Audra knocked and waited attentively. A wooden peephole opened from side to side and revealed two tired eyes, green as leaves in summer, with broad black eyebrows and eyelids hidden behind elegant makeup. The peephole closed, the door opened, and a woman appeared, her hair dark and wavy like a rough sea, black as night, with some gray hair sticking out and faint wrinkles kissing her eyelids. The woman opened her mouth as if to greet her, but Audra had already wrapped her arms around her and rested her head between her shoulders.

“I’m so happy to see you.” Audra could not hold back her tears. “You won’t believe what happened to us.”

The woman patted her on the shoulder.

“Well… Just let me know how I can help you,” the woman muttered.

Audra released her and stared at her with a broad smile and moist eyes.

“What brings you here?” the woman asked.

“Aunt, you won’t believe what happened.”

“Aunt?” The woman raised an eyebrow. Her eyes widened, and she gasped. “It cannot be! Audra? Is it really you?”

“Yes, Aunt.”

“Well, come in!” Talia ordered, and Audra stepped inside. Inside, dozens of small candles burned, half of the walls were painted white, and the other half were wood with a deep varnish scent. A wide cauldron stood next to a fireplace on the wall, and in the pantry were countless transparent jars filled with grains and spices.

“Thank you so much, Aunt Talia,” Audra said.

Talia locked the door behind them and sighed. Talia’s gaze grew wider with every second. “Sit down, my dear. Would you like some tea?”

“I’ve had tea, thank you,” Audra said and leaned back in a comfortable, cushioned chair, throwing her head back and sighing. “Aunt Talia, you have no idea what happened.”

“I heard many rumors. How is your father?” Talia sat down in front of her and held her hand.

Audra swallowed. “He is dead.”

Talia’s expression changed into a mixture of surprise and sadness. “By the gods! Audra, why did you not tell me earlier?” she said in a sad voice.

“You do not know how hard it has been to come here. Kaunas is also very hurt; the only thing I got was that someone operated on his leg earlier this week, he had a bad time. I could not leave the house. It was getting infected, and he was burning with fever. Now he has no leg...”

“Kaunas? My gods…” She shook her head. “So he cannot walk?”

“No, he’s confined to a bed. I do not know if he will be able to walk again.” Audra sighed. It was time to get to the point. She cleared her throat. “Aunt, there is something important to tell you. I need your help.”

“Tell me what you need!”

“I hate to ask you, Aunt, this is very bad. I have to repay all your help when I can, but for now, things are very difficult. We have very little food. Very little, only for a week.”

“Food.”

“That’s the first thing.” She refrained from asking for more. “That’s the only thing, really.”

“And those who condemn you? Are they coming back?”Audra sighed. “Yeah, we just got a letter. They want us to pay them all at the end of three months, so that at the beginning of winter, they have everything they lost.”

Talia bowed her head. “How do you plan to do it? Could I help you?”

Thoughts raced through her mind. She had no idea how to do it, but she could not just take her money. Not that it would be enough anyway.

“Aunt, we’ll fix that, do not worry.”

“Audra, just tell me what you need. But how are you? How is Kaunas? Tell me if you have a plan.”

“I guess I’ll plant something.”

“Are your vineyards fine?”

The vineyards had burned in flames. Audra wanted to hide the truth, but surely her eyes gave her away that there was no hope.

“Audra.” She held both her hands. “Tell me your plan. And do not worry... I’ll help you.”

Audra sighed. “Aunt, to tell you the truth, it is impossible to pay this. Never, much less if we are only two.”

“But do not give up, Audra, I’m serious. I can help you. If you want, you can work with me.”

“I cannot leave Kaunas. I cannot leave him there alone and allow those bastards to hurt him.”

She remained silent. Her gaze was fixed on the burning candles, consuming as time.

“Auntie.” She looked at Talia in the eye. “There is only one thing that can be done.”

“What thing?”

“If Siwelzac dies, it will be over.”

Talia’s hand clung to Audra’s hand stronger than before, then released her.

“What do you mean?”

“If Siwelzac dies, all our problems will be over. Because of him, my father lost his mind, because of him, we lost our vineyard, and because of him, Kaunas has suffered so much. And I’m sure there are a lot more people suffering because of him.”

Talia got up and ran to the kitchen, returning with strips of incense and lit them with one of the small candles.

“Continue, Audra. Let those vibes escape. It is not good for you to have them inside. Come on, keep going.”

“He deserves the worst. He deserves to get what he did to us. And there is no other way out, Aunt, for us to be free. We have to avenge my father, and to avenge what they did to my brother.”

“Are you talking about killing him?”

“Aunt, we have to do justice. I know what the count did to you, I know what he did to many others, I know how his men behave. You know how this is, if we appeal to King Jogälion, he will not help. You know that the count is very dear to the king.”

“Do you want revenge?”

“Justice,” Audra corrected.

“You’re talking about revenge, doing things outside the law.”

“Talia, this is the right thing. The law will not do anything. The law has been blinded with its lies. Besides, maybe that’s what Dad said. The Varunas are a warrior clan. I have to do it.”

“Audra, you do not handle weapons. And even if you did, does Kaunas agree with what you think?”

“No. Well, I don’t think he cares. But I know I have to do it somehow.””Audra, as a member of the family, I tell you that what you’re thinking will not help you. It will lead you to death or worse, and you will not succeed.”

Wrong answer, she thought.

“Besides,” Talia continued, “I had a time similar to yours. And also, Siwelzac happened. You know? Right after your Uncle Otto died. Another brave Varunas. I had nothing. They took away my nobility title. You know what they did to all of us who came from the East at that time. Looking back, it was for the best. Times have changed. I had nothing. I boiled with hate. I felt it. But I realized I didn’t have to do anything. I went back to my life, to rebuild it. Sometimes, being of a noble family means nothing. Especially after the fortune we were born into is lost. But you can start again. If you want to get into trouble, you’ll only find more trouble. And you can never escape.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Audra, you should organize and work, ask for help. Maybe not from the king, but there are other noble families.”

“Talia, there’s something my father told me about blood. He said Varunas are a warrior clan, and even in times of peace, the desire to do justice boilsin our blood. It’s within me, and I can’t extinguish it. It’s in Kaunas too, but his heart and body are shattered.”

“Audra, you’ve never fought, and I know Kaunas wasn’t very skilled with a sword either. How do you plan to do it?”

Audra sighed heavily, then narrowed her eyelids.

“Magic.”

“Do you want to poison him? But how?”

“I would if I could, but I wouldn’t go near his castle, even if they paid me a thousand gold coins. I want to face him like the wizards and witches of centuries ago fought, that’s all. Have you heard the stories? Have you heard about the warlocks who built mountains with their dreams? The witches who summoned Perkunas’ thunder from the heavens. I don’t mean I’ll summon a mountain giant to crush his castle, I mean... I’ll make him pay with a pain spell. I don’t want the power to do evil, just to do this, because the law won’t take care of it.”

“Audra, those are just stories, and those people were gifted. And what about the gods?”

“Do you think they help? They only want people to worship them, don’t they?”

“Why not...?” Talia sighed and shook her head. Audra saw the refusal in her eyes. “Audra, no. That’s not right.”

“Aunt, I can’t help it. I have to do it.”

“There is always another way.”

“Not for me. You can’t make me change my mind. And I want to ask you something else... Auntie, I listened to you years ago. I heard you talk about a sorceress who lives in this city, a very wise woman with powers beyond anything I could imagine.”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Talia’s expression became solemn and uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and looked out the window.

“Is it true that she lives nearby? Is it true that you know her?”Talia leaned over and fixed her gaze on Audra’s. “I know her, she’s my neighbor.”

Audra felt her lips open and formed a nervous smile.

“Do you think she would take me as an apprentice?”

“I’m surprised you don’t want to ask her to do the work for you.”

“The burden is mine, I want the consequences to be mine.”

Talia sighed. “If you want to go see her,” she whispered, “be prepared to be dazzled.”

Audra raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sure she will teach you, and you’ll learn, but I don’t think you’ll like it.”

“I don’t understand.” Audra shook her head.

“And... I’m not good at explaining it, but magic is unpredictable, and she is equally or more unpredictable. Well, we’ll visit her early tomorrow.”

“What do you know about her? Who? What is her story?”

“She has always lived here, even before I came. And she doesn’t meddle with her neighbors, only when they have great misfortunes. Her name is Tara,” she whispered. “And there are many rumors about her. Some say that she is a courtesan of King Jogälion, others say she is his lover, but it seems that she is highly respected in high society. Many doubt it because she lives in a humble house. Well, it’s nothing special, nothing fancy, that’s it.”

Talia stood up and walked to the window next to the door. She opened the blinds and told Audra to look. Audra glanced outside. Talia pointed to the house in front of them. It seemed to have nothing special about it. But the more she looked at it, she felt a strange energy inside. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she had visited that place before, maybe in her own dreams.

Audra spent the night with Talia and woke up as the first rays of the sun pierced through the windows. They had a cup of tea, then they went looking for the sorceress. Audra felt her stomach stir with uncertainty. The sorceress’s house was as old as the rest of the city, and it looked like it. It was built of small, gray, cold bricks. There was a large window next to the wooden door, with a violet, almost transparent curtain covering it.

“Would you like me to knock?” asked Talia.

Audra shook her head and approached, knocking. She swallowed. An autumn wind blew; it made her hair go crazy and bothered her eyes, but the door was still in place.

Audra looked at Talia and shrugged.

“Does she, like, go out every morning?” Audra said.

She knocked once again. “Hello! Anybody here?” she cried. She couldn’t waste time, she had to learn how to solve her problem as soon as possible, and go back to poor Kaunas.

“She might have gone out,” said Talia.

“Hello!” Audra kept knocking, even harder. If she was there, Audra would wake her up no matter what. “Mrs. Tara, are you home?”

“Audra.” Talia put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll tell her we came looking for her. It’s getting late, I’ll prepare the sacks of grain and vegetables. It will be okay. Kaunas will surely be very hungry.”Audra shook her head, her eyes fixed on the ground. She did not want to give up. Maybe waiting a little longer wouldn’t hurt.

Suddenly, the door opened with a creak, and Audra stared with wide eyes. But inside, she saw nothing, despite the morning light. Talia signaled for her to enter.

“Ade,” Talia whispered in her ear. “I’ll prepare things for you while you’re here. Good luck.”

Audra nodded and stepped inside.

The smell of incense flooded the room. On each side, there were dozens of tables and shelves, all with articles and bottles of different colors and shapes. Several mandalas hung on the wall, with small sculptures of gods and animals. There were glass jars with rods, circles, and spheres, skulls, and dried leaves.

Who had opened the door? Had it been the wind?

“Good morning...” she said, toward nobody, and turned her head around. Suddenly, she saw a thin, short woman with olive skin, big eyes under straight black hair, and a big smile. She wore a beige tunic that hung loose, with a lot of necklaces around her chest. It was nothing like she had imagined. She could be described as pretty and in her forties or a little older if she was the kind of person who aged well.

The woman stretched out her hand; the bracelets around her wrist tinkled.

“Good morning,” she said with wide eyes and revealing a perfect smile. “Welcome home. I am Tara.”

“Thank you,” Audra stammered as she reached for Tara’s hand. “I am Audra of Varunas.”

“Well, good to see you, Audra. What brings you here? Is there anything I can help you with?”

Audra swallowed and nodded.

Tara pointed to a wooden chair, so white it looked like ivory from the south, a height an inch away from the ceiling, with green jewels embedded in the backrest. Along the wood, it was engraved with angled letters of an alphabet that Audra had never seen.

“Sit comfortably,” Tara said, her eyes wide and loving.

Audra smiled and sat down.

“Let us begin.” Tara held Audra’s wrist. “Quiet. Breathe. You seem quite nervous, child.”

Audra took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Tara released her hand gently.

Tara had sat across from her in a small chair that looked like it would break at any moment. The smile remained, but her large, sweet eyes seemed at the same time sharp as a knife.

“Why are you coming to me?” she said softly.

“Well, I...”

Audra felt the tension take hold of her neck. She tried to breathe, but it was difficult. Her hands and feet tensed. She wanted to move them, but they seemed a thousand times heavier.

Tara stepped forward, seeming much larger than before.

“Quiet. Keep breathing.” Audra felt Tara’s breath upon her face.

Audra attempted to breathe, blinked a lot, and felt her heart speed up like a racing chariot going downhill.

“What's happening?” she hissed through her teeth.

“Easy,” Tara whispered next to her ear. “It’s just a test."

Tension gripped Audra’s arms like an invisible iron chain. Tara said it was a test, that she should remain calm, that she should breathe deeply. She made an effort, but her body seemed wrapped in fear and did not obey her mind.

Audra did her best to relax, but the tension grew more and more. It seemed like it was never going to end.

Suddenly, Audra’s body was propelled forward and she fell to her knees with a long inspiration. She breathed quickly; now her muscles felt free of all weight and she felt like her body was floating adrift.

“What was that?” said Audra in a loud voice.

“It was a test, to see what you can do. That was all, do not worry. Now we are ready to start. Good. So, you were telling me? Why did you come to me? What do you want?”

“I?”

“Yes. Please be honest.”

“I want to do justice,” Audra said, looking up.

“Justice? I like that word. Tell me more.”

Audra cleared her throat. “There is a man who did us a lot of harm. It started with a business deal that went wrong because we think somebody ransacked the ship that carried all of the merchandise, and we could not pay back what we had invested. He got very angry and made life impossible for us, he took everything except the castle.”

Tara nodded, as if she was going to say something.

Audra was silent, waiting for an answer.

“Go on,” Tara said.

Audra nodded. “And... Well, they got tired of waiting and came to the castle, burned the vineyards, looted the cellars. That day, my father died and my brother got beaten up so badly that he cannot walk. Well, we have nothing. I did not know what to do, how to continue living. Everything Father worked for was lost. And I came here, and it turns out that Count Siwelzac has told all his vassals that we are dregs. They wanted to kick me out of the city! I... I want to see justice, that this man and all his followers suffer.”

Tara nodded and raised her index finger high. “Vengeance,” she said. “That is what you want.”

“But he deserves it...”

“Let’s talk things the way they are. It may be fair, it may not be. But what you want is something specific, and it is called vengeance.”

“I do not know. But it is what I want to do. I want him to suffer.”

“Say no more. How do you want to do it?”

“I would like a powerful spell. I wish I could torment his castle with powerful, burning, fire-magic. Make them flee from fear and burn them alive. I want you to teach me, and I want to do it myself.”

“Now. All right. In everything you want to do, you must be master of your actions. I do not do jobs for anyone. Your actions should be yours alone. Do you understand that?”

“Yes. Perfectly,” said Audra. “Then... will you teach me? Will you take me as a disciple?”

“Stop there.” Tara shook her head, and her necklaces tinkled. “I do not take apprentices, but I can give you some ideas to solve your problem. But if you trust me, you will achieve what you want. What’s more, maybe things will go better than you plan. If you follow my instructions.”

”I want it. Yes. What should I do?”

“Do whatever you want. Also, why do you trust me?”

“Because I heard that you were a very powerful sorceress.”

“Is that enough to gain your trust?”

“Well, why not? The consequences will be mine, nobody else’s.”

“First, understand that everything has a price. That power you want comes at a very, mark my words, very high price.”

“Yes, I understand. Good. By the way, I have tried to charm the count with the spells in the book. It’s called Ghimatia. Do you know about it? Well, I haven’t seen any results so far, and it doesn’t seem to help. It has not worked for me, and it’s been a month since I drew the magic circle.”

“It’s not that easy,” Tara declared. “If it were that easy, the world would be in flames. The spells of love and hate would wreak havoc in social life. Magic does not happen just because you want it to. Before you have the power to change things, you need an intermediary and an offering.”

“Intermediary? What do you mean?”

“Yes, they are the guardians, those who receive power from the eternal gods. There are many, good gods, and there are demons on earth. They allow things to happen, and they do not happen without paying prices. There are beings endowed with powers that inhabit other realities, and sometimes, they pass to this. Has anyone offered help?”

“Who? Nobody else knows I do magic, except my brother.”

“By someone, I mean a spirit. A fairy or a renegade elf. But they ask for a lot, and if the nature of your desire is a bit, let’s say, violent. It is not convenient to seek their help.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Remember. The first principle is that in this life, and in magic too, nothing is free. And everything you do has a weight. All. Absolutely everything. That is why you should be careful.”

Audra shook her head, trying to absorb all that. “What should I do? For my magic to work, nothing else,” Audra asked, her eyes wide.

Tara walked around the room a couple of times, looking up, as if thinking about the next answer. The tinkling of her bracelets made Audra nervous. Suddenly, Tara stopped and looked at her with a venomous smile and narrow eyes. “What you need is to perform a sacrifice.”

“What sacrifice?” Audra felt her hair stand on end. That word sounded terrifying.

“As I said, I want things to go well for you, to be sure, and I do not want to carry something in my conscience that is unfair. I cannot. You will not be able to if you try. For that purpose, I need you to follow my instructions carefully. You do not need to kill anyone. Although that would be a quick exit. If you kill someone, you will have more consequences to deal with. Do not bother doing it. What you should do... is take a trip.”

“Trip?” Audra raised an eyebrow.

“As you hear it. And I have a perfect trip for you.”

“But... I have responsibilities.” Audra jumped to her feet. “I have to take care of my brother and the harvest.”

“It’s fine. As you wish, but if you want to do this, I already told you, trust me.”

“But what about my brother?”

“Trust me. I can keep an eye on him.”

“Like a protection spell?”

“Yes. Trust me.” She winked.

“And where should I go?” Audra asked.

Tara turned around, walked to the bookshelf, and peered through a pile of parchment stacks.

“Here!”

She spread a map, worn and cut at the corners. In it, the lines of the borders were those of ten years ago.

“Don’t pay much attention to the names of the places, they are not updated. But this is what I wanted to show you.”

Tara pointed to a spot almost on the edge of the map, to the east, where a mountain range was drawn so long that it looked like the tail of a dragon.

“What is there?”

“A very high mountain called Mount Svogod. I need you to climb it.”

Audra blinked in unbelief.

“A mountain? But it is at least five hundred miles, and in the kingdoms of the East. What do you want me to do? How can someone like me go east and climb a mountain?”

“There grows a plant called Mountain Madness. It has a violet leaf with incredible magic power. There are beings caring for that mountain, in the heights and the ice, whose favor is high in the eyes of the gods. That can be the catalyst that makes you the most powerful sorceress in the Westerlands. You have the potential. All you have to do is go to the mountain, pick up enough of that leaf, and bring it back to me. That way you’ll be ready to act.”

Mountain Madness? Audra had spent hours studying herbs and their healing properties; indeed, her instructor Karola had beaten her hands more than once to remind her of the leaves required to prepare essential oils. However, she had never heard of such a thing. Mountain Madness sounded like a compound used by assassins to drive their victims crazy, or as a music group to entertain cheap weddings. Was it a joke?

“Mountain Madness? It’s a flower?”

“Yes. You will easily recognize it, do not worry.

“Good. If it is about that, it sounds easy, except that I am a Ladanian girl, without money and with a brother to take care of.”

“Do not worry. Maybe you have better things to do,” Tara said.

Audra took a deep breath. What was she talking about? The most powerful sorceress in the West? What did that mean?

“Can you really take care of my brother?”

“Yes,” Tara said with a sincerity so deep and almost innocent that it could not be doubted. At least, she could not doubt her intentions. Audra thought of the rumors that Tara was the king’s lover. Would that be enough to protect Kaunas?

“If you promise me, I guess I can do it.”

“Good.” Tara looked at her with wide eyes and her perfect smile. She took her hand. “I promise you. And you? You promise me you’ll go?”

Audra nodded, her eyebrows arched and getting nervous again.

“How can I go to the Eastlands?”

“Do you trust me? Who is the sorceress?”

“You are.”

"You see? I know what I'm talking about. If you have doubts, just ask Talia. It's up to you. You can leave and never come back or do what I say. As for your brother, do not worry. I'll take good care of him."