Luisa and the Witcher

With ease, she mounted the house. He did same and they galloped away.

Zeke galloped so furiously, Luisa just tried so hard to meet up. "You know, I should be the angry one," she began when she came closer to him.

"What makes you think I'm angry?" He asked.

"You are angry," she replied.

"I'm not. Gallop faster," he ordered and took the lead as Luisa followed.

"May I get a little heads up about the mission?" she requested.

"Even I have no idea what we're about to face. It's an emergency, so no time for briefing," he shared.

In no time, they arrived at a small human town and galloped further till they arrived at a small mansion. They unmounted their horses as a butler who was human, welcomed them.

"Welcome witchers...your horses will be taken care of till your departure. The duke awaits your arrival," he welcomed and showed them the way into the mansion.

He escorted them till they got to a drawing room. The butler knocked and opened the door when he heard his master's signal.

"They're here, master," he informed.

"Bring them in," another voice said from inside. Zeke and Luisa walked into the drawing room and found a middle-aged human man and woman who seems to be the man's wife.

With a smile, the man stood up to welcome them, "Witcher Zeke... welcome. Oh the tales I've heard about you, I never thought the day would come when I'll actually meet you in person,"

But Zeke didn't say anything nor did he smile back. He just had that serious poker face on.

Then the duke turned to Luisa, "And you are?"

"Luisa, my protege," Zeke answered before Luisa could say anything. The duke wondered if he had ever heard of a female witcher before.

"Alright then. Serve us some tea," the duke said to his butler who bowed and walked out immediately to fulfill the order.

"Please have a seat," the man offered and they both took a seat.

"Well, we better get down to business," the duke started.

"As you already know, I'm the duke of this great town. For weeks now, the number of reported cases of missing children has gone off the chart. At first we thought it could be a man-made catastrophe and all we need to do was to find the culprit.

"Not until traces of blood, shattered pieces of clothes, bones and flesh were found in the forest. It was reported to me, this is a peaceful town, what sort of maniac would do all that and I came to a conclusion that something was out there...in the woods," he narrated.

"Just yesterday, our only son went missing also," the woman finally spoke, her voice shaking out of too much crying.

"We have three daughters, but he is our only son...And that's why I decided to seek your help witchers. I will pay you handsomely if you are able to rescue this situation," the duke concluded.

Just then the butler walked in with the tray of tea. He place it on a table and began to serve them. He poured that of his master and mistress from a different kettle and that of Luisa and Zeke, from another.

Zeke's eyes were so focused on the butler. He bowed his head after serving the tea and was about to take his leave.

"How dare you poison the tea you serve to my protege and I?" Zeke asked so calmly.

"Pardon me?" the butler responded.

"I don't repeat myself," Zeke replied as he stood up and walked closer to the butler. The butler walked backwards subconsciously.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" the butler defended.

"Of course you do," Zeke replied.

"What are you doing witcher? Don't make false accusations, my butler would never do such a thing," the duke butt in.

"Are you so sure? But maybe you're right. Your butler would never do that but what if he's not in control of himself," Zeke replied.

"I don't know what you are talking about, witcher!" the butler repeated, but Zeke continued to come closer to him.

"Stay away from me!" the butler attempted to run away and in a blink of an eye, Zeke had already pinned him on the wall.

His hand on the butler's neck as he lifted him above the ground with just one hand. The butler held Zeke's hand as he struggled. The rest of them in the room had already stood up by now.

Zeke tilted his head as he stared closely at the butler, "Le'veh re`arash devana..." Zeke's eyes turned black again as if a demon had possessed him as the wind carried the spells he whispered.

"What are you doing to him?" the duchess asked.

"Unconceal... and reveal the beast within," Zeke completed the spell and his eyes returned to normal but the butler started to change.

His eyes started to change to black as if he was now the one who was possessed by a demon, the veins on his temples started to erect as it also changed to black. He bit Zeke's hand, making Zeke to let go of him...or should I say it.

It attempted to run again. 'No, not so fast,' Luisa thought. Can't let this thing run around so freely.

She stretched her hand out at it as it ignited with a blue energy and almost immediately, chains that also ignites with a blue energy appeared around the fleeing butler, Luisa clenched her fist and the chains wrapped tightly around the butler and the butler fell to the ground.

The blue energy was gone and the butler snarled at them. His skin started to become scaly, his black eyes changed to slits and when he finally snarled at them again, his tongue came out as that of a snake.

"He...H-He..is the monster?" the duchess stuttered.

"Not quite. He is possessed by what I think is a- Li`cabur" Zeke related.

A li`cabur?

It was a snake demon. It's upper body was human-like with long black hair but just like the way the butler was looking right now that was the way it appeared with long hands which had long fingers and nails.

The rest of it's body was like a giant snake. It was one of the deadliest beast ever as it had the power to possess both the dead and the living to it's own advantage.

The witchers thought they had finally made its kind go extinct but it seems they were wrong. One, maybe more was out in the open hunting for their favorite prey- Children!.

"And if my presumptions are correct. Then your son might be long gone" Zeke added.

"Why would you say a thing like that? Don't say a thing like that, witcher. You will go out there and bring my child back," the woman responded in tears and her husband comforted her.

Zeke didn't look a bit apologetic for what he said. Why would he? It was the truth. He moved closer to the butler and squatted.

"Where are the kids?" Zeke asked.

"What kids?" the butler feigned as he laughed like a mad man.

"I will ask you one last time. Where are they?!" Zeke's voice thundered.

"Take a guess, witcher," the butler continued to laugh. Zeke stood up and started to beat the butler up mercilessly with just his leg.

The butler started to spew out black blood but he still continued to laugh. Zeke beat him up more and he started to cough out more black blood.

Zeke lifted him off the ground again and pinned him on the wall again by the neck with just one hand and that was when the butler or the demon in him realized that this witcher wasn't playing around.

"Alright alright," the butler stopped laughing and decided to confess.

"The kids? The snacks...hmm, I found them quite yummy... humans always taste best," the demon started to speak through the butler.

"Where are they?!" Zeke asked one more time.

"Gone...gone...lost deep in the woods...some in my belly," the butler began to laugh again and Zeke dropped him.

"We've to go now," Zeke said to Luisa.

"Wait...Witcher?! You're not just going to leave him here. Free him from his possession," the duke pointed out.

"Someone who's already possessed by the li`cabur cannot be set free. He is gone for good." Zeke responded.

In the next second, black blood splashed across the floor, some on Luisa's face because she was closer to the butler whose head had just been separated from its body as it fell to the ground.

Zeke brought out his handkerchief to wipe the blood off his sword. He gave another to Luisa to wipe the blood off her face which she collected.

"He was a good man. Wasn't there another way?" the duchess questioned.

"No. It's better he died at my hands than at that of the creature," Zeke replied.

"That means you witchers are not so safe yourselves. What if the creature possesses you?" the duke asked.

"We have our way," Zeke replied and he walked out of the room with Luisa following from behind.

...