Chapter Text
“Talia Louise Craven, hurry up!”
A flash of red skipped around the room, desperate to find her second shoe as she fastened the last buckle of her uniform coat. “You know very well that is not my name, Abigail. And I am trying. I just can’t find my shoe.” Frantically looking around, the redhead was close to a nervous breakdown. Of course she had to be such a mess on an important day like this. The one time they couldn’t afford to be late.
“Tally …”
“I know, I know. Instead of lecturing me, try and help me!” Opening her wardrobe, she began to pull out piece after piece, hoping the black boot will magically appear. Magic. That’s it. Just as Tally was about to call upon her magic to retrieve her boot, she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Abigail, I swear– oh .” Dangling from her sister’s fingers was the shiny boot she had been looking for and a faint blush slowly found its way to her face. With one swift movement, she fetched the shoe only to sit down and put it on. “Now, can we go? If we are any later, Raelle might as well be there already. Do you really want to arrive later than Shitbird?”
Choosing to ignore the comment, Tally fixed her hair one last time before rushing past Abigail to get to the gathering. She was always most excited about these gatherings. Usually, big announcements would be made, honoring witches who have done exceptional work the past months. Sometimes, units would be sent to the battlefield. Tally never liked to think about them as an army. If anything, she saw herself as a useful member of her coven, wanting nothing more than to improve their lives. Unfortunately, every now and then it included fighting. Abigail was far more excited about that type of announcement. Any chance to use her powers was good enough for her. And then there was their other sister, Raelle. If she was being honest, Tally was sure that the blonde witch only stuck around because of them; because they were her family. The thought never failed to warm her heart but also make her feel sadness for the other woman.
Witches of all ages entered the main hall of Fort Salem, gathering around the grand tree that has grown for hundreds of years. There were whispers all around them, sharing presumptions regarding tonight's gathering. Fires illuminated the hall, and just as Tally and Abigail found Raelle and got to their places in the first row, the flickering of the flames announced the arrival of their coven leader.
Petra Bellweather had a stern look on her face as she approached the middle of the hall. A group of guards was following her, in their middle a woman in shackles. Tally gasped when she realized who that woman was. Leaning over, she speaks quietly enough for only her sisters to hear. “Abi, do you know what’s going on? What are they doing?” But the young Bellweather had no answer. Whatever was going on, Petra had not informed her daughter and that is enough for Tally to know that nothing good could happen.
The hall fell silent, the only sounds coming from the shackles.
Petra stepped forward, her insignias shining proudly against her uniform – gold against dark green. “Witches, tonight is not a night of celebration. Tonight, we will not honor those who have contributed to our coven.” Her gaze went around the hall, not looking for anyone but rather taking in her witches’ reactions. A few whispers echoed between the walls but they soon faded again when their leader turned towards the shackled woman. “Tonight, you will witness the execution of Nicte Batan. A reminder for you that every betrayal has consequences. As many of you know, Nicte Batan had been a key part in defeating our most dangerous enemy. Tonight, she will be stripped of that praise.”
Tally felt her heart beating wildly in her chest, a feeling of panic spreading through her body. What kind of punishment was Petra talking about? Nicte was still a witch, one of their sisters. Tally had spent several years learning under the older witch, learning about history and how to make good use of her powers.
“Nicte Batan has been caught conspiring against her kind. Her coven . It is the highest treason and she will pay the highest price. Her life for the lives of her sisters .” The words tasted like venom and Tally immediately started to feel sick. No. This couldn’t be true.
“This is wrong.”
“Be quiet, Tally. You will get yourself in trouble.”
“But they can’t just kill her.”
“Tals, Abigail is right you should–”
“NO!”
Her voice echoed through the hall, drawing all attention towards her. The witches closest to them seemed frightened, but all the redhead saw was the angered look on their leader’s face and the surprised, almost pleased, expression on Nicte’s face. Now or never.
Abigail gripped her arm, trying to hold her back but Tally had already made up her mind. Taking a deep breath, channeling every bit of confidence she has in her body, the young witch stepped forward, slow but steady. She could feel that all eyes were on her and she couldn’t blame them. If anyone else had decided to speak up, her eyes would be on them as well. It wasn’t everyday that a witch, especially one of the younger ones, would dare to speak up against their leader. “Tally Craven, what are you doing?” She met the cold eyes of the woman that had been like a second mother to her, the woman who had given her a new home after her own mother told her to leave and never come back.
“This is wrong. Killing her would be a waste. Have we not lost enough already? Hasn’t there been enough blood?” Tally felt her power surging under her skin but quickly shook it off. She would not lose it so easily, she couldn’t. Behind her, she could hear Abigail and Raelle still trying to stop her but she wouldn’t listen. Why didn’t anyone else see the wrongness of this? “All you do is spread fear. There has to be another way.”
“This woman has tried to betray us and you demand for her life to be spared?”
“We are all witches. We do not kill each other! Our oath–”
“An oath she has been ready to break.”
Tally fell silent at that. She knew that in a way, Petra was right. If she was telling the truth, Nicte would have broken that oath first but who could really know the truth? No one but Nicte would know.
“Step back, Tally, so we can proceed.”
On any other day, the red haired witch might have obeyed. Might have followed the rules and stick to the things she knows. But not today. Today, Tally would finally stand up for what was right. She would not stand back and watch the life of a witch being wasted. “No.”
“Craven?”
“I said no. If you want to kill her, you will have to do the same thing to me first.”
Once again she could feel the power surge inside of her, magic almost painfully prickling on her fingertips. Tally, although young and not as experienced as others, was a powerful witch, unstoppable with her sisters. But she was on her own now. This was her fight and she kept telling herself she was prepared for this. If this is how she would give her life, at least she would be able to say it had been in honor of trying to do the right thing. All she had ever wanted to do.
Petra looked over at the guards, a curt nod directed at them before one of them began to step towards her. She knew she had to act quickly now. Tally snapped her fingers, the sounds echoing across the distance and stopping the guard in their tracks. With a quick flick of her wrist, she worked the shackles around Nicte’s wrists and ankles loose enough for her to take care of them herself. Nicte would die, but not today.
“This is treason! You will be put under arrest!”
Before any of the witches could react, a power came from the prisoner’s direction, stopping every witch in their tracks. No word is spoken but the look on the traitor’s face tells Tally enough. Thank you for freeing me, Red. This will not be forgotten. It is time to leave now. And the redhead nodded.
In the distance, the sound of a thousand wings drew closer. A moment later the hall was filled with bats. As the witches tried to fend them off, no one noticed how Nicte managed to disappear, except for Tally Craven.
In that moment she knew she had to do the same. She had to leave or else she would end up like the older witch. This was the end, this was how she lost her home. Again. The shouts of Abigail and Raelle reached her but Tally acted quickly. One last look at them, gaze full of pain and regret for letting them down, her sisters stopped in their tracks.
“I am so sorry.” She didn’t know if they even heard her, if they would even believe her. One moment she was looking at them and then she was gone. This was the last time she would see her beloved home, her coven, her sisters. Running outside, she stole one of the horses, setting off without ever looking back.
Four days had passed since her treason.
She arrived in a small village called Dhales at the break of dawn of the second day after her escape, completely exhausted and tired. Tally knows the village, knows some of the people living in it and easily found a place to stay for the time being. “Stay as long as you need to,” her friend Milena had told her but the redhead assured her she wouldn’t stay for too long. It was only a matter of time before they would find her. She knew this would only be a temporary solution, staying so close to the Fort only meant that they would have no trouble finding her. And not only did she want to avoid being caught, she also didn’t want anyone in this village to be in danger because of her.
Most hours of that day had been spent sleeping, only getting up when Milena brought her something to eat and new clothes. Tally, you cannot walk around in that uniform all the time. Here, take some of my clothes. Eternally grateful, she thanked her dear friend and ate only to go back to sleep. Soon enough, day turned into night again.
It was during her second day in Dhales that she could feel a shift. Tally had refrained from using her powers, knowing they would leave a trace for any witch within a certain radius to find her. Early in the morning, the redhead got dressed in the clothes her friend has given to her – a beautiful red skirt with a matching waist long jacket and a plain white blouse. The golden embroidery on the edges of the jacket and the top of the skirt made her feel almost too regal for this small village. With a plain red scarf, she pulled back her hair. The only thing she kept from her once beloved coven was the golden necklace that beared the symbol of her sisterhood, a delicate tree
And so she had made her way into the nearby woods to pick up some mushrooms and whatever else could find on her way. While she was staying, she wanted to be as useful as she could be and picking up ingredients for their meals was the least she could do.
She was humming an old song, a song she still remembers her mother singing to her when storms were raging outside to put her mind at ease. The song had never failed to make her feel secure and in times like these, when there was no place to call home, Tally needed nothing more than this comfort and security. Did her mother think about this song, too? Did she sing it and think of her? Shaking her head, she decided it was best not to think about it at all.
Just as she was about to pick up some fresh flowers, she could feel something in the air, the wind carrying it right towards her. Gasping, she almost dropped her basket, anxiously looking around. Goosebumps spread across her arms and she knew it was time to leave. Quickly.
As fast as she could, she ran back to her friend’s house, dropping off the basket before looking for the bag that contained the very few of her belongings. “Milena? Milena, it is time for me to leave.”
The brunette came out of the room that belonged to her, visibly confused. “You have barely been here for two days. Tally, what is going on?”
“I told you I wouldn’t stay for long. It is time. Thank you so much for your help.” Finding her back, Tally went over to her friend to hug her before moving to the door. With her hand on the handle already, she stopped and turned around once more. “Just one more thing,” she bit her lower lip, hesitating for a moment. “If anyone reaches out to you and asks if you have seen me, don’t tell them I was here.”
“But why?”
“Just trust me. I need to go now. Goodbye.”
Milena didn’t have the chance to say anything else before the red haired woman disappeared. Once outside, she began to look for her horse, Nerissa. She had allowed some of the villagers to borrow her mare to help with their work and part of her felt guilty for taking that from them but there was no way she would make it far without her horse. Tally found her on one of the fields and after apologizing a million times, she mounted her mare and took off into the woods.
Quietly, Tally used some magic on Nerissa to enhance her stamina and guided her to the most southern area of the realm. A dangerous decision as it would leave a trace but she would be long gone before anyone would notice.
For a whole week, she barely rested. A few nights, she encountered travelers, joining them at their fires, telling them stories of how she wanted to visit her poor mother who fell several days ago. As much as the lie pained her, the truth would have been far more dangerous. A witch on the run, people would worry, would try to turn her over to her coven in hopes of a valuable reward. It was better this way. If they encountered the other witches, all they would be able to tell was the lovely night they spent with a worried daughter on the road.
Well into her third week on the run, the young witch arrived in the first larger town. It was easier to hide here, people being used to strangers and knowing when to mind their own business. And with the clothes she still wore – praise the Goddess for a friend like Milena – people saw nothing more than a farmer's daughter. Once upon a time, that might have been the truth.
With no way to pay for a room, Tally found a lovely Inn that let her work for a small room to stay at. She didn’t need much, of course, and easily agreed to the terms. She would help the innkeeper’s wife in the morning, cleaning and preparing breakfast and during the day she would help out at the innkeeper’s tavern. The evenings and nights, however, belonged to her.
In the evenings, she would walk around town, partake in dances and games the younger ones would play before bed. For a while. it was easy to forget that she was on the run, that there would be witches just waiting to catch her. Some nights, she would go to bed early only to read one of the books she borrowed from a small bookshop – a friend of the innkeeper’s wife. Those nights, she felt most as if nothing had changed. As she was still at Fort Salem, her sisters sleeping next door while she was reading ancient stories about times long forgotten.
Her sisters would always make fun of her for reading up on the old stories, claiming that they aren’t of importance anymore but Tally didn't agree. There was so much to learn from these stories, so much to explore. Magic, history, prophecies … Abigail liked to call her a walking history book with how much she has memorized.
Now, in this town, all Tally read were the stories of simple people. Dreams and hope for a happy end, a better life. Some histories of Kings and Queens, but nothing that could ever compare to the stories she had grown to love. She missed it, of course, her home. But there was no way she could go back. Not any time soon, maybe after a few years have passed.
Saddened by the thought, she decided to stay in that night while she could hear music faintly playing in the distance. She could get used to this life, the work, the people. One day, she could even be happy to not use magic again. But deep down she knew it would never come to this. There was only so much time left before she would leave again. And she would miss this place, would miss the people, would miss the kindness they showed a stranger.
As if she had known it – she could still hear Raelle calling her a seer – her time to leave had come a few days later.
Word spread that a group of witches would soon reach town. One of the traders had encountered them, saying they would arrive within the next hour. Tally was working in the tavern, setting down a plate when a group of men talked about it. She tried her best to stay calm, to not let them see how much it actually affected her. Those witches could be looking for her or maybe they didn’t even belong to her coven. She could stay and pray to the Goddess that they would not run into her but was it a risk worth taking?
“Bernard, would you mind terribly if I went home earlier?”
“Are you unwell?”
“A little. I would rather go and lie down.”
The elderly man nodded at her, understanding. “Ask Alyssa to make some of her grandmother’s soup. You will be feeling better in no time.” Eyes began to water as she knew she would not go back to her room to stay. She would grab her things, maybe leave a note for them, and be gone before anyone would even notice.
Tally ended up doing just that. She quickly wrote a note with a false excuse for her rushed disappearance and placed it on top of the book whe failed to return herself. In that note, she mentioned that she would leave Nerissa with them, knowing they would care for her dear mare. It was with a heavy heart that she decided to leave her behind but she was close enough to her destination that she wouldn’t need her anymore. Her life would be better in this small town.
At the other end of the town, five figures appeared. Tally would never have the chance to find out that those witches weren’t looking for her.
The young redhead spent the following two days in the woods. The path would take longer but she was better hidden and so she deemed it worth it. What was a day or two in comparison to the plan display she would go through if she walked along the trader’s path?
The nights, however, were much colder than expected. Tally refrained from lighting a fire to keep herself warm, not wanting to attract unwanted attention. But that second night, and hours of teeth shattering in the silence of the woods, Tally caved and put on a fire. A small usage of magic, not strong enough to be carried by the wind. The scarf she usually wore in her hair had been loosened and draped around her shoulders, offering some more warmth. An hour later, the witch managed to fall into a dreamless sleep.
It couldn’t have been long since she fell asleep but her night came to an end when she heard the growls and the howls of a wolfpack far too close. Had she been in a different situation, she would have simply used her magic to protect herself but it was too risky. She waited and waited but when she finally heard the steps coming closer, Tally didn’t waste time. Deciding she couldn’t carry her bag along if she wanted to get away quickly, she threw it into the flames with a pain in her heart that wouldn’t heal any time soon. And then she ran.
She ran and ran, the heavy sound of wolves running after her ringing in her ears. Tally had a good head start but she knew it was only a matter of time before the animals would get to her. And if she had to use her magic, she had no doubt she would be found soon. She had to think faster.
She ran and ran, and suddenly the sounds behind her faded. How strange.
Tally stopped dead in her tracks, turning around to see what was happening. There was no way she had been fast enough to outrun them this much but when she turned around, she could barely make out how the pack retreated. This couldn’t be a good sign.
In the distance, a quiet roar echoed through the night. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, fear spreading through the young witch. Slowly, she turned back to see what the wolves had feared so much and that was when she realized where she was. The Dead Lands. The forbidden realm, home of the lost.
Witches were forbidden from entering these lands but how much worse could things get? She had nowhere to go and if she was to die, she might as well choose how.
She continued to walk, breath shaky and hands clinging to the edges of her dark red jacket. As the roars grew louder, her steps quicked again. There was no doubt that she was walking towards the source of it, such a bad idea. Tally barely had time to turn around and walk into a different direction as a loud roar echoed right over her head. A dark shadow stole more of her sight, freezing the blood in her veins.
This couldn't be true.
Tally tried to run but after two steps the earth began to shake, pulling her down to her knees as the roaring echoed right in front of her, the breeze of the large creature’s breath forcing her to fall back on her hands. When she finally managed to open her eyes properly, she gasped loudly.
Right in front of her was a majestic, but most frightening dragon, seemingly ready to eat her alive. On its back, she could barely make out the silhouette of a woman commanding the beast.
Tally Craven had managed to run right into the arms of someone she had only ever read stories about: a dragon rider.