Chapter 157:The preparation

The wind whipped through the gathering of witches. Reika stood in her chamber, hands laid upon the cool stone railing as she stared out to the darkening horizon. The warning from the Moon Goddess still echoed in her mind. Araidne has forged an alliance with the Lord of the Underworld. A war is coming. She breathed shallowly, her shielding hand settled against her belly. In there, she felt a kick, and then another stir. It reminded her that she can not fail for the of fate of her child and of her people. It was then a knock at her door broke into her thoughts. "Enter," she called out. Elira entered with a disturbing look on her face. "We have a problem," she said, closing the door behind her. Reika turned toward her, her heart racing just a little faster. "What is it?" Elira did not say anything for a moment. "Kael and Althea returned with another disturbing news from the training. Some kind of monster assaulted them again; it was branded with a symbol of the Lord Underworld." Reika's gut twisted. "Araidne's doing?" Elira nodded. "It is. If she's already sending in creatures from the Underworld, that would mean she is flexing this new power of hers. A weakening in the barrier between realms-and we just about may have an invasion at hand if we do nothing in quick time." Reika pressed a hand upon her head. It was getting weightier all over. "Where is the mark? "In the great hall," Elira said. "Come-you must see this." Reika followed Elira through twisting and turning halls of the coven as her mind whirled on. Araidne had broken every rule of nature by striking a bargain with the Lord of the Underworld. By the time they reached the centre hall, witches were standing in a circle around the enormous dead body, his dark fur with now dried blood; the way his claws hung off, 'ended'-looking a great deal like talons, tearing through flesh, other flesh, and everything else getting in their way, for that matter. Of course, the whole effect that actually ran shivers down her spine was from a glowing, crimson mark across his neck. Kneeling beside it, Elira laid her hand over the mark and spoke in hushed tones a spell. Dark energy pulsed from it, sending a wave of cold air through the room. "This isn't any normal magic," Elira muttered, rising to her feet. "It's a direct link with the Underworld." Reika fisted her hands. "We have to be certain of it. If Araidne is calling beasts like this one, then she is gathering an army." Kael, who up until that time had kept silent, now spoke from his station near the edge of the room. "We cannot just wait around for them to strike, either. We have to strike first." Althea crossed her arms over her chest. "How? We don't even know where she is right now. To attack blind would be a fool's option." Reika took a deep breath. "We are too few for them yet, all-out attack or otherwise. Yet, we may prepare: train even harder, reinforce our own, and get ourselves a countering spell of dark magic she seems to wield with Araidne.". She nodded. "I can study the mark further; perhaps there is a way to cut her from the Underworld before she becomes too powerful." Kael let out a harsh sigh. "I don't like waiting, but I know you're right. We have to be smart about this." She closed in, her gaze cast down at the horrible creature. Ariadne had crossed lines that would never be righted. Sooner or later, they would have to stop her before the world crumbled under the weight of darkness, as it assuredly would. And when the crowd finally dispersed, Reika came to her rooms, her head heavy from all that swirled in her mind. She reached her bed and sat at its edge, supporting her tummy. Lleus. Where are you? He filled up her heart both with warmth and pain, inasmuch as she hadn't seen him now for such a long period already, and partial fear had penetrated her soul. He may already be lost for her forever. But now, there was just no time for such desperate variant. Soft knock at the door jerked her from her reverie. "Who's there?" she called. "It's me, Althea." Reika sat up higher in bed. "Enter." This time, Althea came in a lot softer than those moments Reika was used to seeing her. "I wanted to check up on you." Reika gave a slight smile. "I'm fine, just.tired." Althea sat down beside her. "I know the burden placed upon you is much, but you'll never have to walk this alone. We'll fight-together." Reika nodded. "I know, thanks." It was but a moment's space, until Althea spoke again-softly, this time. "Have you felt anything unusual? With the baby, I mean?" Reika's response came out after a space of a moment. "There is this time, I almost have this feeling that.well, the baby is special somehow, as though having magic on her own." Althea stared aghast. "That's so magnificent; the implication alone-that we really should be horrible-If Araignee figures out somehow-" Reika cut in: "She can't touch my child." As Reika's eyes now smoldered where heat had been, Reika's face flared up in a fierce will. Althea nodded, laying a reassuring hand on Reika's arm. "Then we'll see she never has the chance." Reika lay awake long after Althea left, her mind restless. The Moon Goddess's warning, the monstrous creature, the growing darkness—all of it pointed to the same thing. War was inevitable. As she drifted into a restless sleep, a whisper echoed through her dreams. "I'm coming for you, sister." Reika's eyes snapped open; her breath caught in her throat. The voice had been Riftan's-her brother. Yet not the voice she remembered-twisted, dark, laced with something unnatural. Terror clawed through her chest. If Riftan had fallen to the darkness, then Araidne's corruption had spread further than she could have imagined. She sprang from bed and began pacing across the room; there was no time for wasting. They had to do something before it got late. Reika stepped out onto the balcony, her gaze raised to the night sky. The full moon was shining, its light a beacon to stand against the growing darkness. "I shall prepare," she whispered to herself in hollow tones. When the time came, she would not be running. She will fight.