Late at night, Ryan finally appeared before Hecketh. As she said, the old woman was waiting for him in the main room, standing somewhere in the shadows as Keela and Rachel slept. When he arrived and quietly announced his presence, the crone stepped from the darkness, the moonlight spilling over her features. Her deep wrinkles stretched and pulled, forming into a strange sort of smile as she approached him. Her visage, her very presence, was nothing short of sinister. She has seemingly changed from before, no longer cackling crone she had been when they first met. She was darker now, exuding more power than she had before. What caused the witch to change her behavior so? What did it mean for the young man in front of her? Friend or foe - which of these was she to the Outsiders?
"Follow me, child," she said plainly, the mysterious smile still planted firmly on her face. As the two walked, twisting down the various corners of her house, Hecketh continued. "You feel them, do you not? The threads of magic which cover this plane of existence? I believe you do, though you are not fully aware of it at this point. Ryan, you and I are one in the same." Stopping, she turned to meet him face to face. "You are a witch."
The old woman looked more sinister in the moonlight. No, it wasn't the moonlight. The witch had changed. Her once crazed personality and figure seemed, diminished. Had she always been this way? Was the Hecketh they knew all an act? The woman was stronger, he could feel power coursing around her. Some of the power felt dark and malevolent, he had a feeling there was some righteous magic within her. (At least he hoped.) Ryan had been hoping for something less terrifying. He wasn't sure whether he should listen to her, or if he should run, run like the devil himself was chasing him.
When she beckoned him to follow, Ryan nodded and trailed anxiously behind her. Hecketh, seemed absorbed in what she was explaining. Ryan was a witch. Stopping abruptly, Ryan had to wrap his head around what she was saying. So, did that mean he could fly on a broom? Surely not. Assuming his definition of witch was correct, he could make potions. "Hang on. Let me get this straight. I'm a witch?" He rubbed his temples. God, being an Outsider was rough. "So, I am guessing I have a lot to learn?" Looking Hecketh dead in the eyes, he smiled. Being a witch could be cool! He finally had an ability. While Nao could turn invisible, and Rachel could heal people, Ryan could use magic! He felt special; finally he had some use in the group.
"Teach me all you can." Wanting to assimilate as much as possible, Ryan wished he had a pen and paper to take notes. The witch was wise and undoubtedly powerful. The shrew could probably take down an army with a single spell. If Ryan was wise, he would fear her.
"I will teach you as much as I can with the time allotted," she responded. "You will learn quickly, I suspect, if you are as talented as I believe you to be." Hecketh turned and continued slowly down the corridors of her home, though her explanation did not stop there. "Witches in Volta - and all over the world, truly - have often been persecuted for their unique abilities. First and foremost, I must stress to you the importance of keeping your identity as a witch hidden. It must be kept solely to yourself and those you trust - whether or not you can truly trust anyone among your party will be for you to decide. A witch's blood is their source of power; anyone can make a potion, you see, but it is our blood which brings the spell to life." She continued her journey, Ryan close behind, and paused for a few moments. Her hair began to shift then, braiding itself into a neat plait. "There are more spells and recipes out there than you could ever hope to learn, and they all have the potential to bring ruin upon yourself and others. A love potion may be more costly than you realize... Measurements must be precise, for one careless mistake will destroy you."
The two of them came to rest before a large black door. Although it appeared much like the other doors littered through the rest of the house, this one was obviously different. The door itself was anything but static; it seemed to move and shift on its own. She turned her head to face him and asked if the boy was ready. "Beyond this door is a realm of magic, an epicenter of the black arts. It is from places like this, dimensions like this, that witches are said to draw their power from. I have created this place to act as my laboratory, and it is here that we shall train each night. Someday, if you are skilled enough, you may be able to create your own. I will merely supervise and guide you - the rest I shall leave to you. We will practice until you feel too tired to continue. If you will," she said, gesturing to the door handle.
Magic in general was dangerous, Ryan understood that. What he had trouble wrapping his head around was how he was going to keep this a secret. He knew he had to tell Ravi. There was no doubt there. Ravi was his leader, so he should know. As to who else he wanted to tell, for whatever odd reason, he wanted to tell Aliona. Sure she was an assassin, but he knew deep down she had a heart. Plus, they had potential to be friends. Everyone else would be kept in the darkness. He didn't want to wake up to someone trying to drain his blood; talk about a rude awakening.
Paying close attention to Hecketh as she spoke, Ryan nodded when he needed to. The idea of thousands of spells intimidated him. How could he learn it all? Time. That was all he needed. Sure, eventually he could become a witch as powerful as Hecketh, maybe. Arriving at a black door, Ryan stopped for a second. He took a moment to evaluate the door, and the obvious power within it. Now all he had to do was open it. Giving Hecketh a questioning look, he grabbed the handle, twisted and pulled it open. The door revealed a room that was dark, ominous, and foggy. Taking a step forward, Ryan fell to his knees. It almost felt like all of the bones in his body were gone. He felt like a glob of jelly. It took him a minute before he could stand steadily.
This was her laboratory. The dark room was filled with silver shelves; housing various vials, beakers, and ingredients. Ryan was surprised to see a jar of toad eyes. Interesting.
Ryan reacted just as Hecketh had expected - stepping into another dimension was difficult the first few times, after all. Once he had regained his footing, Hecketh entered the room behind him, the door shutting of its own volition. She waited patiently as he examined the room before him, his natural curiosity expected. After Ryan seemed satisfied and a bit more 'at home,' (if that concept was possible in such a place) she moved to a table within the dark, smokey room and placed her hand on a large, worn-looking book.
"Ryan, from this spell book, you will learn the basics of our dark profession. Memorize all you can, for your memory will be your greatest weapon. It must become an archive, filled with the spells you shall learn here and abroad. Your apprenticeship with me will be short, but I know you will be an apt pupil. Once you have left my forest, I implore you to seek other forms of study - spell books, tomes, other witches. They will all be of great assistance and vital to the expansion of your power." She paused for a moment, as if to think, and then continued: "When you feel ready, you may open the book and begin. I suggest you begin with the first chapter. If you have any questions, you are free to ask me."
Hecketh stepped back then, allowing Ryan full access to the table. For now, she would simply watch him; the crone was sure he would need little help - the magic was in his blood, after all. Hecketh, who was not an easy woman to impress, was intrigued by Ryan's latent potential; she had come across few who matched him. And so it began, the making of a witch. Ryan poured over the pages of the spell book, taking in page after page. He studied each one carefully, gathering materials and brewing a few simple potions. The p***k of blood required to activate each concoction hurt at first, but Ryan soon became used to the sensation; eventually, he almost looked forward to it. Although the spells and potions her worked on that night were easy, the boy realized just how powerful witchcraft could be; flesh melting liquids, potions of blindness, insanity, and poison. If he learned to master this art, he would be unstoppable.
Together, the two remained within the confines of the odd room the entire night, returning only after Ryan was exhausted.
