At Oakwood central hospital, in a particular room, a young man lay still and silent. Machines beeped near him as the night air slithered through cracks in the window frame. The overhead light shined brightly and lit the room up, keeping the shadows away at bay.
Outside the room, hospital staff moved about with purpose, the night shift mattering just as much as the day shift.
"No change." A female voice spoke up softly and from the shadows a pair of green eyes opened with frustration," Nigh on a month and still, nothing. Perhaps I should... assist."
Seemingly from nowhere a woman appeared next to the bed, her eyes green and purple coloured like a grassy field of lavender. She wore a nurse's uniform, for she was the same witch who had given Sarah and Lucas the deck of tarot cards.
Yesterday she'd assisted the girl and now she was here to see if she could help the boy.
Her eyes looked at the ebony boy before her and raised a hand, and a rose flower appeared, one with green petals.
"Third Circle:{Greed} Leashed Puppet" She said softly and the petals on the flower floated up in a tiny swirl and headed towards Lucas's unconscious body.
This spell was one of mental control, and would allow her to puppeteer the boy around for a bit. She planned to try and get some reaction from the girl but also take a peak into the boy's mind.
"ERA Codex:{Execution} Thousand cuts" Another voice spoke up and from the shadows a scythe flew as quick as the wind.
The witch jumped back as the scythe burst into a thousand metallic shards and shredded her petals to pieces, ruining her spell. The shards did not stop and aimed at the witch, ready to slice her to ribbons.
"Third Circle:{Greed} Shrewd Facade" The witch waved her hand as a green apparition formed infront of her.
It was the smiling face of a beast with sharp teeth, and red green eyes. The smile was stretched and looked uncomfortable, forced even. As soon as the shards got close, the mouth snapped it's maw and all of the shards were taken into its maw.
"Amusing." Iazel's voice sounded as he walked out of the shadows next to Lucas's bed, opposite the witch."A Mammon witch. Who would have thought. I presume you were the cause of Sarah's circumstances?"
"Oh, How rude. Greetings are an important part of life and so are introductions. I am Miranda Peagon. I am, as you put it, a witch. You are?" Miranda asked with a smile.
"Someone who wants you dead." Iazel replied as her apparition vanished and his scythe appeared in his open palm, restored and forged anew," Preferably tonight, for I have things to do."
"Do those things involve Sarah?" Miranda asked venomously," Poor dear, stalked by a Warden. Tragic."
"You placed a Concealment upon the room?" Iazel ignored her and eyed the doors, nobody had come despite the noise," Are you a Mother?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" With a chuckle Miranda raised her hand," Third Circle:{Greed} Sword of Midas"
As if summoned from a Realm of fire and splendour, a glowing golden sword appeared next to her, double edged with a pristine luster. The air grew tense with the promise of battle, the sword's sides reflected light and blood lust.
"A Maiden then." Iazel shrugged as he vanished in a blink and appeared before the witch, his scythe ready to decapitate her.
Block!
The golden sword was unfortunately just as fast if not faster, and blocked him. Miranda waved her hand, controlling the blade with her will and struck back viciously. Her motions were quick and ruthless, aiming to cut him down.
Shing! Shing! Block!
Another set of attempted strikes were blocked, this time Miranda realised that he was very skilled too. After all, a scythe was a very unique weapon and wasn't the first thought of tool against a sword. Iazel's ability to block and counter spoke volumes of his mastery of his weapon.
However, Miranda thought with a smile, a witch's greatest tool is not weapons but magic.
Her eyes trailed Iazel's as they clashed again and again, her smile growing wider by the second whilst Iazel's eyes grew colder.
"Tell me, what is your relationship with Sarah and Lucas?" Miranda asked him," Not going to answer? Come on. I am curious about the reason you'll kill me over a mortal girl and boy. Especially him, I saw you around Sarah so I'm sure there's something there but why are you here defending the boy?"
"ERA Codex: {Execution} Thousand cuts {Ailment} Bubonic investment" Iazel's voice dropped to a cold growl as his scythe burst into a thousand shards, each piece now carried an aura of rot and putrid decay.
He didn't want to talk.
"You're no fun." Miranda said as she cancelled her spell and the golden sword vanished," But you are very short sighted."
The shards flashed towards her like miniature blades, each intent on cutting, infecting and repeating a thousand times. Miranda raised her hand but said no spell and instead waited till her death was but certain.
Atleast it appeared certain.
"Stop." She said and the shards stopped mid air," Kill him."
Iazel frowned as he opened his hand to recall his scythe but Miranda laughed as each shard turned golden.
"Short sighted. My spell was more than just a pretty golden blade, it's touch renders me control of what it clashes with. Now your scythe is mine and you'll die at your weapon's own steel." She continued," I thought you were a threat but not anymore. Die!"
A thousand shards flew towards him and Iazel looked at them with narrowed eyes before turning his eyes towards Lucas for a second.
Should I save him or not? He wondered, probably should, or I was wasting my time.
"ERA Codex:{Execution} Solitary confinement" He said dodged and spoke softly.
A mass of shadows erupted from under Lucas's bed, engulfing him in a bubble. The bubble closed and became a protective barrier, to prevent Lucas dying from the battle. Iazel moved across the room, moving from shadow to shadow, disappearing and appearing at intervals.
"That won't work, these shards are yours and will find you. You cannot hide!" Miranda shouted as her eyes looked around for him.
"Who said I was hiding?" Iazel appeared by the door.
"Then stand still and die!"
Iazel inclined his head and gave a sigh," Witches, you're all the same."
The shards appeared before him and stopped, jerking left and right like trapped flies in a spiders web.
"What? How are?"
"You believe your demon blood makes you superior to Wardens because of your Grimoires and demonic heritage. But weakness is weakness." Iazel's grew colder as his shadow expanded, his cloak rose up behind him and captured the shards, vanishing them into its darkness.
"No! I am a Third Circle Mother, you cannot be stronger than me, Reaper!" Miranda shouted as a green and black book appeared next to her.
It was a thing of malevolent avarice, covered with a dribbling golden cover and bloody golden teeth attached to gums. Three stitched finger were attached at the side like a lock and as the book appeared, the fingers released their clasp and the book opened. The aura of wickedness and vileness grew thicker as Miranda's eyes glowed a sickly greenish gold.
"Fifth Circle: {Greed} Mammon's Clasp!"
The air grew rough and tough as a smell of rust, waste and fire combusted around the room. The floors groaned and shuddered as the book next to Miranda flew wide open and an archaic symbol manifested in the air, that pulsed green and black.
Obsidian green chains burst from the sigil and wrapped around Iazel faster than the eye could follow. The sigil became a black hole and the chains started to draw Iazel in, intending to take him into Mammon's domain.
"Farewell dear Reaper. I'll tend to the little ones." Miranda said breathlessly, the spell had drained immensely" They are curious and won't die, unless its convenient."
"Like I said before. Weakness is weakness." Iazel said as he looked at her despite his restrained body.
"You may bluff your way to The Pit if you want." Miranda scoffed at Iazel's arrogant tone but dismissed it as the final words of a doomed fool.
Iazel looked at her, his mind feeling a bitter cold irritation and disgust, one you'd get from a fly landing on your tongue. He wasn't a fan of witches, they were ostracized yet most held a hubris that was unbelievable.
And unfounded, he thought coldly.
"ERA Codex:{Ritual} Destitutions Alms" Iazel said and like a switch had been flicked, the chains stopped and Miranda paused in shock.
The fiery aura in the room of greed and rot was snuffed out by a icy wind of ruin and hungry desperation. One could taste hopelessness and despair filling the room like a flood and Iazel's aura grew with it.
Shadowy figures of rot, hunger and decay slithered from his cloak and swarmed the chains with unquestionable need and want. They all held on to a chain stopping them from pulling Iazel into the pitch black hole.
The apparitions were destitute looking, like the paupers and beggars who would eat from the scraps of a dog's bowl. The chains struggled to pull Iazel further and Miranda's shock turned to fear and anger.
"That's impossible... You must be a Reaper on par with a Sixth level Circle Mother. " She stumbled back," What kind of Reaper are you?"
"Reaper?" Iazel smiled coldly," I am not that. I am a Widower."
Widower? Miranda thought in shock, aren't those the weaker variants of Wardens!?
From Iazel's cloak his scythe appeared, restored once more. It rose up into the air and struck the chains, just as the apparitions snappied them to pieces with their bony hands. They grabbed each chain link and like it was a sought after treasure, they fled into Iazel's shadow to make sure it would not be taken.
"And you, are weak." Iazel raised his hand," ERA Codex:{Executional Rite} Mark of Heresy"
The shadows around the room exploded like a tsunami wave and Miranda did not have a moment to react before she was engulfed by the darkness. She expected to drown, rot and die but instead a burning sensation started playing all around her skin. The burning grew hotter, until it felt like she was being branded by a metal rod all across her flesh.
"Ahhhhhhh!!" She screamed in agony.
Her flesh was being roasted and grilled!
"Should you ever cross my sight, I will end you. Begone." Iazel's voice was contempous as the shadows tossed her at the wall and she squirmed and shuddered in pain.
Her skin was burnt and blistered, cracked like it was branded by hot copper wires. The tissue underneath was a crusty layer that would make bacon jealous and pig's sue. Miranda sobbed softly as she tried to get up and flee from him, but Iazel walked towards her with a calm pace.
"Do you vow you won't harm them, ever?" Iazel asked her as he stepped on her ruined hand making her shout in pain.
"Please, no more. I yield. Please." She begged him for mercy.
"Vow it, on your blood and the Codex of Death." Iazel stepped down harder.
"I vow not to harm them on my blood and the Codex of Death!" She cried desperately.
"Good." Iazel's eyes glowed momentarily as did hers, the Codex had acknowledged her vow and that would be enough.
If the witch tried to harm Sarah or Lucas, the Codex of Death would burn her demonic blood away and render her mortal.
And I'd kill her afterwards, Iazel thought to himself.
"As I said, begone." Iazel vanished in a flash of shadow and Miranda shuddered with relief and pain.
"Third... Third Circle:{Greed} Precious Pristine" She said softly and a wave of green energy washed over body, meant to heal her and restore her body.
Instead-
"Ahhhhh!" She screamed as the burning sensation grew worse, literal black lines appeared on her flesh like metal branding her ruined skin even more.
After a moment of agony and pain that brought tears to her moist eyes again, the sensation stopped and she gritted her teeth with rage and humiliation.
She had been cursed by that bastard Warden!
Was it to prevent her fixing her injuries or was it more?
She couldn't check here.
"I cannot return to those lying wenches either." Miranda raised her hand and her Grimoire appeared again," First Circle:{Greed} Vaulted Treasure"
The Grimoire coughed up a green vial and she grabbed it tenderly and drank the contents, numbing her pain. Slowly she got up and dropped the vial, feeling less strained by the agonizing pain all over.
It still hurt but now she could move without wishing for death.
"Well, I can't harm but I'll watch and wait." Miranda said and vanished in a twist of the green and purple air.
After she left, the room returned to a semblance of normalcy, the only sign of the battle were faint scratches across the floor and ceiling. There was also the bloody stain on the ground, from where Miranda had landed burnt and blistered like a tomato out of a braai.
However, by tommorow, the blood would have disappeared, unbeknownst to anyone.