Petals in the Wind

Chapter 32: Dark Woods

   We all still stood infront of the woods and I could feel what everyone was thinking, fear was finally striking us cold. These are the same kind of witches Meredith used to cast the curse, the same witches that could bring her back.

   Arisella was already making her way through the grass her white fur on her legs sinking into the mud. "Remember we stay together no matter what you see or hear even the wind has its tricks."

   "So how are you so familiar with the dark woods?" Gregory asked as we all carefully slide between the branches that parted slightly for us, as if beckoning us to dive deep into the woods.

   "After Raven killed my parents she came back here and raised me in these woods," Orion said.

   "I'm sorry I had to bring you back," I said. The woods were dark no sign of flowers or grass only mud, branches and sharp vines.

   Orion tried to shrug it off, "I guess I can't be selfish these days just like you I have people I need to protect." I knew giving Orions his status as Lord would be everything to him a start of a life with a purpose, no longer on the side lines. "Dont touch anything," he said eyeing Gregory who was just about to pluck a black fruit from a hollowed out tree dripping in venom.

   "I wasn't going to touch it," he rolled his eyes dropping his hand instantly.

   "You might not have wanted to," Orion said in a low voice.

   "So what's the plan? We walk around till we walk into a hoard of witches?" Gregory asked.

   "Dark witches are for the most part loners," Orion informed Gregory. "Its a shock they havn't killed each other off yet, for Dark witches your mind and soul is controlled by dark magic and that is it reeking havoc is why they exist. Once a witch turns she or he is no longer who they once were, they would kill their own kin and not think twice of it. Its like their heat blackens with every spell and every deed." That explained Meredith how she used her children to try and bring Marvis back. She didnt care what happened to them all she cared about was the dead elf king.

   Huge ravens with beady red eyes rested above us in the thick branches of the trees, watching. "Does anyone else see that woman?" Gregory asked stopping in his steps pointing infront of us.

  "I don't see anything," Orion said looking over to me, I shook my head I didn't see anything either."We might have company," Orion hissed looking around frantically his eyes full of panic as his heart began to race. "Their magic is weak and child play when the suns out they don't get their strength till the moon is up."

   I pulled out my sword, my back pressed onto Gregorys, Orion backed up next to Arisella who let out her wings. "If things go bad grab Orion and you go."

   "I wont leave you not again," she promised. "The elf will have to learn to fight."

   "Watch out!"Orion cried as two spike blades shot out towards us, I caught them both before they could get Gregory in the back of his head.

   "What are you doing in my woods?" A young woman asked emerging from out of nowhere, still a good enough distance away. Black smoke the same color of her aura glided around both of her hands, staining her fingertips as if they were rotting. She wore little to nothing just a band of see through black cloth around her breasts and a long flowy silk skirt full of twigs. I wondered how they've stayed so up to date on clothing, I guess I imagined old rags like I'd seen witches wear in Dragons Mountain. 

   "This is my woods," I said with Gregory at my side without waiting another second I jumped into her mind, "kneel," I said bringing her entire body to the ground with a flick of my hand. The power of control was a tricky one I could feel my body craving the power but fading underneath the amount I was using. I walked up to the defenseless witch unable to move, I put my hand on her temples.