[CookingwiththeCobra]

Zephyrine opened up a desk drawer and pulled out a pair of very large round spectacles. Putting them on, she examined the book, “we will be needing a few things it seems.”

“Make a list and I can see to it that you have everything,” Imelda impatiently tapped one of her long pointed boots.

Ignoring Imelda’s snappy attitude Zephyrine calmly wrote down what was needed and handed it to her, “I will need to start tonight.”

Turning to Elvira, Imelda beckoned her to follow, “Zephyrine needs to concentrate, and she can’t have you hovering. Follow, we will be taking a trip outside and you’ll be needing to stick very close to me… understood?” Elvira vigorously nodded her head in agreeance.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

They traveled through the main body of the house towards the front door. It was an extravagant door made of fine old oak wood and had beautiful gold etching engraved into the edges of it. It was arched on top and had a grated whole in the middle of it to peak through. Imelda opened the door and stepped outside. The sky was a bright orange and the forest in the distance had an eerie green glow. Two creatures stood on either side of the large door.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

They were half her height, lanky with small pointed elf ears and black beady eyes. They wore floor length black coats that were completely buttoned up and collars that rose to the bottom of their ears. They had matching black square hats that sat perfectly between their ears. “This is Sinful and Venomous, they are goblins. They watch over our mansion, and inform us of intruders. We have many other goblins patrolling the house inside and out,” Imelda informed.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

She watched them, they hadn’t moved a muscle and both stared straight ahead with their heads tilted up. Imelda pushed Elvira along making her stop looking at the strange creatures. Once they reached the gate that led beyond the houses property she glanced behind her once last time to see the goblins relax and pick up a conversation that they were having before Imelda walked outside. “Goblins are proud, shrewd, and sinister little creatures,” Imelda spoke when she noticed what Elvira was looking at. “They might be terribly un-honest when they want to be if it means getting them farther ahead of something else but once you strike a deal with them they are the most honorable and trustworthy things you can find in the underworld. If they give you their word then that mean they give you their word. They won’t back out or lie,” they were now traveling down a steep hill that led down to the village she had seen earlier.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

“They just don’t come off as things that would practically become your servants is all,” Elvira spoke with a questioning tone.

“The underworld is just as large as the world above and like royalty up there us witches hold the same standard. Being the guards to such a high standing group is great. Something they can boast about to their peers or family. It’s also a very easy job there is much worse out in this world that they could be doing than standing around a house that they know won’t infiltrated,” she stopped speaking as soon as they entered the village. Grabbing a hold of her arm she pulled Elvira close and whispered, “shush do not speak, do not draw attention to yourself."

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Elvira looked on in amazement at what she saw. They were walking down a street of shops with odd and end things sitting outside them from strange objects to weird creatures. They would stop what they were doing and stare at them while they past. The inhabitants of the underworld knew she was a human. A wolf like animal snarled its teeth at her. Imelda gave it a stern glare and it backed up. “That was Jerov be careful of him. He doesn’t need a reason to swallow you whole if you are not paying attention,” Imelda whispered as she dragged Elvira along.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Coming up to a small shop that didn’t have a name Imelda picked so herb that was in one of the many potted plants that sat outside the building. It had blacked out windows and large black wooden door that Imelda had to wrench open to get inside. The inside was completely dark at first before the eyes adjusted. Blinking several times she could make out a few ghostly green candles lit in the back of the room. Following Imelda even closer than before she shadowed behind her as she walked expertly over to the candles.

“Good evening, what can I do for two lovely ladies this evening,” a voice asked from the depths of the darkness.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Elvira turned when out of the corner of her eye she saw movement as something crept into the low green light. Her eyes grew wide when a skeleton stepped into view. She shouldn’t have been so surprised but yet she was.

[Stan the Skeleton Man]
If a skeleton could smile that’s what this one would be doing, “the names Stan, Stan the Skeleton Man. The only one around,” he held out his hand towards her. She looked at it warily remembering what Zephyrine had said but about not trusting anyone.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Stan retracted his skeletal hand, “smart one you got here.”

“Yes let’s hope she’ll be able to stick around. I need a few things Stan, here’s a list,” Imelda handed him the paper that Zephyrine had written.

“Of course, of course,” he grabbed the paper and disappeared again.

“What is this place?” Elvira asked not really knowing what Stan sold since it was pitch black.

“Sell plants, herb, and stuff like that,” she answered.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

“In the dark?” that didn’t make since. Plants needed light to grow.

“In the underworld only very rare plants grow in the light. The majority of the vegetation grows in the dark,” Imelda enlightened Elvira on something else for the umpteen time since her arriving in the dark realm.

“Oh,” she sighed. There was a lot more to learn than she thought in the beginning. Everything was either brand new to her or the complete opposite of what it was up on the world of the living.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Stan came walking back in view with a basket of things, “this looks like all of it.” He handed Imelda the basket and the list over.  

In return Imelda handed over a small bag, “glad doing business with you Stan.”

“It is always a joy to have you around Imelda,” he waved as they walked out of the dark shop. Elvira shivered at the overly polite conversation that had just transpired. They obviously hate each other but why pretend to be so nice.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Making the trek back up the hill to the witch’s manor Elvira noticed the gated arch had a name weaved through the ivy looking metal rods, “Order of the Bloody Thorn?”

“Yes, that is what our coven is called. I created it myself several hundred years ago,” Imelda spoke proudly. The manor was really a beautiful sight in a dark and sinister sort of way. It was built of brick and had been painted white but now it looked greyer in the parts that the paint was still there. Most of it had peel off and found a place plastered to tops of dead and wilted bushes that surrounded the building.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Walking back up the steps Imelda stopped her by the goblins again, “now the next two weeks are going to very tight and stressful for us. You must stay out of our way for the time being so we get everything perfect. You can explore the bottom-”

“The first floor and second floor, which means no basement, no attic, and no third floor got it,” she resaid what Isadora had told her.

Imelda raised an eyebrow, “do not interrupt me ever again.” They stepped inside and Imelda grabbed her arm dragging her up to second floor and back into the room where she had met Isadora. “This is where you will be spending most of your time, reading, learning, and understanding what will be expected of you. Caspia will retrieve you later and show you to your room,” she promptly left after her parting words.

[CookingwiththeCobra]

Elvira sighed and slumped into a chair pulling the closest book to her. She cracked the book open to a random page. Her eyes scanned over the words of each page until they became droopy and her face became increasingly closer to the table. The last thing she remember was her face hitting the table.

A clearing of the throat woke Elvira with a start. She swung her head confused at where she was before coming to and remembering that she was in a manor filled with witches in a different dimension called the underworld.

“You can finish your nap in your room,” an icy voice said behind her.

Getting up and turning around she saw a very pale woman that had blond almost white hair that was pulled up in a very high pony tail, “are you Caspia?”

She gave a tight nod, “yes Caspia Cold. Follow me and quickly, I didn’t become a witch so I could babysit puny humans.”

[CookingwiththeCobra]

The days following were boring, tiring, and filled with dusty books, and strange information. There was just two days left until her two weeks were over and several days ago she started to feel the effects. Her life leaving her. They were cutting it close if it was going to work. The last two days she hadn’t removed herself from her bed. She just couldn’t gather the strength to move anymore.