Sofia gazed on the scenery before her. The weather was not fair that morning. They woke up early and prepared to leave as early as possible. A distant village downhill can be perceived that could be reached in no time. They planned to stop for a while and rest there. In a distant mountain, she could see dark clouds circling it. The significant dark forest awaits them. It seemed lifeless and dull. Sofia trembled seeing the death that lies beyond. Raven went near her and take hold of her hand. Septh screech and flew over her shoulders.
They’ve reach the village within just an hour. The dwellings were mostly made of adobe that stood still under the heat of the sun. Villagers went to and fro, going to their farms, fetching animals and plowing the earth. Some have axe at their shoulders that might be going to the thicket to cut lumbers and woods. There were children, lots of them playing some kind of game with their gleeful eyes. A child suddenly grabbed Sofia’s attention. The child was lame and sickly that she was just on the corner watching other children. She seemed to be hungry but no one was there to care for her. She wished she can do something for the child, a food at least but they just passed her by.
The moment they arrived on the tavern by road, she get some apples from their baggage and looked for the girl that she had seen before. Chase followed her secretly while Tristan and Iris went inside to buy food and settled a spot for them. Raven joined their company. He followed Sofia with his gaze until she turned to an alley. He came after her trail and finally halted. Sofia sit beside a lame girl, asking about something. After some talking, she offered her an apple and called out the attention of other sickly children she could find, giving them the same grace. He could see the smile on the young woman’s face upon seeing the happiness she had brought over the hopeless progenies. Sofia stand back to her feet and turned to where he was silently observing. He turned to leave and went back to the tavern, avoiding her presence. He does not want her to think that he was secretly prying on her. Moreover, he does not want the girl to assume anything until he was certain of what he feels.
Iris waved her hand upon seeing him entering the tavern. There were only few people who were dining. Five men were drinking and chattering audibly by the corner. He was thankful that the place was spacious and quiet, somehow. Chase halted, he could feel something was odd but the amulet never gives a warning, not a single glow. Even though, he should never let his guard down, not at this point. Iris leave a space for him on her side. He went near her and sat without a noise. Sofia came after. Tristan called for the young woman’s attention. Sofia smiled removing her hood and paused upon seeing him. He glanced and turned his look to the opened window.
Sofia sat beside Tristan. On his left was Raven who was grinning at them. Sofia managed to smile, throwing glances on Chase a minute after another. No matter how she try to ignore him, she always found a reason for her to glance at him. Was he that irresistible? Sofia sighed many times than usual. Tristan noticed her discomfort.
“Are you sick?” Tristan asked and pat her forehead. Chase glanced in secrecy. Sofia suddenly blushed. She never expect that Tristan would do that.
Sofia set a wry smile and said, “I-I’m fine.” She lowered her gaze.
Tristan smiled. “That’s a relief.”
Iris smirked. Well, well. This guy was making his move eh? She turned to Chase and rest her head over its shoulder. She should make a move too, Iris thought smiling to herself. Sofia could not help to glance and suddenly frowned upon catching Chase’s eyes that was staring at her. She hurriedly looked away. Whenever she looked into his eyes, she remembered one thing. The kiss.
A moment later, their food was finally served by a pretty woman. The lady stares differently on Chase, smiling onto him with such sweetness, a seducing one. She even dares to touch his shoulder when he caught her wrist. The woman leered and pulled her hands out of his grip. Iris throw a threatening look on the woman. “Enjoy your meal,” the woman said, curling the tips of her hair and took a glance at Chase before turning to Sofia. Chase sneered and shook his head in disbelief.
“Yours will be followed,” the woman announced to Sofia and leave them in great puzzlement. Tristan chortled. His friend was such a lady-killer. Sofia smirked silently. What else to expect? Iris, on the other hand, was troubled by the appearance of a potential rival. Raven? He already grabbed his plate and gobbled on the food. He was just a child and it was an adult matter to be mixed up with.
The woman went out of the kitchen, carrying the soup on a large platter to be serve to Sofia. Glancing on her, the lady put down the soup gently over the table. “You should eat while it’s hot,” the woman murmured and left. Sofia smiled. The soup seemed so tempting and savory to her. A foreboding presence suddenly came out of nowhere. Chase turned his gaze into the serving lady. Something was peculiar on her yet he cannot tell exactly what it was, or was it just a mistake? He smelled something in the soup that was serve to Sofia. Poison. A destroying angel. He was about to stop Sofia from taking a sip when Septh, the phoenix jolted down into the table from the open window, spilling the soup on Sofia’s hand with its sharp talons. It screeched in an odd manner and flew out of the window. Chase hurriedly stand, drawing something inside his cloak. The people inside the tavern, turned to them with curious look on their eyes.
Sofia flinched. She know something might not be right. Chase turned to her and said, “Your soup was poisoned.” Iris and Tristan stood exchanging glances to each other, alarmed. Raven puke and spilled out all the food that he had eaten.
The child turned to Sofia and asked, “Am I dead, Fie?” Sofia shook her head and pulled the boy closer to her. He looked fine. If it was poisoned, he should be dead right now. Someone might have put poison on her soup. It might be the serving lady. Chase throw a rose at the door that leads to the kitchen when a noise was heard from it. The flower suddenly flamed. The serving lady squealed and came out with its hand raising over her chest. She seemed surprised by the flaming thing that was thrown at her.
Chase frowned in surprised. “It wasn’t her. Then, who could be …?”
A laughed echoed the place. It was foreboding so as the presence that goes stronger than before. The people run out in fear, leaving them behind. “Wonderful,” a voice intoned. They turned around and was astounded when they recognize from whom the voice came from. A young girl stood by the door. Sofia gasped seeing the girl. It was the same girl that she saw before! The difference is that she was not lame after all.
The girl drew near them and chuckled. “You never suspect me, do you?” She laughed aloud. “Who would suspect a poor lame girl anyway? You were too kind Hunter. I am afraid that kindness could kill you.” The girl began to shift form. From an innocent figure she turned into a full grown woman wearing a seductive garb that extends down to her feet. The dress was close-fitting and silky-black, revealing her alluring feature. Her hair was snow-colored, flowing on her back down to her knees. A slit that starts from the lower hem up to her hips shows the fullness of her thighs. The woman tossed her hair and rest her hands over her waist. She was a witch yet a beautiful one. “Snow, at your service.” The woman slightly bowed her head in a graceful manner.
Iris utters a spell and the wooden chairs along with the tables flew directly over the woman but it had been blocked with an invisible shield. Seeing that she failed on her first attack, Iris made everything float and flew towards the witch one after another in a circular motion, but it was useless. The woman smirked, “Was that all that you’ve got?” She write something in the wind that made Iris froze like a sculpture. Snow laughed, biting her fingers seductively.
Chase appeared before Sofia and dragged her behind him, shielding her from any harm. He drew out another flaming rose and throw it towards Snow. The witch form a barrier but it goes right into it, pinning her down to the wall. Snow groaned in pain. He was stronger than she thought. She draw an insolent smile and said, “My, my. I think I’m beginning to like you dear. You’re charming and formidable. My taste indeed.”
Chase smirked a
nd appeared beside Iris, unbinding her of the spell. Tristan began to form ice crystals on his wide-open palm. It reproduce into sharp, piercing crystals, circling on his hands. He thrust his hands towards Snow who was astounded and got hit by its pointy edges. She was hit on one of her shoulders and bleed. “It’s time to be serious now,” she plucked some strands of her hair and turned them into pins. She pitched those towards her opponents. A lizard on the ceiling was hit on the tail and fell to the ground, lifeless. The pins were poisoned that a tiny scratch could kill.
Sofia who was at the corner had almost pricked by one of the deadly pins. She saw it coming and stopped an inch away from her eye. Chase had made it halt and fell to the ground before it hits her. Raven shifted into his beast figure. The wolf leapt and bit Snow on its hand. “Bad dog,” she uttered in agony, creating an orb and locking Raven inside. Then she squashed the beast out of the window. Raven wailed outside in pain. Sofia went to rescue the child but the door shut before her eyes.
“Where do you think you’re going Hunter?” Snow yelled. “The game isn’t over yet!”
Chase took advantage of the moment and appeared behind Snow, drawing out his sword and slashed the witch crossways. She noticed his presence and avoided his assault. He only caught her hair that was cut in short length over her shoulders. The strands that had been cut off turned into ashes. Tristan rolled over, thrusting his sword into Snow’s chest from behind her back but the witch disappeared. The next thing he knew, his own sword were on his throat and behind him was Snow, smirking. Iris came into rescue and made the vines emerge, crawling and twisting over the witch’s feet and upward until it reach her arms, freeing Tristan who swiftly draw away from his abductor. Gust of air swarmed down on Snow, making the vines torn to pieces. Before Tristan could do anything, he was frozen into ice. The witch made spheres of water that dragged Sofia inside. Iris try to repel it but it was too late. She was locked on the other sphere.
Snow laughed wickedly, lifting the sphere cages in the air. The two young woman began to gasp for air. It was filled with water and was hard to breathe. They may drown to death in a few minutes. “Now what, my dear?” Snow asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Which of them do you love most? The Hunter or This girl?”
Chase clenched his fist. This witch is crazy. He could see them suffering. Both of them have a significant portion in his life. How could he possibly choose between them? “Let them go!” he yelled, enraged.
Snow wiggled her finger. “Uh-Uh. You have to choose. One of them has to die. I can’t let both of them go.” The witched chortled. It was fun. She could see the bothered look on his eyes. Even Skull only ask for the Hunter, this sort of game was sort of fun. “Time’s running out, knight. I say, you choose the girl. The Hunter was mine.”
Sofia began to gasp for air as the sphere began to shrink. It was such a shame that she would die that way. She uttered something before she fainted. His eyes widened, unable to grasp what she had told him. Chase bend a knee. Iris shook her head. No. He should not kneel before her. Snow laughed wickedly. “What was that knight? Surrender now?” He suddenly slit his palm and wrote something on the ground with his blood. It was a spell. Blinding streaks of red light emerges from the writings. He was borrowing strength from the beast inside of him and it does not failed him. Chase strike the ground with his wounded palm. His eyes turned fiery red. Sharp claws began to grow and red, glimmering scales appeared on his arms. Iris had seen him like that before and it had been a long time.
“Die,” he whispered. A huge orb of carmine fire surrounds the witch. It was burning furiously. Snow screamed and dispersed immediately before she roast to death. Chase appeared behind her and struck his sword towards her heart. It somehow wounded her before she had disappeared completely. The ice began to melt and Tristan freed himself. Spheres of water vanished and the two young woman began to fall. Iris made a layer of air for her to land. Chase caught Sofia who was still unconscious.
“Shadows were coming,” Chase announced. His eyes went back to normal. The claws and scales began to turn into red speckles of dust and vanished. His power was not enough to fight them back and hold them. Summoning spell could give you just a moment of boundless Gift but after that it could drain out all the life in you. They swiftly depart the tavern which was left in a great mess. He carried Sofia and mounted the horse. He turned to Tristan and said, “Take Raven with you and go with Iris. We have to split up. Find a clearing on the mountain and wait us there.”
Tristan nodded and held his arm eventually, “Take care of her.”
Chase saddled the horse and leave. Tristan carried Raven and took the other route along with Iris. The shadows began to appear one after another, chasing them in swift movements. They went through the thicket and headed to the mountain. The sky was eventually turning dark and there was a chance of rain. They were now at the foot of the Dark Fall Mountain. Even Skull’s disciple cannot passed through it. The mountain was sacred and had been the lair of the Lost Souls.