The Witch Bone

Note to self: Drinking human blood makes one fair like the Holy Tree. Alright. Wait, what?! Then the shamans here got their ethereal beauty by drinking human blood as well? But why does that not disgust me?

Because I have watched vampire movies in my previous life. Because of my expectations after watching Van Helsing. Uhuh.

These were the thoughts that were running through Bai Hua's mind as he sat crossed legged under the giant ancient Holy Tree. If the shamans knew what he was thinking they would be the ones making him bleed and not the tree. For someone who was alien to this world, he was quite comfortable here. Almost treating it like an RPG even though he knew that it was the real deal. Then, he felt a pull.

White vines had emerged from the tree tugging at him at his exposed skin. No wonder he was made to wear a loincloth. It was to expose his body to these vines and was not some barbaric cosplay like he thought initially. The most amusing thing about this situation was that he did not feel any pain. Who was that that had spouted all those nonsense about the ritual making them want to jump off a cliff instead?? Instead, he felt euphoric like he was really sitting on a bed of poppies. And so he closed his eyes and went into meditation.

Bai Hua didn't know that it was a painful process for regular people. This ritual was meant to cleanse the vessel or the body for the spiritual powers to be restored without any impurities. So it was meant to be excruciating but it was not so for him because? He was different. He had help. But Bai Hua was unaware of it.

In this way, he smoothly sailed through this experience and did not produce any sign of pain on his face. Then the euphoric feeling stopped after the burning of three incense sticks that's when he realized that the Tree had retracted its vines.

"You fared well," said the same musical voice in his mind with a hint of surprise and amazement.

He opened his eyes to see a shaman who was dressed in moonlight. Everything she wore was white. Everything about her was like the moon. Fair but soft, bright but not glaring. And when she pulled down her hood it revealed eyes that could summon all the stars in the sky. And it also revealed her hair that looked like silk made of moonbeams gently flowing down her head like she was the moon herself.

She could feel the boy's detailed scrutiny but she was immune to it.

"Welcome to the second part of the ritual. This will decide your fate from now on. Get ready for combat."

The word "combat" jolted him from his reverie. His senses were completely knocked off when he saw her. But now he realized that they were no longer in the grove. As he stood up he saw that the trees were gone even the Holy Tree that he was sitting under. But the ground remained scarlet.