Night Witch

Chapter 11

"Yagas," Hans said sarcastically, stepping over some brush. "What could be more interesting."

"Speaking as one, I suggest you watch your tone. Weakling." She stepped over the same bush as Hans, watching him as he traveled ahead of her. Everything was clockwork: the easy thrum of the journey, the hacking of large sticks against thorn bushes, the dryness in her throat and mouth, the pounding against her skull, the way that hot sweat slipped down her back despite the chill air. It was all surprisingly familiar despite having only traveled two hours that day. 

"Warlock, actually." His tone was teasing. "But you knew that."

"Warlocks are weaker than yagas according to some Moracian guidebook I read once." 

"You can read?" Hans asked in an incredulous tone, stopping and clapping his hands over his mouth in an exaggerated motion. He whirled around and faced her. "Why? How? Aren't you supposed to be a girl?"

Karina rubbed her forehead. "Yes. I can read some. My parents taught me as a kid, so I could read the plants book my mother used for healing." They killed her; kill them. Karina tried to focus on something other than that twisted voice in her head. "My education was indefinitely discontinued."

"Huh. Sorry." Hans turned around and continued walking, returning to their old pace before exclaiming loudly once again. "Really? We're in a guidebook?  What are we, a Trader attraction?" He snorted, ducking under a low hanging tree branch. "Can't you imagine it?"

"Us trapped behind iron bars, them making us dance and do magick?" Her fingers curled into fists. "No, I couldn't." She stopped in her tracks. "I think they'd rather make us dance on coals." 

Hans stopped as well, glancing back at her. "Karina."

Her lips were slightly parted, her expression as blank as a newly swept floor. "What."

"You're doing the thing where your eyes bug out and turn dark and your face gets all weird and emotionless. Not that that's new or anything, but c'mon. Stop it." He shoved her gently, knocking her arm as his face faded from her mind. The motion barely registered. She was far, far away, in a place where flames kissed the sky and roared fiercer than anything. She was in a place where the villagers all stared at her with bright smiles, not realizing the way the heat from the flames blistered and stung her skin. No; they realized. They simply didn't care.

No one ever cared. 

Her eyes stung and her vision blurred until all she could see was a haze of gray smoke that she knew wasn't really there. All the same, she could feel it surrounding her, pumping poison into her lungs. She coughed and dug her nails into her palms. "I'm alright...I'm alright."

Hans patted her back and she coughed some more. "Why the Hel does this keep happening? These...visions. This pain. It's happened three times today." She shook her head helplessly. "Why?"

"I would say magick since you're a yaga but you haven't been using any. At least, not by my watch. So it has to be something physical..." He tapped his chin, looking oddly goofy. Karina wasn't used to seeing him serious...although it could have just been the pounding in her skull that threatened to drive her insane.

"Aha!" Hans crowed, and Karina winced at the sharp noise. It was somehow more shrill than any of his other screams.

"You're thirsty," Hans explained, "which can cause headaches and brown piss. So we need to get you water."

"Hans, this is the--"

"Forest of the Dead, I know. But surely we can find something to help..." He thought a bit more before having another "aha!" moment that rubbed harshly against Karina's ears like sandpaper.