The Witch of the Western Gate: Dragon's Gift

by P. K. Brent

  Blue found herself standing on a street in what must have been Lockport, NY, in the summer of 1862. It was cobblestoned, with only the occasional horse drawn wagon or open coach driving by. Two barefoot boys in tattered clothes were playing, chasing a barrel hoop and whacking it with a stick to make it go. People were dressed in old-fashioned clothes, long skirts and high collars. Blue could hear orders being called out from the barges in the old Erie Canal. They were close enough that Blue could see the great locks filling with water, in order to raise the elevation of the boats as they travelled up the escarpment. Without the locks there would be no way to transport boats up the steep rocky escarpment. Many men had given their lives blasting the Erie Canal out of the hard dolestone and Blue felt the power of their bones mixed with the rock. The Erie Canal made it possible to ship goods quickly from one end of New York State to the other, then across the Great Lakes to the mid-west or even Canada. This was a vast improvement, since there were no planes, trains, cars, electricity or trucks during the mid-1800s and steam powered inventions were in their infancy. Tethered donkeys waited patiently for the water level to rise and the lock to open. Then they would be at a higher elevation. There were five locks to go through. Once done they would be at the top of the escarpment and could pull the barges along the towpath once more. It was a fascinating sight to see all the boats, cargo, and people from yesteryear going about their lives. Blue almost wished they could see her so that she could talk to them, but that is not how the Witness Spell worked. She could only witness past events, not influence them in any way.

  There was her great-great-grandfather, Cullen McChesney. Blue recognized him from his portrait. There was a crow on his shoulders, a sleek creature with glossy feathers.

  "LeRoy," she gasped. "I had no idea!" Maybe this is what LeRoy meant when he said she might learn something. So often she had ignored the old crow's stories, figuring they were just fantasy. It was indeed LeRoy, 150 years ago! He looked exactly the same. Cullen McChesney was walking with another man and they were avidly discussing.... Blue drew closer so she could hear.

  "I tell you Cullen I saw them, plain as day, all webbed and winged flying around, breathing steam. It was unbelievable."

  Cullen shook his head somberly. Blue knew the feeling. It was always bad news when mundane people saw magic or magical creatures.

  "It could be a vision," replied Cullen. "An inspiration conjured up by your creative mind in order to inspire you."

  "But I saw them, Cullen, plain as I see you in front of me."

  "Well, either you did or you didn't Birdsill. If you did, it does you no good to talk about them. People will think you're crazy. You'll drive away your investors and ruin your reputation. If you didn't see them, then you are ignoring a creative inspiration that took the form of a vision, and you are missing an opportunity to follow that vision and invent something truly grand."

  "The steam, Cullen. I saw steam coming out their noses and mouths! The water they spit out with such force. You are right. They did inspire me! I have so many ideas in my head now for harnessing the power of water and steam. Perhaps it was a vision, but a very realistic one." Cullen reached over and patted Birdsill Holly on his shoulder to reassure him, as they walked toward the Holly Factory.

  "Wow! I guess my great-great grandpa really was friends with Birdsill Holly, the great inventor."

  "Told you," replied LeRoy.

  "I saw you there too, LeRoy. I guess you really were in a position to know all about it," replied Blue.

  "First hand," replied LeRoy.

  "Maybe I should take your stories more seriously."

  "Definitely."

  "Since Cullen McChesney got rid of the first dragon infestation with tracking and banishing spells, you can too," suggested LeRoy. "Afterall, you are the resident McChesney. And the sooner that abomination is out of my house the better."

  “I’m good at tracking spells.”

  “You’re good at Escarpment witch tracking spells. Those won’t work on a dragon, or any other magical creature. You need to use druid spells.”

  "I don't get trained in McChesney magic until I'm 18," replied Blue. "Cormac says it's too dangerous."

  "Well, your father is away as usual," replied LeRoy. "He left you alone to deal with this problem. You should take some initiative. Cormac couldn't blame you. How hard could simple tracking and banishing spells be? The faster this problem is resolved and that dragon downstairs is gone, the better off we'll all be."

  "I do know a few banishings from the Escarpment Witch Grimoire but I doubt they would banish dragons."

  "The Escarpment Witch spells won't work," declared LeRoy. "I've read them all. Lucky for you, I know where Cormac hides the McChesney Grimoires. The McChesney spells are strong enough, obviously, since Cullen McChesney used them successfully one hundred and fifty years ago." LeRoy fluttered up the forbidden spiral stairs that led to Cormac's private ritual room and tapped on the door. Blue looked across the room to the spiral staircase going up to the third floor. Cormac did not want anyone entering his private ritual room. Blue had never been in there. No one was to enter it. Cormac had made that clear. Yet she was also frustrated and annoyed that Cormac never explained to her what he was up to or how McChesney magic worked. As LeRoy had pointed out, she was the resident McChesney and the only one around to deal with the dragons.

  "I'm not supposed to go in there, and I don't have the key anyway," replied Blue.

  "If it's a key you want, I know where that is too!" chirped LeRoy gleefully. "All you need do is promise me you will get rid of that abomination downstairs, and I will give you the key."

  "OK," Blue agreed, figuring the dragon would be better in a few days.

  "I want that dragon out of here! cawed LeRoy"

  LeRoy flapped his wings and turned three times in a circle, clucking oddly as though chanting a spell in birdspeak, then a key on a green brocade necklace appeared around his neck. Blue took the key and climbed the spiral staircase, turned the key, and entered her father's private ritual room that took up the entire fourth floor of the mansion. She gasped in surprise never having imagined anything like it.

  Blue entered an enormous room that took up the entire fourth floor of the mansion. There were a few eyebrow style windows high on the walls. All of these windows were made of uncolored leaded glass, some frosted or wavy and some clear, done in art nouvea style with geometric patterns and the occasional starburst or floral design. There was an altar at the far side of the room, with a black pillar on one side and white on the other, with ribbons of red swirling down. Up until now, Blue had studied only the musty grimoires given to her by Grandma Lily, especially the large black leather bound Workings of the Escarpment Wise Women and the Brown leather bound Wisdom of the Dolestone. Her favorite book was a spellbook titled Healing Arts from the Wise Women the Grey Rocks with its faded moss green cover and burgundy title. These witch spellbooks required only a circle be made, from imagination, though a real circle from salt was also an option. Nothing so fancy as pillars and an altar were required.

  "What do you think this is for, LeRoy?" asked Blue, pointing to a large triangle inscribed in the floor of the ritual room. Blue was standing in the triangle. In front of her, just before the altar, a circle was also inscribed. Both the triangle and the circle were inscribed with strands of metal pounded into the floor -- gold, silver, iron, copper, and tin. Inside the circle, and as large as it, was a five pointed star inscribed with the same metal. Blue knew intuitively that the five fingers on the hand, depicted on the cover of the McChesney Ritual Book corresponded to the five points of the star inscribed on the floor, which correspond to the four alchemical elements of fire, water, air, earth -- plus spirit.

  "If you'd been properly educated in magical arts, you would know that the magus stands within the circle and summons demons or other noncorporeal entitites into the triangle where they are bound to his will and can do him no harm," replied LeRoy.

  "Oh," Blue replied. Witches n
ever summoned or bound other beings, so didn't use a triangle. Though she had heard Grandma Lily instructing Stella on something similar to do with ghosts. Blue was doubtful that such a technique really was necessary. How powerful could noncorporeal beings really be?

  "What is that odd symbol in the very middle? It looks to be sunk into the floor." Blue was pointing to a white glass tile, outlined in black, that had white and red intersecting squares inside.

  "That is the tessera," replied LeRoy. It is actually a glass cube, with a magical symbol inscribed on each of its six sides. Since it's sunk into the floor, you can only see the top symbol. The magus turns it to display the symbol most associated with the ritual to be performed. Also, it's glass, not tile. It's made with layers of glass and foils to make it translucent."

  "It's very beautiful. The workmanship is exquisite!"

  "Yes, beautiful and useful. It also opens the Western Gate and connects this temple, the Temple of the Oak, with brother and sister druidic temples across the ….. ah well, enough said about that. I ramble on too much," replied LeRoy.

  "I see," replied Blue, making a mental note to ask Cormac for explanations. All this information about tessera, and related temples, was all new to her. To think that she didn't even know that the Temple of the Oak, whatever that meant, was beneath her own roof. Blue felt her temper rising.

  "I'm not a child!, she insisted. "I have a right to know what is going on, especially in my own house! It's not fair that I should find out this way. At least tell me about the Western Gate, and how a portal works?"

  "We don't talk about the Western Gate. Ever! Don't ask me anymore questions!

  "Well, I'm going to make the most of this, since who knows when I'll get back in here again," Blue muttered under her breath. She looked around and saw that the antechamber held a few ritual robes -- white with emerald green trim and black with burgundy trim. There also was a cabinet on one side filled with jars of incense, charcoal, a lighter, and jars of other symbolic ritual items. Next to the cabinet was a large farmhouse sink. On the other side of the antechamber was a bookshelf with very old books, several in languages Blue did not recognize. In one corner was a small, staircase that Blue knew led to the widow's walk at the very top of the house. LeRoy hopped onto a shelf and pointed out the correct book to use for a tracking spell. "This is it," he squawked. "You need to undress and put on a robe," said LeRoy. "There's some dragon blood and a few scales from that dragon on his old bandage you stuffed in your back pocket. That will work to connect with them. I'll be back with a locket for you to charm into a tracking amulet." LeRoy flew out of the room.

  Blue took the ritual book, and flipped through it, looking for the tracking spell, but a summoning caught her eye. "This looks interesting and will get me in the mood."

  Blue chanted the incantation slowly, vibrating the words so they would carry into the astral. It looked like a basic invocation of the four elements and appeal to power from elemental sources. She turned to each quarter and intoned, while mentally drawing a pentagram, in turn:

  East, Air, Birds, Breath, To Know, Raphael

  West, Water, Fish, Blood, To Dare, Gabriel

  South, Fire, Serpents, Skin, To Will, Michael

  North, Earth Beasts, Bones, To Be Silent, Uriel

  All that is weak go out. (Blue exhaled.)

  All that is strong come in. (Inhale.)

  All that is trespassing leave. (Blue threw up her arms imagining all trespassers and unwanted entities of any type to leave the area.) Blue then repeated the ritual only for the last line, instead of telling trespassers to leave, she intoned: "By the three sacred hills and the five sacred wells, I call upon the ancient guardians and I dedicate myself to the Temple of the Oak!" Once the guardians were invited in, Blue mentally sealed every door and window in the house.

  Followed by:

  "Hag of the riverbank,

  Hag of the stream,

  Washing your plaid,

  Come unto me."

  Blue knew that the Hag was an ancient figure of celtic legend, often found washing her tartan in a stream. She could be either treacherous or helpful but was best left alone. Also, sometimes the Hag was a shapeshifter, who appeared poor, weak and humble in order to test the character of persons who wished to cross the water. Crossing the water also was more than it appeared. It could mean either a purification or elevation or moving into a different reality -- a magical world.

  Warrior of my blood

  Warrior of my bone

  Mighty warrior full of strength

  Welcome to my home."

  The warrior was of course a wellknown symbol of strength and might. Often it had to do with protection.

  "Guardians of ancient promise,

  True to serve unto your clan,

  In our greatest hours of need,

  When we fight the demon seed."

  Blue sensed power stirring. Just then LeRoy fluttered back into the room carring an amulet for the tracking spell.

  "Oh no! What the bejeebers are you doing!!!! Banish! Banish Blue!!! Banish fast!!!!

  Mist had risen up, as though from the floor, which Blue knew was impossible but there it was anyway. It was taking the form of, well, an old woman and a warrior.

  "Shysters! Now you went and did it!," sputtered LeRoy. "You idiot, you just went and summoned the clan guardians, and you have not yet been presented to them yet!"

  "The what?" asked Blue, bewildered.

  "Oh my god, they're not in the triangle! Im outta here," LeRoy squawked, fluttering out the door as fast as he could go.

  From what LeRoy had sputtered before flapping out the door, Blue realized that the Hag and Warrior now in corporeal form before her were bound to the McChesney Clan, and wielded tremendous power. Unfortunately, she had not summoned them into a triangle. This meant they were free to do whatever they wished. Standing before Blue were a bent old woman, blind in one fogged up eye, and a powerful warrior wearing a tartan, leathers on his legs, a helm and a huge smoking sword. Blue could feel the power exuding from both the crumpled hag and the strong warrior. Blue stood there with her mouth hanging open.

  "What have we here? Pretty thing," murmurred the hag.

  The old woman squinted at Blue. "Ah, the newest McChesney."

  Blue recalled seeing glimpses of the hag staring out of mirrors then disappearing.

  "Kill it," I say, boomed the warrior. "Its fool enough to summon us with no introduction and doesn't even know enough to summon us into a triangle. It's too stupid to be tolerated."

  "Its one of ours," said the Hag. "So we shall not kill it, right away. Ah yes, I know you," the hag whispered. "The youngest and newest member of the McChesney Clan. Born of the witch's daughter and sired by Cormac McChesney."

  "How did you know?," asked Blue.

  "Let's kill it and go," repeated the warrior.

  The hag ignored both Blue and the warrior.

  "About time there was a girl. I'm tired of all these men running about killing themselves off. Past three generations it has been only men. Dam foolish they are. Noble but foolish." The hag raised her hand to Blue and made a symbol in the air that looked like a cross with a circle around it. "May you bare many healthy bairns Belladonna Louisa McChesney, witch girl with wolf blood."

  "Barns?" asked Blue.

  "Not barns! Bairns. Babies! Offspring! Don't let all this modern talk prevent you from realizing that this is the primary business of the female -- bearing and raising young. If you don't do it, the McChesney line will die out. So it's on you to propogate. It's your duty. It is very simple to mate and breed. Very close to the heart. But that is what gives us our strongest power. You will see."

  "Why did I not know of you before?" asked Blue.

  "You would have in time, as one of the McChesney Clan. Initiations are not made until you reach adulthood, age 18, and are welcomed into the Order. You are the first to ever invoke me who was not an Order member. If you had not been of the McChesney Clan, I would have killed you."
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br />   "I still think we should kill it now," huffed the warrior. "Impale it and roast it on a spit over the fire. That will teach it to be impudent."

  "Oh be quiet you big fool, killing is not the best solution to everything." Apparently the hag had seniority over the warrior, who now was sulking, though Blue noticed he seemed to be having a difficult time not laughing out loud. What was so funny?

  "What powers do you have?" Blue asked.

  The hag turned toward the east and raised her hands. Blue felt the wind and saw the hag turn into a beautiful eagle. Next the hag turned west and shapeshifted into a salmon that was swimming in air where the eagle had been flying. South she turned and became a slithering salamander giving off sparks and walking on tongues of fire, then finally North where she stood in the form of a great Stag on a piles of snow, tossing her head and antlers. Finally the stag stood once more in her elder hag form.

  "My powers are imparted unto the magus who invokes me. So you gain powers from whatever elemental form suits the mission at hand. Each magus has slight variation as the magic attunes to them. These are merely the outer changes. There also are inner changes. East brings both gnosis and power of the wind and breath. West enables one to dare travel through and learn from the innermost and hidden psyche, swimming those deep inner rivers and streams. South comes with a firmness of will, strengthened like a sword in fire. With north comes silence and knowledge of truth and justice, and power to invoke law. If you are outmatched I may or may not let this big oaf next to me join the fray on your behalf. Depends on my mood and your cause."

  The hag then approached Blue, put her hands on Blue's shoulders and turned her around. Blue felt the hag's breath blowing on her neck and a chill ran down her spine. Then the hag grabbed blue's hand and it burned badly. Blue could not pull it loose. The warrior stood in front, raised his sword and inscribed a Celtic cross, a cross with a circle around it.