“Elements of the earth, elements of the sky, please bring us your protective eye. Powers of feather and scale, I summon you. I call upon you to protect me. So it may be.”

A loud snort interrupted the quiet that had settled in the air of the dense forest path. Lada, in her infinite wisdom, kept her mouth shut and her energy focused on her spell.

“Do you always have to be an ass, Casimir? She asked us to be quiet.”

“Casimir quiet? I don’t think that’s in his capabilities.”

Gravel crunched as someone adjusted their stance. “It’s a waste of time and both of you know it.”

Lada sighed, giving up on strengthening her resolve. It would have to be enough.

“Just because you are not a follower of the 

 doesn’t mean his power doesn’t exist,” Lada said, turning her pale blue gaze to Casimir who leaned against a tree - his expression boiling with extreme impatience.

“And have you ever seen this ‘Father'?” Casimir pushed himself off the tree, his hair on his half-shaved head flopping to one side. “It makes no sense to believe in something you don’t know is real.”

“Please don’t start this again, you two.” A woman an entire head taller than Casimir walked up between them, her blonde hair tied in a neat braid at the nape of her neck. “We need to reach the client’s home before nightfall.”

Lada agreed with a brisk nod, though she had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from defending her faith yet again from Casimir’s brain-dead accusations. 

Casimir just grinned, throwing up his arms in surrender. “Fine, Danica, but only because I’m more excited to meet the 

Danica rolled her eyes and covered her face as Lada opened her mouth. “They aren’t 

Another man who shared the same blonde hair and tall stature as Danica walked past the group, hiking a pack over one shoulder. “You never know, Lada. Maybe the locals know more than you do?” His voice was light and teasing; Casimir’s voice was like a grating piece of sandpaper in comparison.

Lada followed the man, picking up her own travel bag from the ground where she had stopped to cast her spell. “Or - 

 - maybe the locals are making up stories to scare outsiders away from meddling in their business?”

Casimir and Danica grabbed their own belongings and followed the pair down the path.

Dragan laughed, leaning over to ruffle the top of Lada’s red locks with a gentle hand. “I mean, meeting a coven of witches would be more fun, but you could be right there, 

Lada huffed but smiled nonetheless at his nickname for her. It was hard to be cross with Dragan.

The group of four trekked down the gravel path until it turned to dirt and weeds. The sun was just beginning to burnish its red evening colors when they arrived at their destination.

The dwelling was further away from the town they had come from than the request had mentioned. Moss clumped together at the foundation of the cabin while bright flowering vines crawled up the walls. Off to the side, a wooden fence kept a pair of sheep in check, their wool coats recently sheared.

The parchment with the commission written on it was held up in Danica’s pale hand, her eyes scanning the details while looking at the overgrown cabin in front of them.

“This is definitely a witch's house,” Casimir commented.

Lada turned toward him, about to open her mouth until Danica shushed her. 

“This is the place. They are offering a high reward for the commission, so be on your best behavior,” Danica reminded the pair, her eyes narrowing pointedly at Casimir. 

His green eyes only portrayed mischief as he silently consented to the request while Lada pouted her lips. 

Dragan laughed. “Well, shall we introduce ourselves?”

Dragan gently knocked on the door, then stepped back, putting his hands behind his back. 

After a few moments, the sound of footsteps rattled the floorboards, and then the door was opened. 

The smell of smoke and incense instantly assaulted Lada’s nostrils, causing her nose to itch. Framed within the wooden door frame was a woman with long, thick hair as black as night with several silver charms adorning her neck and wrists. 

“Greetings, travelers. How may I help you?”

Lada’s heart stuttered as she looked up into the eyes of the woman - eyes like molten night or the endless depths of the blue sea. They gave off the slightest glow, something that would be far more noticeable if the setting sun weren’t so bright behind them. 

Lada side-eyed her companions, but none of them showed any surprise or shock at the unnatural color of the woman’s irises.

Dragan dipped his head in greeting. “Good evening, ma’am. We’re here about the request you left in the town square earlier this morning.”

The woman’s eyebrows lifted, her mouth opening slightly. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting anyone to come. 

“Who’s at the door, Kupal?” A feminine voice from within the cabin asked.

The woman - Kupal - turned to look over her shoulder. “Sister, you were right. Someone came to help.”

The door was pushed open wider as a second woman squeezed through. She looked nothing like Kupal’s ‘sister’ however, as her hair was the color of wheat and her skin was gently tanned. 

 Told you so!” She said to Kupal, her demeanor much more bright and energetic. She gestured eagerly to the four outside to come in, her dress a simple woolen green fabric over a cream skirt. 

Dragan, Danica, Casimir, and Lada all filed in, surprised to see that the inside of the cabin was quite spacious. Despite the thick smell of incense, Lada could not see any burning.

Kupal nodded, gesturing to make themselves comfortable. “Yes, I am Kupal, and that’s my sister, Zorya.”

Zorya waved from where she had taken a seat at a table in the center of the room.

Lada and Dragan both took seats at the table as well. Danica remained standing, her eyes scanning the room from behind Dragan’s back, while Casimir helped himself to one of the cushioned seats in the rear of the cabin - lounging as if he owned the place.

“I’m Dragan. This here is my sister Danica, and then we have Lada - our youngest, and Casimir - our loudest.”

Lada snickered while Casimir lowered himself further in his chair.

Zorya grinned. “I like them already, Kupal.”

“Indeed.” Kupal’s molten eyes flickered from person to person, landing lastly on Lada. Her gaze lingered a little longer than Lada could stand, forcing her to break eye contact with the woman lest she lose her nerve. 

The door closest to Casimir’s seat opened then, revealing yet another woman whose skin was just as pale as Danica’s. She too wore plain clothing, though she wore a thick shawl over her thin shoulders. 

Sun Killer

A Fate of Fire Short Story - Under a Spell Challenge

“Elements of the earth, elements of the sky, please bring us your protective eye. Powers of feather and scale, I summon you. I call upon you to protect me. So it may be.”



Sun Killer

A Fate of Fire Short Story - Under a Spell Challenge

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Sun Killer

A Fate of Fire Short Story - Under a Spell Challenge

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of .css-13w9qce-Text{display:inline-block;color:var(--text-accent);}Amanda Starks

About the Creator

Amanda Starks

Comments (7)

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Keep reading

Cyclical

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of Amanda Starks