The Blood Witch (The Blood Reign Chronicles Book 1) (20 page)

Allysix had tried to reach out to them as she had the yeshada, but without success. She had even asked about them in several places, but most people didn’t even know what they were. She had wanted to enlist the Vashi’s services as well, but could not seem to make contact yet. They had primitive savage minds and were easily suggestible, at least to her. The more chaos she could stir up the better for her plan.

One particularly old man had told her that the Vashi had all been killed hundreds of years ago, or at least driven deep into the mountains. She was beginning to think he was right about them being dead, when she eventually was able to make contact. But when she did, the Vashi were surprisingly resistant to her suggestions.

As it turned out, whenever they would band together in larger groups, the humans would hunt them down and kill them. If they remained in small bands, they could easily evade the humans and stay alive. Allysix decided to let them be…..at least for now. No sense in forcing the issue and getting them all killed. They would be of no use to her dead.

It had been almost a week since Allysix was freed from her prison when she first came to Yilavo city. Now she had been three days in the city without much luck. There was not as much support for her as she would have hoped. Sure, there were potential followers, but not the numbers she wanted.

In her discrete inquiring about the town, she had heard the name Maggas, several times from different people. Evidently, Maggas was well practiced in the black arts, and from what she could glean from various source, he was fairly proficient in the use of them. However, the man was not well thought of by the majority of people, most having the opinion that he was a charlatan or criminal. But the truly avid disciples almost worshipped him. Allysix decided that she would make use of this man, Maggas. If she was able to gain his support, the rest of his people would follow. At least it would be a start.

As it turned out, Maggas was a difficult man to locate. It took two days of slinking about in the Carp District of the city to finally find someone who could arrange a meeting with the black mage.

Allysix had nearly been killed several times. Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration. If she had been anyone but herself, she might have been killed wandering about in the dangerous warrens and alleys. She had no fear of any of these thugs, but she was also trying to be discrete. It would be no good if she tore one of them limb for limb with witnesses to see. But being a beautiful young woman attracted the wrong kind of attention in this part of the city. This Brigette, who she now inhabited, was a particularly beautiful young woman. So Allysix took to disguising herself when she would go out to keep from drawing the wrong type of attention in the shadier parts of the city.

Allysix posed as an avid follower of the dark ways who just wanted to serve in any way possible, in order to finally get the meeting with this Maggas. As chance would have it, the black mage was a half-mad fanatic who was severely misinformed, and far too full of himself. He was thoroughly devoted to the Blood Witch, as he saw things. But many of his doctrines and beliefs were distorted and incorrect. However, Allysix had to admit that he was powerful in the black arts, and seemed at least to have a fair number of followers. So that much, at least was promising.

Allysix had made the mistake at her first meeting with Maggas, of correcting him on a few points of doctrine concerning
herself
. He was not the kind of man that took kindly to being told he was wrong, and definitely not by a mere disciple, as he believed her to be. The man became infuriated at her suggestions that he might not be entirely correct.

After Maggas had Allysix thrown out bodily for being insolent and sacrilegious, she almost went back and killed them all right there on the spot. How dare they treat her in this manner, having the gall to actually manhandle her? She
was
the Blood Witch, as her followers had so aptly named her so many years ago. But she needed Maggas now; he would be of no use to her dead. She could kill him later, after she was done with him. At the moment, she needed to find another way to bring Maggas around and make him see the light…or the dark as it were.

It had been more than difficult to establish a second meeting with Maggas after the fiasco of her first meeting. She was actually going to have to apologize for her behavior in order for him to meet with her again. She decided that she would indeed kill him, slowly, just not yet. But she
would
teach him a lesson he would not soon forget.

Allysix was on her way now to meet the sycophants at the appointed place and time, in order to be escorted to Maggas. If she did not hurry, she would be late and they would leave her. It infuriated her to no end that she had to subjugate herself to these…mortals in this manner. Nevertheless, she would do what needed to be done for now.

When she arrived at the meeting place, two men were already impatiently waiting for her. A fat disheveled looking, smelly man, whose shirt looked as if it would burst if not for the wide black belt cutting into his flabby stomach. The other was a scrawny little greasy man with a crooked hat, and knee high boots that looked as if they had never seen polish. His face was pocked, and what teeth he had left were yellow and stained.

They were irritated at being made to wait, and made no effort to hide it. After placing a blindfold over her eyes, they shoved her ahead roughly. She decided these two would be the first ones to die. No one was going to handle her in this disrespectful manner and live for long.

The two men leading Allysix wound their way up and down many streets and alleys. She supposed it was a ploy to try and confuse her as to where they were taking her. Little did they know, she didn’t need their help to find the way. She already knew where they were taking her, but she followed their lead obediently, even though she had long since discovered Maggas’
secrete
hiding place.

Eventually, they stood in front of a plain door at the back of a building that had fallen into disrepair, at least on the outside. She supposed that too was to keep what was on the inside of the building a secret. If the building looked unimportant, then no one would question what was going on inside it.

Once Allysix was shoved through the door and it was securely closed behind her, the men removed the blindfold. The stocky, unshaven man who was in desperate need of a bath, turned, and exited through a door that led further into the building, leaving her to wait with the other man.

The scrawny fellow with a pocked greasy face began to leer at Allysix in a way that disgusted her. After a time, the idiot even tried to grope her! When Allysix nearly wrenched the man’s arm from his socket, he finally stopped his lurid behavior. After that, he remained standing to one side, sulkily massaging his tender arm.

The stocky man returned without saying a word and took up guard at the door. Moments later another man entered through the inner door and beckoned Allysix to follow him. As she passed, Allysix cast a withering glare at the scrawny man that had tried to assault her, which made him cowered away in fear, and he took a step backwards.

It was about time, who did these people think they were, making her wait like a common wench? Allysix’s patience was all but gone, and she had endured about as much of this charade as she could take. She followed the man through several narrow hallways and doors until finally they entered a large room where the escort presented her to Maggas.

Allysix supposed that this room was approximately in the center of the building. The room was large and circular, with walls made from rough stone bricks. The floor was made from large grey stone tiles that had been worn somewhat smooth over time. The ceiling was dome shaped, and rose to a height several times the height of a man. The chamber was unadorned, and there were no wall hangings or carpet, just bare stone and tile. The only distinguishable feature was the dais at the far end of the room, where Maggas sat self-importantly. This was not the room Allysix had met Maggas in the first time. This had a more ominous, official look to it, but it would serve well for what she had planned.

Maggas was a pompous man sitting atop the makeshift dais across the room from where Allysix had entered. His hair was pitch-black and he had fierce dark, deep-set eyes. His features were angular and harsh, with deep ridged frown lines. He was a rather large man, but lean and hard-looking. There was a rather impressive commanding aura about the man that pleased Allysix.

As Allysix peered at Maggas, she wondered why the dais was not placed in the center of the large room. That would make more sense than off to one side, since everything was circular. In any case, there was no one else in the room, and the man who had presented her was showing himself out and closing the door behind him.

Evidently, Maggas wasn’t quite as egotistical as Allysix had thought. Apparently, she was to make her apology to him in private, which was a surprise. She had expected that Maggas would want the atonement to be a public one, in front of as many witnesses as possible, to feed his ego.

Or quite possibly, he had other more sinister plans for her than just an apology. But this was working out much better than Allysix hoped. She would be able to accelerate her plan beyond what she had originally anticipated.

Whatever it was that Maggas had planned, mattered not at all since it was about to be thwarted. The privacy provided by this private meeting was exactly what Allysix needed, and more than she had hoped for. She purposely strode across the intervening distance of the bare stone floor slowly, towards the dais.

“You will not look upon me directly,” Maggas barked roughly. “You have come here in supplication, and
will
show the proper respect. Get down on the floor and kneel before me, and do not look upon me again without permission.”

Was this man serious? Did he actually believe she would approach him with downcast eyes, kneeling and kissing his feet?
Well, Allysix supposed he did think that, since he didn’t really know who she was….yet. But Maggas was about to get a rude awakening.

Allysix continued forward without lowering her eyes, instead glaring intently straight at the pompous man. Maggas nearly leapt from his seat on the dais and stepped forward with fury and madness in his eyes.

“Who do you think you are? You will show proper respect, girl, or I will teach it to you,” he bellowed, with his face red and his finger shaking furiously at her.

At that moment, Allysix sensed him attempting to wield his black magic against her.
Against
her
? She giggled inside at the thought of it. Little did he know that, she
was
black magic. She didn’t wield it as he did, exactly…she was
it
. The whole thing made her feel a little giddy. The dark power emanating from Maggas flowed around Allysix, pouring into her, and was consumed.

Maggas’ eyes bulged, and his whole body shook with rage, mixed with confusion when he realized what had just happened. The spectacle was immensely satisfying to Allysix, and she stepped forward to grasp his head between her hands, drawing him close.

His struggling against her grip was fierce, since he was a rather large man, but his resistance was wholly in vain. Allysix bent her head close, so that her lips were almost touching Maggas’ ear.

“Do you know who I am?” she said seductively in a whisper.

Maggas flailed, trying to break free from her grasp, and at the same time attempted his magic once more. This time it was much stronger and more frantic, lashing out at her with many attacks and unseen dark forces.

Allysix knew that Maggas was trying to kill her now. Even with the increased ferocity of his onslaught, the result was the same as before and his assault just washed over her and was consumed by her, like water falling into a bottomless pit.

Allysix allowed Maggas to continue for several long moments, until he realized for himself the futility of his efforts. The black mage eventually ceased his attack and stared wild-eyed.

“I am Allysix,” she said in an even more seductive tone, letting the name sink in to his brain, “I
am
the Blood Witch.”

She felt him tense at her name, and could almost feel his shock, before he finally, slowly released his tension as the possibility took hold.

Deliberately she pulled back to look directly into his eyes. There was a mix of confusion and approbation on the man’s face. Maggas grappled with the possibility that this might actually be the woman whom he worshipped standing before him in the flesh. After all what other explanation could there be as to why she was able to withstand his all-out assault?

Allysix knew it was almost done as she exuded her will more forcefully on the black mage. His mind became like pliable clay, yielding and malleable to the Blood Witch and her desires. Now, he only needed a little……encouragement.

“Maggas my pet, you have dedicated your life to me, have you not?” She did not wait for an answer.

“I require your services as a loyal subject. I seek to regain what was taken from me so long ago, and I need your help to do so. Hence, I have chosen you for this great honor, to aid me in this endeavor to take back what is mine. You are now my chosen one, and will obey me and only me…..completely, and without question.”