xoxo
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The three witches stand before the glowing purple sphere in the basement of their castle. The first step of their plan begins now, and Olivia wants to ensure that things go according to plan. Knowing what she knows now regarding the cursed one and his sidekicks, the precautions she's about to take will plant their roots into the lands and spread like a virus.
Stepping forward, Olivia places her hands on the sphere. Energy lances through the round figure, reacting to her touch, and following is her hues shifting purple. She whispers an incantation in Latin, and the sphere expands, highlighting two objects of her desire in a darker purple. In her palms, a purple mist emanates, allowing her to control the sphere's movement.
"To spread our roots, we need a few things," a twisting motion of her left hand; Olivia zooms in on the first highlighted area.
"The first thing we need is the Pendant of Zyhar. This pendant is the only tangible thing our father left behind," orbs fixing on Ryan. "It was a mere accessory for him but a beacon of power for us."
"Where is it located?"
"Beyond the golden gates, guarded by warriors trained to kill people like us. It'll be a challenge."
"I can handle a challenge."
Olivia agrees. "You can, but this task is more suited for Rose. She knows the ins and outs of that god-forsaken palace. Plus, I fear something will happen to you without the second item — something that I won't be able to undo."
The look in his sister's eyes says it all. "Then we send Rose. If she's more equipped, then we better not make any mistakes," orbs fixing on Rose. "Will you retrieve the pendant, Rose?"
The necromancer steps forward. "I will. What's our window of opportunity?"
"As soon as the sun sets." Olivia answers.
"And how will I know which grave is your father's?"
"His tombstone is marked with the words burn in hell in blood. Shouldn't be too hard to find."
Rose nods, lifting her hood over her head; the luminescent cast of her viridescent hues is more apparent now that darkness covers her face. She's ready.
"As for you, brother, I think you'll enjoy returning to the place that held you captive."
Ryan's confused. "And why would I want to do that?"
"Because the second object we need is there," a slight twisting motion of her hands, and the sphere expands, highlighting the second object of her desire in a darker purple.
"The Book of Locura, also known as the Book of Madness. This book is designed to give you insight and control over your powers. If we are to succeed in our goals, you need to be at your best."
He understands, though curious. "What exactly are my powers outside of what I already know? I ask because when I was in captivity, one of the Witch Hunters mentioned that inside of me lies dormant magic so uncontrollable that I can eliminate us all without batting an eyelash. Is this true?"
She wants to answer, but she can't. "It's best if you find out on your own. If I tell you, there's a chance that the prophecies in place will be nothing more than whispers in the wind. You have to become yourself on your own."
He sees. "And this book is the key?"
"Yes. It is hidden within the Witch Hunter's Encampment, and now that you're starting to use your powers, it shouldn't be hard to find."
"What if I run into trouble? What do you suggest I do?"
The smile on Olivia's face says it all. "What you do best."
With his sister's words in mind, Ryan vanishes, leaving a trail of crimson smoke behind. Rose, on the other hand, approaches Olivia.
"Are you sure Ryan will be able to handle this task?"
"No, not with the curse doing more harm than good. If Ryan listens to those voices, this can go to hell. He's fine within the walls of our home, but out there, it's a buffet of souls ready to be devoured, and he's always hungry."
"I know he's your brother, but what should we do?"
"We trust him. He seems more curious about who and what he is, so if this goes how I think it will, the mission will succeed, and there will be minimal bloodshed."
"Okay." Rose conjures a portal swirling with green and purple. "Let the reign of terror begin."
Rose enters the portal and vanishes along with the swirling mass of energy, leaving Olivia to bask in the glory of what's to come if this mission succeeds.
xxx
From the sky, Ryan lands, a small burst of crimson energy spreading from beneath his feet through the cracks of the earth. Though he's free from this place, the Witch Hunter's Encampment still makes him uneasy. The recent memories of the torture flood his mind, making the voices speak louder, but he takes a deep breath and silences them, considering his reason for being here again.
Steps in the direction of the doors to the entrance, crimson spheres of influence manifest in the witch's palms, and with a twisting motion of his hands, an outline of energy slowly consumes the doors. Once the process is complete, the witch throws his arms outward, prompting the doors to open with great force and break from their hinges. As he enters the encampment, the doors fall, alerting what's left of the Witch Hunters.
Like clockwork, the hunters swarm the witch, forming a line in front of him to stop him. They're unsure why he's here, but they don't care and will do whatever it takes to protect what's left of their home. Drawing their weapons, swords, and crossbows set upon the witch, the hunters step forward to secure the line, halting the man in red. To the hunter's surprise, he doesn't make a move. He watches them instead.
The voices in his mind consume Ryan's every thought, and in reaction, his irises shift crimson, and a luminescent vapor consumes his hands. If it's a fight they want, he has no choice but to give it to them to feed the corruption.
"I will feed on your souls in hell," Ryan promises, his voice distorted by the many voices in his mind.
An arrow flies toward Ryan from one of the hunter's crossbows. He doesn't move, watching the arrow graze his left arm, ripping his cloak, and drawing blood. He casts his crimson gaze on the shooter and, lifting his left arm, his energy swarms the hunter, telekinetically lifting him into the air with ease.
The other hunters attempt to swarm him, but he quickly disarms them, using his power to remove their weapons from their hands before striking them away with a stream of psionic energy. With most of the hunters now incapacitated, Ryan focuses on the one still in his grasp, levitating to his position.
The hunter feels fear now that he's come face to face with the witch. With those crimson eyes peering into his soul, his will cracks easily, prompting him to beg for his life. So consumed by the voices in his head, Ryan tilts his head to the left as both hands take hold of the hunter's face.
There's no response from the witch, only the sound of his energy slowly burning the flesh from the hunter's head. The pain is agonizing, and the hunter screams aloud. The onslaught continues, crimson strings of energy wrapping delicately around Ryan's hands. He plans to kill him until a familiar voice stops him.
"Red, stop it!" Steven approaches from a distance. "Haven't you done enough damage?"
"My name is not Red. It's Ryan." With the wave of his right hand, he sends the hunter flying backward, alive. He then descends to the ground and strides toward Steven.
"Ryan. Okay. Why have you come back here?"
"I'm here for a book. If my source is right, it's here."
"A book?" The confusion's visible in his features. "What kind of book?"
"The Book of Locura."
Steven's not surprised. "Took you long enough. Follow me." He spins on his heels and proceeds down the hidden path, beckoning Ryan to follow him, and he does, hovering behind. Steven's reaction instills curiosity.
"You expected me to return, witch hunter. Why?"
"Because the answers you seek are here."
"Why not tell me before? Why keep the book a secret?"
Steven points to the left, bringing the pile of corpses to Ryan's attention. "If you would've gotten your hands on that book, affected by your corrupted mind, the results would've been much worse."
Ryan hums, a crimson sphere manifesting in his left hand. With a motion of his hand, his energy surrounds the bodies, igniting them in flames. The small act of kindness touches Steven, for he didn't expect the witch to have a fragment of modesty left. However, he doesn't comment.
"How do you know of my corruption? We've never spoken about that."
He's aware. "Your name is carved throughout history under another name, and this book is your meal ticket."
"To make me what? A monster?"
"No." Steven corrects him. "A legend."
"And you want to give it to the person who killed your entire clan?"
"Yes," retrieving his set of keys, he finds the one to unlock the door to the cave entrance where the book is and opens the makeshift lock, allowing Ryan to enter first.
"Why?" He turns to face Steven, watching him pull the door closed.
"Because it'll guarantee my safety." He's sure of it. "What you did here, I expected, and I could never judge you for it. But the power you wield is something I don't want to be on the receiving end of ever again."
Ryan doesn't respond because he understands. In their last interaction, Ryan's corruption did the talking, and now that his mind is somewhat transparent, he can see how his actions affected Steven, the one person who aided his freedom.
"You're different from Marcus. Why didn't you speak up sooner? Why let it escalate to a point where you could've been one of my victims?"
A sigh. "I felt I deserved it. I was afraid to speak up against Marcus because he was a tyrant, which caused a trickle effect when it came to you, but then you let me go."
Ryan turns back around, leading the way down the cave. He can hear the voices in his mind reacting to the power emerging from the book.
"You put your faith into an unstable witch over someone you were in solidarity with, which says a lot about your character."
"And what does it say about yours? I aided your freedom, and now I'm aiding you by giving you something imperative to your growth."
A moment of silence. "That I'm more than some harbinger of chaos and death. Sparing you was me coming to terms with the humanity I lost, even if someone had to talk me off the ledge."
Steven understands. "Pretty soon, you won't need anyone."
"Except for you, remember? If I recall, you mentioned being of assistance. How would that work?"
How unexpected. "I'm a scout. I know the land better than anyone. I know every in and out there is. I can also defend myself if necessary — very well-versed in combat."
"Have you ever killed someone?"
He hesitates to answer but caves into the truth. "Yes, I have. Witches. Plenty of them."
"And how did it feel?" Casting his gaze on the book in the distance, noticing the crimson and black-hued energy radiating from it.
"It felt good." He's honest and wary of what comes next.
"Hm," broadening the distance between him and Steven, Ryan lands in front of the book, prompting the voices in his head to grow louder and the power to consume his irises.
Like blackened fleshed embedded with stitches throughout, the book is far from easy on the eyes. There's barbed wire along the edges, splatters of blood, both human and not, and in the center is a distorted yin and yang symbol that crackles with ominous eldritch power. It feels right — it feels legendary.
Turning his face slightly to see Steven, Ryan takes hold of the book, and the power surges through him, rewriting and amplifying the structure of everything he is, and for the first time, the voices decrease drastically in volume. The crimson in his eyes darkens due to the black hue mixing in, which translates to his powers.
The prophecy has begun.
"Thank you for this, Steven," the book vanishes, leaving behind a red and black smoke trail. "Maybe you are useful."
Before Steven can utter a word, Ryan vanishes, leaving the Witch Hunter with his thoughts
xxx
A swirling mass of purple and green energy spawns before the Golden Gates of Aephellion that wrap around the Noble Courtyard. Right on time, with the sun about to set, Rose walks through the portal, her hood on and a flowing purple and green energy obscuring her right hand. As she steps closer to the gate, the swirling mass vanishes, dragging the metal talon finger claws on her left hand along the bars.
Looking closely, the witch can see that God's Blessing enchants the bars, which prevents her magic from making an impact for as long as she's outside the bars. Figures. Luckily for her, she can hear the dead calling out to her, and she follows the whispers and echoes, flying around the gates until she finally reaches the graveyard, landing perfectly on her feet.
The calls of the undead empower her, prompting the luminescent cast of her viridescent hues to shine brighter. With an incantation spoken in Latin, her body begins to break down, cracking violently as the ground absorbs her entirety. A moment later, inside the gates, purple and green energy ruptures from below with screams of the undead soaring into the sky, and that's when Rose reappears skeletal-like.
As the siren sounds off to warn the watchers of the Noble Courtyard, Rose's body gradually reforms with every step towards the stairs leading to Eli Pope's grave. A shimmering light catches her attention in the distance ahead of her, which means one thing and one thing only — trouble.
"You have no business here, witch!" Guard Captain Newman warns her, his voice reverberating, stepping into the light at the top of the stairs with two paladins accompanying him. Their armor glistens with the touch of divinity coursing through it, and their blades burn with heaven's light. They are God's warriors and will do anything to stop the witch from completing her goal.
"Leave now, and we'll spare you!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that," the flowing energy on her right-hand manifests on her left one, and she casts her gaze on the captain's chest plate, noticing the Pendant of Zyhar in the center of it.
"You have something I need, and I'm not leaving here until I have it."
"Very well then."
Together, the paladins lift their great swords to the sky, and one by one, they swing, materializing crescents of light in Rose's direction. The witch dodges them with ease, spinning left and right to evade the first two, vanishing and then reappearing to avoid the last one, directing a beam of purple and green in the paladin's direction, running towards them.
The paladins stab their blades into the ground, summoning a barrier of light that deflects the witch's attack, directing her magic with a mixture of heaven's light back at her. On a whim, she summons decaying skulls burning with purple and green surrounding her in a hemisphere, and when the redirected attack makes an impact, it sends her flying backward.
Her groans accompany the thud, the sweltering pain slowly arising upon impact. The witch pants heavily, levitating to her feet and removing her cape. She cranes her head to the left, analyzing the warriors running in her direction. She knows brute strength isn't her forte, but obtaining power from the undead is her niche, and surrounding them are many souls.
A smirk graces the witch's lips, and she commences the absorption of souls into her body with her palms facing the ground. Screams of the undead liven the silence as they become one with the witch, giving her the strength and power she needs to silence her enemies. A paladin swings his blade from the right, but she catches it with her right hand.
She laughs maniacally, kicking him backward with a blast of energy emerging from her foot. Another attack comes from the left, but a hand of green and purple ectoplasm catches the blade and departs from Rose's body as a skeleton, keeping the warrior busy. Her attention reverts to Newman, who charges her with his shoulder, sending her backward.
Mid-air, Rose summons a giant skeletal hand that breaks through the ground with a motion of her hand that catches and lowers her to the ground. Steps in the direction of Newman, green and purple energy consumes Rose's talon, and the claws on it extend in length. As holy as these paladins claim to be, there's always a slither of darkness lingering within their moral code.
Newman takes his stance, the light consuming his blade intensifying.
"You will never get what you want, witch!" He promises as the other two paladins join him. "Our God told us you would come, and he also told us how to kill people like you."
Rose smiles. "I've heard this story before, Captain Newman, but tell me something," her skin gradually burns from half her face, traveling throughout her body, prompting her to appear skeletal-like with rotten flesh still holding on. She is no longer herself but the soul of Newman's deceased wife.
"Did your God tell you I took your wife's soul and banished her to eternal darkness?!"
The transition shakes Newman to his core, but it also angers him. Without a word, the paladins charge the witch in an uncanny formation. Rose laughs, shedding the appearance of his wife and flying towards them. The warriors attack in unison from the left, right, and center, but Rose becomes intangible before their blades can impact, passing through them.
The ground ruptures with light from their blades, and from behind, Rose directs a ball of green and purple in their direction that explodes when it impacts the ground, sending the men flying into the air. Rose spins violently towards the paladin on the left like a tornado, slicing through his neck with her claws and then throwing him to the ground, landing before him.
Setting her sights on the two paladins descending from the sky, the witch lifts her right hand and clenches her fist, summoning two skeletal hands that wrap around the necks of her enemies and drag them to the ground, their grunts accompanying the impact. One of the paladins dies while Newman remains alive and disarmed.
Twisting her hand to the right, Rose commands the skeletal hand to flip Newman onto his back as she approaches his head, her cape materializing around her body.
"You will see your wife again," a ball of energy rises from her right hand and disperses into nothingness, prompting the hands of the undead souls to reach from the earth and grab Newman, dragging him under the ground.
"In hell."
Rose watches as Newman's soul is devoured, his screams like music to her ears, and as he disappears, another hand rises, holding the Pendant of Zyhar. She takes the pendant and whispers thank you as a portal swirling with green and purple spawns behind her. With her objective complete, she enters the portal and vanishes with the swirling energy mass.
xxx
Back in the town of Merves, Fitz, Huck, and Ulysses take shelter in a hotel next to the tavern. The gracious townspeople allowed the gentlemen to stay after taking on the beast outside the walls and saving Mellie. Still, that doesn't stop them from checking in from time to time since Fitz is cursed and Ulysses is branded a murderer amongst their people. Huck is the happy medium between the division.
In his room, Fitz stares at his reflection in the broken mirror. Bruises cover his skin, the gash on his leg paints the white bandages red, and the fragments of his mind feel unfixable. After confronting the witches, he finds himself deeper in defeat. He can't rid himself of the curse nor find the will to accept it. He feels like a failure; to make matters worse, he's not alone.
He didn't mean to drag Huck and Ulysses into his journey, but he didn't want to do it alone. He's come to enjoy having two people around who don't bullshit him because ever since his mother's untimely passing, he has no way of navigating this world, and as adept of a warrior Fitz is, he's stuck. However, he doesn't regret the events but feels terrible and plans to make everything suitable.
Turning in the rickety faucet, Fitz watches the water hit the rusted sink before filling his hands with the liquid and rinsing his face. He repeats this process a few times, shutting the water off afterward. Fitz departs from the bathroom, grabbing a towel to wipe his face off. When he returns to the room, he tosses the towel and removes his armor piece by piece, setting it next to his blade.
He plops down on the bed and glances to the right at a fresh shirt and slacks with a note that reads thank you for your service. The thought makes him smile, and he doesn't hesitate to change out of his worn clothes, replacing the new ones after changing the bandages around the wound on his left thigh. He'll need stitches to stop the bleeding, but the new applications will do for now.
He stands up from the bed and departs from his room. He smiles at the people passing as he makes his way to Huck's room, a few doors down. When he arrives, he takes a deep breath and knocks. When he hears come in, he enters and closes the door behind him. Huck's sitting on the bed, his back facing Fitz, looking out the window at the moon shining through.
"Did you come here to be a creep, or did you have something to say?" Comes the question from Huck. It doesn't sound polite, but the tone in his voice suggests lightness.
Fitz ventures into the room, sitting next to Huck on the bed. At first, there's comfortable silence until Fitz answers Huck's question.
"I came here to say that I'm sorry. I got you into this, and you could've died. We were unprepared, and I let my false sense of hope lead us to what could've been our demise. I wasn't thinking."
Huck nods, accepting. "You weren't, but I love that about you. You go off how you feel, which takes a lot of courage. I forgive you because I trust you to do what's right, and it'll take a lot more than a few witches to keep a guy like me down." He finally looks at Fitz, smiling.
"Your sense of hope isn't false, just misguided. Trust yourself more, and you'll find the way."
Fitz smiles, nodding, placing a hand on Huck's shoulder. He's appreciative of Huck's words and also his forgiveness.
"Thank you, friend. If you need anything, I'm right down the hall."
"Anytime." He nudges Fitz with his shoulder, "noted. Now get out of here. I need my beauty sleep, and you still need to check on the big bad wolf."
Fitz laughs, standing up. "Alright, alright. Have a good night, Huck."
"You too, Fitz."
The warrior departs from Huck's room and makes his way down the hall to Ulysses's room, knocking on the door. In reaction, the door opens, and Fitz enters, closing the door behind him. It's dark, but in the center of the room is a fire composed of magic and Ulysses's shadow on the wall. Fitz ventures in further, stopping when the fire goes out.
Shortly after, the lights come on, and Ulysses sits on the floor in front of the bed. His hair is unkempt, and bandages wrap from his shoulder across his chest and then around his stomach. Ulysses is in pretty bad shape, making Fitz feel horrible, but what comes out of the white-haired warrior's mouth surprises the cursed one.
"You did well out there," grunting, he lifts his head to meet Fitz's gaze. "Although you didn't heed my warnings, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for some greater good that doesn't exist. You stood ten toes down, and the witches couldn't sway your resolve."
Fitz leans against the wall, hands in his pockets. "Some would call that idiotic."
"I call it bravery," Ulysses affirms. "Blinded bravery, but bravery nonetheless."
Silence.
"That was a joke."
"I know. I'm just surprised you know what a joke is."
Ulysses smiles somewhat unnoticeably, fighting back laughter, whereas Fitz emits a chuckle, joining Ulysses and taking a seat next to him on the floor.
"So, how are you holding up after everything?"
"I'm in pain," evident by the bandages, "but not just physically — mentally. I can still feel him in my mind, Fitz." Referring to Ryan.
He feels for Ulysses. "Me too."
"I haven't experienced this kind of pain in a long time, and no matter how many potions I drink or spells I cast, it's not enough to rid me of him."
"What does it mean? Magic is more of your expertise than mine."
"It means we're fucked. Unless, of course, the man in red dies."
"Is it possible? To kill him — to kill any of them?"
"There's a slim chance, but neither of us nor Huck can complete the task, and with the coven returning, it's only a matter of time before things get worse." He leans back against the bed, "We'll need help if this is the path you want to go down."
With Ulysses's words in mind, Fitz smiles. A few people he's come across during his lifetime can measure up as help.
"I have it covered."
Ulysses catches the smile and winces. "I'm afraid I don't trust you smiling like that."
Next Chapter: Frostbite