Lineage: The Legend of The Red Riding Hood

Chapter 05: The Strongest Red Rose

Three weeks have passed since the werewolves attacked the village. The villagers had buried and mourned for their dead. That night will never be forgotten.

"Are you really sure about this?" The village chief asked Coraline as they stand near the entrance to the woods.

Holding a picnic basket that has enough food for her journey and a brown leather bag carrying all her clothes and other stuff that she needed, Coraline gave the chief a sincere smile. "Thank you for your concern but I'm afraid there's nothing left here for me to stay." She said, covering her head with the red hood.

"Take care of yourself Coraline. If you ever change your mind, you're always welcome here in our village." The chief sees Coraline off, watching her enter the woods until she disappears in sight.

Walking for three hours under the trees that stretches out like a roof, blocking the sunlight from entering the woods. Coraline focuses on the trail to avoid getting lost.

A woodpecker drilling its beak through a tree's trunk and the squirrels scurrying up the trees with nuts in their mouth. A normal day it seems in the woods. Coraline walks over and under branches that blocked the way, stepping on twigs and leaves. She stumbles on a rock and fell on the ground face down, getting dirt on her face.

A crow perching on a branch at the top of a high tree caws at Coraline and keeps on cawing; attracting others with it, filling the tree's branches with crows. The noise was getting annoying as the flock grow in numbers.

She picked herself up, brushing the dirt off her face and began walking fast. The sound the crows were making is making her feel uneasy so she started running. The crows then suddenly flew off the tree, circling above Coraline. She ducked, moving slowly pass under them. "What's up with these birds?"

The flock of crows dives straight to the ground, turning into ashes and forming into a small twister. It picks up speed and as the small tornado of ashes spins faster it suddenly explodes, scattering across the air, getting some ashes in Coraline's eyes.

Coraline turns her face away with irritation, rubbing her eyes and after regaining her vision looks back at the small tornado of ashes and quickly pulls out her axe that was strap on the side of her brown leather bag.

A tall beautiful woman with black hair, black lips and skin almost pale as the moon appeared out of the ashes. She smiles at Coraline and her face began to change. Horns sprout out of her forehead, scales appeared on her skin, and a tail covered with spikes near the end of the tip.

Coraline doesn't seem to be surprised at the woman's transformation but was on guard, preparing to attack with her axe.

A snake like fork tongue wiggled out of the woman's lips as she spoke, "Strange little thing you are. Most would have fallen to the ground or fled away with fear after seeing this form."She walks toward Coraline but got a little too close.

Coraline chokes the woman.

"Wait!" The woman struggled.

Coraline kicks the woman's right leg, taking her balance, pushing her throat down. The moment the woman lay flat on the ground Coraline immediately decapitates her with her axe, getting a little bit of blood on her face.

"What in the world are you?" Coraline picks up the severed head whose eyes are looking straight at her as if it's still alive, giving Coraline an annoyed expression.

"That was very rude of you young lady."The woman's severed head spoke in a very annoyed way. Coraline was surprised and drops the severed head to the ground.

Coraline was about to attack again. "How are you still alive?"

The headless body of the woman got up and her spiky tail whips the axe off Coraline's hand.