21 Forest of Silence 2

Looking at the hazy image in the cauldron, Heather could only shake her head after witnessing the girl's plight.

The girl lacked the standard training to become a witch and it had shown on her actions.

But Heather couldn't deny that she was slightly surprised that the girl could execute a few complicated high level magic.

It was quite rare for a non caster to have their circuit activated. And yet, though only having activated her circuits recently, Lily could already cast spells.

Still the headwitch could not get why the girl could not manage to fly a broom properly. Flying a broom is a very basic skill of casters even toddlers can do it.

The poor thing was hanging with one hand on the flying broom! She couldn't even sit on it and ride it like a normal witch.

"You have to hand it to her!" Dusk commented as she watched the cauldron with her mistress. "The girl had escaped the accursed Tenome without any help from anyone."

Heather frowned at that. The girl indeed managed to do the task alone. But that doesn't mean the headwitch will acknowledge the princess. She still has a long way to go.

"You have to admit it, Aunt Heather. The child has potentials." Sorrel voiced out as she drew away from the cauldron to sip on her tea.

"Potentials?! You must be joking." Heather replied. The child was an utter failure.

"I don't think Sorrel is joking. After all, commanding a broom after casting an explosive spell is not an easy thing to pull off. I say, that was a raw talent that needs to be polished." Shadow remarked.

Heather just rolled her eyes and chose to ignore them.

"Don't you think the girl can pass your trial, Aunt Heather?" Sorrel asked before she took a gingerbread cookie and ate it.

"She wouldn't be able to pass unless she hands over Hazel's remains to me." She scoffed as she stirred the cauldron, making Lily's sleeping form vanish from view.

"Let's just see if she can return my daughter to me before the allotted time."

~~~

Lily jolted up with a start. Bristling, the young princess thought of the sightless lady she had encountered in the forest.

"It is possible that the monster had managed to come after me?" Letting her ears filter the sounds, she stayed as still and quiet as she can.

She could somehow hear the chirping of the birds and buzzing of insects but not the screeching of the accursed being.

"I don't think there is any danger in the vicinity." She sighed before lowering her guard and making herself comfortable beside the base of a giant mushroom.

Still exhausted, she yawned."Time to get back to sleep."

But only a few seconds of closing her eyes, she snapped them open.

"Crap! It's morning!" she cringed as she noted the light all over the place which was not coming from the luminous mushrooms.

"I might not make it on time!" she hastily grabbed her things in order to start her journey once more.

"By the way, where in the world am I?" she asked to no one in particular.

Only mushrooms which wee over ten feet tall resided in that plane and there seemed to be nobody around.

"I can check out the area..." the princess trailed and glanced at the broomstick. She intended to use it to locate her whereabouts.

But her past flying experiences came to mind. "On second thought, I don't want to risk flying. I used a lot of mana to cast a spell and commanded the broom to fly last night."

"Not to mention, I felt drained." she lifted her hands and tested her strength. She could raise it a little but she could not lift them up for long.

"Don't think I could even make the broom take off at this rate. I guess I have to walk again." She groaned.

With that she started her brisk walk. She hadn't gotten over a mile when her stomach gave a huge rumble.

"I haven't eaten a morsel last night, no wonder I felt depleted." She muttered before nibbling on her ginger bread and resuming her walk.

She had been walking for what felt like hours when she noticed something. "That mushroom looks familiar. Have I been here before?"

Feeling as if she was walking circles, she rummaged through the satchel to find a map. She managed to find one but it was blank saved for the word "Map" at the topmost part.

"What kind of map you are? You are supposed to show me where I am!" she complained while glaring at the map as if it could talk back to her.

Just then, a blot of ink appeared on the map. Then, gradually an image of a mushroom was formed, followed by a few more. Lastly, a label appeared.

"The Fungi plane? Weird!" Lily's brows scrunched. "How far am I from the cliff where Hazel had died?"

Several images appeared on the map which reflected the places around. "I am a bit away from Nightshade's Grove." She pointed at the south of the Forest of Silence and bit west of Fungi plane.

"Marjoram is a little farther away to the north of the Forest of Silence." She started figuring things out.

"The cliff must be somewhere in between the Kingdom's outskirt and a little east of the Forest. How am I supposed to get there fast? I don't have all day."

A red ink appeared from one of the spots on the map. The dot turned into a line and began working its way from the Fungi plane towards a portion in Marjoram, the cliff.

"That's really a long way to go. Better start my trek now." She grumbled.