Some Much-Needed Answers?
"That…was something," Hiro commented dryly, trying to shake off his dread.
The swordsman looked away from the sky and at the group of witches. Hiro cocked an eyebrow when he saw the witches had gathered together, and they were giving him weary looks.
"What?" Hiro joked, trying to lighten the mood, "...Not going ask me to surrounder?"
The group exchanged looks, and then all looked at Raine. The bard noticed the group looking at them and sighed. They looked at the Japanese man and approached him with Eda.
"We witnessed you not only fighting a group of highly trained scouts," Raine said calmly, "but also fighting one of Odalia's top enforcers without a head."
"We may be reckless," Eda added, "But we're not stupid. You have the power to get away at any time, and I don't think we could stop you."
Hiro looked between the two witches and noted that while they were still weary of him, they faced him with courage. He could admire that and smiled slightly at the two.
"Titan!" they heard Darius scream, "How come I never noticed this?"
Hiro looked at the dark-skin witch and frowned. While his attention was on Eda and Raine, Darius must have gone to one of the scouts and studied it. The swordsman saw the disturbed look on the witch's face and walked over to them.
Hiro looked at and casually studied the witch. He realized Darius wasn't just disturbed by learning scouts were abominations but ashamed that he hadn't realized such things sooner.
"...It's not your fault," Hiro said reassuringly.
Darius looked at the human, curious as Hiro kneeled. He cocked an eyebrow as the human grabbed a hand full of the scout's tunic. Eda, Raine, and Eberwolf joined the two and watched Hiro tear the fabric off.
The witches gasped when they saw the abomination matter crawling around the scout's rib cage. They could also see scraps of flesh on the body. The abomination crawled over a piece of skin, consuming it with a sizzling sound.
"WHAT IS THIS!" Darius asked with massive disgust. "Even Belos wasn't this mad."
The group watched Darius thrust his hand out, muscles tightening around his arms. He grunted as he tried to take control of the abomination. Everyone watched as Darius gritted his teeth and started to sweat as he struggled.
Raine frowned as they watched their friend shake from trying to take control of the abomination. They reached out and gingerly grabbed Darius by the wrist. The former Abomination head didn't seem to notice; he was too focused on gaining control of the abomination crawling around the scout's body.
"Darius…" Raine said softly. "Stop. You can't control that."
The dark-skinned witch looked at his friend, glaring with a clenched jaw. He hissed angrily, gently forced his hand free, and walked away. Raine watched as their friend went and looked at their girlfriend, a message in their eyes.
Eda nodded her understanding, and Rain hurried after Darius, concern written all over their face. Eda smiled as she watched her partner, then frowned as she looked back at the scout.
"So what?" the ex-wild witch asked, disgust clear in her voice. "Did that creep turn corpses into this stuff?"
"I don't think so," Hiro replied calmly, drawing his sword.
He moved the weapon over the body. Hiro held his sword over the body for a second, then gingerly pierced a part of the exposed flesh with the sword's tip. He turned it a quarter circle to his right, watching as the abomination matter oozed toward the blade.
Hiro quickly removed his sword before the matter reached it. He held the sword up so Eda could see the purplish-red blood on it. Eda scowled as she stared at the blood, then turned her attention to the swordsman.
"...If I had to guess," Hiro explained, "I think Odalia turned those who oppose her rule into these hybrids. I heard one talking a short while ago."
Eda looked back at the blood on the human's sword and then at the headless scout. Her scowl deepened. She didn't understand any of it, but just from the looks of things, she could tell this was worse than she first thought.
With a growl, the powerless witch looked toward Kikimora, planning to get some answers. Eda groaned when she saw the small demon trying to make a run for it while everyone was busy. Thankfully, her small size meant she couldn't get far very fast.
Hiro rolled his eyes at the escape attempt and shook his sword clean. He sheathed his weapon and, with a burst of super speed, got in front of the demon. Kikimora didn't see Hiro appear in front of her, so she collided with his legs.
The small demon grunted as she hit the ground and then looked up. Kikimora gulped when she noticed the glare the human gave her and tried to back away. She stopped when she bumped into something and looked up, gulping again when she saw the cold smirk the Owl Lady was giving her.
"Like I said," Hiro told Kikimora, "I have questions that need answering. So you're going nowhere."
Kikimora looked at the human and nodded rapidly. Hiro smiled at this and looked at Eda.
"Do you have something to hold this imp?" the swordsman asked. "We should probably move before reinforcements arrive."
Eda smirked at Hiro as she reached into her mane of hair. After a quick search, she pulled out a thick rope and held it for Hiro. The Japanese man smiled gratefully as he took the item. His expression turned cold as he looked down at Kikimora.
The demon nearly screamed when Hiro reached down and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. The swordsman handed Kikimora to Eda, and the ex-wild witch held her by the shoulders as Hiro hog-tied her.
Eda couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face when she saw Kikimora's humiliated expression.
Once Hiro was done, he checked to see if the knock was tight enough and nodded. There was still enough loose rope to allow Hiro to sling the small demon over his shoulder, and he nodded at Eda.
The ex-wild witch returned the gesture, and the two went and found the others. After regrouping, the witches and one human walked for twenty minutes, constantly checking to see if they were being followed.
After Eda made an aerial recon at Hiro's suggestion, the group decided they were safe for the time being and made camp. The swordsman watched as Darius and Raine cast illusion spells to hide them and noticed neither had Coven Sigils anymore.
Hiro made a note of this and then turned his attention to Kikimora.
"Now," he said coldly, "About those questions?"
Kikimora looked at the human with defiance, and Hiro saw this. He sighed tiredly and got close to the imp. The swordsman's eyes flickered with green flames, and he held out his left hand. Green fires jumped from the swordsman's palm, turned black, then orange, and returned to green.
"Just a side note," Hiro said coldly, "I'm over five hundred years old. So I probably forgot more about dealing out torture than you would ever know."
Hiro clenched his fist, and the fire spread over it, turning orange. He reached for Kikimora and got his fist close enough that the flame licked the demon's cheek.
Kikimora stared wide-eyed at the fire, feeling the heat as it made her sweat immediately.
"Alright! Alright!" the demon screamed.
Hiro didn't smile at this. He moved his hand away from the demons and flicked it, the fire going out. He looked over his shoulder and called to the group.
"She's ready to talk!"
Immediately, the group of witches gathered around. Darius summoned some abomination matter and hardened it into seats. Hiro took a seat, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, and his left hand wrapped around his right first.
"Now…do you know how Odalia got the power to take over?" Hiro asked slowly.
"N-No," Kikimora replied nervously. "Only the Royal Family knows that secret! And high-ranks such as myself are forbidden to talk to them."
Hiro scowled as he stared at the demon. He had a feeling it wouldn't be that simple, but he figured he could try. He looked around the group and noticed that Darius had a thoughtful expression on his face. The abomination witch noticed the human looking at him and locked eyes with Hiro.
The Japanese Swordsman saw the question in Darius's eyes and nodded. The dark-skinned witch returned the gesture and turned his attention to the demon.
"Tell me," Darius said coldly, "Did you know about the state of Odalia's scouts?"
Kikimora looked at the witch, and some of her earlier defiance returned. That didn't last long; one glare from Darius, his abomination hair flickering threateningly, and Kikimora nodded rapidly.
"Good," Darius said, smiling coldly. "Now…tell us everything."
Kikimora opened her mouth to begin, only for her eyes to snap open. Everyone jumped to their feet when the tiny demon began gasping for air. Kikimora's body began to shake violently, and her head rolled back, her gasping turning to gurgling.
Hiro suddenly ran forward and grabbed Kikimora's jaw. Everyone was confused as they watched the human force Kikimora's head forward and open her jaw. The swordsman shoved his finger into the demon's mouth, much to everyone's disgust.
"W-What's going on?" Raine asked, close to panicking.
"She's having some kind of attack!" Hiro shouted, "A big one! If we don't keep her head right, she could-WHOA!"
Hiro suddenly jumped back, and everyone gasped as they saw some kind of black sludge emerging from Kikimora's mouth and ears.
The witches and one human watched in shock as the sludge oozed over the small demon, quickly covering her body. Kikimora looked at the group, pleading with her eyes. She reached out, asking for help as the sludge completely covered her.
(SC)
Akari stared up where Odalia had been a few minutes before, a deep scowl on her face. She looked around and saw the others shared her feelings.
The Japanese woman frowned as she zeroed in on Willow. Akari noticed the hatred in the plant witch's eyes and the tightness of her jaw. Akari got close to Willow and heard a faint growl coming from her.
The human girl felt sympathy well up for the young witch. Akari moved to comfort Willow, reaching out to grab her shoulder when the witch turned away.
"...We should move," Willow commanded emotionlessly.
Slightly shocked by this turn of events, Akari watched as Willow walked away. She heard a noise and turned her head, watching as Hunter and Gus followed after Willow. Akari watched the three witches walk off and sighed.
The Japanese woman looked at the sky for a second, sighed, and hurried after the three. The four walked in tense silence for a few while, keeping an eye out for any more surprises. After a ten-minute walk, the group relaxed slightly but kept alert.
Akari made her way to the front where Willow was and looked at the witch athlete. She frowned as she looked at the scar on the witch's forehead.
Now that danger had passed, and she had time to think, Akari realized that the scar wasn't there when she meant Willow. The human girl's face twisted in thought as she tried to figure out the best way to approach this matter, remembering the scar she had seen on the scout.
Willow must have sensed Akari's eyes on her; she looked at the human with her eyes. She sighed when she noticed where Akari's attention was and made a small spell circle. The plant witch lightly pressed it against her forehead.
The scar disappeared in a small puff of blue smoke. Willow glanced at the human before she picked up her pace and moved away from the human's curious eyes.
Akari looked at the witch, planning on following Willow, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked at Hunter and Gus. She saw the stern, somewhat cautious look the blonde-haired boy was giving her. The grimwalker looked over Akari's shoulder, making sure Willow was out of earshot.
"I don't know if I can trust you yet," Hunter whispered harshly, looking at Akari, "But…please don't mention Willow's scar if it's ever out."
Akari frowned and looked at Willow. After a second, she sighed and looked back at Hunter, her eyes heavy with concern.
"...I will," Akari promised. "Especially after what I learned."
That sentence caused Hunter to look at the swordswoman in confusion. Akari's eyes opened as she realized something. She looked over Hunter's shoulder in the direction of the defeated scouts.
"By the Sacred Flames," she whispered breathlessly, looking back at Hunter. "You didn't know."
Hunter's confusion grew as the Japanese stared at him, shocked. Akari shook off her shock and looked behind her. Willow realized she was alone and was looking at the others curiously.
Realizing they were lagging behind, Akari walked over to Willow with Hunter and Gus. The group resumed their journey, and Akari filled the two males on what she and Willow found out.
"Titan…" Hunter muttered, eyes wide in shock. "Are you sure?"
Akari nodded and looked at Gus. She noted that the young illusionist had been surprisingly quiet throughout her explanation. The Japanese woman frowned sadly when she saw the silent tears threatening to fall at any time.
Akari noticed Gus was looking at Willow, sighed, and then looked at Hunter. She leaned in close, and Hunter did the same.
"Listen," she whispered harshly. "I know it is a bit of a touch-and-go matter, but I need to know; when I saved Willow for a group of Scouts, they mentioned something about her magic. And when we saved others from another group, they said something similar."
Hunter blinked; something about the way Akari talked just now struck a cord in his memories. For a second, the grimwalker saw someone familiar replace the Japanese girl. He felt a painful stab in the place where his heart should be, and tears were quickly willing up in the corner of his eyes.
The grimwalker quickly blinked away his tears and shook his head to clear it. Hunter looked away from Akari for a second, taking a few calming breaths. Once he was stable, he looked at her.
"Look," the grimwalker whispered. "We don't know the full detail, but…after Odalia took over, she opened these factories and declared that anyone who disobeyed her laws would be sent to these places."
Hunter paused and looked over at Willow. He smiled slightly when he noticed that Gus had joined his first friend and was keeping Willow company. He looked back at Akari, turning his serious.
"Not even a week after Odalia took over," Hunter continued, anger working into his voice, "Odalia herself approached the Park family. She didn't give any reason; she simply took the entire family."
Akari frowned and looked at Willow. Anger quickly overtook confusion as she saw the plant witch laugh at something Gus said, and the Japanese woman could tell how hollow the laugh was.
She looked back at Hunter and gestured for her to continue.
"Of course, Eda and the rest of the CATTs wouldn't take that sitting down," the grimwalker explained, face twisting with resolve. "We managed to get Willow and her fathers out before something bad happened to them."
Hunter's anger turned to regret, and he sighed as he looked to the ground. When he spoke, his voice was filled with nothing but remorse.
"...But, during our escape, some of Odalia's scouts cornered us, and Harvey Park held them off while we escaped. Willow hadn't had a good night's sleep since then."
Akari growled as she clenched her fists. The more she heard about Odalia, the more anger she felt towards the woman. A part of her wanted to storm the castle where the witch was and tear her head off.
The Japanese woman quickly realized the error in her thinking and took a second to calm down. Akari looked at Willow and frowned; the plant witch had looked in her and Hunter's direction, frowning curiously.
Akari smiled at her new friend, trying to play off the emotions swirling in her head. The gesture, however, was forced and didn't fool the plant witch. Akari noticed this and looked back at Hunter.
"Tell me," she asked curiously, "Is anything else that stood out about Odalia after she took over?"
Hunter frowned as he thought that question over. "Well…There're a few things that stick out," he replied somewhat awkwardly, then looked at Akari. "Why do you want to know?"
"Just…my mentor always says it's good to get as much info as possible," Akari replied simply. "That way, you're not going in completely blind."
Hunter nodded, agreeing with this logic, and thought over everything Odalia had done since taking over. He frowned as he realized that many things that woman had done didn't make sense.
"Well…shortly before taking the Parks, she destroyed the Book Nook," Hunter explained.
"Really?" Akari squeaked, underwhelmed. "Why nuked a bookstore?"
"I don't know," Hunter replied, shrugging. "But things only get weirder after that."
Akari gave Hunter her full attention and gestured for him to continue.
"...She built some of her factories over the grounds where the Bonesborough brawl was held and the Bonesborough library," The grimwalker continued. "Next, Odalia took over the Owl House but didn't destroy it.
Akari frowned as she went over this new information. She could see a pattern forming but quickly stopped that line of thinking. All these places that were hit were just Odalia flexing her power, nothing more.
"Anything else?" Akari asked, trying to shake the unease she was feeling.
"Well," Hunter replied after a second of thinking, "I don't know if this is related, but Odalia had someone target Lilith Clawthorne when one of our bases was raided."
Akari looked away, a sad frown crossing her face. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and turned back to Hunter. She gestured for Hunter to continue if there was anything more to share.
The grimwalker noticed how the human was acting but decided not to address it. Partly because he could tell something was on Akari's mind, but he didn't want to risk reopening some old wounds. Also, the girl's behavior triggered some memories of Hunter's, memories the boy wasn't ready to face yet.
"...The only other thing I could think about that stands out," Hunter said somewhat awkwardly, "Was Odalia tried to destroy the Grom Tree."
Akari suddenly came to a dead stop, her eyes snapping open. Hunter noticed this and looked at the human curiously. Akari began shaking as tears once more threatened to come.
"...The tree," she muttered sadly.
"Are you okay?" Hunter asked in concern.
Akari slowly looked at the grimwalker, eyes distant. She shook her head to clear and offered Hunter a smile, though anyone could see how forced it was.
"...Yeah," she said, wiping her eyes. "I think I'm going to do a quick search of the area. Can't be too careful, you know. Why don't you join the others."
Hunter looked at the human skeptically, but after a moment, he nodded. He saw Willow and Gus waiting on them and gave Akari another look. The human gave Hunter a nod, and he hurried over to Willow and Gus.
Akari's smile faded as she watched the boy rejoin the others and sighed. "Odalia…" she muttered, casting her eyes to the sky. "Do you hate her that much that you're getting rid of everything she loved?"
(G Corner)
So, I goofed. While looking over past chapters, I realized that I had not mentioned Willow's scar until the chapter in which it actually appeared. So, for context, Willow keeps the scar hidden under a spell but isn't that skilled with illusion magic yet.