It wasn't always the humans who came in here seeking pardon and hoping for a better life but also the council who came for the work which they were involved and the witch hunters who always stepped in to intimidate and threaten the people of the church who were the white witches. 

"Can we go to the dungeon room?" Penny asked the white witcher.

His intelligent eyes looking at her where he gave her a nod, "Give me a moment. Let me go close the doors. I think I forgot to close them," he said with a smile as Damien and Penny were able to step inside the church. 

The man raised his hand in front of him and in the air, he murmured something under his breath. A language that the white witches spoke of, he spoke the words before a gray as smoke appeared on the palm of his hand. The smoke moved within itself like a cloud in the darkest time of the weather before pouring the rain down on the lands. After a few more words, he sent the smoke towards the entrance of the church. The smoke started to spread itself, moving in different directions until it stretched completely from corner to another of the doors which were open. 

"What is that?" she asked the man. Penny was yet to learn how to make use of basic spells. As she was still a beginner, she wasn't allowed to touch the magic of spells as it was believed that it was easy to tamper the magic which had the ability to turn something similar to the forbidden magic. 

"It is a spell of concealment," Father Antonio moved his hands so that the couple could follow him to the door, "It will provide the necessary protection where people with ill minds who come with the intention to harm won't be able to enter the church at this hour of the night. Like I said earlier, this hour is nothing but a pot full of gold and snakes. You pick what you like and make use of it. To an outsider who needs help, the doors of the church will appear to be open where help will be provided but not to any other kind. Most of the churches that have high standing witches make use of it."

"Calling yourself a high standing witch, Father Antonio," asked Damien. His eyes falling on the back of the witcher to hear the priest say,

"I would have been in a higher position if it weren't for the councilmen who like to steal our work. Of course, I am not blaming you, it is the others who come here in the name of inspection," sighed Father Antonio.

As they continued to walk, none of them came to realize something following them in the path of darkness that moved along with them. 

"When was the last time the council held an inspection here?" With what he knew, Damien was aware that the inspection never came. It was always sudden and a surprise so that they could catch the witches who were in the process of turning to black witches or doing something against the council. 

"It was two months ago. They have been frequenting their trips more than necessary."

Even though the witches were placed in the churches for the council's use and need, many of the older councilmen who were in the higher community of elders believed that the white witches were planning on something bad which was to stand against the council. They believed that the white witches would one day strike them which was why they felt the need to monitor the witches especially the one in the high standing. The high standing witches were the ones with higher knowledge than the rest of the white witches who barely knew the surficial magic. As much as one would love to boast about the superiority at the same time, the same high standing white witches fell in grave danger where their movements were restricted and were placed under the eye of the council. 

But as much as the councilmen scrutinized both the black and white witches, there was a reason why they were worried. A few decades ago, two of the white witches who were in the high standing had worked on a spell. A spell that was made to wipe the vampires who were deranged, corrupted vampires. 

They had been successful as they had cast the spell across one village in this very land of Bonelake as the population of the vampires was thicker than the other lands. Unfortunately, the spell had backfired. Instead, of betterment, the vampire families who were innocent were dragged into the spell which was cast to kill them along with the others leaving a dead mine of people in the town. 

What was meant to be created for good had turned to a dead man's land where lives had been taken. It was still not known if the witches had meant the spell for only the deranged vampires or if they had planned it secretly so that they could start clearing one town after another until there would be no living vampires which would leave the lands to the witches and the humans with the nonexistence of vampires where the night creatures would come to cease.  

"We don't care much about the inspection as the councilmen who come here know and understand that we follow their words," what was not meant to be seen was placed in the secret room which no one would be able to find unless they decided to demolish and bring down this church. But the church was old, old enough that one didn't dare to pa.s.s the command of wanting to destroy it. Another reason being, the council needed the approval of the magistrates and the Lord of the land. 

Lord Nicholas knew what was going on in the church, but the man didn't know every little detail as the witches were secretive about it. At least that is what they would like to believe. Lord Nicholas and the others who wanted to keep the church going took in their own favors when it came to making weapons or any other thing they needed. 

As the church itself was old, many of the other people from different lands who knew on what went behind and underground the church came to accept the favors while providing the needed protection. 

"You should know better, Father Antonio," Damien said catching the priest's attention, "The cleaner you keep your church, the more suspicious the council will grow to be. Having little mishaps once in a while is alright. Too much cleanliness will only make one question if a crime had taken place before the place was left spotless," they walked down the stairs and pa.s.sing the pillars before coming to one of the dungeon rooms which was more cave-like than the normal rooms. 

Whatever had been following them, stood outside without following them inside the room, camouflaging itself in the shadow of darkness. 

"Please take a seat," said Father Antonio before going to pick up some of the unlit lanterns that were placed in the corner of the rooms. Lightning it, he came back.

Father Antonio didn't take a seat, instead, he rested his hands on the top of the wooden chair and asked, "Did you want me to use a spell?" he looked at Penelope. 

The dungeon rooms were a place where the spells were cast, it was a medium room which allowed the spell to move smoother and also had a couple of potions which were placed on the several racks on the walls. The potions here were used for the white witches' own purpose and not for the public, but it was kept in the open. Even though used by the witches, they lied to the council officials that it was something that was used for the human's own benefits.

Though some potions had specific use, there were some who changed their properties depending on the spell that was used. Like a potion that was used to heal a human's fatigue in the body was used by the white witches to wash their hands and create a medium to understand the state of the mind. The emotions.

Penny shook her head, "No not spell, I mean not the forbidden magic," she said to have Father Antonio nod his head as if wanting her to continue with what she wanted from him, "You said you cannot pick on where a person is."

"That's right. The white witch magic doesn't allow it," the white witcher answered her. She knew that. Using the black magic for minuscule things wouldn't make sense as it wasn't worth it. 

"I read in one of the books that you can drive a person's dream. Visit memories as you sleep," she said, her voice hopeful, "I know it isn't one hundred percent guaranteed but that it is possible to go to the past in the form of dreams. Have you practiced that magic?" she asked him, her eyes waiting on him. 

"I am not the right person for it," Father Antonio answered her, "There was a white witch who resided in one of the nearby churches. She helped people with their dreams." 

"Which church?" asked Penny eager to know so that she could get the help that was needed. 

"The one that comes in the opposite direction of the Isle Valley, near the Grakken's village. But she can't help you anymore," Father Antonio had a grim expression on his face. 

"Why not? Is she one of the high standing witches?"

"She was but she had gone missing for days now. None of us know where she is," Father Antonio turned to look at Damien, "There were some of the councilmen who came asking for her. After them, there was another councilman who came for answers. The one with the eye-patch," look at that, thought Damien in his mind. It seemed like Councilman Creed was only getting into matters which he wasn't involved in. At least not involved through the council. 

"Is there no one else, who can help?" Penny asked him to receive a thoughtful look by the priest as if he were trying to remember. 

"Well, we do have one, but I wouldn't say the boy has mastered it yet. If I am not wrong he is only in his beginning time of witchery. It wouldn't be right to touch your dreams as there might be the possibility of messing something up there with your mind," Father Antonio warned her. 

Did she come to a dead end again? Asked Penny to herself. She offered the man a smile, "Okay."

Taking that she wasn't going to use the novice witch, Father Antonio spoke, "What did you want to dream about?" he asked her. 

"My family."

"I see. Let me check in the witch circle if there is someone who knows how to drive the dreams. If I find someone I will let you know."

"Thank you, I would appreciate that. Umm, Father Antonio, do you mind if I take a look at the room?" she asked, hinting about the secret room even though it wasn't a secret among the three of them. 

"You may," Father Antonio looked at her curiously as she stood up and left the men in the room.