[hider=Cast][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/50eMiVQ.jpg?1[/img] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/316071861521874946/377989214773706772/coollogo_com-278371558.png[/img][/center][/hider] [center][i][h3]The Witch-Mother’s Charge[/h3][/i][/center] [center][i][h1]Compass Round[/h1][sub]Part 1[/sub][/i][/center] [center][b]Location: Heartford Residence – Suffolk County, Boston, Massachusetts Time: Early Evening, Day After Satellite Attacks[/b][/center] [hr] Heartford Manor firmly behind them, obscured by dense forest that swallowed all light, Odette and Marie, along with their invisible companions, moved swiftly along the cobblestone path leading deeper into the thick grove. The tiniest and briefest strands of light appeared in the corner of their eyes, dancing among the windswept branches before fading to black. A chill fell over them, the night’s cold fingers grasping at their exposed skin. Marie pulled her satin robe over her legs, fumbling with the hem. She kept her formulary close by, tucked securely under her right arm, leaving only one hand free. Once she and Odette had settled in at their next destination, she would pour all attention into the book. For now, however, her mind was occupied with thoughts of her parents, a mixture of anger, despair, and well wishes. Truly, she wished them no harm, but their secrecy, their meddlesome nature kept Marie from forgiving them outright. It was unjust, keeping her in the dark all these years, allowing her destiny to fall at the wayside, drawing her further and further away from the truth. But there was nothing for it. She turned her mind to other, more pressing concerns. Odette. Glancing to her right, Marie kept the faery sorceress in her periphery, slowing her stride so that the two remained at equal pace. Until now, Marie took Odette’s involvement in all of this as an act of chance. But coincidence was slowly unravelling. Other forces were at work here, and Odette was somehow involved. Prior to Smithy’s, they’d only met once. How, then, did she become so instrumental to Gwyneth’s plan? Such intense consideration prompted immediate action. [color=ffe4b5]”Why are you here?”[/color] Marie asked rather abruptly, taking a moment to consider how the question might be taken and qualifying it with, [color=ffe4b5]”I mean, here in general. We only met once before the incident in Las Vegas. How did you get swept up in this?”[/color] Odette walked on, leaving a few moments of silence between them. Clasping her hands behind her back. “[color=thistle]I was beginning to wonder when you would ask.[/color]” Marie had been distracted by Odette’s dramatic shows of force, her parent’s secrets and Gwyneth’s visions. Now they had a moment of quiet thought,  naturally things would turn to the whys and hows. The nitty gritty. Odette thought of lying, pushing the subject aside causing more distractions. What would the point of that be? Neither Gwyneth nor Marie knew the exact reason why. Frankly, Odette didn’t want to admit it was fear that drove her into pursuing the White Witch. Fear of being burned. Even now with the prophecy’s revision, the more she denied it the more tangible it became. Unintentionally planting a seed of paranoia. “[color=thistle]Puck is the reason I am here.[/color]” She said,  she stopped her heel scraping at the unintended weight. “[color=thistle]He- He prophesied my downfall… and I thought it would be by your hand.[/color] Odette’s icy eyes gazed at Marie, feeling exposed. In contrast, Marie’s eyes were wide, almost worried. Of course Puck was involved, she should have guessed, but she couldn’t have imagined the impetus for Odette’s involvement was something so dire. [color=ffe4b5]”I see,”[/color] Marie spoke softly, turning briefly to Holt, who walked alongside her in his newly acquired equine form. His expressions, the subtle shifts in movement, the ways in which is “emotions” manifested, Marie had become more adept at reading these signs. Holt didn’t seem nearly as surprised as she’d assumed, almost as if he were expecting that response, or at least knew of Puck’s interference. She turned back to Odette. [color=ffe4b5]”So you looked into me, The White Witch, tried to find a way to circumvent Puck’s prophesy and unwittingly came across Gwyneth, right?”[/color] her tone held a hint of admiration. Marie searched for information on Gwyneth for three months before turning up credible leads, but by the sounds of it, Odette was able to connect the dots much faster. Granted, her connections to the various denizens of Faerie likely sped up the process, but it was a smart use of resources nonetheless. “[color=thistle]Correct. That is how things began and when I negotiated with Gwyneth I thought I had beaten the puzzle. Puck wrote the contract, he took the opportunity to revise his ridiculous prophecy. I am now at square once again.[/color]” She said with no small amount of venom. “[color=thistle]Obligated to see this through but the original intent gone.[/color]” Her mood stormed over at that, Bach noticed the shift. He said nothing only observed. “[color=thistle]This arrangement is not without gain but I am no closer to putting the prophecy behind me.[/color]” She spread her hands open, “[color=thistle]And I [i]hate[/i] it.[/color]”Slowly clenching her fists. Possibly showing Marie far too much emotion, Odette’s unbidden fear coming out to rear its head. [color=ffe4b5]”I don’t mean to pry,”[/color] Marie replied, taking note of Odette’s troubled expression and mannerisms. [color=ffe4b5]”but I’m no stranger to Puck’s cryptic warnings. I’ve watched a few of his prophecies play out, and I’ve issued a few myself in his stead. If neither you or Bach have come to any conclusions, maybe Holt and I can shed some light?”[/color] [color=90ee90][i]Be careful,[/i][/color] Holt mentally warned. [color=90ee90][i]She may be of use to us now, but her motives remain a mystery. We cannot run the risk of endangering ourselves later by providing more aid than is required.[/i][/color] [color=ffe4b5][i]Nor can we risk losing a powerful ally to a preventable downfall. If we establish a level of honesty and trust now, it could save us the hassle in the future.[/i][/color] Marie responded, not turning away from Odette, maintaining the illusion that nothing else had transpired. “[color=thistle]You are prying.[/color]” Odette said, Bach leaned over her ear stopping her snap. [i]“[color=darkseagreen]Don’t write her off, a clue is better than what we had before.[/color]”[/i] He spoke in french, hurriedly. Pausing in thought, “[color=thistle]I suppose any insight is better than none.[/color]” She sighed, bringing up her phone. She searched through the files pulling up the audio recording. “[color=thistle]I’ve grown entirely weary of foresight.[/color]” She played the clip. [color=CD5C5C][b]”Sight . . . such woeful irony. The witch’s gift is yours to claim, a boon greater than you know, and yet one that will fail you time and again. Burned by witch’s fire, you stand ready in the garden to accept your paradise, not risen, but changed, changed as the cunning fire changes all. But even though the apple falls in your lap and the giantess gives her blessing, a serpent sneaks into your Eden and wraps itself round the Tree of Life. But this serpent does not tempt, no . .  he hungers. When the veil was formed by the Spirit of Old, when the stars fell and soaked the Earth in their blood, he was among them, thirsting for new life. He whispers to you in sorrowful sleep, invites you into his bed. He does not turn you from salvation, that is not his aim. Indeed, ‘tis not holy waters which will save you from his torment, but cunning fire, the spark of a world long forgotten. Be swift, young Eve. Be not consumed by his lust, but ravaged by a flame that was. And the question is not whether you will be burned, but whether you will rise from the ashes . . . or will he?”[/b][/color] When Puck was finished speaking, she turned off the recording. “[color=thistle]The reference to biblical creation myths is a tad cliche.[/color]” She said, forcing a light bit of commentary in spite of how dreadful hearing it again made her feel. Marie shuddered slightly after hearing Puck’s voice, his ominously charming tone made much more eerie via digital audio. She scanned her mind for any and all relevant information, bidding Holt to do the same. Odette might have thought the biblical allegory cliche, but Marie knew there was implicit reason for the makeup of the prophecy. In fact, despite a lack of context, this was one of the more coherent prophecies Marie had heard. [color=ffe4b5]”Well you already know that he’s referencing Gwyneth’s gift of Sight in the beginning, telling you how it will fail you, won’t let you see what’s coming,”[/color] Marie explained, unraveling more pieces in her mind before speaking aloud. [color=ffe4b5]”He expands on that by telling you that you’ve been changed by the cunning flame, the witch fire that burns within Gwyneth has touched you and offered you a gift. Gwyneth is the giantess I would imagine, but why . . .”[/color] [color=90ee90][i]”The Nephilim,”[/i][/color] Holt spoke up, stopping a few paces in front of them. [color=90ee90][i]”they were regarded as giants.”[/i][/color] Marie tapped her head. [color=ffe4b5]”Of course, and the Nephilim are said to have carried the witch fire before man. They’re the ancestors of most magical traditions, witchcraft included. The ‘stars that fell’ is likely in reference to the Angels led by Azazel, who gifted mortal men and women esoteric knowledge. You’ve heard stories about the Fey that call them fallen angels, right? Those who landed on the Earth remained and became the very oldest among the Fair Folk?”[/color] Odette nodded, “[color=thistle]Of course I know.[/color]” The added information was curiously tied neatly into it. She chewed at the inside of her cheek. Her brow furrowed, frustration bubbling up,  “[color=thistle]How does it all tie together? The prophecy paints me as Eve and the Serpent is someone close. It is [i]impossible[/i] for anyone in my inner circles to betray me on the level that it is suggesting.[/color]” She explained, doubtful. “[color=thistle]It is impossible because I have safeguards against it. If that isn’t what the prophecy is suggesting then where do I go hunting my enemies?[/color]” She demanded. “[color=thistle]Start seeing danger in every shadow?[/color]” Back was beside her, nodding along. Having helped her create those very same safeguards. “[color=thistle]These prophecies are built to drive me to insanity.[/color]” She said, anger building. Bach squeezed her shoulder. Odette squeezed the bridge of her nose, calming down. [color=90ee90][i]”If I may,”[/i][/color] Holt spoke before Marie could respond. She conceded to him. [color=90ee90][i]”It is entirely likely that whomever means you harm is not unknown to you. Waste no time in search for a foreign enemy where none exist. Indeed, you see them now as a friend. Whomever leads you astray ‘invites you into his bed.’ You gain something from one another. Perhaps he is not an enemy at all, and perhaps his betrayal is not an act you would consider treasonous, at least not now. Do what you will with this word of caution, but I would advise that you examine [b]all[/b] outstanding pacts, contracts, and affiliations carefully, especially those with the Good People. Perhaps you will discover a trade more onesided than originally believed.”[/i][/color] Marie nodded. [color=ffe4b5]”Couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you, Holt.”[/color] She looked back at Odette. “[color=thistle]Thank you for the insight, Marie - Holt. It was something.[/color]” [color=ffe4b5]”Glad we could help.”[/color] Bach nodded to Odette, “[color=darkseagreen]It would be prudent to renegotiate past agreements, especially the older ones where we could stand to gain more now.[/color]” He suggested. “[color=darkseagreen]There is hope.[/color]” She squeezed his  hand then dropped it. The professional veneer quickly came back up, she squashed everything else away. “[color=thistle]Good advice. With that said, we need to move onto Salem. My prophetical problems are not our focus.[/color]” She stepped away off the path, raising her arms up beginning her incantation for creating the portal. As always reciting it in her native tongue. “[color=thistle][i]Grand et beau flot d'âmes, fais-moi voyager, dis-moi la sécurité, offre-moi tes plus beaux cadeaux. Volontiers, ne viendrez-vous pas à moi? Ouvrez-vous, ouvrez-vous à la volonté de l'Ambassadeur du Folk. Proche seulement de ma volonté en tant qu'Ambassadeur du Folk.[/i][/color]” It was like a prayer, repeating the words until the portal formed. It took a few minutes longer than it did typically, emotional turbulence sometimes affected her concentration. When the portal was complete, the golden doorknob shiny even in the muted light. “[color=thistle]Salem awaits.[/color]”