The Sinister blade

N I N E : K A T A R I N A

I get up on my feet and help Cassiopeia get herself back together.

'' Jinx. '' Warwick is looking at Cassiopeia. She exhales, knowing who this person is.

'' Who's Jinx? '' I wonder if that's someone I should stay away from.

'' O em gi! I almost got you guys. '' A loud voice approaches us accompanied with crazy laughter. Cassiopeia isn't laughing at the way Jinx dances while walking towards us.

'' This is crazy Jinx. '' Warwick now answers my question. They both ignore her presence and keep walking towards the Leary's heart. Jinx is still with us. Throwing random shots everywhere. Warwick and Cassiopeia completely ignore her and her craziness while I jump off my skin every time that I hear a shot followed by her crazy laughter. 

I step behind the three of them in order to do not hear the high sound of the rockets which Jinx is using. I look at the three of them and I clearly see that each one of them has his own look which refers clearly to his character. 

Cassiopeia's eyes and intense stare, Warwick's large shoulders and fast steps, Jinx's insane nonsense laughter; all of this features which I notice in them makes me wonder where they got this courage from. 

The courage that led them to get into the Leary, the forbidden jungle. Especially Warwick and Jinx who seem to know every tree of it. 

We arrive at the Leary's heart. It's the largest tree in the Leary jungle. It hides millions of secrets of people. It also hides the little witch who's capable of helping you. Cassiopeia spoke generally about the Leary and the creatures who live here. It would be much better if you get to know them personally. She didn't answer half of the questions I asked her about the Leary's heart, the little witch, and the people who will help me. 

Warwick knocks on the tree three times in a fast pace. I peer deeply into the Leary's heart. It's a giant tree which has long leaves falling off over its trunk. It stands alone in this area. Everything around us is pure green. A large door opens from behind the green leaves. 

The little witch lives inside of the trunk. I wait to see her coming outside towards us, but she doesn't. The three of them go inside instead. I just blindly follow their steps.

'' Welcome guys. '' A little soft voice salutes us as we walk into the tree.

'' Hey my friend! '' Jinx bows and high fives with a little girl. This is the little witch. I look at her big hat, her outfit, and I wonder why would Cassiopeia advise me of following the instructions of this little girl.

'' How's it going Lulu? '' Warwick sits beside the girl. Cassiopeia is always besides him.

'' Routine. '' The little witch is busy mixing some mysterious potions. I observe how much she's concentrated adding ingredients to the current potion she's using. '' I have noticed that we have a guest. '' She finally turns and looks at us. And particularly, she looks at me.

'' Yeah, this is Kat. '' Warwick introduces me to Lulu. I never told him what my name was, but obviously Cassiopeia told him enough about me.

'' The one Cassio told me about, right? '' It seems she also told Lulu about me as well. Cassiopeia nods at Lulu. At this moment I wonder if I should speak and recite my story for the little witch, or I should just wait for any questions from her. She knows all our secrets. That's the main reason I trust she's the one who can help you. 

Cassiopeia also told me that the little witch uses her crystal ball to see each one of us' past. I'm not sure if this should make us trust her or fear her. I never welcomed the idea of having someone who knows everything about me. Especially the secrets which I don't want to share with anyone else.

'' Don't worry dear. Your secrets are safe with me. Everyone's secret is. '' Lulu looks up staring at me.

'' Wait! she reads minds as well? '' I turn angrily to Cassiopeia who hasn't told me this fact about her.

'' Yes. She's the little witch of the Leary. '' Jinx is proud of her friend. Lulu is shorter than the three of us. She looks up at each one of us before her eyes finally settle on me. She looks at me, studying my posture, my weapons which are hanged over my waist, and finally she studies my scar.

'' I have a proper plan for you Kat. '' Lulu is confident her plan will work. I look around me and all of them are trusting her as well.

'' Okay. '' I'm not sure what she wants to hear exactly but I agree at most of things she says. She does weird things, but they seem to work for the best. Cassiopeia already experienced this with Lulu. She didn't specify when and how she discovered that Lulu can always help, but she guaranteed that she's a trustworthy person.

'' So, if we want to get to Hammanculus' murderer we need to be close to his tribe. '' Lulu walks back towards a giant chair. She climbs in. Now she's as tall as the four of us. 

We are all standing around a square table which holds a crystal ball on top of it. Lulu rubs her hand around the ball a couple of times before it starts showing pictures. She doesn't whisper anything. She just keeps that action until we finally see a clear image of a young man.

'' Ice berg! '' Both Jinx and Cassiopeia shout as they see the live image.

'' She stands no chance with the ice berg. '' Warwick confirms their reaction.

'' Unfortunately, she doesn't have any other choices. '' Lulu knows that I don't understand who and what they are talking about. She knows that I don't know who the Ice berg is.

'' This is Hammuculus' son. He is also looking for the murderer of his father. If you get closer to him and work as a team you can get your innocence. '' She explains to me.

'' But everyone thinks I'm the one who murdered commandant Hammunculus. '' I try to remind her.

'' I know. He doesn't have to know who you really are. '' Lulu always finds answers. Just as Cassiopeia described her. I don't insist and I agree on her suggestion. I have no other choice except being the Ice berg's friend.

It's already late at night. Lulu explains to Warwick how to lead me inside of the Demarcian castle. Demarcia is the land which Hammunculus led for years. It's miles away from the Noxarian land. And the same distance away from the Leary jungle. 

The four of us finally go out and leave the Leary's heart, where Lulu lives. Warwick runs towards a bush and we hear bone cracks.

'' Not again. '' Jinx laughs when she hears it. Cassiopeia doesn't question the sound as well. Warwick comes out of the bush again, but he isn't the young handsome man which he was a moment ago. He is a giant wolf. That's perfect. 

Katarina Du Couteaux who never trusted anyone, now is following the instructions of a snake, a wolf, a crazy marksman and a witch.

'' If I were you, I'd start worrying about how to make the ice berg my friend. '' Lulu hears my thoughts. I start understanding why Cassiopeia never liked this place and what made her describe it as the place where there is no privacy. 

'' If you need any help, you know where to find us. '' Lulu, Cassiopeia and Jinx stand back. They stay in the jungle and I follow Warwick towards my new adventure.

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Hey guys! As in the previous chapters I include a digital painting of one of the characters.

This painting represents Lulu the Leary's witch. 

Wish you enjoy xx