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Chapter 38
E L Y S I A
Why wasn't he leaving?
Why the hell was he not turning around and leaving?
Laric - tell him to leave.
The anger in the wolf's eyes made it clear who was in charge right now. It wasn't Laric. Laric's eyes were gentle and sweet, but when Aldric was in charge, there was a burning rage in those dark eyes. I realized I didn't know enough about wolves to understand why Aldric could take complete charge over his wolf. Or why was it that the last time I saw this obsidian wolf, I was met with only his wolf.
Regardless, it didn't matter.
The witches - they were coming -
My body was running weak, I knew it was. I was going to collapse any second. Whenever I used magic like this, I used my energy to its maximum capacity. The blood on my fingernails was enough to warn me about the danger I was putting myself in. I could even feel my magic begging me to stop. I didn't though. The High Priestesses' command was repeating in my head.
If I didn't get Aldric alone, they would force me to slaughter hundreds of wolves.
I shut my eyes for a bare second to regain the last bit of my strength.
"Run," I whispered to Aldric but he didn't seem to listen to me.
Gods. My magic called out to my familiar instead. Laric - please tell your stupid, idiotic, foolish mortal form to run.
I still saw Aldric in those dark eyes.
I pressed my toes deep into the ground to prevent myself from falling down. At the same time, I glared at Aldric. I knew he could hear me but he still chose to run towards me, his body suddenly pouncing over me. The lighting I intended to throw at him struck something behind him as he threw me to the ground.
Did he know I was going to collapse? That my magic might kill me?
I cried out loud as he did but then felt no pain as he stood over me. My eyes shut in fear but I slowly opened them again to face him. The wolf stared at me. The obsidian dark wolf was glaring at me as if he was drinking me in. Drinking in the fact I was alive and breathing. Despite breathing over me, the wolf was not touching me. A part of me desperately wanted to hold his face but I stopped myself in time.
"They're coming," I whispered for a third time. My voice was a bare whisper. I hoped he couldn't recognize the emotion in them.
He shook his head.
Did he not realize the danger he was in?
Before I realized, he threw my body over his back. I screamed out of panic - no - this wasn't the solution. Right then, three High Priestesses circled him, surrounding him at three angles. Aldric growled and I struggled to make a noise.
If I defended him, they would kill me.
If I didn't, I would never forgive myself.
Suddenly, I no longer felt myself in Aldric's grasp. I was pulled off his pack in a bare second, my body jerking back onto the ground. Aldric turned to hold me but it was too late.
Melheera.
Beside her, Kayana rose and grabbed my arm. Their arms moved in unison as they pulled me out of the softness of Aldric's fur. I turned and realized the mess Aldric was in. The witches - the High Priestess had surrounded him and I was barely able to stand straight.
Why didn't he run? Why didn't he listen to me?
I was - I had to help him - I had to -
Kayana grabbed my shoulders just as I was about to push the High Priestesses aside.
Then, Kayana pushed me with all of her strength. I screamed in panic when something pulled me into itself. A rush of energy erupted when I realized what just happened. One moment I was in the battlefield and the next moment, I was back at the witches' base. Kayana appeared behind me. Behind me, I saw the portal disappear - Aldric disappear as he was preparing to fight three High Priestesses.
"NO!" I yelled. "NO!"
We were back in the tent I had burned the night before. I punched Kayana across the face.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" I screamed.
"ME?" Kayana screamed back, grabbing my fists. "What the hell is wrong with you? I SAVED YOUR LIFE YOU BITCH! THAT ALPHA WAS GOING TO KILL YOU!"
I was about to jump her again, punch her a hundred times if I had to, use magic to obliterate -
Aldric.
I was too far from the battlefield. I needed a portal. I turned into the air to make a circle but instead I fell before I could stand up.
Serene grabbed my arm. "You okay?"
"I need to go back -" I croaked but it was clear my body wouldn't let me. I barely cried out, unable to think about anything or anyone other than Aldric.
"Don't worry about the witches. The High Priestesses can handle the rest. You did great!" Serene said in a gentle voice, trying to hold me up.
"Great?" Kayana spat beside her. "Not once were you able to hit your stupid lighting at him. He was in front of you, he stopped moving and you still couldn't hit him straight!"
He stopped moving. I noticed that too. Why?
The Blood Oath, I realized. Maybe he thought he could gain power over me if I broke our Blood Oath. Then he was free to control me in any way he wanted. The fear crawled up my arms - anyway he wanted to hurt me, he could.
It didn't matter. It certainly didn't matter now if he was this close to death. I had to - I had to help him but I couldn't even stand straight without Serene's help.
"Fix me as fast as you can," I snapped at Serene. I grabbed her arm and for once I saw my hand properly. Each fingernail was bleeding significantly.
You can't do anything to save him now.
You are too weak, Elysia.
Laric. I called out to my magic one last time, my voice begging silently. Please. Save him. Save yourself.
I felt pain through my body instead and I cried out to Serene.
My familiar was in trouble.
"Show me - use an appariation - show me what's going on in the battlefield."
"Elysia. The High Priestesses can handle this," Serene said. "Creating appairations that show what is going on in real time is very difficult. It takes a lot of energy."
"Serene," I begged. "Please."
Serene blinked and then nodded. Before me, an appariation of the battlefield showed the visage of the wolves fighting. As she turned to me, I realized her nose was bleeding. I had never tried making a live appariation before. I couldn't imagine how much of Serene's magic was going into this. I wanted to thank her.
But then I saw them - The High Priestesses.
Their spell had already been sprung. The High Priestesses, led my Melheera, had joined a perfect circle around Aldric. Around their circle was a light green shield to prevent the wolves from entering. Only witches and magic could enter. The wolves were attacking the green shield as fast as they could in large numbers to protect their Alpha but only magic could break it.
Aldric was in the center and then - they were yelling the Svesta curse in unison.
"Who are them?" Serene said beside me. Only then, I saw a row of white wolves running towards Aldric's directions. They were running an fast pace, running across the battlefield and tearing apart any witch in their path. I stared at the one in the middle - obviously their leader -and could recongize those blue eyes anywhere.
Freya.
Aldric's Luna.
Chaos erupted. The five white wolves jumped into the shield -
"They can't do that," Serene cried out in shock. "What the - wolves cannot beat our High Priestesses shields! They can't cut through magic!"
"Maji," I whispered when I saw the glowing red rubies around their neck. Somehow, they were channeling the magic from the rubies onto the High Priestesses. If a Moon Priestesses had the magic to create illusions to torture wolves, surely another would have the ability to use Maji to cut access to a witch's magic. "They're using the Maji to break the magic. Maji blocks magic for all."
Serene's eyes widened.
The smiles on the High Priestesses faces vanished almost immediately when another number of large numbers of wolves broke the green shield the High Priestesses created. The white wolves - the Moon Priestesses managed to cut down all of the magic of the High Priestesses.
When I saw Aldric again, I saw how his eyes had been completely black. I saw scars on his skin that were opening up, black blood pooled all over his fur, dripping down in a terrifying manner. A wolf with a white coat was beside him then, helping Aldric and leading him out as the other white wolves continued to shut down magic of the other witches. Witches surrounding this area of the battlefield were on their knees as the white wolves performed their magic.
They were a new threat now, I realized. These wolves could stop magic from afar. Normally, Maji was only able to stop magic for the witches who wore the ruby jewel but being able to use the Maji to control witch magic was a new terrifying threat.
The High Priestesses would not take this lightly. Freya and her white wolves could easily lead the wolves to victory with Aldric.
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i sincerly apolgize for the late update. there's just a lot going on in my life right now but thank you for all your votes and comments. i really do appreciate them and read every single one of them multiple times. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
**lysa doesnt't exist. freya saved aldric from the witches!