𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓰𝓾𝓮
My footsteps echoed down the long hallway as I walked towards the chamber the crystal was held in. After a recent attack, my father, the crystal's guard, had been badly injured. Earlier this morning I was called in by the council, the group of oldest witches and wizards. I was now to guard the crystal in my father's place. I knew I'd have to someday, I just didn't think it would be this soon. My father had been training me for this since I was ten though, I was ready. At least, I thought I was.
The hallway was lined with windows, dark purple curtains tainted the sunlight coming through them, casting a purplish glow across the floor. My footsteps echoed even thought I walked on the faded purple rug, I glanced back and forth between the window. They were large windows, reaching from floor to ceiling almost, my head snapped up when I bird flew through the top of the hall. A crow perched on a nearby chair and watched me. Relaxing, I looked back at the bird. It's beady eyes watched me, I watched the bird for a while before continuing to walk.
The dark walls of the hall spread out to the side, opening into a large, circular room. A blue light was cast around the room, tainting the shadows a faded blue. The light came from the center of the room where the crystal sat on and cement stand. I walked towards the crystal, stepping on a single line of cement blocks. My magic got stronger the closer I got to the crystal, the tips of my fingers tingled as my magic reached out towards the crystal. Pushing my magic back, I stood in front of the crystal, watching the way in, my hand resting near the dagger strapped to my thigh.
My posture never relaxed, my senses heightened. My eyes flickered around the room, watching every shift in the shadows. After many hours, music began to drift toward me, echoing quietly through the room. I hummed softly to the song, the crystal's blue light pulsing. Today was the festival, we call it the Blue Moon festival. It's always held on a full moon. I glanced up at the circular window in the ceiling, the moon already slowly creeping around the edge of the window. Slowly moving into the crystal's view, my magic tingled at the tips of my fingers, wanting to go out towards the crystal. Standing up straighter, I pushed it down, looking back at the entrance of the chamber. A tall, thin figured walked in, my hand slowly wrapped around the handle of the dagger on my thigh.
"Peace, Seela." The voice of Arcane, one of the council members, cut through the gently echo of music. He held his hand up, a gesture of peace for witches and wizards, it meant they didn't mean any harm.
I relaxed, my hand leaving the dagger's handle. I bowed my head respectfully. He was a thin man, his once black hair was now grey with age, an almost black cloak hung around him, the hood down against his back. His face was calm, wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, his thin hands resting in front of his stomach, fingers locked.
"Why don't you come enjoy the festival?" He asked, his voice calm and his posture unchanging. I gestured at the crystal behind me, its blue light pulsing. "Ah, yes, I see." He said, nodding. "I'm sorry about what happened to your father, if you would like to join us at the festival though, I would be happy to send a replacement guard for the night." I nodded.
He gave me a single nod and turned, his thin figure moving out of sight. The music began getting louder, the sound flowing into my ears. I looked up as the moon rose higher into the sky. I check my watch. Thirty minutes past eleven, at midnight the moon's light will directly hit the crystal and renew its powers. I stood in silence, watching the entrance, the soft music floating through the room. The music quieted down as a female voice spoke, a voice a recognized as Jen, one of the council members. She must be doing the speech this time.
"For hundreds of years we have guarded the crystal, used its magic, and made pacts with the nearby vampire coven." She paused. I could imagine her aged face and intelligent blue eyes, her grey hair tied up in a neat bun as she spoke. A few moments passed before her voice broke through the quiet music once again. "Last week, we made a new pact. A pact with the Moonlit pack, which, as you all know, is just North of our city."
The werewolves actually agreed to the pact? I didn't think they would, they've never been fond of us. I wonder what's in it for them?
"To stop the attacks by the pack, we have agreed to share some of the crystal's magic with them. On that condition, they are to stop the attacks and are to ally with us on any occasion they are needed."
The council actually agreed to that? I felt dizzy, she couldn't be serious, I wouldn't believe it. The werewolves? With magic? I wonder who all on the council agreed to this, surely not Arcane, he knows better than to be that stupid. There must be a reason they asked for our magic, but what is it?
I could hear murmurs going through the crowd, I knew I wasn't the only one against this. Hesitantly, I crept out of the room, careful to stay on one line of stones to avoid traps. Turning to the left, I jogged down the hall to where the festival was held. I pushed open the door silently. I slipped into the room, a few minutes wouldn't hurt. The crowd was whispering to each other, some sounded afraid, some sounded surprised, and a few even sounded angry.
At the front of the room sat the council, Jen standing while the others were sitting in their seats behind her. "Silence." The room quieted down to a dull hum of whispers. "The pack's alpha will be coming tomorrow, you are all the be kind and unquestioning. You are to leave him, and whoever he brings with him, alone." The sound grew once again.
Shouldering my way through, I made my way up to the front of the room to the council. The council had stood and was walking out through a door. The last one of the council members stopped when seeing me. Mika, the youngest of the council. She would listen, I knew she would.
"Seela, are you not supposed to be protecting the crystal?" Her gently voice rising above the music.
"Yes, I must talk to you though. If you would meet me at midnight in the crystal's room, I would like to talk about all this." Before I could get an answer, I started back to the door, shouldering my way through the the large oak doors.
I slipped out into the hallway and quickly walked back to the crystal. Just as I turned into the room and black silhouette disappeared from the glass ceiling, my hand found my dagger handle as something cold and metal found my neck. A blade.
