Another coven meeting today and Rori was already prepared to go. She had it marked on her grimoire's calendar but her small scrying mirror had gone quiet. Odd. She had been expecting the usual reminder to be reverberating a pulsing energy for her sense. Normally when that reverberation of energy came off of the compact mirror, she picked the compact up and heard a message. She glanced at Gremlin before picking up the small compact mirror and placed it into her book bag. "Maybe the High Priestess can help me figure out why this thing hasn't worked today."

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Gremlin dipped his paw into his waterboal then licked his paw. He watched Rori and shook his paw out. She watched her cat slink towards her and rub against her leg before he sat and looked up at her with those bright eyes. Eyes that were golden like a savannah and a pupil as mysterious as space's darkness. She loved her cat and she knew he loved her. Thats why he protected her home so diligently. She didn't doubt his abilities as a fearsome hunter.

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"'Don't let anyone into our home. You know what to do." She smiled at Gremlin walked toward her closet's door. She began the simple spell to open the portal that lead her to the coven's meeting place. Naturally, this spell was sometimes used as a quick get away for the coven members and so practicing and knowing how to preform it quickly and consistently was among her top concerns. If she ever needed to escape and dissapear. This would be it.

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She could feel how her body siphoned the magic that swirled in the world around her. Like a conduit, she charged as she preformed the spell's ritual and once the ritual was done, the circuit was completed. She discharged the magic into the door and opened it to step into the cool and almost membranous swirl of the portal. It felt like thick spider web touching her face but it was only for a moment. The portal closed behind her as they always did when one witch came by or willingly brought one other with them.

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She was through and in the familliar corridor. She took in a deep breath and praised herself. "I'm getting better with that spell with each casting. Soon It'll be second nature." Rori walked down the hall, toward the domed room at the end of it. She was greeted by both the High Priest and Priestess as usual. They were the stronget spellcasters in the group and she respected both of them deeply for all the knowledge they had passed on to her.

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Rori held out her compact mirror in both hands toward the High Priestess. She always seemed to know what to do when magic went awry or when spells didn't work. "High Priestess Kerrin, the meeting's reminder didn't go through in my scrying mirror. I can't seem to sense anything wrong with it myself, could you help me out?"

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High Priestess Kerrin took the compact mirror with a nod. "Of course, Aurora. It is the least I can do for my students." She turned the compact over in her palm and flipped it open to look at it carefully. She gazed at the item but also seemingly within it as well as if it were translucent. 

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Rori could see Kerrin's hazel eyes change their focus as she examined the compact. Then the compact mirror was closed with a small click as the plastic latch on the lid grabbed onto the groove on the lower part of it. Rori raised her eyebrows a little, hopeful that this was a simple fix. Mabe she just had to recast the spell but she wasn't sure if that would have been the right choice.

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 "Nothing is wrong with your scrying mirror Aurora. The spell on it is still in effect." Kerrin smiled and placed the mirror back into Rori's hands. "Have a seat with the rest of the members. I'll be there soon. I'm sure today's major announcement will answer your question." She bowed slightly, "See you then. I need to see that our members come here alone."

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Finnegan, the coven's High Priest, also welcomed in each member of the coven as they came in through the hall and into what was their classroom. He stood at the center of the magically terraformed desk circle

Both Kerrin and Finnegan both took turns as if linked in mind to say the following phrase, "As you may all have noticed. Someone is missing from our coven meeting or more importantly, the friendly reminder has gone without being said." 

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High priestess Kerrin glanced at Rori, who in turn glanced down at her compact mirror.

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"Mr. Nibung was a kind warlock who gave his grimoire to us to study from. He gathered information about many things he had learned through scrying. He was the kind voice you all may know as the one who reminded you of our meetings. He has sadly passed on through the brutal hands of violence.” Kerrin sighed “He definately wasn't the first as you all know and he certainly won't be the last. Witches, warlocks, mages, sorcerors...whatever you wish to call them, have been hunted and killed throughout history. Our craft is not welcome in the eyes of others. What is not understood is a source of fear.” she made a circular gesture with both arms, projecting a glowing orb into the air that floated above the center of the room. A scene that appeared to be people working in a laboratory could be seen by all. "Humans are afraid of the unknown. They are even afraid of what is known. Take vaccines, a cure to illnesses that plague our race due to our over crowded nature. We know what they are for and yet there are people out there that fear it."

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Finnegan waved his hand, dismissing the laboraory scene. "Through loss we grow stronger. Our bonds come closer together as there are fewer of us. That is why it is crucial that we find fledgelings. The sooner we find them, the less at risk they are of being found and killed." He furrowed his copper eyebrows together, "I don't know how Mr.Nibung was found by the killers. How do they target us? It feels like they find a coven's outer circle and move their way in like wasps at a beehive."

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The room was silent in its shock. At the same time it was unnevingly loud from the panicked breathing. Aine got up and closed her grimoire. This had happened to her friend's coven. This was now happening here. She began to breath faster and shallower. The high priestess turned and hurried to Aine, escorting her out.

 

The other coven members held their breath. There was several moments of silence where Finnegan seemingly expected someone to speak. He could see it on all their faces. His students had so many questions in their heads. Were they safe? What about their families? Finnegan had no way to tell them they would be safe. Hundreds and thousands of years. One would think that humans would be able to live amonst themselves at the very least. Let alone with the rest of the creatures of this realm.

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Finnegan went to each member of the coven member, handing them a golden colored necklace with a teardrop shaped crystal hanging from it. "This is the best protection I can give each of you. The necklace represents the bond you all have with each other. These are magical I've spent months focusing on them with all my power...for your protection." He smiled, "It will let you escape here, to this safe haven we have created. I hope that they help with your survival out there. The truth is cruel but this is the card we have all been given. The magician's card."

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Rori kept her attention trained on the high priest and she spoke up as Finnegan placed the necklace over her head "High Priest. I believe I have found someone who is a fledgeling warlock." Her coven members turning to give her their attention. One seemed bewildered that she would mention someone new. As worried as Rori was, she knew that the coven members all had a chance at escape so long as they could run. So long as they had spells. A fledgeling had no such thing. "I've noticed a few things about a mechanic with eyes like blue lace agate by my workplace. He wears the triple moon so boldly and he seemed to have some sort of divination skill. He seemed to be expecting me at his work place. In fact my bike broke down right by the shop! He gave me a pack of tarot cards and I-i drew some. Later that day he so smugly handed me just what those cards told me." She placed both hands on the cool stone slab that was her desk and slowly stood up. "That and his..aura...was very interesting. I havent seen such a mesmerizing purple before."

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Finnegan looked right at Rori and into her eyes, "Who ever you are talking about, he seems to be too bold for his own good. Please give him some guidance but do not bring him here. As you probably know, public areas are the best." He took in a deep breath. "Tell me what he says. What he does. We can't trust just anyone anymore." he held Rori's shoulders, "I wish to meet him. I need to see him in person to see his character. Where does he work?"

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Rori smiled slightly but it was out of embarassment. She felt put on the spot, everyone was looking at her now. She should have waited to calmed mention this in private with Finnegan and Kerrin. "Lodestar. He works at Lodestar." She knew a bit about why Joe seemed to be drawn to her like a magnet. It wasn't just because she worked at the cafe that he frequented. She worked at the cafe because of him too. A self made destiny before she had even met him. A spell gone awry. 

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"Lodestar." Finnegan looked at the rest of the members of the coven, "Do not go there. We don't know what his intentions might be to be so bold." He stepped back, "This meeting is over. Please return from whence you came. In the future it will be either High Priestess Kerrin or I who will send the reminder through your scrying mirrors."

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The people in the room began to cast their spells to walk through their doors. Rori did the same and walked back out of her closet to see Gremlin looking out of the window. 

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Gremlin turned his head for a raspy meow and a slow blink.

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"Yes. The weather is nice. I'm sure tomorrow will be too." Rori set her things on her desk's chair and laid down onto her bed. "I'm nervous. What if Joseph, that mechanic, is playing matyr? Do you think he dresses like that else where? Does he do it just in the cafe where he feels safer? I mean, we do have books on witchcraft and sorts of practices and religions." she closed her eyes in thought. "He doesn't seem like the type to look at his surroundings much. He looks so air headed sometimes."