Powers of Old: The Awakening

Prologue

There was destruction outside; Hel’s forces were using a massive ram made out of solid onyx and decorated with swirling, glowing symbols of death and decay to attempt to break down the castle door. The guards were long dead, having fallen to Hel’s hounds when the attack first started. Massive beasts made of pure shadow and hatred, Kriki and Mong’s people didn’t stand a chance against them.

The whistling of arrows and the roar of fire could be heard well into the castle halls. Screams of anguish and anger echoed throughout the cold stone hallways; after the two lone people running farther away from the chaos, towards the inner sanctuary of the fortress. The grey stone walls and floors, covered lovingly with tapestries, blurred past the frantic couple. Kriki stopped, her white hair limp with sweat and her face covered with tears.

"Please," she sobbed as she pulled against the Mong's grip on her hand, "Please let me go help."

Kriki’s eyes floated towards the large fabric tapestry that her ladies in waiting had created for her; a happy scene of her and her sisters ruling side by side, standing on a cliff and smiling while being illuminated by the setting sun. The happiness in the image seemed to mock her- her own smile burning a hole in her mind.

"You can't do anything to help," Mong said, frustrated. "We just need to do the ceremony, so we can fight another day."

"Those are my people!" she screamed as the sound of clashing swords rang in her ears.

"Your people and my people both were out their fighting for us, to protect us," he reminded her. "Don't you think that I wanted to do more to help them too? But I know that if we die alongside them, their deaths will be in vain and the evil in this world will win."

She looked down as more tears fell from her silver eyes, the drops landing heavily on her long dress, turning the fabric dark. After a beat she looked back up at him and nodded her head, and off they went again.

Their footsteps seemed to be as loud as thunder as they dashed through halls and down stairs. The fighting got quieter as they got deeper into the bowels of the castle. They finally got into the sanctuary, and the guard was waiting as expected.

"I'm sorry, Segl" Kriki said as she approached him. He was an elder of her people who watched and cared over her as she grew. "I wish this didn’t have to happen."

"Don’t be sorry Kriki," he said as he hugged her for what was going to be the last time. "Our people chose this, they chose for you to do this instead of fighting with them. You and your betrothed are far more important. Especially for our future."

"Our people will live on with us." her Mong said as he put his arm around her, letting Kriki bury her face in the crook of his neck.

"I’m sorry I fought you, my Love, " she whispered, "I just can’t accept what Hel did, what I saw her do…”

His fists clenched tightly, the whites of his knuckles showing through as the memories of the past few hours flashed in front of his eyes. “I’m not mad at you, Kriki. It’s okay.”

They grabbed hands and slowly walked towards the center of the room. Kriki closed her eyes and whispered, "Sister, to me."

A woman appeared in a swirl of raven's feathers. Taller and distinctly older, this woman carried an air of power with her, she was a warrior. Her long black hair was pulled back into two thick braids, decorated with silver pieces. A silver circlet was wrapped around the crown of her head and she wore thick leather armor and a raven feather cloak. Her red eyes, that seemed to be glowing, met the younger sister's silver and started scanning the room.

"Where is Hagi?" Freyja asked, her voice booming through the mostly empty room.

Kriki merely looked down and shook her head as more tears fell. She refused to meet her older sister's eyes and Freyja howled with grief. "Who?" Freyja asked. "Who took Hagi from us?"

"Hel," Kriki's betrothed answered for her. "It's always Hel."

"Why have you summoned me here Kriki?" she asked angrily.

"Bind us, sister," Kriki asked. "Use your magic to bind me and my betrothed together throughout the ages, bind us so we will come back when we are most needed and together can defeat Hel once and for all."

The woman stared at her sister, the only one remaining, and closed her eyes in thought. The sounds of war was starting to reach the sanctuary. The cold stone room was starting to warm as the fire outside spread through the halls.

"Freyja please," Kriki begged. "This is what my people asked for, this is what they want for us." Freya opened her eyes and nodded looking towards Mong.

"And you Mong," she started, "Are you willing to be bound to my sister for eternity. You cannot be unbound after this, your souls will forever be intertwined." Mong looked at Kriki and they met eyes, he smiled as he touched her face.

"Being bound to her throughout the ages would not be enough time with your sister," He said. "I wish for much longer with her."

"And you sister?" Freya asked. "Are you willing?"

"I love my Mong," Kriki answered firmly, "I never wish to be apart from him."

"Then I bind you together, for all eternity, your souls forever intertwined." Freya said as she raised her hands, silver and gold streaks danced from her fingertips and surrounded the couple.

Kriki and Mong embraced as Freya finished the Rites of Binding, allowing the lights to seal them from the rest of the world. The lights wove themselves around the couple, sealing them from head to toe, and as the rite went on the lights got brighter until eventually Segl had to look away.

And with the last word leaving Freya's lips, the lights shattered, leaving a circle scorch mark on the ground. The guard ran towards where the couple once stood, only to be met with the sparkling remnants of magic.

"I hope with works," He said as he addressed Freyja, the sounds of battle ever closing in.

"It will, Segl," Freya said confidently, "They will rise again, in a different time."

Chapter 1

The darkness of Styx's bedroom was starting to wain as the morning sun started to peak around the edges of her blackout curtains. It eventually shone on her eyes, waking her from a dream filled with magic and ships, only to dump her into her reality. She squinted against it, internally cursing the bright light preferring softer moonlight than the harshness of day.

She stretched as she got up, fighting with her tangled bedsheets to release her so she could stand. She got up and walked towards her overflowing closet, grabbing a pair of dark jeans, a tank top, and her favorite leather jacket. She got dressed as music slowly started oozing from her sister's room. Something loud and pop that made Styx cringe.

Opting to retaliate with her own music, loud and grunge, to drown out the pop mess that was infiltrating her room. She cranked the volume up, as a raspy singers voice filled her room and she danced around her room as she was finishing getting ready. Her hand steady as she applied eyeliner, she was suddenly blinded by a ball of pink tinged light ,that flashed in front of her face bouncing harshly against the mirror, and out again quickly.

"Dammit Fauna!" Styx yelled over their combined music, "Two can play this game."

Styx ran to her alter, hers was dedicated to the Norse goddess Freyja, complete with ravens feathers and Nordic imagery. Styx grabbed her grimoire and flipped to a spell that she knew would be perfect for her sister, the Call of Ravens. Styx closed her eyes and focused on the spell, the book page lit up and the words lifted from the well-worn page. The words, glowing silver, formed the outline of a raven as it flew around her room and through the door.

Styx waited and smiled as she heard her sister yell. Laughing to herself she put her grimoire back carefully on her altar and sat on the bed as her sister barged in through the door. Fauna's long red hair was chaotic, tangled and knotted with a hairbrush and feathers. Styx couldn't help but laugh, doubling over at her sisters appearance.

"Styx, you asshole, sicking your fucking raven on me," Fauna said smiling slightly and rolling her eyes. "It waits now, you know. It waited until I started brushing my hair to pounce on me."

"What can I say, sis?" Styx said sobering up, "It likes you."

Styx's smile faded as she noted what her sister was wearing. "Fauna," Styx started." What are you wearing?"

Fauna's eyes got bigger as she tried to act casual, "um, clothes?"

With a sigh Styx walked towards her, looking at her sister's neck and back up to her face.

"Your mark is showing," Styx said as she turned her sister by the shoulders to face the full length mirror. "You know you can't show that outside."

Fauna looked defeated in the mirror as she looked at herself. A floral print flowy tank top paired with a pair of light wash shorts covered everything but the stark mark on her lower neck. A large pink seashell with a rose in the center wrapped around her neck, branding her as a witch. A mark that showed when her deity chose her only a few years ago.

"Don't look so sad, just wear this with it," she said as she grabbed a silver scarf that was strewn along her dark bed frame. Styx carefully wrapped the scarf around her sister's neck. Covering that cursed mark that showed the world what she was, uncaringly present despite the issue of her safety.

"You got so lucky with yours," Fauna whined as she adjusted her scarf, "it's on your back. You can hide it so easily.

It's true, Styx thought, my mark is securely right on the middle of my upper back; right between my shoulder blades. The painful memory of when it appeared would be forever burned into her mind, permanently reminding her of where her mark was exactly located. Styx's mark was a black outline of a raven's feather, large and normally sticks out of or shows through shirts. It causes her to wear jackets to make sure it stays covered. Styx adjusted her jacket out of habit, and crossed her arms.

"Cover your mark, okay?" Styx said as she finished her makeup while her sister stayed looking in the mirror. "Remember not everyone is so nice towards people like us."

Styx looked at herself in the mirror, her blue eyes stark and bright against her dark eye make-up. Her red hair was cut short, but the same shade as her sisters. Her skin pale with freckles, showing her Irish heritage. Her sister and her looked so much alike that people often assumed that they were twins, they pretty much matched except for their style. People often joked that they were just two sides of the same coin. Styx went to her bathroom to finish getting ready and when she got out, Fauna was still in front of the mirror.

Styx pulled her sister away and walked them both downstairs towards their small kitchen. Dodging drying herbs and flowers hanging from the low ceiling Styx made her way to the cabinets. She fixed her sister a quick breakfast of yogurt and fruit while she grabbed an apple and headed out of the door. She kept her head down and her sleeves pulled down to her palms as she walked to work.

The sky was dreary, as if the sun refused to shine on the world as it was. The bleakness outside was only making the outside of her neighborhood look more crummy and run-down. The bricks, which were once shades of red, were faded and crumbling. The sidewalk was overgrown with weeds and the street was pocketed with potholes, but cars became a rare occurrence in Styx's part of town since no one around her could really afford cars. Buses were practically extinct, they avoid her area like the plague.

Styx was pondering this as she heard a loud hiss of brakes. She paused midstep, her joints screeching like the car's dying brake pads, and she turned immediately to her right. There was a large moving van parked in front of one of the crumbling houses near the end of her block. It was shiny and new, the white paint sparkling even in the low light of the cloudy day. It was an actual car, she hadn't seen one of those in years. And it was new, nothing around here was new, this doesn't even have rust on it. The contrast made the crumbling buildings look practically abandoned, hostile towards any inhabitants that dare to enter.

Amazed, Styx realized that she was staring and pushed herself to keep walking. She finished her step and kept going, her eyes glued to the truck until it was painful to her neck. Styx only took a few more steps when she heard the voice, a woman’s whisper in her mind that she hadn’t heard in months. Protect, it said hauntingly, you have to protect her. Cannot lose...cannot lose again. Piercing pain lit the spaces behind her eyes and Styx closed them immediately, rubbing her temples to try to soothe out the needles that embedded themselves there. Her breath was coming out in short pants, lengthening as she relaxed and the pain subsided. A tickle started under her nose and she rubbed it haphazardly, her hand coming back wet and red.

Dammit, Styx thought angrily, I didn’t think I’d have to deal with this shit anymore. She walked quickly to work, her hand glued under her nose to try to stem the flow of blood. Nose bleeds like this now were merely an annoyance after months of them previously. A spiritual attachment gone wrong, Styx had thought then, a simple ghost not knowing how to control itself. Styx had thought though that the spirit had vanished, months had gone by without hearing a peep from the spectral hijacker only to return today.

Her steps quickened as she reached the worn wooden door of her work, a local hotspot, The Gouger, was a house turned bar. You wouldn't be able to tell it apart from the other houses if it wasn't for the fading wooden sign hanging by the front door. A sign shaped like a face, but with hollow eye sockets, a slice of gallows humor. This place was named after a Gen-Mod killer, a person who went after only people like her, gouging the eyes out and leaving the bodies strewn about in a morbid display of anger and resentment towards people who couldn't help what they were.

It reminded her of a time she learned about while still in school, where people judged and hated each other based solely on the color of their skin. I guess people never learn, Styx thought, that time was hundreds of years ago but it still remained only changed slightly to fit the time. She slid into the establishment, quickly grabbing some napkins from a nearby table. Dark and seemingly foreboding, what was the living room was crammed with small tables and the smell of stale cigarette smoke. The tables were worn warm wood, soaking up the good memories only to release them as the heat of crowds coaxes them out. Styx pressed the wad of napkins to her nose as a booming males voice rang out.

"Styx!" bellowed a man from the kitchen, "Bout time you got here!”

Styx smiled as the familiar voice reached her ears, a man who was basically a father to her stomped his way to the front. He was a large older man, built like a tank who could have also been a Viking. Reddened skin covered with a large beard and long curly white hair, Aylward was a kind figure to everyone.

"Could yeh hurry up, something good is a brewin’. I can feel it!" Ale’s smile faded slightly as he looked at her bloody face. “What happend to y’ah girl?”

"Nothing I can’t handle,” Styx replied jokingly, not wanting him to worry. “ It’s just a nosebleed. A ghost is getting a little too attached, nothing some banishment can’t fix.”

“Well, let me know if y’ah need anythin’,” Ale said, his smile returning, “And get in gear! We gotta be ready, fates are gonna test us today.”

“On it Ale!" Styx hollered after him as he stomped his way back toward the kitchen, cursing as he stubbed his toe on the doorframe.

Styx threw her jacket into the closet and ran behind the bar to wash her face and hands in the small sink. After, she quickly grabbed her apron, busying herself as she set tables. She was just taking her place behind the bar, again, when the door opened and three people walked in. Styx looked up and saw three new people. New people. They were showing that fresh and new excitement and fear of moving to a new neighborhood. That made her hesitant, her instinct was to run to the closet and grab her jacket for another layer of protection. New people were a new threat, and the instincts that came with following a war goddess knew that new threats were the most dangerous.

She squared her shoulders and approached the table with an order pad in hand. Careful to walk in a way that kept them in front of her at all times and so she could monitor her surroundings. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she greeted the three new people, tense like an animal awaiting attack.

“Welcome to The Gouger,” Styx said while keeping her breathing even and her heartbeat slow, “what can I do yah for?”

“Um..” the youngest of the group started, a boy from Asian descent possibly sixteen to seventeen looking nervous and anxious, “can we have a minute please?”

“Of course,” Styx said easily. “Just hollar when you guys are ready.”

Styx walked away, walking around the room rather than turning her back towards the strangers, and grabbed her jacket from the closet. She smiled slightly, remembering when her sister gave it to her a few years ago. Fauna was so excited, her eyes bright, while carrying a package covered in blooming vines. She had forced Styx to sit down immediately and open the surprise. This black leather jacket, fit perfectly, and had a custom design on the back. Fauna had painted a pair of raven’s wings in white paint on the back, taking care to add small details. It was perfect.

Styx slipped it on, feeling more secure as the worn leather sat on her shoulders. Taking her position behind the bar Styx busied herself making coffee, adding a pinch of cinnamon for protection and extra power, and going through her herbal inventory. She was inspecting a mostly empty jar of dried allspice berries when she heard a soft, “excuse me” from in front of the counter.

Styx popped up from behind the counter to see the tallest of the strangers standing there. He was tall, broad shoulders, and with him came a wave of protective energy that nearly made Styx lean backwards from the force. The voice came surging back to the forefront of her mind, Remember, it seemed to say. She blinked a few times, praying her nose wouldn’t become a fountain again, before responding. “Yes?” Styx answered.

“Can we just have three orders of ‘Ale’s Breakfast’ please?” He asked his brown eyes keeping on hers.

“Yeah,” Styx responded, “No problem. Do you all want something to drink?”

“What do you recommend?”

“Well,” Styx thought, “we have a lot of teas, there good for helping make anyone feel better. We have coffee. Juice. All kinds of things.”

“But what would you recommend?” He asked again, smiling.

“I would recommend the southern sweet tea with mint leaves. It’s my favorite.”

“We will take three of those too.” He said smiling as he walked back towards his table.

His energy left with him, leaving Styx breathless and colder. Befuddled, she walked to the back to put in the orders with Ale and his small kitchen staff. She felt under her nose and sighed in gratitude as it came back clean and dry. As Styx walked in, she saw the familiar warm kitchen. It was a large home kitchen; the walls painted a sunny yellow with burnt orange floral decals. The sunlight that managed to break through the clouds filtered through the few windows making the chrome appliances and pots gleam.

Ale was walking barefoot around on the warm warm brown wood floors while his wife, Esmeralda, practically danced around him setting out ingredients and organizing their huge pantry. A big boned woman with a long mass of curly black hair and fierce green eyes dressed like a pirate, the couple seemed intimidating. But beneath their strong demeanor were hearts of gold. Their daughter, Calypso, followed close behind taking notes. At the age of ten she was already trying to learn enough of the family business to take over.

“I can see a mutiny brewing.” Styx said as she entered drawing a hearty laugh from Esmerelda.

“This little one will be a takin’ over soon enough,” she said clapping Calypso on the back, almost knocking the child over.

Calypso beamed at her mom and looked at her dad who nodded in agreement. She walked towards Styx holding out her neatly written notes about organization and recipes. Styx smiled at her, and looked up at Ale.

“Hey Ale, we have orders.” Styx said hesitantly.

“What?” Ale asked bewildered, “Already? Is it Mr. Hollaway? He said he might be early the next time he comes ‘round.”

“No,” Styx said slowly, “its three new people. Must’ve just moved in, I saw a moving van on my way here this morning.”

The kitchen paused. Neither member of the family budged inch. Esmeralda's eyes widened slowly, then frantically jumped to Ale. Ale’s face was somber, his eyes were slightly unfocused as his sight went internal, trying to figure out how to handle the situation. He was considering the options here, weighing his instincts against logic. After a moment he let out a belly laugh.

“Well, we better feed them, aye?” He said smiling. “What’re they havin’?”

“Three Ale’s breakfasts,” Styx said, “and three mint sweet teas.”

“We’ll get started on the breakfasts,” Esmeralda said coming out of her stupor, “You get the teas.”

Styx nodded as she left. While walking down the hall she could hear Esmeralda whisper to Calypso to go upstairs and stay there. Even though Esmeralda seemed okay with her husband’s welcoming approach she, much like Styx, was weary of strangers. Styx heard Calypso whine in protest but was quickly hushed by her mother.

The dining area was just as she left it, the three strangers sitting at a table in the middle the only people here. Styx went behind her bar and started brewing the tea. She walked over towards the far end of her bar, the end attached to the wall, and looked at the small swath of green. Small potted plants, in light orange clay pots, were growing perfectly. Their leaves bright green and full.

Styx picked some fresh mint leaves and bruised them slightly with her mortar and pestle. She placed them on top of the three glasses filled with ice and poured the sugary sweet tea over it, allowing the mint to fuse with the tea as it trickled pass. Styx served the teas, walking a little more freely with her jacket on, and quietly listened as they spoke around her.

“The house still needs work, but it’ll do,” the eldest boy said as Styx placed the tea in front of him.

“How can we?” the youngest said, eyes searching desperately. “How can we make any of this work?”

“Being chosen isn’t the end of the world,” the sister said, “it’s just different.”

“Being chosen, yeah right,”the youngest said, “I didn’t choose to be a freak.”

Styx placed his tea down hard, splashing it onto her hand and the table. She straightened and without a backwards glance walked back to her bar. That word, freak, Styx had heard it all her life. On every TV channel, on every movie, song, and book when they needed an easy person to blame. Freak, Styx thought bitterly, I prefer magically inclined.

She took a few deep breaths and grabbed a leafy bundle from under the counter. Dried white leaves with dried white stems littered with small purple blossoms wrapped tightly yet sporadically with cotton string, a smudging stick of sage and lavender to cleanse and calm. She lit one end, letting the flame burn brightly for a moment then blowing it out. The smoke and wafted from the smouldering bundle and curled in the air. Styx reached under the bar and grabbed a large brown hawk feather.

The feather was slightly speckled, Styx smiled as she remembered when the female hawk gave it to her. She had startled Styx, as Styx almost fell over her as she walked out of her house one morning. The large bird, tan brown with light sandy colored speckles, just stared at Styx it’s brown eyes completely focused. Styx stood still, afraid of startling such a large bird, but watch in awe as the female hawk hopped towards her and waited as Styx crouched down. Styx took a chance and stretched her hand out slightly. The bird responded by gently placing her head onto Styx’s open palm. It lasted only a moment, but when the bird left, a single feather was left behind.

Styx blinked a few times, allowing the memory to fade away still feeling the birds head on her hand. She started fanning the smoke with the feather while walking around her area. Trying to surround herself with an air of peace. Banishing the negativity and welcoming contentment and peace for the rest of the day.

Ale and Esmeralda came bustling out of the kitchen, bringing with them three fragrant sizzling plates full of hashbrowns, bacon, pancakes covered with butter and syrup and brightly colored fresh fruits grown with love by Esmeralda in the green house in the backyard. They placed the plates down in front of the strangers and quickly walked away without saying anything. The strangers dug in; their conversation forgotten for the time. Ale came over to Styx, his face serious.

“The winds of change are blowin’ fast,” Ale said. “How’re you ‘n Fauna? Everythin’ alright?”

Styx’s eyes narrowed. She knew that Ale never normally was this concerned unless he saw something. Ale had a gift of site, chosen by the roman goddess Antevorta the goddess of the future, and she gave him visions. He hasn’t been wrong once. But he was being vague, Ale isn’t one to fear confrontation so him asking how she and Fauna were was making Styx on edge.

“What have you seen Ale?” Styx asked directly.

Ale looked downwards, not meeting her eyes. Styx made a show of looking over the counter at the same spot on the worn hardwood floor.

“What are you lookin at Ale?” Styx asked, “The answer to my question isn’t written on the floorboards.”

He sighed loudly, his voice that of a man that has seen too much and not been able to do anything about it. “Just be careful, alrite? The past can be dangerous.”

Styx narrowed her eyes in confusion as Ale walked away, just leaving her with the ominous phrase the past can be dangerous.

Oracles, Styx thought frustrated, can never just tell it like it is. Always giving vague advice.

Styx busied herself, forgetting the warning, with reading while the strangers ate their meals. She refilled their drinks twice, as they sat and talked in the empty restaurant. Styx was getting lost in her book when a very excited redhead barged in, causing a loud bang to go through the restaurant from the door slamming against the wall.

“Styx!” Fauna yelled excitedly “I’ve found the coolest spell! We need to do this tonight! We have to! I’ll invite my coven over. You have to lead the coven tonight, will you?”

Styx blinked, absorbing the excessive amount of information that was just dumped on her by her fourteen-year-old sister, and took a deep breath.

“Breathe,” Styx said laughing slightly then getting serious, “I’ll lead tonight, okay? Chill. But also, you need to be quieter.” Styx’s eyes went to the strangers then back to Fauna, Fauna’s mouth opened in a ‘O’ shape. Registering the strangers and the dangers that followed. A small smile still managed to creep onto her face, and her eyes lit up.

“Thanks, Styx!” Fauna whispered excitedly, still smiling.

“Whatar’ yah doing?” Ale said feigning anger.

Fauna laughed and ran to Ale. She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He laughed, his voice seeming to shake the windows, happiness seeming to gently fall throughout the room like dust. Styx smiled, Fauna didn’t remember much of their father so having Ale was, to Fauna, like having a father that didn’t live with them.

Random flashes of her father’s death ricocheted through Styx’s mind. Police lights, sirens, people screaming, a bright white light, deafening silence after a blast of energy; Styx blinked quickly shutting down the sporadic and chaotic images. Styx brought the cooled bundle to her nose and breathed deeply, allowing the faint fragrance to calm her mind and soul. She wasn’t going to go down the road of her father’s death at work or ever if she could get the chance.

Styx left someone’s eyes on her. Her eyes darted to the source and her eyes met the deep brown eyes of the oldest stranger boy. He was looking at her with deep concern, as if her chaotic thoughts were reaching him. As if he saw the images that haunted her, and he wanted to give her comfort.

“Styx,” Fauna said, breaking Styx’s staring contest with her stranger, “Who are they?”

“I don’t know,” Styx answered honestly, “but I have a weird feeling that we’re going to find out.”