P A R A G O N
34 Ash 121
Change was never easy.
“They are coming.” There was a tremor in the young acolyte’s voice. She could hear it. There had been a time when she held such fear. There had been a time when she had trembled at the thought of attempting to reach for such heights. That time was long ago. “Are you sure this will work?”
Her eyes came to rest upon the young witch. The two studied each other before she answered.
“No.” The young witch’s face fell. She was not one to give false comfort. Nor would she fill another’s head with pretty words that served no purpose. “But I do know this…”
Beside her, a broad figure stepped up from the shadows. He wore heavy armor and carried a greataxe upon his back. He was easily two heads taller than her and despite his size, moved with an unnerving silence. Gently, he extended a hand to her. She accepted it with grace.
“Only Death Himself will stop me.” She was never one to mock the gods. She had her own beliefs about them but of the few deities that she held actual reverence for, Wraedan was among them. She doubted she would see Him this day but if today was to be her day, she would at least give Him something interesting to muse about when she saw Him.
“You have your orders. Take them. We knew this would come after we put a stop to their meddling.” The acolyte bowed and then turned to rush deeper into the streets of Kara’s Cull. She turned to her companion. He stared back at her with bright, intelligent eyes.
“They will need you. See that it is guarded. Everything hinges on moving it to the safehouse.” There was a pause and at first she thought he would defy her but he bowed his head and turned, going to ensure their long work was safely transported. If there was one whom she could trust to ensure it was moved without issue, it was him. He had proven to be stronger than she anticipated. She watched him go and join the others before they darted off into the alleyways that might lead them to more secure places. When they were gone, she turned and began walking to the main thoroughfare of Kara’s Cull. The light breeze tugged gently at the hem of her skirt and made her cloak dance softly. The streets were quiet. They were empty of people. Some of them had joined her. Others were hiding. Others still had fled, sensing what was to come. She had been loathe to visit this trouble upon the residents of the Cull but she’d had no choice. The one person who could fashion what she needed had lived and worked here. Now that the work was finished, it was safe to move them. Sadly, the Reconciliators had gotten wind of her movements and had to be put down.
As she walked the quiet streets, there was a certain thrill that settled in her stomach as she thought on the confrontation ahead. This was a moment in time that would not be forgotten. She would make sure of it. Finally, she came to a stop at the center of a wide street. Reaching into a pouch at her waist, she brought out a pinch of white dust. Raising the dust to her lips she blew softly and before her billowed out a cloud of mist and fog. Slowly she turned and blew the fog down each end of the street, obscuring the area.
Now, there was naught to do but wait. Already she could hear their heartbeats. She smiled. She could have danced to the beat.
Perhaps she would.
----
“It’s her.” Captain David Balmonte looked across from where he was crouched down. A young soldier of the Defense Corps was staring ahead at the center of the street crossing where stood a lone, patient figure. His eyes were wide. His chest was rising and falling more quickly and there was a sweat upon his lip that gave evidence to what all of them were feeling. Fear. He looked at the lone woman standing there, waiting for them.
Venetia Childs.
The Red Witch.
He wouldn’t lie. Not about this. He was afraid. This was a woman who had slaughtered an entire crowd of people, Reconciliators and soldiers as though it had been nothing. She had broken into the Hall of Enlightenment, stolen things from right under the Order’s nose and lived to stand in front of them. She was everything they had been taught to be wary of. A living nightmare.
“Easy boy. Focus.” He raised his rifle before nodding. The soldier returned the nod. Waving his hand, he signaled for the rest of the soldiers to move in. He jumped to his feet, rifle at the ready, aiming at the witch that was their objective. Swiftly, he and others stepped into the street, all of them aiming at her. Only…
...she was gone.
“Captain?” Balmonte turned his head and no sooner had he looked at the soldier who called for him when the man exploded in a shower of blood and gore. His eyes went wide. But the grizzly sight did not stop there. Another man screamed before his head popped, sending bits of bone and brain scattering across the street. That was when he saw her silhouette in the fog.
“THERE!” He fired the first shot. Others followed.
“NO! THERE!” More shells were fired off into the mist. Another soldier screamed before exploding. Then another.
“Sir?” Balmonte’s eyes came to the young soldier, whose eyes were filled with fear...and then pain. He screamed as the man burst like all the others, splattering him with his bits. Balmonte stumbled back, dropping his rifle as he fell flat on his ass. He scrambled away as she stepped out of the mist, eyes burning with hellfire and malice.
“Y-you’re a monster! A demon!” She raised a hand and Balmonte felt his whole body stiffen. Heat built up inside of him before he screamed...and knew no more.
---
“She’s slaughtering them.” Sentinel Raynaud’s jaw was tight as he stared at the wall of fog ahead of them. The voice of one of his compatriots shook not with fear but with anger.
“Yes.” His fellow Reconciliator gestured to the fog.
“Shouldn’t we be doing something!?” Raynaud turned and grabbed the man by the collar.
“Dammit, we are. The Minders are setting up a perimeter to trap her. Those men knew the risk! We cannot let her escape.” The man grit his teeth but nodded as Raynaud turned to the rest of the contingent dispatched to take Venetia Childs down.
“Listen and listen well. The Minders are setting up a perimeter of wards to trap her in this area. I don’t want to lose good soldiers any more than you lot but this is not a game. This witch is dangerous. One of the most dangerous we’ve seen. She must be stopped. At any cost. We’ve distracted her long enough to keep her contained to this area but now comes the hard part…” Raynaud looked at them all.
“Do not hesitate. If you see her, shoot first, fuck questions. Kill this bitch.” He let that sink in. “Now, is there anyone here who is having second thoughts?”
More screams came from the fog behind him. He grit his teeth. Screw taking her captive. This witch had to die.
Change was never easy.
“They are coming.” There was a tremor in the young acolyte’s voice. She could hear it. There had been a time when she held such fear. There had been a time when she had trembled at the thought of attempting to reach for such heights. That time was long ago. “Are you sure this will work?”
Her eyes came to rest upon the young witch. The two studied each other before she answered.
“No.” The young witch’s face fell. She was not one to give false comfort. Nor would she fill another’s head with pretty words that served no purpose. “But I do know this…”
Beside her, a broad figure stepped up from the shadows. He wore heavy armor and carried a greataxe upon his back. He was easily two heads taller than her and despite his size, moved with an unnerving silence. Gently, he extended a hand to her. She accepted it with grace.
“Only Death Himself will stop me.” She was never one to mock the gods. She had her own beliefs about them but of the few deities that she held actual reverence for, Wraedan was among them. She doubted she would see Him this day but if today was to be her day, she would at least give Him something interesting to muse about when she saw Him.
“You have your orders. Take them. We knew this would come after we put a stop to their meddling.” The acolyte bowed and then turned to rush deeper into the streets of Kara’s Cull. She turned to her companion. He stared back at her with bright, intelligent eyes.
“They will need you. See that it is guarded. Everything hinges on moving it to the safehouse.” There was a pause and at first she thought he would defy her but he bowed his head and turned, going to ensure their long work was safely transported. If there was one whom she could trust to ensure it was moved without issue, it was him. He had proven to be stronger than she anticipated. She watched him go and join the others before they darted off into the alleyways that might lead them to more secure places. When they were gone, she turned and began walking to the main thoroughfare of Kara’s Cull. The light breeze tugged gently at the hem of her skirt and made her cloak dance softly. The streets were quiet. They were empty of people. Some of them had joined her. Others were hiding. Others still had fled, sensing what was to come. She had been loathe to visit this trouble upon the residents of the Cull but she’d had no choice. The one person who could fashion what she needed had lived and worked here. Now that the work was finished, it was safe to move them. Sadly, the Reconciliators had gotten wind of her movements and had to be put down.
As she walked the quiet streets, there was a certain thrill that settled in her stomach as she thought on the confrontation ahead. This was a moment in time that would not be forgotten. She would make sure of it. Finally, she came to a stop at the center of a wide street. Reaching into a pouch at her waist, she brought out a pinch of white dust. Raising the dust to her lips she blew softly and before her billowed out a cloud of mist and fog. Slowly she turned and blew the fog down each end of the street, obscuring the area.
Now, there was naught to do but wait. Already she could hear their heartbeats. She smiled. She could have danced to the beat.
Perhaps she would.
----
“It’s her.” Captain David Balmonte looked across from where he was crouched down. A young soldier of the Defense Corps was staring ahead at the center of the street crossing where stood a lone, patient figure. His eyes were wide. His chest was rising and falling more quickly and there was a sweat upon his lip that gave evidence to what all of them were feeling. Fear. He looked at the lone woman standing there, waiting for them.
Venetia Childs.
The Red Witch.
He wouldn’t lie. Not about this. He was afraid. This was a woman who had slaughtered an entire crowd of people, Reconciliators and soldiers as though it had been nothing. She had broken into the Hall of Enlightenment, stolen things from right under the Order’s nose and lived to stand in front of them. She was everything they had been taught to be wary of. A living nightmare.
“Easy boy. Focus.” He raised his rifle before nodding. The soldier returned the nod. Waving his hand, he signaled for the rest of the soldiers to move in. He jumped to his feet, rifle at the ready, aiming at the witch that was their objective. Swiftly, he and others stepped into the street, all of them aiming at her. Only…
...she was gone.
“Captain?” Balmonte turned his head and no sooner had he looked at the soldier who called for him when the man exploded in a shower of blood and gore. His eyes went wide. But the grizzly sight did not stop there. Another man screamed before his head popped, sending bits of bone and brain scattering across the street. That was when he saw her silhouette in the fog.
“THERE!” He fired the first shot. Others followed.
“NO! THERE!” More shells were fired off into the mist. Another soldier screamed before exploding. Then another.
“Sir?” Balmonte’s eyes came to the young soldier, whose eyes were filled with fear...and then pain. He screamed as the man burst like all the others, splattering him with his bits. Balmonte stumbled back, dropping his rifle as he fell flat on his ass. He scrambled away as she stepped out of the mist, eyes burning with hellfire and malice.
“Y-you’re a monster! A demon!” She raised a hand and Balmonte felt his whole body stiffen. Heat built up inside of him before he screamed...and knew no more.
---
“She’s slaughtering them.” Sentinel Raynaud’s jaw was tight as he stared at the wall of fog ahead of them. The voice of one of his compatriots shook not with fear but with anger.
“Yes.” His fellow Reconciliator gestured to the fog.
“Shouldn’t we be doing something!?” Raynaud turned and grabbed the man by the collar.
“Dammit, we are. The Minders are setting up a perimeter to trap her. Those men knew the risk! We cannot let her escape.” The man grit his teeth but nodded as Raynaud turned to the rest of the contingent dispatched to take Venetia Childs down.
“Listen and listen well. The Minders are setting up a perimeter of wards to trap her in this area. I don’t want to lose good soldiers any more than you lot but this is not a game. This witch is dangerous. One of the most dangerous we’ve seen. She must be stopped. At any cost. We’ve distracted her long enough to keep her contained to this area but now comes the hard part…” Raynaud looked at them all.
“Do not hesitate. If you see her, shoot first, fuck questions. Kill this bitch.” He let that sink in. “Now, is there anyone here who is having second thoughts?”
More screams came from the fog behind him. He grit his teeth. Screw taking her captive. This witch had to die.
