Twisted Fate

Chapter Ten: The Girl

I slipped out of the house at midnight, the guards that usually patrolled the halls and gardens were conveniently far from their posts when I passed.
I used the kitchen entrance, partly concealed by the weeping willows viney leaves that snaked around the house.
It hadn't been there the other day.
I followed the pull of the bond to the door in the hallway.
I opened it, expecting to see the empty closet.
Only there now sat a stone staircase that led downstairs into a light room.
"Come in, child." The sweet voice of a girl called softly.
The door closed behind me as I descended the stairs, the scent of herbs and magik in the air.
I stepped into a workshop, the room filled with shelves of herbs and vials against the walls. A window sat above one of the shelves, letting in a large amount of sunshine.
A stone circle table sat in the middle of the room, illuminated by the light through the window.
A girl in a leather armoured dress, her overskirt was comprised of stone and twisted leather pouches, stood in front of a small creature with large ears. It was the size of my palm, with large eyes and a small white fuzz covering its head. It wore a small outfit of leather with a pouch that matched the girls.
They both looked up at me as I entered.
The girl smiled. "Hello, Dark Lady." She stepped around the table and bowed.
The small creature mimicked her, making a small squeaking purr in greeting.
I bowed feeling compelled to.
The girl smiled. "You are smart." She crooked a finger at me as she walked back around the table, standing behind the small creature.
I hesitated for a moment before I forced myself to step forward.
"I am Moriana, I am a friend," she touched her chest, bowing her head, I bowed back, and then she gestured to the creature. "This is Balen, he is my assistant."
Balen gave a small bow and I bowed back.
Moriana giggled. "You don't have to bow to him, he's just a Merrikin." She gave him a loving pat on his head, causing him to pur in a high pitched vibration noise. "He just bows because I do, he doesn't know what it means. All familiars are like that." She turned away, shuffling about the shelves behind her while I watched Balen turn and hold out his arms.
Moriana turned gracefully, with her fingertips, she gently handed him a glass vial filled with a shimmering silver liquid. Hugging it to him, he nodded at her.
Balen turned, walking in a wide plodding step towards me before he held out the vial to me and made a small squeak.
Moriana gave me an encouraging nod and I took it.
"Thank you," I said, Moriana giggling again as Balen walked to her and climbed her dress before settling himself into one of her pockets.
She gave it a gentle pat as he tucked in, disappearing inside of it.
She gave me a friendly smile. "He's still young, sleeps alot."
I nodded, not sure what else to do.
She pointed to the vial. "Oh, take that the day of Lunarus."
I blinked. She giggled again, rolling her eyes.
"I know of the hex placed on you. You broke the seal that kept Lord Talon from accessing your bond," she waved her hand between us, summoning a pot of tea and two cups. She made us a cup each, looking up at me through her lashes as she handed me a cup.
"But, you are not completely free yet."
My hand shook as I took the cup, staring at her wide eyed.
She raised a hand, a pulse of soothing magic calming me.
"Be careful of your emotions," she warned, her sweet voice darkening. "Dorian's madness that fuels the hex can sense strong feelings. You must be mindful of them until the time is right."
"I don't know when that is. I don't know what this is." I held up the vial and gestured around the room.
Moriana giggled, "oh, I'm sorry." She waved her hand and we both sat in chairs. I blinked at her as she smiled.
"I am The Seer." She touched her chest.
"I'm sorry..... you're..." I blanched, my words tangling together.
Moriana giggled, her favourite noise it seemed. "Veera told you, Lord Talon has many friends."
I nodded at that. Friends with special powers and purposes.
She smiled, sipping her tea. "You, my child, I blessed personally." She beamed at me, ignoring my expression of shock. "After I learned of your father's bargain with the hellspawn, I knew you'd need some help." She wiggled her finger towards my chest, towards the golden scar. "Sorry about the Humans, you were very stubborn about coming home."
I swallowed my scream of disbelief, taking a large mouthful of scolding tea.
"But, it brought you home and to your mate, as I intended overall." She shrugged.
I put my cup down. "I'm sorry, my mate?"
She blinked at me, her tea stopped half way to her lips for a moment before she placed it down. "Have you not realised it yet?" She looked over my expression, the shock and confusion. "You are Lord Talon's equal. Together, you will end Dorian and his Demon army."
Another pulse of calming magic hit me before a wave of panic could and I sighed in a docile breathe.
I fought hard to glare at Moriana. "That's very annoying."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't be so emotional, then." She countered.
I growled. "Tell me without the memory lapses."
She giggled, reaching across to squeeze my hand that had curled into a fist on the table.
"Much more fitting." She vanished the tea set and the room seemed to darken despite the sunlight that still beamed behind her.
The stone table top was replaced with a pool of silver water.
I swallowed my fear at the memory of the white hall.
"Good, relax, it's a Seers mirror. The Order use it to see current events happening around Lyaria." She dipped a finger into the pool, a delicate ripple echoing. "It can also reveal the truth for those who ask and are worthy of my knowledge." The pool shimmered across her face, turning it ancient and filled with a powerful magic that was older than life on our small pocket of the world.
I followed the compulsion inside of me, my hand reaching out to touch the pool with my middle finger.
"Who am I, truly?" I whispered, my voice echoing.
A blast of magik came from the pool, Moriana giggled.
I saw into my very soul, feeling like the pool that sucked me into the abyss of myself and then into the lands of Lyaria.
A monster born of Kendra, one she did not dispose of.
A final blast of magic as she died. Stealing from the very souls that were destroyed when the The Order stopped her.
Her surviving child, Dorian, was blessed with her maddness filled with the power of those souls and a sect of the Order, one Bellamina and Cassandra followed, hid him away and trained him in the Dark Court until the time came.
He started a war.
Forced a bargain with the Dark Lord to unleash his power and end it.
And then the time came.
The time of a girl, promised to the monster before she had even drawn breath.
The Seer took notice and blessed the child with not only her inherited right of the Dark Lady of the Court, but the pure magik of Beasts.
With it, fate was sealed between her soul and the Beast Lord's.
Their meeting would set events into motion.
The Seers weapon for her Fae children would awaken against the new Demons.
The Demons Dorian would summon to bring the girl to her knees before him as his Lady.
I fell backwards, landing harshly in an awaiting chair and gasped for breath.
Moriana kneeled in front of me, holding my hand and stroking my arm gently.
"Shh, child." She hushed lovingly, I realised I was breathless because I was crying.
I turned into her, wrapping my arms around her.
"Mori," I sobbed.
"It's alright," she soothed, stroking my hair. "No one can hide the truth from you now. You are in full control and you will be free."
We fell to the ground as she held me, letting me sob until my tears were dry and my breathing settled.
"Now," she sat me back, pushing my hair from my face and gave me a warm smile. "I have your familiar."
I pursed my lips. "I don't know what that is."
She giggled and reached into the opposing pocket Balen had crawled into.
The pouch widened as she did, expanding to allow for the action as she removed a curled up blue creature.
"Neeve!" I squeaked in delight as he lifted his head, seeing me he launched into my arms, clicking.
"Miss!" He hissed in happiness, scrambling up my shoulder and curling around my neck, nuzzling into me as I scratched his head.
"I was worried." I admitted.
Neeve looked at Moriana, smiling a big toothy grin. "Neeve get help."
I looked at Moriana. "You're who he went to for help?"
Moriana smiled but shook her head. "He went to Talon first, but when he couldn't understand him, he called me. But, I don't speak Goblin either, though Balen does."
I had to hold my questions, knowing she hadn't finished.
"He sought out someone powerful, knowing his Master needed someone just as strong."
"His Master?" I raised my brow
Another sweet giggle. "You, silly. You found him in a time of danger, yes?"
I nodded, reaching up to pat Neeve as he curled up to sleep on my shoulder.
"We were attacked by Banshees and he helped save me."
Moriana nodded, smiling. "Yes! He chose to protect you! Familiars are rare, but when a creature such as Neeve and Balen find a magik Fae worthy, they make a bond that day with the Fae. It's why you can understand him, they can be any creature of Faeling decent, but you would understand them the moment they chose to be your familiar."
"He's a Faeling?"
Moriana raised a brow. "Demons are not peaceful creatures."
I bit my lip, almost ashamed I'd thought he was a Demon.
Moriana touched my hand, a sympathetic look on her face. "I can take you somewhere for a while."
I blinked. "Lunarus is tomorrow."
This time she laughed, a hearty loud noise of power before she set her dark eyes on me.
"We are in a place of no time." Her voice deepened, the voice of the Seer. "Until you leave, time above is as it was when you entered, as it will be when you leave here."
I settled my breathing as I squeezed her hand. "Please."
She nodded and the room changed.
We stood in a meadow on top of a flat mountain, the clouds hugged around us but didn't cover the area.
"I only know of one way to train you." Her voice echoed.
I turned to face her, almost screaming at the sight of her.
She had grown to be a gorgeous Fae woman with long purple hair, curling horns protruding her forehead.
Wings of scales and a thick tail curled behind her as she took to the sky.
She opened her hand, a golden blade appearing in her hand.
"You will leave here, when I think you are ready." She dove for me, curving at the last minute to slam her shoulder into my chest and I screamed as I was thrown off the mountain.