Chapter 10: The fire
Garfield couldn't remember much about his parents. His parents had, after all, died when he was too young, two years was too young for a boy to lose his beloved innocent parents.
Garfield looked out the window of the cell, the sun was rising again. There wasn't much for them to do than wait. Still, he hated it. He was waiting for Raven's death to come. He didn't want to, he wanted to save her. Save her from her soon to come death.
Garfield sighed and gripped the bars, his eyes narrowed as if he wanted to sun to go back behind the mountains. Nothing, the sun kept rising against his will, he growled.
"Gar there's nothing we can do now, only wait." Richard said, he was sitting on one of the beds in the room.
"And what? Wait for Raven's death?! You have no idea how if feels!" Garfield started to yell.
"We know you don't want to give up, but spare you energy." Victor tried. "You need to calm down."
"Calm down?! CALM DOWN?!" He yelled. "You have no idea how it feels to know your love is going to die! How it feels that you'll be forced to watch." He seem to have forgotten about their plan, or he was playing on the 'what if'
"Dude, we have a plan. It's going to work, just lie down for a little…" Victor helped Garfield over to his bed. "You'll need your energy if you're going to save her."
"I am going to save her…" Garfield said turning his back to the others. "... I promised."
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Raven sat in the cell waiting, waiting for her death. Night and Amber had been with her the entire time, telling her about the plan and hopeful outcomes.
"Everything is going to be fine darling…" Amber said, she was laying in Raven's lap. Raven was gently stroking her.
"I hope so…" She sniffed, she felt like crying, but couldn't.
"It will Raven… You need to have hope…" Night said, he sat on her knee looking at her. She didn't answer, she needed to have hope and she did, but something inside her was giving up.
"Don't give up…" They whispered.
"I won't… I promised..." she whispered as she closed her eyes to the world around her.
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Raven ran into a huge wheat field, her ten year old body was well hidden in the the tall wheat. She ran and ran, she had almost forgotten why she was running and or what from. As she came to a stop she looked around. She couldn't see if anyone was following anymore, but she could hear faint walking, someone was trying to sneak in on her.
She closed her eyes and listened. The walking was not far away but not too close either, Raven carefully started to sneak in the opposite direction, careful when pulling the wheat apart and away.
An arrow was shot right past her. She jumped and yelped, only to smack her hands over her lips and turn around. The hunter stood there, his bow pointed at her.
He was a tall old man with white hair and beard, he looked to almost be sixty. He had bright blue eyes and his beard looked to be unshaved for at least two weeks.
Raven slowly began to back away, the hunter following her. He drew his bow ready to fire. Raven closed her eyes, ready for the dead to take her away like her mother before her. She waited, nothing happened.
She dared to open an eye, the hunter was still there, but a look of confusion was smeared on his face. "You're not gonna fight?" He asked.
Raven looked him in the eyes, her eyes filled with fear. She didn't answer, she was too afraid.
"Huh… Guess so…" He bent down to his knee so he was face to face with her. "I can't let you go loose." He seem to think for a second before he pulled something out of his jacket. A long silver chain.
Raven gulped, she knew what silver did. Blocking the witch's power off or killing them, it depended on how strong they were, her bloodline was indeed strong, but in a ten years old?
He unlocked the collar of the chain, Raven took a step backwards. He stopped and looked at her.
"Look, I don't like to kill so young witches. You could be useful alive, just be a good girl and take this on." Raven's eyes darted to the chain multiple times before she made up her mind.
Quick as lightning she bolted away. She heard the hunter curse as she ran away, running around not straight would leave him a little confusion.
When she finally came to the end of the field she ran into a forest, she didn't stop there. She kept running. She was forced to stop as she came across a river, she didn't know enough magic to fly over yet, she either had to go around or find a path over. She couldn't swim either.
She heard running behind her and gulped again before starting to run up the river. She ran and ran, she knew the hunter was behind her. She finally saw her way across, a fallen tree was laying over over the river. It was big enough for her and to slow the hunter down. Quickly climbing onto the tree she saw the head of the hunter. Her eyes widening she ran over, lucky not to slip. She ran again.
After what seem forever she finally stopped to catch her breath, she looked behind her. Nothing. She sighed in relief before starting to walk gently.
Her nose wrinkled when she started to smell something… Fire.
Looking around her she saw fire spreading, cursing she took to run again.
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Raven woke with a start, the dream or memory was deep. She felt liquid fall down her chin, gently using her hand to wipe it away she saw that it was tears. Raven drew her tear free handto her right side.
Light burn scars were deeply planted there, she remembered that a burning branch had fallen over her and burned her side. It would be a mark that would haunt her forever, but she survived.
A turn in the lock snapped Raven back to reality. She looked up, she frowned when she saw Red-X stand there.
"Morning Witch." He spat as he walked inside with a bowl of hot water, a cloth and some food?
Raven didn't answer, she just stared at him. Her eyes darted to the supplies he had brought. When he noticed he smiled.
"You've been through a lot, Sir Rorek asked me to clean you up." He said, he placed the supplies on the ground and started to wet the cloth.
He lifted the cloth to her face, it stung a little as it made contact. She hissed, she usually would bathe in still lakes or ponds because of the nature.
They didn't speak as X washed her face, Raven's eyes were fixed on the ground. They had made her wear a loose red dress, it was held up by purple ribbons. The dress was short armed and reached to her knees, the dress was made of fine fabric and was smooth against her skin.
X noticed that she was looking at the dress and spoke. "They wanted you to wear it as a sign…" He didn't look away from his work, unless he needed to clean the cloth.
X saw the look of confusion in her face and said. "It's a sign of evil…" He said, he took the cloth into the water again, but this time instead of her face he went lower. She tried to back away a little, but she couldn't. "Don't even try to move… I know you probably feel violated right now, but I won't touch you." That was a relief.
He picked up her arms and dragged the cloth over it, he looked at and laughed. "How long has it been since you last bathed?" He asked.
"Not your business…" She hissed.
"Look who's talking!" He beamed, he laughed at himself when she shut up again. "Come on little birdie! I don't bite... Hard…"
But Raven did, he had his hand on her face again. She clasped her teeth around his arm, he yelped and dragged his arm back to him, but it didn't work. Her teeth sunk deeper and deeper, finally drawing blood.
X almost screamed as the pain became too much. Blood was pouring out of his arm while Raven's teeth were still deep, she didn't notice but she started to drink the blood slowly. The blood felt good to her, it was fresh, raw, warm, full of energy. If she had a bottles, she would drain his body. Wait what?!
Raven let go of his arm when she regained her conscious, she looked at X. He looked deadly pale with tears in his eyes. Lucky Raven had enough chain to get to the cloth and the water. She quickly cleaned the wound, she would lick her lips at a number of times.
She finally made the wound look less like a… Mess… She quickly used her magic to heal the remains of the wound. When the wound looked like an old scar she stopped and walked back to the warm spot she had been sitting.
When X regained conscious, he looked at Raven. She was looking at him without emotions. He looked at the bite… Wait, it was only a scar now. He looked at Raven again, she turned away from him.
He didn't say anything more, too shocked. He took the water and the cloth and walked out, leaving a bowl of bread and drinking water.
He had been giving orders to feed her after all, he didn't really get why, maybe so it would hurt more when she died?
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Garfield woke as he heard the door unlock, he turned around to the door. Victor and Richard did the same.
X came inside with food a bucket of water and three pieces of cloth. "Get cleaned up and eat." He said and left, the door locking again.
The group did as told and cleaned off the worst, ate and sat back down where they had been before X came. Garfield shot a look outside the window, his eyes widened.
The sky was turning orange and the clouds had gone pink. He began to shake, the plan and everything the could go wrong shot through his head.
"Calm down Gar, if you act before you'll get suspicious." Richard was right, Garfield calmed himself a little. When the door opened again.
This time, it was a bunch of guards, they chained them together. Luckily they didn't notice that the cuffs were open. They were lead out of the prison and had to walk all the way to town square.
When they got there, they saw Raven being tied up. Garfield so bad wanted to run up to her, but he couldn't, not yet. Something in the corner of his eye stuck out. A prue black cat and raven stood under a table dear by, they were ready for the plan to act out.
Garfield smiled a little to himself. They were placed in the front of the crowd, two guards placed on either side. Garfield gained eye contact with Raven, just like in his dream. She didn't look sad, scared or… She looked brave standing there, not crying, not caring. She was didn't cry, she looked at Garfield with a loving glare.
She mouthed some words to him, somehow he managed to get them and understand them. "I love you." He returned it with the same motions.
All they waited for now, was for Brother Blood to start the ritual when the sun had set.
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After about an hour the sun had set.
"Dear civilians of Jump Village!" He yelled, holding out his arms. "We are here tonight to burn the second most powerful witch in our world." He turned around and pointed at Raven. "This, ladies and gentlemen is Raven Roth! The daughter of Trigon the terrible!"
The crowd began to yell, booed and scream to hurry up and burn her.
"Patience people, tonight we will also free these young men from her curse!" He pointed at Garfield, Richard and Victor. "They have been cursed. If family could please step out of the crowd." A few seconds went by before Bee, Kori and a tiny black haired, green eyes girl stepped out. The little girl seem to be only a few weeks old.
"There, there… Young ones, tonight they will be free." Kori and Karen looked at their lovers with sorrow.
"Please Richard, are you there?" Kori asked, they were allowed to step forward to them.
"Kori, I'm not cursed. They're burning her without reasons!" He said, almost yelled.
"Cy?" Bee whispered, she hugged the man around his neck.
"Bee, listen. They are the ones that are wrong. Raven haven't done anything wrong." He pleaded.
"Dear children, please step back." Blood said, the two girls did and walked to the side. He smiled and went over to Raven.
"Any last words Witch?" He asked.
Raven didn't answer at once, she looked Blood in the eyes with a ice cold glare.
"Very well… Sir X, the flames." Blood stepped back.
Red-X walked up with a flaming torch in his hands, for some reason he didn't want to do this. He now knew how it felt how Garfield felt when he was forced to burn witches. He dropped the torch on the hay that surrounded Raven.
They quickly began to claimed the spot and turned blue. The blue flames was the one that could burn into the witch's skin.
The fire climbed onto her, yet she didn't scream. She just looked at Garfield with her loving eyes.
"I LOVE YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
Garfield jumped into action, the cuff fell of his hands and he ran up to the stage. He ran into the fire, not caring that people were trying to stop him. He wouldn't let her die, not today.
The fire had started to burn on the rope and burned off. He was about to pick her up when someone grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. He was dragged out of the fire and brought to his knees.
"The curse is strong." Blood said, he held a sword to Garfield's thorat. "Maybe watching the fire won't do…" He muttered.
Garfield turned back to the fire. Raven was gone, all that was left was a few feathers.
Garfield felt his heart stop, was she dead? Tears formed in his eyes. "N-No…" He began to cry, his voice cracked.
"The witch is now dead, we have rid the world of a being of evil!" Blood yelled into the crowd, people started to cheer and others started to whisper about Garfield's action.
Garfield didn't move, he couldn't move anymore. He sat there, by the fire as is died during the night. All that was left was was a few feathers.
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I feel sad...
