SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty-Eight
My head was spinning, as was my body turning in circles, trying to comprehend how I had gotten here, and where here even was. The only thing I could grasp was the continuous laughing of the witch coming from every direction.
“Did you truly think you could find me, by walking blindly into the forest?” She said condescendingly. I took a deep breath.
“Did you think you could so easily trick me?” I asked trying my best to confuse her. I hoped it worked. Since I couldn’t see her face I had no way of knowing. I started turning my body slower than I had been, taking in, and assessing my surroundings, seeing if there was anything I could use against her. Then I remembered I was toying with her. “I know exactly where I am,” I said. “You can’t fool me. I’m not stupid.” I stopped circling as the witch appeared out of the thick fog surrounding me. I drew my sword, and She sneered at me.
“Well well. Smarter than I thought,” She said. “But I guarantee you’re not more powerful than me.” She flicked her wrist, and I was flung back, only stopping because I collided with a tree. Pain shot up my back, to my head which hit the tree as well, I dropped onto the ground, stunned for a moment. I groaned, and rubbed the back of my head with one hand, the other still clutching my sword. I stood slowly.
“Ow.” The witch laughed.
“Good.” She flicked her wrist once more, and I rolled through the dirt, sticks, and stones scraping my face, hands, and any exposed skin, which included the newly made exposed skin under the tares my shirt sustained whilst I rolled. I still had my sword, and I had miraculously managed not to impale myself with it. I sat up quickly as my new scraps stung, and my back, and head, ached. I’m careful this time not to express my pain. Perhaps if I don’t mention the pain she’ll go easy on me. No. She throws me around some more. I tell myself to endure it. There was no way we had traveled to a swamp, so this must be an illusion, and Kiara would be here soon enough, or she would have escaped, either with Devin, or with his head, and I can die peacefully knowing she was safe, I was rather tired after all. Then pain shoots through my body, and I yell. I hadn’t realized the witch was just dangling me in the air, until she dropped me. I groaned as I tried to sit up but failed, and I knew this was the end. I could barely stand, this was her operetunity. Then I heard a Swoosh, And the witch cried out. The illusion of the swamp melted away, and I recognized my surroundings. I looked toward the witch. There was an arrow protruding from her calf. She was screaming, and writhing. Another swoosh. An arrow in her side. If it hadn’t been for the writhing, Kiara would have hit her heart by now. I stood slowly, picking up my sword as I rise. I take a step forward, and stumble a bit. My ankle was twisted, but I ignored it as I approached the witch. The anger had been slowly rising in me since the illusion of the swamp started. She was the reason Zander was dead, the reason Devin had been alive to order his men to kill Finley, the reason Niereida was imprisoned somewhere unknown to us, the reason Thomas was without his parents. I got closer to her writhing body. Glaring at her with a fury of a thousand suns. I raise my sword slowly. Placing the tip on her collarbone. She grew still, there was a fire behind her eyes, whether it was fear, or anger, I couldn’t tell, but whatever it was went out as I drove my blade forward, and through her heart, with a yell, releasing my anger, guilt, sadness, and every other emotion I had felt since I fled my home so long ago.
I stumbled back as the witch crumpled to the ground, shock enveloped me, dispelling my anger. I fell hard on my backside.
“I- I-” I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t move. I had just killed someone. Again. I looked at Kiara. She was astonished, she had dropped her bow, and placed both hands over her mouth.
She walked over to me, and put a hand on my shoulder.
“I killed her,” I said, dumbfounded by my own actions. Kiara sank to her knees beside me, and wrapped her arms around me. Tears started in my eyes, and my breathing quickened.
“Hey, it’s ok,” Kiara said, trying to calm me down, rubbing my back, and mumbling calming words. But to no avail, the tears came quicker, and my breaths were to be considered rapid. I was spiraling, and I didn’t know how to stop it. I was thinking of everything that had happened to lead to this point, and the emotions that went with it. My village was destroyed, guilt, anger, sadness, regret, my closest friend turning against me, guilt, pain, confusion, sorrow, my mother dying in front of me, sadness regret, guilt, the betrayal of Devin, anger, the discovery of Neireida being alive, happiness, the death of Zander, pain, regret, guilt, sorrow, and then there was Finley. Finley who had stuck by me through everything, he had chosen my side over Zanders, he had befriended the love of my life, and looked after her when I couldn’t, he had been my brother, my friend, and my ally, I had loved him for that, and he was dead. He was dead because I drove him away. I made a rift between us so big it made him agree to leave when I asked him. I had gotten so angry over an accident that he left, and because of that he was vulnerable for Devin’s men to attack. Devin. I suddenly remembered the weasel responsible for so much heartbreak. A fire of anger erupted in my chest. I slowed my breathing, and dried my tears.
“Where’s Devin?” I asked menacingly. Kiara pulled away from our embrace, and looked me in the eyes.
“Why? What do you plan on doing?” she asked. I stood quickly ignoring my ankle once more. She stood as well.
“I won’t kill him,” I said, not even looking at my sword, which was still embedded in the nearby witch’s corps. Kiara sighed.
“He’s in the tent,” She said. I nodded my thanks, and made my way to the tent, limping a bit as I went.
As I entered the tent I saw Devin. He was bound by one wrist to the tent pole. My anger worsened as I laid my eyes on him. He gave me a disgusting smile.
“Ahh Draven, how have you been?” He asked, his smile growing, stretching across his face. It made me sick. I began walking towards him, he tried to step back before realizing he was tied to the tent. Once I got close enough, I punched him hard in the nose.