Chapter 2: An unexpected encounter
A portal is a two way door. The first door reveals itself at the summoned location, and the second door appears in the desired destination.
Blair was desperate to survive, she has no idea where the portal is taking her, but any other place away from Damien Cold was a safer abode. The second door finally opened and she landed into a frigid black ocean. Her body succumbed to the irresistible cold and everything went dark.
Damien stabbing her flashed before her eyes - the memory of the pain, as fresh as ever.
'Gasps'
Blair jerked awake, panting and gasping for air as she sat up.
She survey the room she's in - a tiny bedroom bereft of any gaudy colors.
As she stands, her legs wobble - shuffling clumsily as she walked to the door.
"Hello? Anybody there?" Blair called out, about to grab the handle when suddenly, the door flies open.
Alerted, Blair lifted her fists to her face, preparing herself to fight whoever or whatever steps through the door.
And as soon as a figure stepped into the room, instantly, without giving it another thought, Blair attacked. She grabbed the person, slammed them against the wall, and pressed her elbow against their neck, using her other hand against their chest to hold them steady.
"Woah, relax, it's me!." Marina whimpered, raising both hands in surrender.
"Marina?" Blair let her go and stepped back, brows knitted - clearly confused.
Marina King is a witch of the third order, also the leader of her coven 'the sisters of the hood'. Marina was smart and very powerful, but that made her arrogant and ignorant. Her greed for power pushed Marina to begin sourcing from a book of darkness. She lost her way and her light. And after Blair defeated her in a battle, Marina lost both her magic and her status as the leader of the sisters of the hood. Marina was banned from her hometown and coven and ever since, her trace was wiped from the face of the earth.
Marina heaved a sigh of relief, "losing your powers clearly does not mean losing all your strength. You are still as strong!"
Blair could not respond, she was tongue tied and shocked to see Marina.
"You saved me? How?!" Blair asked curiously.
"You appeared out of nowhere. Went out to the ocean to get me some herbs, and guess what I got instead?" She paused dramatically, then continues,
"the great Blair Witch lying on the bed of the sea, barely breathing. I thought to myself, should I just let her die? But in the end, it seems I could not, despite everything you did to me!" Her tone darkened.
"Woah! It was a fair fight, and I wasn't even using my powers when I beat your ass!"
Blair bragged.
"Okay okay, miss 'I'm still cooler than you!" Marina mocked, "come on, I believe you are hungry!"
"Just parched. Feels like forever since I had a decent drink!." Blair complained.
Marina jerks her head in the direction of the door, "I've got food, it's in the kitchen, follow me." She stands and lead the way, Blair followed.
They headed downstairs to a comfortable affluent living room. Blair crashed on the dining chair while Marina went to get her food. She returned with a cup and handed it to Blair.
Blair observes the tea warily, "what's this?"
"Relax, it's not poison! It's a chamomile tea, it's good for the body!" Marina explained.
"Thank you." Blair accepted the cup and took a sip "uhm" she moaned contentedly,
"so how long have I been out?" She asked, bringing the cup to her lips and taking another sip.
"Uh, funny how it's actually been five good years since I found you!" Marina responded in her usual cocky tone.
At Marina's response, Blair choked on the tea - eyes snapping open, "WHAT!? Five years?"
She could not believe her ears, "Are you for real?"
Concerned, Marina speaks solemnly "I know it's overwhelming..."
"You think!?" Blair snapped, shaking her head in disbelief.
"When I found you, your injuries were worse than I thought. You were barely alive. I did all I could to keep you breathing. You lost a lot of blood, and there was an unidentified poison streaming through your veins!." Marina sighed, regained her composure, then continues,
"whoever it was that attacked you, they were this close to permanently wiping you out of the face earth!." She joined her thumb and index finger together, leaving barely an inch between them.
"Damien Cold, that bastard!" Blair growled. "He killed my men, and tried to kill me too!."
"I knew it, it had to be him!" Marina confirmed.
Inquisitively, Marina speaks, "Rumors about a hybrid who hunts people like us have been going round the west lands, and now even the south speaks of him. I hear he is merciless and extremely powerful!"
"He was! He was unlike anything I'd ever seen!" Blair replied, eyes staring into the distance.
The memory of their encounter spiral in her head. A shaky breath escapes her.
She knows something's wrong. Usually she would feel more than alive. She could hear sounds from miles away, could sense danger before it attacks, and her body was like a vessel full of color and vigour. But now, she feels frail and weak.
"I think I um..." She struggle to speak the words out, they weigh heavily on her.
"I think I have lost my powers!" Blair admitted in a whimpering tone. Eyes turning red with tears.
"I'm sorry!" Marina sympathized. "I know how that feels, and it's awful!."
"is there a way out? You are a witch, you must have seen something, a glimpse of the future perhaps?" Blair inquired desperately.
"I have seen something, yes, but it's complicated. Better for you to accept your fate than go down that path!." Marina warned.
"You want me to live the rest of life a weak pathetic human wannabe?" Blair snapped.
"I used to be one of the most powerful beings on this earth!" She said almost yelling,
"you want me to accept a fate that is so unfair!? If giving up and hiding like a coward is what you do, don't expect me to do the same!."
Insulted by her words, Marina snapped back at her, "giving up? Coward? I left because I was ashamed of who I've become! And you are no different from me. We both are slaves to our greed for power, we both killed mercilessly, and we both are paying for the choices we made!."
Out of breath from the screaming, Marina pauses, calmed herself, then continues in a soft tone, "I'm sorry Blair, life is always unfair!."
"Just spit it out, it's my life, I will decide what path to follow... please!" Blair pleaded.
After giving it a thought, Marina finally nodded "Fine, it's your choice after all!."
She drew a sharp breath, "So it's quite simple, the weapon used to stab you was a very special one, it is made from the purest of golds, and the stone it carries is not an ordinary stone. That stone siphons anything that comes from darkness. Your powers are contaminated with dark magic!"
Blair gasped, realization dawns, "so the dagger took all my powers leaving me nothing but my life and body intact?"
"Yes, but you could have died if you hadn't escaped!" Marina explained.
"So, what's the cure?" Blair asked.
"There's no cure, you just need to find that dagger, smash the stone and free your trapped powers!" Marina elaborated.
"Wait, that's it?" Blair questioned suspiciously. Witches always leave a thing or two out of their answers. They love toying with ones knowledge.
"Of course, only problem is, smashing that stone will free every evil darkness that has been trapped in it. The world will be brought to chaos!" Marina shuddered.
She continues "It will cause harm to millions, it's better to let things be, do not challenge fate!" She advised.
"I do not care about fate nor this world, I just need my powers back. Only I can write my own destiny!" Blair concluded in a determined tone.
"Damien Cold protects that dagger with his life, you can never lay hands on it! And you no longer have your powers, which means you can't charm him!" Marina warned.
"I don't need my powers to seduce a man, and lucky me, he does not know what I look like, I just need to find him." Blair feels confident.
"Where can i find him?" She asked.
Marina hesitates, "you need to think this through, are you sure?"
"Yes, I am!" Blair responded in a serious tone.
"Go to Oak city, look for the 'man who sits on the high table' and you will find him!" Marina explained.
Blair nodded and stands to leave.
"Blair?" Marina called out to her.
She stopped and span around to face her
"Be careful, that man is not what you think he is. He smells something off, he will kill you. I hear he is looking for you!" Marina advised.
Blair smiled, "Thank you Marina King, I shall one day repay your kindness!"
"I will pray that you survive to do that!" Marina responded.
For people who are enemies, they care about each other much more than they are willing to admit.
Nodding, Blair sailed out of the house.
She feels determined, a new surge of confidence radiates within her.
"I'm coming for you, Damien Cold!"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone