Sal, Butter and Pepper || ONC2024

Chapter 6: Revelations

A deep-throat laugh left the figure. The blood, or something that looked scarily similar, stopped erupting from the being's palm as it closed, returning to its place. "I am sure you know by now who the prophecy is about."

"Yes. It's about Mistress Pepper. She is the ninth to have the Woodgrip sigil engraved on her shoulder."

The figure nodded. "The witch turns twenty-five in less than two days, is it?"

"Yes." Butter's heart raced; he had an inkling that he had missed something…something important, but he was too scared to ask the undoubtedly powerful being for help lest they zap him out of existence. 

The figure grunted. 

This is ridiculous. What did I do to annoy you now? 

Butter shook his head to rid himself of the incriminating thought and held his peace. 

"Because I like you, I will do you a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yes, little one," the intimidating figure said, looking around the place as if noticing it for the first time. They held out their hand, palm facing the bloody pool, and out came a shiny green pearl, untainted by the crimson liquid it had risen from. "It's a token of appreciation for your loyalty to the Woodgrip family."

The spherical gem flew towards Butter, hovered between his eyes for a few seconds, and disappeared between them. 

"Ouch!" 

"Ah, yes. I forgot to mention that it would hurt off and on. Especially when you use it."

Nothing the being said made sense to Butter, but he kept mum. 

"Am I that hideous?"

The feline cowered and shook his head. 

"This is ridiculous."

Great, now he had done it, hadn't he? Gone and gotten on the wrong side of Your Mightiness… whoever they were. 

The figure breathed out what looked like a cloud of crimson smoke. "I won't eat you up if you ask me a question every once in a while, little one," they said, sounding like an exasperated mum reprimanding her child. "Come on, then. Spit it out."

"What do you mean by when I use it? What happens when Mistress Pepper turns twenty-five? Can you please explain the prophecy to me? I think I got some of it wrong." Queries fell out of Butter like he was a clogged water faucet that had just been cleaned and turned on. 

The figure shook their head and laughed like Butter had cracked a joke; clearing their throat, they replied solemnly, "The day Poppy Woodgrip saved your life from the duckweed, before it died it cursed you. But you were a prince, and Poppy knew that the curse would last generations. It would destroy the kingdom. Lives would be lost, both human and magical."

"A curse that affects a family for generations? That's illegal. The MMMB banned it-"

"There was no MMMB four hundred years ago, little one."

Butter didn't have a good feeling about where this conversation was headed, but he wanted to know the truth. "Right…"

"Poppy Woodgrip was noble. She knew she was dying. She shielded you from the curse. Unfortunately, it changed course and transferred to her family."

"No."

"Yes."

Butter's limbs trembled, threatening to give way; his chest ached with the weight of Poppy's sacrifice. "But I saw-"

"Dalton Buttercutter, you saw nothing. You would have turned into a kitten either way. The duckweed had cursed you once already before Poppy arrived at the scene."