Avalonna, Domain of the 13th Council

The walk to the 13th Council was confusing to say the least. The landscape behind them seemed to blend in and repeat and it was impossible to tell how long they had been walking. By the time someone decided to break the silence, Avalonna could not tell if it had been minutes or hours.

"I apologize for the feelings of confusion, nausea, or amnesia you must be experiencing." The dark haired witch spoke after a moment.
"My name is Diamandra, I am the youngest of the Council and stand guard often. The home of the Council is protected by many advanced wards and spells to guard against intrusion. If you were not with me you could be lost for days."

"Ah yes, we are quite fortuitous that we came across you." Drow muttered as he placed his hand on his formerly wounded leg.

The witch smiled calmly and continued walking for a few more moments.
"I am sorry, shape shifter, but I needed to test you two. Well, more specifically the young witch." She replied and looked over at Avalonna.

"You had to prove that as a witch, you know not only how to protect yourself but also know when to show restraint. A fully powered witch could defeat a child with a blink of an eye. The test was to see if you knew not to slay a misguided child." She said and gave Avalonna an approving nod.

Avalonna gave her a halfhearted smile in return but quickly returned her gaze to the snow. Her mind began racing through what had just happened to her and she felt a pit of pain within her. Yes, she had held back and decided to spare the child. However, something inside her told her it was only because Avalonna was not at full strength, her recent use of magic had exhausted her. She was unsure if she had been at full strength that the outcome would have been the same. Especially once Drow got injured, Avalonna may have used her magic to fight back.

Avalonna sighed to herself and kept following along behind the other witch. Drow seemed to notice her discomfort and smiled at her as he embraced her softly. Avalonna smiled slightly and felt better, she missed her times with Drow from before she knew she was a witch.

Avalonna began to become lost in her thoughts about her recent years. She smiled fondly to herself and came to an abrupt halt when the other witch suddenly stopped.

"This is it." The witch commented. There was nothing in front of them, however, just more snow and nothingness.

"What is it exactly?" Drow asked. He still seemed somewhat upset with the witch for stabbing his leg for apparently no reason.

"The home of the Council." Diamandra replied with a smirk.
"Quod sit revelare abscondita!" The witch spoke in an otherworldly voice and her eyes glowed a bright green.

Avalonna could feel the energy around them and wind began to twist around their trio. Where there was once nothing but snow, a grand stone house now stood place. It was well designed and about 2 or 3 stories high with a pointed rooftop. The stone material gave it a cold and unapproachable appearance, though it seemed sturdy and secure.

"The Circle lives here?" Avalonna asked as Diamandra gestured for them to follow.

"In a way," she replied and traced symbols on the large door.
"The Council members do have their own lives to live, and only stay here when meetings are in session or in times of danger...or if they have nowhere to go." She added, whispering the last part barely loud enough to hear over the winds.

She knocked on the door three times and it slowly creaked open. As large as the house appeared on the outside, it was even bigger on the inside. The furniture was neatly arranged and floating lanterns illuminated the rooms. There was a grand bookcase at the far end of the main room and stairs leading to both higher and lower levels. It was quite large and fully furnished inside, but something about it kept the place from feeling like a home.

"Diamandra, what have you brought us?" A female voice said from across the room. The doors closed behind the trio as they walked in. The woman who spoke was very tall and regal appearing with long white hair down to her knees. She wore a gown that changed colors the more Avalonna stared into it. The woman came over and stood near Diamandra.

Diamandra looked out of place compared to the other woman. She was shorter and wore simple brown clothing that matched her her and eyes, nothing compared to the regality of the other woman.

"Nera, I have brought a witch and a shape changer into the house since they both passed my tests." Diamandra replied flatly. She clearly did not liked to be looked down upon by Nera.

Nera nodded and seemed to float towards Avalonna and Drow. Her face wore a calm, joyful expression, but her eyes hid years, maybe decades, of knowledge and secrets.

"Greetings, I am Nera Vangold, Primordial Witch of the 13th Council." She said with a slight bow.

Avalonna did not know how to respond, and followed Drow's actions as he bowed in return.
"Primordial? Were you the first witch on the Council?" Avalonna asked.

Nera slowly rose back to her full height and examined Avalonna closely, ignoring her question.
"What was your name again, my dear?" She asked in an almost too pleasant tone.

"I am Avalonna Bishop, this is Drow." She replied with a small smile. She always took some pleasure from the fact that Drow revealed only to her his full name.

The smile on Nera's face faded slightly and her eyes went to Avalonna's necklace and ring.

"Bishop... May I ask, where did you get your fine jewelry?" She questioned.

"They belonged to my mother, Meredith Bishop."

At the sound of her mother's name, the floating lights flickered and Nera and Diamandra both seemed to hesitate.

"You are Meredith's child?" Nera asked after a moment.
"She was a member of this Council, but I was under the impression she had two children. Do you not have a brother?"

"I do," Avalonna responded with a nod,
"We were separated recently, but he too is on his way here. We both have decided to come here to receive training in our magical abilities. We hope that with experience, your aid, and luck, we may be able to overthrow the Red King and Queen." She stated firmly.

Nera and Diamandra looked at each other for several moments, not saying a single word. Avalonna began to wonder if she had misspoken, or perhaps her hopes were misguided.

"What you describe is nearly impossible, Avalonna." Nera replied. Diamandra nodded slowly and Avalonna began to frown.
"However, this Council and all who use magic have been doing the impossible for centuries." She added with a smile.

Avalonna grinned slightly and even Drow seemed to brighten up.

"We once had a Council member who specialized in future seeing." Nera started,
"She is no longer with us, but before she left she cited a prophecy."

"A queen's spiteful night
A king's stolen power
Will end in the rightful fight
During the witch's hour." Diamandra commented, reciting the prophecy as if in a trance.

"Though great turmoil it may bring,
a bishop shall topple a King." She added and appeared to return to her normal state.

"Diamandra is our current Oracle, if you will," Nera stated,
"She believes the Red King and Queen are the royalty mentioned in the passage. If this is true, the bishop mentioned at the end..."

"Must refer to you!" Diamandra interrupted with a smile, which earned her a glare from Nera.

Avalonna felt uneasy as she took all this in. She had thought all of this was her and her brother's plan, not an unknown prophecy. As fortune would have it, she did not have to ponder her thoughts for long.

At that moment, several loud roars could be heard all around the Council's building. They were deep and echoed as they shook the stone walls.

Diamandra closed her eyes for just a moment and they flashed light red. She grabbed Nera's arm with a look of panic.

"Dragons..."