The Blind Witch
Chapter 8

The shadows creep in slowly. It is the eternal darkness, swallowing the world little by little. It feasts on the weak, needing the nourishment to conquer all.

In the afternoon, Aiden took Clarissa outside. There was a large training arena used by many within the palace. Every other day, Aiden would come out here for a few hours. He would train in his wolf form, weaponry, and with magic.

Aiden’s mood had improved since that morning. When his anger had subsided, he began to think about what Lydia had done and why. He understood she did it to teach Clarissa. He would perhaps agree with the teaching methods if she weren't his mate. But with Clarissa, he wanted a more gentle approach. She would learn; it just might take a bit longer.

Clarissa could feel the hard dirt beneath her feet when they entered the arena. She looked around, but there were only two people within her vision. She noticed a wolf and a witch with red orbs approach her.

“Clarissa, I’d like to introduce you to my teachers. Karian of the Moonlit Valley pack has taught me everything I know about my wolf. But Sister Vi of the Lode Stars has taught me all things magic. Everyone, this is Clarissa, my mate.” Aiden said as he pushed her forward.

“Vi?” Clarissa questioned. It sounded like an odd name to her.

“It is short for Violette,” she smiled. “Lady Ophelia has told me about you. She says your fire magic is impressive.”

“You should have seen it when I first found her!” Aiden exclaimed as he held his arms up in the air. “She created this huge wall of fire that was hot to the touch, but it didn’t damage the tree it was on!”

“Well, Princess,” Vi said as she approached her. “I’ll help teach you some incantations and spells. Think of them as seasonings to your magic. Your magic is natural; it flows through your body, and you can use it with little thought. But when you add words, it can intensify it. Make it work in ways it otherwise wouldn’t.”

“Alright,” Clarissa nodded. She watched as Karian walked off to the side. She could hear him gathering things.

“But first,” Karian said as he returned to the group. “Let’s start with some basic weaponry. Magic is great, but what do you do if you cannot use it? Some items and spells block magic. Basic defense skills can go a long way.”

He handed Aiden a wooden sword and gently placed one in Clarissa’s hands. She felt the rough handle while her other hand traveled down the blade. Since it was wooden, it was not sharp; it would not kill anyone. She held it with one hand. It was slightly heavy, and it was tilted forward. Karian lifted her sword to where it was pointing straight ahead.

“Your sword should be an extension of your arm. I know you cannot see, but imagine where you want the sword to go. Then, you move your arm in that direction.”

Clarissa frowned as she looked into the darkness of her vision. How could she imagine the sword as an extension of her if she could not even see her own arm? While Karian and Vi were talking to one another, she took in a deep breath. She summoned fire to go through her arm and down to her sword. She saw the magic circling her arm, and then it waved wildly on the sword.

Karian, Vi, and Aiden stepped back. Her sword was on fire, and it quickly turned to ash. Aiden rushed to look at Clarissa’s hand when the fire was gone. It was black from the soot, but there were no burns. The fire did not hurt her.

“Why did you do that, Issa?” He questioned.

“Karian told me I needed to imagine the sword as an extension of my arm, but I have never seen my arm. So I summoned my magic to swirl around my arm and the sword. I was able to see them both!” She explained as she smiled.

“Let me try something,” Vi said as she took another wooden sword. She waved her hand over it. “Luiasis Parairum Tasaetora.”

Magic swirled around the sword and was then absorbed into the wood. Clarissa could see it, but then it was gone. She felt Vi place the sword in her hand.

“I put an incantation on the sword,” she explained as she stepped back. “It will protect anything from fire. In this case, it should protect your sword from being destroyed. Try it out.”

Clarissa summoned her magic again. Everyone watched as fire shot from her hand and down the sword. Though there was a fire on it, the sword was not disintegrating. Clarissa laughed as she waved the burning sword through the air, causing everyone to jump back.

“Careful, Issa,” Aiden warned. “Your wooden sword isn’t deadly, but that fire is.”

“Sorry,” she murmured, holding the sword by her side. Everyone watched as the fire touched her clothes, but it did not burn them. Was her fire actually deadly? Karian stepped up and reached out with his hand. He touched the fire and recoiled quickly.

“Son of a-!” He yelled as he held his steaming hand. Aiden and Vi laughed at him. “Her fire is hot, in case anyone was curious.”

Clarissa called the fire back into her hands. She looked towards Aiden and held the sword out to him.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She thought she had done something wrong, that she had hurt Karian without even realizing it.

“Keep it,” Vi smiled. “You did nothing wrong. Prince Aiden, why don’t you go work with Karian on your wolf? The princess and I shall work on her footwork?”

Aiden nodded and went over to Karian, who was still off to the side, cursing as he healed his burns. Vi walked up and touched Clarissa's shoulders. She straightened them as she faced Clarissa forward. She had Clarissa place both hands on the handle of the sword.

"There is no need to hold the sword with one hand," she explained. "Until you can build strength in your wrists, it would do you no good. One hit, and you will drop your weapon. And Karian was right; you must train to ensure you can fight, with or without magic."

Vi stepped back, looking over Clarissa. She knelt on the dirt and started to readjust Clarissa's feet. She smiled and stood up straight.

"There! That is the beginning stance. When in this position, you need to be loose. You can either take a step to be offensive or defensive. Why don't you try shifting your left foot forward and holding the sword where the flat part is facing your face?"

"I don't think I can," Clarissa whispered as her face grew hot.

"Why, Princess? What is wrong?"

"I am not confident where I am placing my feet," Clarissa admitted shyly. "I can see the magic in my legs, but I can't see the ground. I don't know what I might be stepping on or into."

Vi crossed her arms as she thought to herself. Clarissa would need an incantation, something to help illuminate the world for her. But she huffed as she thought to herself. Clarissa's magic is fire, so anything she emits would harm others. So the incantation would need to have a bit added to it to make it not dangerous. It needed to be more energy-based than fire-based.

"I got it!" Vi declared as she perked up. "Tasaeyoule!"

"What is that?" Clarissa asked, confused about what Vi meant by the weird word.

"Tasaeyoule. It is an incantation you can use to help you see the world around you! Tasae means fire, which is the magic you have. Yo to make it harmless and ule to make it radiate. Tasaeyoule. When you say it, channel your magic to your feet."

"Tasaeyoule," Clarissa said as she lifted her foot.

She set her foot down on the ground and watched a wave of energy ripple from her step. It went around the entire training area, showing Clarissa things she could not see. She could see the weapons rack, the wall, and a table. But then, she noticed a man standing by a doorway. She had not seen him before her energy ripple.

"Who is that!?" Clarissa yelled as she pointed at the man. "I can see him now!"

"That is just a guard," Vi explained.

"What is his race?" Clarissa questioned.

"Human?" Vi answered. "Why?"

"That's how I can see humans!" Clarissa shouted happily.

She turned, looking for Aiden. He was nearby, watching everything she was doing. He was smiling. This was her way of identifying the last of the races. His worries over her safety diminished slightly.

After several hours of training, the group ended their lessons as night fell. Vi helped to clean up, but afterward, she went towards the gardens behind the palace. In the center of the garden was a fountain filled with water from a sacred mountain. The water had healing properties and helped replenish any magic that was spent. But she was not here for the fountain. She sat down on a bench beside Ophelia.

"How was training this evening?" Ophelia inquired.

"Clarissa was very enthusiastic," Vi answered as she smiled. "She was a little hesitant initially, but I gave her some incantations that helped boost her self-confidence. By the end of the training, she had no issue swinging her sword or walking around."

"Sounds like she had a better lesson with you than with Lydia," Ophelia scowled. "Lydia hit the girl with a stick, and Aiden was furious."

"I can imagine," Vi sighed. "Aiden was very protective over her."

"What did you think of her magic?"

"When you said she was powerful, I thought she could do a little more than Prince Aiden," Vi explained. "But I saw her light swords on fire and use her fire to create an energy wave. She shot fireballs from her sword! She wasn't even tired. How much magic does this one girl hold within her?"

"Lydia says she is brighter than I am," Ophelia divulged as she looked at Vi. "She has more orbs, that swirl quickly around her body, constantly. They don't stop; like her magic never stops moving. I don't know if she is consciously doing it or if that is their natural state."

"Why do you think that is?" Vi asked.

"I think it has something to do with her dark magic," Ophelia replied. "I can feel it in her aura. I can't explain it. She feels not like anything or anyone else."

"Do you fear a repeat of the Fallen Coven?"

"I cannot lie; the thought has crossed my mind," Ophelia admitted, whispering as she spoke. "But I don't see Clarissa doing something as damaging as the Great Chasm. Yes, she may have strong magic, but I don't feel evil in her."

"I am sure the witch who created the Great Chasm wasn't evil in the beginning either," Vi commented. "But she was pushed over the edge by grief and emotions."

"For now, I don't want to worry anyone else with this. Keep it between us," Ophelia instructed. "I will keep my eyes on her. If I fear something will happen, I will handle it."

"And if the covens hear of her?" Vi asked.

"If I vouch for her, I doubt I will have any pushback from any of the covens," Ophelia shrugged. "Except for Requiem. They fought me, even when I was their Queen of Queens. But I have an idea. I have sent for my daughter. Now all we can do is wait."

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