Chronicles of Eden - Act IV (23 page)

“He’s not going anywhere but back to my village,” Charlotte replied. “My helpers and I are going to make good use of him tonight.”

Katie growled then swung her hand towards the alpha witch.

“Don’t you dare ignore me now!” she yelled out, creating a torrent of blue and green flames that flared brightly towards the alpha witch with a deep haze. Everyone watched as Charlotte merely swung her wand back behind her, causing the barreling torrent of flames to suddenly veer away from her along the ground and strike into a building next to the street, blasting it into a firestorm as the succubus growled with anger at seeing her attack deflected. Even Jovian and Jacqueline watched with amused smiles as they leaned up from Tora’s corpse, blood and scraps of flesh hanging from their mouths as they saw the torrent of flames scorch across the street. After the fires finished racing past smoke billowed up in a large cloud from the charred ground, with Katie scowling in anger while Daemon and his girls watched the scene carefully. Slowly the smoke cleared to reveal Charlotte still standing with her wand held back behind her, the witch being perfectly unharmed. Katie grunted with aggravation as Charlotte slowly looked over to her with a smirk on her face and shook her head.

“Please, don’t patronize me,” she mocked. “You think a simple fire spell would be enough to strike me down?”

Katie narrowed her eyes at the alpha as a ring of magical light shined from below her, the circle having unique emblems and characters in red and purple lights as the succubus waved her hand towards Charlotte.

“Very well,” she hissed as her wings arched back behind her. “You shall not burn, instead you shall scream in agony while I peel the flesh from your bones.”

Charlotte smirked then swung her wand down, creating an even larger casting circle to glow brightly around Katie with white and yellow lights. The succubus looked around at the lights quickly as her magical circle shattered apart with a crackle then to Charlotte as the alpha aimed her wand at the Darker One.

“You underestimate the power of an alpha,” Charlotte boasted. “Especially one that has learned many different arts of magic for many different foes. I know all about you Darker Ones, and what it takes to be rid of you. Especially a demon such as yourself.”

The ring of light then flashed upwards in a bright pillar into the air. Katie screamed as her body gave off a burning hiss and smoke from the light it was bathed in, the succubus then taking off into the air as the bloom from the casting circle swirled around before launching up at her in a torrent of glowing emblems and swirling lights.

“What manner of magic is that?” Forrus asked carefully.

“Holy magic, extremely effective against demons,” Daemon said looking to Charlotte, the witch laughing as she swung her wand around. The torrent of white and yellow lights traveled upward as Katie darted out of the light and flew in the air with a vicious snarl, her body having trails of smoke coming off in wisps as she glared down at the alpha witch.

“What the hell is this?” she demanded loudly. “Since when does a witch know of such magic as that?”

“Since this witch knows it would come in handy in repelling a demon such as yourself away from her territory,” Charlotte quipped. “Now get out of my land. You’re not welcome here, not at all.”

She then waved her wand down, creating a monstrous casting circle that took up the entire street intersection, with everyone looking around at seeing multiple smaller circles with emblems and spinning lines within the giant magical base that glowed with a warm light.

“Dear lord,” Specca said softly.

“I’ve never seen a casting base be so… large before,” Kroanette pointed out nervously as she looked around at the large circle of light that was illuminating more of the village around them than the fires nearby were.

“That’s a lot of holy magic,” Rulo mentioned with a raised eyebrow.

Charlotte laughed up at Katie, the succubus staring at the extremely large basis for a holy spell of great proportions with disbelief, then looked to Jovian and Jacqueline as the twins stood up and wiped the blood from their mouths.

“Thank you kindly for the meal, she was delicious,” Jovian complimented.

“You’re welcome, glad to be rid of her,” Charlotte said with a shrug.

“Yes,” Jacqueline added with a cruel smile. “But we’re still hungry, and we’re ready for more.”

“Again, don’t care. Apoch, Astreal, get them out of my sight,” Charlotte ordered as she turned her gaze up towards Katie again while Apoch and Astreal walked over to the alpha’s sides. Everyone watched as Apoch and Astreal twirled their staves around while they stepped in front of the alpha witch, the twins showing focused expressions as they stared down the gemini.

“Playtime is over,” the witch sisters declared together.

“No, no, no. Playtime is just starting,” Jovian and Jacqueline replied together before laughing.

Charlotte shuddered then waved her hand back at the witch sisters impatiently.

“Knock it off and just get them out of here, right now!”

Apoch and Astreal twirled their staves around then clanked the crescent ends together out in front of them, the stones giving off a bright purple light before shifting to green as two swirling circular rifts of golden and crimson haze formed above and below the gemini, the rifts seeming to rotate in parallel to one another while slowly circling around the gemini. The air between the portals crackled and wavered slightly with colorful sparks snapping about while Jovian and Jacqueline looked around at the strange lights with puzzlement.

“What is this?” the gemini asked together.

“Goodbye,” Apoch and Astreal stated in unison before the rifts flashed with a loud bang and flared up around the gemini, the bloom then slowly receding to show that they were gone while the ground was scorched from where they once stood. Even Tora’s body had vanished along with the twins, the ground now being scorched with a few lingering spots of blood from the fallen witch and her staff which now remained without an owner.

“What… what just happened?” Rulo asked.

“What did you do to them?” Forrus anxiously questioned. “Are they finally dead?”

Apoch and Astreal shook their heads while holding their staves upright next to them again.

“No, they are very much alive still,” Apoch answered.

“However they needed to go, so we removed them from this land,” Astreal added before the two walked back over to Charlotte’s sides.

“What do you mean you removed them from this land, where are they?” Forrus demanded with anger.

Up in the sky Katie growled with frustration as she glared at the alpha witch, watching as the large and intricate casting circle of white light slowly spun around and glowed brightly. Charlotte laughed then waved her wand to the side sharply.

“I told you to get, so get!” she called out, the large casting base then flashing while rolling waves of light shot up in a spiraling torrent, with Katie gasping before shielding her face with both arms as the spell blasted up around her with a loud howl. The succubus yelled out in pain as her body burned and smoked from the light, with those on the ground shielding their eyes if they could as the spell lit up the surrounding area like a star. Charlotte laughed then swung her wand down, causing the pillar of swirling lights and emblems to flicker before dropping back down, the casting base on the ground remaining and giving off a soft bloom still. Katie gasped as she struggled to keep her wings flapping, her body being burnt while her hair was singed on the ends. Her wound on her arm was bleeding again while her vision was now blurry, the succubus feeling both weaker and in great pain from the magical onslaught.

“I don’t believe this,” she cursed wearily. “Being forced my hand by a little bitch who knows how to use holy magic, how infuriating.”

She narrowed her eyes at Charlotte then glanced to where Tora had vanished, then to Apoch and Astreal as the twins had the artifact in their possession, then to Triska while the teen was imprisoned by the witch’s magical blades, and then back to Charlotte as she clenched her fists with anger.

“I will make her pay for this, she will
suffer
for this act,” she hissed with anger. Slowly she breathed out then watched Charlotte with a cold glare, her tail whipping behind her while her wings kept her in place in the air.

“I will be seeing you again, mark my words,” she called out before flying off into the night sky.

Charlotte watched her go then looked over to Daemon and his girls, the boy just watching her with his cold blue eyes while Sasha and Rulo were holding their weapons and wounded sides and shoulders with discontent. Forrus growled at Apoch and Astreal while Charlotte merely looked to her wand carelessly. As the succubus flew away the alpha witch waved her wand down, causing the large circle of glowing lights to flicker then slowly fade away.

“So, do you wish to play with me now as well?” she asked before glancing back to Daemon.

“I wish to have what is mine, namely that artifact there,” Daemon replied while glancing to the artifact in Apoch’s hand.

“This belongs to Ms. Charlotte,” Apoch retorted while holding the artifact close to her.

“You shall not be getting your grubby hands on it anytime soon,” Astreal threatened with narrowed eyes.

Charlotte held up a hand to silence them then turned to face Daemon with an amused smile.

“And what makes you think I’ll just give it to you?” she questioned playfully.

Daemon held his sword down at his side as the blade gave off a soft glow, focusing his eyes on the alpha while his group watched the powerful witch carefully.

“Because if you don’t, I’ll take it from you.”

In the world of Eden, often times in a fight the winner would be determined by whoever possessed the most strength, with those who had more power fighting with their bare hands, using weapons of steel and stone, or having greater magical prowess to overwhelm their foes with emerging victorious. However, there were other ways to survive a confrontation with these superior fighters. Running was always a good choice, but not always an option. Using trickery or deceit to slip away could work, although not always and may end up making matters worse. Occasionally the difference between life and death when faced with a deadly opponent wouldn’t depend on strength or deception to come out alive.

Sometimes having enough confidence and willpower was enough to save you.

*****

Charlotte just stared at Daemon with amusement while Apoch and Astreal giggled in unison behind her, with Daemon’s group watching the alpha witch carefully still as they questioned whether this confrontation would turn hostile or not. Daniel and his friends were watching the standoff as well while imprisoned in a circular pen of sharpened obsidian blades from the alpha’s magic, all of them except for Kroanette who appeared to show concern for their dire situation and Alyssa who was lying on the road with two obsidian blades set in a cross formation over her neck. After a moment of remaining silent Charlotte snickered and tilted her head playfully.

“Oh really?” she questioned. “You’ll take it from me, will you? My my, and what makes you think you could even do that? Do you have any idea who you’re talking to right now?”

“From what I’ve overheard you’re Charlotte, the alpha witch of this region,” Daemon replied without a care. “And from what I’ve seen your magical prowess does indeed stand up to the reputation an alpha is known for.”

“That’s correct,” Charlotte said before giving a fanciful wave of her hand. “So please do enlighten me as to why I’ll be giving you this artifact just like that.”

“Because you don’t want it,” Daemon said shaking his head.

Charlotte looked at him curiously then laughed and shook her head as well.

“Oh, I don’t, do I? That’s funny, because I’m almost certain I do. Really now, you don’t know what you’re toying around with here, so I suggest you be quiet and-”

“I don’t take orders from anyone,” Daemon interrupted with narrowed eyes.

Charlotte paused for a moment then showed an annoyed smile at him.

“You’re beginning to irritate me, not wise, not wise at all.”

Daemon slowly moved his sword over to the side, with Charlotte and her helpers watching him carefully before he sheathed his blade back at his hip.

“And you’re beginning to bore me, so let’s cut the crap here,” Daemon replied. “You think you want this artifact, yes? Tell me, why do you want it? What do you believe it will bring you?”

Charlotte glanced back to the relic that Apoch held in her hand then looked to Daemon with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you know what it is?”

“Yes.”

“Really. Really really,” Charlotte mused softly while tilting her head the other way. She smirked then held a hand back, causing the artifact to float over from Apoch into her palm before she glanced to it with a curious smile.

“Then please, do tell me,” she requested kindly.

“So you have no idea yourself after all, no surprise there,” Daemon said flatly.

Charlotte showed a dull expression to that before she scowled slightly at him.

“I’m sorry, I believe I missed something here. Explain to me why it is a mere
human
thinks he can speak to me in such a manner.”

“He’s right, you have no idea what it is,” Sasha spoke up, with Charlotte glancing to her with annoyance.

“And that’s good for you, you don’t want to know,” Rulo said shaking her head.

At this point Daniel and his group were growing even more curious about the relic themselves, so much that they weren’t even brainstorming on a way to get free anymore, except for Falla who only had finding her sister on her mind at the moment as she kept looking around at the surrounding blades that were intertwined around and above them.

“And why is it I don’t want to know?” Charlotte asked.

“Because the truth can cause more nightmares to plague your sleep,” Forrus answered.

Charlotte looked at them with a bored glance then to Daemon with a sharp smile.

“I don’t know what kind of game you’re trying to play here, but I’m growing impatient for my answer,” she mused before her eyes gave off a deep glow. “So let’s try this a different way. Tell me, what is this artifact?”