Witch Crystal (Witches of Zrotaz Book 1)

by Malika Gandhi

  “Once we reach Norway, we will travel with you to the territory of the spirits,” said Rita. “After that, we don’t know what will happen but we will help if you need us.”

  “Thank you so much, Rita,” said Marcaria. “To come with us, is a great thing in itself. We are grateful.”

  “Well, we couldn’t let you two go alone,” Mike said in a grave tone. “Rita and I will be able to help if you fall into some difficulty. The journey to the Spirits is anything but easy. I have contacted a Scandinavian friend, who will meet us at the airport when we arrive. He knows the country very well.”

  “That is very helpful, thanks Mike,” said Marcaria. “I have read the special document the Sacred Witch gave me; it’s good to be prepared.”

  “Mum, what did the document say?” asked Larissa.

  “It was quite complicated at first, and it took me a while to unlock the enchanted codes. It showed me the location of the Earth Spirits. It also told me a little about their history, and the prophecy in detail.”

  “It sounds like a historical essay, can I read it?” asked Larissa.

  “Perhaps later,” said Marcaria. “I have packed it away in my bag with the enchantments secured again. Larissa, have you packed the Crystal away safely in your backpack? It is important you don’t let it out of your sight.”

  “Yes Mum,” Larissa confirmed.

  To be on the safe side, she began to check her backpack, when they all turned their heads at the chime of the doorbell. Larissa dropped her backpack and went to answer the door.

  “Jake!” she exclaimed. “It’s about time, we were wondering if you changed your mind!”

  “Larissa, do you mind if I come in? It’s raining like cats and dogs outside – it’s a phrase you Earthlings use, right?” Larissa let him in, and then playfully punched him on his arm.

  “I am not an Earthling,” she said. “I come from Zrotaz too.”

  Jake laughed, and he and Larissa walked into the lounge.

  “Oh, good, you have arrived. You have got your passport?” Mike asked.

  ‘All safe and sound,” said Jake.

  There was a beep outside.

  “That’s the taxi,” said Marcaria. “Well, this is the end then.”

  “No Mum, it’s the beginning,” said Larissa.

  14

  The Scandinavian host met the group at the airport on arrival as Mike had arranged. Larissa had her suspicions straightaway that he was not human.

  “Is he one of us?” Larissa asked Mike.

  Mike confirmed. “Yes, he is.”

  The host introduced himself as Eveliyah, and instructed

  everyone to put on thick, woolly coats, and fur-lined snow boots.

  “But we don’t have any,” said Larissa.

  “Jake, if you can do the honours please,” said Mike.

  Jake obediently pulled out a small bag from his case. He proceeded to pull out coats and boots, along with gloves, and scarves.

  “How is that even possible?” Larissa exclaimed, and Jake gave her a pointed look.

  “Oh, yes, we are witches,” she muttered.

  “Be aware, Larissa. Norway is a chilly country,” Eveliyah said.

  He wasn’t joking. A blast of freezing air hit everyone with force. Larissa nearly swore aloud.

  “A b...b...bit...ch....ch...chi...ll...y!” she stuttered, as she tried to fight the bitter cold, and curled her arms into herself. She didn’t waste any time putting on her coat.

  Once the winter clothes were on, warmth began to creep up from her toes, making its way to her heart, and finally enveloping her whole body. She couldn’t believe it! She saw the look of amazement on the faces of the others, except for Marcaria and Eveliyah.

  With everyone in their winter clothes, Eveliyah began to lead them away from the airport entrance to a limousine.

  “Wow, a limo!” Larissa said, and Jake rolled his eyes. “What? I have never been in one!”

  The driver put the group’s luggage into the boot of the limousine, and everyone clambered in. The driver drove away swiftly. Eveliyah invited all to have some strong drinks, whilst Jake and Larissa had some fantastic hot chocolate.

  No one spoke for a while, and took to watching the country as the driver drove through the traffic undeterred by the congestion. It began to snow lightly.

  “Eveliyah, can you explain how we warmed up so quickly?” asked Larissa.

  “Haven’t you guessed yet?” Jake laughed. “It’s magic, of course!”

  “Quite right,” said Eveliyah. “You see, our magic can become weak in freezing temperatures, and it can eventually destroy it. Weak magic means we would be vulnerable to all kinds of threats, and dangers. The coats and boots you are wearing are charmed with a powerful spell. This will block the freeze from contaminating our blood, thus keeping the magic untouched.”

  “Mum, did you cast the spell?” Larissa asked.

  “I was part of it,” replied Marcaria. “This kind of spell can only be cast if there are three, highly skilled witches. Luckily, I had Mike and Rita.”

  “That is amazing,” said Larissa.

  “You are only young, but you will learn a lot as you get older. Some spells, you shall learn sooner than any from your age group would have learnt. These are hard times, and you will need the knowledge of how to cast highly dangerous and extremely difficult spells, to defeat the evil on Zrotaz,” Marcaria said grimly.

  “It is not by accident that your mother gained her prestige on the Witches Council, Larissa,” said Rita.

  “Mum, you never told me that!”

  Suddenly, the limousine came to a halt, jolting everyone forward.

  “What happened, Micah?” Eveliyah asked the driver.

  “We will have to make a detour, sir.”

  “Why?” asked Jake.

  “It’s the blizzard,” said the driver.

  Everyone looked out of the window once again.

  Sure enough, the light snow that had been falling a few minutes ago had turned into a ferocious blizzard!

  “Don’t worry, this is normal,” said the driver quickly. “We Scandinavians can get through anything!”

  “I don’t think it is normal!” said Larissa, and she looked at her mother, who she could tell thought the same thing.

  They heard a haunted, howling sound that sent a chill up Larissa’s spine. “What was that?”

  “The blizzard is a mix of powerful forces it seems. The girl is right, this is not a normal blizzard. Eveliyah, I cannot see ahead, and the traffic seems to have stopped. What do you suggest we do?” the driver asked, panic etched on his face.

  “Do you know of another route?” Marcaria asked.

  “Mum, I’m scared,” said Larissa. “What is happening?” Just then, the limousine began to rock. Larissa and Rita screamed. The men held on to anything that was bolted to the vehicle for dear life!

  “Mike, Rita, Eveliyah?” said Marcaria, looking directly at them.

  “When you are ready,” said Mike.

  “What are you going to do, Mum?” Larissa asked, very worried. She took hold of her mother’s hand tightly.

  “Jake, Larissa, you must stay here. Do not – and I mean it, Larissa – do not get out of the car!” Marcaria’s expression was serious.

  “Easier said than done,” Jake muttered “Considering the conditions.”

  Larissa ignored him. “Okay Mum.”

  “Good girl. Micah, if you encounter any trouble, I want you to take the children out of the car at once,” Marcaria instructed.

  “Understood, Ma’am,” said the driver.

  * *

  Marcaria, Rita, Mike, and Eveliyah began to fight their way through the blizzard as soon as they exited the limousine. They felt no chill; the heat spell was still intact.

  “How do we stop them?” Rita shouted over the howling wind.

  “We need to send a curse into the clouds!” Eveliyah shouted back.

  “But how did the Empire Witches find us?” Rita asked
, squinting as snow particles hit her eyes.

  “I have no idea!” Marcaria shouted. “Gather around, we need to form a circle!”

  The group of four collected away from the traffic, and found some privacy under a large tree, where they were sheltered from some of the falling snow. They joined hands and closed their eyes, allowing their minds to connect to one another. It took only a few seconds.

  “We must aim the spell directly into the clouds, it should diffuse the pace of the snow activity, and hopefully before the Empire Witches realise. We will only have minutes to get back to the car, and out of this traffic,” Marcaria addressed everyone. “Rita, you take the lead, and we will follow.”

  Rita began to visualize the spell in her head in the form of a small, round, white dot. Suddenly it appeared in the air, glowing, next to her. The others concentrated all of their energy on the dot, and it began to lengthen. Blue and white light fizzled, which ran from their minds out to their fingertips.

  “Now!” ordered Rita.

  Everyone moved from under the tree into the open, and thrust their joined hands into the air. The light shot into the clouds like a beam, instantly diffusing the snow to a trickle, which then stopped completely. The air was clear, and the wind, just a sharp breeze. The silence was wondrous for a second, then the built up traffic began to move, the engines roaring back into life. Marcaria and the others wasted no time getting back to their own transport.

  “Take the route through the country roads, Micah,” instructed Eveliyah. “If the Empire Witches strike again, at least it will be away from humans.”

  “The Empire Witches!” exclaimed Jake and Larissa together.

  “Yes,” said Marcaria. “Weather disturbance is their trademark, after all.”

  The driver swerved out of the traffic, and turned into a narrow road, heading out of the city, and finally on to a country road. Larissa couldn’t see the landscape, as everything was pitch black.

  “Exactly where are we going?” Larissa asked.

  “Micah can only take us so far,” said Eveliyah. He looked at Marcaria as to gain permission to disclose more; she gave her consent by a slight nod of her head.

  “Your mother informed me of your need to visit the Earth Spirits,” he said. “I have lived in this part of Norway for a hundred and ten years. I have known hostility amongst the magical folk, and the Spirits, who do not like to be disturbed.” Eveliyah stopped to contemplate something. He looked at Larissa.

  “Your mother explained to me the reason why there are holes in the Aurora Borealis, and what your task is, set by the Sacred Witch. I admire such bravery, to take on this task, especially for someone so young.

  “Larissa, all I can say is to tread carefully around the Spirits. Don’t ask too many questions, and let them lead the conversation.. They do not like anyone to delve into their business.”

  Larissa gulped; she didn’t like the sound of the Spirits, and was not really looking forward to meeting them. She would rather meet the High Witch, she thought.

  “What is their territory like?” Jake asked.

  “Their territory houses creatures, evil and good. They stop travellers, but what they do, I do not know,” Eveliyah said mysteriously.

  * *

  Larissa stood facing a stretch of road, covered with fresh snow. Marcaria and Jake stood on the right side of her with Rita and Mike, on the left. Eveliyah stood before them.

  “This road will lead you to the Spirits, but it will not be an easy journey,” he pointed out.

  “Journey? What do you mean?” asked Larissa.

  Marcaria answered. “The Spirits reside high in the mountains, above the clouds. The journey to reach them will take five days and nights on foot, and as Eveliyah has said, it could be dangerous. We will need to keep together, but we will also protect you if something happens.”

  Larissa stood bewildered and stared at the road that snaked around a series of towering mountains. They loomed against the ever-darkening sky as snow crystals glittered on the peaks.

  “Our first stop will be at Mount Shard. That is the first mountain, where we will be able to rest,” said Eveliyah.

  “What about our luggage?” asked Larissa.

  Jake laughed. “The only thing we will be taking with us will be weapons of defence if our magic fails us, food and drink rations. This is not a holiday!”

  He unzipped the bags and handed everyone a backpack, which were already full with supplies. Larissa was surprised to find her bag very light, as if nothing was inside.

  “Magic dust,” whispered Jake in her ear, and he set off walking, a way behind the others.

  Larissa ran to catch up with him. “I don’t get it.”

  “Don’t get what?” asked Jake.

  “When did you arrange all this?”

  Jake smiled sheepishly. “Mike and I arranged it a few days before we were set to leave,” he said.

  “Oh,” said Larissa. “Why wasn’t I told?”

  “We didn’t want you to get overwhelmed by the whole witch responsibility thing.”

  Larissa couldn’t pretend she wasn’t angry. Why did they all treat her like a child? Jake wasn’t an adult either, she thought.

  “Um, Jake, how old are you?” she asked.

  “Seventeen, why do you ask?”

  “Just making sure you’re not a hundred or so. It’s very difficult to know for certain, when everyone looks so young!” said Larissa.

  Jake’s laugh echoed around them, which made everyone stop in their tracks. In the next second, Larissa thought she heard howling.

  “Was that...wolves?” Larissa’s voice went into a whisper.

  “Wolves? Not quite,” said Eveliyah grimly.

  They heard the howls again and they seemed to be getting nearer.

  “Let’s get going,” Eveliyah said urgently. He began to jog, and soon was sprinting. “We must get enough space between us and them.”

  The rest followed his lead. As they rounded a corner, they heard growls, and snapping of teeth. It sent vicious shivers down Larissa’s spine. Soon, she was out of breath, and couldn’t go on. Jake stopped when he realised she was no longer running beside him, and saw her bent over. He ran back, and clamped his hand on her wrist.

  “Do you have a death wish or something?” he said harshly.

  “Jake, I can’t run anymore,” Larissa complained. She began to gasp for breath.

  Jake looked ahead, and saw that the others had stopped too. Mike came back to them.

  “What’s wrong?” he said.

  “She can’t run. Here.” Jake threw his backpack at his friend, and was about to put Larissa onto his back when he noticed she was deathly pale.

  “Larissa? Are you alright?” he asked, worriedly. When no answer came, he began to panic. “Mike, call Marcaria back, I don’t like this. There is something wrong with Larissa.”

  However, Mike didn’t have to do that, as Marcaria was beside her daughter already.

  “She is asthmatic,” said Marcaria. “Rita, quickly get her blue inhaler from my inner coat pocket.”

  Jake took off his coat, and laid it down.

  “Jake, no!” said Marcaria.

  “She needs it more than I,” said Jake, and he made Larissa lie down on it. Marcaria handed her daughter her inhaler.

  Slowly, Larissa regained her breath, and everyone relaxed.

  “It’s my fault; I should have remembered to give her the breath potion!” Marcaria was beside herself, her guilt not helping. “I am so negligent. Please forgive your old Mum, Larissa!”

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” said Rita gently. “Forgetfulness is a human trait, and when we spend so much time with them, we are bound to pick up some of those habits. Look, Larissa is alright now.”

  Larissa did indeed look better, “Oh Mum,” she said, and hugged her. Suddenly, she screamed.

  Everyone turned around to see what had frightened her, and their hearts skipped a beat. Surrounding them, were a pack of wolves, who then be
gan to change shape. They transformed into men, who still had the wolfish faces.

  “Werewolves!” Marcaria gasped.

  One of them came forward, baring his teeth.

  “We have many names,” one growled. “We transform at will. So, the prophecy has come true!” he eyed Larissa with his yellow eyes, and stepped towards her.

  “You stay away from my daughter!” screeched Marcaria.

  “Well, well, well...if it isn’t Councillor Marcaria. It’s been a long time,” said another werewolf. He stepped forward.

  “Who are you?” Marcaria dared to ask.

  “Oh, don’t you recognise me?”

  “I’m sure I don’t,” said Marcaria.

  “I was a witch once; I used to work for your husband on Zrotaz. Of course, then I was just a mere apprentice...do you remember now?” the werewolf laughed, as recognition dawned on Marcaria’s face.

  “Ripaz!” she gasped. “But...you were such a good witch. What...why?”

  “Never mind all that,” interjected Mike, quite viciously. “What do you want from us?”

  “We heard you were heading into Spirit territory,” said Ripaz.

  “You heard right,” said Jake in a clipped tone.

  “And your daughter is the one to defeat the High Witch?” Ripaz looked to Marcaria. She nodded in confirmation.

  “What is it you want, werewolf? What is your motive?” Mike’s eyes narrowed, he did not trust this creature.

  “We want in; we want to enter the Spirit territory. We have...things to finish off,” Ripaz said with a menacing look that made his features look even more grotesque.

  “We do not believe that, werewolf. Your lot have always been a pack of liars, mind the pun!” Mike smirked. “Now, whatever you want to finish, is none of our concern. We need to reach the Spirits quickly, so please, kindly get out of our way!”

  Larissa looked from witch to creature, both of them heaving with hatred. She moved closer to her mother. Why did Mike have such a loathing of this creature, Ripaz, and what was the story behind her mother and him, she wondered...

  “No, we will accompany you,” Ripaz broke Larissa away from her thoughts. “If you do not adhere to our ‘request’, then we shall have to...let’s just say that young Larissa will no longer stay a witch...” Ripaz bared his dagger like fangs.