Witch - Chapter 4

Posted by AlOmega on November 07, 2001 at 15:06:44:

She swam to her with casual, easy strokes. As she watched, the other woman stopped treading in the
chlorine water once again. Then she continued her advances. Water-advances was something new. At
first she hadn’t thought the younger girl was lesbian. She didn’t seem the sort. Of course nothing is ever
for sure. She smiled as she clasped her arms around hers. The older woman couldn’t move within this
embrace. But the pool was shallow. She didn’t have a clue until the fangs appeared from nowhere –
everywhere.

Her heart leaped once as clouds parted revealing the pale moon overhead.

***********************************************************************************************************

“So you’re Tooth,” Cheryl said scratching the demon-dog behind its left ear. Tooth snuggled up and blinked
once.

“Yes, I know. You like Mystique and don’t wanna leave.”

A dog-smile played in his eyes as he blinked once more.

“I can understand why you’re attached to him, Youngest. He’s sort of like that cat-demon you hooked up
with, Sonya. This one doesn’t puke is all.”

“Tooth is NOT like that…”

“Ah, he is in a way. I haven’t seen tame demons in quite a while. Tooth is one though. He’s not
much of a danger to any witch that I know of. You should still be careful, Youngest. But I see no reason to
restrain him in a pentagram or gees for that matter. However, he’ll always be apprehensive about anything
that suggests a summoning. That would hit very close to home with him. But as a companion – a familiar –
he’ll be excellent. And no one will mess with you – or at least not anyone in the mundane world. Since
Tooth is a minor demon, he probably couldn’t stop any major magic, hexes, or the like.”

Sonya chuckled. “You could only summon a minor demon? I taught you better, Mystique.”

“He is ‘better’”, replied Mystique piqued at Sonya’s admonition. “He was the best protector I could safely
summon. And he’s proven useful many times over. He was also housebroken when I first summoned him
which is more than I can say about your dogs.”

“Now ladies, no fair getting all riled up just now. After we’ve done it might be fun. Just not now. By the
way, do you have some thyme, Sonya? We’ll need that.”

“I have some freshly dried and some that has just been picked.”

“Excellent. We need seven candles for this – a red, three blues, a black, and two yellows. Oh and we’ll also
need one piece of green chalk and one of blue.”

“Yes, I’ve got them in the bedroom.”

“Good. Now Mystique, send Tooth into the other room. This will be a tad uncomfortable for him as it is.
And I want you to do the actual summoning since the White Ladies gave you the calling and
the name.

Sonya soon returned with the requested items. She had put them in an ebony box. Each candle was in
yellow paper bound with a ribbon the color of the candle within. Sonya took the proper colored candles out
of the box and handed them to Mystique. She opened another larger box. Different colored chalks were
nestled in rice paper.

“Ah, yes. Thank you, Sonya. Just mark a green pentagram about five foot across and mark out two blue
chalk circles – one inside and one outside – the pentagram.”

Cheryl took the black and red candles, placed them next to each other on a small table and lit them. While
the flames flickered, she placed the thyme in a small, silver salver, and placed that into the colored flames.
In seconds the thyme was charred.

Sitting that aside, she blew out the two candles and arranged the blue and yellow candles on the points of
the pentagram. She beckoned Mystique to light them.

“Now, Mystique, this is critical. Facing the pentagram with the blue candles at the top, sprinkle the thyme in
the center of the pentagram, say the name, and trace the calling. But beware of entering the circle.
You should hear something fairly quickly. We may or may not hear anything, however, so you better know
that if the voice wants to know something, answer truthfully.”

Mystique did as she was told. The calling was a special symbol. Though not a Rune, it had a similar
origin. As Mystique outlined the calling - the candle flames changed to green while the chalk lines
shimmered through various blue colors. The interior of the pentagram outside of the inner circle became
pale green, the outside of the pentagram but within the outer circle became very light blue white, while the
inside of the inner circle became cobalt. She could make out a voice from within. She leaned a bit to hear
the voice but Sonya stopped her from leaning too far.

“Who calls?”

“Mystique, Sonya, Cheryl”

“Those are not your Names”

“True. But Names have Power and we three ask for you only”.

“Names have Power. You know my Name but not my Power. I am busy. What do you want with such as
I?”

“We would summon you to us. We have Need.”

“Yes. I sense the Need. And the Need is what I Seek. Where do you call?”

“Give him Sonya’s address, Youngest. He’ll need that.”

Mystique responded.

“I shall come because you have Need and the Need is what I Need. We shall meet soon for I am near.”

And with that, the candles, chalk, and colors disappeared.

“Ok, Cheryl. What was that all about?” asked Sonya. “This wasn’t a normal summoning. Whomever
responded should have appeared inside the pentagram.”

“This is something I’ve never taught, Sonya, Mystique. It’s a special summoning that calls only one entity.
There has never been a need until now. He’s one the material Plane already which makes summoning him
difficult at best in any case. We were fortunate he was here at all. We can thank the Three White Ladies
for that coincidence at least – assuming for the moment it was a coincidence. By the way, brew something
with chamomile. It’s what he’ll like.“

Mystique quickly started brewing water before Sonya could say anything. Cheryl would treat Sonya just like
herself. She had taught too many witches not to do just that. And knowing Sonya, Mystique knew she just
might become offended.

A few moments later, she heard knocking. Quickly turning off the fire, she went to the front door and
opened it. And without saying a thing, in did come the strangest fellow.

He was an inch or two taller than Sonya. His clothes were mostly blue with some green scattered in a
silken shirt. Blue-black boots failed to disclose whether or not he wore socks. A leather belt sported a long
sheath wherein rested a glowing blue-green blade that Mystique failed to see. She was so captured in his
eyes of whirling blues that it wasn’t until Sonya called that she could break the hypnotic trap. She guided
the young man into the kitchen. Sonya was the first to notice the visible blade handle though he had
dismissed her at first glance.

“YOU!” he exclaimed on seeing Cheryl. “I thought you were dead, C…”

“Now, now. I’m not quite in the grave, Azure. Oh I know you, too. But it has been a while since we chatted
so-to-speak. Lots of water under the bridge since then.”

“True. And you look just as beautiful as when you entertained that sailor fellow what’s-his-name.”

“Oh him?” she laughed. “He was a passing fancy. Someone to toy with. He never did learn to do a good
foot massage. But that’s not why you’re here. Sit. Have some chamomile.”

“You – or rather your apprentice…”

“Sonya’s actually. She’s Mystique and was the one who did the calling.”

“An accomplished apprentice at any rate.”

“Not ‘apprentice’ Mr. Azure,” Mystique said taking umbrage.

“And she was ‘my’ apprentice, Azure,” completed Sonya.

“Ah, I see. And why, young Mystique, have you brought me here?”

“Perhaps I should answer,” said Cheryl. “We have a mutual Need I suspect. Your ‘girlfriend’ is in town.
And she’s practicing whatever she practices now.”

“Yes. She’s still under old Neptune’s curse, damn his ass.”

“Regardless, Azure. I think that between us, we can find where she is. And with a little luck we can remove
her as a threat from this city at least.”

“And perhaps she will remember. That is my hope. I did seek her here. It has taken me several days to
find this city. It is not as old as most places she has gone to but it is old enough for her purposes.”

“You’ve still got that Eldritch blade I see. And an Eldritch belt buckle – Dragon, if I read it right.”

“Knowledgeable as always, C…er…Cheryl,” he acknowledged taking a sip of his tea. “Only you would know
about the Eldritch. There are fewer of Us these days that know of such things.”

Cheryl smiled. It wasn’t often that a witch let alone a human could get the better of one of the Elders – even
one as foolish as a sprite.

“Have you heard of Coyote? He’d love to get his hands on either your buckle or blade. I don’t know why
you’re still so foolish as to brandish such weapons….”

“This ‘Coyote’ could never take what is mine,” he said with a sneer.

“Fool sprite. He’d tear your heart out if he could to get those. Why do you think the elves kept them in the
Old World. Since the Gods have gone, he’s the next thing to a ‘God’ that exists.”

“Did you Call me here to spout drivel, Old One? I have better…”

“Idiot!” Cheryl and Sonya shouted almost in unison.

Mystique was puzzled.

“I was the one who Called,” she injected. “We were certain you could help us with…”

“Youngest means you were Called to do something about Bubbles,” added Sonya.

“Bubbles? Ah, you mean Lilth. Yes, she would seem Evil to such as you. However, she can’t help what
she’s become. Have you found her? Take me to her.“

“True. You were Called for this,” Cheryl added. “We suspect she’s lodging near here probably somewhere
that has a pool or pond.”

“A pool where she can be alone with those she has Chosen”
“Chosen,” he spat. “Yes, she is very near. She lives in a place near a large swimming pool. I’m new to this
place or I would have known where.”

“I know,” Sonya said. “Not all that far from here. It’s a sunken pool also which might appeal to the sprite
she was.”

“You know?! Please, I beg you. We must go to her now. She tires of this place and will leave very soon.”

“Well, Sonya, do we take the street car or the bus?”

“Neither. A taxi will get us there quicker.”

“Tooth, you mind yourself like this was our place,” Mystique said scratching him behind the ears.

“Yes, please do. Mystique said you like pizza. There’s some cold pizza in the fridge.”

Nearly two hours later, the four stepped out of the cab.

“Is this it?” Cheryl asked.

“She probably doesn’t’ live here exactly….”

“But she is here now. I feel her presence. I must go alone.”

“But…”

“It is best. I have done this before. And she will see me as she most wants to. I can only hope…,” he hung
his head, “as always I have.”