Chương 74: Chapter Seventy: Too Early For This

A tiny hand pokes at my face and pulls at my cheek. Ugh. I roll over so I can rest on my side only to come face to face with three huge identical pair of eyes.

"…"

"…"

"…" What the hell? Blinking away the fog, I try to focus on one set of irises. My head swims and my sore eyes immediately start drying up. Oh god, it is way too early for this. With a raspy voice, I asked.

"Where's Eric?" How could he leave me with you three? I wouldn't be surprised if I suddenly gained an eyepatch or whiskers at my most vulnerable moment. Lord knows you have the heart to do it. Rubbing my poor eyes, I finally felt the wiper fluid do its job of soothing the burn.

"The bad lady kicked him out so he could sleep in a tent with the rest of us." He says it indignantly with the intention of someone avenging him. That very someone ignored the subtle hint. That's not very specific.

"Which one?" Off the top of my head I can count a dozen matching the description still at large.

"Me." I froze and looked over at the door. Where, lo and behold. My mother stood in similar black garments to that witch Hypatia. What joy so early in the morning beckons her to me? I sighed and roll over onto my back to face the peeling ceiling.

"You."

"Yes, me. Your mother. Show some respect." She snorts and begins lecturing about cordiality and…. I'm sorry I'm not listening well enough to memorize everything she says. It's mostly just filler with the gist consisting of. Obey me. Respect huh?

"I am deeply sorry, Second Mother, for my offense against you. As you can see, I am still not quite awake. Please forgive my insolence in your endless magnanimity." Picking off some grime from between my nails, I rubbed my hand on the mattress and rolled to face the wall. Within moments soft snores escaped the little bundle. The lump of coal rising and falling with every breath. The triplets watch with wide eyes as I back-talked myself into a light slumber. In my best spoiled brat impression.

Inspired by the one and only. Nothing but the finest silks and pearls from the obsidian sea touch her body. Even her handkerchiefs are made out of tribute fabric. To be born. Strange thing it is. My thoughts drifted from her to pancakes and then to the seething woman not even five feet away from me.

"That's it. Get up. We have early morning announcements and your initiation ritual to start with. We can't be late." She enters the room and shooes the triplets with her foot. They laugh and run out of the room. The door slams against the wall, and I jump up.

"Careful, goddamn it!" God knows there's enough wood around but I can't just conjure a door! She tsks."Such a nasty mouth."

"I know. It's such a shame with your upbringing and all that you turned out this way." I rolled my eyes at her and retorted.

"Someone drank a bottle of firepowder. Do you always wake up this grouchy?" Way too early for this. I turn over, and she ruthlessly rips the covers off me. You want to play? The blankets wrap around her head. She tugs at it, and I hop off the bed so I can get dressed. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Her muffled screams can barely be heard.

"Miseria! Stop! Stop this instant…!"

"What is it you said? Let it go right? Here I am. Shining like a diamond and letting it go!" I shrugged on an adventure set that Erichean got me. It's a little more girly than the previous one, but it's black with barely any decorations. Clearly he knew the dress code in advance. Just some white lace for the undershirt and the ends of the skirt are the only deviations. I turn to look in the mirror, and a red glare makes me step back. What the fuck!

"..." What was that? I turned to look at the open bay window. Is someone there? Niathe struggled with the magic blanket as I cautiously stepped closer to the window. The well is sealed shut, overgrown patches of grass sway softly, and trees cast shadows on the walls behind me. Nothing is overtly even a shade of red. But I saw that. Right? It was right there like a light or a flashlight. Just something red and it whizzed by me. Niathe rips the blanket in half, and I let go of it. It flops in her hands lifelessly.

One winner. One loser.

"..." Belatedly, I realized that was so much easier than before. I flexed my hands, and the tendrils receded. Maybe it's because of my class or the levels I received. Is it just me, or are the tendrils a little thinner? I hopped around and put on my boots from yesterday. I wish I could've taken my daily bath, but oh well. My hair's probably a bird's nest, but whatever. I'm only one. They can't seriously expect me to be perfect all the time.

"You are getting frighteningly good at that. Also, you got dressed by yourself!" She claps slowly for me, and I sneer at her.

"So did you! Congrats…"I mimic her valley girl tone and slow clap as well.

"..."

"Go outside."

"Ok. Are you sure you don't want to—""Go." No good morning breakfast tray, massage, basin of lukewarm water, or a fresh hot towel. The service here sucks. I will be writing a letter to the person in charge. Dear, Mrs. Hawthorne…. I strut out of the room and towards the front door. The triplets are waiting for me outside, along with…Oh. I skid to a stop as everything in me tightens up.

"Hello, Second Mother. Good morning, and may the gods bless you."

"..." She stares down at me with a deadpan face. Even the triplets aren't squirming or chattering like usual. Eyes either forward or down. Hands clasped behind their back resolutely. She's mad. Like, for real mad. I looked down feeling a touch of guilt and stand next to one of my brothers. Imitating their solemn repentant stance. She turns around without saying a word and heads towards the valley. Black hair flowing freely behind her with only a top knot to guide strays away from her impassive face.

We all follow silently while ruminating over every wrong thing we've ever done in our lives. It's a long list despite our short time here. The carved rock stairs are tough for me, so the triplets take turns helping me down. Once we're down the multiple hills that host the rock houses belonging to families, we reach flat grassland. A breeze carries the sweetness of flowers that bloom only in the dark and smoke tinged with whatever it's ashes are burning from. Now that we're closer, I can see a few of aren't dorms.

Some have plants hanging out of their open windows and books flying around inside. Behind us, just past the stairs, are caverns with lamps hanging precariously from rocks. The low light barely illuminates the inside, but it smells like something is cooking. Something medicinal rather than tasty. Fresh morning air sticks to everything, including my clothes. Several large cabins are spread out all over the valley, along with other elements that showcase human life.

To my left are a bunch of fields meant to be planted, and to my right are training grounds with wooden dummies waiting to be hit. Boulders are thrown around carelessly in the air, and from the small mouth of the valley, I can smell the sea. Several large cliffs overhead the sides of the valley, and you can vaguely make out some glowing animals crawling up the rocks.

"Keep up." Yuchen grabs my waist and holds me like a lapdog while he struggles to run after the sea of black. Niathe follows quietly behind us with no intention of helping me out. She's making us late. Mother's very mad. Should I give her my pelt? Ria smells nice. The sudden intrusion makes me freeze up and then release my balled up fists. Although he's not showing it. Yuchen's anxious too. Why wouldn't he be? New place. Already in trouble. Weird cult people streaming in from every which way.

Small legs go into overdrive to bring us to a particularly large cabin. Situated in the middle of most of the activity out here. He stomps up the stairs and drops me onto the ground. I jostled a little and bounced three times skidding to a stop with a mild case of rug rash. Seriously? He drags me by my hand, heaving me up from the ground, and we pass through the doorway. Inside, there are more than a hundred women clothed in black standing at attention to listen to a group of women sitting at a wooden table.

"We have two new initiates. Today, they will enter our ranks and begin the process of becoming a Hawthorne witch. Who will volunteer to be their supervising officer?" Supervising officer? What the hell? Initiates? That's me, right? Oh hells no. I didn't sign up for bootcamp. I turn around to make a run for it, and Niathe slowly closes the door behind her while making eye contact. You bitch. I'm going to smother you in your sleep. She smiles at me like she can read my mind.

"Anyone? Don't all jump at once. Remember, if you don't choose. I will." Silence settles over the hall, and I hold my breath. Maybe I can just opt out of all this. I open my mouth to object, and it's covered by Yuchen. He already knew what I was going to say, and he didn't even want to imagine the consequences. Traitor. Wimps.

"I volunteer." A young woman, a little older than Erichean but most likely younger than Niathe, steps out of line. Her features are covered by her hood, and the only thing I can determine her age with is her voice. Another woman steps out of line. She's significantly taller than the other volunteer and much taller than anyone else I'd ever seen. Her figure is quite heavyset, like a Hawaiian bodybuilder. Large, defined muscles stacked on top of one another are barely hidden by her garments.

"I volunteer." The woman standing at the head of the table nods and calls out.

"Bring the initiates." Yuchen shoves me forward and I stumble.

"Ow."