Witches at war

Five

The wind was especially harsh as I entered Blue Hill's forests that night. My thick hooded cloak kept most of the cold air at bay but a few stray strands of hair were still being whipped around violently. Having marked out the area of interest on a map, I knew exactly where I needed to look and began my search immediately. The cliffs were the furthest away, so I decided to excavate the thicker area of the forest first.

Hours passed by as the green ground and thick brown trees engraved themselves into my mind. Looking at the same picture for so long was driving me insane, but I knew that I had to persist. The longer I was searching, the closer I would be to finding Rae. No matter the length of time it took, Rae had to be found and warned about the witches searching for her. I didn't know when they would arrive, or if they already had, my only concern was trying to find Rae as quickly as I could.

A short while later I sensed powerful energy coming from a cluster of trees. I moved to hide behind a tree trunk and let my own power reach out towards whatever I was sensing. There was definitely strong witch energy, which made me think I had found the group that Rae was staying with. However, another noticeable energy made me incredibly wary. The witch's energy was mixed with something else. Werewolf.

Suddenly, three rogue wolves appeared from the cluster of trees. Red eyes shone in my direction and bright purple flames leapt from their hairy frames. They had been cursed by a witch, manipulated into doing the witches bidding. Curses weren't common practice among most witches due to their inhumane power and effects. Only those who had succumbed to darkness would dare use such evil methods. It had to be Dalia's Scouters.

I attempted to stay still, hidden from sight. The amulet that hid my witch energy would be enough to cover my scent so I only had to worry about being seen. The wolves stalked closer to me, every stomp of their paws causing a ripple to go down my spine. Their low growling grew louder and I fought back my fear. I was sure that I could easily take on one cursed wolf, but three? I hadn't used my powers in a real combat situation before and it had been so long since I had done training, I was likely much weaker in my current state.

Peaking around the tree, I saw the one closest to me turn its head. For a split second, it met my eyes, causing me to gasp loudly. I thought I had been caught, they would surely have heard my gasp even if they hadn't seen me first. But right at that moment, something unexpected happened. Three more wolves emerged from the trees, growling menacingly at the cursed rogues. They were clearly tamer than the rogues and belonged to the nearby pack. They hadn't noticed me and headed straight towards the other wolves, the intent to kill evident in their eyes.

The fight broke out suddenly. Each wolf pounced towards another, teeth extended and reaching to bite into whatever they could find. The guttural growls were deafening and the sounds of paws and body parts slamming into the ground made me jump more times than I could count. I couldn't tear my eyes away, the fight was terrifying and yet mesmerising at the same time. This was my first time witnessing another species battle and it showed me just how strong other species really were.

It seemed like it was a losing battle for the cursed wolves and I let myself relax. That was until I noticed the pulsating in the smallest rogue. The rogues were losing the battle, but that didn't mean the witch controlling them was going to lose with them. A mortem bomb spell had been cast on the three rogues, as soon as they died their bloodstream would set alight like a trail of gunpowder. When it reached their heart, their bodies would explode in a fiery ball burning anything in a close enough radius.

My legs moved on their own. The three rogues were seconds from death and if the other wolves were too close they would die as well. Propelling myself into the centre of the fight, my face hidden behind my usual black veil and a thick hood, I gathered all the magical energy I had.. The wolves faltered for a second, giving me the chance to cast a pushing spell on the rogues that threw them far enough away. Their bodies erupted in purple light midair and pieces of werewolf flesh landed on the ground around me. I grimaced at the gruesome sight.