Witch Path

Chapter 9

     You fall to your knees, knowing what you must do. You place your hands upon the ground. With your mind, you reach out to the ring of oaks. "Will you help me save the forest?" you whisper. "I'm sorry, but I can't save us both."

     A flutter of branches is all you need.

     You build your connection to the spirits of the oaks and begin chanting. They respond, eager to give their lives to protect the rest of the forest. Waves of heat begin to break over your head, but you carry on. You must.

     The trees sway, slowly rocking themselves from their ancient roots. Your chanting drops lower. With a thunderous groan, every oak in the circle falls inward, throwing sparks into the air. You hear stone give way as your hut collapses. Leaves reach out overlapping until every trace of flame is smothered. You stagger to your feet and climb among the smoldering leaves, stamping out the final, inconsequential fires.

     The smoke begins to clear.

     You stare at the mess of fallen, blackened oaks and let the tears fall. Stumbling, your dress ripping on the stray branches, you find a patch of ground and press your hands to it. You listen. You hear the rustling voices of thirteen oaks. You hear birdsong, from the family of sparrows in your rafters. They were so scared as they died. You hear—no.

     Papago is gnawing on the bones from last night's dinner. The hut is slightly cooler than outdoors, so he crawls under the witch's bed to nap. Footsteps outside, the sound of liquid being poured. The door opens. A sharp, overpowering scent. Papago is barely out from under the bed when he's clubbed over the head. Through his daze, the fox watches a figure break the lock on the ornate on the table and takes its contents. The figure leaves. A minute passes. Smoke reaches Papago's nose. He tries to rise but can't. He watches the flames slide under the door.

     You scream and recoil from the ground. Your blackened, burnt hands clutch at your heart as you sob. Tears run down your face, into your mouth, wet the ground. Your heart feels like it has been smashed.

     Time passes, and the heat begins to fade from the air. From the husk of your home.

     You slowly get to your feet. Who did this? Who dared to do this?

     It was senseless.

     You know where they must live. Your face turns in the direction of the village.

     Something tugs on your senses. A presence that's always been with you. For a moment a cruel hand squeezes your heart as you think of Papago, but it's something else. The amulet. Your eyes widen. Was it broken in the fire? Heart pounding, you try to think.

     If it was broken, there would be a portal to the underworld beneath your feet. So, no. But the question was, where was the amu—Papago's vision. The murderer took the amulet from the chest. Why? Your eyes narrow. You're still deciding what to do when you find this person, but you do need the amulet back.

     Every witch has one. As long as it's unbroken, the link to your powers remains. Commoners sometimes think they contain a witch's soul. In a way, it does. Perhaps you've come across a witch-hunter.

     In that case, they may not live in the village, but they're certainty based there now. Which means you need to act fast.

Decision, decisions...

Question the forest creatures (Go to Chapter 11)

Go to the village (Go to Chapter 12)

Sleep (Go to Chapter13)