Chapter twenty three:
Burnie doesn't see any clear way out without outside help in casting a spell. So he then shifts his focus to anything else that they can do from inside of the cages. His eyes go back to Ray's body as his mind attempts to work out how they can help stop this. He reaches out of the cage and places a hand on the floor. He closes his eyes and tries to feel the magic by letting his magic reach out to scan the area. He can pick up the spell on the floor that blocks them from talking directly to their familiars, the witches that are all caged with him except for Ray of course, and can barely manage to pick up the magic of the familiars below past the spells surrounding them. He opens his eyes after calling his magic back to himself. "They've really thought of a lot of things." He mumbles pulling his hand back into the cage. He looks to the other witches who look like they are starting to lose hope that they can do anything after all. He turns away back to Ray as his gaze turns to sad guilt. He surely can't let them try to do what they did before… He suspects that the group will be more prepared for that trick and it could end with all of these witches dead. Including himself. He just wishes that he could think of something to not make Ray's death be in vain. And he certainly can't let all of the familiars lose their witches.
"Try sleeping on it." The female suggests since it has turned dark. "Maybe we'll find something tomorrow."
"Yeah." Burnie lays down not really sure that he'll get any sleep tonight. He closes his eyes hoping that something will come to him.
As Ryan lays down to try to sleep by command since it is night he closes his eyes not noticing a small glimpse of a light hovering by him that disappears quickly.
The next day Gavin is flying as the army is on the move once again. He keeps them moving so they'll reach the area as fast as possible. He sees it coming up ahead and swoops down landing on the ground.
"It is over that way." Michael points after the two groups have gathered and he is talking to Spire with Gavin low to the ground.
Spire nods his head looking in that direction. "Okay." He steps a few steps that way while Gus dismounts to join his son. "You two go alert Geoff that we are here. I will move the guards around to surround the area."
Michael nods and taps Gavin's neck in which the other rises then takes to the sky.
This time they are the only ones that take off and they move around the area to get to where Geoff is waiting with Jack and Cassandra.
The three are waiting by some trees and Geoff waves to Gavin who then swoops down.
Gavin lands and lowers himself again.
"The king, even Gus, are working to surround the area. So we'll follow the plan given to us." Michael reports to them and Geoff nods.
"Right." Geoff moves forward with Cassandra and Jack to move a little forward. He then gasps as it becomes noticed that Darcy has them all on the move. "That's not good. She might be heading to attack."
Michael even notices Ryan flying up into sky followed by the familiars that can fly. He then turns noticing that Spire has them all charging straight for the group at seeing that they are on the move. "We'll join them." He tells the three then lets Gavin take to the sky.
The three hurry over to the soldiers and join their ranks as Gavin takes a spot with the soldiers that have flying familiars.
Darcy who is riding Ryan turns hearing a battle cry then she ducks when a magical arrow flies past her. She glares at the charging army. "Attack!" She calls and they all change to the charging army only to go after them as well.
The two groups clash as witches and familiars begin attacking one another.
Daniel the zebra familiar plows into a soldier witch knocking said witch to the ground then tries to slam his hooves down onto her.
The soldier witch manages to roll out of the way in time and her familiar who is a puma swipes at the mind controlled Zebra to get him to back off.
The swipe lands on the nose of the familiar causing him to rear back as blood drips from the scratches on his nose.
The puma familiar lets out hisses and is showing teeth while her witch gets back on her feet. She sees the zebra prepare to charge so she charges first then when Daniel does the same she slams her body into his. She uses her well trained body to hit hard throwing the zebra to the ground. She leaps on him pinning him with claws in his shoulder and her paw resting on his side. Her armour helps with the kicking blows the zebra tries to inflict on her.
The soldier witch uses her wand and tries to break the spell placed upon the zebra as her familiar focuses on trying to keep the zebra pinned. She finds that it is placed on there rather well and wonders if she cannot break it.
The zebra manages to get a grip on the ground and throws the puma off ripping open its shoulder.
Though the puma lets go before too much damage is done then leaps away.
The zebra is limping from the pain though snorts as if still ready to fight even to the death.
The witch uses a spell summoning vines to grab onto the zebra pulling it to the ground before it'll hurt itself more. She glances around and sees others trying to get the familiars to stop or back down without killing them… Though the familiars seem to have instructions to keep fighting until they die as they keep trying even injured. "Find their witches soon so we can free them before lives are lost." She whispers turning back as her puma familiar leaps at a witch that has come to try to free the zebra. She hurries closer ready to help her partner in this battle.
Geoff and Jack are going against an evil witch and his fox familiar, while Cassandra is trying to get a great dane familiar to snap back to reality.
Jack swipes at the fox familiar who manages to move back to avoid it. He lunges and jumps onto the familiar when it tries to speedily go for his neck. He rolls around on the ground fighting against this familiar.
The fox uses its back legs to kick at Jack's stomach harshly only to receive a swipe across the ears leaving bleeding tears in them. It had ducked down to try to snap at the lion just in time so the blow wouldn't land on its face. It snaps its jaws full of sharp teeth at Jacks face barely missing the others nose.
Jack uses his back paws to kick the fox away even as it earns him some scratches on him from where the fox had a grip on him. He gets to his paws since he had just been on his back on the ground. He then charges at the fox once more to continue fighting.
The fox snarling ready to continue fighting as well.
Geoff shoots balls of magic in the direction of the evil witch trying to break the bubble shield the evil witch put up. He has to jump to the side when the other witch summons rocks to come out of the ground to attack him. He is quick to summon a wall of magic in front of himself as the evil witch, who lowers his bubble shield, sends balls of magic at him. He uses his wand to shove the wall of magi at the evil witch. He manages to hit the other who is knocked backwards and down to the ground. He waves his wand to wrap up the evil witch in thorny vines.
The evil witch tries to wiggle free only for the thorns to dig in causing bleeding. He uses his wand as a lighter with a small flick of his wand and burns his way out.
Geoff in the meantime begins summoning some sharp rocks under the evil witch which he manages to finish the spell when the evil witch is free from the vines. "You leave me with no choice." He tells the other as he has figured out that the only way to bring an end to this is kill the evil witch, even if he wishes that it didn't have to be this way. He flicks his wand and the rocks shoot up from underneath the evil witch.
The evil witch gasps and twitches as he bleeds down onto the rocks that have pierced his body. His body soon falls limp.
Geoff turns to check on how Jack is doing as he hopes that his familiar is okay.
Jack has some scratches and bite marks though he is still fighting strongly. He leaps onto the fox familiar that cries out when seeing its dead witch. He sinks his teeth into the fox's neck holding it against the ground. One of his paws, with his claws unsheathed, is on the others body to help pin it down.
The fox seems to be choking and as blood drips from its mouth it tries to struggle some more until it falls limp. It's eyes losing the shine of life and just starting ahead with a look of death in them.
Jack releases the fox then turns to Geoff who nods to him.
The two turn and join back into battle hurrying to a soldier who looks to be struggling a bit. They attack the grizzly bear familiar that is under mind control.
Jack leaps onto the bear trying to also slam into it to try to knock it down. His back claws swipe at the bears legs.
The grizzly spins around trying to grab onto Jack.
Geoff in the meantime works with the soldier to use magic to use magic ropes. He tugs on one he gets on the paw of the grizzly causing the familiar to fall to the ground.
The soldier then throws magical rope on top of the bear while Jack backs off to not get tangled in the rope.
The two do their best to keep the struggling bear down so that it won't escape to try to kill them again.
Darcy points to Michael and Gavin who are flying closer for a moment then lowers her hand. "Burn them!" She commands to Ryan who opens his mouth and breathes fire at them as commanded.
Gavin does a sharp turn and flies away a little before turning back to try to get them close to Ryan again. He tries to come to a stop in mid air only to be hit by the dragon's spiked tail. He can feel the blood dripping on his chest relieved that he had just barely dodged a pretty bad wound. He feels Michael gently tug on his neck telling him to back off. He does so and just in time as Ryan swipes with his tail again. He flies away from the dragon to get out of reach when another blast of fire is sent their way. He swerves as a mind controlled Vulture flies at them and attempts to attack. He is faster than the other though this vulture seems to be persistent in chasing them.
"Darcy!"
Darcy turns her attention away upon hearing her name then spots Spire standing in the middle of the battle with some space around him. Her eyes manage to meet his and she smirks. She directs Ryan to turn then head down landing on the ground. She chuckles. "Long time no see little brother." She greets him with a wicked smirk on her face. "Just so you know I will be taking back the kingdom that should have been mine in the first place."
"Not after what you did." Gus takes a step forward from behind Ryan in which Darcy glances back unimpressed.
"Oh. You're still alive father." Darcy taps Ryan's neck and the dragon swings his tail hard enough to really hurt at Gus.
Gus is knocked to the ground then as Ryan snarls at Spire to warn him to stay back Darcy pulls out her wand.
"Goodbye for good father." Darcy sends a blast of magic from her wand at her father which hits him hard. She stops it and thinks that Gus might still be alive. So she summons a black tentacle with her magic which wraps around his neck cutting off his air. She turns as Ryan breathes fire at Spire who manages to dodge it. "Right. I have to deal with little Spire." She mostly says to herself as she just leaves Gus to suffocate to death.