The Witch

by V. A. Lewis

  "Yes you did," I said. "I thought about it, and I still came here. Because I still have something to gain. So don’t tell me to run away when I’m faced with a monster— I don’t do that anymore."

  Braz paused, inspecting my face, then he turned and shouted at Kai and the other pirates with us.

  "Oi. We’ll be killing Bahr for you guys. Just hold them off!"

  Kai nodded in our direction, signaling for us to go. He sent two pirates behind us as I started alongside Braz for the leader of the Elise. He was slowly coming at us from the edge of the pier, now halfway back towards us. I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye— a… ship.

  The Lightbringer’s Vessel.

  More backup. We had to act fast. We couldn’t waste anymore time on this. I brought out a hand, conjuring multiple Magic Missiles at once and sent it flying at the six men charging at us. They saw the attack coming, and simply leapt out of the way. Easily. Almost like Braz did when I had first met him.

  I narrowed my eyes, and cast another spell. This time, they were more panicked as the Frost Javelin came at them. The projectile intercepted one of the men, killing him and pinning him to the floor of the pier.

  They pulled out their own weapons. One man had a bow, and had just nocked an arrow with a glowing arrowhead onto it. He loosed it in my direction, forcing us to leap to the pier adjacent to ours.

  It exploded, as expected. I prepared another spell to fire back, but Braz ran out in front of me. "You’re the only one who can beat Bahr.

  These were skilled fighters too. Probably his bodyguards. They pressed Braz as I ran ahead. There was no time to waste here.

  And there he was. The Half Elf I met when I first arrived in Luke. The Dark Acolyte who started the Elise. The one behind bringing the enuim to Laxis.

  I approached Bahr, dagger already in hand; he narrowed his eyes as he watched me take each step. Finally, when I was a dozen paces away from him, he opened his mouth, his cool voice piercing through even the chaos in the background.

  "Did you really think I wouldn’t have expected an attack? After you’ve oh-so-methodically taken out my supply of enuim within the city?" He shook his head. "All I had to do was set up an ambush. Offer your informants real bait, and prepare for an attack. It is that simple."

  I brought one hand behind my back, keeping my gaze one him. He seemed unbothered by my presence— he even recognized me from back when we met on the beach.

  "I had known you were a spellcaster. A Half Goblin by herself, wandering about at night? It raised all the right flags," he said. Shaking his head, he folded his arms across his chest. "But I did not anticipate you to join a group of motley pirates to oppose me. It’s—"

  I did not bother to correct him; I brought both hands out, spell circles held out on each, and aimed them at Bahr. Two Fireballs shot out. The searing, red sphere flew like a comet through the night sky—

  Then foliage of all kinds sprouted out of the ground in front of him. Tall oak trees grew alongside a lush, green shrubbery to form a thick wall between us. The Fireballs exploded, quickly spreading its flames across the miniature forest, yet never reaching Bahr.

  I narrowed my eyes. Wood magic? And at such an advanced level too. He had to have been fully specialized in this field of spellcasting.

  "It was a good attempt, but I can sense you tugging at the mana around you. I can feel it gathering at the palm of your hands. You’re inexperienced, aren’t you? Or maybe self taught. No one has taught you how to refine your control over magic. To make your spellcasting more subtle."

  The magical trees quickly withered away, and without anything to burn the flames from my Fireball snuffed out. The Half Elf simply stepped over where they once were, addressing me once again as I readied for another spell.

  "Why do you insist on fighting?" he asked. "We could be allies. If you help me build up the Elise— take over the underground of all of Laxis— the Dark Crusaders will deem us too valuable to ignore. They will finally listen to me, and not just dismiss my plans. And I’m sure they can find a place for you too."

  This guy talks too much! The Stone Spears finished forming, and all three launched out at him. They were fast. It was one of my fastest long ranged spells. It covered the distance between us in an instant, yet all Bahr did was put up a hand.

  The wooden planks of the pier rose up into a pillar, one for each Stone Spear, intercepting the projectiles, splintering as it did. As that happened, half a dozen thin spikes made of wood formed next to him. My eyes widened at how fast he cast the spell, before he sent them sailing in my direction.

  "Strong. But too basic."

  I dashed away from the projectiles. Each one was about half as long as my body, but they were clearly sharp. I didn’t want to be skewered by them. It landed on the floor of the pier, puncturing a hole into it— and brambles shot out around the wooden spikes, jutting out dangerously.

  "These Wooden Spikes may seem weak at first, but even this little of them are more powerful than any Fireball."

  If one of those had even come close to touching my feet, I would have died! Or at least, been severely injured. But I couldn’t stop to consider what might have happened as he summoned more of those Wooden Spikes out of thin air.

  I ran laterally around the man, staying a distance away from his wooden spikes before they shot out. I saw the first spike move, and I jumped. From my pier to the next. The Wooden Spikes barely missed me, sinking into the sea floor far away from me instead.

  "Ah, but the control over them is even less than a Stone Spear. They are too wild. Just like nature is supposed to be."

  Can you stop talking? I was already pointing one finger at Bahr when my foot touched the ground once more. I flicked my other hand, sending a Wind Blade in his direction.

  He flipped out of the way of the Burst Cyclone, unaided by any spell; he sailed through the air almost majestically, landing on his own two feet lithely like a cat. He turned around, but I was running at him again. But this time, I had by my side half a dozen glowing orbs. Then a dozen.

  Explosive Orbs, the most I had ever cast at once, surrounded me.

  This was more powerful than even two Fireballs. This was probably equal to six of them all at once. Some of them were pre-cast, and others weren’t. I sent them flying in his direction as he dodged out of the way from the first wave.

  He pointed a finger, dispelling some of the second wave, but failed to do the same for the third. Bahr once again evaded the onslaught, before leaping between the piers to avoid the rest. The last of the Explosive Orbs came at him as he stopped right in front of me. He dispelled them, as I tried to fight back but failed.

  He was strong. I had known he would be strong. But dispelling my magic even when I fully concentrated? That shocked me. And worse...

  The Lightbringer’s Vessel was coming! We were going to lose. Kai and Braz were busy holding off the thugs at our backs. And everyone who went with me was dead. I had to do this.

  I had to beat Bahr, if not this was all for naught.

  "You know," he said, shaking his head. His back was facing the ship. His full focus was on me. "Your mastery of magic is one to be admired. But it’s clearly inexperienced. Scattered. You use consecutive spells that would never complement each other. And you rely too much on brute force."

  Why was he trying to give me advice? I wanted to question him, but I didn’t reply; there was no time for it. I tugged at the mana in the air. I felt an invisible hand appear right next to a stack of wooden boxes.

  I held another spell at the ready as the Half Elf continued his monologue. "I was like that too, once. When I was still in Ghab-Ha.

  "I learned magic because those foolish Humans rejected me. They rejected me for who I was, so I rejected their worldview. They forged a false treaty, pretending that our alliance made us equals. But that was never the case. They saw us as inferior. Their Great Hero wed our Princess, but never cared for our country. And when that foolish woman became Queen, she allo
wed us to lose our power— lose our place in the world.

  "Is it not ridiculous that she teaches us to respect Humans, but doesn’t do anything when they walk all over us with their dirty feet? Even when her daughter— the child of Xander himself— is treated as less than a Lord by the Duke’s and Baron’s of the Holy Xan Empire, she says nothing. I will not allow such disgrace to continue any longer—"

  I knocked over the box, toppling the entire stack down onto the ground. It landed with a crash, and Bahr turned to look at the source of the noise. I brought my other arm up, saying the name of the spell and casting it at haste.

  "Lighting Strike."

  A flash of light illuminated the sky, and a white beam came down from the heavens itself; it struck true and fast, falling down onto the Apostle. He couldn’t dodge. There was no time to dodge. This was a powerful spell that could kill even a Horned Viper. He was—

  Still alive.

  I stared in shock as Bahr simply stood in front of me, completely unharmed. He was surrounded by a sphere of darkened wood, protecting him from the spell. The Lightning Strike barely left a singe on the wood, only the trail of gray smoke indicated the attack even happened.

  "Wooden Shell. It’s a powerful spell. The strongest defensive spell I know— only a Grand Fireball could possibly crack it. Perhaps if you had actually caught me off guard, I wouldn’t have cast it in time— but alas, while that simple Levitation spell manipulated too little mana for me to sense, the same can’t be said for a Lightning Strike. Especially not when quick casting it as you did."

  I took a step back as he slowly approached me; I was not completely out of ideas just yet, but it was clear— he was better than me. He was more experienced in fighting with magic, and he had a wider repertoire of powerful spells than me. Was this the difference between an Apostle and a Disciple?

  Victor was talented, but he still lacked experience. That Goblin Dark Acolyte was more experienced, but lacked the talent Victor had. But Bahr? He had the skill set of both, and even more.

  I warily drew my dagger, realizing that I was going to be pushed to the very brink in this fight; killing him was possible, but highly unlikely. I just had to distract him until the others came to my aid. But… were they even going to come?

  I could only put my faith on them to come here in time. If they were too late, I would be skewered and killed by those deadly Wood Spikes. I couldn’t just put my trust on them, could I? The smart thing to do now was run— escape with my life instead of sacrificing myself like an idiot.

  And suddenly, I found myself battling with indecision as my death edged closer and closer to me; this was not the time. I had to act now. If not, he would kill me!

  Bahr brought a hand up, and I tensed. But he simply smiled.

  "This is my last offer to you, Miss," he said softly. He met my gaze, opening his palms up towards the sky. "Come with me. Join us— the Dark Crusaders. We don’t have to be enemies. It would be a waste to kill someone as gifted as you."

  Biting my tongue, I caught myself from rebuking his offer. This was a chance. Perhaps I could delay him by talking to him. If I could do that, maybe Braz and Kai would arrive, and we would stand a chance together.

  And then, The Lightbringer’s Vessel arrived. It stopped right next to us, finally drawing Bahr’s attention. I had expected him to smile. To grin triumphantly and demand me to give in. But instead, his gaze snapped to it in surprise.

  "What?" The Half Elf stared aghast. He turned back to me, face contorting. "So you were the ones who got them to betray me."

  I paused, cocking my head. "Betray you? What are you talking about?"

  He angrily jabbed a finger in my direction, a spell circle already forming on his other hand as he raised it above his head.

  "You— I wanted to spare you. But I have no choice now to kill you!"

  I backed up, prepared to flee. To escape, calling it a loss. But a voice interrupted me. A laid back, high pitched voice.

  "Kill her? I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that."

  A figure stepped out onto the deck of the ship. It was a young woman with light blue hair and piercing green eyes. She was maybe in her mid to late 20’s. She wore a mix of robes and light travel gear, with mana crystals of all colors and sizes emblazoned on her clothing.

  Bahr’s eyes widened, and a name left his mouth. It wasn’t a name I recognized, but there was a title attached to it. One that I knew. One that I feared.

  "Saintess Lilith."

  She smiled happily in my direction, as I realized that the Church had finally caught up to me.

  "I’ve spent all that time trying to find you, Aria. And I’d prefer if you didn’t die now that we have finally met."

  Chapter 34: Dockside Encounter

  I could feel my blood pulsing through my veins. The thumping of my heart inside my chest was almost audible to my ears. Trepidation and fear had seized me, as I stared up at the woman on the ship, as dark clouds began to form behind her.

  "What’s wrong?" Lilith asked, cocking her head. "I’m here to save your life, Aria. Why do you look so afraid?"

  I raised my dagger up to guard myself, but that defensive movement was betrayed by the shaking of my hands. Cool droplets of sweat rolled down my face as I opened my mouth slowly. But no words came out.

  She continued.

  "Well, by saving your life— I mean it in more ways than one. See, I was hoping to not only prevent you from dying here, but I would love it if you came back with me to the Holy Xan Empire. Perhaps there, with enough repentance and enough praying, the Goddess would accept your soul after they execute you for you and your mother’s crimes."

  I tensed as a savage smile spread across the Saintess’ face; she had not moved just yet, but I was certain if I tried to make a break for it that she’d instantly bound after me. So I just stood there, voice caught in my throat, unable to say or do anything.

  "What brings you here, Saintess?" Bahr asked, seemingly as wary as I was. "Why would the Church send you after a single spellcaster?"

  "Oh?" She looked over at him and scoffed. "Perhaps not for an Apostle like you. You’re not even a Herald. The Church doesn’t have time for petty heretics playing small games in some backwater country."

  "And she does?" He turned to me, narrowing his eyes.

  "Yes," she said, her eyes glinting as they flickered in my direction. "Do you want me to tell him? Or do you want to tell him yourself?"

  I did not respond.

  "Well, if you must know, that girl right there is the daughter of the Fiend. The great Valeria Aimy Corinna! One of the founders of the Shadow’s Evangelium."

  Bahr frowned, thurning to me. "She is?"

  "Of course." Lilith nodded eagerly, pointing down at me. "Take off your mask. Show him who you are, Aria. Let me see your face."

  I took a step back, fearing an attack. But none came. Instead, the Dark Acolyte called over to me.

  "Aria, was it?" He didn’t wait for me to respond as he continued. "Saintess Lilith is known as one of the most ruthless people in all of the Holy Xan Empire."

  "Aw, thanks for the compliment. I had no idea my reputation was that well known even amongst the Dark Crusaders. I had thought the Church would be better at keeping word of it from spreading."

  He ignored her interjection. "We’ll have to work together if we want to survive."

  I hesitated, considering his offer. Why was he offering to help me? I was confused for a moment; I had betrayed the Dark Crusaders before, why didn’t he just leave me to die and run? It was at that moment, it clicked.

  He doesn’t know.

  Somehow, for whatever reason, he knew nothing about what I had done back in the Free Lands. Those Dark Crusaders the other day knew, but he didn’t. That was why he was uncertain about my name— the wrong name Lilith was calling me by.

  Perhaps it was because he was cut off from the Dark Crusaders. He was one of them, however apparently he was not well connected with them, unable to even get too ma
ny allies to help him with the Elise. It made sense; the Dark Crusaders were mostly decentralized, so there had to be varying degrees of disconnect the different members or cells in the group had with the Infernalis.

  I could use it to my advantage; he could serve as a distraction. He was evil after all. I had come here with the intention of killing him. And yet… why was he so insistent on helping me? Lilith had the same thought.

  "Work with her?" The Saintess wagged her fingers sternly. "Come now. I was hoping to give a pest like you a quick death. But offering to help someone who is as much of a threat to the Church as her mother once was— a monster responsible for far too many deaths to count— might just make me hurt you a little before I kill you."

  Bahr’s face contorted into that of anger and fury. The Half Elf brought an arm up and pointed beyond the horizon— towards something in the distance. "Monster? The Fiend was no monster. If you want to talk about monsters, let’s talk about you, the oh-so-virtuous and just follower of the Goddess, who perpetuates the survival and will of an Empire that thrives off the oppression of so many peoples? That has brought an entire species to the brink of extinction?"

  Lilith just shrugged. "I don’t actually care." Then she leapt off the ship.

  I reacted immediately; I sent two Fireballs flying at the woman midair. She effortlessly blocked the spells with her spear, the magical fire being splashed aside like it was nothing. I backed up as she landed between myself and Bahr.

  The Dark Acolyte pointed and a flurry of Wooden Spikes flew at her. With a grin, Lilith twirled her spear and tore the projectiles apart. The ones that landed at her feet burst into the dangerous barbed protrusions of brambles, but they harmless scraped at an invisible aura around her.

  "Come on," she said, voice still carefree. "Do you really think those weak spells can harm me?"

  As the words left her mouth, the sky crackled and a beam of light crashed down at her. I did not stop with the Lightning Strike, immediately following up with a Burst Cyclone; the air exploded into dozens of blades of wind shooting out in all directions