The Pain of Conversing With Witches

And here we are at the second tea party! Now before we get too far I'd like to announce that the latest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman will probably be a little late due to an increase in my work schedule. This also means the next chapter of this story might get delayed by a day or two as well. But for now, hopefully you'll all enjoy this chapter and as usual I'd like to give a shout out to Noble Eight and the rest of my fellow readers who've contributed to making this story better. Now then, onto the chapter!

The Witch's Graveyard: Witch's Tea Party

It truly is amazing how one's friends and enemies can change drastically depending on the circumstances. As a knight and soldier, Ulric had been taught to choose his friends and enemies carefully and then pray that his decisions would prove beneficial in the end. But there were times, such as now, were necessity and the lack of other alternatives would mean cooperating with one you didn't fully trust. Currently, that someone was the Witch of Greed, Echidna, who'd been patiently listening to the Crusader's tale about his time in her world up to this point.

While Ulric very much would've preferred someone less demonic, Echidna was the only one so far who'd proven that she was able to hear his secret without the possibility of the knight dying. And having recently suffered one of his most painful deaths yet through devouring by a horde of ravenous white hares, he needed to get a few things off his chest. Did that mean he could trust her by any means, probably not. But he knew when he was backed into a corner with few options.

"Truly terrible," said Echidna as she set her now empty tea cup down on its saucer, "despite having watched your struggles, hearing about them from you has stoked a surprising amount of rage in me at the one who's put you through all this hardship."

"I imagine the one responsible is indeed the Witch of Envy?" Inquired Ulric.

"It is as you say," replied Echidna, her familiar mischievous smile replaced with a frown at what she'd heard over the last couple of hours, "the power you have is from 'her'."

"The question that hasn't been answered is why?" Said Ulric as he crossed his arms, "why did she take me from my world and why did she curse me to keep coming back from the dead at certain points in time?"

"No one has been capable of comprehending how her mind works," said Echidna, "even I am unable to understand it. Though I wouldn't want to understand it even if I could."

"A surprising thing to hear from the witch who claims to want to know everything there is to know in this world," quipped Ulric, "but since we're on the subject of my curse I may as well ask: do you think there's a limit to how many times I can come back from death?"

"Ah yes, the truly obvious question," said Echidna, "I shall say in advance that this is merely conjecture on my part, but I would have to say, there is not."

"And what are your reasons for believing that is the case?" Asked Ulric.

"The power that lets you return from death is the witch's delusion," explained Echidna, "and so long as that delusion persists, so too shall your ability to return."

"Which leads us back to the question of why she gave me such a power," said Ulric, "other than not dying."

"I believe that is likely one of the sole reasons," said Echidna, "it allows you to redo destiny but won't allow you to make mistakes."

"But I've made plenty of mistakes," said Ulric, "right now, Rem has lost most of her memories and the world has lost its memory of her. And even when I tried, I couldn't return to a point before she was afflicted with her current condition."

"Because the Witch of Envy's concern is only for your destiny," replied Echidna, "no one else is factored into that equation. Her sole hope is to prevent you from being trapped by the end that is true death. The decision to use your abilities and this power to save someone else is and has been yours alone. Thus, you will face countless challenges to overcome destiny. Should you do so at the expense sacrificing others-."

"I won't be able to get back those who were sacrificed," finished Ulric, "so even with this power there is only so much that can be done."

"And I imagine you were already more or less aware of this," said Echidna.

"Indeed," said Ulric as he thought for a moment. Not that there was much to think about. As a knight, he'd taken an oath to protect Emilia and as a man he wanted nothing more than to see his beloved Rem happy. They in turn had others they wished to protect and see happy which meant it was also his priority as well. Topping it all off, he doubted he'd be able to live with himself if he let down those who'd put their trust in him.

In the end, the decision had already been made. "If that is how it is, then there's little choice but to keep fighting," said Ulric, "In which case I will make full use of this curse and turn it into a blessing for who I can. God in his willingness will light my way." Echidna blinked at this in mild surprise before speaking.

"You seem to be taking this all rather well," she said.

"Well your input helped take a bit off of my mind," said Ulric, "now that I'm aware that this ability has no apparent limit, I can continue with a bit less hesitation in the future. That's not to say that I'll try rushing headlong into death nor do I wish for my situation to remain like this forever. But for now, it shall prove useful."

"If that's the case, don't you have something you wish to say to me now that you've been able to share your secret," said Echidna with a playful smile. Ulric sighed at the question.

"I suppose if this is what you want for your compensation," said Ulric, "I am grateful for your help thus far, Echidna. And since you've proven to be the only knowledgeable person I can depend on at the moment, I have a few more questions."

"Your thanks is merely music to my ears," said Echidna, "but let's not talk compensation right now. If you have more questions, I'll gladly answer them."

"I suppose the main one is about those rabbit mabeasts that ate me and Elsa alive," said Ulric, cringing a bit at the memory, "I don't know how they got into the Sanctuary, but when I think about it, I was actually sending Rem and the others to their deaths."

"Oh, you must be referring to the Great Rabbit?" Said Echidna.

"'Great Rabbit'," repeated Ulric, "but there were-."

"Many, yes," said Echidna as she sipped her tea, "the rabbit is great in number as opposed to size. It is one of the three great mabeasts."

"There are three monstrosities like that rabbit?" Questioned Ulric, not really liking such a fact.

"The White Whale, The Black Serpent and the Great Rabbit," affirmed Echidna, "Daphne, the Witch of Gluttony, created them 400 years ago. Those three legacies of misfortune still bring disaster upon the world even to this day."

"So, I have her to thank for that gigantic flying horror," said Ulric, "and it took a small army and a tree larger than the tallest castle tower to bring it down."

"I'm afraid there's a little more to this unpleasant story," said Echidna, "You see in terms of pure fighting strength, the White Whale is of course much stronger. But the Great Rabbit has its own abilities which make it infinitely more difficult to destroy. You see, to the Great Rabbit, all other living things are naught but food. And its single desire to sate its bottomless hunger leaves nothing but empty fields in its wake."

"And their presence meant the Sanctuary was next," said Ulric as he hung his head low, "or everyone there had already been wiped out."

"It is the Great Rabbit's viability that makes it so difficult to eradicate," said Echidna, "a single one can multiply infinitely."

"It wouldn't be so different from ordinary rabbits if not for its ability to eat everything," commented the knight, "but how does one go about destroying something like that?"

"You'd have to kill every last one at the same time," replied Echidna, "but such a task is like trying to evaporate every drop of rain from the sky."

"Well the inhabitants and Lady Emilia can't run with the barrier still in the way," said Ulric as he put a hand to his chin in thought, "so we need to break the barrier first and have everyone deal with the assassins before confronting the Great Rabbit. The good news is that Elsa appears to have instructions to attack after a certain number of days or upon my return. If I'm remembering correctly, the longest time I was gone from the mansion was five days, meaning I have at most four before they make their move." Echidna remained silent during all of this, a knowing smile on her face telling the knight that she was likely hiding something. "Since I'm here, is it possible you know of a way to destroy the Great Rabbit?"

"I might," replied the Witch of Greed after a moment of thought, "the reason I hesitate to suggest it is the risk involved. What would you do if I said I could grant you the opportunity to speak with Daphne, the Witch of Gluttony, personally?"

"I would ask if such a thing is even possible," said Ulric, "I am, after all, speaking to a dead witch at this very moment. But only because your soul is trapped in this graveyard."

"The souls of all the dead witches reside in this castle of dreams with me," said Echidna, "so should I call for Daphne-."

"Then she herself shall appear," said Ulric, "what is required to call her here given that she hasn't appeared already?"

"I need to let her temporarily inhabit my presence," explained Echidna, "in simple terms, her and I would be trading places. But the reason I would not recommend it is because while there is no death in this dimension, should your mind sustain an injury and break, it shall remain shattered even after returning to your body."

"As in I could just be akin to a mad dog," said Ulric, "would I even be able to end my own life and reset things in such a state?"

"Indeed," said Echidna, "knowing that, do you wish to decline?" Ulric though for a few moments on the dilemma. It was a risk, but so was going up against the Great Rabbit itself without any sort of plan. If he did wind up mindless, he and everyone else would be consumed by the mabeast. With that thought in his head, he gave his answer.

"The Witch of Gluttony is the only one who might currently know of a way to defeat the Great Rabbit," said Ulric, "the only remaining options would lead to death at the moment. So, I still wish to speak with her."

"Your resolve is firm then," said Echidna, "so before we proceed, let me give you a few warnings. No matter what, do not release Daphne's restraints. It is also forbidden to touch her and, if possible, avoid eye contact."

"Am I meeting a witch or Medusa?" Ulric couldn't help but question, forgetting that Echidna probably wouldn't even know who that was.

"You'll understand when you see her," said Echidna with a smile as her form suddenly started glowing yellow and dispersing, "I wish you the best." The yellow particles then swiftly fused back together into a new shape as a much shorter figure now sat before the knight.

"Ah, we meet at last," said the new arrival, a tan child with short green hair, red eyes, and a white-sleeveless dress with blue flower decorations along the fringes.

"Are you, the Witch of Gluttony?" Questioned Ulric, mildly surprised that one of the witches was younger than he was, at least appearance-wise.

"Didn't Chidna tell you about us," asked the little witch, "I am Typhon, the Witch of Pride! And you're, let's see….Ric! It's Ric isn't it?!"

"My name is actually Ulric," said the Knight before reflexively reaching for his sword as Typhon leapt in front of him.

"Hey Ric, are you a bad guy?" She asked with the expected curiosity of a child, ignoring the fact that he'd just given his name. "I've been wondering about that the entire time!"

"Bad guy?" Questioned Ulric as he crossed his arms, "I am a knight and a follower of Christ the Lord. I've sworn to uphold the values of duty and chivalry to the best of my abilities. It is those who ignore such values that are bad in my eyes."

"Well that's what you say," said Typhon as she held out her hand, "but let's see how you really feel about it."

"I'm afraid I must apologize as I cannot. I was advised against touching you," said Ulric as he held his hand up in an apologetic gesture. The witch merely smiled the innocent smile of a child before suddenly seizing his hand with surprising speed and strength.

"If you speak of chivalry then you know sin can only be repaid with pain," she said. Ulric didn't answer as he'd become very tense at the possibility of said pain. But it never came. "Oh, guess you were telling the truth about not being a bad guy if you're not feeling any pain right now. That's great!"

The knight would've responded with 'of course I was telling the truth' if he didn't notice a rather alarming detail. Typhon was currently holding what looked like his severed right arm. And a glance to his right only confirmed that indeed his limb had somehow been ripped off without him even realizing it! "GAH!" Exclaimed Ulric as he shot up, managing to draw his sword with his left arm despite the awkwardness of it, "what have you done, how did you get my arm?!"

"You should be more surprised about the fact that it's not bleeding or even painful," said Typhon innocently, "and try not to make a lot of noise or Chidna's gonna get mad at you."

"Then give me my arm back," said Ulric, "I lost it once recently and feel no desire to lose it a second time!"

"Sin will become the wedge that allows no escape," said Tyhpon as part of Ulric's leg suddenly fell apart! He collapsed to the ground as his other leg crumbled, as well as parts of his torso and face. The only thing keeping him upright at the moment was his left arm hanging onto his sword which had managed to dig itself into the ground. "And it seems even though you're not a bad guy, you still believe yourself a sinner."

"We are all sinners before the Lord," said Ulric, "it was Jesus himself who said 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.' And not a single person could, then or now."

"It's clear you have a good heart then, it's a shame," said the Witch, "but Typhon has learned what she came here to learn. Now who's that leave-?" Ulric wasn't able to ask her any further questions as the child witch glowed yellow and dispersed into particles that suddenly shot upward. It was from there that a new voice rang out.

"First! To strike all that defies reason in this world!," said a loud female voice that belonged to a woman this time, "Second! Who cares about committing every heinous evildoing! Third! Whether it's ugly or beautiful, if you're here in this fleeting world, don't expect to make it back unscathed!"

The woman shot towards the knight like a stone from a catapult, and for obvious reasons he was more than a little immobile, leaving only one option at the moment. "Oh God have mercy!" Exclaimed Ulric as the witch's fist collided with the ground right in front of him, creating a several feet wide crater and kicking up a fair amount of dust.

"My fist will restore the world!" Declared the witch, who Ulric could now see was blond, "my anger will cleanse the world! My rage and the fury of my fists shall be my answer!" In a flurry of blows faster than one could count, she assaulted the knight's form with red glowing fists, and floating hearts? It was by far the strangest assault the Knight had ever endured and by the end of it, he was whole again as the blond witch's fist rested on his cheek.

Ulric backed away slightly as he felt around his body, noting that he was indeed back together and had all of his limbs. "I'm not sure if I should thank you for what you just did," said Ulric, "so instead I'll just do the gentlemanly thing and ask what troubles you so that you're shedding tears?"

"I'm not crying, I'm just plain angry!" replied the Witch, who Ulric could now clearly see had her long blond hair in a ponytail with a stray tuft covering the right side of her face. Her outfit had white sleeves, a type of long white jacket with pointed coat tails and no sleeves, white boots that reached her thighs, and a purple dress with a short skirt underneath that had a window leaving some of her cleavage exposed. "That's right, I'm angry! You got hurt like that because of Typhon! I hate this world for making stupid Typhon do that! I hate all of it!"

The angry witch began stomping her foot while saying all of this with enough force to shake the ground as Ulric worked to keep his balance at the admittedly impressive amount of strength she was displaying. "I, uh, take it you're not the witch of Gluttony either," said Ulric, "so who are you?"

"I'm Minerva, the Witch of Wrath," she declared after wiping her eyes and pointing a finger at Ulric, "my name isn't worth giving!"

"Shouldn't you have said that before giving your name, Minerva," Ulric pointed out. This clearly embarrassed the witch as she stammered for a moment before regaining her composure.

"Just listen up," she said, "if you learned your lesson then I'm certain you'll remember not to do anything careless! If you do forget, next time I'll heal everyone!"

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Said the confused Knight as Minerva's body glowed yellow and changed, signaling the arrival of the next witch. 'Am I going to have to go through them all before meeting Daphne?' His question was answered as the light disappeared to reveal the most ridiculous iron maiden he'd ever seen with three sets of purple lines circling it and what appeared to be a painted on face and drooling mouth at the top. But as the doors to the iron maiden opened up, Ulric found that the person inside was even stranger.

It was a girl with gray hair that was tied at both ends, wearing a black and purple blindfold over her eyes. She wore a skintight suit that was black with purple trim along the limbs and white around her stomach and chest. Her legs were bound by chains and her slender arms were contained in strange, bulbous apparatus's that resembled steel balls with the same mouth designs on them as the outside of the iron maiden. "What is it you'd like to ask of Daphne, Ulrun?" The Crusader didn't miss the slight bit of drool coming from the left corner of her mouth as she spoke in a relatively low, calm voice.

"Uh, right," said the Crusader as he recomposed himself, "at last, the witch I was looking for."

"I came here because Chid Chid asked me to be here," said Daphne, "but I don't want to be awake any longer than I have to be, so please don't drag this out with dull conversa…," she sniffed the air for a moment, "oh, this might prove toxic for me." The Iron maiden suddenly retreated a number of feet back, propelled by six black and purple insectoid legs.

"Uh, I have but a couple of questions I want to as….are you okay?" Ulric couldn't help but question as he noticed a slight trembling coming from the witch.

"The scent your body gives off," said Daphne as her iron maiden suddenly began rocking from side to side, "I really, absolutely love it!" Her insectoid carriage then suddenly rushed forward until her face was mere inches from his. "It's making me want to eat you!"

"I'd advise against trying that," said Ulric, his dagger drawn and held at her throat out of reflex, "this scent came from the Witch of Envy after all, it would likely make you sick. So, let's make this quick as requested and discuss one of the Great Mabeasts you made."

"Oh," said Daphne as she retreated back to an upright position, "you mean the whale, the bunny and the snake?"

"I do indeed," said Ulric, "specifically, I want to know about the Great Rabbit. Why did you make such a thing and how can it be stopped?"

"The white whale is quite big, isn't it," said Daphne, not seeming to hear the Knight, "if people ate it, a lot of appetites would be sated, don't you think? And the Great Rabbit can multiply itself indefinitely. With them around, no one would ever have to be hungry."

"Except that the so-called 'food' is eating everyone instead," Ulric pointed out, "you botched Jesus's miracle of feeding five thousand by creating ravenous nightmares inste-."

"Don't you think it's a bit selfish," said Daphne as the legs on the iron maiden started tapping the ground in irritation, "to try to eat another without considering the possibility of being eaten yourself?" She moved up close to his face once again, "everyone takes gluttony too lightly, don't you think Ulrun? The appetite is the most important desire that keeps people alive. Even if the heart feels sated, people still die if they don't eat." She bared all her teeth in a hungry smile as she said this.

"While some of that is admittedly right," said Ulric, "you seem to be forgetting that people have dominion over animals and parts of nature. Creatures such as rabbits were never meant to eat pe-."

"You'll understand if you're starved to your limit," said Daphne, "then you'll see the kind of world my bunny and I live in."

"Well I have a desire that will end the torment of your Great Rabbit," said Ulric, "by ridding it from this world. Do you wish to help me finally grant it peace?"

"The Great Rabbit hunts its prey by sensing mana," explained Daphne as she retreated from his face.

"I take it that means you wish to cooperate," said Ulric, "though I'm curious about the fact that you're so willing to help."

"If we must eat to stay alive," said Daphne, "then we must also acknowledge that we have to kill to survive. Now, the Great Rabbit is naturally drawn to places with a lot of mana, so a good lure would be something like a powerful magic user. Once you have them all in one place, wipe them out."

"And how would I keep the entire group together," questioned Ulric, "a single stray rabbit could bring about another ravenous herd all on its own."

"Despite their vast number, they all share a single consciousness," explained Daphne, "they don't have the wisdom to split up or runoff in separate groups to avoid being killed." She yawned then, clearly already tired of the exchange. "Is that all you needed me for?"

"It's enough to make an actual plan at least," said Ulric, "so I appreciate that much. And at the very least you deserve to know that I plan on eradicating the Great Rabbit completely, just as I helped bring down your whale. Those beast's 400 hundred year rampage is more than enough for this world to have endured."

"If you think a mere human such as you is capable of that," said Daphne as her restraints started shaking and a smile crossed her face, "then I implore you to go ahead and try!" Those were her final words as her form glowed and scattered before reforming back into the familiar shape of the witch Ulric had come to know.

"So," said Echidna as she finished her current cup of tea and put it back down on its saucer, "what did you think?"

"Every single one of you witches is insane," said Ulric, rubbing his temples while sitting back down in his chair, "I'm starting to think there's more than one reason the Witch of Envy wanted you all dead."

"I must admit I was disconcerted myself," said Echidna, "I didn't expect Typhon to jump in the moment I tried to give my body to Daphne. As you saw she's quite a child and was so eager to meet you that she jumped right out. And as you heard it was the Witch of Wrath, Minerva, who put you back together. Now then, did you glean any useful information in your talk with Daphne?"

"I certainly learned that you're the most civil out of all the witches I've met so far," said Ulric.

"Now there's no need to butter me up with pretty words," said Echidna as she poured more tea into the tea pot and served some to Ulric along with a few cookies, "don't underestimate me in such a way." She was doing a poor job at hiding her satisfaction at his comment.

"Take those words as you will," said Ulric, "I was merely speaking the truth as I've seen it. And while I appreciate the gesture, I'm afraid I must decline the 'bodily fluid' tea and cookies you're serving."

"I didn't put hair in it if that's what you're implying," said Echidna with a pout.

"Well I don't plan on finding out what you really put in it eith-," a sudden throbbing in his chest caused Ulric to grasp his stomach, "what is?"

"It appears it's nearly time for you to wake up," noted Echidna, "something may have occurred outside."

"L-Lady Emilia," said Ulric, "but that doesn't make sense. How can she awaken if you're not appearing in her trial?"

"I have no need to appear because the result is already in sight," explained Echidna with a sip of her tea.

"But if you're not appearing in her trial, then," Ulric didn't want to finish the thought.

"I have no interest in the result of her challenge," said Echidna, "after three days of trial and error, I can no longer hold out any hope that she'll break out of her shell. Perhaps, you could do it. After all, you made up your mind to continue repeating things and would more than likely be able to give wings to the cow-."

"Mind your tone witch," said Ulric sternly, "I also made up my mind to trust in Lady Emilia and her strength. I'll undergo the trials only if ordered or the situation absolutely demands it."

"Now there's no need to get testy with me," said Echidna as she turned her head in a huff, "and I was even considering telling you how to come here again if necessary."

"Hopefully another visit here won't be necessary," said Ulric as he stood up, "I am grateful to have had an ear to listen to my troubles, but I'm certain there's a reason people don't tend to seek your wisdom more than they have too."

"You aren't wrong," admitted Echidna, "it is rather difficult given the conditions to join a tea party grow stricter with each visit. And you've already visited twice. But, if you cry out from the bottom of your heart 'I want to know', then your voice will reach me. It will need to be louder than it was this time. Of course, if you took the trial-."

"I'd be able to see you that way as well," said Ulric, "now I feel as if you're trying to get me to come bac-gah." The pain in his chest returned and this time it was accompanied by a pain in his head. "I feel like I'm about to lose consciousness, so I'd best give you your payment and go. And don't forget our revised agreement."

"Oh…Oh yes that revised agreement," said Echidna playfully, "yes it wouldn't do for us to forget either of those things. As for your payment." She indicated the good luck handkerchief Rem had tied on his wrist, "I think I'll take that."

"You want a good luck charm?" Said a confused Ulric, "I'm not sure what good this would do you given your deceased status. And I promised-."

"No need to worry," said Echidna, "this world exists in the mind. You'll still have it when you wake up."

"Then I suppose you have a particular reason for taking it," said Ulric.

"The one who gave it to you did so out of heartfelt concern," said Echidna, "It wouldn't do to ridicule that sentiment. By taking this payment, it is recognition of that person's existence, and a bit of meddling as well." She walked forward then and put her hand on the white cloth. She closed her eyes for just a moment, as if waiting for a signal of sorts. "Payment received."

She let go of it then as a fresh spike of pain lanced through Ulric's head. "I suppose this is where we part ways. Since this was not as awful of an experience as I expected, I'll do the gentlemanly thing and thank you for being such an agreeable hostess. So long, Echidna."

"Know this, Sir Ulric," said Echidna, "If you do attend the witch's tea party for a third time, there will be something I'd like to tell you." Everything faded to white then as the knight's consciousness slipped away.

The Witch's Graveyard

Ulric awoke with a start as he coughed a few times to clear his lungs. "I suppose it's a good thing I'm not planning too many visits if it's going to feel this way every single time," said the Knight between coughs as he stood up and checked his wrist to see that the handkerchiefs were still there. "I remember everything this time. Surprising, considering it was a promise made by a witch." Ulric would've pondered on the circumstances further except he noticed something was off. Looking around the chamber, he discovered that Emilia wasn't there.

'I thought she was the one trying to wake me up,' thought Ulric as he proceeded through the doorway and down the stone tunnel at a fast walking pace, 'she may have gone to get help. Even with armor that's enchanted to be light, I'm not exactly a feather weight in comparison to her.' He figured he should come up with something clever to say as he emerged outside, only to freeze at the sight before him. The entire ground was pitch black as a shadow seemed to be engulfing the entrance to the temple like rising water. What was worse, not a single person who'd been waiting outside during the trial was in sight.

"Lady Emilia," shouted Ulric as he backed away from the slowly disappearing stairs, "Ram, Ryuzu, Garf, Otto! Is anyone out there?!" His answer was unexpected as part of the shadow in front of him raised up, twisting and contorting until it took the shape of a female with shadowed clothing and a dark veil covering the top of her head and eyes. Ulric's own eyes widened at the sight as he recognized a very familiar chill coming from the girl before him, the same chill he'd get whenever he came back from death or the shadowed hands that would grab his heart if he tried to tell his secret.

"So, you've finally come at last," said Ulric as he drew his sword, "have you grown tired of watching me die, or have you come up with a new curse to bestow upon me?"

"My knight," she said as her form stepped onto the stone of the temple entrance, "my knight, I love you, my knight, I love you, my knight." She repeated those words over and over and over again, as if it was mantra she couldn't stop chanting.

"I am a knight," he said, "Sir Ulric, a Crusader and sworn protector of Lady Emilia and my love Rem. Both of whom have suffered far too much at the hands of you and that accursed cult of yours!" His body flared with a mass of light as he surged mana through his veins, ignoring the pain that bringing in some much was putting on his gate. "So, Satella, Witch of Envy! let this be the night that I put you out of all our miseries by showing you the way to Hell!" He held his sword to the sky then as light stood ready to battle against darkness.

And now the Witch of Envy herself has appeared! What are her intentions and does Ulric even have a chance of stopping her? Find out next time! Until then, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Ulric learns a few more secrets about the purpose of the Sanctuary. 'Til then.