Chapter 24: Season Of The Witch

AS RAFEL SLITHERED through the northern woods, he was aware that he dived deeper into the forest. The sun didn't reach this part of the land. It was like this was a realm different from Eldoria altogether. The grasses grew taller than a man, and the leaves broader than the palm of his hand.

At every few places, he turned a circle to look around. He checked out the area behind him and across to make sure one of the dancing shadows about had not materialized flesh and swallowed any one of his women. The forest was dark and menacing.

"Talk about haunting, the northern woods are a ghostly place. Why would anyone travel this place at all?" Cora spoke these words in whispers to Giselle.

But the woods held the only accessible path to the village of Gūndlheim to any traveller coming from the south. The townies had learned to move light and in packs, making their journey in Spring or Summer, but never ever in winter.

Rafel held up his hand, signaling a stop to everyone's tracks as his ears picked up on an eerie singing voice.

He was wearing his full [Dark Hunter] mode and the dark lyrics swarmed into his ears. It stung like wasps on fresh wound. What the fuck kind of creature sang this badly?

It didn't take long for Cora and Giselle, Aya Naamah and Cordelia to hear the acidic voice too. They moved their fingers to their ears.

"What the shit is that?" It was the Queen. She swatted at a blackfly hovering over her cheeks.

"Be still!"

Rafel commanded. He immediately cloaked all their forms in his [Invisibility Cowl], using ten soul coins of his Arcane Rune. His Dark Hunter shawl shimmered cold obsidian as he and the four women melded into the immense shadows of the trees. Rafel held his breath and waited for the footsteps he had heard approaching to manifest into a person.

A second later, a running child came tumbling through.

A [Bat Monkey], a Rank C familiar usually bonded to halfblood druids, was the child's pet. It swung high above on the tree branches which winded all over the forest, forming an impenetrable cobweb pattern to any thing attacking from above. And its twines were like aerial bridges.

The bat monkey followed the child's movement. It was the child who was singing. Dark hair hid out the eyes. It's clothes were simple and streaked in mud. It was impossible to know the child's gender.

Fingernails that looked uncut since birth were now more of claws and the kid's singing voice could shatter glass.

This half-blood's song was about death.

"When the leaves come tumbling o'er the rolling hills, you know 'tis the season. When the crows screech and are made fat with the abandoned apothecary, you know 'tis the season. When men sleep and dream of red skies. . .when children sprout horns and brides wander into cold lakes, you better know 'tis the season.

'Tis the Season of the Witch."

The weird child ran right past the bough where Rafel stood, still singing its grim tune. It stopped a short distance away and looked back. It's dark hair, stained with humus fell away and totally colorless eyes were revealed.

The child's gaze was pale like the moon's.

It stared at Rafel's location like it could see him right through his [Invisibility Cowl].

Just like that, it smiled, revealing dirty razor teeth.

"What ye seek, Apollyon, is that way! Careful now, for ye may find more than ye bargain for. For the night in this woods is long and full of terrors. Get ye and yer doves out while ye can!

Get ye out while ye can!!!"

"Who are you?" Rafel yelled.

But the child was already vanished further down the tendrils of wet foliage, singing away his dark melody.

"Are we in trouble, Your Grace?" Cora appeared at Rafel's side. Giselle, Cordelia, and Aya fringed her sides.

Rafel turned to touch her cheek. "Nay, Corazón. Not on my watch. But we are close. I reckon that child is one of the wood sprites."

"He could easily be five hundred years old though, couldn't he, my Lord?" Aya asked.

"Yes, he could. Sprites are most always cursed with youth. But innocence, not so much. Come on!"

Rafel took Cordelia's hand and started forward across the wet forest again.

They soon came by a clearing made of a single bamboo shed. It faced another structure, which was longer and wooden. A dormitory, only it lacked style—and fucking reason. Who'd build a hostel in the middle of dark sprite territory?

Rafel immediately headed straight for the small cottage.

"Look!" Giselle pointed beside him.

Rafel followed the path of her hand to find little children walking out the wooden dormitory. They came and came, until they were milling all around. Rafel stopped counting at thirty. Their clothing style differed. Some ancient. Some contemporary to the Eldorian age. A particular child even had on a bear's hide as it's only covering.

Yet, they all looked the same age.

Not a day older than ten.

And they were all girls.

"What the fuck place is this?" Cora swelled with visible rage.

Rafel pulled his eyes from the many girl children. Their gazes were round with inquisition. Just how long had they been here? With a hard voice, he boomed orders for the women to follow.

"Giselle, you stay here with Cordelia and try to figure out what's going on with the kids. Aya, you're on lookout. Cora's with me. Scream if you see anything you don't understand. Anything at all."

Rafel withdrew a long silver arrow from the quiver behind, at his back. He nocked it and started forward to the cottage. Cora followed at his side, her hands warm with blue mana glowing at her fingertips. Both were ready to let loose at the sight of any weirdness.

"Hey, Handsome!" Giselle called to Rafel. He turned back to look at her. Her golden eyes shimmered with something profound as she finished. "—please don't be a hero."

Rafel smiled. "That's a given, love."

On reaching the tiny door at the entrance of the bamboo cottage, Cora blew open the doors with a gust of cold air. Someone instantly jumped to stand from the old rickety bed inside that squeaked from the weight.

The house was small. Bedroom and living room were one and the same. Rafel squinted into the darkness.

"Fuckin' trespassers!" Rafel heard the person cuss from inside.

The voice was distinctly feminine.

Immediately, his Hellhounds barreled through the open door just as Rafel let loose his silver arrow. It streamed out quick and bright as lightning. Rafel heard a yelp and the crunching sound of hound teeth against flesh.

"For fucks sake! Hey! Stop it! You smelly fuckers! Get off me. Fuck."

The hounds didn't stop. Rafel and Cora watched with hands raised to let loose again as the three hell dogs dragged from the cottage a whimpering female. The first thing Rafel noticed was her hair. She was blond as daylight.

Her hair was glorious, cascading down to the very earth. It soiled the ends of it and Rafel wanted to pack it in handfuls just to keep it from getting dirty.

He tightened his hand on the string of his bow instead.

Cora dropped her hands, her magic simmering away as she moved closer to the hound woman who knelt struggling with the Hounds. Her wrist was bleeding.

"Annabelle?"

The Blonde lifted up her eyes. It was like the forest child's. White without color.

"How do you know my name? Who the hell are you? Tell your fucking dogs to stop biting! This is my favourite dress you're ruining here."

Rafel looked over the said favorite. Her fashion sense was missing a few hundred years. She really was an Immortal. Ravenna's letter had been accurate in predicting her look. She had bones dangling down her neck as a protective armor—it was perhaps the only reason why Rafel's arrow hadn't pierced skin. She also had her fingernails like claws dripping down her hands.

But the rest of the legend. . .was just Legend.

The Bone Huntress wasn't frightful.

She was fucking beautiful.

Rafel knew he was fucked. What was it about mortal women and their striking looks?

Cora shooed away the hounds and assisted Annabelle to her feet. Just then, Giselle in company of Cordelia and Aya arrived with about thirty young girls bundled around them. Like Annabelle and the wood sprites, all of them had pale eyes.

It was like they were blind. Only they saw.

"The girls are okay. They are not hurt. I don't think they were kidnapped either. They even call Annabelle Mama." Aya explained.

"This is why I never trust legends," Giselle added sharply.

"I should join you more on your little adventures." Cordelia clipped.

Rafel didn't believe the Bone Huntress was totally guiltless. You can never be too sure with magical creatures, especially Immortals.

Rafel loosened the chains circling his waist cowboy-style and bounded for Annabelle.

"Hey! What 're ye doing?" She jerked against him.

She was half his size and height. Rafel easily tackled her. He placed the chain about her neck and fastened it. She kept whining in her accented voice as he moved, pulling her behind him. She was dragged and wrestled with the clippers around her throat.

"Let me go, you redhaired giant. I'm an Immortal, I'll have you know. I could summon wood sprites to sing you a song of death. You cannot do this to me! What the fuck are you guys doing? Stop him. Can't you see what he's doing to me." Annabelle turned her eyes to Cora and Giselle. They slid further to Cordelia and Aya.

"...oh I see, you're all his concubines, huh. Well, let me tell ya. I ain't gonna be one of yours. You can take your Alpha energy and shove it up your—"

Rafel tossed her into the back of the carriage.

He gathered the four-woman hunting troop around him and began speaking.

"The Hunt is over. We've got our prey. Is any of you hurt?"

Giselle smiled at Rafel, crooning. "Aww! The villain doth care. We are fine, Your Grace. Very much so. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say this has been an experience."

Rafel nodded.

"It has. Please, Cora, ride with the Huntress. If she gives you sass, release the Hounds on her. Aya, you'll be with Giselle and Cordelia, watching the girls in the other cab. We can't leave them here. Once we get back to Emberfall, we'll figure out what to do with them. I will ride in front, to keep out the wood sprites from attacking."

The women obediently bowed, all moving to their positions.

"Hey, Ginger Giant!" Annabelle called, rattling her chains. "Where ya taking me?"

"MY DUNGEON!" Rafel slammed the cage in her face.