Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 8 of Hold On. Thank you to those who have left reviews. It really does mean a lot to me that you all are enjoying this story. I'm working my hardest to get these chapters written out as well as I can and doing some much needed character development for Leona. Since I believe soon she'll go through a change which I know that you guys are probably curious about. I promise it'll be coming soon enough. Soon we'll say goodbye to the white dress wearing version of Leona and have a brand new Leona soon. This next chapter will take place during The Witchfinders. Without further ado Chapter 8. ENJOY!
Chapter 8
The Doctor went to the door to open it to where she thought they were going when swirling gold was seen out of the corner of her eyes. She smiled softly. "About time." She mused softly.
Leona landed on her feet finally after so many times of traveling she finally landed perfectly without landing on her knees. She blinked a few times.
"Hello Lee." The Doctor mused with a soft smile.
"Doctor?" She questioned tilting her head to the side in confusion.
The Doctor smiled. "You've made it just in time."
Leona blinked a few times in confusion.
DWDWDW
The Doctor looked around the people that were dressed in early 17th Century rustic clothing. "I'm sure it's somewhere around here."
"Come on, Doc, admit it." Graham said, looking over at the blonde haired Doctor.
"I dunno what you mean." The Doctor said taking a breath into her lungs.
"Well, look at it! This ain't the coronation of Elizabeth the First, is it?"
"It's like a street party. Ye olde hipster pop-up happening." Ryan said, looking around his brows furrowed.
"The Tardis is being a bit stubborn at exact readings."
Leona bit her lip as she looked around shyly.
A woman handed Graham a tankard.
"So where are we?" Yasmin asked, looking at the Doctor.
"Apple bobbing! I love apple bobbing." The Doctor stuck her head in the barrel of water and got an apple with her teeth.
"Is this Halloween?" Yas questioned softly as she looked around.
"No. It's Sunday." The boy said, shaking his head.
"Yeah, but what's the party for?"
"We do this every Sunday."
The Doctor smiled. "Oh, Happy Sunday."
"Northern accent. We must be close to home." Graham said thinking as he looked around.
An older man with a white beard rang a hand bell. "Mistress Savage demands your presence. The ceremony will begin."
"Anybody else missing the party vibe all of a sudden?" Graham questioned.
"Come on." The Doctor said with a jerk of her head.
Leona bit her lip as she walked at the tail end of the villagers.
"Where are they all going?" Yas questioned slightly concerned about the whole thing.
"Whatever this is, I need you all to remember the most important thing about dips into the past. Do not interfere with the fundamental fabric of history."
"Even if something's not right?"
"Yep. And judging by the vibe here, something is definitely not right."
Leona took a breath and pursed her lips together slightly in concern. "I have to agree with you there."
Yas walked up to a girl who was crying as she walked. "Are you okay? Can you tell us what's going on here?"
The girl hurried away.
DWDWDW
An old woman was chained to the branching end, which formed a handy seat and two arms of a long tree trunk swung out over the water and balanced on a fulcrum.
An elegantly dressed woman ascended a small pulpit flanked by men in leather armor.
"Guys, that's Pendle Hill. We're in Lancashire."
"People of Bilehurst Cragg, we are forced to meet here once again. Satan stalks this land. We must continue to root him out, and do whatever it takes to save the soul of our village. Let us put the accused to the test." Becka called out sounding rather posh.
"Granny...!" Willa called out trying to not cry.
"Hush, Willa." Her grandmother called out.
"It's a witch trial." The Doctor said, her eyes wide.
Leona let out a gasp as her hand shot to the Doctor's and gripped it tightly.
"Old Mother Twiston…"
"Must be early 17th century." The Doctor said thinking as she squeezed Leona's hand letting her know that it would be alright.
"You stand accused of witchcraft, and shall be tried by my ducking stool, hewn from the mightiest tree on Pendle Hill. If you drown, you are innocent. If you survive, you are a witch, and shall be hanged."
"Duck the witch!" A villager shouted.
"This is way too dark for me." Ryan said, looking away rather disgusted.
"We've got to do something, Doctor." Yas said softly.
"Ah, the Doc said don't interfere. You said don't interfere, right?" Graham said, looking over to the Doctor.
"Don't cry, Willa. I will still be with you." Willa's grandmother said softly.
"I will still be with you. In the water" Willa said softly.
"In the fire."
"In the air."
"In the earth."
"Duck the witch!" Becka ordered.
"Duck the witch! Duck the witch!"
"Doctor." Yas said, looking at the Doctor.
There was a horrible splash.
"Granny!"
The Doctor took off her coat and handed it to Ryan before running to the river. "Meet me on the other side!" She said before diving into the water.
"So much for not interfering." Ryan said, letting out a breath.
"Over the bridge! Run!" Yas said as she ran.
"Who dares interfere with this trial? Thirty five witches we have tried, and still Satan surrounds us. We shall not be stopped!" Becka yelled in anger.
The Doctor hauled Old Mother Twiston onto the dry land.
"Doctor, we're here!" Yas said as she came running up to the doctor.
Leona narrowed her eyes as she looked at Becka.
"You will be punished for your interference! The trials are sacred. They are the will of God!"
"Is she alive?" Willa asked softly.
Yas checked for a pulse in her neck and shook her head.
"I'm sorry." The Doctor said softly.
"Now we have no way of knowing if Mother Twiston was a witch or not. Guards, whip these wanderers off this bank, and then seize Willa Twiston. We can take no chances."
"Leave her alone. I'd bet my life neither of these women are witches. But you, Mistress Savage are, without question, a murderer." The Doctor said with her eyes narrowed.
"Who are you to address me this way?"
"I'll tell you who I am." She checked her trouser pockets and then turned to search her coat. "Sorry, one sec." She held up the psychic paper up to Becka.
"Witchfinder General?"
"That's right. Witchfinder General, with my crack team, taking over this village. Right, gang?"
"Yeah, cos you are in special measures." Graham nodded his head.
"Now do you recognise our authority?"
Becka dropped into a very small curtsey. "I do beg your pardon, Mistress Witchfinder. Please, come to my home. We must talk in private."
The guards sheathed their swords.
"If you swear not to hurt that girl, or anyone else."
"If that is your wish, you have the command."
"Everybody, go home. This trial is over."
"I have to bury her." Willa said softly.
DWDWDW
They walked up to the hall below Pendle Hill. The trees were bare of all leaves.
"Please forgive me, Mistress. If I'd known who you were, I'd have bowed to your authority immediately." Becka explained as they walked.
"So tell me. Who exactly are you, and what gives you authority here?" The Doctor said as they walked.
"I am Becka Savage, landowner of Bilehurst Cragg. It belonged to my late husband, passed to me when he died. I've tried to be a benevolent leader but it's very difficult in these times, especially for a woman."
"If you're the landowner, why are you walking? Where are the horses?"
"Horses are banned in Bilehurst. They are creatures of Satan. I had them all shot."
The Doctor slowed down letting Becka get ahead and Graham to catch up.
"Hey, Doc. I've done the old Pendle Witches Walking Trail. Nobody ever mentioned Bilehurst Cragg. Never heard of it. And she's killed thirty five people." Graham explained to the Doctor.
Leona let out a breath. "Thirty six now." She said, shaking her head lightly.
"Yeah."
"Maybe she wipes this whole place off the map." Ryan said, thinking pursing his lips together.
"We're going to find out what happened, and how we can make her stop. And that hall looks like the best place to start." The Doctor said, looking at everyone.
"Not the only place. I want to find that girl who's just lost her gran." Yas said, looking at the Doctor.
"We'll deal with Her Ladyship, if you go do some family liaison. I'll meet you in a bit. Hopefully by then I'll be a bit dry."
DWDWDW
The Doctor stood by the fire to try and warm up some.
Leona looked out the window with a fairly sour look on her face.
"I hope the fire has warmed you. Some wine?" Becka said, offering the Doctor something to drink.
"No. So, your witch trials have become a weekly event, with a village celebration?" The Doctor asked, turning her attention to Becka.
"Any moment where a witch is uncovered and Satan driven out has to be cause for a celebration. We will not stop until that work is done."
"You keep saying Satan. But how is Satan manifesting himself here?"
"Blighting the crops. Bewitching animals. Plaguing people with fits, sickness and visions."
"If that's all Satan, where do the witches come into it?"
"They are in league with him. Kill the witches, defeat Satan. As King James has written in his new Bible, thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
"In the Old Testament. There's a twist in the sequel. Love thy neighbor. Which is why we've come. To help you fix your problems without killing anyone. That's what King James would want."
The door suddenly opened and a mysterious figure entered.
Becka looked at the figure with narrowed eyes. "What is the meaning of this?"
The man removed his cape and hat. "Madam, I have come to your rescue." He removed his mask.
"King James! Your Majesty."
"You may prostrate yourselves before me, God's chosen ruler and Satan's greatest foe come to vanquish the scourge of witchcraft across the land. Forgive the mask. I have enemies everywhere and have to travel incognito. Also, I rather like the drama. What a peculiar ragbag of folks. And those garments. Are you actors?"
"We're your witchfinders, sire, as we explained to Mistress Savage." The Doctor held out the psychic paper.
"Witchfinder's Assistant. So you must be the Witchfinder General." James said as he looked at Graham.
"What?"
"No, she said she was." Becka said, looking over at the Doctor.
"A woman could never be the General."
"Silly me. Must've got all confused. Mustn't I, boss?"
"Er, yeah, that's me, sire. North West Division, promoted from Essex." Graham said with a nod of his head knowing that he was going to have to take the lead.
"And these are your underlings." James questioned looking at the Doctor, Ryan, and Leona.
"It's a very flat team structure. We all have our areas of expertise."
"Even the wee lassies?"
"Even us. Very handy undercover. Set a woman to catch a woman." The Doctor said with a firm nod of her head.
"A cunning ruse, using your innate aptitude for nosiness and gossip. And what is your field of expertise, my Nubian prince?"
"Er…" Ryan blinked a few times.
"Torture?"
"Me? Er... paperwork mostly, Your Majesty."
"Paper. How fascinating. We should talk. But first, Madam, word has reached me of your battle against Satan, your crusade against witchcraft. But what I saw today convinced me you need assistance."
"That's what we've just been saying." The Doctor said, looking at King James.
"Hold your tongue, lassie. Stick to snooping and leave the strategy to your King. This is no time for the weak. Satan preys on the innocent, even while they sleep. Together, we must purify your land, starting with the grandchild of the witch you tried today. A fine plan, is it not?"
"A genius plan, Your Majesty. Together we shall save the souls of my people from Satan, even if it means killing them all." Becka explained to the King.
Leona crossed her arms looking out the window once again with irritation across her face.
DWDWDW
"Becka wasn't kidding. These are hard times for women. If we're not being drowned, we're being patronized to death. Becka's bedroom. In here, quick." The Doctor said as everyone went into the women's room.
There was a nice four poster bed with embroidered curtains.
"We are going to help them though, right, Doc? I mean, otherwise this place won't exist by the morning. Not now those two have hit it off. I don't know who's more barking." Graham looking over the Doctor.
"A dozen hankies. That's a lot." The Doctor said letting out a breath.
"Maybe she cries herself to sleep." Ryan pointed out.
"Maybe. Don't worry, Graham. We're staying here and sorting it out, even if I am just a woman."
"Well, to be fair to King James, you are snooping."
The Doctor went into an alcove which had a curtain fastened back. She picked up a toilette and sniffed the contents of the small bottle. "I'm investigating."
"Hey, missed a bit." Ryan said as he pulled out a woodsman's ax out from under the bed. "Whoa. This Becka is seriously paranoid, man."
Yas rushed into the room and Ryan nearly swung the ax. "Here you are! I've been creeping round this place looking for you. I found that girl Willa at her granny's grave doing some kind of ritual, and the next thing I know, this big kind of mud tendril thing attacked her."
"Mud tendril?" The Doctor questioned her brows furrowed.
"Coming up out of the ground. I had to smash it to pieces. Got it all over me."
"Just the one mud tendril? How big? And when you say ritual, do you mean like a spell? Like she conjured it up?"
"She was scared of it. Whatever it was, it wasn't friendly."
The Doctor scanned the mud splatters on Yas's jeanes. "Just seems to be like good, old-fashioned Lancashire mud. Here's the plan. You and me need to check out that mud and talk to Willa. You three, stick with Becka and King James. Keep them here. Make sure they don't kill anyone else."
"King James?"
"It's a long story. I'll explain on the way. Remember, no more witch hunts."
Leona bit her lip softly. "Okay Doctor. I'll stay here. We'll make sure that there is no more killing here."
The Doctor smiled at Leona.
DWDWDW
"This is Alfonso, my personal guardian. He guards my witchfinding tools with his life." James said, looking at the man.
Alfonso placed a small wooden chest onto the table and opened it.
"Time is against us if we are to get to the village and hunt down the witches from their hiding." Becka explained softly.
"No. No, we're fine. I bet you have all the best kit, Your Majesty." Ryan said, offering him a small smile.
"I have a great many artifacts. Torture implements, charms, and a wide selection of body parts." James took out a black hat. "Here. It belonged to my first Witchfinder General, Scottie, who saved my life in Berwick. Then later betrayed me, so I had him shot."
Graham put his finger through the hole in the hat.
"I'm sure you will serve me better. You may wear the hat."
Graham put the hat on. "You can trust me, sire."
"I can trust no one. That is why I need all these. To ward off evil spirits." James pinned a metal brooch with a light blue stone in the center to Ryan's jacket.
"Hmm." Ryan looked at the brooch.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"What's this?"
"Careful. That's my pricker."
A spring made the pointed bit come out of the handle.
"Essential for inspections. A true witch will not bleed if her mark is pricked. Madam, do you have a one of these?"
"No, sire." Becka said softly.
"You may use this. It's my spare."
"Ryan, do something." Graham said softly to the younger man.
"But, er, there's still some really, really fascinating... body parts in here that you could tell us about."
"Body parts?" Graham mouthed to his grandson.
"Yes, perhaps later."
"But also, before we depart, we should make a list of all the, er, villagers, and names of suspects, background info. It's all in the preparation."
"Well, there is no need. I know everything about this place and my people." Becka said firmly.
"And I know everything about Satan. Together, we will find where he is hiding and cut him out. By nightfall, every last witch in this village shall be destroyed."
Leona looked down, closing her eyes, trying her best to not show emotion.
DWDWDW
Becka rushed through the forest.
"Oi, oi, hold up. What's the rush?" Graham said as he caught up to her.
"I want this over, so we can return to the way things were before Satan infested this land."
"Excuse me. When you say Satan, what exactly do you mean?"
"Satan is all around us, all of the time. We must be strong, or else he will take us. Of that I have no doubt."
"Really? No doubts? But what if you're wrong? Because you're killing all these people. Friends, neighbors."
"If people are good, they have nothing to fear."
"Are you a good person, Mistress Savage?"
"My conscience is clean."
"Look at him. Alfonso's loyalty is rare and pure, and it's only a matter of time before I inevitably get let down." James said as he walked with Ryan.
"Why do you find it so hard to trust people?" Ryan questioned softly.
"It's a long, sad story. A tragedy."
"I've got time. Tell me."
"My father died when I was a baby."
"I feel you. I lost me mum, and me nan."
"My father was murdered by my mother, who was then imprisoned and beheaded."
"Okay, that's worse."
"I was raised by Regents. One was assassinated, one died in battle, and another died in suspicious circumstances. There have been numerous attempts to kidnap me, kill me or blow me up. It's a miracle I'm still alive."
"Ha! Ahem. You're not kidding."
"No, I'm not. It is a miracle that I have prevailed whilst all around me, others fall."
"You should definitely get yourself back to London, sire. Keep yourself safe."
"God will keep me safe, as long as I do his work. Whoo! That felt good. Ha, ha. Thank you. Now we can have some fun, eh, Ryan?" He said gesturing to his witch pricker.
Leona slowly walked pursing her lips together. She could only hope that Yas and the Doctor were alright. She knew one thing, she wanted to be away from the whole witch trials as soon as she could. She couldn't understand how someone could do that to a human. It seemed rather hurtful. Were humans always that way?
Suddenly there was a scream.
"What was that?" James questioned.
"I cannot imagine." Becka said her eyes widened.
"Er, best let us deal with that, sire." Graham said, looking over at James.
"You should stay here where it's safe, sire." Ryan said softly.
"Nowhere is safe, until Satan has been vanquished." James said, shaking his head.
"Er, did it come from that way, sire? I thought it came from the other way. Come on." Graham said as they went to where the sound had come from.
Leona's eyes went wide as she saw mud figures near Yas, Willa, and the Doctor.
"No, stay back, please. I've given you the blob. What more do you need? So annoying when they are silent." The Doctor said, complaining trying to get the mud to stop.
"Witchcraft!" James said with wide eyes.
"So much for keeping that lot at the house."
"Stay where you are!"
"Hi, sire! I know it looks bad, but don't worry. I'm all over it."
"Willa Twiston was the witch all along. I knew it!" Becka said with narrowed eyes.
"I'm not. This isn't me, Becka, I swear." Willa said softly.
"She's right. It's not her and it's not witchcraft. I'm working it out." The Doctor scanned the mud woman.
"This is beyond you. Alfonso, shoot them." James ordered.
"Of course, Your Majesty." Alfonso said.
"No! Alfonso, don't!"
"In the air and in the earth…" The granny said.
Alfonso was knocked down by an invisible force.
"Alfonso…"
"Now you've made them angry. They're getting stronger. Everybody out of here. Get away from them now!" The Doctor said, looking at them.
"We must protect you, sire. Back through the forest." Becka said as they made their way back through the forest.
"Keep running. This clearing, through here." The Doctor said as she ran.
"I don't think they're following." Yas said as she began to slow.
"If they're not following, what are they doing?" The Doctor questioned her brows furrowed.
"Want us to go and look?" Ryan questioned as he looked at the Doctor.
"We escape from Satan, and you wish to go directly back into battle?" James questioned looking at the blonde haired woman.
"We need to know what they're up to. Make sure no one else is in danger." Ryan said thinking.
"I'll go too. Keep an eye on my... underlings." Graham said with a nod of his head.
"Very well." James said with a nod of his head.
"I'll stay with Willa. Be careful!" The Doctor called out.
Ryan, Yasmin, and Graham ran off.
"What were those aberrations?" James questioned.
"It is the work of Satan." Becka said, shaking her head.
"It wasn't Satan or witches or Willa's granny. Those creatures were being controlled by something in the mud, something not of this earth. Something beyond your understanding." The Doctor said thinking.
"Something from hell."
"More like from the heavens. It chose to kill Alfonso when he was a threat, but in other circumstances it fills the bodies and uses them as vessels. I don't know why. Maybe only when they're dead.:
"No, it attacked me too." Willa said softly.
"And why today? Cos this is my problem. I can buy that this is the biggest ever witch hunt in England, or I can buy it's an alien mud invasion. But both on the same day? I can't buy that."
"Why does the lassie speak of commerce?" James questioned.
"I don't know." Becka said, shaking her head.
"Oh, wait. Unless they're connected. Your witch hunt's been going on a while now, so there's no way that mud has just rocked up today. What do you know, Becka? What's going on here in Bilehurst Cragg? A woman who keeps an ax by her bed. What have you seen?"
"I have seen you with your wand, raising your kin from the dead."
"Yes." James said, nodding his head.
"What? No! Hold on a sec."
"You are no witchfinder's assistant. You are Satan's acolyte."
"I am not."
"That's why it is happening today, because you are here, as you say, to take over this village."
"You know that's not what I meant. We do not have time for this." The Doctor said, shaking her head.
"Mistress Savage is correct. It is your fault that Alfonso is dead." James pointed out.
"I tried to save him."
"You saved them from being shot. You said this evil fell from the heavens. Oh yes, it fell, like your lord, Lucifer!"
"Honestly, if I was still a bloke, I could get on with the job and not have to waste time defending myself."
"Oh, you bewitch us with your alluring form and your incessant jabber, but I knew you were unnatural from the very start. And now I see you for what you really are."
"She was trying to save us, sire." Willa said softly.
"Thank you, Willa."
"Are you sure you're not mistaken, Willa? Or are you in league with the witches as I first suspected?" Becka questioned.
"She said she wanted to help me."
'Who do you trust to save you? Your King? Your family? Whatever I have done, I did to save all of our souls."
"What's really going on, Becka?"
"Hold your tongue or I will cut it out. Well? Tell the truth, lassie." James said with narrowed eyes.
"I did think it was strange when they said her name was the Doctor." Willa said softly.
"Like Doctor Dee. A necromancer. That seals it. Arrest the witch!"
"I... I am not a witch!"
Leona went to move, but the Doctor gave her a look letting her know not to get involved because it could very much get her hurt.
DWDWDW
The Doctor was tied to the birch tree with her hands above her head.
"Comfortable, witch? I do hope not." James said with a click of his tongue.
"Come for a visit?" The Doctor said looking up at James with narrowed eyes.
"I shall take my opportunity to converse with an agent of Satan."
"If I was Satan's agent, do you seriously think a bit of rope would stop me? I say a bit, quite a lot. Tightly bound. It's pretty painful. They know how to tie a knot in this part of the world."
"I am an expert on witchcraft, Doctor, but I wish to learn more. Before you die, I want answers. Your wand. How does it work?" He said holding the sonic screwdriver.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I wish to know all the secrets of existence."
"Don't we all? But true knowledge has to be earned. Tell you what. I'll trade you my wand for answers to as many questions as you want to ask."
"I'm not a fool, Doctor. I am King James, Satan's greatest foe."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. It must be comforting playing that role, hiding behind a title."
"Just as you hide behind Doctor, perhaps."
Leona narrowed her eyes at James. She remained silent knowing that it would cause her to also be tied up as well.
"Who are you, really, behind the mask, the drama? What does it say on your garter?"
"Honi soit qui mal y pense."
"Evil be to him that evil thinks. You wear it like a hero, even though you're killing and scapegoating and stirring up hate. And you wonder why the darkness comes back at you."
"There is no darkness in me. I quest for goodness and knowledge, beauty and art, all of God's virtues."
"Your own mother was scapegoated. How do you square that with your witch hunts?"
"What do you know of my mother?"
"You could have seen her before she died, but you didn't want to. Why?"
"She left me when I was not even one year old. What kind of mother does that? Why would I wish to see her?"
"Nobody will ever know why she left you, James. But you can't go hurting people just because you're scared to face up to the darkness inside you. You have to be better than that."
"Who are you? How do you know these things?"
"I know because we're all the same. We want certainty, security, to believe that people are evil or heroic. But that's not how people are. You want to know the secrets of existence? Start with the mysteries of the heart. I can show you everything if you stop being afraid of what you don't understand. If you trust me. I am not a witch. But if you want to defeat evil, you have to let me go. Now. Please, sire."
"I do not know what you are. And there is only one way to be certain. Guards! Summon the villagers."
Leona swallowed the lump in her throat as she lowered her head.
"See you brought a gathering. Thanks very much. Mind if I take off my coat? Lots in my pockets, might stop me floating. Course, as a woman, you don't get to have pockets for a while yet. A girl called Izzy Flint bullied my friend Yaz, so no one would pick on Izzy. That's what you're doing. Pointing the finger at other people, so no one points it at you. But what I don't know is, why? What are you hiding, Becka?" The Doctor said as she stood.
"Sit down. Or would you prefer a hanging?" Becka snapped.
They chained up the Doctor.
"Do you know why the ducking stool was invented, Doctor? To silence foolish women who talked too much."
"Yeah, I did know that. Which is daft, cos talking's brilliant. Like, if you talk to me now, I can help. You've ducked thirty six people already, and whatever it is has only got worse, hasn't it?"
Becka touched the wood and sparks flew.
"What was that? It reacted to your touch. Why?"
"I warned you to keep quiet."
"Rather I asked Willa?"
"Silence! Or I shall duck her too."
"Last request. I definitely get a last request. Lend us your hanky."
"I don't have one."
"There's loads in your room. And an empty medicine bottle. What were you taking the medicine for, Becka?"
"Know this, Doctor. Once I have dealt with you, I shall go after all of your friends. Starting with her." Becka said pointing at Leona.
Leona looked up at Becka narrowing her eyes.
A bell began to ring.
"Satan has made our crops fail, bewitched our animals, and brought the sickness. His agent sits before you, the most evil witch in Christendom, and she would call herself the Doctor."
The villagers jeered.
"We bring her to justice, in front of our great Majesty, King James. Give the word, sire, and we shall duck the witch and save our souls from Satan, once and for all."
"Duck the witch." James hollered out.
"Duck her!"
Mud tears dribbled from Becka's eyes.
"I was right." The Doctor said softly.
"Doctor!" Graham hollered out.
"Guards! Duck her now!"
A loud splash was heard.
"Bring her back up now!"
"What've you done?" Ryan said in shock.
"We will see the result."
"I'm the Witchfinder General! I'm giving you an order!"
"I obey only my King!"
"Sire, please order her to be raised." Ryan pleaded.
"She's not a witch. She's your only hope of getting out of here alive." Yas said, looking at the King.
"They're witches, sire, all of them. It's Satan testing us!" Becka shouted.
"Get her out of there."
"It has been long enough." James said, looking at Becka.
"No, it hasn't! We must be certain!"
"Bring her up now. Now!" Graham yelled.
"Please, Your Majesty." Leona said finally speaking softly.
"Raise the stool. The trial is over."
The dead tree was raised and the chains were empty.
"Where's she gone? What's happened to her?" Ryan asked softly.
"No. No!" Becka yelled.
"But where is she?" Yas questioned looking around.
"Looking for me?" The Doctor called out as she came out of the water.
"Doctor!"
"She truly is a powerful witch." James said, looking at her with wide eyes.
"No, sire. I am no witch. I'm just good at holding my breath, and getting out of chains, thanks to a very wet weekend with Houdini. Hi, team! Gang! Fam? No."
"I'm so sorry, Doctor. I was scared."
"See? That's all it takes, Becka. Start there. Tell me the truth."
"She survived. She is a witch." Becka said, backing away.
"No, I'm not. And despite all appearances…"
"Doctor!" Yas said, looking at the Doctor.
"Neither are they."
The mud women stood behind Becka.
"You might want to come and stand with me, Becka, cos they look like they've come for you."
"We have to help out." Ryan said softly.
"Yes, yes. We must confront those agents of Satan, even in the face of witchery and…" James said thinking.
"Oh, mate, seriously? Not witches. Bodies possessed by alien mud. Come on!" Yas said, looking at James.
"I will be with you. In the water, in the fire, in the air." Granny said softly.
"Stop. Just stop." Becka said softly.
"They're obeying you. Why are they obeying you? What happened, Becka? I thought they'd come to kill you. Which is a fair assumption given they're carrying an ax. But they haven't, have they? Of course. They've come to join you."
Becka coughed into the handkerchief that she said she didn't have.
"It's in you, just as it's in them. And none of you can hide it any more."
"In the earth…"
"What happened?"
"I cut down her favorite tree." Becka said softly.
"What? I don't understand."
"It was spoiling my view of the hill. But something lay beneath it. I awoke Hell. Satan himself attacked me, poisoned me. That night I felt it growing inside me. The mark of Satan. I fought it. I took medicine, I prayed, but it grew. I did God's work in the hope that He would save me."
"You killed people to try and save yourself." Leona snarled.
"All these witches! All this evil!"
"You knew they weren't witches! The only thing you feared was yourself. Did your granny know what you needed the medicine for?" The Doctor said, looking at Becka.
"Not to start with, but then I had to tell her. I needed her help, I begged for it, for her to lance this evil out of me. But she was too weak."
"So you killed her by dunking?"
"I had to. She knew. I can't fight it any more, Doctor."
"You cannot fight it, because you are the witch." James said, looking at Becka.
"I have let Satan in. I have failed you, sire. Yes, I am the witch!"
"Everyone, behind me. It's Becka they want."
"But why?" Ryan asked.
"What's happening to her?" Yas questioned.
"I tried to hold Satan back. I'm so scared. Please forgive me." Becka screamed into a mud woman.
"What is happening? She is possessed by Satan."
"Not by Satan." The Doctor said, shaking her head.
"Then by what?"
"Something not of this earth."
"Morax."
"Who are you?"
"Hand me your King."
"What?" James said, shocked.
"Haven't you got your own King? Or is he hiding?"
"He does not hide, he waits. We have all waited for too long, trapped in the hill."
"Pendle Hill."
"Our prison. The mighty Morax army, captured and imprisoned on this pitiful planet, for war crimes."
"Pendle Hill is a prison for an alien army."
"Ah well, it's obvious when you put it like that." Graham said softly.
"Imprisoned no more. The lock was broken."
"What lock? How was it broken?"
"Now the Morax army shall rise again and take form. Your King shall be filled with our King, and we shall be free, to fill all of you. To fill this whole planet with rage and force and hate and Morax!" It sent an energy blast at the group, knocking them out.
DWDWDW
"Come on, Witchfinder. Up you get." Yas said as she moved.
"Go on, what happened?"
"Same thing happened to all of us."
"Oh, ow!"
Yas helped Graham sit up. "Zapped by Becka Savage, Queen of the Morax. She's taken the King, knocked the rest of us out."
"Okay."
"Quite a blast, that. Haven't had a hangover like this since the Milk Wars of Keston Five." The Doctor said as she worked.
Leona slowly got up.
"What are you doing with this thing?" Ryan asked the doctor who was loading the dead tree ducking stool onto a hand cart.
"Tell them what Bilehurst means."
"Sacred tree on a hill." Willa explained.
"The tree Becka chopped down because it was obscuring her view. The tree this ducking stool is made from. A tree that isn't a tree." She soniced the tree causing the wood to go green. "It's ancient alien technology, beautiful and broken. A very old, very advanced bio-mech security system. A lock to keep the Morax Army imprisoned here. It responded to Becka's touch because of the Morax infection inside her."
"So Pendle Hill's a prison?" Ryan asked, tilting his head a little bit.
"From what Becka said, I'm guessing the Morax are royals with soldiers. Pretty brutal ones at that. Presumably exiled for war crimes, scrambled down into their primal form."
"And they stay imprisoned until Becka Savage goes at that tree." Yas said thinking.
"It can't be much of a lock if she can break it." Graham said, shaking his head.
"It's old. Eroded over billions of years, presumably. But she must've broken it enough for part of the queen's form to escape and infect her. According to my calculations, this ancient alien wood is like Semtex to Morax. That's why it made such a good lock. Right. Help me break it up."
"Break it up? Why? What for?" Yas questioned.
DWDWDW
Lightning the boughs in a brazier. They burned green.
"Anti-Morax weapons. The smoke is toxic to Morax. Should be enough to fend them off so you can rescue King James and I can get to the tree." The Doctor said as she sonicked a small piece of the wood.
"Then what?" Ryan asked softly wondering what their plan would be.
"I fix the lock putting all the Morax energy back in the slammer."
"One more thing, Doc." Graham then put his hat on her head. "Morax-finder General, back in command."
"It's a very flat team structure. Ready for battle?"
"Yes, we are." Willa said softly.
"You don't have to, Willa." Yas said softly.
"It's time to stop being scared." Willa said shaking her head.
"Little bit of scared isn't a bad thing. The Morax is way more dangerous than Becka ever was." Leona said looking over at Yas.
"Only I know the path up the hill, so you need me to lead the way."
"She's right, Doc." Graham said, looking over at the Doctor.
" There are more powerful people here than kings and queens. There's us, together." Willa light her own brand.
"Lead on, Willa Twiston. Onwards to save the King." The Doctor said with a smile.
DWDWDW
The Doctor, Yas, Willa, Ryan, Graham, and Leona made it to Pendle Hill.
"May the Lord save me!" James said, struggling.
"Or alternatively... Witchfinders United, at your service." The Doctor said, looking at James.
"Yeah, mate, you better back off." Yas said, looking at the Morax.
"Let him go, Morax. You can't have King James or this planet."
"Get away from the king!" Ryan thrusted his brand at the tendril, which caused it to recoil.
"The torches are working. They won't come near the flames." The Doctor said happily.
"I've got you, sire." Ryan said, helping James.
"My protector!"
"Willa, watch out for your granny!" Leona called out to the young girl.
"You're not my granny. Let her rest." Willa said as she looked at the mud woman.
"And you, Morax, back into your cell. Now, please."
"Those flames don't scare me, Doctor. Nothing scares me now." Morax said to the Doctor.
"I know you're in there, Becka. I know you're scared." Willa said softly to the Morax.
"Nothing of that pathetic woman remains. No fear, only power. We will fill your King and kill you all."
"Afraid not, Morax. I'm here." THe Doctor threw her piece of wood down into the stump. "Everybody back! I've reactivated the prison. Back you go, King of the Morax."
The thrashing tendril is pulled back into the stump. The face on the end of it looked a bit startled. Green lines illuminated in the hill.
"Jail reenergized."
"No! My King! What have you done?" Morax yelled.
"Feel that security system kicking back in, sucking every Morax cell back. Back down into Pendle Hill. Back out of the bodies they hijacked."
The corpses of the women fell to the ground.
"Have peace." Willa said softly.
"No! I will not go!"
"Yes, you will. Burn the witch!" James yelled.
"No, sire, stay away!"
James thrusted his burning brand into the Morax, and it screamed as it turned into a green flame and went boom. There was loud thunder right on cue and the rain began to fall from the sky.
"What, woman? She was a witch. She confessed."
"So you got what you came for."
"I have vanquished Satan."
The Doctor returned his Witchifinders hat to James. "No more witch hunts."
DWDWDW
Leona slowly touched the Tardis. She took a breath as she slowly went to open the door.
"She still does not speak to me, Ryan. Can you get through to her?" James said pleading with the younger man.
"Afraid not, sire. This is on you." Ryan said, shaking his head.
"What apparition is this?"
"Just another inexplicable wonder of existence you're not going to be able to tell anyone about." The Doctor said, looking at James.
"Doctor, I understand you are displeased with me. And I owe my life to you. Not one word of any of this shall ever be spoken. And even the name Bilehurst shall be erased from all records."
"As long as all the villagers make it out alive." Graham said, looking at everyone.
"What will you do, Willa?" Yas asked the young girl.
"Find a new home. Take Granny's potions and be a healer. Be a doctor." Willa said softly.
"I reckon you'll be good at that." Yas said with a smile.
"One final command as your King. Come back to London with me, Ryan. Be my protector." James said pleading with Ryan.
"I mean, it's a kind offer, sire, but, er, you know... I've got stuff to do." Ryan pinned the brooch onto the King's jacket. "But I'll keep my eye on you. So you... behave yourself."
"Or else, we will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger." Graham said, looking at James.
"Ezekiel."
"Tarantino." Graham said as he entered the Tardis behind Ryan, Yas, and Leona.
"What are you all doing?"
"A brilliant man once said, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. We're just about to prove him right." The Doctor said before going into her Tardis. She looked at Leona and saw the look on her face. "I know."
Leona let out a soft breath and came up to the Doctor. "I'm sure we'll see each other soon." She said, giving the Doctor a small smile.
"You're right there." The Doctor said with a small smile.
Leona took a breath as the golden swirls came around her. "See you soon."
The Doctor watched with a sad look upon her face as Leona vanished in front of her. She knew that she wouldn't be seeing Leona for a while.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is the end of Chapter 8. I hope that you guys enjoyed it. I'm trying my best to write this out. It's just taking a bit longer than what I wanted it to take. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'm taking my time with writing each chapter out and there aren't many chapters left for this story, which I can say I'm both happy and sad that it's ending. In a way I'm happy because I'm one step closer to getting the next part of this story started, but I still have a lot of stories to go before I can start the next section of stories. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'm going to try to update as soon as I can. Until next time.