Maywen and The Queen of Night

by L M Lannutti



  Maywen

  and

  The Queen of Night

  Lena-Marie Lannutti

 

 

 

  Chapter 1

  A Second Chance

  In a dark cave, there are three old women older than time itself spinning silvery thread. They have pure white hair, no eyes and are draped in black robes.

  One of the three spoke up. “We are the Fateinia; we are the soul three who hold the thread of life.”

  One of the three grabbed a bundle of the silvery thread with her bony fingers.

  “We know all, see all, we have the power to see past, present and future.’’

  Then she grabbed a string different from the other entire one that was bright green.

  “This is the life string of a special girl with more power then you could only imagine. She has a dark past and a long journey lies ahead of her and this is her story….’’

 

  “Long ago, in realm that is long forgotten, there is an old traveler and she is searching for someone. Leaning on her staff and wearing her red ragged cloak, she limps slowly into the village market of the town of Ceraibell, and meets a young girl. The girl is about thirteen and poor from the clothes she wore and the amount of dirt on her face and her black hair.’’

  ‘’Young girl, what is your name?’’ the old woman asks.

  ‘’My name is Maywen.’’

  Then the old woman said “I am Ingraine’’ she turned her head, “where are your parents, my dear?’’

  Maywen’s green eyes looked watery “I am an orphan.’’

  “Maywen, would you like to come to my home?” Ingraine asked.

  “Maywen,” a voice called behind her.

 

  It was Dayla. Dayla Dalahad, her friend’s mother, she often took care of me but she had a large family. She had blonde hair, slightly grey from age and brown eyes. She was holding one of her youngest children, Lily, in one arm the other was on Maywen’s shoulder.

  “You shouldn’t talk to strangers.’’ Dayla reminded me.

  She guided me away from Ingraine, but I turned around.

  “I want to go with Ingraine.’’ I told Dayla, her eyes were watery and shocked.

  “How can you trust her, you don’t even know her?’’

  “Dayla, I really want to do this. It’s like a second chance for … ’’ she paused and stared at her. “I need this. ’’

  Dayla sighed and asked “You really want to?’’

  Maywen thought for a moment “yes’’ she answered.

  Dayla then turned to Ingraine. “You swear that no harm will come to Maywen and that if something would happen she can come back here.” Dayla stared at the old woman meaning every word.

  “I swear on all my bones, every hair on my head and every drop of blood inside me,’’ Ingraine promised.

  Dayla looked at her, convinced by her words.

  “Alright good bye, Maywen.” the woman looked at her. I saw a tear drop on her cheek.

  “Bye,’’ I told her.

  The little baby Lily started to cry as I followed Ingraine out of the market, out the country wall and down a grassy hill and walked a mile passed the river into the woods until we reached a tiny canvas white tent.

  “Come into my home Maywen ’’ Ingraine said.

  She held the up the flap, I went in first then Ingraine and inside was the most amazing place I had ever seen.

  First off, the tent was much bigger than you would think if you judged it from the outside. The tent was gold and red stripes with large gold rug on the floor. At the left side of the tent, there were tapestries on the walls of witches and elves and other things that Maywen had never seen. But the strange thing about them was they were moving, laughing dancing as if they were real. Potions and test tubes lay on a table on the left side of the tent. Each tube was a different color red, green, blue, and all the others ones. In the center of the tent, there was a circular table with a mouthwatering feast of meats and fruits, vegetables covered with seasonings and spices that Maywen had never smelled before. At the right side of the tent was a desk with papers and an ink canister with a quill pen by the hearth that was in between bookcases. There was a stain glass window above the hearth in the shape that Maywen was unfamiliar with, it almost looked like the sun but on the other side were three lines with stars on the end.

  Maywen turned around to ask Ingraine what the shape was and saw Ingraine had changed. She was a young woman. She had taken off her cloak and Maywen saw that she was wearing a red dress with gold stripes. She wore gold bracelets on each arm, her right ring finger bore a ring shaped like a poppy and there was something else unordinary in her wardrobe: on her neck was a silver pendant shaped like lioness’s head. Her gray hair was changed into a healthy brown hair. She had no wrinkles on her face and her brown eyes sparkled. She was practically glowing gold with youth and power. Ingraine was standing by the bookshelf and grabbed a long scroll. It was sealed by a strange stamp that looked like the image from the stain glass window.

  “What shape is that?” I asked.

 

  “This is the symbol of the Solastroiend or the three children of mother earth. This part,” she pointed to the part that looked like the sun, “represents Niakolia the spirit of the sun. The circle is the moon representing Marnos, the spirit of the moon and this,’’ she pointed to the part that looked like stars, “represents Lunna the spirit of the stars and the very first witch.’’

  Ingraine snapped her fingers and the food disappeared. She put the scroll on the empty table. The scroll was covered with drawings of darkness at first then of people.

  “This is Arterranos, the timeline of the earth’’

  “You see Maywen; the age of witches began a long time ago. It began when our world was dark and black like a river churning into nothingness. Then out from the dark world came Freyaisa Earth and Clazendor the bright blue Sky.’’

  “What happened to the three siblings?’’

  “The three grew up and quarrel broke out between the siblings. Lunna used her gift of magic to try and stop her siblings because of the quarrel the three were banished from Freyaisa and set off for new homes in Clazendor. Niakolia took the sun, Marnos took the moon and Lunna took the emptiness of space.’’ She grew lonely in space so she fashioned a friend from the deepest parts of the celestial cosmos that are cannot even be accounted for by the finest stargazers. This was Agammna the first dragon and made the constellations as her servants and pets. But Lunna was still lonely so she created Haroth the star eyed man. The descendants of Lunna are born with a little of her divine power and beauty and the starry eyes of Haroth. But back on earth Freyaisa had grown lonely for she still loved and missed her children so she allowed them to come back to earth. But the three liked being in space so Freyaisa allowed all her descendants to live on earth instead. We continue to live here to this very day. The three children of Freyaisa still visit their mother and their descendants from time to time. When a witch dies the woman’s spirit ascends to the skies to join her ancestors. You see Maywen all the stars you see in the sky are actually witch spirits.’’

  I looked at Arterranos more closely. The dark haired woman, Lunna, looked a lot like Ingraine. Then Ingraine snapped her fingers and the top of the tent disappeared and Maywen saw the dark sky filled with stars twinkling down at her.

  “We should eat under our ancestors tonight,’’ Ingraine said. She moved to the dinner table snapped her fingers again and the food reappeared and she passed Maywen a little bit of everything on the plate. Maywen took it and started eating.

  “You’re beautiful’’ I remarked
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  Ingraine smiled

  “Yes most witches are,’’ Ingraine said daintily,

  “But you should look at yourself.’’

 

  She looked in a hand mirror Ingraine gave her, her black hair was shining bright like night itself she wore a gown that was green thin gold striped with a thin silver and gold trim {which had a little bit of food on but I wiped it off} she glowed silver and all the pieces of this new wardrobe made her green eyes sparkle.

  “Thank you Ingraine ’’ Maywen said

  “You are my apprentice that should be an honor ’’ Ingraine said.

  “Apprentice? For a witch? Are you serious?’’

  “Yes child. Being a witch yourself, you must be trained. Being my apprentice you should be pampered a little.’’ she pointed to my new dress and around the tent.

  “So I have a home now? ’’ Maywen asked Ingraine

  ‘’ Yes you do. Your room is upstairs.’’ Ingraine said

  “ But there is no …’’ Ingraine held up her hand and a red spark floated in the air and down to the gold carpet, twisting like a snake, and stopped in the right corner. Then the gold carpet folded and folded until it turned into gold stairs.

  ‘’ Stairs, ‘’ I finished awestruck.

  ‘’Do not worry. It’s quite safe to go on the stairs. Your room is the first door on the left. You should probably get ready for bed.”

  Maywen looked at the window. The stain glass was dark and the people in the tapestries looked at her sleepily.

  “All right. Good night Ingraine,’’ I said

  “Good night Maywen.’’

  Maywen climbed up the gold stairs and went to her room. Maywen’s room matched her dress green, silver, and gold. Her bed was king sized with gold sheets and fluffy green pillows with a bookcase filled with hundreds of books. A silver dresser and closet on the left side of the bed, on the right side a desk with a quill pen ink and paper on it. In the monochromatic green stain glass window was a Solastroiend.

  Maywen yawned changed into a green nightgown. She kept her bracelet on, she always wore it, it was made of willow leaves. I don’t know how I got it. Dayla had told me once it was my mother’s. it is the only thing I have left of her. With that in my mind, I lay down on my bed and went to sleep but it wasn’t pleasant.

 

 

  Chapter 2

  The Dream

  Maywen had a terrifying dream. She was in a castle throne room, it had gold banners with the emblem of the sun, the emblem Ceraibellian royals, on the walls which were made of stone but the castle had a bright marble floor with a red rug that seemed to go for miles. In the center of the room lay an oak throne was a man. The man on the throne was King Dervindell, king of Maywen’s realm, Ceraibell. Maywen thought he was a fair and just, but paranoid potentate until Maywen heard her ruler’s decree. He was a rotund, short man with brown eyes sharp as swords.

  “I decree that … ’’ he looked dazed and his eyes were blurred

  “That all witches be exterminated ’’ he finished.

  His squire who had been writing this down on a scroll dropped his quill pen in shock and the knights around him stared at the king in disbelief.

  “Ssssire ’’ the squire stammered

  “Are you even sssure there are even witches in this kingdom?’’

  “Positive’’ the king said his eyes still blurry.

  “But how will we find the witch or possibly witches? ’’ the squire asked.

  “Search all around the kingdom if you have to but find the witches or I’ll have your head! ’’ the king yelled.

  Then the dream changed. Maywen saw a dragon large green and gold scales that looked harder than steel sleeping in a pile of gold and other treasures. It opened its eyes and looked at her and gave her a message from its thoughts I will come to you. But the strange thing was she wasn’t afraid of it. Then the dream ended. Maywen stood up, raised her left arm and saw something that scared her half to death. On her forearm was a marking of a green dragon that looked like the dragon from the dream. She got dressed in a dress similar to the one from yesterday of dark emerald green and ran downstairs for breakfast and to warn Ingraine. Ingraine was sitting down at the circular table with breakfast on the table. She was wearing a black dress with silver trim and the silver lioness pendant around her neck.

  “Ingraine, I need to tell you something.’’

  “First have breakfast, and then we will begin your training ’’ Ingraine said.

  “But Ingraine, the king’s soldiers are going to kill us!’’ I said loudly. There was a silence but Ingraine still remained confident.

  “Not for long, watch’’ She grabbed a jar from the table with the potions. It was filled with blue powder. Ingraine went outside and blew the powder outside and the wind carried it towards the village.

  ‘’Problem solved ’’ Ingraine said happily

  “What was that?’’ I asked.

  “Posideonna Mist. It seals a magic mist all around the tent and the people in the kingdom’s eyes so no one will find us.’’ Ingraine confirmed

  “That’s great ’’ I said

  “Yes, but it won’t last for long’’ Ingraine added sadly.

  “How long will it last? ’’ I asked almost panicked. Ingraine waved her hand a tiny sundial levitated in her palm.

  “About twenty four hours’’ Ingraine confirmed.

  “Twenty four hours!’’ I almost choked on my breakfast.

 

  “That’s not enough time ’’ I complained.

  “Yes it is’’ Ingraine assured getting up.

  She looked at me with excitement in her eyes.

  “Now let’s get started’’ Ingraine said.

 

  Chapter 3

  Training in Witchcraft

 

  Ingraine and Maywen began their training with a crystal ball. Ingraine waved her hand and the table cleared off and Ingraine stood up and walked to a locked chest. I saw her chant under her breath and the locks clicked and Ingraine opened the chest. Inside the chest was a crystal ball. Ingraine placed it on the center of the table. The crystal ball is a large sphere of glass the base was bronze and is shaped like a dragon’s claw.

  “Autla theola ka drea ‘’ Ingraine chanted.

  Then red smoke burst around the table and the table felt like it was spinning as smoking tendrils surrounded us. I heard screams and moans.

  ‘’ Show me your forearm Maywen’’ Ingraine ordered as if she was in a trance.

  I rolled up my sleeve and put my forearm on the table. Ingraine gasped, the smoke turned bright green

  ‘’ The dragon witch’’ Ingraine said mystified

  Then out of the smoke a large smoky dragon formed and it roared with all it lungs. Glasses and test tubes shattered. Then everything stopped. The dragon was gone, the table was on the ground, and the smoke had disappeared.

  “What’s the dragon witch Ingraine, tell me please ’’

  Ingraine looked pale. She ran to the desk, rummaged through scrolls and stopped when she found a one that looked centuries old. It had an ink drawing of a dragon that looked like the one in my dream with a girl riding on it and … I gasped the girl was me.

  ‘’ How could this be possible it looks centuries old? ’’ I asked Ingraine

  Her face darkened ‘’ the dragon witch is so powerful that they could tame the most uncontrollable beast in the world which could be good or ill.”

  “Witches’’ she began in a lighter tone.

  “Can have all sorts of powers- healing, nature, diviner, even shadow-casting but now there is a new type. Dragon taming ’’ Ingraine said

  “Then what are your powers? ’’ I asked.

  “I have visions from time to time‘’ Ingraine said.

  I could she didn’t want to continue on the subject.<
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