The Blood Witch Chronicles

by L. A. Stinnett

  "I can reactivate this. Can you please take it off?"

  Drom pulled it over his head and handed it to her. U’ka took the amulet and dunked it in the bowl of saltwater.

  "Why did you put it in the water?" he asked.

  "It's saltwater. It'll get rid of the residual magic left in the amulet so I can lay a fresh pain relief spell into it. You'll feel a world of difference once I reactivate it."

  "Shayne, go to the caravan and look for a drawer marked monaural scope and bring me the instrument inside."

  "Please open your shirt. I want to check something."

  Drom unlaced his tunic, exposing his chest. Shayne handed U'ka the wooden trumpet-shaped instrument. She placed the larger flared end on his chest and lowered her ear to the smaller end. By the strained sound of his heart, she knew it struggled to move blood through the chambers.

  "Your heart is under a lot of strain. You need to work on losing weight. It'll help with the chronic back pain too."

  Drom grumbled a bit. "I'll try to be better. What about the pain amulet?"

  She removed the amulet from the bowl, rinsed it with fresh water and dried it off to look it over more carefully. Fashioned from Linden, a healing wood and sanded to a silky-soft smoothness, it was well made, but U'ka knew she could make it better.

  "If you don't mind, I'd like to carve a symbol into the wood. It'll make the pain relief effects stronger and will last longer too. The spell shouldn't fade as the last one did."

  "Yes. Please do."

  Using one of her fine-tipped knives, she carved a pain dulling symbol into the soft wood. Satisfied, she blew away the fine wood dust. With a metal finger prick, she started to jab her thumb before she thought better of it and stopped herself. She couldn't use her blood to invoke magic anymore, so she needed to use an alternative.

  "Uh . . . it'll actually work better if we use a drop of your blood," said U'ka, dipping the tip of the finger prick into the alcohol.

  "As you wish," Drom said, holding up his thumb.

  She gave his thick, fleshy thumb a quick jab and squeezed a drop of blood onto the amulet until it filled all the carved lines of the symbol. Careful not to touch his blood, she pushed her magic into the amulet, feeling the spell activate. Numbness crawled its way up her arm. She quickly handed the amulet back to him. He slipped it over his head, letting out a low groan. His pupils fully dilated while he laid his head back.

  "Ahhhhh. That really hits the spot. The amulet hasn't worked this well in ages. You truly are a miracle worker."

  Lahm came in carrying a tray of food. "Up you go, Drom. You've taken up enough of the Healer's time."

  He set the tray down and helped her get Drom to his feet. He slipped his shoes back on while Shayne came over to escort him outside.

  "Shayne, make sure he gets home safely. I have something I need to discuss with U'ka," ordered Lahm.

  "Make sure to tell his wife to cut back the portions on his meals," she yelled after them.

  Lahm sat down at the table, pushing the medicine bottles and instruments aside.

  The smell of the food made her stomach rumble in response. "You spoil me with all this food. I forgot what it's like to eat this well."

  "It is the least we can do. You have done so much for us. We'll never be able to repay you truly."

  U'ka smiled while she sat, quickly digging into the warm meal.

  "I took the liberty of putting your mule in one of the larger pens so he could stretch his legs a bit. He seems happy with the company of the other animals. I let your stallion loose in the meadow with our mares. All the males we have are geldings and we needed your horse to do his business with the mares."

  U'ka was a bit peeved that Lahm took such liberties with Bud without asking her first, but no harm was done and the horse probably enjoyed himself.

  "Shayne told me you haven't been able to breed most of your farm animals."

  "Yes. It has been most unfortunate. Lucky for us, the God of Storms provides us with bounty from the sea. We would have never survived without the fish he blesses us with. We need more horses to help plow the fields, so I hope you don't mind that I took this liberty,"

  "Well, I'm sure he's happy to help. I just wished you'd asked first. I'm very protective of my animals. I had an unfortunate incident with Bud at the Outpost that I don't want to be repeated."

  "I apologize for my breach of etiquette. Your animals will be well cared for here, you have my word on that. I must say, Bud is an unusual name for such a magnificent warhorse."

  "It's a name Teek told me he chose for himself."

  "Ah, none the matter," said Lahm, getting up.

  "I want to explore the coastline, is that okay?" said U’ka.

  "Of course. Our village is your village." Lahm said as he headed outside.

  Shayne returned and approached the table.

  "Please clean up. Give the instruments a good alcohol soak and scrub the table down with salt. We're done for the day, but if you could come by later, I'd like to show you how to process the plants for the curatives."

  Shayne nodded while U'ka slipped on her boots and wrapped her sword belt around her waist. These days she wasn't comfortable going anywhere without a blade on her. As she made her way down to the shoreline she saw Teek, Lilli and a few young saplings gathered together on the hillside. The heartwarming sight made her feel bad she'd kept him from his family for so long.

  She continued down winding streets leading to the sea, many buildings were burnt out and uninhabitable, but she saw smoke coming from the chimneys of the intact homes. Men and women, busy with the last of their daily chores, gave her a nod or wave when she passed by. They'd rebuilt as best as they could given their limited resources; life in the village was slowly returning to normal.

  The roar of the crashing waves filled the air when she got closer to the sprawling, rocky shoreline. Several old fishing vessels bobbed up and down at a well-worn dock creaking in the gentle waves of a small harbor. A few boats were still out to sea, trying for their last catch of the day.

  U'ka passed by long fishing nets hung up to dry and saw large metal trays with fires lit underneath them. When she got closer, she saw that they were filled with seawater being boiled away for the precious salt. She turned back to the ocean, loving the crisp smell in the ocean air. Having always lived far inland, she rarely got a chance to visit the seaside.

  The waves crashing over and over again were a glorious sight. Seabirds cried out to each other while they soared lazily overhead. This seemed like such a pleasant, peaceful place. She could easily see herself settling here if it weren't for all the problems she still faced. With the powerful foes still to confront, U'ka didn't know if she’d survive the trials to come. She barely made it through the war. But if she did not survive the dangers that lay ahead, at least she could take the memory of this place into the Eternal Lands.

  She looked up to see the village's Sanctum carved into the cliffside with its stone columns and high arched windows. Her curiosity piqued from the Outpost's Sanctum she made her way back up the hill to take the long stairway cut into the cliffside up to the Forlorn Sanctum. The winds were stronger up here, threatening to blow her off the slippery steps. The breeze had a coldness which cut right through her, making her wish she grabbed her fur cloak. Once at the top, she rushed inside to escape the fierce winds blowing into the room, sending dust swirling around the rows of wooden benches. Tempest, the God of Storms, stood alone on the altar. The tall bronze statue was covered in a dull green patina from many years of being exposed to the salty ocean air. He held one hand raised above his head, grasping a lightning bolt, the other hand down at his side, holding a fishing spear. It made sense for him to be the only god worshiped here at the fishing village of Forlorn.

  U'ka made her way around the main room, twisting and pulling at the various decorations of the mythical sea creatures Tempest ruled over, seeking any secret passages like the one at Lonely Hilltop. No hidden doors popped open. There were sev
eral soot-stained hearths around the room. U'ka inspected each one, but found no secret doors and was about to give up when she came to a stone hearth in a far corner of the room. The firebox was pristine, which seemed very odd.

  She looked up into the flue to see it blocked up with mortar. The hearth wasn't what it seemed. Running her hands over the stones in the hearth, she searched for a hidden switch. She grabbed onto a rusted metal seastar decoration and twisted. It clicked. Stone ground on stone as the bottom of the firebox slid away, revealing the iron rungs of a ladder.

  U’ka took a candle off the mantle and lit it with a quick fire spell. Down into the darkness she went, each rung covered in thick, grimy dust. At the bottom, she found a chamber similar to the one at the Lonely Hilltop Sanctum. A dense layer of dust and cobwebs covered everything. Things hadn't been disturbed down here in a long, long time. U'ka cast another fire spell, lighting all the wall sconces around her. The same strange runes were carved into the walls here. She wished she could figure out what they meant as she walked along the dimly lit corridor, searching for any recognizable symbols.

  A slight whooshing sound echoed through the sloped corridor leading deeper into the mysterious catacombs. Green slimy moss-covered the floor. She held onto the walls to keep from slipping. U'ka continued to follow the sound and soon recognized the soft woosh of ocean waves echoing through the corridor. When it flattened out, she saw it led to the sea. Rough barnacles and mussels covered the walls, indicating the area frequently flooded. These catacombs looked far more ancient than any structure in the land she’d seen before. Why was all this built? Who were the people that carved out these catacombs and why did the people of Eleanthra forget they ever existed?

  With the tide coming in, the water started to rise, so she decided to head back up. She emerged into the Sanctum with more questions than answers. In the Magus' private chamber, she grabbed an old, dusty cloak hanging from a hook and wrapped it around herself before making her way down the long stairs back to the village. In the early evening light, she made her way down the streets, where people were heading to their homes to settle in for the night. Lahm stood in a doorway, motioning her to join him.

  "Come. Come," he said. "I have a grand dinner prepared for you."

  Inside, she found a long table filled with dinner guests. Lahm gestured for her to sit next to him. U'ka hung the cloak on a peg near the door and went to join them. Everyone wore their elegant clothing for this special occasion. People did not have much cause to celebrate anymore, so they were eager to wear their finery when the occasion arose. U’ka felt tremendously underdressed in her simple shift dress, now dirty from the excursion to the cliffside Sanctum.

  "To our honored guest," Lahm said, raising his glass in salute. Everyone around the table raised their glasses in tribute to her. She turned bright red, not used to this kind of attention.

  "Thank you, everyone," she said, lifting her glass in response before taking a sip of the sweet, flavorful wine.

  Steaming hot plates were laid before them. U'ka beheld an incredible sight. Chicken cooked to a deep brown, covered in wonderful smelling spices. She picked up a fork to pierce the tender skin. Golden juices flowed all over the plate — the joy of eating real food again truly a wonderful treat.

  U'ka looked around at the people seated at the table. Several of them were patients she saw earlier. There were others whom she couldn't remember their names, so many people were in and out of the Healer's hut that day. She recognized V'lan, the one-armed man from Lonely Hilltop, sitting next to Shayne, who helped him cut his meat. He must be her uncle. Taking another sip of wine, U'ka glanced around the room to see a small shrine dedicated to the God of Storms sitting on a nearby table. It made her wonder if the Sanctum was still in use.

  V'lan turned to U'ka. "Thank you for getting us home."

  She glanced over at Lahm. "I'm glad everything worked out as well for everyone."

  "Here, here!" Exclaimed several people at the table.

  "Lahm, I went up to the Sanctum today. Is it still in use?

  "No, I'm afraid not. We lost Magus Paq during the war, and we're all too old to make it up those stairs anymore."

  "Was it used much before the war?"

  "Oh, yes. Magus Paq's teachings were quite popular. He'd been our spiritual leader for nearly fifty years; came to our village when I was just a young boy."

  "Was the Sanctum already built before he got here?"

  "Oh, yes. I believe ours is one of the oldest Sanctums in Eleanthra."

  Interesting, but it still left many questions.

  "Were you a Healer during the war?" said an older, thin man who she thought might be named Tov.

  "No. I fought during the war."

  "Where did you learn the healing arts?" Tov asked.

  "At the Citadel."

  "Where were you when the city fell?"

  The bite of food in her mouth suddenly went sour. She fought not to choke as she swallowed a bit of bread.

  "I was on sabbatical in Saern. I was there when the Daemons attacked the capitol. I saw the overwhelming destruction when the city fell."

  Everyone at the table fell silent. Saern was the first major city to fall when the Daemon invasion force came through the Gateway Between Worlds, marching by the millions, destroying everything in their path.

  "Can we talk about happier things?" said V'lan.

  "Yes. Yes," said Lahm. "This is supposed to be a celebration for our honored guest. Our apologies."

  U'ka took a big gulp of the wine, nearly draining the glass before holding it out for a refill.

  "I'll forgive anything for another glassful of this wonderful wine. Where did this come from?"

  "Before the war, we regularly traded with the Nallo Valley, well known for their fine wineries. Fortunately, my root cellar is well hidden and the wine went undiscovered when the Daemon's ransacked the village."

  "I thought this tasted familiar. The Citadel got regular shipments from the Nallo Wineries. They were always my favorite."

  "Your treatments today were such a blessing. Does this mean we'll be seeing the caravan's regularly now?" said an older woman named Doru.

  "As far as I know, this is the only caravan to survive the war," said U'ka. "I don't know when I'll be back this way, unfortunately."

  "Pity. I was hoping we'd get regular care from the Healers Guild again."

  It's on my list after taking out the remaining Daemon Lords, closing the Gateway and not dying. "It may happen eventually, don't give up hope."

  "How long do you plan on staying?" said Lahm. "I want to send the children by tomorrow for your care."

  "Another day or two, then we need to be going," she said. "Has anyone heard of any problem areas? We want to avoid any entanglements with marauders and the like."

  Everyone at the table looked to Lahm.

  "I'm afraid we've locked ourselves away for so long, we don't know much about the world outside our little village."

  They're hiding something. "You need to start interacting with the rest of Eleanthra. I saw the sea salt trays near the shore. You should be taking things like that at the Outpost. Salt is a precious commodity there. The Green Folk can take your traders there through the Green Ways."

  "It's something we will consider," said Lahm.

  "Excuse me," said Shayne. "I need to get my uncle home. He's tiring. Thank you for inviting us."

  "Please come by the hut when you've got him settled in for the night. We still need to go over the medicine preparations."

  "I will," said Shayne, helping her uncle stand. U'ka watched them leave. A cold breeze blew in when they opened the door, making her glad she borrowed the cloak.

  She turned back to Lahm. "I think she'll make a good Wise Woman if she keeps practicing. You should encourage her to keep studying the healing arts. I'll be leaving a pretty extensive apothecary book with her and going over the basics of making healing tinctures and salves with her tonight. The Green Jylls can bring her the needed plan
ts."

  "We shall see," said Lahm looking down at his plate. She couldn't shake the feeling that something important was going unsaid.

  "We are lucky the Green Folk still look after us after we broke our ancient oath never to wage war on the land, even if it wasn't our fault," said Tov.

  "Yes, they could have easily turned their backs on us," said U'ka. "When we first came here, I saw the Green Folk helping with your crops."

  "They have worked with us to make the lands fertile again after the Daemon hordes defiled the earth on their march down the coastline," said Tov. "Our crop yield gets better each month."

  "This is something else you should consider trading at the Outpost," said U'ka.

  "We have our own needs for the crops at this time," Lahm said sternly.

  The others nervously looked away. Something was very wrong here, but she knew no one dared speak it out loud.

  U'ka took one last gulp of the wine. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night. Thank you for this lovely meal."

  They all said their thanks and good nights while she got up to get her cloak, wrapping it tighter around her when the chill night wind hit her. She looked around for any Green Folk, but they had already returned to the forest for the evening. I need to find Teek. She wanted to talk to him to see if they'd told him of any strange things going on in the village. The streets were quiet. Candles lit up windows and people talked loudly, but happily inside their homes. Nothing seemed amiss, but what lay beneath this seemingly peaceful facade?

  U’ka arrived back at the hut, hoping Teek would be waiting for her there, but it was dark and empty inside. She cast a spell to light the candles in the room, then went to the hearth to put some new logs inside. Not wanting to wait, she formed a fire spell in her mind; the logs burst into flaming brightness. She held out her hands to warm them, enjoying the heat which quickly filled the small hut. A knock came at the door; Shayne entered carrying the apothecary book.

  "Hello. I'm ready for the lesson now."

  U’ka took off the cloak and laid it over a chair.

  "Okay. Let's get started." She retrieved the plants from the caravan, still smelling as fresh as they did in the morning. The preservation spells did their job well.