Chapter 16
Penelope moved with the book in her hands and stared at the struggle with blood of her cheek drying up. Chrsnyght shoved the palm of her hand against the face of the silver coated witch and she could see sparks flying everywhere. Chrsnyght snarled madly and twisted her hand and a rush of power shot out through the room almost knocking Penelope over. The female half demon placed both hooves on the witch's chest then yanked with all her might. The silver coating seemed to rush up to the mask just as it began to peel off the witch's face. Chrsnyght flew off the witch with the bone mask in her hand and she floated in place, "Well lookie here? You don't have my father's BONES to hide behind anymore. Guess that means, today… I finally get my revenge…"
Penelope watched the mask melt in the half demon's hand and drip, but the drops stop in mid air to make 8 little circles. The symbol on her cheek looked as though it were on fire. From there, a ring of flame that spread all over the half demon's body and left her flesh looking like stone-colored ash. The ashes stayed in perfect form as she still hovered in place. Her eyes opened abruptly. They were still black with a white slit, but the slit shivered then expanded into a thin circle that left two perfectly whitened circles within each eye. Those white circles radiated a high-beam glow as she let out a monstrous neigh that triggered the ash to harden and erupt into an enormous, eight-legged horse known as a Sleipnir. The creature had a long, dragon like tail with matching wings that spanned up and around the center of the room. The beast's mane, tail, fetlocks, and fur down and at the tip of the tail were a blue, purplish flame. There were sharp, jagged canines jutting out of the top lip as the 8 little white circles from the mask wrapped around each of the long, strong legs. The creature fell gracefully in front of the nearly faceless witch that made Penelope gasp.
When all eight legs hit the ground, a scorching blue flame built up and swept along the floor. Penelope back pedaled, but saw how fast the fire was so she turn and ran. She could feel the fire burning the tips of her ears as she saw the wall and knew she was done for. She spun only inches from the wall and gripped the book to her chest. She closed her eyes and missed her hero's reappearance.
A very naked man swept in front of Penelope and uncrossed his arms in front of him in a forceful move towards the demon's fire. Penelope's chest burned and she looked down to see a blue mist pulsing out of her scar. She looked up to see the man's scarred back blazing the same blue as the flames obeyed his gesture and parted to crash all around the two. Penelope stared at the bare back as the pulsing blue aura of his scar slowly disappeared. She looked down at her chest and saw the same effect and her mind clicked.
The pale man moved his body and stood up straight. He turned to show his stubbly chin, caved in cheek bones with the massive wound on his left cheek, and weakened blue eyes… but it was still him… she would recognize him anywhere. Her voice cracked as she took in a rushed intake of air, "Sh… Sheldor?"
He gave a small and sleepy smile as he reached over and tucked a lock of her golden hair behind her ear. The action brought tears to her eyes as she let out an erratic huff of air from her lungs. She dropped the book that was in her arms and lunged to embrace him around his neck. He stumbled backwards then finally found his footing as he blushed at the fact that he was naked. He let out a sigh of contentment as he wrapped one arm around her while the other cupped the back of her head to stroke her golden locks, "Hello, Penelope."
Chrsnyght's demonic baying echoed throughout the small room and jarred them apart. They both looked at the witch and she looked utterly defeated. Her half gone, cracked face looked fearful but angry. Her eyes searched the room and spotted what she was looking for. She reached out her hand and Rakooth popped from where he was on the floor to the hands of the eager witch. Rakooth's mist spiraled around the broken faced witch as a snake and spoke softly, "My Lady… he is not complete… there are a lot of technicalities that have yet to be resolved. The two main ones are: he has yet to fully fuse with your Aunt's bones and he doesn't quite follow all commands. Please… My Lady… Please…"
Lady Fowler's voice was crackled but clear, "Now is not the time to question me, Rakooth. Please… Just call him… NOW!"
The little snake disappeared and the book burned a brownish red color then faded. As this happened, Sheldor managed to conjure a pair of pants and was about to conjure a shirt when there was an immediate rumble that echoed through the castle and quivered the ground below their feet. The Sleipnir's eight legs lifted off the ground to avoid the shockwaves as Penelope and Sheldor fell and pressed their backs against the wall. Their eyes shot open wide as they both saw a huge horn about the size OF Chrsnyght's demon form rip from the floor below like it was water. More thorn like horns began to lift through the floor and the room began to crumble.
Sheldor grabbed a hold of Penelope's arm as he rushed down the wall. The floor was turning into chunks of stone that were plummeting downward. Penelope's bare feet slapped against the flat, crumbling floor and she dared a look at the creature the witch had summoned. It was a dragon… almost. It looked like it was sewn together like a rag doll. Its head was in patches of scales, fur, and bare flesh that seemed to be knitted around the monstrous horns that looked to be a part of the skeleton. It had no eyes, just stitches where they were supposed to be.
The creature was crawling with its bat like wings. It threw its massive creased wing and its three claw-like fingers on the folded part of the wing up towards them in order to climb higher and Penelope kicked into high gear. Their grips shifted as Penelope's agility yanked Sheldor forward. When the dragon's clawed wing hit, Penelope's speed wasn't enough. The crumbling floor dropped hard and the two went with it, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Sheldor's arm acted fast as it gripped at a sturdy part left of the floor below the one they were just at. He gripped Penelope's arm tight and they both jarred from the fall and swung a little bit before settling into a static form. Beside him was a ledge that seemed to still be intact and he moved swiftly for the fear that his grip was loosening. He rocked his body a few times and Penelope's voice screamed at him but he didn't listen at all. When he finally got enough momentum, he launched Penelope onto the ledge. She cried out after she rolled to safety and the sturdy chunk gave out sending him flipping and falling downward.
Penelope scrambled to the edge with her eyes in tears. She wasn't going to lose him… not when she just got him back. She ran and dove head first off the ledge. She straightened out her body to fall faster as she spotted him in mid flight. She screamed his name and caused his eyes to open wide at her descent. Her arms rose up and as she got close enough to him, she wrapped them around his neck as his went around her torso. As they plummeted to the ever closer ground of the castle floor, time seemed to almost slow to a crawl. Sheldor's eyes shut tight as his chin rested on top of her shoulder. She let out an emotional laugh as she let a few tears fall, "Haven't we done this before, already?"
He moved his lip over her shoulder and muttered, "Why did you jump? You were perfectly safe… why did you JUMP?"
She pressed her cheek against his stubble and brushed her lips against his ear as she shut her eyes tightly, as well, "Because I can't… I can't lose you again. I WILL NOT LOSE YOU AGAIN! I… I… love you."
His eyes shot open just as time picked its speed back up. He constrains his arms around her tighter and clenches in anticipation for the impact. Just before they hit the ground; they're both engulfed in a blue haze of static electricity then zapped into thin air.
Lady Fowler grips one of the huge horns on top of the sewn dragon's head and she looks down where the two had fallen with narrowed eyes. She lets the anger sweep all around her as she snaps her focus back at the horse demon. She was wasting her time with this… pathetic horse demon. She needed to return to her mother. The pure heart had peaked to its maximum power and was in the perfect condition to open the seal. The seal of Magic that held her legion that she would thrust upon this wretched land. With the seal severed… she would finally get the power to remove the Pembe curse and the power to call upon any Ghede… any Radha… any damn creature she wanted and finally have the respect she deserved from these… peasants.
With the book tightly gripped folded neatly under her arm she beckoned the beast forward and it listened with gusto. The Sleipnir, who was the size of a small bird in comparison to the dragon, had no time to react as the dragon jutted its head forward and snapped its jaws. The Sleipnir was swallowed and the witch laughed and spoke through the gaping hole of her lower face, "So much for the great demon of Chaos… Faisal… take me to my mother!"
The dragon acknowledged his name and lifted his head but didn't move. The dragon shook his massive head and raised his head again and it chirped loudly in dismay. Lady Fowler narrowed her eyes and looked down at the book under her arm, "Rakooth… explain. Why isn't Faisal's teleportation powers working?"
A mist formed into a tree frog and hopped on her shoulder, "My Lady, it seems as though Althea has placed a rather powerful spell within your mother's room. It seems that Sheldor's friends have found their way in past Rothman and are threatening to attack. Althea defends your mother."
The tree frog popped into a smoke cloud as the dragon jerked awake and started forward. He was like a walking demolition squad. He plowed through wall after wall. Lady Fowler placed a shield in front of her body as she tried to find where Sheldor and her Bestie went. Their auras were still quite present around her, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly where they were. They couldn't leave the castle because of the Nulla Fugea spell so they had to be somewhere. They couldn't hide… not for too long.
Althea stood between the three and stood her ground. She spoke to them with her Haitian accent with a low, calm voice, "It's a tradition of warriors to state the other's name before commencing a lethal battle. I am Althea, daughter of Michonne who was Juu Mambo of the Kabyefon tribe. I am eternally the last of the Voudo Mambos and cursed to serve the witches who killed all my people."
Wolowix stepped forward with his eyes nearly glowing from anger towards the tree, "I am Howardrick Wolowix. I am an Innovagygr. I am married to Bernaquette, a Dísir spirit that gave up her immortality and spiritual form JUST to be with me, and she was TAKEN FROM ME!" His body started to smoke a blue haze as he pointed his finger at the tree with hatred brewing inside him, "Murdered by LORDORNIA! THIS WITCH YOU PROTECT!"
Onar prowled beside Wolowix and snarled, "I am Onar, the omega of the Hofkey pack, son of Ylreveb, the alpha bitch. I was saved by a little human girl name Alex Jensen and her family. One night, their village was attacked by Trolls and there were too many to fight off by myself. They clubbed me unconscious and when I woke up… my human girl was dead! All of them were dead! SLAUGHTERED by the WITCH and her insatiable lust for watching innocent people SUFFER!" The nerk snarled and clicked his teeth, "I have come to avenge my girl… to avenge THE ENTIRE VILLAGE!"
Pryna stepped forward and narrowed her eyes. She had heard of this magical religion known as Voudo and knew better than to put her cards on the table. She extended her two sets of wings in front of the men and raised her bansuri, "You do not need to know who I am. Just know that if anything happens to my friends… I will not hesitate to attack you with all my strength."
Pryna brought the long, bamboo stick-like flute up to her lips and readied to play a song. She didn't like the feel of this woman's immense power. Her eyes shifted to the tree and narrowed. She had a bad feeling about this situation… they had numbers, but the power emitting from the black woman alone was staggering. She was a Mambo… a priestess… a priestess of WHAT?
Althea smiled and gripped her Asson tightly, "You are a Garuda… and the daughter of a Dusara from the looks of the pale ruby upon your bindi. You play the bamboo flute, so I'm guessing you are either a charmer or a Jadu. You don't need to tell me who you are… the spirits know you, that's all that matters."
Pryna's eyes widened, "Spirits? You are an Ātmā Vāktā?"
A cackle of laughter originated from the sycamore tree's trunk and Pryna's eyes slid to stare at a very strange, golden glow of a branch… no… no… an arrow? And her eyes slid back to Althea. Wolowix stepped forward and snarled, "Finally going to show yourself you MONSTER!"
The laugh started again as a female form morphed from the tree's bark. The golden pulse of the arrow embedded deep within the witch's wooden formed chest as she smiles down at Wolowix, "Althea… why didn't you tell me we had guests."
Wolowix clenched his fist tight and two thin strands of blue fire shot up on either side of each of his feet. They moved and burned a circle into the ground just as he yelled angrily, "DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME!" With that, the blue flames launched two thick rocks from the ground that soon shifted into spinning axes towards the witch.
Lordornia squinted her eyes and the axes exploded into chunks of rock. She looked over at the boy and scoffed, "I remember you… Oh Yes… cute little wife… her heart was clammy and kitschy… easily the most useless heart I had gathered. Tossed it to the floor the moment I took it. Just utter rubbish."
Wolowix snapped. Blue flames haloed around the man and proliferated violently around him. It pushed Pryna and Onar backwards as the blue flame darkened into a violent purple maelstrom of unchallenged energy. Wolowix bellowed out a cry of anger and the energy seeped into every crack and crevice that the room had and the terrain started to attack. Water sliced at the trunk while the ceiling's stalactites speared downward and sliced the blood red foliage right off. The ground rumbled and two large hands shot out from in front and threatened to yank the tree from the ground, roots and all.
The witch screamed in agony, but a rush of power sent everything back to its normal state. Wolowix charged forward during that with a battle cry and the purple flaming energy surrounding him. The energy bounced back whatever Althea was trying to cast as his eyes set on the witch's throat. The energy gathered up in his right hand as he leapt and struck. His fist and body paused in mid air and he and the witch shared heated glances.
Lordornia's face was twisted in anger as she whispered, "You are never going to be strong enough to kill me, BOY. Why don't you go ahead… AND KILL YOURSELF!" As she yelled, a massive burst of red energy sliced into Wolowix's chest then threw him backwards with a brutal intent. Pryna's wing sprawled out and snared the soaring male. The momentum was easily matched with the strength of her downward movement of her wing's pectoral muscles.
Onar snarled and sprinted with purpose. His paws were leaves in the wind and his snarl was sharpened for the kill. Althea didn't hesitate this time. She rattled her asson and hummed a song. The asson blurred as if going in slow motion and Onar stopped on a dime. His eyes went completely white and he turned around. Pryna and Wolowix gasped and backed up as the blackened nerk had a human skull that looked to have been painted on a long time ago. It was faded and looked to have chips in the paint. There was a red cross that looked to be bleeding down his forehead as his eyes were almost glowing at how white they were.
Althea's asson was blurry still, but she kept it still in her hands. Her eyes were just as white at the nerk's as she spoke with her voice and a man's voice overlapping in a deep, African accent, "I am Baron Kriminel… and I am here to pass judgment on you insignificant Etranje!"
The witch's voice cleared over the 14 foot nerkanine, "Kill them… all of them. I COMMAND you Baron Kriminel… Their blood is yours to keep!"
Onar stopped moving and sat upon his haunches. Everyone stared at the nerk just as the witch's anger grew, "WHY DO YOU NOT OBEY ME!"
Althea's voice spoke with hers and a man's voice again, "Baron Kriminel does not take commands. Baron Kriminel has pronounced his judgment and my lespri frè have chosen their side."
The witch frowned deeply, "Chosen? Side... what side? Althea… what is the meaning of THIS?"
Althea's eyes went back to its darkened color and Onar was released from his spiritual hold, "I'm sorry, Mistress… but the Loa spirits will not fight." Althea looked toward Wolowix and Pryna and saw the hundreds of spirits lined behind them. The Loa chose them over the witch and Althea couldn't say she didn't see this coming.
As the witch screamed in frustration, a flash of deep blue erupted behind the tree and a huge splash shook everyone out of their focus. No one saw the witch's eyes go wide and a smirk fly on her face just as her form sunk back into the trunk. The witch chuckled deeply as Althea stayed in the same place; watching as the three stormed towards the water.
Althea shut her eyes tightly and prayed to her deceased mother that what had just fallen into the water wasn't Penelope and Sheldor. She knew her prayers were in vain because she could recognize Penelope's aura anywhere… and definitely the aura of Melinda Maward Cooper.