The Coven

Chapter 2

At the zeros hour when Emberi was asleep, Erix"s fellow worker, Theon Farren, darted towards the cell and in no time helped Erix decap from the prison.

“Run away sir, no time to talk,” he pushed Erix.

“I would definitely requite you Theon, but there"s something that I need to know,” he held Theon. “Make it quick, Sir. The officers might catch sight of us.”

“Do you, perhaps know how to call for Coven? More often than not, they appear themselves among humans,” he asked.

“Do you not know sir? I mean, you are a devoted follower of them,” Theon said.

“Huh, I’m not a follower Theon, but this situation entails Coven to be here.”

“Unfortunately, I do not know sir, but there is someone who might know. It’s Mr.Easton who had invited them for the birthday celebrations but I doubt that he might tell you.”

Erix scurries towards Easton"s gigantic sumptuous-looking mansion and knocks out the guard. He then hastens steps close to the entrance and then quietly to his room, where the mansion’s owner is found sleeping alone in a deluxe room.

“Easton? Wake up, you lousy geezer! Just for this night, I beg you,” mumbles Erix. “Mrs.Morris, I’m right next to you,” Easton was super drowsy. “This won’t do! I must level him to the floor,” Erix smacks Easton with a vase.

“What the heck, Erix! Or are you Erix"s spirit? He must have died in the hands of inhuman Carlos!”

“No! I’m the real Erix!” Erix begged him to wake up. “So, you are “real” Erix? But the “real Erix” is in prison!!” he sounded stupid. “I’m here and I have no other choice but to smack him once again,” he smacks.

“Erix? The guide? Who"s locked up in the prison but also present right in front of me?”

“I have risked my life to hurry over a tender-hearted man like you Lord Easton. Please stretch your kind hands towards me. I’m tagged as a looter now even though I did not touch a thing at your barn. Injustice has thrashed all over me Lord Easton. Show pity and help out this poor fellow if you please,” Erix cried. “I’m not sure what this might lead to Erix. But I feel that injustice has certainly procured your life. What should I do to avail you, Mr.Guide?” he cried along with him.

“Lord Easton, I just want to know the way to call out for Coven. If you just tell me this, I will be a galley slave to you.” Easton hands over a chit to Erix. “Take this. Write on this the reason you want to call them. Then make your way towards Mount Cassia, under which there is a cave that you must enter. That is all Erix, your work is done.”

Erix rushes to Mount Cassia, the second-largest in Emberi. The great base was entirely accommodated by flowers most of which were glowing yellow Cassias and fireflies floated around them.

A glimpse of that sight, especially the time from dusk till dawn reminds anyone of gold piled up treasure. Erix ambled towards the base to find the cave. Although the place was completely golden lit, there was an alcove-like gateway and the surrounding which was altogether dark. He thought it to be the mouth of the cave. Panic-strickened Erix hesitates to enter the tranquil cave at this dark hour, but having no other choice he shuts his eyes with the chit clutched in his arms and runs as if he was ready to crash anything coming ahead of his way. Continued running, he approaches the end of the cave and crashes a mysterious woman with his eyes still shut.

The woman yells. “Who pluck up the courage to disturb me from my comfortable position?” The environment was suddenly as bright as a sunny morning. Erix opens his eyes to apologize to the woman, who is appeared to be standing upside down. She grills him, “Are you from Emberi? Hand over the chit to me, I’ll pass it to Aderyn. She must be asleep right now."

“Aderyn? Excuse me, lady, I desire to explore this place. What is it called as?” Erix inquired. “Aderyn is Coven"s messenger and this place is Nogami, which was created by Novelle and Hazel,” the woman answered. “Relax yourself, lady, stand upright and guide me in this place,” Erix was unconvinced about her appearance.

“But this is how we were created. Everything is Nogami is upside down.” Erix whose eyes were stable on the woman takes a look around Nogami till the very end of the horizon. The entire land is upside down. “Am I standing upside down too!?” he was surprised. But in Namigo, Erix was the only person standing upright and that’s how the mysterious lady standing upside down recognized him as a citizen from Emberi. Houses and stalls are built upside down. Trees, plants, herbs, and shrubs are all growing upside down. Moreover, the people are walking, talking, and running upside down too. When you stand erect in an upside-down world what you see below is neither the land nor the sea but a big blue sky. This place is invigorated and built incompletely.

“Astounding! I wonder why Novelle put everything upside down, or maybe it is the spadework of Hazel,” he looked around hoping for Hazel not to be anywhere around him.

“Here it is. Aderyn is here to deliver your chit, young man,” she said.

“This is the only bird flying upright.”

Aderyn, a crow, lays her beak on the chit and glides away. Erix returns to Emberi and hides in Easton"s guest house waiting for Coven. It’s 4 am and Erix is rousted the whole night filled with surprises. “Sprinkles, sprinkles, colorful sprinkles on cupcakes, UGH! “magical” sprinkles and sprinkles on cakes, ummm, yummy, CARINA!! It’s just magical sprinkles!” The magical sprinkles shoot around the guest house as Carina of Coven appears. “Very, well cake sprinkles work too.”

“Your chit says: I did not loot the barns, kindly liberate me from Carlos"s injustice law. I may know who the suspect is,” Carina read out loud.

“Certainly, the suspect is Azul,” Erix dozed on the floor clutching a pillow against him.

“And how certain are you?” Carina interrogated.

Erix wakes up. “The suspect is Azul. The hat! The hat I tossed off in front of him out of anger as he kept talking about Novelle. It was my last time seeing my hat. Azul possibly fabricated it to dispose of me as the robber. Trust me, this is the truth.”

Before returning to Melian Castle, Carina instructs Erix to hide in Easton’s mansion until they find the real culprit. In the Castle, the five witches seat around a round table to discuss the possible suspicions that happened in and around Emberi in recent days.

“So, the culprit according to Erix is Azul Maverick? They were always together since he was his guide,” Novelle started the discussion. “I heard that he was summoned before the Chief as he all of a sudden took a day off and he was also forgiven on the word of Azul,” Celeste gave a point. “I doubt the chief would forgive him so easily. When the guide was providing him the information and insights on Emberi, Azul rather kept prating about Novelle which could obviously annoy the guide,” Carina suspected.

“He even turned down to chomp on dishes Emberi is famous for and most often visited only Carlos"s office ignoring Emberi and departed before time. He lacks the prowess of being a traveller,” Hazel hissed.

“I wonder if the chief is involved in this. Matilda, don’t you have anything to say?” asked Novelle.

“There"s something I neglected. I must have seen him after he departed from Emberi. Supposedly he had to take the ship at the port but I espied him walking towards the abandoned house not very far away from the port.”

“Isn’t he a con artist!?” Hazel was shocked.

Matilda, Celeste, and Hazel directed themselves towards the abandoned house while Novelle meets Easton to ask him for a favour and Carina is on her way to Chief"s office.

The chief at the Chief"s office roars “Where did that wrongdoer escape? and how? How in the presence of so-called officers? When did you all turn out to be so incompetent, you half-arsed people?”

“It is surely the work of inside people Chief. I suspect Theon since he was Erix"s fellow worker and was close enough with him to help him decamp,” one of the superintendents answered.

“Produce that bastard in front of me right away,” the Chief commanded. “I did not help him Chief, I envied him being a senior of mine and since he was imprisoned, I was more than just happy to take over his position. Trust me,” Theon panicked. “You will, in no way escape from me Theon, tell me the truth,” the chief was furious.

“I was the one who helped him break the prison Chief. Theon is innocent.” Carina enters Chief"s hall on her magical broomstick with total heroinism. As soon as the chief saw her, he yelled “you, cheaters!” “Let"s just cut to the chase, Chief. Erix is not an offender and the chief knows that too. He did not deserve to be in prison without a proper investigation so I took things into my hands and helped him escape from prison,” she boldly said.

A little far away from the Chief"s office, Easton organizes a grand public function to celebrate the “Capture of Erix by Coven,” and the celebrations were loud enough to be heard till the Chief"s office. He orders his men to look into the celebrations and spends an hour waiting for them to come back with the information. No one arrived. He now orders his officials to check on them and they’re gone too. No sign of Easton ending the celebrations and no sign of officers returning to the Chief’s office. This time he furiously directs himself towards the celebrations with a blaze in his eyes.

“Greetings Chief. What do you think about a public function after numerous gloomy days? Isn’t it attracting innumerable people? Your men are having fun too. Your officials hesitated so I had to force them to stay,” Easton smiled welcoming the Chief. “Mr.Easton, isn’t it a bit harsh to tie up their hands? Moreover, their mouths are sealed too. What"s the deal?”

“This isn’t fair Chief, I’m making sure that they do not miss this invaluable celebration. I’m giving out gifts to everyone and I’ll give them to you and your officials too.”

“Why this event all of a sudden?” the Chief controlled his anger gazing at him.

“I feel happier now that Coven has captured Erix than when your officials did. I’m sure he receives a deserved punishment for his sins or maybe not because he hasn’t done one,” Easton too gazed at him. “What are you talking about Mr.Easton?” he asked clutching his teeth.

“Did you still not get the grasp of the situation Chief? I wonder how you’re a sovereign of Emberi. I would like Coven to take care of the robbery as I would refuse to survive your corrupted orders.” “You will surely pay for this Mr.Easton”

“Sir! Sir!” Theon came running. “Sir! Carina of Coven has invaded into your personal office. You must be right there!” he alerted. “My personal office out of all places!?” the Chief was worried. “She shouldn’t be going there!” chuntered Chief Carlos rushing to his office. Slamming the door against the wall, he espied his office with a sigh. There was no one. The office was calm as soon as the windows started shuttering. “Let me close the windows for you sir,” offered Theon as he suddenly stomps upon a piece of glass.

“Where did that come from?” Carlos wondered.

“It’s from that glassed box over there, sir,” he points out at the broken, desquamated box.

“So, she was here!”

2 hours ago, at the Chief’s office, when everyone was busy with Easton’s “all of a sudden” event Carina unties Theon’s hands and asked him where the guide’s hat was.

“Upstairs in Chief"s personal office. But there are guards,” he warned adding that the chief seemed suspicious. “He does, Theon,” she said as she glided over to the Chief’s personal office where they were 6 guards in total.

Carina lifted her hands up and bought them together in the air. She rubbed them against each other as the pungent fumes started to arise in between her fingers. She opened her hands apart and blew the fumes over the guards near the Chief’s personal office. She called it as the “ Vasovagal forthwith” one of her spells, that put the guards in an unconscious state. The guide’s hat was hidden under a sealed glass box which she had to break to get Erix’s hat out of it. She casts her spell “Congeal dust”, a cloud of dust which sprinkled on anything congeals or melts it to be able to mould it in any shape. The glass around the box congealed letting out fumes. She then kept the guide"s hat hidden under her conical hat and escapes through the window. But she thought that she escaped leaving behind a congealed glass box but it turns out the box stiffened sooner than it should and fell onto the ground breaking into pieces.

“The guide’s hat is gone. I wonder why they want it. I mean, a talk in between us and I would have given it to her by myself,” Carlos joked.

“Aren’t you surprised sir? I mean, back then you were anxious as if something was hidden in the office. Wasn’t it the hat?” Theon was in fret. “Not at all. You can go back to work,” Carlos laughed.

“Here’s the hat!” yelled Carina from the sky as she lands near the abandoned house where the rest of Coven were waiting. The looks of the big black bungalow were spine-chilling but looked as good as new. No one ever lived in that place and never will because of the hearsay that it holds, “Big black bungalow the dwell of people with dark past”, “It’s a spinning black hole which squeezes you in”. Any hardihood can live a luxurious life in this bungalow, but no one dares to. This haunted bungalow was total black and gave out a dark aura even when the day was as bright as a summer morning with no clouds at all.

Matilda directs her hellhound Ivy to sniff on the guide"s hat and follow the nearby scent. Ivy quickly recognizes the scent and swifts to the inside of the abandoned bungalow. The core of the bungalow had numerous doors out of which Ivy had to choose one to open. She was confused as the scent ended near the foot of every door.

“Let"s open the 7th door”, “No, the 2nd one,” “First one would be better”, “Can we just open all the doors?” they argued. “There are 10 doors and “NOVELLE” has 7 letters. Let"s see if this works out.” It was Carina’s idea. “I see a blazing red magical portal!”

“Carina is right. I checked all of the doors and only this one has something unusual,” Celeste informed.

“But how is the magical portal still intact? It should shut down as soon as one enters it,” Hazel was doubtful whether it was a magical portal.

“But before it shuts down, we must make our way through it. “Epoch portal” is what it is called as and its property is to stay intact for a time longer than we could imagine. Judging by the looks of it, it could stay intact for another half a day,” Novelle hastens everyone to enter it.

“Then we must return as soon as possible. But we’d go up in flare if we enter,” Matilda reminded them.

“Our hellhounds can help,” said Carina collecting all 5 hellhounds in a place. Novelle uses her spell “Abridge Physique” on others to reduce their size so that their respective familiars can sink them in their maws to shield them from blazing fire while setting their foot inside the magical portal.

The magical portal led the familiars out of a dark abyss stationed on the ground. The vermilion undercurrent of volcanic aura encircled by tremendous spearlike rocks that surrounded like a bulwark, whose base is almost wainscoted by contrasting shades of blazing red demonic flowers.

Up in the dusky ether, they transpire fiendish flying creatures, and other hideous creatures on the ground. The creatures possessed different horns unique to each other and they had different coloured skin, mostly red and green. Some had bat-like wings and some had vulture-like which were small and big. They walked on their toe nails and their finger nails were pointed enough to tear any tough skin apart. They looked adept enough to devour anyone in no time.

Carina"s Thistle enjoins other hellhounds to speed up towards the doorway of the bulwark. Within the reach to exit the bulwark, they expectorate Coven out to the ground. Novelle takes back her spell and each one of them disguises themselves as one of those creatures with devil horns and magical broomsticks turned into their demonic wings. Yes, they’ve reached the world of dreadfulness, another world in Kanastron, the Great Demon Land, Balmoral.

A place where no other race can survive. It is a tenebrous welkin hell that hollers between fear and death. The vault of hell was red and indistinct owing to the volcanoes present everywhere. Exhaustively the demons with tapering horns and humongous wings psyched up to devour anything and anywhere and are even seen attacking and preying on each other.

“So that hoax traveller was a demon?” Hazel was shocked thinking that the people of Emberi were right.

“Let"s separate ways to spot Azul and look what he"s up to. Now that we’ve acquired the scent of demons, we’ll probably look less skeptical. Let"s meet right here before the scent fades away,” Novelle enjoins others.

They separate their ways along with their familiars and decide not to go very far from the bulwark"s doorway. Hazel decides to fly straight forward with Peony and catches sight of colossal-sized vile sacks being pulled most probably by demon workers. “If they’re laborers then it should be worth following them and the size of sacks seems suspicious too. They might unload the thing in Demon King"s Castle,” she guessed.

As dreadful as the demon world is, Hazel approaches a place that is hundredfold dreadful and gruesome in Balmoral. It was the Demon King"s Castle. Its mouth huger and wider than a volcanic crater. A giant lightning bolt strikes against its devilish eyes like casement. Its balusters limned a hellhound"s jaws and its pilasters evoked black-nailed blood-curdling mitts. It is a Castle that can certainly haunt one"s dreams.

Hazel sets her foot on the ground and uses her magical ability that helps her see and hear through things from a certain small-scale distance, and hides behind the pilaster of the Castle. Its gates open straight to the stairs enfolded by mahogany carpet. The end of it was placed with a cruel conflagration demon"s throne. Magnificent power the fearsome throne beheld which sank in architect flames around it. Beyond the throne, there is a two-way staircase on which all the demon ministers seated left and right on their chairs stared as if gravely waiting for someone to appear. What the Castle unequivocally did not portray is the real warmth and kindness.

“All rise,” a demon standing next to the throne vociferated. The devil horns raised up in height as all the demons stood sincerely. Lightning fragments struck on the throne to welcome the ruler of Great Balmoral. The ruler"s devilish scaly pointed dark horns were half covered by the demon"s majestic ruby crown.

“Your Royal Majesty, I, Rylan Callum, as Balmoral"s Minister has obeyed your command. Here are the things you ordered from the Human World,” said the one who looked like Azul as the huge sacks enter the court.

“Keep up the good work, Minister Rylan. I will surely reward you big time,” said the ruler of Balmoral.

“All hail, Your Majesty.” “All hail Demon Queen Jezabel."

“Demon Queen!? Jezabel!?” Hazel gulped.

The one and only ruler of Great Balmoral, The Demon Queen, Jezabel Rhodes. Graceful as her smile is, boldly formidable her eyes are. The red sheath gown concurred well with her black devilish horns and dark wings frayed at the ends which were much darker in color. Her potentiality rendered that only Queen Jezabel can rule Balmoral and nobody else. The Queen ambled towards her throne with a magical wand loosely held in her left hand and a b****y wine glass in her right.

“Hey? What are you looking at?” inquires a guard on duty outside the Castle who seems to catch a sight of Hazel. Hazel must get off at once as her scent begins to fade away. She will not make it to the bulwark if she doesn’t cut and run.

“Not very special, I should get going,” she turns her back.

“I haven’t seen such a mischievous-looking demon since I started off as a guard. Who are you?” he enquired.

“Starting today I’m appointed as a maid to the Queen. I must hurry,” Hazel replied.

“How does a maid own a hellhound?” he started doubting.

“That"s not mine, I don’t own it,” Hazel said as she instructs Peony to run away.

“You’re not a demon, aren’t you?” the guard caught her.

“What? Don’t blabber fables, you’re just another lousy guard. Move aside,” she was startled.

“I’m certain that you’re not a demon. Look at all those demons confused and some raging towards this pilaster as they find you. Not all the demons here are lousy even if I’m,” the guard smirked as he points his finger opposite to the entrance of the Castle.

Hazel is implausible at that moment. Those demons, looking almost misshapen, began to enclose her. The guard being much more impulsive than other demons lays his unsightly fingers on her as other demons gather near the pilaster. Hazel"s existence more or less came to an end.

“This is repugnant, I gotta fight them back!” she tried to make her way through the crowd.

“Cease your actions right away, you cacodemons,” commanded the Queen as she walks herself out of the Castle with a dozen of gargantuan demon guards behind her.

“What dealing does a witch have in my Balmoral?” the queen looked intimidated.

“What dealing does a doltish demon have in our Emberi?” Hazel couldn’t bend to her.

“Your Emberi? So, are you one of those witches living in the human world?”

“Rylan, you, pea-brained blighter, how could you wrongly accuse Erix? Surely your ghastly Queen has no creed at all,” Hazel ranted.

“How dare you to raise your voice in my realm, you darned witch!” the Queen raged.

“When it is you demons who entered our Emberi with a third-rate intention, what dare should I have, to behave in your unsightly presence, Queen Jezabel? So lowly of you Queen, you send your minister just to steal goods from the human world?”

“Shut your mouth before I kill you!” the queen lost her temper.

“Try hard, Queen Jezabel!” Hazel glides off with her magical broomstick right after using her spell “cease senses” on demons around her that deactivated their senses. Although Jezabel who is unaffected chases her violently. “Listen, stealthy witch, bring yourself onto the ground, or else I will do it by force,” warned the Queen. “Why don’t you just do that, Queen?” challenged Hazel. “So, you don’t get what the deal is?” smirked Queen Jezabel as her acrylic demon nails set on fire extended in length inchmeal and got wrapped around Hazel whose deal was just to escape before Queen Jezabel could catch her. In no time the Queen depresses her onto the ground and in a flash shuts down Hazel"s magic which recasts her into nothing more than a human.

“So, I heard from Minister Rylan that there are yet four more of you. I’ll torment and kill them all! Rylan close off the magic portal at Bulwark! These witches doesn’t seem to know how to create one,” she orders.

“Devour!” “Devour!", the demons shout as they want to munch her away immediately. “Not right away, I decide to imprison her until the “Red Rivulet",” she announced.

The rest of the members have already met near the bulwark except for Hazel and stand by disquietly until she returns. They note Hazel"s hellhound Peony running anxiously towards them who instantly projects through his eyes everything that happened in and around Hazel.

“What can we possibly do? I will progress myself to Hazel and others get out of here!” Matilda was restless.

“Unfortunately, no time to reach Hazel, Matilda, as the magical portal is about to close. The Queen seems very strong. We may never return to Emberi, but there should surely be a way to get back here,” Novelle stated.

“It’s dangerous but also unfair to leave Hazel behind. Can’t we do anything?” Celeste couldn’t leave Hazel behind for a moment.

“We can if we first escape!” said Caria as they beat a hasty retreat and make it out of the magic portal. Back in the abandoned bungalow, they return losing a part of themselves, their dear member Hazel who is now in the gruesome Balmoral, in the gruesome hands of Queen Jezabel.

“Hazel is jeopardized Novelle, rescuing her before anything happens must be our first concern!” cried Matilda.

“With that in mind, we cannot attack them right away. We need a plan.”