Witch Viki

The lake was green.

Dark green.

People said it’s as green as Witch Viki’s eyes.

But no one had ever seen With Viki’s eyes. Elder Mudo had the longest bear, and he did not see Witch Viki’s eyes. Wise Milan had the whitest hair, and she did not see Witch Viki’s eyes. Father Martin wore a pair of golden glasses. He had read all the scrolls from the wind chamber, but he shook his head when I asked the same question. Dance Doll dressed in black silk. She had peeped of all the secrets in the sand mirror, but she shrugged her shoulders when I repeated my question. Daddy said it was ridiculous, while Mum smiled to me and told me it’s time to go to bed.

The lake was called swan lake, but we had never seen any swan there.

People said there used to be many swans as soon as the ice was broken. They said after the Lily Valley Campaign every swan left here and they never came back.

I did not know what a swan looked like except in the scroll. My friend Flannel carefully grinned to me and that morning we were agree to go into the dark forest to see whose guessing is right. Following the track of Candle Twinkle, we stepped into darkness when the sunshine was bright and warm outside the forest.

Candle Twinkles were butterflies people saw them everywhere along the lake. But after the Lily Valley Campaign they became rare. If you saw the silver ones, there were blue fire patterns symmetry drafted in their wings. You may not find out the truth in daylight, while in darkness they were the best road leader.

Flannel smiled again. He said Ligeia I was going to win cause you saw, again, there was no swan in the lake. I kept silence cause I was sure the gray scroll did tell me something incredible about the lake. With some kind of sacrifice, the scroll said we could make the beautiful white birds come back. And if the swan came back, one of my wishes would come true.

Flannel might be right and every time I bet the swan’s return only made me another joke in the village. But this time everything would be different. I chose the specific sacrifice and trapped him in front of the lake.

Ligeia you could not do that to me. Flannel scared and began to scream as my sharp knife suddenly poking his left hand. Your blood was the only thing I needed. I smiled and saw him flied away. It did not matter my dear Flannel I murmured to myself. Your blood dropped in the lake and I was recalling the words from the gray scroll.

Sometimes people said someone was bad and they made various evidences to prove it.

For instance, the name Viki.

Somebody said Witch Viki was born to be bad. Or, even malicious.

Why?

Looked at thy name Viki. Two “i”s and “i” in a lost language meant “self”. One name, twice mentioned one itself, it was absolutely no wrong that she was extremely self-centered. And damned she’s a witch! How can she be anything good?

Of course not all of us thought that way.

Daddy said rumors were murderers of truth, designers of blackmail, creators of hatred, sisters of jealous…you name it.

And as soon as anyone mentioned the Witch Scar the Handsome’s red face would turn to bloody.

Did I mention Scar the Handsome before?

Didn’t be a fool. That’s true everybody called him Scar the Handsome, but by all the means he was no handsome at all except his handsome scar. I admitted he was a guy who did see something in the world. Anyhow, not everybody had the chance to join the Lily Valley Campaign.

Staring his bloody face I made the point: If he could go back to the Magic Hunting Season, he was definitely fated to swear his loyalty to the Witch Viki and he would definitely fight to death to protect her. Then he would be shamed villagers buried into the forbidden hexagon, sleeping together with other anti-moral knights.

Or according to Father Martin they would fall into the clip of time, as one part of the undead, burning by the freezing fire from Father Martin’s god, forever.

If I were there, I would cut thy witch’s head as a piece of cake. Every time Flannel flatted himself he would repeat the same words. And I didn’t hate the boys like Flannel simply because I did not have time although they played tricks and cursed me as a full moon’s night my eyes turn to green. My parents were shocked and they tried all they could to make my eyes looked normal. Dance Doll giggled. Father Martin spoke no word. Wise Milan pitied my parents more than me, and Elder Mudo showed his mercy telling everyone I was unlucky and they would just leave me alone in case of something bad happened.

Were you alone Witch Viki?

What was the Magic Hunting Season looked like? And were thy anti-moral knights really cruel and …cool?

I tried to read scrolls in the chamber, and the guard told me I was no longer permitted to go there. Thanks to Scar the Handsome, he borrowed the scrolled for me. Now I lived in my small ghetto, and I got enough time reading through all the scrolls. I did not figure out how many times I dreamed about the same scene in the full moon night when my eyes turned to green. Beautiful white birds, merciful swans, could you lead me somewhere not so… lonely?

I never prayed, and I read more scrolls instead. I read and dreamed until one day I found the gray scroll.

Now Candle Twinkles flashed to ashes with the pushy blood dropping into the lake. I praised the guardians deep sleeping in the dark forest. Shiny green the lake turned to be, with an image familiar but I had never seen.

Witch Viki was that you?

Her eyes were not open, her body naked shining bright warm as a green moon. All my words failed to describe her incredible beauty and she spoke directly to my will. Her words were soft but cunning, as her smile, I could hardly understand.

People said you were executed. People said you were burn to ashes.

And people told children I was destroyed as soon as they sucked the last drop of blood from my knights.

Which was not true?

I asked a silly question and her silver shadow slowly surrounded me with a kiss, cold but sweet.

Here were your swans, my pretty girl. What was your wish?

Would you make it come true? I didn’t know was I asking the swan or the Witch.

Bonny swans swam in thy lake. Bonny swans sang a ballad sharing eternity. Oh my bonny swans could you bring green-eyed Ligeia out of loneliness?

As a poet reading his inspiration verses to his lover, Witch Viki murmured to the black swan without opening her mouth. Harmonious tunes sounded everywhere.

Life was lonely. Freedom accompanied.

Life was not lonely. Death came to us all.

Swans sang in tune.

Repeating the tunes they left us into darkness.

Came home my pretty girl. Witch Viki went back to the lake. Her lovely shadow hugged me again and disappeared with her master. Candle Twinkles flied back from the ashes, and they led me outside when sunshine appeared sharp and pushy.

Flannel woke up beside the shallow river, he grabbed me and told me he had a nightmare in which I poked his left hand by a sharp knife.

I smiled. Looking to the clear reflection of the river. Here came my dark eyes.