The Ether Witch Volume 2

The Isle of Wittica from afar was an impressive grouping of towers. Some rounded at the top, some pointed. Some with peaked windows, some with circular windows. Some tower walls were covered in climbing vines, some were bare of various colorsed stone. Given how unique each tower seemed to be, it was hard to have one that made a strong impression. However the thickest tower in the center of the island that donned a large round window at its top, had a waterfall pouring out of a cavernous hole from its middle that flowed to a pool on one of the stone balconies.

Against the sky and Alcide sea, it was a stunning image.

Tam and Henrietta learnt that for all of these complexities upon the rocky island, they meant something that did not impress them.

Hills and stairs.

Even if he were in his human form, Tam doubted he would have been able to follow Kraken's brisk pace without growing weary and out of breath.

Finding the next tunnel exit had been the easy part.

The three of them had appeared in a vast, round room, with a staircase made of white marble that touched either side of the wall. It had appeared to be an entryway… An entryway that was remarkably empty.

"Shouldn't there be guards, or a patrol…?" Tam glanced around nervously.

Kraken purred. "They're a little busy right now."

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

The feline merely trotted toward the stairs. "It's a surprise. Come along, kitten. We don't have all day."

"This isn't the time for surprises, Kraken!" Tam bolted after the cat, his trepidation tripling as he followed the fluffy haunches.

Kraken still didn't elaborate, merely continued guiding Tam and Henrietta up the stairs, then took a left. After moving down a narrow hall with beautiful whirling patterns in its floor, Kraken took a right into another more narrow staircase. They climbed up another two stories, then exited in another hall that looked similar to the one they had left, only the frantic rush of voices could be heard down the hall.

Tam paused as he heard the words. "I don't want to fight him!"

"He won't kill anyone! We just need to tire him out!"

"Kitten!" Kraken barked. "Keep moving!"

Tam wished he had the muscles to frown.

Henrietta panted quietly behind him. Glancing back, Tam noticed that Henrietta was half slumped against the wall, her hands on her knees.

As much as he wanted to let the poor woman rest for a moment, something felt off.

"Come on," he encouraged quietly as he hopped up the stairs after Kraken.

Henrietta gave a beleaguered nod and continued to trudge onward.

By the time they had finished climbing the stairs and exited the hall, even Kraken gave a long huff out before sweeping his head to the left. "This way. It's just past the waterfall. The door on the left."

Tam took three tentative steps forward, listened, and when he couldn't hear anything over the roar of the waterfall that fell under the walkway that was open to the biting winds outside, he bolted across the open chasm, and headed straight for the door.

Henrietta's steps were close behind him.

She hastily opened the door that was, thankfully, unlocked.

Slipping inside, Tam balked at the sight that greeted him.

There was a large stained glass window, more colorful and beautiful than any he had ever seen before. It depicted a large tree, with intricate roots that webbed down through the glass. Upon the branches above, there was one aflame. One branch had leaves artfully blowing around it. One with fine, gleaming water droplets that almost looked to be moving over the leaves, and lastly, there was a branch filled with white blooming flowers.

Above the image, on a banner of pale yellow was the phrase: Nature is all

Then at the bottom of the image the words: Without it we are nothing.

An intense prickling sensation coursed through Tam as he stared at the window.

"You are on your own in here, kitten." Kraken's voice broke through Tam's whirling thoughts, making him blink.

"Right. Henrietta?" Tam swung around to see Henrietta's own gaze fixed reverently at the image. "We need to find how to banish the first witch. Any idea where to start looking?"

The chicken witch visibly struggled to move her attention, but when she did, she swallowed, and nodded. "There is a history section. I've heard the other coven members mention it."

Henrietta started to drift around the room, her eyes drifting over the signs as she peered down the aisles and aisles of books.

Meanwhile, the longer Tam waited, the more he ruffled his feathers.

Something was eerily off.

There was the smell of lightning in the air and it was putting him on edge.

They should have seen someone.

They should have had to dodge, or hide from a patrol, or even just someone casually going about their day…

"Found it!" Henrietta called from the far back left of the library.

Doing his best to keep focused on the task at hand, Tam bobbed his way over to where Henrietta stood.

A long row of shelves greeted Tam; all of which were filled with thick tomes in leather bindings—though some looked like they might crumble at the slightest touch.

"Perfect. We need books about the Forest of the Afterlife, and the first witch. Pull out any texts you think are relevant. We'll take them with us."

Henrietta's hands gripped into fists as her eyes scanned the shelves.

Who knew how long they'd have, but worrying about it was going to waste any time they could have spent looking.

And so, Henrietta plunged into the history texts, all the while Kraken sat at the end of the aisle, his ears twitching, and his gaze fixed on the doors.

*

The trio darted out of the archives as soon as they'd found three promising tomes. It hadn't taken them long, but Tam hoped that they weren't useless.

As they bolted back down the corridor they had originally come from, they reached the walkway over the waterfall where they could see the sky outside had darkened with thick storm clouds, and thunder cracked in the distance.

They were halfway across the walkway over the waterfall when a loud shriek sounded.

Tam's heart lurched.

What was that?

Kraken froze in his tracks. Then his head swung round and he was bolting as quickly as his legs would carry him in the opposite direction.

"CHANGE OF PLANS!"

Tam didn't even get the chance to ask what in the world was happening as Henrietta, without needing anything more to be said, followed Kraken in a sprint while clutching the satchel she had filled with books to her chest. Left with no choice, Tam followed as quickly as his two scrawny legs could take him.

Just before the end of the hall Kraken attempted to stop and turn left, only his fluff worked against him making his back paws slide behind him as he scrambled clumsily down a different narrow staircase. This allowed Tam and Henrietta to catch up.

The three of them raced down the stairs, though Kraken darted out of the tower on the next floor. Confused as to what was going on and where they were going, Tam still didn't get the chance to ask what was happening before Kraken shot out the doorway, and then entered another doorway directly beside the stairwell… That led to more stairs.

At this point, Tam was starting to become dizzy not just from the winding staircases, but from the confusing layout of the entire island.

It almost seemed as though they were crossing into an entirely different structure as they descended the new set of stairs. One that was less winding. The halls, doors, and windows were more square, with coral colored marble.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Kraken didn't falter for an instant. He barrelled to the right, down another set of stairs that appeared to lead outside, then stopped.

With a rush of clucks Tam skidded to a halt beside the familiar.

"What is going on?" Tam managed to ask while he was vaguely aware that Henrietta had hung back, remaining out of sight.

A low growl rumbled in Kraken's throat. "Look."

Turning to whatever scene was, Tam found himself laying his eyes on a scene that doused him with icy horror.

In the middle of the stone balcony, stood a young boy.

A boy with red hair.

He wore a blue blindfold as a man with black hair touching his shoulders crouched down in front of him whispering something to him that made him flinch.

"Antony." Tam choked on his nephew's name before a flutter of movements out of the corner of his eye drew his attention over to where he found his other two nephews, and… Lord Aster Fuks.

The thirteen year old not only had his hands bound, but a gag in his mouth. Tam felt his magic gathering in his chest as the need for violence thrummed in his being.

Charlie and Asher weren't bound or gagged, but they sat on either side of a woman with curled chestnut hair, their hands folded in their laps, their small faces lined and pale.

Tam turned back to the doorway where Henrietta peeked around. Her own expression was distraught as she gazed upon the scene. Her breaths came quicker and quicker…

"Henrietta. Turn me back. Now."

"But… I don't know how we'll… How we will be able to lea—"

"NOW!" Tam knew he had essentially just released a chicken shriek.

He felt the eyes swivel to the back of his neck.

Henrietta was trembling, tears already glistened in her eyes, but she held out her hand. Tam felt the unpleasant sensation of exploding from his skin, and the ripping out of feathers. But when it was finished, he stood himself once more, but that wasn't all.

He had time to prepare before he had left for the island, and so he wore light armor, and a sword across his back.

"UNCLE TAM!" Tam heard Asher shriek.

"KRAKEN!" Charlie shouted next.

Antony whipped around, his blindfold stopping him from seeing his uncle, but the witch behind him clamped his hands on Antony's shoulders and started whispering.

Tam drew his sword. "YOU!" he bellowed.

The witch holding Antony didn't stop his whispers.

Tingling flushed through Tam as his heart pounded, and his ire razed his voice of reason. He could feel everything around him pointedly. He could taste the salty air, he could feel the stinging wind on his cheeks…

When the witch didn't release Antony, Tam shot through the void and out.

His hand seized the witch's throat. He proceeded to back him up until the railing of the balcony dug into his back. Tam knew blackness filled his eyes, and he was glad for it. The witch squirming in his grasp took a moment to register this detail, but when he did, Tam watched his terror petrify him.

"D-Devil—"

"Godsdamn right." Tam shoved him off the edge of the balcony and rounded back to the boys.

The woman that had been sitting beside Asher and Charlie was on her feet.

Tam heard the vines before he saw them. When they dove for him over the edge of the balcony, he shifted through the void and reappeared in front of the woman, she shrieked, but Tam didn't have a chance to toss her into the void.

As she disappeared all on her own.

A chicken clucked near Tam's feet.

He looked up at the stairs to see Henrietta with both of her hands raised.

He gave her a nod of appreciation.

She jerked her chin down in response as her tears fell.

Tam felt the darkness clear from his eyes, as he turned to gaze down at Charlie and Asher.

The boys flinched.

"Boys," he rasped. "I'm sorry if I scared you just now. Are you… Are you alright? What has—"

"MMMRmm Ifh hrm urf orl."

Aster Fuks danced in front of Tam and gestured toward the gag in his mouth.

Immediately sheathing his sword, Tam reached for the knot at the back of the gag, but when he discovered it was too tight to remove, he was forced to pull his dagger out to cut it loose.

"Gods! Thank you, Lord Tam! It has been very annoying not being able to talk." The thirteen year old clapped Tam's arm good naturedly as though they were old friends.

Tam turned toward Antony who was already clawing at his own blindfold, and once he'd pulled it down and laid eyes on his uncle, his face broke out into a joyful smile.

"Uncle Tam!" Antony bolted to him, throwing his arms around his uncle's waist. "I'm learning to control my magic!" he cried out excitedly.

Tam paused and slowly looked over at Aster, then Charlie and Asher.

Sensing his confusion, Aster cleared his throat and stepped forward. "We are captives, but the coven said it would be a sin not to help Antony better control his abilities."

"Have they hurt you?" Tam directed the question at Charlie and Asher.

Asher shook his head.

Charlie curled in on himself, and Tam's former wrath burned in his chest once more.

Aster leaned in. "Erm… To us 'non-witches', they weren't overly friendly."

It took everything Tam had not to go on a warpath in that moment. Instead he forced his expression to remain neutral. "Asher? You have magic?"

"Bugs," he sniffled in response.

Tam's lips twitched. "Your mother is going to love that."

Patting Aster's shoulder, Tam returned his attention to Charlie before kneeling down in front of him. "Hey monster," he said gently while reaching out to tap Charlie's shin.

"They said they didn't hurt him!" Antony called from behind Tam.

Tam felt his gut clench as he heard the outrage in his nephew's voice.

"Charlie…what did they do?" Tam wasn't sure he was ready for the answer.

His nephew avoided his gaze, his golden eyes fixed on the ground, filling with tears.

Fear wormed its way through Tam's anger. "Hey… Hey monster, you don't have to tell me right away, okay? I promise you're safe now, alright? We're going to get you home and—"

Antony shoved past Tam and threw his arms around his brother. "I'm sorry! They… They said you and Asher were just watching because you wanted to! I would've hit them with lightning if I'd known! I'm sorry!" he wailed.

Tam rubbed his mouth as he watched all three of his three nephews succumb to tears.

He pushed himself back to his feet and turned back to Aster. At the very least he seemed to be in good spirits.

Tam lowered his voice as he addressed Aster who was folding his discarded blindfold. "What exactly did they do?"

Aster cleared his throat and leaned away as the three princes continued crying together. "Prince Charlie and I were put in the same room. They didn't feed us well, and mostly just said unpleasant things. Of course it's all bollocks what they said, but His Highness took it personally. Being separated from Asher and Antony made it worse."

As awful as even that was, Tam was relieved it wasn't anything more gruesome.

A boom followed by the sound of shattering stones sounded behind Tam making him look over his shoulder in time to see…

Tam turned around fully in complete awe. "Wixim?"

The golden dragon's lips curled back, revealing his pristine white fangs.

Tam stepped forward as he heard the sharp intakes of breath behind him from his nephews.

Before Tam could attempt to tell the dragon to let his nephews return home unscathed before picking a fight, an explosion from above snapped both Tam and Wixim's attention upward.

A dome of blue lightning bubbled out of the top of the very tower their balcony was connected to.

Tam gaped. Then a smile of disbelief tugged his mouth upward before he looked over his shoulder at his nephews who were scrambling back from the dust raining down on them.

"It's okay, boys," Tam called over the new sounds of fighting that echoed loudly around the island. "It looks like your grandpa is here to lend me a hand."