Spellbound
Chapter 22

Nathaniel whispered to Azadarin....

“How shall we approach this Azadarin, do you want me to side track Mr Morkas....I mean Zell...while you tend to his mother then I can get Penelope safely away?”

“Here is what I want you to do Nathaniel and you must do as exactly as I say...do you understand me because this is no mere Witch and Son we are dealing with...they are the best at their craft so this must go faultlessly?”

“Understood” whispered Nathaniel as he listened to what Azadarin had planed in the eventuality that something like this would happen.

Once the instructions were sorted they moved into position. Whilst both Azadarin and Nathaniel were invisible and moving closer to the spot where Daria, Zell and Penelope were they could hear two loud voices and one female voice screaming out in pain. It sent chills through Nathaniel and made Azadarin very angry.

Closer and closer they both crept towards the sounds of anguish and terror. Poor Penelope thought Nathaniel, they must be torturing her. He had to stick to the plan that his teacher had given him but he wanted so badly to run into the clearing and cause as much damage to these two hideous people as he could. When they were close enough to see what was happening they were shocked.

Penelope was floating in the air with her arms outstretched in a vertical position without shoes and was being passed backwards and forwards over the fire these evil people had made. When her feet passed through the flames she screamed and twisted around so violently in the air then from all appearances she blacked out because of the sheer agony her body was being subjected to. Nathaniel was livid. Azadarin was incensed that these people could do something so horrid to a young girl, his power, matched with his anger, grew exponentially.

As Azadarin had explained to Nathaniel he was to wait for his sign then set about doing exactly as he was told. A huge lightning bolt leapt from the clouds and pierced the ground next to Zell knocking him sideways and Nathaniel whispered under his breath...

“Reflortis Defenaro” and the plan to save Penelope was in full swing.

“It would seem that we have company son” said Daria with an oily voice, her hunched back, piercing black eyes, her false smile matched with a look that watches you like a wolf might observe its prey.

She bore a slight smile and turned herself around to face the direction she thought her guests may walk in from.

Zell was completely disorientated by the lightning bolt and could not stand let alone produce any magic of worth to the proceedings so it was up to Daria to do all the hard work...again, while he groaned and moaned with blood seeping from his nose and ears. Daria spoke to him in a vile tone....“You are just as useless as your father was!”

Daria observed the forest and with her piercing black eyes to see if there was movement. She couldn’t see anything but she could definitely feel a presence there. One that was very familiar to her and one that she couldn’t quite make out.

“Come out, come out where ever you are.....I know it's you Aza....let’s play like we used to in the old days...WHAT SAY YOU?” shrieked Daria into the forest.

Azadarin remained motionless.

“Come on Aza...just you and me...a little game of KILL OR BE KILLED!!” she shrieked again only this time she was laughing as she dragged Penelope over the flames again now that she was conscious only to have Daria’s voice replaced with the screams of Penelope fill the forest and the Azadarin made his move.

At the very same time Nathaniel made his as well, perfectly timed.

“There you are Aza...I see you have aged badly and the years have not been very kind to you” said Daria in a voice dripping with venom.

“Let the young girl go Daria...no good shall come from this exercise in causing pain to an innocent” bellowed Azadarin gripping his Wizard staff and making the green emerald at its top glow brightly lighting up everything around him in a protective glow.

“Oh please Aza...I was just having some fun to pass the time until I could see you again and now that I have and the formalities are over with.....I WONT YOU TO DIE LIKE ALL OF MY FAMILY DID AT YOUR HANDS” screamed Daria hurling flames from her fingertips at Azadarin who knelt down and watched as the flames pelted the protective circle he encased himself in. Daria turned to Zell who was trying to get up off the ground and she spoke to him...

“ZELL....Zell I need your help now son....it's time to help your mother...there is a good boy” she panted at him as he steadied himself on his legs and got his bearings again.

“Yes mother...what do you want me to do?” he asked whipping the blood from his nose and face as gained more awareness of what was happening in the forest.

“KILL THE LITTLE BITCH HANGING IN THE AIR FOR ME SO AZADARIN CAN SEE WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE INTEND TO DO...UNDERSTOOD? yelled Daria at Zell who looked from his mother to Penelope unconscious floating just to the side of the fire.

Her feet so badly burned and blistering, her body limp and unconscious again.

“Yes mother” said Zell and Daria turned her attention back to Azadarin who was now walking towards her at a fierce pace.

His face frozen in hatred for this Witch that he was approaching. Daria heard a spell being cast by her son but it didn’t sound right. It wasn’t a killing spell at all. In the time it took for her to turn around and look at her son...he was gone...and so was Penelope.

In that very instant Azadarin hurled Daria to the ground and pinned her down with magic that the forest had never witnessed before. The trees all vibrated and dropped pine needles to the ground. The very earth shook with the veracity Azadarin was now sending into Daria’s body. She was helpless and now very much frightened at what was happening to her and to her son.

“Have you killed my only son you wretch of a Wizard?” cried Daria up into the watchful eyes of Azadarin standing over her.

“No...I wouldn’t do that to you...he is safe and out of harms way...but you Daria....are not” said Azadarin in a low tone that reverberated around the forest and the river close by.

“Then finish me and be done with this nonsense I’m so tired of running and hiding from the likes of you Azadarin Domaray and your supposed Wizard coconspirators” said Daria as tears began to fall from her eyes.

“That was never my intention Daria and I shall not be the one who takes your life today or at any other time that I draw breath on this earth” said Azadarin strengthening his hold on the Witch that lay before him on the ground.

“You were always too weak for you own good Wizard...not like The Blackwatch...we were strong and won many hard fought battles over your kind...just kill me and be done with it...because I so want to kill you” said Daria staring deep into Azadarin’s eyes and he held her fast to the ground with his powerful spell.

The air around Azadarin and Daria began to thicken and become stifling, the forest began to hum and vibrate, the clouds above the Wizard and Witch began to rumble with lightening strafing the clouds like a skeletons hand, the wind swirled and put out the fire, nature was getting ready to exercise her strength against this Witch who for years had been on her hell bent path of destruction.

Nibbles was perched in a tree over seeing the entire event happening before her eyes and she had never seen anything like it and for the first time in a long time she was frightened as well. She had never seen Azadarin exact so much power before. Azadarin spoke in a voice that filled every molecule of Daria’s body that lay before him....

“DARIA CALAROOK... I AZADARIN DOMARAY...LAST OF THE MAGIC GUARDIANS..........”

The forest was building to a huge crescendo of magic the likes of which had never been seen before as Azadariin spoke....

“....HAVE SEARCHED FOR YEARS TO FIND YOU... AND NOW THAT YOU ARE HERE IN FRONT OF ME I WISH TO IMPART SOMETHING WITH YOU THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAID MANY CENTURIES AGO....”

The fire that tortured Penelope sprang to life again but this time it was a deep purple and the flames flew into the sky as high as the trees that surrounded it.

“....THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAID BY MY ELDERS AND BROTHERS BUT THEIR EGO AND GREED NEVER ALLOWED THEM TO BE OPEN OR HONEST SO IT IS LEFT TO ME TO TELL YOU THIS....”

The forest was thrashing violently as if a hurricane had descended upon it so Nibbles took to the air to escape falling branches and debris flying around, as she flew up into the sky she thought she saw Nathaniel out of the corner of her eye tending to Penelope some distance from the fire so she flew in that direction. She was right Nathaniel had saved Penelope and was doing his best to mend her badly burned feet. They could all hear Azadarin speak and he continued to boom his voice at Daria on the ground. Penelope reached out and cuddled Nibbles while he spoke....

“....DARIA CALAROOK, OF THE HOUSE CALAROOK...YOU ARE FORGIVEN”

The storm ebbed completely away to nothingness, now the silence was as pure as the river water that flowed on endlessly. Every creature was sheltering again including the forest trees. When Nathaniel’s ears became more accustomed to the lack of sound he thought he could hear the tinkle of the river a short distance away from him, but other than that only the rhythmic breathing of himself, Penelope and Nibbles brokered the air.

On the ground at Azadarin’s feet lay Daria Calarook. She had changed. Her skin was now no longer white or her eyes back on black. She was transformed back into the woman that Azadarin fell in love with many centuries before. Azadarin lay down next to her by her side and looked at the new woman he was seeing.

“How do you feel Daria?” asked Azadarin gently to her as he watched come to grips with her new way of being.

“Like a weight has been lifted...I feel lighter” said Daria with an amount of shakiness in her voice.

“This should have been said a long time ago and I was hoping beyond hope that I would replace you and be the one who shared this act of forgiveness to heal your heart” said Azadarin now with tears in his own eyes.

“Is Zell ok, the lightening really rattled him” asked Daria trying to sit up and look around for her son.

“Yes he is fine, but he needs to know some things first before we can continue to heal the hurt that has been done for all of his life and he needs to hear that from you Daria...do you understand?” implored Azadarin to Daria who had now successfully sat up and was blinking at the sunlight that now fell upon her as if for the first time.

“I will talk to him and set him right Aza, just let me see him please?” asked Daria looking at Azadarin now with tears streaming down her cheeks and her hand reaching for his.

Azadarin sat upright then stood. He waived his wand in a certain direction and instantly Zell was made visible again. He was still groggy from the lightening but the bleeding in his nose and ears had stopped.

When he was made visible he went instantly on the attack. Daria rose to her feet and yelled at him....

“ZELL CALAROOK,....SON....CEASE AND DISIST THIS MADNESS THIS INSTANCE...NO HARM HAS COME TO ME AND I WISH NO HARM TO COME ON ANYONE ELSE, NOW AND FOREVER, I WAS WRONG TO CARRY SO MUCH HATRED AND PASS IT ON TO YOU, I SEE THE ERROR IN MY WAYS AND I WANT YOU TO STOP RIGHT NOW ACTING FOOLISHLY OR HURTING ANYONE ONE ELSE...I want things to be different now as they should be.” said Daria doing her best to calm her son down.

Even though her words rang true in Zell, Azadarin was still on alert in case this man decided to test the waters with some final fling of magical madness. Zell could tell this was the case and settled. The three people standing bathed in the light of the purple fire now all looked at each other with a new found nervous respect.

Nibbles flew away from Nathaniel and Penelope and nervously landed on Azadarin’s shoulder and whispered into his ear.

“No need to whisper Nibbles...I will tend to Penelope myself as an act of good faith to her that things are different now...lead me to her please?” said Daria into the confused eyes of Nibbles who took flight and showed her the way to Penelope’s side.

Both Nathaniel and Penelope gazed at this woman they had never met before perform the most beautiful magic on Pen’s legs and feet and then Daria said to them both....

“Please forgive me for causing you so much pain, I have been angry for far too long and I want to make things better between us” and she bowed her head in respect to the young adults she was speaking to.

“All is forgiven Ms Calarook...and thank you for fixing Penelope’s wounds as you have, is Mr Morkas ok?” said Nathaniel helping Penelope to her feet slowly till she was used to standing again.

“Yes....he will be ok. If I can get through this then so can he” said Daria addressing Nathaniel as an equal and not an inferior human being as she once did.

Back at the fire Azadarin looked at Zell and then asked him to stand back while he corrected the defensive spells he had placed in the forest to protect himself, Nathaniel, Penelope and Nibbles.

In a booming voice he said......“Mobilotum Restorus”

At once the trees and holes in the ground changed back into their former beautiful selves. Azadarin looked at Zell and spoke to him gently.....

“In the forest, birds song can shine and sunlight can sing to the soul, all as the rich canopy creates a calming kaleidoscope upon the ground. I'm hoping that your soul can come back into the light now Zell, I only want for you to be happy young man” and Zell, with as much bravery as he could muster extended his hand to shake Azadarin’s.

The handshake was firm yet sincere and with a wave of his wand over Zell’s head the ailments and bleeding disappeared from trace and presently Azadarin and Zell were joined by Nathaniel, Penelope, Daria and Nibbles. Pen was limping a little as the wounds had not fully been healed but they would only get better as the days proceeded.

Hardly a word was said between everyone but there was a calmness that was present now that reflected the mood in everyones heart. Azadarin extended the invitation to have something to eat at the log cabin and they all made their way back there to have food, refreshments and talk....peacefully to each other.

From such turbulent beginnings a happier state of being was achieved between two fighting factions of magical power and a deeper way of being was bought into the light.