This is a short story about a character from a novel I have been writting. Nyx is the character from my novel too, she's not my favourite, but I do like her. Wasn't sure about the rating either.
The Rebirth of Nyx
The sound of the waves rolling across the sand, pounding against the rocks, and rolling back out to do it all again, the hissing roar of the mighty ocean; and the occasional sound of the sea birds busying themselves diving into the water to pluck themselves a prize, a shining, silver gem, these were the only sounds she could hear. A gentle breeze caressed her face, and she could smell the salt on its breath. It was a fair day, neither hot nor cold. She could feel the moisture in the air, she could smell it too, a storm was brewing beyond the horizon and it would be here before nightfall, but that was a long time away.
The sun beat down on her, not unpleasantly. It was relaxing here, lying on the soft grass just off the beach. The girl opened her eyes and a blue expanse unfolded before her. Crisp and clear, and so vibrantly blue it was, almost blinding to look at. No wisp of cloud dared to blemish it. It was perfect. She turned her head to sea long patches of grass dancing in the wind.
She raised herself on one elbow and the wind caught her hair, several locks of her black hair covering her face. As the sun caught it on different angles she noticed that it appeared to have a tinge of midnight blue. She looked around, seeing nothing but the blue-green mass of water stretching out from white beaches, reaching out to meet with the blue expanse that was the sky. She turned around and was shocked by how different it was. Not far from her was a large pool of water that had a stream running through it. The stream continued down towards the water where it began to trickle down the rocks and drop small diamonds that glinted in the light. On the very edge of the horizon she could see a great wall of trees. She thought to herself that it must be a forest.
The girl realised how thirsty she was. She began making her way towards the pool of fresh water so that she may drink. She felt as if she used every ounce of strength to drag herself to the crystal clear surface of the pool. She did not know why she was so weary. Why had her mother sent her here? This thought kept passing through her mind. As she fell in weariness just short of the pool her thoughts trailed to the evening she had left.
“Shh, my rose, all is well,” her mother soothed as she woke the girl, tresses of her brown hair falling on the girls neck and face as the woman hugged her daughter, “You are growing up so fast. Seventeen already. You have grown into a very capable and resourceful woman. I only wish I had your confidence at your age.” The girl sensed something was wrong, as she looked into the green eyes filled with love, that met her own. This face would have fooled anyone else, but not her own daughter.
“Mother, what is wrong?” asked the girl of seventeen years.
“Naught,” lied the girl’s mother, “I need you to promise me something though.” The girl looked at her mother.
Of all people in the world, the only person who this girl had ever admired was her mother. A witch she was, a somewhat powerful witch at that. She had been asked several times by a group of witches to join their coven, as a high sorceress, but, out of love and duty for her daughter she had rejected their offers. Instead she performed spells, made potions, did tarot readings, clairvoyance and made charms and talismans for people. She earned just more than enough for the two of them to have a nice home and eat well, though they were certainly not rich.
“My rose. My sweet. My baby. I need you to promise me something, I need you to promise with every ounce of your being,” her mother said in her soft soothing voice, which did not betray her true mood. It was like honey, soft and warm and sweet, yet commanding compliance and respect, to her, you could not say no.
“For you I would do anything, mother,” said the girl, and it was the truth.
“Do you trust me?” asked the mother.
“More than anyone else. I trust you more than I trust myself, more than I trust that the sun will rise tomorrow, more than I trust that sky is up and ground below,” said the girl, in her usual answer to that question.
“And I you my dear,” replied her mother, strangely reassured, she leaned closer till her lips were less than a millimetre away from her ear, “Will you make a witch’s promise? Will you seal you word in a spell? With my spell and my word? Will you trust me so blindly? Will you let me bind us by our word?”
The girl looked at her mother. Only once had she heard of such a promise. From her own mother. Many years ago, when she was young, very young, her mother had taught her the power and secret that was the witch’s promise. She knew one was not taken lightly, for once made there was no going back, and the power of the spell was supreme, it could never be undone, you were compelled to fulfil the promise in full.
“I trust you,” the girl replied in the same whisper, barely audible.
“You remember what I taught you about such a promise?” asked the mother, the girl nodded.
“Good, we must hurry there is not much time,” her mother pulled the girl out of her bed.
The girl went to light the candles with her magick, but just before she thought them to life, her mother spoke, “Do not light anything. We work in the shadows.” The girl did not protest, she merely followed her mother to the room she practiced all her magick in. It was also the most protected room in the house, here the protection spells were so strong and intense that there could surely be no one who could break through them. The air in here was thick with the smell of essential oils and incense, it was pleasant and calming. The walls were lined with books, potions, more books, magickal paraphernalia, ingredients and even more books. There was a lounge suite in one corner of the room, around an oak coffee table. On the small table sat a bag, which was obviously packed as full as it could be. Beside it lay a cloak, a pair of the girls flared jeans and a red singlet top. On the flor sat her favourite shoes, her slightly worn, yet still ever so comfortable, black ‘connies’.
Without needing to be instructed the girl hurriedly got changed from her pink pyjamas and into the clothes her mother had. Her mother readied the things needed for the spell and talked to her as she changed, “I have enchanted all of those clothes and the contents of that bag with protection spells, vigour spells, strength spells, speed spells, sustenance spells, if you can think of it I’ve covered it. Do not ask me why either. You may not know, not yet anyway.”
The girl finished putting on her clothes and cloak and slung the bag over her back, “I am ready mother.”
“Ok, my rose, you know what to do. We will use the charms I made for us. They are already imbued with powerful magick, which will enhance power of spell too,” They were pentacles, one was a solid shape, the other was an outline, the solid pentacle fit inside the other to form another pentacle. The girl’s mother did this and began the spell.
“With will and word,
Bound are we.
A witch’s promise,
I make to thee.”
In silence the girl’s mother made her promise, as it could either be done so, or aloud. The girl knew though that she would not make her promise her mother would ask her to accept a promise and make it her own. The girl copied the spell and her mother spoke, “Do you promise to leave this night and flee this house, this suburb, this city, this region? Do you swear by the Lore and code of witches to honour your word and flee to remote beach of Auravale? And await me near the pool of moon’s grace?”
“I do,” replied the girl. The pentacles were taken apart. The promise was made and must now be fulfilled.
The door to the ‘magick room’, as the family new it, opened and in walked another woman, it was her aunt Jasmine. She had on the silver robes of the Coven Mistress, second in charge of the newly formed coven of witches. Jasmine’s brown hair was short and stuck out all over the place, it was messy, but it looked amazing… on her. Around her neck hung a gold chain that glinted in the shard of moonlight that broke into the room through the window, and it held a perfectly round, uncut, opal; the stone of a weather witch. She had joined the coven and was the second in charge. She often came to her sister for advice, as many of the coven did. She seemed a little on edge now, but only to these two, as they knew her better than any, no one else could have seen it.
“What is it Jasmine?” asked the girl’s mother.
“Time is running short, Grand mistress,” Jasmine said, then she regarded the girl with a look of shock, “Sorry Rose, I did not know she was present. Forgive me sister.”
“You are forgiven for barging in Jasmine. That is nothing to be sorry for. Especially in these times,” soothed Rose, and indeed the girl agreed.
“Lily. Are you ready to leave?” Jasmine asked. Tears were welling up in the eyes of the two witches now.
“Do not fear my child, all will be well. Just follow the spells call, you can not go astray if you listen to the call of the spell,” her mother, Rose, fussed as they made their way out a door that was concealed behind a book case. It led to the stables.
“If I must leave now, why did you not prepare Lilac for the ride?” asked Lily quizzically.
“Because you are not riding Lilac, you will be leaving by other means. My old bike,” Jasmine said with a smile.
“I love riding that beast,” Lily said gleefully.
“You must ride like you have never before. Do not falter; do not slow down more than necessary. Ride with all speed and make haste, promise me,” Rose said to Lily as Jasmine pulled the cover from the bike revealing the black beast. Its sleek aerodynamic shape was a true beauty. The headlight looked like the eye of a great cat. Lily sat on the bike and started the engine. The roar was like music to her ears. She revved the engine, letting it warm.
“I will wait. Do not fret. I will see you both at the pool of Moon’s grace,” Lily said with a weak smile.
“Take this,” said rose handing Lily a dagger, Lily knew it was one of her mothers, two daggers. They were powerful weapons, enchanted by many powerful spells.
“Thankyou mother, I will wield true and strong… if I the need arises,” Lily said.
“Go already you have tarried too long,” said Rose as Lily put the bike into gear and let the clutch go, spinning the back wheel as she took of. Her hair was flicking out behind her, as she sped along the roads, listening to the call of the spell. That was how she came to be where she was now.
Lily pulled herself to the edge of the pool and drunk deeply. The water was pure and cold. It coursed its way through her body, energising her. Soon, thanks to the pool and her mother’s enchantments she was reenergised once more. She looked into the pool; she was wearing the same clothes she left in, her flared bottom jeans that had that worn look a red singlet top and her black Connies. Her hair looked very messy after blowing in the wind for… she could not recall how long she had ridden the bike.
As she looked in the pool of water, she noticed in the faint ripples that there was something beneath the sand of the bottom. Something metallic. She went to reach in and pull it out as the pool was only half a meter deep but just before her hand broke the surface of the water, the water rose up and formed a woman’s figure. Slim, tall and quite beautiful, in a mystical way.
“You seek what I conceal?” asked the water woman, her voice sounded like a combination of running water and English. Lily knew how to deal with these entities as her mother had taught her from a young age, not to be frightened by magickal beings, they would not harm an innocent and if she remained innocent, they would let her be and possibly even aid her if she needed it, and water sprites were the most friendly and kindly magical beings of all.
“If by that you mean that metallic object in your pool, then yes,” Lily replied politely. She had always been fond of water sprites.
The water sprite laughed a little, “there is nothing more astounding than a child’s curiosity. You may, but I warn you. I know nothing about that object. Its secrets elude even me, its beholder. I can not recall how it came here. For what purpose it stands, I am unaware of.”
“Thankyou for the warning,” replied Lily, “I need to satisfy my curiosity though. It is almost as if it calls to me.”
“Perhaps it does. Though I can not hear it. It may very well be a gift to you. Be safe child,” and with that the form of a woman fell in tiny droplets back to the pool. The water looked as though it had never been disturbed.
Lily stuck her hand into the pool of crystal clear water. Her hand moved closer to the object. She shifted the sand from around it and saw that it was a hilt to a weapon. She grasped the hilt and pulled the weapon out. It was beautiful. A katana wrought of the finest steel. It was a dark steel with an ornate design of lines and swirls forming patterns on the extending half way up the blade from the cross guard. Lily had been trained from a young age in martial arts and how to use a bladed weapon. The katana was one of the weapons she had been trained in, and it was this reason that she could fully admire its beauty.
The sword glowed with a strange aura. It seemed dark, yet still it glowed. The pattern on the blade began to glow bright against the steel. They then continued down the hilt. Over Lily’s hand, up her arm and then around her body. The dark light grew in intensity. It was consuming her. Suddenly it began to recede. Lily was not unchanged. She was no longer wearing her jeans, singlet and Connies. Instead she wore a black full piece suit that zipped up at the front. She had knee high boots on that had a thick heel that gave her more height. The boots had thick straps with silver buckles, evenly spaced all the way up the way up, finishing about an inch from the top of the boot. There was a thick belt around her hips that had a large buckle that matched the others. The sleeves of the suit went all the way down to her wrists where they met with black gloves that covered her palms and left her fingers bare from the second knuckle up. On her back was a scabbard for the katana. On her left thigh there were two sheaths for daggers, one was filled, the other was empty, and they were one atop the other. On her right thigh was a gun holster which was empty too.
Lily looked very dark. Evil, malicious and cruel. All these words seemed to fit the energy she gave off now. Lily was a different girl. She spoke, but her voice was no longer gentle and kind, it was cold and powerful, “Now I will await them.” She slashed and moved the blade with a great deal of skill, like she had known how to use it all along, though despite her training, she was in no way a master of the katana. She sheathed the katana and assumed a meditative position beside pool, and their she awaited her mother.
Late that afternoon the storm began to roll in slowly. Lily could see lightning amongst the clouds and rain in the distance, heavy rain. The sea out on the very edge of sight seemed very rough. Unrelenting and deadly. Lily could see it, she could feel the power of the storm building. The sheer destructive nature of it seemed to fuel her own strength. She was drawing power from it. Suddenly Lily felt a presence nearby.
“Lily? Is that you?” said the familiar voice of her mother from behind, Lily turned around, “No. No! NO!” Rose was screaming and in tears. Jasmine just stared in defeat at Lily and lent her support to her sister. “After all we did dear sister. It was all in vain. They succeeded!” Rose Howled.
“Shh, sister. All hope is not yet lost, There is perhaps a chance we can save her still,” Jasmine reassured, “You are the most powerful witch in the land after all, You are the Coven Leader, if you can not do it, none can. You must at least try.”
“You are the leader of the coven?” Lily’s changed voice asked in surprise. The two witches just looked at her. They were in their robes, they were silver, the colour of the Coven Leader and the coven mistress, the two most powerful witches in the land.
“Lily, I know you are in there. This may be a shock to you. But I am the coven leader. I had to keep it a secret. Jasmine and the high sorcerers alone know. That is all. It was for your safety my child,” Rose said lovingly to Lily.
“Lily is no longer here,” said the cold voice.
“No! You haven’t taken her from me yet Nyx!” yelled Rose, “You may have sought out my daughter so as to get back at me for banishing you all those years ago. Just because you are in league with the shadow does not mean you will succeed here and now!”
“Lily and I are one in the same Rose. I have made her see things in my light. She is allied with the shadow and myself,” cackled Nyx.
“It is not true,” Jasmine screamed. The two witches did a back flip and assumed an offensive battle stance. They summoned fireballs to their hands. Nyx laughed and unsheathed her Katana.
“Not the Nydia Blade. This will be difficult indeed,” Rose sighed. The witches hurled their balls of flame at Nyx, who slashed the katana with one hand across the balls, cutting them and destroying them. She laughed, and it was a horrible sound, a sound of doom, death, pure evil and sorrow.
“Your magick is of no use,” laughed Nyx as she parried two bolts of electricity with the katana, “You’ll have to come closer.”
“Alas there is no other choice, sister,” Jasmine sounded defeated.
“We must face ourselves against the skill of Nyx herself,” Rose sighed. She unsheathed her dagger, the twin to the one she had given Lily. The two daggers glowed, one with light the other with darkness, being in such close proximity of each other, after one being changed so. Jasmine pulled out a pistol. It was silver and ornately decorated with patterns of swirls curves and lines. It was a precise shot and had a decent fire right with low recoil.
“And so, your end is near,” Nyx said with a laugh.
Nyx moved so quickly it was a blur, only the witches’ foresight allowed them to avoid her; they didn’t need to though, she only toying with them… for now. Jasmine took aim and fired a few shots at Nyx. Nyx moved, and in an instant she was suddenly before Jasmine. In a succession of quick, skilful, artistic movements, Nyx had cut Jasmine’s hand off, kicked the gun into the air, caught it with her free hand and placed it in the holster on her right thigh. Then she cut Jasmine’s neck as she turned to face her back to the witch and then drove the blade backwards, driving it into Jasmine’s body, just below Jasmine’s ribs. She pulled the blade free of the witch, whom was already dead.
“Jasmine! No!” bellowed Rose, not daring to run to her sisters limp body as she wanted to; she was in fear of befalling that fate herself, should she let her guard down. “You will pay for that Nyx!” Rose boomed as she pointed the dagger at Nyx, who looked exactly like Lily, only wicked, “I will save you my child.”
“We don’t need saving,” said Nyx as she stepped closer, drawing the Katana up.
“I will kill you Nyx!” Screamed a desperate Rose, she could not bear to lose both her sister and her daughter at the same time.
“Do it then,” Nyx invited, lowering the sword and offering her life, willing to let the witch drive the dagger into her.
Rose just stared hatefully at Nyx, “I… I can’t do it.”
“Of course not,” Nyx mocked, raising the Katana so that it stuck out before her, pointing at Rose’s throat, as she moved closer towards Rose, “you are weak. No wonder you are about to lose everything. If you are the most powerful witch in the land then there isn’t a single person left to stop us.”
Rose just trembled. She had just lost everything dear to her. She had nothing left. Her heart ached worse than any physical wound Nyx could inflict. The hurt, it was unbearable. She was choking for air, for life.
“You won’t kill me. Lily won’t be able to kill her mother,” Rose spoke desperately, trying to reach her daughter, as only a mother could.
“Nyx. No!” Lily’s voice rang out of Nyx-Lily’s mouth.
“Shut up fool,” Hissed Nyx as she regained control of the body, “You will watch her die and you will serve the shadow. If you wish it or not.” Nyx brought death upon Rose. Basking in the pain it released and caused Lily.
A faint voice whispered on the air, “A witches promise must be fulfilled, Nyx. Lily. The vow you made, that I made. I promised that we would remain together, no matter what. Since you can not have your body, you will leave it. Come, we take our next step in our journey.”
“No! NO!” Nyx screamed. Every bird in the distant forest flew up in fear, “I will just be thankful I now have body. Nyx is once again free to walk the existence. I just wish I had that girl’s power. Curse you witches!”
Lily left her body to Nyx and left with her mother’s spirit. They and jasmine had only begun the next phase of their journey, which was far from over. The plane of balance, the middle plane in which the humans resided in, the plain in which the ultimates forces of good and the equally powerful force of darkness vie for control, had also just taken its first step onto a long and arduous journey. The rebirth of Nyx was only the beginning and forewarning of much darker times to come.
Gender:
Points: 890
Reviews: 4