Chronicles of Eden - Act IV (29 page)

“So much for this being a routine delivery,” she said softly before looking to Luna again with remorseful eyes.

*****

“Alyssa!” Daniel cried out as he and his friends watched Charlotte preparing to finish the Wildfire Witch off once and for all. The group saw the alpha witch standing over their friend while the obsidian blades that were crossed over Alyssa’s neck started to budge and screech, with Alyssa screaming for her life while Apoch and Astreal giggled together with cold smiles at her.

“Off with her head!” the twins cheered with a hop.

“No, Alyssa!” Triska cried out as she and her friends rushed towards the edge of their prison.

“Please don’t kill her!” Specca shouted out desperately.

Squeak merely squeaked loudly while shaking her head, her terrified expression showing that she too feared watching her friend’s demise right before her. Falla watched nervously as Charlotte held her wand up, the alpha glaring down at Alyssa while the bound witch stared up at her with fright.

“Please, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Alyssa shrieked as she stared at the alpha with watery eyes.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes as the obsidian blades over Alyssa’s neck started to budge and move downward, with Alyssa feeling them pushing down on her throat as they prepared to slice her head off.

“Goodbye, Alyssa,” Charlotte stated coldly.

Alyssa screamed and shut her eyes, images of Daniel flashing before her eyes as she gripped the dirt under her.

Everyone then stopped when a horse’s loud neigh suddenly sounded off nearby, with Charlotte glancing over to seeing Lucky running towards them in the street, the horse in his demon form with his wings arched back and his tail aflame. Lucky cried out as he raced up towards Charlotte, the witch merely watching the horse curiously as it got in front of her and kicked up on its hind legs, flailing its front hooves around while letting out a loud snarl.

“Lucky,” Daniel said softly.

“He came back to save Alyssa,” Specca said with wonder.

“That is one loyal horse,” Triska mentioned.

Falla stared at the demonic horse with fright then quickly darted back behind Triska and clung to her shirt, her eyes peeking out at the monstrous horse from over teen’s shoulder.

Charlotte looked up at Lucky with a curious expression while Apoch and Astreal held their staves at the ready, both of them watching the demonic horse with caution as it neighed loudly while kicking around towards the alpha witch.

“My grace, look out!” Apoch called out.

“What is that thing?” Astreal shouted shaking her head.

“Lucky?” Charlotte asked with a curious smile. Everyone looked at her as she giggled and tilted her head while lowering her wand. “Lucky, that is you, isn’t it?”

Lucky got back down on his four legs and neighed at Charlotte while his wings arched back behind him, the alpha witch watching him with an amused smile as the horse scampered around in front of her.

“Ms. Charlotte? You know this horse?” Apoch asked.

Charlotte nodded as she slowly walked over towards Lucky, the horse settling down and looking to her with smoke being blown out of its nose.

“Oh, Lucky, I’ve actually missed you,” she said kindly before brushing the horse’s nose.

Lucky grunted and stood there with his tail swishing behind him, his crimson eyes just watching Charlotte as the witch smiled gently at him. Alyssa glanced to Lucky then to Charlotte while trembling slightly in fear still.

“You know my horse?”

“Of course,” Charlotte said proudly. “Who do you think enchanted Lucky in the first place?”

The group watched her with wonder as she gently brushed the horse with a gentle smile on her face, with Lucky grunting softly as he slowly lowered his wings. Alyssa looked to Lucky then to Charlotte with confusion.

“What? But I thought my mom enchanted him.”

“No no,” Charlotte laughed. “Your mother brought Lucky to me to be enchanted, working with animals is one of my specialties after all. This is my handiwork, one of my better works actually. Only the best for those who are close to me.” With a quiet sigh she then closed her eyes and looked down while petting Lucky still.

“I do miss your mother, so much.”

“My grace?” Apoch and Astreal asked together with concern.

“You knew my mother?” Alyssa asked curiously.

Charlotte nodded and looked up at the sky with a distant gaze.

“She was a dear friend of mine, at the time I was happy to help create a protector for her… and her baby,” she said before slowly looking down to Alyssa with a solemn expression. Daniel’s group looked to each other curiously while Alyssa watched Charlotte with wonder. Charlotte slowly looked down at the ground as she lowered her hands.

“She came to me when you were just one year old, and asked if I could enchant Lucky to help protect you two. No, not you two. Just you, just you,” she said softly before glancing to Alyssa. Apoch and Astreal slowly lowered their staves as Charlotte looked back to Lucky with a deep gaze.

“She wanted you to have a guardian, someone to watch over you and protect you. She didn’t want anything to happen to her only daughter,” she said distantly. Alyssa sniffled and looked to Lucky, feeling her heart aching at the memory of her mother. Charlotte closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.

“I still think about her. Misulenne the Flamewave Witch, my dear friend.”

Alyssa whimpered and closed her eyes, remembering the time she had with her mother before the wolves killed her in their forest.

“Mom,” she said quietly to herself.

Charlotte glanced to her then watched as Lucky moved forward and tried to nudge her away to the side with his nose, the alpha letting out a small sigh as she stepped aside. The horse walked past her and stood near Alyssa as it grunted softly again.

“Even after all this one has done, you still wish to protect her, don’t you?” Charlotte asked softly.

Lucky slowly shifted back into his normal form, his wings retracting while his hair turned back to white. The horse then leaned down and nuzzled his nose against Alyssa’s cheek, the witch smiling worriedly up at him then looking to Charlotte with fear again. The alpha witch watched them with a solemn expression before breathing out slowly.

“I had no idea when I enchanted Lucky, that the baby he would be guarding would turn out as you did, Alyssa.”

“I’m sorry,” Alyssa whimpered. “I just wanted to get rid of the wolves in Ritherwood, they killed my mom.”

Charlotte looked at her with a curious eye as Alyssa had a few tears dropping from her cheeks.

“Those wolves killed my mom,” Alyssa said softly. “They ate her alive right in front of me. I just wanted to get rid of them. I’m sorry, I couldn’t control my magic, I tried but I just couldn’t. I lost my home that day too, I lost my family with the witches of Ritherwood, I lost everything I held dear. I’m so sorry. Please, I never wanted any of this to happen, I just wanted to get rid of those wolves!”

Apoch and Astreal watched as Alyssa started crying with raised eyebrows then looked to Charlotte, the alpha just watching Alyssa with a blank expression on her face.

“My grace?” the sisters asked together.

Charlotte drummed her fingers at her hip while watching Alyssa, her face showing a slight scowl for a moment before she sighed and looked away.

“Your mother probably wants to see you again in the underworld, killing you would be a blessing for her,” she remarked bitterly, with Alyssa whimpering and shaking a bit with fear. After a pause Charlotte growled quietly then waved her wand to the side, causing the obsidian blades over Alyssa’s neck to lift up then retract back down into the ground. Alyssa held a hand to her neck as she quickly sat up, looking over to Charlotte nervously as the alpha glanced back to her with discontent.

“You killed 46 witches on that day,” Charlotte scolded. “Scorched our forest bare and dry, and pushed us all into Rystone from our homes. I should string you up in the village and let the witches beat you to death with stones and staves, your corpse would become our welcoming decoration for all travelers of Eden. A reminder of what happens to those that burn their own kind!”

Alyssa cowered in fear then quickly bowed on her hands and knees to her with a whine.

“Please, forgive me, my grace. I beg of you.”

“I will never forgive you, Alyssa, no witch will ever forgive you,” Charlotte condemned harshly. Alyssa looked up to her with fright before the alpha knelt down in front of her and grabbed the girl’s hair by the back of the head. “You are the worst of any
letchyask
I know. There is no redemption for you, there is no forgiveness for you. You are not our sister anymore.”

Alyssa closed her eyes as her lips quivered, with Daniel and his group watching from their cage with worried eyes. Charlotte glanced to Lucky for a moment then shook Alyssa by the hair a bit, the Wildfire Witch looking to her with a quiet whine as the alpha narrowed her eyes at her.

“Now you listen closely,” she ordered. “I will not repeat myself. You are going to leave this land, and you are
never
going to return.”

Alyssa watched her with fright as the alpha held her wand to the girl’s throat.

“I should make you suffer for all that you’ve done,” Charlotte threatened. “And on any other night I would have too. However, the memory of your dear mother has me feeling rather mournful right now, and has persuaded me to ignore having seen her fallen daughter this time, this
one time
. As one last show of kindness for her, not you, I shall allow you to leave this land unharmed. However, if I ever catch you here again, if you dare show your face in Rystone, I will find you, Alyssa. I will find you, and then you will know what hell truly is, do you understand me?”

Alyssa whimpered and nodded shakily.

“Yes, my grace,” she said softly.

Charlotte scoffed then shoved Alyssa’s head down into the dirt, the witch not offering any resistance or struggling at all as she was forced face first down onto the ground.

“I will not offer a prayer for your death out there, Alyssa,” Charlotte harshly stated. “For doing so would be hurtful to your mother. However, I will not offer any kind wishes for your life either. I don’t want to see you again, I don’t want to hear from you again, you are as good as dead to us, do you understand?”

“Yes, my grace,” Alyssa pleaded from the ground.

Charlotte slowly let go and stood up, with Alyssa looking up to her while wiping the dirt from her mouth. The alpha scowled down at her then looked to Daniel.

“You, human,” she called out as she waved her wand towards them, the cage of obsidian blades then sliding back down into the ground with a metallic screech. The group looked around to seeing they had been freed then to Charlotte as the alpha watched the boy with a piercing stare.

“Get out of my land, all of you, and never return.”

“My grace? We’re just going to let them go?” Apoch asked.

Charlotte just stared at Daniel before snapping her fingers, with Apoch and Astreal then slowly walking over to her sides.

“We don’t have to bother killing them,” she condemned. “They’re as good as dead for chasing such a foolish belief. And frankly I find raping or killing a wandering idiot to be below my standards. They’re not worth our time or effort.”

Daniel opened his mouth to speak before Charlotte waved her wand at them, forcing him and all his friends down onto their knees with a powerful magical force.

“You are not to say another word in my presence,
boy
,” Charlotte ordered. “I’m not in the mood to be any more charitable than I am now!”

Daniel looked at her with concern then lowered his head with closed eyes, nodding a few times as he knew that there was no reasoning with her now. Charlotte looked around at his group with a cold stare then glanced to Alyssa, the Wildfire Witch then looking down and shaking in fear.

“I will say this for you and your cause,” she mentioned. “If you really are adamant with speaking to other monsters about your stupid idea, I would recommend getting rid of this one. No witch in Eden will want to help you with anything so long as you have her with you. Not to mention she’s a curse to those around her.”

Alyssa cringed at those words in fear they may be true and closed her eyes. Daniel looked to Alyssa with concern then to Charlotte as the alpha gave him a cold glare.

“In fact,” she bitterly remarked. “If you were to ram a dagger into her heart for us, we might be so kind as to listen to your senseless words without laughing in your face.”

Daniel opened his mouth to speak then stopped, watching as the alpha narrowed her eyes at him. Slowly he closed his mouth as he knew saying anything now would be a fatal mistake for him and his friends.

“You are a fool,
human
,” Charlotte derided. “Witches and humans can never live together in peace. Monsters and humans can’t live together like you dream, such is just a twisted fantasy for the insane.”

Daniel glanced around at his friends then to Charlotte, wishing to speak against her claim yet knowing that doing so now would mark the end of his journey. The alpha witch shook her head slowly then turned her back to them.

“Don’t ever come here again, or else you will not enjoy my company,” she threatened before walking away, with Apoch and Astreal giving Alyssa one last glare and scoff before following after their alpha. Daniel and his friends then quickly rushed over to Alyssa, with Daniel kneeling down and holding her close while Triska and Squeak held onto them and watched Charlotte carefully. Specca and Falla hid behind the group as they all watched the alpha witch walking away with her two helpers.

“At least this place is burning to the ground, never did care for it anyway,” Charlotte said dryly with a shrug, with Apoch and Astreal giggling as they twirled their staves around at their sides. The crescent ends trailed a sparkly blue and green light behind them as the sisters spun the staves around, the two girls then striking the obsidian stones together over them with a loud clank. A bright flash of light bloomed around them in the street, the light slowly fading to reveal the three witches having vanished while a swirl of dust and dirt dropped down from where they were last seen.