Sarah Alder recently turned 27 was returning to her home within the coven, sunk to her knees before the smoking stakes. Strapped to the stakes, wrists bound dried blood coating the leather straps used to deny their release, both young and old of the coven. Caw sang the murder of crows lamenting with her as the tears fell from her eyes.
Her family, her history, and her peace were taken from her by the camarilla there marks littering the surrounding trees. The ancient enemy. A hatred that is borne through no fault of their own. The unique abilities that had protected their families for centuries had fostered an unkind and uncaring attitude of jealousy and scorn.
As her coven had developed and learned to protect themselves from the abuses of the religious fanatics, so had the development of the camarilla too developed. From cruelty to cruelty they had progressed, the ultimate taboo was the cutting. The cutting had started as a way to deny the witch the ability to sing.
It started as a keening wail from the horror of the discovery of her sisters to an angry shriek of despair to the realisation that she was the last of her coven. No longer would she make meals with her sisters. No longer would she play with the children of the coven. No longer celebrate Beltane with the young men of the village.
It ended in a deep pulsing thrum of hurt, sinking to her knees she stared at the bodies. The grief overwhelmed her. Day went, night came. Repeating over and over until the first snow hit the ground. The first body fell from the stake as if awakening from a deep dream. She hurried to cut down the bodies and prepare the burial rites of her people.
Sarah sang into the void "Earth please hear my call, surround me with your gentle embrace" facing the north, walking clockwise to the next position. "Water please hear my call embrace me with your refreshing presence" continuing onward "Fire please hear my plea and fill me with the energy to continue onward evermore" and lastly "Wind please hear my shout and fill me with the breath to call to their souls".
As Sarah slowly walked the circle around the gravesite: the earth sunk around her boots; her throat no longer parched; her flagging strength re-invigorated and the mood improved. Kneeling before the graves she sang the last, sobbing as she continued "Mother Magic please look after and guide their souls to the sunny meadow". Choking a little she continued "Father Green please protect them on their journey". Slumping forward exhausted she did not realise that the birds to the beetles had stopped making a sound. No croaking, barking, or hoot was made. The wind stilled. The skies darkened.
The air charged tingled against her skin, SNAP. The sound of a branch breaking in the forest alerted Sarah to the noise or lack of it. Voices not heard of earlier carried through the forest to her. "Quite, you know that devil whore should be here around about now" and "we should have just drowned the bastards" flitter to her ears. Anger filled her "crone twilight of light hear my prayer fill me with the energy to kill those that would kill the innocent and grant revenge for my coven" she spat out.
"Death, hear my pleas, accept my sacrifice, my everything. Grant devastating pain and suffering to .." before she could finish a bola came hurtling through the woods and wrapped around her throat, cutting her off mid-sentence. Yanking at the bola, she tore it from her throat to the sound of running and crashing at the edge of the woods. "Quick before the bitch finishes" shouted the burly man with a hood drawn over his head and mask shouts to the others.
Sarah started to whistle, causing the burly man's ears to bleed, falling to the forest floor screaming as he died. Lurching forward onto hands after being kicked in the back, she rolled out of the way of a scythe. Springing to her feet ready to leap forward into battle however before she could gain her balance she was launched back onto the ground by another attacker. Quickly she was punched in the throat by her attacker. Arms pinned the ground looking into the face of the attacker it was then that she realised it was a woman sneering down at her.
The woman raised her arm clutching a dagger ready to pierce her chest. "Greet the devil, you whore" the woman screamed at her. Sarah struggled but her arms were pinned underneath the woman's knees, despair overcame her. Slowly the arm clutching the dagger descended. Sarah screwed her eye shut knowing that this was her end.
The pain did not register. Opening her eyes to the sight of the tip of the dagger above her left eye. Strangely the world was quiet. The tip of the dagger quivered. Sarah followed the tip of the dagger with her eye to the hand holding it then on to the arm until finally the face of the attacker. The woman's face was as if stone, sold, and unchanging however it was her eyes that made Sarah question what was happening. The woman's eyes were darting to and fro. Sweat collecting on her forehead.
Sarah started struggling and manage to move the woman from above her, getting to her feet staring at the woman below her confused as to why she could not move. Swiftly she turned her around, shocked to find the other attackers were frozen mid pose. Sarah was confused but elated quickly she killed the woman and moved away from the others that were frozen. SNAP a branch broke. Darting around Sarah came to face a man moving toward her in a cloak.
Letting the sound build at the back of her throat in preparation for attack Sarah stepped back. The man stopped and raised his hands " Sarah if I wanted to kill you I could have without freezing your attackers" a cultured British voice spoke from within the hood. Catching her off guard, he stepped closer "also we need to finish the deal". "What deal are you referring to" Sarah mumbled confusedly, "Well you did pray to me or well a friend of mine". Shocked Sarah stumbled back. "Mother Magic" she whispered. Not believing what she was hearing and becoming alert to a possible attack by this person." No Death" he spoke confidently as he stepped forward again.
Sarah was terrified, she remember the stories that spoke of death and how it was cruel to those that broke its promises. Terrible prices had been paid by coven for not honoring the deal made with death. "I am not sure who I was meant to inflict lasting pain and suffering too for my end of the bargain and why also you can call me Harry going forward," harry said inquisitively. Stunned Sarah quickly tipped back onto her behind staring up at him truly terrified of what he represented. It was then that Sarah noticed that the surrounding area was quiet, the sky dark and gloomy and that with every step he took the ground foliage within 3 feet and started dying. Whilst Sarah was taking this in harry made his way to stand before her.
Harry offered his hand to her." please let me help you up I understand that this is quite a surprise to you now please explain". Reaching up Sarah grasped his hand, Yelping as her hand started to rot before her eyes, she let go." my apologies my dear lady not it is not often that I interact with mortals, please let me rectify the situation." harry bowed as he said this. His hand waved over hers healing the wound in seconds. Sarah could not believe her eyes what would have taken a fixer weeks to sort was done in seconds by this mysterious person.
Sarah was even more dumbfounded that all thought she could feel the changes happening she did not hear the song. As Sarah took this in she noticed that the day was brightening and that the foliage was no longer dying off. Harry reached down again and grasped Sarah's hand and pulled her to her feet. Harry brushed off the twigs and dirt from her shoulders looking into her eyes, he pulled down the hood of the cloak and smiled at her."now that is that sorted how about a cup of tea" looking to her left she spotted a metal table with chairs and a tea set her worry about the situation must have shone on her face "it is okay they will remain as they are until I decide otherwise".
Harry pulled out a chair for Sarah to sit in and then approach his own. Getting comfortable harry played mother and poured the tea for Sarah and him. "Please start from the beginning I find that helps" and so Sarah did. She spoke of the compromise that she had reached with the founding fathers and what this meant for her kind and the struggles they would have going forward but had optimism that this was the start, the start of a home for her people. She spoke to the battle to push back the British in Boston and while she spoke did the nighttime skyrise. She never noticed that for all the time that she spoke and drank tea the cup was never empty, nor did she get cold from the crisp evening air or how the snow did not fall on them even though it felling the surroundings. Finally, it came to the part in the story about the journey home filled with wonder at getting to share this with her family and the horror of what she found.
Harry sat and listened. Truly listened to every word that came out of her mouth the heartache and revulsion of what she had witnessed and the anger of finding the camarilla had done this to the innocent of the coven. Sarah noticed the change quickly as she came to the end of the story, the building heat. The table melted into a puddle at their feet and harry face morphed into righteous fury, he growled out "so you mean to tell me that these vermin killed women and children that could not defend themselves". Nodding quickly she tried to keep as still as possible. Harry turned to her and pierced her eyes with his "I accept your vow and will decide the terms once finished".
Turning to frozen caramilla members harry waved his hand first causing their feet to dig into the ground snapping their ankles, although they could not speak their eyes told the story of their pain. As if grabbed by a marionette puppeteer the rest of their bodies snapped ramrod straight arms outstretched. It started gradually with their legs reaching out through the rest of the body slowly but surely turning into wood. The faces exposed to make expressions of pain but silenced. Finally, a fire rose throughout the branches but not burning the branches but the transfigured persons.
Sarah watched this with trepidation not knowing what will be asked of her however she could hear the song being worked this even if she could not hear it being sung. Never before had she felt a song as powerful as this before for it was fire and fury. Once completed and the punishment clear to see she nodded in satisfaction. Finding the punishment fitting as to the crime: silenced like the witches that had been cut burned alive but not being killed straight away.
She turned to harry noticing the feral look on his face "thank you" she whispered as she hugged in gratitude. " they will suffer for the next 300 years before dying as this is the maximum that they can be punished for. Forever silenced, forever burning" harry growled into her ear "I am sorry that I could not get here earlier". "How did you do that. Was that some new song and why is it I can't hear you sing the songs" she queried excitedly.
Harry chuckled reminded of Hermoine felt morose stared at her noting her appearance: her high cheekbones defining her face; long hazel hair sitting just below her shoulders; her tall stature of being 5' 9" and stilling deep pool-like eyes of sapphire blue. Harry sat at a freshly conjured table and explained that he is not of this time or dimension and what he can do does not require a song. That is abilities were an internal personification of the song without the vocal aspect. Intrigued Sarah asked many a question about the nature of his magic whilst answering many of Harry's.
Dawn broke behind harry the early morning ray hitting Sarah in the eyes. Realizing that the ordeal was over she crashed on the table spent. Woken From her sleep unexpectedly she jolted to find the sun high in the sky. She figured it must be midday but unsure if it was the same date she looked around not finding harry momentarily concerned that she made thought it all up as a way to distract herself from the situation. Spotting a sign which read "Grove of regret" the camarilla trees she made her way to the nearest to have a closer inspection. Pinned to the tree was a board containing the name of the person in the tree and what crimes they had committed. It read: Name - Evan O'Toole age - 19 crimes - murder of 23 men women and children, torture of 23 men women and children. Looking around she spotted the same plaque with varying information specific to that person.
"Good afternoon Sarah are you feeling better now, do you like the signs to explain the punishment that these people will be going through for the next 300 years" harry jovially asked as he approached. Sarah surprised jumped due to harry sneaking up on her." why would they be punished for the next 300 years" she asked timidly "surely the fire will burn out in a day or two". Harry then went on to explain what he meant by 300 years. The punishment would only last that long as that was the deal for devastating pain and suffering and that it was a fitting punishment.
Sarah hurriedly realised that she did not know what harry wanted with her now he had kept his end of the deal "Harry what do you want from me".