[ WP ] Magic is viewed as a curse . It 's unpredictable , hard to control , and dangerous . Those few who find a way to wield it risk losing themselves in the process .

Thousands of years ago, Su'iit, the goddess who ruled the spiritual realm, fell in love with Garet, the god of the desert plains. Together, the set out to create new life as a symbol of their devotion and love for one another. The heavenly realm rejoiced over the union, but not all approved. Fareth, who ruled over earthly magic, had loved Su'iit for many years. Scorned and heartbroken, he waited in secret as Su'iit and Garet prepared to bring their plan to fruition. 
 
 
 As the first Daelen began to form beneath the sands of the desert, Fareth cast his spell, cursing them with broken magic. Su'iit and Garet remained blind to his actions, and together watched from above as the first of the Desert People began to claw their way from the grainy womb of the desert. 
 
 
 Hundreds of years later, the Daelen drink elixirs to calm the magic coursing through their veins. Their people are slaves and exiles, forced into lives of servitude or banished to the edges of their homeland. Those whose magic escapes restraints are imprisoned or executed, and many never see the light of day again. In secret, there are Daelen who practice the art of magic, who try to reign it in and control it. In attempt to harness and direct their powers, they develop rituals and devote their lives to mastering control. 
 
 
 +++ 
 
 
 Ba'ast, just eleven years old, is a prodigy in her family. She spends most of her time with her face planted in books, memorizing rituals and their ingredients, down to the pinches and the dashes. The words, she recites in bed as she falls asleep. 
 
 
 `` I can do this,'' she sighs, gazing over the myriad of items in front of her. The sun hangs high in the sky, and even in the shade of the tree behind her, she feels the heat scorching her skin. Carefully, she lays the ingredients out one-by-one, careful to place them in the correct order around the circle. If any of them are off by even a few centimeters, the entire spell will break, and there's no telling what might happen. A task as simple as creating a rain cloud could result in the destruction of an entire village. 
 
 
 Ba'ast's practice of magic was exactly why her family moved several miles from the village. Few parents allowed their children to even entertain the idea of the practice. Witch's Bane, the main ingredient in the daily magic-suppressing elixirs, became a staple part of the diet directly after birth. Its benefits were passed through breast milk, almost completely eliminating the possibility of even newborns accidentally incinerating their family alive. 
 
 
 But Ba'ast's parents saw promise in their daughter. Through hard work and discipline, she had nearly mastered the curse. She knew she would never have full control, but perhaps one day her knowledge could help her people. Maybe one day she could help them escape their troubled lives, maybe even purge them of the curse all together. A cure was why she studied, but she'd be lying if she said she id n't enjoy the knowledge and the power. She could feel the energy of the earth move beneath her, in smooth waves like winding rivers and streams. 
 
 
 Meticulously, she poured a circle of dusted bone around the ingredients, and lit a candle at each of the four corners. So far, everything was perfect. *So far. * She sat with her legs crossed at North, and began reciting the ancient language of Ritual, calling to the water spirits for their aid. As she spoke, the sun appeared to lighten and the shadows of the tree deepened, bringing a crisp coolness to the surrounding air. Though one might be tempted to relax and enjoy it, she remained still and devoted. Her hands rested on her knees, palms facing toward the blue sky. 
 
 
 The sand within the circle began to shimmer and tiny specks of light started to form just above the ground. Few became many, and within minutes they began to converge into a soft sphere of blue light. Ba'ast could feel the energy around her, tingling with life. The spirits hear her calling, and excitedly they began to respond. 
 
 
 The sphere of light erupted into a beam and shot up into the sky, swirling with spiritual residue. Where the beam met the sand, the light spread through the earth like roots and illuminated the circle of dust around the ingredients. The air around her began to dampen and she tilted her head back, words flowing from her lips like a song on the wind. 
 
 
 She did n't hear the footsteps behind her. 
 
 
 A quiet giggle interrupted her concentration and she fumbled over a word, and those that were supposed to follow were nothing but a blank. Her eyes shot open and she turned her head down. Leliah, her two year old sister, was standing in wonderment to her side. The beam began to unravel, incinerating the ingredients in the ritual's circle. `` Leliah, you need to go,'' she urged as she got to her feet. She moved to pick the small child up, but Leliah escaped her grasp and ran toward the now converging beam. `` Leliah, stay away! It is n't stable! -- Leliah!'' 
 
 
 The spirits screamed. A piercing wail deafened Ba'ast, shooting searing pain through her ears and into her temples. She screamed and squeezed her eyes shut, raising her hands to cover her head. In the center of the circle, parts of the beam of light broke into tiny specks that incinerated themselves; small balls of fire began to float around them, exploding on impact with each other. 
 
 
 `` Ow!'' Leliah cried. `` It hurts. Bat, it hurts.'' Her small wails cut through the deafening spirit's screams. 
 
 
 Ba'ast opened her eyes and reached out, stepping towards her. `` Leli-'' A blast of hot air slammed into her body, forcing her off her feet and throwing her into the rough trunk of the tree. Just as she began to cry out in pain, another blast, this time of pure energy, shot down from the sky and engulfed Leliah in blinding light. `` LELIAH!'' Ba'ast screamed, helplessly pinned against the tree, unable to move despite how hard she tried. Her limbs were like boulders. She clenched her fists and yelled out, screaming for her younger sister. 
 
 
 The little girl's screams shook the air as the energy beam began to pick her apart. The sand beneath her tiny, bare feet began to melt around them, crystallizing and shimmering in the light. A beautiful prison, it held her fast. Patches of skin disintegrated into fine dust pulled into the sky in thin, wavering wisps. 
 
 
 `` Mother Su'iit, *please*,'' Ba'ast cried. `` Please! Let her go!'' She pleaded, but no one answered. `` Leliah, no! No, no. Please do n't take her, please do n't take her. *Please do n't take her. * It was n't her, she did n't do anything- *She did n't do it! * Please do n't let them take her! It was me, it was me, I screwed up, please do n't. Please do n't, please do --'' She raised her hands against another piercing shriek. 
 
 
 Then, all was silent. All was still. 
 
 
 Ba'ast opened her eyes and her shaky gaze came to rest on... nothing. There was nothing. She fell forward and down to her knees, collapsing into a fit of uncontrollable sobs. Eventually, the sobs faded into cries, then to tears, and finally into silence. She stared blankly at the expanse of sand in front of her. 
 
 
 There was nothing.
