Venetia Prologue

The night came over the Mountains of Mist on the northern part of Norashe. The distant howls of the White wolves echoed throughout the valley. Two hooded figures made their way up the rocky terrain.  The summer night damped their faces even with the light breeze.  Their white eyes shone under their hooded faces. Some called them demonic creatures and some others called them Angels.  With their ageless faces sharp and empty of expression. But, they were nothing more than just normal humans intoxicated with the remnants of the powerful elixirs that they drunk every day to allow them to enhance their human abilities. Life was short for this creatures after their initiation.

                The two hooded figures continued their pilgrimage. The trees became more spread out and the terrain more dangerous.  The unseen drops killed the untrained. This was the last test for the two hooded creatures.  They had one day and one night to arrive to the top of the Mountains of Mist.  Out of the air two giants appeared hammer swimming. The hooded figures jumped just in time. Out of their concealing robes two women jumped up in the air one with long blond hair held a two handed sword and the other with white hair jumped behind the giants with two long daggers.  The giants swung their big hammers again splitting the place where they landed.

                The female with the two handed sword landed and quickly jumped off like a cat jumping up to a prey. The sword swung true reflecting the full moon. One of the giants blocked the attack with his big hammer and she flew up the air spinning and with pure white eyes shining.  Meanwhile the female with the two daggers stabbed the giants legs in four quickly movements. Blood flew up the air as they fell to their knees.  She moved quickly again to try and finish them, but one of the giants caught one of her boots. The other female landed and quickly used her landing momentum to jump up to the giants’ backs and one fluid movement decapitating both.  The female with the daggers quickly jumped to the side as the giants fell to the ground. 

                “That was messy Venetia!” she said cleaning the bloody daggers.

                “You better be thankful, Ashley.” She said and rose the sword up the full moon. It was the sword of Lilies. A legend by itself passed down from generation to generation. A sword the belonged the queens of old times in the lost kingdom of the Wastelands. Venetia Goldstone smiled. “We better hurry. We have less than six hours of night time.”

                Ashley was a short elf from the flatlands at the southeast of Norashe. Not more than five feet tall. Long ears covered by her white hair and wide eyes like mountain cat. The perfect hunter with her small nose and sharp mind that out maneuvered most of her preys.  Venetia sighed and readjusted her long black cape. She was tall even for a northerner six feet five. Sharp face with a pointy nose and green eyes.

                They continued their test in silence. Venetia still felt as if someone was watching her, ever since they left the wooden bridge.  She scanned suspiciously the terrain. There were less trees here, but there were still a few ancient ones tall and wide anything could hide behind them.  They heard something off to the right, and Venetia signaled Ashlie to be alert, as they separate off into the night silent as cats. Venetia held her breath as something hit the floor in the middle of the road. The terrifying growls began to spread all around on top of the trees and heavy footfalls set afire where they fell. Venetia peeked a little and she felt her heart almost stop. Black panthers with long tails that breathed fire as the sniffed the air. Venetia wondered if this was part of the test.  She waited a few more seconds, until she noticed that one of the creatures was fast going in the direction that Ashlie had gone to.  Venetia stepped out of the darkness and watched the other black panthers sniff the air off at the distance.  She saw a flash of white hair step out of the shadows and Venetia felt her heart almost stopping. Ashlie was covered in blood and scratched.  They stalk in silence the other two black panthers.

                They watched as the creatures ears picked up and they sniffed the air once again. The turned around in a flash and as they jumped the full moon illuminated their deep black fur. One went for Ashlie and the other for Venetia. The yellow eyes met Venetia eyes as the two hundred pounds flashed by, and Venetia rolled to the side just escaping in time. The ground burning as the big cat landed making sparks fly and it quickly turned. Venetia held her sword. Her medallion against her chest grew cold as the creature’s tail moved from side to side. She quickly looked around, there was a witch nearby. She yelled and “There is a witch around here, Ashley!”

                As the words came out a ball of fire went towards Venetia direction.  She dodged it and the creature jumped as she was landing to the side. But, Venetia was trained for this the sword split the creature midair. Her face covered in blood scanned the night for the witch. She watched as Ashley dagger’s stabbed each side of the creature like a torero did in the bull arena. The creature fell to the ground. Another ball of fire flew from the darkness. Venetia quickly jumped to push Ashley to the side.  Ashley’s ears picked up and she ran towards the source of the lighting. Venetia follow a step behind as another ball of fire landed off to her side. The witch was trying to separate them. But they moved like shadows among the trees and they were set afire. Sweat run down Venetia’s face and her elixir reserves kicked into action. There was no time to worry about now. The witch was no part of the test. She knew it.

                Venetia and Ashley saw as the figure in the darkness began to run away from them. They fell into the ambush formation. Two hunters from each side. They ran faster than the witch. More fire and lighting balls flew into the night.  The wolves howled in the distance and heavy footsteps of war horses broke into the night. But Venetia and Ashley quickly down the witch. Ashley threw her dagger true and it struck the witch between the shoulder blades. The witch fell screaming in agony. Venetia scanned the night for more witches but her medallion was not cold now. A pair of guards from the Royal army appeared mounted with their golden armor and silver hair. They looked surprised as they saw the red headed witch spread dead in the ground.

                “What happened here?” one of the guards asked them.

                “No idea were just attacked.” Venetia said catching her breath.

                “We better report this Alvin.” The older guard said.

                Alvin got off his black stallion and took off his golden helmet. He was tall like seven feet with his golden sword to this side walked towards the dead witch. He made a small bow towards Venetia and Ashley. Ashley blushed a little. “Evening ladies. We will take of this. Thanks for the help.” He said and scanned around the trees. Then, turned the witch with his boot. Venetia saw the face of the witch her heart almost stopped. The youthful face was decaying in plain sight. It was now turning into bone as it hit the moonlight.  Alvin turned the face to the sides and shook his face. “She was not the one we were looking for Ralph.” He sighed and handed the bloody dagger to Ashley. 

                “What you mean?” Venetia asked as she scanned the bony face.

                “There was a break out in the Raven tower.” Alvin said as he mounted his stallion. “Good night. Ladies.”

                “You are on your last trial?” Ralph asked them.

                Venetia and Ashley nodded.

                “Very well. You better return to your tasks ladies. We will send someone at the outpost to come and pick the body.” Ralph said and they galloped into the night.

                “What do you think that was about?” Ashley asked as she clearer the sweat from her forehead.

                “No idea, but now we need to hurry and back up to the trail.” Venetia said as she scanned the sky. The night felt colder and her elixir reserves were still burning. They sprinted back to the trail quickly, they run for a time up the mountain as it got lighter.  She felt all her senses too alert and she felt as every little stone touched her boots. Her enhanced hearing heard as the wind caressed the tree leaves.  After the black panthers the rest of the tests were easy. The trolls died as they were spawning out of the thin air, and the trap of vines that came alive died between the dagger slashes and the quick sword.  The hours passed and there were no more witches.

The night slowly died as they reached the peak of the mountains. Torches burned at the distance on top of a big tower. It was called the tower of the Sun.  Venetia felt tired and she felt her bones almost breaking as she saw the first signs of Sun rise. Outside of the tower hooded figures waited with their red capes and the smell of fresh bread penetrated Venetia’s senses.  Ashley broke into a run and Venetia followed.

“Calm down children.” One of the hooded women said as they arrived almost at the same time breathing heavily. Venetia looked up saw the elder women there standing solemn with their long white hair and straight backs.

“You will be needing that energy for in the next few hours.” The elder woman that was holding an oil lamp said. “Come your food is ready.”

Venetia did not feel hungry but when the food began arriving on the tables outside the tower she and Ashley devoured every plate they had in front of them. She felt as the elixirs drained out of her bones.  The heaviness of their bodies became more present. Venetia almost fell asleep on top of the table with all the dishes. The elder women whispered among themselves about the breakout of the tower of Ravens. At least thirteen witches escaped and many of the royal guards laid dead with their throats cut out. They told Venetia and Ashley that they received the reports of the witch they killed in the way here. The Tower of Ravens laid on the other side of the Mountain of Mist so they not sure if she was one of the witches that escaped.

More royal guards arrived with their golden armor and black stallions. Stable boys at once appeared and took the horses away. Venetia was not fan of the Royal guards. They were arrogant and they wanted to order everyone around. But they stepped lightly around the elders of the Tower of the Sun. “Welcome Sons.” An elder women said coming out of the tower wearing her long brown cape and holding and her polished Staff. The Royal guards knelt before her.

“Mother.” They said.

“Oh, get up. No time for that now.” The elder said and they stood up.

She turned towards Venetia and Ashley and she said. “Children, come to my study after you are finished.” She said and the Royal guards followed her in to the tower.

“What do you think she wants of us?” Ashley asked in a low voice.

“I have no idea. But we better hurry.” Venetia said cleaning her last plate and fixing her messy hair.  One needed to be presentable but, there was no time to take a bath. They headed to the study of the Mistress of the Tower of the Sun. They passed the many sisters that were up and running as they fixed their red robes and adjusted their wet hair with their fingers.  In the middle of their chest the Sun and the Tower intercepting each other laid with golden treads. Venetia and Ashley belonged to no group in particular. They were to become part of the Elite forces of the Empire. A secret order that studied around the Empire in the Tower of the Sun was their final stop. It was said that it was the hardest part of the training. Here they would learn to manipulate objects with a careful combination of elixirs and meditation.  Where mere force was not enough, but it also required them to be smart and make the right choices when the time came.  Some argued that it was stuff of witches. But of course in order to hunt them one needed to become familiar with some of their tactics even if the witches did not use ordinary elixirs and it rumored that they were born with the ability to destroy.

Venetia and Ashley were to become Witch Hunters for sure. It was the determination that drove Venetia to overcome whatever came forward. Witches now claimed a lot of the lands once her ancestors ruled. The Wastelands. Where nightmare creatures roamed and where the blasted cities laid in ruins. After the Tower of the Sun, the next was the bound of her and Ashley. A bond of blood and soul.

Finally they arrived the ancient doors with the suns carved on across the closed doors. Venetia took a deep breath as they knocked on the doors.

“Come in daughters.” The Mistress of the Sun said.

Venetia opened the door and was greeted with a familiar face.

The sun rose over the Mountains of Mist and the escaped witches jumped from shadow to shadow as they descended the slippery terrain. Hooded they sweated as they heard the horses near the stream of water that descended the mountains. They stayed still as the Royal guards passed nearby. It was the only way their spell of invisibility worked. The fool guards passed and they slowly continued their way down.  A carriage was waiting for them as they exited the mountains in the middle of the morning. A tall man with long hat bowed and opened the door to their carriage.

“Took you long enough.” A lady with a long red coat said petting her black cat on her lap.

“Sorry Mistress, those guards kept chasing us nonstop.” One of the witches said bowing her head.

“Bah.” The lady in red said. And the carriage moved forward. 

To be continued...

Author Note: This is the first draft of the prologue for Venetia a short book that I will be writing. I hope you enjoyed it, in the next weeks I will be posting a few more of the chapters. The image of the witch is from Witch Wallpapers