Strolling back inside I notice Alice was waking earlier than usual, stretching her arms outward towards the sun shining into the curtains. She looks at me carrying Alex in my arms.
Running over she gently lifts him from my arms, allowing him to rest on the other available cot I gaze down at the floor. The black smoke rose to bubble to my form once again, for the first time I feel the energy he takes to keep his existence.
He didn't live a long life and I could feel something centering around his being, I kneel down trying to catch my breath.
"What happened?" Alice asks.
"He had a fainting spell, he wanted to take a walk." I lied.
"Wait where did the little girl go?" She asks in shock.
She picks the blankets up and the sheets and folds everything trying to find her, in a panic she runs outside to find nothing at all. The little girl was gone as soon as Alice comes back inside she seemed to have forgotten a little girl existed.
Colton gives me a look holding the bag of gems in hand, I knew what he had done. I was also okay with it. I wanted to talk to Alice, but it was futile in the end. She ends up falling back to sleep a little longer till nightfall.
"That was a good sleep!" Steel says.
"I suggest we take a car on the way back Lady Steel!" Clarence advises.
"Hello no! We barely have change on us as it is Clarence!" Steel states.
We watch them both argue back and forth about transport, she might be a vampire princess, but in truth, they were also penniless saving what little could. I thought I heard before their guild was well off.
"We got to get going, please bicker some other time." Alex disputes.
"Whatever…" Steel replies.
I could sense the deepness the two carried before they forgot each other in this world, they both wanted only the best for each other in the darkness of the unsound world they were born into.
They deserved much better and were separated by a selfish man's whims. Gavyn can have all of my strength if it means to return their memories even if the reunion is bitter at the end of everything.
We end walking to the wood where it was rumored to have seances and sacrifices, we got in-depth information that there is a cabin back there concealing witch materials as someone who had been held in one.
I most likely believe it, I also been shot and somehow survived by a mad man who wanted to take Chara from me.
"Christian, are you okay?" Alice asks.
"I am alright." Reply.
This forest had a path for hikers led by inlaid stones to walk on, it eventually stops at a dead-end where a sign that reads 'no trespassers', I take in all the sights where the forest floor is covered in golden leaves, the trees are barren. Despite it being winter there is no snow here to pad upon.
"I am tired! Why do we have to do it?" Steel complains.
"You are the one who volunteered us all! Don't you remember?" Clarence shouts.
Placing her fingers to her lips she stands there confused, you could have sworn by how she acts that she did not recall something she set up for the rest of us.
"No…I don't…" Steel said slowly.
Turning away from Clarence the rest of us watching her throw a tantrum, Clarence picks her up swinging her over his shoulder.
"Come on, we got to make tracks." Clarence scolds us.
Not too far from the area where Steel threw a fit, we could see a bonfire rising high into the air, you could hear the logs of wood-burning, tambourines, small drums could be heard being beat echoing into the air and dissipating while cries of laughter were heard, shadows danced into the trees.
In the parade of women prancing in a circle, a man with long brunette hair makes his way into the large circle holding a medium-sized dagger made from black stone deriving from a volcano's rock, the fine blade gleaming against the light of the fire.
A young lady comes out behind him dressed in maid clothing wearing a wreath of flowers, the colors are skewed making everything fuzzy drawn by the darkness of the light reflecting.
"Keep it together Christian…" Colton whispers.
"I know…"
Steel plops out of Clarence's hands sprinting to the pow-wow of witches, the man has a look of surprise on his face.
"Looks like we have a new friend to join us…oh…you aren't a witch." He states.
"I have to ask, are you one of the groups doing scarlet moon chants?" Steel asks.
They all turn to us hiding in the bushes, our eyes shine as animals do. The women motion for us to come out to join them. The girl dressed as a maid signals with her fingers toward me.
Alex pushes me out of the brush, Alice takes my hand racing for the party ahead of us. Colton has this serious expression on his face. I let go of her hand strolling back.
"Gavyn, what's wrong?" I ask.
"You should be rounding them up to meet the next group Christian." He explains.
"You should lighten up a little man!" I shout.
Alice was trying to pull Alex up to dance with her, he would knock her away. Steel drew her away from his attention to dance with the other witches. Lately, Gavyn's manifestations have been taking a harder toll on my energy.
The man was talking to the floral-dressed maid, she noticed me ogling her. I swivel around gawking at the dark forest, Gavyn's outline became apparent to me. His head was nodding back and forth at me.
Perhaps not all witches are like Saniya, I smile at the smarmy spirit that finally evaporates. Turning around the girl is in my face down to my eye level smiling at me with her hands behind her back.
"H-hello?" I answer.
She giggles not answering at first, I finally note that she isn't wearing a maid dress, but a brown traditional gown during used during Octoberfest.
"You know we make our beer?" She says.
Handing me a tinned beer I have never seen before from this area, a small witch dressed in floral printed on the front. She hands me another from her apron giving me a smile.
"When did witches start brewing?" I wondered.
"Oh, you don't know this area at all then!" She states.
I pop the tab first sampling a little, but she takes my arm swinging it back so I would chug it down. Her elbow sat my knees as she closed in on my flushed cheeks, I was worried since I haven't drunk in a long time.
"I guess…I don't."
Opening another I laugh at Steel attempting to dance with the other girls, she was learning the gestures for the 'Mother' or 'Goddess' dance meant for young witches. The man comes over to me after my third drink.
Unable to get up I thought he was going to help me up, the sound completely stopped. The fire has grown dimmer, I don't see Steel or Alice, the other witches have gone missing suddenly.
"Glad you are enjoying your time, but now it's up!" He said.
Hobbling to my feet, I drop the half-empty can trying to get away. A simple whack to the back of my head and I am out again…