Alekk stared straight into the eyes of the three witches who were walking towards him. But their eyes, something was frightening about them. Their eyes were so intimidating that they could've made a grown man quiver in fear. Deep within those witchy eyes, they truly had a vile intentions towards them. Suddenly,they stopped abruptly in their tracks,on seeing him holding onto a sword,and the fact that he was not fleeing away scared from them. Like the rest of their preys.
Saber looked back behind him, only to see that Zulu was nowhere to be seen. He looked around the field, frightened in the thought that they ,the familiars ,had gotten a hold of him. Again,just to make certain,straining his eyes,he cast his gaze everywhere and beyond where he could see with the encroaching darkness and mist,only to meet Alekk's eyes in his gaze. His eyes, something about them sent a chill down his spine. He could have swore that he had seen a flame of fire burning deep within his eyes. Lydith too had seen it,his burning eyes, shivering quite a bit in fear,with one of the many hawks on her shoulder. Still,she was itching for a fight with the runt who now dared stand on her way from getting herself a prey to devour.
She was relishing his warm blood upon her ravishing glowing skin. Just that lingering thought was intoxicating enough to make her moan in unfathomable pleasure. Like making gorey affection.
Zulu, scared out of his wits, had hid himself behind a large tree. From there,he peeked through a the hole that was on the tree's bark, waiting for the witches to go away.He wasn't brave enough to stand up to them like Saber was. There , within reach of the enemy,his friend was boldly standing up for himself and his family.
Like any other man, Saber was protecting the people whom were very dear and precious to him, even if that meant bleeding every last drop of his blood just for their sake,he would gladly bleed to his death, for him to just to see them alive and to hear their voices again. They were the only family he had, no matter the squabbles they had amongst themselves. After all, it was in trying times like these that one actually came to know his or her true friends and family.
Despite that, with Saber resolve intended for a noble cause, Zulu was still freakishly fearful of their ghoulish savagery . He dreaded to think of himself inside another person stomach. The very thought made his stomach churn to almost hurling his guts out for everyone to see.
Lydith and her sisters looked at Alekk with their own menacing eyes. It was a good prospect they were getting themselves into; fighting was the only thing they knew best after all. Even if they had with them silver forged swords,they still wouldn't be a match for their demonic strength. Yet they were unwavering before them. Saber stood a few distance away from Alekk,and knowingly what Master Konn had years before told them: that only defeating a witch and not her familar was the only possible thing to saving themselves. He had to fight alongside with him. They had no other choice.
" You there!" Saber called. It was Alekk he was calling. And not knowing that it was him being called out,Alekk didn't budge. Saber on seeing that he didn't even turn his head,felt a rush of anger pass through him. They were in a precarious position possible for them all, with the children locked inside their chambers as they continued to let out deafening screams with the familiars ramming against their doors.
Time was of the essence. And he called him again and Alekk didn't think to look on the opposite side of his shoulder. But his eyes and mind were glued at something else: the three witches that stood infront of him. Saber infuriated by the new boy continuous turning a deaf ear on his calls;on his last straw of patience, Saber unapologetic, resorted to calling him by a nasty name. "You there! Clawed face!" Saber, worked up,barked furiously, spitting. With that name calling,he had finally grasped Alekk's attention. And he didn't not like it one bit. His face was grimacing in fury.
"What do you want?" Alekk asked. Finally he talked, to someone at least. For in those last days he had taken shelter at the orphanage,the birds and insects were the only companions he had. With them,he had opened up of his pain and once known joy.
" I want you and I to join hands and fight them together," Saber said." At the very least we can both keep them at arms length,for the meantime,that is. What do you say?!" Saber now waited for him to respond to his request, with the said person was drowning in his own anger. His hands shook, might have been due to the weight of his sword or exhaustion. But that wasn't it. Lydith could see it,so was Saber. His heartbeat was so loud for them to hear. Also with Master Konn,who still grovelled down on the ground, could hear his thRobb stoneing heart. Something was usually about him, they'll thought. His eyes shone fiercely, Saber remembered.
" I don't mind," Alekk replied. He was least glad that he hadn't turned his request down. Saber moved closer to him, cautiously, carrying with him Master Konns sword.
" I'm Saber." He introduced himself to Alekk waiting for Alekk to do the same. But it was not forthcoming. And he was angry about it.
"What name may I call you by with?" Saber asked,not that he was any closer to him like a pea in a pod. Still he wasn't responding." At least tell me your name,for heavensake. I might not come out of this fight alive. But let me know the name of the person i'm going to be fighting alongside with!" It's fair to say that the witches weren't pleased with their childish tantrums. Especially lydith,she was totally livid.Also was her familar. It was screeching,angry for being kept waiting.
"Will you two be done with your little squabbles. Let's get on with the fight?" Lydith shouted. With Master Konn obstructing in their way ,lydith swooped him of the ground singlehandedly, tossing him away from the field as if he was a twig,to make room of a soon to be battleground. He had been hurled to where Esia stood rooted, landing with a thud, while letting out a painful grunt on hitting the cold hard ground. With a flurry of dust flickering all over, Esia who had been stiff to move, woke up from the fear that had gripped a hold of her , sneezing on inhaling the dust along with Gantz. They now stood conscious and aware of their surroundings and that a man, just a few step away from them, was bleeding to his death.
On seeing that it was Master Konn lying down bleeding and unconscious, Esia flunged herself to where he was, with Gantz by her side. He had landed on his stomach. Gantz swiftly helped Esia turn him over on the opposite side of his face. On turning over to his back, their view of his face was beyond frightening. Master Konn faces was full of bruises and gashes. Blood covered most of his face. Seeing this, Esia laid his bruised swollen head on her lap,as she tore a piece of cloth from her frock. Gantz was clueless of what to do or help. His blood,so close to him, reminded him of a time in his past that he wished to forget for an eternity. He didn't have the courage to put on a strong face with him falling on his ass.
His head was spinning in spirals,with his stomach starting to churn at the sight of the blood,hurling out his mid-day meal. Esia had seen him throw up,right away she knew his long battle of suppressing his tormenting past still lingered on. As his friend, she wanted to help him but couldn't. A dire situation and serious for that matter was at hand. It was Master Konns: his life hanged by a thread. Her hands were full for the time being. Despite that,she still was worried about him.
"Are you going to be fine,Gantz?" She asked. Master Konns blood was rolling down his face onto her dress. She continued cleaning the blood from his face and wounds. Gantz crouched a bit far from where she was, spitting spits out now. A pool of vomit was visible near his knees.
"It's fine, Esia. I'm going to be fine, don't worry about me," Gantz assured her. His eyes were teary and his voice forced. He wasn't fine, that she knew. How she wished to be the friend to him like how he was a friend to her. Esia hated that part of herself. Since that time that they became friends, she had always felt he was one who tried the hardest to be someone that she could see and call him a dearest friend unlike her. His humoursly jests, more than she could count or remember,made her laugh whenever she was under the weather or wallowing in sadness. Not to mention, Gantz always made her feel good about herself even when she wasn't confident in her own skin. It pained her that he was more of a friend than she was.
"I'm sorry for being a bad friend, Gantz," Esia said. After overcoming that little storm, Gantz got up on his feet. Roughly,he dried his eyes with his sleeve shirt while coughing bits of spits. The night was still long for them now that Saber and Alekk were battling the witches all by themselves. Remarkably, they were not dead. But Alekk was bleeding from the grazes on his hand with his sleeve seemingly shredded into pieces and claw marks grazed on his hand. Lydith was having fun with him. As of Saber,his plate, like Esia, was full to lend Alekk a helping hand. With two witches battling him, he was just managing. Both of them were alive measly by their mercy. They desired to be entertained a bit more.
" You have never been any less of a friend to me as any less I have been to you, Esia," Gantz replied. He stared at the battle infront of him. With Alekk letting out a growl, swinging his sword aimed to cutting her in halves,and lydith managing to dodge it by a hair's breadth was unbelievable.
" You have always been my friend. With your flaws or not you are still my friend, Esia. Heck, I do have my ugly side but with you, everything is wonderful by the looks of things," Gantz implored, chuckling." If we both are perfect, we would surely bore each other to death!" Esia smiled, lost that she was amongst witches and monsters.
"Thank you, Gantz," she said, "for being a good friend." They both smiled, burning the dimming flames of their friendship ever more brightly. Gantz seeing how outnumbered Saber and the new boy were, saw the wisest thing for him to do was to lend them a helping hand. Before he had being gripped by fear,he had seen the old woman, Pumpkin,drop a sword for Alekk. He had no other choice. Or else they would be mourning for more of their brethrens come morning.
"Esia!" Gantz called. "What's it, Gantz?"
"I have made up my mind. I shall not let fear to continue holding me back,"he replied. "What are you talking about, Gantz?!" Esia asked, confused.
"I've decided to free myself from the fear which has been devouring me," he continued," if I don't help those two, they will surely be killed as I quiver in fear while doing anything to conquer them head on. If it's blood that I fear,then death is the only thing that awaits each and everyone of us." Esia was surprised by him. He wasn't the bravest but still he was talking of fighting the witches. "But you don't know how to fight let alone how to hold a sword. I beg you, don't go confronting those monsters like them, you will surely be killed," Esia implored. He knew it wasn't a sure thing to survive unscathed. But what about them. They knew the same when they picked up their swords and decided to fight. It wasn't for the show of it. They were both fighting for something. Something important for them,young boys,to pick up their swords and confront the witches. They had to fight to protect those people dearest to them. The children who were their adopted family. For a man protects his family, despite the enemy strength or odds of a victory to the very last breath.
" I must Esia. Because a man must fight to protect what's precious to him," Gantz answered." To fight for their behalf. I want to see you and the others again. You all are my true family." Esia looked at him,the boy who for years before they both became friends would cry himself to sleep over petty things,was unbelievably the same boy who was now willing and ready to fight for them. For his family. Master Konn,though slightly knocked out cold,heard everything what Gantz had just said. Without them noticing, amazingly,he smiled, proud of him and all his children.
" I'm proud of you, Gantz," Esia said, smiling," but don't get yourself killed,you hear me. I won't accept losing you."
" Thank you, Esia," he replied." I will try to come back in one piece." Gantz,seeing Esia smiling, smiled back as he rushed to where the window Pumpkin had thrown the sword from. Quietly, Gantz started to call her out so as not attract the attention of the witches,Pumpkin pulled her burdensome weight on her feet from where she had been hiding herself in order to see who was calling her at such precarious moment. There, below her,she saw Gantz, swinging his hands in attempt to grab her attention in the mist and the dimming moonlight. Hastily,he asked her to drop one more weapon,for him to fight with. Pumpkin was hesitant for a while but on seeing Saber and Alekk hurting and struggling in putting up a convincing fight, she hastily dropped two small battle axe. Gantz,a bit shocked,was expecting something in the line of a manly weapon such as a sword or lance but not in the slightest would he have thought to be armed with, of all things,chopping axes. It was laughable to even think about it,but time was againist them, even a good warrior makes due with any weaponry at his disposal,as he dashed to where she had dropped them for him pick. Having picked up his axes, Gantz sprinted towards the two witches that Saber was battling, relieving him one of the witch off his hands.
Esia continued to dress up his wounds to the very least save him from bleeding more than he had already lost. Master Konns body was burning up enough to scald anyone's skin. Anyone,but Esia.
Alekk's hands were stiff and bloody. Both of them had been clawed but not too deep for him to drop his sword. Despite that, his eyes were burning with determination to see it through. Lydith too had her own problems to dealing with; the slashes that Alekk had inflicted on her weren't healing up like they usually did. She had noticed it, and was beginning to be a worrying concern.
"What kind of a sword is that,boy?!" Lydith asked angrily. Alekks sword wasn't a witch killing blade. That she knew. With it's shape and all. Yet her wounds weren't healing like usual.
"What's it to you?" asked Alekk. He stood a few meters away. Breathing vigorously,as lydith dashed forward hopeful of finishing him off before he did any further harm to her. With her claws dripping with blood and misty water, alongside her familar,she swung at him as Alekk held his sword high enough to block her with it. With her right arm block,she swung her left arm, clawing through his right shoulder. In pain,Alekk let out a groan as he stumbled back, clumsily letting his grip on the sword loose while Gantz battled againist Alyssa and her familar: a wild boar. "Is it a silvered sword or not, stupid boy?!" Lydith shouted. Now each had a witch to fight. Gantz with his two axes fought off Alyssa and her familar. His grip on them was a bit greasy on his hands. There hilts were long with reed strings coilled around them. Still, Gantz hands were slippery on them. His hands were oily due to the coldness of the night. His body,in bid to keep him warm,released fatty oils to seal his tiny airholes. With his massive fat beneath his skin,he was releasing a ton of it. They both were.
Alyssa was having a hard time too. Her breathing was heavy: with her being thrice as fat as Gantz;no wonder she was belching like chimney. Alyssa threw a punch, with her hands transformed into hooves, striking straight into his belly. Gantz, reeling from that punch, coughed out a spit of blood onto the wet ground. A left blow came in hot, flying him off the ground . Alyssa was a formidable witch for him. The blows were hurting him more than he had bargained for. She stood a few distance away, panting and bleeding. Her blood, dripping on the cold ground,steamed upon touching. Gantz had slashed her on her chest, with a deep wound running down. It had come in his last ditch effort,while still a few seconds off the ground, with Alyssa guard down,that he had struck the devastating blow on her. He desperately hoped that such a wound would've been more than enough to take her down,but to his surprise she was grinning. Slowly her wounds begun to close and heal to Gantz shock and despair. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The wound,his manly blow, was like stabbing into the wind. He stood staring and trembling in fear.
" Don't tell you are turning piggy on me?!" Alyssa asked,mocking. Her familar stood beside her. It snorted, grunting in anticipation to goring it's tusks deep into him.
"What are you?!" Gantz stammered. Alyssa seeing him tremble in fear, hysterically,broke into a laughter. It was Gantz who had earlier caught her eye and nose.
"What am I,you ask!" Alyssa retorted, laughing. "I'm the witch who's going to kill and eat you up,fat boy!" Gantz had stumbled down on his fat butt,in fear of her. In rage,she flunged herself towards him, along with her familar, ready to cut herself a chunk of his fatty meat. Her familar, in it's usually size, grunted with it's tusks pointed at him. With her hooves, she threw a punch straight at him but in the nick of time, Saber came to his rescue.
Witch Defense Mode: Regeneration;Now her right hand laid on the ground, while her familar writhed on the ground. It's front legs were missing. Alyssa,in pain,let out a deafening groan. Gantz stared straight at her , shocked and horrified, as her severed hand slowly disintegrating into a pile of ashes. Saber too watched aghastly. It was their first time seeing a witch's body part disintegrate into a pile of ashes. But that wasn't any more shocking than what they were witnessing with their very own eyes. Even Saber;the fearless young man that he was, quivered in fear.
Her severed right arm. It was regenerating before their very eyes. Esia too was seeing these. The Magic, the power, witches had over them. It was absolutely scary to be left for the imagination. Master Konn regained consciousness just in time and he too was seeing what was making everyone petrified. The strength the witches had over them. Their magic was beyond words. They were to be reckoned with by every man and child. What Master Konn was witnessing made him shiver also by just the sight of it: they both did, Esia too couldn't help but tremble out of fear.
Within some few minutes,her right hand was completely restored anew like nothing had even happened to it. Alyssa smirked, with her sister, Algiad ,joining her. Saber had absconded his fight to save Gantz from an untimely death.
"These prey's of ours are becoming quite an itch on our backs, isn't that ,right sister Algiad?!" Alyssa smirked. Gantz was already on his feet. They were now two witches that he and Saber had to deal with. And to add salt to injury,they were unbeatable.
" I'm afraid so, sister. We should kill them fast but painfully!" Algiad implored. Saber glanced at Gantz to see whether he was fine to fight on. Many thoughts flooded his mind. They were at a pinch if they were to fight them both. Gantz was fine by the looks of him,but he kind of knew he was losing to fear from where he stood. Gantz hands were trembling uncontrollably as well as his legs. He knew he wouldn't last much more in a prolonged fight.
"You are quite right,sister. Let's get it over with, shall we?!" Alyssa replied. Saber was fast to taking a fighting stance, along with his comrade. Both the witches sprung forward, yelling,with an intent of slaughtering them to shreds. Seconds before their hands had clawed into them,another horrific growl shook the orphanage and the ground that they were battling on. It was coming from where Alekk and lydith stood. Alyssa and Algiad stopped in the middle of their attack.
Curious,they gazed into the direction of the growl. Right there, lydith stood with just but one arm. And just like her witch sister's arm, it too disintegrated into a pile of ashes. But that wasn't the reason for her growling. Her hand wasn't regenerating like her sister's. Only a river of blood continued to flow out off her severed right hand. Alekk stood a meter away from her. He was drenched in her blood and his.
Steamed breaths fumed out of his mouth,heavy and deep. Her familiars,those inside the cottage and in the air, soon begun to fall like dry leaves. Each one of them had a wing missing . And without it,they were unable to fly. On the ground,they screeched in pain and the helplessness of being a flightless predator. In between their stares,the hordes of hawks begun to revert themselves back into a giant hawk. Staring on the monstrosity transforming before them,as it screeched flapping with only one wing,the porcupine witch stealthy disappeared from their field of view. She was heading towards the cottage, with her familar just behind.
"What kind of a sword is that?!" lydith asked, panting and grimacing in pain. Alekks just stood there, silently. He was tired, bleeding and hungry to utter a word.
"Master!" Her familar called. Gigantically, with a wing less,it tried to fly to no avail. "What's it?!" lydith asked angrily.
" That sword,Master! It looks similar to that of the coven's grand witch, doesn't it?" the hawk screeched. On hearing her familar imply that, lydith curiously stared at the sword. It had a resemblance to that of their coven's grand witch,aside from the pitch black colour. Fear now gripped her whole. It's sight was like a spear being plunged deeper and deeper into her heart. "But that can't be!" lydith fumbled in fear." It can't be. How can that be?" Her sister's stared at her. She was stumbling backwards. Her eyes were batting quickly, her breath short and her teeth were ramming againist each other. They were unaware what was going on. Alyssa and Algiad looked at each other, confused by the weird behavior of their sister. As she was turning backwards without looking,she tumbled down on the wet ground, gazing onto the the boy,Alekk, who had struck fear into her. He held his sword, wobbly,with shortness of breath.
"How can you explain your hand not regenerating. Only one weapon is capable of inflicting such a mortal wound," screeched the hawk. Alekk was the one confused by the sudden turn of events. He was expecting her to attack him. But she was not returning the favor in kind. His eyes were getting drowsy. And his arms getting numb and swollen,as they slowly begun to get heavier and heavier. And not forgetting his stomach,it was raining hell on the inside. He had not eaten anything for the last couple of days. Since that day of his fight with Markus, nothing solid had touched his gob;only the bread that had been knocked over.
"It can't be! A dragon sword!" Lydith shouted. On shouting, her sisters wide ears grasped the exact words that she had uttered. Their faces turned even more uglier than they actually were.Their expression told they knew what it was. A dragon sword. The very last thing that they could have imagined to face or fight against.
"A dragon sword!" Both Algiad and Alyssa muttered, shocked. Alekk was now their center of attention. All eyes were fixed on him. Everyone on the field,apart from the Witches, were unaware of the reasons of their infatuation with the sword. In their eyes,it was just a blunt weirdly looking sword. Nothing special about it had crossed their minds. Master Konn, still on her lap, looked on, unaware also of the so called dragon sword.
"There shouldn't be any other dragon sword on this side of the river!" Algiad grunted." That witch is dead. Both of them are. Along with their familars. Mother killed her."
"Then be kind enough to tell me what we are seeing with our very own two eyes!" Alyssa inquired. The blade was one of a kind. A demon killing sword. All witches from the kingdom of Enfer feared it. And anyone who wielded it was supposed to be a witch and her familar ,a serpent dragon. A fire breathing dragon. The mightiest of all familars amongst witches. Lydith, wobbling, and in fear, stood up. Her familar stood opposite, glaring into an fearsome sword that they weren't expecting to meet.
Inside the cottage, the witch strolled through the corridors. She flashed her eyes here and there,as they pierced the darkened gloomy place. With children's screams muffling her footsteps,she trod calmly like a witch on a errand as her sisters familars went on about with their rampaging. Children, inside the chambers, blocked their doors with anything that they could find. From beds to chairs. Anything was of use to keeping the hordes of rats and boars at bay. Scratching and eating through the wooden doors,the rats were not about to giving up. On reaching at the end of the corridor, with nothing peculiar about the place,she was already giving in to what she was looking for.
On her way out,a chamber's door was wide open and more strangely was that no familar was even seemingly interested in looking inside of it. Pushed on by curiousity,she let herself in and on entering, Markus lay awake on the bed. Now more strangely, the boy that she was looking at wasn't trembling at the sight of her. Calmly and resolved,he waited for his death with open arms. Waiting for her to maul his flesh off to bare bones...
Lydith knew that the battle had shifted it's scale against them, despite that they were fighting against a bunch of lousy weaklings, but they truly possessed a skin crawling weapon with them. She was seriously injured, bleeding profusely ,and her familar was just now a merely wingless hawk.
"Sisters!" Lydith called out. She was breathing vigorously,and her forehead drenched in sweat, while holding onto her severed left hand.
"What's it, sister?!" both of them asked.
"Let's return home for now," lydith replied." We can't beat them with the sword that they've got." "Are you sure, sister?!" they both asked, surprised.
"I'm sure. Call out your familiars," lydith said feebly." We're heading back home."
"Alright sister." There and then,hordes of rats and boars came out running out of the front door. They carried no one with them. Master Konn was glad to see this. While still running,they all reverted back to their monsterous form. Their height was almost close to that of the cottage. Scary sight to see.
And just as Master Konn was breathing a sigh of relief,a witch emerged from the cottage with Markus following her from behind . He had piece of cloth gagged on his mouth and his hands tied tightly. Master Konn wasn't believing what he was seeing, as he strugglingly tried to pull his weight up to no avail falling over and over again. He was weak to rescue him. Esia pleadingly begged of him to stay still,and stubbornly he refused to heed her pleas. Even his pride couldn't come to his aid.
He was wounded man to be of help to anyone or himself. Algiad and Alyssa slowly backed away from where they stood. Walking towards their sister lydith,their eyes scorned the only witch, sister Azel,of not taking part in the fight. She was the eldest of the sisters. Markus, being escorted by Azel, with bandages wrapped around his head,looked at Alekk who was frozen still to move. Markus eye burnt with fury.
"Where have you been, sister?"Alyssa asked.She was not a talkative person. A witch of very few words and fewer actions. And when she did speak, her words pierced their proud hearts like quills.
"Here and there... Have you finished with your small fight?" asked Azel,with Markus just beside her. Both of her sisters were livid. Yet they couldn't do anything to her. Spillage of a fellow siblings blood was punishable by death. And the one who delivered the final stake into their hearts was none other than the Coven's Grand Witch. No witch dared anything to raise anger out of her. Just facing her was scary enough for their old kicking hearts.
"You are quite a pain in the neck,you know that?" implied Algiad. "At least you could've help!"
" I thought you could handle a bunch of measly weak children. Don't tell me they were a handful even for you three mighty witches!" Azel mocked. Algiad on hearing this,was already rushing towards her to give her an earful. But luckily, Alyssandra strongly held her back. Lydith, shaking in pain, moved closer to them. She was desperate to leave.
"Who's this?!" Lydith inquired,to Azel. Markus presence had evaded their sight. All of them darted their gazes on him instantly. He was still calm and unafraid, clinging closer to Azel.
"Him? He's my prey," she answered. Now it was a shaming end of events for the three of them. They had fought almost all night and with nothing to show for it but a defeated lot.Yet she, hadn't lifted a finger all night,was the one who had managed out of four of them to get her hands on one.
Gantz and Saber watched them at a safe distance. And behind them, Esia and Master Konn also watched the witches murmur to themselves. After a few minutes had passed by,they climbed up onto the backs of their familiars, ready to move out. Markus was scruffled by the collar,as Azel swooped him off the ground onto her familar. Master Konn, seeing they were seriously intending on taking Markus with them,roared himself with his last straw of strength to his feet.
Esia looked at him worryingly. He had lost a large amount of blood to either fight or move. But there,she remembered Gantz words that he had spoken to her before joining in the battle. That a man protects what's precious to him even if that meant dying protecting it. How those words were knocking hard on her heart,as she gazed on Master Konns indestructible resolve to saving and protecting them to his very end.
Wobbling,he walked towards Saber with blood stained cloth's wrapped on his head. On reaching Saber,he stole back his sword away from him, desperate to confront the witch who held Markus on a short leash. Shouting,he called her out.
"Wait there,witch! Where do you think you are taking my boy? Let him go, these instant!" Azel,on top of her familar, looked down on him. She didn't wish him dead but neither was she going to relinquish her prized possession.
"You should forget about him, human. He's mine now!" responded Azel. Markus sat next to her, with teary eyes. He couldn't talk or wave them his goodbye's. It was the last of him they would be seeing. Still he had no courage to face him. His father and protector. Seeing that the witch wasn't going to listen to him,he charged forward in desperation; to fight her and free Markus from her grip. Azel, disappointed by his stupidness, ordered her familar to shoot at him.Still on the charge, the porcupine released it's quills aiming at him. Falling like rain,they went straight into his thighs as he fell onto his knees, groaning in excruciating pain. On his knees, he raised his head high, without an ounce of strength left in him to fight on, gazing as they slowly faded out of his sight and reach, while the forest darkness swallowed them whole. In dismay,of his failure as a father,he broke down in tears with his crys echoing across the field,the orphanage and the forest. Markus was now forever lost to him.
Esia, standing,gazed at her adopted father . His pain was too burdensome for him to bear alone. Now more excruciating than his hungry days. They'll needed to be there for him, especially now. There wasn't any screeching or grunting that could be heard but only the crys of a father who had lost a son to the witches.
Quietly and confused,the children inside the cottage begun to pour out into the field. And their,on his bended knees,with quills sticking out like a sore thumb on his thighs, they saw Master Konn weeping for him. The mood was sombre. No one dared to talk or even fart. For at that moment, they had all lost a brother.Pumpkin came out rushing also, from her hiding place, joining the children in the field.
There,she saw her friend wallowing in agony. Zulu sneakingly and quietly,came out too behind the tree, abashed of himself. Everyone was on the field, with their eyes hooked on a father mourning the loss of one of his children.
Tired and hungry,Alekk finally let his grip on the sword hilt slip off his hands. And just like his sword,he too followed it to the cold ground, falling on his back in a heap. The night of the witches had come to a close,for the time being. In a night that had been engulfed in chaos and blood,none had died but one had been stolen away from them.
Still,in amongst the fear and chaos,a select few of the orphans had stood up to the darkness that sought to devour them, and gallantry holding them off despite their strengths and monsters they called familiars.