The One after my Heart

Just as Kyra wanted to ask a few more things and confirm if she really was a so-called witch like her neighbours, she heard a couple of loud footsteps walking towards their cell.

Bree went on alert, and Nisa's eyes went wide in worry as she held little Maya closely.

Kyra caught sight of three figures entering their cell as the iron door opened up. Leading at the front was a middle-aged, short, portly man wearing grey clothes and dusty boots covered in mud. But what made him look intimidating was not his blade but the battle scar that ran from the top of his left eyebrow vertically down to his chin. He held a black whip made from leather-like material in his left hand, and a curved gold plated knife in his right as he walked in.

His two lackeys, clearly indicated by their body language, maintained a distance of two steps behind him at every step, wore clothes similar to him, had their weapons out in their hands with a threatening glare, unlike their leader, who was relaxed.

One of them was thin as a stick and held something that resembled a butterfly knife in his hands as he played with them. The other person was beefy and muscular and made a complete contrast to his partner. It was this person who'd been roughing up Bree for the last few days.

'So these are the so-called Stragglers?' thought Kyra as she looked in curiosity. From what she'd deduced from Nisa so far, she knew these Stragglers were no different from mercenaries doing the dirty deed for an agreed price.

Nisa instinctively held the sleeping Maya closer to her chest in her arms.

Upon noticing Kyra, he walked in front of her and gazed appreciatively at the beauty in front of him. He couldn't resist licking his lips as he stared at Kyra's body with his own lustful eyes.

He could immediately felt his loins throb slowly as his eyes moving down her curvy body staring at those soft red parched lips, her soft delicate supple skin and those shapely breasts that seemed too perfect and were begging to be touched, her curvy narrow waist that made him drool at the thought of pleasure he would recieve. He gulped on his saliva. 

Kyra sensed the familiar look she was used to from her landlord and the scums she came across. Only this person seemed even more dangerous than the one's she'd come through so far. Somehow she knew deep down that this person was used to killing needlessly.

"I see you're finally awake. I'm Osraan Ballad. At your service", he said with a small bow giving her a nasty grin. "My subordinates mentioned about you being unconscious when you were brought in. I was wondering if I'd have to resort to 'other gentler' methods if you weren't awake yet.", he said as he tried to lean towards her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss-?"

"Kyra Walker", she hastily answered back just as she felt herself pushing back against the wall in disgust, hoping he'd back away.

"Shhh- calm down. So it's Miss Walker.I like obedient one's the most. But I love to tame wild ones even more," Osraan threatened as he kept his knife on her neck. With his left hand, he slowly brushed back the hair from her forehead so he could take a good look at her. He cursed that he couldn't defile such a heaven-defying beauty in front of him with the person watching over him in the background, or surely he would love to have his way with this one.

Kyra could feel the blade of her sharp knife cutting slowly into her skin so much that she turned stiff.

"It's a pity and shame we weren't able to spend much time getting to know each other, Miss Walker. If time permitted, I would have ...but I've other matters that take priority, so I must apologise", Osraan said with a bow as he gave a resigned, bitter look.

As he looked at Nisa holding the sleeping Maya in her arms looking down, hoping he wouldn't notice her, he gave a small smile shaking his head. "A pity, a real pity. Well, some things have to be done for the greater good."

He then finally turned to look at the last inmate who was bubbling with anger glaring viciously at him currently.

"Miss Vandermire, I'm here to implore and re-negotiate with you once again. The dark witches have almost finished their preparations and will arrive any moment now to take you all away. Give me what I want, and I promise to let you walk away scot-free. I would hate to see the last of the Vandermire be sacrificed and disappear. You have my word. Tell me, dear, where is it?" spoke the short leader to Bree in a gentle, persuading tone as he stopped in front of her.

Bree slowly spoke as she stared up into the eyes of the man who had imprisoned and had his lackeys torture her here for the last four days. "You'll let me go?"

"Yes-yes ..I promise you! You have my word. Tell me, where have you hidden it?" questioned Osraan urgently as he felt his persuasion finally working on this stubborn woman. 'Ha, like hell, I'll let you go as soon as you give me what I want. I'll make you suffer before I send you on your way to die', he sneered inwardly with his thoughts carefully hidden.

Bree thought in silence for a bit before nodding her head with a sigh. "Alright, you better keep your word." She beckoned Osraan to come closer.

As he leaned in with his right cheeks facing her to reveal the location, Bree gave a nasty smile and spat on his face. Her eyes turned red in anger, "You think you'll get anything out of me, especially after you stragglers and the dark witches hunted down so many of my brethren? Rot and die, you disgusting vile pig."

Osraan's face turned purple in anger and shame. He immediately raised his whip in anger and raised his arm to swing it down.

"No!!", shouted Kyra in a panicked voice.

"Stop!" came a hoarse voice that came up from behind him outside the cell.

Kyra heard a sound of a stick knocking against the floor with every footstep as it approached them. Right at the next moment, the three stragglers were pulled backwards in the air as though they were suctioned by something and landed on their feet shakily right next to the bars of the cell.

Kyra's eyes went wide, looking at the visitor. 'She must be the dark witch Nisa was earlier talking about.'

Tap, tap, tap

An old hunched woman wearing a violet hooded cloak came into sight. She looked as though she were weak and frail, coughed and gasped for breaths now and then, leaning on a white cane for support for every step.

Osraan, who was acting all high until now, suddenly showed a bitter expression with a fearful look on his face and immediately changed his expression into a fawning one.

"Lady Barlow", bowed Osraan respectfully as he turned towards the person-welcoming her presence.

She looked fondly at the four girls as though a grandmother looking at her grandchildren. But somehow, Kyra felt a chill as she looked at the frail woman covered in wrinkles. "Don't worry my dears it'll all be over soon. I'll make sure to make it as painless as possible", she said with a slow smile creeping eerily on her face.

"Don't harm the sacrificial maidens. They are my goods and I need them intact. Nothing should go wrong this time..cough cough. The spell has to work this time at any cost.", she warned as she pointed a gnarly index finger at Osraan and his two men. She threw three pouches at the feet of Osraan, that chinked loudly when they hit the floor.

"Yes, yes we understand", replied the three stragglers in unison. Osraan immediately picked up the three leather pouches to see them filled with gold coins. He beamed happily and gave a small bow.

"It's a shame the fourth one is still a young child and hasn't come of age yet. Maybe I should just take her in and turn her into one of us. Or maybe just have her killed as well so that she won't turn into a person of vengeance in future. Bring the little one to me.", she commanded Osraan in a croaky voice.

He immediately walked over and tried to pull little Maya out of Nisa's arms.

Nisa's eyes went wide as she screamed in protest," No! Please don't kill her. I'll do anything you want. Not her!"

"Be good and obey. Or I'll have you see her die in front of your eyes right now.", threatened old lady Barlow with a growl.

Upon hearing this, Nisa reluctantly and tearfully gave up all form of resistance and let Osraan take little Maya away as she choked in loud sobs.

'No, please not little Maya. Not her, at least spare this innocent little child!' screamed Kyra in her heart silently as she could find herself shaking like a leaf by now. She felt nauseous, feverish and sensed weakness in her body as she went through everything today. She couldn't bring her voice out in protest.

If previously what she had were still doubts about things happening around her, the old lady's presence and actions had almost thoroughly convinced her. God knows in what sick universe, a hell-like place she'd landed herself in.

Osraan carried little Maya in his arms as she walked over to Old Lady Barlow obediently. The old lady tapped her cane two times on the floor, mumbling words Kyra couldn't understand. In the next instant little Maya's sleeping body started levitating above the ground at the height of the witch's elbow.

"Let us go, it's time. Help me bring them along." Saying so, she turned around and walked towards the exit at a slow pace with little Maya in tow floating next to her.

Osraan and his two men didn't tarry as they quickly moved forward to remove the chains from the three young women that had chained them to the wall. The shackles on the prisoners legs were unlocked open, though the women's hands were still kept bound.

After a moment of thought, Osraan turned towards Bree as he threatened," No funny business. I know you don't care about your life. But I'm pretty sure you wouldn't dare to let anything happen to that little girl now, would you? Surely you aren't cruel to your fellow witch brethren. So think twice before you do anything stupid."

Bree, who was planning on resisting, forced herself to abandon her thoughts after seeing the desperate look of Nisa, as well as Kyra begging her with pleading eyes. She gave up with a sigh as she nodded at her captor.

The three women were led outside by the stragglers by the chains fastened to the shackle on their hands. As Kyra finally walked out of her cell with her fellow inmates, they were led through a narrow pathway that led out to an opening. She felt the cold wind brush her as she noticed the night sky walking out and looking up at the starry sky.

She felt an itch on her left neck in the cold air and took in a sharp breath as she touched the place with her fingers gently. She looked down to see blood. 'Don't faint, don't faint. Stay calm Kyra. I have to be strong!' she whispered voice in a low murmuring to herself . It must've been that bastard Osraan with his knife earlier who caused the cut on the left side of her neck.

When she looked back, she noticed her cell was situated within a cave within a small rocky mountain amid a jungle.

'Is this Kethran mountain?' Kyra wondered as she tried to recall what Nisa had told her earlier. They were brought in towards a small open wide clearing ahead. Flamed wooden torches spread around in a circle lit up the night surroundings.

Kyra noticed three stone flatbeds arranged in a triangle formation, with the dark witch who was now in the centre, as she stood on what looked like some sort of a circle with weird symbols drawn on the inside. At the sides of each bed, there were bloodied skulls facing towards the centre. A total of six skulls, she counted.

Little Maya laid outside the formation, on the ground, seemingly discarded by the witch. Upon seeing her younger sister, Nisa sighed in temporary relief.

Bree was silent as she looked into her dark surroundings. The fiesty woman was probably re-thinking her decision to escape.

Old Lady Barlow held a small skull resting on the top of her left palm, with her white grooved cane in her right. It was only now that Kyra noticed the peculiarity of the cane. It wasn't smooth-surfaced as any other cane or stick, but it seemed to have a lot of joints within as it narrowed downwards the end. 'It looks like some sort of bone. Wait-don't tell me..', she looked at the witch, horrified.

The old witch who had noticed Kyra's observation grinned, "Yes, it's the spine from my first ever sacrifice. A spirit witch in fact." She fondly looked at her 'cane' and then pointed to the bloodied skulls on the ground. "These were the two batches before you. It took me a while to realise what went wrong with my spells until I realised none seemed to have a spirit witch among them. Truly, they are the best conductors of elemental magic. Luckily, I managed to find another one this time.", she grinned and pointed at Nisa.

Kyra whispered as her voice croaked, "What are you planning to do? Why must you do this?"

"Why? It's the survival of the fittest my dear. I need your life essences so I can live longer. Surely your meaningless and miserable existences pale in front of mine. You should feel honoured that you've got the chance to serve me, the great witch Barlow! Fret not, it'll be all over soon." The old wrinkled witch gently pacified them. "Lay them down! And untie them", she ordered the stragglers.

Osraan and his men obediently removed the shackles as they pushed the girls down. The second their shackles came off, Bree, who was ready to pounce and plan to escape, suddenly went stiff. She gave a despairing look at her failure to escape.

Kyra herself felt her body being seized by some outside force as she found herself stuck to the stone bed.

Sure enough, it was the old dark witch who took action as she could hear the old wrinkly women chanting phrases in a language that made no sense to Kyra.

The old witch had her back towards Kyra as she faced Bree and Nisa with the skull raised up in the air in her left hand as she pointed with her white cane spewing out words now and then, which seemed like some sort of spell she was casting.

She could see Little Maya lying away from her feet on her right.

'Is this how it ends?' Kyra wondered as she looked up into the beautiful night sky adorned with stars. For some reason, she felt relief. She was exhausted and drained. Maybe this nightmare would finally end after this. Maybe she would wake up on a bed or a hospital soon enough.

There was a rustle of sound at her feet, and she noticed little Maya waking up. Maya slowly rubbed her eyes as she looked at her surroundings in confusion once she spotted them. Kyra immediately forced herself to stay awake by biting her tongue as she tried to warn Maya.

"Sister, what's going on?", Maya as she spotted Nisa and the others and asked with a confused expression looking at everything happening around.

"Run Maya, run away from here", Kyra whispered urgently. "Hurry!"

Nisa, who heard Kyra's voice, immediately shrieked out, "Maya get away from here. Run away! Quickly! Remember what we talked about! Run!"

Even Bree bellowed out, "Girl, get away from here. Don't you let me die in vain. "

Upon hearing her sisters' and two other women, Maya immediately turned and took off into the deep woods.

"So noisy!" interrupted Old lady Barlow and looked at the three stragglers as she barked at them.

"The two of you, go kill that child, I don't want any problems for the future. Wait...bring me back her skull though."

It was best to uproot weeds right from their roots, plus she didn't want to take any chances in case the stragglers felt pity. Once the orders were given, the old witch resumed her chanting.

Kyra upon hearing the old lady's orders immediately felt the blood drain from her face.

'No!!'