10 THE LAST RITE

THE MOOD WAS A SAD ONE- the witches were mourning. Its been a week since the death of Lisa and the witches that died with her. Lisa was the seventeenth leader of the coven that had died trying to fight the vampires and reclaiming the town back.

It was the fifth day of her burial rites. The witches had incinerate her body and had use half of her ash for a concocted spell.

Austin had brought her body and the rest of the witches to the sacred ground. He knew it would be easier for her to be found that way.

He stood metres away from the scared ground and watched the witches cried- He saw her daughter, Freya, crying and screaming. Austin felt pity for her- she was the only lady he had loved so dearly. She was different: the way she smiles was great, the freckle at the right side of her cheek makes him giggle. He had fallen in love with her..... But now that she is gone- its all in the past.

The remaining ask of Lisa was kept in a jar and placed in a tomb at the cemetery. Austin was there although the five days of the burial rite. He had watched from afar- he was emotionally down.

Amy was Lisa second in command. She stepped up to perform the burial rite. Witches form all cardinals of the world were also present. The witches are morning not just the passing of a coven leader but also- a northern witch.

The northern witch are the strongest of all cardinal witches and their ability to resist compelling was a great ability they only possess among the witches.

So on the fifth day, unification spell was casted. A spell for unifying her soul with the ancestor. Her soul was accepted and her spirit flew in the sky.

"The burial rite is over. A great sister had unite with the ancestor. Her soul is now resting with the ancestor" Amy said

"I would like to avenge my mother death- to destroy the vampires and reclaim what was rightfully ours" Freya said in anger

"We all understand your pain and anguish- the vampires ain't an easy opponent to defeat. They are stronger everyday" Mistress of the south said

Leah held Freya hand. She gave her a consolation look- she wasn't the only one that had lost someone, she had lost a sister- her companion- her guidance in time of trouble.

"I support Freya. The witches have to step up- we shouldn't be scared of the vampires. They were ones beneath us- and we can make them beneath us again" Leah said

Amy gave Leah a disgusting look. Leah should have known better- the vampires ain't an easy opponent. Since they had usurp the town, they have been so unstoppable. They had been so difficult to control- their branches had spread everywhere and their root has gone beyond the town alone.

"Leah- you of all people should know this. The vampires ain't an opponent you can fight without a strategy" Amy protested

"But we can't just sit and watch them treat us like a slaves- we can't keep hiding in fear- I'm tired of all this" Leah screamed "-same mistake Lisa made that brought her downfall"

The word had gone out before Leah could control herself. She shouldn't have said such- At least not at her sister burial rite but her anger was her weakness. She had let it out before she could think otherwise.

Everyone gave her a disgusting look, Freya let loose her grip. Leah was given a scornful look. It was like she is the weed among them- the unwanted one. The only one against the ancestor legacy..... The spy!

"We should let every issue slide and elect a new leader" mistress of the east said

"Yes, it is time for a new coven leader.... Without a leader, a coven can't progress" a witch said

"I will recommend Amy- she already know the in and out of things" another witch echoed

"I support that too-"

It was like the witches had come to a conclusion. They are all in support of Amy taking over. Leah stood among the numerous being the only odd one. She also had her plans- a plan to make the witches firm. She was sick and tired of the legacy the witches follows. The legacy that hasn't been of favor to the witches- the legacy that had made them so powerless.

"I thought the ancestor choose whosoever the next leader will be?" Leah protested

"Since majority wants Amy - then our voices are the ancestor voice" a witch said

"Our voice??? I'm sorry! Who is our?" Leah asked in discontent

"We- the coven witches"

Leah forced a disgusting smile... She just couldn't help it. No wonder the witches hasn't progressed, No wonder the witches are still second to the vampires. The witches are bunch of different people with different mind set. Their thoughts- view- plans- are all different. There ain't love among them- the witches are just set of selfish and self-centered people who claims all they do are for the betterment of the coven.

"I'm interested in being a coven leader" Leah finally spit out

"You? Leah- the evil witch" the mistress of the south protested

"Evil witch!" Leah guffawed "let the ancestor decide our fate"

"Since Amy already as an opponent, we leave it to the hands of the ancestors" a witch said

"Then let the preparation begin" Amy said

***

The ritual was suppose to be a simple one. The witches will stand in between the triad- a magical line will be drawn on the ground. The triad signifies something unique to the witches. It is a mark of Trinity between the ancestors and the witches. The symbol of the triad is a channel that link the ancestor and the witches- and that symbol is marked into an object which is possessed by the coven leader.

Since Lisa demise- the triad as been without a suitor. Triad will transport the witches who are interested in becoming the next coven leader to Diyu, the realm of the dead- a place filled with the souls of the dead witches. And any witch with the purest heart would be the next leader.

Some ancestral rituals will be performed so as to safe guard an easy passage for the witches in Diyu. The ritual of Xuchara- a sacrificial ritual, a ritual that protects the witches from the danger that is to come.

Being chosen by the ancestor takes more than a pure heart sometimes. The ancestors could be so unpredictable and whosoever the ancestor gives the staff of jadem must be embraced by the witches as their new leader.

Leah and Amy stood in between the Triad. The witches surrounded them and began to chant- this particular ritual was different from the usual- this particular ritual takes a lot of energy from the witches.

So after some minutes, the Triad line drawn on the ground went ablaze. That was the transition- and within a blink of an eye, Leah and Amy were gone.

The two witches landed in Diyu, and the first thing they saw was Lisa- her soul probably. It flew around them, crying- and that touched Leah. She didn't understand what went wrong, Lisa was suppose to be happy with the ancestors and not the other way around.

Amy grabbed Leah tightly and shook her roughly to bring her to reality.

"You know the rules. We are strangers here and we must be done with our quest before sunrise. You know we came together, and we can only leave together" Amy screamed

"I saw Lisa- didn't you see her?"

"Lisa is dead- all I saw was just some kind of spirit flying in the sky" Amy said

"Yes, I know she is dead- but her spirit is crying. Something must be wrong, Lisa is suppose to be happy with the ancestors and not the other way"

"Happy? Did you just say happy? What is there for her to be happy about- is it the fact that her life was cut short? Or the fact that she was tore apart by an ancient vampire? Please tell me Leah- what is there to he happy about"

Leah stood still and looked at Lisa who was already miles away from her. She thought of what Amy said- Yes! There was nothing to be happy about. She became a food for the vampire, her fresh was tore open and her blood was suck dry- Lisa became a prey in the hand of the monster.

"Leah- let go" Amy said after some few minutes

It was a journey of the living in the realm of the dead. They wander like a lost puppy who as lost his way. It was like they didn't know where they are going.

After hours of walking, Leah became so tired. The journey wasn't an easy one- it was something more complicated. So she paused and began to solve the puzzle.

"Where do witches stay?" She said softly, not expecting a reply.

"A cemetery- or .... a consecrated area like a shrine" Amy replied absentminded.

"Ah! Yes"

And that light up an idea in Leah. It can't be possible to see a cemetery in Diyu.... But a shrine or a consecrated area might be possible.

So they began another phrase of their journey, the halted in front of an old shrine after hours of walking. Amy and Leah ain't best of friends but circumstances had made them one. They had formed an allegiance- one which won't last till dawn.

"Welcome" a voice said from inside the shrine

Leah looked in amusement... She was right, her whole theory had worked.

"We saw your signal of arrival, and we have been expecting you since then" another voice said

"Signal of arrival??? We made no signal" Amy said

"The pendant glowed" another voice said

"And who are you?" Leah asked the lady holding the pendant

"I'm mädchen, a Pendle witch and the keeper of jadem"

"Jadem???"

"Yes, Jadem! The staff giving to whosoever is chosen" mädchen

"Ohhhh! Staff of Jadem!" Amy exclaimed

Leah felt some sudden sadness, she saw the witches holding the candle crying. Something wasn't only wrong with Lisa- the whole ancestors are sad. Its like they are seeing something that is spoiling their mood. Leah just couldn't figure it-

"Do you know the sacrifice of being a coven leader?"

Amy nodded but Leah stood firm ready to listen to what she already know.

"Your coven must come first in everything" another witch said

Leah knew it! The rules and sacrifice had been the same even before she was born. That same rule which as destroyed down many coven.

"You coven comes first" Leah said softly, mockingly

Where as that led the witches? What have the witches achieved so far? Nothing.... Basically Nothing!

"Now, let the ritual begin" Chemola said

***

A circle was formed with candle burning like a furnace. Amy and Leah was told to step up in the circle. It was a ritual of memory- a sacrificial ritual to walk through their subconscious.

Two ancestral witches stepped up and held Leah and Amy heads individually. The ancestral witches began to sing the ancestral song- like an Ode.

Fire began to burn so great from every lamp. An invisible force ran everywhere- it wasn't magnetic nor electric- it was something more like a magical force.

The force repelled Amy from the ancestral witch who grabbed her head. That was strange- the ancestors had rejected her. She has some kind of skeleton in her cupboard, some fishy thing that had made her impure.

"Amy! Why?" An ancestral witch said