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Mara kept her head down, hood pulled firmly over her head. There were so many witches, so many branded wrists, she was hopeful she could sneak in with the masses.
“Over here! I found another wild witch!” A guard's voice rang out behind her.
Mara clenched her fist, glancing over her should and then willing herself to not look further. To not draw attention to herself.
Her bounty was never anywhere near someone like Eda’s, but a rogue healer who worked primarily on wild witches was just as wanted. And thanks to the demon genes of her great grandfather, Mara had a very recognizable hair mutation.
Almost there. She urged herself, seeing the entry point for the oracle coven. You can find her.
She was so close, just a few more feet...
Her hood was suddenly yanked back and someone violently grabbed her arms. “Hey!” She exclaimed, jerking against the hold.
“I thought I recognized you.” The guard said. “It was quick but you had just enough of your face showing to give yourself away, healer. Or should I say wild witch?”
“Fuck off!” Mara exclaimed, throwing her head back into his nose.
“Ah!” He let her go, albeit briefly. “You bitch!”
Mara bolted for the coven but was quickly intercepted. She was looking for a way around when a shadow loomed over her from behind. “You’ll regret that.” The voice hissed.
Mara turned around just in time to catch a gauntleted hand to the face. She cried out, falling to her knees. Her nose was bleeding, she could tell that much even with her swimming vision. “Stay down.” He gave a swift kick to her side and she went down, laying on the ground unable to move.
Damn it. She thought, tears spilling from her eyes. She caught one last glimpse of her goal just before her mind went blank. I’m sorry.
***
Eda stood next to Raine on the airship, teeth grit as she watched the witches around her. The people they were trying so desperately to save.
“Over here! I found another wild witch!”
Eda’s head whipped around at that, growling as she watched the scouts drag another witch toward a carriage. Raine set a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to relax. There was nothing she could do right now.
“Take them to the conformatorium!” The scout shouted.
“Hang on, I have one more.” Another voice called.
Eda turned again, and she felt her heart jump into her throat.
The scout who called out was dragging an unconscious witch. A very familiar pink-and-blue-haired witch.
“Fuck. Mara.” Eda whispered, jerking forward on instinct.
The grip on her shoulder tightened and she clenched her teeth, fists tightening at her sides.
Mara's head lulled back and Eda gasped. Her face was swollen and blood dripped from her lips. There's nothing you can do. She reminded herself, forcing herself to relax, to turn away. Win. That's the best way to help her now.
“You okay?” Raine asked softly.
“I will be. When we finish this.” Eda started walking, Raine’s hand falling away from her. They followed quickly after.
This is it. Eda thought. We have to win.
She pulled an invisibility glyph from her hair and took a deep breath.
***
Eda inhaled a grateful gasp of air, the invisibility spell dissipating as she did. “Oh, that last stretch was a long one.” Eda popped her limbs, pulling some off to reattach them. Damn, sometimes she really felt like her age was higher.
Raine walked up to her, expression twisted with worry. “Eda, this is serious. Come on.” They sighed. “The stone won’t conceal your voice, so try not to speak, also...”
“Hey, the curse is gonna do its thing. I’ve got this, Rainstorm, don’t worry.” She smiled, placing her hands on their shoulders even as she knew she was lying to them. It hurt, but they would never let her go through with this otherwise.
“Don’t.” Raine pulled back, and Eda’s face fell. They looked at the ground, then reached for her hand. The one that now had a sigil branded on its wrist. Slowly they traced over the red lyre before cradling her hand. “Don’t tell me not to worry.” Their eyes slowly lifted to meet hers.
Eda felt her heart rate increase. At that moment it almost felt like...
“Edalyn!”
Lilith’s shout broke the moment, and Raine stepped back quickly as she ran to wrap her arms around her younger sister.
Eda smiled softly, hugging her back, but her eyes still drifted back to the bard briefly.
Let me be wrong, Raine. It would be easier for both of us. Eda knew there was no proof, not from such a brief moment. It was just a feeling she could hope was wrong for their own sake.
Because as she said goodbye to Hooty and Lilith she knew she would be walking to her doom. The curse would stop the draining spell and end her in the process.
She remembered the feeling of flesh burning away during her stunt with Raine.
If they were going to save the world, it would mean letting her own life end.
***
Mara groaned, rolling over as a wave of nausea passed over her.
“Mara!” A voice called, sounding relieved.
She slowly blinked her eyes open, grateful for the very dim light of an orb in the carriage. Her eyes met those of another wild witch. She glanced around, recognizing a good number of her fellow prisoners. Perks of being a wild healer she supposed. “Oh, Titan.” Mara moaned, holding her face. She carefully put some of her own healing magic into it, instantly taking down some of the swelling.
“Are you alright?” The witch kneeling beside her asked.
She pushed herself up on her elbows. Ah yes, she did know this witch. “I’m fine Jun.” She told him. “Just a little bruised. Shouldn’t be too serious.”
He sat back with a sigh. “Good. I was worried. What happened to you?”
“I tried to fight back. Guess I did it too well yet not well enough.” She shook her head.
“Why were you here? I thought you didn’t believe any of this Day of Unity stuff.” Another voice called.
Mara chewed her lip. “I don’t.” She admitted. “I wasn’t here to look for some grand show from the Titan or whatever. I was just trying to find someone. It doesn’t matter now. We’re all in the same place in the end.”
Silence fell over the room before Jun sighed. “Yeah, I suppose we are.”
The carriage suddenly jerked to a halt, throwing everyone forward. When they found their bearings again, they realized they could hear screaming in the distance.
“What’s happening?” One of the women asked concerned, trying to get the latch over the window open.
“I’m not sure, but if I had to guess, the Day of Unity has started.” Mara whispered. Then she curled into a ball. It was too late to help anyone now.
She failed.
***
This wasn’t happening. It was a nightmare. It had to be.
“No. No, no, no. Raine! Ah!” Eda cried in pain as her curse-addled arm was pulled from the coven spell. She was shoved into the grasp of an abomaton, watching in horror as Raine was dropped into their space by another. “Raine!”
“Eda!” They cried out as the spell activated fully, the magic pull in the sigils increasing exponentially.
Terra looked far too pleased with herself, having no idea the horrors she had just put in motion.
Darius looked broken, Eber was still at knifepoint, and the world was about to end.
Titan, Eda wasn’t even able to do this right.
The curse was spreading now, taking over more of her body as the draining spell gained power.
That was when everyone else seemed to realize something was wrong.
There was screaming and chaos from below as the heads fell to their knees.
“Raine, Belos is giving us paradise, right?” Terra sounded scared now, finally seeming to realize what was done.
Too little, too late. Eda thought bitterly.
The pain was spreading, her strength was leaving, and soon Eda found it a chore to keep her eyes open.
With one last fleeting look toward Raine, her vision finally faded, and she passed out.
***
When Eda woke, it was to a searing pain. Something set the Owl Beast off. She could feel it in the back of her mind, and the curse was suddenly flaring, spreading over her body rapidly. She cried out, holding her arm. This was it then. It was finally going to consume her completely.
Then hands gently wrapped around her wrists, and she opened her eyes to meet a familiar green. “Raine?” Her voice was weak and scratchy, fading with the rest of her body.
“I promised a special kid, I’d protect you.” They told her.
The hand around her right wrist tightened, and Raine pulled, the limb coming loose and dissolving with the rot of the curse. For the first time, Eda felt pain when her limb was removed, but that was nothing compared to the relief of the curse receding. Raine smiled at her, then fell forward as the spell caught up with them once more.
“Raine!” She cried, hand fisting in their vest as they laid against her thighs. Tears fell freely down her face as she held them.
This couldn’t be happening.
It was supposed to be her.
And yet her bard had once again sacrificed themself to save her. It wasn’t fair. Not to them. They didn’t deserve this.
Eda held them as the world around her fell apart.
Then, suddenly, it all stopped.
The sky changed back to normal above her, and Eda stared at the now shifted moon. Confusion washed over her. She didn’t know what stopped the spell, but for the moment she was grateful.
“Eda!” Her head turned, Darius was awake, pushing himself up on shaky arms. “Are you alright?”
“As I can be.” She told him. Her attention quickly went back to Raine, still unconscious against her. “Rainstorm?” She said softly, nudging them. “Hey, wake up.”
They were breathing, which kept her panic at bay, but it was clear they were gone much further than the others. She brushed her hand over their forehead gently.
“Are they okay?” Darius had come to stand beside her now, a half-conscious Eber on his shoulder.
“I think they will be. They’re still breathing.” Eda turned to look at the other two again.
Darius gasped. “Your arm...”
“It could be worse.” She cut him off quickly. “The curse was going to kill me.”
The realization that crossed Darius’ face at those words made her gut twist with guilt. No one had known what she did, and now it was going to be out. “You knew it would happen.” There was no question behind the words.
“It was for the best.” She whispered. “It doesn’t matter now.”
The Earth beneath them began to shake, and then suddenly the Titan’s skull began to crack. “What the-?” Darius’ alarmed gaze met hers, and Eda was quick to stand.
“I can’t carry them like this.” She motioned desperately to Raine.
Darius quickly passed Eber off to her, his lighter form easy to hold with her one arm. Then he lifted Raine. “We need to go.” He started for the stairs quickly, Eda close behind.
“What’s happening?”
“I don’t know, but whatever it is can’t be good.” He called.
“Eda!”
Another voice broke through the chaos and she turned. “Lily! Are you okay?”
“As I can be.” She ran up, Hooty still on her back and the BATs close behind.
“Raine!” Derwin halted, looking incredibly concerned.
“They’re okay. Or should be. The spell just took more out of them.” Darius assured.
“Sister, your arm...”
“I’ll explain later.” The ground shook again. “Right now, we have to go!”
“Where?” Katya asked.
It was a good question, and Eda looked at Darius for an answer.
“The goal would be one of our hideouts, but we’ll have to see how far whatever this is reaches.” He told them.
It was an acceptable answer for now, and the group proceeded on.
They had made it out of the ritual area, weaving through the groups of other witches also now awake and fleeing. The road was getting less crowded as people scattered in various directions, either looking for loved ones or having their own destinations in mind.
An abandoned cart caught Eda’s eye. It had been abandoned by whatever scout was manning it, but the back was still latched. She paused.
“Eda!” Lilith turned back and saw her stop. Her shout halted the others.
“That’s the cart with the wild witches.” She pointed. “We can’t leave them.”
Eda was pleased when Eber growled an agreement from her shoulder.
Darius groaned, but then nodded at Lilith and the BATs.
The two bards went over, using their magic to break the lock off the cart before Lilith opened it, Hooty at the ready just in case.
When the light flooded the inside the occupants all covered their eyes briefly before blinking rapidly. They almost immediately spotted the coven heads and jumped to attention. “Hey! It’s alright, they’re with us.” Eda said quickly.
That caught their attention. “Owl Lady?”
“One and only.” She told them.
Someone pushed their way to the front. “Eda?”
“Mara! You’re okay.” Eda sighed with relief. “I saw what happened, but I couldn’t...”
“It’s okay.” Mara assured. She looked at her concerned. “Your arm.”
“It’s actually gone.” Eda glanced at the stub.
“Let me see it.” She came over, examining the area and then channeling some healing magic to it.
Eda sighed in relief. “Oh, I didn’t realize how bad that was until now.”
“That should keep things out of it for now.” Mara told her. She looked at the rest of the group. “Anyone else injured?”
“Mara! Those are coven heads!” One of the wilds exclaimed stepping forward.
“They’re the rebellion!” Eda snapped back. “Trust me, I’m not out here making friends with the enemy.”
The witch snapped their mouth shut, but still eyed them suspiciously.
“I think we’re okay.” Lilith told her. “But thank you.”
Mara nodded. “It’s the least I can do for you getting us out.”
“Wait, can you make sure Raine is okay? They’re still unconscious.”
Darius approached her with some suspicion, and Mara returned the expression, but she quickly checked over Raine’s vitals. “They’ll be fine. Just drained for now.”
Eda sighed in relief. “Thank you. You should all get out of here. Something is happening at the skull, and I don’t trust it not to spread.”
The group nodded. “Thank you, Eda.”
Eda shook her head “Thank you, Mara. Stay safe.”
“You too.”
The two groups parted ways, each making their way to their own safe haven.
No one knew what was happening yet, but at least they were all still alive to try and stop it.
The fight wasn’t over yet, but they survived the draining spell.
Eda knew they could face whatever came next. Together.