The Forbidden Drink II: Return of the Titans

Ch. 22: Face to Face

Leaves were being crushed under foot as Eberwolf's hunt for the mysterious person continued, and the group of witches were still following him.

"How close are we?" Hunter asked.

"Rooooow! Ruff!" Eberwolf said

"He said the trail is getting stronger, so we're getting close." Luz said, translating. "By this rate, I can narrow down several areas, we're most likely on the right side of skull."

"Woah, we've never been there." Willow said, "It's rumored to be filled with dangers unknown to witchkind."

"Good thing I'm a Titan." Luz said, feeling confident.

"Just because you are, doesn't meant you're invincible." Amity said to Luz.

"I know but don't worry. I'll be careful too." Luz said as Eberwolf jumped and span!

"RUFF!" He barked at them before running again.

"He said we're getting close!" Luz said.

The group moved faster to their goal as the first changed, becoming more lifeless and barren as they got closer to the right side of the skull. ... Which... is really just what's left of the skull in all honesty.

"Ruff!" Eberwolf barked as he came to a stop.

"We're here." Luz said as she stopped, looking agape. "Whoa..."

She saw a village, run down, windows boarded up, the only thing that lived here were those in poverty, criminals, and the diseased.

"It's too risky for us to go in there without knowing where they are hiding." Amity said, looking around.

"I agree." Luz said, turning to her friend. "Willow, you remember how you said you can become a plant?"

"Yeah." She said, nodding.

"We need you to do that and use your roots to find them." Luz suggested.

Willow just nodded and held her arms up. She suddenly had bark crawl up her legs, her hair turn into leaves, and her arms turn into branches. If you came upon her without knowing her, you'd swear you saw a witch that was cursed to be a tree, but Willow was just doing what's natural to her. Underground, her roots were following the vibrations of footsteps. She could hear and see everything her roots saw, and when she was done, she could relay back what she found when she returned to normal.

"Okay, I've got something." Willow said, opening her eyes to show them glowing. "I'm close to them."

The roots moved through the dirt, going for a while before ending up under a run down house.

"I see a house, abandoned, but there's something under it." Willow said to everyone.

"Like a hidden lake or a tunnel?" Hunter asked her.

"Yes." Willow said. "I...see...I see..."

Someone as inside a makeshift lab of sorts, working on something as their back was turned to Willow's roots.

Willow moved her roots up a little more, only to see that they were gone suddenly.

"What the-"

The person stomped on the roots.

"Such annoying weeds." Odalia said, "Good thing I have a little solution for that... Miss Park."

Before Willow could say anything, acid was poured on her roots, causing her extreme pain and practically forcing her back to normal... except for the massive burn she had on her face now.

"AAHHH!" Willow screamed as she collapsed.

"Willow!" Hunter said as he moved to catch her.

Everyone rushed to Willow, with Luz quickly creating a healing glyph and using it on Willow!

"Willow, what happened?!" Amity shouted in worry.

"ACID! She poured fucking acid on my roots!" Willow shouted in pain, barely being soothed by the healing glyph.

"Did you see her face?" Amity asked.

"N-No, I couldn't see her face but I heard her voice. I recognized her voice, I could never forget that voice." Willow said, holding the side of her face that was burned.

"Roooooo?" Eberwolf howled softly.

"He asked "Then who is it?"" Luz translated.

"It's... Odalia." Willow said, hissing in anger and pain.

Everyone gasped at this, remembering exact who this woman was.

The same woman who manipulated her family. The same woman that sold out everyone for herself. The same woman who was perfectly fine with dimensional wide genocide just to get ahead in life!

"Grrrrrre!" Luz growled, making her healing glyph flare and work faster.

Luz pulled away from Willow after finishing, only to grab a boulder and throw it into the air... it left the atmosphere. Luz was mad. That bitch had been nothing but a pain in her side since she had been friends with Amity. She can mess with Luz all she wants, but she messed with Luz's friends, she messed with the people of the Isles, and she just hurt Willow in front of the Hexsquad.

"D-d-do I look okay?" Willow asked.

She looked at the group... now housing a large scar that took up a good portion of the top right area of her head, barely avoiding the eye. There was an audible gasp when they saw it... if they didn't like Odalia before... they decided that it was war now.