The news spread like wild fire. The first seed was from a family of unlike ours. A family where there's no traces of magic. It was shocking as it was fairly uncommon, but not unheard of, of a witch to be born from a magic-less family, but to be a queen was entirely different. As I sip my morning tea, I couldn't help but chuckle. The poor wench was not even a witch till yesterday.

We were still on the ancestral home, and it has been rough for Vanessa and Caissa. Vanessa is not really smart. She thinks our magic is called familiarity. Our magic is Enchantment. We enchant our familiars to take monstrous and other forms to fight off enemies, Familiarity is the name of the spell for that enchantment. God what a dunce.

Caissa on the other is smart but she's having a hard time controlling her power. Without a familiar she does not have a go-to vessel for enchantment. They were sparring with Matriarch Thalassa, again.

Ever since the announcement and the news of the first seed, Matriarch Thalassa have been training the two girls, as if trying to draw out any chance of one of them being a seed.

"Vanessa, you idiot!" She raged "Do not rely on that blasted crow of yours" she instructed as the girls tried to dodge the gigantic Rueben. Matriarch Thalassa had enchanted her vulture into a monstrous avian. Rueben grew bigger and his black feathers had a metallic sheen to it that I am sure could cut those girls. "Use your head, if that head of yours is not empty!"

Vanessa tried to enchant Desideria once more, "Daku! Daku! Hal'maw!" she willed her familiar to change form, but it was a slowl process and she had to stop running to concentrate. Rueben intercepted the spell with a quick slash of his wings he threw the transforming crow away; destroying the chain of magic. Rueben shrieked and Vanessa fell down. Panic. It was Matriarch THalassa's favourite spell. Vanessa was now shaking, as a strangled sound fights to escape her mouth.

Rueben poised to strike Vanessa with his beak, I looked there fixated, Matriarch Thalassa was not even flinching nor was she hesitating. But before Rueben could strike Vanessa, a pebble hit Rueben's eye at a breakneck speed, then another, and another. Rueben shrieked at the source.

It was Caissa. She threw another pebble but Rueben snapped at it. "Paspas! Paspas! Igu!" she threw three stones this time, now aided with magic. She willed it to go faster, faster, and to hit his aim.

Rueben's attention was moved from Vanessa to Caissa, the giant monster slammed his now extended tail at the struggling witch, knocking her down. It barrelled towards Caissa who wisely run away, she continue to toss enchanted pebbles at the avian monster, it didn't do much. It just agitated him more.

Rueben continued to shriek as he gives off waves of panic. I couldn't help but feel a shudder run up my spine, Matriarch is really ruthless.

The training was not the only thing that was intensified. Their studies and diet was also affected too. The two girls were only allowed to eat the freshest of produce that we bought, in the same amount every day. Mondays through Wednesdays were fish and Thursdays through Saturday were vegetables and the occasional chicken and on Sabbath they were only allowed to eat fruits.

Caissa's and Vanessa's studies were stricter. Matriarch Thalassa herself oversees their studies. Each mistake earns a kiss from her crop-whip. She was careful enough to not leave any marks though

Every day she would strip the girls for inspection, but so far no queen's mark appeared on them. With a dismissive flick of her hand she send the girls away. Leaving her alone with me.

Malice bounded to me and I stroke his golden fur. I got Malice when I was 13 like any magdiwang had been from the beginning of time. He chittered nervously, I am nervous; scared of what I am about to do.

"Matriarch," I called to her. She turned and fixed her gaze at me. Thalassa is a fearsome witch. She raised our name right from the ashes with raw power.

"what is it Luxuria?"

"I believe that we should return Elpis" I forced myself to stop from squeaking in fear, as matriarch's eyes darken

"it's just... it's just that put of the two Caissa...Caissa is progressing faster than Vanessa so maybe with Elpis around the mark should-"

"no" she replied.

"But-"

"Have you lost your ability to comprehend the word no, Luxuria?" she asked, "if not, you would cease this blabber right now"

I dutifully shut my mouth at that. I bowed and left her office. I walked out of the main house and went straight to our house. It was located to the west near an artificial brook. I opened the door and there sitting on the sofa was Caissa.

She poked precariously at her bruises and winced at the pain upon contact while Estella pecked and pulled Caissa's hair whenever she does that. Estella is the beautiful familiar of my mother, Theresa.

Mother was at the kitchen fixing her a quick meal. Estella turned her head and flew next to her and helped mother enchant the food. That was the purpose of a familiar of a witch. It is a direct connection to the supernatural force of the world around us, helping us navigate our spells, prayers and chants properly. But a Magdiwang familiar is special as it can be enchanted or used to do spells from faraway places where a witch cannot go.

I looked at Caissa and saw her eyes follow around Estella. She had always been fascinated with familiars... and maybe even envious of it. Malice bounded to her and pulled her attention

"Lux" she called and I smiled.

"no mark?"

"yeah..." she said.

I walked and sat right next to her and asked her, "why are you trying so hard, about being a seed?"

"who said I was trying so hard?"

I just looked at her exasperated. "I know you, you have that look...like you're going to eat someone alive, it means you really are trying very hard, you know that if you do become a queen candidate, Matriarch would tighten her grip around you...right?"

She turned to me and looked at me "if I become the queen, the katalonan, I would have the chance to leave all this behind. It would mean...that I am powerful enough to fight back"

"but she's in the council, you can't run away from her...you'll die" I said grabbing her hand and squeezed it.

"But it would not just be her in the council, the other matriarchs could keep her in line besides once I am queen...I will be her superior"

"yes but what if the mark won't appear, she'll surely take it out on you. She won't harm Vanessa...but you" I trailed off.

Caissa seemed to not realize this herself with the look on her face. but she brushed the doubts away and smiled.

"it will appear...I can feel it"