Chapter 12

**Merianna**

I twisted around and groaned into my soft pillow as a sudden pillar of light came crashing over my eyes.

"Come on Meri, time to get up, I can smell breakfast all the way from here." Nelia said as she walked around the room getting things ready for the day ahead.

I didn't move and grumbled some more when Nelia was making more noise than was necessary to get everything ready. I mean, gods! Does anyone ever intentionally knock their elbows into dressers and bed posts and stomp their feet into their boots with unnecessary force when they get dressed?

"Nelia..." I moaned from my fluffy haven.

"Yes Meri?" She said ever so sweetly from her side of the room we were sharing.

"Bring me back some food?" I asked, obviously being overly hopeful. But you just never know.

"No, you can come down to the kitchen and get some breakfast like a normal person yourself." She said, and even though I wasn't looking at her, I knew she was standing close to my bed with her hands on her hips.

"But, I'm an injured individual. Yesterday was a nightmare!" I moaned feebly.

Nelia just snorted at my attempt at sympathy. "You are fine. Any scratches or aches you might have had yesterday are already gone by now. Remember who it was that tended to your wounds?" She asked rhetorically.

I grumbled and woozily lifted my face from the linen, and just as I knew she would be. She was standing at the side of my bed with her 'no nonsense' look that Mah used to have.

I gave a heavy sigh and slowly got out of the bed with more grumbles than was probably necessary. Under Nelia's oh so watchful gaze I stumbled across the room to the dresser and got out my favourite blue dress.

"You're going to wear that one?!" Nelia asked, almost sounding horrified by my choice in wardrobe.

I looked back down at my dress to inspect it. It was as light blue as the sky with a leather belt threaded through the middle, its length went all the way to the floor but was still just short enough for me not to trip over its seams. The sleeves were long but easy enough to roll over my arms if I got warm throughout the day. I honestly didn't see anything wrong with it.

"What?" I asked her.

"There are stains on that dress, and not necessarily wine stains! It has holes through the skirts that were made by whichever weapons were used that day and don't get me started on the frays at the cuffs and collar." Nelia explained exasperatedly.

"I fixed them! And I washed it ten times!" I said holding up the dress so she can see how faded the stains are from what they were previously, as well as my handy, if not exceptional, needlework on the skirts and cuffs.

Nelia just ran her hand over her face and groaned in misery. "I swear Meri, the guy that one day has to marry you would have to be very well versed in housework. Or incredibly blind."

I guffawed at her. "The fact that you can even imagine me being with a man later on in our lives truly proves that you have an amazingly active mind." I announced as I slipped into the comfy dress and laced up my leather boots.

"Let's go get breakfast, I'm starving!" I said as I hooked my arm into Nelia's and led the way down to the kitchens. My brain was still a little behind as we walked down into the clutter of the kitchen's dining area.

Dorris had laid out a buffet of foods, all from different countries of this realm since many people that come to the Order for training aren't native to Ériu. Hence how me and Nelia were also so well versed in different ways of constructing our sentences and using other well-known proverbs.

I piled the meats, pancakes, fruits and cheeses onto my plate and without caring about the people that were around me I towed myself and Nelia to an empty seat and started stuffing myself.

Only once my stomach was starting to expand and my brain caught up with the conversations that were flying over our heads, did I realize that Nelia was glancing around us with a frown on her face as she ate.

"What's wrong Nelia?" I asked her worriedly as I caught the vibe off of everyone in the kitchen.

Nelia didn't say anything but nodded her head at a group of people that were having a conversation not too far from us. Their expressions were worried and strained as they spoke quickly.

I turned my hearing into their conversation and managed to get the gist of what had everyone so worried.

"-alarm went off a little while ago."

"I hope everyone is alright."

"That poor coven, I wonder how many survivors there will be?"

"Don't think like that! They might have moved to a safe place."

"I hope Fog and the others can get to them quickly."

I stopped chewing my food and pushed my plate away. I wasn't hungry anymore. A coven was being attacked, and the Order members were getting ready to go in and help them...

If anyone received the fire message from a coven under attack, it would be Noch.

Just thinking about a coven being attacked by either creatures or the Hunters had me worried sick for them, and had anger boiling up towards the threats. I didn't know why I was like this, but every time I heard about a coven under attack I got so worried for them. It felt like, even if I didn't personally know them, the fact that we were all witches was enough for a bond to be branded between us.

I've always felt the need to go and help whenever Fog and the other members would go out to the sight of the attack and help the witches escape to a safe location. Also to continue waging the old war that we've had with the Hunters since the Hunters had started pursuing us witches.

This time, the need to go and help felt like a blow to my gut. I am trained now, the last trial is right around the corner. I can help this time. I have to! Looking back at Nelia it almost looked like we had the same thought in mind.

"Let's go find Noch." I said and Nelia just nodded in agreement and followed me out of the crowded hall.

We raced through the corridors and hallways all the way up to where Noch had his office shacked up on the same floor as Fog's.

We dashed passed Noch's office and Nelia almost pulled my feet out from under me with a sudden yank on the cuff of my dress.

"Aren't we going to see Noch?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's not there." I quickly replied and pulled her by the hand quickly behind me again.

I could feel all the gathered member's energies leaking out from Fog's door. I scouted for Noch's energy and noticed he was in there too. I gripped Nelia's hand tighter and we both barged into Fog's office just when it seemed like they were about to close the meeting.

"We want to help!" I yelled and gasped for air as my hand gripped the door knob.

Fog, Noch, Ara, Jasnine, Raska, and many other senior members of the Order looked down at us in surprise.

"No." Noch said flatly without missing a beat.

"Yes!" I yelled back in frustration. "I am trained enough for battle, and Nelia can help to heal the wounded."

"No means no demon child, as amusing as you are to have around this is an actual battle. The coven's area we are going to is swarmed with Hunters." Noch said with a frown.

"I can help with the battle. I know I can. I can't just sit and wait here by the Order again like all the other times. I want to help." I said sincerely. I didn't care if they didn't like the idea, they would have to tie me up to a pillar to keep me away. I would help.

"We need to help." Nelia chipped in with her serious tone.

Noch was just about to throw something back at us or throw us out the office, when Fog lifted his hand to stop the possible events.

Fog looked at the two of us for a minute and Noch did the same when he saw that Fog was actually really considering it.

"Alright girls. We are about to head to the Atrium. Noch, bring the Rune Reaper for Merianna to use. Helga, Nelia will be helping you out with the wounded. Is everyone ready?" No one gave any objections and a smile grew across my face.

"Let's go." He announced and everyone started flowing out of the huge office and back down to where the Atrium was behind the kitchens.

Nelia went and parted with the healers and support group while I grouped in with Noch and the others.

"You will be the death of me you demon." Noch said as he looked down at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Won't that be the day." I said smiling up evilly at him. He chuckled and ruffled my hair.

"See you down there troll snot." He chuckled and before I could whack him he disappeared right through the floor, again...

I could never get used to him doing that. Maybe one day I would be able to do that too. It would make traveling up and down a lot more convenient than running.
"Are you sure you are ready for this?" Arasule asked with a worried frown on her face. Her potions and bombs were all strapped around her waist and hidden in pockets that were sown all over her dark green gown.

I smiled up at her, knowing that she was genuinely worried for my safety. "I feel ready Nana."

She gave me a sidelong hug as we moved quickly through the Atrium's entrance. Lo and behold, there stood Noch with the Rune Reaper, his staff with its living flame pulsed in its curled paw and an already activated gateway. The arch of the gateway was sculptured from a combination of bedrock, moonstone and bluestone. I couldn't even fathom how this arch was created, but knowing where I was, I was sure that someone with a strong earth element was behind it.

Of course all of us here at the Order could work with all of the basic elements, but some resonated stronger than others.

For example, I was stronger with Fire and Wind rather than with Earth. Nelia on the other hand was better with Earth and Water.

Runes decorated the arch's enormous girth from the floor on both sides all the way to its tallest peak where it nearly touched the ceiling. The runes are of the strongest found in just about every landscape of this realm. Runes that were handed down for eons were used on this gateway. Runes from civilizations that are no longer known to the current generations. They stretched over the archway in perfect symmetry, pulsing with their own unique power as their energies swirled together in the middle to create a portal.

Many of the witches still under training were gathered in the Atrium to await the coven members that will be led through.

"You better keep this safe demon child. I worked blood, sweat and tears into this Reaper." Noch said handing the Rune Reaper over to me, and just like last time, the runes spoke to me, they sang in their own unique colour and vibration.

My hands found the right runes and the weapon was once again weightless in my grasp. This time, when I twirled it, it was easier to manage. I still had to compensate for the long staff, but not nearly as much as I had to when I was younger. With the contact of the weapon on my palms, my blood burned with the need to get to that coven.

"Don't worry Noch, you'll get it back. Right after we help that Coven." I said and followed his smirking face through the swirling gateway.

A moment of weightlessness engulfed me as I stepped through the gate. My stomach dropped as sounds and shapes had lost their meaning through this traveling void. Everything rushed through together.

Strangely enough, this was my first time traveling through a gateway, but somehow, it felt familiar to my senses. This way of traveling stretched my senses in oddly familiar ways. It engulfed me in a space where colours and sounds were everywhere but indistinct. Bouncing off of thin air and tingling over my skin like static electricity under a wool blanket. The sensations were slightly disorienting and made my stomach jump but before I knew it, we were there.

As I stepped out from the gateway and onto damp night frosted grass I heard Noch give a disappointed huff from next to me. I looked up at him with a frown.

"I had a small hope that you would either fall flat on your face or lose your breakfast at the other end of the gate." Noch said by way of explaining.

"I win. Pay up." Said Fog from a small ways ahead of us as he walked up the hill in front of us.

"You guys made a bet?!" I asked incredulously.

Noch shrugged. "At least I'm not the only one that lost." He grumbled and I heard a few of the other senior members grumble that they'll pay up when they get back, while Ara grumbled and gave Jasnine a small pouch that smelled strongly of rare herbs.

I gaped at them all. "You are all unbelievable!" I yelled at them.

They just laughed at me as we carried on. The group went silent as we reached the top of the hill though. From where I was standing I could faintly see firelight flickering off from their grim faces.

I moved around the tall, grown up people in front of me until I could see. If only I hadn't wished to see...

A small village was in the process of being burned to the ground. Hunters were clad in black as they swiftly made their way through the narrow walkways with weapons in hand. Some witches that were already killed were taken aside and piled onto a heap of bleeding corpses. Others that were captured alive, were already screaming on hastily built pyres.

My blood boiled in my veins and my breath hitched in my throat as I saw the Hunters work methodically. Every fiber of my being wanted to dive down there and kill for the witches that they were torturing, those alive, those freshly passed and those that will be left behind.

"Teams, split and conquer." Fog said lowly and then flew down the middle of the hill with his white hair flying out behind him like a cape. His face was stony and cold as he stormed on ahead with his dual wielding swords out and ready.

Without needing to think about it twice I flew down the hill as well, keeping close to Noch's group that was circling around the left of the village. I didn't notice Raska's group traveling to the opposite side of the village through the shadows, I didn't notice Ara's group sprinting around the right.

I only noticed the small piles of corpses on the ground, the witches that were trying to break away and run to safety, the witches that screamed whenever a hunter appeared in their sights, the witches writhing on the pyres with ropes tied around their waists that glowed purple with Witch Bane.

I imbued my legs with air and soared to my first battle.