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At that same moment, the young man knelt before me. I turned my face toward him. It was the first time I hadn't seen him in my visions. He was beautiful. Tall, with a strong build and clear brown eyes. His shoulder-length hair was the color of golden grain. He looked me straight in the eyes. He wasn't afraid, though I could see the uncertainty surrounding his future.

"In the presence of the Goddess who blesses us with birth, death, and rebirth; in the presence of her consort, the Horned God; and in the presence of the four elements, powerful and inanimate; and of my brothers in the Craft, are you ready, filled with love and faith, to accept your vows and begin your journey within yourself and toward divine strength?" He

never took his eyes off me. His hands were folded on one knee. He was dressed in the most beautiful robes, which the Council of Elders had presented him with minutes before the initiation ritual began. Strength and determination radiated from him. Without a doubt, he was the one we had been waiting for so long.

"Yes, I am," he replied in a calm, deep voice.

"So be it," I said, handing him the parchment with the vow written on it.

"I swear," he began reading, "to serve the Goddess and her consort, the Horned God. I promise never to violate the doctrine of the Council of Elders, which is: do as you wish, but harm no one. I will invoke only positive energies and white magic, and I will strive to use the powers of magical practices solely for the good of others. For the safety of this circle and all who are a part of it, I hereby swear the following oath of secrecy: I will guard the secrets of the Craft and this circle, and I will never, at any time, reveal to outsiders the true name of any woman or man gathered in this sacred place, without the permission of the person in question. I also swear that if, for any reason, at any time, I leave this circle and its sacred path, I will be faithful to this oath until the end of my days. With the Goddess and her consort as witnesses, I solemnly swear that I willingly desire to enter the sacred circle."

"Seal your oath with a kiss and rise from your knees."

The man kissed the parchment, standing. Meanwhile, I passed my hand over the cauldron, and at the same moment, the herbs thrown inside began to burn. I looked into his eyes.

"You may now place your oath in the cauldron of transformation, so that it may be consumed by the fire and delivered to our Goddess and her husband."

He obediently crumpled the parchment and tossed it into the burning cauldron. The fire quickly consumed the paper and extinguished itself. At that same moment, the High Priest handed me the ritual knife, and I traced a pentagram in the air before the young man.

"By the sacred power of the blade and the pentacle, I bless and grant you power." With that, I handed the knife back to the High Priest and took the bowl of burning herbs from his hands. I then traced a pentagram in the air, saying, "By the Primordial Element of Air and the Guardians of the East, I bless and grant you power." – Then I took the lit candle from the Priest and traced a pentagram with it again – "With the Primordial Element of Fire and the Guardians of the South, I bless and grant you power.

" Now I take the chalice of water and trace a pentagram in the air with it. When I finished, I dipped my fingertips in it and sprinkled a few drops on the novice – "With the Primordial Element of Water and the Guardians of the West, I bless and grant you power."

I return the chalice to the High Priest. He places it back on the altar and hands me the bowl of salt. I trace a pentagram with it, then take a pinch of salt to sprinkle on the man – "With the Primordial Element of Earth and the Guardians of the North, I bless and grant you power."

The moment of silence seems to stretch on forever.

"I, the High Priestess, servant of the Mother Goddess and Father God, solemnly appoint you as Guardian and hereby welcome you with open arms and a loving heart into this circle as one of us. May it be so!" I slowly approach him and embrace him warmly.

After a moment, as the High Priest embraced him, I took the knife and walked it around the circle, saying quietly, "The circle is dissolved, the ritual is complete, so be it."

We then went outside, where a white mare was waiting for us, tethered to wooden posts. The Council of Elders once again circled the ritual site, forming a circle, and the High Priest and I positioned ourselves on either side of the mare, holding her by the bridle. I watched the young man approach the mare and strip off his robes, which fell to the grass. His muscular body tensed to the breaking point as he stepped onto a large, flat stone placed by the mare's hind legs. For a moment, silence reigned, and I saw him close his eyes, as if afraid of what was to come. When he entered, the mare nervously lifted her head, escaping our embrace, but then froze again, unable to free herself. I wanted to close my eyes, didn't want to watch, yet I knew I couldn't. I watched him until the last moment. Until he froze, all his muscles relaxing, and his eyelids flew open in ecstasy. The faces of the Council of Elders lit up. He had finally proven himself a man. No, he had become a man. Through the mist, I saw the High Priest hand him an old sword. It was meticulously crafted. A long silver blade, and a hilt adorned with colored stones. The man circled the mare and raised the sword in his right hand high toward the sky. Its blade glinted in the silver moonlight. Everyone gasped when, with one powerful thrust, he plunged his entire sword into the mare's body, which sank to the ground with a desperate neigh. The guard knelt beside her and raised his brown eyes to me. Unconsciously, I knelt beside him and, gathering the mare's blood in my hands, began to rub it on him. I started with his forehead, then his neck, chest, belly, and legs. His body trembled. Fire burned in his eyes. I rose from my knees and signaled for him to do the same.

"In the presence of our Mother, by the power of our Father, I declare that this man has become my equal and the Guardians of the Elements. Today he has been reborn, with new power and new knowledge within him. The magical circle of nature has been closed, and the four elements have been united. From this day forward, the Salamanders and Guardians of the South will serve you. I only remind you of your oath to serve the Goddess and the Horned God."

With that said, I turned towards the moon, raising my bloody hands.

"O Great Moon Goddess, luminous and wild, we are your humble children. Sorceress of the silver light, we offer you honor and worship. We kneel before you and perform rituals to share in your mystical love. Goddess of grain, water, and life, daughter of light, mother and wife, you dance in the salt waters and play with the clouds. You bless our souls with the peace of the earth, the warmth of fire, and the strength of air. O Supreme Goddess, your waters quench the thirst of our dreams. Be with us from now on until the end of our lives. May it be so."

The High Priest turned to the novice and, taking his hand, began leading him down the hill, followed by the Council of Elders in a narrow line. The Rite of Initiation was completed. They could depart. I stood on the hill for a long time, gazing at the bright disc of the moon, and only the footsteps of the men roused me from my thoughts.

"Welcome," I heard the voice of one of the Guardians.

They were untying the mare's ropes and then carrying her to a large fire pit set on the other side of the hill. There they lit it, thanking the Elemental Spirits for their help and offering the meat to our Mother and the Horned God. I approached them. We were silent for a long time, just watching the flames dance in the wind.

"Will you take care of him? Will you accept him into your midst?" I asked.

"Of course. He's one of us now, and danger lurks.

" "You know...?

" I feel it in the air. The wind carries the lament of the innocent.

"And the earth is soaked in their blood.

" "The water is poisoned by their bodies. It won't be long now. They'll be here soon.

" "So what are we to do?" I asked helplessly.

"What did the Spirits say?

" "Nothing." They show me only battles. Bloody slaughterhouses. I see them slaughtering people, pillaging everything they find. And I see the man who leads them, but I don't know what to do...

"Our Spirits cry and beg us to do something quickly. They want us to leave the settlement, yet..." He fell silent, turning his face toward the darkness.

We all knew we couldn't leave our Sanctuaries. And the people wouldn't abandon their homes to wander. Even if we left the settlement, our lives would still be in danger. I turned away from them and silently walked toward the temple. When the sun rose, I would have to be ready to greet the Horned God and thank the Goddess once again for her grace of initiation...

The shouts of men roused me from my sleep. I heard laughter and loud conversations. Down the hill, the settlement fell silent. I stretched lazily on my bed and breathed deeply of the dusty air. Yes, harvest time had arrived. As every day, I rose and went to the temple to greet the Horned God. Then I changed my clothes and went outside. It was a beautiful day. Not a single cloud in the sky, and the dew still sparkled on the green grass. From here, I could see the plowmen driving oxen pulling loaded carts. Almost all the men had left the settlement. Only a few women and their children remained in their homes. They prepared meals for the workers and cared for the babies. Harvest time was special for my tribe. It was a time of abundance, joy, and dancing. We knew no war. We lived in peace, far from other settlements, and only occasionally were visited by traders and travelers who brought news from far corners of the world. I started running down the hill to join the workers as quickly as possible. I was running along the wall when a tall man suddenly emerged from one of the side streets. Unfortunately for me, I stopped dead in his arms. Blushing, I stepped back, apologizing.

"Is that you?" I asked quietly.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought..." he began.

"I thought the Guardians were already helping with the work.

" "They're on their way," he gestured to the other three men.

They waved friendly goodbyes and joined us a moment later. We walked together toward the gate, then, crossing the road, found ourselves in a field. People were bending over the harvested grain. They were tying long ears of corn into sheaves and bringing them back to the settlement. Others were picking vegetables in the nearby fields. Without hesitation, we set to work. By the sweat of our brows, we cut fields of grain with sickles. Only at noon did the women arrive, bringing us meals. We ate exhausted, without speaking, though it was one of the few opportunities we had to spend time with the people of our settlement. The sun was at its zenith. The day was hot, and there was still so much work ahead of us. Only late in the evening did we slowly begin to return. However, as people went to bed, other duties awaited us.

We gathered in the temple on the hill, filled with fragrant incense smoke, and knelt on the ground, remaining silent for a long time. Finally, I held out a white, crescent-shaped stone and reverently placed it on the altar. Then, one by one, the Guardians placed objects symbolizing their strength on it – a bag of earth, a bowl of water, a hawk feather, and ashes. I looked at their focused, serious faces. Their powerful powers hovered in the air, and I heard the Spirits who served us singing. I stood up and drew a circle around them. Then, passing my hand over the clay bowls of herbs, I caused them to burn, filling the temple with even thicker smoke.

"With flame and smoke, the ritual begins to birth our strength from nowhere. I call upon the mystical primordial elements to watch over us, so that we may see them and pay them their due honor."

As I sat back down on the ground, closing the circle and joining my hands with the others, I said, "Here and now we unite as one until we have fulfilled our spells. Positive energy dominates, and to the One Who Turns the Wheel, we salute you!"

At the same moment, we raised our hands.

"We salute the Goddess," we began together. "She is our Mother. She is our Teacher. She is our Desire. She is our Life. She is our Inspiration. She is with us. She is within us and all around us."

When we lowered our hands, I saw white energy begin to surround one of the Guardians. When it completely enveloped him, so that he glowed with an otherworldly radiance, the energy began to transfer to the second Guardian, then to the next, until it reached me and filled me with its divine power. All thoughts vanished. I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling of bliss and peace that filled me to the brim.

"May the forces of good guard this circle," I whispered, as if against my will, "and lead us to the light, protect us from darkness and evil. Our hands are joined, and our souls are united!

" "The power of the Great Goddess, the Queen of the Moon, is within us!" the Guardians began in unison. "The power of the Horned God, the King of the Sun, is within us!"

"The power of light is within us," I say quietly, lifting my eyes to the candle burning on the altar.

"The power of water is within us.

" "The power of fire is within us."

"The power of earth is within us.

" "The power of air is within us."

We repeated these words over and over again, feeling the Spirits within the temple begin to swirl around us, faster and faster. The candle flame began to dance in the wind, and the stone altar glowed with a warm white light. The earth trembled beneath us, and the water in the clay bowl began to bubble. I felt the energy filling the place to my fingertips. The Nature Spirits had come at our call and were watching over the sacred ritual. I looked again at the faces of the Guardians. I saw pride and concentration in their eyes.

"We are all children of the White Light," I began. "We are all brothers of the Holy Earth, and the Goddess and God are within us and around us as we flow with the endless cycle of eternal rebirth."

- May the fire of our magic burn brightly, may our hearts possess the power to turn Evil into Good again and again, may the Forces of Nature come to our call - said the Guardians - May the Power of Healing be in our hands, and may the Spirits help us.

"Anything is possible," I whisper, feeling the Power flowing through me, depriving me of my senses. "The power of change and transformation is rooted deep within each of us, waiting to bloom like a flower in need of love and light. Love is light. And light is love.

" "Love is light, and light is love. And love will be the law—harm none, love and do what you desire. Let it be so!" I heard the unanimous chorus of their voices.

I stood up unsteadily and, closing the circle, began to speak. "We lovingly thank the Ancient Gods and the mystical primeval elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth for their presence and the energy with which they have filled us in this Temple of Magic. With the deepest respect and sincerest love, harming none, we bid them farewell. Our ritual is complete. Blessed be you, each and all.

" "Let it be so," they replied, releasing their hands and breaking the flow of energy.

In that instant, everything fell silent. The spirits left the temple silently, and the earth beneath us stopped trembling. The ritual was complete. Exhausted, I watched as the Guardians rose. I bid them farewell silently, kissing each of them on the forehead. Left alone, I leaned heavily against the temple wall. I tried to lie down, but my exhausted body refused to obey. I slumped to the ground, losing consciousness...

I felt a sharp wind on my face, tugging at my loose hair. Somewhere below me, I saw a vast plain, barren land, and on the horizon, a high mountain range, casting a shadow over a small hut built of dried-out wood. In the corral, I saw a few goats and pigs. There was no living soul anywhere. Silence and barrenness reigned in this desolate land. I descended, and then a young shepherd appeared. On the other side of the hill, in a parched meadow, he grazed a small flock of sheep. He played a flute, playing for his twin sister, who spun around in time to the lively song, laughing and dancing. In the hut sat a woman with a wrinkled face. She had long, soft hair that fell to her waist, and she must have once been a beautiful girl. But now, her hands were worn, and her body was marked with scars. She laboriously kneaded bread to feed her small family. It wasn't the first time I'd had this vision. I knew a tall man would soon enter the cottage and sit on the bed, pulling a long thorn from his foot. The woman would kneel beside him and carefully bandage his wound. And then the sound of splitting stone reached my ears, and I would sink underground, where in the darkness of a narrow tunnel I would see the outline of a man. Then I would see him smelting metal and heating it with fire. He had already devised many things to help his family in this way. And I saw a girl beside him, digging into the earth with him. All grimy, in torn skins, in eternal darkness. And then a terrible day came when two brothers quarreled over their sister, for both wanted to take her as their wife. A fierce quarrel broke out between them. Until one night, one of them murdered his brother and left home with his sister to wander the world, seeking their happiness. However, I also saw the wrath of the Deities, angered by the shedding of innocent blood. So they sent a Spirit to earth, who branded the fleeing siblings with immortality and cursed their love so they would never again find happiness in each other's arms...

What happened...? I woke up lying on the ground. I still had scattered visions behind my eyelids. I rose, trembling all over. Someone was calling me... yes... I heard someone's voice... but it wasn't my name. In the settlement, they called me something else. Yet... yet this name, the one they called me now... it was mine too... I ran outside, looking around. The voice calling me grew louder, clearer. It was carried on the wind. From far away, or perhaps quite close...? My heart fluttered in my chest like a wounded bird. This name, so old and in a long-forgotten language...

- Who are you...?! - I whispered - Tell me why you call me...?!

Suddenly, the call turned into a piercing scream. I clapped my hands over my ears, recoiling like a drunk, the shriek unbearable.