Book 1, Volume 1

Chapter 37

Why do all the bad guys do that? Just stand there and gloat when they could... Wylla's thoughts were interrupted as the Witch leveled her staff towards her and a dark Miasma Rosebud Bolt began to take shape. Not good!

The Witch felt extremely pleased seeing the little butterfly girl's face paling, her eyes widening, and her arms increasing their frantic struggle with her grasping Grimoire as the girl spotted the deadly spell's formation.

But then something seemed to have changed; The right side of the butterfly girl's lips slightly curled upwards and her eyes narrowed in on her... or rather slightly above her.

“Atuk!” The Witch yelled out above the sounds of battle around and behind her as the Miasma Rosebud Bolt shot forth.

The Witch watched the dark Rosebud streak towards Wylla wanting to savor the butterfly girl's pain-filled face and screams; Etching forever in her memories the image of her Rosebud bolt slamming into the girl's chest with a wet splat, corrupting her... but just as the dark flowery bolt was almost halfway to its target a hissing screech rang out behind her!

Quickly followed by an icky moist feeling draping the back of her body as a humid billowing cloud of pollen enveloped her; Robbing her of the sight she yearned for most, of Wylla's painful end.

“KAVI!” Needless to say, the Witch was none too pleased. The moist sticky pollen greatly obscured her vision, irritating her eyes as they began to water. The scent of mold and hot spices assaulted her nose causing her to sneeze. And a damp sticky film covered her, inflaming patches of exposed skin with burning itchiness.

Moments earlier, Wylla truly thought that she had reached the end of the road and was definitely dead meat. Struggling with the prickly Grimoire in her arms, she glanced at her HP bar that was now hovering below the 30% mark. A couple of more hits and it's over... ah, my quests... there's got to be something I can do to make it through this... prayer... anything...

Feeling down and out of luck, Wylla looked at the Witch's staff and the energy gathering knowing what was to come. She bashed the Grimoire, which was grasping her arms with thorny tendrils, repeatedly with the butt of her rod as her heart drummed loudly in her ears. She looked at the Witch with wide eyes and then she spotted something...

Just over and behind the Witch's shoulder she spotted... salvation.

Good, good. Looks like that Witch doesn't realize the position she's standing in... seems like I'm not the only one that needs to work on battlefield awareness. Wylla thought to herself as the images of her dodging a Furbee's attack resulting in her landing amidst the thorny Royal Spider Lotus plants flashed through her mind.

The Sun Serpris rose up from the ground like a cobra ready to strike as its badly battered body swayed to and fro before its lower body coiled balancing the weight of its upper body. Its golden Iris flower head leaned back as its chest area expanded taking in a deep breath of air.

Its dark thorn fanged jaw opened wide releasing a loud hissing screech. Its head sprung downwards belching forth a mushroom-shaped plume of golden-red pollen mist in a conal attack.

Weary Kavi and spidolls vanished from sight, swallowed by the billowing cloud moving forth like a raging sunset-hued sandstorm. Wylla's brow creased and the right side of her lips slightly curled up as she saw the thick cloud of pollen come crashing down on the Witch!

One moment the Witch was smiling as she launched her deadly spell at Wylla... The next moment the Witch disappeared from sight, swallowed by a humid blanket of Sticky Sunfire Pollen as Wylla chuckled and the tension slightly eased in her body.

Did this just happen because of my Faith stats? Wylla stood there for but a moment pondering... only to snap back to reality as the streaking Miasma Rosebud Bolt was almost on top of her. Not wasting any more time, Wylla lifted the 'handsy' Grimoire up in front of her like a shield just in the nick of time as the Rosebud Bolt slammed into the hardcover book with a plopping splat!

The Grimoire shook and its tendrils loosened their prickly hold on Wylla's left arm. Wylla threw the thick dark book onto the ground near the Cauldron and took a few steps back as she pointed at it on the ground with her rod... just in case it held some more nasty surprises.

The Grimoire laid still on the ground as the green witchfire in the pit continued to crackle. Guess it went back to sleep? Unsure, Wylla kept her rod pointed at it while her head turned side to side; silvery eyes scanning her surroundings.

The Eldrytch Gator thrashed and growled from within layers of rune nets. Its clawed feet dug grooves in the hard dirt ground as the Kavi Head Hunter barked out orders at the dozen or so Kavi and spidolls pulling the net's ropes dragging it back to its cage. Dark Void Orbs launched from the eyeballs on the tip of its tentacles causing the sigils etched into the vines of the nets to flare with dark light nullifying the magical attacks.

Ah! I'm running out of time here. Once they put it back in its cage they'll help cage the others... and then me! Wylla thought as she turned to look at the other side of the cauldron.

The Ganglyrot was down on one knee with its head slightly bowed. Its battered body taking in deep breathes of air as its blood-red eyes watched the cloudy area ahead of it where that Witch vanished. The body harness that was forced onto its torso was now completely torn and lying on the ground and the chain that once bound him was dangling in his hand.

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As for the Kavi and spidolls that were trying to capture him, they were all either rolling around on the ground wailing from bloodrot slashes and chain bashes or not moving at all.

Yes... It's still alive. I got to get you out of here before you die and I fail my quest. Wylla looked on with worry in her eyes at the hurting Ganglyrot. Hmm... looks like either all the Kavi and spidolls are still following the Witch's orders and not attacking me out of fear of interfering with the Witch's challenge to me or... they're just waiting to get me last if the Witch doesn't get me first.

Wylla turned towards the pollen cloud as it began to fade leaving only two battle-torn combatants standing, facing each other. The Sun Serpris struggled as its upper body once again rose up, towering over the haggard and now splotchy skinned Witch.

Wylla's mind was telling her to stay out of this fight for two main reasons: The first was because she had a feeling that the moment the Witch died the Kavi and spidolls would attack her and she wasn't ready for that. And second, she needed time to regenerate her very low Oryn Energy and Fatigue bars which she would urgently need to fuel her Orchid Butterfly Steps and Oryn Spirin Eyes when escaping this village.

Her heart wanted her to ignore reason and help the badly injured Sun Serpris... if only her Healing Nectar spell didn't need fruits to work but where would she get fruits... Ah, I could have used the Desparu Fruits before this all started... Wylla thought with a pout but it was too late for regrets.

Wylla watched on, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

The Witch glared up at the badly injured Sun Serpris. Her hands tightly gripped her staff as her muscles tensed, breathing deepened, and her body shifted in readiness.

The Sun Serpris' upper body swayed left and then right before moving back. It then opened its fanged jaw again and sprung forward towards the Witch!

The Witch chanted her dark words of power and slammed the butt of her staff onto the ground sending up a small cloud of dirt and dust. Two pairs of Briar Bloodrose Chains burst forth out of the ground on both sides of the fast-moving Sun Serpris.

Two of the chains bit into its lower body while the other two flew up piercing and wrapping around its neck, snapping taut halting its attack. The Sun Serpris fanged jaw snapped shut inches away from the Witch's red splotched face.

Smiling, the Witch slid to the side of the flowery snakehead. Her Bloodrose Staff flared red and its thorns elongated. The Sun Serpris jaws opened and snapped shut again as it struggled to move but the chains held fast.

The Sun Serpris felt an explosion of pain on the top of its head.

The Moon Serpris watched as the Sun Serpris' body hit the ground and the golden color drained from its beautiful flowery head. The Moon Serpris' eyes watered. Tears dropped as she let out a loud wail that sounded of mournful violins.

She spun in a circle whipping her tail back and forth, sending all the remaining Kavi and spidolls that were still standing around her flying away. She slithered up to the Sun Serpris and gently nudged its limp body with her lowered head. Sobs filled the air as Wylla wiped the salty water flowing down her cheeks away with the back of her hand.

The Witch stepped back giving the silvery serpent room as she shifted into a defensive stance. The Moon Serpris looked up from her mate's lifeless body, her teary eyes becoming red as she focused on the murderous Witch.

Rising up fully, she coiled her body; Her fanged mouth opened, dripping with a silvery blue liquid as the world around her and the Witch faded into nothingness. The Moon Serpris' head bobbed back and then sprung forth... only to feel the thorny vines of heavy rune nets fall upon her coiled body!

Thrashing and twisting the Moon Serpris screeched out in despair and rage as mounted Kavi Hunters surrounded her and barked orders to the underlings as they began grabbing the Rune Net's ropes and dragging her back towards her cage.

Having resolved the issue, the Witch hunched over keeping herself standing with the aid of her staff. She then turned to face Wylla, noticing her Grimoire on the ground. She took a couple of deep breaths, steadied herself and reached into one of her pouches...

“Oh that... that B...BWITCH! That's cheating!” Wylla shouted, her fist balled up and foot-stomping. Where's a bucket of Witch melting water when you need one!?!

The Witch's lips curled up wickedly, with a soft chuckle, she brought the potion she retrieved from her pouch up to her lips, titled her head, and drank. The wounds on her body began to quickly heal much to Wylla's chagrin.

“Fine! You want to play unfair... let's play!” Wylla said with a devious glint in her eyes and stomped up to the cauldron sitting atop the green witchfire pit. Smiling, she pulled out a handful of Dreamnisca flowers and witch hat shrooms; Held them up for the Witch to see and threw them into the bubbling cauldron.

The cauldron rumbled, gurgled, and then belched up a pinkish-puce sludge as a rancid smelling bruised hued ring of smoke floated up into the air; Absolutely ruining the only brew that the Witch had worked so hard to successfully make which created the Ganglyrot.

“KAVI!” The Witch screamed, veins on her arms and hands popping as she gripped her staff.

But Wylla wasn't done yet. She stared at the scowling Witch, winked, and kicked the thick grimoire into the fiery pit!

“AIEEK! Alo Nai Prekus!” The Witch screamed again, arms stretched out, wildly running towards the fiery pit to save her precious, precious grimoire from the crackling green flames.

The Witch dove onto the ground, stomach first as her staff hit the ground.

Seeing her chance to act, Wylla ran round the cauldron, stepping on the Witch's back who was desperately trying to save her 'precious' from the witchfire. Either the Witch's mind was completely focused on saving her Grimoire or Wylla was just too light because she didn't even react to being used as a stepping stone.

Wylla reached the Ganglyrot, took its hand and did her best to pull him up off his knee. Breathing heavily and muscles twitching the Ganglyrot GRR'd a warning. “Come on big guy... get up, we got to go!” Wylla said still tugging at him.

Eyes flaring, he raised his clawed hands to strike at the little butterfly moon girl pulling his hand and... SNIFF... SNIFF... The raging glow in his eyes faded as a strong calming scent of icy lavender and honey blanketed his anger, allowing reason to return to his mind.

Noticing that the Ganglyrot was no longer resisting her pull, Wylla cried out “RUN! It's time to leave so... RUN!”

The Witch on her belly, reached into the fiery pit and with burning hands saved her Grimoire from the hungry flames! Relief flooded her body and heart as she saw that, other than a few slightly burned edges, the grimoire was unharmed.

She then stood up, dusted herself off, and happily put her grimoire away into her satchel as thread-like vines sewed the tears closed. With that done, she drank another potion healing her hands. She then turned, ready to resume her battle with a smug look on her face... only to have that look drop as she saw the Ganglyrot running away into the swamp in an easterly direction.

And that cursed little butterfly girl, that completely ruined her night, was fluttering... fleeing into the swampy forest in a northerly direction as her long green hair bounced up and down, helping her to blend in with the swamp.

“KAVI! NO TAK ATUK IGA KAVI!” Which must have meant that she really, really wanted them to get that darn butterfly girl because dozens of Kavi, spidolls, and Kavi Hunters scrambled into the swamp chasing in a northerly direction.