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The Witches Familiar

The Witches Familiar

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The Prophecy

03 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by Val McDowall in Uncategorized

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BlackCat, CastingTheCircle, DrawingDownTheMoon, EnchantedForest, Goddess, Hag, Hectate, HighPriestess, TheProphecy, ThunderMoon, Witchery, WitchesFamiliar

Read from the beginning

“Let us begin!” Announced the troll hag closest to the front of the stage. 

She was the High Priestess and stepped forward to cast her circle and consecrate all within.

The other two troll hags moved away from the centre stage in opposite directions. Large woven baskets had been placed on the outskirts of the stage, one on either side.  The hags bowed in deference as they approached the baskets, laying their hands across their chest as they did so. In unison, they dragged the heavy baskets slowly towards centre stage. They lifted the lids of the baskets and let them drop backwards, revealing a luminous glow from within.

Inside each basket lay a pile of large glowing moon stones. One by one, the hags retrieved six stones from each of the baskets and placed them in a wide circle around the scorched pentagram on the platform that the Goldfire elementals had made. 

Finally, one of the hags removed the last glowing stone. This stone was larger than the others.  She carried it to the standing hag and knelt down on the stage before her. She raised the stone above her head with both hands as she presented it to her High Priestess.

The High Priestess looked down at her for a moment then nodded her head, at which the hag placed the final glowing orb on the floor in front of her coven leader’s feet.  Thirteen glowing stones were now placed in a protective circle on stage. One each to represent the thirteen full moons of the year, the final larger stone presumably represented the full moon tonight.

The two coven members returned to the circle carrying brooms fashioned from twisted tree branches with small twigs fastened by twine to make the brush.  Slowly and deliberately they began sweeping the ground within the stone circle to remove any negative energy. Once complete, the hags departed again, taking with them the discarded cloaks from the floor and retrieved small copper chalices from the open baskets.  These were laid swiftly on the five points of the pentagram and their contents were lit. This further served to purify the circle as well as being an offering to the Goddess. 

Thick smoke rose steadily from the cups.  The light evening breeze snatched the rising plumes of smoke, curling it into tendrils around the circle, and wafting it onwards to the audience. 

As I inhaled the rising smoke, I recognized the scent to be Dragon’s Blood with its somewhat sweet and soft fragrance not unlike patchouli, vanilla and spices. It is an extremely rich scent and does an excellent job of setting a calming mood to a space.  It is also used to increase the potency of spells for protection.

Now the High Priestess began the task of consecrating the space. She turned to her right and slowly walked the circle in a clockwise, or deosil direction as it is called. I have learned from past Mistresses, that moving in this sunward direction is considered to be the most fortuitous course for magic circles, turning from east to west in the direction that the sun takes.

“I walk the circle once around to cleanse and consecrate this ground.” The High Priestess called aloud.

Once complete, she moved to the stone positioned in the cardinal direction of East at the side of the stage to call in the protective powers of Guardians of the elements.

“Hail Mighty Ones of the Eastern Tower, guard this circle with your power.
Powers of Air weave the round, between the worlds the power bound.” 

The High Priestess gave her command, then paused to draw the alchemical symbol for the element of air above the first stone with her right index finger. As her finger moved, an outline appeared in yellow in the air as if she were using magic chalk on a blackboard made from the surrounding darkness. The outline shimmered for a moment and then collapsed like ashes, falling to the moon stone below as she continued on her way.

“Hail Mighty Ones of the Southern Tower, guard this circle with your power.
Powers of Fire weave the round, between the worlds the power bound.” 

She stopped again as she reached the fourth stone and the symbol for fire appeared at her finger tip as she spoke and drew, this time in orange. Onwards she moved as the symbol crumbled to the stone beneath.

“Hail Mighty Ones of the Western Tower, guard this circle with your power.
Powers of Water weave the round, between the worlds the power bound.” 

Just as before, the symbol for water appeared in the air above the eighth stone as she spoke and drew, this time in blue. Onwards she moved as the symbol crumbled to the stone beneath.

“Hail Mighty Ones of the Northern Tower, guard this circle with your power.
Powers of Earth weave the round, between the worlds the power bound.” 

Finally she reached the twelfth stone and called in the last element of earth. As she drew again in the air, the symbol for earth appeared above the stone in green and crumbled like the others.

I’d noticed that she was not carrying a representation for each of the elements as she called forth the Guardians of the elements into the circle. My previous Mistresses would normally place objects inside their circles to represent the elements such as a feather for air, a small vessel of water, a stone for earth and a lit candle for fire or the like. I watched with avid fascination. The High Priestess was obviously blessed with some powerful magic.

With the second circle now complete, the High Priestess then bent down slightly and twisted awkwardly to remove an athame from a sheath strapped to her right calf. The fastenings around her calf and ankle were barely noticeable among the heavy leathery wrinkles of her skin folds.  As she held the athame  high for all to see, the moonlight caught its sharp metal edge creating a bright flash of light. 

For her third circumference, the High Priestess stooped and traced the outline of the circle with the tip of her athame, tapping each stone as she passed it in the same deosil direction.  As each stone was tapped, it seemed to be activated for its glow grew a little brighter. A shimmering silvery thread projected from the first stone and wove its way around the stone circle, connecting each stone as the High Priestess touched it. The stone circle was now fully illuminated on the stage rather like the ring around a lunar eclipse.

The amphitheatre fell deathly silent. There was no sound at all coming from the members of the audience. As I turned my head to look around, I could see all present were leaning forward in their seats expectantly, completely transfixed and most likely holding their breath as I was.

Lastly, the High Priestess stepped above the thirteenth moon stone, placing her feet on either side.  Across her drooping leathery breasts, she drew a fifth symbol. This time the outline shone in clear white and did not disappear.  A quartered circle to represent the fifth element of spirit. The symbol also represents a sacred space where the seven directions of east, west, north, south, above, below and within come together.

With the circle now cleared, consecrated and under the protection of the Guardians of the elements, the High Priestess continued with her circle casting ritual.

“On this night of the Thunder Moon, I call to the Goddess Hectate. Goddess of magic and the moon, patron of witches and queen of the spirit world. Shimmering Goddess of the Moonlight, guide me through the darkness of this night, enter my circle, I invoke you. Bless me and guide me in all that I do. Hail and welcome.”

Now the main event of the evening could begin, the beautiful ritual of Drawing Down the Moon. The act of pulling down the energy of the Goddess herself into the body of the High Priestess so she can channel a message for the assembled inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest.

The High Priestess turned her back to her onlookers.  She gazed at the moon above her for a time swaying gently as if in a trance. She then planted her feet firmly apart, stood still and as tall as she was able to in the centre of the pentagram symbol. She raised her arms upwards, high and wide. The tip of the athame in her left hand reflected a tiny spark like one of the stars above her.

As I looked on from my position low in the front row, the glow around the full moon seemed to swell, making it appear that the moon was balancing directly above her outstretched hands. It was as if she was holding the moon itself.

The High Priestess held her position firmly as she spoke again.

“Draw down the moon, draw down the power.
Great Goddess Hectate, this is thine hour.
Draw down the moon, allow me to see.
Blessed Goddess I ask that thee come sit with me.”

Immediately, the white glow from the moon began to descend into the cup shape the High Priestess had made with her arms.  In the blink of an eye, the High Priestess became a divine vessel for the Goddess herself. She glowed softly with the shimmering white light being poured down from the moon into her body.  Slowly, she turned round to face the audience and lowered her outstretched arms.

There in front of us all stood the embodiment of the Goddess Hectate. A Goddess who has power over magic and witchcraft. A necromancer who can summon the dead.

As I watched riveted from my seat, the High Priestess’ body and facial features took on those of the Goddess. Her form grew taller and leaner. The glow gave an ethereal substance like fluid satin robes cascading from one shoulder to the floor, cinched at the waist by a long golden cord. A large writhing serpent was draped around her neck and over her shoulders. She was breathtakingly beautiful with her long dark hair wavy hair which showed only a few strands of spun silver, alluding to her wisdom and age as the Crone. She had the type of beauty that befits a true Goddess of the night. A beauty with an eerie and dangerous edge.

Gentle movement caught my eye as the other two hags moved in behind their High Priestess carrying lit torches and stood back-to-back with her. This further added to the apparition before us of the Goddess having three heads, each looking in a different direction. The maiden, mother and crone in one form.

The crowd gasped.  My mouth fell open.

Abruptly, all of the coyotes in the amphitheatre began barking erratically.

Goosebumps raced up my spine.

It was at that point that I had no doubt that the Goddess Hectate had indeed arrived.

Hectate took in the amphitheatre with an intense gaze. As her eyes swept swiftly over everyone, she seemed to linger when she came to me. Her gaze seemed to bore deep into my soul. It was like a stab in the heart. I looked away quickly and shrunk back on my seat.

When she began to speak, the barking subsided and a hush fell over the amphitheatre once more.

“Dwellers of the Enchanted Forest, I bring you a warning of grave danger. In thirteen moons from this night, a dark warlock living in the mundane world will come to destroy the Enchanted Forest and all who dwell within it. This dark warlock will bring many terrible monstrosities with sharp teeth to tear down the forest and eat into the earth. There will be fires, the ground will shake and roar like thunder as if a volcano were erupting. There will be total devastation for he will not stop until nothing is left.”

A level of panic, the likes of which I have never seen before exploded as the assembled elementals, guides, otherworldlies and forest creatures began shrieking with fear.  Some clung to each other crying, some clung to themselves rocking and wailing while others began running around aimlessly howling.

 “What are we to do? What will become of us?” All the voices shouted.

The Goddess continued calmly with her prophecy …

“There is one among you who can prevent this. I brought her to you.”

She extended her right arm and drew it up slowly pointing directly at me!

My eyes bulged. My heart began beating fiercely in my chest.

“This is the Witches Familiar. The one named Zephyr. It is within her destiny to save the Enchanted Forest.”

And with that, the Goddess was gone. The white glowing light evaporated and the High Priestess slumped to the floor.

That was also the moment the swarming began.

A surge of bodies from all directions crushed in on me.  Hands tried to grip me. A few caught hold and I felt desperate nails dig into my flesh and pull at my hair.  I bit and snapped at them and hissed and tried to fend them off but for every hand I managed to release, three more appeared in its place.

I was surrounded by faces, imploring me with their eyes.

“You must save us, you must, we beg you!”  They all pleaded.

I felt the weight of them all pushing in on me.  My legs buckled and feared I would be trampled to death.

Suddenly, Mikon was by my side.

“Use your power!” He yelled in my ear.

I tried to focus on my feet. Nothing. I was so scared I couldn’t think straight.

I was trapped in a moving mob. I could barely breathe. I was being squeezed so tightly. My feet left the ground and I felt myself being carried towards the platform by the frenzy around me.

“DO IT!!” Mikon’s voice hissed nearby.

Large heavy shapes began landing on top of the frenzy as more of the forest dwellers lost their minds in the panic.

I felt myself slip downwards towards the floor.  Towards a stampede of hundreds of feet.

“Zephyyyyyrrr!!” Mikon’s desperate call was much further away now.

I landed with a bump on the ground. Feet kicked me as they scrambled around. I felt the weight of creatures standing on me as they were swept along in the flow. They stood on my tail, my back, they kicked me in the stomach, my ribs and finally they stood on my head. I could bare it no longer.

“Nooooooo!”

It was a guttural scream. I didn’t recognize the voice that came from deep within me.

The scream jolted me into action. My feet were tingling again. This time the tingles travelled fast. I felt a ripple of power tear through me. The red mist descended once more. I released.  ZAP!!

The reaction was instant.

Above the roar of the rampaging mob, unearthly blood curling screams could be heard as my sudden electrical discharge sent dozens of creatures flying off me. I was engulfed in a plume of pale blue smoke, much larger than when I’d zapped Ezran earlier.

Creatures on the periphery of the plume began holding the crowd back with their arms and gaped at me in awe. I was in a very small but clear space. I was able to stand. The plume was beginning to dissipate. The surging forward began again and I could see my protective boundary beginning to fail.

Suddenly, Nikon was beside me once more.

“This way … we need to get to the Emperor’s chamber.” He insisted.

I didn’t need telling twice. I turned and pushed my way after him as he disappeared into the fray.

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An Ally in the Woods

24 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by Val McDowall in Black Cat, enchanted forest, Familiar, Green Man, Portal, Uncategorized, Witchcraft, Witches

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Read from the beginning

Mikon turned swiftly on his heels, the rest of the pack falling in line silently behind him. Before they moved off, he turned and looked at me pointedly. It was clearly my cue to join them.

Sighing heavily, I got to my feet slowly and gave a long leisurely stretch. Not being used to following orders from anyone other than my Mistresses, I took my sweet time in joining them. The coyotes parted, indicating my place close to the front behind Mikon. I rolled my eyes and blinked disdainfully but did as beckoned making a theatrical performance of reluctance.

I was flanked by the two young coyotes that had pinned Ezran down earlier. They took their place on either side of me like a pair of Foo dogs guarding an ancient Buddhist temple. I wasn’t about to protest, I’d realized by now that the only way I was going to get through this was to meet with the Emperor as demanded. Besides, with all this pomp and fuss, my feline curiosity had been well and truly piqued. I had to find out what all this was about.

I jutted my chin out in determination as the procession started to move. Some of the spectating fauna and elementals took off ahead excitedly and seemed to be spreading the word that something big was about to happen. I caught the eye of a few curious creatures as they drew in closer to stare at me. Unblinking, I held their gaze intensely, forcing them to look away first in submission. The rest of the forest inhabitants took their place at the end of the procession as Mikon lead the way.

The woods were dense and much of the light from the full moon was obscured by the thick foliage of the trees and undergrowth, especially close to the ground which was just about all I could see. Soon the terrain became uneven with pebbles and started to rise up gently in front of us. I had no idea where we were going other than a vague sense of heading north, going deeper towards the heart of the enchanted forest.

I almost lost my footing a couple of times as the soft earth gave way to hard stone. Smooth moss covered surfaces were exposed between jagged rocks as the vegetation mysteriously glided aside, granting us passage, and eventually revealing a set of worn stone steps.

006 - stone steps in the forest

The procession halted suddenly as a soft green glowing mist materialized low over the ground blocking our path. I felt a cold shiver pass through me as the temperature dropped rapidly in comparison to the balmy summer air around us. The mist shimmered and undulated and rolled slowly forward to confront Mikon. It felt cold and clammy.

Now that it was closer I could see that it was actually an entity or, more specifically, a giant floating humanoid face. Although I was only catching glimpses of it between the bodies of the coyotes, I could clearly see the top of its hairless skull, its heavy bony brow and deep dark eye sockets. A large bulbous nose hung above a wide gaping mouth with full thick lips. The cheekbones were fleshy but well defined. The edges of the apparition were blurry and appeared to resemble foliage.

I smiled to myself in quiet recognition. I knew this face very well. The elusive Green Man. Renowned as a forest deity and symbol of rebirth, his image represents the cycle of growth each spring and summer in many ancient pagan cultures. He’s a protector of sorts too, every Enchanted Forest has one.

“Who passes this way?” demanded the petulant mouth in a deep booming voice that made the fine branches of nearby trees tremble with dread.

“It is I, Mikon and honorable guest. We seek an audience with the Emperor.”

“Really?” it said, the voice dripping with sarcasm, “Just like that. And prey whom might your most honourable guest be?”

I could sense Mikon bristle at the challenge. In a tone of pure mockery of his own he replied:

“You mean you haven’t heard? Why your sources must be slipping. If you must know, it is the Witches’ Familiar Zephyr, summoned by the Emperor himself.”

The dark eye sockets of the face were suddenly illuminated as its heavy eyelids flew open. Bright green eyes pierced the darkness in a cold penetrating stare.

The enormous mouth made a loud sucking noise as it drew in a long breath. A few silent moments passed before it spoke again.

“How can that be?” The heavy brow furrowed, the bright eyes narrowed to doubtful slits as the face drew much closer to Mikon with an aggressive lunge.

“Is this some kind of treachery?”

Mikon stood his ground firmly, barely flinching at the sudden closeness of the face.

Sensing the atmosphere was turning decidedly sour; I slid forward between the coyotes and walked towards the apparition.

“Hello Gwydion, long time no see.”

There was a brief stunned silence, followed by a few fluttering eye blinks of surprise before a colossal smile erupted across Gwydion’s face.

“Dw i ddim wedi dy weld ti ers sbel!”

He exclaimed happily before translating “I have not seen you for a while!” in the broadest Welsh lilt I’ve heard in the longest time.

Gwydion. His name suited him very well. It means ‘born of the trees’ in old Welsh. I purred happily, finally a friendly face I could trust.

“Oh ‘ello luv.” Cooed Gwydion. “Oh I am ever so happy to see you again!”

“Hello old friend, it does my heart good to see you too.”

Now that the huge face was smiling, he didn’t look anywhere near as ominous as he had just a few moments before.

Incredulous, Mikon turned to face me:

“You know the Guardian of the Forest?”

“Oh we go way back … further than you can possibly imagine.” I said with a wink.

“Come in, come in, you are always welcome! How delightful that our paths have crossed again.”

Gwydion was now almost giddy with glee. I felt the same way but fought to control myself. I wanted nothing more than to curl up on a comfy mossy rock beside him and catch up on old times but, judging by the impatient look on Mikon’s face, now was clearly not the time.

“Have you seen Cerridwen since …?” Gwydion’s voice trailed off, his face a picture of concern.

The last time I’d seen Mistress Cerridwen, we were being burned alive for witchcraft, at a time just before the ghastly witch hunt fever swept through medieval Europe. There had been no trial, only spiteful retribution over absurd allegations. Don’t get me wrong, the Mistress was in deed a witch but that had never presented a problem until a love rival was scorned. I reeled at the memory.

Before I could open my mouth to respond, Mikon cut in irritably:

“Well this is all terribly touching but we have business to attend to. Save the reminiscing for another time. Shall we?” Mikon attempted to usher me forward.

I glanced over at Gwydion. I wanted desperately to speak to him but I had no choice in the matter. Now was simply not the time. My heart sunk with disappointment.

“Come back to the forest alone Zephyr … I’ll find you.”

His gentle voice filled my head. None of my companions seemed to notice. Realizing he’d spoken to me telepathically, I nodded my accord almost imperceptibly.

The whole procession was standing face to face with Gwydion. The air was expectant and silent as we waited for passage.

A gigantic gnarly old tree stood directly behind Gwydion. At first inspection the tree looked dead with its tangle of thick and weather beaten roots coiled intricately like a huge nest of writhing snakes protecting a large boulder at its base.

006 - Limber Pine

Snakes, I decided, or perhaps snaking was definitely a good way to describe this beast of a tree. The girth of its trunk was vast, a good four feet at least. It distorted in several places forming knots and folds at every twist. The full moon cast an eerie light on its bark, making it look like a tortured soul, like a melting skeletal candle, the embodiment of pain captured for all eternity.

Most of the branches high above were bare and jagged like long arthritic arms and fingers furled into claws as if raised in attack. I’d seen these ancient limber pines before, a symbol of wisdom and longevity to the native people and you could certainly see why. This tree had to be several hundreds of years old based on its size and form alone. Who knew how many harsh winters it had weathered or how many devastatingly hot and dry summers it had endured. It towered rigidly above us unwilling to yield.

Gwydion’s eyes slid slowly shut. He took a deep breath, his lips formed a small round shape and then pressed tightly together.

“Ommmm. Ommmm. Ommmm.”

The long deep note started softly and continued rhythmically with each breath. As it gained in intensity and volume a strange vibration rose through my body, meandering its way up my spine, reverberating around my ribs until it settled deep in my chest within my heart. I felt myself sink into a deep dreamy place. Was this supposed to happen? It felt so good. Don’t resist, I chided myself, just go with the flow.

I closed my eyes. The pitch seemed to alter my state of consciousness. I felt my body sag into relaxation. I could have sworn I was swaying but managed to remain upright with little effort. I was aware of so much in that instant, my physical surroundings, the sounds of the forest, the proximity of the others, but it all seemed so far away and disconnected somehow. The clutter from my mind disappeared as dark swirling colours quickly filled my eyelids and finally merged into a deep dark purple. I sat contentedly in my hypnotic state for what seemed like ages but at the same time, felt oddly as if no time had passed at all. I was in a place where physical time had no value or presence.

Finally a single image appeared before me in my mind’s eye. It was so vivid and clear, I was sure it was real.

I stared at the object in wonder. It was beautiful.

006 - Lion Head Door Knocker

A burnished bronze door knocker in the form of a lion’s head had appeared before me. Dazzling sun rays radiated from its curly mane and a large ring hung from its open mouth. Verdigris had settled into the intricate design giving it the appearance of antiquity.

It looked like a doorknocker to a mystical temple.

Instinctively I raised my arm. Although the image was crystal clear in my mind, the movement came from my physical body. I extended my claws gingerly to touch it and was instantly gratified at the sound of dainty clinks as my nails connected with something firm and metallic. I placed the pads of my paw on the base of the ring and held it there, savouring the cool feel of the bronze, and the tingly energy it was emitting. Gently, I picked up the ring and gave three sharp knocks.

An ear splitting grinding sound snapped me back to the physical world. My heart thundered in my chest at the sound of heavy stone being dragged over stone followed by another sound, like twisting and ripping roots. The ground rumbled beneath my feet. A portal was being wrenched open before me at the base of the old tree.

The portal was framed by a simple stone archway. Dust particles floating in the air obscured the view immediately beyond the opening for a second or two until the grinding finally stopped.

The view beyond the archway was truly spectacular.

We were now standing at the top of a stone stairway that descended into a magnificent amphitheatre.

The Emperor’s Ambassador

05 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by Val McDowall in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Black Cat, elemental, enchanted forest, Magic, Novel, Reincarnation, telekinesis, Witches Familiar

Read from the beginning

The gnarly coyote lay on his side groaning, a good ten feet or so away from me where he’d landed heavily.  He seemed momentarily dazed but was recovering quickly.  Whereas I had thought him a mean savage before, he was now upping the stakes to terrifying!

The assembled fauna seemed to appreciate the spectacle immensely.  Their shrieks and woops rose to a deafening fever pitch.  Keeping a safe distance around us, they were no doubt relieved they were not the focus of attention of this huge tormentor for once.  They were baying for blood and began heckling the coyote cruelly.

“Why you little vixen!” the coyote growled.

His eyes narrowed to slits, his lips curled back, displaying a full set of jagged teeth.  The hackles stood up on the back of his neck, making him seem even larger than before.  He held his head still as he came towards me, eyes never wavering from mine.

My feet began tingling again …

In the blink of an eye he’d closed the gap between us and was just about to attack when a loud piercing voice from behind me stopped him dead in his tracks.  His cold eyes darted to the source.

“EZRAN!  NO!”

A strange hush fell over the pack.

The adrenalin was still coursing through my veins; I used the distraction to my advantage.  I was so wrapped up in my own self-preservation, I didn’t care who the voice belonged to.  All I cared about was defending me.  Kill or be killed, it was as simple as that.

With the loudest hiss I think I’ve ever made, I struck out hard and fast with my right arm, all five claws fully extended.  I went for his face.  My razor sharp hooks connected with his long soft nose and dragged deeply to its cold, wet tip.  The coyote howled again in excruciating pain.  I’d landed a good one and was rewarded by a trickle of ruby red blood dripping from his nose.

He retaliated instantly.  One massive heavy paw landed between my shoulder blades flattening me instantly to the ground and holding me down.  The air was forced out of my lungs completely and I choked on the loose soil on the forest floor.  His vicious growls were deafening.  I thought my back was going to break as I bore his full weight on top of me and felt his hot breath on the back of my neck again.  His jaws began to tighten around my outstretched neck.  This was it, this time there was no escape …

“Ezran, I said NO!!”  The authoritative voice boomed loudly again.

As I lay there on the ground, my eyes squeezed tightly shut, bracing myself as I waited for my neck to snap in the coyote’s powerful jaws, I heard another two grumbling voices approach.  Swift feet accelerated towards me on the soft earth.  I felt a sudden shift in the weight above me and heard a soft ‘ooffph’ noise to the side followed by the sounds of a struggle.

I opened my eyes with trepidation, not sure what to expect and was surprised to see two young strong coyotes wrestling with the large gnarly one.  It took them a while to subdue him.  He’d worked himself into a rage but finally they pinned him down.  I could see the sheer loathing in his eyes as he continued to glare at me.

I looked behind me to see who my saviour was – my heart skipped a beat as I found myself looking directly into the eyes of another large coyote.  My body sagged with fatigue; I did not have the strength for another fight.

005 - Mikon

However, this second coyote seemed different.  He was not quite as large as the gnarly one, although not far behind.  There was a completely different aura about him.  I’d assumed ‘Ezran’, if that was his name, to be the alpha male.  I thought he was the leader of the pack, a large marauding bully but apparently I was wrong.

The other coyotes rushed up to greet this new comer.  They were excited, highly animated but very respectful at the same time.  Some of the coyotes bounced close to him, others rubbed his nose with theirs.  He allowed them to honour him with their greeting rituals and after a few moments he stepped forward to address me.

There was an almost regal quality about him.  His coat was sleek, clean and well kept.  I couldn’t see any scarring or cragginess about his body or fur.  His legs were long and muscular, he held himself with pride and dignity.  His whole manner commanded an air of respect.  He was clearly very important, the pack leader I assumed correctly this time.

His honey coloured eyes were rimmed with black; he looked intelligent and wise.  Just at that two small pups made their presence known as they rubbed themselves against his legs.  They clearly adored him. He looked down at them kindly, nudging them gently out of sight with his nose before turning his attention back to me.  The pups stared at me with avid curiosity from behind their mother, their eyes round with wonder and awe.  I don’t suppose they’d met a familiar before, certainly not one as renowned or as captivating as me.

“I have orders to bring you to the Emperor. I must apologize for Ezran, he …”

The coyote paused and seemed to grope for appropriate wording but continued simply:

“… he doesn’t like cats.”

Too exhausted to speak, I could only manage a grunt in acknowledgement.  An Emperor indeed!  Who were these creatures and why was I here?  I looked down at myself, I was a wreck.  I smelled like the gnarly coyote and it made me sick to my stomach.  I had to get that disgusting smell off my body.  I noticed a patch of open earth just off the beaten track to my left.  I couldn’t resist.  I threw myself down with reckless abandon and cavorted shamelessly.

Forest soil has a wonderfully woody musky scent, perfect for eliminating unpleasant odours.  Dried oak moss lichen from surrounding tree trunks peppered the ground in bushy clumps adding an exquisite sharp but slightly sweet and lingering base note to the fragrance.  The aroma was sensual and heady.  I was in absolute heaven, my brush with death all but forgotten in the throes of ecstasy as I rubbed every inch of my body into the ground.

The pack leader raised his eyebrows at such undignified behaviour but said nothing.  I lay there for an extended moment or two, luxuriating in my dry earth bath.  Inhaling the intoxicating aroma sparked distant memories of ancient temples and seductive sorceresses I’d once known.  Despite the obvious physical exhaustion from my ordeal, I felt invigorated and alive.

My attention snapped back to the present when a tussle kicked off suddenly as Ezran finally broke free of his restrainers.  Humiliated, he disappeared into the depths of the forest but not before he managed to hiss me a threat.

“I’ll get you for this bitch!”

I gave the fleeing coyote a sly sideward glance and began rubbing my fingers together.  My damned fingers and toes were itching again.  I must admit, weird though it was, it wasn’t a wholly unpleasant sensation.  The tingles remained mild but as I looked down at my hands, I was surprised to see that they were glowing faintly once more.

The pack leader chuckled as I got to my feet.

“I don’t think you’ll get much trouble from Ezran for a while after the demonstration of your elemental prowess.”

My what?  What was he talking about?  Then it dawned on me.  My telekinesis was returning.  I turned my face to hide my smirk. I had not expected that. This life had suddenly become much more interesting.

Telekinesis.  The ability to move inanimate objects at will.  The coyote leader had assessed my ability quite correctly.  My prowess, as he put it, was indeed connected to the elements: air, earth, water and let’s not forget fire.  Simply put, it means that I have the ability to harness the power and attributes of the elements, to manipulate objects and situations around me using my mind.

I hadn’t meant to use it on Ezran, it just happened. Heck, I wasn’t even aware I had that particular power!  I’d been acting purely on instinct.  I’d tapped into the electrical charge present in the air due to the thundery weather and plunged it into his body.  And very effective it had been too.  Now the weird tingles and blue vapour made sense.  I was quite literally manipulating lightning bolts … although I still wasn’t clear on how I’d done it.  Meh, a miniscule detail.  I’d get it.  Eventually.

I’ve never experienced an electrical discharge before.  Sure, I’ve set fires, summoned fog, and shaken the ground at will on many an occasion but I’ve never experimented with the element of air, never had to.  If the coyotes and other forest inhabitants wanted to assume that I had full control over the elements then who was I to argue?  I only hoped that my little demonstration would keep them all wary … enough to keep me alive.

The only cloud on the horizon, if any, to my new found ability was the realization that most newly acquired paranormal abilities, restored or otherwise, tend to manifest at times of extreme physical or mental stress.  Especially in the beginning.

Did being pawed, licked and mauled by a vile and vicious coyote constitute extreme physical peril or mental distress?  You bet it did!  I chuckled at how fast I’d blown Ezran right off me.  I sincerely hoped the next time we met, and should I feel the need for a few more lightning bolts, that I would at least know what I was doing with them!

I had no idea how long a full Restoration might take or even how many of my former skills I could expect to recover.  I had some pretty special powers back in the day and, like old and influential friends, I very much looked forward to being reacquainted with them.

I’d mastered the manipulation of the other elements quickly and easily enough in the past; I didn’t doubt for a second that I’d master these lightning bolts given time and ample practice.

For the first time in a long time, I began to feel confident.  And powerful.  I liked it, I liked it a lot.

I returned my gaze to my new congenial host.  I cast an appraising glance over him and, in as haughty a voice as I could muster I enquired, “To whom might I be addressing?”

Unperturbed at my deliberate lack of manners, the coyote raised a quizzical eyebrow and replied:

“You may call me Mikon.  Now.  If you’re quite ready, the Emperor is waiting …”

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