Chapter 27
Dawn before the era of magic and sorcery, time before the world were engulfed by the embrace of mana, they were there, observing, roaming. Monster they were called, heretics they were told, people who dares to cross path of both worlds
They passed the trial of death, they governed the beginning and the end, and they were before the dawn and dusk, and some even claimed that they hold the power of fate and destiny, or so as it was told.
They were accused, blamed, and suffered, yet they stayed and linger, as they watch how the story folds. {Witches}, people who manifested mana as if they born to be one of it, people who lives among the mystical beings, people who walks the path of either life or death. They were once people who disregarded their shell to be anew. They were people who's curiosity is a priority over responsibility. They were people who will sacrifice everything just for simple reasoning, or maybe it wasn't?
(Amhan's POV)
Flick Flick Flick Flick
Using the [Feather Duster], I was cleaning the bookshelves in my tower, and then arranging the books in order.
Flutter Flutter Flutter
Shss Shss Shhss
I also started dusting the ceiling, my working table, the potion stand, and the floor after opening the window for some light, and also to not trap the dust inside. After I have arranged all the documents, some papers, empty bottle, vile, flask, piling some books, arranging the desk, and also the clothes in the cabinets, I then took a key from the drawer and a clean cloth, and went towards another room just near my working station.
Click
Creak
And inside the small room was 3 [Ethereal Bubbles] - shines in lime, rose, and lemon coat - placed in a rectangular table, with a window upfront. [Ethereal Bubbles] are used for ornamental purposes, but for some cases, they are used for storing souls, a vessel of sort.
Carefully, I wiped each of them, cleanly dusting all the dirt and dust in it.
(Author's POV)
Though her eyes were deep as the night sky, lips painted in a crimson and ebony shade, and porcelain skin, yet as the light of the morning sun deep her graceful smile, it shines. Holding the orb in her arms, her face relaxed as she caress it
"Just wait"
She whisper, betraying the voice of an unbothered shopkeep
"Please just wait, I wi-"
SHATTER!
"!!"
As if time seemed to slow, eyes widened, jaws dropped, as the orb shattered in pieces, with each shard flying through the place. Her beat suddenly skipped, her body tensed, her muscles stopped, as in disbelief, the very orb she was holding, broke.
"... Aaa... Aaaaa..... Aaaaa....."
Her voice, suddenly screamed like a broken music box, with her hands shiver in shocked
CRASH! SHATTER!
As she watched how all her precious things, exploded in a deafening sound.
Thud!
As the base of the orb drops
"Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
She screamed, holding her head as she drops down, in agony, in fright, and in wrath
"YOU BASTARDS!! MURDERERS!"
With her yell resounding through the tower, and tears falling to the dry floor
"I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"
Eyes ablaze as she fell into madness, with menacing aura enveloping her. Darkness descend as shadow casted behind her, whispering
"I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU"
Unseen hands creep towards her, with melody of haunts sang.
"Death"
Swoosh
She then vanished, swallowed by darkness that envelope her.
Gasp! Haaah.... Hah..... Haaah... Hah
Unknown to her, the masses in the town fell in dread, as one by one they laid unconscious to the ground, motionless. Knights, adventurers, and many of the people who felt the whisper of horror took arms, as an unknown entity suddenly grasped their town into a silent grim. They stood their frozen.
And when she left, is the only time they felt relief. Whoever this monster is, they just hoped it won't bare its fang to them, so it will be their end.
....
".... So you are a {Witch}?"
(Sarah's POV)
I asked, as we sat down inside the tower, and face to face talked to the owner of this place, Amhan, the owner of [Amhan's Grimoires and Wands], and this so called abandoned tower.
She then nodded
"[The Wandering Witch, Umbrage], heard of it?"
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We then denied as we shook our head
"Because once upon a time, that's what they called me, and I hated it"
She spoke in uninterested tone as she looked at us, with eyes shone in fury and indifference. She then gazed up as she added
"She was once the woman who said to burned her city down to ashes, even the kingdom beside it wasn't spared. Innocent lives were lost that night, just by a single spark of flame that she created, turning everything into hell.
They hunted her for the sin she made. They hated her for the crime she committed. They blamed her for the fault that she had. They accused her for everything"
I silence, we could only listen to her as she speaks
"Until one day, they have imprisoned her, locked her. She cried, and cried, and cried, told them she wasn't at fault, but they never listened. She was stoned, crucified, and even embarrassed in the public as they stripped her naked. They humiliated her more than death, they were savage that the said monster they blamed.
She escaped from their grasp one night, crossed another island to another, then another, as she then settled to a certain tower, abandoned, battered, and hideous. She felt alive inside there, all alone, until
Uwwaaahh~!
Like kittens, they were wrapped in a dirty clothes, placed inside a worn out basket, and left behind in this dark tower. The {Witch}, whose life was nothing but misery, suddenly felt, well, different? She adopted them, like a mother you might say, she took care of them. They were the symbol of her peace. They were the symbol of her love. They were the symbol of her hope, and yet those bastards took them away from me! Threatened them! Abused them! Those damn worms dares to raveg them!"
She yelled, clenching the arm with her chair. With her scream, darkness follows
Gulp
And death. Our bodies were frozen in our seat as we watched her, being driven to darkness, until
"Why? Why would they do this to them? Why?"
She cried, filled with anguish and disbelief.
"They were just children"
She asked in deapth sorrow, pleading for an answer she doesn't know, grasping in the weight of betrayal and pain, as she gazed above the ceiling of this dark tower.
"They just wanted to Hic... Lived... Sob.... Hic.... Aghhh...."
.....
(Co's POV)
Clop Clop Clop Clop Clop
"..."
Staring at the book that Amhan gave to us, I couldn't help but felt, melancholic to this whole situation
"Take this as a compensation to what I did to all of you, this might even my karma for being stupid and worthless mother to them"
She stated, as she looked at us with emptiness.
Sigh
Seeing Kanade like that, I then muttered
"You don't have to overthink it, what happened, happened"
Hearing her words, I just felt annoyed to Elizabeth
"So you are saying that all of them deserves this shit?"
"No, I just don't want you to fell in deep thought for a situation that we can't reverse, neither can we fight. We are hopeless in the very beginning, and there's nothing we can do about what happened"
".... I know"
I stated in a low voice as I caress the book I was holding
"Elizabeth is right Kanade, and you too Tsubaki, cheer up. We aren't heroes remember? This isn't some fairy tale that we can magically helped everyone who is in need, this is reality. They are humans, and so we are"
"Yeah, yeah, I just can't, really can't"
Tsubaki stated in bitterness and annoyance
"..... Let us just hoped she won't fell to the darkness she's already living"
Clop Clop Clop Clop Clop
(Author's POV)
After returning to the town, they then reported everything to the [Adventurer's Guild] and presented their ID. As the guild inspected and confirmed the identity of each individual, they then compensated the Co for disposing the group.
Afterwards, they then took a straight 2 hours rest in the inn, trying to leave this bad aftertaste behind, when they unknowingly joined this mess. At mid afternoon, after the rest, they then asked Aiden, the {Half Giant}, to teach them about sailing, each one of them trying to learn how to drive it, how to maintain it, how to properly look after it, and the do's and don't's in the ship, which he easily agreed on. Some of his men was trying to volunteer, but he denied them as he knows for sure that other than lecture, something else will be asked by those bastards.
After teaching all the basic, and also some minor factors in sailing, the co then thanked him for his help. After gathering all the materials they needed for their journey - some foods, a map, potions, some tools, and some other items - they then left the town before twilight
As the ship, [*Adira], glides upward to the stream of clouds, weave of ephemeral billow of wind, gently blew over the ship. Down below, Aide's men waves at them, while he crossed his arms as he watched as they go. Waving at them, the airship then slowly fasten as it ascend.
"... It's getting cold"
Kanade stated while steering the wheel, as the cold night breeze caress them as they flew, floating amidst the starry sky.
"Yup, it's starting to get chilly here" (Sara)
"Let us change clothes so we won't freeze here"
Sarah stated as went inside the Quarter deck.
"... It's amazing"
Feeling the touch of the cold wind, Tsubaki muttered as she smiled and glimpsed to this wonder, and realm of freedom and adventure that set sail towards them, beginning their journey to this new world they have landed.
.....
"Report"
"Yes. All the men that we requested to watch them were now gone, and yet to be found"
Placing her hand to her head, the guild master wonder in thought
"...."
"..... The unknown individual that causes that large commotion was still unidentified, guild master"
Leaning her back to her seat, she then looked at her with a fixed gaze and muttered in a stern tone
"For something like that to spread all over the town... Gather some of our strongest men to look for clue, any hints will do. We can't just stay put while the monster freely roams. Do not engage that monster, just find where it hids, what it is, and if we can take it down"
Elena then nodded to her words
"What happened to them by the way?"
"They just left, riding an airship that they bought. Should we tail them?"
".... Ask assistance to another guild to track them, we can't fully placed our hands on this case alone"
"As you wish"
Tapping her finger to the desk, she then heave a sigh as she decided
"..... It will dwindle our power but, I can give you permission to follow them, if you so do wish"
"... I will gladly think about it, guild master"
Creak
Thap
Sighing, she then lean her head to her fist, as she looked at the documents that lay down on her desk
"..... People who should have been dead have now crawled back to the surface, unknown entity is threatening the whole town, and a the 'silent millow'..... This is giving me headache"
<>><×[<|{Monster/ Race/ Equipment Manual}|>]×><<>
<> {Witch} is a race of people who have lived after the 1st ever empire being built. They were the 1st descendants of the {Elementals}, who can easily control Mana inside of them as if they are one of it.
While [Witch] is a class of people who thrown away their mortal body, or their old self to lived in freedom, enjoyment, and excitement, free from everything, and anything. They either sacrificed something to become one, or they simply made a pact to be one of them.
> They lived for their curiosity about life, death, or anything that might interest them. They sometimes holed themselves in library if they found something worth researching, and even won't leave for years just to investigate it. [???? Years]
> Unlike other races, their alignment to elements is what will be their so called class
[Green Witch] = governs life and nature.
[Blue Witch] = governs water
[Red Witch] = governs fire
[Tempest Witch] = governs wind
[Witch of Earth] = governs earth
[White Witch] = governs holy and light
[Black Witch] = governs abyssal element
[Folk Witch] = witches who wields bloodline magic that is pass down to generations after generations. The stronger their blood ties to their ancestor, the stronger their magic.
<>><×[<|{××××××××××l}|>]×><<>
...
<<×><<>{¦]>[Loot Exchange for Currency]<[¦}<>><×>>
Ring leader bounty = 5 big silver coins
Traitor = 2 big silver coins
Bandits = 25 silver coins (x12)
Steel Armors (a little dent and scrape) = 6 big silver coins - each piece - (x13)
Steel Sword = 4 big silver coins (x11)
<<×><<>{¦]>[×××××>×<×××××]<[¦}<>><×>>
<><><><><>
*Adira means "strong" or "noble" in Hebrew, symbolizing a bold beginning.
*I'll be adding the backstory of Amhan after the end of the volume