Story of the Sorceress

By GoldenGoddess

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*we see G-chan, sitting at her computer, savagely posting on hostile message boards*

Anica- *in the corner of the room* Get to work on the next chapter! NOW!!!

G.G.- *still posting and mumbling to herself while doing so* Yes, I am sixteen, how old are you? Live in Illinois? 'Play time'?! Er... um, sure!

Anica- -.-' You sad little pervert, you.

G.G.- *looks up, her eyes go wide and she hastily closes the window* Whoops! Heh heh, I see you took the liberty of starting the chapter for me, Anica.

Anica- Yes, no get to typing. You've messed up the fic enough as it is, finish it!

G.G.- Okay, whatever.

Author's Note: Hiya! I would like to give thanks to my three faithful reviewers. Amythest, do you have my e-mail address?! I desperately need e-mails, my Inbox is so empty I hear it crying at night for someone to feed it delicious e-mails! *mimicking Backpack from Dora the Explorer* Yum yum yum yum yum! Deliciouso! Right, anyway, on with the fic, since all I have left to say is that I apologize for my horrible writing. That, and promote my possible Christopher/ Pretty Little Flower fic, entitled 'Cuddle Lamb'. Oops! *lying badly* Did I say that out loud?


Disclaimer: I don't own Everworld. I wish I did! I'd have Cerberus and Fenrir be my guard dogs, Loki do my laundry and Athena be my lawyer and Hestia cook for me and I would be ruler of all! Anyway, I don't own it nor am I making money from this. So don't sue or I'll have my cup-bearer, Hebe, spill wine all over your nice clean clothes!

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Chapter Five


The Ett. Oh God the Ett. Such dainty creatures, with gossamer wings, pale blue as a clear summer sky in California. All sleeping, their tiny chests rising up and down, a weapon of some sort at their sides.

But you see, I am a witch. A witch. Need I repeat it? Very few times, in these last ten years, have I felt such bitterness as I do now, weaving an invisible orb of magic around my body as a shield, power crackling like electricity up and down my left arm, should one of them wake.

I admit, I have killed. Out of necessity, though, I could never be compared to a monster like Hel, or Huitzilopoctl, or... Senda. I wince at even the thought of my daughter's name, still unaccustomed to her new one. Senna? Honestly, calling herself a tree, as I've said before, the bark used mainly for laxatives. She is a pathway, my daughter, a path, a road, and I used to pray she would never become one.

Too late for prayers. They never did get me anywhere.

But, as I was saying, the Ett. What to do, what to do? Of course they will follow, no matter what road I take. Flying is out of the question, they have wings, and I warrant they can use them.

I wonder if the Amazons would give me shelter if I came upon them? My healing skills are rusty, but could be of some use to them. Rising to my feet, I winced upon hearing the cracking and creaking of age in my middle-aged body. Magic does that to a person. Everything has its price.

The silver orb protected me from harm and vision, at least, that of any non-magic user. Still, I tip-toed, careful not to step on any fingers, toes, or entire tiny bodies.

The moon. Yes, concentrate on that. A waxing gibbous, so near a full moon. If I used ritualistic magic, I could cast a good spell....

"Oof!" I tripped over something, almost invisible in the dark. "Idiot," I mumbled, then mentally slapped myself at my stupidity. A few low groans, the rustle of leaves, and then, a shout of alarm, as the Ett soon caught up with me.

I knew it would be foolish to run. After being with them for two weeks, you learn that they are fast runners, impossibly so. Instead, I used that bitterness that had been growing with every step, the magic still strong in my hands. Suddenly, I dropped the shield and took the Ett's second of shock to attack.

It burst out in a tongue of fire, flowing easily and swiftly from my palm. The line of napalm quickly engulfed the group that had come after me, and they fell to the ground, screaming and twitching. My shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter, the sick pleasure I got from watching the small aliens lying on the forest floor, screaming until their throats were raw.

In dozens, each small group that approached me was annihilated. It became to hard to stay quiet. I burst out into sadistic laughter, the insane cackling entwining with their shrieks. Our voices pierced the night. I was lost in the ecstasy of destruction, forcing the power from my body even as I crouched, gasping, sweat running in rivulets down my pale face.

And then-

My wild eyes caught sight of a small body. Kneeling down, I saw that the skull had been crushed, most likely by my foot, as I staggered through the lines of Ett, setting fire to each of them. But its face was still visible. When you stay with the Ett for two weeks, you also learn what their children look like. Sliding my hands under the still-warm, charred body, I slowly lifted it up as I stood.

A child. An innocent. A newborn. I had- I killed-

I had to, you see. How was I to know? How was I to know those moronic Etts would bring their children into battle? How- how was I...? It wasn't my fault. How could it have been? It wasn't my fault!

I kept telling myself this as I made my escape, running away from the horrible scene that seemed all-too familiar.

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Oh God. If you exist, please, understand. I never meant to- I swear, I never meant to kill her. I never meant to hurt Steven. I never meant to leave Senda with Tom and ruin his family. I swear, I never meant to-

I never meant to kill her. And, God, I can still see her eyes, stormy gray, exactly like mine, staring up, wide and accusing, as if it were my fault. I never- oh, please understand. She was so innocent, so innocent, untouched, still pure and clean, without the scars this world inflicts. And she was still alive, in my arms, her blood- I can see that everywhere, on my dress, my hands, my face, her whole body covered in dried blood, so that I knew she had been like that for hours. And tears, mine, hers, Mother's tears, that came so often, but she brushed them away. She couldn't brush them away that time. No, she tried to smile through the pain, tried to keep the blame out of her eyes, blaming herself for having me, blaming me for-for-

I never meant to kill her. Please, forgive me....

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Blood. My eyes flickered open, widening in sheer horror in the realization that my dream, my nightmare, had come true. Her blood, oh-oh my God, all over my hands, all over my the front of my dress.

Relief washed over me. It was mine. My own blood, compensation for my sins. I could follow Jesus' example and die for my sins, hope for redemption. Let the blood trickle out of the hundreds of cuts all over my body until I became a dry, empty shell of who I used to be. But how can you become what you already are?

Groaning with the effort, I rolled onto my back. The sun stared back at me, harsh and blinding, shining through my eyelids, closed tight against the world.

There is no redemption for me. There is no forgiveness. There is no God. Of course, there is one, but he is on the same level as the Olympians, Aztecs', or Egyptians'. A god, yes, but nothing special. Not the One and Only, as he claims. No, not when thousands of others lurk in this hell-hole they call a world.

I felt the bitterness still, lying in a pile of leaves. Hate. Disgust. The image of the burnt child came back to me and I began to retch, fighting to make it to my knees and keep what little dignity I had left. Too late.

A few minutes later, vomit and blood staining my tattered dress, I stood. The world spun violently about my head and I stumbled, fell, rose only to fall and cry in frustration. Yes, I admit it. I sat on the floor, sick and tired and depressed and disgusted and hateful and cried. Wept and raged with the strength I had left, tearing at the cloth until I could no longer feel it confining bodice around my middle. Finally, after who knows how long, I collapsed, not caring that I lay in a pool of my blood, tears and vomit. I did not care about anything. Spread-eagled, I patiently awaited whatever death god there was in this region of EverWorld to take me.

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Anica- You suck!

G.G.- Gimme a break, my eyes are just about falling out of my head! I tried making it longer, but you were fighting me! How can I type anything if you won't cooperate?!

Anica- *grumbles* I hate you. And your cliff-hangers are in the wrong places!

G.G.- *huge yawn* Aw, shaddup. Lemme sleep.... *crawls into a corner and goes to sleep*

Anica- But, you forgot to end this! *looks around nervously* Eh, go home now!