Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son



The elf led them into the cover of trees where he came from, and as soon as Seren stepped past a certain line, a small glade appeared in her line of sight. Their group were inside a protective barrier created by Yorian, which was a stronger version of the one he used in his own cottage back in Megaris. The formation was further enhanced by Evanthe's witch runes.

"Queen Seren, please stand over here," Sierra said as she gestured towards a common shrub.. 

Seren stood in front of the bramble. It was a very ordinary forest plant, neither healthy nor wilted, though some leaves were yellowing. 

"What do you know about magic and energy core, Your Majesty?" Sierra asked as she sat on a large rock beside the plant.

Seren felt somewhat nervous. "Only what I read from the books that Dray's mother left behind." 

From what she understood, supernatural beings would awaken their powers at birth, and begin training how to control them at an early age. Most would take months to have basic control, and some years, depending on their innate talent. She was worried that by the time she could properly use earth magic, all the lands of Abetha would have long become barren.

Sierra asked a few more questions, and through Seren's answer, she got a general idea of the young queen's magic knowledge.

"Your Majesty, why don't you touch the yellow leaf of this plant and tell me the emotions of the plant?" 

"Uhm, shouldn't I start with my energy core…? From what I read—"

Sensing Seren's worry, Sierra comforted her. "Trust me. Do not think too much. You need to let go and rely on your instincts. Feel the emotion of the plant, and allow yourself to do what you feel is right."

Meanwhile, Evanthe was also instructing Drayce.

"Although you yourself can try to suppress the hellfire, it is safer to first attempt it with  the help of Erebus," she explained. "You need complete command of your power of darkness to suppress only the hellfire and not affect her innate power."

"I understand."

Since they were attempting to do something that was never done before, for his wife's safety, Drayce swallowed his pride and called for Erebus. A dark glow surrounded his body, the red color of his eyes darkening until they were as black as night.

Erebus nodded at his mother before standing behind Seren. He placed his hand on the small of her back, closing his eyes in order to heighten the precision of his control over his own power. 

When Seren touched the leaves of the  bramble, she felt her heart shake. It was as if in front of her, there was no plant but a pitiful, timid child silently asking for help. Something inside her wanted to reach out, but the image of the farm plant bursting into flames made her shrink back. 

"It's alright Seren, you can try again," she heard Sierra's soft voice in her ears.  "I know you are worried about hellfire being used, but don't you trust your husband?" 

Seren found herself comforted by the warmth of the hand touching her back. She was again reminded that she was not alone, that her husband was supporting her with all his heart. They had done their part, and now, she needed to do hers.

She closed her eyes again, more determined this time. 

Sierra continued to speak, "Earth is a part of nature. Just as the wind blows, the water flows and the fire burns, earth grows. Earth is the power of life, the power to create beauty, to make the world a home that can embrace all creatures. 

"Imagine a painting in your head, and think about how beautiful this plant you can make using your imagination as a brush and your mind as the canvas. You would want that yellow leaf to turn a vibrant green. You would want its stem to grow strong and thick. You would want its leaves to be more abundant. This is about the beauty you can create.

"Grant that painting life, Seren."

This time, Seren put her worries aside. She forgot about the eruption of hellfire, forgot the looming danger of the angels, forgot about Sierra and Drayce. There was only that ordinary forest plant in her mind, that timid child asking for help. She wanted to make it beautiful—

Rustle!

'I did it.'

Even without opening her eyes, Seren knew she succeeded. She could feel the emotion of the plant cheering, and there was no heat under her fingers. She opened her eyes and could not believe the small bramble in front of her was the same plant from earlier. It grew by several inches and the green, healthy leaves swayed in front of her, as if waving their thanks.

Her heart was overwhelmed with emotions. She turned around to look at Drayce, who had also returned back to himself. Her glistening purple eyes smiled at him. 

Drayce patted her head as he was proud of her. 

It was the first time ever she could use her power at her own will, and it felt wonderful. It was as if she was suffocating and was only able to breathe fresh air for the first time.

"Shall we practice a little more, so Her Majesty can be more confident?" Yorian proposed to which Seren nodded. 

On her next try, they changed Seren's practice target to plants that were close to dying, similar to the ones she witnessed in the farm. After another successful attempt, they made her use her power on one lifeless part within that glade, which was mostly composed of rocks with little fertile soil. Grass grew in abundance, turning the clearing into a lush blanket of green.

Seren was more than satisfied with the result."Can I now use it to revive those farms? Those crops—"

"You can, Your Majesty," Sierra responded, "but I advise you to let nature take its course."

"What do you mean, Lady Sierra?"