Harden slowly stood and turned around towards Mother. By no means he could not understand Mother had apparated within the room. She stood a head shorter than Harden, which still surprised him, considering how easily she hoisted him in her arms when they first met one another.
She otherwise was relatively unchanged; her entire body was covered with an ocean of feathers as black as a moonless night. The myriad of trinkets, charms, and other fetishes strewn throughout her cloak vibrated in the air that, coupled with her malice, made Harden shudder. Though he had met with Mother many times and enjoyed her presence's safety and assurance, it took him a few moments to settle his soul and Pnuema when she arrived.
“Thank ya’ th’re,” Harden nodded. “Gotta say, this was tha wors’ one yet.”
Mother slowly moved forward, her cloak undisturbed by her motions as she encroached. It was as if she was not walking at all; her movement was more akin to floating. Once she was within a few feet of Harden, the pungent smell of ozone accosted him.
Mother moved next to the ward and extended her black hand. Her dark crystal claws scraped against the invisible magic like nails on glass. A shrill shriek eminent beneath her veil reminded Harden of a banshee.
The demon contained within attempted to retreat from Mother by pressing against the barrier. Arcs of electricity shot out and crashed against the jails inside. Luckily the beast's wails of terror and the crack of thunder were muted by the magics effects; if not, the peaceful barn would be as loud as a tornado.
“Understandable, this beast was causing quite a lot of trouble for one of my sisters. She will undoubtedly be quite thankful for your aid,” Mother said. Her flowing music-like voice infected Harden like a disease, flowing throughout him instantly, calming his heart and mind from the deathly fight.
“So am I gettin’ more pay?” Harden questioned. As he moved to dig through the rubble of the hayloft, looking for wherever his hat ended up.
“Indeed you shall. She arranged your payment.” Mother replied.
Harden struggled to move the large pieces of rubble that had pinned his equipment to the ground. As he was straining to move the heavy beams, Mother clicked her tongue and muttered some words in her ancient unknowable language. A dull light wrapped around the rubble, and they lifted, allowing him to retrieve his gear.
“Thank ya kindly,” Harden replied as he tugged the last of his gear and set it against the wall. Once he had turned fully around and put his hat back on his head, harden smiled at Mother.
“It’s of little issue. I have plans for the day and frankly need you to leave soon,” Mother replied, casting her hand toward the trembling beast.
“Oh, that's unlike yah, you usually like tah talk. If that be dah case, I can take my payment and next bounty, then get out in the hollars right quick,” Harden replied.
“Yes, my dear child. Sister arranged your payment. Travel to the split willow on the river bend to get your reward. She placed it there. But I warn you, the area has had some recent activity of the Wampus cat, and she might not be happy to smell me on you,” Mother said with a snigger.
Harden had next to no idea what Mother meant by the willow near the river bend. There are thousands of them within miles of here. But Mother and her sister's coven always seemed to have some means to guide him, his siblings, and cousins, really anyone with their root towards where they needed to go. He would just have to listen to their guidance on the winds.
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As for the Wampus cat, Harden had never met the feline shifter. But Harden knew that, like Fox, the Wampus cat had been cursed by one of the coven, or one of the Unveiled, decades ago and had been stuck as a bobcat for a long time. Her vindictiveness was no shock, and he would undoubtedly shoot her on sight. It was just easier that way.
“What sister, if you don’ mind me askin’, it might help me follow her signs,” Harden replied.
Mother thought about it for a moment. She was usually very tight-lipped about the coven but would occasionally lift the veil for her children. Tonight she gave him that little grace.
“You are being paid out by the Owl witch this time,” Mother replied, flicking her wrist and depicting a horned owl in glowing arcs of her magic. The small depiction of the bird fluttered and flew around them before perching itself on Harden's shoulder.
“Will do, Mother,” Harden replied, looking over at the owl as it fluttered its wings and even producing the near-silent sound of the vicious bird.
“As for the next bounty, it is not yours to take,” Mother said flatly.
“T’aint mine? Then what am I supposed to go do, stir trouble?” Harden asked, raising a brow.
Mother waved her hand in denial. “Nonsense, I need you to travel south near your birthplace as a matter of fact. We have heard of recent tragedies befalling a community and wish to capitalize on it,” Mother said.
“Reap and sow?” Harden questioned.
“Of course, a well-tended garden brings good sprouts and deep root,” Mother replied. She got closer to Harden. The smell of almond and burning devil lantern filled his nose, replacing the acrid scent of Ozone—a pleasant if not somewhat sharp smell. “Now I need you to travel to Richards. I shall be in touch as I need,” Mother finished.
“A’ight, not an issue. I roughly know where t’is,” Harden said, recalling the small mining town in northern Kentucky.
That place could hardly be called a community if he recalled correctly. It was more rural than even here. The town only sported a small general store and a saloon the last time he was there. But that was six years ago; for all he knew, it bloomed to the size of Boston in that time, as unlikely as that was.
Mother reached into her cloak, retrieved several vials, and held them out, her crystal claws tapping against the glass.
“Here, take this. I can see you are rather low on supplies. I don't want to see anything happen to you,” Mother cooed. Her voice sent a wave of comfort down Harden's spine, feeling akin to the loving touch of a fire on an icy winter day.
Harden took the vials from Mother, who languidly retracted her hand.
“Alright, wh’t will I find when there?” Harden asked while tucking the vials into his bandolier.
“If all goes well, a new sprout ready to be tended by yourself this time,” Mother replied.
Harden was unsure but could have sworn he saw Mother smile underneath her veil. Something he did not know the Crow witch was even capable of.
The rest of their conversation was short, with Harden only giving Mother any updates he had seen since their last chance to talk. What the Union had been up to, and how he ran into Fox a few times. That last bit of news she was not happy to hear; apparently, his misbegotten sister was still a sore topic for her. Likely she was Mother's favorite child at some point. Fox was the oldest, and probably the first Unveiled Mother had ever created if Fox’s mastery of magic and knowledge of how to avoid Mother something like that was likely.
Once, Harden had all of his equipment gathered, he left the area, knowing he was keeping Mother from completing whatever ritual she had planned for the caged beast, and he frankly did not want to know.
As Harden wandered deep in the hollars away from Mother, he paused and looked back towards the barn's direction. Through the wan light of the moon and thick trees overhead could see a singular thunder clown overhead, lightning angrily slamming down.
When he peaked within the ashen world, the sky was as bright as the sun; it burned with mothers magic and the creature's magic. The purples and blues swirled like a vortex, with the beast's wails of pain and fear carried on the ashen winds.