, but her mentor doesn't care. She leaves Maryann alone in the empty and dark classroom, leaving to go home for the night. Maryann knows that mastering the spell that the others barely learned today is going to take all night.

And it's not like she gets any benefits for being considered a more powerful student. The others in her grade hate her for it, some of the older students even push her around on purpose. Maryann knows that she is not supposed to blame her seniors for anything, as they are supposed to know better than her. But deep inside she can't help it. They hurt her, they seem to hate her. Maybe they are just jealous, but whatever it is Maryann doesn't like it.

The constant training, lack of food and sleep makes her tired. The pressure from her mentors and the cruel actions of her fellow students have brought her to misery. Sometimes Maryann wonders if she should just give up, try to run away or contact her mother. But she knows that it's impossible. She is now the clans student, and until she reaches adulthood she has no free will. A part of her also knows that by that point she won't want to leave the clan anymore, the amount of attachment that she already has for them already apparent.

So with a miserable look in her eye, and an exhausted sigh, Maryann continues with learning the spell. She's practicing an advanced form of mind magic. With it she's supposed to control several objects at the same time, without using her hands too much and only focusing on her head. The magic is usually used in battle, when Moonwitches control sharp objects like swords against multiple people at the same time.

After several hours, midnight long gone, Maryann finally decides to do one last try. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and thinks about the one thing that has kept her going. It will all be worth it in the end, when people admire her and are protected by her magic. Magic flows through her body, and Maryann opens her eyes.

She's met by a room filled with floating swords.

"Do you guys know about the legend of the one witched war?"

Maryann is sitting on a violet rug, surrounded by green grass and flowers. It's her first day on the job, for real this time, and she has decided to begin training immediately. The greenhouse is right next to them, the witches house on the other side. It's the section of the village where the witches live, work and train. The witch-house is where they sleep and do indoor training, while the greenhouse is where they grow plants and mix potions.