Four: The Beginning
Part Two: A Gift From Above
By chuckles1414
Chapter 1: A Regular Morning for Four
"Wake up," Millie said, waking Annie up from her slumber.
"What?" she asked, groggily.
"Time for practice," Millie said.
"But it's only eight," Annie complained. She was used to sleeping in until noon during the summer days. She slowly got up and joined the other three downstairs. Millie had breakfast ready for them on the table.
"It's too early," Charles complained.
"You'll get used to it," Jordan said, already used to having to get up.
"Eat up," Millie said. "We'll start the day by learning how to make potions." They all groaned. Brewing potions for an hour didn't sound like too much fun. They ate their food extra slowly. "Come on already." She cleared the table and took them over to the stove.
"Do we have to?" David asked. "Cooking's for women."
"It's for each and every witch," Millie said. "Which means it's for you." She took a few vials out of a cupboard. "Now usually, we can do this in the Altar Room, but I don't like being crammed up in there all the time." The Book of Shadows was lying open on the kitchen's island.
"What are we making?" Charles asked.
"Well, I thought it best to start out making a non-vanquishing potion. Those you will learn how to make later on. Today, we're focusing on a remedy potion."
"What's that?" Annie asked.
"A potion that's a cure for something. This one happens to be a cure for the Malanthra poison. It's a poison you contract from a Malanthra demon. And before you ask to delay anymore time, a Malanthra demon is a certain type of demon that has poisonous claws. Now, here are your ingredients, here is the recipe, get to work." She sat the Book between the four of them and they each got started working. She stepped back to watch them brew.
About a half hour later, Millie went to the Altar Room and brought back a vial filled with a green substance. When she opened it, the smell burned their noses.
"What is that?" Jordan asked.
"This would be Malanthra poison," Millie said. "Glass is the only thing that the poison doesn't eat through. We'll use it to see if your potions worked." She put a small amount of poison on four different glass saucers. "Now, use your potions." David uncorked his and was about to pour it over the poison. "David, that's not how you use a potion."
"Then how do you use a potion?" he asked.
"Like this," Charles said, throwing his potion on the poison. He had had the experience of throwing a potion when he vanquished Axict. The poison dissolved after a few moments.
"Good, but the poison should dissolve instantly," Millie said. David threw his. They waited, but nothing happened. "You'll need practice, David." Jordan threw hers; it took a little more time to dissolve than Charles' had. "Good job, Jordan." Annie threw hers and it dissolved right away. "Great work, Annie."
"Thanks," Annie said.
"I can see you'll be quite talented at your potions making." She then led them to the living room. "Time for spells." She set the Book down on the coffee table. "Once again, I don't think you guys are ready to be writing vanquishing spells, so I'm going to let you write a spell to change water into wine.
"How do we do that?" Charles asked.
"Let the words flow to you," Millie said. They each had a small notepad and a pen and were writing down rhymes.
"I've got one," David said.
Water smells worse than dirty swine,
Turn this water into luscious wine
The water turned red, but once tasted, it wasn't wine. "Spells need more time, David. As I said, the words should come to you." He thought for a moment more. He chanted an improved spell. This time, the water turned a blood red color. Millie picked it up and took a sip. "Better, could be stronger though."
"Whatever."
"Annie, your turn," Millie said. Annie tried and tried, but her spells still didn't change the water into very good wine. "It's understandable. Sometimes, you get the knack for one thing, not the other. For you, it's potions, not spells."
"Oh," Annie said, frowning.
"It's okay, Annie," Millie said, seeing how sad Annie looked. "You're great at potions, that's a plus." Annie stepped back and Charles stepped forward. "Your turn."
Given to me as an ancient gift,
The magic in me which is mine,
Shift from me to the pure water,
Change it now into wine
The water changed into wine and Millie went to taste it. "Very good. But, I must say, you're spell could use a little bit better flow of words." Charles shrugged and stepped away. "Jordan." Jordan walked forward.
Grapes from the greatest vineyard,
Purest water from the river spring,
Water into wine is what I wish,
Do it now let magic ring
Millie tasted the wine that Jordan had created and gave her an applause. "That was brilliant. Best wine I've ever had. Good job, Jordan." She set the wineglass down and turned to them. "Time to rest. We'll do this everyday after potions and spell casting. We will let our minds rest and gain strength.
"Okay," David said, reclining a chair.
"Not like that," Millie said, grabbing a few candles and lighting them. "These are white candles, they will replenish our strength and spirit. Now, sit in silence." They sat there for another hour. They couldn't tell what it was, but they did seem to feel something restoring them. They were instantly cured of all sleepiness.
"That was awesome," Jordan said. "I feel great."
"Good," Millie said. "Time to use your powers." At this time, it was eleven thirty. "We'll do it for a half hour, then we'll break for lunch and continue for another hour."
"Doing what?" David asked. His mom didn't say anything, just motioned for them to follow her into the basement gym.
"Now I've asked various members of the house to help me in training you for today," Millie said. "Such as Sabrina, and three other witches. You'll need to learn how to fight other beings with powers that match or overpower yours." Sabrina, a male witch, a female witch, and an old, female witch entered the gym. "As you know, Charles, Sabrina's powers are to transform light particles into usable energy. Annie, Carrie here has the power of telekinesis, which she channels through her eyes. Jordan, you're up against Shelley, who has the power to create lightning. And David, you're against John with the power to create fire."
"What do you mean 'up against'?" Jordan asked.
"I mean, you four are going to have to fend off their attacks," Millie said.
"With what?" Charles asked. "Unless I can vision their attacks away."
"Learn to use your power to your advantage," Millie said.
Sabrina shot a beam of light at Charles. He rolled to the right to avoid it. He then saw a vision of her orbing behind him and sending a beam at him. Just as he had seen, Sabrina orbed and reappeared behind him. He turned quickly and grabbed her hands.
"Good job," she whispered in his ears.
"Thanks," he said back, out of breath.
John sent a stream of fire towards David. He barely avoided it, feeling the scorching heat as it passed him. He then made a clone of himself, though unsure what to do with it. The clone ran at John. The real David used the diversion to attack. The clone was struck down with fire, but David tripped the witch and knocked him down.
Carrie took a look at Annie and sent her flying backwards. It was nearly impossible for her to avoid the attacks used. Annie quickly conjured up an illusion of herself on the other side of the room and hid her real self from view. As Carrie tried using her telekinesis on illusion Annie, real Annie lunged at her and held her down.
Shelley used her power of lightning and shot it at Jordan. It hit her in the chest and sent a shock throughout her body. She slowly stood up and tried to gain eye contact with Shelley to activate her mind control. Nothing seemed to happen. Jordan then remembered that her power only worked on mortals and lower level demon and witches. Jordan dodged lightning attacks and kicked Shelley in the stomach. Succeeding in knocking her down, Jordan sat on her to keep her from getting up..
"Good job," Millie said. "Now, do it again." They spent another half hour of fighting, then went upstairs for lunch. They were exhausted.