The Stone Keeper's Quest- Elrich

Chapter Seven

Queen Witch Moribund spoke to her coven with annoyance in her voice. "The girls led King Gilfillan's soldiers right to our village today." She glared at the crowd of witches, who looked ashamed and frightened.

"All Grand Witches, follow me to my hut," She ordered. She turned and walked away, her black cloak billowing behind her. The other witches scattered to their baobab huts, chatting and gossiping along the way.

When they reached her hut, she said, "Witches, sit down." She sat first and the others followed. She looked worried and angry. "Gilfillan knows where we are now. He won't hesitate to bring a bigger army and kill us all." She clenched her hands into fists.

Evanora, the First Grand Witch and the Queen's second-in-command, urged the others to hasten their preparations for the Forever Wanderer spell. The Grand Witches agreed with her.

Queen Moribund tapped her long fingernails on the armrest of her chair. "Tomorrow, we will gather the ingredients for the spell. Is that clear?" she said, eyeing Evanora.

"Of course, my Queen," Evanora replied, smiling sweetly.

Queen Moribund licked her lips and leaned forward. "And how many girls do we have in the pits?" she asked.

"Three, my Queen. They were abducted two days ago," Evanora said.

"That's not enough! Tell your covens to find more girls," the Queen commanded. She slammed her fist on the armrest, making the candles flicker.

"As you wish, Your Highness," the Grand Council said in unison. They bowed their heads in obedience.

"Now, bring me Gianna and Andrea," the Queen ordered. She wanted to see the two girls who had left her daughter to the mercy of Gilfillan's soldiers.

Gianna and Andrea entered the room after a few minutes and bowed their heads to the floor. "Your Majesty," they greeted in unison. They trembled as they felt the cold and angry eyes of Queen Witch Moribund and the Grand Council on them. They knew they had failed their mission and betrayed their sisters.

Queen Witch Moribund was furious. "How dare you abandon your fellow witches? What made you think you could leave them behind?" she shouted. She rose from her throne and walked towards them, her black cloak billowing behind her. Her face was twisted with rage and contempt.

"Your Majesty, we had no choice. They were too many for us to fight. We were outnumbered ten to one," Andrea explained in a low voice. She tried to sound brave, but her voice cracked under the pressure. She glanced at Gianna, hoping for some support, but Gianna was too scared to look at her.

"That is no excuse! We never leave a witch behind, never!" Queen Witch Moribund slammed her hand on the wooden table.

She composed herself and asked, "What did you discover at the site?"

"We think it was a dragon, Your Majesty," Gianna said, causing gasps and whispers of disbelief from the Grand Council.

"A dragon? That's impossible. Dragons have not been seen for a thousand years. You must be mistaken," Queen Witch Moribund said.

"We have proof, Your Majesty. We brought the dragon's blood," Gianna said, holding out a large calabash that served as a container. She hoped that the blood would be enough to save them from their fate. She knew that dragon's blood was a rare and valuable substance that could enhance any spell.

"Place it on the table," Queen Witch Moribund ordered. She gestured with her hand and a guard witch came forward to take the calabash from Gianna. She placed it on the table and returned to her post.