Alcingeria Chapter Twenty Two: Witch Hunt

The Scoprions and the Vipers are awoken by a witch hunt in progress. Deciding to save the witch from the horrible fate of being burned at the stake, they all go out and try to save the witch.

Chapter Twenty Two Witch Hunt: We walked across the bunks to where the others were getting into their bunks. There certainly were a lot of bunks here, most of them were empty. There had to be at least thirty or forty. Were there really this many members of The Vipers before the vampire attacks? There were about fifteen or twenty on each side of the room mounted on the walls. Don walked over to the bunks on the right side and Macalister, Robert and I went to the left side. Don climbed into an empty bunk and closed his eyes. I did the same and found an empty bunk. I climbed in, crawled beneath the blankets and closed my eyes.

            “You! What do you think you’re doing?” I heard a voice on the other side of the room say.

It sounded like Erin. I opened my eyes and turned my attention to where she had spoken. She was standing in front of Don’s bunk with one hand on her hip and the other pointing right in Don’s face. Stella was next to Erin, bearing much the same posture. Don looked confused.

            “What? What are you talking about?” Don asked.

            “This is the girls’ side of the room, silly!” Erin said with a giggle.

Don sat bolt upright and looked around, finding Erin and Stella standing over him. Don’s face went red.

            “Oh! S-sorry ladies!” Don said while hastily climbing out of bed.

In his haste he tripped on the blankets and fell on his face onto the wooden floor. Erin and Stella burst out laughing. Don stood up and brushed himself off like nothing happened, trying to regain his cool composure. His face was still bright red. He casually strode over to an empty bunk beside me and crawled beneath the blankets.

            “Good night, clumsy!” Teased Stella.

Don groaned and pulled the blankets over his head further. I saw Stella and Erin both climb into their beds. They were giggling quietly. I closed my eyes, ready to get some sleep. My back was a little sore from working in the fields before dinner for a few hours. Sleep found before I knew it and I was unconscious within minutes.

 

***

           

I awoke to the sound of men yelling. Puzzled, I opened my eyes, but found everyone in the bunk room looking just as puzzled as I was.

            “What is going on?” Asked Erin while rubbing her eyes and yawning.

Erin got out of her bed and went over to the window. I got out of my bed, as did everyone else. We saw an orange glow outside to our left, it hadn’t come into full view yet. The sound of men yelling still filled the air. In another few seconds, we could hear the sound of footsteps. There were a lot of them. There had to be at least thirty people out there! What did they want? The orange glow was now in full view and I saw that there were indeed about thirty men outside. Almost all of them had torches in one hand. The few who didn’t have torches carried muskets. I counted three men with muskets in total. The men who had torches in one hand also held farming tools in the other; pitchforks, shovels, hoes and even farming sickles. What were they doing? I heard footsteps behind me in the house. I looked back and I saw Ceberus along with Martha and William running across the room towards us. Ceberus held a musket in both his hands.

            “Ceberus, what is going on?” I asked.

Ceberus hurried over to the window and looked at all of the men. His eyes narrowed.

            “A witch hunt.” Ceberus said with narrowed eyes.

That took me by surprise.

            “Did I hear you correctly? Did you say ‘witch hunt’?” Don asked.

            “Indeed I did. For the last few nights, men like these ones come around here and hunt witches. It seems as though they’re on the trail of one right now.” Ceberus said.

We had been in Ignacio’s cabin for the last few days so we had no knowledge of these witch hunts.

            “Are you meaning to tell us that witches are real?” Don asked.

Ceberus nodded.

            “Yes. I have never seen one myself, but men have been going out the last few nights and they come back early in the morning. Come morning, there is always the smell of ashes on the air. I believe that they have been catching witches and burning them at the stake.” Ceberus said.

            “Oh no! We need to help the witch!” Stella said worriedly.

            “Is that really a good idea? If it really is a witch, are witches not said to be evil? What if she... casts a spell on us… or something?” I asked.

            “We can’t just sit idly by while a witch is to be burned at the stake! Witch or not, it’s a horrible fate for anyone to meet!” Stella said, her voice full of compassion for the witch.

            “I think that we should help the witch, too.” Erin said.

            “I think it’s a gamble, but who knows? Helping the witch could turn out in our favor.” Francella said.

            “Very well. I’ll aid you all with my musket.” Ceberus said.

            “I suppose we should go save that witch before it’s too late.” Raymond stated.

I looked to Don, Macalister and Robert. They looked to me with confused expressions. I looked to Stella and Erin and saw that they looked at us expectantly, as if our verdict decided the fate of the witch. In a way I suppose it did.

            “Very well. Macalister, Don, Robert, we’re going to aid that witch.” Robert said.

I looked over to Stella and Erin. They smiled at each other and looked to us.

            “I’m glad to know that you’re not cold and heartless men.” Stella said with a smile.

Don smiled.

            “Why, thank you.” He said.

Stella giggled.

            “You do know that I was also talking to your friends, right?” She asked.

Don’s smirk dropped from his face. I could practically hear it hit the floor.

            “Right then, let us go help that witch!” He said while thrusting a fist in the air.

Don began walking for the door. Robert, Macalister and I followed him. Ceberus, Martha, Stella, Francella, Raymond and Erin followed close behind us. We all reached the door and filed out one by one. The orange glow of the torches and the mens’ voices were receding into the distance.

            “If we run, we will be able to catch up with them!” Francella said urgently.

            “You will be able to outrun all of us. You will be their first. If those men see you, run back here and we will be right behind you. We will assist you if things go awry.” Ceberus said.

            “Thank you.” Francella said.

With that, Francella took off running in the direction of the receding torchlight.

            “The rest of you, follow me and we will make our way towards the witch.” Ceberus said while taking off after Francella.

The others and I ran after Ceberus. For an older man, he was quick on his feet! I was fast enough so I could run side by side with him. Ahead I could see Francella sprinting towards the torchlight, which grew brighter and closer with every step we took. The mens’ voices grew louder as well. Just then a woman’s scream pierced the air.

            “We have to hurry!” I said.

I sped up. I was now at the front of our group. I was about ten feet away from Francella. We were fast approaching the torchlight, which was now brighter than ever. We were around twenty or thirty feet from the men. Another scream from the witch tore through the air. Francella decreased his speed and I slowed down as well. The others behind me slowed down, too.

            “How should we do this? Should we wait in the shadows and see what happens and wait for the right time to rescue the witch, or should we charge in, demanding the witch?” Francella asked.

            “Judging by the witch’s screams, I don’t think that she will be alive for much longer. If we’re going to rescue her, we need to do it quickly.” Ceberus said.

            “I agree.” Don said.

            “We only have Ceberus’s musket! We don’t have enough fire power!” Stella said frustrated.

Don smirked and raised an eyebrow at Stella.

            “Well, Stella. My friends and I happen to be carrying weapons ourselves.” He said, pulling his flintlock out of his pocket.

I pulled my flintlock out of my pocket and Macalister and Robert revealed their weapons as well.

Both Stella’s and Erin’s eyes went wide at the sight of our weapons. Francella grinned and laughed.

            “Did no one search them before they let these men into our home?” He said.

            “Well, I don’t see how it matters now. Their weapons will help us rescue this witch.” Ceberus said.

The witch let out a scream, this one was the loudest of all.

            “Please! Don’t do this!” She cried.

Francella looked frantically to us.

            “It’s now or never, come on!” Francella said anxiously.

He began running and the rest of us were behind him in an instant. After a few seconds of running across the field, the men came into sight. I could make out what they were doing now. I could see them all gathered on one side of a cross. The cross was six or seven feet tall and about three or four feet at its widest point. The men were all gathered in front of it and there was a girl tied tightly to the cross. There was wood, bark, parchment and other flammable substances all around the cross. They were not yet lit.

            “Please! You don’t have to do this!” The witch yelled.

            “Repent for all your crimes! Show penitence for your sins!” A man called out to her.

            “I have not committed any crimes and I have not sinned! Please! Give me a trial!” The witch begged.

            “Little lady, this is your trial. We’re the judges and the jury and these embers are the executioners!” A man yelled.

He then took the torch in his hand and threw it onto the flammable substances that surrounded the cross.

            “No! Please!” The witch begged as the flames consumed the flammable substances.

The flames grew and came closer and closer to the witch with every passing second.

            “There is no time to negotiate. Target the men with the muskets first! The other men will have no firearms and they will most likely flee.” Ceberus said while he took aim with his musket.

He lined up a shot on one of the men with muskets in the crowd. He pulled the trigger and a thunderous gunshot rang through the air. The mussel of the musket flared and the man he was aiming at let out a cry of pain as blood spray from the gunshot wound on his shoulder. Ceberus reloaded his musket quickly. The man dropped his musket and he fell to the ground. I quickly aimed with my flintlock and shot one of the other men who had a musket. Don was quick and he shot the last man who had a musket a second after I shot my own target. By now all of the men had taken their gazes off of the witch being burned at the stake and they were all now focused on us. Expressions of horror and confusion were on their faces, illuminated by their torches. I reloaded my flintlock and Don did the same.

            “Anyone who picks up one of those muskets will die!” Ceberus said.

            “Who are you?” Asked a man from the crowd.

            “That’s none of your concern, but we’re saving this witch!” Stella shouted.

            “Queen Yuka will never allow that!” Another man in the crowd shouted.

            “Why is that?” Don asked.

            “Queen Yuka is ordering the capture of all witches, but any witch who is too much trouble and is uncooperative like this one here is to be burned at the stake!” A man shouted.

            “Why does Queen Yuka want that?” Erin called out.

            “She didn’t say! All we know is that we’re getting paid!” A man shouted.

            “Your payment isn’t to be received, for we’re going to free this witch!” Stella repeated.

            “You all have two choices! You can foolishly stand and fight or you can walk away breathing! What will it be? We have already killed three of your men and have no problem killing the rest of you!” Ceberus shouted to the men.

            “You’re all mad! Queen Yuka will have all of your heads for this!” A man shouted as he began to retreat.

Gradually, every man in that crowd followed him. In seconds there were no witch hunters left in the field.

            “Help me! Please!” The witch screamed.

            “Quickly, we need to get that witch off of her pyre!” Stella shouted.

            “We have no water! How will we put out the fire?” Raymond asked.

I saw Don looking at the fire. It was beginning to rage and it would eventually consume the witch.

            “The fire is reaching its strongest point! It has not yet reached it. I could run through quickly and grab the witch!” Don yelled.

            “You’re crazy!” Raymond yelled.

            “I have a dagger so I can cut the witches bonds!” Don continued, pretending not to hear Raymond.

            “That’s impossible! Your clothes would catch fire and you would soon meet the same fate as that witch if you went in there!” Robert said.

            “Not if you all take off your tunics and give them to me. I can wear the extra clothing to protect myself from the fire! Whenever a layer catches fire, I can simply remove that layer and keep going.” Don said.

There was a few seconds of silence.

            “If that’s our only plan, we need to hurry if that witch is to live!” Ceberus said while removing his tunic.

The other members of The Vipers removed their tunics and Robert, Macalister and I did the same. We handed them to Don and Don didn’t put them all on, but he draped them other himself like a bunch of shawls so he could remove them easily. When he was finished he held up his dagger.

            “I’m going in! Wish me luck!” Don shouted bravely.

Don ran off towards the burning pyre. As I watched him run off to his potential death, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was only doing this to impress Stella and Erin. Don ran and ran until he was at the foot of the pyre. He paused for only a moment and he ran in, disappearing in the inferno. We lost sight of him. My heart pounded in my chest. The life of my friend hung in the balance and all I could do was sit back and watch. At this point that was all anyone could do. I waited a few minutes. The only sounds that broke the otherwise silent night was the sound of my racing heartbeat, the sound of our breathing and the sound of the roaring inferno before us. The fire was now raging and it was at its fullest height. I hadn’t heard the witch say anything and I hadn’t heard Don say anything, either. Were they both dead already? No. I forced myself to hold onto the hope that they were still alive. I could tell that the others were holding onto whatever hope was left because I could feel suspense weighing on the air. It has now been about a minute since Don disappeared into the inferno. My heart began to sink. Why was Don not out of there yet? Was he dead? I began to lose hope. My eyes fell to the ground. I was near tears. Just then, I heard Don let out an adrenaline and fear fueled scream. After a second Don’s body flew out of the inferno engulfed in flames. In his arms he held a young woman. When Don’s body hit the ground, he dropped the young woman and rolled across the ground, effectively extinguishing the flames that threatened to kill him. Smoke rose from his cloths and a hiss! Sound filled the air. Don’s face was severely burned and his hands also had burns all over them. His dagger protruded out of his pocket. He let out a sound that was somewhere between a cough and a laugh.

            “That was… A bad idea…” Don said as a grin cracked his lips.

I laughed with relief. Everyone sighed collectively in relief that Don was safe. Just then, Don’s eyes went wide and he sat bolt upright.

            “The witch!” He said as if remembering that he had just saved her life.

He crawled across the ground and reached the young witch. Everyone else followed him, including me. I looked at the witch.

The witch looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. She was slim. She was about 5’ 7” and was wearing a black waistcoat with forest green trim. She wore a skirt that wasn’t filly or loose and it came down to her knees. The skirt was also black with forest green trim. The witch also wore black lace up calf high boots with green trim. She was wearing a hat with a point on it. That point was about a foot high. The hat was like the hat that witches were said to have worn. Her skin was white, but not pale or pasty. Her clothes were burned and tattered from the fire and smoke could be seen coming off of them. Small embers glowed on her clothing. Her legs were littered with burns due to her skirt coming only to her knees. Her hands were covered in burns as well. Clutched in her hand was a mahogany staff. It was about three centimeters thick and five feet high. At the very top there was a circular emerald gemstone embedded in it. Her eyes were open, but remained unblinking. Her eyes were a rich brown and her hair was a dark burgundy color. Her facial features were smooth and defined. Needless to say, she was beautiful.

            “What is with the staff?” I asked.

            “I don’t know. Even as she was being burned at the stake, she held on to that staff like her life depended on it. I tried to pry it from her grip, but she wouldn’t let go.” Don said.

            “Wasn’t she unconscious?” I asked.

Don nodded.

            “Yes, she was.” He said confusedly.

Just then, the young witch’s eyes snapped open. She let out a gasp. She sat up and her rich brown eyes went wide with surprise. She looked at her burned legs and burned hands. She inspected her burned and tattered clothing. Her eyes shifted to all of us.

            “Am I… Dead…?” She asked nervously.

Her voice was smooth and innocent. Her voice made me instantly want to trust her, but my survival instincts told me to keep my guard up.

            “Thanks to Don, no.” I said, pointing to Don.

Don was kneeled over the witch, looking at her.

            “You rescued me from my pyre?” The witch asked.

Don smiled and nodded.

            “Yes, I did.” He told her.

            “Thank you so, so much! I would have surely died if not for you and your bravery!” The witch said gratefully.

The witch examined Don’s face, and her eyes looked him up and down. Her mouth opened and she gasped.

            “Your burns!” She said while raising a hand to her mouth in surprise.

            “Your burns are worse! We must get you to a doctor!” Don insisted.

The witch shook her head.

            “No, please allow me to heal you! It’s the least that I can do to repay you for saving my life!” The witch said.

Don looked at her confusedly.

            “Heal me? How?” Don asked.

The witch giggled.

            “I’m a witch, boy. That means I can use magic.” The witch said.

The witch stood up slowly, leaning on her staff for support. When she was able to stand, she took her weight off of her staff and stood up straight, holding the staff over Don.

            “Hold still.” The witch ordered.

Don did as he was told. The witch closed her eyes and said two words;

            “Healing gaze!”

Instantly the emerald that was mounted in the top of the witch’s staff lit up and produced a blinding green light. Don shielded his eyes with his hand.

            “What are you doing…?” Don asked, trailing off in awe and wonder.

The green light bathed Don and lasted only a few seconds. When the light receded back into the emerald on the witches staff I saw that Don’s burns were completely gone! Don inspected his body in wonder.

            “How did you do that?” Don asked.

The witch didn’t answer at first. She held her staff on the ground vertically at an arm’s distance away. She gazed into the emerald on her staff and repeated the same two words as before;

            “Healing gaze!”

The same thing that happened to Don happened to the witch. After a few seconds, the green light receded back into the emerald. All of her burns were healed.

            “Magic.” The witch said with a grin, answering Don’s question.

            “What is your name?” Don asked.

The witch did a little twirl, her skirt billowed out slightly as she did so. After her twirl, she stood to face Don, placing one hand on her hip and the other was holding her staff while it rested on the ground.

            “I’m Tabatha. Tabatha the witch.” She said with a smile.

Author's Note

Please tell me what you think!

Reviews

[KeithKVH]

An exciting chapter, and I finally meet the Tabatha I've been hearing about. I've only got a brief glimpse of her personality, but the description of her appearance and magic were pretty interesting. I especially find interest in her staff. On the note of the staff though, I'm surprised the witch hunters didn't go to every length to separate her from it.

You're right about Don having some good humor to come, I honestly feel sorry for him though. xD
He was pretty cool here though to risk his life like that to save Tabatha, and though it does indeed seem it was partly to impress the girls, they ought to give him credit where credit is due I'm sure.

Two suggestions of spelling/grammar:

Sleep found before I knew it and I was unconscious within minutes.
Sleep found me before I knew it and I was unconscious within minutes.

Smoke rose from his cloths and a hiss! Sound filled the air.
Smoke rose from his clothes and a hiss! Sound filled the air.

[Ryan Henderson]

LOL yeah, Don has a LOT more humor coming, I will fix those spelling errors, thanks for those! I will review some of your Angelorum Lux tomorrow! Thanks so much for the review!