[VOLUME TWO]
Following their escape from the Kingdom of Uldard, the uneasy duo of the Snow Witch named Chell and the Crow Thief named Noct journey north and seek refuge in Gisnell, a kingdom who, unlike the previous, welcomed those from the Witchfol...
The Raven didn't answer directly, his mouth slowly turning into a thin and dark smile. "It was," he finally said, "The Snow Witch."
Her fingers twitched slightly at the mention of the witch's title. She crossed her legs.
"Ah... that child. Of course. That pathetic one." She said amusedly. "But I must admit, if it were not for her, that incident would not have happened. Perhaps this what they call... 'a blessing in disguise'?"
The Raven merely shrugged in return, his face expressing his disinterest in the matter. She gave a short, silent laugh.
"Well, since this is the way it has turned out, we'll also have to make our move." she said firmly. A pressing silence passed over the room.
"... At which place shall we go next to, milady?" The Raven asked in a low whisper.
"Ah, yes..." She went deep into thought for a while, craning her neck to one side. "I've decided. The next place shall be... Gisnell."
"Understood." He nodded and made a respectful bow. "Then, I shall make the preparations for the journey."
The Raven turned around, ready to sink back into the shadows. Halfway through his first step, however, he froze. His hand moved to grab the hilt of his sword in a gesture of habit, rubbing it thoughtlessly.
"... Milady... may I ask you a question?" He suddenly inquired, turning to look back at her. His eyes glinted once more in the shadows, looking like the bloodthirsty demons found in children's picture books. She raised her eyebrows at him, surprised. The Raven rarely chose to voice his thoughts out loud.
"Of course you may, my Raven. Ask me anything."
A subtle grin stretched on his face. In a small whisper, he asked, "Then... are you, perhaps, happy?"
It took her more than a few seconds to answer, taken aback by his strange question. "Happy? And why is that?" she asked.
The Raven stared at her, a trace of faint humor in his eyes. "Well... you have been smiling this whole time," he finally said in a slightly amused tone. The moment she heard this, she froze and blinked in surprise. Then, as though to make sure, the woman slowly reached out and touched the outline of her mouth. Surely enough, her lips had been overturned in an involuntary expression. She had been smiling to herself the entire time without her knowing.
She was silent for a moment.
"Well... It seems I really am," she mused afterwards, sounding genuinely amused of herself. She turned outside once again. Beyond the window panes, the moon was still as bright as it had been. As she stared at it, she could feel her smile split wider and morph into an unsettling grin.
She started humming a song. It had a peaceful, nostalgic tune, a song taught to her by a dear friend long ago. The Raven remained standing there, listening to the quiet melody.
Just a little bit more... If only I had the last pieces...
There were still a few things she needed to obtain and do before her grand plan would be able to take place after all. The most essential and difficult ones were still missing-—the complete power of the other Vittes, the four families whose source of mana were linked to the First Witch herself. It was not going to be an easy task. She had known this from experience, when her first attempt ended in a failure six years ago. However, it was something she absolutely needed to do in order for her vision to be realized. She would not hesitate to lay her life on the line or kill anyone in her way. After all, for years, she had trampled over countless lives without mercy, Witchfolk and Mortalfolk alike. The pile of dead bodies she had to walk over was already enough to grant her welcome to the gates of the dead told in stories to scare children out of evil deeds. To her, killing was merely a pastime now. What difference would it make if she piled up more corpses at her feet?
She stopped humming. Another dark grin spread over her face, this time more sinister. Greedier.
A little more...
She had made a vow to herself and to another, years and years ago. She would do everything she could in order to attain her ultimate goal. For years, she had followed her own path, risking all that she had and all that she believed in. She was determined to find it, obsessed with the thought of succeeding. She would not accept any failure. No matter what came in her way, she would crush every obstacle with every bit of her power. And no one, not even the Snow Witch, the Idle Wizard or the Time Bearer, could stop her.
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----> thank you for reading!
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