Zara Zarell, the most powerful sorceress anyone had seen in and around the kingdom of Miridian, was dead.

Tears slid down Kayli’s face as her eyes drifted towards the cart dragged by the horstrich. Her dark brown hands clenched. Grandmother had died peacefully in her bed just a month prior.

The horstrich was harnessed to the cart, leading the vehicle to the burial place. Rodrick and Gaveen, her cousins, trudged beside it. It was to make certain the cart didn’t lean to any side. Otherwise, Rodrick and Gaveen would be walking with the rest of the family.

Walking behind the deceased was their family tradition of showing respect. This was the deceased’s moment.

Kayli closed her eyes, reaching out blindly for her younger brother’s hand. His hand clasped hers. It didn’t give her the comfort she sought. But it was good to not feel alone in grief.

“Kayli?” She looked down at Jae Soon.

He was only ten.

In his first five years, he had already experienced the death of his grandfather, mother, and great-uncle.

Now he was experiencing the death of his grandmother.

The skin around his eyes were puffy and red. It would be a while before his skin returned to its natural dark, earthy brown. His hair, as dark as his skin, had been combed and pulled back into a hair tail. But now it was all over the place.

Kayli made a gesture for Jae to hold still. She took off the loose hair tie and her fingers curled around the wild strands. “Your hair decides it has a mind of its own.”

“Apologies,” he murmured.

“No need. There you are.”

She had manipulated her brother’s curls to spring up around his face. Having thick, wiry curls herself, she knew the trouble of having to keep them in place. She then pulled her own hair ties and ebony ribbons free, letting her curtain of hair fall from the bun. She ruffled her hair to match her brother’s.

The rest of the family didn’t even hesitate. Off went the ties and ribbons. Straight black hair. Smooth brown curls. Dark, wiry curls. The hair flowed free.

“Do you believe Aunt will forgive us?” Vivi, their cousin asked. Her smile was shaking from trembling lips.

“Mother would be the first one to do it,” answered Uncle Caliban. Stoic, posture stiff.

“That she would,” Zarek, Kayli’s and Jae’s father agreed. His soot colored eyes were focused on the ground. A small smile graced his lips.

He thought back to the times his mother had complained about having to tie her dreadlocks up. Afterwards, she had complained about her hair getting in the way of her face.

The cart pulled several feet ahead but it stopped. Gaveen noticed the family wasn’t following. With a collective shuddering breath, the family moved forward.

It was a slow march to the burial place.

Kayli could feel the emptiness of the Tower behind her.

Laughter, knowledge, and magic were its heart. Stealing pastries Avalon freshly cooked, only to be scolded later. Explosions, non-fatal, in Grandfather’s laboratory. Jumping out of windows when the adults weren’t looking. Listening to Father as he read in the library. And most of all, family races through the hallways with Grandmother already at the end. But now, the Tower stood as a sentinel, grim and forbidding.

The Tower was the Zarell’s homestead. It was a wide stone and wood mansion with a single tower. The burial place was a hill to its north, just within the Zarell’s territory.

The hill was the perfect place for a burial because it had a perfect view of the land. To the north and west, there was a gray and green forest. To the south, beyond the Tower, was more forest and a river.

To the east was vast grassland with even more forest. The grass was tall, taller than Kayli’s head. The blades were red-orange. From the viewpoint of the hill, the grassland was a field of fire whenever the wind blew through.

Beyond the grassland and the forest, there were mountains. Glorious mountains. When the sun’s rays hit the monuments at the right moment, the stones shone with color. Purple in the early morning, green in the afternoon, and rainbow in the evening. Nestled around those mountains was the kingdom of Miridian.

The cart tilted to the right as it progressed up the hill. Rodrick and Gaveen quickly caught it. The horstrich, a tall bird with a silvery mane, long yellow feathers, and a back wide enough for a human to ride it, became startled by the cart’s shifting. Both Gaveen and Rodrick made clicking sounds with their tongues to calm the animal.

“Uwoo,” Rodrick said after the animal relaxed. It was an instruction for the horstrich to keep going.

The animal obeyed. In a few moments more, the cart was at the top of the hill. Kayli’s eyes, the same shade as her father’s, took note of the tools already there on the hill’s peak. Gaveen had gathered shovels, a stake, and a hammer earlier.

Her head turned to five grave markers. She quickly directed her attention back to the funeral. Everyone made a semicircle.

The Zarell family consisted mostly of spell castors. Kayli was a sorceress. Her father and her twin, Taiyung, were sorcerers. Caliban and his daughter, Avalon, were mages. Cassandra and Vivi, whose birth name was Ming, were enchantresses while Rodrick was an enchanter.

The only ones who were unable to cast spells were Gaveen and Jae Soon. Talipheron, Avalon’s and Gaveen’s two year old daughter, was guaranteed to be a mage like her mother and grandfather but she was still too young for magical instruction.

Everyone but Jae, Tally, and Gaveen outstretched their hands. The hands glowed, each individual having a unique color. Kayli’s color was sapphire.

The shovels made a shink sound through the air before their handles landed in the castors’ hands. Zarek, Taiyung, and Avalon had two shovels. Zarek gave one to Jae while Tai gave one to Gaveen. Avalon gave a shovel, a small one, to Tally.

Once the shovels were distributed, the Zarell’s began to dig. It was also tradition for them to dig a grave together. Each participant was indicating their commitment to the deceased.

The place for the burial was beside Elric’s grave, Zara’s partner and father of her children. He had been a genius of wizardry. A man with laughter in his heart. And a devoted teacher. Zara had to live without him for ten years.

A shame Grandmother and Grandfather couldn’t marry, Kayli thought, her body angling towards the graves.

She recalled the story of how her grandparents met.

Elric had been tied up and thrown out into the wild, outside of Miridian. The kingdom had two protective barriers - a hundred foot wall made from the nearby mountains and a magical shield which covered the entire kingdom. For those living in the kingdom, to be outside both of these features was considered death.

Zara had happened to find him. She was already living in the wild. Her home was the ruins where the Tower now stood.

The sorceress’ and wizard’s meeting was the beginning of events which would lead to their banishment from Miridian. Because of this, Zara and Elric weren’t able to legally marry through the blessing of a Miridian priest.

Elric had often spoken about the significance of marriage. It provided legitimacy to descendants and gave them access to their inheritance. He knew this personally since he was born illegitimate. Without a valid marriage, the contest of ownership was possible.

Any claims made by Miridian are laughable, Kayli brooded. The land was far outside of the kingdom’s territory. Most citizens were too frightened to even think of stepping outside of the border. However, according to Rodrick and Vivi, the Tower’s location was exactly why the Miridians wanted it.

Zara’s death was expected. Seventy-eight years. It was a blessing. Not many could say the same.

The Zarell’s believed in souls. It was the only way to explain how someone breathing one moment could become so still when they died. Gaveen likened the body as a shell. Death cracked the shell open.

The Miridians had been waiting for the day when Zara’s shell would crack. What had kept them at bay for so long was Zara’s power. The Zarell’s residence was the only successful colony outside of Miridian. As Rodrick had explained, the Miridians were hoping to expand. They couldn’t because the magic in the world was wild. It was only good fortune which allowed the founding of the kingdom.

Kayli couldn’t remember the exact number but it had taken several hundred years to build and stabilize Miridian. Within the last one hundred, Miridian was seeing a boom in prosperity. As the prosperity grew, so did the desire for more land.

And with Zara gone…

Kayli’s mouth quivered. Her shoulders stiff, raised high. She fought the urge to clutch her stomach. Why was life complicated? she thought. It wasn’t enough she had lost her great uncle, her grandfather, and her mother? Now her grandmother had also passed on. Was this not enough to deal with?

Elric, Zara, and Ji Len had built the Tower. By themselves. Over the years, the founders and their descendants had added to the residence, making it sustainable. We did this, Kayli thought in resentment. And the Miridians wanted to take from them. Kayli’s cheeks became hot. Her eyes flashed a dark blue.

“Dirt,” said Talipheron. Kayli was startled out of her anger. She stopped digging for a moment.

Little Tally was digging as close to the grave as her parents would allow. She was too young to be part of the main digging. Kayli noticed the baby dragon-Faeborn had accidentally flung dirt on herself.

Before Jae, who was beside her, could act, Avalon pulled out a kerchief from her sleeve. She was always vigilant when it came to her daughter. While holding the shovel in her other hand, she wiped the dirt off in expert fashion. No more dirt in Tally’s hair or clothes.

The child blinked and smiled in her mother’s face. “Dirty, Mama.”

“I can see that,” Avalon said with humor. She patted Tally’s smooth curls with the other side of the kerchief, aware her hands were dirty. Gaveen’s mouth quirked at the scene. The rest of the family were also wearing signs of amusement.

“Apologies, cousin,” Jae said. It had been his task to keep watch over his younger cousin.

“No need, Jae. Avalon is very efficient,” Rodrick jested. This resulted in teasing and laughing as they continued to dig.

Kayli listened at her family’s dialogue. This, she thought, this is what it is about.

Here they were, the entire family, digging a grave together. Her father, Zarek. Her brothers, Taiyung and Jae Soon. Her aunt and uncle, Cassandra and Caliban. Her cousins, Avalon, Gaveen, Tally, Vivi, and Rodrick. They were all together, digging. Perhaps, she thought, this is what I need to concentrate on for now. This was Grandmother’s moment. The future of their home and Miridian could wait.

Grandmother won’t be alone at least.

Kayli, once again, stared at the other graves. The markers were perfectly rectangular orange sticks with the names of the buried carved into them. Next to Grandfather’s grave was Great Uncle Ji and Great Aunt Xin Hue, Rodrick’s and Vivi’s parents.

Kayli and Tai were born after Xin Hue’s passing. Zarek had been away from the Tower for two years. He came back with the twins, their mother, and Gaveen when Kayli and her brother were a year old.

Speaking of Mother… Kayli’s gaze took in Nemony’s grave. It was a little way from the others, to give space for Zarek’s burial when he passed on. Her mother had passed away when Kayli was fourteen. Animal attack. Kayli shook herself. There was no need to remember that terrible day.

The last grave was behind Elric’s and Zara’s. Their firstborn. Eza. He had been seven years when he died. Drowning. A terrible way for anyone, especially a child, to die. He is reunited with Grandfather, Kayli hoped. Grandmother should be joining them both. She wasn’t certain whether there was an afterlife but it gave her a peace of mind to believe there was one.

The digging was done.

The spell castors stood. Jae, Gaveen, and Tally, who was picked up by her father, stood with them. Together, the spell castors outstretched their hands. The magic flowed from their fingertips until it reached Zara’s body.

The magic then spiraled and twisted, swirling around their deceased matriarch. Emerald, jade, sky blue, azure, sapphire, silver, gold, and brown zircon. The colors sparkled as the body was lifted gently from the cart.

Zara’s body was wrapped in death silk, one of Grandfather’s creations. It was something he had created around the time of Xin Hue’s passing. The magically hewed cloth clung to the body of the deceased, preserving the remains. For Zara, the color of the death silk was black. Her favorite color.

Avalon had put intricate designs on the death silk. Stars, Grandmother’s favorite pastries, and the ruins of the previous tower. Avalon had also added a lacy fringe on one end. The fringe made Kayli think of the orange-red grassland. It was wispy and flowed just like the grass blades did. The fringe was just above Zara’s head.

The body was placed in the hole. The family picked up their shovels.

Splot. Splot. Kayli winced. The contact of dirt with her grandmother’s body sounded final. Once this was all done, Zarek picked up the stake. Kayli could make out “Zara” and “Mother” carved into it. Her father’s hand blocked the rest of the words.

Caliban picked up the hammer.

Zarek held the stake at the head of the grave. Caliban slammed it in with a few smacks. Solemnly, they moved back into their places beside their family. The most important moment had come. Saying their goodbyes.

Zarek went first. He was the oldest living son, the new family patriarch. Tears flowed anew as he spoke. Then came Caliban, the youngest son. His wife, Cassandra, followed.

What do I say? What do I say? Her turn was coming. She needed the right words. She had been thinking about this for a month. Yet, nothing. What words could really describe her grandmother? Her grandmother was so vibrant when she was alive. If only she could describe Zara’s spirit, love, humor, discipline, and guiding influence.

“Speak how you feel, Kayli,” her grandmother had told her.

Kayli was fifteen again, her grandmother’s weathered hand on her shoulder. They were at Uncle Ji’s funeral.

She was ten again, her grandmother saying it the first time. They were in Zara’s room. Zara twisted her granddaughter’s hair to prepare for her partner’s burial.

She was fourteen again. On the ground, refusing to get up. “What do I say?” she screamed. Zara hugged her, rocking her back and forth. “Speak how you feel,” was the reply in her ear.

A hand touched her shoulder. Kayli was startled out of her thoughts. She saw the weariness and grief on Rodrick. The lines around his deep set eyes were visible. He tilted his head in a single nod. It was her turn.

Kayli hesitated. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Speak how you feel, Kayli,” her father spoke. His voice was tired. Trails of tears had stained his cheeks.

His dark skin made the white stains stand out in contrast. Grief lanced through her chest again.

She sucked in a breath. She took another. “Grandmother, she was a remarkable woman,” she finally said. Hesitant. The words were shaky. She paused. Her mind blanked.

“Apologies,” she said after a moment, her head hung low.

“This is alright, cousin,” Vivi spoke, understanding. Her arms wrapped around Kayli’s shoulders.

“Your grief is enough,” Gaveen murmured. His brow was furrowed. His mouth was tight.

Kayli felt arms around her waist. She looked down to see Jae Soon. His head rested on her stomach. “I miss her.”

“I do too.” Salt and water flowed down her cheeks, some of it trailing into her mouth. Her gaze met that of her twin.

It had been months since Kayli last saw Taiyung. In some ways, he was familiar. In other ways, he was a stranger.

Five years ago, there had been an opportunity for everyone but Zara to visit Miridian. The banishment was applicable towards Elric, Zara, and Ji Len, not their descendants was the explanation. Only Rodrick and Vivi took up this offer, becoming diplomats for the Zarell family. A year later, Tai went with them. Unlike his cousins, Tai’s travels back home weren’t as frequent. But she was glad to see their twin bond was strong despite this distance.

I feel the same way as you, Kayli, she could read in his eyes. Kayli clutched Jae closer. I miss you, brother, she tried to channel back to her twin.

“We will get through this,” Vivi said reassuringly. Or at least she tried to.

“I know we will,” Kayli choked. They all huddled together, some members whispering words of comfort and sorrow.

“Did I miss something interesting?”

The Zarell’s lifted their heads. They turned in different directions. At first, they could not locate the unfamiliar voice.

“There,” Jae pointed. His index finger directed towards a woman at the bottom of the hill, just outside of their territory.

She was pale skinned. Her hair was thick and long. Black. Her hands were on her hips.

“Who are you?” Caliban called out down to her.

“A friend.” Her response was confident and clipped.

“We know not of you.” This came from Rodrick.

“A shame. Because I knew Zara pretty well. Could even say that we had a long association.”

Zarek muttered something indecipherable to Caliban. Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest.

“This is a family gathering,” Avalon declared. Like her mother, she crossed her arms.

“Too bad. There’s not a chance I’ll miss something like this. It comes once in a lifetime.” The strange

woman sauntered up the hill. She stopped when she reached the top.

She was beautiful.

A feeling of insecurity bubbled up in Kayli’s chest. She resisted the urge to run her fingers through her own hair.

The stranger’s face was a perfect oval. Her breasts were not too big, not too small. Revealing but decently covered. Her waist narrow with a generous flair of the hips. Her eyes dark and shrewd. What stood out to Kayli was the woman’s dress. Tasteful and accentuating the woman’s curves but reeking of despair and destruction.

“Who are you?” Tai asked.

An idea formed in Kayli’s mind. “You are the Morrigan,” she guessed.

Kayli stiffened when the woman’s head twisted towards her. Being under the stranger’s scrutiny was unnerving, the eyes were malicious. The woman’s lips curved into a cold smile. “I’m impressed. I thought I would have to be formal and introduce myself.”

Some of the Zarell’s gasped. “You are the Morrigan?” Cassandra asked in disbelief.

“I believe that was already confirmed.” The Morrigan looked bored.

The Morrigan. The Zarell’s enemy. She had come back.

Caliban’s hand instantly went to the dagger on his hip. Vivi pushed Jae behind her. Gaveen stepped in front of Avalon, Tally, and Cassandra. Tai stepped forward to stand beside Zarek and Caliban. Kayli positioned her body for attack, as her mother had taught her.

The Morrigan was a monster. She fed on carnage and destruction. Around sixty years ago, she had attempted to destroy Miridian. Zara, with Elric and Ji Len at her side, defeated her. She was partially responsible for their banishment. Yet, the creature was spiteful. She had been denied a meal so she made it her mission to harass the Zarell family. She had presumably died more than forty years ago.

“What are you doing here?” Caliban’s tone was controlled and low.

“As I said, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The witch is finally dead and I get to have the last laugh.”

“You have already caused enough pain to this family,” Zarek snarled. His eyes glowed azure.

The Morrigan’s condescending smile turned vicious. “Are you referring to that runt I killed years back?”

She laughed. “Your poor, dear mother. How heartbroken she was. Nearly died giving birth to you.” Her head tilted to the side. “What was his name?”

“It was Eza, you…” Zarek was about to unleash his power on the Morrigan but Caliban held him back.

“She’s trying to anger you, brother.” Caliban’s rage seeped into his voice.

“It’s working,” Zarek growled.

From the time Kayli was a girl, she had studied every one of her family’s accounts on the Morrigan. There wasn’t much. The Morrigan was said to be intelligent, strong, and manipulative. There was a reason why she was making an appearance now after forty years.

Kayli hoped her training was enough.

“I don’t know why you’re angry. The death of one human doesn’t matter much in the scheme of things,” the Morrigan shrugged.

“His life mattered,” Cassandra shouted. Her fists clenched and shaking. The stone on her necklace glowed emerald.

“Tell you what,” the Morrigan drawled, “since the death of this Eza matters so much to you, each of you can meet with him. Personally.”

With supernatural speed, the creature was on top of Vivi. The creature had made an attempt for Jae but Vivi pushed him back with her magic. At the same time, the young woman conjured a shield. Silver magic crackled underneath the creature’s weight.

Gaveen, being a dragon, was able to move quickly enough before Vivi’ shield gave way. He grabbed the creature and threw her off with his strength. The Morrigan flipped through the air and landed on her feet.

She charged again. As one, the spell castors made a shield together. The color of their magic in the shield twisted and popped. They all tried to hold the Morrigan back.

“If you give up,” the monster taunted, pressing herself further into the magic barrier, “I’ll only kill a few of you. You can even decide who dies.”

“Never,” Kayli managed to grit out. Her feet were being pressed hard into the soil. Her shoulders were ready to give out.

“Let go,” Gaveen shouted. He had shifted into his dragon form. A violet, four legged, winged creature. He had horns on the sides of his face and the crown of his head. Spikes were all along his body, from his shoulder blades to the tip of his tail. His legs were about as tall as most of his family members.

“Ooh, a pet dragon. It’s been a while since I killed one.”

Tally, seeing her father shift, followed suit. “No, Tally,” Avalon commanded. She was looking over her shoulder in order to locate the children.

“No, Tally,” Jae struggled. He was holding onto Tally, preventing her from charging. It was difficult since her dragon form was all muscle.

“Let go,” Gaveen said again. His voice was deeper in dragon form.

The shield broke. The jolt pushed the already exhausted spell castors off their feet.

Gaveen stretched out his wings and roared.

“Don’t die too quickly on me, dragon,” the Morrigan laughed.

Panting, Kayli yanked one of her knives off her back.

She had fifteen knives strapped to her body.

She flung it with a twist of her hand. The Morrigan dodged it.

Kayli pushed out her power to grab the knife. The knife immediately swung back, hitting the creature in the shoulder. The Morrigan didn’t flinch or cry out.

Meanwhile, Gaveen attempted to crush the creature in his jaws. She delivered a punch. Gaveen was pushed backwards by the blow. He managed to stay on his feet, trying not to crush his family.

Caliban and Zarek charged. Tai yanked them back, just in time before the Morrigan could wrap her hands around their throats.

Avalon, Rodrick, Vivi, and Cassandra placed themselves between the creature and the children.

Kayli pushed out her magic again. Lines of dark blue magic, like elongated, thin arms, extended from her body. The ends of the lines removed some of her knives, wielding them in preparation. “You will leave or your blood will run!” Kayli swung.

Before she could finish her attack, a strong wind generated itself in the grassland. The wind whipped around, ensnaring everyone on the hill. For a moment, their bodies were frozen. Then the Zarell’s were pulled backward.

They each tried to fight it. Gaveen’s claws dug into the ground but the ground gave way. The air whipped through hair, horns, clothes, and scales.

They couldn’t see. The air roared in their ears.

Kayli lost her concentration. Her magic dissipated and the weapons fell to the ground. She tried to reach for her family but her arms could feel nothing. Her screams were useless.

Kayli then saw a prism of light. The prism’s shape was a circle combined with a hexagon. Every color that existed glistened inside. Kayli’s eyes widened.

The wind died away as immediately as it came. The Morrigan shook her head.

She had been tossed backward when the wind came forth. Once she got her bearings, she glanced around.

The Zarell’s were gone.