Song of Retribution

Mandrake root

Dragon’s tooth

Saffron powder

Angelica herb

Combined

Seeped

Strained

Into a goblet of gold

*

Oh, Goddess, hear our prayer!

Oh, Goddess, grant our plea!

Prepare us this night!

Gird us with your might!

Protect us from harm.

Protect us from malice.

Strengthen us for the fight.

So we last through to the light.

Oh, Goddess, hear our prayer!

Oh, Goddess, grant our plea!

*

Oh, Goddess,

Grant us strength

To do what is right

Grant us courage

To stand for what is honorable

Grant us the resolve

To stand the coming battle

*

As we will it

So shall it be

By the power

Of three by three

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In a clearing on the side of a hill, the Coven of the Ancient Oak gathers. You can hear their supplication to their Goddess and see the glow from their fires as they move in an intricate dance as old as time. Their faces, reflecting the ember light of the fires, look wicked in the darkened forest on this moonless night. Each one places an ingredient in a small cauldron on an ornate iron stand in the center of the clearing as they dance past it. They continue to chant until they empty their hands and fill their golden goblets. Then, they each stood in pre-drawn pentagrams and turned towards the circle's center, holding their goblets high.

*

We praise you, Goddess,

For answering our plea

We honor you, Goddess,

For granting our desire

To show our devotion

We now drink of this potion

*

Each Sister holds the goblet up to their mouth. Each woman takes a big, enormous gulp and swallows. Each witch lowers her goblet and moves in perfect synchronicity with the others.

Moving in unison, they march to where they left their brooms. The Sisters each grab a broom. Mounting their brooms, they take off into the moonless night sky, flying with the bats and other night creatures. They perform a few aerial loops before they fly low to grab some burlap sacks they had placed below in the clearing. Then, they fly off in single file towards the west.

The Sisters are going to war against the Sisters of the Setting Sun Coven. The Setting Sun Coven had crossed into the Sisters' territory and attacked them, killing some of their Coven. So, the Sisters of the Ancient Oak would do something worse than kill them. They would strip them of their power for what they had done to their fallen Sisters. This stripping of power was why they would need the strength of the Goddess.

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

It takes the Sisters two hours to fly to the Coven of the Setting Sun’s domain; it would have taken even longer if they had driven a car or taken an airplane. But our Sisters flew straight as the crow flies to the Coven of the Setting Sun’s domain.

The Sisters land softly in the dead of the night and surround the Coven’s meeting house. They perform a ritual as old as time, casting spells and setting their hex bags. The next time the evil Coven from the West used their sanctuary, their power would be taken from them. None of the Witches of the Setting Sun would leave with their ability intact. None of the enemy would feel their energy being leeched from them.

*

Oh, Goddess,

We seek revenge

Against these who

Did harm to us

We look for retribution

To those who did us wrong

We look to take from these Witches

Their power to replace that

Which they have stolen from us

Oh, Goddess,

Hear us now!

*

The Coven of the Ancient Oak chanted as they performed the ritual. They danced and frolicked around. Then, they grabbed their brooms and lifted off for home. Their work was done that night. The war had just begun. The mighty blow would strike the rival Coven at the next entire moon ceremony when all Covens would perform the Ritual of the Harvest.

The Coven of the Setting Sun would never have a bountiful harvest again. They would no longer have the protection from the elements that their magic afforded them. They would never be able to bless a union or a birth again. Their domain would fall apart. The Goddess would turn her face from them and ignore their pleas.

On the other hand, the Coven of the Ancient Oak would prosper since they chose to go through the Goddess and did no physical harm to any other witches. Taking a witch’s power may make the witch feel as if she would die each time she tried to use her power, but it did not cause bodily damage to the witch. After all, mortals lived every day without magic, and no dire consequence came.

The Goddess did not like her daughters killing each other and was only too eager to assist in retribution when anyone harmed one hair on her beloved children’s heads.