The Goth Villianess

The Battle for The Bone

Inspired by our new-found luck we decided to forgo our break and ran off in search of the bone from the riddle. We decided to head back into the forest and so far we hadn't encountered anyone else while searching for the things we needed which was strange. The area wasn't that big so we should have bumped into someone by now.  Now the forest was pitch-black and we had to keep Tara and Sophia in front of us to make sure we didn't lose them. "Is it weird or has anyone else noticed the absence of other people?" I asked the group, Harvey nodded in agreement. "Oh most of the other teams have injured themselves doing foolish things so they had to be taken out early!" Sophia informed us and Tara nodded in conformation. "Who's left then?" Harry inquired with Tara and Sophia. "Our team and the turtle doves!" They answered. I groaned, of course it would be between us and them. I was hanging onto the hope that even if we didn't win at least some other team would. At least I could get a few hits at Ashley since most likely we will be brawling with each other to claim ownership over the glass ball. I wasn't sure whether we would also have to fight them over the bone but from what the riddle said we had to find it before the "old crone" so must likely we would be fighting an old woman for it. A part of me felt that it was a bit unfair towards the old woman but I had to remind myself that they wouldn't put an old non-magical woman into the winter games to fight some magical teenagers, we would win this fight by the scrape of our teeth or the old woman would destroy us because most likely they would have gotten some very power old woman who didn't have much else going on to fight us just to knock us down a peg or two.

We came across an old abandoned cottage in the middle of the forest. It was covered in vines and moss. Sophia moved her hand over the vines and they retracted out of sight. Harvey kicked open the door and we all ventured inside. It was dark which wasn't a problem for Harvey and I but Tara and Sophia still couldn't see very well in the dark. Tara held her hand out in front of her and used her magic to feel around for a candle or a fire place. She flicked her wrist and the wick of the candle that lay on an old battered table ignited, casting a small amount of light onto the table. The light reflected slightly off the pearly white bone which looked like it had been polished not too long ago. We presumed that this was the bone that we were meant to take. I was about to grab it when a door that lead to another room in the cottage bursted open and a hag came storming out. It was a night hag which meant she was at her most powerful at night, which was unfortunately what the time was then.

I snatched the bone from the table and jumped back to position myself in-between my friends. The night hag casted a force field spell which barricaded us in the cottage. "Give me that bone little girl!" The night hag snarled at me while entering one long boney hand towards me while her palm was facing upwards, indicating I should hand the bone over to her. "No I won't!" I stated firmly while quickly stuffing the bone into my coat. The night hag smiled menacingly "oh you'll regret that little girl!". The hag took the staff in her hand and banged the bottom of it on the ground. The flame on the candle extinguished and we were plunged into darkness. The hag probably presumed that we couldn't see in the dark as well as she could, she was half right as only two of us could see in the dark. It would mostly be up to Harvey and I to fight the night hag while Tara and Sophia provided us with support or they could find a way to break the force field surrounding the dilapidated cottage.

Sophia and Tara moved back towards the front door since the force field provided just enough light for them to find their way towards the door. Harvey and I moved back towards the door to protect Tara and Sophia from the night hag. The hag twirled her staff and pointed it at Harvey since he was closer to her. Harvey was thrown backwards and his back slammed against the wall. I moved right hand in a circle before flicking it at the hag. Tentacles made from shadows erupted from the ground and ensnared the hag by her ankles and the tentacles also grabbed hold of the staff to prevent the hag from producing for spells from it. "You naughty insolent child I'll have your head for this!" The hag screeched in fury.  I could hear a few people shouting behind me but they sounded far off like something was blocking them. I didn't dare take my eyes off the hag. The hag clicked her fingers and a ball of fire came hurdling towards me, I threw myself to the ground to the right to avoiding getting hit. I twisted my wrist and the tentacles slowly started climbing their way up the hag and the staff. They were going to restrain her but the staff started to emit this blinding white light.