Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Lornaine Forest

as written by Sentry

The gust was throwing Aderyn's hair into her face. Every chime clanked together and threw soft melodies into the air. With it came the whispers of spilled blood and foul necromancy. Her hand came to her chest again. That bullet. The burn.

Naz flew down from his perch in the trees and took his place on Aderyn's shoulder. It was a comfort to have him so close, but it wasn't enough to calm down all her worry. Every witch who it concerned would feel the breeze rush by them, hear its gossip. Autumn and the Corpse Woman spared no time sending their message from the Square after their attempts to help. Someone was staining their name.

"The air is dreadful. I much preferred it inside," moped the pale witch. "But we have a lot to speak about."
 
as written by glmstr

A powerful wind gusted in return of the message, whipping up a cloud of fallen leaves near Aderyn. When the wind died down and the leaves ceased to cloud her vision, the visitor appeared from within the improvised screen. Another witch, clad in midnight-dyed robes, the very bottom of the skirt darker than what seemed logically possible, as if blending directly into the shadows themselves on the forest floor.

"We know of what you speak," the monotone yet singsong voice, a style of speech signature of Arianne and her coven, broke the silence. "Who is responsible for such wanton slaughter? A grossly improper use of power, one that warrants great consequences, no?"
 
as written by Sentry and glmstr

Naz rustled his feathers uncomfortably as the shadowy witch appeared. That was one woman he never could get used to. Aderyn ran her fingers through his feathers to calm him down a smidgen. "How did I know you would be the first?" she hummed, giving her counterpart a toothy grin. It soon disappeared in remembrance of the events at hand.

"Punished, likely. If we can trace the magic far enough. That wasn't ordinary necromancy; it was puppetry, and another witch was used as an extension chord for her power. Our Corpse Woman couldn't sense anyone nearby using that kind of magic."

____

"Puppetry? From a long distance?" Arianne frowned and cocked her head slightly to the side. A very sinister power was loose, that much was obvious. Something (or someone) of this magnitude was not common, and always a foreboding threat to the balance of Issunar.

"I've an idea. We need the errant witch's body, or whatever is left of it. If your Corpse Woman can't find the master, we will. . . convince the puppet to show us its strings."

____

"I do not think..." Aderyn clenched her fist at her chest. "There might not be much left to take. The police will have the body, and there will be paladins with it, I'm sure. What would we do?"

____

"Police and Paladins?" Arianne scoffed, "We'll take it. They may need to be distracted, but it will not be difficult." A little smoke and mirrors, maybe an illusory monster or two, they'll be too panicked to notice a few pieces missing. Having more of the body would make interrogating the witch's soul that much easier, but it was not impossible to perform one with a few scraps and bones.

"If you are that nervous, we can ask for the aid of others after all."

____

Aderyn looked at the ground and brought her fingers to her chin. "Perhaps you are right. But we'd be further staining our relationship if they catch us. If there's enough suspicion, Arianne, we'll get hunters on our tail. I've already captured one."

____

"Let them come," Arianne waved one hand dismissively. "A few two-bit hunters is the least of our worries when something with this sort of power is loose."

The elder witch took off her hat to adjust her hair, raising her staff slightly to will the nearby trees into flexing their branches, keeping the sun out of her eyes while she does so.
"Besides, they can have the body back once we have what we need."

____

"We'll have to figure out where they're going to hold it," she told the other witch. "I'm sure the Corpse Woman can scout for us."

____

"That would only make sense," the ebon-clad witch donned her hat again. "Speaking of, where is she? I'd expect her, if anyone, to arrive by now."

Arianne frowned at the thought, a streak of worry running through her mind. As far as she knew, there were few other matters as potentially pressing as the one at hand.

"Can you contact her again? Time is of the essence here; the longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to retrieve the body."

____

Aderyn stretched her hand before her and painted the air with a sigil. Her lips pursed as she whistled into it, creating a whisper that would be carried into the wind toward Lutetia City. As she rose her hands to send it off, the wind fell back into her face and knocked Naz onto the ground with a cantankerous screech.

"That won't be necessary," spoke a voice smooth as salamander skin. The wind rustled the leaves and eddied upward, then flurried away to reveal the impressively tall, veiled figure covered in soft pinks and dark blues. One eye was apparent beneath the veil, nothing else. "There is nothing left of the pawn but ash. Do not waste any breath."

____

"Figures," Arianne sighed. "If you find out anything more, let me know and I'll help you."
The elder witch waved her free hand again, the strong gust of wind and leaves returned. Fabre's form quickly disappeared from the cloud, "I will take my leave, for now."

With that, she was gone as suddenly as she appeared.
 
as written by Sentry and Ronin

"Selene preserve-" Savien jumped back, reaching towards his hip for a gun that wasn't there. Had a bird just erupted out of his necklace?

He took a fighting stance, hands at guard, back heel up, watching the bird carefully. He felt rather silly getting in a defensive position against such a small creature, but he couldn't be too careful. This was Lutetia City after all, and whatever was going on here clearly had a touch of magic to it.

If there was one thing Savien didn't trust, it was magic.

"The hell is this..." he growled from his throat, eyes never leaving the bird.

The bird looked at him for a time, before hopping twice on its little legs and fluttering out of the room.

"Hey!" Savien growled, "hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?" He tied the towel around his waist and raced after it - chasing a magical bird through the halls of the Monastery while half naked.

Curiously, the bird didn't leave right away. Instead, it circled about the Monastery for a bit before finally perching above the elavator leading to the armory. Savien padded over to it, looking up suspiciously.

"What... should I suit up for you?" he spoke with slight condescension, skeptical of the beast could even understand him.

The bird blinked at Savien. It did nothing else. However, even that was a statement. The answer should have been obvious enough.

Savien grumbled to himself, feeling ridiculous for letting a bird boss him around. Still, SOMETHING was going on. The bird hadn't just left, it explicitly wanted him to follow it. More than that, it wanted him to don his armor.

"Don't move," he jabbed an accusatory finger at the creature, before descending the elevator.

He emerged ten minutes later in full plate, his sword and pistol strapped to his belt. He looked up at the bird.

"Well." He made a shooing motion. "Go on."

Promptly, the creature set off from the Monastary, and towards Lormaine. Savien got not even one day of rest before his next adventure.
__________________________________________________ _________


Once at the border of the forest, the bird perched itself upon a branch, watching the Paladin closely. This was the true beginning, where he had the choice to accept the path, or leave it. This side of Lormaine was the closest to Carseau.

The evergreens cast a shadow across the paladin and stood like soldiers before him.

Savien's destrier grumbled through the plains, headlights beaming into the distant dark. He had been careful, of course - had alerted the Order to his activities, was tracking his movement into Lornaine. All of this was suspicious, but the timing of it all was too opportune for him not to investigate. Was this bird leading him into information about Malcolm? The Lumenia Square massacre? He breathed deeply, a dull pain throbbing into his temples as he thought the heap of unavenged corpses he was leaving behind him....

They came abruptly to the edge of Lornaine. Savien stopped his bike, watching the bird as it perched on the branch above. Hell, for all he knew it was leading him to his death. Lornaine at night was not a place paladin's tread lightly, if at all. He glared up at the creature, eyes flitting between the bright red feathers and the all-consuming black before him. Death behind him, darkness before him. Just like Carseau. He almost laughed.

The knight revved his bike, his duty clear. If there was evil ahead of him, it was his job to confront it. To destroy it ... or die trying. It was simple as that.

Bearing his vehicle through the trove of shadow, the paladin passed again into the darkness.
 
as written by Sentry and Ronin

Even in the dark, the forest thrummed with life. Savien wouldn't go ten feet without catching something flickering at the edge of his vision. Hooves stomped against the ground and broke out into a stampede, trembling the earth around them, shaking the trees above the willful paladin.

The further the little bird took him, the stranger the sights became. Frogs and owls became jackalopes and drakes. Sweeping the leaves above roared a lion, its fleshy wings skimming the canopy of trees. To the side of the path, there was a hairy boulder that turned into a giant, snoozing boar. A whole section of the forest was lit up in florescent mushrooms that fed equally florescent wyvern that fled when Savien rode by. They circled a mountain upward, until they rose above the ocean of evergreens and the first hour of daylight pushed over the horizon and reached toward the paladin with streaks of purple and red.

Lutetia City was nowhere to be seen.

Humming still, the bird flew on, until they were on a misty mountain ridge, surrounded once again by an army of thin trees. A slimy, purple moss spread up the bark of the young oaks. The ridge widened out into a sunny field absolutely prolific in its abundance of lilacs. The bird swooped over this field, and a pale hand rose up from the field to meet it.

____

Savien remained calm and focused as the grim of Lornaine forest transformed into something out of a fairy-tale. His hand dropped to his pistol more than once, eyeing the silhouettes of lions and wyverns with unflinching caution. None of them seemed hostile, and Savien wasn't keen on making an enemy of such ferocious creatures.

While the change in scenery was undeniably beautiful (and a fair bit more pleasant than the usual gloom of Lornaine), it did nothing to assuage Savien's apprehensions. Lornaine was grim and ugly and dangerous, but it was also real. Whatever this place was ... whatever it had turned it into ... was not the home he knew.

Magic. He almost growled. But he maintained his composure, bringing his grumbling bike to the spacious field. He killed the engine and walked out among the lilacs, the early dawn setting his plate aflame in shades of violet and crimson.

He stopped twenty feet from her, her pale face reflected in his visor. He said nothing.

____

The flowers danced away and created a path as the paladin walked. They shuffled to the side in a small circle to reveal the witch sitting on a bench, gazing at the little red bird on her finger. The humming faded, and so did the guide, leaving the woman to gaze upward at Savien. Lines drew at the sides of her mouth, creases etched into her forehead. She should not have looked quite that old in an instant.

She wasn't the picture of evil that one would expect from someone with her reputation and name. She wasn't the incredible, bewitching beauty used to lure in unsuspecting prey, either. She was an ordinary woman, albeit a bit pale. Her dark hair was braided over one shoulder. She was wearing a nice dress, something that belonged to an older era of Lutetia. There were silver rings on her fingers, and a woven necklace resting against her collarbones. She seemed tired.

"Hello, Paladin. I can't say I'm pleased to meet you, but I'd like to know why my student's familiar brought you here before you tell me anything else."

____

They were picturesque opposites - the woman elegant, postured and dignified, the knight gruff, tensed and rugged - united only, perhaps, in their mutual weariness. He watched her without moving, hand rested almost casually on the hilt of his sword.

"I could say something similar," Savien grunted in response, "and if you're asking me why a magical bird exploded out of my necklace and led me to this lightforsaken fairy-tale in the dead of night, your guess is as good as mine." A cautious pause. "Witch."

Pieces were beginning to align in Savien's head. A female magic user. Talk of an apprentice. The use of familiars. Vague connections appeared to him between this and the recent Lumenia skirmish with the undead, but he kept it to himself for now, waiting for her next move.

____

"It was not mine to give, nor do I know why she gave it to you other than wanting you here. I believe you have a story to tell me." She mimicked his pause, dipping her chin as she stared at him. "Paladin."

There was no tension in the witch's body. She had no will to fight. Either that, or she was confident the paladin wasn't going to be able to touch her. She wasn't looking for that, either.

Patting the seat next to her, the witch looked to Savien expectantly. It was a wide enough bench that they could both sit comfortably apart. "We may be here a while."

____

The knight stayed where he was for some time, still piecing together the situation as best he could. The bird must have something to do with the spell the young sorceress had cast on his necklace; everything about this reeked of magic, and Savien hadn't had any contact with the arcane since Lumenia. What had she said about her master?

"I won't tell you her name, but I can get you to her..."

The knight walked towards the witch, armor clinking with every step. He came to the other end of the bench and smoothed his blood-red cloak to his hamstrings before taking a seat, unbuckling his sword from his belt and laying the scabbard across his knees. His fingers played with the engravings in the hilt and sheathe - DARIEN, GERTRUDE, BERNARD - the list went on, names of people, simple and bland.

"Your student," he broke the silence, eyes fixed on his sword, "cute lass? Rosy cheeks, strawberry blonde hair?"

____

"The cutest lass. The rosiest cheeks," the woman repeated fondly. "Such people are the product of fairy tales."

Her hands clasped over her knee as she let her gaze linger on the paladin seated at her side. "Her name was Nicole."

____

Nicole. Savien thumbed along his crossguard, finding a space of smooth steel between two names.

"She's dead." His voice was low, quiet, sapped of all the accusation and suspicion he'd greeted her with. The knight looked up and watched a stock of lilacs waiving in the morning breeze. "I killed her."

____

A breeze stirred the flowers and filled the silence between them. The witch put a knot in her dress and unraveled it, over and over again. Her shoulders sank slightly. "Lumiena Square?" she asked at last.

____

"Yes." He nodded, eyes misting into the distance. He went over the scene in his head, playing back every bit of dialogue as if reviewing it from a video camera.

"She lost control," he continued, "started a massacre in the square. She couldn't fight whatever took hold of her." He looked over at the witch. "Was worried I'd try and kill you. Said 'it wasn't your fault'." His shoulders shifted, fingers drumming along the grip of his blade. "Was wondering what she meant by that."

____

Her fingernails dug into the bench. Her eyes skimmed the lilacs.

"She wanted to learn dark magic. I said no." Aderyn brought her legs up against her chest, arms hugging her knees. "And, like any teenager, she became angry, stormed off, and that was the last time I saw her."

____

"Then from whom did she learn?" Savien asked, his voice leveled in that same ironclad rumble which neither accused nor appeased, "if what you tell me is true, then someone in Lutetia is teaching young, impressionable witches some very bad things. They must be stopped."

____

The witch's eyes rose once more and met the paladin's. "Many of us are already looking to eliminate her ourselves. We'd rather not have paladins involved. We are all monsters in your eyes."

____

A short but thoughtful silence. "Is that what you think?" It was more statement then question, reflective but not condescending.

"Hm." He grunted, reaching up and - perhaps surprisingly - taking off his helmet. The steel clasps came loose and he rested the piece in his lap, threading his fingers through his scruffy black locks. When he met the witch's gaze again, it was with his own eyes - a simple shade of burnished brown.

"Whatever you believe," his brows knitted, "believe this. People are dying. Witch or human, it's my duty to bring their murderer to justice. I can do that with or without your help." A hard, steely glare. "But if you want to stop this killer quickly without letting more people die, you'll work with me on this. The Order has resources and technology. You have magic." A reluctant half-growl. "...which, though I'm reluctant to say it, tends to be useful more often than not."

____

The witch kept his gaze, her own unwavering. A frown pulled on the wrinkles at the edges of her eyes. "The Order as a whole will never work with a witch sincerely, even if you do, Paladin. We are less than people, even those of us who are still human, because of our practice. You may slay us indiscriminately because your laws won't really protect us. All you have to say is 'She was a witch,' and your actions are somehow justified. You must, you must understand our caution. Perhaps it is harder, because the protection of the Ever-Burning Wick is always there for you, but even if you fear the monsters out here, you've never had to fear your own people. Never had to fear that the Wick will one day burn you."

____

Savien said nothing for a long while after she'd spoken. His eyes moved away from hers back out to the meadow. The early dawn stretched its golden fingers between branches of evergreens that stood militant at the edge of the hill, and Savien watched the light dance between the bushels of pine. There was too much truth in her words, a truth that Savien had looked in the eye again and again but had never found the faith or optimism to defeat. In the end, he could say nothing other than what he said to himself every time he began to doubt.

"A paladin serves the law. The law and the light," he said, "if any among my Order would bring harm to you or your kin simply for what you are, then they have forgotten both, and have forsaken the Wick." His hand found the hilt of his sword and he notched a sliver of silver steel from its scabbard. "Perhaps it is no comfort to you, but you should know that I would meet such traitors with the same vengeance as I would any monster or demon." He clicked the blade back into place. "I am not a rarity among my species, witch. The Order has its flaws and prejudices, but many of us still remember our oaths. Not all, but many." A pause, a slow intake of breath. "...not that it makes much difference in the end."

____

"You, defend a witch?" The witch laughed through her nose. "I will believe it when it happens. Regardless..." She grabbed a clump of her hair and combed her fingers through the knots, eyes glazed as they locked onto Savien's face. "Regardless, I think you're in the dark about your church and the things it makes you believe. Doubt isn't a sin and ignorance is a curse." Her hands ran down her skirt, smoothing it out. "I may give you a chance. For all we know, this witch may be able to outmatch us. We can't be sure of anything yet."

Standing, the witch grabbed her elbows. Her shoulders hunched forward, chin sunk toward her chest. "You didn't tell me your name, did you?"

____

"Sir Durandet," Savien replied. He rose, tucking his helmet under his arm. "Yours?"

____

"Aderyn," she replied. "You're going to need a guide to get back to the city. You won't be departing the same way."
 
as written by Peachy00Keen and glmstr

Eris coasted into the town, which was eerily silent, uninhabited after the massacre that had swept through just a few weeks before. The air still stunk of decay and putrification. She held her breath as the bike growled through the streets, making its way to a distant cottage at the far end of town. Throughout the ride, the girl had remained sedated, thankfully. When the bike rolled to a stop and the growling of the engine ceased, she spat out the dart she had been carrying in her teeth and loaded it back into the gun. Eris rubbed her jaw, its muscles sore from being clenched for the past hour or more. She untied the girl and dismounted her bike, slinging her limp body back over one shoulder. She knocked on the door of the small cabin and waited. A long minute later, an short, wizened man opened the door and stared. His fingers were black with soot and charring.

"Eris, my dear! Come in, come in!" He warbled, paying little mind to the young witch slung over her shoulder.

Eris ducked through the doorway. "Monty, I have someone I would like you to look after."

The old man waved a hand carelessly over his shoulder, not looking back as he walked farther into the house. "Yes, yes, dear, I saw. Glad you took it easy on this one. I always tell you, you're too hard on them, especially the young ones. You're going to get yourself killed by the law -- which, I should care to remind you, you are not above." The old man grunted as he settled himself into a wooden rocking chair, gesturing for her to sit on the cushioned bench that served as a couch. She set the girl down, resting on a pillow, and took a seat herself, leaning the girl's staff against the wall. The old man made a grasping motion with one outstretched hand. "Let me see that."

Eris handed Monty the staff and he examined it curiously, poring over every little detail. He tutted and humphed to himself as he undoubtedly made scores of mental notes about every little scratch, fleck of dirt, and and carving on the staff's body. He finally shook his head and handed it back to Eris. "She's young, inexperienced. If I had to guess, she barely knows what she's doing," he announced, sounding rather displeased. He turned to look at the girl, who was still unconscious and handcuffed. "Take those things off of her. This is no prison," he demanded, scowling. "You know, I don't like what you do..." he trailed off, his voice softening, "but I'm glad you at least bring the young ones to me. It seems to help them, you know. Most of them just need someone to show them how to manage their power."

Eris scoffed. "Have fun with this one. She's feisty." She unlocked the handcuffs and returned them to her belt. "If it's okay by you, sir," she continued, "I'd like to stay a couple days and keep an eye on this one. I think she might be a bit much for you."

The old man burst out laughing, rocking back in his chair with zealous hoots and peals. "Too much!" he howled, "for me??" He continued to laugh til tears flowed from his wrinkled old eyes. "Sweet girl, I took you in at your worst, when you knew only the ways of defense and killing--"

"--And Selene," she interjected.

He waved his hand again, dismissively, "and I took you in and set you straight. I may be old, but I ain't dead. You're welcome to stay, but if you have somewhere else you need to be, don't worry about me." He snapped his fingers and muttered a short phrase and the fire on the stove turned on beneath a kettle. "I can handle a rowdy young witch any day." He grunted as he creaked out of his chair and waddled over to the girl. He closed his eyes and stood over here before reaching into her pocket and removing a small handful of dark rings. "She won't be needing these from here on out," he chuckled to himself as he shuffled over to a secretary desk and tossed them into a drawer, whose lock had no key, but whose mechanism still clunked as he brought his hand near. He closed and locked the drawer again and hobbled into the kitchen where he began opening cabinets. "Now, can I interest you in some tea while we wait for the little one to awaken?"

____

An unusually strong gust of wind, nearly gale force, blew past Monty's house. A swirl of leaves and dust created a thick curtain outside, from which stepped the witch Arianne Fabre. Her thin face wore a mixture of concern and irritation as she waved her staff over the door to the house, the wood and metal fixture yielding to her influence and opening itself. The witch's steps were nigh-silent, her ebony cloak seemed to meld into the shadows and the floor seamlessly, as if stitched from the darkness itself.

"Pardon my intrusion, but is there by chance anyon-" Fabre cut herself off and narrowed her eyes at the occupants of the building: Great, the doddering old man and his pet attack dog again.

Arianne sighed and gestured to the young witch, "Her. Cerise, if I remember right. What is she doing here?"

"She has, in her possession, something she shouldn't have," she turned to face the two, her eyes a brilliant gold that seemed to nearly glow,
"I will be taking custody of her."

____

Eris rose from her place on the couch with a snarl on her face. "What gives you the right, creature?" she demanded as she began to unsheathe her sword.

The old man moved swiftly to intervene, glancing between the two. "Now, now!" he urged, "I just got this place cleaned up. I don't want any swinging or spell-slinging in this house." Monty turned to face Eris, "You, sit down. You've agreed to tea and nothing more at the moment."

Eris growled, never breaking eye contact with the new witch, and dropped herself back onto the bench.

"And you!" he said, pointing a finger at Arianne, "You should know better than to come barging in to someone's home. Haven't you ever heard of thresholds?" The old wizard sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with one wrinkly hand. The kettle began to boil. "Go sit down with the others and don't cause any trouble, or you know damn well what could happen. Don't test my patience." He waved her along, into the sitting area, clearing his throat and gesturing further to a chair across the room from Cerise and Eris. "And don't touch anything. Nothing in this house is yours any more than the rest of this town's inhabitants are coming back from the dead."

____

"The right?" Arianne scoffed at the younger of the two,
"To start, you just assaulted and kidnapped someone. I can turn you in to the local police if you'd like to play vigilante with every child that does parlor tricks."

Fabre turned to the older one once he was finished throwing his fit, and gave a slow sigh.

As she exhaled, the room seemed to darken, the light from the windows and fire were stifled in shadow, yet the crackle of the fireplace continued uninhibited.

"Don't test your patience, whelp?" A pair of golden eyes shone in the nearly suffocating umbra, "you may speak to me that way when you've lived a few centuries. Until then, you're a petulant child, and no better than miss Cerise here. At least she knows she's a youngling," the elder witch gestured to the still-unconscious figure, a movement that was not seen and only faintly heard.

"So, child," with a snap of her fingers, the darkness suddenly lifted,
"I'm going to ask you again."

Her brilliant gilded eyes seemed to shine again, as she gazed at the more magically inclined of the two. Arianne could see the animantic profiles of the three people, their 'souls', in a way. She focused on the man's 'soul', using its soft glow as a beacon for sinister creatures. Portals invisible to the naked eye opened in the floor, the walls, the ceiling, and even furniture, and from them spewed spectral monsters, demons, unspeakable eldritch abominations, and maddeningly impossible creatures, veritable crimes against nature and reality itself. While to those 'blind' to magic the room was completely benign, to the more magically inclined the house was becoming a hellscape, the screeching and wailing monstrosities bearing down upon Eris and Monty. They would not be physically injured, but the gnashing and flailing spirits would begin to very slowly gnaw at their very souls, a technique developed and refined over several centuries to be equal parts terrifying and painful, yet rather minimal in terms of actually injuring someone, except for when such a fate is the witch's goal.

"Are you going to give me the girl?" She didn't raise her voice, but it was somehow nearly deafeningly loud at this point.
"Choose. Your. Answer. Wisely."

____

Monty gripped his head, as if to keep it from exploding. The old man staggered back into the cabinets on the other side of the kitchen. Eyes filled with pain, he turned to look at Eris.

To her, the room seemed unchanged, aside from her skin beginning to crawl. She watched as Monty slipped closer and closer to unconsciousness. "Enough," she barked; "This is unnecessary. What do you want with the girl and why should I give her to you? What do you plan to do with her?"
 
as written by Sentry

She felt it. More than that, she saw it in her dreams. Shadowy forms, monsters, grasping and gaping their nasty maws at her skin. It was suffocating.

The witch awoke gasping for enough air to scream, and all that came out was a withering squeak. Her hands came to her chest, then around her arms. She backed up so fiercely she hit the wall.
 
as written by Peachy00Keen, glmstr, and Sentry

Eris jumped as the girl beside her suddenly became animated. Still confused by what was going on, Eris stood up, keeping the young witch in her periphery and the elder one in clear view. "I beseech you," she addressed the elder witch, "stop this. It doesn't have to be this way. Negotiation is preferable. No one needs to be hurt."

Keeping both witches in her vision and her body firmly between both of them, she made her way over to Monty, helping him off the ground and into his chair. His breathing was ragged. Eris felt rage rising in her stomach, but she forced it down. No, it will only complicate matters. Take the pacifistic route for once, for him.

"I'll ask once more," she addressed the elder witch, returning to the young one's side, trying to ease her confusion and discomfort with as gentle a hand as she could. "What do you want with the girl? I wish to negotiate, not fight."

____

The squeak of the young witch was Arianne's cue, and so the mental assault concluded. The ethereal creatures were dragged by an unseen force back through the 'portals' in which they came, until the room was normal once again. Her eyes dimmed from their former brilliant shine back to their more ordinary amber hue.

"You decided to use your words, good choice." The elder witch gave a bit of a smirk at her own comment.

"Since you clearly haven't figured out yet, I'm a witch, a rather old one at that, and I've been investigating the massacre that recently took place in Lumiena Square."

"I am here for two, no, three things. One, I wanted to speak to miss Cerise. Two, I need whatever she has in her possession that is emnating that foul magic," she held out her arm and pointed a pale finger at the desk drawer where the rings were kept, "There. Whatever is in there that she was carrying."

"Three, I am asking you to refrain from this little kidnapping and brainwashing game you two have here. If you spot a witch doing something illegal, please come to myself or another witch, or contact the police. I appreciate your intention, but this girl was causing mischief with some toys that she shouldn't even have," Fabre narrowed her eyes at Cerise, "clearly not grounds for being assaulted, kidnapped and re-educated, whatever the hell that means."

Arianne held out her hand to the young witch and made a 'come hither' motion, "Come little one, I just need to speak with you in private and then you can go back to entertaining street urchins."

____

Cerise stared at the elder witch in utter silence, stunned in the presence of someone so strong. Her eyes pulled away from Arianne and swept the room for her staff, which she made a weak attempt for before staring at the knight. Her hand went limp.

"Listen, I don't even know what's going on!" she yelled, inching away from Eris. "As soon as you all can explain that, then maybe..." She stared at the old wizard, then swept her eyes over to the witch clad in black once more. "Maybe I'll start talking."

____

Eris looked at Cerise, then back to Arianne, and rolled her eyes. She hated negotiating with pompous, entitled assholes.

"Hang on. First of all, lady, I wasn't involved in what went down in Lumenia Square, so you can drop that right off. Second, that desk is locked or warded or something. I don't know how to open it. He's got some kind of key, but you and whatever freaky magic you just did appears to have knocked him out. You should really respect your visibly-elders." She shifted her weight, resting her hand on the hilt of her sword, more for comfort than defense. "Thirdly, I always give them options. I offer to take those who misbehave over here, a safe distance from the city with someone who can take care of them, I offer to escort them to the station, or if they're really itching for a fight, I oblige. I never jump to killing before talking. Ever. I don't stoop that low."

Eris looked at the girl and then back at the witch, studying the elder one skeptically. "What would you offer her that Monty couldn't, anyway--" she glanced at the man. His breathing was gradually improving, "--other than consciousness, at the moment?"

She stood up straight and spread her palms out before the witch, "Look, I didn't want it to go the way it did. I just wanted to reason with her. She freaked, she fled, I gave her a harmless tranquilizer when she was at a relatively safe place for me to either catch her or, as it happened, she could fling herself onto a rooftop. I didn't seek to harm her and she remains unharmed. If anyone else had found her, she could have been killed. Someone called me to take care of her. She didn't cause any serious trouble, so I took her to a safe place where she could practice her magic away from people who could get her in worse trouble and under the supervision of someone who could teach her how to use her skills productively."

She looked back at the girl, for once feeling on the same page as her; "Please," she looked back at the elder witch, "state your explicit purposes for this girl. It would seem that we are both quite eager to know."

____

"You two have nothing to do with my investigation. She does. Those artifacts of hers reek of a sinister magic, similar to the kind that infected one of our own at Lumiena," Arianne shook her head slightly. She took a few steps towards the dresser and crossed her arms loosely, her right hand brushing against the sacrificial dagger strapped to her left wrist.

"Ah, options. 'We will kidnap you. Once we are done, you get the choice of: handed over to the police, get re educated by a man who's a mere toddler in comparison the greater magical community, or die.' What we offer is a home not in the captivity of thugs, and teaching by someone who at least has a few centuries of experience to support them. I will take her with me, at which point she can come stay with my coven or run off to wherever she was before."

Fabre glanced at Cerise again, before focusing on Eris again. "Since you like options so much, I'll give you a few."

"One, you give me Cerise and those artifacts and I go on my way."

The witch pulled out a cell phone from one of her pockets and held it on display for a few seconds before putting it away again.
"Two, you refuse to do so, I call the police and the two of you rot in a cell for assault and battery, kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment."

"Three? You draw your weapon and I kill both of you," the witch's wooden staff began to crackle with sparks, arcs of electricity jumping between the oaken fingers atop it.

"As I said before, choose wisely."

____

"I'm not done asking questions," Eris stated firmly, stepping forward. "What kind of magic will she learn? How will I know if what she is learning will not be to cause harm to others?" She raised her eyebrows and smirked, "If you go on to teach her darker magic, you are only going to be dooming her to death. The Paladins would not stand for such a danger."

____

"Hold on!" The young witch boomed, holding up a hand. Even without her staff, the air around her spiraled outward in a wave, gently disturbing the items around them. "Where's my say in all of this!? I'm the one who was just kidnapped and woke up surrounded by nightmares and some old guy kicking the bucket. I'm well within my own rights to retrieve my belongings and leave."

That being said, she reached for her staff once more, confidently this time. She always kept both women in her view.

____

"Well, you don't know," Arianne grinned and cocked her head to the side, pretending to mull over the idea. "I guess you'd just have to trust my word, wouldn't you?"

"If I was going to do something nefarious and get the attention of the paladins, they are more than welcome to come look for me."

The elder witch strolled towards Monty's desk, and she reached down to the drawer in question and gave it a curious tug. "Cerise, please don't run off just yet. I still need to speak to you about these trinkets of yours..."

____

Seeing as taking her staff was an improbability at this point, the young witch shied away toward the door. "No, you know what, I am just going to leave. If you get along with the kidnapper and the old... old geezer, then you'll have the rings, and you-" She pointed accusingly at Eris. "-have got my staff. So good on you both. If there's anything to be found, I'm sure... I'm..."

Right as Cerise made it to the door, she heard it creak open. A rather unpleasant, chilly wind followed, and she swore she felt the tips of icy fingers dance up her back. She whipped around, cheeks puffing as she held her breath, trying not to scream.

Someone smiled at her. She smiled at them all. "Excuse me for interrupting," she sang, voice a gentle, delicate whisper. "And apologies, as I'll be letting myself in. The owner of the house seems to be in bad shape. Poor thing."

She had been incredibly dominating in height before she came through the door. Cerise swore she shrank. What was more distracting was the woman's attire. For someone who emanated a chill like death, she sure did admire the color pink. Her dress was a soft pastel, and flamingo feathers rimmed her collar. A gossamer veil was pulled over her head, concealing all but the faintest details of what had to be a gorgeous woman beneath.

"Arianne," she hummed. "I would like to speak to the fighter and the wizard. The little witch is yours." Her attention locked onto Eris. "Hello. Please, call me Christina."

____

"Uh... Hi." Eris quirked an eyebrow at the vision in pink. The woman was a force not to be messed with, more likely than not, but the getup she sported was more distracting than the icy gale with which she had entered the building. The day just kept getting weirder and weirder. Monty twitched slightly and let out a small, pained moan. She made note but kept her gaze fixed on the slender pink figure standing importantly in the doorway.

"No offense, Feathers, but who are you again?"

____

"Christina," Arianne glanced towards the flamboyantly dressed woman and brushed some hair out of her face as she continued to fumble with the drawer. The art of dispelling wards such as the one on the compartment required heavy concentration and finesse, not unlike picking a lock. A combination of techniques and specific manipulations would eventually work to peel apart the layers of a ward, until it fell apart and fizzled from existence. The elder witch behind the desk managed to crack that proverbial safe after a few attempts, and scoop up the rings inside.

"Look at these. Little Cerise here was performing parlor tricks in Lutetia City with these rings," Fabre came out from behind the desk and held out the rings for the colleague to see closer.

"I am thinking this is our link to the Square's perpetrator. Who in their right mind would give this to someone her age and not be up to something?"

____

Eris stepped back into the conversation: "'The Square's perpetrator'?" she repeated; "Has there been a development that I should know about?" The mercenary lowered her hand from the hilt of her sword. Anything she could do to appear less of a threat and more of a help. "I seek to maintain law and order, without violence, if possible. I would like to help if there is a disturbance."

____

"Some call me Corpsewoman, but as Arianne addressed, I prefer Christina," she said to the warrior, smiling gently beneath the veil.

The pink-clad witch examined the rings closely. She passed a hand over them, grimacing. "I would find personal use in these, but they have a curse. This could be our perpetrator or a new threat. Either way, I'm not particularly thrilled."

The Corpsewoman spun around to look Eris in the eyes. "If I were you, I would be concerned with the consequences of facing this threat. Arianne and I are powerful witches. Every seer within Lornaine are busying themselves with finding the assailant, and still she evades us. What do you think you could do, if there were even a chance you found the killer?"

____

"Of course you could use them, we all could stand to have something like this," Fabre smirked and rubbed one of the rings between her thumb and index finger, careful to keep it from actually slipping onto any of her digits. The power emanating from each piece was tantalizing to say the least, but the curse bound to each one crept its icy fingers along her hand in their futile bids to be worn. Try as they may, the witch knew better. Hell, she had made vaguely similar cursed trinkets a long time ago, ties and jackets and necklaces that would climb onto the victim and don themselves, but would often lose control and attempted to strangle their wearer. Ever since, she had a general distrust for any enchanted garment or accessory that she didn't make herself.

The ebon-clad witch slipped the handful of rings into a pocket and turned to the youngest. While her mouth bore a disappointed frown, her eyes showed a genuine curiosity. She crossed her frail arms, the withered staff held in the crook of her right elbow.

Looking upon the young enchantress, she couldn't help but see her own daughter, Priscilla. A young one, down on their luck, welcomed into the magical community when no others would take them. Raising this child, even one not borne from her own womb, endeared Arianne to the young witches, wizards and other young acolytes brought into the fold of Lornaine. Any remaining hostility in Arianne's tone quickly melted, and was replaced with an almost maternal concern.

"Cerise, please tell me, who did you get these from?"

____

The young witch was rooted. She knew just enough witchcraft to understand that if she tried to run, she'd only get herself in trouble.

She avoided Fabre's eyes and stared hard at the ground. Her hands curled into little fists. "Somebody," she stubbornly replied.

____

"Cerise," Arianne's voice softened, but her face did not. "I'm not upset that you took them. Hell, I definitely would have at your age. I'm angry that somebody offered them to you in the first place," even if Cerise wasn't looking, she could likely still feel the elder's iridescent irises boring a hole through her head.

The ebon-clad witch approached the young woman, steps utterly silent, and laid a frail hand on her shoulder.

"Please. I want to help you."

____

"What could I do?" Eris mused, partly in jest, but more in honest consideration. "I could aid wherever you let me. I do try to stop practitioners of harmful magic, but..." she hesitated a breath, "I suppose I will learn little and soon be beaten if I don't accept the fact that I know little about the art itself beyond destructive potential."

Eris straightened her back and let her pride slide away from her like rainwater off a leaf. "I would be much obliged should you teach me something about the arts of magic so that I may better defend myself. As the events of today have shown me, I appear to have a rather frail grasp of the greater matters at hand and may soon step into a situation much beyond my own capabilities."

She regarded the witches individually, mustering as much respect in each glance as she could, forcing her vengeful mind's voice to quiet itself. It would take time, but if they were willing to trust her enough -- and she them -- to teach her more about what the world of magic held, for better and for worse, perhaps she could become a more effective hunter and a more educated enforcer. Perhaps, though the thought made her stomach churn with bile, given the time and opportunity, she could learn to work with these creatures, these beings, and to build some allies that could prove useful on down the line. Whether or not they chose to trust her was a complete toss-up, particularly after her unceremonious abduction of the witch child, Cerise. The most she could do at this point was stand with her palms showing, her back straight, and her eyes as honest as those of a babe. With an ounce of luck, perhaps she could change her path from one of destruction to one of tactical justice.

____

Christina knelt down beside the old wizard and reached for his hand. Warmth drifted through the cabin, bringing a sense of peace and revival. "Wake, wizard. Your body is so frail."

She peeked at Eris from the corner of her eye. "Perhaps, at some point in time, we could use eyes. We could use informants. To some degree, warriors-" Eris passed a glance at Arianne before continuing. "I would gladly speak to you about such things. As we don't know what we're facing just yet... I'm not sure what it is we need."

Cerise dug her shoe into the floor. "Why does it matter? They're just to help spread the word. We're not bad. The more kids that learn that, the more witchcraft will be accepted in Lutetia! We'll breed a generation to accept it! Doesn't that make sense to you?"

____

Arianne first looked towards Eris, giving a dismissive wave. "Very well," she stated, "If you are truly wishing to become involved in such practice, venture deep within the forest, with or without your wizard friend. You will find me, and we may begin."

The elder witch glanced towards the uncooperative Cerise, and turned towards the door. "Cerise, if that is your choice, so be it. However, just know that if you are so intent on withholding such information, you may be the one obstacle that prevents us from solving this mystery with the manic witches, or possibly preventing further incidents like the one at Lumiena Square. Yet, if resisting is still your prerogative, I cannot stop you. Just take to heart that the halting of this investigation was brought about by your hand, and your hand only."

Fabre simply exited the room, only offering a slight nod to the Corpse Woman before leaving the cabin with the rings in hand, disappearing with another strong gust of wind and leaves.

____

Eris blinked slowly, taking in the sudden (and quite literal) shift in the winds. Now she was on their side. While it was what she had asked for, she had not expected to be welcomed in with so little inquiry about the change of heart. Nevertheless, she wouldn't waste a moment thinking about why things hadn't gone awry in one way or another. Might as well move on with conversation.

She looked to Christina who stood now over by poor Monty who was shakily coming to. He coughed dryly and wheezed in a fresh breath. Putting a palm to his leathery forehead, he grimaced. "What the blazes just happened??"

My thoughts exactly...

"So," she continued, "eyes, ears, sword for hire... well, rent. I guess I just have one question: The sudden change of heart has me wondering, if I go 'deep into the forest,' who or what is to say I won't just have a tree toppled on me? What's my insurance in this situation? I want to help, but self-preservation really is pretty high up on my list of priorities."

Eris helped Monty to the couch as she awaited Christina's response.
 
as written by Sentry and Peachy00Keen

"Dear, if Arianne wanted you dead, we would have brought this house down on your head," There was a slight grin beneath the veil. "But I can understand your concerns. I can lend you aid, as I'm not well acquainted with the Arianne and... all of her intentions. But I do believe she means well."

____

Eris squinted, still trying to maintain a friendly face in spite of the skepticism. "If you say so... I don't exactly get the warm fuzzies from her, but hey, at least it's mutual."

Monty snored quietly from the couch behind her and she sighed to herself. That was one less thing to worry about at least... probably.

"I guess I'll head out to the woods, then. What of you and Cerise? Do you come with me or go your own ways?" She snuck a glance at Cerise, "I couldn't exactly blame the kid if she wanted to get the hell away from me."

____

"Fuckin' right about that!" the witch spat, turning the other way. She went off in a sprint.

Christina stared after her, but not for long. "I will keep you updated, but you could do something for me." The woman reached forth for Eris' hand. "I need you to track any witches you see with the black rings. I'll give you the manner to do so."

____

Eris recoiled slightly, "'The manner to do so'?" she repeated, trying to keep the ice from her voice. "I'm not so sure I want any spells placed on me. The last time that happened to someone in my family... well, it didn't end well. So, pardon me if I'm a bit leery of diving in head-first to this ordeal."

____

Christina tapped her chin with her fingers, up in thought. "Very well," she hummed. She cupped her hands before her and pursed her lips. A string of mist slithered from her veil and circled her palms. Though shapeless at first, the mist condensed into a solid mass, then fluttered around the room in a flurry of feathers. It hovered over Eris' shoulder, peeking at her curiously.

"This should reassure you a bit more. It's smart. Just point it in the direction you need it to go."

____

She flinched. "You can just... Make animals?" Eris spat in bewilderment as she stared at the feathered creature. She coughed, trying to regain her composure. "So... um... Does it have a name or anything? Does it come back? Do I need to feed it or put it in a cage or, I don't know, clean up after it? More importantly, how is it going to keep up with a freaking motorcycle?"

____

Christina's laugh filled the home, genuine and hearty. "It's a spell, not a real creature. It will mark your target, then come back." The witch made her way to the door, dress trailing her. "And if you need me, tell it my name. Take care, and good luck."

Like the witch before her, Christina vanished with the wind, not a trace left.
 
as written by Peachy00Keen

Eris stared a long moment at the bird... thing. "So... do you know any tricks?"

The bird hovered, silent.

"I'll take that as a no." She squinted, "What are you even made of?" Eris blew on the spell-bird. Nothing happened. "Apparently made of smoke, immune to the laws of physics. Cool." She paced a circle around it; "translucent..."

Monty stirred on the couch and looked through tired eyes at Eris as she circled nothing. "What the blazes are you doing, girl?" he slurred.

Eris snapped to attention and gestured to the bird beside her. He squinted and raised a messy white eyebrow. She glanced between the two white figures and took a deep breath. Her eyes widened slightly and she shook her head dismissively. "Just... thinking out loud. I'll leave you to rest." Eris waved and turned toward the door. Monty said something barely audible in response, which was cut off by the door shutting.

Outside, she returned her attention to the bird. "So, you're immune to the laws of physics, invisible to others (which I'm sure will do wonders for my apparent sanity), don't talk or react, and apparently act as a magical boomerang." Eris walked over to her motorcycle and mounted it, kicking the stand out of the way as she did. The bird stayed several paces away. "Like it or not, I'm going to give you a name, because 'ghost bird thing' is going to get old real fast." She beckoned with one arm and pointed forth, "Come on, Wisp, let's get going. We've got a lunch date with a crazy witch who may or may not want to kill me."

With that, she roared her bike to life and took off down the dirt road, lead by what she could only quantify as her new magical compass bird.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They rode on for some time before Wisp slowed pace and Eris silenced her bike, coasting to a stop near a large clearing. Upon closer inspection, the clearing hid a narrow path into the dense forest, in the far corner of the field. She rolled her bike up to a nearby tree and parked it in the shade.

Looking to the bird, she quirked her head in the direction of the path. "Is this the place?"

Wisp bobbed slightly.

"I'll take that as a yes. You lead on," she said, following close behind the little bird as they crossed the field and entered the path into the woods.
 
as written by glmstr and Peachy00Keen

The forest before Eris seemed to grow denser and denser by the second, eventually the gaps between the trees drew so narrowly together that even a hunter on foot would have trouble traversing such vegetation. She slowed to a stop, eventually dismounting the vehicle and looking at the direction of which she came. The very path taken, formerly a clearly worn dirt and mud trail, was replaced by ancient oaks and willows and flora of unknown design, their twisting roots and crooked branches making the past few minutes of travel seem clearly impossible. On all sides, a wall of bark and leaves prevented any sort of escape. Next, the cicadas and beetles grew silent, the birds cut short their songs, and the distant wolves refused to howl.

The thick canopy let through only meager pillars of sunlight, rendering the veritable room dim but not completely black.

Then, cutting the silence, the crackling and croaking of bent wood echoed throughout the nearby area. When Eris turned to locate the sound, a seemingly-primordial oak tree's gnarled bark was twisting itself into a shape, the lines and swells in the sapwood further deepening or rising respectively until the end result could be easily made out: a face. Two knots converted to eyes blinked and examined the girl, the great tree's scowl lifting into a neutral expression.

The wooden lips opened, and forth came a drawn out sound, yet it was difficult to tell if it was a groan, a coo or even a sigh.

"You must be a guest of the Fabres. Arianne told me you would come."



The voice was booming, yet gentle and relaxed for its incredible volume. The corners of the tree being's mouth curled to the tiniest of smiles, most likely just to be polite. His eyes glanced to either direction again, at which point the trees and roots began to retract into the ground, revealing the only somewhat dense woodland she was actually inside. Additionally, at either flank of the talking tree, stood Arianne on one side and an unknown person on the other, who pointed to Eris. The stranger received a nod from the familiar witch, only to give a nod in return and then leave.

The ebon-clad Arianne stepped forward, standing around ten feet from Eris but not blocking her view of the grand wooded creature.

"I needed to pull a few strings to convince the elders to allow you to come here, but Madame Ylva requested to see her yourself and, evidently, she approved."

____

The suddenness of the change in her surroundings set Eris on edge, and then some. When she looked back to find the path she had just been traveling to be covered by dense undergrowth with no path in sight, her body tensed and her hand subconsciously went to the hilt of her sword. Anxiously, she checked her left and right flanks, her six, and she held her senses on high alert, keen to detect any slight shift in the wind, crackling twig, or scent in the air. When the silence fell abruptly around her, she could feel her heart stop for a beat before resuming its beating, double-time.

As the trees around her melded into a solid bark room, trapping her, she looked to Wisp. "What is this?! Should I stay put or try to get out? What's the best way to not die, bird?" In response, it hovered silently, looking straight ahead at a gnarled old tree, seeming completely unfazed. Eris followed its gaze.

Before her eyes, the bark of the tree shifted and contorted into a definite face, which spoke, startling her body rigid. The hand that grasped her sword was so adamantly clenched, its knuckles were white and the sharp angles and ridges of the metal were digging into her palm and fingers. The muscles of her arm twitched, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

She listened to the tree, as crazy as she later realized that seemed, and waited to see if this was merely a formality of greeting or if it was a trap.

When Arianne and another figure became visible beside the tree, Eris slowly let out the breath she had been holding since the room had formed around her. She did not take her eyes off of the two witches and the tree. She thought the same to Wisp, not that she thought it would do any good.

After Arianne had spoken, Eris cleared her throat and nodded once, decisively. "I'm glad she approved. I wouldn't want to find out what happens to those who are unwelcome here." She looked around, wiggling her fingers that had been clenched tightly either in a fist or around cold steel; "How many are here? Witches, I mean. I just want to get an idea of what I'm getting into. And what am I going to be expected to do? I hope you understand and take no offense to the fact that I'm still a little be skeptical of this whole setup..." She hesitated, perhaps a moment longer than she ought to have, "But I'm trusting you."

____

"There are fourteen of us in total right now including myself, fifteen if you count Father Alder," Arianne gestured to the treant, "but you will probably only interact with me unless something comes up."

The tree grunted in approval, and did not speak.

"If you are asking about some sort of arbitrary task or errand I will send you on to prove your loyalty, there is none. The fact you even came out here shows an acceptable level of drive," Arianne approached slightly and closed the distance to a few feet, something much more natural for a simple conversation. "If you're curious what I'll actually have you do, at least for now you'll just help with my investigation. Especially now that there's a hitch."

"Between the time we first met and now, a paladin from the Monastic Order wanted to ask me a few questions, as he is now following that case I'm working on. Unsurprisingly, we didn't see eye to eye. As of now, I am expecting him to try to harrass or arrest me, or those associated with me. Ser Savien Durandet is his name. Tall, dark hair, extremely arrogant and no sense of humor. That said, please try to avoid violent or hostile encounters with him, just let me know if he tries anything rash. I've already warned him once,," Arianne smirked.

"Anywho, first order of business. I still need to find Cerise. She hasn't come looking for me yet, and I still need answers from her."

____

Eris nodded attentively as she listened to Arianne's instructions. It wasn't until the mention of the paladin's name that she lost her composure.

"Sir Durr-ahn-day?" she said, with a mocking tone and a snort. "That thug? I've heard of him. I'll keep my distance as long as matters remain peaceful. Let me know if he does bother you. I don't care whose side I'm on -- yours or mine -- I would just love to knock some sense into his pompous skull if I get the chance." She wiped away a trace of a tear as she stopped chuckling; "But please, continue. I apologize for the interruption."

Arianne continued on conveying Eris' first assignment: Cerise.

"About that..." she hesitated. "As I'm sure you've already inferred, the kid and I aren't exactly pals. Last I saw her, she gave me the most fiercely indignant look before hissing her farewell at me and taking off as if the building were on fire. I can find her for you, more likely than not--" Eris glanced at Wisp, "--but I doubt she is going to come along willingly, and frankly, kidnappings just aren't my cup of tea."

She leaned back on a nearby tree, flinching at the last second as she made contact, remembering how they had moved a moment earlier. When the tree didn't budge, she continued. "Me tracking her down alone and convincing her to come with me without any apparent reason other than word that you want to talk to her will probably only drive her farther away from you, me, and the forest in general, and knockout and abduction is definitely not happening again. Unless you've got a plan, I'm kind of at a loss for how this one is going to work, chief."

As she spoke, Eris fiddled with the straps of her armor, nervously. Despite her casual tone, the whole forest had her on edge. The thought of being surrounded by the very type of people who had destroyed her parents and her life made her extremely uncomfortable. The sarcasm was merely a coping mechanism that came out when she was stressed. So far, these particular witches had given her no real reason to show too much concern (other than the clear magical strength they possessed, though it was not directed at her), and she knew from past experience that there were at least some witches out there who could prove useful when given the chance. Still, she remained vigilant, though she was fairly certain that, should they wish to eliminate her here and now, there wouldn't be a damned thing she could do about it.

Shaking her head slightly to clear the encroaching cloud of doubt that had been creeping forth from the back of her mind, Eris focused on the task at hand.

____

"Not to mention that another instance of kidnapping will make her even less willing to cooperate," Arianne nodded. This put the witch in a mild bind. There was nothing she could (or was willing to) have Eris do at the moment, at least nothing strictly productive. She swiped the hat from her head, exposing her feathery raven hair and offering a better view of her face.

"Say, Eris, is there anything on your mind that you need or want to do? I don't have much for you right now, as all I am doing at the moment is waiting for Cerise to make her next move."

____

Eris stared off pensively into the forest. "Actually," she began, still lost in thought, planning, "I think there are some things I'd like to get together before we head out on our witch hunt. For starters," she gestured to the air beside her head where Wisp hovered, "I'd like to figure this thing out a bit more. I have a feeling there's more to him than I'm aware, and he's probably going to be useful."

I also need to get away from this witchy business for a while. A good shower would serve me well... Magical freaks make me feel all twitchy, and I want to get the hell out of this forest... she thought to herself.

"I assume," she continued aloud, "once I'm ready or once you catch on to a lead we can use, we'll be able to contact each other, you through your..." she twiddled her fingers as she gestured up and down the witch's figure, "mysterious magical ways, and I via Dial-A-Ghost over here," she said, nodding her head and pointing with a thumb at Wisp. "We'll be in touch."

Eris turned to leave, realizing she had no idea which direction was out. She rolled her eyes and sighed before turning back around and glancing at the ebon-clad witch with a tight half-smirk-half-unamused-grimace. "Which way to the parking lot?"

____

"Very well. It wouldn't hurt to perform some of my own preparations, as a matter of fact," Arianne nodded, "and yes, you do in fact have the bird. That little one is full of surprises, I'll give it that."

"You can also just call me," the witch smirked and whipped out a cellphone, a surprisingly new model as well. She produced a pen and paper and scrawled down a phone number, handing the note to Eris and stuffing the phone into one of many pockets.

At the question of where to go, Fabre glanced up to the silent treant that stood with them. He huffed and pointed a branch towards Lutetia City, knowing where it was even though it wasn't currently visible.

"That way."

"Just drive in that direction, you'll find a road or something quickly enough."

____

Eris stared down at the piece of paper in her hand. Somehow, she just hadn't expected a century or more old witch to have a cell phone. I learn something new every day, I guess, she thought to herself as she turned in the direction the treant had pointed.

"Uh, thanks," she ventured. What were you supposed to say to talking tree that had just given you directions?

Sure enough, Eris wandered through the forest, keeping mostly along a straight path, until she came to a clearing. Her motorcycle sat where she had left it, leaning against a tree. She made her way over to it, hopped on, and gladly drove far away from the forest and back toward the city.
 
as written by Sentry and glmstr

"Arianne, please," murmured Aderyn, hand raised high into the air as she channeled the messenger spell they favored. "Be careful, something is wrong. Please, visit me, Arianne, I need your help."

Her mother's garden was a mess. Every creature that had the ability to flee past the sigils that surrounded the sanctuary stampeded over flowers, brush, little fences, and anything that had any semblance of organization. Everything else...

Well, everything else was godless and revolting.

A dark muck formed around the sigils that repelled them. Aderyn visibly recoiled as the knots, which her mother tied years before, maintained throughout decades of care, began to creak with pressure. The garden was a sacred place. A safe place.

Whatever had surrounded such a sanctuary had nothing natural about it.

____

Elsewhere in the forest,

Atop a fallen log was perched a witch hunched over a book. Not a magical tome nor an ancient grimoire, instead a colorfully-printed modern novel lay between the pale fingers of the mage. Namely, the series was set in a fantasy universe, rich with magic and fantastical creatures. Amusingly enough, Arianne often found inspiration from said stories, drafting real techniques and spells based on the depictions written in these novels. Several of her most powerful magical feats, in fact, were ancient practices fused with the brainchild of a modern fiction author.

Suddenly, she snapped the book shut and raised her head to hear a messenger from Aderyn, as well as the creeping sense of corruption emanating from her colleague's location. Her eyes narrowed, and she picked up her staff. There was work to do.


The ebon-clad witch traced a circle on the ground, throwing the book and her hat into the area that suddenly lit up with glowing glyphs and runes. The contents disappeared, transported to her home safely. Next, she held her staff up and drew a rectangular shape the size of a doorframe in the air. The area began to wobble and ripple as if water under a sea breeze, and Arianne walked through the membrane.

----------

At Aderyn's sanctuary, a strong and familiar breeze picked up. Uprooted plants and dead leaves swirled into a small vortex, until the center was completely obscured. After a few seconds, the wind suddenly died down, letting the plant matter fall away as Arianne exited from the cone.

"What is the meaning of this?" She narrowed her eyes and looked around at the garden's state of chaos.

____

Aderyn spun around to face the other witch. She was racked with worry. Her hands shakily grasped at the charm hung around her neck. "Arianne, I don't know what's happening b-but... I don't know what's attacking. I can't identify it. I tried to reach out to it and I felt nothing. I don't truly have the gift like you. I can't let this place get run over by it, Arianne! It's just out to... devour."

There was something keenly familiar about the mass clawing at the sigils outside. When one looked close enough, it was possible to make out separate beings of varying sizes and shape. Some small and fluttery, others hulking and beastly. There were human shapes in the confusion. Each one oozed the same sinister magic that Arianne held hostage within those rings.

____

"It knows we are hunting down its master, and is attacking out of fear," Arianne scowled at the approaching mass and began approaching the wall it was attacking. "A cornered animal, gnashing and clawing in an attempt to delay the inevitable."

The witch gripped her staff and stared down the beast, a smoky darkness billowing from the ground at her feet. While the creature was clearly one of shadow, it paled in comparison to the all-obscuring umbra radiating from Fabre. Soon, a mass of her own darkness, nearly equaling the size of the foe outside the wall, lurched towards its counterpart.

From Aderyn's location, the only sign of the mysterious witch was a pair of brilliant golden lights piercing through the fog-like shadows, until the mass moved so far forward that she was once again visible. Her eyes glowed almost as beacons, and she raised her staff with one hand.

Several moments passed as Arianne's created mass lifted up with her staff. Then, when she slammed the end of it into the ground with a thunderous crash. The darkness fell upon its counterpart as a tidal wave of force, a blast so potent that trees behind the target tore from their roots and fell over, and almost all nearby grass uprooted from the pressure.

____

The creatures that had been clawing at the shield were blown away with the incredible power that Arianne unleashed. For the moment they vanished, but the threat was only scattered about in the woods. Aderyn placed her hand over her heart and let out a breath. On multiple accounts, she was witness to horrible things. Creatures that, when looked upon, drove one insane. To meet with something that could push against her mother's sigils was a different matter entirely. That was an immense amount of power, even if it wasn't united enough to fight against Arianne.

"Is it what we think it is?" she asked the older witch. "Our same witch?"

____

Frenzied shrieks and wails echoed through Lornaine forest as the shade-beast's form dispersed into a much more harmless state, a simple stench in the breeze rather than a mass of amorphous darkness. Any animated presence left from the dark witch's assault dared not retaliate, and instead would elect to flee. The second and somewhat larger mass, previously unabated by its clash, seemingly melted into a low blanket of smoke covering the ground. With a broad sweeping motion with her staff, Arianne dispersed that which she had summoned.

She turned towards Aderyn and approached her, returning to a distance of a few feet, much more suitable for a conversation.

"I would be terribly surprised if it wasn't. Only a select few in this day and age would have access to this sort of practice, and even then most of those people are accounted for. Who would have gained this knowledge, and how?"

Fabre reached into her left sleeve with the opposite hand and produced a small knife, ornately crafted with a wickedly sharp blade. The witch knelt to the dirt and quickly scratched a message into the soft soil with the blade:

Situation at Aderyn's Garden resolved. Encountered masses of shadow not unlike those in our own archives. Suspect a leak, please check our stores immediately. Arianne.

She slipped the blade back into its concealed sheath and rose to her feet, picking up her staff. She raised it several inches above the message, then drove the bottom end into the dirt. An almost thunderous crack responded as the message disappeared, at which point she pulled the staff out of the loam and turned to face Aderyn again.

"We need to hurry in tracking this person down. There's no telling what could come next."
 
Aderyn nodded and wrapped a hand around her wrist, digging a nail in her skin nervously. "There's someone we can contact to help. She's... not completely reliable, but she's good at what she does. We might locate the origin of these beasts, even if we can't demolish it. What say you, Fabre?"
 
"If your contact proves, erm, unreliable, I can send for someone," Fabre snatched the hat from her head and wiped some dust from it, but did not replace it right away. "I would rather resolve this quickly if possible, so go ahead and bring her along." The witch had far too much pride to admit why she was in a hurry, that there were several other issues that needed sorting out, but reducing the amount of panic was a crucial step in many of those goals. If everything went at least partially well, the prospect of calling on Aderyn and others could prove useful elsewhere.

The balance was difficult to hold, the Fabres needed to keep their byzantine grasp of the magical community, and it seemed the only way to do so was with enough binding oaths, borrowed promises and as many complacent allies as possible. As time passed, the house of cards Arianne and her sisters built had somehow proved more stable than even the mighty Monastic Order as of late. She saw to keep it that way.
 
"Very well," said Aderyn. Raising a hand, the medicine witch sent a message into the breeze. She so hoped that her contact would come. In times like this, any one of the witches could use as much help as they could muster.

Briefly, Aderyn's mind flickered to one of the most powerful witches at her fingertips but swiftly dismissed the thought. She had no control over that gamble.

__________

Minutes later, Aderyn had not only retrieved a response, but she could see the glowing eyes of her company in the brush. She beamed in relief. "Arianne, I'd like you to meet the Wolfwitch of Lutetia. Her name is Loumère ."

From the forest amassed several very large, ferocious wolves, some taller than the women at their full height. One walked up to them and staggered to a crouch, morphing into a small, grey-skinned young woman as she lowered. Her eyes, Aderyn saw, stayed the same. No longer human, but something wild. Her hair was matted and filthy, her clothing worn. This woman didn't know civilization as Aderyn and Arianne knew it.

"Loumère , we need your help. Arianne should have something for you to use. We need to find the witch who's been spreading dark magic around the wood."
 
Even as Loumère approached, she could likely smell the stain of darkness that followed Arianne. An often necessary price to her craft, and one that made dealing with those of a more primal persuasion notably difficult to work with. The foul stench of the abyss was one not easily forgotten, even Ylva, the witch's closest comrade, found it repulsive for many years.

Wolves. Aderyn's statement about unreliability had not even prepared Fabre for this. Loyal to each other, but territorial. Many could not control their base instincts either. Once one gets hungry enough, a slab of meat is enough to erase any loyalty they could have kept. They were wildcards, and such variables were not appreciated.

Either way, Arianne had little choice.

"This," the witch produced a small ring and tossed it towards the bestial guest. "Someone is producing them and giving them away to children who don't know better. It's dangerous, so do not even think about putting it on."
 
The tattered, wild witch picked up the ring with caution. Already, she could feel the darkness oozing from it, even through Arianne's disturbance. She was familiar with the Fabre's. That is, she was familiar with avoiding them and keeping her distance.

As Loumère inspected the ring, it began to float atop her splayed palm. She held it up to her company of wolves and had them inspect it themselves.

"Where did you get such an object?" barked the woman. "It stinks. It rots. Like blood left to fester."
 
"An acquaintance of mine was given it. Cerise, a young apprentice in the city, easily wooed by its power. I seized several more from a dealer, they have been promptly destroyed." Arianne relinquished the task to Tethys, as her elder claimed there was a way to recycle their power into something less malicious. The beast's attitude irked Fabre, but the witch did not dare show as such.

"Can you tell me at least where they are coming from?"
 
"Something with a stench this strong? It will not be hard."

As she stood up, Loumère's form shifted back into the frost-colored wolf she had arrived as. "You must keep up."

No sooner had Loumère shifted did Aderyn flee within her house and retrieve a small eggshell from her home. She whipped past Arianne with an unusual haste for the medicine witch. The eggshell cracked into her palm, releasing a powerful waft of magic that consumed Aderyn. Her form glittered and fell apart, revealing a small blackbird flitting away.
 
"Very well."

As the others left, Arianne slowly exhaled and drew forth the abyssal fog again, letting the noxious vapors aggregate around her ankles, then her thighs, eventually enveloping her entire form in the endless swirling mist. Once it fully cocooned Fabre, the mist condensed and raised into the air, the witch within absorbed into its smoky form. The amorphous cloud streaked through the air after Aderyn and Loumère and drew the shape of a serpent, or perhaps a comet. Such a cloud could easily keep pace with the others as it silently followed.
 
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