Gregor was quick to make the first move, dashing forward as the blade in his hand glinted. She made a movement with her arm, the chair outside the room exploded into splinters as a familiar purple streak shot out of its homemade gun. As the streak reached Gregor, he smirked, tipping his hat with his other hand as the projectile’s lights concealed him. As the light faded, he was gone. The shot crashed into the wall behind him, meters away from where the daughter was frantically moving.

Alice was still attempting to pry herself from the wall as Caroline grunted. “Interesting.” was all she said as she glanced around her, turning slightly as her dress twirled as if in a ballroom. Alice stopped her struggle for a brief second, noting how it was ironic that Gregor had used this power twice in front of her. Once while she was incapacitated, with him trying to take her, and now he was trying to protect her with it. It’d be interesting to see his full capability, as she hadn’t seen much in her time on the ground during he and Hellebore’s skirmish.

As Caroline eyed her surroundings, Gregor flashed behind her, in his hand instead of his prior weapon was a small knife similar to the one he had used on Alice before. It seemed he was set on trying not to kill his opponent yet again.

He missed as she sidestepped, humming in a playful tone as one of the candles on the table popped, the wax splattering the table as another shot rang out. “Witch Direction!” She yelled out the name of her soul spell in a joyous manner, as if she were on a stage, to which Gregor internally rolled his eyes at the obvious pun. He hated puns.

Gregor’s body dodged the energy, but the tail end of his cloak brushed over it as it hit the wall. He landed on his feet, but now felt a dragging sensation behind him. The cloak was now pointing to the wall, lifted as though it was being pulled in a tug of war. He retracted the knife, it disappearing inside the sleeve of his coat as he growled slightly. Fists would be the best option, since she was unarmed and it’d be bad sportsmanship to attack an unarmed opponent with a weapon. Caroline bobbed slightly, bouncing as nonexistent music filled her ears.

It wasn’t an issue, but it would be annoying with it fluttering around, Gregor thought, quickly flinging his coat off of him. It flew backwards, hitting the wall where the woman was trapped as it then stuck to it like glue. Wouldn’t have to worry about it getting dirty on the floor, at least. Underneath Gregor’s cloak, his plaid shirt and vest lay unhindered by the enemy spell. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, Caroline motioning for him to do so when he eyed it, as was the way of honor among thieves and mercenaries.

He was quick to disappear, this time throwing a knife at the same time. As she dodged the knife being thrown with a twirl to her left, he tripped her with a kick to the back of the leg, having appeared beside her. She was caught off guard, but two more candles exploding signified she wasn’t fully taken aback. He ducked the first and weaved through the second, the trail of purple giving him an easy read on where they were going. His hand fell against the wall next to Alice as he pressed against it to avoid another shot.

How does Gregor's soul shard work? If he could really slip between worlds, what’s to stop him from going straight to Cyber’s domain in his dimension and finishing him off, if he really had that much of a grudge against him? Alice’s intuitions led her to analyze his movements with slight interest. She supposed it would be good to learn, as there was always the small chance of betrayal that lingered in the back of her head as she traveled with these strangers.

Gregor disappeared again, but something of his remained, Alice noted. A blue glint jumped backwards, as if tossed, before Gregor reappeared a few paces back, bent on letting Caroline attack first for the counter. His hand went behind his back as he caught the small object. That had to be it. He was throwing his soul shard around like a bean bag. He literally entered into it. Although Caroline was still down, he didn’t want to get hit during his partial retreat, and thus used his soul shard constantly to prevent her from being able to aim properly.

Caroline stood up, her fists balled as she charged and took a swing with a high pitched grunt. Gregor was quick to parry it, thrusting another kick into her stomach. She had definitely prepared for it to be a long range fight. More candles exploded as he turned to face them. As he disappeared to avoid them, he reappeared to meet another hand heading towards him, more like a cat claw. He backed up, Caroline only snagging onto one of the laces of his hat as he pulled it backwards from her grip. “Piss off, wench!” he yelled, the last word spoken in the Shombeli language. A language Caroline understood.

Her next jab was faster, hitting him in the shoulder as he leaned in with a punch of his own. He missed, but saw the opportunity, grabbing her dress and yanking it towards him as he held out an elbow. “I’m not one for hitting ladies, but someone’s gotta teach you some respect!” His tone was stern, seeming to have no room for humor as the well being of another person depended on him. Her dress fluttered from the momentum of her being knocked backwards.

She fell back yet again from the blow, this time covering her nose. She stumbled a bit, red now filling out her cupped hand as she mumbled to herself. She stood straight before smirking, wagging her finger as her other hand held her nose. “Not cool.” She said before snapping her fingers. “I’ll admit, you definitely have it when it comes to the brawn…” She dusted her dress off. “But brawn only goes so far as the brains to carry it.” Her seductive tone held out as she made an upwards motion, pointing to something above them.

Gregor looked up, expecting to see a dull colored object above him, but saw nothing. As his confusion mounted, he felt a vibration on him. Alice’s eyes widened on the wall, seeing a part of him had a duller color than she remembered.

Before he could get another thought out, it hit him, literally. ‘Oh, shit!’ He thought, moving swiftly to toss the hat off of him as the lace from it bursted, the strings flying everywhere as a tremendous force hit him from above. It seemed her clawing it earlier was actually her intention, rather than aiming for his face. His hat flew off of him as a purple ball of energy smacked him straight in the forehead. His timing for his throw was just a second too late.

Gregor hit the ground, collapsing under a tremendous weight from above. Caroline let out another laugh, twirling her hair as she stepped over broken debris. Gregor tried to move, his body twisting as he couldn’t lift his head off of the ground. Alice’s attempts at freedom grew more vigorous as Caroline wagged her finger yet again. “Tsk tsk. You were an interesting opponent, Mr. Gregor, but it appears that luck is on my side.”

Gregor strained as he tried again to lift himself. Caroline sighing before walking out of the room, pulling another chair into the room as she dropped it next to him. She took a seat, eyeing the two ladies pinned against the wall “If it makes things any better for you, I won’t hurt either of them. I need her unharmed.” she pointed to Alice, her eyes fueled by anger. “...and the other broad didn’t see anything, so it’d just be more blood I’d have to scrub off my dress. I’ll undo her binding spell after I leave with your friend.”

Shockingly, it didn’t make him feel any better. His face showed his constant struggling as he pondered his next action. “I suppose now that you’re not a threat anymore, I can tell you what’s happening to you, that’s the ‘honorable’ thing to do, right?” She giggled, dipping a tea bag inside of her teacup she had grabbed. Gregor had no choice but to listen, maybe there was something about her power he could exploit?

“When I touch something, it gets darker, as I’m sure you saw. I can make that thing shoot out some energy… thingy. I’m not quite sure what it is myself, but I know it destroys whatever its host was, whether it be a whole wall, or just a tiny lace.” she pinched two of her fingers together mockingly. “When you get hit by it, you go in the direction it was heading... forever. Only a wall or some other obstacle can stop you, much like your friend over there.” She leaned back slightly in her chair, letting him take this information in.

That’s why Lockheed's arm kept standing up, Gregor realized. it was trying to move whichever direction the energy he caught was heading.

“Fairly specific, I know, but I guess it matches my personality. I like things going EXACTLY as planned, which is why I was fairly irritated when you... interfered.” Her voice became deeper again, this time seeming more malicious. It seems she didn’t like any meddling in her routines and plans.

Gregor’s thrashing slowed slightly. He had realized his hands were still free, and if he could touch the ground he’d be able to either escape or pull something out that’d help him. He decided on a crossbow he knew was within Private Isle, armed and ready to fire. He’d aim for her leg, hopefully the pain would cause her spell to dissipate.

He eyed Caroline, her gaze meeting his as both knew that something was about to happen. Gregor quickly threw his hands onto the ground, the slamming sound onto the wod echoing around him. “Private Isle!” He called out, the blue glow appearing onto the floor.

Caroline said nothing as she tossed the teacup and bag into the air. The teacup held no liquid, as she had it there for a last resort. As they flew, the colors on both drained slightly before the cup shattered and the bag exploded. Two more projectiles rang out into Gregor’s arms, hitting with a force enough to make the floor beneath them shake. The dried tea leaves fluttered to the ground as a soft breeze carried them, a contrast to the barbed shards of teacup glass that rained onto Gregor's arm, leaving many small cuts. He winced as the weight hit his hands, and he was now even more exposed to an attack as his hands were unable to lift from the ground. The blue glow remained, but nothing could be pulled from it since his hands were blocking the exit portal.

“Now, that was uncalled for. You made me destroy a part of my tea set, do you know how expensive those are!?” Caroline’s anger bubbled over as her tone grew louder. Alice’s straining from her body had ceased, as she figured it’d only tire her out more. “I hope you like that, because I’m breaking your entire goddamn set when I’m free!” She called out to the person who was now looming over Gregor, pure anarchy in her eyes. This wasn’t as planned, and now her tangent was even farther off. She growled before lifting her leg up, stomping onto Gregor’s chest as he braced for impact.

“No fair! No fair!” Caroline repeated to herself as she continued stomping onto his body. He winced with each strike, but held his composure as he scanned for his next point of attack. As his eyes met Alice, another shot hit him farther up his chest as her leg came down on his ribs. That one got to him a little as his face contorted. Good thing she didn’t fight with her legs.

Alice displayed horror at watching someone get trampled, but her expression melted into

Confusion as she saw Gregor’s face. He was smiling, as if he’d figured out how to win the fight. He winked at her as she mouthed the word ‘what?’. As he turned to reface Caroline, getting ready to stomp once again, he let out a pained whisper.

“For the God’s sakes, you’ve won. I yield!” He said, causing Caroline’s face to contort into a neutral position as she carefully lowered her leg down. Her face lit up again, seeing victory. “Well well, I didn’t think you were the kind to break like that.” She said, mostly under her breath. Gregor’s eyes seemed defeated, a contrast to the gaze he gave towards Alice. Lying was one of his specialties, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t gonna use everything in his arsenal to try and turn the tide.

“If you’re gonna kill me, at least make me look presentable.” he said, motioning towards his face. Caroline was taken off guard by his sudden look of hopelessness, but assumed it was just like many others, they acted tough until the odds stacked against them.

Caroline took a couple steps back. “Hmm, I suppose you’ve earned that much, but my methods of taking care of ‘business’ aren’t traditional, so I’m afraid I can’t help you there.” She took a few more steps back, Alice’s quiet demeanor also seeming uncharacteristic. It seemed both had given up.

“Smile, my dear.” Caroline put her fingers up to Alice’s lips, pushing them in a smiling position as her eyes seemed unnerved. “You should be thankful that Lord Cyber has asked for you to be unharmed, otherwise I would be able to have my fun with you as well!” Her tone seemed joyous yet again, but had a hint of annoyance towards not being able to have her way.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Gregor sighed, he was beginning to feel the blows that she had inflicted on him. He wanted this to be over, and it was only a few more steps until he had his chance. She took another step towards the door. “You're going to be squashed like an insect, Mr Gregor… One candle at a time.” It appeared that she had so many candles gathered in order to perform an execution of sorts.

“I’d try your best to look pretty while I grab these. I know you have the face for it.” She seemed almost flirtatious, as much as someone about to execute you could be. “It’s a shame I can only have so many of these active at a time, so It’s going to be fairly slow for you.” She was bluffing, but she wanted to draw it out for a bit seeing as the man before her had caused her so much trouble. If it weren’t for him she could’ve just grabbed Alice as she slept. This wasn’t her original plan, but prices must be paid for those who interrupted her.

Just a few more steps, then Gregor’s plan would go underway. He held his breath, partly in fear that she’d end up thinking something was wrong. Alice’s forced smile faded fast as she eyed the man that was about to die for trying to protect her. But he obviously had a plan, and she was waiting, praying that it would come into fruition.

“I suppose it’s poetic, that you’ll be dealt death by the very things you cherished… silver is an interesting material to make a candlestick out of.” The last bit was for herself as she eyed one of the candlesticks on the table she had sat at moments ago. She took another step, now straight in front of the doorway. Now was his chance.

A faint blue glow came from the wall next to her. It was the spot he had fumbled around near earlier, and had touched with his hand. His hands were now bound, but he left his mark on it nonetheless. The blue light was at first hard to spot, but Alice, being so close to it, saw it as her eyes widened. Without warning, a bright blue flash shot out of the spot, followed by the dark silhouette of some object flying through it.

Caroline’s head spun around like a top, but her reaction time couldn’t save her. She was nailed in the chest by the object, stumbling backwards as she gasped for air after it knocked the wind out of her. In a similar fashion to how he used his throwing knives, he also had blunt objects like the sall rubber mallet that just hit her in a constant state of falling through portals that were made inside Private Isle, ensuring that any he used would come out at full speed from a fall lasting days.

Caroline clutched her chest as the back of her head hit the wall behind her. She had probably had a few ribs broken by the impact. She stumbled before turning to Gregor, his eyes showing little pain as she realized he had been bluffing. A thief and a con had to be good at bluffing, after all. “You… you.” She was beyond pissed. Not only had her plan been interrupted yet again, but now it’d be a heck of a time trying to deliver her bounty while so gravely injured.

Alice laughed like a small child as Caroline sputtered. “Man, you look like you were hit by a carriage!” She exclaimed, her body moving slightly more freely now. It seemed the damage had made Caroline loosen the grip on her holdings. Gregor raised one of his hands, shaking violently as it strained before he extended his pointer and middle fingers to her in the shape of a gun. He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t have to. His everlasting smirk gave away his intention. “You said before we’re both Void type spellcasters, you of all people should know that I can use the spots I touched loooong after I touched it.” He said, getting a kick out of seeing his opponent in a state similar to his own.

Caroline swiveled and began limping towards the candlestick, hellbent on finishing Gregor before he could act again. She reached her arm out as she gasped for air, but Gregor’s reaction was faster. “Private Isle!” He yelled, Gregor’s pointing hand glowing blue as another object shot out of it. Caroline stumbled, the small bean bag that had fired out hitting her straight in the back of her achilles. His bean bags were used for incapacitating people rather than killing them, a practice he wished he could do more often.

Her attempt at the candlestick remained, however, as she reached for it. As it seemed in her grasp, a gust of wind blew into her face, seemingly from nowhere a draft could’ve come from. Gregor’s laugh echoed through the tavern area as he watched her fall over, tripping over a chair as his ‘friend’, Lydia, finally realized the candlestick was what she was going for. Gregor was a little deflated, as he knew Lydia would rip him a new one the next time they spoke.

Caroline’s gasp was audible this time as she fell over, a slight whimper escaping as Alice’s body slowly slid to the ground. Her back was still attached, but now she could slowly maneuver her way, her legs pulling her body as it slid against the wall like a snail. Gregor could move his hands more freely, but he found himself still stuck as Caroline’s figure lay behind the doorway. The inn worker’s softened screams and ramblings grew slightly louder as her body began to flail. It looked like it was her face that was hit with whatever energy Caroline had used. “Alice, it’s up to you to finish this! I’m still stuck!” Gregor called out, seeing her moving from his position. It was up to her now, she thought. Best not to sit as the damsel in distress anymore.

Alice’s anger reached a boiling point as she growled, pulling herself as she saw the shadow of a leg move away from the doorway. She groaned as she moved her back against the doorway, the bumps in it proving a challenge as Caroline had come into view. She was crawling, also at a snail’s pace, but it’d be a matter of time before she was out of reach from Alice’s wall position. Both girl’s movements became faster, Alice dragging herself with fury as Caroline noticed her and started crawling faster, towards the center of the room.

Alice had no injuries to slow her down. With the heel of her leg she brought down an ax kick onto Caroline’s back, causing her to yelp again as she hit the ground. She used the back of her leg to pull her in as Caroline fought, grabbing a chair leg and hanging on as it slowly dragged through and scratched the ground underneath. The color of the chair began to dissipate as Alice had a few seconds to act before she’d be stuck again.

Alice grabbed Caroline’s dress with her hands, pulling her up with a single thrust as Caroline flew backwards. Alice then grabbed the back of her neck as she pulled as if she was pulling an anchor in from the sea. She locked Caroline into a headlock as Caroline started scratching, drawing a little blood from Alice’s arm. Alice wound up, a single punch aiming for Caroline’s cheek. While she didn’t have her gauntlets on, years of training made her normal fist pack a much harder punch than a common man or woman’s.

Caroline’s weakened state gave out as she fell backwards from the punch. She wasn’t unconscious, but found the pain it took to move too great to be worth it. She said nothing as she slumped against the wall, her breathing strained as she clutched her chest and glared at Alice.

Alice felt a forward motion as she was freed from Caroline’s soul shard. She grinned to herself before falling onto the ground, not reacting fast enough to catch herself. Gregor’s movements could be heard as he sprang up, along with a new sound. The inn worker finally let out the shouts that she was unable to before. As Alice quickly pushed herself up and peeked into the laundry room, the woman was berating Gregor, thinking he had something to do with what happened. He listened to her shrieking, silently picking up his cloak off of the ground and putting it on with an unreactive face. It was too early in the morning for this crap. His only reaction came as he saw the lady prepare to hit him out of the corner of his eye.

As Gregor held his hands slightly up, Alice took a step forward right as the lady wound up a smack. “Don’t.” Was all she said, the worker’s hand stopping midair as she turned to face the girl that she had unknowingly been freed by.

As Alice took a few more steps forward to clear Gregor’s name, a faint wind was felt. The faint yelling of a familiar lizard could also be heard. In the heat of battle, the two had forgotten about their comrades, and now that they thought about it, why couldn’t hear the fight, or at least hear something that’d tip them off?

Lockheed stood in the center of the tavern, the wind being from his time manipulation. He was rubbing his arm, which was no longer being strained to stay down. He eyed the situation, Gregor being yelled at as some woman was slumped on the wall injured to high heck. He understood.

All was answered as the group slowly funneled in, furious. As Gregor tried his best to explain what happened to the worker, the others filled Alice in. Apparently, they HAD woken up to the sound of a scuffle, but something kept them from leaving their beds. It was as if some magic had come over them and they were stuck. It was revealed that after Gregor and Alice had left to investigate the noise, Caroline had snuck in and performed her soul spell on them, seemingly from various objects that came from the tavern. This had been before she set herself up with the tea set, trapping Alice. She was a sneaky bugger, as Knox put it, but it seemed her plan had failed, much to her wholehearted hatred of failure.

Gregor was wheezing, having had a hell of a time via Caroline’s stomps. His ribs and his stomach were very much sore from the blows. Despite many requests, mostly from Alice and Cymia, to see the town’s physician, Gregor refused. He waved any worries for him off as he clutched his chest, leaning against a wall as he found himself unable to speak very well for the time being. Instead, a blue flash emitted from his hand, revealing a small flask of orange liquid. He used to be an apothecary, as he was no doubt trying to say, and he had all the stuff to fix himself up right with him. This eased some of the concern, but internally Gregor knew he might have to hide some of the lasting damage those blows probably did to him. Nervously, he retrieved and finished off the bottle of Herrybomb he had started on earlier, treating it as if he were downing a bottle of alcohol as his coping mechanism for his sustained injury.

Alice also made mental notes as she rubbed her back, which was slightly sore from her endeavor. This man who knew almost nothing of her almost died trying to protect her. She pondered whether it was from a good heart, an undying hatred for anything relating to Cyber and his goons, or perhaps a combination of the two. Either way, she felt she had to repay him somehow. She’d think of something when she got to Merla.

This train of thought connected her to another question she had. What were the others with her willing to do?. Were they all willing to die for this mission? She would feel honored, no doubt, but she wasn’t the type of nobility that enjoys digging graves not meant for them.

____________________________________________________________________________

It didn’t take long for Timberrock’s guard to arrive, as Daniel had left for them after he had been freed. He wasn’t a fighter, but he’d at least tip the odds in their favor if the battle hadn’t concluded when he returned, seemingly unaware Caroline’s defeat is what gave him his freedom.

The guard from the front gates was the one to pull Caroline to her feet, as her shift at the front gate had long since ended and her morning routine was street patrol. She glanced towards Alice before motioning to two other guards to take her away. She slowly made her way over, pulling Alice aside. “What’s going to happen to her?” Alice asked, making a final eye contact with Caroline as she was carted off. A distant look glazed her face, along with a smile. It seems it might not be the last time they cross paths.

“They’ll probably fix her up before anything. The physician in Timberrock has a spell that can heal injuries. After that she’ll be tried within the week for assault and… attempted kidnapping, was it?” The guard asked, Alice nodding slightly. “I’m guessing that means you’re gonna have to stay a little while longer, as a witness?” The guard seemed disheartened.

“No, I don’t think I’ll have to. I’m sure that she has more than enough evidence to get a sentence.” Alice motioned towards the inn worker, who was currently being comforted by her father, the innkeeper and her sister as Gregor stood awkwardly next to them, chatting with one of the guards.

“I see… well, we can certainly set up a better place for you to stay for the remainder of the ni-” Alice interrupted her. “Not necessary. I’m sure you guys are gonna be around here for a bit. I’m gonna get a few hours in and then we’ll leave later in the morning.”

The guard was speechless, but she sighed. “Very well. Apologies if there are any interruptions to your sleep… your highness.” The guard performed a faint salute, not enough to call any attention. “I hope you plan on returning someday, perhaps not in secret? It’s been a long time since we’ve had anything exciting here, and excitement seems to be attracted to you.”

“I’m sure there’s a lot more where she came from, and I’m certain you’ll be glad it’s going with me.” Alice said, a smile emerging. “Well, thanks for everything, I’m gonna get some shut eye now.”

The guard nodded before turning around, now focusing on the worker and her story. Alice was right about one thing, and she knew it. Caroline was only the beginning, and she’d be damned if anyone was gonna get hurt because of her.

She made her way towards her room. Despite the warnings and outcry from everyone else, Alice went back to bed. It’d be a few hours before the sun came up, and if they wanted to get through Vloekstad forest without having to spend a night in it, they’d have to make sure they wouldn’t be exhausted. She slept in the inn for the rest of the night, and it’s safe to say that she slept like a baby.

Soul Spell: Witch Direction

Spell Type: Void

Spellcaster: Caroline Wildes

Shard Color: Green

Shard Stats:

    -Offense [4/10]

    -Defense [6/10]

    -Range [6/10]

    -Spread [3/10]

    -Utility [6/10]