‘But how’s that possible? There is no stone or metal…oh, that’s it. The iron in my blood allows me to make runes out of it.’ She eyed the rune carefully, as though it would disappear if she so much as blinked. She glanced towards her kids, and found them to be too occupied with their game to notice her, and so she held her amulet glove out over the blood rune and watched in fascination as it morphed to her design, turning into a mimicry of the paralysis rune she had been working on. A poor copy to be sure, but a copy none the less. While it was surely taking more magic than her normal runes did since it had less metal and was made straight from her blood, the sheer possibilities she could think of with this were endless. She carefully broke the small blood rune, washing the now normal blood down the sink. ‘This…this could be very useful in the future.’ Aethel watched the blood drain down the sink. After a few moments and making sure none of the food was contaminated with her blood, she continued to cook. The meat sizzled on the skillet, and the Tatoes boiled and softened in the pot.
“Mom, is dinner almost done yet?” Craeft asked. He had finished playing cards with his friend and was drooling slightly at the delicious smell of his mother’s cooking.
Mona was just happy to be there, with an actual family. She could see that Aethel loved Craeft dearly, and she wished her own mother would love her like that, instead of seeing her as an alchemical accomplishment. In fact, the more she thought about it, the small time she had spent here made her feel more at home and welcomed than the time she had spent in the manor.
The feelings that ran through her mind left her confused, since her time with the Proudhill’s had left her feeling like they were more of a family than her own. Mona would have to think further on these thoughts, as Aethel placed the fully finished meal down on the table. She was used to having foods that would make simple foods like the ones Aethel was serving look like commoners’ food, but she couldn’t deny that it smelt good.
But it wasn’t the food that got to her, but the sheer sense of warmth that surrounded the small family. Dinners with her mother were cold and joyless affairs, yet in Aethel’s home, she couldn’t help but be in awe as they seemed to include her in their family’s meal.
As if she was a part of their own family.
The many muscular pumps that functioned as her heart warmed at the thought, and it warmed even further as Aethel sent her a small smile before a few words left her lips.
“Alright. Time to eat!”
Chapter Eight
It had been two weeks since Mona’s week-long stay, and Aethel believed she was ready for that night’s confrontation. That night would be a full moon, and she had prepared thusly for another encounter with the ravenous atrocity of nature that tried to devour her.
She had reciprocated Ailbe’s invitation to watch her daughter with one of her own, and now Craeft laid with the noblewoman behind safe wards, that while not up to Aethel’s admittedly high standards, were nothing to snuff at.
Aethel wore the green dress she had arrived in Athsbane with, its large frame covered in stitches. She wore pants with many pockets underneath, filled to the brim with any runes she could create in the time she had. Merezin Mines, Exploders, Flashers, even a few barrier ones.
She would not be caught off guard by this beast once again.
But most importantly, she had experimented with her blood runes, and managed to make many of her normal runes out of them.
They would suit her just fine for what was to come.
Aethel found Lianza lounging in the kitchen, a cup of coffee near her lips. The situation between the two had grown ever more hostile, and she would not regret what she was about to do. “All dressed up and ready to go hunt the werewolf down?” Lianza asked, her eyes filled with contempt. “I’ve told you before that it’s a waste of time and a stupid idea, yet you keep trying to defy me. Idiot.”
“I haven’t felt safe since that beast attacked me, and knowing it’s out there, probably just waiting to get another pound of flesh…no, I’m going to help end the beast.” Aethel’s eyes were filled with determination. “Besides, it’s my home, and I can do what I want, regardless of what you think.”
“You seem to want to leave Craeft an orphan. What a terrible mother.” A chill filled the air, as if some unspoken rule had been broken. “So not only are you stupid, but you’re selfish too. I bet it’ll have to be a close casket funeral once the werewolf is done with ya. I can already imagine your little brat cryin’ as you get lowered down into the ground, knowin’ that what was left was probably some nice wet chunks of-“
She never got to finish as Aethel pulled a knife out of her pocket and slashed her palm. A small line of blood trickled out as she slammed her hand onto Lianza’s forehead, the crimson liquid spreading out into lines and forming a rune on her. “What the-what are you doing?! Get your gross hand off of,” Lianza’s words started to slur as she began to slow down. Her eyes widened, panic written across them as clear as day.
“What…what…is…happening…to…me?”
Aethel glared at her as she cleaned her knife and healed her palm with a quick utterance of “Curin”, her Amulet Glove glowing as a green light left it and closed the small wound on her palm. “What you’re experiencing now is my Paralysis Rune. You should feel honored since it’s the first time I’ve used it on a person.” Aethel said, the blood having transformed into a rune that was shaped like a circle with a dot in the middle on the woman’s head. “You know Lianza, on a certain level, I can sympathize with you. You were destitute because of your father, and had little money. I can understand that, really, I can. But you are one of the most repulsive human beings I have ever known.” Aethel got closer to Lianza, her brown eyes staring into Aethel’s green ones. The brunette was surprised by the anger she saw in them. “You could threaten and degrade me all day. I can take that, but you insulted both my child and my parenting skills, and that in my books is unforgivable.”
Aethel made to walk out of the kitchen, before she turned back towards Lianza, the woman stuck in her chair. “Enjoy sitting there for the next few hours. Perhaps that’ll give you some time to think about how stupid what you said was.”
Lianza glared at Aethel, her eyes filled with a mixture of rage and panic. Her body twitched as she fought through the paralysis seal. “Still…an…idiot!” She whispered out through clenched teeth as her hand moved towards her bead necklace.
Aethel was nearly out of the front door to her home, her broom in hand as she was rearing to take off, before she heard a noise. Green eyes widened as she spotted the twitchy movements of Lianza. ‘How is she still moving?! I’ve tested it on large animals like crattlerats, and they went down in an instant! With the empowered effects of the Blood Runes, there should be a zero percent chance of her moving at all!’
Lianza reached up to her bead necklace, and opened one of the beads, revealing a small vial inside. Her hand shakily took it out, uncorked it, and held it up to her lips. The strange purple liquid slid down her throat, and it was then that Aethel knew that she had messed up.
Lianza’s form began to distort. Her body started to turn grey and grow fur, her jaw distended till it looked similar to a canine’s and one of her eyes turned a hellish red. Her bones cracked and snapped, nearly making Aethel vomit from the sound of her limbs, the brunette’s arms still bearing the puncture wounds, stretched and distorted. Lianza’s left eye fell to the floor and shattered, revealing itself as a fake and she rose to her full glory.
“Werewolf. You were the werewolf the whole time!” Aethel cried out in fear. Lianza’s movements were distorted. Her body twitched horribly as she fought the rune on her forehead, which left Aethel plenty of time to hop onto her broom and speed off into the night.
She kicked the broom off to its top speeds, the engine glowing red hot as the Cry-fuel burned. Aethel would need to inform her friends of this!
Especially since, even far away, she could spot its crimson eyes tracking her! Aethel had no doubt that Lianza w
ould simply be able to follow the smell of the fuel and would tear her to pieces when she got the chance!
Under the gaze of the full moon, she arrived at Gawain’s home, a large crattlerat sign posted above his home, several barns present in the back. The sign of the giant furless, six-legged rodent stared down at her as if it was laughing at her with its beady black eyes as she slammed her hands on the door, nearly banging it down with her hands as she furiously beat it.
‘C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon! OPEN UP!’ She thought before the sight of Gawain filled her vision, a furious look on his face.
“Who is it?! Stop banging!” Aethel barged past the man, Gawain quickly realizing who it was. “And just come into my home unannounced.”
“No time! Lianza’s on her way!” Aethel said, her voice filled with panic. Gawain raised an eyebrow at that as he wondered why she was so scared of that servant Ms. Alcott had given her. Sure, she was a rude woman, but surely the small brunette was no match for Aethel, especially with the blonde’s physical advantage.
Rayan stepped into the room, his Caster in one hand. “I think you’re going to have to be more specific ma’am. I don’t exactly see how she’s a threat. I mean, from what I saw of her when I visited your store, you could probably break her neck with one hand if I’m being honest.” Gawain nodded at that.
“Lianza is the werewolf! She had some vial that she hid in that bead necklace of hers! Once she drank it, she started to transform and so I got out of there!” Aethel’s green eyes were wide with panic. “She definitely followed me here-“
“Wait, what?!” Gawain yelled. “We’re nowhere near ready! I haven’t even got the traps set up yet and-“ His voice was interrupted by the howl of the werewolf that, while distant, was still close enough to hear. “Crap! Rayan, get your Caster ready and meet me out back! Aethel, come with us too!”
“Good idea. Fighting the abomination in close quarters is suicide.” Aethel said. She felt slightly hypocritical as she spoke those words, even Rayan sending a glance her way with amusement in his eyes. “Don’t say a word.”
“Sure thing.” He replied. A smirk was still spread across his face though, and Aethel felt very tempted to smack it off of him.
The trio arrived outside the home, the Crattlerat’s screeching in the barns as they heard the predator’s howl, clearly terrified, yet trapped in their stalls and unable to get out. Aethel couldn’t help but feel bad for them, but right now, she cared less about the animals and more about their own survival.
The next howl was certainly closer, which caused the animal’s screeches to intensify and make it harder to locate the beast.
“There she is!” He yelled as he saw the werewolf’s red eyes and fired his caster. A bright purple beam left the barrel and flew through the air. While he had meant to hit Lianza’s head and end the beast’s life right then and there, he had unfortunately only managed to nick her ear and infuriate the she-wolf to new heights.
Lianza ran forth with speeds that no human could match and smacked the caster out of Rayan’s hands, but the redhead had served in the military, and was not going to be stopped simply because his caster was taken from him.
He pulled out a knife from his pocket, ducking under the overhead strikes from the werewolf, the beast clearly trying to decapitate him, and jammed it into its side. Lianza let out a horrid screech as blood flowed from the wound, Rayan pulling it out and stabbing her once again, trying to do as much damage to the abomination of nature as possible.
“Inferniferus!” He shouted out as an enormous amount of magic flowed from his amulet glove in red wisps, into his knife. It glowed hot as he engaged the beast in close quarters, the air sizzling around it as Lianza desperately tried to dodge. As the superior specimen, she was not used to being forced to give ground in close quarters, and it showed as Rayan put his military training to the test.
Gawain and Aethel were stunned at the sheer proficiency of the man as he weaved underneath Lianza’s strikes and left cuts on her body, the burns causing the she-wolf tremendous pain. They had wanted to join in, but the two were so close together, that any spells they sent their way could very well hit Rayan as well.
Unfortunately, Rayan’s resistance was not to last as he made a crucial mistake and overextended himself. Something Lianza took advantage of as she slashed him across the chest. Blood spewed out of the wound as he fell to the ground, and Lianza seemed to regard him as finished as she moved onto Gawain.
The older man grimaced as he was forced to stand his ground. Aethel knew that he didn’t stand nearly as much of a chance as Rayan, but he would have to fight.
Or die.
He aimed his amulet glove at the foe. Despite him being a mere farmer, he seemed to know many painful spells to keep his animals in line. “Tasaprod!” He yelled out his defiance as a small trail of lightning left his hand and temporarily stunned the beast. It was a spell he used to shock cattle if they got too out of line, and though she was a werewolf, it seemed to be just as effective on her as it was to the crattlerats. “Aethel, you got anythin’?!” He yelled out as the beast seemed to stop seizing from the electricity and began to rear up for a go at the man.
“GOT THESE!” She yelled as she tossed several small stones near the werewolf. A pale green-square barrier sprung up from one, blocking the three from the front of Lianza. The other runic stones, however, began to glow menacingly before they detonated, peppering the werewolf with molten hot shrapnel. “Yes, my Exploders worked!”
She smiled as the beast struggled to stand, blood pouring out of her wounds. Soon, the threat to them would come to an end and she could finally rest easy knowing her and Craeft were safe and she knew Gawain would be relieved that his wife had been avenged.
However, her hopes were dashed as the beast let out a sickening cackle. The stones popped out of its body and the holes they left quickly closed up.
“Improved…formula.” Lianza cackled out as she smashed through the barrier and bit down on Gawain’s shoulder!
He let out a cry of agony as he went down, his amulet glove glowing with power as he attempted to get the she-wolf off of him.
Lianza would not let give him that chance however, as she bit down on his fingers and tore them off, taking his right hand with it. His cries turned into shouts as he cradled the ruined remains of his right hand.
With Gawain incapacitated by the pain flowing through his body, that only left one more target for Lianza. The she-wolf slowly walked up to Aethel, enjoying the terror in her eyes as it got closer and closer.
“Electranius!” She yelled out, her amulet glove glowing with power as lightning lanced out of it. However, it was simply too slow as Lianza ducked down, the intense beam of energy passing over her. She let out a sick chortle as she lunged at the blonde woman, and slashed across her torso, leaving a nasty gash.
With haste, Aethel pulled out a runic stone and held it in her palm, her other hand clutching her chest as blood leaked out of the wound.
Another green barrier appeared as she held the Runic Stone in her hand, but it was quickly breaking down under Lianza’s assault, the woman-beast clearly wanting to tear her to pieces. Aethel knew she stood little chance against it if the barrier broke down, but she had a plan. She bit her tongue hard, and lowered the barrier for just an instant.
Lianza overextended herself, her claws sailing past Aethel’s head and leaving a small cut on her cheek, and she reeled back for another blow, hoping to decapitate the woman that had dared to mock her and try and trap her.
She did not expect the blonde to spit blood in her face.
The rune on Lianza’s forehead grew a bright red. Despite her transformation, she hadn’t been able to get rid of the mark and hence, now powered by more blood, it activated once again, more powerful than before. “Rayan, quick! She’s paralyzed, but it’ll only last for a few moments!” She yelled out. The man had slowly stood up, glowing green stitches having come from his amulet glove, the bleeding having ceased.
Hellish red eyes gazed up into Aethel’s own, Rayan too busy helping his father and stopping the blood pouring out of the stump that used to be Gawain’s hand to notice the enmity between the two. Lianza’s body began to revert, her body having suffered to much damage to stay in its werewolf form, which left her lying on the ground, naked and cold in the spring air.
“You…idiots.” Lianza gritted out through her teeth. She was furious that they had managed to best her, and so quickly too. “How could you…do this to me?”
Gawain sneered. Even with the large amount of blood he lost, he couldn’t help but hate this woman for all that she took from him. “Because you took my wife from me, you monster.”
“I was…only following orders to pay…off my debt. The same one…my decrepit relic of a father left for me!” Lianza coughed into her hand. Her body was starting to shut down from the rapid transformation and reformation. She could feel it, the slow cold growing in her body. Even with her leg wound closed from turning back into a human, along with the stab wounds from Rayan, she knew this was the end. Even if she lived, one of the three would kill her.
Most likely Gawain or Rayan, she had murdered their loved one, but possibly even Aethel. She knew the blonde woman had a vicious streak when she wanted to.
“What?” Gawain was flabbergasted, his mouth hung wide open at the statement. “My wife…was just a payment to you?! I guess your father was one as well considering your murdered him too!”
“Murdered them?” She let out a laugh. “Oh, of course you’d think that you fool. No, I didn’t murder them, that’d be a waste. Ms. Alcott needed test subjects for her alchemy projects after all.” All three of the trio’s eyes widened at that statement. “Ah, now you’re getting it Aethel…why I called you an idiot. You put your trust in that monster. The same monster who has whittled me down to nothing less than a glorified pet project!”
A New Life Page 9
