"Yes, burned to the ground. Every tree reduced to a charred and decaying piece of lumber, the ground ruined and dried up completely, everything wiped out all because of her fire,” she said with a glare at the witch. Alyssa broke down crying as she held an arm over her eyes, crying like a little girl as the group looked at her with wonder. Specca looked down with worry then glanced away.
"The traveling witches that came through here told of the fabled Wildfire Witch, and how she set loose a horrible firestorm that wiped everything out. The witches that lived there were forced to flee and leave their home while many perished in the flames. Nothing could stop it, the firestorm burned its way all the way out towards the edge of the forest," she explained softly.
"I didn't mean to!" Alyssa cried out.
"Oh, well if you didn't mean to then I guess all is forgiven," Tora said with a harsh glare.
"Is that true, Alyssa? Why… why would you do such a thing?" Daniel asked worriedly. Alyssa sobbed a bit then looked to him with tears dropping down her face.
"I didn't mean to, honest. I never wanted that to happen, that forest was my home too, I loved it there," she whimpered.
"Then why burn it to the ground like that?" Triska asked shaking her head. Alyssa trembled then looked down.
"There were so many wolves around my home, so many wolves. I hated them so much; I wanted them to just leave me alone. They killed my mother, they were a plague to all in the forest, I just wanted them gone forever," she said shakily. Tora merely watched her with a dull expression and a raised eyebrow while the others listened to her story closely. Alyssa took a breath then looked back to Daniel.
"I wanted to get rid of them, to keep them away from my home forever. So one day I started a fire near one of their dens. Just a small one," she said softly. Daniel looked at her curiously as she showed a concerned expression.
"All the witches in my family line can manipulate fire, but we can't control it precisely. We can move it around and somewhat direct it, but we cannot create it out of nothing nor control it perfectly," she continued. She looked back to the library ruins then over to Daniel again.
"I managed to stop this fire while I was still control. The more fire that's around me the stronger my magic becomes, and the stronger the fires become as well. The longer my fires burn the more wild they get, and harder to control," she explained. Daniel and the others looked at her curiously as she showed a fearful expression.
"I just wanted the wolves to be gone. I wanted to scare them off, scare them away from our forest forever. I wanted to burn their dens and frighten them away, but… the fire… it grew too fast. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't. My power raced out of control, the entire area around my home turned into a firestorm so quickly. I managed to keep my house from burning down by focusing the torrent around and away from it with all my power. It spun faster and faster… and faster… and faster… and it grew… bigger… and bigger," she said nervously, showing fear in her eyes as she remembered the monstrous wall of flame that once surrounded her home.
"Alyssa," Daniel said softly. Alyssa started breathing heavily and shaking her head.
"It got bigger and bigger and bigger still, the more it grew the more my magic surged out of control. I couldn't stop it, I couldn't even direct it. I lost complete control over it. Then it… it…" she said shakily.
"It annihilated that forest and the witches within it. A wall of fire 30 feet high and hot enough to melt steel, all flowing through the forest like an uncontrollable tidal wave," Tora said coldly. The group looked to Alyssa with surprise as she struggled not to cry again.
"I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop it!" Alyssa cried out shaking her head. She clutched her staff and held it closely with both hands as she looked down with fearful eyes.
"I couldn't control my magic; there was too much fire around me. I could only watch as it washed away from my home, and incinerated everything," she said shakily.
"Alyssa..." Daniel said softly. Alyssa shook her head then looked back to him.
"I wiped out the entire forest, I destroyed everything. And even after all that, the wolves still came back to inhabit the area once again, they never left me alone! I destroyed everything but the wolves!" she cried out, breaking down and crying again as the group looked at her with wonder. Triska looked at her friend then down with a remorseful expression.
"Alyssa, I’m sorry," Daniel said gently. She looked up to him with teary eyes.
"I never wanted you to know, I didn't want you to see me like that. I'm not a murderer, Daniel; I'm not a murdering monster. I… I never wanted to be, it was an accident. Please believe me," she begged loudly. She broke down crying as she hugged Daniel, the boy holding her as he showed remorse.
"I'm so sorry, Daniel, please, don't hate me," she said shakily.
"Alyssa, I don't hate you. You made a mistake, you didn't mean for the fire to go out of control like that," Daniel said softly. The group then looked to Tora as the witch was laughing with amusement.
"I love watching you suffer, I could almost have an orgasm from it alone," she said with a smirk. Alyssa looked to her with frustration and tears as Tora scoffed at her.
"Not that I cared about that forest myself, wasn't my home, wasn't my concern. Though I don't believe many witches felt the same way. But then there was Cyllidon, the city that you drowned two humans in only because they were annoying you," she said with a glare.
"She did what?" the Ashwood guard said looking back to Alyssa. Daniel looked at the girl as she shook her head worriedly.
"I just wanted them to leave me alone in the market, they were heckling me. I didn't know they couldn't swim, I never wanted to kill them!" Alyssa cried out.
"But you still did, and got us all banned from Cyllidon forever. That, Alyssa, was something that I cared about. That city was the one place remotely close to my home where humans practiced necro magic, the one place where I could sell my spells and unique potions for a fortune. And it was all taken away by you!" Tora yelled out with anger.
"It was an accident!" Alyssa cried out.
"You're the accident; you're the one that never should have been born! I still wish to this day that those damned wolves would have killed your mother before you ever would have been conceived, then the world would be a far better place all around!" Tora shouted out.
"So that's what this was all about? You attacked Ashwood just to get to Alyssa, all because she made a mistake and got witches banned from Cyllidon?" Daniel accused sternly. Tora glanced to him with narrowed eyes as Triska and the Ashwood guard kept their swords close to the witch's throat.
"No, human, as much as I hate Alyssa I didn't come all the way out here for her," she said with a bite at the end.
"Then why have you brought about this hell onto our city?" the Ashwood guard demanded, keeping her sword ready to strike down at a moment's notice. Tora smirked and closed her eyes.
"I don't need to explain anything to you. I have my reasons," she said simply.
"What greater purpose are you here for, Tora?" Alyssa asked cautiously. Tora looked over to her as Alyssa eyed her carefully.
"If I wasn't your target here, what was? Why attack this human city?" she asked. Tora smirked at the witch while everybody watched her carefully.
"Who said I was attacking the city?" she asked playfully.
A loud explosion was heard in the distance, with everybody looking over towards the northern side of the city.
“What was that?” Daniel asked.
"That didn't come from the block near us, that was further away," Specca said worriedly. The Ashwood guard narrowed her eyes then looked down to Tora, the witch smiling arrogantly at her. After a moment the woman growled with anger.
"You little monster, you're not attacking us, you're just distracting us," she accused sharply. Tora laughed and shrugged as the group looked off into the distance towards the northern side of the city.
"Distracting us? From what?" Triska asked cautiously.
*****
Inside the large rounded temple of the city a standoff was taking place, with three monsters seen in the artifact hall. Sasha and Rulo were standing together ready to fight, the reptile girl holding her large broadsword with both hands while the orc gripped her oversized hammer with a stern expression. Across the hall from them another figure was looking at them with an amused smile. However she wasn't a human, something they both were already aware of.
She was far from it.
"Well, I'm right here, girls. Come and get me," the succubus taunted while motioning them closer with her hand. Her eyes gave off a faint greenish glow while she chuckled amusingly to herself. Sasha narrowed her eyes and dashed towards the demon quickly, her tail whipping behind her as she held her sword to the side. She ran up and swung her blade around in a fierce crosscut, the blade missing as the demon jumped up over it with a laugh. Her wings flapped effortlessly as she hovered above, her dark tail swaying behind her while she smirked down at the reptile girl. Sasha leapt up and swung again at her, the succubus darting back with a laugh as she avoided the strike effortlessly. She looked down to see Rulo running towards the table with the artifact on it, having her hammer over her shoulder still as she ran under the succubus.
"No you don't, that belongs to me, my dear," the succubus said before she dived down towards the orc. Rulo glanced back then stopped in her tracks, swinging her massive hammer around with both hands back towards the demon. The succubus grabbed it with both hands as she landed down on the ground, her high heels screeching against the floor as she was pushed around in a small arc until she came to a stop. Rulo glared at the demon with frustration, the succubus holding the hammer with both hands and smiling amusingly.
"It belongs to my master," Rulo declared sternly. The succubus chuckled and pushed the hammer off to the side, the orc stumbling back before the demon darted forward and held a hand to her chest.
"Such misguided girls, following a human around like lost little kittens," she said playfully. In a flash Rulo was sent flying back as a shockwave of distorted light erupted from the demon's hand.
"Rulo!" Sasha called out as the orc flew back through several tables before rolling to a stop. Her large hammer crashed next to her and dug into the ground with a fierce thud as the orc groaned and slowly started to get up. The succubus casually flicked a few hairs over her shoulder then arched her left wing to the side to block the reptile girl’s swift attack, the sword clashing against the upper ridges of the demon's wing. It sparked and screeched yet did not cut through as the succubus glanced over with a smirk, showing no pain or discomfort from the blade against her wing.
"Aw, so close too," she said with a mocking pout. She whipped her tail to the side and struck Sasha in the chest, the reptile girl being thrown back and crashing into another table. As she and the wooden debris tumbled back the succubus glanced over to see Rulo getting back up, the orc using her hammer to push herself up before lifting it with both hands.
"You know, you should just stay down, you're a bit outclassed here," the succubus taunted with a laugh.
Sasha got back on her feet and brought her sword to the ready, then dashed towards the succubus as did Rulo.
"We're just getting started!" Rulo yelled as she ran up and swung down with her hammer. The demon flew up over the strike as the large weapon smashed into the ground and fractured the floor all around the orc. The succubus glanced over to see Sasha flying up at her with a swing, the reptile girl's strike being stopped as the succubus grabbed the blade with one hand. With her thumb on one side and her fingers on the other she held the blade with an amused smile while Sasha hissed with frustration. Before the reptile girl dropped back down the succubus kicked upwards and struck the girl in the face. She flew back as the demon tossed her sword to the side, the reptile girl crashing back down onto a table with small tools flying about.
"Sasha!" Rulo shouted as she saw her companion struggling to get back up. She looked up and saw the demon flying down at high speed, the woman landing down behind the orc with a slick smile. She grabbed Rulo around the neck with her hand and swung her back and around in a circle, then threw her over towards Sasha. The orc crashed into her and the two tumbled off into a desk as the succubus glanced to the large hammer that was dug into the ground still.
"Such uncivilized girls, how sad," she mocked, shaking her head with a laugh. She grabbed the hammer with her tail then whipped it towards the two monster girls, the skinny appendage having no trouble lifting the massive weapon at all. Rulo started to get up, then grabbed Sasha and ducked down as the large hammer flew over them by a hair and demolished a table with a powerful strike. The two monster girls looked over to see papers and bits of wood flying about then over to see Sasha's blade whipping around towards them with a fierce spin. Sasha reached out with both hands sideways and caught the blade before it cut her head off, her eyes narrowing as she held the sword with a hand on each side of the steel. The succubus laughed amusedly while her tail swayed gently behind her.
"Nice catch, dear, and here I thought you had no surprises for me," she mused with a smirk. Sasha tossed the blade up and caught it by the handle as Rulo ran over to grab her hammer. The reptile girl yelled as she ran over to the succubus, swinging around fiercely to cut the demon down. The succubus merely stepped to the side and back, swayed slightly now and again to dodge, and smirked as she moved around casually while Sasha swung around with ferocity. As fast as Sasha was with her strikes, the succubus seemed to be even faster without even trying.
"You dance horribly, my dear, don't tell me this is the best you can do," the demon laughed. She ducked as Rulo's hammer swung near her head, then blocked a sideways strike from Sasha with her wing while she held out her hands and caught the orc's hammer on the roundabout swing. The two monster girls growled as they tried to overpower the succubus, neither seeming to be able to budge her. The demon glanced from one girl to the other and shook her head with a raised eyebrow.
"You do realize that I'm merely playing with you two, right? Or did you think I was being serious?" she laughed. She pushed both of the girls away effortlessly as the ground around her cracked from a pulse rippling out. Sasha regained herself then charged again while Rulo ran towards the demon with her hammer held up over her head. The orc swung down towards the woman who merely darted to the side, her tail whipping around and catching Sasha's hand as she swung down past the demon. The reptile girl was swung around in a full circle before she regained her footing and skidded to a stop, the girl then grabbing the demon's tail and swinging her around. The woman let out a small surprised gasp before she flapped her wings and shot into the air, just missing the swing from Rulo's hammer. She flew up and yanked with her tail, the demon throwing the reptile girl up into the air near her.
"Grabbing a woman's tail, how rude," the succubus scolded with a tone of annoyance before she kicked Sasha down into Rulo. The two girls crashed into the ground as the demon hovered above them with a slight scowl.
"Alright, I think I've entertained you two girls enough," she said as she held out her hands to her sides. A dark purple glow formed around them as Sasha and Rulo got back up, the girls looking up at the demon with frustration.
"It was nice seeing you two again, however I must be on my way," she continued before she clapped her hands together, the glows erupting into a large purplish flame that swirled around her hands. She held it up over her head with one hand, the flame crackling while glowing purple with green streaks flaring up it. The flames flared around wildly as they grew while the demon smiled wickedly down at the two monster girls.
"We simply must do this again. You know, provided you survive," she said with a slight laugh, the woman then throwing the flaming ball of light down towards the girls. They tensed up as it raced towards them, the area around illuminated with a purplish light as their shadows receded behind them. Before it hit them a flash of light swung around from the side and struck it, the flaming ball of magic then being deflected and flying over t
owards the side of the artifact hall. It crashed into the wall and detonated into a powerful explosion, the blast echoing throughout the hall. The wall was annihilated as the building shook violently, the two monster girls shielding their eyes from the light while the succubus merely raised an eyebrow at seeing something down below. Dust flew through the hall as the damaged wall collapsed along with part of the ceiling, the debris crushing in more tables and desks with fierce booms. Sasha and Rulo slowly lowered their arms and looked to seeing that the wall was obliterated, then over in front of them with wonder.
"I believe you two may have misheard me yet again," Daemon said flatly. The succubus smiled with an intrigued expression as the three monsters saw a human male standing there looking up at the demon with his cold blue eyes.
"Master," Sasha breathed out in awe. He glanced back to her with a raised eyebrow.
"I told you to retrieve the artifact, not to engage her in a fight," he said simply. Sasha and Rulo jumped a bit then looked at him with worried eyes.
"But master, we-" Rulo started before Daemon looked back up towards the succubus.
"And stop calling me that," he interrupted with as the demon watched the human carefully. He stood there as the dust floated around his boots, holding his blade in one hand. It was a straight edged blade with a black handle and a finely polished white hilt and bottom. The sword itself was a long blade with a pointed tip, having a few strange markings etched into it near the hilt. It gave off a slight shimmer as the markings glowed a soft blue light. It was more than apparent that the sword wasn't an ordinary blade, if the fact that it had deflected the demon's attack with a single swing wasn't enough to show for it.
The succubus chuckled amusingly as she slowly floated down and gently landed on the ground across from the human.
"Well, well, Daemon Warrick, I was wondering where you might have been while I was playing with your girls," she said with a wink.
"I doubt you got them excited at all, you seem pretty dull as far as women go," he commented. The succubus looked at him with a slightly stunned expression then smiled with a bit of anger behind her eyes.
chronicles of eden - act I Page 48
