Seed of Life

by D.E.P.

Seed of Life

  "Bewitch the Witch"

  Book 1

  By D.E.P

  bewitchthewitch@yahoo.com

  Copyright © 2012 by D.E.P.

  All Rights Reserved.

  Cover Art by Karri Klawiter www.artbykarri.com

  Formatting by LK EBook Formatting Service

  Devotions

  I dedicate this book to all soon to be fans of an epic journey that will grip each one’s heart.

  I dedicate this book to my father for being interested in my passion in writing and allowing me to pursue such aspiration.

  To my mother, I dedicate this piece of work for giving me the tools and teachings to come up with the stories I dream of today.

  This novel is dedicated to my brother for listening to my several ideas even when they seemed to be overwhelming.

  To Lauren Solinsky, I thank you for being a close friend for the beginning of our high school years and inspiring me to be a well-known author in the future.

  Shelby Scoggins, I thank you for giving me advice and always being there for me, even today, to listen to my dreams.

  Irish Solinsky, I thank you for continuously asking me when my novel was to be published because it gave me a sense of pride to continue the journey on this writing expedition.

  I thank anyone, all my friends and family, which have been part of my life and worked their own type of magic to enable me to become the person I am now.

  This could not have been done without the help of Karri Klawiter and L.K. Campbell who have helped to create an outstanding book cover and a well formatted piece of writing.

  Above all, however, I thank my God for filling my own heart with optimism and the strive to continue the never-ending path I walk upon. Little miracles are the sort of magic and inspiration that has helped me to move on.

  Dear Reader,

  I want to thank you for beginning the first few pages into a journey of imagination and wonder. Your contribution does not only influence me to write more, but also enables me to donate a portion of the profits to local charities or to people I feel need support. I am filled with joy and hope that the story I have written will fulfill your desires. To tell you a little about myself, I am currently a teenager in the hopes of becoming a well-known writer in the future. You have kindly helped me fulfill my dream. Let your imagination thrive as you read each word and your mind unravel to fulfill your own dreams, whatever they shall be. And with that, let the story begin.

  Yours truly,

  D.E.P.

  Chapter 1

  Twins of Destiny

  It was already autumn and the enthralling trees that stood up tall and golden now began to shed to reveal the shiny bronze coat underneath. It was strange, those trees. They seemed to be wearing different coats depending on the seasons. The branches swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the winds that traveled from the eastern mountains. The trees wore gold during spring and summer, bronze during autumn, and silver during winter. Each season would begin only when these majestic trees revealed the next color. When a hint of bronze or silver was found, you would be certain the season had changed.

  The branches stretched out long and thin, and the leaves, being huge and tear-shaped, would sway with the wind until silently falling to the ground. No one noticed these little things. No one cared because it was a yearly routine, such as the marsberry bell flowers that rang during the summer. Those golden leaves would fall and get crushed by the careless of feet. This was when the fun began. The leaves would cringle like paper since they were flat enough to write on and thin enough to tear. These leaves would turn to sand. Golden sand. Silver sand. Bronze sand. This sand was all that mattered and all that seemed mesmerizing in the land.

  All year long the sand would change until there was a mixture. The wind would blow this mixture along the sky, caring it up high towards the heavens. It was a beautiful land all on its own. The grass rose up tall and high where it was permitted and cut short enough in some areas to be used as a rug. There were multiple colors everywhere the eyes could see, except for the path that stretched out far across the terrestrial environment. The hills made the place feel all the more magical. And that is because it was, and is.

  It was almost always sunny, with a light breeze of course. Then, in the winter, the white silvery snow would come falling with a soft splat, forming a thin clear slippery floor to walk upon. Even in this season, the days showed light because the land had rarely felt darkness. All the seasons were wonderful and different in a unique way. The sky had its own part in the season changes as well. During the spring, the heavens would change to a bright yellow, providing warmth to the creatures Mother Nature created. When the season changed to summer, the sky changed its color to a mysterious light green, providing birth. Then, the sky would change to a mystifying purple, providing reassurance. Lastly, the sky would change its color to a deep blue, providing comfort. Needless to say, mysterious parts of the land, many as there were, contributed to these genuine changes. It was what Mother Nature had intended. Nature responded at the exact time. If the trees began to shed to reveal its bronze color, one could be sure that the color above had changed to a purple. This was the way of life in the land.

  In one of the most wonderful places in the land, stretched on the hills that overlooked the sea, stood a magnificent palace. Being a beige color, the palace seemed a glowing star from afar, and in a sense it was, being the home of the land. A long grey-bricked bridge connected the main land to a small, but magnificent island. Brick after brick was stacked up to create the fortress.

  Once one crossed the enormous bridge decorated with white stone statues of heroic individuals holding long blades or bows, one would walk into a courtyard before standing in front of the humongous dark russet doors that were decorated with the history of the land. It was said that the doors had magic in themselves, since they were made from the wood from the tree of Saecula. Each year a different carving would form, sometimes even before its time. However, only a handful were able to interpret such engravings the wood provided.

  Baskets of flowers hung along the ceiling of the walk-around balconies and fountains sprang up in the corners. Vines stretched out their long stems to wrap around the tall engraved columns that supported the terraces. One could stare for hours at the fountains, observing the different colors that sprang from them.

  The courtyard in back of the palace was odd. This was called the Garden of Enchantment. Walls stretched out high in order to border the strange force that was inside. The walls were not ordinary. They moved. They slithered. They thought. Dark green vines moved with such strangeness that it seemed to have a mind of its own, as if it were an animal, an inhabitant, a god. These were the Vines of Fatum, a mysterious plant that could not be rid of in any way. Try burning it and sparks would form as if having the flames reflected. Try cutting it with a diamond ditcher dragger, the sharp blade would crack. Yet, the vines were moistened and flexible, able to take the form of a body. The courtyard was seemingly vacant for its mysterious atmosphere. In order to enter the strange force, one would walk straight into the live wall, having one’s body fall onto the other side. Not many have experienced the wonders beyond the wall. These vines showed one’s destiny.

  What made it especially splendid, was the birth of the first twins the land had ever seen. It was a peculiar sight, those twins. They seemed so different from each other despite the same appearance. The small bodies had small strands of pitch black hair. While one twin had bright blue sapphire-like eyes that shined with every light source, the other twin had purple eyes, a color not too uncommon in the land. In the eight foot tall golden chair, with silver embroideries and engravings of horses and other majestic creatures, sat the king, happily observing the melody of awes that
came from the crowd. The queen was nowhere to be found, most likely due to the sickness the pregnancy had caused her.

  Two servants held vast pillows, much like huge soft velvet clouds that grabbed onto the hands of those that held them. A thin golden embroidery surrounding the edges of the pillows wobbled with every movement the servants’ hands made. The twins, frozen and captivated by the immense crowd, stood still for everyone to adore them. The light shined through the clear glass windows and onto the focal point of the palace.

  The enormous carvings on the massive doors came to life, fire etching itself in all the engravings as the enchanted wooden doors opened to reveal the Clan of the Lost White Apes. The apes’ white complexion was smooth in appearance as the apes walked with such dignity. It was not difficult to spot the majestic sovereign of the group, for he was noticeably different from the rest. His golden tunic dragged onto the ground while he walked at a fast pace toward the king of the palace. A staff, standing a few inches beyond his height, was held by the ape. An odd bronze necklace of Occulta, resembling an olden coinage, hung from his neck. He was clearly shown as the king of the clan, for a crown made of silver was leveled on his head intact with precious jewels of multiple colors.

  The crowd of inhabitants quickly made room for the Apes to walk through. The crowd, silent, listened to what the wise Ape, known as Sapientem, had to say.

  “Greetings, old friend,” the sovereign of the apes stated, bowing in front of the king’s throne.

  “It has been too long since we last met Sapientem,” the king replied, “I am quite glad you could join us.”

  “The pleasure is all mine,” replied Sapientem without the slightest gesture of a smile.

  “Help yourself with the food provided,” said the king, raising his crystal cup full of wine, “for the joy and the fruit of the land!”

  Harps started playing, trumpets started sounding, and dancers started shining for those observing. The dancers held small wooden horns by their sides as they moved their silver bodies in a rhythmical manner to please the crowd. The clothing worn by them seemed scaly in appearance, a deep blue color that matched their silvery complexion. This clothing was not a simple rag woven to produce an elegant dress, but made of a mermaid’s tail. Mermaids were feared in the land; only mermaidens, similar in appearance except for the elf-like ears that lay before the nicely curled blonde hair, were greatly honored for their bravery. The dress was long and slender, covering the feminine chest at an angle. The dancers’ mysterious blue eyes glittered like the waves down below. What seemed like an engraved tiara on the silvery skin, shown above the eyes at the hairline. The hair, pitch black in color, was similar in appearance to a beehive and was secured with a blue spiked head band. Occasionally the dancers would blow the horns with the rhythm of their bodies. This produced white smoke to wrap around them like a serpent’s body. Fire began to leap towards the heavens with calamity.

  The days never ended in the land. Darkness was rarely heard of. Evil was only slightly touched. Light sprang from the windows into the parlor as all began to celebrate the short victory. Sapientem motioned the king to the balcony which rose above the ancient waters of the land. Showing a grim face, the king new Sapientem needed to talk of important matters. The Ape looked beyond the sea. Mermaidens jumped from the surface and onto the rocks that bordered the tall walls of the palace. They were the protectors of the land.

  “If I had an offspring would you kill it?” questioned Sapientem while he put his head down.

  “Of course not! What an awful question. Why must you be so demanding?” replied the king with a frown.

  “Now what if I said I foresaw my offspring ultimately corrupting the beautiful land we see?” Sapientem asked while touching the smooth surface of the white balcony enclosure.

  “What is the meaning of these odd questions? Not an evil has been seen in this land since the years of Malum’s rule,” replied the king.

  “Oh but it is about to begin. King Fortis, how do you think this land was created? Wars are what made this land to be,” asserted Sapientem.

  “What a foolish thing to say. Those years have been long over,” whispered the king while narrowing his eyes in disagreement.

  “It is true; before you were born wars broke up families of this land. Evil was in the air. The good people of the land had enough of becoming slaves of the monarch Malum. After years of shedding tears, the abused went against the evil of this land. The ground burned, the ground shook, blood spilled, and new wonders formed for the victorious—the good,” explained Sapientem, “Blood gives life. A life for a life,” smiled Sapientem while a tear formed in his dark glittery eyes.

  “What is the meaning of this?” questioned Fortis suspiciously.

  “Fortis, your daughter inhabits a wicked soul,” answered Sapientem, “I have been meaning to tell you this, but knowing your divine joy, I could not bear the thought of saddening you.”

  “Which daughter is it?” asked Fortis, already frustrated by the news.

  “That could not be found,” whispered Sapientem while dropping his white head in sorrow.

  “How did you come to find out?” questioned Fortis while trying to keep a strong head.

  Sapientem took a while remembering the past event which had changed his life. He had pressed his Occulta necklace towards the bright light and tilted his head back as past events from ancient times entered his mind. All those who wore the amulet showed the secrets of the past. The previous owners of the necklace had already prophesized the evil that was to come, to return to the land. “The amulet of Occulta helped me decipher the carving of the dagger and the two different shaded eyes on the ancient doors of your palace. The eyes represent the twins and the dagger signifies the misfortune to the land. One of the twins will turn her back to her people, her sister, her mother, and her father,” answered Sapientem.

  “What should I do?” asked Fortis as he looked up.

  “Time will tell. The other twin could potentially save the land,” answered Sapientem. He tapped Fortis’s back and walked toward the entrance of the castle, exiting.

  King Fortis looked beyond the green waters, past the mountains, and beyond the clouds. He lifted his golden crown and placed it on the ledge. Light reflected onto the glossy crest, shining onto the walls of the palace. The king wore a long red cape with glints of gold that spread across it. A neatly kept small blonde beard stretched a couple of centimeters from the king’s chin. As the king stood by the balcony, the long blonde hair that was neatly combed along the soft face seemed rather paler. Bright blue eyes darkened due to the sadness that pierced the king’s heart.

  Chapter 2

  The Withering of a Rose