The Witch Hunt (Part 2)

"Roz," says Rayer in his mind, "we could be walking into a trap."

"Yes we are," says Roz. He rides the horse in silence in the almost empty roads. Everyone that sees him (the female body he is in) immediately recognizes him as one of the most wanted criminals in the kingdom and they run away on sight.

'The Red Witch' is the name posted on all wanted posters plastered everyone where he can see one. A town he just passed has a guild board outside with an official request to any adventurer that has the balls to catch her and bring her to the kingdom, the great kingdom of Apus. The Request also reads 'MOST WANTED… BRING HER DEAD OR ALIVE!!'

The horse stops. An adventurer with a seemingly lean body wearing dark clothes stands in the middle of the road and he is chanting a spell with a dark aura surrounding him as he chants.

"Rayer?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know the spell he is chanting?"

"Yes, but am more worried about the men hiding in the woods." Roz glances over into the woods. "with them around that spell he is chanting will be continuous even if it is small."

"Let me guess, they can renew his magic even if he runs out?"

"Yes"

"I see"

Roz gets off the horse and says, "is it too late to talk?" he smiles bitterly. But he gets no response. The guy is fixated on chanting his spell and as time goes by the spell starts to feel more powerful.

"I can sense the power of that spell… This is quite interesting," he barely looks at the man on the road and he is already shaking. "I see." He boldly stands in front of the horse and tries to be as intimidating as possible and says, "do you want to die?" he looks the man straight into his eyes and the man loses his composure and in just 10 seconds after pulling this stunt everyone flees including the guys who were hiding in the woods. Roz smiles a bit, "I guess that went well."

He senses 2 people coming from behind him far more powerful than all of these guys who were here combined and he looks back. The 2 people he just sensed are Murler and her busty friend, "where they this strong, Rayer?"

"I think so but there is no way of telling, I just now also regained the power to sense others and their power levels."

Roz sighs. "Friendly faces at last, I don't suppose you're here to catch me?" he jokingly asks as he observes them from a distance.

"No no," says Murler, "we are not, we've had our fare share of troubles thanks to you, and we're not stupid enough to attack you if you can easily best the feared Renol, no no."

"Then may I ask why you're here?"

"This is a road, witch, do you ask everyone that passes here?" she glares at him with an angry stare as she and her friend pass him.

He watches as they ride away and he mounts his horse and rides behind them quietly.

***

"Sir Renol, an update from the scouts, we were mistaken… the Red Witch was seen mounting an attack on the prison ward a while ago with 2 other mages, and now she's coming to us through the main road. Should we wait in ambush, sir?" says the head mage.

"No, she will be expecting that and she will best us like the last time. Change of plan now that we've come this far, we heard to the countess and seek her aid. There we can mount an attack. Position the men as the origin plan." His fierce eyes look forward as he rides on with the men.

The head mage instructs his men and they split. Some remain with him and Renol and others ride ahead of them. The rest of the men remain on the road in wait for the Red Witch.

An hour later Renol reaches the Countess' house and he is met with her guards at the gate. "I am here to meet the countess, let me through," he commands them and they let he through and one of the guards leads them into her house.

Her house is large like one fitting for a lord of the land, dark grey with beautiful cut flowers surrounding it and they spread a flowery rose scented aroma that calms the soul. Maids welcome Renol and the head mage as they enter the house while someone rushes to call the Countess.

The maids offer him a sit but he refuses to sit and stands in wait instead.

A moment later a feeble-looking refined lady comes wearing dark brown tight leather clothes with her long dark hair let loose on her shoulders. Her gaze is fixated on Renol, "did you die?" she asks away without hesitation and for someone this feeble-looking to be talking in such a commanding manner heralds her presence as a lord.

Renol swallows. "As expected, you seem well, Lady Moore."

"Thank you as do you." She sits down on her chair and looks down on the men like a queen sitting on her throne. "How can I help you, Renol?"

"The Red Witch will be coming for this," he holds up Rayer's staff to the countess and her eyes widen.

"So, this is what got you killed?" she smiles, "anyone ever tell you never to steal from a girl?" she walks over to him and stops Infront of him. She studies the staff and takes her time staring at the rock on the head of the staff. "Wow, this is a very interesting rock and quite very powerful, no wonder she killed you."

"Yes, but she wasn't holding the staff when she killed me." He frowned.

"What?" she looked at him puzzled. "So, she leveled up and beat you?" she walked back to her chair.

"No, 3 days ago I personally pursued her into the skies with my dragon hunters, and her power level was where it has been for the last 6 months since she betrayed the kingdom and that is 3 levels below me. And… I shot her down from the sky but then she somehow managed to do a spell and got away but I tracked her down and imprisoned her in readiness for her execution and SHE WAS executed by EMAGICATION."

"She was? What do you mean?" she turned back. Curious. "A mage of her level can not survive that. Oh, did she have her staff with her?" she held up the staff to her face. Clever girl" she smiled.

"Yes WAS, and No she didn't have that staff with her."

"Ooh… I like this girl." She turned to look at him and said, "where is she now?"

"She coming here."

Her expression changed and she gave off a vibe of one filled with blood lust. She looked Renol straight into his eyes and grinned.