Generation Witch Year One

by Schuyler Thorpe

  “Where?” Alicia wanted to know—peering over her daughter’s shoulders.

  “There.” Tillie pointed out to her mom. “But the passage makes no sense to me. It has no common reference point in Elvish lore.”

  Shay’s mom nodded. “I think I can shed a little bit of light on your little problem, honey. That brass plate on the back of the crystal used to be metal forged in the heart of a volcano some time ago. It belonged to a set—one of armor, one of shield, one of sword. And a helm that had magical properties imbued in it. Legend has it that this inscription was actually etched onto the sword and shield for a warrior unborn during that time.

  “It was gifted to a powerful mage and that mage kept in safekeeping until the time of the warrior’s birth. But the warrior was never born and the armor, sword and shield—along with the helm—were melted down into this powerful staff where that brass plate came from. The staff was locked away—forgotten for all time.”

  “So how did this brass plate end up cradling the Dragon’s Tear?” Shay wanted to know.

  “Well that’s the funny part to the story. That brass plate was found in some old horish ruins out in the Southwest—buried in some clay pots from many thousands of years ago. Found by your late great-grandfather—whom later gifted it to one of his eight daughters; your grandmother.”

  “But why didn’t anyone say anything about the inscription?” The girl asked.

  “Because it wasn’t important at the time. I only found out about its true meaning about twenty-five years ago from your grandmother when she showed me some of the Tear’s secrets. But she made me promise never to tell anyone else. Not even my own future children.”

  “Why?” Tillie asked.

  “Because then Shay here would have to go on an impossible quest to find the legendary White Dragon’s Staff that this plate and crystal belong to.” Her mother confirmed uneasily.

  “So the stone is more than what it seems?” Sarah murmured mostly to herself. “How interesting.”

  Shay’s mom rescued the Dragon’s Tear from Tillie’s hands and returned the stone crystal to her daughter.

  “Now you know why I kept telling you that this thing is cursed.” She reminded her then. “And why it would only bring you nothing but bad luck.”

  “But if it’s made of fire and brimstone—one of the two most primal elements of nature—it should give Shay a much needed leg up.” Tillie tried to offer her friend supportively.

  “Not to our people.” Shay’s mom interred unhappily. “None of these stones were ever meant for the Elva. The fact that she now has one—because of her grandmother—means that bad luck will soon follow her wherever she goes.”

  “But how can that be if the stone is meant to be part of a more complete set?” Alicia questioned on her own.

  “It was at one time—yes.” Shay’s mother countered with some deep concern on her daughter’s behalf. “But those stones were never meant to be in the hands of the lesser races because disaster and bad luck would quickly follow in the span of a few moons.”

  “So Shay should give it to someone else who is more worthy of its power.” Sarah propositioned then.

  “But the stone belonged to my grandmother. It’s the only thing I have left of her.” Shay countered defensively.

  “If it’s going to cause problems now or in the future, it should be found a new home—and a new owner—as quickly as possible.”

  Alicia nodded in quiet agreement of her friend’s determination. Even Tillie was nodding.

  Shay hesitated for a second—not sure what to do.

  “But who would be worthy of its stewardship?”

  Tillie raised her hand. “I would be that person, Shay.”

  The girl blinked in surprise. “But…it can only be given to another member of the family!” She protested sharply.

  “I don’t want to be the courtesan of such a thing, Shay. It’s not worth bringing down destruction upon the land for something so small and potently dangerous.” Her mother objected right off.

  “But your friend is right. She would make a most excellent keeper of the stone. Of the Dragon’s Tear. If only for a short time.”

  “Why a short time?” Alicia asked.

  “Because death would always follow its wearer. Or holder. It’s been part of our legends, myths, and stories for so long that we can almost swear by its authenticity.”

  “How long?”

  “Sixteen half cycles of a full moon.”

  Tillie was a bit confused by the information.

  “Eight months.” Sarah Winters explained. Then she exhaled softly in response.

  “That’s pretty damned short of you ask me.”

  “And Shay here? How long has she had it for?”

  “Almost the full eight months.” Her mother revealed to the table at large. “That’s why I am afraid for her very well being. And her soul. Because if a new owner isn’t found—?”

  Tillie nodded—seeing the full picture of her untimely request.

  “The stone will take her soul as payment.” The girl guessed rightly.

  Shay’s mom nodded, her eyes wide with sadness; her face full of motherly grief.

  “Yes.” She said. “It will.”

  “But I’m guessing your grandmother avoided that fate somehow over the span of years.”

  “The Dragon’s Tear wasn’t found until about thirty-five years ago. But nobody knew what it was at the time and it bounced around from one person to the next: Human, fae, orc, Elva, fae again, then one of your people got a hold of it—”

  Alicia nodded tightly. “We know. We know.”

  “And the stone corrupted her. Gave her what she always wanted. And in the end—?”

  “The stone destroyed her. But not before—” the woman paused for a second.

  “Before what?” Shay asked.

  “It’s a long story, child. I don’t think even you want to know the full account of what happened when one of our own fell under the stone’s power.”

  Tillie nodded discretely—knowing what was being asked of her.

  “I know it may not seem fair right now, Shay. But I promise you—the same fate won’t befall me; once I take possession of the Dragon‘s Tear.”

  There was a small measure of silence at the table. But Shay’s mom figured out the truth.

  “Because you are the stone’s rightful owner—aren’t you?” She realized. Then the woman nodded—mostly to herself.

  “Yes…that makes perfect sense. The way the stone was resonating for the past couple of days. Crying out in song. But now the Tear is silent and quiet. Which means that the stone has found its owner. But it’s not my daughter. It’s you. The witch.”

  Alicia wore a look of surprise as the woman stepped forward and handed Tillie the stone crystal.

  “Because somehow—some where—you had a taste of its power. The stone knows you. Because it’s been calling out for you all this time. And I didn’t even know it—not until now.”

  Alicia sighed—knowing how much of a revelation this was going to cost them all in the long run.

  “Now you know part of the story. And all we ask in return is that you keep it to yourself. In secret.”

  Shay’s mother nodded. “I won’t tell a soul. And neither will she. Isn’t that right my dear?”

  Shay nodded. “I promise.”

  Tillie cradled the Dragon’s Tear for a moment, before she put it around her neck. The heavy gold chain was a cold reminder of what had been lost, then gained, then appropriated by force and then forced onto the soul of another.

  It had been a harrowing experience for her at the time and both she and her mother believed that the end was finally at hand. There would be no more running. No more chasing. No more fighting.

  And no more pleading.

  The nightmare that she and her family had faced for so long now became a closed book for all parties involved. And they could finally move on.

  “It looks good on you, Tillamook.” Shay complimen
ted openly.

  Alicia turned her daughter’s face a bit to get a good look at her.

  She nodded as well.

  “It does. But remember what it cost you to wear this.” She said. “Never forget that moment.”

  Tillie nodded somberly. “I won’t. I won’t.”

  And she meant it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Betrayal

  Tanya Beck extended a hand out towards the three witches in greeting after they made their way to the surface level.

  “Welcome to the Resistance,” she said—even after the trio had been debriefed some more on what they were going to expect.

  Only Tillie took her hand on impulse—while her mother looked on disapprovingly in silence, but said nothing in kind.

  “From here on out, expect nothing less than life-challenging difficulties or danger. The armies of the Third Watch had made Fork Street Plaza as their forward command base for this sector.”

  “Sounds about right,” Sarah Winters commented languidly.

  “Latest intel reports from our scouts and spotters suggests that there will be patrols along our direct route. So keep your eyes open and your trigger fingers ready.”

  Tillie fired up an incantation with a couple flicks of her wrists and grinned.

  “Got that covered.” She announced eagerly.

  “No showboating.” Her mother warned—she told her; laying a hand on her arm.

  Tillie groaned. “Mom…” she complained, before extinguishing her incantation in the process.

  “Fine. It’s done.”

  “We don’t want to make our journey all that much harder, sweetie. The object is to move through this part of the city unseen with as little aggression as possible.”

  Tayna nodded. “Your mother would be correct. We’re not here to fight a war—not just yet. We just need to get you to your old apartment high rise and wait for you to come back out.”

  “Then what?” The girl wanted to know.

  “Then we get back here—in one piece if we can.” The woman explained.

  “All of us?” Tillie pressed, looking around and seeing only Teena and Charlie with them—along with one of their assigned guardsmen.

  “It would be better if we all did. But I’m not going to lie, honey. It could get bad before the night is out. So we play things by ear. And safe.”

  “Remember your training,” her mother reminded her. “Go silent. Go dark. Leave no evidence of your existence behind.”

  The teen girl nodded. “I haven’t had the opportunity to practice my Shadow Blitz techniques in quite awhile. I may be a bit rusty.”

  “Just remember your surroundings and use them to the best of your ability. Like your father and I taught you after you awoke as a witch.”

  Tillie nodded again.

  “I’ll give it a go.”

  Charlie was a bit curious by her conversation. “Shadow Blitz? What’s that?”

  “You’ll know when you see it.” Tillie told him. “But I can’t show you here because doing so will through this part of the street into perpetual darkness. And we don’t need the armies of the Third Watch to be tipped off to our presence.”

  “Oh.” The older boy murmured.

  The girl looked at him earnestly. “Keep in mind, I’ll do what I can to protect you if we tangle with any possible patrols, but a witch’s code comes first above all else.”

  Charlie showed her his weapon of choice: A FPT-26 repeating carbine pistol.

  “It was found with me by members of the Resistance,” he told her—turning the elegant weapon over in his hands. “But it’s good for personal protection and not much else. So I should be fine.”

  The girl nodded slowly. “I hope you’re right, man. I truly hope you’re right.”

  A bird whistle up ahead of them pierced the quiet street—causing the party in question to freeze.

  “That’s our signal to get going. We may have only a few minutes of cover between junctions.” Tayna said—stepping out of the protective barricade. “So no unnecessary risk taking.”

  Everyone nodded—following in close formation behind.

  For Tillie Gunderson, this part of the exposed alley brought back tense memories of her first encounters with those two hover control bots. And how close she was to buying the farm.

  But she kept her eyes open and her attention focused on the road ahead—following her mother’s lead behind Tayna Beck’s. When they got to the end of the street, all were pretty much surprised by how little the scene had changed since that horrid night.

  The fires in the wrecks of the ground cars had been long extinguished by roving patrols, but the piles of ash or broken bodies still remained.

  The girl’s face hardened at the sight, but she said nothing as they swiftly made their way across the street and towards another potential blind alley next to a fire gutted shop.

  “Good so far,” Tayna said with a parsed whisper. “You’re doing good. Let’s keep going.”

  Everyone nodded as they made a mad dash down the alley in close single file—making sure that nothing of their presence was left behind. But the second they got down to another intersection, they all heard the clipped tones of a couple members a nearby patrol that just happened to come within range of them:

  “Radio check. Unit 27-61.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I’ve completed my sweep. I still don’t have anything on scanners. This part of the street is clear.”

  “Go ahead to the adjoining avenue and report back anything out of the ordinary.”

  “Copy that. Unit 27-61 out.”

  Alicia nodded towards Sarah, who produced a wicked long blade from her the dark depths of her cloak. Then the forward tip curved a bit in response to a quiet incantation and she stepped forward to overtake Tayna Beck—who stepped back in response.

  The other woman raised her weapon of choice and waited for the first trooper to come within spitting distance of her—listening to their clipped bits of conversation between the pair.

  She didn’t need to count to three before she lashed out in the blink of an eye and caught the offending party right across the throat of his plate armor.

  Fresh blood exploded like a party balloon and the woman yanked her weapon free of the newfound corpse while the other trooper was started for a total of a few seconds before he raised his rifle at the woman—but Tillie leaped into the fray and engaged the poor fool at point blank range with a couple quick incantations of her own which she used to sever the audio link between them and then pick him up bodily into the air and slam him into the side of one of the abandoned buildings next to it.

  The man went down without a sound—even as Sarah sheathed her weapon and stepped over the bloody corpse where his head used to be.

  “Good girl.” Alicia offered up in quiet praise before Tayna sprinted to the end of the next alleyway and peered around the corner for a split second.

  Then she turned around and looked at her party in question.

  “It’s no good,” she reported. “This place is crawling with patrols. We’re going to have to go another route.”

  Everyone nodded tersely—each knowing that playing it safe was better than being foolhardy.

  “So pick.” Charlie suggested out into the open. “The one by Oak Street or the one by Faire Avenue.”

  Tayna considered his choices.

  “Oak Street is pretty isolated and ‘out of the way’. Faire Avenue empties into Brookshire Plaza. That would be a problem if we run into any more patrols between here and there.”

  “And we don’t want to run into any of them.” Their guardsman said at that moment—cleaning his sidearm with a rag. Then he put that away and holstered his weapon.

  Teena looked at the man for a second in surprise. “You’re not going to use that?”

  The man shrugged. “I just watched a grown woman decapitate a trooper in less than two seconds flat. I don’t think my shooting is going to be able to top that—let alone impress an
yone I know.”

  “What about rear guard duty?”

  The man looked behind him and saw nothing but an empty alleyway and a scared rat running for its life.

  “Unless that little guy is a problem, I’ll save my ammo for the right moment.” He chuckled.

  “”Reggie’s right.” Tayna threw out supportively—while heading back the way they came and then making a sharp left. “We don’t need to expend all our aces in one go. If you three are that capable…?”

  Sarah didn’t have a problem with what was being said—though she did look like she was annoyed with Reggie for a grand total of a few seconds.

  “Fine. I’ll take point. I’ve had the most experience in dealing with the armies of the Third Watch—next to Alicia here and of course…Tillamook—just warn me when we come across any other future stragglers. I’ll take them out.”

  “Does that include possible friendlies?” Teena wanted to know—hanging back in that moment.

  “Why?”

  “Because we have a visitor,” the woman reported. “But they’re friendly.”

  “One of our forward scouts? Guardsmen?” Tayna wanted to know—even as Teena was bent down and studying a set of fresh foot prints next to one of the garbage dumpsters across the way.

  “Not one of our people.” She announced.

  “Then who?” Alicia wanted to know.

  Teena pointed silently towards the end of the next alleyway. There.

  “I got this.” Tillie decided right then and there—taking off before anyone could do anything to shore up their position.

  Just as she got to the very end—an arm lashed out and grabbed her—pulling her out of view of her party and she squealed briefly in response.

  Everyone took off running after her—thinking that the enemy had managed to pull a surprise switch.

  But when they got there, Tillie was laughing and hugging the woman like she actually knew her.

  “You certainly have grown up, Tillamook!” The unnamed woman said with laughter of her own. “Man…that’s crazy!”

  Alicia was stunned by the new development. “A-Ashley? Ashley Dietrich?” She croaked out.

  The taller woman nodded.

  “Hey, Alice. Sarah. Where have you two been all this time? I’ve been waiting out here for the past couple of days since the armies of the Third Watch invaded and later occupied the city proper. I barely got in—thinking everyone would be meeting up at the Witch’s Guild at Lower Tam. But I didn’t see anyone there.”