The Ether Witch Volume 2

"So the fishing vessel will drop anchor here. I'll row us as close as the rocks will let us get. Then I'll take us through the void to the top of the island." Tam pointed at the map spread out on the table in front of himself, Henrietta, Eli, and Kraken.

"From there, Henrietta, you say there may be a patrol?"

The chicken witch nodded. "There could even be an air patrol that sees us from afar."

Tam's eyes narrowed on the map thoughtfully. "The problem is I don't know exactly how far the distance limits are for my magic, and during this venture is not the best time to figure it out. And if I try to experiment beforehand, I could accidentally drain my magic."

They all fell in thoughtful silence.

It had been three weeks since they'd bid farewell to the duchess, Hamil, and Bes. Since then, they'd traveled to Xava and taken up residence in a brothel madam's personal property while she stayed in her quarters in the brothel.

It was a surprisingly sweet cottage, albeit small. White washed walls with periwinkle blue painted on the window frames and doors, with thriving flower boxes matching the color. Despite its limited size, its view was spectacular, as it was positioned on a quiet cliffside street overlooking the Alcide Sea.

At present, Luca and Penelope were playing out in the yard with a leather ball they had found in one of the baskets the madam had had in her home. It was possible she had once had children of her own in the home.

Eli placed her hands on her hips, and her next words were said in careful tones. "We were already banking on revealing Kraken and myself in the event we got caught, so…"

Tam's gaze rose, he had a sneaking suspicion what she was about to suggest and he already didn't like it.

Eli locked eyes with him. "Let's just land right at their front doors and force our way in."

"No." Tam hadn't even waited a full breath before dismissing the suggestion. "They won't know you are a familiar and may attack before you land. We don't know exactly how people are punished for harming a familiar, but I doubt it's immediate and, furthermore, you aren't taking that risk."

Eli scowled, but she didn't appear to disagree with his reasoning.

"Kraken, any thoughts?" Tam asked.

The familiar stared at the map, blinked once, then leapt up with a chirp and sat down.

Everyone waited, then watched as he raised a paw and gently tapped at the base of the Isle of Wittica where the dock was.

"There is a witch there logging arrivals, if we fight our way up they can just block the stairs and then we'll have wasted our energy."

Kraken tapped again, then looked into Tam's eyes and mewed.

There was something they weren't seeing.

Tam squinted at the map.

As the moments dragged on and he didn't see whatever it was Kraken was trying to show, he stood back straight with a sigh. "Henrietta, is there anything else about the dock that could help us?"

The chicken witch twisted her mouth as she locked eyes with Kraken. Even though she couldn't understand him, she suddenly cleared her throat. "Er—Lord Tam, there is one way to figure out what he's saying. As you know, I can only talk to the people who I've turned into chickens, but your mother was able to converse with Kraken in that state. So I… um… I could turn you into a chicken and you could talk to him yourself."

A long, drawn out nasally breath sounded from Eli as her lips quivered, but the upper half of her face remained still.

Tam allowed a dry smile to rise. "Wouldn't I be a rooster?"

"N-No… I… uh… can't turn men into roosters just… Justchickens," she murmured the words so quickly they slurred together as her cheeks burned.

Tam dropped his chin to his chest and didn't stop the weary chuckle from leaving him as Kraken meowed boldly in—presumably—favor of this new plan.

"Alright. That'll be fine. You can turn me back immediately after though, right?"

Henrietta paused, her mouth opened, but she closed it again with a wince.

Tam folded his arms. "How long do I have to be a chicken before I can be turned back?"

The chicken witch dusted imaginary dust off her skirt, avoiding his gaze. "By dinner I should be fine to turn you back. Possibly sooner. Turning witches into chickens is harder than turning humans into chickens. Especially if they're powerful and, my lord, you are definitely powerful."

Tam watched Henrietta's bashful expression carefully. "Are you sure that it will only be a little while then?"

"I think so, but I really can't know for certain," Henrietta rushed to say, her cheeks burning.

Tam looked to Eli to hear her opinion on this option.

They were still technically being hunted by the coven. If there happened to be a surprise attack, and Tam was a chicken, things could be tricky.

Eli met his stare head on. "I think if Kraken knows something useful, it's worth you being a chicken for a little while."

Tam sighed, then stepping back from the table, held his arms straight out. "Alright." He held out his arms. "Feather me up."

Another snort sounded from Eli as Henrietta rose from her seat with a pained smile and lifted her hand. "Don't worry, Lord Tam, it… It shouldn't hurt."

"What do you mean shouldn't—"

Tam felt his insides compress. They sucked in on themselves, a roaring wind that felt like his eardrums had burst overcame him. It was horrible!

And then…

It was done.

Quick, but unpleasant.

Tam blinked.

Huh. Mum was right. The colors are different as a chicken.

"GODSDAMN FINALLY!"

Tam jumped and let out a shriek as he tried to stumble back, but his buttocks bumped against the table leg as Kraken leapt down and prowled in front of him.

"YOU! YOU RECKLESS, UNGRATEFUL KITTEN!"

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Tam could do nothing but gape at Kraken. He had such a low voice compared to his squeaks and chirps that he elicited when Tam was in his human form.

"I have wanted to show you my backpaw for weeks now, boy," Kraken growled.

"W-What?"

"You think you're going to die. You think you are destined to die in place of the devil. I know the way your idiotic mind works. Your father was the same. Wanting to die for the greater cause. Well, I can say to you what I couldn't to him. PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ARSE!" Kraken's voice boomed. Tam dazedly wondered if it sounded like a yowl to Eli and Henrietta.

Tam's chicken legs gave out from underneath himself. How had Kraken known what he'd suspected? Sure, he had mentioned his sense about the darkness coming for him, how he suspected he had always meant to take on the moniker of the devil, and had asked the familiar to watch over his family… Okay. Yes. It did sound obvious.

Kraken loomed closer. "You will not be dying. Not until you reek of age and babble about fat great grandchildren. You dare to accept a fate for yourself that would devastate my witch?" A black paw draped itself over the back of Tam's neck as he lowered his mouth to Tam's head. "Think again."

Tam cleared his throat. "What was it you were trying to tell us about the island?"

"I've raised you since you were in change cloths. Try and die before I say so and I will stalk you in the afterlife."

"Kraken. We're on a time limit."

The paw that clubbed the back of Tam's head wasn't a surprise, but Tam still winced at the claws.

"We aren't through talking about this, kitten." Kraken's paw plunked back down on the floor as he turned back to the table and, with a wriggle of his backside and a slight scrape of his nails on the floorboards, he leapt back up onto the table. "Get your feathered ass up here."

Tam gradually pushed himself back to standing, though his entire body felt awkward. He tried extending his wings, but whacked the left chair with a wing, which sent him bobbing forward.

He looked up at Henrietta who had without a doubt been listening to his one sided answers to Kraken the entire time. "Mind putting me on the table?"

She smiled congenially and did as he requested. Once staring back at the map at Kraken's side, Tam was about to repeat his question to Kraken about what they had missed, when Eli burst out with a squawk of laughter.

Tam jumped, and turned to look at her, surprised. Only she had her hand shielding her face as she tilted her chin down and laughed. He had never heard her laugh this hard.

Maybe I should let Henrietta turn me into a chicken more often…

Kraken let out an impatient rumble.

It took a little while, but eventually Eli managed to settle herself down, though when her eyes rose up and she made eye contact with Tam, she yet again lost control.

Tam turned to Henrietta. "Do I have funny feathers or something?"

Henrietta smiled politely, though the twinkle in her eyes suggested she was also finding the situation rather humorous. "No, my lord, you just are…" she visibly struggled to find the words. "Normally tall? A bit intense? Ominous?"

Tam was caught between embarrassment and confusion. "Me? Intense? It's just the situation! I'm the mellow one of my family!"

Henrietta was unable to stop the laugh that escaped her mouth before her words. "My lord… forgive my saying this, but that doesn't say much."

Tam grumbled.

"You were the one saying we were on a time limit," Kraken reminded Tam curtly.

"Right. Sorry. What is it you wanted to tell us?" Tam strut closer to where Kraken sat as in his peripheral Eli gradually calmed down.

"Every fortress has secret tunnels and routes for the owners to escape. Find the tunnels. There is only one exit point on this island."

Tam balked in the face of such an astute point.

He repeated it to Henrietta, who relayed it to Eli.

Eli's eyes widened as she whirled on Henrietta. "Do you know where those tunnels are?"

The chicken witch shook her head. "That is way above my status as a coven member."

"I can sniff them out." Kraken huffed confidently.

"It'd still be hard to approach the dock without drawing an attack," Tam reminded.

Kraken peered over his shoulder at Henrietta. "Does the coven know the chicken witch is in our care?"

"Probably."

"But they wouldn't know she is aiding us, would they?" Kraken persisted.

Tam paused, then tried to lower his voice. He had no idea if it worked or if chicken sounds stayed at the same volume for Henrietta. "Kraken… She can still turn on us."

Kraken came to his feet and strutted over to where Henrietta stood, listening, her expression tense. "You can tell this witch that should she betray a familiar that has placed his or her trust in her, she can expect a very gruesome consequence."

Tam turned to face Kraken's back. "I'd like to hear more about this alleged holy law at some point, Kraken."

The familiar didn't say anything, merely gave a purring laugh as he slinked off the table and flopped over in a sunspot just behind Eli.

It was then Tam discovered that chickens couldn't sigh. He didn't bother wasting his time trying to express his exasperation as a chicken when Kraken wasn't even listening, and instead proceeded to explain to Henrietta the new plan. He tripped over delivering Kraken's threat, and watched her flush with no small amount of guilt.

"I won't betray you. I… I still believe a separate place for witches is what we should be aiming for, but I agree that the way the covens are trying to achieve it is wrong," Henrietta's words wavered, but her conviction was steady.

Tam thought he bowed his head in appreciation, but the movement was a lot quicker than he intended, and he wound up pecking the table for no good reason.

He was secretly glad he couldn't blush in this form.

He did his best not-a-real-chicken walk over to Eli whose mouth was quivering again.

Tam tilted his head.

Eli's lips pressed together helplessly. "Hrmmm."

There was no way she knew that he was spiritually grinning ear-to-ear. So he decided to give his dear one a bit of amusement and, as loudly as he could, screeched. "BKAAAAAA!"

Eli was on the floor in hysterics instantly.

Tam looked over at Henrietta who was staring at him with an oddly tender aura.

Sidling over to Tam as his beloved continued to gasp on the floor, the chicken witch leaned down and whispered, "I've never seen someone become so warm because of their loved one." She nodded at Eli who gasped on the floor as she laughed.

Tam felt his heart swell with pride.

Eli was a frosty woman. But to know that she could laugh like the most jovial of people because of him?

Gods… He'd get turned into a chicken every day of his life if that's what it took.