Nevermore

Snake vs Coven

" We're nearly there." Hester panted as they ran through the woods towards the stables - Old Maple Way. All three of them were breathless from running. Sweat beads occupied their foreheads, but they told themselves it would all be worth it when they reached their destination. Maybe the people at Old Maple Way would give them food and equipment. Of course, they wouldn't be able to stay long - it was all too likely they were being hunted by Rafal's zombies - there weren't really many left - but it didn't sound like Rafal to let them all go. No. Pure evil never forgives and never forgets. 

It was the middle of the day, the sun at its highest. Scorching them down with its heat. " How long left?" Anadil panted. She despised the sun with burning hatred. 

" A couple of minutes." Hazel replied, her face slick with sweat. 

Not long later, they spotted Old Maple Way up ahead. It was surrounded by trees and flowers ; secluded from the world. It had a lovely overgrown cottage and ranch. Somehow, though, as soon as they were through the gate, they knew something was wrong. They had the feeling in their guts. It was most likely because of the silence - or perhaps the smell of blood, rotting meat, corpse. 

Hester's heart hammered in her chest, trying to break free. " I don't think we're the only ones here," she whispered, afraid of her own fear. Hester wasn't scared easy - it worried her. 

" I figured that much." Hazel murmured back. Her eye were wide, the pupils large, her expression worried but curious. Diablo hissed from her neck, which he was curled around. " Grab my hand." She demanded. 

Anadil and Hester did, knowing what Hazel would do. The world around them suddenly turned black and white and they knew they had turned invisible. It had happened before when Hazel had rescued them from Rafal. 

They tiptoed across the lawn, careful not to make a sound or lose the grip of Hazel's hands. If they did, they wouldn't be so invisible anymore. 

Hazel led them towards the cottage, silently. 

All you could hear were the slight gusts of wind, the silence terrifying and deadly. The front door was closed, showing no signs of anyone in there. The feeling in their guts told them otherwise. Hazel bit her lip. " Its the only way in." She whispered. 

She opened the door silently, hoping that it wouldn't creak. The door creaked and they all cringed. They took a step into the house. It would be a nice cottage if there wasn't five dead bodies lying on the kitchen floor. Family photos. Plants. Lively wallpaper and wooden planks. The smell was sickening, even worse in here than out there. Yes, out of the corner of their eyes in the next room, corpses. A middle aged woman and man. A young girl, perhaps four. A tabby cat. And the worst of the lot - a baby boy swaddled in a white blanket stained with blood. Hester knelt down, still holding Hazel's hand, inspecting the blood. 

" It's dried." She murmured. " They've been dead for at least an hour." 

" Probability? The killer's still here." Anadil replied softly. 

They glanced around, afraid. " Rafal?" Hester suggested quietly. 

Hazel tapped them both on the shoulders and inclined her head towards the stairs, putting a finger on her lips. " Shhh." She mouthed. 

Like mice, they made their way up the stairs and onto the landing. The bedroom door was slightly open. Anadil's heart beat faster from fear. Was the killer in the bedroom? And why? Were they waiting for them? Her breathing became louder, faster- 

Hester touched her hand in support. " Let's go in," she mouthed to Hazel who nodded. In their invisibility, they entered the room. Someone was there but of course he couldn't see them. He had a suit like a reptile, a mask over his face. He was sitting on the bed, somewhat patiently. Waiting, Hester realised with a jolt. 

They had never seen him before, had they? His eyes were icy like Rafal's but why was Rafal waiting, in a snake suit. It wasn't his style. No, this was someone else. Someone else who murdered a family, and for what? 

" I know you're there." The masked man said. He seemed to be looking directly at them. 

" I know who you are and what you're doing. Reveal yourselves." 

Anadil looked to Hester and Hazel. Her eyes said : what do we do?

Hester mouthed. " We will reveal ourselves. He doesn't know about Hazel, she will sneak up behind him." She performed this with many gestures and motions until Anadil understood. They let go of Hazel's hand to find themselves in a world of colour again.

Hester's demon ripped of her shoulder. " Who are you?" She demanded. 

Anadil unsheathed her dagger, pointed it at his neck. 

The masked man only smiled. He took his mask off, revealing a handsome but cruel face. He wasn't really a man at all but a boy, a teenage boy. He had copper coloured wild hair, his skin pale. He grinned. " I am the Snake." 

Bits of his suit squirmed free and leapt at the two girls, imprisoning them. " Don't try to get away. There will be consequences when I find you." 

Anadil and Hester tried to speak but couldn't, gagged by the wretched creatures.

" Oh? What was that?" He laughed. " They're called scims." 

" Wondering about your wizard friend and the others? I killed them. No point of going anywhere now, is there?" He smirked. 

It was just then, out of the corner of Hester's eyes when she saw Diablo's fangs sink into the Snake's neck. " Ahhh." He screamed, pressing a hand to the wound. The damage wasn't enormous, but blood pumped out and the pain was worse due to the poison. 

His face contorted into a mask of rage. His scims leapt towards Diablo, who tried to dodge, but was impaled through his tail. He slumped to the ground. Hazel appeared then, shocking the Snake as she got out her bow and an arrow, aimed it towards him. She was too slow though and the scims jabbed at her. Furious she took out another weapon - a bottle filled with poison and poured it all over the scims who whimpered in pain and terror, retreating back to their master.

 She then poured it over the scims encasing Anadil and Hester, all the while being stabbed at by oncoming scims as she screamed. They then leapt towards Japeth - Anadil with her dagger, Hester with her demon and Hazel with her poison. Japeth winced when he saw them, screwed his face up with concentration and disappeared as did his scims. Their weapons stabbed pillows, releasing feathers. 

" He 's gone." Anadil observed, her face blotched with anger - not tears. Hester tentatively put a hand on the needle-sized holes the scims had made, which were swelling up rapidly. 

Hazel was sobbing, cradling Diablo in her arms. " Diablo," she cried. " Don't be dead. Please. I need you." 

He opened his black eyes slowly and stared at her before snuggling his head close to chest. "He's not dead. Not yet." She croaked. " Find some medicine and food. Then we leave on the horses he forgot to eliminate." 

Hester and Anadil nodded solemnly and rushed off. They came back a couple minutes later with two days worth of food and a few bottles of medicine. Hazel gave Diablo a few drops. " It'll keep him alive for a bit longer." She sighed. " Maybe a couple of days. Hopefully its enough." 

They packed the food into the satchels on three horses - Star, Willow and Blossom, the labels read. Hazel carefully put Diablo in the pocket of her jacket.

Hester smiled wearily at her. " No time to rest, I suppose. To Jaunt Jolie?" 

" To Jaunt Jolie." Anadil repeated as they rode off into the blaze of the sun, hoping they would reach Jaunt Jolie in time to save Diablo's life and recruit the kingdom for war.