I Reincarnated as an NPC Witch

Mystery Behind the Cloaks

Everyone looked around as they spotted some people behind the bushes. As the arrows were fired at them, they immediately docked. Much to the dismay of the family, they hid behind the pillars and walls of this altar. The Count was on the ground with an arrow that was pierced on his arms. Yris was on her knees and embracing her father between her arms. Wren immediately pulled them and helped the count up. “You two being exposed is a big mistake! Come hide.” Wren puts them in a much safer place as the others start fighting back.

Lavena pulls one arrow that was engraved at one of the pillars and studies it. It was an unusual arrow. It was crystal clear and it was so cold to touch. So much so that she immediately let it fall from her hands. “An ice arrow!?” She said to herself as she looks at the enemies which are being taken care of the ones with a ranged attack. Abigail looks at her, resting for a bit after letting out a blast of magic. “Ice arrow?” Lavena nods, “These are no ordinary bandits, Abigail. We need to escape!” She said as she leads them deep into the forest on the top of the mountain. Winsel and Edsel helped Wren on taking off to the sky with the Count on his back. They started to run away and occasionally fought back when needed.

“As much as possible, let’s not get hit by the arrows,” Lavena said as they run through the trees with Wren above them. “How’s the count, Wren?” Gallant shouted. “He seems not fine at all for an arrow shot in the shoulder. This means something grave.” Lavena sighs as she looks at Yris, “How fast are your carriages?”

“W-well, it depends on the horses, Miss Lavena. I don’t know how well they are for fast travel this time. It might tire the horses also. Those poor things don’t deserve that.” Lavena sighs as she thinks of a plan to get out of this place. Keeana kept the pursuers at bay by attacking them back with an arrow. “I know these arrows could come in handy.” She pulls one with a red gradient tip, “Take that!” She shot one of them which was successful. The one she shot slowly melts from the part where he was shot and finally disintegrates into a liquid matter.

They arrived at the carriages where she ran past through. “Run for your lives!” She shouted as they ran past them, leaving some of them confused. “What are you doing, Lavena?” Catrina said as the latter looked at her, “Those carriages won’t do us any good. We need to flee by ourselves.” She looks up to the sky, “Are you still okay there?” Wren looks at her and nods, “The count is surprisingly light!”

“Take a look out for any villages nearby, we need to cure him quickly.” She looks at Edsel, “Make a fire wall, now.” The boy didn’t hesitate as he turns around and stopped in his tracks, moving a bit if needed.  He stretches his arms and makes a wall made of fire in front of them. It was a little bit precarious since there are trees around and a lot of grass in the ground. “I guess no war is will left an intact place.” He muttered to himself as he followed his friends. Their pursuers stopped in their tracks with the long wall of fire in sight. They gasped in shock at the appearance of the big wall of fire in front of them.

One of them looked at yet another robed figure. It was just like them, but with its unique appearance, it resembles its leadership among them. “They ran away, my lord.” The robed figure looks at the latter, “It’s fine, it’s better than getting melted in this wall of fire. Langry put it out.” Another robed figure nods as it throws a crystal-looking object to the wall of fire. It floated in between the hot walls as it slowly puts it out, giving them a clear sight on the other side. They found nothing, as expected. The leader sighs, “They have outwitted us. Although, I supposed you got the count?” One of them nods, “Yes, we did. He was being held by that bird guy so we didn’t take another shot at him to make his freezing a lot easier.”

“One is enough, this magic is not yet known by witches and sorcerers. I supposed they can’t cure him before he finally lets out his final, cold breath.” Even the face of the robed person was hidden, there was a feeling they were smirking. “It would be such a surprise if they did.”

“Should we possibly follow them and see if they can cure him?” One of them suggested which made the leader look at them, “Great idea, Lanquish. Although, what could be our gain if we know one way or another?” “Well,” The servant nervously spoke, “If we witnessed that they cure him, it’s great information to have in our hands, my lord.” The leader slowly approached him, “Are you showing a doubt in the magic that I have given to you?” The servant immediately shakes his head, “No, I am not, my lord. It’s just that, we are unsure what these heroes are capable of. We know ours but we don’t know theirs. Even we know that no witches nor sorcerers could help the count, they aren’t called heroes if they aren’t somewhat special and different from normal magical practitioners.”

“Then, you are confirming your doubt on the strength of our magic compared to them? Is that what you are saying!?” The servant fell on his knees and insisted on his idea once more. “I am not, I swear, my lord. They have the Floral Witch, my lord, if that relieves your mind and maybe considering my proposition. They have not just an ordinary magical practitioner, but someone who has a specialty, and is possibly great at it. Even though they have no idea of what prowess you have and what you gave us, she can possibly find a cure or a way to relieve the Count’s pain. It’s a count, after all, a ruler of a city, a famous one. Saving such a person could grant great merit for them and especially herself. The merit of fame and people’s gratitude. There’s no doubt that they will push their limits to solve the mystery that you and your magic are. Besides, moths tend to fly and get enticed with light, right?” The servant explained with him shaking visibly in fear. His hands were clasped together and begging her not to kill or do anything to him.

The leader’s shoulder lowered. As the servant saw it, he was relieved. “I supposed you are right, Lanquish. They do indeed have that pesky little witch that killed most of you. Such a peculiar thing, I haven’t heard of her and saw just a small glimpse of her.” Lanquish stands and looks at the leader, “Tell me more.” It said to him which made him gulp, “That’s the only thing I know, my lord. Although, in Pacuvinium, she was praised there as a goddess. Meaning, she has been existing for some while. I was surprised that you don’t know her.”

“As someone who has the power to conquer the city, I don’t need to know someone that would do me no good. Especially what she has done to some of you. A witch with some cutesy and girly power such as flowers has a surprising amount of power against all of you. I guess there’s nothing to waste to observe her. A small threat could grow into a much bigger one. We should eliminate the pup before it becomes a rat, mischief.”

It looks at the horizon where the people they were pursuing ran off. “What shall we do now, my lord? Should we target more people that are coming for the goddess’ altar?” The leader shakes their head, “We caught one and it’s a big fish in the sea of these pesky rulers. We just need to make sure he dies and their celebration of Radiance would be ruined. It will be a great catastrophe to witness. We should retreat now to our lair, heroes tend to be dumb and face their enemies once more. Especially ones who are new to their craft—well, all of them are arrogant. We’ve hit the bullseye to piss them all off. For now, I will create more of you. I am sorry if your friends and loved ones are killed during that. I never expected anyone to be melting into oblivion. I was unaware of what they are capable of.”

The leader looks at Lanquish again, “Thank you for reminding me of my lack of awareness of these heroes. To be fair, they aren’t interesting for me to know. Although, I forgot the greatest advantage in a fight is not only our strength and our greater magic but a knowledge of our enemies. A knowledge that is better on how their parents know them and how their friends perceive their figure.” The robed figure started to walk towards the mountain but headed to the mountain ranges behind it. “We didn’t lose this dawn, in fact, we gained something we didn’t have before. I will send some of you to find them once we are back. The arrow that was shot will still be intact and we might track them down. Understood?” All of them nods as they started to march their way to the mountains and disappear in the flora of the forest at the foot of it.

Meanwhile, Abigail and her friends stopped running as they reached a decent distance away from the bandits. Wren flew down at them and lets Lavena check him. She can see his right hand was stiff and even his arm. “This is an unusual one. I’ve never encountered people blessed with the magic of ice due to the geography of this place. There’s no tundra nor any signs of a big snowfield or forest. Although, one could be blessed by the snow in the mountains.”

“It actually explains why we are attacked in the mountain.” Catrina looks at Yris, “Is this your first time getting attacked like this?” Yris nods, “It was surprising. How dare they attack in a holy sanctity of that place? The goddess would be angry at them. Like so mad!” Lavena looks at her, “That’s strange. What’s with the sudden attack? What could be their reasoning?”

“Does your father have any enemies?” Yris shrugs, “None that I know of. But, it’s not surprising that he has people that secretly despise him. Besides, the king of the kingdom we belong to always praises him in their meetings, I’ve witnessed it several times when my father needs me with him. Envious people are envious and envy doesn’t do you any good at all. Although, if it’s one of the counts and leaders from other cities, it’s pretty blasphemous and dumb of them to attack us in a sacred place with the heroes in our side, ready to protect us at any time.”

“It’s pretty strange too where they got these bandits! Because they certainly aren’t native in the continent despite the number of mountains. I will not be surprised if the people that attacked us were desert bandits or even the farlands pirates, those guys are ruthless!” They can hear a groan from the count that was resting on the comfort of the grass in the ground. They immediately approached him, especially Abigail. Lavena touched his cheeks as she immediately withdraws her hand. “I don’t think he’s doing too well.”

Abigail looks at him as she starts to feel the right side of his body. She looks at Catrina, “Do you have anything for him?” She shakes her head, “My alchemy prowess is limited when we are talking uncharted magical territories. If you don’t have one, I certainly don’t have any either.” The witch sighs and looks at the count who was conscious but still, “I guess it’s my responsibility.”