The Witch Hunt (Part 3)

"Are you going to follow us everywhere we go?" says Murler, frustrated as ever.

"Of course, why do you ask?" says Roz with a fake smile.

"Witch, go away!" she snaps but Roz keeps following the 2 girls wherever they turn. "Why are you following us?" She asks him but gets no reply so she and her friend just keep riding their horses and ignoring him.

"That hurts you know, i am right here, you could just talk to me like a normal human being," he tries at small talk but the girls ignore him.

They ride on for a while in complete awkward silence and they come across a roadblock. The 2 girls ignore the blockade and pass right through it. Roz notices a thin invisible barrier cutting across the blockade and stops, he stays behind and watches the girls to see what happens.

"Rayer, are you seeing that," Roz stares at the seemingly invisible wall-like sphere cutting across the blockade that fades into the forest.

He watches the 2 girls ride off into the distance until they shortly disappear. A moment later they appear behind him and they are confused.

"Go figure, so this barrier thing is the cause of this, i suppose," he says to himself.

"Witch, what spell did you do now!?" Murler snaps and she gets off her horse and confronts him. She gets closer to him and the height difference between them becomes ever so apparent. Frustrated she yells at him, "witch! Answer me!"

Confused Roz points at the barrier and says, "you don't see that?"

"See what?" Murler looks at where Roz is pointing and there is nothing there but a roadblock made of cut trees, "witch, undo your spell and let us through this instance!" she commands.

"First off, I didn't do anything and second, you seriously don't see that shimmering wall-like thing over there?" he points to it again.

"There is nothing there, witch, anyways there is more than one road here so we'll go the other way, DON'T FOLLOW US!" she frowns and mounts her horse and the 2 girls leave Roz behind.

"I guess your muscle boy is making his move now, huh?"

"I suppose he is," says Rayer in his mind.

Roz follows the girls along the main road.

***

"Sir Renol, the barrier we set on the road has worked and now the Red Witch and the 2 adventurers are heading this way as planned," one of the soldiers reports to Renol.

"Good," says Renol, "let her come here and do not engage her," he commands and the soldier walks away.

Lady Moore fingers to one of her maids and the maid brings her a gold bracelet and she wears it. She raises her head slightly and smiles, "she's here. Bring her to me, please."

"As you wish, Lady Moore," Renol bows his head and walks out the door with his men.

***

"Roz?"

"Yes, Rayer?"

"This land is owned by her countess, Lady Moore. She's strong and I am wary of her. If you fight her even you may not be able to come out unscathed. Please reconsider, Renol may have sought her aid already and may be lying in wait for us with her." Rayer airs her fears as the soldiers begin to show up from the bushes and slowly surround them.

"It's too late to turn back now, Rayer, we might as well have a word with her and hopefully she'll hand us back the staff and we'll be on our way to the kingdom."

The soldiers take Roz and the 2 girls to Lady Moore's mansion which is ever so inconspicuous as it towers over the small forest it's surrounded by.

After about 5 minutes of walking in silence the soldiers take Roz and the 2 girls to Renol. He's strict solid face is ever so him, so unchanging and cold like a man who has never smiled before. The only redeeming quality he has is his smooth and sexy deep voice. He seems angry, like a man who just died. Lol.

"Rayer," says Renol, "I must commend you for killing me, but today Lady Moore requests your presence. Do not resist," his cold eyes fixate on Rayer's and he is ready to fight another deciding battle to death and even now he still looks at Rayer as just Rayer unknowing that within her is Roz, the guy who actually killed him.

Renol takes them to the mansion.

At the mansion, the maids open the doors for them and Renol leads the way.

"Lady Moore," he bows, "here is the Red Witch."

The 2 girls Murler and her busty friend immediately kneel to the floor and bow their heads to Lady Moore. "Lady Moore, we have returned."

"The hell?" Roz snaps, confused at this new turn of events. Even Renol seems to be confused.

"Quiet witch," Murler hisses at Roz behind her hand, "we're in the presence of her countess."

"Lady Moore," says Renol, "I was unaware that these 2 were working for you. My apologies, for we nearly killed them ," he bows again.

"Fret not, Renol," says Lady Moore as she gets up from her 'throne', "these 2 are currently in exile until they serve their penance," she peers down into their eyes and the 2 burrow their heads even lower.

She turns and looks straight at Roz and says, "hi?" she smiles.

Roz looks on at all this and the misunderstanding clears itself up. But much like an automatic reaction his little girly knees suddenly feel weak. The tension Lady Moore exerts on everyone in the room is unquestioned. She is a very dangerous woman… at least enough to terrify the crap out of Rayer's body.

"Lady Moore," says Roz, "any chance you can give me the staff and let me go?" he speaks while mastering the strength to keep his knees from shaking.

"Well, that depends," she walks even closer to him, "tell me, how did you survive an Emagication?" her smile is on her face but her eyes tell a different story. He knows she's dangerous but to what extent?

He swallows.

He stands his ground but the short girly body he is trapped in doesn't help much considering how tall Lady Moore is. "I f*cking miss my body."