Witch of the Gate (Part I): Empyrean Crystal Soul

Gina doesn’t even need Tarragon’s help to take out the two Ork soldiers. Even in her human form she is a talented and capable warrior. With some skillful moves she kills her enemies.

As I thought, the Ork soldiers look like humanoid pigs. They are at the height of a man and walk on two feet but they have the head of a pig. Their blood was red.

As I am standing in front of the corpses, I can’t determine what I am feeling. This whole situation seems unreal. The creatures in front of me are not humans but they talk and think like humans. They have a will, dreams and ambitions. They may also have families.

I don’t know if I am over-thinking it but this is murder. Of course, I understand that they are enemies. If we didn’t kill them, they would kill us but I also know that soldiers just follow orders. It is not their fault, the decisions of the higher army officers or their king.

I had never seen a dead person in front of me, let alone a murdered person. Even though there are some wars back in Earth, they are not close to me.

Behind the screen of TV, they are not affecting me. Even if I feel sadness and mercy for the victims, it is not my responsibility or my concern.

Then, I hear some screaming. Gina is approaching the captured demons. It seems that she will attach them too. The older woman, the vampire has black long but dirty hair, a pair of red eyes and a very pale skin. She is weak as she is as thin as a scarecrow. There are also black circles under her eyes.

Her daughter has also dirty blown hair, a pair of eyes with a lighter hue of red. She seems to be around fifteen or less. She is almost in my age. She is also thin and dirty. Both of them are wearing some rags for clothes.

As they watch Gina approaching them threateningly, they look terrified.

-“Don’t kill them.” I say to Gina.

-“Are you kidding me?” Gina shouts behind her grit.

-“They didn’t do anything wrong.”

-“They are demons and that is enough.” She talks back.

-“This is unfair. They are not responsible for their leader’s decisions. They are simple citizens.”

-“Unfair? What do you know about unfairness?” Gina screams and leaves.

-“Gina’s family was killed in one of the demon’s raid.” Tarragon explains. Now I can understand the source of her aggressiveness and anger. I felt the same for a moment when that demon hurt grandma. However, there must be some limits.

I approach the two demons. They are still terrified.

-“I am going to set you free. Please, leave without hurting us.” I say and I try to open the cell. Tarragon is in combat position aiming his arrows to them.

When I open the door of the cell, they don’t move immediately. They are hesitant.

-“The vampire is weak. She needs blood. Her instincts will lead her to attack us.” Tarragon warns me.

-“They can have the Ork soldiers.” I say so they can hear me too.

Then, the two of them get out of the cell carriage and the vampire woman starts drinking the Ork’s blood. Her daughter is just watching her mother or us. She is not eating.

-“A hybrid has traits of both of her parents however it takes after the powers of the stronger blood. If this child doesn’t drink blood, then her other half blood is that of a stronger demon. So her father must be a higher demon.” Tarragon analyzes.

When they hear his words, they look scared again. So Tarragon is right.

-“If she is the child of a higher Demon, why is she in this situation?” I ask. Tarragon shrugs. He doesn’t know either.

According to him, all the tribes give high importance to their children because they are going to be the next generation of the tribe. On them depends the fate of their clan. Even if she was a hybrid, she shouldn’t have been in this dire situation.

-“How old are you?” Tarragon asks the girl. She is hesitant.

-“Fifteen.”

-“Maybe it is a matter of strength. A higher demon is a powerful being. Their strength is immense and its proof is their horns, which appears at the age of five. Until the age of fifteen, she should have developed two big and strong horns. This girl doesn’t have horns.” Tarragon notices.

-“Anyway, it doesn’t matter to us.” I say and let them leave.

Gina is back in the evening. She holds a hare that she caught. I light a fire and she roasts her prey and shares it with us. She doesn’t speak. However, she doesn’t seem angry anymore.

The roasted meat is not tasty without salt. Well, all these days of travel, we eat unsalted meat or some consumable plants, especially mushrooms and roots.

Suddenly, Gina jumps up and rush behind some bushes. The next moment she comes back holding the demon girl. I furrow my eyebrows. I let her free. Did she come back to attack us?

-“I want to come with you.” She says.

-“What do you mean?”

-“I can’t return to the Dark Highlands. I am an outcast. I can’t survive either to the other lands as I am a hateful demon.” She explains.

-“We don’t care, demon!” Gina says irritably.

-“I don’t have horns so I can pass as a human.” She insists.

-“Humans doesn’t have red eyes.” Gina contradicts her.

-“They are not red. There are also hybrid between humans and the other tribes.” She tries to negotiate. Then, she looks at me with pleading eyes.

-“You can’t take a demon with you!” Gina shouts as she notices my skeptical notion.

-“We can’t take her. If we go to the Valley of Dreams with a Demon, Fairies will never welcome us.” Tarragon agrees with Gina.

-“I can sign a Submission Contract!!!” The girl shouts with despair.

-“What is a Submission Contract?” I ask.

-“It is a powerful spell that can connect Humans with Angels or Demons.” Tarragon explains.

-“Then, grandma and Adrian…” I say and he nods.

-“In a matter of fact, you must also sign a Submission Contract with an Angel.” Tarragon reminds me.

However, I didn’t decide yet about involve myself with Etheria. I only came to save grandma. He notices my hesitation and skepticism so he doesn’t speak anymore.

Then I look at the girl. If I am indecisive, I can’t sign such a contract. I don’t know if I can take care of her.

As I am late to answer, I can see her agony. She lowers her head.

-“Leave before I kill you.” Gina threatens her.

Suddenly, the girl faces up with a decisive look and jumps on me taking by surprise the other two. She bites my neck while I can feel a dark aura surrounding me. Gina is ready to kill her but Tarragon stops her.

-“She is forcing a Submission Contract. If you kill her during the process, you might hurt Miss Daphne.” He explains. Gina growls with anger.

Finally, the girl releases me. She wipes the blood from her lips and kneels in front of me. I touch the spot she bit. I feel hot there. At the same time, I felt a dark aura traveling through my veins.

I close my eyes and try to see what happens inside my soul. The flying fire dragon took a darker hue of red and some dark stripes. So the dark energy combined with the other two.

When I open my eyes, the girl is still kneeling. I sigh.

-“What is your name?” I ask calmly.

-“Lucida.”

I look at the others. Now, I can’t do anything. Tarragon seems okay and Gina just growls with hopelessness. With that way, we earned one more companion.