Worst Curse: A Ghostwalkers Journey, Book II

Chapter 11

     Large paw prints, freshly imprinted into the damp dirt, at the base of the berry bush, the young witch picked from, sent a shockwave of anxiety through her system. Following the tracks led her to the tree in the thick of the bushes. Inspecting the bark on the tree, she discovered large gouges, of claws, climbing to the branches above. Putting all the clues together too late, her curiosity led her into a trap. Reluctantly, she looked up into the darkness the branches swayed in and out of. The wind pushed open a crack allowing the light to shimmer off the surface of the large cat eyes staring back at her. Before she could make an escape, or attempt an attack, the cat dropped, pushing with gravity, claws extending out, taking ahold of her. They both hit the ground hard, with the panther in control. Taking the woman's throat firmly in his jaws, the animal quickly ended the struggle.

     The panther was a tandem animal for Bynan's scouts. Three of them led the charge against the coven while Bynan and the rest of his men made their way up the mountain side. Within the coven, the women worked in shifts. To maintain Ladieta's power, four of them had to be in constant meditation, putting out the power source, the queen of the thirst damned, pulled from. After their shift ended, the women were in desperate need of rest. While preparing for their shift, the women bathed, and foraged for food.

     Three witches remained away from their shelter, unaware another one of their sisters had been taken from them. Kneeling in the mud, one woman was taking some alone time away from the group. She sunk her hands into the puddle, wrist deep, while mumbling to herself. Bringing her hands out of the mud, she flung mud before punching and slapping back down into the puddle. For a moment she sensually rubbed her fingers through the thick substance. In all her commotion she didn't notice the predator stalking her from behind. When in range, the panther darted out of the shadows, and snatched the woman from the puddle. They both rolled through the grass while the claws sunk deep into flesh, and the sharp teeth found their mark. Shaking its jaws back and forth, with the woman's neck in its grasp, made the woman fall limp in its grasp.

     In the struggle a yelp from the woman was let out, and caught the attention of the two women bathing in the river. They both stopped what they were doing to listen to what was happening around them. The night air was quiet. Paying closer attention, they could sense the darkness approaching. Moving to the water's edge, they made a move to get to their dresses. Cat eyes reflected in the distance, and their danger was evident. With a twist of her arms and a chant, the witch threw out a spell, killing the tree beside the panther. The tree collapsed and fell toward the large cat, giving the woman a small window for escape. Both of them ran out of the water, grabbed their dresses, and ran back toward their shelter, away from their attacker.

     Unknown to the women, they were chased by three large cats, and their direction brought them in close proximity to another one. Leaping from off a rock, the panther hit one of the women at shoulder level, knocking her off her feet. The other woman stopped and grabbed the tail of the animal. With a tight grip and a demonic chant, she paralyzed the cat. She was too late to save her sister, but she was able to take the predator out of the fight. The panther disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, and the scout emerged from the sprit realm, shoving a dagger deep into the witch's ribs.

     As the witch fell limp to the ground, the two other panthers approached the man's side. The man returned to the spirit realm and all three predators moved toward their next victims. On the mountainside, hiding a cave opening, sat the coven's shack. Eight women were inside, and one women sat on a ledge above the shelter, keeping watch. She was wearing a black dress adorned with large black feathers around the top. Her face was painted black with white around her eyes and mouth. At her feet a thin trail of smoke lingered in the air from a smoldering mound of ash.