by Serena Nova
After pulling up my long hair into a ponytail, I walked out behind Astra. We walked into an already filled dining hall. Normally, we would have been the first there, but not then. Not on the day of the Selection. No everyone seemed too pumped up to have slept in late.
We walked towards the food line, looking over all the Witches and Protectors, I saw a lot of yawning people with bags under their eyes. Chuckling at the sight of one of the Witches sleeping on the table, we reached the food line. I reached out for the pancakes and hot chocolate. Then, I grabbed a few donuts and some bacon and eggs.
“Are you going to eat that all?” Astra asked me as we walked towards our table. I waved towards DeeDee, Banu, and Madalena who were already seated.
“Yeah, of course, why not?” I answered back, as I took my seat.
“Morning, ladies. You all look rested,” I joked, knowing I probably looked as bad as they did. Getting a mumbled response from them, I started eating.
“I can’t eat when I’m nervous,” Astra told me. I knew this already, so I wasn't sure if she had been talking to herself or me. I looked her over and bumped my fist against her shoulder. “Come on, As. You know that you can do this. Stop being nervous and enjoy the fact that you will graduate today!” I smiled at her then. “You can do this, girl.” I gave her two thumbs up and got back to my food.
The other three smiled at us, cheering up a little, too. “How did you guys sleep?” I asked them, knowing fully well that they hadn’t slept at all. Their eyes had bags under them that would hit the floor if they didn’t look out.
“We didn’t,” Banu answered, she was always sort of the leader of the three.
“Why not?” I looked at them. “We don’t have to take a test today.” I had asked Banu, instead DeeDee answered me.
“No, we don’t, indeed. We still have to stand guard, and we have to fight those things later this week. We are the ones who need to react when something goes wrong.” Her normally cheerful voice sounded strained. I gave her a small smile, knowing full well what she meant.
“I don’t think the Selection council or the teachers would let anything happen to the Witches. We don’t have to worry about that,” I told her, before stuffing my mouth full with the bacon and eggs. They were worried, I could see that in their eyes and the not so empty plates in front of them. That meant it was time for one of my amazing pep talks.
“Ladies, you will be fine today. And for our own test. We. Will. Be. Great.” I punctuated every word, holding my fork in my hand pointing at each of them. My face was dead serious, which made them laugh. The tension disappeared at that moment, I could see them relax. They started eating, which made me relax even more, knowing that they were feeling better.
Our Headmistress walked into the dining hall then, making the whole room hold their breath. “Witches, you can go to the Arena. Mister Ragdan will be there to guide you towards the Gates. And good luck, ladies.” She motioned for the Witches to get up and leave the room.
The headmistress waited for the Witches to leave before she started speaking again, making me squeeze Astra’s hand quickly before she walked away from us.
“Protectors, you will go with Instructor Lavina, she will show you where to go and what we expect from you. I wish you all good luck.” The headmistress then walked away after the Witches, leaving Instructor Lavina alone with us in the dining hall.
“Okay, Protectors, listen up.” Her voice reached us all, and we fell silent again. “Today is the Selection for the Witches. This means that they will graduate today. They are going to do their best to show the Selection what they are worth. They need to show how good they are. This is important to them.” She looked at us all. “And for you girls, I know this isn’t your test, yet. Remember that what you do today can help you in your own test. We need to keep the Witches safe and protect them. When we reach the arena, you will be placed along the ring on the sand. You're not to interfere. Do not help! Doing so could lead to problems for any Witch. They have to do this on their own.” Instructor Lavina stopped talking, letting what she said sink in. “If something goes wrong, and we need your help, you will get that order from me.”
I looked over to Banu, she shook her head, also, not fully understanding what Instructor Lavina meant. She looked back to our teacher while Instructor Lavina continued.
“When you get the order to act, and only when you get the order from me, you will secure the Witches and contain the Ilunias. There is a do not kill on the Ilunias, they are to be contained only. Am. I. clear?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” we answered her.
“What do you think will happen?” Madalena whispered from my right.
I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head. “I don’t know. Let’s just follow orders and hope that they can pull it off.”
“Miss Lavina.” I raised my hand up, to get her attention before she walked away.
“Yes, Isadora?”
“Isn’t it unfair that we will see these Ilunias today and get to see how they fight, while the Witches see them for the first time?”
Instead of answering right away, Miss Lavina rotated her head and rubbed her neck as if trying to get rid of some tension. I could almost hear her swallow. Knowing that she agreed with what I said made me nervous. “Yes, it is unfair. Only, this is decided by the Selection and the Kings. We can’t go against them.” She started walking towards the double doors that led outside and towards the arena. I followed her with more questions.
“Why are we allowed to see them first? Why not use graduated Protectors to protect the Witches, why us?” I asked her again. Something was bugging me about that whole thing. She motioned for me to walk next to her.
“This will be explained soon, so it can’t harm you girls to know it now. You get to see the Ilunias because you all have to fight them one on one.” And that stopped me in my tracks, making me freeze where I stood.
“What do you mean, you guys are going to let us fight them one on one? Not in teams?” You could hear the shock in my voice and in the gasps of the girls next to me. Miss Lavina kept on walking.
“Are you nervous now?” I heard Madalena behind me.
“Yeah,” I answered on a breath. I was nervous, I never expected that they would have made us fight one on one. “I never expected that the Kings would be this heartless, letting us fight creatures that are known for their killing rate.” Madalena nodded at what I said.
“Don’t hesitate, Isadora, ladies. Come on, the Witches are waiting for us. We need to take our positions!” Instructor Lavina yelled at us from outside. We started walking towards her, towards the arena.
We walked outside, into the sunlight that came over the surrounding walls of the school. Towards the big building that stood in the back of the school yard.
The big brown building had four doors that all pointed towards a different direction, giving the round building four different entrances. All four doors had two statues next to each of them, reaching to the top of the arena. Those eight statues all represented a different Witch or Elemental, the best of our history; the ones who were heroes to us. Now, they were forgotten and only honoured in stone at the school.
The arena didn’t have a roof, magic protected it from the weather, kept the spells and magic inside, too. There weren’t any windows, instead the doors and the open roof to let in light. It was made like this to keep everyone inside, it was a prison before it became an arena. You could feel the cold history of the building, the death that was brought here. It made me shiver every single time I entered those doors. We walked past Anriama a powerful Full-Blood who’d fought in the war and the Elemental Narlym. I bowed my head in respect to them, thanking those warriors like every other time I walked into the arena; thanking them for their sacrifices. You would never see a Protector standing at the gates of an arena–made of stone to be honoured. Only Witches and Elementals were important enough to be honoured. It made me bristle at the unfairness.
The cold and the darkness greeted me when I w
alked inside. The walls were lined with torches, lighting the paths inside the Arena. I touched the walls while we walked towards the gates that led to the middle of the Arena. The frosty air greeted me like an old friend, the magic kissed my fingertips, almost like a long-lost lover. It made me relax, letting go of the doubt and focusing on my duties; protect the Witches from harm and follow orders, not my strongest point that last one.
For a second, my focus wavered, and I could feel them. The dark-world creatures, they were in the building, contained in the magic that rested in the stone. Their blackness was a dark shadow over the natural magic in this world. I pulled my fingers away from the wall, losing contact with the building. I focused on where Instructor Lavina was.
She stood before a big iron gate. Behind her through the bars of the gate, was the arena. The sand reflected the sunlight, making it shimmer, making it too bright to look at from the dark hall of the arena.
“Listen up Protectors.” Miss Lavina waited until she had our full attention before she continued, “I want two rows, one goes left and the other right. Spaced evenly. Make sure that every angle is covered. These creatures are horrible, strong, and want everything to die.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” We all answered her, moving into two rows.
“Banu, Isadora.” She looked over at me and then Banu who stood a little behind me. “You two will be next to the holding gates. You will release the Ilunias when I give the signal.” We both nodded at her.
“Go,” she said when the gate raised up. Her voice rang out in the stone hall. When I walked out into the arena, the sunlight hit my face, making me squeeze my eyes shut. I gave them a second to adjust to the bright light after standing in the hall. We had been there many times, but still it was impressive; the stone building, with seats that reached all the way to the top. A box for the teachers directly facing us.
And in that case, for the Selection council, too. I looked up to see six people in robes who stood next to our teachers and the Headmistress. Some of them were in conversation, talking to each other and ignoring us as we walked into the arena. I walked over towards the holding gates with Banu, we took our sides. My gaze went back to the box, to the Selection council. I didn’t recognize any of them. Instead, I checked out their robes.
The most powerful Witches and Elementals wore those robes to show which different kinds of magic they had. A bald male talked with Mister Ragdan; the man wore a grey robe for air with red for fire and brown for earth, making him an Elemental in control of three of the five elements. Having three elements made him strong. Another Selection council member talked with one of their own and our Headmistress. They both wore robes of dark blue and brown, showing they were powerful healers. A lot of Witches who had water and earth control were strong in healing.
You still wouldn’t want to make them mad, earth is a powerful destructive magic, too. It could be used for healing, but water is always the main magic in healing. Two other women were talking with each other, they stood a little to the side of the rest. One wore red and the other wore grey. The women looked like each other, and I assumed they were twins. It was not unheard of to have twins with opposite types of magic. With just one colour, they had to be strong to get into the Selection. The most powerful Witches and Elementals were allowed into the Selection council. Most of the time those people were Council members or rulers of the High Houses, they loved their pure blood lines, their power.
I almost missed the last one, he stood more towards the back of the box. His dark-blue robes hid him from view. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at him. Not getting a clear view of him, I gave up and started to look at the other Protectors in the arena. Only, I saw him move from the corner of my eye. When I looked back, he looked directly at me. I could see his colours better, dark-blue of water and red of fire. A strange combination in any Witch or Elemental.
Normally, water and fire didn't mix, they are opposites of each other. Where fire and air complemented each other, water and fire worked against each other. Killing life with fire and giving life with water. I shrugged off his scrutiny of me and looked back towards the arena, filled with the protectors. The gates in front of me then opened up, letting the Witches in. Astra walked in front of the rest, they walked up towards the box to my left, standing still as they waited for the Selection to begin.
“Looks like we are beginning,” Banu said to me, she was also focused on the Witches.
“Witches, take up your positions and remember, fight well,” the Headmistress said. I saw the Witches spread out in front of the box. Instructor Lavina walked up towards Banu and me.
“Banu, Isadora, if you girls both take the handle at your sides and pull them down when I reach three, then the gates will open and let the Ilunias out. Let go of the handle, and the doors will close. They have to be closed when the creatures are out,” she said while she looked at me in particular. Not wanting to roll my eyes, I nodded and looked towards the handle she had indicated.
“One,” Miss Lavina started.
“Two.”
I could feel the eyes of the Witches roaming over the gates; the fear and the excitement that filled the air. Nobody here had ever seen an Ilunia. Nobody knew what to expect.
“Three.” Banu and I pulled down the handles. The gates opened with a screeching sound, like nails that raked a chalkboard, and the hairs at the back of my neck stood up. The gates lifted higher and higher until only the tips showed themselves. The darkness made it difficult to decipher anything in it. Before I could react, something flew by me, screaming. It made my eardrums rattle. Banu even placed her hands over her ears, others did the same. I gripped the handle harder, not letting it drop. Some Witches screamed, adding more noise to it all. I felt two more creatures pass by. “Let go of the handle!” Miss Lavina yelled, trying to be heard over the screaming. I let go of the handle, which dropped the gate down. The earth vibrated beneath our feet from the impact.
I looked up from the gate to the Witches in front of me. To watch them and the Ilunias fight.
4
I found only chaos, utter and total chaos. There must have been around forty-five Witches in the arena, and most of them were running around like headless chickens. I looked around, hoping to find Astra. When I saw her, she was fighting with two of the Ilunias. The creatures seemed to have known who was the strongest around them. She spotted me and even from that distance, I saw her blue eyes light up. Her power swirled around her. Astra mastered three powers, that made her stronger than most Witches. If you had mastered four powers it would be extremely rare, and the current Kings had four. And being like me, well that was extremely rare with a cherry on top.
Most Witches have two powers. And most of them are only extremely strong in one. Not Astra, she fought hard to gain control over all three of her powers, she wanted to show her parents that she wasn’t a failure.
I watched her using water and earth, she created a mud pool to trap the first Ilunia. She used fire to create a cage to trap the second one. She got two down, and I wanted to cheer her on, but I kept my mouth shut, so I wouldn’t distract her too much.
The mud-trapped Ilunia got free, she used air to fly out of there, and it didn’t surprise me that she did that. They could use every element there was. Still, it left my mouth hanging open, seeing it happen right in front of me. And I wasn’t the only one; other witches who were still fighting looked, too. Momentarily forgetting to watch the other Ilunia, they were attacked.
It made me wince in pain when I saw a few of them fall down, hitting the sand hard. I heard screams and groaning coming from them. The moment they hit the ground, a protective shield erupted around them. It kept them safe from other attacks. I released the breath I had been holding. The anger that had started to build, stopped. It became clear then that the Selection hadn't wanted the Witches to get hurt much, and that was a good thing. They still could have chosen a different kind of test. That anger was still there, combined with the fear for Astra.
Astra was
still fighting with two of the Ilunias, while the third one played with the other Witches, like a cat that played with her catch. A few more of them fell down. I looked around to the other Protectors, we were trained to protect them, it was drilled into us from the moment we had started at school. A few had their hands hovering above their weapons.
“Do not interfere!” Instructor Lavina screamed at us.
Most of the Protectors pulled their hands away from their weapons, while I gave her a scowling look.
Astra kept on fighting, and used her fire to block incoming attacks. She made sure she kept on the move, the most important thing she had been taught. Move, keep your body moving. Make sure you never stood still, never became a target. One of the Ilunias jumped into the air, though I'm not sure if it was the same one. Those long slender creatures, women. With their long black hair, falling towards the floor, faces white as snow, with eyes as black as the night. They wore sleeveless dresses, torn at the bottom, from being dragged over the floor, flowing around their bodies. You could see their bones sticking out, slender fingers and tiny wrists, connecting to bony shoulders, and necks that were so thin, they would break if you looked at them too long. Long legs peeked through the slits in their dresses, as they walked barefoot on the sand of the arena. They sauntered around their prey, and Astra had become that too quickly.
I looked over towards Banu to see a horrified expression on her face before I looked back towards the fighting. Most of the Witches were down, they had started with forty-five, and only nine were left standing by that point. In minutes, the Ilunias had cleared the field of most of the Witches. I watched Thalia who was still standing, though I wasn't sure if I should have been happy about that, or totally surprised at it. I hadn’t expected her to last that long. The Ilunias were finishing them off without breaking a sweat. Still we couldn’t interfere, we needed to stay still and keep our mouths shut. This was their test, not ours.