Kaleenon's Witness

demanded, all the girls in the town were brought and made to stand according to their ages. Mages weren't allowed to participate in th

alked magnificently to the altar, he was dressed in a royal blue and unlike the others, a golden girdle was around his waist. The murmuring

all had stains of blood as they struggled. Kaleenon's delegates would sink their sharp talons into their neck and draw out blood leaving them to be preyed on by the rest of the crew if

and her dress torn and bloodied. His name was never spoken without a grudge or anger waiting to b

s the impending doom stalked. Hayso could sense the energy in the room, it was ridden with fear and guilt. Like

r them." She glanced towards the other side of the hall where the g

ouldn't shake off the dream she had earlier

door opened revealing a dwarf walking with a stick twice it's size. Hayso almost b

times mistaken to be a dream. She was five and had been playing with a rabbit in a buckwheat field her parents owned miles away from Petrabeth close to the neighbouring villages. Her rabbit had run off and fallen into a ditch. The sun was setting and she knew if she didn't get to the rabbit, she might never see it again. With a baffled courage and b

all cuddled up with i

o take him from the str

u'll wake

while gently care

t and that was what caught the attention of the stranger. His hand reached for ha

r I wanted him to be called finlo, he had wanted masera but I didn't like the sound of m

iting all his life just to say it, a smile creeped on his lips and a loo

dn't know why but she felt a sense of ease and securit

ust

or a glint of a lie but saw none instea

erated through the silent field. "No,

loud, you could have woken up finl

he brightness of her eyes became b

ns you're not going to come here again

me flashing a wel

e sad a

I see you again? I can

you found finlo." He slowly handed her the rabbit and stood. At his full height, he tow

ou my

a

see yo

go before it gets darker and don't come to

watching her. She repeated this two more times the further she got from him. At the fourth one, he was gone like he had never been there in the

hrough the door, "The siphon." They murmured between them

is he

has ch

something?" The murm

yone else wondered what had changed. They all lowered their heads as the siphon took his seat on the podium. He dropped the hood down from his head

she had thought it was

two that had entered took their places in front. The tall one st

ich he was granted. He came forward presenting a record of all the girls in

these

es

girl

the mage

He felt the elder was trying to outsmart him. "

's voice got obstructed by a sharp tug on his garment. The siphon s

he all powerful and mighty King Kaleenon, if you disrespect me, you disrespect h

el his blood boiling as he tightened his fist. The elder struggled, the life almost leavi

r sins." A devious smile tugged at the edge of his lips. "Anuk!" He signaled to the dwarf with a wave of his hand and as his master commanded, he presented a golden goblet with intricate designs. "Shank!" He signaled but this time to the tall one with a tilt of his head and

silently they looked help

a weak old man came forward. His hands shook as he tried to stable his cane, fervently approaching the podium and Anuk. Anuk had a wicked smile on his face as he ponderously reached

the old man away and wat

slowly ran down until nothing was left off it's upper p

is body. Sinews of muscles trailed over his hands and neck and they bobbed. The siphon could sense the blo

d in the siphon's hands wi

"I need a drink from you, don't try to be clever and do as I bid." With a dre

wn hair and pale white skin, her eyes were an ethereal blue, each look s

er, she nudged Hayso, "Our names are in there Hayso, what if we ge

m. Feeling the tension, Hayso squ

om the moment it left her hands, it got louder each second it remained suspended in the air. When it go

apprentices were told to stay behind as the seniors and masters worked. Hayso covered her eyes casting a blinding spell over it. The light in the room went up into a burst and speckled of light danced around, no more blinding but sheen and enticing. The villagers couldn't h

s to begin their search among the girls. As the light went round each girl and deemed them unworthy of standing before Kaleenon's court, their name on the book would immediat

with. At the end of the day, it didn't matter who the girl would be, all he knew was they wouldn't leave empty handed even if the light had this time re

s danced faster and faster until they were done with each girl from the village. The result shocked the elders, such has never happened since the initiation of the c

ts were on her. Her anxiety had broken through the rooftops, a hard one to conceal. Maasai just like the rest of the mages was worried, the ceremony never w

ly just arrived Petrabeth nine months ago for her training and

the lights circled her. Her heart skipped and adrenaline rushed through her like a river. Sweat formed on her forehead the longer the lights stayed and so di

ll to her knees clutching her back. The mages gave her space, shock evident in their features as they stared at the one chosen to

g to find an escape from her agony but all positi

is point. Pulling her up to her feet, she whispered a command none of them could unde

podium before voicing their thoughts to everyone in the room.