“Hi!” she said, her voice bright and friendly. “You must be from the Sorceress.”
I released my lovers’ hands and stood on my own. “I am she.”
“Great! Come with me.” she turned around and started walking along the edge of the practice area, just out of range of the flying batons and flaming pots being tossed around with abandon. I beckoned my friends to join me and we followed.
She led us to the edge of the big field where a row of vans was parked. We walked around behind them and came upon their campsite, just on the edge of the woods. There were tents in the trees, and the vans looked like they, too, were used as bedrooms. In between the vans and the forest was a fire ring, a small fire burning brightly within. Empty camp chairs surrounded the fire, and the young woman motioned for us to sit down.
“Greta will be with you in a minute.” she said, and left. Vincent, Gaia, and I looked at each other in anticipation.
A few minutes later, another young woman… this one looked to be in her mid-twenties, if that… walked up to us. She had her long hair in a braid and piled on top of her head, and wore a black tank-top and baggy black pants.
“Would any of you like some tea?” she asked.
We all said yes, and she turned around and grabbed a kettle, which she put on a nearby propane camp stove. She measured tea into metal tea balls and placed one into each cup she got out.
As the kettle whistled, I couldn’t help but let my leg bounce up and down in nervous anticipation. Where is she?!?
The woman handed us each a mug of steeping tea and joined us by the fire.
“So, what would you like to ask me?” she said, sipping her own tea.
“Wait… “ I said, stammering. “You’re the Oracle?”
“I am.” she said with a grin. “I was born thousands of years ago, in a village that’s been forgotten by time and a civilization that is unknown to modern man. I was chosen by our Gods to be a window into reality, and to do so for all of time.”
“I take it that ‘Greta’ isn’t your given name.” Gaia said.
Greta shook her head. “The language that my birth name is from is unpronounceable by modern human tongues. I take a new name every five hundred years or so, so that I may speak easier with modern people.”
“I know a thing or two about that.” Gaia said grinning.
“What we need to know,” Vincent said, cutting to the chase, “is who is attacking us? Attacking Annabelle.”
“I want to know whose head to claim for threatening her.” Gaia said, deadly serious.
“That, I cannot see.” Greta replied, shaking her head sorrowfully. “Whoever it is, they’re powerful… powerful enough to hide from me.”
“I thought you were all-seeing.” Gaia said.
Greta shook her head again. “I have been gifted with the powers of perception. I have not been given God-like knowledge. However, while I can’t give you a name, I can warn you that Annabelle’s physical death isn’t the only way your foe can achieve their aims.”
“What else can they do?” I asked nervously.
“They can corrupt you.” she replied. “They can kill the beautiful person who lives within you right now, and turn you into a cold, ruthless hexing machine, one that won’t stop them from doing whatever they want.”
That hadn’t occurred to me. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“Your court.” she said. “They’re the strongest court a Sorceress has ever had. Don’t be afraid to lean on them.”
I looked at Vincent and Gaia. Tell me something I don’t know! I thought with a grin.
* * *
On our way back, we stopped at the didge dome, where the hafla was already in full swing. While I could hear the main drumming fire getting going, there was something drawing me into the mellower space.
There were several people playing doumbeks, small middle-eastern drums, as well as light shakers and tambourines. One person was playing the violin, another a flute, while two people were playing stringed instruments that looked like half a tub with a long, skinny neck. They were playing an upbeat, moving song while people danced around their fire, just like they did at the main fire.
Vincent went to check the wood pile for this fire while Gaia walked directly to the circle of dancers, her body moving with sinewy perfection as she slid in and out of the line of moving bodies.
She’s just as sexy as a black human as she is as a green-skinned Fae! I exclaimed in my head. A smile crept across my face as I watched.
Soon I saw Vincent join the circle, stripped to the waist, and he started a smooth, sensuous dance of his own. He soon reached Gaia, and the two of them looked at me, trying to get me to join them.
I smiled and shook my head. “You guys dance together.” I said in my normal voice, confident that Vincent could hear me. Vincent nodded, smiled, and then passed my message on to Gaia.
They started to dance together, and it was the hottest thing I had ever seen. I forgot that they have a past as well I thought, and so they know each other’s bodies. I didn’t feel jealous in the slightest as I watched my boyfriend and girlfriend move together.
Suddenly, I wasn’t there anymore. I wasn’t in the didge dome, I wasn’t in Ohio… I wasn’t even in the twenty-first century! I was in a different circle, in a different forest, with a much smaller group of drummers. Their drums looked far more primitive than the modern creations at the hafla.
I was watching then as well, and soon spied Gaia dancing. She looked the same then as the present day, her green hair twirling with abandon as she moved. Vincent was next, again in his vampire form as he was presently, dancing with a familiar style and grace.
Okay, so this was in the last four hundred years or so I thought. Everyone except Gaia is white, so it must be Europe, but it looks too old for Vincent to already be a vampire.
Vincent and Gaia started dancing together in the vision as well, and it was just as sexy. They beckoned to me, and this time I didn’t refuse.
The three of us danced around the fire, our bodies moving almost as one. The other dancers started dropping out bit by bit, until it was just the three of us surrounded by the others.
What little clothes we were wearing were shed quickly, and our hands started exploring each other. We were soon on the ground, the others chanting around us. As we made love to each other, the energy in the circle snapped and crackled like electricity.
As quickly and mysteriously as it had come, the vision vanished and I was back in the Didge-dome. Vincent and Gaia were still dancing together, and I smiled as I made my way out to them.
I think it’s time to go back to the tent…
* * *
We arose much earlier the next day, not having been able to tear ourselves away from exploring each other long enough to go to the main drum fire. Gaia and I woke up in the bed alone, Vincent having gone off to attend to some business as soon as Gaia and I passed out. We set up a blanket on the ground and lounged on it together as we had our morning coffee and weed.
Jack and Katsu stumbled in soon afterward, Katsu finally having been successful in getting Jack to the drum fire the night before. She went into the mead hall to make them a snack before they crashed, and Jack pulled a chair over by our blanket.
“So, did you guys have a good night?” Jack asked, lighting up a joint.
I laid with my head in Gaia's lap looking up, and she lowered a joint to my lips so I could take a hit. "Un-fucking-believable." I said, holding in my hit for a second before exhaling.
“As in ‘unbelievable fucking’?” Jack asked sarcastically.
"We tag-teamed Vincent." Gaia said, completely serious. "It was gooood." she added with a grin.
“Wow.” Jack said, his eyebrows raised. “So, diving in feet first?” he asked me.
Before I could answer, Gaia piped up. “Oh, she dove in, but not with her feet.”
“If Annabelle wasn’t like a sister to me, that statement would make me skip breakfast to go jump on
my girlfriend.” Jack said, hitting his joint. “As it is, I think I’ll save myself for wake-up sex before the big bonfire tonight.”
Raina was the next to wander into the site, again bleary-eyed and just wearing a skirt. She collapsed into a chair and held out her hand. “Weed or coffee, it doesn’t matter which.”
“I’ll go make some more coffee.” Gaia said, and I raised my head so that she could get up.
“Here you go.” Jack said, fulfilling her second request.
Raina lit the joint and took a deep hit. “Oh, mama likes.” she sighed as she exhaled. “So, what’s new here?” she said, taking another hit.
“Annabelle had a threesome with Vincent and Gaia last night.” Jack said casually.
“What?!?” she exclaimed, choking on her hit. She coughed for what felt like several minutes before she could speak again. “Really?”
“I'm in a relationship with both of them." I said, shrugging. "I already knew that they had done stuff together in the past before I started seeing Gaia in that way, so them being into each other physically wasn't an issue, either. It just felt natural." I didn't mention having made love to both of them in the vision, because I didn't know what to make of it.
“Well, you had better pray that this whole poly-relationship thing works out." Raina said, shaking her head. "Because being with a vampire and a Fae on the same night? No mere human is ever going to be able to satisfy you again."
“It’s been a few hundred years since I’ve been with an incarnation of hers,” Gaia said, carrying a tray with cups of coffee on it, “So I’m not planning on going anywhere soon.”
She gave us each coffee, every cup being flavored to the recipient’s preferences. I took a sip of my caramel mocha as she sat back down, and leaned against her again.
“She remembers how every person she meets takes their coffee.” I said with a grin. “How can I let that go?”
“Don’t forget that Vincent makes the best breakfasts in human or Fae kind.” Gaia added.
“Right!” I said, smiling. “Everyone has their talents, everyone’s important in the grand scheme of things.”
“Oh my Gods, remember the eggs benedict he made last month?" Raina said. "Man who can cook like that? Almost makes me wish I were straight!"
“I like his Texas omelet.” Jack volunteered. “He adds jalapenos, which takes it from awesome to fucking awesome.”
We spent the morning that way… together, enjoying life.
It was good.
* * *
The band isn’t just hot, they’re smoking!
I collapsed in my camp chair, determined to take a break. I had been dancing in front of the stage since the concert started, and had been joined by Vincent, Gaia, Raina, and Tiffany. I didn’t want to get too worn out, however. There was the main bonfire coming up after the concert, and that promised to be an all-night affair.
I looked around at the rapidly filling amphitheater. It was the most crowded it had been all week, as people were also gathering for the processional walk to the bonfire area. Everyone enjoyed the concerts, but both the layout of the campground as well as the volume of the shows meant that people could just as easily listen from their campsites. If I wasn’t so into dancing, I could have easily enjoyed the show from the Druid encampment that Jack had been hanging out at.
On Saturday, however, it was different.
Everyone was dressed up. Some wore their most colorful outfits while others wore full-on costumes. There were sequins, glow-sticks, LED lights, leather, and tie-dyes galore. I watched with delight as a couple on stilts went walking by, their ent costumes right out of a Tolkien illustration.
This is awesome!
Raina was the next to take a break, and she sat down next to me. Together, we watched Vincent and Gaia dance, their bodies wrapping around each other as they moved to the beat.
“So you’re okay with this?” Raina asked casually.
“Are you kidding?” I replied. “I think it’s hot.”
“Good answer.” she grinned. “You know I’m just checking to make sure everything’s five by five, right?”
“I do.” I smiled back. “Thank you.”
A teenage girl walked up to us, carrying a cluster of glow-sticks, their colors shining in the night. She gave Raina and me several, and we fashioned wrist bands and anklets out of them.
Raina and I had decked ourselves out for the evening. I was wearing a tie-dyed skirt and strapless top, gold and silver threads in the material sparkled in the sparse light leaking off the stage, and would look great in the firelight. Raina was wearing an all-red ensemble, both skirt and bikini top, that had been covered in spiraling sequined patterns. She had also woven some tinsel in with the tight spiral curls of her hair.
I looked out into the crowd dancing in front of the stage and noticed that the Fae sisters had arrived. They were naked as usual, with the addition of translucent capes that had been fitted with long sticks so that they could be moved like wings. They spun in tight circles, looking like faeries from a Victorian children’s book.
Near to them was Tiffany, wearing a skimpy camouflage bikini that she had fashioned out of an old uniform. While it looked ridiculously hot on her, I knew that it also had a dual purpose. She had been able to include enough of her Uncle's tech… as well as Gaia's dragon skin… to ensure that she could activate her body armor in case of an emergency.
I watched as she danced sensually with the same redhead that I had almost fooled around with at the drumming fire a few nights before. They really didn’t notice anyone else around them, and I sensed that Tiffany had found a friend for the night.
This is awesome! I thought. Everyone’s having such a great, loving time.
Well, almost everyone. I tried to put Angelique out of my mind, and mostly succeeded. This is the last night of the festival… I have to enjoy as much as I can! There’s plenty of time to deal with… other things… after it’s over.
The band finished, and we quickly gathered up our chairs as the festival organizers gave a brief speech. We stashed them at the Druid encampment and gathered Jack and Katsu as well. We were standing out on the road, waiting to line up, when Evelyn walked up to us.
“Hey gang!” she said, smiling.
“Hey.” Raina replied.
“Where’s Trevor?” Jack asked. “I thought he’d at least do the bonfire.”
“He said he’s going to be there.” Evelyn said. “He said he has some ‘big entrance’ lined up. I told him to go ahead… I’m going to walk with everyone and let the ladies scope me out!”
She twirled to show off her outfit, which consisted of a body-hugging spandex top, thong panties, and thigh-high leather boots. She wasn’t wearing anything under the spandex, and it almost looked like she was topless but body-painted.
Wow, I thought, and with her curves? Not bad! Raina, on the other hand, was looking at her with wide eyes.
“Dearie,” Raina said, “if none of these stoned bitches are going to take you up on the offer, call me, okay? I mean, we might have to make it a threesome with Raven…“
“Raven?” I asked.
“My brunette friend… you know, the tall one with the beautiful boobies and the power thighs?… that’s her name. Anyway… “ she continued, “She and I are set to set her tent on fire later this evening, but if you want to make it more interesting… “ she trailed off and winked.
“You’d better believe I’ll keep that in mind!” Evelyn said with genuine interest.
“Think we started a trend?” Vincent said softly in my ear. He grinned, and I grinned back.
“If we gave them the inspiration,” I said, “I’m okay with that.”
The speeches over, it was time for the procession to the main bonfire. Eight torchbearers lit their torches off of a ninth torch, and they lined up to lead the procession. From what I had heard, each torch was charged with magickal intent to bring things like protection and prosperity to both the festival itself as well as it’s attende
es.
I can see why I thought. There’s so much magick here, it would be foolish to waste it.
The drummers started a basic beat, and the procession started. The hundreds of people involved made for a long line, and we wound up midway back. To help build the energy, everyone was singing a simple chant:
Fire fire, fire fire
Burning bright with our desire
I walked in between Gaia and Vincent, holding hands and smiling as we all sang. We walked the length of the main road of the festival, seeing many campsites with extra lights, streamers, and sparkling decorations along the way. Soon we turned the corner and could see the woodpile in the distance. A ripple of excitement spread down the line as person after person caught sight of our destination.
The energy! I marveled. I could see it pulsing, coming off of the line of revelers and washing like waves into the surrounding forest. While it had been a while since I had smoked, I still felt high. Only THIS is an energy high!
We reached the edge of the circle around the bonfire and walked through an opening in the people. We walked through incense smoke and hand-sprinkled blessed water, to purify us for the event to come. We then proceeded clockwise around the circle until we found a place that felt right and stood back for the lighting.
There was an electric sensation of excitement and anticipation running through the crowd. Flashes went off as some took pictures of the unlit woodpile. It was built of cut logs laid out in a square cabin-shape, rising like a step pyramid, to make sure that the logs fell inward as they burned.
The eight torchbearers stood equidistant from each other, the flames they carried creating pools of light in the shadow of the unlit fire. We stood near one of the torches, held by an attractive blonde woman dressed in bright pink.
Once everyone was gathered around the fire, the drummers stopped. Silence gripped the crowd, and soon the drummers started a basic rhythm. This was the cue for the people from the Oracle’s group to come out and do their thing, and soon the space in between the crowd and the woodpile… called ‘the o-zone’ in festival slang, for the ‘o’ shaped circles that people dancing around it would create... was filled with flaming batons, swinging fireballs on chains, and all manner of mini-torches. I saw Greta, the Oracle herself, with a long staff that was flaming on both ends. She tossed it high in the air, and the crowd “oohed” and “ah-ed” every time she caught it, The performance only amped up the excitement.
The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga Page 38