Disclaimer; I own Hishiek's, all of them, and the plot. The world is Anne Bishops.
Stepping beyond the swirling mist Phayaton saw a creature fair; a creature with sapphire eyes and a golden mane as hair. "Hush," It said, "Don't you cry. It is yet your time to die."
Searching for words that would not form in her throat left Phayaton dry and searching for more. So It raised a sheathed claw and traced an eye below her bangs on her fore'. It spoke again with clarity, "From Queen to Queen an eye to see and keep thee in sanity."
With that Phayaton was yanked into light; a light that blinded oh so bright.
The face, that looked down with blue eyes a worry, was very familiar. In fact it was so familiar that there was no mistaking whose it was; her brother's.
"Oh good you're awake. You sent me through quite a scare you know." There was no mirth in his eyes and only seriousness forebode upon his features. "You are not yet old enough to pay no heed to your brother, and I'm telling you not to go running off like that, least you hurt yourself."
"Pesky toad." Phayaton cursed; she cared not to being chided by Kale, her older bother. "I woke up early and seeing you snoring decided to entertain myself."
"Well," His slender lips parted in rebuke. He was twenty-one now, five years older than she, but she could still sting him with her comments. "You obviously were still plenty tired, because I found you passed out in the glen."
The memory hit her so fast- the rose, the deer, the Mother- that she began to convulse with tears. Kale's previous anger dissipated as he put his arms around her, trying to calm the wrenching girl. "The land! It's dying." Her words were sputtered out between heart-raking sobs. It was hard enough for her to admit these words let alone explain more so she willed herself to become calm, to be collected so she could elaborate.
Kale waited in astonishment as the tears subsided; his sister, now cradled in his arms, was not known to show such weakness so he knew what she had to say was important. So he rocked her back and forth till all the crying had reduced to sniffles. "Now what was it you were saying?"
Phayaton looked at the now caring face, noting the gravity that reigned over it all. His complexion was a natural Hishiek creaminess, his eyes a deep blue; all features meshed together harmoniously from the slightly stubble shaded, square jaw to the defiantly straight, and narrow nose. All but one, a blemish that spread across the whole right side of his face, that began by his finely knit brow and ended by his chin.
It was a birthmark that proved he was Hishiek, for every Hishiek bore a mark, even though all didn't resemble Kale's and most were in places more discrete. Phayaton's was on her hipbone- a sun cusped by a crescent moon with a vine scaling their faces- on display only to herself; a private tattoo.
Now Kale's looked like a snake, and worn upon his cheek announced his courage and pride at birth. It also foretold his attunement to the lands; so Phayaton knew he would not take this lightly. "The land has lost so much energy that it dies as we speak. In order to save itself it is sucking the energy from innocents, making them return to the Darkness before their time."
A frown creased Kale's face and a faraway look shrouded his eyes, "How can you be sure?"
"She spoke to me, she asked for help. I witnessed the power being drained from a new born deer, I'm more than sure."
"Perhaps you were mistaken, you may have been so tired you dreamt it all." He shook his head unbelieving, it wasn't like his sister to make up stories but the Mother would never let such a thing happen.
"The young one speaks true." An ancient voice rang clear through the dwelling that was their home.
Turning, the two siblings looked upon the white haired witch they knew well, who had just appeared from an adjacent bedroom. A white nightgown hung about her feeble body and her pure white eyes stared blankly. Kale was the first to rise unraveling himself from Phayaton. "Mother, please return to bed."
Going towards Darlane- who had raised him and his sister through the veil that was the Twisted Kingdom- he made to guide her back to her room, but he was pushed aside as she headed to the child she preferred more. Phayaton found her cheeks clasped in the pale bony grip of her mother's hands, as she was forced to look into the old colorless eyes. Eyes with irises white like the pupils, eyes completely devoid of any hue, eyes so endless that Phayaton found herself lost. It was a common trait among strong Hishieks, for the less pigment the darker the jewel. Darlane wore her birthright Red as an amulet about her neck, after her offering she could've worn the Black, but she had lost that chance when she found herself trapped in the twisted kingdom.
"You are no child of mine, you come from the whom of the Mother herself. A special daughter, a special Queen." Her mother's words confused her, Phayaton was no Queen she was a Black Widow.
"Go back to bed." Kale rushed forward gathering his mother in his arms who, even though she was only in her late thirties, looked so ancient and weak. "Please, please, mother, say no more."
"Noo!" Darlane kicked and screamed trying to break free. "She has to knoooow!"
"Know what?" They kept secrets from her; her always-serious brother and her crazy mother kept secrets from her. "What are you saying, that I'm a Queen! Kale, tell me, tell me the truth! Please."
"Yes you're a Queen, blood of my blood but more." The raving woman revealed with a shriek. "Help her Kale, instead of hiding her behind your lies."
"Enough! I'll tell her." Instantly the struggle stopped and Darlane slumped in his arms. There was a wicker chair nearby, her favorite, so he sat her in it despite the odd way her head hung forwards. "We were just protecting you." He began lamely, "Hayll has until recently been a bad place for Queens, you know that."
Phayaton had heard rumors but hadn't believed that males would go out of their way to break a witch. Males lived for the day they could serve their Queens with honor. Not knowing where this was heading she nodded.
"Hishieks that were born Queens were used young as playthings which stripped them of their dark jewels. Villagers sometimes gave the Queens up willingly afraid that the they might take up power." That said he paused looking down at his shaking hands, "I didn't want you to end up like mother."
Phayaton looked over at the drooped white head of the witch that could have been so powerful, and the puddle of drool on her lap.
"She chose her fate, to hide away and keep her Red jewels, but I would not let the same happen to you. So I lied, I lied to everyone, even you." His eyes filled with shame as he looked at her.
Acceptance was easy, for that wasn't the main problem here. Phayaton could accept that she was a Black Widow and Queen, but what were they going to do about the land's loss. "What about the land though? What about what I told you?"
"I'll go," Kale took his mother up, her blank eyes falling lifeless on the ground, "To Kaeleer. To the Great Hall and speak with the High Priest of Hell. I'll tell him what you've seen, but you must stay here and safe."
With that decree he vanished into his mother's room and tucked the crazed witch into bed.
From Queen to Queen; the words rang in Phayaton's mind and know she understood.