The rebirth

Nerissa strolled casually through the streets in the small town.She had learnt not to let her naivety show anytime she was in a new town.

So she wore a red dress which she had stolen earlier that day and let her afro loose.

She knew what she was looking for and she was unsure if she could ask the natives.

She was looking for an old sorcerer.At that time, all the Orizons had at least one old sorcerer.

These old sorcerers were thought to be more experienced and knowledgeable in the art of magic.

Now these old sorcerers, being, well,old sorcerers were always in need of young people to help them both in their magical businesses and other domestic affairs. Most people dreaded the job because it meant that one would no longer have a normal life. This was because he or she would have to live with the sorcerer (or sorceress as the case may be) and the person in question would become so engrossed in the magical and ( as it often happened) would take over from the sorcerer or sorceress when he or she died.

Another discouraging factor was that if the young person in question refused to take over after his or her master's death, whatever business or career they would venture into would crash. This would continue for several years until the person either committed suicide or came back to take over the mantle.

Nerissa knew it was not the safest option, but she had to do it. In order to get the spiritual powers she needed,she had to serve an old sorcerer. The younger sorcerers were always unwilling to share their hard gotten knowledge but the older ones knew that they were going to die soon and the only way to make sure that their art did not die out or fade away was to teach the younger ones.

Nerissa knew that it would not be hard for her to get the 'job' as a sorcerer's helper, she had all the attributes they would like. She was young, quite strong and rather athletic.She could also learn fast.

The main problem was finding a sorcerer.

Nerissa finally walked up to a man who was sitting quietly by himself.

" Greetings sir" she said

"Greetings to you my daughter," the man replied.

"I am new to these parts," Nerissa said. " Could you tell me where the oldest sorcerer in these parts lives?"

The man looked at her closely, surely she was not trying to be a sorcerer's helper?

Her wild eyes looked expectantly at him.

The man was quite shaken by her eyes. You see, naturally Nerissa had big eyes, not that they were enormous but they were big. And after her family's death she acquired a certain wildness to her eyes.

The result was that anytime she stared at someone without trying to portray any emotion, her big, wild eyes gave her a rather unsettling demeanor.

"I ...I'm not quite sure I know child" the man stammered.

Nerissa's eyes narrowed with annoyance, was this idiot trying to fool her?

The man noticed her anger and quickly made amends.

"But I believe that if you ask the woman on the other side of the road," he pointed at a young woman sewing in a shed "she will know"

Nerissa took a good look at the man and walked to the woman.

"Greetings ma" she said

"Greetings my daughter," the woman replied.

"I am new in these parts," Nerissa started, "could you tell me where the oldest sorcerer can be found?"

The woman looked closely at her. Why would she want to jeopardize her future by serving a sorcerer? But it was none of her business anyways.

"Yes I can my dear " the woman replied and gave Nerissa clear directions to the place.

Nerissa trudged along a lonely path in woods.The still afternoon heat was draining her energy.

She was beginning to think that the woman had tricked her.

Oh what should we do if she ever saw her again.

Just as she was about to give up, she noticed smoke rising in the distance. She knew that the smoke couldn't have come from a forest fire, so it probably came from a house.

Most probably, the sorcerer's house. After all they were known to live in secluded places.

Nerissa hoped she wouldn't run into a witch. They were known to use the blood of the youth for their charms and Nerissa was not ready to be used for any charm.

She traced the house where the smoke was coming from.

It was a small cottage. The wood used in making it was rough looking and unpolished.

The surroundings of the cottage were rather untidy.

Well it is right in the middle of the woods, I don't expect it to be a palace Nerissa reasoned.

She walked towards the cottage nervously. She did not really know what to expect. She knew that sometimes, the sorcerers refused to accept a person as their helper and in such situations they could even harm such a person.

Nerissa had been so sure of herself but now as she walked up to the wooden door how confidence decreased drastically.

Nerissa knocked on the door; there was no response.

She knocked louder, still there was no response.

Eventually, after a couple of fruitless knocks she began to bang on the door. It seems like the only way to get the attention of whoever the inhabitant of the house was.

All of a sudden, Nerissa felt a cold hand tap her shoulder.

She jerked and pulled out her dagger from the pocket of her dress. She then turned around and saw a grey haired woman with white skin holding some herbs in her hand.

"Put that away child" the woman said in a calm, reassuring voice.

Nerissa stared at the woman for a while.

"Are you a sorceress?," Nerissa asked

"Indeed I am child," the woman replied, "and I know what you seek."

"And what do I seek?" Nerissa asked the woman, just to be sure she was dealing with a true sorceress and not a witch.

"You seek to be my helper," the woman replied "no one just wanders into a cottage in the middle of the woods unless such a person is going there for an important mission. it's not magic or sorcery, it's just common sense."

Nerissa stared at the woman.The woman's calm, green eyes locked with hers and her round ,rough looking face worked together to produce a weak smile.

"Can I be your helper?" Nerissa asked

"Yes child,"the woman replied.

So from that day, Nerissa became Solia's helper.

Taken in the round, Solia was a good woman. She went about her magical business calmly and without the aggression that sorcerers were known by. When she talked, her voice was calm and quite composed.So as the years went by Nerissa began to talk like her.The roughness in Nerissa's manner of talking left and she began to talk in a calm voice. The anger in her voice could still be felt when she was angry, but because most times,she did not shout, her anger became more sinister.It was one of the major traits that made people afraid of Nerissa.

But all that was yet to come, at the present Nerissa helped Solia with all the zeal she could muster. Nerissa would wash,tidy up the environment ,cool (Solia taught her how to cook) and fetch herbs and other things she needed. When people came to consult Solia, Nerissa would welcome them and while Solia was attending to them, Nerissa would hide behind the door and listen to them. Of course, she had been caught on one or two occasions but that did not stop her from continuing.

Solia knew that the girl was hurt for Nerissa had told her story.She also knew that Nerissa was bent on revenge.Now that was the part she was not comfortable with .

" Child," she often said to Nerissa, "sorcery is not meant to be used for wrecking havoc. It is an added advantage for us humans, it enables us to touch our world in ways which ordinarily we would not be able to."

Nerissa would nod and say that she understood but Solia knew that the girl had her own plans.

Solia tried her best to discourage Nerissa from chasing her dark aim of vengeance, she showered her with all the care she could muster but it wasn't enough.

Nerissa was obviously not ready to change her aim.

So in order to protect the noble art of sorcery from abuse,Solia decided to not teach Nerissa the deep parts of the art. She only showed her the basics and whenever she wanted to practice the deeper parts, she sent Nerissa away.

Nerissa noticed this and became frustrated after two years of learning the same spells over and over again.

"Make sure to keep your mind open when casting this spell and always keep your palm open" Solia told Nerissa for about the hundredth time.

Nerissa already knew the spell and was very sure she could cast it even in her sleep.

But she decided to do it again.

Nerissa took a deep breath and emptied her mind of distractions.

She raised her hands up and said some words in an arcane language. A slight breeze brushed some leaves.

Nerissa said another word in the same arcane language and the slight breeze increased and became a strong wind that raised the dust and made the leaves of trees dance.

Nerissa felt more energy and said the same arcane word, the wind became stronger and it started moving the trunks of trees.Nerissa had never gotten to this stage before, she decided to explore it.And so with her eyes closed and her fingers pointed up to the heavens she cast the spell again and this time tree trunks started snapping. The energy she felt was extreme, she could feel herself gaining more control over the element of the wind, she felt like she was one with it and then she…

" Stop!" Solian cried out and pushed Nerissa down.

Nerissa hit the ground with a thud, she grunted and then opened her eyes.

Solian noticed that for the first few moments after Nerissa opened her eyes,they were pure white unlike her natural brown eyes.

The child is getting stronger, Solia thought with alarm. She wondered how long she could keep Nerissa at the basics of sorcery.

It was not that Solia was too stingy with her knowledge of sorcery to pass it on to Nerissa,but she feared what she would do with the knowledge.

"Why did you stop me?!" Nerissa shouted. It was the first time she had ever shouted at Solia.

"That spell was too much for your frame" Solia lied

" I have been casting this spell for 2 years,how could it have been too much for my frame?!" She shouted, standing up with anger written all over her face.

"I know what I am saying" Solia lied again.

"No you don't!" Nerissa shouted and walked up to Solia,her hand itching to reach for her dagger and stab Solia.

Solia stood her ground calmly,

"Will you fight your mistress?" She asked calmly.

Nerissa stood where she was, torn between the need to learn from this woman and the urge to slap her right across her pale cheeks.

Nerissa sighed heavily,she would not harm her - Solia probably had a spell to protect her from physical attack. She had to be patient.

"I am but a foolish child," Nerissa said, kneeling at Solia's feet , "forgive my impatience"

Solia touched Nerissa's shoulder gently.

"I forgive you child" she said, "get up."

Nerissa stood up slowly,her face giving the impression of repentance and self reproach, but her mind burning with rage.

Nerissa tried to cry in order to further convince Solia that she was sorry, but it has been a long time since she last cried and so she just put on a long face.

"It's all right, child," Solia said, embracing her.

2 months later, a young lady came to consult Solia.

As usual, Nerissa hid behind the door listening. She couldn't afford to be in the dark concerning this particular lady for she felt that the lady carried a different magical aura.

"Why have you come here?" Solia asked

"I am a Reborn," the lady answered.

Nerissa almost gasped.Reborns were children who died several times and came back again. They could reincarnate themselves into the same family over and over again. They mostly died at a very young age and so it was odd that the lady should have stayed alive for that long.

"So what exactly do you seek?"Solia asked

"I want to leave this world soon, I have accomplished my mission" the lady replied

"So what is stopping you?" Solia asked

"A man who wishes to marry me has gotten a sorcerer to find my life- pearl" she replied

Nerissa knew what a life-pearl was. It was a Reborn's link to the spiritual world. Without it they could not continue their cycle of death and rebirth.

"So you want me to hide it for you?" Solia asked

"Yes" came the reply

Nerissa smiled where she was. She knew that a Reborn could sense when their life- pearl was in a stranger's possession and that they would obey every wish the holder made just so that they could get their life-pearl back.

She knew how she could finally get to a higher level in the arts of sorcery.

She would steal the Reborn's life- pearl from Solia and ask the Reborn to grant her power...