They both slept in Phoenix's bed for the day. When Asta woke up, just as the sun started to fall,he was nowhere to be found. She checked every room and couldn't find him; it was at this point Asta remembered the time when this happened at home, the night after her mother had gone missing . She made herself a cup of floral tea and sat down with a map of the castle that was on the table and started thinking of a plan, they had to get past two guards at the main gate and then two more at the door, but only a fool would break into a place by going through the front door, they have to find a different entrance.The next moment the front door of the house burst open and Phoenix rushed in and sat down at the table next to Asteria
"It worked" He exclaimed
"What did? I haven't seen you all morning, I was getting worried!"she exclaimed
"The bribe, the guards at the front gate will let us in" he explained how had everything happened
"That's great, now we need to figure out the rest of the plan" she huffed
"I was thinking about that"
"And.."
"There's a secret passageway in an ally that leads to the dungeons" Phoenix answered
"After that we just fight our way through" Asta said
"Quietly"
"As quiet as we can be"
They spent the rest of their day planning and picking at the flaws in their plans and thinking of backups just in case. It was sunset when they left the house, as they guessed, they were able to walk right past the guards and straight through the passageway until they ran into two guards at the end of it. Asteria drew her sword and thought back to what Phoenix had taught her, she fixed her stance and quickly ran the guard through with the blade. She turned around to see that Phoenix had done the same
"Good job" Phoenix nodded, impressed
"Thanks" Asta sighed
"Come on"
"Hello" she called out as they walked through the passageway until they rounded the corner and saw the dungeons were lined with cells filled with witches
"We're here to get you out" she said
At that moment a pack of twenty guards ran around the corner
"Screw it"Asta put her hands up and focused on the heart beats of the room, eleven of the guards crumbled and Phoenix got the others with his sword. He dug he hand into the pocket of one of the guards jackets and pulled out a key
"Here,I'll keep watch" he handed the key to Asteria and she started to unlock the cages. Two more guards ran around the corner
"I'll deal with them, just keep going" he called before he ran after them
"Alright" she sighed, she felt a wave of calmness wash over her and she looked up
"Who slowed my heartbeat?"she asked into the cage
"I did" a man responded
"Keep going please"she allowed
Asteria had just reached the last cell when she her Phoenix say behind her
"Asta" Asta did not turn
"Just a minute, I just need to unlock this last one" hastily unlocking the cell; there was a thump on the ground, she whipped around
"Phoenix!" Asta screamed, falling to her knees next to him
"No, no, no" she whispered, while she pulled the knife from Phoenix's chest,it's cold blade nipped Asta's fingers as she placed it on the stone floor next to her,
"Asta it's okay" Phoenix murmured, wiping a tear from her cheek and leaving his hand there, Asta brought her hand up and held his
"Please stay with me"she begged, pressing on Phoenix's chest,in the spot where blood now soaked his beige shirt
Phoenix took a deep,shaky breath in
"You'll be okay" he whispered, smiling weakly at her
"No, I need you" she cried, her tears falling
"Asta"he whimpered and that thumping in his chest, that beat Asta would always listen to, that rhythm she adored to hear, it just stopped. And then she cried out
"Come back" she whispered.
She raised her hands up and listened for a heart beat, the red of her powers blended with her blood stained hands. Asta tried to bring him back but that was the one thing a witch couldn't do. She gripped to his shirt and rested her head on his chest
"Please"she choked out, her tears soaked Phoenix's shirt. Footsteps began thumping toward them as three soldiers rounded the corner, they drew their swords; Asteria slowly stood up and drew hers, she couldn't think as she ran at the soldiers. Asta charged at the first man, blocking his sword and then slicing his midriff with her own. She went at the second soldier, he was taller than the other and managed to block two of her strikes before she ran the blade of her sword through his chest. The third man Asteria recognized, she had seen Phoenix fighting him before she unlocked the cells. But if this man is still alive that means... Asta screamed and ran at him.
Then Asta opened her eyes to see red swirls and sparks surrounding them, the other witches watching looked confused, so did Asta, then she heard it and knew it was his, a heart beat, a strong one. Phoenix opened his eyes and blinked a few times
"Asta"he said
"Phoenix, your alive" she exclaimed and hugged him tightly
"How?"he asked, looking just as confused as the witches
"She's the saviour"one of the women gasped
"The saviour?" he asked
"The saviour is a witch rumoured to be alive hundreds of years ago, they were a powerful life holder that protected them in the Asanzeiar war, when they died they said they would be born again, but it's just a myth" Asta explained
"There are many records of proof about the saviour" a small male witch said
"Clearly not enough, because we don't even know their gender"she replied bitterly
"There are many reports that say they were a woman" the same women from before says
"Still, i'm no saviour"Asta exclaimed, standing up and looking at the witches
"Asta you just resurrected me and saved all these people, do you know the definition of a saviour?"Phoenix enquired, standing next to her
"I didn't even know I could do that, and I haven't saved anyone till we get out of this castle"
"then let's do that, this way everyone"
YOU ARE READING
The Witches Hunt
FantasyAsteria Cliff spent her sixteenth birthday out with her sister and some friends. That morning she had given her mother a warm, loving hug before she left the house, little did she know it would be their last. Asteria will have to travel across the b...
