No Fury Like A Mother Scorned
He had never seen anything as beautiful as her, when she was covered in the blood of their enemies, and causing havoc in the battlefield. His unfocused eyes stared at the Crimson Goddess, or as others may call the Bloody Monster or even the Wagga Wagga Werewolf... He could feel the corroding agony coursing through her veins. He could hear the furious howl bubbling in her throat. He could taste the metallic tang on her fangs.
Beware for I'm the cursed mother
Yet the blessed monster
Don't get too close.
It's dark inside.
It's where my demons hide.
and where my divinity lurks
For my childe, I'll die
For my childe, I'll kill
The ominous words faded into the whispers of the nothing, and so did the seer's glimpse of the future. Yet as his blue eyes regained the wisdom he was known for, he couldn't shake off the feeling of an upcoming storm, a crimson storm.
Faint beams of the daylight punctuated their trail, shining like the benign sign of a faraway lighthouse. Preys and predators alike hurried away from their path as if they understood the urgency of the travellers. The sweet scent of wild fluxweed and alihotsy embraced them, calming their frayed nerves.
Yet none of these worked on Wilhemina. The mother could hear the approaching gallops of her enemies. She could feel their malovelent gazes on her back. They wouldn't be able to carry on like this for much longer. They needed time, her children needed time to escape. Biting her lips, she caressed the tainted dagger fastened on her leather belt. Gathering every ounce of her courage, she stopped and spoke.
"This is where we separate."
Her three children froze, their green eyes wide in shock. But she could see the understanding and grief in her eldest. Adriana was always the wisest one, wasn't she?
"Mother, you can't!" William, the youngest, grabbed her skirt, the tears generous on his pale cheeks.
Wilhemina crouched in front of him. With a small smile, she wiped away the tears. "It will be fine. I'll stop the men while you three escape through the forest. The Wagga Wagga village is just on the other side. Find Master Perston. I have already sent him an owl about your arrival. He will keep you three safe."
"I don't want to be safe! I want to be with you."
"I want to be with you too, Will. But we must do what we should. "Sometimes we have to ignore our gut and do what our hearts telling us to do." "
She watched as Adriana herded her two siblings around her. Marcus was hidden behind her sister's skirt, his eyes teary. "Wi- Will you return?"
A painful pang rang through her heart yet Wilhemina refused to show any of her pain. "I will." The cromulent promise tumbled out before she could stop herself. Looking at the small relief on her son's face, she realised maybe it was worth it.
After a painful farewell, she stood, digging her feet in the groud to not run to them. Her fists were clenched at her sides. She silently watched as her three children walked away. She would probably never see them again. Tears kissed her lips as she looked at Adrina's soft golden locks (just like hers), Marcus' tremulous smile when he would turn every now and then to look at her, William's reluctant gait as if he was on the point to run back to her... Until they were mere specks that disappeared from her sight.
The dark night had long overwhelmed the bright cheery day. The star twinkled in the sky above her head, welcoming their ascending queen – the moon. Crouched under the Elder tree, the young mother carefully undid the ancient dagger from her belt. The ornate ivory handle felt heavy on her pale frail hand. She flinched at the sight of the glistening red on the blade – werewolf blood, preserved on the Goblin-wrought metal. Specks of black battled through the crimson, dark and sinister like the monster it had come from.
Wilhemina stared at the full moon, who remained serene yet so cold in the dark. Would she be forsaken to a life as lonely? Would she be able to live in an ending darkness? Images of her children flashed in a mind. If the alternative was to live as a motherless mother... The thought chilled her through her core. With a resolute glint, she carefully cut through her veins, from her wrist till her elbow.
"Mother Moon," she hissed through the pain. "Curse me or bless me for now I'm your servant. For the lives of my children, I willingly forsake mine to yours."
Agony like she had never felt before filled her senses. Fire burned inside her, consuming all that she was. Her skin bubbled, white fur sprouting all over her body. Her nose lengthened in a snout, her green eyes turned amber, her legs and hands transformed into long limbs. A loud howl tore out of her throat – painful and furious.
A momentary panic filled her at the thought of her cubs. She had lost them! They needed her for they were too young. The maternal animal inside her roused in fiery anger at the thought of her lost children. But then, she recalled about the enemies seeking her, her cubs. She growled at the idea of danger to them. They were more precious than anything. She needed to defend them! The fury filled her as her fangs lengthened at the thought of those threatening her pack. Her ears could hear the approaching gallops, their loud cheers and jeers. A growl rumbled inside her at the thought. She needed to kill them before they could even touch her cubs. With a deep breath, she launched herself upwards in a swift motion.
Her huge paws carried her faster to the ones she sought. The stray leaves and branches snapped against her face, never slowing her down. Her snout picked up the scent of her enemies, unerringly leading her to them. Soon, she was standing in front of a few dozens of people – her enemies. Her loud howl broke through their nocturnal celebrations. She could feel their eyes on her glowing white form, basking in the moonlight. She knew they caught the glint of the light of her fangs.
"It's a werewolf!"
"Run!"
"-and my wand?"
Shrieks and shouts filled the night. Men threw themselves at her brandishing their swords threateningly. She grabbed the nearest one, her fangs sinking in his feeble neck. The metallic taste filled her mouth, glorious in her short victory. But before she could move, a sword pierced her left leg. Her pain filled howl covered the cheers of the men. She grabbed her assailant with her sharp teeth piercing through his tender belly. She shook him like a ragged doll, the blood covering her snout. She felt life leaving her recent victim. But she had no time to bask in the scent of her victory. She turned towards the approaching wave of men. Some carried swords, others wooden sticks.
"Incendio."
"Reducto"
"Stupefy"
The multi-coloured lights came towards her, as quick as a flash of lightening bolts. But they bounced off her white fur, fizzling to nothing. She tore through their ranks, her teeth biting those who came close to her. Legs were torn apart, hands were snatched off their sockets. Some of her victims twitched headless at her feet. They cried, they shouted and some of them even pleaded. But all she heard were the nightly tremors of her children. She recalled holding them, helpless against the nightmares that these men had caused them. The thick warm blood seeping through her fur reminded her Adriana's hot tears. At the sight of a fleeing man, she saw Marcus last longing glance, hopelessly holding on the promise of seeing her again. Staring at the fear-filled eyes of the man at her feet, she saw William huddled in a dark corner, terrified and frozen.
She howled as a dagger embedded itself at her flank, a silver dagger. She could feel her flesh burning under the cursed metal. Part of her, the primitive animal, wanted to flee from the danger and nurse the wound but the maternal side fought for control. She would die if she had to but she wasn't letting these monsters touch her children. Gritting her teeth, she threw herself at the approaching men. She ignored the agony in her right flank. The rush of her enemies' blood momentarily soothed the pain but it wasn't enough, not until each one of them was dead.
The carnage carried well through the night. The men fought with all they had - swords, staffs, daggers and wands. But she didn't relent. Even when a second silver knife struck her front paw, she tore through the men. The moon watched silently as the crimson river flew around the wrecked camp. Human parts were spread through the ground like a grotesque painting. The female werewolf limped to the trees, the intestines of the last man wound around her paw. Pain filled her body. She could still feel the silver slowly corroding her flesh. But it would soon be over. The night was slowly fading to welcome the day. As she tumbled to the ground, her last thoughts were that of her cubs.
He finished bandaging the soft pale hand, the soft odour of crushed bezoar filling the room. The wound would scar but he was sure that she would recover from the effect. He gently checked the healing paste covering the scratches on her collarbone. Adjusting himself to get comfortable, he sighed and waited. As bloody as the night was, he knew that the tale of the Crimson Goddess had just started.
Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Year Three: Herbology/ COMC/ Divination)
Word: Bloody ; Mood: Courageous ; Emotion: Love ; Colour: Ivory ; Plant: Fluxweed ; Plant: Alihotsy ; Plant: Bezoar ; Spell: Reducto ; Spell: Stupefy ; Dialogue: "Sometimes we have to ignore our gut and do what our hearts telling us to do." ; Upper Word Limit: 2000 ; Lower Word Limit: 1243 ; Opening Sentence: He had never seen anything as beautiful as her, when she was covered in the blood of their enemies, and causing havoc in the battlefield. ; Sentence: With a deep breath, he launched himself upwards in a swift motion. ; Sentence: Adjusting himself to get comfortable, he sighed and waited.
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Item prompt: 6; People prompt: 7; Phrase prompt 5; Place prompt 11; Word prompt 1