Elion barely had a chance to do a doubletake between the body in his arms, and woman marching towards him, before the flames following her boiled out and turned the vampire to ash. Two thousand years, and he was wiped away in a single instant.
Phoebe didn’t pause, walking through the offices as she cracked the glass and bent the metal, before she found where Marcy had fallen. She rolled her jaw as she saw the gaping hole in the floor, a perfect circle, and decided that Viviane was going to get exactly what she’d asked for.
It was easier, the second time. The tendrils of her flames reaching out, piercing the veil, and tearing open a vertical split into another world.
Phoebe walked right back into the world of fantasy, but this time it was on her terms. Her feet barely touched the soft soil before the flames cracked it dry. The grass turned black and twisted, and no netherbeast ran for her. She did hear feet pounding as something ran away. Maybe a rabbit.
The flames curled and caved, flowing back inwards to grace her shoulders as a cape. She figured it was either that or wings. She wasn’t going to walk around without a defence for the witch that could summon purgatory on a whim. Especially not when she was here to kill the bitch.
She picked a random direction, and started walking across the green landscape, leaving a trail of black behind her as she burnt the grass. It didn’t take her long until she found a rambler’s trail, which turned from a cut in the grass to a beaten down mud and gravel path, before transitioning to a stone-slabbed road.
Phoebe made her way to the gates of the city, just like last time. No zombie or wolf at her heel, this time, as she approached the tired looking guards.
“City’s closed, except for essentials. Criminal on the run.” Guard grunted, “Any reason we should let you in?”
“Because I’ll burn the entire fucking city to the ground, if you don’t.”
He blinked, and then took in the flames rippling on her shoulders and frowned, “Uh… We do have our own witches, defending the city. I wouldn’t go and make threats likely.”
“I’ve fought Viviane. I don’t state it lightly. I’m here to kill the bitch.”
He swallowed, “I… Um… No? No you can’t come in?”
“The name, is Phoebe. Drektanion named me the Child of Destiny, before Viviane killed him. Holy Knight Apprentice Gruna was my guide, until Viviane took her from me. I am the master of the firewolf that I can feel inside the city walls, Ghost.” She growled and crossed her arms, “This is above your paygrade. Call it in, or get turned into burnt toast. Your choice.”
The man went white, “That’s a lot of name dropping.”
“Call it in, then.” She snapped, “Is it really so friggin’ hard to actually do your job? I’m being polite, here! If I decided just to walk in, there’s not a goddamned thing that you could do about it!”
Another voice joined in, a dark and deep growl that shook Phoebe’s chest and made her grin. She looked up to see the blue-flamed dire wolf stepping out of the shadows of the city walls, and stalking slowly towards the guard. The giant head, broader than the man’s shoulders, looked down at it, as the lips of the wolf vibrated with its snarl.
“Ghost!” Phoebe shouted excitedly and jumped over and hugged onto his chest, as the wolf continued to growl over her at the guard.
“This is your firewolf, huh?” The guard stated, sounding terrified.
She turned around, “Duh. First thing I summoned. Well, maybe not? I did make a little flame that bobbed. Until I turned it into this guy. Also, before Viviane killed him, and I brought him back. My life’s complicated. You gonna fuck off, now?”
“There’s a warrant that has been issued for your arrest.” The man stated hoarsely, “Your… Firewolf… Has been causing a few issues in the city.”
Phoebe shrugged, “Yeah. I wasn’t around. I got zapped back to my world, and didn’t get to bring him with me.”
“You… Portaled away?” The guard stared.
She nodded, “Yeah. Gift from Gruna, after she died. She asked Go’ruuk to intervene. Probably should tell your superiors that. She was damn good enough to get a last wish from her god. She deserves a statue in the fucking town centre. And we’re not going to talk about Gruna, because I’m not crying in front of a stranger.”
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“No one has ever left, before.” The guard winced, “It’s… Not possible? If the witch drags you here, then you’re stuck here.”
Phoebe rolled her shoulders, “S’pose it’s time I prove myself, then.”
“Please, don’t.” He reacted instantly, putting a hand to the hilt of his axe.
She reached up to her cape, and plucked free a single tendril of flame, weighing it in her hand before pushing at the small flickering piece of life. Prompting it to turn from orange to blue. Phoebe smiled at the small object, and then whispered quietly, “Sorry. Sacrifice is sorta… A thing magic needs.”
The office worker from another world held up the fire, and crushed it into her fist.
Phoebe didn’t have a single clue if it would work. She knew what she wanted to do. She knew that it lay somewhere in the realm of possibility. She also knew that it made her feel guilty. If she could achieve it, she still wouldn’t use it for the one thing she so desperately wanted to.
To love the orc, to respect Gruna, she needed to let them rest where they were.
The ground in front of her cracked with a cacophanic boom that shook the dust and sand from the city walls. The guard scrambled forward with his weapon, even as others sprinted out from the walls towards them. Phoebe clenched her jaw, holding tight to the small tendril of magic that she’d cast outwards, and then she hauled it upwards.
Ghost growled and snarled, dropping onto his front two paws. Her shoulder screamed in protest as the weight at the other end of the connection hit like a truck. She glared and held her breath, reaching out her other hand to grab hold and she heaved. “Come on, you motherfucker. Time to get back to work.”
“Cease, immediately!” A guard with golden laurels ran up, ducking by Ghost, and placing a dagger to her throat. “I will not hesitate, witch.”
Ghost gently reached down, grabbed the man by his shoulder, and then tossed him flying across the ground. The man hit and rolled with a flurry of mud and grass. The wolf snarled at the others, as the guards started to spread out. Looking nervously around. Phoebe could hear the tensing of bow strings somewhere nearby. Things were about to get hectic.
She lowered her grip for a moment, letting him pull in the other direction, to let him get tired, before she hauled back again. She clenched her neck, planted her feet, and then the ground exploded as she hauled the bastard back through the edges of the world and into this one.
The dragon emerged from the ground, with a pained roar of protest, before his black claws scrabbled and found the ground. He instantly let loose with a bale of fire directly towards Phoebe, who waved the orange flames aside without a thought.
She grinned crookedly, “Bet you never thought you’d see me again.”
“TRULY, YOU ARE SHE. THE CHOISE HAS BEEN MADE, IT SEEMS.”
“The choice to kill the witch, yeah. She sent friggin’ Elion after me, after I got home. Bastard was a motherfucking vampire. He killed the people I used to work with!” Phoebe clenched her teeth, “Fuck you, and everyone else, Drek. Fuck you all.”
“A FAIR STATEMENT.”
“Mothers be…” The captain of the guard struggled upright, rolling his shoulder, “It cannot be.”
“I AM DREKTANION. LAST OF MY KIND.” The dragon spoke heavily and glared, “AND YOU… APPEAR TO BE IN MY WAY.”
“No, m’lord. Never.” The man bowed his head, and half his body as well.
Phoebe waved a hand, “So… You motherfuckers gonna let me into the city? I gots me some business. Unless of course, you still reckon you can arrest me, and keep me in your jails or whatever.”
“Of course not.” The man turned, still bowing, to her. “We welcome in the Lady…?”
“Not a lady. Not a witch. My name is Phoebe, and technically… I’m an accountant.” She stated happily.
“SHE IS THE CHILD OF DESTINY. THE ONE WHO SHALL FREE THIS WORLD, AND DESTROY IT.” Drektanion rumbled before ruffling his wings and standing, “CHILD… I AM SORRY FOR WHAT YOU SHALL FACE. YET, NONE OTHER COULD. THIS IS GLORY IN THAT.”
Phoebe blinked as the dragon lifted off into the sky, rolling her jaw and considering smacking him down into the dirt. She did not appreciate the little hint of the prophecy, or being called an apocalypse. All the same, he had already died for her once.
She let him fly off to his last sunset. Viviane probably wasn’t going to let him last that long.
“Child of Destiny.” The captain breathed in fear.
She groaned, “Fuck. So uh… I wanna see Leo. Tell him I’m sorry for dumping him with Ghost. But… Have you got someone who will actually explain that shit? Not that I care much. But I am sick and tired of people crying about my fate, without telling me a goddamned thing.”
“Please, come with me.” The captain nodded, and indicated to another guard to run over. “Collect the one called… Leo? For us. Anything further to his name you may add, m’lady?”
“Not a lady. Uh… He was an alchemist. Got portaled here, like me.” She shrugged. “I kinda thought he’d be hanging with Ghost. But I’m getting the feeling my wolf has kinda just been feral all over your city. Sorry. I didn’t really know how to summon him back to me, until I worked out how to rip my own portal.”
Ghost nuzzled the back of her neck happily.
The captain nodded, “Leo the alchemist. I know of that one. Fetch him, and meet us at the Temple of the Three.”
“Temple of the Three?” Phoebe asked suspiciously.
The man nodded, “Indeed. During the time of dragons, before the time of cities, there were three witches. Not just the one you clearly know, but two more. Myrrdin and Atur served by her side. For a time, the three brought us peace.”
“Shit. I’m going to get the rest of the story. Myrrdin trapped Viviane, right? Merlin.”
The captain smiled, “Indeed. There was a war between the three. Atur was appointed as Queen of these lands, and… The other… Took great offence to the choice. She attempted to destroy them, to prove she was the stronger, and she would have succeeded, had the two not stood against her.”
“And you still have a temple to the bitch.”
“The Temple of the Three is a museum, not a place of worship.” He shook his head, “It was a temple, during those early years, but has long since changed in purpose. It is where we store their writings, and the writings of their followers.”
Phoebe winced, “Great. So we’re off to check out some prophecy, aren’t we?”