Behind the Magic

The wind picked up slighty and Aislyn felt a chill, her gaze still stuck on the photo. A wetness traveled the side of her face and Aislyn realized she was crying.

Μυ δαυγ-τερ, Ι αμ σο προυδ οφ υου- My daughter, I am so proud of you

" Not me, but...my mother." Aislyn hardly noticed the way her voice was caught in her throat. Her memory went fuzzy for a moment, trying to surface yet was blocked. Her mind kept trying to grab onto a thought a memory but was not successful. Aislyn's hand hovered over the picture afraid to touch.

Rune's eyes grew big for a moment as the realization of what Aislyn said started to sink in. "Your mother is a Fate?... Wow..."

She didn't know if she should hug the girl or bow to her, never was Rune in the presence of such power. She saw the girls hand hovering over the image of her mother and aunts. "Go ahead, maybe you'll get something." Rune offered her hand to Aislyn, hoping that the girl would take it. Maybe if Rune held on long enough - she could act like a grounding rod for Aislyn - that she would get something more than just flashes.

Butterflies exploded in her stomach. The idea that she has a mother obviously proud of her, but even more was who her mother is.

A fate... She didn't know what to think of that. Fear actually prevented Aislyn from touching the photo.

" Is that smart? " Her uncertainty voiced. Yet she found herself itching to test it out. Her hand had just barely grazed the surface when she was transported to an all white realm. The very air seemed fluffy while Aislyn spun around her feet glided over the ground.
This vision felt different. Normally she felt like an outsider while the visions played out around her. This particular vision she felt more solid.

" Hello? " Her voice was but a small whisper in the wind. " Anyone here? "

" Συχ α βεαυτιφυλ ωομαν υου ἁυε γροων ιντο μυ δαρλινγ. " A voice sounded behind her.
(Such a beautiful woman you have grown into my darling)

Rune knew the moment that Aislyn entered this vision - her aura glowed brightly instead of dimming like they had before. Hearing Aislyn speak, Rune stayed close just in case something would happen, but she had a feeling that the girl would be alright.

Aislyn felt a subtle shift as Rune was partly in this vision, or some sort or different reality.

" Who are you? " She spoke her voice faulting a bit. And in a shy timid whisper- " Mother? "
The woman appeared dressed all in white. Her long black hair flowing nearly to her ankles. Rosy cheeks and brilliant blues eyes gave her an angelic feature.

Her mouth did not move however when she spoke.
"Νο, μυ δαρλινγ. Βυτ Ι κνεω ἑρ. Ι ωας θερε ωἑν υου καμε ιντο θις ωορλδ. " No, my darling. But I knew her. I was there when you came into this world.

Even though she spoke another language Aislyn understood her. And was at loss for words.

" Υου ἁυε γροω το βε μυχ λικε ἑρ. " You have grown to be much like her.
Tears formed and Aislyn was helpless to allow them to flow.
" Who are you. Where am I? " Aislyn replied, her curiousity and fear besting her.

"Υου αρε Δαουγ-τερ οφ Δεστινυ. Ανδ υου αρε ὁμε σιστερ. ὁμε ατ λαστ." You are daughter of destiny. And you are home. Home at last.

Rune stood silently by Aislyn's side... like she had done so many times before with her GG. There was just this "presence". The girl's aura went from glowing to almost a flash of lighting although there was no heat behind it - Rune was used to that.

That was part of the "White" witchery - or as others on the outside looked at - Glenda from the Wizard of Oz. Glenda's prophecy was... 'you have to find your own way and use the magic that survives within you to do so'.

Rune called upon the hereditary magic of her foremothers to help keep Aislyn within the nurturing state that seemed to be in.

Aislyn heard the words but something was wrong. Her surroundings began to blurr. Fear spiked for a moment before Aislyn remembered whose hand she held in the real world. Focusing with might she used that to hold her together.

" Who are you? " Aislyn demanded her frustration conquering fear. " What's happening? "

Silence answered her. The temple crumbled around Aislyn, and the floor cracked. She jumped with a yelp and seached around her. Afraid to step on the clouds around the temple, but she had no other choice. With a leap the soft cool air wrapped around her ankles and held her weight.

The bright blue sky shifted to a dark and menicing swirl of purple, red and black. The cracking of lightening caused Aislyn to once again jump. When she attempted to swallow she failed when the lump formed in her throat as fear choked her. Cement seemed for form in the pit of her stomach. Electricity flowed through her nerves as every hair stood at ends.

"Ρυν Αισλυν! ὑρρυ, φορ σἑ κομες. Ανδ σἑ βρινγς τἑ δαρκνεσς οφ ἑλλ αλονγ ωιθ ἑρ! Βεωαρε μυ δαρλινγ. Ανδ βε στρονγ!" Run Aislyn! Hurry for she comes. And beware for she brings the darkness of hell with her. Beware my darling. And be strong

The woman's voice stook with terror though Aislyn could not see her anymore, she just knew something horrible was happening to her.
Aislyn screamed. "RUNE!" A single tear fell from her face as flames erupted where the temple once stood. The clouds began to disperse. And Aislyn fell from the sky.

With a jolt she returned back to her body covered in sweat and goosebumps. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears for the woman she lost though she never knew.
Her hands were still clenched tight, though now one held Rune's.

It was at this time Aislyn could not take any more. With much lack of grace she passed out into a pile on the floor.

Rune felt the jerking of Aislyn's hand - almost as if she was running or jumping. When the girl screamed her name - it sent an icy jab right down her spine. "Aislyn!!" She was quite sure that her voice was not going to be heard, Aislyn was doing her best to listen and avoid the things in her vision.

And in a split second, Aislyn glanced at Rune before passing out. She was able to catch the girl so she wouldn't bang her head.

Resting her gently at her feet, Rune stood once again and looked through her family's Grimiore, looking for anything that could help with whatever was going on, but that was the problem.

Rune had no idea what they were fighting against, besides Amaia.

Slowly the room came into her view as Aislyn woke up.

" I feel like a train hit me. " Aislyn spoke as she attempted to stand. Gripping the edge of the table Aislyn peered over what Rune was doing.

" Find anything? " Aislyn said, her head pounding like a construction site.

Pulling the chair out, Rune motioned for Aislyn to sit down. "You were holding onto me for dear life, that much I know."

Rune shook her head. "No, I haven't found anything, I'm sure we'll come across something though."

Aislyn took a few moments to explain her last vision to Rune in great detail. She had hoped RUne would catch a few glimpses of it, but where ever Aislyn was Rune was not. When described the dark decesending purple and black shades, her heart clenched while sadness fell over her.
Than, Aislyn's stomach started to grumble.

" Uh sorry about that. Visions tend to drain me and the more I have the less engery I have. "

She reached for her purse on the floor, and dug through fishing for her keys.

" Do we have time for a lunch break boss? " Aislyn joked with a feeble attempt to lighten the mood. A dark cloud hung above her, smothering Aislyn to no end.

Rune followed along listening quietly as Aislyn explained her vision, her heart pumping faster once she described the darkness but that didn't last long once she heard Aislyn's stomach.

"We don't have to go anywhere if you don't want, I've got plenty. What would you like?" Rune opened up the fridge door and peered inside before turning back to the girl.

The moment Aislyn spotted the Cheetos her stomach made the decision for her.

" If you don't mind..."She smiled. Her mind was just plain exhausted, and now fatigue began to settle in her movements. Hopefully some food would give her the lift she needed.

While Rune bustled around Aislyn peeped up.

" So you live here allow? " Aislyn had seen many memories of Rune yet current family never appeared. Other than her brother that is.

Rune giggled and pulled out the Cheetos for Aislyn. She quickly whipped up a couple of sandwiches to boot, just in case...

As she was putting a few things away, Rune nodded absently to Aislyn's question. "Yup, just me and Jez".

Once she turned around to face the table and the Cheeto munching Aislyn, Rune watched the pages of the Grimoire flutter lightly and skip ahead finally coming to rest. "Ahh... did you do that?" Glancing towards the ocean, Rune saw the apparition of her GG just beyond the windows. "Nevermind, got my answer." She blew a kiss towards her beloved ancestor and looked back at the book.

"GG was always impatient. "You overthink it to much Rune - go with your gut instinct Rune..." I'll love her to my dying day, and even though she's in Valhalla, she still gooses at me..." Rune's smile was full of love and admiration as she looked to the spell on the page. "Hmmm, interesting."

Written in the familiar script of her Great Grandmother's writing, Rune read aloud the notes above the incantation then the spell itself.

"When things don't seem as they should, a breath on the leopard's skin, a soak of a cat's eye and some hair of the dog will do the trick."

"When in doubt, for you or others,
Things that need to be cleared out, you have druthers;

Know what is true and what is not,
It's as simple as wishing them away."

Rune looked to Aislyn and shrugged. "It sounds more like a hangover remedy than a spell for doubts..."

As Rune spoke, Aislyn fetl the magic in those words putting her in a trance-like state. Almost as if a door were being pulled open in her mind. The words repeated over and over in her head, the door struggling to open, the purest light escaping through the cracks nearly blinding her inner eye.

" Rune..." Her voice a mere whisper before the door was slammed shut with such force Aislyn could feel the head ache already.

"What did you see?" Rune glanced towards the passage in the book once again still confused that it made any sense whatsoever.

She walked over to the cabinet and pulled down the aspirin bottle, Rune herself was heading towards a migraine and she could only image that Aislyn was feeling just as bad - the girl had been battered around like a toy. "Here, you might need these." She slid the bottle across the table after taking two for herself. She downed them with a few gulps of lemonade hoping that the relief would start soon.

Aislyn tried her hardest to describe what she had seen, or rather the parts she had seen.

" Perhaps there's a spell to help uncover what I can't seem to remember" Aislyn was doubtful but there must be something she knows locked inside her brain. It was foggy but what she could recall was important.

Rune pulled the book closer to her, flipping page by page to look for anything... "Have you combed through the wonderful world of the internet?" If they couldn't find anything within her books, maybe someone had posted something online.

" The internet? " Aislyn said puzzled as she stood and read over Rune's shoulder. " " Can we trust that? "

Aislyn was always brought up to trust word of mouth and anything that looks ancient. Technology was not her thing.

" Well it just seems like that spell earlier...I would feel a part of me opening before very harshly slamming shut. " She smiled. " I was always the type to do what I'm not suppose to. "

"I have several trustworthy sites bookmarked just in case." Rune tapped her fingers on the book for a long moment trying to figure out what spell needed to be preformed in order to help Aislyn find what she was looking for.

"Excuse me for a few minutes, I need to go clear my head - sometimes overthinking things completely stops my train of thought." She smiled to Aislyn and walked towards the back door, pausing long enough to walk over the threshold of the house.

She stepped down into the grass and moved to the edge of the property to overlook the ocean. "GG you helped me once - could you just give me a nudge in the right direction?" Rune whispered into the winds.

Aislyn allowed Rune to exit and get some air. She heard some mumbling and thought nothing of it. Just as she was about to sit down, the book began to flip through pages without and visable aid.

" Uh, Rune? Your book is alive! "

Rune turned when she heard Aislyn and hurried back into the house. "It's probably GG giving me a hint or something, but I did come up with an idea." She watched the pages fan and abruptly come to a halt. She glanced out the window towards the water and smiled. "My thoughts exactly..."

Looking back to the book then to Aislyn, Rune knew that this spell would help - but how much she wasn't quite sure. "Could you get that green bowl over there and on the shelf above it pull down the Juniper and Thyme please?" Rune stepped over to the cabinet where she kept her oils and pulled out a base oil along with the oil equivalents of the herbs she had asked Aislyn to get.

"This spell helps promote psychic vision and receptivity. Maybe it can guide you long enough to see what you need too."

Aislyn stood quietly following Rune's orders and watched in amazement. Never hadshe seen a witch move through a potion with such grace and familiarity. Aislyn wished she had grown up with someone like this to teach her the right ways, instead Aislyn had to teach herself, hence making her horrible at spell casting.

Rune fell into what she called the 'spell zone'. She worked at a steady pace, making sure that the ingredients were measured precisely and once she combined the dry herbs, Rune added the base oil, grinding it together just enough to wet the contents of the bowl.

Once she was done, she looked to Aislyn and smiled. The look on the girls face was one of total concentration. "I'm sorry, I should have explained myself as I went. Maybe once we figure what you need to see, I can teach you some things."

She grabbed a pack of matches from her small cauldron and motioned for Aislyn to sit and get comfy. "When you are ready, I'm going to light the incense and I want you to calm yourself and breath normally - it's going to stink a bit - but it will hopefully help you see what you need too."

Aislyn felt embaressed at her lack of knowledge.
" I should know this stuff by now. " She said while sitting and tring to calm her restless mind, an impossible task.

" Ok let's try this again. " She closed her eyes and focused on well nothing. Her legs were indian style while her hand resting on her knees. Her rolled her head in small circles and hummed a song which popped in mind.

hmmm-hmm-hm-hm-hm-hmmmmm-hmm-hmmmmm-hm-hm-hmmmmm.....