Veronica stormed through the dark forest, completely out raged.  Angry with herself, for needing help. She was a dark sorceress, and  didn't need help. She needed to be able to handle it when things got difficult. She was mortified that she needed help from the mindless twit and her new side kick. She just wanted to scream. The last thing she wanted was to  owe the stupid witch anything. Asking for help from her enemy made her cringe with disgust. Thinking about it fueled the rage within. 

It was making her blood boil .  It was an embarrassment to dark sorcery. Walking a little faster than she usually did, Veronica had already made it to the rock formation along the creek. She stopped to see if her gargoyle would be there tonight. She wished for him to be there, of all the nights she had her worst one tonight.

Veronica climbed on the rock formation and waited for him. She looked at the moon, lost in thought she stayed there over an hour and Ludwig didn't show up. Veronica contemplated staying, but in her soul she could feel he wasn't coming to meet with her. She felt hurt instead of angry; she deep down loved him more than anything. This was the first time he wasn't there for her. It almost never happened, and it truly made her feel crushed. It felt like someone was stomping on her heart. 

She couldn't stand how it made her feel, like a disappointment in her very essence. Waiting just a moment longer she still didn't think he would be there. She reluctantly climbed down from where she had been sitting, and sadly headed back to the castle. Walking at the speed of a slug, she held her head down. It had to be one of the worst nights of her young life. As she walked into the castle, feeling like a failed dark witch she opened her bedroom door and let out a sigh.

Slowly closing the door, she then flopped down on her enormous bed, fit for a queen. Before she could consider sleep she needed to write out her nightmare of a day in her spell book. She tried to put herself in an altered state, and she began to write out looking for her gargoyle's home in the caves, being unsuccessful at it. She then had been trapped by falling rocks and who had come to her rescue? That forest twit and her new follower. Of all the people in Galderia why did it have to be her? 

 It was not only infuriating but also an embarrassment to any witch. It was unbelievable that even Ludwig wasn't there; he could have patched up her crushed ego. Not even writing it out seemed to make her feel any better, she feared nothing would. Closing her book in frustration she growled at the empty room. She then replaced a protective chant on the book and slid it under her pillow. She was completely disappointed; she had accomplished nothing that she had planned for the night.

Crawling under her comforter she settled in for the late hour. She lay there on her side staring out of her crescent shaped window. Her thoughts were running through her mind like a jackal cheetah, fast enough for her head to spin. She sat up right a little faster than she meant to. She then forced her mind to go blank, after several attempts at it she was able to ease her mind, she thanked the underworld for that much.

 Once her mind was cleared, she and sleep were reunited once more. Veronica had hoped for a restful sleep, but it was not going to happen for her tonight. When she drifted off to a deep sleep, instant misery would befall her. As she began to dream, she saw not just the end of her castle, crumbling under her but the nightmare turned horrible. It showed her one true enemy being able to overpower her completely. She could see clear as possible, Gwen taking over. She could see the twit taking over with her superior magical abilities. Veronica saw herself being defeated in every way possible by Gwen and her little shadow. She woke shivering, in a cold sweat. Suddenly from out of nowhere she heard whispers.

"Don't let it come to pass, sorceress."

Veronica panicked; clutching the blankets she scanned the bedroom and found nothing there. She had felt a cold chill, but that was all. Even for a dark witch it was a little more than disturbing, she thought. It had done more than spooked her; she played there for over an hour before finally being able to sleep again. From pure exhaustion she slept well into the afternoon. Once she was coherent and completely awake, Veronica remembered the horrific nightmare. Almost without thinking about it, she unlocked the enchantment on her spell book and furiously found the section of dreams and nightmares and began to scribble down what she remembered at an insanely record speed. Then putting it back, she started to plan what to do this afternoon. A moment's thought later, she knew what needed to be done. She put on her dark purple and black dress, hiking boots and packed a book bag to take with her.

She headed west, with a desperate need of information about the witch of balance and the prophecy. Hiking as fast as she could go, the dark sorceress went to the one witch that could be of any help, her mentor. It was a long and winding rocky path to get to the hidden fortress, but she had gotten used to the rough hike up and down hill. It really didn't feel like much of a hike anymore she'd done it so often. She also loved trying to see if there were any dark creatures in the forest.

On occasion she had run into a few bats, trolls and goblins. She enjoyed meeting other dark creatures. The only ones she refused to associate with were the dark fairies and pixies. They were more often than not more trouble than anything else. On the way she looked but didn't spot more than a few evening bugs and a few crows. She knew it wasn't much further once she began climbing the steep rocks leading to Triadia's fortress. It didn't appear to take long to reach it this time. She made it to the huge door of the fortress and knocked three times, loud and hard. Moments later the huge door swung open, Rue ford was standing there with a grin upon his thinning face.

"My dear sweet Veronica how wonderful it is to see you again, do come in."

"Thank you it is good to see you as well. Is the mistress in?"

"Yes, she's in her dungeon laboratory, as always." He informed the young one.

"Good I really need to talk to her."

"I shall lead the way, follow me please."

Veronica did as he asked, following Rueford to the winding cobblestone stair case leading to the dark candle lit dungeon. She thanked him for his kindness.

"Young one, is it a lesson today?" Triadia asked the young sorceress.

"Oh nothing likes that, I just had a few things that I wanted to ask you about, that's all." Veronica explained to her instructor.

"Ask away, dear."

"I wanted to know about the prophecy and the witch of balance." Veronica asked hoping for a straight answer.

"Why do you ask about that?"

"I think I may have met her last night in the forest."

"Are you completely sure?" Triadia asked trying not to show the alarm in her voice.

"I could feel it, see it and for a moment I feared that she knew about the prophecy but when I mentioned it she had a blank look on her face." Veronica informed her instructor.

Triadia began to pace the dungeon, thinking of what to do next. Instantly she went over to the wall, removing a brick, she revealed a book hidden by the bricks. Then dusting off the cover she opened the book and studied it.

"What's that one about?" Veronica asked with intent curiosity.

"The book of Galderia's prophecy."

"What is it?"

"It has every known prophecy ever told in this area." Triadia informed her young student.

"Are you kidding me?" Veronica asked with a passionate interest.

"I don't joke about these things." Her instructor spoke in a serious tone.

"I'm sorry, of course not mistress."

"It's quite alright young one. Yes it holds all prophecies, including the one involving the witch of balance."

"What does it say about her?" Veronica asked in an eager tone, as if her life depended on it.

"It states the witch of balance kin to the light and the dark, the only one who can take the spark."

"What in the seven levels does that mean?"

Triadia began a long hearty witch's cackle before she tried to explain it to the young sorceress. Once her breathing was more regular again she looked at the girl with soft eyes and explained it the best she could.

"It means that as long as we follow in harmony she will help the light and dark witches, yet if we throw the balance out of whack, she can take our magic, and the magic of the light sorceress."

"There is no way she's a total wimp."

"What have I told you about underestimating your enemies?" She shot Veronica a stern look after she spoke.

"It is like underestimating the dark gods or even yourself, never to do that."

"That's correct my dear, very good. The witch may not know how to defeat you at this moment, but eventually she will be powerful enough. You need to get close to her, bond with her."

"Why would I do that?"

"I have told you to do so. If you befriend her then you'd know what she is capable of."

"That is a divine plan, I'm impressed." Veronica said, bowing to her teacher.

"I'm glad on occasion I can still impress you." Triadia spoke as sarcastic as possible.

Veronica laughed and the two of them read over some of the great prophecies of the land. After a nice long visit with Triadia, the young dark witch started to feel better. There was a plan for her to put into place. She knew things would be okay, with the help of her teacher. When it was time for her to go she really didn't want to. Veronica loved her lavish home; however she felt more at home with Triadia and her butler, Rue ford than she did in the huge castle.

She hugged her instructor and headed into the forest as the sun began to set for the night. It was a breathtaking sight watching its orange and purple fade into the horizon until there was nothing but the light of the moon. The darkness of the nocturnal hours called to her, she could feel the pull of the night. After leaving the fortress, climbing over the rocky terrain, she headed to the place by the creek. She hoped for her gargoyle to arrive this time. He almost always showed up to meet with her. 

Veronica climbed on top of the rock formation near the creek, and under the bright moonlight waited for Ludwig to show up there. Veronica sat there for hours waiting and hoping that her trusted kindred spirit would come to her aid. She needed to see him, fearing the worst maybe he was hurt or worse? The last time she went looking for him she had been trapped under falling rocks, rescued by Gwen and her halfwit.

 Her ego still had not recovered from it. Veronica knew better than to wander the forest and hope that she will stumble into the gargoyle. She was smarter than this. If she couldn't find him physically, she thought just a second. I could find him with my magic. It wasn't proper for her to use her talents to spy on her friend, but she didn't really care she was worried for his safety.

Veronica waited for a little longer, yet again Ludwig never came to meet with her. Fearing the worst, she had to consult her book of spells. She had given up on seeing the gargoyle in the forest tonight. She climbed down from the rock formation, walking back to the castle, hoping to find answers there. Going as quickly as she could she bolted through the forest, from this point past the creek she could have done this trail in her sleep.

 It was not long before she had made it back to the castle grounds. Good she thought, making good time. She ran until reaching one of the castles secret entrances. Creeping through the main entryway to the castle, she made it up the stairs without alerting any of the servants. She hated having them question her, as to why she's out of bed. If anything is the matter. Being an overly independent adolescence of the dark royal bloodline, she did not answer to anyone, witch suited her just fine.

Once she crept up the stairs, she locked herself in the sanctuary of her bedroom chamber. Her first priority, a little inner quiet before her book of spells. She needed a little help locating the gargoyle. When she felt ready, the dark sorceress summoned her book of spells. In mere seconds, the book appeared before her, landing in her lap. Sifting through it slowly, as not to miss anything, she found more spells added that she didn't write. Who was doing that in her book of spells, was the bigger question. Veronica pondered what could be done to find out? She needed to find a locator spell to make sure Ludwig was safe. She didn't want to spy on him, just make sure he wasn't hurt or lost. Veronica cared for him more than she wanted to admit.

Scanning the contents of her spell book just like the last few times, she found the spell she was looking for, but it wasn't in her handwriting either. It was strange, whenever she truly needed a spell it would just be there. Finding the correct spell, she read over it three times to make sure it was done as close to perfection as possible. Veronica carefully gathered the spell ingredients and got to work right away. Veronica re-read the incantation once more just to make sure she got the locator spell right. Achieving a moment of inner peace, she then took a deep breath before reciting the words.

"What is lost now be found, be it above or underground."

Veronica Waited with as much patience as she could produce from within.

As she waited, seeing that nothing happened Veronica the dark sorceress cried her to sleep that night.

That night she dreamed of the nothingness of life. As she slept in a deep sleep, she hoped for help finding her friend. Just as before when she had risen out of a dead to the realms sleep, the whispering began again. Half awake, she heard the whispers from out of nowhere.

"Call to the raven, he can help you." Spoke the voice, as it faded away back to wherever it had originated.

Shaking her head, the voice had confused her, but she had a strange feeling that she should listen to the whispers, this time. Without thinking about it, she instantly summoned her book of spells. She flipped to the back of the book and scribbled down the spell from last night and the whispers from an unknown source. It was out there, even for Veronica's talents.

8AaoaAruD~7