A Different Kind of Witch

by Carol A. Robi

  It was quite spectacular, and Sophie had to clamp her palm fast over her mouth to keep from squealing. What a mind-blowing sight!

  Like most Avalons tend to be of Scandinavian or Russian descent, and Faeries of European or South east Asia descent, most of the Werecats were of African or Asian descent. Witches were the only supernatural race that seemed to come from all corners of the world.

  Neither of them moved for a while, even after the last Werecat had long disappeared into the dark woods.

  ¨Wow!¨ Klaus managed after a while, the others still too stunned to talk.

  ¨I had an idea about it, but I never thought it was anything close to that,¨ Aimi responded.

  Chapter 11

  Sighs of relief sounded when a bell went off, signifying the end of the lesson. Everyone impatiently jumped off their desks, the ensuing noise of wood against stone floors drowning out whatever else the teacher still had to say.

  The class began emptying soon after, but Sophie remained seated a while longer, still packing her books into her backpack.

  She almost let out a scream when the sharp jungle cat eyes appeared right before her. Boke.

  ¨Hi Sophie,¨ she said quietly, so low that the heavy accent Sophie knew her to have was almost indiscernible.

  ¨Hi Boke,¨ Sophie answered her curiously, unsure of what Boke could possibly need from her. They hadn’t exchanged a single word since their peculiar introductions on their way from the airport. And frankly, Sophie was even more wary of her now, after her conversation with her cousin on her unnatural magic practice.

  ¨I have a favour to ask you,¨ Boke stated simply.

  ¨Sophie, are you coming?¨ Keira called then, throwing her heavy backpack over her shoulders and looking at her cousin with narrowed eyes.

  Come away from her, Keira seemed to be saying silently.

  Sophie looked from her friends to the odd girl before her. She knew what she ought do. On the other hand, she couldn’t curb her curiosity on what Boke could possibly need her help for.

  Whatever it was, it’d be epic, an adventure, as Boke seemed to be that kind of person. Sophie thought it from the moment she first set her eyes on Boke at the airport, the wild girl who magically appeared on a Burger King doorway, and had thought it ever since- that this here was a girl on a mission.

  Whatever she was doing here, Sophie doubted it was for the education, or to learn about supernatural politics. It wasn’t for a high school diploma either, so that she could attend a college. And she wasn’t here either to learn how to use her powers. Sophie had seen her during the first EE, Earth Elements class. Boke had listened, but boredom covered her features. All freshmen magical beings had been excited to learn how to make simple spells using the earth element, while Boke had instead flipped through the textbooks. She knew it all. She’d made spells before. This was all amateurish for her. She was here for a whole other reason, and Sophie intended to find out what it was.

  ¨You guys go ahead. I’ll meet up with you in a moment,¨ Sophie said, making her decision, and with it sealing her fate for the rest of the term, and probably her whole high school life.

  Keira looked back at her doubtfully for a moment, before turning and following the rest of their classmates out.

  Boke wasn’t in a hurry. She waited until the very last person had left the class before walking towards the door and closing it. She then took out a dried leaf from her leather shoulder bag, placed it in her palms and formed the ball of fire Sophie had previously witnessed in the minivan.

  Sophie watched the red glow emanating from her enclosed hands as she burned the leaf almost hypnotically.

  Didn’t it burn?

  Boke continued holding the leaf in her palm until it burned out into a dark soot. She then rubbed her hands together to disperse the soot, as though what she’d been doing for the last two minutes was absolutely normal!

  ¨It's now safe to talk without being overheard,¨ Boke said, walking over and placing herself on the seat that had previously been occupied by Keira.

  ¨How do you know?¨ Sophie asked curiously.

  ¨I've burned a sage leaf. We can speak freely for the next few minutes.¨

  Sophie had just learnt something new. That information would definitely come in handy in the future.

  “You said you needed my help,” Sophie prompted. The girl beside her now appeared ill at ease, wringing her hands over and over again, and at times even making the same fireball in her enclosed palms, only to put it out again. It must be what she does when nervous, Sophie deduced.

  “I do.” Sophie waited for the odd girl to go on, but she didn’t. She only kept playing with the fireball in her palms.

  ¨What can I help you with?¨

  ¨Justice,¨ Boke whispered almost instantly.

  Sophie leaned in closer, thinking she mustn’t have heard her right. But then Boke went silent again.

  ¨Justice?¨ Sophie asked.

  Boke nodded once, and then looked back to the fireball in her hands.

  ¨For what?¨

  ¨My parents.¨

  That single word broke Sophie. Boke’s parents were dead, she’d told her on her first day here. And now Sophie knew why Boke had come to Drachenburg. The mystery she'd been puzzling over was now solved, and Sophie found herself empathising with Boke at a level she never thought she could before.

  Boke was not a scary Witch at this moment, but rather an orphaned girl seeking justice.

  ¨I suspect my parents' killer is still alive. I must find him, and he must be brought to justice,¨ Boke continued.

  ¨Do you know who killed them?¨ Sophie asked.

  Boke shook her head.

  ¨Do you know the circumstance of their deaths?¨

  Boke shook her head again.

  ¨There is not much to go on..¨ Sophie pointed out, biting back her words when she saw Boke’s crestfallen face.

  ¨How do you know they were killed?¨

  ¨My grandmother, she told me before she- died.¨ It was so hard not to pity her. Sophie looked away from Boke’s creepy but yet captivating eyes, and stared at where she drew on her desk with a fingernail.

  ¨How do you know the murderer went free?¨

  ¨My grandmother told me.¨

  ¨The murderer is probably dead..¨

  ¨He is not.¨

  ¨When did your parents die?¨ Sophie asked, meeting Boke’s eyes cautiously.

  ¨A month after I was born,¨ Boke promptly answered. Sophie shuddered in response to the answer, not daring imagine how she’d survived after the death of her parents at such a young age.

  ¨How do you know that the murderer is alive?¨

  ¨Because I checked the records in the library. No Avalon has died since the virus.¨

  ¨So you believe an Avalon killed your parents?¨

  ¨Yes, my grandmother told me that it was an Avalon that did it.¨

  ¨Maybe she was mistaken..¨ Boke shook her head resolutely.

  ¨My grandmother was a Witch. There are spells to confirm such kinds of things.¨

  ¨And there are no spells to reveal the identity of the murderer?¨ Sophie asked. Boke shook her head.

  ¨Not if he covered his tracks well, or others sought to cover them for him. Or.. or gogo didn't want me to know..¨ Boke trailed off quietly, her voice so small, revealing the timid girl hiding behind the daunting facade.

  What Boke was saying was very intriguing, and every bone in Sophie’s body itched to embark on this quest with her.

  ¨Why do you want my help?¨

  ¨Because you are the direct opposite of who I am. You can help me with some things that I can't do by myself. For example talking to people casually, so that they can let down their guard and give us the information we need.¨

  Now that she was right about! Sophie couldn’t imagine anyone talking Boke's ear off for some reason or other. She almost always managed to put people on edge somehow.

  “Before I give you my answer, I need you to answer one question genuinely.”
>
  “Ask, and I’ll see if I can answer it,” Boke said quietly, meeting Sophie’s eyes.

  “The Maiga that began the virus- did you know her, or him?” Sophie asked.

  Boke shook her head. “How could I?” She asked. “I wasn’t even born yet.”

  Sophie mused over this for a while.

  “But it was a family member of yours.”

  Boke nodded. “If indeed a Maiga created the virus, then it was a family member of mine, for we are the only Maiga’s in the Supernatural Realm.” Sophie looked at Boke long and hard, but she wasn’t sure what she was searching for.

  ¨I doubt I’ll be of much help, but I am willing to try,¨ Sophie finally relented, throwing caution in the air.

  ¨You'll be of more help than you know.¨

  No thank you? Sophie joked to herself. ¨When do we begin?¨ She chose to ask aloud, more excited than she thought she’d be at the proposition.

  ¨How about tomorrow? I’m still unsure whether my mother attended this school. I know nothing about her but her first name. Maseke, grandmother had called her. I need to find out if she attended Drachenburg School too. We need to break into wherever they keep those records.¨

  ¨And do you know where that is?¨ Sophie asked. Boke shook her head in response.

  ¨That is something you can help me with. I noticed you have a good rapport with your prefect. Maybe you could find a way of making her tell you where former students’ records are kept? Discreetly.¨ Boke suggested. Though she wasn’t smiling, her face brightened, as did her eyes, giving them a warmer tawny yellow glow.

  Beautiful, but still scary! Sophie thought to herself, turning away from them.

  ¨I could get started on that tonight. I'll find a way to make Sheila or any of the other seniors give me the information I need. How will we contact each other?” Phones hadn’t been allowed at school, and even though they had been, Sophie doubted Boke would own one.

  “I'll give you a signal over breakfast on whether or not I have found out anything of use. I..I’d prefer it if we weren’t seen together openly. You understand, right?¨ Sophie hated herself for bringing this up, but she had her reputation to think about. She didn’t know much about the Supernatural Realm, but she was sure there was a reason why all went to great lengths to avoid this Witch.

  Boke shrugged with disinterest.

  Sophie was glad she didn’t have to explain herself. What would she say anyway? Ehm.. Boke, people are scared of you. I don’t want them to be scared of me too and start avoiding me like they avoid you! That sounded stupid even in her head.

  "I do not want to be seen with you either," Boke responded. Now it was Sophie’s turn to be surprised. "They are watching me constantly, and I don't want to tip them off on my affairs."

  "Who is watching you..?"

  "Do not worry about it," Boke said. "It's best however that we are not seen together."

  Sophie’s interest was now on a new high. This was definitely an adventure with high stakes, and she was, without question, in.

  "How about I get a hot beverage if I'm unsuccessful, or a glass of juice if I'm successful,¨ Sophie went on to suggest.

  ¨Okay. But then we have to meet and talk of your findings and the next step in our plan. You are almost always with your friends when not in class.¨

  Boke was right about that. Sophie couldn’t think of when they could meet unnoticed after classes.

  ¨How about during class?¨ Sophie suggested, an idea coming to mind. ¨How about during HP tomorrow? Mrs. Ming is most likely to give us group work again. You could sit beside me, so that when she suggests we work in pairs, you and I will pair up and get an opportunity to talk some more.¨

  ¨Brilliant idea,¨ Boke said, starting to get up. ¨Thank you for agreeing to help me with this.¨

  ¨I am not one to pass up on some mischief,¨ Sophie said with a wide smile.

  ¨I thought so too,¨ Boke said, just before getting up and walking out the door.

  What did she mean by that? Sophie wondered to herself a little puzzled. Just when she thought she could get used to her, Boke had to go and say something unsettling like that!

  Sophie finally slipped out of the empty classroom and rushed to the dining hall, her stomach growling.

  Chapter 12

  Sophie tried to corner Sheila after dinner, however when they met at the com, Sheila was in a rush.

  ¨Sheila..¨

  ¨Not now sweetie. I have a date!¨ She explained, turning around to check her image in the large mirrors by the door.

  ¨How do I look?¨ She then asked.

  She looked great, her long dark hair cascading in waves down her face and falling way past her shoulders. Her makeup was light and well placed to give her a sophisticated look, and her red painted lips contrasted greatly with her green eyes.

  Most Faeries had green eyes of varying shades, because most were from the Awley-Leighton Tribe, Keira had explained to her. Other Faeries were the Brown eyed tribe from somewhere in Italy, Sophie had forgotten their name, and the Koto tribe in Japan, Aimi’s clan. Sheila’s were jade green, as beautiful as they were soft.

  ¨You look very beautiful, Sheila. If I’m ever asked on a date, would you help me with my makeup?¨

  ¨Of course, sweetie. I could even teach you how to do your own makeup in this style one evening.¨

  ¨How about tomorrow..¨ But Sophie’s words died out in her lips for Sheila had already fluttered out with her powdery wings, leaving behind her faint scent as the thick wooden doors closed shut after her.

  Sophie waited all night in the com, well up to lights out time, but Sheila didn't reappear even then. She finally gave up, not wishing to be found up and about by one of the matrons, and made her way up to their shared apartment dorm.

  The first night at her quest had been a total burst, but she was determined to make good of it the next day.

  ¨..The strength of a potion greatly depends on the quality of ingredients used,¨ Mrs. Ming was saying as she buzzed on her delicate wings between their tables, only a few centimeters off the ground.

  ¨That is why a good enchanter is often a very good gardener. The advantage of growing your own herbs is that you know them personally, including their weaknesses. You are almost always certain of the resulting potion, because of the consistency of its ingredients. That is why next week we’ll all spend our lessons outside working on our gardens in teams of two. You can tell me in the next lesson with whom you wish to be partnered with.¨

  They had P.E. after HP.

  They found the P.E. teacher, a Werecat, waiting for them by the bleachers outside the sports hall. She was a large woman, each inch of her heavily muscled, and was perhaps the tallest person Sophie had ever met.

  Her hair was an entangled mess of red, and she bore freckles on her nose, though her skin was honey brown. Her eyes were sharp and black- making her overally a very terrifying woman to look at. Sophie found herself wondering what kind of Werecat she was, and put her money on a tiger Werecat.

  She blew loudly on her whistle to let them know to hurry up.

  ¨Next time, you are expected to arrive here on time,¨ the muscular woman said impatiently, her muscles rippling under her shirt because of her barely controlled irritation with them.

  ¨Hallo freshmen, my name is Miss Myra, but just call me Myra. I am Werecat-Leopard, and your P.E. teacher this year.”

  Leopard? Sophie puzzled, and then teased herself for presuming she could guess, yet she’d only been a part of the Supernatural Realm for less than a week.

  “First things first, we'll separate the lot of you into your colour teams.”

  There was an unexpected agility about her as she walked among them, an almost pouncing in her step despite her massive size. But her voice was fitting. It came out low, almost like a purr.

  “Here at Drachenburg school, we have the tradition of dividing our students into four colour teams: red, blue, green and yellow. Once you’re assigned to a team, you remain in it until you graduat
e. It is in these teams that you’ll compete in the Olympics to be held later this term and other competitions, sporting or otherwise.

  Over the years, sports have been found to be a great unifying factor among a divided people. That's why we believe that rather than have the four houses compete against each other, mixing the different supernatural races into one team would ensure that all beings learn to fight and strive together as a one..¨

  ¨Yeah, that and the fact that Faeries would never stand a chance,¨ a tall Werecat mocked. ¨What? You were all thinking it,¨ he added defensively when various pairs of eyes were turned reproachfully towards him.

  ¨I think what the young man meant to say is that it would be an unfair division too, as each of the four beings has those things they would excel at and those they would be terrible at.¨ Some of Sophie’s classmates chuckled at this, and sophie knew why. They all knew the truth- that some beings would never manage to register on the scale of a physical competition, as others were far more superior.

  ¨It is utterly coincidental the color teams you’ll find yourself in, as we do it by drawing buffs randomly,¨ she continued, pushing a large plastic bag before them holding dozens of wrapped parcels.

  It was impossible to tell what colour the buffs inside were. They all took turns picking up a wrapped parcel randomly, and then they open them simultaneously, with the attentive leopardess watching them like a hawk.

  Yellow team, that is what Sophie got. She looked around and caught Keira's crestfallen face when she pulled out a red one instead. Aimi’s was blue. At least Klaus and Markus get to be in the same team with her, for theirs were yellow.

  Then sophie found herself spying the red buff Boke was holding.