The Pinnacle Witch

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Oriana had just felt the intense jolt of power that blasted from the cauldron of the witches that came before her. The wave of energy snatched the rusty, graying floor from beneath her. "Oh dear!" she exclaimed, another embarrassing spill she had taken. At sixteen years of age, she was the youngest of the Whittlestone coven. She was told by the elders that she was destined to be "The Pinnacle Witch" at age twenty-one. Despite having this prophecy of greatness, it still wasn't unusual to see a conjured donkey with the ears of a rabbit. The young witch had a lot to learn.

Oriana camouflaged into the world around her as much as possible. She lived with her older sister Alta in the greenest of pastures. The valley side was once a place of peace and not only to the occult. The tales of Salem were well-known by the townspeople, but that never deterred them from welcoming those that were exceptional. All mythical creatures were seen as "The evolved beings" and were placed among them as a defense against the dark happenings that plagued the valley.

"Ori, bring me the Book of Transcendence", said Alta. Oriana knew not to touch the sacred text of her coven. This book was the oldest addition to the family library, and the last thing she wanted to handle. "Why don't you just get it yourself? She paused. "I guess a better question is why do you need it?" Oriana questioned. Mother Whittlestone once warned the girls of the dangers that could occur should the book be opened. Once the Book of Transcendence is touched, a witch draws upon the power of every enchantress that had ever experienced its pages. At that moment Alta whizzed by, her blonde curls bounced in time with her theatrical stomps. "You couldn't begin to comprehend what I'm about to do," said Alta. Oriana ran after her sister and demanded that she stop. Her sister didn't oblige and proceeded to unlock the iridescent glass case that preserved the forbidden text. "Venire!" Oriana robotically shouted. As instructed the book flew into her hands. Alta stunned asked, "how did you know to do that?" Oriana was worried. Why did she want the book to come to her?

The girls gasped in unison. The embossed, white leather-bound book of spells was now being cradled by the palms of The Pinnacle Witch to-be. She felt the flooding of power course through each of her digits up to her arms and throughout her body. Every ounce of potential that Oriana had, was now replaced with definite capability. She felt beyond her sixteen years and must have looked different too. Alta now wide-eyed, brushed her shaking hands along Oriana's face. She shook her head in disbelief. Her sister had aged by several years right in front of her.

Everyone that was familiar with the Whittlestone family knew Oriana to become The Pinnacle Witch. The witch that would protect all life forms from a great evil. She would be the one to conjure the dragons, and the one to restore the valley from the wreckage. Her spells would be of the utmost importance, but she didn't know this yet. The only thing she was sure about was that the reflection in her pearl-encrusted mirror was unfamiliar. She was a woman of knowledge and power and no longer the clumsy, angsty teen witch she once was. "The book... the book did this to me" she whispered. Although she didn't know the extent of her powers, there was only one question on her mind. What was Alta really up to?