I felt the blade etching its way closer to my throat, mere centimeters from being pressed against my tender skin. I struggled against the unrelenting force, but my efforts were unavailing -my arm continued to betray me. Magnesia observed the panic flashing in my eyes and purred with delight. The witch was clearly enjoying the cold-blooded spectacle, to my disgust. Her eyes brimmed with blood-lust and giddy excitement.
Then, with painful reluctance, the witch continued weaving her tale from those spell-binding words: "The girl brings the knife to her throat and holds it there gingerly, relishing her last few breaths. Then, with sullen ease, she presses the blade against her skin; gently, but with enough force to open a shallow wound." she hissed, relishing the taste of each word on her serpent-like tongue.
I watched in horror as the blade pressed itself softly against my throat, releasing a steady trickle of scarlet. The tangy reek of blood hit the back of my throat, making my head reel with its metallic scent. How odd it felt, to have been betrayed by my own body, quite literally. Magnesia began speaking once again, but was quickly silenced by a swift swoosh!
An arrow shot past my head and lodged itself in the wood of a tree, barely missing the witch's face. She scoffed, fixing her eyes on something behind me. I turned to see a handsome young man, standing a short distance away on a crest of the ravine that the Banshee and I are currently standing inside.
Magnesia's eyes narrowed with cold hatred, but I glimpsed something else there. Fear, perhaps? But the defeat vanished from her eyes so quickly that it seemed I'd just imagined it.
"Always coming to spoil my fun. Can't a sorceress simply enjoy herself, or does she always have to be interrupted?" Magnesia cooed in her singsong voice.
"I'm tired of your games, piper! Release the girl from your spell, or I'll command my men to spill your retched blood." the man growled, taking a daunting step in the witch's direction.
As he spoke, I noticed that armed men had now begun to emerge from their places among the shrubbery. One of them held a large, intricately carved bow. The lieutenant standing before us was armed with a beautiful katana, crafted from a pitch-black metal and embedded with emerald shards that gleamed like forest leaves basking in sunlight.
The soldiers began drawing their weapons one-by-one until all were armed with menacing scabbards.
The piper hissed at the men surrounding us and took a defeated step back. Her eyes gleamed with pure hatred, and her narrowed slits focused on the men standing before us, flitting between each soldier. Magnesia's needle-like teeth and claws were now fully unsheathed, like a bristling feline preparing for combat. "If there's any wisdom in that dull head of yours, then I suggest you consider who exactly you are threatening, Leonel!" the Banshee growled, eyeing the lieutenant furiously - probably Leonel.
The young man chuckled, and with a swift swing brought his katana up against Magnesia's throat. "You're out of your element, darling." he cooed menacingly. The piper bore her teeth in defiance but remained silent.
"Run along now, and I'll forget this little encounter of ours. However, defy me-" Leonel strode forward and grasped Magnesia's chin, forcing the sorceress to meet his steely eyes. "-and I'll make you regret ever setting foot on Torean land."
Magnesia scowled, but didn't object. She took a few steps back, and before disappearing, spat: "You dare threaten me now, but each and every one of you will cower once I manifest my final form. You've brought my wrath upon your kingdom more than ever, Lionel, and I damn assure you that my humiliation will be avenged!" Magnesia shrieked before seeping into the soil underneath, like a steaming vapor.
Where the witch disintegrated now bloomed a sweet smelling flower, black as midnight, and covered in snaking thorns. The petals were spade-shaped and ragged around the edges like the tooth of a beast. I heard Lionel mutter a curse as the first petal fell, drifting through the air until it landed softly on the needle-strewn soil. Now twenty-nine petals remained, one for each day.
Twenty nine days until my passageway to the earthly realm reopened; twenty nine days until Magnesia would resurrect.
YOU ARE READING
The Aftermath
FantasyHave you ever dreamed of delving into the world of your favorite novel? Maybe even meeting the characters face-to-face? Well, been there done that. My name is Solstice Dudenkova, and this is the story of how I learned that screwing with a good book...
