The men walked through the forest, moving quietly.
Until they got to a point where they stopped.
Witcher Galdur, the one wearing the white robes, held up his hand and they all stopped.
“We still have to capture the last one,” he said to the men behind him. They were all wearing robes but of a darker shade and color. “You,” he pointed at the one carrying Aniya.
“But Witcher, if we are separated from you, the guards patrolling will see us.” He responded with concern.
“He will go with you,” Witcher Galdur pointed to another. “That way, you will remain unseen.”
So the group split into two, the spell of invisibility over them. As they raced against time before it would expire.
One took the left turn and the other took the right, agreeing to meet at a particular spot in some minutes.
Therefore, Belladonna and Aniya were taken to two different places.
___
___
Witcher Galdur went along with three men, one of whom was carrying the Bride.
Everything was quiet and some guards made a fool of themselves when they claimed to have heard something.
At first, the other guards had gotten into action but when they couldn't see what the guard had claimed to have heard, they made a joke of him.
“Are you drunk?”
“There is nothing here.”
“Do you need sleep?”
Then they laughed.
Everything was smooth sailing after that for Witcher Galdur and his apprentices. Until they had gone further into the forest, where there were no guards in sight.
A sword flew past Witcher Galdur, nipping his robe, and cutting the fabric. He staggered back before he frowned.
That had been too close.
How had he missed that?
“Show Yourself!” A voice thundered and he froze.
The man who stood some distance in front of them was the former King.
His eyes promised nothing but disaster.
Galdur hadn't expected the Bride's absence to be noticed that quickly or for their presence to be found out within such little time.
“Show yourself and I might have mercy. Let her go and I might let you live.”
Witcher Galdur could feel the eyes of his apprentices on him, he could feel their nervousness and he understood their fear.
Blood dripped from the cut he had sustained from the former’s King blade some moments ago, soaked into his white robe and their invisibility vanished.
Eli was fast.
Too fast.
Quickly, his eyes found Belladonna. He raced towards her but something stood in the air, obstructing him.
Something he couldn't see.
With a quick observation, he found their leader and he switched to him.
He gripped his neck, and slammed him into the tree his sword had dug into. Then he pulled the sword out and leveled it against his throat.
“Let her go or I’ll slit his throat.”
“I am Witcher Galdur, I bring no harm—”
But Eli pressed the sword against his neck, drawing blood.
He kept his eyes on the Witcher. If he were to merely mumble, then he would completely sever his head. The Witcher kept his eyes on him too.
Staring deeply.
He tried to nod and the apprentices let Belladonna go immediately.
But just at that moment, a growl rang through the forest. Eli turned back to see that he was being attacked by Alaris’s dragon.
Flames poured in his direction from the dragon's throat and he threw himself away from the direction of the flames. A sudden fear gripped his mind. There was no recognition in the slanted golden eyes of the dragon.
Only revenge.
Growlllll!
Galdur snuck away, while Eli battled with the dragon.
“Witcher—” One of his apprentices started to say.
“Pick her up. He will not come after us, he is battling with his fear.” Then he said over his shoulder. “Whatever it is.”
Whatever he was seeing wasn't real, but it was real enough to occupy him. Nothing would be able to snap him out of the effect until it expired, except something groundbreaking enough to shatter his fear.
By the time the illusion would expire, they would have been long gone and the Bride would have been executed in a way that wouldn't alter the balance.
“No! Get away! I do not want to harm you. Forgive me.” Eli yelled, looking up with fear as he swung his sword at the air.
Satisfied, Galdur went away with his apprentices.
The Bride was once again their captive.
___
___
“Here. Lay her down and bring out the chains” The man Galdur had put in place to lead those who held Aniya captive directed and he was obeyed.
They laid Aniya on the floor and the man chained her wrists with silver.
“We should hide, Jubmi.” One of the men said and the other two agreed. “If he sees us, he will kill us too.”
“There is no need for that.” Jubmi- the man leading them, shrugged. “Witcher Galdur’s invisibility protects us.”
They didn't seem pleased with Jubmi’s words but they didn't doubt their Witcher's power either. Therefore, they didn't hide.
Jubmi started his chanting over Aniya, who was still unconscious. Then he stopped and they waited.
The first thing they heard was a dog barking.
Then the cracking of bones, then the merging to become a towering beast of furs.
Jubmi turned to the monster that stood behind him and stepped away, so he would no longer be between the monster and the prey that he was certainly after.
He would kill her and they would kill him. They had only one weapon that could kill their kind and the spell would take too much energy, it could only be used once.
Jubmi prepared himself to cast the spell once the monster was done with the killing, just as the rest prepared to help.
The monster turned and the Jubmi froze in fear when he realized one thing.
The monster could see him.
Claws dug into his chest and ripped out his heart. The others didn't have a chance to scream, before they became as heartless as he did.
Literally.
An animalistic howl rang through the forest.
An abomination was here.