by Paul Simpson
Chapter 11
5th witch / Element of Fire
Ffion stood before a large, old factory building. The brickwork had begun to crumble and various plants were growing from the cracks in its walls, but from how busy it was with workers and delivery trucks all around, it was still prospering. As she walked close and around to the front of the building she noticed a large sign over the main doorway with a large red dragon upon it. “Firebright Fireworks,” she read. Grabbing a hardhat and discarded jacket, Ffion made her way in through the shutter doors.
Moving swiftly through the racking Ffion ducked and dodged around the boxes and fork-lift trucks as they moved the deliveries. Finding a dark corner out of the way she began to use her powers again to search for the last witch. In the pit of her stomach came a sharp pain and the strange blue glow from under her skin that she had seen before grew with burning intensity.
Ffion moved behind some crates and held her breath in pain so as not to make a noise and give away her position. The pain spread up her body and into her arms while her torso cramped in agony. Staggering a few steps, Ffion fell to her knees as the pain and blue glow crawled up her skin and moved into her head, where just for a few seconds there was a flash of energy as her right eye turned an icy blue, while her left went yellow. As quickly as it had begun, the pain disappeared. Catching her breath, she climbed back to her feet.
“I don’t know what’s happening to me but it can’t be good. As soon as this is over I’m checking it out.”
Moving onward through the building, the trail led to an open area of the warehouse. Confused, Ffion looked around for where the witch could be. In the silence she could hear a woman’s voice as if speaking to someone on a phone. Looking up, Ffion saw the suspended office she was standing under. To the side was a small staircase that seemed to be the only way up or down. It was no use, to take the staircase would be madness, it was far too open to defend and attack from. There had to be another way to get the witch to come down, but how?
More staff passed nearby and Ffion moved back to the shadows against the wall to hide. As she moved backward, all the time making sure the coast was clear, she let out a small “Ow!” as she felt something sharp graze against her back. Turning to look, she had bumped into a small red box screwed into the wall. “Break glass in case of fire," she read. "That will do nicely,” as she began to heat up one of the nearby wooden boxes with magic to cause a little smoke to make it more believable.
The fire alarm rang out at a deafening pitch and all the workers began to run and move to the main exits to get clear of any danger, given the contents of the warehouse. From up above, the sound of boots on metal clanged under every step as the walkway vibrated. Ffion watched and waited as the woman came down from the office to the main floor. Standing in silence at the base of the stairs, Ffion waited for her to pass and then grabbed the woman from behind. The woman struggled to get free of Ffion’s grip.
“Who are you?“ shouted the woman. “There’s an alarm! We have got to get out before this place catches alight. Are you crazy? Let me GO!”
Ffion stood firm with her grip when suddenly there came another voice.
“I’d let her go if I were you my friend. I believe your little trap was for me. Bravo, well done, you got me!” The real witch scoffed as Ffion let go of the employee, who ran for the door to get out.
Ffion stood ready as she faced the fifth witch. She was dressed like the other employees in a loose shirt, jeans, and steel toecap boots. Ffion was surprised her tracking was so wrong and was slightly confused that the witch had got the drop on her instead.
The witch laughed. “I can read that expression like a book, wondering how I knew you were coming, how I got the upper hand. You’d be crazy to think that we don’t keep tabs on each other, me being the last one… Thank you, I’m honoured to be the last, I think, and as for the slight misdirection, it's easily done if you know you're being hunted in advance. I'm surprised it worked so easily if I’m honest.”
Ffion felt slightly stupid, her over confidence had blinded her, opening up room for flaws in her complacency that she had the upper hand. It didn’t matter now, the alarm was still ringing but everyone else had fled outside to safety.
“I’m guessing you know why I’m here then. Give up now and… Actually, no, let’s settle this the hard way," said Ffion as her hands began to crackle with energy.
The witch held up her hand to stop Ffion and began to circle her as she spoke.
“Do you know why we are doing all this, the prophecy? It’s because of you. We first thought it was your mother, that’s why Jack had her killed but she finished him off before his plan could take effect. But as we know, his plan did pay off. We were sent out of the village to protect the anchors for Jack. The village we all come from is a power source to us, increased tenfold with your mother’s ghost there. Her near unique energy boosts the power limits and in turn it feeds our powers as long as we stay within the realms the portals sent us to. If you continue on this path, it will bring about an end of days for everyone."
Ffion laughed. “ You expect me to believe all that? Jack sent you here to protect himself not the world, to forge an escape plan from his Hell. I might add, I put an end to that while you all just sat in your own little worlds thinking you were doing the right thing. As for a prophecy, I’ve never heard of it so forgive me if I ignore it and get back to the part of taking your soul to free my mother.”
The witch became unsettled at Ffion’s reply. Had Jack played them for a fool or was the prophecy true? “Then if you won’t believe me, at least let me enlighten you before we try to destroy each other.”
"The prophecy says the One will stand against us and rise up the four who will ride across the lands and lay waste until their path is clear from those who oppose them, sealing us away from the light to wither and feed upon each other’s souls until we have consumed ourselves to the last. Those lucky enough to escape this fate will forever walk the lands in the fear that the riders will hunt for them and damn them into the darkness of Hell’s pit. You will know the coming of the end when one whose blood comes from the future but lives in the past of our times walks among us and they will wield the power of dark and light."
“Sounds a lot like your mother doesn’t it? And that’s why we have to put a stop to you and your plans to release her before you damn us all.”
Ffion had listened but it couldn’t be true. She’d been around for centuries and never heard anything like this, but what if? Shrugging off her doubts she turned her gaze back on the witch.
“It’s a good story, but that’s all it is so let’s make this quick. Just give me what I want, your soul in place of my mother's and if these riders turn up to destroy the world, I guess I’ll just have to take care of them as well.”
The witch smiled back at her, almost laughing, “If that’s what you want then fine, but answer me one question. You didn’t actually think it was safe to start a fire to set the alarm off, did you?”
With a loud explosion a box of fireworks set off sparkling and whistling by into the other storage boxes around them. Ffion had ducked to the floor for cover as a dozen more boxes began to hiss with lit fuses about to go off. The witch moved quickly away in the distraction and Ffion picked herself up from the ground and gave chase. BOOM! Several more crates rocked the building and finally silenced the alarm as rockets and fountains glittered, spinning and exploding in a rainbow of colours around the two as they fired blasts of energy at each other, adding to the magnificent spectacle of their powers glowing in explosions of smoke.
Greens, blues and golds sparkled, fizzed, and fired through the air as the two fought on. Managing to get a little closer, the pair came to blows and kicks as a rocket fizzed between them through the air, landing on yet another box of rockets and lighting the contents within.
The smoke was beginning to build up and the witch used this to her advantage to slip out of Ffion’s reach. Ffion looked around her but there were now quite a few
fires burning as well as the constant barrage of the burning fireworks. From above came the clanking of boots on a walkway. The witch had gone up the stairwell and was running to her office suspended from the roof supports. Ffion gave chase and fired a few blasts off to help slow down her rival.
Running up the stairs Ffion looked ahead to see the witch at the office door. The witch smiled and fired a few blasts back at her. Ducking down to the floor, Ffion watched as the witch's next shots were aimed at the walkway. Each blast made a hole as she got to her feet and ran to the office. As the floor gave way and crashed into the burning factory floor of glittering sparks and smoke, Ffion made a leap through the air to reach the office door. With a thud she collided into the metal frame, winding herself as she struggled to pull herself up. Looking through the doorway, she could see a foot of the witch disappear up through a roof hatch before it closed behind her.
Catching a breath, Ffion looked around the office windows as the whole factory was now ablaze and the sound of fire engines could be heard over the roar of the flames and explosions of the fireworks still going off. The crates began to explode in the fires with a BOOM, followed by a tirade of colour and whistling sparks, hitting the glass of the office as the metal below her feet began to heat up. Her boot grips turned tacky to walk with as she peeled them off the hot surface like tar.
The roof hatch had been sealed shut and she banged on the latches to release them as the structure below her began to give and collapse. Harder and harder she hit out at them to move, her eyes slowly turned white.
From upon the roof, all seemed calmer in the evening air. The witch stood and watched the hatch while the flicker of flames licked the air around the corners of the roof, as the odd rocket sparkled and flew into the sky, lighting up the approaching dark. With a loud bang the hatch suddenly flew off into the air and crashed down next to her feet.
Ffion rose up through the hatch and slowly hovered back down to the rooftop, ready for a fight. The witch just smiled back at her, almost impressed by her powers and ability. The pair got ready to charge as they prepared themselves for a fight.
Ffion was the first to move swiftly followed by the witch, as they ran head first at each other. Step after pounding step, they thundered across the roof when suddenly the floor began to break up from the heat of the fire and the vibrations of boots across it. With a loud crack, the floor beneath Ffion broke and she tumbled into the hole now beneath her. Landing with a winding blow at her stomach when she hit the hole’s edge, Ffion scrambled for a grip to stop her falling through to the engulfing fire below. The witch walked carefully closer as she stood over Ffion and laughed.
Looking down, she smiled. “Looks like your end is finally here. Any last words before I break your fingers?”
Ffion grimaced at her failing grip. “Yeah,” she huffed, “I found this in the office, you take a lousy picture!” She began to laugh as she held up the witch’s ID pass on a lanyard.
The witch seemed confused by Ffion’s humour but it was a diversion for Ffion to make the best of. With a strong pull she threw the ID badge and grabbed onto the witch’s ankle, causing her to also fall over and slip into the hole with Ffion’s weight attached to her. The witch now hung onto the exposed roof structure with Ffion dangling from her ankle.
“So congratulations Ffion, you’ve dammed us both but at least the world will be a safer place once you’re gone. The prophecy will be no more once your life is over. It almost makes it worth me letting go so we both burn up.”
Ffion was again confused “Then let go and be the hero.”
The witch scowled back. “I may want you dead but I’ve no wish to join you.” She reached out for anything she could find and caught the end of the lanyard. Wrapping the cord part around her wrist she cast a spell to turn the ID card's cord into steel wire so that it wouldn’t break.
“Well my dear, now I’ve secured myself it’s time to dispose of you into the fiery pit below” she said with evil glee. Ffion, still clinging from her legs, smiled back at her, much to the witch’s sudden dismay.
“You’re right,” said Ffion, “I’ve just one thing to say now you’ve used magic on that pass.” She started to murmur the spell.
The witch began to panic and scream as the spell took hold of her, her soul slowly slipping away from her body and into the ID card she had cast her magic upon to save herself, which was now the object of her undoing.
Ffion was now hanging from the lifeless body of the witch. The spell had taken effect and trapped her soul within her ID pass. The photograph upon it was screaming and banging her fists as if trapped behind a soundproof glass window. Ffion used the body as a ladder to climb back up to the roof, away from the ever-growing flames beneath her. The sound of sirens filled the air in blue flashes all around the building. Safely upon the roof and gasping for breath, she grabbed the witch's hand and began to unwind the cable from around her wrist. With the last twist the witch’s body fell into the burning inferno below and Ffion claimed her prize. As she walked to the edge of the roof voices shouted from below and a fire rescue ladder swung into view, ready to lead her to safety.
Ffion arrived back at the stones again to find her father and leopard-sized George sitting upon the hillside, out of breath.
“I take it from the look of you both things are getting worse?” she asked the duo.
“Imps again,” said John. “They seem to be coming in larger numbers. How did you do? I hope you got it because you look and smell half burnt.”
Ffion smiled. “Yeah, I nearly came back extra crispy but at least I came with this.” She waved the ID pass. “Now let's turn the last key on this and see what we get.”
Ffion moved closer to the last stone and put the badge next to it, where with a scream and blast of light and air, the fifth and final soul was taken by the stone pillar.
Jodie walked over to Ffion, who was looking a bit sad that nothing was happening. “It’s ok Ffion, you tried, thank you.”
Ffion became frustrated and began shouting toward the sky “I’ve done it, I GOT THEM ALL, SO WHAT’S WRONG? Just give me back my mother.”
John came closer with George as he rested his hand on his daughter’s shoulders. “You’ve done a noble thing my little girl, be proud of your achievement.”
Even George gave her a nudge as he rubbed his head against her leg. Ffion began to pace and think “There must be something else, something else, something!!!"
"Mother, I need something from you touched by your magic. That’s what the fourth witch spoke about. You’re the final key, we’ve got to unlock you. But how?”
George laughed. “Yeah right, HA! Where are we going to get something like that anymore? I mean the last thing you had was taken from you, which would mean….”
“Yes,” said Ffion, "I need to go back into the attic to find Jack's portal and get the ember necklace he stole from me.”
