Hurt, Hope and Healing

Gwen came to her front door and began to unlock the door, she had three locks on her door with different keys. "My legs are tired. My hands are tired. My eyes are tired. My head is tired." She said her complaints like rhyme. "My nose is tired. Even the mouth speaking is tired." She finally finished the third lock and she pushed at the door knob. She stepped into her lobby and snapped her fingers. The lights in the lobby came on. "I would pick Waylon up tomorrow morning." Gwen threw her handbag to the hanger at the corner of the room and kicked off her heels. She undid the first button of her silk blue shirt. "I'd leave these here, I'd pick 'em up tomorrow morning. It is not like Germaine would bother coming tonight." She shrugged and began walking lazily through the hallway.

Germaine loves everywhere tidy and arranged, spick-and-span all the time. Things always had to be where he had placed them. Gwen is a little different. She just wants a clean environment where she can see what she needed without struggle. Arranging was always left to when she could get around to it. Life at the Apothecary could get really busy, and she always wanted to show up for her children whenever they needed her. By the time Waylon could crawl, setting the house up to Germaine's standard was reduced to a futile attempt. And so this was one bone of contention between her and Germaine.

"Is that where the divide between us started?" Gwen stopped in her stride. Before Waylon, she had tried constantly to live up to Germaine's standards and do things as he liked them. Dayne had been a proper child and so there was not much strain. But when sweet and agile Waylon came around... "Oh please, my head is too tired to think these thoughts now." She kicked the thoughts out of her head.

Gwen came to her living room. As she lifted her hands to snap her fingers, the lights came on. Someone else had snapped instead.

"Madre!" Gwen gasped as her hands flew to her mouth.

Seated in her living room was Lady Olivia Mastin and Janessa's parents, Lord Vincent Andell and Dame Sibyl Andell, they were army veterans. Olivia had been the headmistress of Dalphia when Gwen and Janessa attended Dalphia. "Madre" was a nickname she and Janessa had given the old lady because of how she used to nag them years back.

Lady Olivia, the oldest among them all, pointed to the cushion beside her. "Sit with us, Gwendoline."

"Oh...yeah...of course." Gwen took her seat. "Good evening, my Lord, my Dame." She greeted them. She exchanged pleasantries with the Andells.

"I see you have dropped Dayne and Kelila at Dalphia." Olivia said.

How does Madre know Kelila? Alarms were going off in Gwen's head.

Sibyl chuckled, "Oh Dayne is grown already. How old is he now?"

"Nineteen." Gwen replied with a polite smile.

"That's wonderful." Janessa's mother, Sibyl was always the cheery one.

"But who is Kelila though?" Vincent asked.

Gwen's saliva caught in her throat. Olivia smirked at her. Gwen cleared her throat to speak. There's no way Olivia knows. "Kelila is my ward."

In Paxisia, one could take up the responsibility for another child's education process. The sponsor is addressed as the guardian, and the child is addressed as the ward.

"Oh you have a ward." Sibyl commented. "That's a wonderful thing to do. Takes a heart of gold to do that, you know."

Gwen just smiled politely.

Olivia tapped her foot on the marble floor. "Gwendoline, I don't got time to be nice. Tell them the truth now!" Olivia looked at her sternly.

"Madre?" Gwen looked to Olivia. Gwen searched Olivia's eyes. She definitely knows something.

"Olivia, is there something you need us to know?" Vincent asked.

Olivia stood up then. "Janessa's alive!"

A sharp feeling of shock bounced on the room. Sibyl's face went pale. Vincent closed his eyes and took steady breaths. The parents had known Lady Mastin even before they had their kids and they knew she was not one to joke around.

Silence hung heavily in the room. Gwen figured she might as well drop the next bomb and let the Andells handle the both bombs at once.

"Kelila is Janessa's daughter." Gwen said without looking up, but she heard Sibyl gasp. Gwen felt so bad for them. She was at loss for words or even actions.

~|~

As much as Olivia would have loved to be nice to let the Andells absorb what they had just heard, time was not on their side now. She paced about the room a little, and then in front of the Andells.

"Vincent, Sibyl, I know this is very unsettling..."Olivia began to say, but Vincent cut her off.

"You too know that unsettling is an understatement, Olivia." Annoyance was beginning to cloud Vincent's features. "What? You brought my wife and myself here to show us how we have messed up at parenting?"

Olivia was taken aback, "No, Vincent, I would never insult you or Sibyl." She respected them, even though they were younger than she. They led lives of integrity that was visible to all.

Vincent was trying hard not to lose his cool. "Then why did you bring me here and tell me my daughter is alive and I have a granddaughter and you have none of them to show to me?!!" His voice gained volume.

"Oh Vincent." Sibyl began to cry. Vincent wrapped his arms protectively around her and looked back to Olivia. "Tell me something, Olivia." His voice was calmer now.

Olivia sat back down. "I got the news of Janessa's ill health in the mountains of Lavenia where I reside. Queen Bella brought the news to me herself. She too was terribly disturbed. She told me that she had received the news at your house."

"Yes...yes. We let Sebastian tell her the truth about it since she's been like a catercousin to Janessa since their years at Dalphia." Sibyl recalled.

Gwen just sat in silence.

"It was terrible news indeed, but I had to see for myself. I earth-scoured for Janessa many times before I finally found her." Olivia said.

Vincent and Sibyl looked perplexed. "But my wife did that countless times and we didn't find her." Vincent said.

One of the powers one could attain using Earth Magic is to be able to find the location of any person on the earth with something that connected deeply with the person while being seated in one spot. That is what Earth-scouring means.

"I did find her. You did not find her, Sibyl because you were drunken with fear and sorrow. I know they say emotion could drive magic, but that is not always the case. It could make magic hazy too. Knowing this, I went beyond my emotions with my magic and I found her. Now I want you to do the same. Right here and now." Olivia tapped the floor with her foot to emphasize her words. Everyone in the room only just stared at her. "C'mon now, Sibyl."

Sibyl pulled away from her husband and wiped her tears with the back of her hands. She looked around the room, they were all waiting on her. She closed her shut and there she was standing above the Earth's globe.

Gwen looked around the room, there were lights of green and blue being projected from Sibyl's body. The white lights had gone out, just the earth lights were left. On the walls of the room were projected what Sibyl was seeing.

Sibyl could see all of Paxisia on the left side of the globe and all of Lavenia on the right side. Now she just needed to find her child. "Janessa." She whispered. "There is a pretty land I love." She began to sing the lullaby she always sang for her girl. "It's the prettiest with the prettiest laurels. It is the head that lies on my lap. Sleep, sleep, child. Rest on, my child."

The song began to reverberate.

There is a pretty land I love

It's the prettiest with the prettiest laurels

It is the head that lies on my lap

Sleep, sleep, child

Rest on, my child.

Soon, Sibyl began to hear it a gentle heartbeat going along with the rhythm of lullaby. She knew that sound. She heard it whenever she carried Janessa. She heard it whenever Janessa hugged her, she was sure of it. Diving deeper than her despair, running through earthly lights, she followed the sound to Paxisia through the regions to tenth region of Diesel Town to the shack just before the wilderness and she stopped. Sibyl's eyes flung open and all the light and images went out. The room returned to normal. "I found her. My child. Janessa." She smiled at Olivia and Gwen and then her husband. 

"So, Vincent," Olivia saw a flicker of hope in Vincent's eyes now, "please take us to where she saw."

" Yeah." Vincent smiled. "But we should step outside. I don't think Gwen's roof opens."

"No, it doesn't." Gwen could finally smile now.

They all went out to the balcony and stood in a circle. Vincent closed his eyes, took Sibyl's hands and opened her mind to see Janessa's location. Everywhere around them was lit up again with green and blue lights. Vincent opened his eyes and a gentle breeze began to blow, encircling them. Sibyl's mind still projected the green and blue lights.

"Are y'all ready?" Vincent asked them. The wind was gaining momentum now. "Yes." The women chorused. "Then let's have this flight!" Then they all jumped and released themselves.

The whirlwind lifted them into the sky. The green and blue lights were flashing alternatively. It was beautiful. "Whoohoo!" Gwen hooted. She was loving this.

A little boy was licking his popsicle and strolling the streets of the Capitol City with his mother. He caught sight of the cyan light moving fast in the evening sky. "Mom, look, it's a shooting star." His mother looked at it and patted his head. "It's a fairy, my boy. Say your wish." The little boy closed his eyes and wished. And all around Paxisia and the regions on the way to Diesel Town, all who saw the cyan light said their wishes. Little did they know that they were sending up wishes to four witches who were simply on a hope ride to see their beloved.

~|~

Vincent, Sibyl, Olivia and Gwen finally came to shack just before the wilderness in Diesel Town.  The wind gently released them to the ground, just a few feet away from the shack.

Vincent began to run to the shack, with a flick of his hand, he opened the front door with a gust of wind. It was an old, shabby, dimly-lit two-roomed house. "Janessa!" The sight he met in the first room scared the life out of him - Janessa had hung her neck in a rope that had been firmly tied to a hook in the ceiling. Standing on a weak stool, his daughter was about to jump.

"Janessa!" Vincent's voice was gentler now. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Pa..pi?" Janessa's weak eyes met his.

The three other women who had walked instead now came on the scene. Sibyl was horrified by the entire sight. "Oh my soul!" She cried. How miserable her daughter looked. How shabby the entire place was. Gwen held Sibyl to steady her as her knees threatened to give way.

"Janessa, Papi's here now. Everything will be alright." Vincent moved closer to his daughter. He tried to reassure her the way he always did when she was little and scared of the dark. "Just stay still."

"No, I want to die now. There's no hope anymore." Janessa weakly said.

Olivia shook her head. "Janessa, please. Don't talk like that."

"I tried it already, the Summon of Palier." Janessa pointed to the left corner of the room. There was a white triangle drawn out with white ash with melted candle wax at its three points. "I had learnt at Dalphia that the savage should sit in the middle and wait till the third candle went out. The Spirit of Palier, the Witcher who began the whole curse of savagery will appear and heal me. And I sat since the night my child left and waited. Nothing happened, and it is another night. Maybe it is just a myth." Janessa was not bringing her neck out of the loop.

"Yes it is." Olivia replied. "I just discovered too. And there's so much more to tell..."

"There's no point for me living." Despair had consumed Janessa. "I cannot be a mother to my child. I cannot be with the man I love. I am just a nuisance. I can still feel the tight strains on my mind. I will lose it soon, but I should just end it all before then. I cannot go on living like this."

"Janessa, will you take your own life here in front of your parents?" Gwen gently said.

A tear escaped Janessa's eye, "Just cause yourself to forget you ever had a daughter." Janessa closed her eyes.

Sibyl screamed.

"No!" Vincent gasped.

Olivia waved her hand and Janessa was thrown right into the left wall of the room, uprooting the hook harshly from the ceiling. Janessa crashed to the floor. Vincent rushed to Janessa and pulled the rope over her head. He cradled Janessa in his arms. He did not mind his white shirt getting stained with dirt and blood. The side of Janessa's head that had hit the wall was bruised and blood flowed from it.

"Even in your state, you are still stubborn." Olivia clicked her tongue and crouched in front of father and daughter. "You should have let me finish."

"It's hopeless." Janessa still tried to speak.

Olivia straightened and took some steps back. She held out her hands and lightninged. Her blue iris shone so much more. There were lightnings flashing out of her hands. The sky outside began to rumble thunders. Wind danced in circles in the room and Lady Olivia Mastin stood amidst it all. The others wondered what she was doing.

"Janessa, come. Gwen, help her." Olivia shouted above the wind and lightning sounds.

"What are you doing?" Vincent shouted back.

" I can heal her. She is not a savage!" Olivia said. "I'll explain later. Come to me, child."

Gwen helped Janessa up and stood her before Olivia. Olivia was muttering something as she charged up the room. Olivia waved her hands with strength and the lightning disappeared with the wind. And in its place were little purple lights all over the room. Even Olivia's iris shone purple now, she brought her hands to Janessa's head. As her hands touched either sides of Janessa's head, Janessa fell to her knees immediately and her eyes shone purple too.

Through the purple lights about the room shone images of Janessa from infancy. Gwen, Vincent and Sibyl watched it all with teary eyes. The images moved to her adolescence to her youth, and then to adulthood. Janessa began to scream and shake vehemently, but Olivia held her steadily and kept muttering words.

Janessa tried to tear Olivia's hands away, but Olivia would not budge, she kept pressing hard. Blood began to seep through Janessa's eyes, ears and nostrils. "Janessa, c'mon stay with me." Olivia said. "We're almost there." Olivia could feel blood running to her own nose, she sniffed hard. The magic was taking a lot of energy from her too, but they were so close to Janessa being fully restored. Olivia released a shout as she mustered all of her last strength and she pulled her hands from Janessa with great force.

All the lights went out and Olivia crashed to the floor with Janessa.

"They're both out!" Sibyl exclaimed in the dark. "Did it work?" She asked.

Vincent, Sibyl and Gwen moved closer to Janessa and Olivia.

Gwen was the medical one among them. She made a light ball and she threw it up to hang and light up the room. She tore a sleeve of her shirt and used it to clean up the blood on Janessa's face and head. She noticed the bruise on the side of Janessa's head was healed. "The bruise she got from hitting the wall is healed." She told the parents.

Vincent looked at her with expectation. " Is that a good sign?"

Gwen didn't answer, she checked Janessa's pulse at the corner of her neck, it was stable. She put a finger to Janessa's nose to check her breathing. As if on cue, Janessa sneezed. Gwen left her immediately and moved to Olivia's body. As she cradled Olivia's head to examine, Olivia's eyes flung open.

"Whatcha about to do, child?" Olivia jumped up to her feet and smiled at Gwen. "How's she?" She asked Vincent and Sibyl who were now holding Janessa. Janessa slowly opened her eyes.

"I don't feel the strain anymore. My head feels oddly cool and light." Janessa said as she sat up.

Sibyl laughed and hugged Janessa. "Oh my child."

Vincent smiled his thanks to Olivia. Gwen waited for her turn to hug her friend.

"Mother." Janessa cried in her mother's arms.

Vincent patted her back. "It's all okay, now. Don't cry." He stood up.

Sibyl helped Janessa to her feet. Janessa moved to Gwen and they hugged tightly. When they pulled back, Gwen chuckled. "You are absolutely filthy."

Janessa laughed back before she turned to Olivia. "Madre, thank you."

"Oh, puh-lease. When I am done telling you all I did for you, you will have a lot of thanks to say to me." Olivia grinned. "There's a lot on our plate with little time on our side. We must be cautious." Olivia was serious now.

"And there's a lot you have to explain to us, Olivia." Vincent said, matching Olivia's tone.

"And I will do that in due time. Janessa needs to rest this week. I will return next week." Olivia said sternly. "Tell no one about Janessa. There is an evil arising and we must be careful not to sell ourselves out to our enemies. I will return to the mountains of Lavenia and be back next week."

They all began to walk out of the shack.

"What of Janessa's magic? It was withdrawn from her years ago." Gwen stopped midstride.

"Don't worry about that. It is even good that it was taken." Janessa said dryly. Everyone stopped and looked at her in surprise. She shrugged. "There's a lot you all do not know."

"Okay, we would let you rest this week. Then we would share knowledge." Olivia said. With her eyes, she made sure to send the you-better-keep-nothing-from-me signal to Janessa. Janessa simply nodded.

When they were a few feet from the shack, Vincent stood in a circle with Sibyl, Janessa and Gwen. Olivia stood alone and with the wind they began their separate flights.

When Olivia was high above the shack, she looked down and threw a fireball. The whole shack burst in flames. "Mastin out!" She said smugly.