Diamond Storm

Casandra lay in her bed, the straw slightly irritating against her skin. A soft wind blew against the glass pane. Her mother had told her that there was a storm coming. Her mother said this every night, so that was not so strange. But this time there was something in her voice, something Casandra never heard before, a hint of fear. The wind outside her window picked up a little, Casandra listened to it while her head was spinning. Her mother was not a woman that was easily scared of something as a Crystal Witch of the Diamond Clan, she was a master in predictions off storms. Casandra's hand went to her own neckless, containing a diamond. Maybe someday she will take over her mother's place in the Diamond clan, but for now she had a lot to learn as a Maiden of Diamond. She closed her eyes and sleep overtook her.

******

She shot upright, instantly awake. Did she hear that correctly, or was it part of some bad dream? The stamping of hooves, the flapping of heavy wings.
"Casandra get up, Crystal Ryders !" Casandra cursed slightly, crystal Ryders was another name for a demon race, the Cenitry. Casandra jumped out of bed and ran out of her bedroom. She stood now in the living room of her childhood home, others then by the other clans, the members of the diamond clan didn't live in a palace of white Oil Stone. Casandra looked around, she saw her mother nowhere, was she already outside protecting the villagers with no magic of their own? There was only one way to find out. But Casandra hesitated for a moment, although she was a great student and had learned the basics of the diamond magic as fast as she could, she was not skilled enough to call up a decent attack. She could produce one single string of lightning at a time, but that was it. She knew that she needed more to defeat a Cenitry still she straightened her back and slapped herself in the face. What was she thinking? There were people in this village who didn't have her magic, still they faced those winged beasts. She said a prayer to the Nameless God and ran through the dark chestnut front door, the full moon cast a ghostly light on the village. Casandra frowned, where were the Cenitry and where was her mother? A villager came running, the woman had blood on her face and hands. She looked at Casandra, Casandra knew the woman, she was also a member of the diamond clan, a crystal witch.
"Lady Vasava, what happened?" Stupid question, of course, the Crystal Ryders that happened. The woman shook her head, Lady Vasava was one of Casandra's teachers.
"O Maiden Casandra, I am so sorry. I am so sorry." The trembling in Lady Vasava's voice made her anxious, but what was the woman sorry for?
"What do you mean, Lady Vasava?" Not sure if she wanted an answer.
"Your mother, child. The Cenitry took the Storm Mage of Diamond." Casandra's heart sunk, her mother was taken by the Cenitry. Lady Vasava did a small step towards her. "I did my best to protect her, like the others of the clan. But it was for not, everyone dead, every crystal witch. There is nobody left, but you." Casandra's eyes widened. Every crystal witch in the village, dead, but Lady Vasava was not dead. She was here talking to her. Before Casandra could say this, the woman fell over and drew her last breath. Casandra sack down towards the ground. This couldn't be, she was truly alone. Tears streamed down over her cheeks, her body shook heavily.

******

After a while, Casandra dried her tears. She could morn the loss of her people later, now she needs to go find the Cenitry and free her mother out off their claws. She hit the black earth with her fist before she got up. Other villagers were standing around her, not knowing what to do. She was maybe the only witch living in the village, but all knew she was just a student of magic, not ready to lead them.
"I am going to free my mother, pray to the Nameless god that I will succeed. If I am not back when the moon is full again, go to a village nearby. Because that will mean that I have failed my mission." A man stepped out of the crowed.
"Maiden Casandra, I can't let you do that." Casandra looked at the man, it was her father.
"What other choice do I have. I am just a Maiden, not ready to lead or protect you."
"You always have a choice, daughter. You are your mother's daughter, you will become a great leader someday if you stay and learn." Casandra shook her head, without somebody to guide her, she doubted his words.
"I hear you father, still you need mother not me." She turned away and walked into her house to change. She didn't spend much time to her clothing and putting some salted bread and dry meat in her traveling pouch. The place were the Cenitry live and probably took her mother was not far, two weeks travel at most. For maybe the last time, she looked around her childhood home and left. Nobody in the village tried to stop her, maybe they knew that she was right. They didn't need her, they needed her mother.
"Casandra, please wait." She turned around, she was almost at the kicked down gate of the village. Her father came running towards her, he had something in his hands. "Take this, I wanted to give you this when you reached the rank of Lady." He gave her a kunia made of diamond. "You maybe already know this, but in the other clans, the crystal witches have staffs. Because they are more scholars than warriors, the witches of the diamond clan are using instead of the staff a weapon made of diamond." Casandra nodded, of course she knew this, it was the basic lore of the clan. "This kunia was from my mother, the last Storm Mage, before your mother." She looked at the weapon in her hands, there was no doubt there was magic in the weapon. But will she be able to control it, she didn't speak her doubts out loud and put the weapon away.
"Thank you father." She said and went on her way.

******

Casandra wiped the pearls of sweat from her forehead, she has being walking for two weeks and the Black Grasslands, the home of the Cenitry straight out in front of her. The black grass like in the name danced with the soft wind, a few trees with black leather leaves stood in little groups in the large landscape. It was beautiful all was it in a dark twisted way, Casandra had no time to admire the view. She had a mission and for the sake of her village, she must free her mother and bring her back. She stepped out of the dark green forest that surrounds the grassland. Casandra kept her eyes on the black obsidian mountains, that where on the other side of the grasslands. Quickly she wished that she had waited for nightfall, the sun high in the sky burned without mercy on her head. Still she kept on walking, knowing if she turned around she kept walking back until she was home.
Casandra came close to a group of the trees and walked towards the shade, it didn't help much, but it was better than nothing. She put her back to the trunk of the tree and sat down, in her traveling pouch she had a one piece of meat left. Luckily, she did pick some berries and harvest some mushrooms, praying that they were not poisonous. She putted the piece of meat in her mouth and she looked around. This grassland was in the center of the continent, further in the black mountains, the mountains are changing color from black to blue. As far as Casandra knew, the mountains were home to the Sodilite Village and the Amber Village. In the east there was the Moonstone Village. In the west, there were the Chrysoprase Village and the Agate Village. Casandra dragged herself up, the meat was up and she sat her long enough. She needed to keep in mind that she was on Cenitry terrain. She started walking again, in her head repeating the story her mother told her when she was a child. The story always told her that the Cenitry lived at the center of the Black Grasslands near the black lake.

******

The burning sun started to set and Casandra saw that the black lake was near. But what she saw beyond the lake drew her eyes wide open. On the other side of the lake was a town, bigger than she had ever seen, and she didn't doubt for a moment that the city was bigger than that of the moonstone village. The wall surrounding the town was made from purple stone, possible fluoride, and the big gate was made from shining silver. Was this the place where the Cenitry lived? She looked at the houses near the wall, and those were too small for the big creatures. Those looked like they were build for humans, and those walked past the gate. Casandra walked over the hill, were those humans aware of the danger they were in if the Cenitry found them here. She saw that a man looked through the gate towards her, he pointed, and more men came towards the gate. The men run through the gate and as soon they were past the gate, they transformed. The men were no longer human, what came running towards her were Cenitry. The onyx skinned creatures with their horse shaped bodies and bat like wings came towards her and she was to stunned to move. The first Cenitry came to a halt right in front of her and looked down, his red ruby eyes locked into her light fluoride purple once.
"Witch." He said with a low growl, enough to make her tremble. "What are you doing at Moondoor?" Moondoor was probably the name of the town.
"You." Her voice trembeld horibaly. "You're kind went trough my village two weeks ago and took my mother." The Cenitry looked at her, did she saw admiration in his eyes?
"Witch, daughter of Nikitan. Witch is brave to come to here. Well I will take you to our leader. Selina de Mesniel the witch of Flouride." Casandra's neckhair went straight up, she knew the stories about the cursed Goddes of Solidite. But still she went with the Cenitry to the town. Again she was suprised about the facht that when they walked through the gate the men changed back into humans. "Our leader, enchented the gate so we will be normal here. We know she is the reason we are what we are but still she made up for it." Casandra didn't asked for an explonation still she was glad that she had one.
"May I ask, what is your name sir?" The man laughed.
"How formale, witch. But my name is Elos Thunderhoove and what is yours, witch?"
"Casandra Tūphāna." Elos nodded and the walked on. Casandra's gaze was constenly grabbed by the normality of this town. Women doing grosseries and took care of small children. The older childeren were playing in the streets. All of them were wearing flouride jewelry and some even practiced magic.
"Naeam, Casandra those children and woman are all Crystal mages. Like yourself and your mother. We steal other crystal jewelry from other villages to add more magic to their skills." It was when he said it that she also saw a woman wearing a Solidite neckless.
"But that is impossible. The magic of one crystal will cancel out the other." Elos shook his head and pointed to a young boy who practiced water and fire magic at the same time. Casandra stopped waking an looked to the child.
"That there is my sisters son, Casandra. Seba and he will become a crystal mage and warrior of our clan. He is the pride of our family." Casandra could see why even at his young age the body was already in good shape with mussles as steal.
"Do you know why my mother is here, Elos." He nodded.
"To teach, our leader has learned us all the other elements, but she admits she fell short when it comes to lighting. So she orderd that we bring your mother to her."
"Did she also order the slaughter of the rest of the crystal Witches. My mother and I are now the only once left." Elos shook his head.
"We ride out with the attention not to spill to much blood. Still this is not always something we can keep. Like with your people, they fought hard and we saw no other option then to kill."
"You were there?" This time he nodded, he didn't look at her and for the first time they met each other she really looked at him. He still had the onyx black skin but instead of his horse but he had human legs. His privat parts were coverd with a warriors cloth, on his belt hang two large sabards made from dark flouride. He had an eye patch that covered his left eye above the patch he had a scar. He looked up and sighed
"Come Casandra, our leader awaits you arrival." She nodded and they pressed one.

******

They walked in to a oil stone palace, the dark chestnut double door closed behind them. She looked to the doors, there were flouride set in the dark wood. Elos patted on her arm and the walked through the high hallway all made from a oil stone. A purple carpet lay over the floor and dempered their footsteps. They came out on to a dark chestnut dubble door both opened when they stood infront of it. It came out in a large round room, in the center of the room stood a platform with one that a throne. On the throne sat a woman, without a doubt it this was Selina de Mesniel. Next to the woman stood her mother, her light purple eyes where looking suprised at her daughter.
"Casandra, whar are you doing here?" Casandra looked to her mother.
"I am here to save you, but it looks like yout don't need it." Her mother frowend slightly.
"I wouldn't put it that way. I am still here againt my will and now you are here. I have no means to reject the hostpitalty they gave me untill now." Casandra looked around the room and let her head fall.
"Father was right, I had a choice to stay and lead our people but I doubted myself. Like I always do." Her mother nodded and sighed.
"Who is leading our village now?"
"No one, all the crystal witches are dead. Only you and I are left." Selina stood up of the throne and looked towards Casandra's mother.
"Elos is this true are all the Crystal witches of the Diamond Clan dead?" He nodded.
"Naeam, they are."
"Storm Mage Nikitan Tūphāna, I may need you here. But your village needs you." Casandra looked at the two woman. "I will send a few of my loyal creatures with you, deliver you home safely." Casandra saw her mother nodded.
"And my daughter?"
"Mother, I am no leader material. So maybe I can do what I can to help here." Her mother looked suprised.
"Help?"
"Teaching. When I walked through the town I saw a boy practicing fire and water magic. Elos told me that you were here to teach those Crystal mages, which they them here." Her mother looked at Seline.
"So you have not abonden that idea. You still want to bring the whole conntinent under your rule." Selina nodded.
"I still am, I didn't abonden my lover and daughter for nothing. My Karianne is your daughters age now. But I don't need to confince you, I have your daughters support now." Selina pointed to Casandra, Casnadra bowed slightly and Elos walked towards her mother.
"Casandra, I will miss you daughter of my heart." said her mother when he escorted her.
"Mother, I will miss you too. But my mission was completed and I know now where my place is." Her mother nodded and the two walked out off the room.
"Casandra Tūphāna, welcome to Moondoor." Casandra nodded.
"Thank you, my lady. When will I begin my teachings." Selina laid her hand on Casandra's shoulder.
"Soon, very soon. But for now rest and eat something. Elos will return shortly and he will show you to your qaurters." Selina let her hand slight off Casandra's shoulder.
*******
As Selina said it was not long until Elos entered the chamber again.
"Casandra, please follow me. I will show you your rooms." She followed him, without looking around. She would have plenty of time for that. "I am glad you decided to stay here, Casandra. In my believes a willing teacher is better for the childeren and especially my sisters son." He stopped and turned around, in his red ruby eyes was a shimmer of hope. She wanted to huge him, but when she stepped towards him and then the image of Lady Vasava laying dead on the ground and she stepped back.
"All will be fine, Elos and I am looking forward to teaching the Crystal Mages all I know." He nodded and walked on. "And this is a choise I am standing behind."