The Witch

Chapter ten: Aziza’s POV

"Teach me." I repeated once again, as Yamoja didn't answer to my previous request. I could see how she was deep within her thoughts, but I needed an answer. It was my life, and I wanted to finally get a hold of it. I was going to repeat my request once again when she interrupted me.

"Tea-,"

"I can't. I'm not the one that has to teach you magic, I'm just here to help you with the evil inside of you." f*****g wonderful. I stood up as I couldn't contain my emotions anymore. I came here seeking for help, and it seems that I'm going to leave empty-handed.

"Why? Why can't you help me? Are you being controlled by someone else?" She didn't avert her eyes from me, meaning that she was not going to lie to me, but I couldn't stand her silence anymore. I wasn't being calmed by her aura, as my anger was on full display now.

“Destiny is something that is determined since the moment you were born Aziza. If I interfere with it… let’s just say that nothing good is going to come from that. I’m going to help, just not in the way you want to, but don’t worry, your teacher is coming soon.”

That was comforting. I sighed in defeat, I knew that she was not going to help me further, and thus I had to accept whatever she gave me to fight the demon.

Once she saw that I was not going to continue asking for her to teach me, she gave me a necklace. It was a lioness, just like Naya, and her two eyes shined beautifully with a red color. I was mesmerized by this piece of jewelry. I’ve never seen anything like it.

“This lioness is going to serve as a protection spell against the demon. When you wear it he is not going to be able to speak to you. And you’ll notice when he wants to break from the spell, as the eyes of the lioness will light up.”

“Aziza, that won’t stop me, it is useless.” That stupid voice once again.

I was not going to argue with it. If he was trying to convince me that it was not going to work, then it definitely would work.

“Thank you, Yamoja.” I took the necklace from her hands and put it on. The demon tried to take over me several times. I felt how he tried to control my body, a thing that he had never tried before.

Once the necklace was on my neck, I could feel peace again. He shut up immediately. My mind was finally mine after so many years.

“You are welcome, my dear child, and now you must go.” What? Why?

I started to hyperventilate. Why was she kicking me out?

“Hey, hey. Calm down, Aziza. I’d love for you to stay here, but your destiny awaits.” She put her hand on my shoulder, and her touch instantly calmed me down. Then her eyes looked straight at me, and with a serious tone she spoke.

"Now, I must warn you. You should protect your heart at all costs. It is what gives you strength against the demon, so choose carefully who you trust."

I didn't understand why she was telling me this. I only trusted one person, and that person was Naya. I trusted my mom as well, but she is dead, and even if she was alive she would never betray me. I think she sensed my confusion, because she reassured me that I would understand what she meant later.

We walked back to where Naya was. Her lions were playing around trying to chase the bugs, while Naya was reprimanding two of her kids. Knowing them, they were probably fighting, and she had to separate them. When she saw me, she came to my side, as she was in her lioness form, we couldn't communicate with each other, so I had to tell her that I was okay, assuming that she wanted to ask me that.

Yamoja saw our interaction and gasped, making us startle. What the hell?

"I almost forgot, I have another gift for you." She now winked at me, while she lifted her hands up in the air, and pronounced some strange words.

Kutorenu, nishala n'wana,

Dilatma sahar, bishala na.

Mitha varu, jinasha shal,

Aziranu shena, walatma jal.

(Translation:

"Spirit of the lioness, hear my call,

Grant me the gift to speak with all.

By earth and water, moon and flame,

Let our connection be one and the same.")

A blue smoke came out of her palm, and came right at me. It surrounded my entire body, but I wasn't scared, because, just as with Yamoja, it felt like I was surrounded by peace and calmness.

"What the hell did she do?" What is that voice? It sounds like...

"You can now understand what Naya and other lions or lioness shifters want to tell you." I gasped in astonishment. Did that mean that...

"Can you tell if my kids are shifters?"

"I guess so? We could try." I looked at their kids, one by one, and half of them were shifters, half of them were not.

When I told her this, she looked happy for her kids that could turn human, but then she remembered that the other half of her cubs weren't and got sad. Also, as her kids hadn't turned, she didn't have a clue on how to break the news to them.

"They are going to hate me, the ones that can't turn into a human. I'll have to leave them eventually." It saddened me to see her like that. A mother's love was the greatest of all, and she was suffering for her kids.

"You don't have to leave your children behind, Naya. I'll grant you one last gift for you too, but you have to choose. Do you prefer your kids to be shifters or not?" It was a huge decision. If she chose them to be shifters, they may have to live the same life she did. Hiding in the savanna, but if she didn't, then she would rob the ones that could shift the possibility to choose what they wanted in life.

"Whatever you choose Naya, I'll be by your side. You are a great mother, and have done a lot for your kids. Any decision that you make is out of love, and they will respect you for that."

It seemed that my words helped Naya, because she didn't look so indecisive anymore. She knew what she wanted, and why she wanted it, and so she made her decision.

After that, Yamoja accompanied us to the exit of the oasis. She once again reminded me to take care of my heart, and to never take the necklace off. She even showed me a spell to hide it from everyone else. If they looked at me, it seemed that I had nothing on, so, they wouldn't try taking it away.

We started walking once again. We didn't have a destination. We just had to wait for what would unravel in the future, but then, he showed up, once again, like a demon.

Chike, and he had an army by his side. They weren't the same people from the village. I had killed them all, so where did he find so many warriors?

"Aziza! I have come here to deliver you your destiny." I lifted an eyebrow at what he said to me.

"My destiny? And what would that be?" He smirked, but faintly, and I understood what he did. He was a rat, nothing more, he was no chief, but he wanted to portray himself as one.

"Death, I came here to deliver your death."

Taking into account that he had lied to whoever was helping him, I decided to let them know the truth. He most likely told them that I was an enemy, a demon walking this Earth, but I bet he left the small detail that I'm his sister well hidden.

"You can try, dear brother." I retorted back, and the gasps that came from his army were audible even for me.

"I'll help you!" Naya came in front of me while she roared to all of them, but I couldn't risk her. If they killed her, all her kids would be lost, and now she had a new purpose. She had to teach them how to transform into humans.

"No, Naya, I can do this alone. I can protect myself long enough to escape. You have to take your cubs and run."

"But-"

"No, but's Naya, you have to run."

She fought me on that decision, but I convinced her that it was the best decision that we could make. She finally turned around and left with the lions. They looked at me a few times, but finally left with their mother. Once I could see that they were out of harms way, I looked at Chike. At least he didn't attack me when the cubs were by my side.

"Now what? You are left all alone." He pouted to make it seem like I was defenseless, but he was so freaking stupid. If he wanted to portray me as this evil woman, then he shouldn't try to provoke me.

"One, I'm not alone. You know I'm capable of defending myself. Two, if I was evil, as I suspect you portrayed me to these people, then why do animals follow me and even try to protect me? And lastly, why didn't you reveal all the information to the people that are helping you right now?"

He didn't answer back. He couldn't. I have shown everyone his true colors, and now he was thinking of a way to fool them once again.

"You are the devil! Nothing that comes out of your mouth can be trusted!" He yelled, and unfortunately for me, it seemed that they were on his side despite what I just told them. Are all men this stupid and blind? "Attack!" And they launched at me, meaning that I had to fight a battle that I didn't want, but they left me no choice. I had to defend myself.