#89 Fire and Stones

I hope I'm not mistaken, but the more I think about it, the more it all makes sense. That curse, and why so many witches failed over the years... Selena and Nora exchange a glance.

*Alright, if you think so... How do we proceed, though?*

"First, we need to get to Ravena, and somehow, knock her out and have the Curse focus on me instead."

*Looks to me she's pretty out of it already,* growls Selena, her head turned towards the Earth Witch's scary state.

"I don't think so. I don't think the Curse could use her powers like this if she was... it's probably more like she's being used like some vessel. Ravena thought she could control the Curse, but now it is controlling her instead. I need to take her place and be the one to fight it off. I..."

A loud ruckus comes from behind. We both freeze and look back as the furious growl of the bear echoes all the way here. In the darkness, the sky above us suddenly seems to growl like a storm, and the shadow of that monstrous thing appears briefly in the sky. Moon Goddess, it looks even bigger... We hear several wolves howl, a heart-breaking sound that can't be good...

*Liam!* I scream, just as Nora and Selena call out their mates too.

The seconds pass, and I try to feel my mate. I'm so panicked; it’s a real mess. I desperately search for him, my wolf and I united as one. There are so many wolves scattered all around, and I'm so panicked I can't even focus properly. I'm a mental and emotional wreck until I finally feel him reaching out to me.

*I'm fine... I'm fine, Babe! You... focus on your own fight, Mara! Don't worry about...!*

He can't finish his sentence; another loud bang like an explosion resonates. We see soil flying from behind that hill. Oh, Moon Goddess... I can even hear Damian and Nathaniel's furious growls. There has to be some fight from hell going on there, but all we can witness are the ferocious growls and shadows moving. I hope they will be alright... Next to me, Selena growls.

*Let's focus here. The big boys know how to take care of themselves. Mara, are you sure we only have to get you to her?*

"I'm not sure of anything, but that's... the most probable one."

Although I can tell we're not quite there yet. There's only a stone-throw distance between Ravena and us, but the way her scary expression is still turned our way, I'm sure those last few steps are not going to be easy to make.

Selena growls again, and she's the first to start running towards the witch, as expected. I get right behind her, ready to prepare any fire or magic circle, and I feel Nora running right behind me too. For a second, I hope this will happen much quicker than I imagined, with just us running over. Of course, it doesn't happen like that.

We hear a loud rumbling beneath us, and, right at the last second, Selena jumps out of the way when a sudden gap opens under her feet. It's just a hole, but it suddenly pulls in everything that was around, like quicksand. It happens so fast, but I can feel the monstrous volume of pressure under there. She's going to try to push us back and kill us... We can't rest. Nora and I split apart when another crack appears on the ground between us, and this time, a new golem emerges. Before we can react, that thing grabs Nora's back leg, and she growls furiously, struggling to get out of there.

"Don't move!" I shout.

I prepare my fire, a smaller one this time, and throw it right away, just enough to harden the mud around her feet and let Nora break away from that thing. She runs as fast as she can further away, but we're all split up already, and Ravena isn't done yet with us. Stones slowly rise from the ground, and, as I step back to prepare for this, they fly our way, too fast, way too fast. I raise my arms, trying to conjure a circle, but it hits it so violently, I'm thrown back on my arse in the mud. Oh, bloody hell. The ground immediately starts trying to grab me, but I won't let it. I take a deep breath and invoke my inner fire for the nth time today. I know Spark needs it, but I may need it more right now! I set as much of my body on fire as I can, burning all that damn soil until I have enough strength to get back on my feet and get away from that mess.

I glance to the side, but Selena and Nora are already battling a new Golem while trying not to get swallowed by the ground. Damn it! She's trying to slow us down and keep us away from her... I run to help them out, and other rumbling echoes in the sky above us. There's really a storm coming! Now, seriously? Or is that the Curse acting out? I feel the humidity in the air, but it doesn't stop me. I'm already trying to make my way despite the mud, and anyway, I've extinguished the fire within to let Spark with most of it...

Instead, I prepare another magic circle, and, like a shield in front of me, I run into that golem to try and push it with brute force. A bit unconventional for a witch, but that thing bursts as soon as I hit it.

*Nice one, Mara...*

*We're not done yet.*

Indeed, that Golem is already reconstituting itself back. This can't go on. Ravena has an endless supply of soil under our feet, while my inner fire is being pumped by Spark on the other side of the battlefield. I do not want to leave my magic cat without any source of power either, as I know he's protecting all the other werewolves... Another round of rumbling resonates above our heads. The storm is already above us and getting louder. The perfect setting for a battle... While the Golem reconstitutes itself, more stones are gathered around it. A lot of rocks, actually... Is that thing making itself an armor? Before I can even realize, it suddenly moves and punches our way, hitting my circle.

The shock is violent. I feel the strength of it resonate through my whole body, and my magic circle shatters in front of my eyes, as I realize I'm about to get hit. That fist appears right in front of my eyes.

I feel the hit before the pain. A bundle of rock suddenly hitting my body, something breaking. I'm sent flying away, and the pain hits back as my body violently hits the ground. It's almost an out-of-body experience, as if there was an echo in the pain that engulfs me. I hear my own groan of pain and their voices calling me in sheer panic. Damn, that... hurts...

*Mara! Mara, are you okay!*

I groan, the only answer I can formulate out loud. It feels like all the bones in my upper body are shattered... Maybe they are. The pain is... to a hellish level. I feel the iron taste of blood, filling my mouth, and I spit it out by reflex. Oh, damn... My head is spinning just from the pain. I have a vague impression I'm lying down, but... I'm so numb for a second, I can't feel anything but that pain.

*Hold on Mara...*

A wave of ice suddenly envelops my body. I can breathe again as it gently caresses me, numbing the pain a bit. I see Nora's white fur in my field of vision, and I can feel her aura, like a white coat over me. It's like a cold shower washing the pain away, and Moon Goddess that feels so good and relieving. I can move again with everything hurting like hell... I'm a bit stoned, but I quickly manage to move and try to get back on my feet. Nora heals me as fast as she can.

"S-sorry..." I grumble.

*Don't apologize; it’s okay... Moon Goddess, thank her you survived that hit...*

I just realize what happened, and indeed, I'm not going to take another one like that. I underestimated that Golem thing because I thought it would be slow with all those rocks... It's clearly not. As I get myself back up, still in pain but on a manageable level, I see Selena battling that thing. The cream-white wolf is more like bouncing, jumping and running all around that stone-reinforced Golem. She's making it move all around and run after her without giving it a chance to hit her. I really acknowledge she's one of the best fighters around. She's incredibly quick, fast-witted, and she doesn't give a single chance to that thing to catch or hit her. However, she's also stuck; how the hell are we supposed to attack that thing? It's like a mountain between Ravena and us!

Next to me, Nora growls too, but I don't see how we're going to get rid of that thing... The sky above us is growling loudly too, and I feel the air getting more and more humid. I don't like this. If it starts raining, the soil under us will become mud, and it will get even harder to move around and get out of there. I don't even want to imagine the mess it's going to be on the other side. I just hope everyone's holding on...

I prepare a new magical circle, but this time, I prepare it well. I make that thing much more resistant, much more robust so it won't be shattered in one hit. Or at least, I hope so...

Nora and I run back to second Selena. I'm still in pain, but I can manage this much. Nora's power is fantastic, I still feel as if there is some ice numbing the most painful areas, and I think it's still healing me somehow. Her white aura is surrounding my torso and working to heal my broken ribs. Strangely, I also feel... lighter. It's not about the pain, but having that white, calm aura around me makes me feel a lot more relaxed, as if a weight I wasn't aware of had been weighing over me all this time. What is this? Selena's golden halo, too, seems a bit different from before...

Then I realize.

I didn't pay attention because of the fight, but the dark aura isn't just around Ravena anymore; it’s... everywhere around us. I can't believe I didn't notice it before! It's like a dark fog, so transparent and absolutely everywhere, I have to focus to really see it. It's engulfed everything around us, and me too. When I really look at the two Royals, I can see they are immune. Not just that, but it's as if this dark thing was avoiding them. Their auras are protecting them from that dark thing but... not me. It's even the opposite. It looks like it's almost drawn to me, and melting with my own aura. Darkness calls darkness, I guess...

*Mara, any plan to get rid of that thing!* Shouts Selena.

Even her inner voice sounds out of breath, and it's understandable with that crazy speed she's been at for a while now. I look at the golem once again. The rocks are gathered so tight around its body, I don't know what could get inside. Even if I tried to burn it, it would take a while for the fire to penetrate... I take deep breaths, and try to summon the water this time;

Just like before... I try to tame the fire in me and channel the water instead. It's so much harder to do this when I have to focus on that Golem attacking us, and that damn ground trying to swallow us wherever we step on! Moreover, the area is dry as hell... Moon Goddess, for once, I wish it'd bloody rain so I could use the water. I’m a total newbie at trying to conjure some! I can't give up, though, or next time Selena or Nora might be the ones sent flying!

I focus and call out the inner water witch in me. I beg my wolf for help, and she's right there with me, focusing as well. There's water... There's always water somewhere. I direct my fingers towards the ground, trying to pull as much as I can. I feel it... I feel the rumbling, the small, minuscule drops getting attracted to my position like magnets. Come on, come here...

*Mara, watch out!*

I jump to the side out of reflex, barely avoiding a new throw of stones. Damn it, I'm trying to focus here! However, that wretched thing isn't going to wait for me to get it done. The sky loudly thunders above us, and this time, the dark clouds gathering above us are definitely real... Wait.

I may be wrong or crazy, but... I try to ignite my inner fire again. I know how to balance the two now, don't I? I roll on the ground to get away from the Golem, letting Nora jump over me all fangs out, and I glance up at the sky. It's full of hot air up there; that storm is right above us. I take deep breaths. I'm not a science nerd, but the inner witch in me knows...

"Selena, get ready to jump as fast as you can out of there when I tell you!"

*What? Mara, what are you planning!*

"Trust me! Just... please keep that thing busy, and get ready when I tell you to run! Get as far as that thing as possible!"

I'm not even sure myself this is going to work, but... it's definitely worth the try... I think. Moon Goddess, for a crazy witch, this might be my craziest idea yet...

I let the two wolves run towards the Golem to distract it, and I prepare myself. This might hurt me a lot, now that I think about it, but... Oh, bloody hell, I'll see to that later if I survive it. I glance towards the dark, dark sky, my heart thumping like crazy. The rumbling, again. I hear the howls and growls of dozens of wolves behind us. They are all waiting for me to end that fight and try to survive meanwhile. I have to stop that thing...

I close my eyes and focus. The ground beneath me slowly tries to swallow my feet, but I ignore it. I have to focus on what's happening above, not below. I gently call out my inner fire, and tame that water flow inside of me. That's right, a perfect balance. I can control both if I stay in that quiet, calm balance inside. I ignore everything else. I'm a witch of two elements, and I can master both at the same time. I know I can. My wolf is there, helping me, sharing her inner strength with me to make this work. Her quiet but powerful stance helps me, like a strong backup I can rely on. That's right, girl. We are two, but also one.

Fire and water. I got this. I smile, my breathing getting more intense. I take a deep breath, and once I feel like I've channeled both elements, I slowly raise my hands towards the sky. I'm buried down to my ankles now, but I don't care. That bloody Golem is about to get meanly stoned...

I feel the hot air above, and I focus on this. The heat is my thing. My palms towards the sky, I feel it until I'm strong enough to control it. I got this. I make that heat mine. I focus even more, until I can feel it like invisible strings channeled to my fingers... the rumbling in the sky answers me. I take another deep breath, and while still holding this mass of hot air, I find the water stocked above. If there are clouds, there has to be some... yes, I can feel it. I don't need to control these, I just need to make it cooler... and cooler... It's exhausting, exhilarating. I feel the power of both worlds, both elements, channeled through my hands and yet it's all happening in the sky. I'm controlling so much of what's going on above our heads, I've never felt so powerful. A shot of adrenaline runs through my body, delicious hot and cold chills as if to motivate me even more.

"Now!" I shout.

Both wolves jump out of the way, running as fast as they can away from the Golem, as instructed.

Left alone, that stone giant seems to look my way, and advances forward, aiming right at me. The thunder resonates, and I smile. I channel all that energy, and suddenly, a loud thunder rips the sky apart. Guided by my fingers, the air starts to crackle and spark between us. The Golem takes another step, and I make my move.

A gigantic lightning bolt violently strikes that thing down.

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*Author Note: Thanks for reading, please leave a comment if you enjoyed!*