Lightly thumping her head against the back of her chair the alpha witch contemplated what to do, her trail of thought veering off course again as she heard the baby giggling.
“Although,” she pondered, peeking with a glance at the basket as she thought about a very different alternative. “I haven’t had a child of my own in over 20 years. I’ve been too busy with other matters, and… I wouldn’t mind raising another. Even if he is human… perhaps… I mean I could protect him from the others witches… although it would cause quite a commotion for everyone to hear of me doing such a thing. What am I thinking? I can’t seriously expect to become this boy’s mother, that’s preposterous. I’m a witch, an alpha at that; I can’t raise a human boy. There’s no way that could work. That’s just… crazy. Right?”
“Ms. Charlotte,” Apoch and Astreal called out from the hall with two knocks on the door.
“Come in,” Charlotte answered, turning her focus to the witch sisters who opened the doors, walked in side by side, gave polite curtsies in unison, and approached the alpha’s desk with symmetrical steps.
“Well?” Charlotte sharply asked. “I trust you have good news? Because I could really use some right now.”
“No, Ms. Charlotte,” the twins replied, both shaking their heads at the same time with worried frowns. “I’m afraid we don’t have good news about-”
“Stop. Doing. That,” Charlotte firmly insisted with an expectant look. “I’ve told you two many times, please… just, one at a time, okay?”
“Yes, Ms. Charlotte,” they agreed, then hopped with squeaks while covering their mouths.
“For crying out loud, what news do you have, Astreal?” Charlotte demanded.
“We’ve investigated the human town of Stillwater and our fellow witches of Terashk,” Astreal said stepping forward. “The humans of Stillwater were raided, likely by monsters. All the women and young girls litter their streets in pieces while the men and boys have completely vanished.”
“That was a mining town,” Charlotte cautiously mused. “Their men weren’t exactly pushovers, and their women were strong guardians for them. Even their young knew how to swing a pickaxe like a temperamental ant girl.”
“It looks as though they weren’t strong enough,” Astreal replied shaking her head. “We did find slain monsters from the raid. Gremlins and trolls were among them, and even a few crystalettes.”
“The northern mountains are full of those sparkly bitches,” Charlotte cursed. “They’ve never attacked us or our property before though, they’ve always kept to their own human hunting grounds.”
“It seems they’ve chosen their side in this conflict,” Astreal reasoned. “Stillwater is a ghost town now, my grace. It’s been picked clean and left in shambles by these troublesome wenches.”
“And, Terashk?” Charlotte asked, already assuming the worst.
“I’m sorry, my grace,” Apoch sadly said. “But, the witches of Terashk were unable to protect our hunting grounds… or themselves from the attack.”
“There were 39 witches living in Terashk,” Charlotte recounted. “They specialized in summoning magic and could have easily conjured an army of stone warriors to fight their enemies. Gremlins, trolls, and even crystalettes; they may have overpowered the humans but those witches wouldn’t have fallen so easily.”
“About that,” Apoch hesitantly replied. “We’re not sure of the numbers that raided those two towns, but we do know of another faction that has sided with them. We found two slain witches who were not from our coven. They were from the Blackwell Coven.”
“Blackwell?” Charlotte exclaimed before showing great anger. “Those fucking snakes are in my land?”
“Yes, and I regret to inform you that… they’ve brought with them their… unique brand of execution for opposing witch covens.”
Charlotte shut her eyes as she used great restraint not to let her anger control her, feeling her blood boiling from hearing not only about the presence of those aiding the destruction of her property and fellow witches, but also knowing what happened to those within her coven who opposed them.
“How many?” she growled, showing a narrowed glare at the sisters who lowered their heads in remorse. “How many of my witches were…”
“Of the 39 sisters we had in Terashk,” Astreal reluctantly said. “Nine were subjected to holush ne kahn.”
Charlotte lowered her head with a quiet snarl, clenching her hands tightly while her crystal gemstones glowed with radiant energy. Using sheer willpower she kept her power in check, remembering there was a human infant in the room with them that wasn’t crying yet from any loud or sudden noises, and was still alive as there were no summoned obsidian blades wildly being cast through the floors and walls as of yet.
“Nine,” she breathed out. To her that was of course nine too many who were executed in such a way. It wasn’t that she was completely against the idea of a death penalty, she had sentenced many others to be put down during her long life for one reason or another. And it wasn’t just the fact that it was witches who were under her protection and rule that met their end that enraged her. Witches being executed wasn’t exactly unheard of, but the very concept that the Blackwell Witches were widely known to enforce upon their so-called traitorous sisters in the witch community, that was taking the death penalty way too far for Charlotte. Hanging, beheading, being burned at the stake, or even drowning while hanging upside down; these were some acceptable practices to Charlotte for those that broke her laws. What wasn’t, however, was tying a witch onto a bench and having a horse ride her to death in a barbaric sexual execution.
“It was a rather… horrific sight,” Astreal mentioned, with Apoch covering her mouth and turning away in fear of vomiting from the memory. “What pained me the most from seeing them… was knowing that such a sentence is never quick or painless.”
“I hate that practice so much,” Charlotte cursed. “Those Blackwell Witches, they’re nothing but a wretched blight to our community. Show me any other coven on the face of Eden and I can safely say they’re nothing like that rotting collective of demonspawns. It’s very upsetting to hear they’re trespassing on my land and treating my witches in such a cruel way.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Charlotte,” Apoch softly said to her. “We know you don’t like hearing about such things. We don’t wish to make you uncomfortable with our report.”
“What I don’t like hearing about is my witches being snuffed out one by one out there,” Charlotte retorted. “Ever since the first ether crow appeared on my nightstand I’ve had dozens more coming to me these past few days. My witches are being pushed away from Koskaysil’s borders, more are being attacked and even killed by these savages invading my land, and many more are going to be growing restless and fearful when news reaches them. The very fact that Blackwell Witches are out there, spilling blood and having horses fuck my witches to death all for their sick pleasure is sure to cause a panic with them!”
After her loud shout and slamming her fist down onto the counter in her anger the baby finally started crying, drawing a tired growl from Charlotte as she slumped back in her chair and held a hand over her face.
“Great. And now the baby’s crying.”
“Allow me, my grace,” Astreal insisted before hurrying over to the child. She tried speaking softly to it in an effort to quiet the noisy toddler, failing horribly as the baby cried louder and louder despite her anxious efforts.
“My grace?” Apoch questioned, stepping over to Charlotte’s side. “I know we have much to discuss about what’s happening out there, but may I ask what’s happening in here? What are you going to do with that baby boy? Our sisters in town are all asking the same question. What do you plan to do with him?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Charlotte sighed. “Part of me is contemplating handing him over to whoever wants him. Another part… well, wonders something else.”
“What is that, my grace?” Apoch asked.
“Never mind that for n
ow,” Charlotte answered, waving the question off. “Tell me, is there any update with our optimistic pacifist, Daniel Sorres? Is he still alive out there?”
“Last we checked he’s still camped in the outskirts of what was once Ruhelia,” Astreal reported, gently rocking the basket now in an attempt to calm the infant. “And he has an entire elven village living there with him as well.”
“Yes, about that,” Charlotte mentioned with a curious look at her crystal ball. “Was that tale you two told me about him really true? Daniel Sorres, that scrawny human male whose faith in others is bigger than his biceps and brain, rescued all those elves from the same monsters who have been attacking my witches?”
“Yes, it’s true,” Apoch agreed with a hopeful smile. “We have the information from a very reliable source. It seems Mr. Daniel has more courage in him than we first believed. Thanks to the aid of Ms. Alyssa and his rather large entourage of female companions, they managed to magically move all the elves of Green Haven to safety from right in front of those wicked barbarians.”
“Not only that,” Astreal chimed in as the baby was slowly quieting down now. “But he also managed to put up one hell of a fight against them. He even killed those despicable gemini twins all by himself. It was simply unreal to hear of.”
“And how exactly did he accomplish that?” Charlotte cautiously asked. “I’m still not understanding this scenario. Last I checked Daemon Warrick was still in possession of the Archlight’s Blade, and correct me if I’m mistaken, but Daniel Sorres is not a virgin anymore so he couldn’t have used the sword at all. Was my dear swordsman involved in this fight as well?”
“No, it was all done by Mr. Daniel,” Apoch answered. “Mr. Daemon and his group were not involved in the battle at all. All we know is Mr. Daniel singlehandedly killed the gemini. All his girls say the same thing, all the elves say the same thing; he was the one who put those monsters down and saved everyone.”
“That’s impossible,” Charlotte argued. “There’s no way he could have achieved such a feat.”
“A few things don’t add up, we agree,” Astreal admitted, slowly ceasing with rocking the basket as the baby was falling asleep now. She breathed out in relief then came to Charlotte’s other side while the alpha was struggling to make sense of what she was hearing.
“First, we’ve heard that the gemini were the leaders of this horde of monsters,” Astreal explained. “Monsters who organize under the banner The Sisterhood. But, if that’s true, we’re not sure how they managed to procure so many followers and launch attacks all around this region’s borders so quickly.”
“Second,” Apoch continued. “If those strange twins really were the gemini, we’re not sure how Mr. Daniel could have killed them all by himself. Unfortunately we couldn’t get any specifics from him or his family. I’m afraid the toll of the battle put them all in a miserable state and only recently have they started to truly recover. We hope to clarify this mystery the next time we speak with them.”
“And third,” Astreal warned. “We have heard from Ms. Triska that two succubi have been seen in this land, succubi with demonic blessings. We’re not sure if a beelzebub is in Koskaysil or not, but it may be possible, and if there is one it could explain the sudden rise in monsters coming here.”
“Things used to be so quiet around here,” Charlotte spoke with an annoyed roll of her eyes. “And now we’ve got all this shit happening around us. It’s bad enough I’m starving for a man’s seed, a man who right now is so very far away from me, but now I’ve got all this additional bullshit to sort out on top of my daily duties. It’s all just so taxing to be handling at once.”
“Perhaps you need a break from all the stress, my grace,” Astreal worried. “It’s one thing to be dealt a full hand of problems to solve, but you have been starving your inner nature for so long now. It’s not good for you. We can fetch a man from our keep for you if you wish. Raping him will help you relax and take your mind off things for a little while.”
“Just say the word and we can fetch you two,” Apoch giggled. “My sister and I would be more than happy to help you ravage them in any way you please. Would that be to your liking, my grace?”
“Or… if you prefer… we could…” Astreal quietly said, glancing away with a blush.
“No thank you,” Charlotte sighed. “You two know I always focus on my work before pleasure. Just a curse of being an alpha I’m afraid. Besides, I find the men we have here to be… lacking in my eyes now thanks to Daemon Warrick stealing my heart. He’s the only one I want quelling the raging fire within me.”
“Yes… my grace,” the twins weakly replied, forcing smiles to hide their growing resentment towards that man.
“For now, I need to focus on my people,” Charlotte reasoned. “Apoch. Astreal. I’m going to issue an emergency summons. I want all of my witches in Koskaysil to report to Rystone right away. If there are any from sociable covens visiting in the region then advise them to seek refuge in Rystone or return to their homes at once for their own safety. Any witches in Koskaysil who don’t hail from a coven are welcome to seek refuge here as well, they are our sisters all the same and we will protect them as such.”
“We’re going to order a coven gathering?” the twins asked in unison.
“Yes, and I want both of you to spread the order at once. It’s not safe out there, not anymore. I don’t know what exactly is drawing these hostile monsters here but we need to prepare for what’s to come. All witches are hereby ordered to report to Rystone. If our entire coven is gathered here it will indeed take a beelzebub and its army to pose a threat to us.”
“We will issue the command to all witches at once, my grace,” the sisters replied with formal bows.
“As I’ve been told the centaurs of Ruhelia and the elves of Green Haven have all been stomped over by this horde of monsters,” Charlotte recounted. “I’ll be damned if I let my people suffer the same fate.”
“We will guide our sisters to Rystone as fast as possible,” Astreal promised. “Any distances spanning this land between our fellow witches and Rystone are no match for our dimensional magic.”
“Yes,” Apoch proudly agreed. “If Mr. Daniel can shepherd an entire elven village out from the clutches of The Sisterhood, then we can surely round up all our sisters and deliver them safely to Rystone in record time.”
“On that note,” Charlotte mentioned, holding up her wand with a raised eyebrow. “Your priority is escorting my witches to Rystone for their protection. Focus on that right now. I’ll keep an eye on Daniel Sorres myself for the time being.”
“My grace?” the twins wondered, seeing Charlotte thinking very carefully about something before she glanced over to the baby that was sleeping nearby.
“Don’t let it concern you, girls. I’m just keeping an eye on my… investments.”
*****
The crackling of the fire was easily heard as a prolonged hush befell the crowd of elves gathered together in their camp. Daniel saw all the elven women and children showing nearly the exact same reaction towards his unique proposal, all of which being strong withheld reservations for it while clearly biting their tongues from speaking negatively about their hero’s ideas. Daniel’s mates and new maids could easily see and feel the uneasy aura surrounding them, with only Snapper being blissfully unaware of such things as she chewed on a bone with eager chomps.
“Nobody’s saying anything,” Luna whispered.
“Oh their faces are saying plenty,” Falla worried.
“I don’t believe we’ve won them over with this,” Specca frowned.
“Why does everyone look like they’re upset now?” Cindy softly asked.
“Because they think Daniel’s ideas are fucking stupid,” Felucia scoffed. “Can’t say I blame them.”
Daniel kept his composure as he once again was faced with ridicule for his ideas, even if the ridicule was silent as the elves didn’t wish to speak out against their hero’s wishes.
“It’s o
kay to think that idea is crazy,” he admitted with a shrug, earning puzzled looks from everyone. “Really, that’s a normal reaction to hearing something as outlandish as all of our races living together in harmony. Believe me, I’ve heard it all my life and from many more races other than yours. It’s insane, suicidal, and just plain ridiculous to the ears of nearly all in this world. That’s what you’re thinking, I know, I can see it clear as day.”
“We don’t mean to be disrespectful,” an elf quickly insisted. “Really, it’s just… it’s just-”
“It’s fine,” Daniel assured, holding out a hand to stop her. “I promise, I don’t think any less of you because of your reaction. And I certainly would never expect nor desire to force you or your people into something they didn’t want to participate in. We’re not like those in The Sisterhood. I’m not here to force your hand into anything. I just wanted to speak to you all and have a civilized discussion about this.”
The elves only showed remorseful faces at him as the mood of their grand gathering had greatly declined into a troubled one. Daniel nodded slowly as he saw the elves not choosing to berate him or call him any colorful names in the face of his radical ideas, but rather seemed to regret that they couldn’t see such a future for their people as he could.
‘They’re not turning volatile like Clover used to be when we first met her. They’re using their utmost controlled behavior in my presence, every one of them is biting their tongues so hard simply because of who I am to them now. I bet had we met under more peaceful circumstances in Green Haven there would be much more violent protests instead of these silent grimaces.’
“Please, everyone,” Falla said standing up. “I know it sounds crazy at first, but he’s telling the truth. You have to listen to him. We can’t keep going on as we have, we can’t keep lying to ourselves and thinking how things are now is how they should be. For crying out loud, we’re all alone and defenseless as it things stand. Our races are all alone out there and hated by nearly everyone in this world, don’t you understand?”
Chronicles of Eden - Season II - Act II Page 11