Hannah and I stood there listening to Chiara's story. She was a kind person, very warm, and surprisingly interesting. It caught my attention to learn that she had graduated four years ago, which differed from what I remembered of her "character." However, considering Tonks was in her seventh year when I first arrived, I couldn't expect everyone's timeline to be exactly as I knew it.
"Once I graduated, I decided to follow my dream of being a Healer at St. Mungo's. I was prepared for it," she said, leaning against the table she had previously used as a cot. "In fact, I had a recommendation from the hospital's Mediwizards because of my internship. I was there for a few months, but one of the senior Healers told me I was still too young to limit myself to one place. She recommended I hone my skills, learn more, and told me that St. Mungo's would always welcome me back when I decided to return."
"So you came here?" Hannah asked, totally captivated by this 'fellow Hufflepuff's' story. She looked intrigued… and awestruck.
"No, not directly. I began a journey around the world," she said with a soft smile. "First Europe, then America. I visited every magical medical center I could find, both to offer help and to learn—about a month in each place, depending on how things were going. I arrived here about a year after graduating and I loved it. I learned so much from the Amazons. I return every time I have a vacation from St. Mungo's to help out… as a way of giving back for everything they taught me." She looked through the open walls of the building toward the village, which breathed life under the morning sun. "This is a community that thrives on mutual support," she said with pride. "And I am happy to be able to do my part."
Hannah watched her with a mixture of admiration and respect. Chiara was an upperclassman who had achieved her dream: working at what she loved, living adventures, and traveling the world. Something sparked in Hannah's eyes. After this trip, she too had understood how beautiful and exciting the world was beyond England. And, if she could, perhaps she would want to do like Chiara: discover what other wonders lay hidden.
Chiara finished her tale with a few more details—some interesting, others just pleasant—and then turned her attention to us.
"And that is my story. What is yours? How did you get here?" she asked with sincere curiosity.
"We're in an exchange program with Castelobruxo," Hannah responded enthusiastically, ready to tell the adventure. "We were on a field trip for a Herbology class in the forest when…" she trailed off, looking at me, not quite knowing how to explain what had happened.
"Some strange guys came out of the forest and attacked us on sight," I summarized, trying to keep it casual. "We fell into the river, it swept us far away, we got lost in the jungle, and the Amazons found us."
Chiara grew serious upon hearing this, though not for the reason we thought. Besides worrying about our accident, there seemed to be another thought crossing her mind.
"You say some men attacked Castelobruxo students?" she asked, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Yes. We heard sounds of fighting, beasts… it felt like there was a battle in the jungle. And then they just appeared. I think they wanted to silence us or something, because they were surprised to see us before they attacked," I said, trying to piece my memories together. There was something that didn't quite fit… something I hadn't realized yet.
"Hmm… you should be careful," Chiara said in a grave tone. "I also noticed something strange when I arrived in Brazil. More suspicious groups than usual, and the Amazons have been on high alert for weeks. I believe something is happening in the jungle," she warned us, looking at us like two children who had accidentally stumbled into something dangerous. "You should stay inside the camp or find a direct Portkey back to Castelobruxo. Do not go out into the jungle for a while."
Hannah and I looked at her with concern, though none of the three of us truly knew what was going on. Even so, we continued chatting for a bit longer until Niara came looking for us. We said goodbye to Chiara, who returned to her work, attending to other patients.
Niara indicated that the old seer could see us now, so she guided us toward one of the inner areas of the village, a less frequented part. There, the buildings looked older, though no less sturdy. The smell of herbs and plants was even more intense than in the rest of the place, which was saying a lot for a jungle.
In this area, it wasn't just the seers who lived; there were also magical masters of all kinds, such as potion-makers, alchemists, and other witches of great importance.
We reached a circular building whose walls were made of thin sticks stacked side by side, with a conical roof made of the same materials. Inside were several Amazons, some guards, though most were women less robust than the warriors; almost the opposite of them, which made it clear that their role was not a martial one… though, of course, there were always exceptions.
We entered the structure while Niara asked us to be respectful and keep our voices low.
The floor was entirely dirt, without any kind of paving. There were several rooms, many without doors, and inside, some Amazons were performing rituals, magical practices, or divinations for families and visitors. We continued moving toward the back, to an area where there were no longer civilians, only staff and guards.
We arrived at the last room. Niara took the lead, pulled aside the curtain that served as a door, and allowed us to enter. As we crossed the threshold, the smell of magical herb smoke intensified; the air was somewhat hazy, though luckily it didn't seem dangerous to the lungs—otherwise, there would already be several dead women in that place.
In the center of the room, a fire burned, surrounded by several individual mats. On the other side, each sitting on their own mat, were three women. But one stood out above the rest: extremely elderly and thin, with one eye completely blind and the other barely functional. Her skin looked like cracked bark, and she wore traditional clothing along with numerous native necklaces and ornaments. She was so old that it gave the impression she could die at any moment.
That was the High Seer. The same one who had made the prophecy about me. I don't know if she actually saw me, but she felt our arrival: she took a deep breath as soon as I crossed the entrance, as if my presence had frightened, overwhelmed, or surprised her.
The old woman extended a trembling hand, trying to reach for something in the air. One of the women beside her handed her what appeared to be an ancient wand.
The old seer, with a raspy and broken voice, spoke words in an unknown language. It sounded native and very ancient; even Niara had difficulty fully understanding it, either because of a lack of knowledge… or because of how worn the old woman's voice was.
Hannah and I looked at each other, understanding nothing. The other women also spoke in that ancestral language, so there was little we could do but watch.
I, for my part, observed her with fascination. With my abilities, I could feel it: her life was like a consumed candle, a burnt-out wick. Her vitality was so scarce that it was surprising she was still alive… though I didn't give her more than a year left. Perhaps some magical method could prolong it for a while, but not by much.
"I am very old… I have lived many moons and dawns…" Niara translated suddenly, conveying what the old woman was saying in a faint voice. "…I should have joined the Great Mother already, but I lived until today to see this day… to guide the Amazons to fulfill the Great Mother's wishes…"
Hannah and I looked at each other, then at Niara, who listened with absolute solemnity. The same went for the other women in the room. Clearly, something important was being revealed.
"…this day has come, and I hope you can fulfill your duty, Bloodthirsty Demon… the Amazons will do everything possible to help you in your mission… even at the cost of our lives…"
When the old woman finished speaking, she seemed exhausted, as if those few words had consumed what little energy she had left. Silence filled the room. Our gazes turned toward Niara, waiting for an explanation… but she said nothing either.
It was one of the other seers, sitting beside the old woman, who spoke this time, addressing Niara in a Portuguese that we could finally understand.
"I will call the warriors and we will prepare. We leave shortly. Your mission, Niara, will be to take them to the cave and explain it to them," the woman said, standing up before leaving through another door.
Niara, without adding a word, signaled for us to leave the building. We were even more confused than when we entered, and the atmosphere of seriousness made it clear that something big was happening.
"Niara… what is going on?" I asked with distrust.
"Destiny calls. Our time has come. We Amazons will fulfill our great mission, just as you will fulfill yours," Niara responded, lost in her thoughts, with a solemnity that was almost painful.
"What?" Hannah asked, worried by such ambiguity.
"The prophecy of your arrival was recent," she said, looking at me, "but another one about you already existed before. Though only now do we know it spoke of you. The High Priestess received that prophecy in her final moments, and understanding its importance… she forced herself to live until today just to help us fulfill this mission. Now that you are here, and everything is about to begin… it is possible she will not hold on much longer," she explained with sadness and helplessness.
It was clear that the old woman was a spiritual pillar for all of them, and her passing would be like the loss of a dearly loved mother.
"That… isn't what I asked," I said, aware of sounding insensitive, but feeling like they were hiding the essentials from me.
"I will explain everything there. Now, go get ready. It will be a long journey. I will tell everyone to give you whatever you need. Take what you think is necessary. We leave in one hour," Niara said, walking away.
"Where? What? When? Why?" I asked as she left, leaving us with more questions than certainties. For a moment, the idea of prying answers out by force crossed my mind… but seeing a nervous Hannah forced me to stay calm.
The situation did not improve upon leaving: throughout the village, warriors were coming out of their houses, saying goodbye to their families. Many were heading toward the same point, forming hurried columns. There were witches with their wands, but also non-magical women carrying bows, spears, and makeshift weapons. I even thought I saw one carrying an old, rusty pistol among her belongings.
The sense of an impending war was impossible to ignore, and the atmosphere became tense, almost suffocating. Even the usual guards, those who previously patrolled the jungle, joined the march, leaving the area practically unprotected. Even Chiara watched from the hospital building, confused and worried, not understanding what was happening.
For my part, I remained relatively calm. I had seen situations just as bad… or worse. I trusted in my abilities, in the fact that I could face anything they threw at us, or at least escape with Hannah if something exceeded my limits. Though honestly, I didn't think it would come to that.
With Hannah, we walked through the village and several shops where, just as Niara had indicated, everyone offered us products and supplies for free. Some didn't seem to know exactly why, but others looked at me with a mixture of fear and hope, especially the older or more traditional women; it was they who placed the most expectations on me.