CONTENT WARNING: Violence, mention of blood and murder
Katlego
Iris and the girls were off hunting, whilst Ellie and I stayed behind besides the fire. Despite all of the time I've spent here, something was getting to me that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I really can't stay in one place, it seems.
For a long time, Glimmerbrook felt like home, amongst like-minded women whose wild and careless natures meant I fit in perfectly. But now, I feel trapped here, like there's nothing more to life than just hunting and casting spells. I haven't done anything for anyone in a long time, except for helping out with hunts and such. The moment I think I belong in the country, it seems I belong in a town, but the moment I go back to the town...
Not only that, but I feel myself drifting away from...well, myself. The way Iris, Jemima and Clara were so ready to take on any possible witchfinders no matter what it took...it had sucked me in. I had spent time thinking about what I'd do to these people, and I'd forgotten what my mother taught me- to do as little harm as possible, even to those who may try to harm me. I didn't pity the witchfinders; it was all for myself. I didn't care so much about them as I did not corrupting myself by giving in to cruel temptation.
I think back to the letters I sent to Gideon. We hadn't traded letters in a while; he's earning a living with his sons as a fisherman. I'd been thinking of where to go from here, but I can never trust my own mind when it comes to these sorts of decisions. Kat now will want something completely different to Kat in five minutes' time.
"Ellie? Was I wrong to not go back to Henford?"
She gives me a curious smile. How long has she been waiting for me to ask?
"Honestly, yes, but not for the reason you're thinking. I get that you didn't want to help anyone after what they did to you. Henford's people have zero compassion and yet they expect everyone else to be endless fonts of it... but I think you're better off in Henford than you are here. In time, I think you should go back there- but only in time. I know it's been years, but I know what you're like with making decisions," she says, laughing.
"I suppose- but we have no way to make money, no place to live if and when we do go back...but if I do go back, Ellie, I'd like you to come with me- if you'd like-"
There's a rustling behind us. Nia hides in my hair, poking her face through my locs.
"It's nothing, Kat. Probably just a fox or two-"
Except foxes aren't long, sharp and silver.
The figure steps out through the leaves and the shadows. His outfit looks similar to the way Gideon's did. He's wielding a typical witchfinder's sword. His poor attempts at intimidation are laughable at best.
"Ladies. My apologies for interrupting your little ritual."
Really? Is that the best he can do?
"Seems they really do just hire anyone to be a witchfinder nowadays..."
As he's about to charge, Ellie casts a spell, and a purple ward appears around me just in time.
The sword breaches the ward, and the smashed pieces of magic energy create enough of a blast to blow him backwards. I yell at Ellie to run inside; he's nothing to me.
I don't expect him to be leaping at me every twelve seconds, but it's all fanciful footwork with no swordsmanship. Eventually, he tires himself out- and that's when I strike.
He doesn't know how lucky he is that I am not going to kill him. I could have strangled him hard enough to stop him breathing, but I don't- I hold him just enough that it'd be uncomfortable to try to escape.
Iris would have had Emerald devour him for this, but I see little point in taking his life. This is the beauty of Mischief magic- enough to get your own back or defend enough. Not enough to incriminate yourself by killing someone. I throw him to the ground.
I don't plan to do much with him- just enough to make him forget everything that's happened, and leave him too confused to kill any witches for a while. Rearrange his thoughts a little. Nia hovers above my shoulder, chirping in delight.
In Henford's common tongue, the other witches called it 'Apliros' - the Mischief spell from beyond the oceans that had the power to cause deep confusion in another, even long-term memory loss. I did not use such spells often. I do not like to mess with the brain too much, not unless I have to- the lasting damage done by such spells can often lead to death itself.
With a full ritual, you could wipe out a man's memory of everyone he's ever met and everything he's ever done- but I give him one just strong enough to forget this whole ordeal. He'll be too mind-frazzled to do anything about witches for some time.
He stumbles away into the bushes, and I hear what sounds like Ellie's voice echoing in the distance. There's something trickling down my face, and the world seems a little blurry, save for Nia's bright eyes...
* * *
I come to, wiping the blurriness from my eyes. I can't see Nia anywhere.
"Where? Where is she?"
"I'm right here, sweetheart...Don't worry-"
"Nia? Where's Nia?"
Once my eyesight clears, I see Ellie's displeased expression in complete clarity. "She's outside at the moment. She was agitated."
Jemima and Clara look distraught and concerned. Iris also looks concerned, but oddly, not for me. Emerald's head sticks out over her shoulder, and she flicks her tongue at me.
"I think you must have overdone it with a spell. There was blood coming out of your eyes and nose when I found you."
That'd explain the splitting headache. Mischief magic may not seem powerful, but mind-altering magic takes an astounding amount of energy.
"Jemima, Clara, if you would..."
The two women leave, and I manage to heave myself out of the bed. My muscles ache as I've run seven laps around Glimmerbrook.
"Ellie tells me there was a witchfinder. I saw no witchfinder when I got here. What became of him? Did you let him get away?"
Emerald narrows her eyes at me, as does Iris. I take a deep breath before I respond to her.
"I let him go."
I can already see the fury burning beneath her skin, but I'm standing my ground.
"You let him go? Why did you let him go?" She's shaking trying to hold back. I give Ellie a look, implying to her to not say anything no matter how tempted she may be.
"I used a spell on him that would make him forget the events of the night. He won't be back. And if he's smart, he won't be back for another witch either."
That's when she lunges forward, and Emerald's hiss sends a shiver through my bones.
"I created this place as a safe haven for witches! A witchfinder being left alive doesn't just endanger us, but all the other encampments in Glimmerbrook! What about when the spell wears off and he remembers he kills people like us for a living?"
"I'm not taking anyone else's life, Iris- under any circumstance."
"Is that so?" she spits. "The witchfinders would never think to spare you! What do you owe men who want you dead? Who want us dead?"
I put a firm hand on her shoulder. I'm not backing down to her.
"I owe them nothing," I tell her, doing my best to maintain an air of calm, "but no good will come if I take a life for a life. If you want a hurt a man, you don't take his life- a man is willing to throw away his life for any cause, great or small. He pays for none of his mistakes if he is dead-"
"They don't pay for their mistakes while they're alive, either-"
"-My point is, If you want to truly hurt a man, you hurt the one thing he guards the closest- his pride."
My mother's words come back to me. She said it would be blood on my hands that would never wash off (and also she added that it's much more fun to heckle people anyway). Of course, I've been tempted by the likes of Annorin, and of Gideon back in the day. I wanted to claw them both to ribbons in the form of a tiger, but I cannot allow myself to give into taking a man's life.
"Really? That's your solution to the witchfinder problem? Heckle them enough that eventually they'll give up?"
"You don't get it, do you?" I reply. "I don't think you even want to see it from my point of view."
I can see that I'm not wanted here. Inside, there's a rage burning in my chest, but I do my best to hold it in for Ellie's sake.
"I can't be here any longer."
"What? Kat, we need you."
"No. you don't. You can't fight back against those who'd kill without a second thought, by killing without a second thought. I'm no good to you all- and you're no good to me any longer. Farewell, Iris."
I slam the door. Jemima and Clara call out to me asking where I'm going. I ignore them, and Iris calls them both inside. I can't be here any longer- we've had a good run, but I cannot risk losing myself to this place. The moment I landed here in this country, I feared that I may lose my way in this new culture- and I've already come so close.
"Kat-"
"I'll come back to visit you, Ellie, I promise. I don't mind if you want to stay with-"
"No."
"You can't just run every time something like this happens, can you?"
Run? What's she talking about?
"I'm not running, Ellie- I'm not wanted here, and I'm no good for everyone here, and they're no good for me either."
"You're good enough for one of us, Kat..."
I don't know what I've done to deserve Ellie. Always at my side no matter what.
"...And you're the only one here who's good for me, Ellie...Be honest. Was I wrong to do what I did? I trust your judgment more than anyone else's."
Ellie doesn't even pause before responding. "No, you weren't, Kat. Nobody wants that on their consciousness. It's not like you politely told him to walk away, is it?"
"Seems to be how Iris saw it going down."
"Look, I know you're mad at Iris, but she's just like we are...always fearing for her life."
"I don't fear for my life, Ellie-"
"Now isn't the time to start acting tough," she says, throwing her arms around me. "It's okay to be vulnerable sometimes, you know."
Ellie will never know just how much she means to me.
"So, where are we off to?"
"You're going to think I'm crazy, but I was thinking of going back to Henford...I shouldn't have let Annorin chase me away. I should have stood my ground." If Gideon was telling the truth that there are people who came to realise the truth about him, and about me...perhaps things will be better. Still, I had no Simoleons to my name, and according to one of Gideon's letters, the cunningwoman's house had been burned to the ground.
A hooting noise echoes through the trees, and Nia lands on the rock next to us, bright-eyed as always. Without Ellie and Nia, I'd be lost.
"Okay, but we've got nowhere to go in Henford, have we? Where does Gideon live?"
"Willow Creek, just outside of Henford...but I don't know exactly where."
I had to think of somewhere obvious, somewhere that would gladly give us at least an idea of what to do next, where people wouldn't recognise me and hate my guts- then it comes to me what Gideon had told me. He'd spoken of the situation to the Peteran monastery, and whoever was in charge there are the time had helped by giving him a lead. I remember Gideon telling me the Peteran monastery would fully support me if I ever returned to Henford...it was a start, I suppose.
* * *
Our feet are sore, we're tired, and we're hungry...and we have no Simoleons to our name.
We've somehow made it all the way back to Finchwick town, but there isn't a soul around by the looks of things. I can just about see Withernham's monastery in the distance, but I've no energy to walk all of the way there. Ellie and I stop and look around. Eventually, I do spot one person in the distance...
"Hang on- I think he's looking back at us."
"What? What if he's a witchfinder or something?"
"I've never seen a witchfinder dressed like that. Besides, he hasn't got a sword or anything...Wait, I think he's coming this way..."
As he moves closer, I feel somewhat unnerved. He's unusually pale, and oddly well-dressed for someone living in Finchwick. Not only that, but I can sense the faintest sliver of magic on him...perhaps he's part of a bloodline? Either way, my nerves settle once I pick up on it.
"You're not lost, are you?"
"No, just resting. We're on our way to the Withernham monastery, but we've walked a while."
"Oh, the monastery won't be open tonight, and likely not tomorrow morning. Full moon- werewolf running about and all towards that way, so the abbot closes up for the safety of the people on nights like this. But don't panic if you see it- it's little harm to people like yourselves."
I'd almost forgotten about the werewolf rumours. I can't say I ever saw one whilst it was supposedly here last time. This man must be able to pick up on our magic, also. Is he not concerned about witchfinders, wandering about the town at this hour?
"That's a shame. Do you know anywhere where we may be able to stay for the night? Unfortunately we're low on-"
"We have no Simoleons," Ellie cuts in. I know what she's doing- she's trying to call me out for refusing to properly ask for help. I can see it in her eyes- look at him. He's clearly got enough to spare.
"There's the inn, I suppose- they may have rooms free for you both."
"But we don't have-"
He ignores Ellie, and pulls out a fair few Simoleons from his pocket, placing them in my palm. There was enough here for at least two or three days in the inn, and some money for food.
"I appreciate it, but I don't think we need this much-"
"Take it," he says, a little sternly. "This money has come straight from the pockets of an obscenely rich and awful man who I'm taking for every penny that I'm able to." His laugh, innocent as it is, is chilling.
A very rich and awful man...Annorin? It must be- he's the only obscenely rich and awful man that comes to mind around these parts. I can only speculate that it's him, but if I'm right- there's every possibility that this man hates him as much as I do- and to be working with him somehow? It's a long shot, but this man and the Peteran priest may just be my ticket to finally getting back at him...
"I really appreciate your kindness- we both do. Thank you so much. I must ask, what is your name?"
"Oskar Nivelheim," he replies, with a smile.
"A pleasure. Mine is-"
"Katlego Anansi."
Ah, I should have had a feeling that my name was still being thrown around years later...
"Don't fret," he says, stopping in his track as he's walking off. "These days, most people are convinced of the truth. I wasn't living here when it happened, but I've heard the stories, and I've had the pleasure of meeting Annorin myself. I know for a fact he'd have any slight competition driven out, and that he'd use whatever dirty tricks he could to do it.
It shouldn't have taken their children to die for them to realise Annorin was a monster, but here we are...The good news is that most people would genuinely welcome you back here- myself included. Make your way to the Peteran monastery in a few days' time- Father Morgan will do everything he can for you, I promise."
Well, the comforting welcome and the head start with a few Simoleons is greatly appreciated. Once I'm settled, perhaps I'll find my way to Willow Creek to greet Gideon. Then I remember- Áine. Her partner was soon to become the abbot of the monastery- the likelihood is that he already is at this point. It'd be a pleasure to see her again.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter was originally going to end with Kat going straight to the monastery and meeting Reynold, but it was a Full Moon in game (which I need to keep an eye on better), which of course means the abbot is too busy growling at a wall to do his duties tonight.
The chapter's name is of course very well suited to Kat, but it's also the title is taken from one of my favourite Final Fantasy OSTs (slowed-down version), and one I often use for writing the calmer or romantic scenes.