Meredith

  Dust billowed onto the hem of Meredith’s black robe and dark green cloak as her boots crunched against the sunbaked clay. Each crackle was amplified within the silent, desolate landscape. Behind her stood a ramshackle, dilapidated village.

  The sky was bright and cloudless. It stretched over a forest of dry, withered trees and patches of tall, dead grass. Snow-capped mountains lay beyond, encircling the dead crater with their verdant slopes. What caused such arid conditions somewhere that should be overflowing with life?

  The cracked clay spiderwebbed beneath Meredith’s steps as she continued her inspection, the hot wind brushing against her.

  A chorus of giggles trailed behind her, piercing the hollow silence. The village children, donned in parched rags that hung off their thin frames, mimicked her every move, turning her inspection into a game of follow-the-leader. Despite such dire circumstances, their resilient spirits brought a smile to her face.

  “Cici,” she whispered, patting her cloak pocket. “I need you to work your magic with the little ones.”

  A dramatic groan emanated from the darkness of her pocket.

  “I don’t want to babysit!” Cici protested.

  “C’mon, you bum.” She jostled her cloak. “I need to focus, and you’ve been sleeping all day.”

  A pair of amber eyes leered up at her.

  “Fine,” Cici grumbled, pushing against the fabric as he stretched.

  Her black cat familiar took his time hopping out. Meredith wondered if he was feeling all right; he usually put up more of a fight.

  She returned her attention to the vast desolation as Cici sauntered toward the excited, squealing children.

  Meredith ventured to the edge of the dead forest. A heavy weight settled on her chest. She took a breath and focused, stretching her magic and consciousness outwards, and immediately brushed against the presence of a creeping, insidious…something. It made her skin prickle. Meredith snapped her eyes open and severed the connection to the blighted magic.

  Its source was distant, but its effect on the surrounding landscape was unmistakable. She contemplated venturing deeper into the forest but quickly dismissed the idea. No, whatever the source, Meredith would need to thoroughly plan her approach—something she was presently ill-equipped to do. But what about the village?

  She turned and took it all in, the wooden shacks and their mixed-blood inhabitants of orc and human descent. They seemed as withered as the forest. Was that a symptom of the magic? Was it bleeding everything dry, including herself and Cici? A faint wisp of panic flickered within Meredith. She bit the inside of her cheek, stifling the fear. She glanced at Cici and noticed the children looked much healthier than the adults. They were well-fed and happy.

  Meredith sighed. She knew better than to jump to conclusions, but the thought of being stripped of life again…she hadn’t realized the fear had been lying dormant within her mind.

  “I’ll be right back, Cici!” Meredith called before launching skyward, her magical cloak carrying her high above the crater.

  She examined the crater below. The deadly blight spread conically outward from a single point across the basin. Meredith descended, spying a gaping cavern within the base of the crater’s mountainous rim wall. As she neared, a dark presence weighed on her. It felt like her very essence was being drained away. Meredith frantically retreated, feeling the oppressive presence fade with distance. She hovered momentarily, allowing her thundering heart to steady before veering back to the village.

  Meredith swooped down, alighting near Cici and the gaggle of children. Scuffed footsteps approached from behind her.

  “What are your thoughts about our predicament?” A soft voice wheezed.

  Meredith turned to address the village elder, a burnt, wrinkly, and bald orcman with a thick, white beard. Like the other villagers milling about behind him, he wore a sun-dried, dusty robe.

  “The cause seems to stem from a cave on the other side of the valley,” Meredith said, pointing across the wasteland. “The magic is complex, dangerous. It could take me weeks just to prepare to unravel it. And I don’t know that I could.”

  “What hope remains for us?” He asked, his eyes sullen. “This is our ancestral home! My people have lived here in peaceful isolation for generations!”

  Meredith knew. It’s why they had written to Grandma, though how they were acquainted remained a mystery to her.

  “You may want to consider relocation,” she replied gently but firmly, then nodded toward the villagers. “I don’t think they can last much longer.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The elder turned and gazed at his home. His shoulders and head slumped as he sighed, then returned upright to face Meredith.

  “Our ancestors fled here from persecution. How do we know it’s safe for us out there?”

  “It’s not safe here.”

  The elder sighed with a solemn nod.

  “If leaving our ancestral lands means survival, then so be it. We must adapt, just as our predecessors did, lest we perish.”

  “Let me find you somewhere perfect,” Meredith assured him, grasping his shoulder. “And safe. I’ll be back soon. Don’t start packing yet!”

  Meredith turned and summoned Cici to her pocket, much to the children’s vocal disappointment. Cici popped his head up and stuck his tongue out at them, eliciting giggles.

  “We’re coming right back!” She promised before rocketing skyward once more.

  “Finally!” Cici moaned as they cruised through the air. “I’m rid of those ingrate tail pullers!”

  Meredith patted Cici’s head.

  Miles away, above endless green forest and grasslands, Cici pointed out a clearing beside a crystalline river before retreating into the comfort of Meredith’s pocket. She hovered, studying the surroundings before swooping down to land.

  “Perfect,” Meredith breathed, touching down.

  With a flick of her wand, she extracted a large canvas sack from her enchanted purse. Another wafting wave guided the bag to dispense salt in a perfect circle encompassing the entire clearing. Then, she carefully poured the salt into symbols at even intervals within the salt circle. Satisfied, she slid the massive bag into her tinier purse and returned to the village.

  Upon her arrival, the elder called a meeting. Hope kindled in the villager’s eyes as Meredith described their new home.

  “Now we just have to get you there.”

  “We’ll begin packing immediately!” The elder wheezed. Some of the villagers began to disperse.

  “No need,” Meredith replied with a knowing smile. “It’s a long way, and we won’t be walking.” She flicked her wand, and out came the salt sack.

  As it floated about pouring salt, Meredith gathered everyone to the center of the village and arranged them in a large circle.

  The salt bag finished skirting the edge of the village before spilling the necessary symbols. It then encompassed the villagers and drew lines connecting the inner and outer salt circles. The massive, intricate sigil grew to include every house, binding the entire village together before returning to Meredith’s bag.

  Some of the villagers gawked at her simple magic; others tittered excitedly. Many more wore their nervousness on their faces. Meredith gave them a reassuring smile.

  “Let’s sit,” Meredith instructed, sitting cross-legged beside the village elder.

  “Now,” she continued when everyone was seated on the packed dirt. She glanced about, satisfied they wouldn’t inadvertently bring any blighted magic with them. “Is this everyone?”

  The villagers glanced about, nodding, their expressions a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

  “Everyone hold hands, close your eyes, and remain still,” Meredith instructed firmly. “We are going to teleport quite a distance. The sensation will be strange but don’t break contact unless you want to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere. You may even drag your neighbor along with you.”

  She eyed them seriously as they grasped each other. Some villagers looked at each other apprehensively, murmuring, tightening their grips.

  “Close your eyes and think thoughts of home,” Meredith crooned. “Focus on the warmth of safety your home provides. Think of your trusted neighbors, friends, and family. Feel the soul of your village. Let your hearts help guide the magic to your new home.”

  Emotion and intention were of great importance when crafting such a complex spell.

  “I need complete silence,” Meredith announced. When all was quiet and still, she grasped the village elder’s and her other neighbor’s hands and began the ritual.

  Meredith closed her eyes and focused, feeling her magic flow through her body, then the ring of villagers, followed by the salt lines, until eventually encompassing the entire village. It was a considerable strain, but Meredith maintained her concentration and began to recite the spell she had formulated on her return flight.

  She hoped they were thinking good thoughts! Trust was part of it!

  Her stomach lurched as the ground fell out from under her, but she remained impassive, hardly flinching as she focused on completing the spell. She seemingly fell while ignoring the flashes of whirling blue that erupted beyond her eyelids and the villager’s stifled gasps. It was only the beginning.

  Meredith continued her incantation, ignoring her neighbors' tightened grips, the villager’s fearful groans, and the discomforting waves of heat crashing over them all. Electricity crackled about them, eliciting whimpers from some. She could feel her hair standing on end.

  Though disorientation threatened to overwhelm her, Meredith ignored the sensation of her body simultaneously stretching, compressing, and spinning, like she was being pulled through a straw. She hoped Cici was doing okay. She should’ve checked on him.

  Finally, Meredith uttered the final word.

  THOOM!

  Meredith was firmly rooted to the ground. The thick scent of life replaced the arid, dusty air. Birds called. Leaves clattered. The river burbled. Calm washed over Meredith as she opened her eyes.

  “Welcome home!” She announced.

  The villagers gaped at their lush, green surroundings. Their village stood exactly as before but in a vibrant new locale. They rose from their teleportation circle and examined their home in awe, some whooping and celebrating or combing the grass with their dry fingers. A few sprinted toward the river and launched themselves into it.

  “You did it!” The village elder exclaimed beside Meredith, his voice strained with emotion. He clapped her shoulder. “You did it! This place is—” He gestured at their new paradise. “It’s amazing! You’ve truly saved us! You’ve created a future for my people!”

  “I can help, so I may as well.” Meredith smiled.

  She stood up and deployed her salt bag once again. With a flick of her wand, the salt lifted off the ground and returned to her. The children tried to catch the swirling grains with their hands and tongues.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Meredith,” the village elder said, rising laboriously to his feet as she deposited her salt bag. “But I can try! How can we ever repay you?”

  “Don’t worry about it; I’m not for want of anything,” Meredith said with a gentle smile. “All I ask is that you look after each other, enjoy your new home, and take care of the land.”

  “Of course!” The elder nodded. “But what else can we do for you?”

  Meredith patted him on the shoulder as she took one last look at the villagers milling about their new home. She gave him one last smile, then rocketed into the sky, the wind whipping past her as she soared over the rich pine forest, beginning her journey back to Grandma’s; she needed to report her findings. The blight could not be ignored.

  Her pocket rustled.

  “What are we doing now?” Cici yawned, poking his head out.

  “Wha—” Meredith glanced down at him. “Were you asleep the whole time?”