Chronicles of Eden - Act V

by Alexander Gordon

  “Do enjoy the day, ladies. It’s quite lovely right now,” she politely said before riding the panther through the village and out into the forest.

  Riding through the woods Charlotte felt her anger bubbling up inside of her, though she wasn’t sure if it was from possible intruders in her land or that her raging emotions to lay with the swordsman she desired were relentlessly haunting her.

  “I must have him, I must! I cannot charm him, even if I wanted to. No no, I want all that he is to worship me, to lust after only me, to think about only me, to crave me with every fiber of his being. Oh, my dear Daemon, it matters not what silly quest you think you are on right now. When we meet again I’ll show you the only thing worth pursuing in this world.” She then growled with frustration as she felt her crotch rubbing against the back of the panther with each heavy gallop it took.

  “You’re going to fuck me hard, every day, every hour, every minute, until you beg me to stop, and then you’re going to keep going! You will be mine! Dammit! I can’t stand this! Get your ass back here to Rystone, Daemon, and do me!”

  As she rode further into the forest thin veils of haze and ash began to drift by, the smell of burning wood and smoke growing stronger while all the trees nearby had shifted from old timbers to rotting and decaying woods that still stood amongst the parched and desolate dirt.

  “These remains of the forest shouldn’t be able to burn too well,” Charlotte pondered to herself. “Something isn’t right here.”

  Riding deeper into Ritherwood the smoke and ash in the air began to grow thicker and darker, with the sounds of a burning inferno being heard further ahead as the panther raced along through the forest. Charlotte glanced around and caught glimpses of a few wolves running about behind the trees, however they were all making haste in the opposite direction and paying the witch no mind.

  “Filthy mutts,” Charlotte hissed. “What are they all running from?”

  The witch rode her panther for a ways into the dead forest before suddenly stopping near some trees as a crimson glow illuminated them and the nearby woods. Ahead she could see a large firestorm swirling around behind some trees, the flames seeming to roll about violently and scorch all they covered into cinders and ash.

  “What do we have here?” Charlotte wondered before she kicked the panther and got it running forward again. As the witch drew closer to the firestorm the heat in the area grew substantially, with the air getting harder to breathe as the smoke and floating specks of ash were billowing through the woods more powerfully now. Finally they crossed out of the forest into a large clearing that had a monstrous swirling firestorm raging in the middle. The flames reached high into the air while smoke was exuded above in large amounts. The ground all around the inferno was scorched and barren while the trees lining the edge of the clearing were sizzling and slowly crumbling into pieces from the sheer heat.

  “This isn’t a normal forest fire,” Charlotte cautioned. “The woods here couldn’t burn for more than a second before withering away. What is causing those flames to remain standing?”

  Suddenly a loud boom sounded from the firestorm before it expanded out with a howling roar. The panther yowled and bucked back before a heat blast struck against it and knocked it and the witch back into a tumble. As Charlotte rolled across the ground she screamed it burned from the touch. She quickly got back onto her feet and waved her wand before her, a shining curved barrier of light lighting up before her and fading in and out as she struggled to fend off the heat that raced past her. She saw the panther letting out one last howl before igniting into flames and falling to the ground. In a flash the firestorm flowed past her in a furious wave, with Charlotte shielding her face with one arm and focusing to keep her barrier standing to block the fires with her wand. The extreme heat caused her body to sweat almost instantly while the bottoms of her boots began to sizzle slightly from the ground heating up.

  “Dammit, that hurts!” she yelled before swinging her wand down. A massive blue and white casting circle appeared below her, with dozens of intricate wheels and symbols spinning around within as the magical spell extended out a few yards all around her. With a wave of her wand a blast of wind expanded out against the flames followed by spears of water that trailed snow. As the super cooled water and sleet struck against the waves of fire they pushed back with great force, with Charlotte watching with growing ire as the inferno before her rumbled and spun around relentlessly.

  “Who dares start a fire in my land?” she shouted out with anger.

  A sharp red glow became visible inside the firestorm, shining like a crimson star as the inferno slowly began to recede. Charlotte watched the scene carefully as the swirling mass of flames and smoke gradually withdrew while the crimson glow remained at the center.

  “I order you to show yourself!” Charlotte called out.

  Slowly the red glow began moving towards her as the flames crackled and flared around it. As the red light moved along it came out of the fires while the inferno shrunk behind someone that Charlotte now saw walking through the haze and smoke. The red shine from something was seen clearly although the figure was blurred still.

  “Explain yourself,” Charlotte ordered. “Just what do you think you are doing here in my forest starting fires like this?”

  As the rumbling roar of the fires dwindled a scraping sound was then heard as the figure drew closer, the sound of metal being dragged along the scorched ground becoming more audible with each step the figure took. Charlotte watched carefully as the smoke and ash drifted about then parted to reveal someone approaching her.

  “Oh, my apologies,” the figure spoke in a bitter, young girl’s voice. “I was only venting my frustrations about something, I wasn’t aware I was causing any concern with you way out here surrounded by nothing.”

  Charlotte’s eyes remained locked onto the figure as she kept on guard. Walking towards her was a young girl, a little shorter than the alpha herself and appearing to be the same age. She wore ragged brown boots, large gray socks, and a black gothic skirt which had a long tail behind it with rips and burn marks all over it. The girl had a black fleece cape on which was buttoned with two orange gemstones above her chest, having burn marks on it and left open in the front showing her belly which had not a scratch on it. She had black and white intertwined ribbons spiraling around her arms and going to her wrists where they were tied to bracelets which had dozens of charred and burnt metal charms attached to them. Her hair was bright orange and held up in a very large fluffy ponytail using a long crimson ribbon. Going down the right side of her face was a large scar, the eye it crossed over being milk white while her healthy eye was colored golden. She had four rings, two on each hand, of black steel with glowing red gemstones on them. And in her right hand she was dragging a sword by its handle at her side; a blade that Charlotte noticed was emitting the bright crimson light along its edge. It was a straight single edged sword, made of dark gray steel with a black handle. The sharpened edge glowed with a fiery hue while close to the hilt there were colored red etchings that slowly softened their extremely bright light as the fires behind her finally went out. As the girl dragged the blade which was quite large compared to her short height the end scraped along the ground and lit up a trail of black and red flames behind her briefly.

  “Tell me, where did she go?” the girl asked before she stopped and struck the blade into the ground at her side, the sword coming up to her shoulder while she watched Charlotte with a cold stare.

  “Where did who go?” Charlotte asked carefully.

  Behind the new girl the smoke and haze slowly drifted away and parted, revealing a large scorch mark covering the clearing where the firestorm had been raging earlier. In the center Charlotte noticed the remains of a chimney standing amongst charred rubble, the blackened smokestack then crumbling and falling to the ground kicking up ash in a cloud.

  “There was a house here?” Charlotte questioned turning her focus back to the girl.

  “Yes,
but it was empty. The one I seek wasn’t home, and… well…” the girl said before her good eye gave off a deep glow briefly. The ground around her wavered from a heat spike appearing while her sword gave off a powerfully dark aura. Charlotte glanced to the blade then to the girl who she could assume was a witch now.

  “I felt rather angry,” the girl admitted with a cold smirk. “So I released my frustrations on her home. I must admit that it made me feel slightly less angry seeing that place burned to the ground, though I’m still quite mad inside, so I would be very grateful if you could tell me where she went.”

  “I don’t know who you speak of,” Charlotte replied. “And I wasn’t aware of anyone living out here in this rotting forest. The only things alive this far out in Ritherwood are wolves, are you by chance seeking one in particular?”

  “You know where she is,” the girl accused with a sharp eye on Charlotte. “She came through here recently, and I know you see all who pass through your land, Charlotte the Invincible.”

  “You know who I am,” Charlotte mused with a smirk. “Though I’m quite curious who you are, especially seeing as how you think you can speak to me in such a tone.”

  The other girl giggled with a devilish smile on her face, her sword giving off a dark aura and a red glow while small flames flared up briefly around her from the scorched ground.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she sneered. “Where are my manners?”

  She gave a mocking bow to the alpha while keeping her creepy smile on the witch before she rose with her eyes remaining fixed on Charlotte.

  “I am Ember, the Hellfire Witch.”

  Chapter 5

  The Elven Huntress

  In the world of Eden one of the most skilled weapons to wield was the bow and arrow. A simple design yet powerful enough to strike down opponents before they could get close, archery was used by both humans and monsters who were capable shots with the arrow. Of course none compared to the elves of Eden, for their accuracy and talent for the bow was considered legendary. Even in a crowded forest, while riding horseback, and in the midst of a fierce battle, an elven archer was known to always strike their targets with perfect precision. Whether it was because they trained hard to become so skilled or if they were naturally proficient with the bow, one thing was certain when confronting an elven archer.

  Should she take aim at you, there was no eluding her arrow.

  *****

  Charlotte watched as the new witch smiled coldly at her, her single golden eye giving off a soft hue briefly while the air around her wavered from the increased heat she was exuding.

  “Hellfire?” Charlotte questioned carefully.

  “That is my name, yes,” Ember replied with a small shrug.

  Charlotte slowly looked around the area, seeing everything that had been set ablaze earlier reduced to ash and rubble before her eyes rested back on the witch who appeared perfectly fine despite having been responsible for the firestorm and also walking right through it. Her clothing had burns and rips on it however they didn’t appear to be fresh as the fabric seemed old and unclean.

  “How is it you can walk through the fires like that?”

  Ember chuckled and started walking towards the alpha, dragging her sword at her side which caused a small trail of cinders and smoke to spark and ignite behind it. Charlotte watched her cautiously then slowly her eyes widened.

  “It can’t be, you cannot be immune to the flames.”

  “Oh?” Ember asked as she walked right up to the witch and tilted her head playfully. “And just why cannot that be?”

  “There is only one witch who is immune to fire. She is the last of her family line to possess such ability.”

  “Alyssa,” Ember hissed with narrowed eyes at her.

  “Just who are you, really?” Charlotte asked while gripping her wand.

  Ember slowly held her hand up at her side, her rings glowing softly before fire started to ignite and burn around her fingers. Charlotte watched the flames licking off the girl’s skin yet were causing no damage or harm to the witch at all.

  “Impossible,” Charlotte said shaking her head. “You can’t use fire like that, witches cannot cast fire.”

  “Fire is a witch’s natural enemy,” Ember spoke in a dark tone, with Charlotte looking to her with growing tension. “Witches burn so easily, so easily. Even those that wish to control fire with their magic need be careful lest they cast themselves into their own damned inferno. In fact if I were to set you ablaze right now, even though you are such a strong and revered alpha, you would likely perish here in this forgotten forest very quickly.”

  Charlotte carefully took a step back as she narrowed her eyes at the witch, her wand glowing softly as a blue casting ring formed below them.

  “Are you threatening me?” she demanded.

  Ember laughed amusedly then flung her hand to the side, throwing out a streaking ball of flame that struck into a tree and exploded violently. Charlotte saw the timber engulfed in flames that quickly died off as the charred wood dropped to the ground then watched as Ember leisurely toiled her fingers together in front of her face with a smirk.

  “No, not at all. If I wished to threaten you I wouldn’t bother with mere words,” Ember causally reasoned. “All I want is Alyssa, that’s all, nothing more. Tell me where she is and I’ll be on my way, simple as that.”

  “Sorry to say I don’t know,” Charlotte quipped with a small smirk. “That particular witch left this land days ago.”

  “Where was she going?” Ember sharply asked.

  “She didn’t say.”

  Ember screamed out in anger as she looked around with her golden eye giving off a bloom. She growled as she clenched her fist while her sword gave off a dark aura again. Charlotte slowly looked to the sword for a moment then to the witch with a careful eye.

  “How is it you can control fire like this?”

  “It’s just a little talent of mine,” Ember said before glancing to her with a cold eye. “I suppose you could say I get it from my mother.”

  “Your mother?” Charlotte questioned. Slowly she showed surprise to that as she realized what the witch meant. “It can’t be… Alyssa is the last… she’s the last…”

  “She was,” Ember said turning to face her with a harsh stare. “Until she gave birth to me.”

  “She never had a daughter,” Charlotte argued. “She never spoke of or was even seen with one. How can you be her offspring? What are you even doing out here in this forest anyway?” She blinked then looked over to the remains of where a house once stood before slowly turning her eyes back to Ember.

  “Wait a minute. This was her home, wasn’t it?”

  Ember merely nodded while watching the witch with discontent still.

  “She lived here in Ritherwood still?” Charlotte asked curiously. “After she burned it to the ground and left it infested with only wolves and nothing more, she remained here?”

  “I’m surprised an alpha such as yourself never figured that out,” Ember laughed at her. “She’s been living in your backyard all these years and you never knew? What was the matter, were you too afraid of wolves to seek her out?”

  “I never knew any witch lived out here,” Charlotte said shaking her head. “Especially this far out. Why would they, there’s nothing but dead trees and wolves lurking about.”

  “You just answered your own question, idiot,” Ember scoffed. Charlotte looked to her with a scowl as the new witch chuckled with a grin at her. “I don’t believe this; a revered alpha was too stupid to think of the one place Alyssa could keep her home and not be bothered by anyone. Of course she would have lived here still, you were all afraid of her fires and the wolves that roamed in the shadows to search for her here. It was the perfect hiding place, right under your noses.”

  “I really don’t care for your words,” Charlotte hissed with annoyance.

  From below Ember a red and orange casting circle appeared on the ground, with Charlotte backing up as fires flared and b
urned wildly around Ember yet never burning nor touching her. The witch laughed with a cold smile at the alpha before picking up her sword and gently running her fingers along the side of the blade while admiring the weapon.

  “As soon as I found my way back here again I came straight to this forest,” she casually explained. “I waited for so long to finish her off, yet I had always wondered if one day she would have fled this home. Seems she finally has, though I’ll find her again, yes I will.”

  “You came here to kill her?” Charlotte asked.

  “What witch would care if she died?” Ember scorned. “None in your village, not even you yourself would miss her, and her own daughter certainly wouldn’t shed a tear when she breathes her last breath.”

  “You seek to kill your own mother?”

  “I seek to kill the one who abandoned me!” Ember yelled out with absolute fury, with the flames burning wildly around her and growing higher. “I will find the one who cast me away, the one who left me for dead! I’ll find her and drive this sword right through her heart! She will not run away from me, she will not leave me behind again!”

  Ember struck her blade into the ground, the casting ring growing brightly as the flames swirled around and blocked her from view. Charlotte backed up and waved her wand, creating a glowing circular barrier before her to block the waves of heat and cinders that flew at her.

  “I’m done here,” Ember spoke from behind the flames. “Go and run back to your village, you may assure your fellow witches the fires in this forest have finally gone out. I however will never cease to burn in this world until Alyssa dies by my hands.”

  “Just who do you think you are ordering me around?” Charlotte yelled out before waving her wand forward. A wave of obsidian blades jettisoned outward from the ground and struck through the torrent of fire, the flames washing and burning around them before dying out revealing Ember to be gone. Charlotte showed a confused glare for a moment before looking down at the ground and waving her wand to the side, retracting the razor edged blades back into the dirt and showing not a trace of the other witch.