As soon as they hit the city limits, the fog rolled in. It surrounded them, and it was anything but natural. Lightning crackled, and every now and then sparks spat out and made Phoebe squeal.
Her own shadow disappeared, but Leo’s jumped up and down and pointed frantically at the fog all around them. The alchemist didn’t seem to notice it at all. His eyes were focused, and he had a sly sort of grin.
Whispers, like her dream, bounced through the fog. Viviane teasing, threatening, laughing. Phoebe tried to push it aside, knowing that the witch wanted her to be… Stronger.
They might attack her, again. She wasn’t ruling it out. But it did seem like Viviane was giving her a breather. Which Phoebe was going to use to save Gruna, and then get the fuck out of town.
The three of them, Gruna still tied up in the hostel, climbed up into the hills on the side of the city that Phoebe hadn’t come from. Winding dirt and gravel paths quickly gave way to overgrown messes.
She climbed up onto Ghost, as the wolf delicately stepped through it, leaving behind charred and dead grass. He did seem to regret each footstep, but it couldn’t be helped. This was Gruna’s only hope.
Leo’s shadow brushed aside the reeds, and the man walked through as best he could. The undergrowth was up around his lower chest by the time they seemed to be getting close to his target. Not that he told her - Phoebe just saw the excitement in Leo’s eyes.
They wound in closer and closer to the mountain, moving higher and higher on twisting paths, until Leo suddenly became very quiet. The man’s demeanour completely changed, no longer leading, but hanging back close to Ghost. His eyes were darting around, instead of fixed on the path ahead.
Phoebe climbed down from the other side of Ghost, patting the burning wolf gently. If what Gruna needed from her right now, was that she was the adventurer that everyone expected her to be, then that was exactly what she was going to be.
As long as she didn’t have to admit it out loud.
She took a deep breath and held up a hand above her head. She felt the power waiting for her. The thing seemed to push itself into her, flooding her senses and burning right through her. Every nerve screaming out, as the entire world flooded over her.
Sparks snapped from her fingertips, twirling about before congregating. Dancing together into a tiny blue flame, that saw the mist around them, and let out a cry of light that pushed it back instantly.
Phoebe felt as if her eyes were the focus of the pain. Except it wasn’t pain. Not exactly. She was overwhelmed by the way the magic shifted her senses. She could see every leaf, every blade of grass. See the tendrils that bound them together, diving down into the dirt. She could see it all.
The delicate folds that kept the world together, the natural magic flowing through everything, keeping the life intact.
As the fog rolled back, a circle in the mountain was revealed. A dark cave, ringed with a shadow that refused to budge at the presence of her light. Dragging marks led somewhere inside.
Leo coughed nervously, “So uh… That’s the cave. So… Could you like do that… Whenever?”
“No idea. Doesn’t always work.” Phoebe replied flatly.
“The banshee -”
She nodded, “Drags her victims. We just follow the marks, right?”
“I was actually hoping to avoid her, if we can. Not her fault that she was born as a screaming memory.” Leo replied quietly, “The mushrooms on the grave, that’s all we’re here for.”
Phoebe winced, “Would… Would whoever died here, mind?”
“No. No!” Leo said quickly, “I didn’t tell you, did I? Shit sorry. This is… This is where Holy Knight Ruark, of the Go’ruuk Sect, is buried, following his fight with Drektanion, the Dragon of the North.”
“Drek’s dead.” Phoebe whispered sadly, “Witch got him. Surprise, fucking surprise.”
Leo ducked to stare at her underneath Ghost’s head. “She fucking what!?”
With his outward explosion, an ear-splitting wail flooded out of the cave, driving through Phoebe’s enhanced ears and driving a pike directly into the centre of her brain.
She hit the ground before she even knew she was falling, a rock striking the side of her forehead. The scream continued, and she could actually feel the fatigue rising with the volume. Draining away all the strength that she had.
The guilt came with the weakness.
Elion’s sightless eyes as he lay dead on the ground. Killed for her, because of her. She was a curse on the whole world, since the first day she’d arrived. She was dragging Viviane’s attention onto everyone. She was as Chosen as the devil was.
The ash falling as the dragon of legend simply fell apart. Taken by Viviane, for daring to defend Phoebe.
Her fingers clawed the ground, tiredly dragging her head upwards, and she staggered to her feet. Glaring in the direction of the cave. “Bitch, I do hate myself. Unless you’ve got another trick up your sleeve, you’re about to take a flaming dirt nap.”
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The screaming instantly cut off.
Phoebe blinked and rubbed her ear, “Huh. Wasn’t expecting that to work.”
“Did you just… Threaten a banshee? And win?” Leo gasped weakly from where he was fallen to the ground.
She shrugged and rolled her shoulders, “You know what? Today… Today I’m a witch. So let’s see some witching.”
Phoebe twirled her wrist and then pointed towards the cave. Picturing the path, and the winding floor. Lighting candles along the way. Hovering and burning. Sucking in the stale air, purifying it, driving out the darkness, and leading step by step towards the heroes grave.
Her mind snapped backwards as she saw the orc waiting.
She shivered at Ruark’s lifeless stare. She scratched the back of her neck nervously, “So uh… Ghosts are real here, huh?”
“Ghosts… Kinda?” Leo was still dragging himself to his feet, rubbing at ears that had clearly bled during the attack. “Usually only witches and mages and stuff can see… Oh. I’m sorry. Didn’t think of that.”
Phoebe winced, “Wanna say I’m not a witch. Never wanted to be. But whatever, let’s get this over with.”
She followed the floating balls of blue fire into the cave, Leo not that far behind them. Her wolf’s hackles immediately went up as they entered the cave, and he jumped in front of her, nudging her backwards.
Phoebe smiled and patted him, “Yeah, yeah. Big bad banshee, I know. I won’t let her scream, next time. ’Kay?”
Ghost sat and tossed his head back, letting out a warning howl that echoed throughout the cave. There was a nearby rustling, but it seemed the banshee knew what a witch was, and wasn’t about to pick a fight.
The witch walked into the cave, following the glow of her small blue flames, step by step across the uneven floor. Here and there it was slippery, worn down by the constant trailing water. Leo followed behind her cautiously, but excitement shone in the reflection of his eyes, in a way that was increasingly making Phoebe uncomfortable.
Ghost hesitated, hackles going up. He pawed at the ground, before sullenly trailing far behind. Phoebe could feel it, the wolf like an anchor on her soul. The creature hated absolutely everything about where they were, and she didn’t disagree.
She knew that Ruark was waiting for them, and she’d failed. It was because of her that Gruna was dead. Just because she was looking to save her, didn’t mean that she had earned the forgiveness of the…
Her thoughts cut off as they walked into the shrine.
Trees grew across the entire cavern, twisted branches reaching up and blocking out the stone ceiling. Rivers of glowing green spidering shone through the bark, lighting up the entire sacred space. From most of the branches hung skulls, twisted and intertwined with metal hooks. The grim achievements of a soldier of war, the chosen one of a god of destruction.
Phoebe shivered, and turned her eye to the gravestone lying in the centre of the space. An emblazoned stone, text on it flickering with an inner fire, set up atop a small green hill. Sitting calmly and waiting beside the stone, was an orc.
She winced, “You can’t see him, can you?”
“Him…? Shit.” Leo shivered, “You can see the ghost.”
She shrugged, “An orc. Not transparent or anything. He looks… Pissed.”
“Uh… Can you… Ask permission? Tell him about Gruna. We’re saving her.” Leo motioned her forward.
Phoebe rolled her eyes, thinking how Leo had been intent to just steal and walk away. To trespass on the grave of a hero, just because he wanted the mushroom. He was a typical idiot. Only interested in his hobby, and not the way it might effect the rest of the world.
Ghost sat down, refusing to get any closer.
She strode up to the hill, crossing her arms and scratching nervously at her elbow. Swallowing as she looked into the glare of those green eyes. “So uh… Can you hear me…?”
“I hear you, Bitch Child of Eve.” His voice thundered back.
She swallowed, “Ph-Phoebe. I… I kinda need something from you. Or that’s what the alchemy guy thinks. I… I’m trying -”
“She lies dead for you, Child of Eve.” He snapped, “I trained her. She could hold her own by Drektanion, whilst he tested you. I created a warrior whose name should be known throughout the worlds! Yet, she does not lie in Go’ruuk’s embrace. Dead, by your hand.”
“I didn’t kill her!” Phoebe snapped, the flames that had led to the room bursting into a bright white. “I am the one trying to save her. You’re fuckin’ dead. Dead by the same witch that did this to Gruna. So get the fuck outta the way. Unless you’ve got a better way to save her?”
He blinked, and then smiled softly. Standing up without breaking his stare. “It seems there lies a fire in your heart, little witch. That intrigues, interests. What is it that you know of the one whom we serve? What has Gruna taught you of Go’ruuk?”
Phoebe shrugged, “I dunno. He’s a god? She’s a holy knight. Protects people. That sounds like doing the right thing…? Got a thing against undead, I think. So Gruna’s hurting, bad.”
“Go’ruuk is the God of the Pure Wrath.” Ruark sneared, reaching over his shoulder and drawing a sword that Phoebe hadn’t noticed. The man gave a small chuckle, “Rage and wrath, that feeling of anger that lights your heart, those of the things of the great Go’ruuk. His name, a meaning of Great Wrath.”
She frowned, “Huh. Never did take Gruna for a beserker, but sure. Can you put the sword away?”
“I will test that rage of yours, little witch.” The man gestured towards her, “If you can strike me, but once, I will see it that your defiance of the laws of life and death shall be ignored.”
Phoebe swallowed, “Dude. Not a witch, not a warrior.”
He answered her by swinging the sword.
Phoebe hit the grass as Ghost slammed a shoulder into her back. The wolf snarling and pouncing, as Ruark’s spirit easily sidestepped the wolf, and tiredly spun the blade before sliding it sideways and into Ghost’s neck.
“Not again!” Phoebe screamed and tossed forward her hand. The wound on the wolf burst into flames, the tendrils reaching up and wrapping around the sword. Ruark let go of it quickly, as the metal was pulled inside Ghost, and liquid silver beads dripped out of his angry jaws.
“An extension of yourself, true. If this beast might place it’s teeth upon me, I will grant your victory.” Ruark thundered, “I would rather if your own hand did the damage though, Child of Eve.”
She stood up, leaning tall, and clenched her fists. “I don’t know Eve. I am not a witch. I don’t know what the fuck I am to you, but what I am, is just a friggin’ accountant. All I want, is Gruna back. I wanna go home. I hate this place. I don’t wanna be in this world, so… Fuck you!”
The flames around them, and Ghost’s own, flickered for a moment, beginning to glow white, before a spectral change hit. They sank down into a deep purple, and Phoebe felt a shadow bubbling up inside her. She could feel an anger there, a power. Just waiting to be grasped.
She reached down, and pushed past it, to the sadness, the grief, and she grabbed that instead.
Ruark flung up an arm as he was blown backwards. His headstone cracked and shattered, tumbling to the ground. The flames surrounded Phoebe, spinning in a circle around her feet. Burning at the end of each of the hairs on her skin that she hadn’t been shaving since she got here. Intertwining into the hair on her head.
Burning behind her eyes.
She grabbed the spirit in front of her, hauling him off his feet and into the air. She clawed at it as she held tightly, and growled, “Give her back to me!”
Phoebe blacked out as the entire world exploded.