Welcome to paradise (Entry 110)

by Hayley Thomas

Dear diary,

A week has passed since acquiring the scroll from the hags and I’ve spent most of my time studying it. I had a rough idea what the ritual would do, but I want to be absolutely sure if I ever want to use it.

From what I gathered, the ritual requires three spellcasters to perform and it allows one of the spirits trapped on the material plane to temporarily possess a mortal form. They would retain most of their power, but not all. It only works on a willing mortal and the closer or more similar the target is to the spirit, the more power they possess.

Young woman, black hair, witchy magic….it certainly explains why Sister Willow took an interest in me, and why I am the best target for this ritual. But we’re not there yet. This still leaves many questions unanswered. Questions I will need to ask of Sister Willow in person. An idea has started blooming in the back of my mind on how to accomplish that, but that is a worry for another day.

A week has passed and we gathered to discuss what to do next. The first thing that I noticed is how much my dear brother has changed. Being bonded with the primordial elemental has taken its toll for sure. His skin has turned red, with dark cracks all along it. So powerful is the bond that he is barely human anymore, rather a fire genasi. Sooner or later we would have to deal with this.

But for now we had more pressing matters to attend to. Our first priority is the ritual to transport Tarn to the feywild. There was one little hitch, which we were aware of, and that is that Myrddin would need someone closely linked to the Immerglade. One of those secrets I had been carrying around for a long time now, and had only recently shared with Gael, because I believed he had a right to know. Namely that we have someone that is closely linked to the Immerglade. Dynia, the daughter of queen Titania.

The burden of sharing this was up to Gael now, and he decided to divulge the information, thinking that this was the right time. As soon as he shared that Dynia was in fact the heir to the throne of the Immerglade I heard the sound of glass shattering. Gael half keeled over, clutching his head and screaming out in pain. A wave of raw energy swept out from Gael’s hunched over form, and then the world fell silent.

I looked at Gael and saw in his eyes the same worry I had. Dynia. Mentioning her heritage had shattered the magic holding her hidden. We rushed over to his home, finding the girl unconscious on the floor. We couldn’t immediately revive her. As I sat at her side and tried to wake her up, lady Vivienne stormed in, anger clear on her face. Gael used his magic to revive Dynia, while I explained to Vivienne what had happened, and that I had known all this time who Dynia was. She shook her head, saying that we would need to hurry with the ritual as Ulther would now be aware of Dynia. I had never been sure of her allegiance, but now it was clear. Vivienne was on the side of Immerglade, and she was ready to sacrifice herself to buy some time. She said goodbye and teleported away to distract Ulther, while we rushed to Myrrdin to complete the ritual.

We took up positions around the ritual circle, ready to defend Myrddin at all costs. He warned us not to cross the circle, and to not cast magic through or into it, as it could upset the delicate balance, and drop us into the wrong plane.

As soon as the ritual started, a shiver ran down my spine. What we were doing was unnatural. I went against the rules of nature, and we were going to break all of them. Soon after we heard the voices whisper in the wind. A conversation between two unseen … things.

“This is not allowed. The passage is guarded” One whispered.

“These rules don’t apply anymore.” The other replied.

“We still remember.”

“They are capable of stopping you.” The second voice replied again.

“We have stopped others before.”

It sounded final, certain. I clenched my hand around my athame, ready to leap into action. And then the first of the undead appeared, quickly followed by another. Then more surrounding us, black flames burning between their bones and behind their eye sockets. To make things worse arrows started raining down on us from some unseen assailant. Or at least unseen for most of us. Gael rushed up to the roof to deal with the archer while the rest of us scrambled to keep the undead away from the magic circle.

Gael managed to lure the archer to the side of the roof, and when finally in my sight, I turned her to stone. The rest quickly dealt with the remaining undead. As the noise of the battle faded, we glanced at the ritual. Horror gripping our hearts. The circle was swirling with elemental and necrotic energy from the spells that had been cast. Too much of it. I couldn’t risk it infecting the ritual so something needed to be done to balance it.

So I did something desperate. I stepped into the circle, brandishing my athame. It was attuned to necrotic energy, and combined with my own magic, maybe I could draw it all into myself.

It worked.

All the swirling energy focussed on the athame in my hand, turning the necrotic energy into elemental. And then it all released at once. I had hoped to contain it, draw it all in. It was a dangerous gamble, one that could kill me. And it almost did. Instead of drawing into me, it exploded outward, tempered by my magic, but still violent.

I woke up again with Alistan kneeling at my side, one hand holding my head, the other holding an empty potion. My entire body ached in coldness but I smiled softly before looking over at the circle. The magic was gone, but I could see green mist swirling around the village. Spreading out from Tarn over the Lorewood. It had worked. The ritual had worked. Tarn was in the feywild.

Alistan helped me to my feet and I quickly received my athame, which to my surprise was still in one piece. Cracks had formed along the blade, damaged by the blast of cold. I honestly had expected worse.

Step one of our plan had succeeded. Tarn was in the Immerglade and saved from Ulther’s direct influence. But we had rushed things into motion and now we needed to plan what step to take next.

Continue reading...

Entry one: The trials

Entry two: The bramble

Entry 3: Rosebloom

Entry 4: Hearts and Dreams

Entry 5: of ghosts and wolves

Entry 6: Hillfield and Deals with Fae

Entry 7: mysteries and pastries

Entry 8: The scarecrow ruse
6th of Lug, 121 Year of the Tree

Entry 9: A betrayal of satyrs
7th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 10: The fate of twins
8th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 11: Cursed twins
10th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 12: Loss and despair
11th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Hayley's rules to being a Witch

Entry 13: the price of safety
12th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 14: A golden cage and fiery tower
13th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 15: A trial by fire
14th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 16: Keralon
15th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Letter to Luke 1

Letter to Luke 2

Letter to Luke 3

Letter to Luke 4

Letter to Luke 5

Letter to Luke 6

Entry 17: I shall wear midnight
1st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 18: peace in our time
2nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 19: Caern Fussil falls
3rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 20: I see fire
4th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 21: Cultists twarted
10th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 22: Ravensfield
14th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 23: The Hollow Hill Horror
15th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 24: Burn your village
16th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 25: Ravensfield burns
17th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 26: There will be blood!
21st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 27: A happy reunion
22nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 28: The embassy ball
23rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 29: The fate of Robert Talespinner
24th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 30: A royal summons
28th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 31: of Dogville and Geese
29th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 32: A boggle named Pim
30th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 33: A deal broken
1st of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 34: The cost of doing what is right
2nd of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 35: A dish best served cold
9th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

entry 36: Cornu returns?
10th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 37: A letter from Amarra
11th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 38: The case of the (not) missing villagers
14th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 39: A curse broken
15th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 40: Into the Lorewood
18th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 41: Cabin in the Woods
19th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 42: Myrdin and Anaya
20th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 43: Into the Immerglade
21st of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree

Entry 44: A tale as old as time
22nd of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree

Entry 45: The truth
23rd of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 46: Luke's Ordeal
24th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 47: The festival
26th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 48: Trouble at the Cathedral
2nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 49: Quinn's court
4th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 50: onwards to Latebra Velora
5th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 51: Where is my cow?
6th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 52: Here be dragons
7th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 53: Dragon hoard with a side of scarabs
8th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 54: Leave the basilisks alone
9th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 55: Return to Ravensfield
10th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 56: The needs of the many...
11th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 57: Dreams of Sister Willow
12th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 58: wetlands be wet
13th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 59: Baron Perenolde
14th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 60: Talebra Velora and the lady Morenthene
15th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 61: Cypria
16th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 62: Dragon takes Knight
17th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 63: Return to Talebra Velora
18th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 64: Your presence is “requested”
19th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 65: I stand alone
20th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 66: A day of normalcy
21th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 67: Into the Neverhold
22nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 68: The Warg King

Entry 69: Chased by birds

Entry 70: Whitewail

Entry 71: Nimmerhold

Entry 72: The menagerie
29th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 73: To the library!
30th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 74: The people's tournament
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 75: Nimmerhold party
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 76, The return home
Second of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 77: A week of peace
10th of Mannan

Entry 78: The tomb of the First King
11th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 79: I had a dream
12th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 80: The ritual for Sister Willow
14th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 81: Trouble at the Briar Ring
15th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 82: My day as a crocodile
21st of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

The return of the twins (Entry 83)
22nd of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Earth and Sky (Entry 84)
26th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Wolf's Rest betrayed (entry 85)
30th of Mannon

The end of a chapter (entry 86)
first of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

On the road (Entry 87)
second of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

The Red Knight (Entry 88)
7th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Dear uncle… (Entry 89)
8th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Cut the bridge (Entry 90)
10th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Home (Entry 91)
13th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

A tale of two shadows (Entry 92)
16th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Eileen Inkheart and the cursed village (Entry 93)
17th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Nidhog at the end of the world (Entry 94)
18th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Into Hillfield (Entry 95)
24th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Did it have to be spiders? (Entry 96)
12th of Duna, 128 Era of the Tree

The burning tree (Entry 97)
13th of Duna, 128 Era of the Tree

Deep down the city (Entry 98)
14th of Duna, 128 Era of the Tree

Heavy is the crown (Entry 99)
21st of Duna, 128 Era of the Tree

Genie in a bottle (Entry 100)
24th of Duna, 128 Era of the Tree

Bad blood (Entry 101)
27th of Duna, 128 Era of the Tree

Think about it (Entry 102)
2nd of Hagan, 128 Era of the Tree

Arca Valon (Entry 103)
6th of Hagan, 128 Era of the Tree

Myrddin's grand plan (Entry 104)
10th of Hagan, 128 Era of the Tree

Nearly lost you (Entry 105)
11th of Hagan, 128 Era of the Tree

Who let the dogs out? (Entry 106)
18th of Hagan, 128 Era of the Tree

Land of confusion (Entry 107)
19th of Hagan, 128 Era of the Tree

Running up that hill (Entry 108)
20th of Hagan, 128 Era of the Tree

I know what I am (Entry 109)
24th of Hagan, 128 Era of the Tree

Welcome to paradise (Entry 110)
1st of solstice, 129 Era of the Tree

Come out and play (Entry 111)
1sh of Solstice, 129 Era of the Tree

This is war (Entry 112)
2nd of Solstice, 129 Era of the Tree

Good things go (Entry 113)
3rd of Solstice, 127 Era of the Tree

Welcome to paradise (Entry 110)

Continue reading...

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