I should have let them burn.
That's what the children all whispered in their silence, I listened to their thoughts with a burning candle attached to my bounds and melting on my innocent hands. They all watch the unfair happen, the injustice descends down my back, screams my quiet suffering.
They clock me with pity, a dog punished for being good. This slave, that was a juvenile, was only a youth of dozens of leaf colors.
I swear on my impure heritage that this night was dark, it was cruel. I was cold and I was terrified. I was left to the forest and its eating flesh nightmares. Unkempt and ignored when I plead.
I am a child! I need love to grow for me over the years and my futile tantrums to be shot down with a disappointing glare.
In the end, I charred it all myself this time. I let the flame be my justice, the ashes dry my tears and the smoke embraces me like a friend's hug. She was there to monitor me, to take me away as soon as my screams stopped calling the insane.
The children were satisfied with my revenge, they laugh with me on the high of this eerie frenzy because we were all different but I was the most hatred of them.
We all had our sins imprinted on our skin, they were there to show the ugliness of our true nature, and yet... I was cooked for being the disgusting, the shameful, and the intruder from a perilous world.
They roasted for that crime.
Well done.
[]
Nothing had brought his true form out and proud that a pit fire. A bonfire at that. All the more enjoyable.
Although, now wasn't the time to celebrate. " What is your report? "
The shadows creep on him, plagues dressed in the dark. They couldn't care less about the heavy atmosphere that was taking place or the glares of the grieving wolfs. " She died of natural causes."
" Expand. " Their sullens holes roam over the crowd, evaluating and analyzing the pack of wolves baring their human teeth at the uninvited guests.
" Her mate died not too long ago..." The fire had risen, mirroring the expressions at their next intrusive question.
"And?" The alpha's growl was heard throughout the forest. The shadows unimpressed, dismissed the threat.
They dared to continue. " Any message in her grimoire indicating that she wanted to be revived? "
He sighed. A witch's death is a sensitive subject, more if it was the witch herself that took her own life.
Witches don't die easily, they stubbornly make contracts with demons or even worse, angels to lengthen their lifespan.
A witch committing suicide in the name of love is looked down upon. If you were to compare, a vampire spitting out their fangs for an ancient relic would be as absurd. It means this pack was a good one.
" The only thing that I was permitted to read off her grimoire was... " His voice turned steal, feminized to a high pitch tone. " Burn me and my memories. "
Just like it came, the strange impersonation was gone, something that the man didn't appreciate when he gave his reports.
Though, it was adequate proof that was heard from the victim's desires, all the fairer.
"...Certainly didn't want to come back which is where my investigation ends. " He rattled his throat, grabbing the attention of the pack. Straightening his posture, his tail finishes tracing out the evocation circle beneath him.
The flame contorts to a purple hue, his signature.
" Idris dragon, as the witch of the Vikings wolves packs, on this earth and in this realm, you are no more. In the event that you walk back the route of death, your signature spells, your contracts, and your original physical form, your gloms ones, or even your borrowed ones are henceforth seized, with immediate effect. Mors te maga ducat horis."
Wails and cries bloom as he concludes his job. From who he supposes is the family of the witch's mate.
If he remembered well, parents, grandparents, grand-grandparents and... He shivers, remembering the moment they introduced themselves to him.
Another proof of how wolves multiply way too fast.
He jumped in the portal as soon as the fire died out, successfully avoiding their group hug. Wolfs love to leave their scent on people and getting physical is the best way to spread their emotional territory.
A virus to the noise, his mother always tells him.
Carrying himself out, many more came out of the other portals, closing the void behind them, grumbling about how their scorn for fire.
Wizards, the opposite of witches, loathe anything related to fire. Fire is the most effective way to purify and they bring cats; spirits preferring the feline species to entice witches to choose them as familiars.
For our Purifirist, he had way too many cat familiars to accept more yet they are stubborn.
His heritage already earns him glares and a look of disgust from them, making a cat paradise out of his mother's house would be... Too much.
He simply ignores their loud insults, following the shadows to his destination and hopefully, his dear mother.
" Your next investigation will be held at the Royals pack, a new reign has begun just a few years ago, twin kings. " That caught his attention. Twin kings, huh?
He scoffs. Not for long, that's for sure. They'll eventually kill each other for dominance, that was how the wolfs were.
In his mind, he leaves them two years, if they don't find a mate to share by then, the stronger twin will swallow the other with ease.
The shadows gave him a side eye, silently sharing his opinions on this apportioning ruling of them.
The only thing they are accomplishing is seizing each other up and scheming how they will strike. The entire supernatural world knows that. When wolves share power, twins at that is simply for a show of compassion.
" Wolves are only good to their mate. " He spat, the shadows kept their tongue but he knew that they were agreeing with him.
Twin kings? Bullshit.
Next thing you know, they will have to handle a bunch of wolf purification to prevent humans from asking too many questions.
He wondered if he should choose his vacation right now, he definitely didn't want to work on the afterwar purge.
He'll have to schedule that with his mother, at the earliest hour to not forget. " The former king and queen are being interrogated by Lucinth-"
A big smile spreads on his face, shrinking to his human form, he twirls in his favorite tuxedo getting rid of the Italian suit.
A nightmare to move in when you have to wear a trench coat above it. Padded shoulders will be the death of him one day, he swears on it.
" Where is Mother right now? " The shadows twirl their curled bottoms, a way for them to chuckle that he had always found cute when he was little.
" As we were saying, the former rulers of the Royals pack have requested you and Lucinth to investigate the matter of the disappearing ancient witches. Which is why we are adding another mission to this one. The protection Salamander, a witch of the 14th century."
If our Purifirist was grimacing by now, he was definitely pouting at the shadows. They knew that by mentioning his mother, they would automatically get him to accept a job that no one wanted.
And they didn't want it for a reason, 14th-century witches were a pain to work with.
They were the ones who influenced humans to eat their children back in the day and they're still hellbent on the conservative belief that a mother that has eaten her child is the highest sacrifice you can give to summon a demon.
He presumed that Salamander, the old witch that she was, was running out of lifespan from her demonic contracts and was aiming to summon a demon of a noble title. " Why protect someone that is already searching for death, on wolf territory to make it worsen!? "
They now walk among the halls of the witch's school, a place that our Purifirist had long graduated from, and showed all those bastards from the wizard's school how you shouldn't mess with witches.
They arrived at the office of Lucinth, the door's engravings looked intimidating while bringing a sentiment of admiration from the younger witches passing by.
That historical beaten door reminded him every day how he was proud to be called her mother. The undying witch adopted son, the one that made a path with God themselves and their twelve Dominions.
" She is currently imprisoned in the royals' dungeons for the crime of summoning a succubus, torturing her, and forcing her to hypnotize her mate to rape her.
She had originally planned to make the mother eat her newborn child while reciting a summoning spell to bring him into the world. "
" By him. You mean...?" He stepped on their tails waiting for more information.
" Satan himself. A sacrifice that significantly was probably aimed to gain his favors. "
The double doors opened right before they ended, on the other hand, he was frozen in place not able to process what the shadows has revealed to him.
His lips trembled, blinking furiously through the disgust and chock he was pushing through in seconds.
When his gaze falls over the imperial couple, he put on a professional front. His eyes were back to their dull gaze not swaging by their sorry complexion from getting a glimpse at his short burst of emotions.
If he had lost control of every abuse or mistreatment his species has faced and that he had to bring justice to, he would have gone mad by now.
So he bowed and spoke like a gentleman. " Greetings to the children of the moon, your bond shining on your fur."
The shadows left without another word, cold and serious as they should be. " Arson, my little flame! Has your mission been a success? Did you miss me? "
His mother was as loud as he remembered her, standing out of her chair to embrace him in the only hug that he thought he could accept.
Her small frame was comforting but at the same time strong. The same embrace that he had grown to earn every single day. " Horribly so, Mother. "
The petite woman guided him to sit by her side, introducing the wolfs. " I want you to meet King Solem and Queen Qartzell. I was pushing to meet you at the old portal that leads to the capital but I stumbled on these two and they said that they were searching for you. "
" It is for the Salamander case I presume, your majesties? " He kindly declined his mom's offer to sit and stand behind the couch. The wolfs watched him with matching strange grins, a wind of mysteriousness telling that discovered something about him that they like.
Was it even related to the case, Arson wondered?
" Hi! We have heard so much about you, dear. Your mother has been talking about you as soon as we mention your name. " Lucinth chuckles under her breath at the Queen Luna's compliment, both hushing at women's things.
Things that the king flatten his old wolf's ears to avoid hearing and Arson blushed incapable to imitate the old wolf's ruse.
He was right here, why were they talking about embarrassing things like how he often tried to scare his mother at night by hiding under her bed and pretending as if he was a monster?
" My sons used to fear the monsters under their bed, you know. I always made sure to capture some small wild animals and put them under their bed at night to tire them out of their wolves but their human part was always terrified in the morning after when they woke up with blood on their teeth and claws. " They giggle a rather evil sound.
The former alpha king used by it by now faked deaf continued admiring his mate's hands, how small and delicate they were in his big ones.
He was certainly considering another child but he didn't think his mate would want that so simply kept adoring his mate with his puppy that wanted to be loved gaze.
Arson didn't know what do to with himself, should he ask why they were requesting him, or should he dampen the mood by asking about the succubus case?
" So Arson, you were asking about the Salamander case, weren't you? " The Luna surprised him again as if she was reading his mind, the exact question he was dying to ask.
" Upon hearing the news, my mate and I thought that it would be best to put the succubus under your care since you are the same race. " She didn't grimace when she mention his race. She was definitely one hell of a queen, Arson thought.
" Which is why the protection and the execution of the witch will be your mother's job. As for the wolf, the mate of the succubus that was forced into this chaos, he is still recovering so we'll ask you to wait before interrogating him. " Her mate proceeds.
" This whole mess is currently under both of my sons' judgment, they will have the last word on this whole ordeal. We are also expecting the visit of a demon lord soon that will reclaim the mother's sin. " Arson rattled his throat, demanding the attention of all the people present.
" If I must... " He looked over to his mother who gave him an affirmative nod in return.
" It shouldn't even be possible to summon a demon with another demon's sacrifice. It is God's official law that only a being born in this realm can summon someone from the demon realm. This whole mess shouldn't have even worked. "
Lucinth heart warmed, proud that her son has listen to her lessons that far. " Yes, you are right, dear. Which is the demon lord is an inspector, he carries the same job as you but as demons are, no offense, he will try to make the summoning valid by finishing the contract anyways. "
Arson smiled at the Luna, " I am not taking any offense to it, your Majesty. Although, if the summoning becomes valid while it goes against God's laws doesn't that mean—"
" The matter will be handled to the angles. " The alpha interrupted, earning a punch in the ribs from his mate for that.
Everyone here knew how merciless the angles can be, they were perfect and strict beings. They didn't tolerate any mistake or accord any exceptions. If they come down to earth in God's will, they will simply eliminate the problem, and being killed by an angel means you will have no afterlife.
No hell, no heaven. It will be as if you haven't even existed to begin with, to make it worse, dying in the hands of an angel is considered the most beautiful death to be a witness.
As if your death was a wedding between a kitten and a puppy to save humanity.
" Don't worry dear, the succubus hasn't eaten her baby. Presently, she isn't sure if she is going to abort it or not but her decision will be respected nonetheless. " The Luna smiled, massaging her mate's ribs, not apologizing once for the pain caused.
" Will you accept this mission, Arson? " He considered it for a bit, the Purifirist has never faced a situation that desperate.
Most of his missions were purifying witches' things after their death or reviving them. On the rarest of cases, he will have the special mission to calm a cat spirit that was throwing a fuss about a witch that had refused their advances because of his immunity to fire... but this case is one of a kind.
He will have to act as emotional support to a succubus that had been wronged and probably will have to interact with her wolf mate that was dragged into this whole mess while his mother will be the one who will deal with all the things that require magic.
She was a strong witch and wasn't named the undying for anything but what really concerned him was... As silly as it may seem... " How long will this mission last? "
The Luna grinned sharing the same mind as him. " We don't know yet but maybe... months. "
If it wasn't for his love for his head Arson would have walked to the Luna to hug her.
He already imagined it, he pictured it even... Three months with his mother- " Oh wait, a war between the two kings is about to break out. Oh! Arson! Would please stay longer to purify the bodies and would you be so kind to stay and help your mother? Sorry, we'll have to add a few months to your mission but we will pay you more, don't worry. "
Arson was too busy daydreaming that he forget to give an answer to the queen. Which she took as a yes on his part.
If this incubus wasn't going to take advantage of the situation, she wasn't called Queen Qartzell Esperance Lachance of the Royals pack. At the same time, she pitied him a bit, she knew how stubborn her sons can be.
Poor little incubus thinks that he will only do his job and leave as soon as he gets paid.
Poor him, indeed.
Translation:
-Mors te maga ducat horis = May death guide you to witch hours.