What Lurks in the Shadow

Briar

In Graveholt, Therys, her tiny village, the morning was chilly. The wind stirred the leaves of the trees around Willofen, a mining town known for its Earth Elemental witches.

Willofen was hardly more than a scatter of cottages huddled at the edge of the forest, where the mountains rose like watchful guardians. A single crooked lane wound through its heart, connecting the baker’s warm-smelling hearth to the weathered inn and the little chapel whose bell rarely rang. Everyone knew everyone, and secrets traveled faster than the wind through the pines.

Some regular humans live in this town, coexisting with the witches. Witches and warlocks on her continent of Veyrath have elemental magic. The basics are fire, earth, water and air.

There are four types of species: humans, witches/warlocks; vampires, and hybrids. Humans are aware of vampires and witches or warlocks but fear us. Witches, warlocks and vampires have to coexist, but since the war in 1945. They put on fake masks and pretend to get along. Hybrids, well ... they're an abomination, a crime.

Typically, hybrids are half witch and half vampire, which is not something that should be. They normally have one elemental power and a power that only hybrids can possess. A dark, primal magic that regular vampires and witches or warlocks can not fathom or even practice. That is how the World works.

Briar awoke on a Saturday morning from a nightmare in late September, a month that she had school off. She relives her past in her nightmares of that night, the night her mother died. Evie Fairweather, was killed by a vampire when Briar was 5 years old. Drained of blood by a vampire, since then, her mission in life is to get revenge for her mother and stop that vampire from killing others like her mum. She lived near witches all her life, but she didn't have powers, which she was slightly jealous of.

Briar sat up in her bed, looking on her phone, it was nearly 7 a.m. Her hazel eyes looking out the window of her room. She put her long-wavy ebony hair into a side braid and got ready for the day. Briar took a brisk shower the night before, luckily not waking up in a sweat, she was able to get dressed at a swift speed. Hearing footsteps downstairs, she smiled to herself. Her grandmother was awake.

Her legal guardian since her father left her at a young age and the death of her mother. Her grandmother was known to be an early riser. Briar then smelled the scent of freshly brewed coffee, thank Gwyneth herself. A saying her grandmother ingrained into her. She quickened her pace as she made it to the staircase and descended the stairs.

Halfway down the steps, she heard her Grandmother put breakfast on the table. She was thankful, Briar was starving.

"Good morning, Grandma." said Briar, making her way into the kitchen.

"Good morning, sweetie, how did you sleep."

Briar didn't want to worry her.

"Fine." Briar replied. "Breakfast looks good." she added.

Her grandmother made her way from the farther end of the table to her granddaughter, a letter in hand.

"There's something that came for you, after you read this. We need to talk."

Briar looked at her grandmother with curiosity in her eyes, unaware what was about to happen. Taking the letter out of her grandmother's hand gingerly, she opened the envelope with a wax seal of a 'A', surrounded by roses. As she opened the letter, she examined the chicken scratch handwriting and then read its contents.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Dear Briar Fairweather,

We are pleased to inform you of your acceptance at Ashthorn Academy of Magic. Sorry for the late enrolment, we were unaware of your Elemental Lineage. We are aware you are unable to use your powers now, but we hope to awaken them and give you the magical knowledge you need. Down below will be a list of items that you will need for your final year. Your first day will start November 1st of this year.

Your required items:

~ Standard grimoire journal (final volume, silver-edged) and Parchment

~ Focus object with Year 7 runic upgrade (wand/staff/gloves)

~School robes with silver-thread crest sigil

~Elemental anchor stones (4 gems)

~ Convergence crystal

~ Rune chisels & rune slab

~ Cauldron (Tier VII, if taking Alchemy)

~ Duel wand + protective robes (if Duelcraft chosen)

~ Veil-threaded amulet

~ Ink sets: permanence ink, white-gold ink, black-veil ink

~ Protective gear (cloak, gloves, boots) depending on electives

~ “The Codex of Endless Currents” & subject-specific tomes

~ A satchel to carry your items

We hope to see you soon,

Headmaster: Thomas Vaelthorn

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Briar couldn't believe what she was reading, she was an elemental witch? No, it can not be. Her hazel eyes looked towards her grandmother, looking for answers.

"How? How could I be a Witch?" asked Briar, a hint of anger in her tone. How could her grandmother keep this from her.

"Briar, honey. Your mother was a witch, I'm a witch. You've been spellbound, that's why you are unable to use your magic."

Briar gasped as the word 'spellbound' reached her ears.

"But Grandma, being spellbound is a crime! Who ever did this would be in jail if they found out by now."

Briar's grandmother moved towards her, about to take her hand, but Briar pulls away.

"Your mother thought it was best for you, we all did."

"Who was all of you?" she asked.

"Your father, your mother and I." Briar's Grandmother began. "A reason you can't know yet."

"Grandma, you should have told me."

"I know, but I promised your mother I wouldn't tell you until you got your Ashthorn academy letter. The time has come for you to hone your magic."

Everything in Briar's view felt as if it was spinning, the information hitting her all at once. She gripped the edge of the dining table, looking as if she would be sick at that very moment.

"Briar, sweetie. Are you alright?" her grandmother asked with concern. Striding towards her.

Briar put her hand between her and her grandmother.

"I'm fine, I just need some air." she replied, she waited a moment before adding. "I'll go get my supplies in the nearby town. I'll be back by supper time, don't worry."

With that, Briar took the letter, a backpack and left her home on her bike to gather her supplies.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Briar rode her bike with a sense of freedom to Mistgrove, a town lived in by Earth Witches. Her supplies would be there. In the past, she used to sneak into the village to watch the witches use their magic. It was truly fascinating. Looking back at the memory brought a smile upon her face.

Before going into the magical market side of the village, she stopped her bike. Taking her letter out of her back pocket of her ripped jeans, she looked over the list. Making sure she had everything in mind when getting her required items. She locked her bike along a bike racks. The chilly air blowing leaves gently in the breeze. It was still early morning. Around 8:45 a.m. The sun now shining brightly in the sky.

It was a good day, despite the secrets her grandmother kept from her, Briar still could not believe she was a witch. Sure, she always wanted to be one, but to actually be one was something to get used to. Briar looked over her items again. She instinctively knew where everything was, she used to watch young witches and warlocks gather their supplies. She just never entered the shops or looked over the market stalls.

Tightening her grip on her backpack strap, she walked towards Silverleaf Scriptorium. Opening the door as a wave of curiosity and nerves rushed over her. The air smelled of parchment and candle wax. Shelves that soared upward, as if groaning under the weight of the tomes. The owner looked at her, with a knowing look.

"Final Volume?" the woman rasped.

Briar nodded. "Yes, actually."

The owner grabbed a silver-edged grimoire, and gave it to Briar. It began to pulse in her hands before settling. The woman then gave her her parchment and her inks that she needed. A heavy tome that had pages that shifted. Floating down towards Briar, as if it wanted to be claimed.

The woman looked at her, curiosity filled eyes upon her.

"I don't think we've met. Are you a transfer student or something?"

Briar remained silent; she was trying to be polite, but she couldn't share her morning discovery with the stranger. Then looking out the window of the front of the shop, she saw the streets of Mistgrove were buzzing with students, laughter, and the casual runaway spell occurring. She then gave a polite nod and left the shop for the next stop. Aether & Iron.

A raggedy man with a Dark Beard was forging something, shoving a half-formed staff into cooling water. His gaze set now on Briar.

"Year 7?" He barked, as if he knew exactly that she was only starting year seven of Ashthorn Academy.

Briar nodded. The man then walked toward the display racks holding the focal objects, which were near the back of the shop. The wands seemed to hum to her, the gloves flexed, and the staffs glowed faintly. It was if her magical abilities awakened something in her to recognize the ways of magical objects.

Briar, who hesitated, then walked towards the back. A wand etched with ancient ruins was drawing her in. Taking it into her hands, it sparked a silver-blue light at the tip of the wand. Looking at the wand in amazement.

"She chooses you, miss, don't waste her."

"You say that as if a wand has feelings, like it can choose a person." Briar questioned the theory of this.

Before he could say anything, he made sure her wand had its runic upgrade. Not answering her, she should know this. There was no need to discuss it with her. Parting ways, she moved onto Thread and Sigil. A clothing shop that seemed to welcome her with open arms.

The madam that owned the shop fitted her and made the robes she needed as swift as a cheetah. The robes gleamed midnight black, the school's crest she saw on the wax seal earlier that day. An ‘A’, surrounded by roses.

The madam smiled triumphantly. "Stand tall Briar. Year seven robes demand it!"

Briar was a tad off guard by the statement. For a moment, she caught her reflection in the mirror; older, sharper, it was almost as if she didn't recognize herself.

At the Fourfold Vault. She descended into a cavern lit by crystals. Stones whispered faintly as she passed. Two female shopkeepers who seemed to be married welcomed her into their shop. Speaking as one.

"Welcome child." they said in unison. "Four anchors. Earth, air, fire, water. Which will you master? Which will master you?"

Briar looked towards the stones, two stones practically leaped into her hand. The air and water stones. She grabbed one of each, both pulsating in her hand.

"That's strange." said one. "Normally an Elemental witch can only hone one element, this is unheard of." said the other.

Smiling nervously, she got the stones. Trudging into the Cauldron and Crucible shop, her backpack already heavy. Briar is lucky enough that everything she got was fitting in her medium sized backpack. The shopkeeper shoved the cauldron towards her, as if he knew exactly what she needed.

"Careful though lass-It bites if you stir the wrong way."

Silently nodding, Briar then went to the last stop. Veil and Vow. Where she needed to get her veil-threaded amulet. She got it without fuss, and made her way home on her bike.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The day went by quick, it was almost already supper time like she promised her grandmother she'd be home. When she arrived home, her and her grandmother ate silently. Her grandmother seeing her bulging backpack filled with her school items. Laughing to herself after the meal, she went to grab something for Briar, something of her mothers.

"This was your mothers satchel, I repaired it for you while you were out. Something to keep her close while at Ashthorn..."

Briar smiled at her grandmother, her smile beaming.

"Thanks Grandma!" she said in gratitude before gathering her bag and her mothers satchel.

She needed to pack, there was an adventure ahead, and there was nothing to stop her reaching her goal.