Claws of Truth

Another Day in the Life

"Hold it right there, Owl Lady! We have you surrounded! Place your hands apart in the air and come quietly. This doesn't have to end violently." A deep masculine voice bellowed.

For most people, being encircled by five witches from the prestigious Emperor's Coven would have a deer in headlights effect. Not knowing what to do or say, the feeling of dread and regret lumped in the deepest pit of their stomach, and the looming threat of incarceration would be enough to stop almost anyone dead in their tracks.

Almost.

For the Owl Lady, or Eda, as she were also referred to by a few, being surrounded by the authorities was just another day in the life. The feeling of immobility and danger was not so prevalent anymore. It was more like a sparring match for her. There was essentially a lack of repercussions when facing the Emperor's equerries, one which she certainly loved to take advantage of every time the opportunity presented itself.

"Well boys," Eda addressed the coven members with a smirk, "it looks like you caught me this time. I'm not sure how I'll ever be able to get myself out of this one. So I guess I'll just have to turn myself in..."

Eda raised her arms and bowed her head as the coven members began to close the gap between them and her. They cautiously took one step after another making sure to note any twitch in her arms which could spell trouble.

"Smart plan." The deep voiced man said. He must be the one in charge of these dunderheads. "And you might just get lucky too. I've heard that Lilith has taken a special interest in you, and assuming all goes well at the Conformitorium, you may just have a future within the Emperor's Coven. Whether you like it or not." The leader said with a baleful laugh.

"Oh?" Eda questioned. "You know, I've heard rumors that the true reason there's such a hefty reward for me isn't because I've broken the law, but because the Emperor himself wants me to be one of his personal associates. I've always passed it off as ridiculous, but if you guys are hearing it too, well, there may be some truth to it after all." She smirked.

The guard teamed up slightly and grunted, taking another step towards Eda. "Regardless of what you heard, you'll be coming in for processing first and foremost. Until then, I suggest you remain silent." The guards drew small circles of various colors in front of them and stuck their hands through them, encasing their wrists. One guard prepared a set of magic-nullifying handcuffs and began closing the gap between himself and Eda.

"As much as I would love to see Lily, I don't think it's in the cards today. But pass along my well wishes to her, would ya?" Eda asked with a smug grin.

The guards shifted uncomfortably and before they even realized what was happening, Eda made her move to escape.

Unbeknownst to the poorly trained eyes of the circled up coven members, Eda had drawn a spell circle on the ground with the tip of her boot. She shoved her foot through the hole toe first, plunging her foot into the ground. She drug her foot up and out in an arch from beneath her, dropping her body backwards at the same time. The ground peeled up with her foot like a blanket and she grasped the sides of the dirt, pulling it in close to her like a makeshift cocoon.

The coven members unleashed their handheld assault spells at her. A beautiful and deadly assortment of colors ripped across the small space between their palms and Eda. The cool blues of water spells intertwined with hot orange fires mixing with yellow lightning and other elemental arrays created an explosion rivaling a large land mine. The blast kicked up a dust cloud which covered countless stands and bystanders in the vicinity in a thick layer of dirt and gravel.

Below the cloud, Eda breathed a sigh of relief in knowing that her orange magic shield underneath the ground she pulled over her withstood the force of the blast. She may be the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles, but even she has a limit to the power her spells can achieve. Going up against five members of the strongest coven pushed her pretty far, and if she was being honest with herself, they came pretty close to beating her. But once again her self proclaimed title of the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles proved its legitimacy since she was still standing. Figuratively at least, being on her back and all. The next course of action though was to get off her back and the hell out of this mess.