The Blood Witch Chronicles
by L.A. Stinnett
The Blood Witch Chronicles is a work of fiction. Names, character and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locals is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by L.A. Stinnett
All rights reserved. This book or any portion may not be reproduced in any form electronic or mechanical or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the author.
Cover art by David Stinnett Copyright © 2020.
In loving memory of my father-in-law who passed while I was writing this story.
Much thanks to the many critique partners who provided much needed feedback in shaping this story.
Part One: Aftermath
1
First Steps
U'ka, dressed in heavily battle-scarred leather armor and a thick fur-collared woolen cloak, pulled a tarnished brass compass case from a rubble pile, adding it to her bag of scrap metal. She glanced over at another large pile filled with broken stone and splintered wood beams where her companion, Teek, a Flora Sapien plant being, dug around for treasures of his own. Commonly known as a Green Jack, the tall tree-like man had long arms and legs. His lithe frame was covered in impenetrable Iron Oak bark. He let out a squeal of glee as he reached his moss-covered arm into the rubble to pull out a handful of tiny pink rats. He opened his wide mouth and threw them in, swallowing them whole. Most Green Folk got their nutrition from soil and sun, but Teek was a carnivorous plant and relished the much-needed protein.
Satisfied she'd gathered enough metal to use for bartering at the next trading post, U'ka pulled the drawstring of the thick canvas bag and set it aside. She needed it to trade for information on where the last of the Daemon Lords might be hiding. A few managed to escape the purge that sent the Daemons back to the dark realm. If she did not track them down and send them back to the dark realm, they could wreak havoc on the land again.
She pushed a long strand of stringy blonde hair behind her ear and wiped thick sweat from her brow, leaving behind a dark smear from her dirt-covered hand. U'ka got to her feet to make a final pass of the ruined city center, wanting to make sure she hadn't missed anything valuable. They got a good haul due to a magical barrier still in place around the city, keeping scavengers from foraging through the rubble of the buildings, as they just did. The lightly glowing reddish barrier was set by a powerful Blood Daemon mage which should have fallen when the Daemons were banished back to their dark realm, but the magic still held firm.
U'ka tried to bring it down, but her magic was far too weak. She was still regaining her strength after being in a near comatose state for four months after the war ended. It took another two months for her to be strong enough to travel. Her body and soul suffered greatly from the ravages of the Blood War the Daemons wrought upon the land. She wondered if she would ever regain her once powerful, sleek fighting form.
She turned to check on her warhorse, Bud, and Daisy, their pack mule, grazing just outside the barrier. U'ka loved the great warhorse. They both barely survived the war. Teek found Bud lying in a ditch covered in blood, unable to move. The pack mule, named Daisy by his mother because he loved to play in the yellow flowers when he was a young foal, came to them in much the same manner. Teek carefully nursed them all back to health. They were very bonded to each other having gone through their recovery together.
When her Spell Breaker charm failed to bring down the barrier, Teek used the Green Ways, magical pathways connecting all plant life in Eleanthra, to get them through to the city. It wavered, distorting the view outside, like trying to see through a waterfall; creating the illusion of light shimmering off the big coal-black destrier and the grey mule. It almost seemed like they were moving in some strange dance. They left the animals outside because most couldn't tolerate traveling the Green Ways and went insane.
She walked the perimeter of the ruined city square, casting out a Seeking spells to find any other valuables possibly hidden in the rubble. Everything was so quiet and still, the kind of silence which unnerved every fiber of her being. Her boots were now stained black from the dark ash covering the ground. The few walls still standing were covered in black soot from the raging fires that destroyed the city.
U’ka was haunted by all the dark brown spatters of long dried blood seeming to cover everything. This was where the people of the city made their futile last stand against the invading army of Daemons. She could almost hear the echoes of their screams and hated that she'd been powerless to stop the slaughter here and at every other city center in Eleanthra wiped off the map by the Daemon hordes.
U'ka's Seeking spell turned up no more hidden treasures among the ruins. Satisfied they found everything of value in the city square; she signaled to Teek she was ready to leave.
With a questioning look on his face, he pointed into the ruined city where a few partial buildings still stood. The destruction here was complete, this once vibrant city now just an empty shell.
"No, Teek. It's going to be dark soon. I don't want to spend the night inside the city. Too much death and echoes of dark power here. I know I told you I wanted to find someplace with a real roof to sleep under tonight, but I'd rather camp in the forest again than spend the night here."
Teek exhaled, holding out his hand. Unlike the other Green Folk, Teek's species of flora never developed speech. He communicated by a series of creaks and groans she learned to understand when they fought together during the war.
"The bag's not too big, is it?" she asked, knowing there was a size limit on inanimate objects he could pull through the Green Ways.
Teek indicated it was fine with a wave of his arm.
U’ka picked up her bag of scrap metal and took his smooth wood hand as they walked towards a thorny bush. The air shimmered around the leaves from Teek's opening of the Green Ways which allowed the Green Folk to travel anywhere in Eleanthra within a few heartbeats. She closed her eyes before they were pulled through. Even short trips made her head ache. Her magic and that of the Green Folk were not entirely compatible and traveling the Green Ways always messed with her head.
U'ka strapped the sack to the back of the pack mule with everything else they scavenged during their travels and gave the patient mule a caress along his fuzzy cheek.
"Thank you for all your hard work, Daisy. I promise we'll lighten your load once we get to the trading post."
The mule answered with a loud grunt instinctively, knowing his work would never be done.
She climbed into Bud's saddle, signaling Teek to lead the way. They traveled for another few hours, leaving the ruins of the city far behind them. His long legs let him cover lots of ground. He headed into the forest to gather wild tubers and root vegetables for her dinner once they made camp. Readying her bow, she pulled an arrow from the quiver on Bud's saddle. Teek usually flushed out any small game for her to shoot. A rabbit darted out just a few steps ahead of them. She let her arrow fly, piercing the brown rabbit through the neck. He picked it up and handed it to her, pulling the arrow free before tying the rabbit to her saddle. U’ka took the tubers he collected and stuffed them in a small saddlebag.
"Still no deer? We haven't seen anything larger than a badger since the war ended. I'm dying for something other than rabbit or pigeon or rat to eat."
Teek shrugged and walked off. She knew the Green Folk were helping the forests heal from the damages inflicted during the war, but where had all the large animals gone? They should have come back by now. The war couldn't have killed them all off; at least she hoped it wasn't the case.
They passed many more burned out buildings along a ru
tted road winding through an ancient forest of tall, twisted and heavily gnarled trees. Shafts of light fought their way through the dense canopy, lighting up the forest floor. The sound of birds and other small animals scurrying through the leaf litter filled the air around them. Teek pointed to a small clearing indicating to set up camp for the night.
U'ka dismounted to relieve the animals of their gear. Heat radiated off their warm bodies. She pulled out a rag from a leather saddlebag to wipe down their sweaty coats before brushing them out to get rid of the road dust. Waving her hand along the length of their bodies, she cast a spell to cool the air around their overheated bodies.
U'ka ran her hand along Bud's well-muscled, sleek body, marveling at the beauty of the great warhorse. He had a grand name as was the tradition with all great warhorses, but Teek told her it was a reminder of a violent past the proud horse wanted to forget, so he just wanted to be called Bud. The Equine Masters kept breeding the great warhorses even though the Green Folk forbade the first human refugees that landed on the shores of Eleanthra from waging any wars in their lands.
The warhorses fought bravely during the Blood War, as they were trained to do, but still fell to the overwhelming power of the Daemon hordes. As far as she knew, he was the only one to survive. Bud and Daisy's eyes were starting to glaze over from her careful grooming, so she knew she was done and left them to graze until they were ready to sleep.
Teek returned with a pile of dry branches for the cooking fire. U'ka handed him the cooking pot to fill with water. He silently communicated with the forest plants to find a nearby stream.
She formed a fire spell symbol in her mind and cast out her magic. The wood slowly started to smolder, small flames formed and spread quickly through the dry wood. She pulled out her hunting knife to cut up the tubers. Teek returned with a pot of water and hung it over the roaring campfire; their nightly routine now well-practiced.
U'ka tossed the vegetables in, then gutted and skinned the rabbit, careful to keep the pelt as intact as possible so she could add it to the roll of small animal hides she collected for trading. She cut up the meat and added it to the already bubbling stew. Teek scooped up the entrails and bones of the rabbit and slurped them down with a satisfied grin.
* * * * * *
With her stomach full of rabbit stew, she scraped the skin clean of all the sinew, then laid it out flat to dry overnight. It was a full and tiring day. She pulled out her bedroll and laid it near the fire before stripping down to her muslin under clothes. Exhausted from their hard day of scavenging, she felt tired down to her bones and knew she would fall asleep fast.
Teek silently stood guard nearby. Small roots from his feet dug into the ground, connecting him to the forest for many acres around them. No one would get near their camp without him detecting them. He'd been her guardian during the war and saved her life many times. Now he kept watch over her, continuing to fulfill his oath. She could rest secure, knowing she wouldn't be attacked in the night.
Sleep came quickly, fitful at first, then a deeper sleep leading to dark dreams of the war. Daemon and humans viciously slaughtered each other with sword, polearm, ax and bow. Daemon mages cast all manner of deadly magic. Men fell dead where they stood, their faces twisted in horrible pain. U'ka stood in the middle of the raging battle; blood soaked the ground all around her. She felt the warm liquid seeping through the soles of her boots. Blades viciously sliced into flesh, creating so much blood spatter, the air filled with a thick red mist. It became nearly impossible to breathe. The agonized screams of the dying intensified until she could no longer stand the carnage going on all around her.
U'ka clawed her way back to consciousness to escape the horrible nightmare. Her screams filled the night as she threw the blanket off and looked down at her body covered in a thick sweat, relieved she wasn't soaked in blood. Even in her dreams, she could not escape the horrors of the war. With heavy breaths, she looked up at the night sky to calm herself and slow her frantic breathing. Scattered stars shone through breaks in the wide tree canopy. Crickets chirped their lonely song in the darkness, reassuring her all was well.
Teek’s wooden hand appeared in front of her face holding a small red seed.
U'ka took it from him and sniffed. "Baku seed?"
He nodded, motioning towards his mouth.
"I know what is for," she said, popping the bitter seed into her mouth. It numbed her throat as she swallowed and worked its way through her entire body, sending her into a blissful, dreamless sleep.
"Thank you," she mumbled, her eyelids now too heavy to remain open.
* * * * * *
U'ka felt a nudge on her shoulder. What now? I’ve just fallen asleep. Eyes slowly peeling open, she saw Teek's thick bark covered legs in front of her.
"Can't I sleep in just one day?" she groaned.
Teek let out a low rumble, pointing upwards, the sun already high in the warm blue sky.
"Alright, alright. I'm up," she said, sitting up, still wrapped in her thick blanket.
He set a cloth filled with fruit, berries and nuts down before her.
"You actually found an apple tree?" she said before biting into the ripe, delicious red apple.
Teek let out a series of clicks and creaks that told her he found an abandoned orchard not too far away. He handed her a warm cup which she lifted to her nose, smelling the familiar spicy aroma of Balla Bark, a strong tea to help wake her up.
"Thanks, mom, you're too good to me."
Teek rolled his eyes in response.
Man, I really miss bread, thought U'ka while she ate her meal. It'd been so long since she'd eaten warm bread fresh from the oven that it seemed like such a luxury now.
She finished her meal then stood up to stretch before checking on the animals. Bud and Daisy were happily crunching away on a pile of apples. Their ragtag group would have never made it this long if not for Teek taking care of them. She dressed quickly, wrapping her long wool cloak around herself against the chill of the morning air. Fastening her sword belt, she checked her weapons to make sure they were in good shape. They hadn't run into any marauders yet, but their luck couldn't last forever. U'ka picked up the now dried rabbit skin and added it to her roll of pelts.
Teek led Bud and Daisy to a nearby stream to get their fill of water while U'ka packed up camp. A burlap sack full of apples lay next to their supplies. Teek was always good at thinking ahead. These would come in handy for food or trade at the next outpost. Teek returned with the animals; she saddled up Bud while Teek loaded up Daisy. He softly patted the pack mules neck in appreciation.
U'ka smiled, knowing of the Green Folk's close bond with the animals of Eleanthra. They liked them much better than humans, who they just barely tolerated most of the time.
Stepping onto the dusty road, Teek set a fast pace for them to follow for the half-day ride to the trading outpost.
2
The Ruined Lands
A few hours into the ride, U'ka felt a chill in her bones, indicating the heavy presence of magic. Coming around a bend in the road, she saw it. A large open field locked in the icy grip of winter. The trees were covered in thick layers of sharp icicles that threatened to rain down death at the slightest nudge. Soldiers stood flash-frozen in mid-attack.
So much powerful magic was thrown around during the Blood War, it altered reality in many areas of Eleanthra. Some places, like this one, were locked in a bitter, freezing cold, others baked in relentless scorching heat. She tried and failed many times to break the spells that left these lands in ruin, but wasn't fully recovered from the damage inflicted on her body during the war. Her magic was still too weak; she did not have the physical and mental resources yet to draw enough magic to break the spells.
Teek pointed towards the area bordering the frozen land. His low grumble telling her it was a full week ride around the frozen wasteland. Time they did not have to spare.
U'ka sighed before dismounting to approach the cold border. The icy air stabbed at her ski
n through her thick leather armor, getting so cold she started to lose feeling in her hands. She took a few steps back from the icy air. A sparrow glided into the wasteland. It beat its wings frantically; letting out distressed chirps as heavy frost formed all over its body. The bird seemed to hang in the air before death spiraling towards the ground, disappearing into a deep snowbank. They couldn't enter the wasteland without freezing to death too. U’ka was unable to generate a heat spell strong enough to fight back the cold. It was either break the spell or waste precious time circumventing the frozen land.
She cast her magic out to assess the Daemon spell, feeling things were different this time. The Forever Frozen curse was weak and starting to break down. The weakness meant she now had a chance to break a Daemon curse which was usually far too strong for the base magics she currently had access to. She just needed to figure out a new strategy to finish the job of bringing it down. Instead of forming the magic symbol in her head, she decided to go back to her early magic training. U'ka held out her hand, pointed her finger and drew out a glowing Spell Breaker symbol in the air. Young apprentices were taught to do this in the beginning because it made forming the magic easier. She wasn't sure the trick would work, but it was all she had at this point. U’ka didn't want to disappoint Teek again, he was depending on her to free the lands from these terrible curses.
With one last flourish, the symbol glowed brighter. She pushed all her magic power into it. A slight tremor in the ground slowly built in intensity until a thunderous crack filled the air as the Forever Frozen spell shattered and fell away.
Dizziness doubled her over. U'ka placed her hands on her knees, breathing hard. It'd been so long since she was able to draw a meaningful amount of magic, she felt completely drained. Spell breaking charms were simple base magic, but even basic magic taxed what little strength she possessed. She wouldn't be able to cast magic like this again for quite some time. But she'd done it. Her little Spell Breaker charm brought down the much stronger Daemon curse.
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