The Unordinary Life of the Enchantress

Chapter Nineteen: An Illusion and A King

The Enchantress felt her breath hitch in her throat, anger simmering within her. The arrogant boy standing before her restating her reality. Her home was captured by his men. He threatened her with death and promised her demise!

Before she could dwell further on her hate for the arrogant boy, her mind was drawn back to the reality before them, by a rise in volume of the conversation between the strange women and the king's man.

"You promised us a weapon, you said it was ready a long time ago!" cooed the man with the leather gloves, the uncomfortable grin never leaving his lips.

"We did," stated one of the women. "However, we can't give it to you. We don't know where it went." With an offhand wave of her hand, she attempted to end the conversation.

"Well, then find it - or make a new one," the man demanded, his voice colder than ice. "We need it before the nuisance that lived in that mansion returns!"

The Enchantress felt her grip on Zel's hand tighten, her teeth gritting together. Lived. The foolish mortals had already considered it their own!

"It'll take ten moons for us to make another! The fact that the first one survived is a miracle," another woman exclaimed. "It's a prototype and we need to monitor it for at least one lifetime."

"The money and resources we gave you were to make sure we'd have the weapon when it was complete," argued the man. "You disobeyed the king's command, and offered the experiment to the mother . The woman died and you lost it!"

"That was an oversight on our part," piped up the third woman. "But for the longevity of the experiment, keeping it in a constant environment is necessary."

"The king doesn't care," the man laughed. "Do you, dear king?" He turned from his waist to look over to King Edward. Edward dismissively waved his hand, not bothering to look the man in the eye. Turning back around, the man shrugged to the women.

"We can no longer uphold the agreement," the first woman stated, her voice defiant.

"I'll take care of the wench when she returns," the man stated, his voice lowering to a growl as he approached the women. "However, you need to create another one – I don't care what it takes. We will continue to provide the resources, but should you fail this time, there won't be another chance." The man's eyes glowed with anger, the air around him shifting as he neared them.

The women nodded, their fear of the man radiated through the clearing. Before the strange man could approach any further, the women stepped away, giving a short greeting to the king before leaving in haste.

"How quaint, isn't it Edward?" the man chuckled, turning to face the king. "They have the power they learnt over time, yet I still reign stronger!"

"Do not utter my name, advisor," Edward commanded. "I hate hearing my name from you – especially considering you gave yours up for some power."

The man laughed again, making his way to King Edward's side. "It's not just some power, my king," he stated. "It's power so great, it can do this." He pointed his hand to a nearby tree. The tree's trunk began to quiver, giving a painful grown before it fell towards the travellers.

With a jolt, the boy leapt from the path of the tree's fall, watching in horror as it landed right beside him with a heart-stopping SLAM. The travellers watched in shock as the branches began to twist out of their usual shape, losing their colour and shrinking as the ground below them became soaked in water. Soon enough, nothing more than a dried husk of the tree remained atop a patch of soaking soil.

"Don't try it with me, advisor," King Edward warned. "You may be strong enough to bend the world at your will, but don't forget why we need the help of those wenches. You might be able to wring water from a tree, but you can never do what I need you to do most – you'll never be able to see into the future, or the present." Edward's lips formed a wicked smirk as he saw his advisor's grin vanish. "Although, you'd need some remnant of a soul to do that," he spat. "Without me, and my reign, you'd never get your hands on that weapon. I am your benefactor, your king, and you are my servant!"

The man's face curved into a livid scowl. He watched in anger as King Edward turned, the lantern-holding men following his lead. The scene dimmed as the last of the armoured men disappeared from view. As darkness overtook the forest scene, the moon and stars gave whatever light the forest's foliage would let through. Through the faint moonlight, the advisor's silhouette was just barely visible.

"A king," the man muttered. "What kind of king grows from poverty and steals the throne." His muttering quickly became manic laughter, a heavy smog surrounding him in his hysteria.

The Enchantress and her apprentice stood still, watching the man laugh like mad as the grass by his feet died, crumbling to dust to join the haze that surrounded him. The Enchantress looked over to the boy, any words she might have said vanishing from mind when she saw his face.

Staring in the direction the had left, the boy's eyes held a sorrowful glaze, tears pricking his lashes as his being stood still. The Enchantress felt her jaw drop, her heart overcome with concern. She lifted her free hand to reach out to him, not managing to lift it past her own waist when a voice called.

"That's enough," the Master stated.

Almost as if following her due command, the forest melted from view, every tree dissipated into furbished walls and furniture, the earthen ground solidified to timber, and the darkened sky phased to accommodate the well-lit foyer of the Master's home.