Jungle Witch

Naveen jumped a little as the woman his parents had feared more than the curse stepped out of Basilisk Jungle. His family had known for years that they would eventually have to seek her help, but they had been stalling, hoping for another answer. Then, three days ago, during his oldest brother's transformation, one of his other brothers was severely injured. His parents had given in and admitted that there was no other choice but to turn to the Jungle Witch.

He saw the tiger at her side and let out a small yelp. "What is that?"

"A tiger," she responded in a cold voice. "What does he look like to you, Human? A Rino?"

Naveen turned his gaze back to her. He couldn't get over just how terrifying she was, and her hatred for humans didn't lessen that any. There was this chill in her voice every time she said the word 'human,' like it was some kind of curse, and a hardness to her expression when she looked at him. He knew without a doubt that she would hurt him if he crossed her. She'd probably enjoy it.

"I assume he's the protector you mentioned," Abhay commented, thinking the tiger was a good choice.

"Yes," she replied curtly. "We all know your city would have me dead if they could."

That was the first time that Naveen considered the fact that she couldn't be blamed for her feelings. She wasn't exactly treated well after her father's death. He immediately dismissed the thought. She was his family's enemy, which made her his enemy.

"Are we sure we need her?" he asked the commander in a low whisper.

Abhay had suggested going to her for help. Naveen knew his commander had done it for him, because he would transform next. Now, Naveen wondered if his trainer had made a mistake.

"If anyone knew Bura's mind well enough to suppress the curse like he did, it will be his daughter," Abhay replied calmly. He seemed unconcerned about whether she overheard them or not. "Besides, we've tried asking others."

The witch looked at them incredulously. "You tried getting another wizard to break the curse? That wouldn't work unless the curse had been extremely simple."

"Then what makes you think you can help?" Naveen demanded hotly. "None of the other wizards could."

Since Lord Bura's death, his parents had offered a substantial reward for anyone who could remove the curse. Wizards and witches from all over the world had come to make their attempt. Not one of them had even managed to suppress the curse as Bura had.

Finally, his father sent a letter to the country of Cavos begging for help. The Regent of Cavos, Rannild, was known worldwide for his wizarding skills and knowledge. His reply to their plea hadn't contained a cure but an apology. He very carefully explained that no one but the wizard who cast the magic could break it. Naveen hadn't understood the explanation, but it hadn't mattered.

"Because my father managed to suppress your curse, which means he has notes about it somewhere," she answered with a sneer. "And I can mimic his thought process enough to repeat his spells."

Naveen might have retorted, but a growl from the tiger had him biting his tongue.

The witch glanced at the enormous feline. "Venom is with me," she said. "That must be what you smell."

The tiger looked up at the witch's neck where the lime green snake still rested. The snake twitched its tail at the tiger as if saying hello.

Naveen stumbled back. "You're talking to the tiger? You really are a witch."

She rounded on him full of insult. "I am not a witch."

"You give rabbits fangs and you talk to animals," Naveen pointed out. "You're a witch."

"Witches are human, you moron, and thank the gods, I'm not," she informed him. "My powers come naturally."

Naveen wasn't sure he believed that. The ability to communicate with animals wasn't exactly a common one. There were very few that came by that power naturally. Actually, only two that he could think of: werebeasts and a rare type of Fae. The Jungle Witch wasn't either of those.

How had she gotten that talent? Surely the stories about her would have mentioned this talent if she'd had it before leaving Rivera. Was it some sort of gift made after a pact with the Chaos God? He shuddered to even think about it.

"Do you wish to know about the curse?" Ahbay asked her politely in order to change the subject.

She glanced at him then shrugged. "Start from the beginning."

"One morning," Abhay began, "Lord Devdan's oldest daughter had changed into the monster without warning or reason. Fortunately, the family was able to lock her into a room without any fatalities." Abhay's face darkened slightly, and his tone took on a sharp edge. "The next morning, a stranger came to town and told us that he could keep the curse at bay. Suppress it if you will. The only thing he asked for in return was immunity for anything he did. At first Lord Devdan refused, because he didn't believe they needed someone to suppress it. At least, not for what the stranger asked in return."

"Let me guess, that stranger was Lord Bura," the Witch said a little dryly.

"Yes," Abhay confirmed. "A tenday later, Lord Devdan himself changed and nearly killed his wife. After that, Lord Devdan felt he had no choice but to agree to Lord Bura's demands."

If the witch had an opinion about her father's demands, she kept it to herself.

"We hope that, since your father could suppress the curse," Abhay told her, keeping his voice bland, "you might be able to find a way to do the same or get rid of it entirely."

The witch said nothing to that. Naveen wondered if she even cared what happened to his family. What worried him the most was that she might care and want things to be worse.

Despite that fear, he was curious about her. He kept a lid on that curiosity because his father had warned him that she may be tricky. Her father had been a wolf in sheep's clothing, and the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"How do you know who will transform next?" the witch asked curiously. "The boy said he was next. How does he know that?"

Naveen's back stiffened at being called a boy, but Abhay spoke before he could object to the term.

"A tattoo forms on the right forearm of the next victim." As he spoke, Abhay gestured for Naveen to show her.

Reluctantly, Naveen rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm. The Jungle Witch grabbed his wrist in a firm but gentle grip. Following her gaze, he looked at his own forearm. There was a black bear print that looked burned into his skin. The four parallel slashes that ran across it were so red he expected them to start bleeding.

"It's a nasty piece of work," she whispered, releasing his wrist. "First, I'll need to examine the curse itself, which means I have to see Lord Devdan."

"Why Lord Devdan?" Abhay asked curiously.

"He bears what's called the 'core' of the curse, so the spell itself was cast on him. The rest are affected by proxy."

Naveen took several steps away form her and tried to ignore the urge to wipe the wrist she'd grabbed. At least they were out of her jungle now. His eyes turned to Rivera. Home. He'd feel safe again once he was back in those walls.

With quick steps, he began moving towards Rivera.