Chapter 3

Age of Solstice, 16:71

Tulasquss, Drazul's Plane

As soon as Drazul touched the child, the red thread faded away. Drazul stared long and hard before slicing the air infront of her with her hand. She opened a tear that revealed her cottage in the Mire mountains, noticing a small blizzard coming on. Drazul shifted the child's weight in her arms, causing them to groan.

Just as she was about to step through the tear, the child suddenly tugged at Drazul's hood. Drazul looked at the child, watching them as they turned their head towards the direction of the bed, their face blooded and bruised. Drazul looked at the corpse then back to the them,

"I will bring her, but you will cross first."

At her words, the child went limp. Drazul glanced back again and noticed near the corpse was a shawl, or perhaps a scarf. Drazul took note of it before turning back to the tear. She stepped through, gliding quickly to her front door, bursting it open as she quickly put the child down onto her sofa. She waved her hands at the fireplace, making it come to life, the warmth quickly filling the room.

She turned to go back outside, stepping into the shack.

She removed her cloak and began carefully wrapping the corpse within it, making sure to grab the scarf afterwards. With a flick of her free hand, the corpse rose and followed behind her as she stepped through the tear once more.  She placed the corpse down outside her cottage a moment to allow her to close the tear, then she took it to a icy glade behind her cottage.

The icy glade was home to several tombstones that were well-maintained and upright. Drazul forcefully created a hole in an empty space near the others, carefully placing the woman's body inside. She did not know this woman, but this woman raised a possible witch powerful enough to summon her. Drazul buried the body with care before marking it with a makeshift dreamcatcher before returning back inside the cottage.

Drazul shook the snow off her body as she returned to the child's side. The child was warmer, thankfully, but only a little. Drazul prepared a warm bath for the child, whom she found to be a young girl. She helped wash the poor girl, gently so as not to cause any bruises on her frail body, especially around her broken face. She also spent awhile fixing up the girls hair because it was awful and matted. Drazul was forced to cut it all off, her hair becoming a messy pixie cut as a result. She also spent a lot of time taking care of lice and other mites living in her hair. It was a while before Drazul could put the child to rest and let recover.

Drazul put the girl into a dark bedroom filled with items not her own. This room was the guest room she used for every mortal who entered her life and left their mark. The bedroom had tall, narrow windows with stained glass at their peak. The stained glass shaped the phases of the moon in a complete cycle across the wall opposite of the rooms entrance. Adjacent to the windows, left of the door, was the canopy bed, draped in thick, dark curtains decorated with stars that glittered. The bed was decorated with what seemed like too many cushions and a thick, warm blanket. Beside it was a desk, untouched for many years, gathering dust, same as the rest of the furniture within the room. Opposite the bed was a few tall shelves packed with books of many topics, including papers and old notes. Following the shelves, towards the corner reaching the windows, were canvases and covered paintings slanted against the wall, an easel beside them.

Drazul cleaned the room completely, removing all the dust, making sure the sponges dancing across the windows scrubbed every bit of dirt that caked on in all that time. Finally, after all was done, she placed the child onto the bed, covering her using the canopy curtains. Drazul gently tapped the curtains and the stars that lined them began to glow and twinkle faintly, mimicking a night sky.

Now that the child was settled, Drazul washed up herself. Drazul tidied up and moved onto the kitchen, pulling ingredients out to prepare a stew. The ingredients lined the stone counters, as pots and ladles floated above her. The counters were engraved with depictions of the Mother Goddess among the stars along the sides, the countertops smooth instead. The cabinets were a pale wood, with patterned carvings of moons and stars, sharing that of the dining room, along the edges of their doors. Drazul began getting to work as the ingredients were being chopped on their own as she was focused on brewing the broth to a perfect flavor.

Drazul was focused on making a light stew, soft enough for the girl to safely eat. She needed the girl to recover, quicker the better. This was how Drazul spent the next month, taking care of the child until she recovered enough to be awake for a few hours at a time. The girl didn't speak, didn't even bother to look at Drazul. She was empty, Drazul surmised. Drazul sympathized but she wasn't going to allow the girl to wallow in her sorrows.

During that time, Drazul took the childs scarf while she was resting. Drazul washed it and made sure it was restored, casting a few spells on it afterward. She cast a spell to preserve the scarf and a spell of protection. Drazul felt that if the child was going to cling to it, it might as well be useful. It will be a precious keepsake for the girl, one that symbolizes an end and a new beginning.

When the child next awoke, Drazul proffered the girl her scarf, which caught her attention immediately. The girl touched the scarf, her hand gliding over it as she stared in awe. Drazul watched the child, curious. The girl stopped to look up at Drazul, her expression also curious. Drazul sat down regally in an armchair beside the childs bed, her arms at her side, commanding attention,

"I had it restored."

The girl's eyes widened as she looked at Drazul and back at her scarf, lifting it up at arms length to look at it properly. Drazul expected the girl to fear her, especially after enduring the ritual but it seems the child isn't distressed, to her surprise. Or perhaps she has no recollection of their meeting. The girls condition was terribly close--Drazul was fortunate she could reach her in time. Perhaps now is the time for introductions.

Drazul cleared her throat to get the girl's attention,

"I am Drazul Trisca. I am the one who brought you here to my home," Drazul weakly motioned at the walls around her, "and you shall remain here, as well. This will be your new home, and I, your new guardian."

Surprised, the girl looked to Drazul and attempted to speak.

But nothing came out.

Drazul's brows furrowed. The girl panicked, trying to speak but naught could be heard, straining her throat with every attempt. Drazul stood up and firmly grasped the girls shoulder,

"That is enough. Your voice is lost."

The girl looked at Drazul, dread written all over her face. Drazul attempted to read her mind but she was unable. The child's powers were preventing her entry and she was too upset. Drazul was not going to get anything out of her for a while. The girl began to sob silently, her shoulders shuddering strongly against her grip. Drazul let out a sigh before taking the child's scarf and wrapping it around the girl. The girl removed her palms from her face, her gaze slowly meeting Drazul's.

"Your voice is lost but you are not. Turn your attention to the small victories among your losses, child. They are more deserving of it."

Drazul's voice was firm and calm. The girl blinked then paused a moment before she clutched her scarf above her chest. Her face twisted in pain, her tears falling faster, her breath sharp between each cry. Drazul turned away. This was pain familiar and she did not want to witness another's.