The Cave

“His bride?” I said at the time Kyo had said:

“My Bride?”

Kyo’s mother just smiled, sipping from her tea cup, appearing to be endlessly amused. I sat down unsteadily at the table with the grinning woman, clutching either side of my head. My bun was beginning to sag from my adventures through the woods with Kyo. Kyo my future husband? Kyo the witch who had recently informed me that I may be a witch as well?

“Oh, please, don’t be so dramatic, Violet. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain here,” the woman chided. I snapped my neck up to meet her gaze.

“And who are you?” I queried.

“Mother, please try to be kind,” Kyo added, stepping closer to me. I never looked away from his mother.

“Erity, meaning ‘one who’s special.’” A sardonic smile played with her lips. “Turns out I wasn't actually the special one, my purpose was to give birth to the truly special one.” Erity’s gaze flicked to Kyo.

“Mother,” Kyo tried, but Erity went on.

“There is a legend that has been told to our children for generations. It depicts a dark time where an extremely powerful witch turns to dark magic and shifts the balance of not only our world, but the human’s as well. The only way for the witch to be overpowered is if two witches of the light, who are just simply meant to be," she said sarcastically, "join together in marriage and combine their powers.”

“And you think that’s me and Kyo?” I glanced back to Kyo for a split second.

“I know it’s you and Kyo. I was the one who sent him the damned box with your name in it,” Erity confessed.

“Mother-”

“How do you know, though?” I pressed. Erity just smiled smugly.

“Mother can see the future and sometimes events that didn’t even happen, but could have,” Kyo explained.

“I’ve shown Kyo a world where he wasn’t born. If I hadn't met his father and reproduced.” Erity refilled the tea cup she had been sipping on through the conversation.

“It’s darkness. Nature dies, humanity is enslaved, and the world slowly crumbles,” Kyo informed me unevenly. I stood abruptly, stepping away from Kyo and Erity. I rubbed my arms as if cold, but in truth I was numb.

“I’ve lived in Sunset City all my life, and have never known what truly lies in Tree Trunk Grove. I’m a witch.” I turned to Erity suddenly. “Can you tell me which parent is the witch?” I asked, though I knew the answer. It wasn’t my father. My mother had left us when I was nothing but a baby. And for what? To protect me? Did she know of the legend? Did she know I was meant for such a great purpose?

“Don’t burden yourself with questions you can’t answer,” Erity said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“How? I know nothing of this world, because my mother decided she didn't want to be around. I need to know why.” I was interrupted as something whizzed through the air and hit Erity in the shoulder. The woman exploded into several crows as Kyo grabbed my wrist and threw us through the window. We landed on our feet and where running at top speed once more.

“What happened to your mother?”

“She phased into her chosen animal.”

“You get to choose an animal? And she chose several crows?” I yelled over the wind as we approached a cliff.

“No she was only one of the crows, the rest were illusions,” Kyo explained shakily as our pace slowed dramatically. Right, Kyo explained illusions to me when I had stumbled across a grizzly one that resembled a bear with a ram’s head. He had also said illusions can harm you if the witch casting it was strong enough.

“Kyo?” I cried, as he stumbled to his knees at the edge of the cliff.

“Violet, you have to trust yourself, you have to know you can do it-” Kyo’s body crumpled like a sack of potatoes, I caught him before he could hot the ground.

“Kyo!” I yelped as I heard movement in the trees. Kyo was covered in sweat and I could only assume that using so much of his powers in one day, lending some of it to me as well, must have exhausted him. The rustling of the trees came closer. I have to trust myself? I looked over the edge of the cliff and into the water that beat against the rocks. Kyo led us here for a reason. I was out of time, I threw us over the cliff as the bear with a ram’s head made it out of the trees.

In free fall, I squeezed Kyo as tightly as I could concentrating on protecting us. Shielding us from the impact of the water and shelter us from the rocks that the waves would sweep us into. I concentrated on the feel of Kyo’s body against mine, how his life depended on me in this moment and I would do anything to protect him like he had been doing for me all day.

I opened my eyes to find that my magic must have worked because we had sliced through the water so deeply it was pitch black. My surprise must have broken whatever concentration I held, because the barrier between us and the water vanished. The water slammed into us, I frantically swam toward what I thought was the surface, but slapped my face against rock. I held Kyo with one arm, using the other to feel the stone. The moment my hand made contact with the rock a small symbol glowed right in my face. I sucked in some water out of surprise as the stone began opening, drawing Kyo and myself into it.

I hit the cool stone floor with a sickening thud. I clutched my head, breathing through the sting. I abandoned comforting myself when I realized I had let go of Kyo. I scrambled against the stone floor and found his body a few feet from me. It was so dark in the cave I couldn't see his face, so I fumbled along his body until I found his chest. I pressed my ear against him, feeling his heartbeat and hearing his breathing.

I stood on shaky legs, feeling for the wall. Once again as my palm found the cold surface, the cave came to life with glowing lights that looked as if they were painted on the walls. The cave recognized my touch?

Upon seeing Kyo, pale and shaking on the floor I immediately scanned the area for supplies. Drift wood perhaps, some flint? Quartz? Even some obsidian would do. I spotted a circle of stone with a pile of wood already around them. I placed my arms under Kyo’s armpits and dragged him to the fire-pit. Did someone live down here? I laid him in a sitting position against a pile of flat stones. I looked to the fire wood, hoping for a lighter or some matches to go with the conveniently placed logs.

I sat down, tucking my legs in the shape of a pretzel staring at the wood. Okay, I have magical powers, I can start a fire, right? I lifted my hand, staring at the logs, willing it to burst into flames. I know I can make flames. I can cover this wood in fire. Fire that would warm me and Kyo, hopefully bringing him out of this stupor he’s in. Kyo will wake up from being so warm and cozy then he can tell me what we need to do next. Kyo will inform me this is exactly where we needed to go and I was right by carelessly throwing us off a cliff.

I was startled out of my thought process by the flames flickering in the glow of the cave. I was taken back by the man sitting across from me.

“You almost had it, but you two looked cold, so I just started the fire for you,” the man informed me. The stranger was muscular, only wearing a pair of simple pants. His long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. His dark brown eyes watched me through the flames as I sized him up.

“Kyo’s dad?” I asked, looking between the two men, unsure of the resemblance. Kyo looked more like his mother, with his sharp features and pointed chin.

“Yes!” he boomed happily. “The names Hiro, I moved down here when the wife and I had a small disagreement,” Hiro explained, avoiding my eyes.

“What disagreement?” I asked, realizing too late at my rudeness. Hiro just smiled.

“Kyo wanted to move to Sunset City when he had finished his studies. I was against it, but Erity thought it would be good for him.”

“Did he go?” I asked quietly.

“Yes, for a couple months. I was furious when he left, so I moved down here to…”

“Pout,” I finished for him. Kyo was in Sunset City? I suppose it was a big enough city where our paths wouldn’t have crossed. Unless he liked coffee, I might have waited on him. The Energy Bean was well known for its exotic blends.

“Well yes, in lamer terms, I came down here to clear my head, I hadn’t even known Kyo had returned from Sunset City.”

“He saved my life,” I informed Hiro.

“You must be Violet.” Hiro’s face softened, telling me Erity had told him what she saw of the future.

“Yes, someone is targeting me, they attacked Erity,” I told him, noting his worried reaction. “She’s fine,” I reassured him.

“Tara,” Hiro sighed. My heart rattled against my chest.

“Tara?” I asked, wondering what my friend from the Energy Bean had anything to do with this. She had recently taken some time off when her grandmother passed away on Tara’s birthday.

“Erity always expected the young witch to turn to dark magic.” Hiro stared into the flames, not realizing he had just dropped a bomb on me.

“Tara’s a witch?’ I asked unsteadily. Hiro met my gaze once more.

“Of course. She’s been coming to Willow Creek Village ever since she was a girl. Her grandmother had been teaching her against the girl’s parent’s wishes.” Hiro explained, watching me carefully.

“Violet,” Kyo moaned, causing both Hiro and me to jerk our heads in his direction. I crawled over to him, taking his hand gingerly.

“I’m fine,” I told him gently.

“Father?’ Kyo asked next, attempting to sit up.

“You used too much of your powers, Kyo.” Hiro stood from his stone and sauntered over to Kyo. Kneeling, he took Kyo’s other hand. I watched as the color returned to Kyo’s skin and his eyes widened. He gasped with his renewed energy as Hiro took his seat once more. Kyo sat up, running his hands through his hair.

“I can’t believe you got us here.” Kyo met my eye, his gaze warming me.

“Shhhh,” Hiro hushed us. He was listening to the entrance. “Into the cave. Now,” he instructed us as he stood. Kyo snapped into action, grasping my hand tightly and running deeper into the cave, Hiro following. I could hear water coming into the cave as someone made their entrance.

“Kyo, it’s time. You know where to go,” Hiro told his son. Kyo only nodded as we began climbing a stone pedestal. Hiro transformed into his animal, a black bull with massive horns.

“Hiro,”I shouted as Kyo settled us into the center of the stone, closing his eyes as he took my other hand. I knew I should concentrate on giving Kyo some of my magic, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from Hiro as he fought the bear-ram, jamming his horns into the beast's side. The bull was still raging as Kyo and I made our escape.