Destined To Die

Chapter 7 - Black Annis

-7-

-Black Annis-

Akane and Maddy stepped inside the shack, flickering lights casting shadows throughout the cramped space within. They followed the witch quietly as the door closed slowly behind them of its own accord, three separate heavy deadbolts sliding into place.

Annis's head was nearly scraping the overhead beams in the house as she walked, Akane kept a wary eye on the darkened corners of the building, between overflowing stacks of mouldy books and loose papers that seemed crammed in every conceivable corner. What looked like chicken bones hung from the ceiling, suspended by twine like grim mockeries of wind chimes, some with glyphs etched roughly along their lengths, some bare as if purely for decoration.

He ducked his head beneath a particularly low hanging set the morbid decorations, the smell of rotting meat heavy in his nostrils from what little meat remained on the yellowing bones.

"Tea?" Annis asked, making her way over to a low table at the far side of small house, one long arm reaching out to gesture to a battered tin kettle resting on one of the shelves.

"No," Akane replied, keeping his eyes glued to the witch.

"What about you, dear?" Annis asked, her head turning back over her shoulder, milky eyes meeting Maddy's with a toothy smile.

"No thank you," Maddy said, trying to suppress the feeling of nerves as the monstrous witch regarded her.

"Suit yourselves," Annis shrugged, arm extending almost six feet to pluck the kettle from the counter with a surprising delicacy, "You could learn something from this one, Akane," she continued, "Your manners are lacking."

"I've been told," Akane muttered as they followed.

The witch hunched down again when they reached a roughly hewn table, settling into a chair that was entirely too small for her frame. Her knees rested high on either side, rags clinging to her almost skeletal body, and with a wave of her hand a small blue fire sputtered to life beneath the kettle.

"So?" Annis prompted expectantly, gesturing for both to take their places on the other side of the table, "What can old Annis do for you, today?"

The man that had let them in was nowhere to be seen, as if he'd vanished into thin air.

"I'm looking for a Leyline Gate," Akane said bluntly, watching the witch's blue face, the colour only intensified by the light of the deep sapphire flame.

"Hmm?" She raised an eyebrow, her hand reaching out and plucking a small, filthy cup from a table five feet away, "A what, now?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Akane replied, a hand reaching up to rest on his shoulder as he leaned forward, dangerously close to the hilt of one of his swords, "I know what they are, and I know you do too."

Maddy watched as the witch's hand twitched, iron nails clawing through the wood of the tables surface with a loud scratching.

"What he means to say," Maddy interrupted, earning immediate glances from both of them, "Is that we'd really appreciate your help."

There was a long moment of silence, before Annis smiled again with a raspy chuckle.

"Good manners, this one."

"Can you help us?" Akane asked, his voice strained.

"Maybe," Annis shrugged, "Maybe not. I suppose that little bitch told you about them, did she?"

"You know Abigail?" Maddy asked before she could stop herself, and the witch's eyes snapped back in her direction with a venom.

"Oh yes," Annis replied, "She... She took a great many things from me," her voice lowered, into a raspy muttering that Maddy almost couldn't make out, "Stole my fucking cat."