Jacard sat alone in a humongous cavern located deep in the mountain underground. The cave was the shape and size of a football field and very warm, borderline hot. It was next to other caves, with pools of bubbling sulfur and oils. Further down were rooms where streams of lava flowed, magma rivers of intense heat. They were all part of the coven’s cavern system that kept the coven warm even during the fiercest of winter storms.

It was dark except for a single torch a few feet away.

Jacard built a campfire in a pit in the center of his cave. He fed the fire charcoal and wood until it was bright.

The fire crackled and created flickering, long, dark, and menacing shadows on the walls. One of them, his own elongated and distorted silhouette, his shadow no longer appeared human.

He sighed. Mili, our Magna, says that this will aid me. According to her, my body needs additional energy to make the change into spirit form. I almost died that initial attempt during the snowstorm. Death would have taken me if it had not been for Alara, using forbidden soul magic and transferring part of her energy to me. Still, I wonder, is that the reason I fell in love? It happened so fast and complete. Either way, I am happy. The same for Alara.

We want to proceed with the joining ceremony. Mili yet again says we need to wait. It isn’t fair to Alara. She needs to know the whole me and accept who and what I am. Mili knows! Yet, she will not tell me.

I’m deep in the mountain and supposed to go on a spirit walk. Whatever that means. Mili gave me instructions and insisted that I do it alone.

From the empty air, Mili’s voice said, “You will understand in time, Jacard.” She then appeared as if walking from the shadows.

“How do you do that?” gasped Jacard.

Mili laughed. “You need to be more aware of your surroundings.” She smiled a sly grin. The one she used when she knew more than everyone else.

She wears that smile quite a lot.

She leaned on her staff.

How could someone so strong appear so weak?

“You need to draw energy into you, to complete the transformation. If this works, you may learn how to become the form of in-between. It could be a major milestone for you and one step closer to shifting into your true spirit form. Enough talk. I will be nearby, but I will not interfere. Good luck, my young student.” Mili stepped back into the shadows, lost to sight.

Jacard pulled out the pouch of herbs that she had given him. He made himself comfortable and threw the contents of the pouch into the fire. The fire blazed high. Colored sparks began shooting into the air as the fire turned green.

Jacard waited. Am I supposed to feel something? Nothing happened. He felt light-headed and looked into the fire. The fire raged once again. It became huge. He looked around as the fire engulfed him. Ouch, this is going to hurt.

#

Mountains of ice surrounded the area. He felt an Arctic wind burn his face as it sent shivers down his spine. Jacard stood on a mountaintop, watching his village burn in the valley below. A few of his friends died that day, and he was furious. He wanted, no, needed, revenge. Many had escaped. Even those that lost everything, their homes, food for the winter, their livestock. Had they survived today, only to die from starvation or the cold tomorrow?

Clashing rock sounds attempted to drown out dying screams in the distance. Soon, the screams stopped, but the boulders persisted, smashing homes at the village’s edge. Beings similar to humans, but two to three times as large with pale grey-white skin, tossed the rocks. Many had white beards half his size. They wore crude animal skin-like covers for clothing.

The scene changed.

The fires disappeared. A massive hall replaced the ice mountains.

He looked up, seeing a different gigantic being. This giant stood half as tall and half as wide compared to the others. His skin was pale tan, and he had a kind face. He was an older male wearing the armor of a design he had not seen before. An eyepatch covered one eye.

The older giant said, “Come.” The giant offered a hand in friendship. A single tear flowed out of the giant’s remaining eye. “Your people need not suffer anymore. It is time to come home.”

Jacard noticed many people around him. The offer was to all of us. Many walked forward. Brief flashes of light appeared where they stepped, as though going through a doorway that opened and shut. When the light disappeared, they were no longer among us.

Jacard felt an overwhelming surge of anger and an overdeveloped sense of bravery. He spoke loud, almost a yell. “Thank you! No! There has to be a way. We cannot allow this to happen. There are additional villages, towns, and cities, with people just like us. We need to help them. We… I cannot just leave and allow that to happen.” Jacard looked around. The many others who stayed nodded their heads in agreement.

The older giant’s eyes moistened and filled with hope. “Do you understand what you are offering? How much does this mean to you? Are you prepared to pay any price?”

I was the first one to answer. “Yes! If it means stopping those things from harming others, then, yes.”

“Yes.” Confirmations sounded from those remaining.

The giant with the eyepatch looked down. Whether in sadness or acceptance, Jacard’s host could not tell. He locked eyes with each of us, staring into our souls. “Are you willing to give up yourself to become more?”

In unison, everyone said, “We are.”

The giant spoke in a booming voice. “You will no longer be just yourselves. Merged with another, you will become… better, more powerful. You will serve and give your lives if necessary.” It was not a question, nor a statement, but a covenant.

He pulled forth a staff and slammed the heel on the floor of the great hall. A crack formed in the ground, separating it into two. But it was not just the ground. The air split. Then the sky and then… the pain.

Jacard bent forward and screamed. He was being torn in two, just like everything else around him. It was more pain than he could bear. Light turned dark as he lost consciousness.