Chapter 8 Witches and Warlocks

When everything seems right in the world, everything goes wrong. It all began with an arid spring as elves planted their food crops. Sea sprays were welcomed, but not enough for all the mountain plants. Wild herbs became scarce. Fish of the sea was plentiful and happily provided by mermaids looking for precious stones. A drought ensued into the summer and all suffered. Fires for Midsummer’s day were a sight unseen for fear of the fires spreading throughout the forest. The harvest was barely saved from the hail that pounded from Andos. Gilda was busy nurturing the plants thirsty for a drink. Emperor Olic of Blythe and King Nib of Lotan sent soldiers to dig canals and wells for the humans in the Borderlands. Yet still, Andos denying rain to the surface created a barren landscape and dry winds were said to be from a new god in Kadacia. Alaric searched far and wide for plants needed for his potions. Fall harvest celebrations were not joyous occasions when famine was realized inevitable. Winter saw little specks of frost covering the ground, but nothing like the blizzards the winter before. Nix became pregnant again and had to bury her child beside the other. Spring came with welcoming eyes. Mass migrations occurred during the months after the fallible harvest. Many moved into the Olin Mountains looking for brighter pastures. They collect berries, roots, mushrooms, fish, and mulberry fiber for clothes. Many animals were slaughtered when farmers could not feed them. Mermaid trade flourished and they were often seen trading far into the Aurora River in the mountains and grasslands. Desperate humans sought out the Desert of Kadacia where people accustomed to arid climates live quite well. Elves along the coast appeared not to be hit as hard by the famine as humans further inland. The Laurel colony helped the forest elves much more than other collapsing communities further away. Soon, Laurel discovered many part-humans are being banished from human villages. Fauns, part-elves, werewolves, fairies, and sprites were expelled from human towns.
Fewer and fewer colonists came to Laurel from Ithaca, and many left during the drought. King Nib forgave all tribute from the Borderlands and sent baskets of grain for the people. Emperor Olic had to recount his people from the mass migrations, and fruitful areas of the empire delivered food to the Borderland villages. Bogs around Lake Victyria were drained to the outrage of ogres of the land. A new village of werewolves was founded between Etonville and Leesville by banished werewolves named Sylvania. It set along slopes at the bottom of the mountains and the werewolves made their homes in trees like the elves did. They looked like all other humans in tattered clothing. The only differences from humans were their superior senses and speak to their tamed wolves. They eat nuts and berries in addition to their animal diet. They were friendly to the fearless elves who knew a werewolf bite would not change them into werewolves like humans do. One werewolf made excellent reed mats that he traded for food. Alaric’s father loved the mats so much that he covered his floors with them. Hariem, the werewolf was called, became friends with Alaric. Alaric knew all in the area and welcomed the newcomers to the Olin Mountains. Nix detested the new community and never joined Alaric on his journeys there.
Nix also became depressed at losing three babies now. She took Iris’s amulet and prayed for her help to give Alaric a child. Iris came to give Nix a potion to drink before she becomes pregnant again. Alaric was unsure if Iris was really helping Nix. Once accused, Iris defended that she would never harm someone he loved dearly, despite her undying love for Alaric. She claimed that she wants Alaric to be happy. She resented Alaric’s accusations of an ulterior motive to helping Nix. Alaric humbly apologizes. Autumn came before anyone was ready. There were tales of attacks upon caravans carrying grain to various communities. The fall harvests were meager, but plentiful compared to the prior autumn. Mermaids returned to the sea leaving the elves to search for food. The Olin Mountains, now more full of creatures than the rocks could support, suffered as much as the grassland humans and elves. Many jumped on Rondan ships to lands promised to hold black fertile land. Some boats sailed to the Ithaca while others drifted to The Ice Mountains across the sea where the Titans live. Once upon a time, a local elf witch was banished to Titania. Tales of the Witch of Titania crept their way to the Olin Mountains where it is said she visits sailors on the seashore in the form of a white to warn when the Titans are coming. Many suspected these immigrants were made into slaves because none ever returned from the promised fertile land to get their families or tell how grand it is, as many did before. Some escapees from Rondan captors made their way to the safe haven of the Black Forest, thus forcing Daxus to extend his borders. Burial mounds enlarged in short periods of time. Animals to hunt diminished in numbers and even panthers starved in the mountains. A wet winter was embraced by all, but soon many displaced tribes found an enemy no one could conquer: a plague.
Brightsburg fell into dark times after Chief Cossus the Dragonslayer died of plague. Laeos buried his father in a grand mound so he could always find it. Enough have died to create a mound in the shape of an otter. Nix attended the funeral and sipped tasteless soup from another meager fall harvest. The viceroy created new rules for burial, including forbidding grand feasts and bonfires (which were largely ignored). Tribes passing through Brightsburg looking for food spread the sickness better than traders ever could. New leaders fought for the position of chief. Several cousins of Laeos battled for the post. Laeos turned away from the fight for he had sick children at home. One cousin named Modred was introduced to a root that was promised to cure the plague. He gave it to all his relations to watch them suffer to death, but then Laeos’s children grew stronger. He thought if administered before the killer feverish boils, it would help his village back to health. He was promptly voted the new Chief of Brightsburg. Once Modred was elected chief, Alaric kept his distance from Brightsburg. He remembered well the insults and tricks Modred liked to play on the apprentice elves. Modred’s wife Myra crushed Alexis’s heart long ago and recently gave birth to a son named Treynor. All the more to stay away from Modred’s control of Brightsburg. Nonetheless, every healer was busy with clients during the plague year. The Sorceress and Alaric were no exception. Two werewolf cubs became orphaned by the plague. She looked for someone to take them in. Nix refused to take them into her home. Alaric spoke to Hariem to care for the orphans. He agreed to take them in.
Summer came and news spread that any witch or warlock in a human village was tortured to death under blame of starting the plague. After much suffering, some thought death as a relief. More refugees flooded into the Olin Mountains. Elves assumed the plague was punishment by the gods for their mass trade success that devastated the mountains. Nix came close to giving birth to her child and gave thanks inside her temple not to be in Brightsburg anymore. She even begged Laeos to come to live in Leesville. He declined to leave his home when his children are finally healing from the plague. Unbeknownst to the elves, another rumor grew from the lack of decline the coastal elves had from the drought, famine, and the plague. Elves living in human towns of Lotan felt the wind of change coming as humans slighted them in the streets and marketplaces. The lucky ones ran to Etonville where an elf town grew next to a human town and became one. Resentments bloomed into anger, and anger flourished into hatred of the elves. As proof of an elf conspiracy to rid the world of humans, Chief Modred pointed out how The Sorceress cured werewolves, but not humans. Alaric also discovered the root from the centaurs and saved Etonville from the plague. He also brought Hariem to honor the shrine to the moon goddess Dora inside Etonville. The Sorceress came too on the visit to Etonville. The werewolf cubs enjoyed buying toy soldiers in a market shop. Hariem sold shellfish, reed mats, and mint twigs. They visited a great temple with a pantheon of god and goddesses statues encasing the inner walls. The High Priestess planned to come out to bless the visit during their Midsummer’s Eve festival. Alaric notices more homes made from dirt and clay than wood, probably a byproduct of the drought. Rain soon fell and tubs were dragged out to catch whatever moisture the humans and elves were given. While hiding in an inn from the rain, the innkeeper’s dogs kept barking at the werewolves to instigate curiosity of the humans. Alaric waved his hand and the dogs fled whimpering.
Once the downpour ended, the High Priestess came out to give a blessing to the villagers. She paced around the crowd and stopped near the cloaked hood of The Sorceress. The female human slipped into an entranced state to predict that the famine and plague were sparks of a worse peril yet to come. Snapping awake, the woman continued her blessing and said a prayer for the Blythe royal family. The travelers make their way back to Sylvania before sunset. They rest and make camp beside a stream. Alaric catches a glimpse of the goddess Charise swimming in the water as he drops a bucket to quench their thirsty lips. The underworld goddess jumps into a screech and waves her hand to give Alaric horns. Our hero passes his hand from back to front of his head to remove the horns. He points out to the goddess that on the surface everyone can see her. She grabs her robes and breastplate. She firmly straps on her golden sword as Alaric laughs at her fury. She joins the elves and werewolves to dinner. Alaric cooks up one of his famous cream soups from milk, flour, and oysters. The dark night was a pleasant sight to Charise who is accustomed to living in the underworld. Her coal black eyes reflect much of the firelight. She spoke on the fire god Devon bringing her to the surface during their courtship, yet she still is not used to it. She combs her charcoal black hair and makes the comb disappear. Hariem realizes he needs to get use to holy persons if he is to remain friends with Alaric. Speaking to magical beings is natural for him. The werewolf cubs were delighted to meet a goddess in person. Alaric fascinated Hariem and the cubs with tales of meeting Dora on the moon. Out of the stream crawled an otter which rested on Charise’s lap. Bewildered, Hariem asked who the otter is. Charise explains it is her husband Devon. The otter made the firelight erupt with smoke then returned it to normal.
Hariem and the cubs soon transformed into hairy beasts under the full moon. No one paid attention to their screams as they transform and begin howling under the moonbeams. Hariem expressed to Alaric that his oblivious feelings to his werewolf form is why he likes talking to him. Alaric claims to understand. He tried hard that day to convince the coward werewolf that he could fight humans who torture werewolves. Hariem presses hard that it is futile to fight against mobs that release dogs onto him then light him on fire after he is tied up. Alaric decided to give his old iron sword to Hariem and gave him a few lessons to control the magic powers within the metal. The older werewolf cub quickly learned to use it too. At least it gave the traumatized creatures a piece of hope. Alaric came home to a messenger bat holding tales from Lanie. Gilda gave birth to a sprite god named Max. Abbykins the faerie is adored by Max also. The baby dragon Jojo has grown large enough to be ridden upon. Alani came to visit her before he starts his regular schooling in writing and arithmetic. He sees no reason to learn to fight since he has great god powers. Lanie explained to him that others have those same god powers and will use them against him. She enclosed an amulet she crafted for Alaric’s and Nix’s future baby. Her mother saw in her black future mirror that he will have a son by the end of the year. The sun goddess Petrie paid them a visit during a solar eclipse. She brought gifts for Lanie, Toralyn, and the baby Max. Her flaming red hair was beautiful according to Lanie. Learning potions, she turns her hair red often. Gilda noted that she is trying hard to get Andos to send more rain. He sent hail instead to ruin many crops. Petrie does what she can to help and plants rain seeds in a few clouds to moisten the parched landscape. Daxus saw his children during his once a year eyesight restoration day. Petrie apologized to Daxus on behalf of Andos for his loss of sight. Daxus claimed that he was adapted to blindness and enjoys the increase sensitivity of his other senses. He almost does not want his sight back for very long. He still is the King of the Black Forest and rules it well with Gilda at his side.