Witch Doctors Inc: SEASON TWO (Ongoing)

Part 3.15

PRESENT TIME
LARAN VALLEY, KADREA

Another glass-shattering screech.

"Where is it?" I shout.

Maya's pink eyes blaze from where Celine huddles with the children. "In the valley," she says.

We exchange a glance. She knows what I'm going to do. I dash outside, ignoring the protests of the Larans, into a simmering morning. I probe the area for energy.

There it is, near a settlement in the valley proper. A hostile shadow, stalking the lazy heat.

My particles surge after it.

I arrive to chaos. Larans running this way and that, grabbing children, brandishing branches, shouting warnings.

The shadow looms over me. It's twice my height, a two-legged lizard with coarse green-brown skin, a thick tail, and a snout that can't hide rows of curved, claw-like teeth.

It cocks its head. Yellow eyes watch me with malice. Its scythe-like claws tap the ground slowly. The noise that comes from its throat is like a soft hiss of steam. "Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

A terrified Laran tries to pull me away. I push her off me with as much force as I can muster. I'm not going to back down. If anyone sees me using my witch powers, so be it.

"Your eggs," I say, remembering the reports of the creature's intelligence. "I meant no harm." I raise my arms slowly in a gesture of surrender. "No harm. See?"

Its claws continue to tap. It regards me with slitted eyes.

Then it leaps.

"Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

My butt hits the ground, but the creature hasn't gone for me. It towers over a terrified Laran man, claws ready to slash his pink throat.

And then things happen too quickly.

The creature pounces, I remember the scream in my head - "No more death!", black butterflies swarm my vision.

Then the creature is gone.

The Laran man opens his eyes, dazed. He is alone.

I probe the energy around me, but there are no shadows. The creature has vanished into thin air. An air of disbelief settles around me.

"Where did it go?"

"It just disappeared!"

"Thank Illyria."

People swarm the man on the ground. Miraculously, he is uninjured save for a few scratches. I sit down on the ground, hard. No more death, I'd said. Was this the price?

I find a hiding spot and teleport back to Emrys and the others.

"It's gone," I announce. "Everyone is alright."

"Thank Illyria," Emrys breathes.

"Did you see it?" Ruby demands.

I lower myself into a shasha cushion. "I saw it."

"What was it?" she presses.

"I don't know," I reply tiredly.

Emrys takes a seat next to me. "Skreevar," he says. "It means terrible lizard."

"They have lived here since ancient times," Celine adds. "Are you sure it is gone?"

"I'm sure," I say. "I saw it attack a man, but he...survived."

Addy sidles up next to me. "Are you hurt, Lily?" she asks.

"I'm fine, Addy."

"Why didn't you take me with you?" Ruby pouts. "Next time you're taking me with you."

"There won't be a next time!" I bark. Every time I try to help, I make things worse.

Maya puts a hand on my shoulder. I read the message in her gaze: Calm down. Don't draw suspicion to yourself.

I deep breathe my way to calmness. I still need to get Scion out of that forest. Now, at least, I know to stay away from skreevar eggs.

While the Larans, still shaken, attempt to settle back into their regular morning routine, I catch Onyx glaring at me.

"What's your problem?" I grumble.

I know what you did.

"Yeah," I agree. "I saved the village from a monster."

You used the dark power.

"I didn't."

You did.

I fix him with my own stubborn glare. "So what if I did? It stopped the thing from killing anyone."

You destroyed its energy. You had no right.

"I didn't mean to." My voice sounds much smaller than I meant for it to.

You are not in control.

"The skreevar was about to kill someone. I panicked."

You are dangerous.

"I know that," I hiss. "What am I supposed to do about it? We need to get your orb and remove Scion and his demon."

Perhaps you should return to Zilitron. I will retrieve the orb myself.

"You?" I scoff. "A useless cat? Your meows are annoying, but they're not fatal."

I still have limited powers.

"Enough to take on Scion?" I challenge. "Enough to hold your own against the fire demon? Face it - you need me."

Onyx gives me one of his annoying meows. Very well. But keep yourself under control.

"I'm not doing it on purpose," I remind him.

You need not reach for darkness every time. You turn to it too easily.

It takes all my strength not to throw something at him. Something bubbles up within me. Is it...laughter? I strain to listen. Whatever it was, it's gone.

Onyx stretches and trots away, leaving me with the eerie feeling that I am not alone.