She slowly rocked back and forth. Her old rocking chair was a comfort. Relana brushed a gray lock back and sighed. She hated what her choices had led her too. Her black hair had faded to this despicable gray.
Watching a pot boil is always boring. Her bones felt old. She hated having to sit and watch it. But she couldn’t stand that long any more. She stood and walked over to her cauldron.
She smiled Softly. It had slow bubbles forming and popping on the surface. It was ready. Turning, Relana picked up a wooden ladle.
She stirred slowly, the murky smoke filled her vision and her nostrils. A putrid smell. She smirked and picked up a vial with her right hand. Her left hand set the ladle down on the table.
With a sickening pop the cork loosened. The grotesque smell of death and decay wafted to her nose. It would make most people cringe, but Relana, she smiled. It turned into a wicked curl upon her lips.
She allowed the sinister fluid to drip one drop at a time, until the last thing, a human eyeball rolled slowy to the neck of the bottle. It got stuck at the edge. She chuckled as it stared back at her, lifeless.
A rough shake caused the glistening orb to fall into the evil concoction with a splat. The cauldron began to glow. A twinkle in the old woman’s eyes as she grabbed the ether berries from the table.
She knew the time was coming, the prince would soon need mana pies. But the Ash tree was dying. This was the only other way. The men might feel their stomachs turn, but at least their magic would be restored.
The summoning they had soon to perform, would drain most of their life force. Using trilot near the living was almost never a good thing.
They were all informed of the possible side effects of the spell. The men still chose to volenteer. Thus she was using this recipe. It was for more than the mana drain. It was to help tame the side effects of the trillot.
She picked up her ladle and stirred the potion more. A wave of her hand and the fire went out. Her legs tired once more, she shuffled over to her rocking chair. She sat down with a sigh.
Her words, like a song, animated the ladle and the bottles. Thirty bottles, filled, one at a time using her magic. Then thirty corks to secure the tops.
She was finished. Her eyes fluttered closed. Until her door opened with a racket. Her eyes snapped open. Who would dare to barge into her home? Her eyes narrowed but then quickly went wide with panic.
Angelo burst through the door, his breath ragged and his eyes wide with panic. “Relana! I need you now!” He clutched a young boy in his arms, his expression filled with urgency and fear.
She stood so fast her rocking chair flipped on its side. “What happened to my son, Angelo?” Panic filled her voice as she rushed over to him, placing her lips on the boy’s forehead. “He is burning up!”
“I know! He has been injured, and Lilith told me to bring him here. Only you can save him! He is dying, but what is worse, Talveran is poisoned!”
“Did you see what attacked him?” Relana inquired, her worry deepening.
“I did not. We were in the middle of a war; it could have been anything.”
Fear ripped through her spine. “Take him upstairs to his bed now.”
Relana scowled as she went to her closet, opening it to grab an ancient relic.
She rushed upstairs to his bedside, her son’s soul slipping away. Relana placed her hands upon his chest, closed her eyes, and began a spell:
“Under the keeper’s guidance. The blood that courses through your veins. Embrace the immortality you are encoded for. Rise, my son, and become the king you should be.”
Redkin’s body glowed with a white, fiery light. She rushed to her washroom and grabbed a clean rag.
“Angelo, carry this water for me?” She pointed to a bucket of water on the ground. Relana returned to his bedside.
Angelo nodded and did as the old woman asked, grabbing the bucket and bringing it to the table beside the bed.
He watched in a panic worry as the old woman soaked the rag in cool water and rung the excess out. She folded the rag and placed it on his forehead.
“There is not much more I can do Angelo. We will just have to wait now.”
Angelo sighed as he sat next to his boy. He watched the young man’s chest rise and fall, each breath a struggle.
“I must go get a potion from downstairs. I shall be right back.” She hurried off to retrieve what she needed.
Angelo sat next to his son and sighed. “Why do I always find myself at your side, Talveran? Waiting for you to wake up?”
Relana came back a few moments later, a swirling potion in her hands. She walked over to Redkin and, in her aged voice, instructed Angelo. “Come help me. I need you to part his lips so that I can allow this drink to slide down his throat.”
He did as she told him to. “Will he survive?”
“Do you refer to Talveran or my son?” Relana’s expression held venom.
He growled softly but did not argue. “Both.”
She looked at Angelo with a grave expression. “I do not know.”
Angelo frowned. “I wonder, what creature would be able to injure Talveran?”
“I have a feeling I do,” her gaze dropped to her injured son, “but Goddess, I hope I am wrong.” She sighed. “Come let him rest. We have preparations to make. I am sure that Roku will be here soon.”
Angelo growled at the mention of his name. “Why must he come?”
Relana smirked and gave him her attention. “Why must you be here?”
He lowered his gaze to the floor. “I am sorry, I should not be so bitter.”
Relana walked over to him and touched his shoulder. “I am sure that there will be someone in your cards. Do not fret. We just were never meant to be.”
Together they walked down the stairs in silence. “Relana” Angelo inquired as they reached the base of the stairs.
“Yes?”
“I.. um… Can I go with you to the northern springs when it is time? Please?”
“No. You will be on a different path at that point.”
He sighed. “Alight”
They entered the kitchen, and she realized she had used all of her water. “Angelo, will you take this and go out to the well to fetch me some water? I need more for the next set of potions I must make.”
“Of course.” He took the bucket and walked out the door, frowning as the stench from the pig pen filled his nose. “Nexus! How does she live so close to these vile creatures?” He shook his head as he continued walking. He paused and looked around.
He saw a strange building not far from the well. “What the hell is that?” he thought. He could not help himself and approached it. The door rattled and shook.
He paused. “What the fuck kind of pets does this woman keep?” He knew he should have stopped, but he could not help himself. He took a step forward, pausing just as his hand touched the handle.
“What do you think you are doing?” He turned to see Relana standing there with her arms crossed. “The well is the other way.”
He scowled. “What do you have in there?”
She laughed, a wicked expression in her eyes. “Angelo, you lost the right to be in my closets many years ago.” She pointed to the well. He hung his head.
“Fine.” He obeyed her but when he got to her, he stopped. “Relana, I will make you mine again.”
Her hand meeting his cheek echoed across the farmland.
“Fuck, what was that for?” His hand went to his jaw.
“So, you can get that stupid thought out of your head now. The water, Angelo.”
Relana shuffled her way back into the cottage. Angelo felt the sting of her slap linger on his cheek. He scowled before turning back to the well. He sighed and, without any further delays, filled the bucket with water.
When entered the cottage; she was at her cauldron again. Without turning to him, she instructed, “Put it by the sink and leave me be.”
Angelo frowned and went upstairs to sit by Redkin. He pulled up a chair. Once he was seated by the boy’s bedside, he took his fingers and laced them with his. “I guess, you are all I will ever have left of her. That is if you can ever forgive me.”
Relana entered the boys room. “Angelo, tell me did you see any creatures with distinctive long curled horns? They would have had red glowing eyes and blood that runs green. Their life is one that draws on raw trilot magic, so if their blood was ignited it would burn and the dead would rise.”
Angelo’s face filled with worry and he just nodded.
Relana’s silver eyes expressed worry. “I do not know how the Vonacks could have made it here, or why they would have come. They are what have poisoned him. They are not from this dimension.”
Angelo just squeezed his son’s hand tighter. “I am worried about him, Relana. I want a chance to do right by him. He… is all I have left. Xanther, will never trust me with anything again.”
“It is alright, you do not need Xanther anymore. Redkin will be all that you need and more. I am just worried by the spell I had to use. We won’t have long before they know I am here. And I fear the spell I used will have consequences that even I cannot stop.”
“What are the Vonacks?” Angelo inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity and concern.
“They—” She did not get to finish her sentence when someone new entered the room.
“Relana! I came as soon as I heard!” The voice was urgent and familiar.
“Roku!” She rushed over to him, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
Roku frowned; his expression serious. “I have brought news from the prince. He wrote you a letter. He said if everything goes as he desires, he will only be a day or so behind me.”
Relana glanced at Angelo, then back to Roku. “Come with me.”
Together they descended the stairs, leaving Angelo at Redkin’s bedside.
“I do not trust Angelo, His loyalty is in turmoil at the moment.”
“Fair enough,” Roku handed her the letter he was sent to bring. He paused for a moment, his eyes softening. “Relana? Things will work out.”
“I know, but I am still worried. We are not ready for my grandson.” She swallowed hard and opened the note from the prince.
Relana Wavelander, Keeper of the Solhain Trees,
I need twelve pies. I pray that you can get enough berries from the Ether vines, the Solhain forest out here is already dead.
The Horror has evolved, and we have colossal problems.
We are on the losing end of this. I fear I might have to seek out Teathies to secure a plan B.
The Obsidian Cabal is on track to obtain their goals. We are in desperate need of the Hellfire in her full glory. I will be there as soon as I can tie up loose ends here.
Prince Nodran,
The Crowned Prince of Finna
Relana Wavelander, Keeper of the Solhain Trees,
I need twelve pies. I pray that you can get enough berries from the Ether vines, the Solhain forest out here is already dead.
The Horror has evolved, and we have colossal problems.
We are on the losing end of this. I fear I might have to seek out Teathies to secure a plan B.
The Obsidian Cabal is on track to obtain their goals. We are in desperate need of the Hellfire in her full glory. I will be there as soon as I can tie up loose ends here.
Prince Nodran,
The Crowned Prince of Finna
Cursing, she turned back to Roku. She turned to her cauldron. The light from the fire danced in her eyes. The aches in her body became clear again as the adrenaline drained from her system. “Pick up my chair Roku?”
He nodded and walked over, setting it upright. He watched as she painfully walked over and sat down. Roku’s expression softened.
“Roku, I am so tired. I often wonder if this life is really worth it or not. I mean, all the fight; I just don’t know that I have what it takes to see this through. I just feel so old.”
“Relana, you know as well as I do, you won’t give up. You have been at this for so long; you cannot leave just when you are about to succeed.”
“I know, I know.”
“Nodran needs berries, Relana.”
She paused. “I can’t get any more than I already have Roku. The tree is dying.”
“But I might be able to get enough for another round of potions. I have made thirty, but I am not sure that will be enough. This summoning is going to almost kill all his men.”
Roku sighed and looked at the ground. He saw two wooden buckets, one stacked inside the other in the corner.
He walked over and picked them up. They were made of ash wood. He smiled softly and turned to Relana, handing her one of the buckets.
“I will take this to Angelo. The two of you need to try one more time. If you can not get enough, Renaldo and I will ensure no one is lost to the spell, but you need to do all that you can first.”
Relana nodded. He took the other bucket and headed into Redkin’s room.
“Angelo, take this.” He handed the bucket to the armored man.
Angelo just stared at him, his eyes narrowing.
Roku rolled his eyes and put the bucket down on the ground. He shifted his attention to Redkin, frowning as he touched the boy’s forehead.
Now that his armor was not covering his body, Roku noticed something interesting. Concern came over his face.
He shifted Redkin’s shirt, revealing a scar over his heart with black veins that seemed to pulse to their own rhythm.
“RELANA!” Roku called her with fear in his voice.