Young Writers Society

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The Enchantress

The Beauty In the Cold Lands

By Paul McCartney

Chapter One: The City of Gelida

As a snowflake slowly drifted from the open heavens, its brothers and sisters gracefully followed. The snowflakes danced around each other, doing a waltz as they fell from the grace they once felt, to the world of sin and unrest below. The first snowflake drifted away from the group, being abruptly sent away by a large gust of wind. The snowflake shook from the sudden gust and after a blink of a moment, it continued to drift its way down to the darkness that lay below. After a few uneventful moments, a light appeared below. This light was like a diamond within a pile of gold. The Snowflake quickened its pace, getting closer and closer. The Light slowly turned into a monstrous brazier, fueled with enough coal to keep a whole city warm. The brazier illuminated a frozen landscape that housed a city dwarfed by the snow. This city was covered in a thick layer of soft, white snow that shaded its vile and twisted look. The Snowflake finally landed on the snow, with not even a thump.

This city was the forgotten city of Gelida, a city once vast in wealth and produce. This city was ruled by a merciful queen, with hair as gold as honeysuckle. She ruled with her saint of a husband, whose heart was as pure as the snow that covered the land. Together, they lead this wonderful city in a world filled with danger. They kept the city and its people safe for the better part of a century. But like a flower in the snow, they were to die at the hands of a harsh cold. This cold was not the same as the winter that was locked within this land, but the coldness within his heart. He was a middle aged man, with hair as black as coal and eyes as red as blood. His name was Rathian.

Rathian was born into a family of criminals. His mother, was the most renowned thief in the land and his father was the same. They never wanted a child and when they found out that they were expecting, his mother tried to kill it. She took herbs, suffered beatings and she even tried to cut the accident out of her. Finally, after months of dreading, she gave birth to Rathian. With her husbands help, she managed to find a dark priest who was more than willing to take the child. The Dark priests were renowned for using children in their blood rituals, but Rathian’s parents did not care for the fate of their accident and they handed him over without a second thought.

Rathian was well looked after by the priest. He was clothed, fed, nurtured. The Priest treated Rathian like he was his own. Rathian never questioned his “Fathers” intentions until the day of his Ninth birthday when the priest withdrew his dulled blade and put it to Rathian’s throat. Rathian squirmed, tears streaming down his face. The Priest just laughed and pushed down, hard onto Rathian’s neck. Rathian panicked and he picked up the nearby candlestick and he hit the priests head, making three small cuts… The Priest looked blankly at him as he fell forward, death consuming him almost as quick as fear consumed Rathian. The Boy ran away that night, fleeing into the city where he spent his days on the snow filled streets. He begged, he even sold himself… Anything for gold, so he could buy enough food to survive. Somehow, he managed to live until his adult years. The sweet boy that was abandoned by his hateful parents, had become a hardened man, whose heart was as cold as the ice around him.

The City itself was home to many industries, some new to the land. It was one such industry that Rathian and many young men took an interest in. The recovery of a crystal, the Shivering Stone. It was rumoured to be a crystal of immense power and some even said it was the crystal that held the ability to make the lands eternal winter end. The Queen wished for willing men and women to aid in a journey to a forbidden temple, in search of this Stone. She received many replies and after a year of planning, Rathian and the men left.

The Men travelled for months in the coldlands, travelling during the day and freezing in their tents at nights. After weeks of travelling, they finally found the temple. It was a large tower like building, bricks stained with ash and a black shadow filling the air from its tip. The Men shivered and some refused to go inside, But Rathian convinced them to enter.

None knew what happened inside… But only Rathian returned home to Gelida, badly wounded and his eyes as red as blood. He was a changed man, darker than he ever was. His Queen saw this pain, this darkness, and she sought to help him. She granted him a room in her castle and she tried to rid him of this darkness. Night after night, she would use her gifts on Rathian without success. She was determined and she would not stop trying.

Rathian would sit awake at nights, thinking of what he saw. The things he was told to do… What he would have to do… He was about to do his duty, to kill the Queen, he had a dagger and he was in her bed chambers. But as he entered, he saw the queen holding a baby, with eyes as blue as a clear sky. The Queen gasped, holding her child closer as she saw the dagger. Rathian hesitated for a moment… He could not orphan the girl. He walked towards the queen and he apologised. He put the dagger to her throat and she gasped as her blood flooded out, staining her childs pale skin and blankets. Her daughter cried as she was taken by Rathian. Rathian took a deep breath and he held the dagger to her chest. He applied gentle pressure and the girl suddenly glowed with a white light. A Light that filled the entire city. In that instant, Rathian turned to ash and the girl drifted her way to the floor. The light left the city, and so did all life. Every man woman and child was frozen in whatever stance they were in at the time. The girl cried in the castle that night… Her crying never receiving a response.

Chapter Two- The Unfrozen One

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the hallway of the empty castle, as the girl ran down the stairs, giggling. As she ran through the hallowed halls, spectral figures ran after her. She kept running, giggling as though her joy held no bounds. She just kept running, her green dressing trailing behind her. Finally, she could not run anymore. She turned to face her chasers and she sighed. The Spectral figures sighed too. The Little girl asked them why she could not speak to the frozen ones… They softly told her that powerful magic just put them to sleep and that they would always be there for her, to help her. She nodded slowly and thanked her friends. They just stood there, showing no emotion. Like a blank canvas. They told Mirabelle to go to sleep and to get some rest, she will need it for her lessons tomorrow. She nodded and walked slowly to her room. She looked around at the frozen people, trapped in an eternal pose. She was saddened by them, but she could not help them. She entered her bedchambers and she laid herself down and as her spectral friends watched over her, everything turned black.

A loud scream echoed throughout the keep. Mirabelle woke up, her dress sticking to her sweaty body. She quickly got out of bed and put on her dress. She ran downstairs, not caring about her lack of footwear and she entered the throne room. Laying on the ground, was a little girl. A baby, with golden hair and eyes as blue as the skies. She walked over and picked up the small child. She looked in the child eyes, seeing the reflection of herself in them. Years had been good to Mirabelle, she was a beautiful young woman. She suddenly screamed as the baby turned to ash and fell through her fingers. She clicked her fingers and the spectral figures appeared in front of her. She panicked, telling them of what happened and she tried to explain her dreams and the baby, how it looked like her! The Figures listened to her stories and as she finished, they told her not to worry. She just needed to focus on her powers. She was a powerful enchantress, but still not powerful enough to undo her curse on this land. She just had to train…

But Mirabelle had been training for years. Ever since she was a little girl, these friends of hers have been their, guiding her through her life, teaching her all she needed to know. In her Nineteen years of life, she had learned how to read, write, speak perfect common, make clothes and many magical gifts. She had learned how to heal herself when she got hurt, how to manipulate ice and snow as though they were dolls. She also learned a skill her friends called “Light Magic.” This skill involved using light, pure emotion as a way to make magic. But she only knew the basics, not enough to undo her childhood curse.

She sighed and went up into her tower, where she tried so desperately to use her Light Magic. Her loneliness and sadness made it impossible for her to do anything. She could not even make a ball of light. She sat down in her wooden chair and she placed her head in her hands and she began to cry.

Chapter Three- The Shivering Stone

After years of trying to develop her skills in light magic, Mirabelle knew no more than a child knows about philosophy. She was getting nowhere. Her Spectral friends told her to keep trying, she would get better. But she knew, deep within herself, that she would not. She just couldn't. She asked them of ways to undo this curse, without light magic. Her friends told her that she was the only way, her light magic was the only way to undo it. She had to learn. She despaired, it was pointless. She slowly walked up to her bedchambers when the shortest of the Spectral Figures ran up to her. The figure whispered to her and informed her of a crystal, hidden in a forbidden temple in the center of the land. This stone held enough power to undo a thousand winters and if she had it, her curse would be nothing but a pebble in her shoe. She felt her heart race, she ran up to her chambers and put on simple leather boots, her warm cloak and she packed a bag full of food, clothes and various things she thought she would need. She begged her Spectral Figures to take her there, and they agreed.

She spent the better part of a year travelling the frozen wastes, using her magic to keep the snow from getting to her. Every Night, she would pray to the gods asking them to make this plan work. She finally reached the temple and she felt a dark energy from within it. Her spectral figures told her to be careful in there, and to protect herself. She nodded and they disappeared. She sighed deeply, she was alone again… She slowly walked into the dark temple, entering through a ruined archway with what looked like a demonic creature engraved on the stone walls. The feeling got stronger and she felt as though the light in the world was disappearing.

She came to a set of seemingly endless stairs and she slowly worked her way up, her boots making gentle thumping noises as she took each and every step. She reached the end of the stairs and the beginnings of a dark corridor. She took a torch scone off the wall and lit it. She gasped as she saw the corridor, being lined with the frozen bodies of many men and women. Their blood, frozen in pools around their long since dead bodies. She kept walking, trying to make her way through the hallway. She felt a coldness filling her body, as though someone was freezing her in ice. She blinked once, then twice, and the coldness disappeared, her magic counteracting it.

Her steps suddenly came to a stop as she reached a looming door, made from a dark wood with engravings and symbols the young Enchantress had never seen. She tried to push the door open, but it was too heavy and seemed to be locked. She clicked her fingers and one of her Spectral Figures appeared, its form somewhat flickering in the darkness. She asked it what to do and it simply replied with “Touch the door and think of the cold.” She blinked, unsure of what to make of this advice and she was about to ask for more when the figure flickered out. She sighed and done as instructed, placing her pale hand on the cold wooden door. She thought of the frozen people in her city, how they were locked in a position for the rest of their days… She thought of the coldness within them, the coldness around them. The door suddenly opened, filling the hallway with a cool air and it blew out her torch.

She tried to relight it, but all attempts failed. She walked blindly into the open space, putting her hands out in front of her. A Red light filled the room, revealing a large crystal in the center and four dark spectral figures standing around it. She shivered slightly, feeling her very soul being devoured by their hate. She nervously asked them who they were. They made no reply. She took a deep breath and confidently asked them who they were and they all turned their heads to look at her. They chuckled and spoke with a blood curdling voice. “We are the Shivering Shadows, those who protect the stone.” She nodded and asked weakly “Can I have the stone? I need it to unfreeze my people…” The Shadows laughed again and the Enchantress felt her heart beat faster. “Many have asked us for this stone.. Not many deserve its power…” The Shadows suddenly surrounded her, like she was the stone. They clawed at her, touching her every curve. She screamed and she tried to get them off of her. Her attempts done nothing and the shadows began to tear at her skin, making cuts and large gashes. She screamed loudly and held her hands in front of her, A bright light coming from them.

The Shadows let out a hiss filled scream as they ran back from her, afraid of her light. She demanded the stone and they weakly nodded. She ran to the plinth where the ice blue stone rested and she took a deep breath before picking it up. As her cool skin touched the equally cold stone, the world suddenly became slower, every action becoming as slow as snow falling from the heavens. This slowness was suddenly replaced with a bright white light, that filled everywhere in the world. The Enchantress felt her hands warm up as she used her light magic and the crystals power. Snow, Ice, her curse, it was all undone. She felt an overwhelming sense of happiness fill her very bones until finally, she couldn't take it and she fell unconscious.

She awoke in her bedchambers, Her mother sitting over her. Mirabelle felt a heat like nothing she had ever felt and sun came in through her windows. She looked at her mother and she smiled. The Frozen are finally thawed.