Merry Christmas, everyone!
May this chapter update be my gift to you. Thank you for your patience and continued support this year. May 2021 bring us all more joy. I wish you all a safe and great holiday. Enjoy the chapter!
Charming and the Witch
Chapter 10: Confrontation
Sleep eluded her most of the nights, and nightmares plagued her dreams.
Even when she was awake, she could hear the whispers in her head.
〜∗〜∗〜 Charming and The Witch 〜∗〜∗〜
Roxas let out a sigh as he climbed the stairs. The smell of smoke clung onto his clothes from preparing dinner. He wanted nothing more than to soak in a hot bath and drive away the cold the snowing had brought since yesterday afternoon. However, that relaxation would have to be put on hold until he had his dinner.
And before he could have his dinner… he has to ask if the Mother of Witchcraft would like to join them, personally.
Not exactly something he was looking forward to.
It had been a day and a half since Axel urged him to give it one last try. 'Third time's a charm', he said. But after getting attacked by the witch in his previous attempt, Roxas doubted it would go as smoothly as the flame spirit said (or hoped). He was prepared for another flat refusal, then he'll fully drop the idea of befriending her. That 'advice' was destined to fail from the beginning after all.
Afterward… I'm leaving. Roxas thought. If the spirits can't provide me anything, there's no reason to stay.
The thought of returning home filled Roxas with determination, and he stepped into the second-floor West Wing. No hesitation, no fear, only the need to get things done and over with.
He strode down the dimly lit hallway wordlessly, counting the number of rooms he passed in his head. Soon, he stopped before the seventh door — bigger and more ornate than the previous. Refia was right with it being hard to miss.
He'd reached the Mother of Witchcraft's bedchamber.
Here goes nothing. Roxas raised a hand and rapped thrice with his knuckles on the door, loud and resolute. He took a step back and waited for the witch to respond, but nothing came from beyond the closed door.
Roxas furrowed his brows. Did she not hear me? He knocked on the door twice, then thrice, and thrice once more with more force. Still, there was no sound from the room.
He felt an eyelid twitch. Is she ignoring me?!
He banged on the door three more times, then immediately pressed an ear to it, trying to catch any movements from the other side, but received none. Pushed himself off the door, Roxas tried the handles; it was locked. The witch wasn't in.
Where could she be? A place jumped into mind, and he looked further down the unexplored West Wing. One of the rooms should be the witch's study.
He walked towards the closest door and tried its handle; locked. He left it then headed to the next, testing each door he came upon until one of them clicked open and warm light spilled from between the crack and into the hallway. He stepped away quickly, hoping the occupant within hadn't heard it.
"H-Hey, Witch," Roxas called out, knocking twice on the door's frame soundly. "Are you in there?"
No noise or voice answered him.
Roxas placed a hand on the door and was about to push it open when he remembered the threat he received on his first night. The study is off-limit (well, the whole West Wing actually) and only Goddess knows what the witch will do to him if he is caught. It was risky. But…
Curious, Roxas stepped closer to the double doors. He peeked into the room through the gap, only managing to see the wall, a table, an inkwell, and— Suddenly, something golden caught his eye. He shuffled in his spot, trying to get a better look at the item from a different angle, but failed.
What is that? Roxas thought as he moved to try another angle when his hand unintentionally pushed against the door, its hinges squeaked as it began to swing inward. Roxas jumped back, eyes wide like a cornered deer staring up into the barrel of a hunter's rifle. His pulse pounded loudly in his ears, cold sweat broke out on his forehead as the door swung fully open and revealed—
— an empty room.
Roxas felt all his tense muscles relaxed as he stared into the unoccupied room, feeling as if he had just narrowly dodged a bullet. Thank Goddess, thank Goddess, thank Goddess. He chanted in his head, letting out a giant sigh of relief.
Once his heartbeat slowed, Roxas approached the now-opened door and glanced around the space. The study was surprisingly smaller than he had expected; estimated to be half of his bedchamber. At the far wall was a single window which overlooked the conservatory below and the woods beyond. Placed by the window were a single armchair and a round side table. A few steps away from them, against the left wall, was a tall shelf with rows of drawers, where he could spot a handful of books and numerous bottles and containers he couldn't identify.
Everything looked surprisingly normal until he noticed the countless rectangular-shaped items covered by large white cloths. They were lined against what remained of the left wall. Some were taller than others, some were flat, while some have blocky protrusions. The white cloths draped onto the bare floor, leaving no gap for Roxas to see what lay beneath. One covered item, in particular, caught his attention. Its silhouette was the odd one out; tallest among them all and in a shape similar to that of an arrowhead.
What is that? Roxas wondered, and without much thought, stepped into the room.
The first thing he noticed as he stepped further in was the warmth, then he noticed the fireplace to his right, cracks and pops of heat drifted into his ears. Next to the fireplace, nearer to the double doors, was a wooden table twice the size of his writing desk. Upon it were scattered with a half-full inkwell, quill pens in different sizes, charcoal sticks in varying length and thickness, a few stacks of papers, and—
Roxas's lips parted as his eyes landed on what had first caught his curiosity. Gleaming softly under the candlelight, laying beside a paper stack, was a golden handheld mirror. Intricate vines decoration twirled up the handle, parted at the base of the mirror — where a silhouette of a bird with its wings widespread ornamented — and continued to twirl around the oval outer rim until it reached the tip, merging into a highly detailed full-bloom rose.
It was rather simple in design yet so… mesmerizing.
What's a mirror doing here? Roxas approached the table, eyes fixated on the looking glass. He raised a hand to pick it up, fingers inches from the golden handle.
"—keep repeating myself, Axel. I didn't see—!" Roxas jumped with a start, head whipped towards the voice, and froze.
Stood by the doorway was the witch.
Roxas tried to speak, to explain why he was where he was, but his throat tightened with fear. He felt like a targeted deer all over again, and this time, the hunter's aim is true.
"Why aren't you going in, Xi—!" Axel entered into view and gasped when he saw their guest inside the study. "R-Roxas?!"
"I— I-I'm—" Roxas gulped.
"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" The witch cut him off, her voice low with anger.
"I-I know this looks bad. B-But let me—" However, before he could finish, the witch let out an abrupt scream. "LEAVE IT ALONE!"
SWOOSSHHH!
The paper stack closest to him suddenly burst, sending papers flying in the air. He yelped and jumped away from the table.
The candles in the room suddenly flickered and dimmed. Past the scattering, falling papers, Roxas caught something bright materialized and in the next second, flew towards him with the speed of a rampaging bull. He dodged to the right, his shoulder narrowly missed the orb by an inch.
"W-What the—?!"
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He heard the witch shouted. The candles flared and dimmed, the same orb of light from before formed in the witch's palm then she shot it towards him.
Roxas dodged it too. She's attacking me?!
"WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" The witch's voice grew shrill and hysterical as she approached him. The lights in the room dimmed once more and the orb re-materialized. "THIS ROOM IS OFF-LIMIT!" She threw the orb at him with a shout.
Roxas sidestepped as he backed away, the light sphere swished soundlessly by his head. "I know! Let me—"
"IS IT SO HARD—?!" The witch continued, conjuring another orb. "—FOR YOU TO FOLLOW SOME SIMPLE ORDERS?!"
"Mistress! Calm down!" Roxas heard Axel yelled from the doorway but it fell upon deaf ears.
"GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!"
Suddenly, the room was plunged into a near-dark state as a second light orb conjured in the witch's free palm. "GET OUT!" With a shout, she flung both spheres at him. Caught in surprise, Roxas only managed to evade one and the second found its mark on his shoulder, knocking him back and slammed into the shelf behind him. The furniture shook heavily from the impact, a handful of glass containers and books fell off from where they perched and rained upon him. Roxas cried a painful shout as the edge of a thick tome struck his skull.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" He yelled through the throbbing pain, fear morphed into rage. "All I did was try to be nice to you and this is how you treat me?! Fine! You want me gone? GLADLY!"
Without another word or glance, Roxas bolted out of the disheveled study and passed a stupefied flame spirit. He continued sprinting down the hallway, feeling a fit of burning anger at the witch's unprovoked attacks and at his own stupidity for agreeing to Axel in the beginning. He was not staying here for a minute longer. Nope. No more.
"Miss-Mistress…" Axel turned to the witch and saw her remained standing in her spot. Her shoulders were hunched. Hands balled into tight fists down at her sides. He could hear soft mumbling coming from her, but couldn't catch the words. He hovered by the threshold, debating whether he should enter to check on her or catch up to Roxas.
Ultimately, he decided on the latter and flew off. As he traveled down the corridor, he heard a faint, low groan. He furrowed his brows. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't recall from where.
"Roxas! Don't!" A feminine shout echoed down the hallway. Axel froze in his spot and felt his temperature drop. He remembered it now, and it could only mean one thing: the front door was opened. And Roxas left.
Axel snapped out of his stupor and into a panic. Tapping into his reserved energy, Axel flared his flames, lighting the space up with a bright orange glow as he zoomed out of the West Wing, soared over the balcony railing, and down to the foyer, finding Kairi and Sora levitating by the half-opened double doors, looking out. Without slowing his momentum, Axel flew right out of the doors and into a snowstorm.
The weather caught the flame spirit off-guard, flinching whenever the falling snow stung his body. Using more of his energy, Axel raised his temperature higher until the ice crystals evaporated before they could touch him. He could feel his energy draining fast; he had to be quick.
He flew towards the outer fence and finally caught a glimpse of Roxas by the gate. "Roxas! Wait!" Axel shouted, hoping he could hear him over the wind. But it was too late. The blonde had pushed the iron gate open and ran out. "Roxas! Shoot!"
Unable to slow his flight, Axel braced himself as he continued flying towards the open gate at a neck-breaking speed, and slammed into an invisible wall with a low THUMP. "Oomph!" The flame spirit bounced off the barrier and landed onto the snow-covered ground. Axel hurriedly levitated off the ground and flared up his flame, melting any of the snow that had stuck onto him. He hissed out a curse when he realized his temperature couldn't rise any higher. The snow landed on him like a hundred needles before turning into droplets that had his body hissing.
To make matters worse, he was at the outer gate, some hundreds of yards away from the castle, and he was running low on energy to keep his body temperature up, let alone for flying back. He didn't dare to turn into a fireball, fearing the wind would snuff him out even faster. He was certain he wouldn't make it back as a full apparition either. 'Goddess… Not like this…'
With all his efforts, Axel de-materialized his bottom half and pushed himself to fly back to the castle. He only managed to travel halfway before the snow and cold took a dangerous toll on him. In the longest time, he shivered and he let out a humorless laugh. His flying slowed to a float, and he hugged himself tightly. It was cold. So cold. And he felt so tired… His eyelids began to droop…
"Axel!" The flame spirit's eyes widened and looked towards the shout. A giant wolf was sprinting towards him and by its side was a familiar ice spirit.
"Saix… Vexen…" Axel mumbled through clattering teeth as they reached him and snickered when he saw the glare the massive wolf gave him. "I know, I know… I'm an… idiot…"
"Save your strength, Axel," the ice spirit said. "Grab onto Saix. I'll block out the snow and wind." Immediately after, Axel no longer felt the wind battering against him. He lifted his head to see Vexen conjured an ice dome around them, shielding them from the harsh elements. "Neat trick, Vexen…" Axel said languidly then gripped onto Saix's fur as he was told. With Saix's powerful sprint, they arrived back at the castle in seconds and were greeted by a group of anxious spirits.
"Axel!" Kairi was the first to approach the group, her healer instinct took over, and she quickly examined the flame spirit. "Your temperature is dangerously low! We must warm you up at once. Bring him to the nearest fireplace, Saix. Larxene! I'll need your help to light the firewood. Sora! Fetch some hot soup from the kitchen. Careful not to drop it!"
"W-Wait…" Axel said, tugging at Saix's fur to stop him. "What about… Roxas? Was Zexion able to—"
"No." A voice sounded from the balcony above. "He was out of range before I could cast anything."
Axel groaned at the news. "Darn it… It's too dangerous… for him to be out… in the woods…"
"Axel, please. We must get you warm up first," Kairi urged, motioning Saix to bring him away.
"But—"
Suddenly, something black flew down the stairs, over the spirits' heads, and out the front door. It had happened so fast no one could see what it was.
Axel stared at the exit in confusion, and then his eyes grew wide. "Wasn't that…"
Roxas groaned as he crunched through the calf-high snow, blindly venturing deeper into the woods. He shivered and cursed as the winter wind pierced through his shirt, bit at his skin, and into his lungs.
It was a huge mistake, allowing the desire to leave consumed him, and left with no preparations. If the witch wasn't able to kill him, then being utterly ill-dressed for the weather definitely will.
Nevertheless, he had successfully escaped from the castle, and there was no going back.
Wandering off the path, Roxas traveled into the barren woods, seeking refuge from the wind and snow among the trees, no matter how little.
He glanced up at the sky. Heavy snow clouds covered the moon, offering little illumination. The blowing snow further contributed to poor visibility. One wrong turn too many and the young man would be lost in this maze of trees and snow. Thus, Roxas continued onwards in a fixed direction, knowing once he broke out of the woods, he'll be able to use the clock tower's light to guide him home.
Home. He missed it so much.
GROWL…
Roxas jumped at the sudden sound then looked everywhere at once; his eyes scrambled frantically through the shadows, trying to find the source. Somewhere in front of him, he could hear movement, a wet squish, and another low growl.
Then, he smelled it. A coppery scent he was all too familiar with as a cook. At that moment, he knew he was in great trouble.
The snow clouds above thinned and sufficient moonlight lit up the woods. Not far before him, within the shadow of the trees, was a wolf pack and a bloody, elk-like carcass.
Roxas gulped in a deep breath, biting back a yell, and assessed his situation. The pack comprised seven wolves. Three stood possessively by the fresh corpse at the back, their paws and muzzle dyed red like the snow beneath them. Two wolves were by the far right, and one by the left, moving to surround him. The last wolf was crouched low not far in front of him, teeth bared in a set snarl, readied to pounce on him at any moment to protect their kill. And from the look of hunger in their eyes, Roxas feared he would join the elk soon.
His heart raced, his mind searched for a solution but none came up. He never went hunting in his life; he had no idea what to do!
When the four wolves began to approach him, Roxas backed away on instinct. The sound of his heartbeat thrashing in his ears. His eyes darted between the beasts. May-Maybe if I keep retreating, they'll see I mean no harm and leave—!
Roxas let out a yelp when his boot tripped over an exposed tree root hidden within the snow and fell back onto the ground.
Right when he landed, one wolf lunged towards him with its jaws wide open. Roxas yelled and rolled away, seconds before two heavy, clawed paws landed where he once laid. Scared out of his wits, Roxas scrambled up to his feet and took off running. The wolf pack immediately gave chase at their newest prey.
Running in one-foot high snow was no simple task, and a wolf easily overtook him and blocked his path.
Roxas dashed towards the closest tree and broke off a decent-sized branch. Brandishing his new weapon, he spun to face the incoming wolves and swung at them with a fierce cry. The wolves either jumped back or stopped in their tracks to prevent getting hit, providing Roxas the time he needed to move back and distance himself.
He continued to retreat, more careful with his footing this time around, as he continued to swing the branch at any wolf that had gotten too close for comfort. He couldn't help but curl his mouth at one end. This could work. Surely the wolves will lose interest in him and leave him alone eventually. He just needs to make sure he wouldn't trip—
The next thing Roxas knew, something struck him from behind, and he was sent hard to the ground onto his stomach, having the wind knocked out of him. He gasped for air only to taste snow. His mind was disoriented, he could feel a massive weight pinning him down, crushing his chest. Sharp teeth clamped around the back of his neck and yanked upward.
Pain erupted from pierced skin and flesh, and he screamed.
WHINE!
As suddenly as it comes, the hold on his neck disappeared along with the weight, and Roxas's face dropped back onto the snow. He gritted his teeth to stem the mind-numbing ache, hastily pressed a hand onto his wounds, feeling warm blood seeping through his icy fingers.
I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.
A black blur entered his peripheral vision and he panicked, trying to scramble away helplessly on his elbow.
"Stay still!" A voice commanded and he obeyed. Through teary vision, Roxas noticed someone kneeled by his side. He couldn't see their face, but the moon above highlighted them in silver and his breath caught in his throat when he recognized the silhouette.
"Wi-Witch?"
The Mother of Witchcraft didn't answer him but instead leaned closer and pried his hand from the bite. She cursed at the sight and placed her gloved fingers near a wound, earning a pained groan from Roxas.
"Stay still," she repeated with a surprisingly gentle tone. In the next second, Roxas felt familiar energy pulsed from her fingertips, followed by the itches as the bite wounds began to mend and close. She's… She's healing me?
He opened his mouth to say something when the witch suddenly withdrew her hand and leaped back to her feet. An orb of fire flickered to life in her palm, then she flung it out of his field of vision. A high-pitched whine announced it hitting its mark.
As icicles formed in her hands next, Roxas realized what she was planning to do. "Y-You can't fight them alone! It's too dangerous!"
"Worry about yourself," she said, a ring of sharp icicles spun lazily around her. She turned her head to him. "Keep pressure on the bite and do not faint on me!"
"Wait!" But the witch had already disappeared from his view. Soon, growls and whines filled the silence.
Roxas groaned, trying to push himself up to his hands and knees while clutching onto his injured neck. The bite luckily missed the vital artery and the witch's quick healing had helped curb the pain. The wounds were not fully closed but they were smaller. He'll survive. Ignoring the lingering ache, he lifted his head to look for the witch. To his surprise, she was holding her ground well against the wolf pack — two were down, and one was missing.
A wolf leaped towards her, open jaws aiming for her shoulder. She dodged it easily with a twirl, completing a full turn, and used the momentum to send an icicle at the beast, stabbing it into its shoulder. It let out a pained cry before dashing off into the woods, signifying it's out of the fight.
The witch continued to evade from the wolves — almost as if she was dancing — while occasionally shooting an icicle or two at them to drive them back. It seems to work too, for Roxas noted the pack's growing hesitation to attack.
A wolf lunged forward to bite her ankle, but she avoided it with a backward leap. She raised a hand to command an icicle when Roxas noticed another wolf ready to pounce onto her back.
"Behind you!" He yelled, but it was a second too late. The witch turned only to see the wolf upon her. She tried to counterattack with her ice but missed, shooting it past the beast and disappeared into the trees. A shrill scream pierced through the air as the wolf pinned the witch onto her back and sank its teeth into her left shoulder.
"Witch!" Roxas scrambled onto his feet, fighting back vertigo as he rushed to her aid. His stomach churned at the sight of the blood pooling beneath her as the Mother of Witchcraft struggled to get the bigger wolf off her. It could tear her shoulder out at any second! Fear for her safety seized his chest. "Witch!"
Just then, a swirling silver orb manifested in the witch's right palm before she slammed her hand at the wolf's head. The orb exploded into a cloud of silver sparkles from the impact, showering down upon them. Roxas was stunned to his spot when the wolf's legs buckled and it fell upon the witch without a sound. The remaining wolves — after witnessing their leader's defeat — retreated, leaving the two humans and fallen wolves behind.
Roxas watched in silent terror. He recognized that spell. He wouldn't forget it. Marluxia threw those same orbs at him and Aerith that fateful night. To see it could take down a wolf so easily, it's just…
A groan snapped Roxas out of his panic, and he ran towards the source. The force of relief escaped from within him was a shock even to him when he saw the witch moving. "Y-You're alive!"
"Yes… Help me get it off me." The witch said with a hiss, prying the wolf's jaws from her shoulder.
"R-Right. Let me…" In the next few minutes, Roxas was able to roll the wolf onto its side and pulled the witch out from beneath its dead weight. "Is it… dead?"
"No," the witch replied, getting back on her feet and adjusting her hat securely. She groaned when she moved her injured shoulder too much.
"It's not?" Roxas turned to her in shock. "But— It went down after you hit it with that silver magic!"
"That is a sleep spell. The beast is just asleep, same for the other two." The witch gestured to the other fallen wolves. Roxas turned back to the leader wolf, and sure enough, he could spot the rising and falling of its chest he had missed when he moved it earlier. "A sleep spell? W-Why?"
"No other choices came to mind, and I need to act fast. Nghh…"
Roxas turned back to the witch and saw her swaying on her spot, hugging herself. He moved and caught her with an arm just before she fell forward. "Hey! Are you alright?"
"No… I think the spell is affecting me too…" She replied between clenched teeth, struggling to stand on her feet, and staying awake. "Nghh… The marks... It hurts…" Then she went limp in his arm.
"Witch? Hey!" Roxas laid the witch down onto the snow and checked for a pulse at the side of her neck. It was weak, but she was alive. Roxas sighed in relief, withdrew his hand from beneath the veil, then froze.
The witch was asleep, and so were the wolves.
He was safe to leave the woods.
He could go home.
Nothing could stop him.
Roxas looked back at the witch, his outstretched hand inches from the hem of her black veil. He could see her face too. To find out what she looked like. To know why she hid it. All he needed was to lift the cloth… His fingers brushed against the soft material, and he pushed them upwards slowly. Soon, the skin of her neck — uncovered by her high-collared dress — was revealed. It was pale under the moonlight but something black and jagged marred the skin, circling her slim neck then continuing upwards…
No. Roxas shook his head and pulled the veil down. This is wrong. This feels so wrong.
He should leave. Leave all these things behind and go home. Live out his life away from the castle and its secrets and forget everything that had happened.
But… Roxas looked back to the witch lying defenseless on the ground, the wound on her shoulder dyeing the snow red once more. His stomach sank. He touched the back of his neck, near the bite wounds, and let out a heavy sigh. "By the Goddess…"
As gently as he could, Roxas slipped his arms under her back and knees and lifted her up. The witch groaned at the motion but didn't wake. Her head drooped forward on to his shoulder as Roxas pulled her in closer.
With the witch securely in his arms, Roxas began to retrace his steps to the Valenhart Castle.
"Are they back yet?"
Kairi tore her gaze from the opened double doors and turned to the new speaker. "Axel," She greeted, watching the flame spirit glided across the quiet foyer to join her. "You shouldn't leave the hearth yet. Wasn't Larxene watching you?"
"Told her I would like one more bowl of soup."
"She actually left?"
Axel nodded with a tired smile. "It's the only way to calm her nerves down. And also the only way I can come out and ask for any update." He noticed the frown on Kairi's face then added, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Kairi's glare softened. "It's hard not to when you were so close to…" She shook the memory away and sighed. "Please head back to the hearth, Axel. We'll call for you when they come back."
"I'll be fine. It's them I'm worried about." Axel stared out into the night. The snowing had finally stopped, and the garden shone bluish-white under the moonlight. It would have been a serene sight if the circumstances were different.
Kairi followed his gaze. Concern dragging her shoulders down. "Axel."
"Hmm?"
"You couldn't get through, right?"
"... No."
"Then, how…"
"I don't know. I'll ask her after—" Axel stopped. In the distance, a weird shape wobbled. Its dark color stuck out among the snow. It was moving slowly, but there was no doubt it was coming towards the castle. "Kairi, call Saix now!"
"W-What? Why? Axel!" The flame spirit had already flown out of the open door, closing in on the form. He almost gasped when he saw what — or who — it was. "Roxas! Mistress!" He soon noticed the blood staining both of their clothing and the red dots trailing behind them. "What happened?!"
"A-Axel…" Roxas's voice was weak, spoken through chattering teeth. "God-Goddess… Am I g-g-glad… to s-see you…" The young man swayed dangerously on the spot, fell to his knees then toppled face-first onto the ground, bringing the witch with him.
"Good Goddess!" Axel dropped next to the duo, ignoring the stinging pain on his knees as he gently rolled Roxas onto his side before disentangled his Mistress from his arms. Axel cursed. They are too cold to the touch. He quickly summoned two fireballs the size of a fist and commanded them to circle their body, trying to warm them up.
"You're both safe now," Axel said, more to calm himself than to the unconscious humans. "Saix's almost here. Kairi will heal you two up in no time. Everything's going to be fine once we're inside. I promise."
True to his words, the sounds of Saix's heavy footsteps crunching over the snow grew louder and louder, approaching him at top speed. Flying by his side was Sora. With the young man's help, their Mistress and Roxas were safely placed onto Saix's back and the three of them returned to the castle at a slower pace, careful not to jostle the injured.
When he saw Kairi rush over to them, Axel felt like he could breathe again.
A pair of hands gripped onto him tightly. He turned to see cyan eyes glaring at him and all he could do was smile apologetically before allowing his belle to drag him back to the fireplace.
The first thing Roxas heard when he came to was a feminine voice shouting, but it was faint, far away, like she was on the other end of a street.
Who...?
"... fetch me a basin of water… … … hot. Warm… Sora, go to…" The voice began to grow closer, and he could catch and understand bits of her sentences.
What's… going on?
He tried to turn to the voice, only to groan as a sharp pain shot from the back of his neck. Soon afterward, the feeling returned to his whole body and he could feel softness beneath him.
Where am I?
"... awake! Roxas, can you hear me?" A different voice spoke and his heavy eyelids fluttered open. At first, his vision was nothing but white, but it soon receded hazily and gave way to a fire-lit room. A worried-looking female spirit hovered to his left.
"What… happened?" His question came out hoarse with weariness.
The spirit — Refia, he recognized — answered, "We hope you can fill us in. All we know is that you carried Mistress back, both injured and at risk for hypothermia. Don't move, Roxas. I'll go get you some water."
Before he could say a word, the spirit had already disappeared. Roxas released a groan as he sat upright in the armchair they had placed him in. He leaned against the backrest and allowed his eyes to roam around the room. It was cozily decorated: soft burgundy carpeting, dark wooden furnishing, and windowless. The blazing fire in the hearth lit the room with a warm orange glow.
We're back… We're really back in the castle. Roxas let out a sigh before suddenly jolted up in his seat. Where's the witch?!
He frantically scanned around the room and finally spotted the Mother of Witchcraft laying limp in an armchair identical to his.
He felt dread crawl up his throat as he scrambled to his feet. A wave of dizziness struck him from the sudden movement and he swayed precariously.
"Roxas." The young man looked up at the sound of his name and saw Kairi flew to his side and balanced him. "You shouldn't push yourself so much. Sit back down."
He resisted. "B-But— The witch. She—"
"She's fine. Unconscious, but still hanging on," Kairi told him and finally pushed him back to the armchair. "I'll heal her once I have my kit. Let me see your wounds."
Fine… She's fine… Roxas wordlessly bent his head forward, exposing the bite on the back of his neck for the healer to examine. "Thank the Goddess. They're smaller than I've feared. This will not take long." She proceeded to heal him. The sensations transported Roxas back to the woods, where it had been the witch's fingers upon his skin instead.
If she hadn't healed me… If she hadn't intervened... He glanced at the witch and felt worry again overtake him. How he wished he could see her face, so he could pretend she was asleep rather than looking so… lifeless.
"There. All done—"
A sudden scream tore through the heavy air of the room, startling them. It was the witch. She clasped a hand onto her bitten shoulder, drenching her fingers in red as she writhed in the armchair.
"Mistress!" Kairi immediately flew over and tried to hold her down, but the witch continued to thrash about. Roxas got back onto his feet but was hesitant to get close. "Mistress, calm down, please! You're hurting yourself!"
The witch let out a pained groan, yet her hand clasped tighter on her injury. "It hurts… Nghh… Kai-Kairi… Make it stop…"
"I will, Mistress. Please calm down." Kairi pleaded as she pried the witch's fingers off the wound. In the next minute, Demyx arrived with a basin of warm water Kairi requested before retreating to the open doors where a group of spirits lingered, worry etched on their faces.
Roxas watched quietly, at a loss as to what to do. Guilt gnawed at him when another pained whimper escaped from the witch. The next thing he knew, he was by the witch's side, wet a towel in the basin, and wrung out any excessive water.
Kairi sent him a confused look. "Roxas? What are you—"
"Let me help, Kairi," he cut in. His fingers dug into the wet towel until the knuckles whitened. "She saved my life. It's the least I can do. I want to." I need to.
Kairi opened her mouth as if to protest but ultimately closed them and nodded. "Of course." Without further ado, the two tended to the witch, Kairi guided Roxas over the steps. He dabbed the bite wound with the towel, dampening the dress and cleaning up the blood. Other than some hisses, the witch didn't put up any fight. When Sora arrived with Kairi's medical kits, the basin water had turned a shade of dark red.
"Next, we need to cut off the torn dress around the bite." Following Kairi's instructions, Roxas sought a scissor from her kit then pinched the damp cloth around the wound, lifting it for the first cut. But before the scissor could touch the dress, a thin lighting zapped the metal cutting instrument and shocked his fingers. Roxas yelped in surprise, dropping the scissor to the floor.
"W-Who did that?!" He yelled as he shook his numb hand.
"Me. Got a problem with that?" Roxas turned to the voice and frowned. Larxene crossed the room with a bowl in hand, icy cyan eyes narrowed at him.
Roxas bit back his urge to yell at her. "In fact, I do. What was that for?"
"You're cutting too much."
"I haven't even cut anything yet," Roxas retorted.
"Judging from where you're about to start, you'll snip off more than necessary." Larxene gritted her teeth.
"So? I'm trying to help here!"
"We don't need your help! I won't let Mistress expose—"
"STOP!" The two bickering blond jumped at the sudden yell and turned to see Kairi scowled at them. "I will not allow you two to quarrel in a room with patients! Understand?" After she received two nods — albeit quite half-heartedly — Kairi turned to Larxene, "Please tend to Axel, and don't worry; it's safe."
Roxas furrowed his brows at the last word, but Larxene simply scoffed and continued onwards to the fireplace. Roxas watched her leave in confusion until Kairi laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned to meet her eyes. "Don't take Larxene's harsh words to heart, Roxas. We need— We appreciate your help. Trust me."
Not knowing how to respond, he merely nodded. Kairi smiled and got back to the task on hand. "Cut near to the bite would suffice, Roxas. We just need clear access to the wound and ensure no cloth is stuck within them."
"R-Right." Roxas picked the scissor up and finally snipped into the damp fabric, keeping it near to the wound as instructed to prevent another static attack from the lightning spirit. Roxas couldn't help but grimace at the sight once he carefully peeled off the cloth. The wolf's teeth had sunk deep into the witch's shoulder. Blood trickled out whenever she made the slightest move.
Kairi quickly began healing. Her hands glowed a brilliant green as she poured magic into reconstructing flesh and sealing the numerous punctures shut. Roxas backed away to provide Kairi space and watched in breathless awe. White magic users were equally rare as their black counterparts, especially one who could heal such grievous wounds in such a short time.
Soon, the bite was fully closed over by soft pink skin. Kairi let out a sigh and almost collapsed onto a nearby ottoman, her strength drained by the complex healing. Sora rushed to her side almost instantly, passing her a cup of hot drink. Kairi accepted it with a fond smile and took a sip. "Thanks, Sora."
"Thank you for your service, Kairi." An authoritative voice spoke before the witch sat up in her seat. Despite the weariness in her tone and dressed in a torn gown, her posture was impeccable, and she looked nothing short of elegant. "Sora, would you mind fetching me a cloak?" Once the spirit bowed and headed out of the room, the witch turned to Roxas. "As for you, our dear guest, please have a seat. We have much to discuss."
Roxas clenched his jaw at the witch's condescending tone. He crossed his arms and glared. "This guest will sit when he wants to."
He could almost feel the glare the witch returned from behind her veil. "This guest loves to make things difficult, does he not?"
"This guest could say the same for the host."
The Mother of Witchcraft clenched her fists as they stared at each other across the room, the tension crackling between them like static electricity. Kairi shifted in her seat, averting her eyes as she anxiously sipped her drink. None of the spirits dared to interject, fearing a quarrel will break out.
Finally, a groan broke the tension.
Roxas turned to the sound and his eyes widened at the sight. Axel was sitting on the outer hearth with half of his lower body in the fireplace, the orange flame burned harmlessly around him. The fire spirit let out another groan as he stretched out a leg, careful not to touch the carpet. Next, he drew his legs beneath him in a cross-legged pose and gave both the witch and Roxas a greeting nod. "Mistress. Roxas. It soothes my worries to see you both safe and well."
"A-Axel?!" Roxas sputtered. "Why are you in the fireplace?"
The fire spirit gave him a sheepish grin. "Oh, you know. Staying warm."
Roxas noticed Larxene rolled her eyes and glared at Axel before passing him the bowl in her hand. Is that food?
Before Roxas could ask, the witch interrupted, "How are you feeling, Axel?" Roxas turned to her with raised brows. Was that worry in her tone?
"I'm doing much better, Mistress. I thank you for your concern." Axel's reply seemed to satisfy the witch who simply nodded and spoke no further.
Roxas turned back to Axel, confused. The fire spirit was sick? Hurt? When? "What happened?" He prompted but Larxene beat Axel to the answer.
"You happened. That's what." She scorned. "What kind of imbecile are you? Running out into the blizzard as you did!"
"Larxene," Axel stretched out a hand to either stop or calm her down, but the lightning spirit ignored him and continued, "Axel almost died in the storm chasing after you. If you're going to get yourself killed from your reckless behaviors, don't drag any of us into it!"
Roxas recoiled from her anger and the news. Axel had chased after him? "I-I… I didn't know—"
Larxene scoffed. "Of course you didn't. You know nothing. And that infuriates me…" Without a warning, Larxene zapped out of the room in a heartbeat, leaving a crackling sound in her trail.
No one spoke a word as the crackling ceased. Guilt weighed heavily on his heart as Roxas let the news soaks in. He thought his action had only caused the witch's pain. But almost had Axel killed too? His chest tightened painfully.
Axel let out a sigh, placed his bowl down, and hovered back up. "I'll seek her out, Mistress."
"Please do," the witch said and Axel readied to leave.
"W-Wait! Axel." Roxas stopped him in his path. "I-I… I really didn't know. I'm—"
"Please do not worry yourself, sir," Axel said, not noticing the flinch from Roxas. "I chased after you of my own volition. You shouldn't blame yourself."
"Regardless, I'm—"
"It's fine, Roxas." Axel placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Shall we continue this conversation later?"
Roxas sighed, then nodded. "Sure."
With a nod, Axel left in search of Larxene and the room fell into silence once more. Roxas remained standing on his spot, averting his gaze from anyone.
"Roxas…"
After a moment to gather his courage, he turned to the voice to see Refia with the cup of water she had gone to fetch before all the drama. The spirit gave him a small smile and said, "Here's your water. Why don't you have a seat? You mustn't push yourself after such an ordeal." She gently tugged his sleeve to the direction of his armchair; her insistence on getting him to sit was clear as day.
And truthfully, Roxas needs it. Every fiber in his being urged him to curl up in the chair, close his eyes, and hope when he reopens them he would be back in his bed and everything is just a stupid nightmare. But he knew that was just wishful thinking.
Roxas nodded and sat on the armchair. He thanked Refia for the water before bringing the cup to his lips. The warm liquid tasted like heaven as he gulped it down, soothing his throat and warming him from the inside. For a second everything felt fine, but the guilt flooded back.
Soon, Sora returned with a black velvet capelet shrug and handed it over to the witch before joining Kairi's side.
"Now," the witch began, adjusting the capelet to cover her exposed shoulder. "We can start our discussion." Roxas could feel her gaze fell upon him. "I believe you already know the… damages you have caused by running away, dear guest."
A flicker of anger resurfaced within Roxas at her patronizing tone. "I had a servant of yours yelled at me not long ago. So, yes. I'm very well aware of it. But," he met her eyes with a challenge. "If you hadn't attacked me, I wouldn't have run away." Two can play this game.
Roxas saw Kairi's eyes shot wide open in the corner of his eye. The witch's fists tightened around the chair's arm. "Well, you shouldn't have been in the West Wing — let alone my personal office — after I told you they are prohibited," the witch rebuked, sounding agitated.
"I wouldn't have to resort to entering the West Wing if you would just talk to me!" He shouted, unintentionally, then dragged a hand through his hair with a hiss. "That was all I wanted. To talk and get to know you or something, but you kept refusing without providing me a reason. I don't know where you could be so your bedchamber and office were the most likely places."
"I told you to leave me alone. Was that not a good enough reason?"
"No! I mean— Yes! I-I don't know! I don't know why you want me to leave you alone. Why you are hiding—"
"I am not hiding!" The witch interjected, her voice raised as well.
"You're not?" Roxas scoffed. "Then what are all these?!" He gestured to the witch's clothes. "I can understand you wanting to cover up your shoulders, but the face veil and gloves? What are those for? I can't even look at you directly in the eyes and you told me you're not hiding? You can't expect me to believe that!"
The witch's fists tightened so hard Roxas reckoned her knuckles turned white beneath the gloves. "I. Am. Not." She said, almost sounded like a growl.
"Then prove it!"
Roxas expected the witch to rebuke and gave him another excuse, but instead, the witch brought her hands up to her hat and fumbled with the veil, tugging them loose and letting the material slide over the front brim.
A chorus of surprised gasps filled the room and Roxas's own was lodged in his throat.
Eyes.
Her eyes.
The veil had fallen just above her nose, revealing the witch's eyes. He never expects to see them — not even a glimpse. Yet now they are fully exposed, boring into his, and hold him mesmerized. Blue… He hadn't expected that color. It was so… Normal.
The witch disregarded the muttering of her subjects as she adjusted the veil to prevent them from falling further. Her gaze not wavering from Roxas. "I am not hiding," she repeated. "I simply do not trust you to share more than necessary. Just as you do not trust me."
Roxas still didn't believe her first statement, but he kept it in. She wasn't wrong about him not trusting her. He sighed, his shoulders sagged slightly. "That's… true," He muttered, eyes cast down. Silence stretched between them.
"… I do apologize." Roxas looked back up at her voice. The witch was staring at her hands on her laps, but he could see the regret in her eyes. "As angry as I was, it was most unmannerly of me to act as I did back in my study." She stopped and locked eyes with him. "Are you injured from the… spells?"
"I… I'm fine. No injuries," Roxas managed. At that moment, he wished her veil was back up. It felt weird having eye contact while conversing with her now. "I… I'm sorry too, for entering your study. I should have left after seeing it was empty, but instead I… I apologize."
The witch remained quiet for a second then — Roxas swore — the corners of her eyes crinkled with a small smile. "It would seem we are even, are we not?"
"Y-Yeah." Roxas wrung his hands, built up the courage, and asked, "Can we start over?"
That's the end. I hope it is to your liking. I know I'm not a fast updater. Life just... gets in the way. While waiting for an update, why not check out my beta-reader friend's original webcomic over at Webtoon called: Dandelion's Promise. She updates faster than me. XD
If you have spotted any grammatical errors, don't hesitate to inform me about them. I accept constructive criticism and ways to improve your reading experience.
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Finally, to respond to the guest reviewer:
Skuld: Thank you for the review! Thank you so much for your words. You have no idea how happy I am to read them. :D
Pixel hat: Thank you for the review! I know. Being a perfectionist isn't only the issue with me too. Time management too. Maybe you have any tips for me? XD I'll try my best to update more in 2021. Thank you again!
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