WBM
Chapter Twenty
Hex of the Black Palm
~SV~
Kolo’s Catacombs, 5 AM, 677, 29th, October
Coming into the Craftroom Kolo glares at Samala, as he demands, “Have you found your daughter? I am certain she knows where the book is or at least has an idea. If you can tell me where she is, I do not need Darciana, this time.” Samala tries to reply, only producing mumbles through closed lips. Kolo hisses, “What? Speak up.” She mumbles angrily. Slowly Kolo understands, as Samala keeps tilting her head towards Darciana’s empty seat.
He notices a rune mark in the blood on the left armrest of the Rambler’s chair. Kolo sneers, “The devious, dark Witch has sealed her cousin’s mouth; no wonder she implied it was her own fault, letting us take her.” Lola admires her, “How wonderfully wicked.” Limping slowly toward the playroom, Kolo says, “Good thing we did not kill her. I can only imagine how angry I would be if I had to wait to revive her!” Lola scoffs, “Simply cut Samala’s lips open!”
She mocks, “Oh let me guess, you cannot stand to hurt that Strix? Your weakness for the Mad Queen is extremely annoying.”
~*~
Kolo’s Playroom, 5 AM, 677, 29th, October
Darciana coldly says to Sidonia, ‘Dreams of ending Kolo warms my undead heart. However, Nepathi did a spell giving him his powers sooner; perhaps I can learn the spell and benefit from it as well. Samala plans to tell Kolo where to find you once Rorik has taken the book from you. She assumes Kolo will bring you here and has instructed Rorik to follow him, so he can discover where we are.’ Sidonia gasps, ‘It might work, then Rorik can save you also.’
The Rambler hears Lola’s tune, ‘I must go.’ She breaks their connection and prepares for what comes next. She fears they will kill her, and the Hex she placed on Samala will be broken. The Dark Princess is left pondering what her kin said and dreads this new danger that is coming her way. She wonders if she dares accept her mother’s plan, so Rorik can help free her and Darciana. Yet, Sidonia agrees with Darciana, she will never willingly give Rorik the book.
~*~
The undesirable Witch claws at her auburn hair, as she gives him a pleased smug smile. Prince Rorik needs his knives from the Old Hag and does not dare anger her. She stands in the doorway, as he asks, “Do you have a surname?” The Hexing Hag grins, “Tis just Jacque. Ya can call me Jackal; me like it best if ya say it ta me while in bed.” He worries she wants more. Yet, she questions, “Me never asked ya, where did ya learn about me?”
The Prince is unsure he should admit to it, as he chokes, “Maleva pointed me to your shack, telling me you have a door.” Jacque snorts, “Well tat does beats all! Twas sure tat rotten witch hates me. Me even tried ta poison her. Hmm, what did ya do ta piss her off? Must be bad, if she refused ta get ya ta te Black Forest?” His face flushes red, she enjoys seeing him squirm, “Me is sure as Nifl is cold, tat she has an exit tere.” Rorik admits, “Yes, she does.”
The Rambler Prince huffs, “She took me there then changed her mind. Maleva said I was too ‘left path’, bound me with her wand, then threw me out here. Saying I could come to you if I dare.” Near tears, Jacque cackles, “Oh, wat a laugh, ha-ha. Ya an evil boy? Nah! Tat is a swell chuckle. Me thinks me likes ya even more now. Yip, ya can come back, even if me tis not here, me will hear a knock on tis door. And me will come through me Dark Door for ya.”
Rorik lies, “I will stop on my way back to camp.” She waves her twig of a wand at him. As the mist hits, the Prince freezes, and listens with fear. Jacque repeats, “Ya will not speak of wat we did, nor w’ere we went, nor recall tat me hexed ya. Ya only knows ya enjoyed yer time in me bed. Be truthful, is wat me told ya clear?” Rorik forces a compelled tone, “Yes.” Releasing him, Jacque brags, “Ya will never forget te best night of yer life, me Precious Prince.”
Rorik is disappointed and furious. He realizes his Rambler Charm has blocked her glamour; now he is forced to recall it all. The Prince wonders if the Charm blocked her hex too. If he had tried to leave the Warlock Camp, he might have escaped, yet it was risky. He is also stunned that Jacque thinks so highly of herself; wondering how she does not smell her reeking body odor. He asks, “And my knives?”
Jacque waves her twig wand and they appear in her hand. As the Prince comes to get the knife belts, she puckers her lips. He tries hard to keep a smile on his face, as he leans in kissing her. Finally, she releases the belts; he takes them and runs into the Dark Door, calling out, “Which way to the Castle?” The Old Hag points, “Southeast.” Rorik exits out of a large tree into the Black Forest. The Prince runs for his life, hoping he can get to the Castle, before she sees he switched the crystals and tries Cursing him.
~*~
Lola hums as she floats around the Iron Maiden; she sings a few new lines of her song,
“My vengeful cry kept you behind the gate,
I swore soon you will suffer a dark fate.
You caused me to escape over dark water,
I stole two guards to revive my brother.
Thomas left causing his own dark fate,
He fled his own body and left his mate.
Thomas and Todd were bodies I need,
Killed Todd with a cursed knife indeed.
Jillian was no witch just weak and old,
I possessed her body it smelled like mold.
Your black sword became my dark fate,
Got revenge burning Donatello at the gate.”
Kolo releases the lever pulling back the spikes, which were pushing into Darciana and keeping her away from the iron sides. The Rambler collapses against the back of it and feels the sting of the iron as it drains her. She knows the pain will dampen her powers, and cause her healing to be slowed. The front of the Iron Maiden now unlatches and opens. The dark around her becomes slightly lighter by the flickering flame of torches.
The Rambler makes out her twin captors. Kolo and Lola are before her, peering in. The twins look at the Strix with dark expectations. Groaning with another great plan being ruined by them, Darciana huffs, “Oh, demons of the Dark Realm.” Annoyed that they interrupted her warning Sidonia, Darciana now glares at the two. Lola smiles and guesses as she taunts, “Oh poor little Rambler. You hoped we would not figure it out quite so quickly.”
Darciana wants them to decide not to kill her, so she lies as if she were admitting they ruined her plans, “Yes. I was supposed to die before you noticed that Samala can no longer help you kill her daughter.” Kolo sneers, “Wrong. Lola has a way around it that we could have used.” Darciana scoffs, “How would you get around it?” Lola proudly says, “Cut Samala’s lips apart.”
The Rambler nods to Lola as she is right, it would work. Smirking, Darciana taunts, “No surprise that he chose not to. Did you really assume he would harm his Queen?” Lola sneers at Kolo, “I said nearly the same thing to him, and find it irritating.” Kolo leans in, “You will release Samala from your hex and find the book, or I will make certain you wish you had.” Kolo drags Darciana back into the Craftroom, cuffing her back into her chair.
~*~
Jacque cackles until she chokes out, “Wat a dumb Prince of stupidity!” Grabbing the crystal off the table, she closes the Dark Door. Instantly, sensing the crystal’s energy dies, the Hexing Hag screams in pain as it takes power from her instead. It burns her hand, leaving a black line all the way up her arm. Horrified, the old Witch curses, “Wat te grim Nifl? Tis nearly a new crystal that cost me dearly ta buy te dark thing! Twas suppose ta last te rest of me life.”
Tears fall as she wipes her nose on her arm, groaning to her cat, “Tere is no way it should be burnin’ up tis quick! Te Prince were not a great lover, yet he did give me an energy boost; without it, closing me Dark Door might have just killed me. Me is drained again now, at least me was not cold for two nights.” She rolls the crystal in her hand, trying to think how she can open the Dark Door to her Warlock hut. She adds, “Me glad tat me lifted his coin bag.”
Jacque tells her familiar, “Still, me does not have enough coins ta buy a crystal, not as good as tis one was supposed to be. Me is unaware of a market round here tat even sells crystals! Wat the Nifl used it up? Openin’ a few Dark Doors cannot have emptied it tis quick!” She snuffs her snot, chews, and swallows it. Suspicious, she goes out into the light. Holding the crystal up, the Old Hag screams, “Tat rotten demon of the dark is no Precious Prince!”
She yells, “Tis not even me crystal!” Her familiar screeches, her eyes go wide, “Ya saw him by te table, where me crystal was! Did he switch them?” The cat meows, she fumes, “Ya should have guessed he was up to no good. Why te Nifl did ya just sit on yer butt; ya should have clawed his demon eyes out! Wish me had te strength ta do Rorik some real harm!” Jacque kicks her cat outside. Waddling to her bed, she climbs in and sobs herself to sleep.
~*~
Half Moon Bay, Dawn, 677, 29th, October
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The Dark Princess has slept peacefully for a few hours when the Dragon Bracelet wakes her, “Zara is returning with five others, seeking your abilities again.” Zara comes on the Ferry saying, “We could use your help, if you can lend us more of your time.” Princess Sidonia can see Zara is hesitant, so she asks, “What do you need?” Sidonia gasps now recognizing Xiko, Mercia, and Mino from her dream-vision. Angrily, Zara points, “Xiko has a Warg Wolf.”
She adds, “The Warg killed Mercia’s brother, Wirf, her only kin. The killer, Krist, went Warg after killing their leader Grigori, his bite caused Trek to be rabid! Mercia and her husband are here to help hunt it. We just finished the ritual with Mercia to help prevent her from turning into a Warg due to her anger and fury. Their Oracle, Trina, feels Xiko needs oracles to catch the Warg.” Sidonia nods, “I had a vision of the Warg and the Devil’s Woods Clan.”
Zara sighs, “I recalled you said you needed to help them, yet were unsure how. This Warg is tricky, he goes in circles. We are seeking your gift, before he bites or kills anyone else. If I take your place on the Ferry, will you help us?” Sidonia nods, “Yes, I feel I am meant to help kill this Warg.” Zara tells her, “Endora, Mercia, and I tried to box the Warg in, but cannot read his thoughts nor find him while riding. We laid on the ground, still unable to see Krist.”
Grinning, Zara asks, “Can you read him, the way you knew Beatrix’s mind? If so, we think Endora and Mercia can read you and see what to do, without stopping to talk, or falling off their horses.” Sidonia replies, “Yes, if I remove the amulet.” Joining Zara on the pier, Endora says, “I am sorry to ask you to be vulnerable again.” Sidonia warns, “I am worried for you all; I learned my mum has sent my brother to harm me. She will be able to see I am with all of you.”
Sidonia sighs, “It is more dangerous for Zara if my brother finds her on the Ferry first, before Mum sees I am not there-.” A vision of the future interrupts her. Sidonia sees the Warg taking Mercia off the horse, killing her. With anger and purpose, the Dark Princess seeks a vision to prevent it. Learning what she must do, the Princess removes her choker, handing it to Zara, “Keep it safe for me.” Zara grins, “Of course. Thanks for helping all of us, again.”
~*~
Black Forest, Dawn, 677, 29th, October
Rorik is jogging through the woods, he groans with pain at his hangover from drinking too much last night. He distracts himself by musing on the Warlock Camp’s Witch Fights, when he smells something dead. At first, he discounts it, assuming he got some of Jacque’s odor on his clothing. As he comes around a large tree trunk, Rorik sees he has startled a wolf pack. They are feasting upon four male corpses that are wearing Anthony’s Castle uniforms.
Prince Rorik backs up. Seeing them coming, he runs at an angle to get away, hoping he is heading east. He hears them following. Sweating with fear, “Why is my life always jinxed, with a curse of bad luck? I bet Maleva is responsible, bewitching me for helping mum. Or the Horrible Hexing Hag has already missed her crystal. They are Jacque’s wolves and she sent them to kill me.”
~*~
Sidonia walks with Mercia and Endora towards the horses. Once she is close enough to Mercia, the Princess shudders. Mercia asks, “Are you cold?” Nodding, Sidonia says, “I guess my cape is a bit damp from the night river air.” Mercia takes off her cloak and hands it to Sidonia, “Switch with me, I am warm enough that the damp will not chill me.” Sidonia gives her the black cape she was wearing. Endora frowns, at her not switching with Zara, like before.
Looking at the Ferry Endora sees Zara is wearing her black cloak, which looks very similar to Sidonia’s, and shrugs. The Dark Princess smiles at Mercia, “Thanks, it is very kind of you.” Yet, she clenches her jaw in fear, as she puts on Mercia’s red hooded cloak, aware that she just made herself the bait. Endora says to Sidonia, “I suggest you ride with Xiko; we will ride with our husbands. I hope we can trap the Warg between us before sundown tonight.”
A cool breeze blows and the three oracles lift their hoods. Mercia says, “We should hold hands to see if we can hear each other.” Sidonia takes Mercia’s and Endora’s hands as they make a circle. She avoids showing Mercia where the Warg killed her. She seeks the wolf’s current location, the other two gasp, receiving her vision of Krist in the woods, coming nearer. They see that the Warg is watching them, waiting for the opportunity to kill them.
Endora gasps, “I am stunned at your ability! I have never seen images so clear, and you are seeing through the Warg’s eyes, it is frightful, yet impressive.” Sidonia suddenly gets a vision from Krist’s memories, seeing the Warg attack Wirf. Mercia sobs, as she releases their hands. The Princess tells her, “Oh, I am so sorry. I did not intend for you to see that.” Mercia runs to Mino who holds her tight. Sidonia grabs Endora’s other hand, leaving that vision.
The Dark Princess concentrates on the Warg’s thoughts, in hopes she will learn more of his plans, “I will kill Mercia for abandoning me! I will bite as many as I can to torture them all.” She releases Endora, who gasps and decides that Sidonia knows more than she is telling. Endora is certain that Sidonia has traded cloaks with Mercia… to lure Krist to her. Endora asks the Princess in a whisper, “Are you certain you wish to risk yourself to save Mercia?”
Sidonia nods, “Do not tell her, it will keep this from working.” Endora grabs the young Oracle, “She can just stay in our camp rather than being at risk.” The Dark Princess shakes her head, softly saying, “This is the only way I was shown to trick Krist. I feel there needs to be three of us, for us to trap him. Besides, it is time I end my fear of ‘Wolves in the Woods’.” Endora gets a flash of Sidonia’s memory from her past, as the gray Wolf snarls in her face.
It causes Endora to cry out, “Oh, no!” Endora quickly pulls her hand away from Princess Sidonia’s arm. The Dark Princess gives her a cold grin, “As I said, bad memories of ‘Wolves in the Woods.’ Fate has shown me that this is the way to end the Warg.” The others hear her response and watch with wide eyes, as the girl climbs on the back of Xiko’s horse, looking fearless. But Xiko feels her trembling. Just then, the Ferryman and his passengers come from the Inn.
They go onto the pier and into the Ferry. As the riders leave, Sidonia worries as she looks back, nodding to Zara. The dark girl realizes she had not finished warning Zara of Rorik and his orders to torture the location of the book from her. Yet does not want to tell anyone of the book. The dark girl hopes Zara has no problems with Rorik nor Kolo’s men before she can return. The Princess whispers the Warg’s location to Xiko, as she hopes the two women know.
They now relay what Sidonia has instructed Xiko to do. As Endora knows, she tells her husband, so Eddirk takes the north path. Mercia tells Mino, he turns going south. Xiko goes straight at the Warg Wolf, as they attempt to surround Kristopher so they can kill him. Sidonia is certain that it will not work, yet. Still she must give them hope so they continue to try, as she waits for the moment she has seen in her vision. It causes the dark girl another shiver of fear.
~*~
Blackstone Castle, Dawn, 677, 29th, October
Rorik mocks himself, “I should have expected that this is how the Hexing Hag would get back at me, sending wolves.” Swearing at causing it, by trading the crystals, he knows it was not worth this risk. When he no longer hears the wolves, he looks back guessing they have gone back to their meal; still the Prince continues to run, not feeling safe. Rorik starts to feel sick, certain he is lost until he comes out of the trees behind his old cottage.
Prince Rorik smiles as he hurries by his childhood home, noticing its abandoned state. Once on the road, he is relieved running south towards Blackstone Castle. Captain Heg sees Prince Rorik running, and he calls out, “Where were you? Your horse came in the other night.” Rorik replies, “Good, so it is in the stables?” Heg nods, “We looked for you. Are you harmed?” Rorik lies, “I was nearly here when I was jumped, knocked out, just north of the Village.”
Rorik refuses to tell anyone he got tricked by two old crones. He adds, “I am fine, now. I only have a bad headache. Thanks for looking for me and caring for my horse.” The Prince does not like their stares, as he rushes to the stables. He is relieved to see they did care for his horse. He debates on riding it down to the docks. Deciding against it, he puts a few things from his bags in his jacket. His coin bag is not there, as he suspected Jacque stole it.
Entering the Castle, feeling his guilt is written on his face, as the Guards and Staff stare at him, as if they know he plans to harm Sidonia. In Anthony’s office, he closes the door, gets the key from a hidden drawer at his stepfather’s desk. Unlocking the safe, he takes a full coin bag. Paranoia of being stopped causes Rorik to run through the garden to the south gate. He shrieks when opening the gate causes Donatello’s smoldering dead body to bump into him.
Horrified he uses a stick to close the gate and vomits. Rorik groans, “What sort of sick vile muckery is this?” Shaken, he trips falling onto Duckweed’s body that is on the ground decaying. Scurrying to his feet he nearly falls on another dead corpse, he wails in terror as he runs onto the pier and into a Castle rowboat. Rorik stands in the skiff to untie the boat, nearly toppling out of it as Squat’s dead watery, rotting body comes floating towards the Prince.
Squat is a few inches under the surface, it spooks Rorik into screaming. He cries out in horror as it continues to make a thud, due to each wave causing the head of the corpse to bump into his skiff. He moans, “Bloody nightmares!” Nauseous, Rorik sits, paddling as fast as he can to get away from the dead. The dread and shock of what he has just witnessed, and what he was told to do, causes him to stop as he retches until he vomits in the river.
His gut is in a twist, as he scoffs aloud, “It is no wonder that Sidonia is no longer here at the bloody castle! What the Dark Realm has Mother gotten me into?” He is pale, shaking, and very weak. Rorik takes some deep breaths. He is near crying, “Maleva was right; I should have ignored Mum and stayed in my bed at camp!” He rows swiftly downstream wanting to get away from the terrors. As he passes all boats, he gains confidence in catching Sidonia.
He is certain the Ferry his half-sister is on will have to make all the stops. Still, he fights against his own desires to flee this plan. Then he has to remove his jacket and shirt before he soaks them with sweat. He takes his boots off as well. As Rorik rows down the river, he is no longer certain he is up to his mum’s grim request. It feels evil to force Sidonia to give him the book by cutting her. After seeing what death looks like, it is too horrible of an image.
Prince Rorik cannot get it out of his mind. His guilt eats at him, “I even wish to be in Jacque’s bed, over doing this!”
~*~
Hangman’s Haunt Forest, Dawn, 677, 29th, October
A horse suddenly comes through the trees at the Wolf. Krist turns from Xiko’s horse, seeing the other two horses coming from either side at him, Mino’s horse is too afraid of the Wolf, bolting out of its path, keeping them from blocking him. Krist quickly runs off. As they give chase, Sidonia says, “He plans to circle the area, we will follow him. You two can cut him off, the other way.” Endora relays Sidonia’s message to her husband.
Eddirk turns his horse, saying, “I will wait here in case he gets past Mino.” Mercia tells Mino; he turns their horse to circle back in the opposite direction. As the Warg comes in sight, Mino shoots his arrows, nearly getting him twice. As it passes, he turns his horse going across the center of the circle to cut the Warg off. Krist’s game is now too deadly for him, he flees in a panic, yet he gets a whiff of Mercia on Xiko’s horse and recognizes her red cloak.
~*~
Strapping Darciana to her seat, Kolo says, “Find the book, or we complete what we started.” He tells Samala, “Locate Sidonia, before I lose my patience.” Kolo limps to Nepathi’s tomb pouring blood in. Lola moans, “Why are you bringing her back already?” Kolo smirks, “To see how long it takes. Also, Darciana is proving to be uncooperative and one of the Wickedest Strixes I have, even more than I expected her to be. I might need Nepathi after all.”
The twins go to the Playroom for blood. Samala chuckles at Darciana’s puncture wounds. Her cousin retaliates taking away Samala’s mocking voice and sealing her mouth. Wickedly, Darciana taunts, “After they cut your lips open, they shall find it has done them no good.” Samala glares, Darciana scolds, “You are a despicable coward, lower than a snake slithering in the mud. I despise all you did to Sidonia, and what you told Rorik to do to her!”
The Queen thinks, ‘Aww, bothered by what you saw; it is what you get for spying on me! Mind your own business.’ Knowing her thoughts, Darciana is disturbed by her lack of guilt and mocks, “If Rorik instigates Sidonia being taken, you will cause your own son to betray the Ramblers’ Blood Pact.” Samala muses, ‘I do not believe in the Hex, or my clan would have suffered for seeking to harm me.’ Darciana believes Samala was a spoiled brat.
The Rambler assumes she refused to do her share of the chores. Darciana states, “I know that the consequences of breaking the Ramblers’ Blood Pact is real. You will get the Hex of the Black Palm!” The Queen does not believe her and feels justified. Samala assumes, ‘I do not belong to a clan, so I cannot be shunned. I am already stuck in this filthy prison.’ Darciana states, “You took the oath to never harm a Rambler, and will cause a Hex upon Rorik.”
Scoffing, Samala thinks, ‘Rorik is better off away from Hexing Ramblers, they only do harm to others.’ Darciana is still listening to her thoughts and warns, “Tell him not to execute your plan, or you will never speak again. I might even do worse to you both!” Samala muses ‘You proved what I thought, you and Ramblers, hex without a reason.’ The Queen grins; certain that Kolo will just make the Rambler reverse any hex she does on her.
~WBM~