Smother ━━ Killian Jones [Discontinued]

six; like the herb

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Gif is of what Sage looked like in the flashback. Chapter not edited.

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CHAPTER SIX; LIKE THE HERB

"I don't know if I can do this. I'm not a very good liar." Aurora claimed as she followed Mulan and the others through the trail. The next morning had approached quickly, leaving Sage fully satisfied with the amount of sleep she got. They were all headed back to the their apparent Safe Haven with Mulan in the lead.

"Oh, it's not really a lie, Aurora." Mary Margaret shrugged as she explained. "Lancelot did die an honorable death, and Cora did escape. All true. Just leave the particulars to us."

"There's no reason to cause unnecessary panic amongst your people." Sage added, getting a tad bit irritated that Aurora wasn't cooperating with them.

"I'm not so sure it's unnecessary-"

"Wait!" Mulan interrupted, holding up a hand to stop the group. Everyone's attention turned to the empty tower a head. "The tower - we always have sentries guarding the entrance." She pulled out her sword, cautiously stepping forward. "Stay close."

Once they arrived at the Haven, it was clear about was happened. Lifeless, dead bodies were piled and scattered across the area. Houses and small buildings were destroyed while smoke faded into the air around them. Everyone was deceased, not one survivor.

"Oh my God." Emma whispered, disgusted by the callous deaths around her.

The five girls walked around the area, trying to find any movement of life. Mulan shook her head in denial. "This can't be... our land... we were protected here - hidden. How did the ogres find us?"

Sage glanced down at some of the bodies that were near her. The only wounds on their body were in their heart area. "Ogres didn't do this. Cora did. Their hearts-" She paused, horrfied at the thought of innocent people suffering at the hands of that wicked witch. "They were ripped out. This is her magic, twisted and evil."

"We have too stop her!"

"Too late." Mulan's throat tightened, sadness washing over her face. "She killed them. She killed them all."

"Well, we have to stop her before she hurts anyone else!" Snow exclaimed, refusing to let more people die. Her compassion was overruling the original quest of going home.

"Hey! Hey! Look!"

Everyone rushed over to Emma who was standing beside a bunch of toppled bodies. Underneath those bodies was a living person who was squirming, trying to get out. The girls tugged him out of the pile. With fear in his eyes, the man looked at the five girls. The man, who had a small bloody wound on his forehead, was extremely attractive in Sage's opinion although she had never seen him before.

"We're not going to hurt you." Sage reassured him, kneeling down to meet his eye level.

The mysterious man examined her, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily. "Thank you...thank you."

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Enchanted Forest ; Before Curse