NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Raven's Wings
In the grand library of the Imperial Castle, Lilith Clawthorne sat at a table with a stack of books
while she read from one book about 'Curses, Amulets and Mystical Relics'.
As she turned a page, she heard an echoed *thumping* sound.
Closing her book, Lilith stood up and walked down hall of bookcases.
As she heard yet another thumping sound, she walked into the direction of the noise.
As she turned a corner...she found a very odd looking sight.
Books were stacked up together to resemble some kind of Fort.
..and, boxed within the book fort was little boy with auburn hair and heterochromia eyes.
"olivier.." spoke Lilith. "that is NOT the proper use for those books."
Olivier responded by using a slingshot to fire a gold light ball at Lilith.
"come get me, Aunt Lily!" exclaimed Olivier, smiling. "Fort Clawthorne is "In'Penny-Trouble."
Lilith rolled her eyes, and then raised up her hands. Olivier, and the individual books, all rose up and levitated in the air.
As Lilith placed the books back where they belonged, she brought Olivier closer to her face.
"you are certainly your mother's son, Olivier: Nothing but Trouble." spoke Lilith.
"But, you are with ME, now. and, if you want to keep spending time with your "Aunt Lily", you will BEHAVEyourself...understand?"
Olivier nodded. "yes, ma'am. i'm sorry."
Lilith's cold stare melted into a smile as she looked into Olivier's shiny eyes.
Much like Eda was when she was a little girl: she was powerless against those baby eyes.
Lilith then pulled the young boy into an embrace, and held him in her arms.
"come, nephew." spoke Lilith, as she walked back to her reading table. "I found an advanced spell that I would like to teach you."
Olivier had a mixed reaction to this. "I'm not sure I should-"
Lilith placed Olivier in a seat at the reading table, and drew out a book.
"Here we are: the 'Pertractatio Tempus' spell." spoke Lilith "Also called the "Nunc Imperium."
Olivier stared, confused and interested. "and..what does that mean, exactly?"
Lilith didn't answer. she simply snapped her fingers...Igniting her stack of books.
"WHOA!" exclaimed Olivier, stunned. "Ah-Aunt Lily?! are you okay?!"
"don't worry. This is all part of the lesson." spoke Lilith.
Olivier watched as Lilith drew a blue spell circle in the air.
Once the ring of light was cast, she grasped and slowly turned the ring like a dial.
Olivier's eyes widened in astonishment as the books burned even faster.
In a matter of seconds, the blue fire burnt out, leaving naught by ash where the books onces were.
Lilith then rotated the spell ring in the other direction.
THIS slowly reverted the ash back into burning books...until finally restoring the books completely.
As Lilith released the spell ring, dismissing it away, Olivier exclaimed in amazement.
"WOW!, that was..AMAZING!" exclaimed Olivier.
Lilith smiled. "Manipulation and Control over Time is a very useful spell." explained Lilith.
"Only a select few are privileged to such magic...And, I wish to share this knowledge with you, my dear nephew."
Olivier's excited expression quickly turned to reluctance. "I'm not sure I can do that."
"Nonsense." said Lilith. "You are my So-err..NEPHEW. You CAN do it...I believe in you."
Olivier looked up at his Aunt with big, glossy eyes. Lilith then opened a book,
and tore out some random pages, ripping them to shreds.
"Now, you try..Make a spell circle, and focus on turning back the seconds." said Lilith.
Olivier breathed out, then trued to draw a spell circle in the air.
the ring came out crooked, promptly fizzled out. Olivier frowned at this. "I can't do it..i'm sorry."
"Try again, sweetheart." said Lilith, warmly. "If it helps, Visualize a Clock,
or a Pocket Watch in your mind when you draw the spell circle."
Olivier nodded. he closed his eyes, and imagined a clock as he drew another spell circle.
Lilith watched as Olivier completed the ring, and then blindly grasped it in his palm.
"good. you made a complete circle." said Lilith, feeling Pride swell over her. "Now, perform the spell."
Olivier opened his eyes, and aimed his spell ring at the damaged book.
He slowly turned the ring, which gradually restored the pages that Lilith had torn out.
The boy's face lit up. "I..I did it. Look, Aunt Lily!, I'M DOING IT-!"
At that moment, Olivier suddenly became dazed and lost focus. "Olivier?" spoke Lilith, puzzled.
Olivier fell backwards in the chair, falling to the ground. "OLIVIER!" Lilith rushed over, and picked the boy up.
Olivier gripped his chest, behaving as if he was in agony. "t-too much...it h-hurts."
Lilith quickly cast a spell, channeling blue energy into Olivier small body.
And, while the spell healed whatever damaged he has sustained...Lilith detected something within him.
..or, to be more precise. She detected the ABSENSE of something that should be there.
"you..you have no bile sac." spoke Lilith.
Olivier looked up at his Aunt, his face looking like an injured animal. "no what?"
"a Bile Sac. It is an organ attached to a witch's heart that acts as a Magic Reservoir." explained Lilith.
"I was wondering why casting spells, even simple ones, caused you physical pain.
You are missing a vital organ needed to channel the fantastic magiks that I sensed in you."
Olivier darted his eyes..as if knowing something that he didn't wish to tell.
"olivier." spoke Lilith. "are you a...a Halfling?"
Olivier looked up at his aunt, a confused look on his face.
"It is okay...being Half Witch is nothing to be shamed of." spoke Lilith.
"I will still love you all the same, sweetheart. just tell me the truth...I won't be angry with you."
Olivier paused, feeling trapped in a very tense situation.
He knew he couldn't tell his Aunt Lily the whole truth (his mother forbade him.)
..so, he decided to only tell HALF of the Truth: "M-Momma said I am something called..."a Human."
Lilith reacted in shock. she then pulled Olivier's long hair back, revealing his round ears.
The Raven Lady covered her mouth as she let this revelation sink in.
Human. of all the creatures for her sister to have a child with.
The very thought of a Clawthorne 'procreating' with such an inferior creature made Lilith feel repulsed.
but, then she looked down at Olivier's face...who looked up at her with fearful eyes.
"m-momma said you don't like humans.." spoke Olivier, his voice trembling..
"she to me to NEVER tell you that I was-(*tears up*) do you...h-hate me, now?"
Lilith looked hard at Olivier. And, instantly felt guilt over her prior anti-human thoughts.
As much as she loathed humans...she just couldn't bring herself to feel any disdain for Olivier.
Even if he did have Human blood in his veins, she still loved him like her own child.
Lilith didn't even hesitate as she pulled Olivier into a tight embrace. "never." said Lilith, her voice soft and kind.
"you are still my nephew...my precious child. And I'll love you, no matter what you are."
Olivier looked away, feeling a little guilty at his deception. But, he convinced himself that it didn't matter.
That his Aunt Lily would love him no matter what. So, he hugged her back. "th-thank you, aunt lily...I love you."
Lilith smiled as she stroked Olivier's long, auburn hair. she let a tear escape her eye,
allowing her usually cold demeaner to melt away for this moment. "and I love you, too..my Moon & Stars."
Olivier smiled at his aunt. "momma calls me something like that, too."
Lilith smiled back at Olivier. "then, you know we love you equally."
Olivier smiled again, his eyes glossy. Lilith then rose back up, still holding the boy.
"no more training for tonight...How about I tell you a story." spoke Lilith.
"What kind of story?" asked Olivier, curious.
"well, what kind of story do you want to hear?" asked Lilith.
"I dunno..make something up, I guess."
Lilith smiled. "you certainly do take after your mother. Very well. How about a story that I call..."The Owl, and the Raven."
(("MISS LILITH!")) exclaimed a shrill, female voice.
"GAH!" Lilith was startled awake. "wa-what?!"
"MISS LILITH.." spoke the voice again (this time, sounding more annoyed.)
Lilith looked down...and, saw Kikimora glaring up at her. "what do YOU want?"
"I wish to know WHY you are here in the Imperial Library, and NOT out in Bonesborough,
tracking down your fugitive sister for the glory of the almighty Emperor Belos."
Lilith groaned. "Because I am doing RESEARCH...Or, is that simply BEYOND your understanding, demon?"
Kikimora's yellow eyes and red eyes slivered in distain.
"carry on, then.." spoke the short she-demon, as she turned to leave.
"Just put everything back the way it was once you are done. This is a Library, not a Thrift Store."
Lilith wanted so badly to ZAP Kiki into a Grom's Nest.
The diminutive demon acted so superior, simply because she was the Emperor's aide.
but, Lilith repressed such immature behavior, and resumed her research
on properly identifying what made her nephew 'disappear' (as Eda had put it.)
Once Kikimora was gone...Lilith summoned her 'scrollphone', and brought up her photo gallery.
Once again, she looked at an image that she took of herself, and her nephew when he was a child.
Lilith's lip quivered as fear and dread crawled up her skin. It felt worse than her own guilt over...her sister's curse.
"be safe, dear nephew.." spoke Lilith, her voice shaky, and anxious.
"Remember the lessons I taught you. and, HOLD ON...I *WILL* bring you back home."
Lilith covered her mouth, repressing the urge to cry. She had to be strong...she KNEW she was better than this.
With renewed resolve, Lilith returned to her research. quickly flipping through the aged papyrus pages.
..Then, at long last she found something that piqued her interest.
a whole chapter detailing a magical music box adorned with three gems.
The gems held a special significance, but what caught Lilith's attention was the NAME of the artifact...
*THE CALAMITY BOX*
[End of Part Seven]