Fuhrer considered her words for a moment, true she is incompetent but she is the one the Sihkers report too, and they report well. If the person was from a line of sorcerers, she would have known it.
"Hmm" he said after some time, "Then who is it?" he asked no one in particular.
At this time, Arsila wasn't staying around to see if they were coming for Morgetha or not, she was already backing away with her children. However, when she realized her daughter may truly not be the one foretold by the prophecy, she grabbed Arba's hand and held her by her side.
"It would be that one" another member of the Order, a wizard, said pointing to Arba, who was being held forcefully by Arsila.
Fuhrer turned to look at the girl with purple eyes, he felt the power rolling off of her in strong currents, how could he not have noticed before
"She is mine" Arsila said before Fuhrer could say anything.
Arsila's one true goal is to be the most powerful sorceress, to have the powers foretold by the prophecy that would fall onto anyone who could first harness the powers of this blessed 'Gifted one'. Then she wouldn't need to rule through any king, she would need neither her husband nor Caleb, she would be all powerful. And all these years she had thought it was Morgetha who the prophecy spoke of. She had grown her daughter's powers, concealed her, thinking that all the powers would be hers at the right time, but alas it had to be this nobody's daughter from this one shoe town.
Whichever way she is not losing sight of her dreams just because of a slight change in the key player of the prophecy.
"Now, now, my dear, you alone cannot perform the ceremony that would harness her powers" Fuhrer said coming closer to her.
Arsila suddenly provided a red hilt dagger from nowhere and held it up against Arba's throat,
"Mother!" Caleb cried when he saw his mother holding up a knife to Arba. Morgetha gasped.
"Shut up!" Arsila said to her besotted son
"One more step and she is gone. You know you can't harness her powers when there is no life force in her" she said to Fuhrer.
"You wouldn't" Fuhrer said, cautious
"Do you want to find out? It's your blood in my veins after all, you know just how greedy and ruthless we can be" she backed away as she spoke
"Don't follow me" she said to the Magus, "Run" she told her children
"Lord, they are getting away" Misera stated the obvious
"Leave them" Fuhrer told the Magus as he saw two of them about to pursue. If anything, he knew how his daughter, Arsila, can be, he didn't want anything to happen to his ticket to become all-powerful just because of a wrong move. He let them go for now, they can't get that far, the town manor grounds are only so much.
~.~
Arba couldn't understand what was happening. Sorcerers, gifted ones, prophecy? It is only her first night out and all this is happening. And to think the night had been going so well. As Arsila ran dragging her behind her, Arba caught view of the ball still in full swing as they ran passed a window. Those inside had no idea whatsoever of the chaos ensuing outside.
They soon came to a stop, some meters past the town manor grounds, at an area that was yet to be utilized and still much full of wild plant life.
Arsila caught her breath as she stopped running, it didn't take a minute for the questions to start rolling in.
"Mother, you are part of the Magus?" Morgetha asked
"We have had a grandfather all this time?" Caleb seemed baffled at the possibility of their being another family member, one he had no idea about before tonight
"What did Fuhrer mean when he said "it runs in the family?"" Morgetha asked before Caleb could finish his
"A grandfather who is a sorcerer, mother? What's even the Magus?" Caleb seemed stuck on the 'grandfather' thing
"How do they want to take her powers?" Morgetha asked referring to Arba
"What do they even want to do with her?" Caleb asked dumbly
"Surely, I wasn't the only one who heard when that ratty lady explained something about a prophecy and great powers" Morgetha said to her clueless brother
"I don't have any powers; what powers do they want?" Arba who had been totally confused and in a slight panic, asked.
"Quiet! All of you" Arsila had had enough of their questions, her head was spinning. She really hadn't thought down to the ceremony part in the harnessing of powers thing. She may not be able to do it on her own. And now how to outrun the Magus who were doubtless coming after them even now.
"Mother answer our questions"
"oh, where to begin?" she feigned being scared of them.
"I am the daughter of Fuhrer, yes, by blood mostly and yes I am part of the Magus. "What else?"
Morgetha thought for minute then asked, "You thought I was the "gifted one" of the prophecy and you didn't want them to take me, why? Because you wanted the powers yourself or because it is dangerous?"
"Oh dear, Morgetha, mother would always do anything to protect you"
"Answer the question, mother" Morgetha nearly screamed, she was losing patience with her mother. She felt like she didn't know who she was anymore.
"Of course, because it is dangerous! Do you know what the "ceremony" is? You think it is some royal ball affair? No, darling, the Magus are ruthless, they would magically drain out all the powers and take them, do you know what then happens? When they have taken the powers of a 'Gifted one', they would be so weak that they may die!" Arsila progressively advanced towards her daughter as she spoke, causing Morgetha to go backwards, her eyes widening with each line her mother spoke.
"And that is what you want to do to me?" Arba asked, stumped at how the events of the night has turned.
"She may die!" Caleb exclaimed mystified
"Do you think I care about you, girl? Whether you live or die?" Arsila said with blazing eyes.
Caleb thought at that moment as he looked at her; this isn't his mother, but some evil selfish sorceress.