Chapter 19: Man vs Witch

Chapter 19: Man vs Witch

Shit, Basil said.

Thirty-one, Plato replied.

With his supply bag weighing on his back, Basil and his cat followed Shellgirl along a meandering trail. The clam mimic hopped in the shadow of gnarled trees. Basil didnt recognize their species, but they certainly shouldnt be growing in the Barthes. The vegetation in the area was foreign to the region, from the trees to the strange purple grass under his feet.

Damn, Basil whispered. Bloody hell.

Thirty-two, thirty-three, Plato replied.

What are you doing? Shellgirl asked with a curious look.

Im counting how many times Basil has cursed since morning. Plato chuckled. Were thirty-six swearing words short of the all-time record.

Were fucked, Basil said. So utterly fucked.

Thirty-four, thirty-five. You can do it, buddy. I believe in your swearing spirit.

Its fine! Shellgirl waved a reassuring hand at Basil. I told you, shes clean!

The forest witch didnt worry Basil; the dungeon under construction in Dax did. Officer Elissalde swore to him that her team successfully bombed it from above, but the robots would try to rebuild it again. They would have the means to fully focus their resources on the task once the army retreated to Bordeaux.

Basil cursed his short-sightedness. He should have seen it coming. If an Earth company successfully built a dungeon-summoning server, then an army of magical machines could do the same.

He had to expel the Unitys forces from the region before they completed their infernal machine and flooded the countryside with robots. Could he convince the army to make a last-ditch attempt at wiping them out? Officer Elissalde had arranged her pick-up for tomorrow and Basil left her at home with the rest of his party to recover until then.

Why wont they leave me alone? Basil asked out loud. All I want is to live in peace and harmony. Yet whenever we solve a problem, another pops up! Its maddening!

Take it from me, Basil. Plato mimicked a beheading motion. No birds, no problems. Same with the gizmos. I say we pick them off one after another until they leave.

It it could work actually. The Unitys forces in Dax were stretched so thinly that they couldnt properly patrol their own conquered city. The gearsman ambush nearly cost the party their lives, but their victory deprived the robots of a heavy hitter. If the group avoided direct combat and continuously thinned down their enemies numbers, they could force them out of the region.

The Second Neighborhood War appeared inevitable.

Perhaps its time to introduce everyone to an ancient Bulgarian tradition then. Basil smiled cruelly. Guerilla warfare.

Could I sit this one out? Shellgirl asked with little enthusiasm. Or at least stay at the rear? Ill be all for funding a war, but participating is another matter.

Thats the neat thing about guerilla attacks: if done well, youre gone before the enemy can strike back. Basil stopped at the end of the trail and the witchs house. Is this the place?

A field of purple flowers bloomed within a ring of leafless trees. A two-story izba hut dominated the grove, its walls built from logs, its roof from dirt and straw. The light of candles pierced through its windows. A fence of wooden spikes topped with shrunken goblin heads and burning skulls surrounded the building.

Basil found the decoration aesthetically pleasing. Inspiring even.

I see someone shares our neighborhood problems, Plato commented. Why do I have the feeling youll get along with her, Basil?This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Because he will! Shellgirl hopped to the huts door and knocked on it. Vasi, my dear! Its me!

Coming! a muffled voice answered from within the house. Her accent sounded vaguely Belarusian. Welcome!

The door opened and the witch walked out.

Years of pop culture indoctrination had taught Basil that witches were either ugly as sin or dazzling beauties, and his neighbor clearly fell into the second category. She looked around his age, with a lovely heart-shaped face and crimson eyes. Her skin was an inhuman pale shade of olive green. She wore a short sleeveless black dress, an elegant red scarf, a rounded wizard's hat atop mid-long raven hair, and a pair of heels.

Vasilisa Vasi Yaga, ChangelingLevel 13 [Demon/Fairy]

Demon. Did she hide horns under her hat?

Basil was immediately on his guard and looked for any sign of weaponry. The woman didnt carry any wand to cast spells with. Her nails werent claws ready to tear his throat out. When she smiled kindly at the group, white teeth showed under her lips rather than fangs.

In short, she appeared oddly harmless for a fiend.

Shellgirl, how good to see you again! The witch exchanged a high-five with the clam mimic. Have you combed your slime hair? I love it.

My, I did! Shellgirl grinned with pride. Im glad you noticed!

I didnt, Plato said. Neither did Basil.

Who is that handsome human with you? The witch put a finger on her lips as she examined Basil from head to toes. The ogre of the Barthes?

Basil, he replied with a blank face. He would go on a rampage if that nickname caught on with the local monsters. Basil Jean-Franois Bohen.

The two studied each other for a few seconds. Basil was ready to summon his halberd at the first sign of treachery. The witchs Dreambrew potion worked as advertised, but he couldnt rule out the fact she lured him into a trap of some kind. Her name also sounded familiar to him, although he couldnt put his finger on why.

Mmm, you are quite the good-looking fellow, the witch said with a fox-like smile. A fine connoisseur of potions and a warrior. Its a winning combination.

Basil looked flatly at her. He knew her type and refused to play her game.

The witch sighed in disappointment upon realizing her flirty faade and insincere flattery wouldnt work with him. You didnt even blush. I must be getting rusty.

Your assets are useless against me, woman. Basil liked girls, but not enough to fawn over them. No pretty smiles will buy you favors from me.

Youve been single for too long, Basil, Plato said with a sad, sad voice. I fear your dating life is beyond saving now.

I do like a man with his head on his shoulders, the witch mused playfully, taking the rejection in stride. Sorry, old habits. I used to trick would-be paladins into running errands for me with a wink and a smile. One jumped off a cliff trying to look for a dragon egg, if you can believe that.

Natural selection at its finest, Plato commented.

Basil kept a poker face and did his best not to show surprise. The witch mentioned the anecdote like something that happened often enough to become a habit. This implied a long history, yet the dungeons only appeared weeks ago

Shes different from other monsters somehow. Basil could tell from her behavior. Wiser, more mature.

Anyway, the names Vasilisa Yaga or Vasi for short. The witch knelt and petted Plato behind the ears. Whats yours, oh mighty king of cats?

His Majesty Plato the First. Plato glanced up at his owner. Can we keep her? She understands my greatness.

Ever heard of the Unity, Vasi? The Apocalypse Force? Metal Olympus?

Mmm Vasi pressed a finger on her lips, her eyes thoughtful. Doesnt ring much of a bell. They must come from elsewhere.

Other worlds? Plato asked. How many are there?

Vasi shrugged her shoulders. Basil opened his bag and spilled out its content on the table: the remains of a watcher.

These creatures turn people to stone on sight, he explained as the witch examined the scraps. I tried to reverse-engineer their method but a safety feature blocked me.

Crafting Encryption. Vasi nodded to herself. I cant break it either. Their creator must have a very high level.

So you can craft monsters? Basil probed for information. He already suspected it, but wanted confirmation from an outside source.

Crafters can make golems, homunculi, robots, wicker men or at least they could do it in my world. Vasi pushed the watcher's remains with an apologetic expression. Sorry, I can't make use of them.

You cant cure petrification?

I didnt say that. Vasi toyed with her alcohol bottle. I know a recipe that can cure petrification. The issue is manufacturing it. How many potions would you need?

Considering Daxs population Basil winced. At least ten thousand.

The witch laughed in his face. Basil sighed, having expected as much.

Yo dog, dont make that face. Plato patted his owner on the shoulder with his paw. I know, we give the recipe to the army and they can deal with it.

We could, Basil agreed without enthusiasm. Officer Elissalde made it clear saving Daxs population wasnt a priority as far as the armys strategy was concerned. They had bigger fish to fry.

Or you could kill two birds with one stone, Vasi said. Shellgirl told me you were looking to summon an angel.

We are. Basil frowned. You can cast Prayers?

Of course not, she replied with a short laugh. Im a witch, a demon, and an unbeliever. I dont pray to anyone but I can run a Ritual. Theyre spells that demand very specific circumstances to cast, but form the strongest school of magic. I happened to learn a thing or two about summonings.

Do we need to sacrifice a virgin? Basil asked with a snort. Because if so, youre a few years late to use me.

Nothing so quaint, but good to know, the witch mused. How about this? I keep the powerstone for my personal research and in exchange, I help you summon an angel. Theyre annoying, but nobody can contest their healing powers. Sounds good?

Deal, Basil replied immediately.

After a short silence, Plato squinted at Shellgirl suspiciously. Why arent you protesting?

About the shiny? I call it sound investing. Shellgirl put her hands behind her hair. Think about it. If we figure out a cure for petrification, families will pay us an exorbitant price to heal their stoned kin! More than we could ever hope to gain from the stone alone.

She never lost an occasion to milk an opportunity for all it was worth.

Oh, how good it is to collaborate with intelligent people, Vasi said. Id be down to trade potions and spellbooks too. I can make my own items, but I lack the material needed to say experiment.

You can come visit my lab anytime, Basil proposed. Well trade recipes.

With pleasure.

His offer confused Shellgirl. Didnt you want to keep our HQ hidden, partner?

She showed us her home, Basil shrugged. If she causes us trouble, we know where she lives now.

Mutually assured home destruction? Vasi noted with some amusement. Basil felt like she didnt truly believe that he would follow through with his threat. For the Ritual, I will need a sacred place to cast the spell and a powerful object related to angels. Do you have anything like this in your repertoire, handsome?

Would this relic work as a focus? Basil summoned the Reliquary of Saint Bernadette from his Inventory.

Ohoh, an artifact! Vasi immediately grabbed the Reliquary with the same delicateness she showed with the runestone. Wonderful! With it, I can summon a big shot! Should be fun!

As for the place, I know an old church up the stream, Basil suggested. He had fond memories of the place. Its been long abandoned, but it was consecrated and everything.

Good idea. Platos head perked up with interest. Its been a while since we visited his tombstone.

Far too long in Basils opinion. The constant attacks on his household had distracted him from his monthly visitations. He already knew which flowers to bring.

Shellgirl winced. The church up the stream you mean that crumbling wooden shack with the engraved stones in its backyard?

Yes. Basil frowned. He didnt like her tone. Shellgirl, why the sorry face?

Remember what I said about aquatic monsters showing up more often? she asked. Well, some mermaid necromancer from Lourdes took refuge in it. I tried to trade with her but she cast spells at me and

Basil sent Shellgirl a furious glare and she didnt dare finish her sentence. Plato tensed up, his body utterly still.

Necromancer? Basil asked, his voice icy. You mean someone who raises the dead as zombies?

Skeletons, mummies, undead, etc, Vasi clarified. A good necromancer can do many things.

Basil felt his blood boil within his veins and his head hurt from silent rage. His beet-carrot juice bottle shattered from his grip. Shards cut into his flesh and Vasi gave him a frown of disapproval. He didnt care. He was too furious to feel pain or shame.

Plato, Shellgirl, pack your things. Basil rose from the table. His jaw tightened so much that he thought that his teeth might break from the pressure. Were cleaning the church ourselves.

What, right now? Shellgirl asked in shock.

Right now! Platos claws came out. If a fish dared desecrate his corpse

She wont live to regret it, Basil promised.

Hey, calm down, whats happening? Vasi rose from her seat. Is a friend of yours buried at that church?

Yes.

The Old Man himself.