Rite of Passage
Fai trudged through the forest, the heavy rain overhead pattering on the leaves as she moved through. She’d given up holding up her dress from the mud and branches at this point, it tattered and snagged as she ran. She wouldn’t let anything stop her now. She finally knew why he’d come to her, and it was the witch’s fault. All of the years of suffering Fai could never get back. She clutched her dagger in her fist. The witch would pay for what she’d done.
She felt the rage flaring in her chest as she made her way into the clearing. It threatened to consume her, she felt it coursing through her veins as the witch’s home came into view. The tower was gothic in design, or at least it had been. It now stood decrepit and decaying, its spires and pinnacles crumbling. It could be seen from every point in the valley but could never be found by a soul looking for it. The witch had shown her the way long ago, she had once been a mentor of sorts. Fai happened to be the only one that knew the way through.
Fai made her way through the damp long grass. The wind whistled a cool breeze past her. She was drenched to the bone, but the heat in her chest kept her warm enough to not notice. She stopped at a safe distance from the tower. Sucking in the cold air into her chest she looked up to the window at the top of the tower.
‘Witch! I know you’re in there!’ She yelled over the sound of the storm. ‘You knew! He told me you were the one that led him to me! You knew what was happening and you said nothing! Why?’ She waited for an answer but there was nothing. The fury came again, bubbling over as she raised her voice for the last time. ‘I will never forgive you!!’
She rushed at the door of the tower with an inhuman speed but was met by a barrier that flung her back. She skidded to a halt and let out a frustrated sigh. Blue tendrils appeared from the barrier to protect the doorway, they began lashing out at her. The witch thought this would stop her?
Fai focused on the dagger in her hands, she would call on him to help, she shut her eyes and concentrated. She called out in her mind for him, and he was quick to answer. Her mind was blank in the darkness, she saw a line appear on her horizon as it opened to show an overwhelmingly large eye of orange and red. It looked down at her, as it always did. In her mind’s eye, she felt a paralysing presence threatening to crush her. He’d answered.
Imbued with red magic, the dagger began to shake with a violent new energy. In a frenzied rage, Fai lashed at the tendrils and barrier in a flurry of attacks, slicing them to shreds. Feeling the energy pulse through her, she smiled, she could feel him encouraging her to do it, to kill the witch. His voice once again filed her thoughts. For now, she could keep him at bay. Raising the dagger once again, a final strike shattered the barrier to pieces and only the door remained in her way.
Raising her hand to the door, she blasted an orb of orange-red energy through it, splintering it to pieces before rushing inside. She ran to the spiral staircase peering upwards. The stairs were hundreds of meters high, much higher than the outside would lead you to believe. The witch was protecting herself with spells, she was trying to buy herself time. Seething, Fai powered up the staircase, the silence had said it all. The witch knew what she’d done and now she would pay for it with her life.
Fai ran until she had no breath left. As she looked up the staircase to the top she realised that it was the same distance from where she had started as she looked down it was the same distance again. Feeling the rage flow over she screamed as the orange energy exploded out from her body. The energy formed simple hand-shapes that began to tear down the magic that surrounded her, digging their elongated nails into the magic and ripping it. The illusion faded as the coils of torn magic fizzled into nothing.
Fai now stood halfway up the staircase of the tower, the door to the witch’s rooms insight. Swiping away tendrils that had begun to appear from the walls to hold her back, Fai once again sprinted to the top. Bursting open the doors with another bout of magic she stood in the familiar inner rooms of the witch’s home. She had spent many an hour here. It was more cluttered than she remembered, amongst the antique furniture, disorderly kitchen and several bookcases were piles of books and papers scattered around over every free surface.
The witch stood near the large window looking out across the valley. Fai’s rage flared again.
‘You!’ She said, grinding her teeth.
The witch turned slowly, her face a mask of no emotion. She was a stern woman, she always had been but she’d been the only one kind to Fai. Her grey hair was tied immaculately in a long plait down her back. Her lemon-coloured dress with a brown apron over the top was dusted as usual with powders and leaves and ingredients for potions sticking out of every pocket. She looked older than before, more tired, her wrinkles more deep-set. Fai had not seen her in some time, not since their argument a few years ago.
‘I see you’ve found your own way in.’ She said with a slow calm voice. Fai contained herself.
‘I guess you really have nothing to say for yourself then.’ She took a step closer, the blade in her palm felt like it was burning.
The witch stared at her, something cold in her eyes that Fai couldn’t read. The witch finally sighed, leaning up against the desk at her window.
‘I guess not.’ she said slowly. ‘Sounds like you have your mindset.’ She nodded her head towards the blade. The witch’s apathy ground on Fai and she felt a flare-up on the magic that surrounded the blade.
‘You really have nothing to say?’ she forced through her gritted teeth. ‘After all those years where you comforted me when I was ostracised from the village, all those years you ‘helped’ me while trying to find my way. All those years he came to me, haunted me and pushed me to the edge of insanity, yet you said nothing. You knew! Now I learn that it was you who led him to me in the first place!’
The witch didn’t flinch, the mask unfaltering.
‘It was a test. Look at the power you now hold, He’s made you a force to be reckoned with-’
‘Screw the power!’ Fai shouted ‘I could have had a normal life, a life where I was valued and loved! You inflicted a life on me that I didn’t want. It was not up to you to decide how my life would go and yet you choose anyway!’
The mask slipped a little as the witch frowned.
‘He chose you Fai, I merely guided you to him. He has a purpose for you, I’m sure. You’re misunderstanding-’
‘I don’t want to hear it! No more lies!’ she screamed ‘You ruined my life! Or any promise of a life unlike yours!’ Fai stalked closer, unable to hold any longer.
There was a moment’s pause. The mask was reclaimed by the witch.
‘So be it.’ The witch said, dusting off her hands. ‘If you won’t listen. Do what you must, child.’
Fai rushed at the witch with the blade, the witch wove a shield to stop the blow. They tussled in a flurry of blows and defence. The witch was weaker than Fai remembered. She could see it, with every blow of her blade and the beads of sweat beginning to form on the witch’s forehead. Fai was more powerful now and that only spurred her forwards. As the witch got slower Fai saw an opening and with that, she sliced at the witch’s arm.
In a yell of pain, the witch pushed Fai away with a blast of magic. Fai regained her balance and grinned maniacally at the witch.
‘Not as young as we used to be huh?’ She laughed.
The witch clutched at her arm, she sluggishly raised her eyes to meet Fai’s.
‘There’s only meant to be one…it’s how it has always been…’ she panted.
‘Spare me your words.’ Fai said before rushing at the witch again. As they clashed again Fai quickly overpowered the witch. Now the mask the witch had dropped to show concern. He whispered things to her in her mind, spurring her to keep fighting.
‘This is how he wants it to end Fai, we don’t have to do this.’ She struggled against Fai’s power. ‘If you’d only listen for a moment-’
‘I can’t forgive you for the monster you’ve made me.’
‘We can break the cycle Fai!’
‘I’ve had enough!’ Her voice broke into something much deeper and otherworldly.
With a monstrous force, Fai broke the shield and plunged the knife into the witch’s chest. Her face stunned, the witch looked down at her chest before collapsing and she lay gasping for breath on the floor. Fai stood looking down at her as the rage subsided. The witch laughed weakly as she coughed up blood.
‘Another cycle is complete. He only has one chosen at a time. I saw it coming, after all, I did the same in my youth.’ She lay clutching her side.
Fai paused. Now that the rage had subsided, she could hear again. The dagger dropped from her hand as her heart began to sink.
‘Only one? You were his chosen too? What do you mean you did the same?’
‘Yes, child. I was the one chosen before you, he only has one disciple at a time to concentrate his powers. I thought I had more time but my power was already waning. I thought maybe I could change your mind before my time came, but he clearly got to you first. I didn’t realise until it was far too late.’ She coughed again, wheezing through the pain. Fai kneeled at her side, suddenly overcome with confusion.
‘I don’t understand. H-he told me it was you, he said this was all your doing.’ Fai said with a sudden pang of regret. The witch smiled at her and raised a hand to her cheek, caressing it.
‘I had to kill my mentor too, it’s all part of his test. He knew you had great potential, he knew you’d make it through his training and look how strong you’ve become. Once again I was just a pawn in his schemes, it’s the way it’s always been. But you, I think he has a grand plan for you my dear.’ she said quietly stroking Fai’s cheek. Fai sighed looking down at her bloodied hands.
‘He played us both didn’t he?’ She said finally, looking the witch in the eyes as the tears began to well up into her own. The witch coughed, trying to regain her breath.
‘I’m afraid he did. Be careful dear one, you can never trust him to have your interests in mind. I learnt that the hard way…’ The witch drew Fai into an embrace. ‘Never forget your true self. He will consume you otherwise.’
‘There’s still time to save you Eva, I could go-’
‘No child, please stay, this is how it was meant to be.’ Eva said quietly.
Eva whispered something quietly into Fai’s ear. Fai held Eva until her last breath. Fai didn’t move for some time, she felt hollow, devastated. Unable to comprehend what she’d done, what He had led her to do. He’d manipulated her into believing that it was Eva to blame, Fai had believed it without a thought. Where had it all gone wrong? Why hadn’t she listened?
She finally stood, wiping her eyes and nose on her sleeves as she took in a deep breath. She’d killed the only person that could have understood her and possibly the only person to truly love her. Fai spent a moment looking out of the window overlooking the valley, she took in the view one last time over the hills she would likely never see again. She made a promise to herself at that moment, that she would never trust anyone ever again. Least of all Him.
