Celestia: The Cursed Witch

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The morning air was cool when the group woke up. Dew rested on the grass, and soft rays of sunlight peeked through the trees. Birds chirped quietly as the campfire from last night turned into soft ash.

Celestia stretched her arms and sat up. Her body still ached from the long ride and the surprise fight with the bandits. She looked around. Kieran was already awake, feeding his horse. Esther sat by the fire, stirring a small pot of hot tea. Leon stood at the edge of the camp, watching the road ahead.

“Good morning,” Celestia greeted, rubbing her eyes. Kieran walked over and kissed the top of her head.

“Morning, darling. Did you sleep well?” he asked. Celestia nodded slowly.

“Better than I thought I would,” she replied.

After a quick breakfast of dried fruits and warm tea that Adelaide and Esther helped prepared, the group packed up their things. The horses were ready, and the road stretched far in front of them.

“We’ll pass through a village by noon,” Leon said as he mounted his horse. “We can stop there for supplies,” he added.

“How many days until we arrive at your clan?” Celestia asked, brows furrowed.

“Two days,” Leon said. Everyone nodded. They were tired but determined to keep going.

As they rode, the land started to change. The trees were fewer now, and the soil looked dry and cracked in some parts. The wind carried a warm scent, like dust and fire mixed together.

“I can already feel it,” Nash said, stretching his arms. “The South’s heat is coming,” he added.

The group reached a small village just before noon. It looked worn down, with cracked walls and simple wooden roofs. People stared at them as they entered, eyes full of curiosity and caution.

“Don’t worry,” Leon said softly to Celestia. “They’re just not used to seeing strangers,” he added.

They tied their horses near a well and began looking for food and water. Celestia followed Kieran into a small shop where an old woman greeted them with a toothless smile.

“What do you need, child?” she asked.

“Just some dried meat, water, and bread,” Kieran replied.

Celestia looked around the small shop. There were strange herbs hanging from the ceiling and bottles filled with colorful liquids.

“Are those potions?” she asked the old woman.

“Yes, some,” she replied. “But most are just strong tea for coughs and fevers,” she said.

Celestia smiled and nodded. Everything here felt different, like the air carried stories no one ever told.

After getting their supplies, the group sat under a tree to rest and eat. Theodore passed a water skin to Esther, who poured some into her hands to wash her face.

“It’s getting hotter,” she said.

“That’s nothing yet,” Leon replied. “Just wait until we’re closer to the Red Hills,” he added.

“Red Hills?” Celestia asked.

“They call it that because the land there is stained with blood from old wars,” Flint answered. “It’s where many battles happened between clans and rebels,” he added.

Celestia frowned.

“That doesn’t sound like a fun place,” she said, and grimaced.

“It’s not,” Leon said honestly. “But we won’t stay there long. Just need to pass through,” he added.

As they rested, a group of children from the village came near, looking at them with wide eyes. One brave boy stepped closer.

“Are you warriors?” he asked. Leon smiled.

“Some of us are,” he replied. The boy looked at Celestia.

“And you?” he asked. Celestia hesitated.

“I’m... still learning,” she said.

“That’s good,” the boy said and ran off with his friends.

“Even kids here know the value of learning to fight,” Nash said.

“They probably had to,” Dan added. “It’s the only way to survive in the South,” he added.

The break didn’t last long. After a short rest, they mounted their horses again and left the village behind.

The sun was high now, and the heat pressed down on them. Celestia wiped the sweat from her neck and kept her eyes on the road. They passed broken carts, empty homes, and burned trees. Signs of old fights. Old pain.

Suddenly, Leon raised a hand and stopped his horse. Everyone followed.

“What is it?” Kieran asked, alert.

Leon didn’t answer right away. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air like a wolf.

“Smoke,” he said.

Everyone listened. A soft, strange smell floated in the wind. It wasn’t fire. It was something worse.

“Magic burn,” Adelaide whispered. “Someone used powerful magic nearby,” she added. Leon nodded.

“Be ready.”

They followed the smell off the main road and into a grove. There, they saw it.

A small camp—burned down to ashes. Tents turned to black dust. People—bodies—lay cold on the ground. Some had swords. Others wore robes.

Celestia gasped and covered her mouth. She looked around, heart racing.

“They were ambushed,” Flint said. “Not by bandits. This was done by magic,” he added.

“Do you think it was Azul’s men?” Kieran asked.

“Could be,” Leon said, eyes sharp. “Or someone worse,” he added.

They stepped through the destroyed camp carefully. Esther knelt beside a burned robe and ran her hand through the ashes.

“This was a merchants camp,” she said. “Maybe they were traveling to help a village buy what they wanted,” she added.

“Then why were they attacked?” Celestia asked softly.

“Because kindness is seen as weakness here,” Nash replied, voice low. “They usually don't target merchant though,” he added.

“Well, it's Azul, what do you expect?” Theodore said. It was a painful sight. Celestia felt anger build in her chest. She turned to Leon.

“How can people live like this? With so much hate?”

“They don’t,” he said. “They just survive through it,” he added.

Silence fell over the group. They buried the dead and marked the ground with rocks. It was the least they could do.

As they walked back to their horses, the wind blew stronger. It carried whispers—soft, eerie voices only a few could hear.

Celestia paused and looked back.

“What is it?” Kieran asked.

“I thought I heard... something,” she said.

Freya’s voice echoed in her head from training: Listen to the wind. It speaks to you if you’re ready.

She closed her eyes and focused. The whisper returned. It was faint, but it called her name.

Celestia...

She opened her eyes and grabbed Kieran’s hand.

“We need to move. Fast.”

“Why?” Leon asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But something is coming,” she added. Leon looked around.

“Mount up. Now.”

The group rushed back to the road as per Celestia's orders.