Chapter 2

Sifla, the Witch Who Guards Doras Hill Doras Hill was basically a modest mound covered in long, unkempt grass. More like a clearing than a hill, really. A short ways down its gentle slope, a forest enclosed the entire hill. Lotte told me thirteen sacred trees grew in a wide ring just before it. When we got to the very top, I saw there were some big, bumpy boulders in another circle. You guessed it—thirteen of them. In the center of it all were two enormous rocks standing upright with a third rock lying across them, kind of like a roof. “Wow, it looks like a torii gate,” I blurted out, puzzling Sucy and Lotte. “Torii?” “Uh-huh. You know, those ginormous gatelike things at the entrance of shrines?” “Shrines?” “Um, uh, that’s where the Japanese gods are… You know what? Never mind. What is that?” “Stone Doras. It’s the symbol of Doras Hill. That’s what the professors said, remember?” Lotte flashed a dry smile. “This thing? Huh. They kind of just look like plain old rocks to me.” Torii gates generally have shrines behind them, but these boulders didn’t seem to lead to anything. They kind of just stood there uselessly. Oh, did I mention there was nothing else to see on this hill? I mean, there were some rocks lying around and a few shrubs with white flowers, but that was pretty much it. What were we gonna do here of all places in the middle of the night? I want a refund! All that excitement for nothing! As I sulked, Lotte pointed up over our heads. “Like I said, we’re going to bask in the moonlight. It’s better to do that in an open space where nothing gets in the way, right?” Following her finger, I looked up to see a perfectly round moon shining brightly, surrounded by glimmering stars in the night sky. Wow. Okay. This was pretty amazing. If I reach out, I bet I could catch the moon and all the stars. “Doras Hill was discovered three hundred years ago. It’s said the coronation ceremony of the fairy king was held here, under the protection of the thirteen sacred trees.” Professor Finnelan spoke with a stern face. Gah. I definitely hadn’t noticed her creeping up on us. “A coronation ceremony, huh…? So the ceremony to crown a new king? How would they do that here?” “I believe that was in the homework you submitted this morning. I was under the impression you copied down some facts about the fairy king?” “Huh?! Um, yes…I think so. Maybe?” Professor Finnelan gave out a big, long sigh, and I laughed awkwardly, hoping she would leave it there. Like I’d actually remember details like that! I had forty whole pages to copy, remember? I never would’ve finished if I’d paid attention to the content. “Well, if your textbooks don’t have enough information for you, I’d advise you to read Sifla’s The Origin of the Fairy King. They say she entered the Country of the Fairies over three hundred years ago. She was the first witch to make a contract with the fairy king.” I kind of remembered reading that in the textbook. Maybe. Let’s see… I think it said the sacred trees protected the peace on this hill. Yeah, that was right. And the thirteen trees each served different purposes and roles. Hey, look at that—I did remember. I’m a freakin’ genius! “Professor Finnelan. If I recall correctly, Sifla went on to become the guardian of this hill, as the only witch to win the confidence of the fairy king,” said Diana. Even though we weren’t in class, she’d raised her right hand high in the air. The professor nodded. “To be precise, it wasn’t her alone. The role of guarding the hill was given to her family, handed down from generation to generation. As a general rule, the fairies don’t welcome any meddlers, but successive generations of Siflas continue to protect their space so they may spend a few restful moments on this sacred hill.” “Um, in that case, are you sure it’s okay for us to intrude in such a large group…?” Lotte had timidly raised her hand. This isn’t class, people. “No need to worry. Over the years, Luna Nova has signed a contract with each Sifla to provide her support should any trouble arise on the hill. In exchange, we have permission to bring our students once each year. That said, should we set foot on the hill without her permission or make an inordinate amount of noise, we’ll still be held accountable…” “Yahoooooooo!!” Just as Professor Finnelan’s eyes started to relax for once, this earth-shattering yodel reminded them to return to their usual scowl again. Yeah. We already knew who this voice belonged to, but we looked up anyway. “Amanda O’Neill!” The professor raised her voice to rival Amanda’s. “Get down here! I’m sure I said you’re forbidden to ride your broom without permission!” “Oh, don’t be such an old stick-in-the-mud, Prof. I can’t keep my poor broom locked up on a night as nice as this one!” She was spinning around one moment, hanging from her broom the next, flying through the night sky with the control of a seasoned acrobat. “Never mind that! Come down this instant, or you’ll face disciplinary action!” “Tch! Boooring.” Pouting, Amanda descended slowly. With the professor right there, we didn’t dare burst into applause, but I had to admit we were all in awe over her broomsmanship. That was Amanda for you. She could never sit still and loved getting her nose in mischief. Especially if she was on a broom.