Chapter 10
As we marveled at the silver, elder-worshipping kingdom in front of us, I knew passing through the towering city-gates was the first obstacle we’d have to face. Once that was accomplished, we’d have to find a way to locate the correct church and then find whatever cross would lead us to the first artifact.
“I think we’d better disguise ourselves,” Vanessa remarked as she stared at the glittering kingdom. “That’s the first thing we should consider before we even take another step.”
“Aren’t we already doing that?” Circe questioned with her head cocked to the side. “We look like a group of filthy peasants.”
“It’s not enough,” Vanessa said as she studied her delicate hands. “I think I have an idea, and it won’t take an immense amount of power. All I need is this.”
We watched as the dark-haired professor pulled out a bright red apple from her peasant dress and stared long and hard at the fruit like there was a secret engraving embedded deep within its core.
“What are you going to do with that?” Marina asked in a faint voice. “If you don’t mind me asking?”
“I can place an aging charm on myself,” Vanessa answered as she twisted the bright fruit in her hand. “I can disguise myself as your mother, and I’m here to help each of you girls find a suitable spouse. It’s not unusual for these hybrid peasants to breed children like cattle… we’ll just need to be as convincing as possible.”
“What about me?” I asked.
“You can be my… son or something.” Vanessa waved a dismissive hand.
“We’re capable actresses, Professor,” Vesta purred as she pushed back her sage-green hair. “Even if the roles are less than glamorous.”
“If you’re going to disguise yourself,” Beatrix said as she stared at the apple. “Perhaps I should place a disguising charm on the rest of us?”
“I agree,” I answered after a moment. “If we’ve come all this way to find husbands for each woman, we’ll have to make you all a little less… beautiful. No one is going to believe such breathtaking women couldn’t find a husband in their own village. Now, I’m not saying we should make you hideous, but we do need to blend in better with elder hybrids if we’re all supposed to pass as one… which obviously means a greater change is needed for Nyx and Vesta in particular.”
“That’s actually a smart point,” Vanessa agreed. “Beatrix, how long will your charm last? We’ll need one strong enough to last through our walk toward the gates and past the guards.”
“Well, I’ve been practicing more and more with concealment charms,” the light-haired brunette responded with pride shimmering in her eyes. “I can dull our features for a few hours… probably until the sun sets.”
“Must you?” Vesta moaned under her breath.
“Yes, she must,” Vanessa snapped before she placed the apple down in front of her feet. “If I’m going to look like a hag, then you can live with duller hair and fair skin. At least for a few hours.”
“I don’t care what we look like,” Akira said in a firm voice. “I just want to find whatever it is we’re looking for.”
“Neither do I,” Morgana added. “Wait… what are we looking for, master?”
“A cross,” Vanessa said before I could respond. “According to your beloved master, that’s what we need to keep an eye out for. And it should be located within a church, but that’s all he knows or wishes to tell us.”
“She’s right,” I confirmed after a moment. “That’s all I know.”
“Well, if Cole believes that’s what we need to be on the hunt for, then that’s what we’ll look for,” Faye said with her chin raised. “He’s never been wrong before, so let’s hurry up with our disguises, shall we?”
“Very well,” Vanessa muttered before she closed her eyes and began to whisper under her breath. “Et adiuva me, mutata specie ad avaritiam eos faciam voluntatem meam audire.”
We watched as a dark cloud of green mist surrounded the apple and began to turn it into a brighter shade of red. Once the glittering smoke evaporated, Vanessa leaned down to pick up the fruit, and she took a deep breath before she bit into its sweet-looking skin.
The professor chewed the apple, and as she did so, her beautiful ivory flesh slowly morphed into a sallow greyish-yellow. Her deep-blue eyes turned bloodshot and murky, and her long, dark hair transformed into a dull shade of gray. Wrinkles etched at the corner of her eyes and around her mouth, and her posture curled over as she aged about fifty or seventy years.
“Oh, Satan!” Vesta gasped as she stared at the transformed professor. “You look… quite different, Professor.”
She looks fucking terrible, Alexander gasped as he perched on my shoulder.
“That’s the point, Miss Vesta,” Vanessa replied in a shrill voice that threw me completely off. “Now, Beatrix, would you please stop gawking at me and enact your charm? We don’t have all bloody day, do we?”
“Err, r-right,” the light-haired brunette stuttered in a nervous voice. “Sorry about that… I was just--”
“Caught off guard by my sudden change?” Vanessa cackled like one of the bark-skinned crones. “Well, of course, you were. Let’s just hope your charm will be as convincing as my spell. I’d offer you all a bite, but then you’d just look like me, and something tells me the kingdom won’t allow a group of old women through their gates for no good reason.”
“Yeah, they’d probably point you to the nearest graveyard instead,” Akira chuckled until Vanessa shot her an icy glare. “Err… sorry, Professor.”
“Let’s just get this over with, shall we?” Vanessa sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Beatrix, please don’t make me ask again.”
“Oh, right!” Beatrix gasped. “Erm, can everyone please gather around in a circle and join hands? I won’t be needing my wand for this charm.”
“Alright.” I took a step forward and clasped hands with Akira and Morgana, who stood on each side of me.
The rest of the women formed a circle, and then we each took a deep breath before the light-haired Wicca closed her eyes and began to mutter an incantation under her breath.
“Et adiuva me, mutata specie ad avaritiam eos faciam voluntatem meam audire!”
In moments, I could feel my body shifting into someone different. My skin began to violently tingle, and a sharp pang penetrated the back of my eyes as I fought against the sudden urge to hunch over from the sweltering pain.
The other women all groaned in protest as their bodies also shifted into entirely different forms, and while the charm was still taking effect, we all turned to look at each other’s shifting appearances.
“This sucks,” Nyx said through her teeth as her sapphire-blue hair and skin began to change color. “Ouch! Broom fucker… it feels like my bones are turning brittle.”
“No shit,” Penelope agreed as her bright-orange hair shifted into a muted brown color.
“Oh, it’s not that bad,” Circe giggled as her blonde hair turned mousy brown, and her pupils became round and less serpentine in nature. “Try being quartered… that shit really sucks.”
By the time Beatrix was finished with her charm, we all looked incredibly different, and I wasn’t sure how to react at first. Akira’s beautiful ebony hair was tinted a soft, grayish-black, and her dark eyes were murky and bloodshot. Nyx’s gorgeous blue skin turned pale and sallow, and her sapphire hair was now a dingy auburn brown. Her indigo eyes were tinted a grayish-green-brown, and her teeth were not as straight or white. Meanwhile, Marina’s lilac-purple hair and lavender tinted eyes were both honey brown, and Morgana’s long dark hair had streaks of silver in it. Vesta’s soft purple skin was now tan and wrinkled like she spent too much time under the brutal sun, and her hair was a fusion between deep-blonde and orange-brown. Faye’s long red hair was a soil-brown color, and her vibrant golden-green eyes were a muted hazel with no color or light in them.
“Satan.” Vesta winced as she stared down at her withered, worn-out hands. “Do I look as terrible as I feel?”
“Worse,” Vanessa croaked as she nodded her head, “but that’s good.”
“We should probably go,” I said as I rubbed my chin, and I could feel a patchy stubble on my chin.
“Wow, master,” Nyx said with eyes as wide as saucers. “You certainly look different as well.”
Yeah, like shit, Alexander chuckled. Sorry, Cole... but you should see yourself.
“How bad is it?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Take a quick look,” Faye offered as she handed me her bonded blade, and I glanced down at my reflection.
My mouth dropped open as I stared at my pock-marked skin and my tinted yellowish-red eyes. My black hair was greasy and drooping in front of my face, and there was no splash of color in my cheeks or lips. My face was gaunter, and the muscles in my body had turned into lean, rubbery flesh.
“Well,” I chuckled as I pushed back my grimy hair. “It’s a change.”
“And the perfect disguise,” Vanessa remarked with her mole-covered chin raised. “Well done, Miss Beatrix. You can certainly pass for desperate spinsters… but still, not too old and not too ugly for hybrids… just the perfect combination.”
“Thank you, Professor,” Beatrix murmured as she blushed a deep scarlet. “I’ve really been working on it.”
“And it shows.” Vanessa nodded as she stared at each of us. “Now… make sure to keep your mouths shut while Cole and I do the talking.”
“With all due respect, Professor,” Marina questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Why aren’t we allowed to say anything?”
“Young, hybrid women don’t have opinions or much free will from men,” Vanessa said as she rolled her eyes. “It’s some strange tradition I’ve never understood, but we have to go along with it.”
“Listen to her,” I added as I narrowed my eyes at the altered women. “She knows more than us.”
“Yes, master,” my coven answered at the same time.
“As I was saying,” Vanessa continued in a tight voice. “We’ll approach the gates and do our best to convince the guards we’re neighboring peasants searching for husbands, and Cole is my only son and caretaker. Let’s hope they are desperate enough to let you in. You may be prettier than average, even under the spell, but that doesn’t guarantee entry.”
“So, what if it doesn’t work?” Circe questioned as she stuck out her bottom lip.
“We’ll worry about that if it comes down to it,” the professor croaked. “Now, follow me and keep close. Cole, hold onto me and help me walk. This back is already killing me.”
“Yes, professor,” I said before I offered her my arm. “Alex, stay above us and remain in the skies. Meanwhile, the dogs will walk by our side. We can explain they are hunting dogs, and our only means of income.”
Will do, he dutifully responded, and then his raven-disguised body glided up into the air.
As I led Vanessa across the plains and we neared the towering kingdom gates with our dog-like familiars by our side, I could feel the tension building up inside my body. We’d been able to wriggle our way into kingdoms before, but never this far up north, and now that our magic was limited, I was worried.
But there was no way I was going to admit that in front of Vanessa or the others, so I kept my head raised and my eyes focused on the silver kingdom.
By the time we reached the city gates, there was a loud bell chiming in the air, and it caused several of the women to jump back in surprise. Even the familiars began to bark in protest, and as the women tried to calm them down, I wondered if anyone was watching us from behind the gate.
“Don’t flinch!” Vanessa muttered before she shot the women a cold glare. “It’s customary for these bastards to sound the bell each time someone approaches the gates… Circe, don’t you dare ask me why because if you do, I might slap you.”
Circe’s mouth clamped shut into a straight line, and when I stared at the looming silver gates, a small partition suddenly slid open, and a pair of green eyes glared out at us.
“Who goes there?” growled a deep voice. “State your purpose!”
“We’re a simple, meager family in search of a new way of life,” Vanessa croaked in her aging voice. “I have several lovely daughters and one son to offer. They might not look like much… but they’re all fertile and ready to bear plenty of children. To sweeten the deal, I also have a pack of hunting dogs that bring in plenty of fresh meat.”
The man’s bright eyes scanned each of us, and as he squinted at me for a long while, I swallowed hard but kept a straight, stern face.
“I’m the gatekeeper and the prince’s guard,” the man began, “so before I let you in, I must ask a few questions.”
“But of course,” Vanessa chuckled. “Ask away, young man.”
“What kingdom do you hail from?” the guard demanded.
“We don’t come from any kingdom,” Vanessa wheezed as she gripped on my arm and steadied herself for support. “We come from a modest village, just south of here.”
“What is the name?” the guard pressed. “I can’t let you in without knowing where you’re from. There’s strange folk lurking about, you know?”
“Of course,” Vanessa coughed. “I completely understand… now, we come from a little village known as Undergarth. You must have heard of it.”
A sudden sharp wind blew across my face, and I could have sworn I heard faint whispering echoing through the air. A cold chill crept up my spine, but I refused to flinch or show any signs that I felt something odd surrounding me. Then, as I stared into the guard’s vibrant green eyes, I thought I saw a small golden glow flash in his pupils, but it only lasted a mere second.
“Ah, of course, I know of Undergarth,” he answered with a small chuckle. “I have an aunt who hails from there, I believe. Please come in, you must be exhausted after crossing the Redwood.”
“Oh, we most certainly are,” Vanessa sighed as she dramatically placed a hand over her wrinkled forehead. “I feel ill, to be honest with you, sir… and I’m much older than I look. Ask my son.”
“Yes, she’s been struggling with her health for years,” I added quickly. “It’s a miracle we still have her in our lives. Thank the ever-benevolent lord for his small mercies.”
“Aye, amen to that,” the guard agreed. “Stand back now. I’ll let you in.”
“Well done,” Vanessa muttered when he closed the partition, and the gates gently began to part open. “That went smoother than I expected.”
“Agreed,” I said through my teeth.
“We’re not in the clear just yet, though,” Vanessa quietly reminded us. “Keep your heads low and do what we say.”
“Yes, Mother,” the women answered loud enough for the guard to hear once the gates were completely open.
“You have lovely daughters, madame,” the guard commented as he licked his lips, and his green eyes fell on each woman. “Too bad I’m already married.”
“Yes, what a pity!” Vanessa chuckled as she waddled forward with her back bent and her head low. She slowly craned her neck to study the guard, and when she did, she flashed him a yellow-tinted smile. “Now, sir, you’ve already been so gracious, but I’m afraid I must ask you another question.”
“Of course,” the guard replied. “Ask away, madame.”
“Well, we are weary from our journey,” Vanessa began, “but before we rest, I’d love to take my daughters to the church so we might bless them in this new kingdom. Where is your church, my boy?”
“It’s not too far, madame,” the guard responded before he pointed toward a cobblestone street and past a row of silver-stone village houses. “Just follow the street, past the holy market, and through the small cornfield.”
“Is it past the castle?” I asked. “I thought I saw its towers as we approached the gates.”
“Oh, heavens no,” the guard chuckled as he shook his head. “Our prince values our lord above his own wealth or riches. What you saw was the church. It surpasses the castle and is twice its size.”
“Wow,” we all breathed with false enthusiasm.
“What a glorious, holy realm,” I added with a broad smile. “I’m so glad we made this journey, aren’t you, Mother?”
“Oh, yes, yes, yes,” Vanessa chimed as we waddled away from the guard. “Thank you so much for your help, sir.”
“Of course, madame,” the guard said with a low bow. “May God be with you.”
“And you as well,” Vanessa shouted back before the guard closed the gate and resumed his post. When he was out of earshot, and we were alone aside from the occasional villager, Vanessa groaned under her breath and looked around. “Fucking idiots.”
“What did you do back there, Vanessa?” I whispered as we marched down a narrow and not too crowded street toward the holy market.
“Whatever do you mean?” she asked as she struggled to walk as quickly as possible down the cobblestone streets. “Fuck this old woman’s body… I hate it.”
“I saw the golden glint in that guard’s eyes, and at the same time, I felt a small chill pass over me,” I explained as we passed by quaint stone houses where small children played with odd little toys, such as bones with balls of hair tied to the ends and dolls made from skin and teeth. “I know magic when I feel it.”
“It was just a small enchantment,” Vanessa muttered. “Nothing to be concerned about.”
“What does it do?” Penelope asked, even though it was apparent the professor didn’t want to divulge into it.
“It temporarily causes people to become more susceptible to lies,” Vanessa sighed impatiently as we passed by more and more children playing with strange dolls and other toys.
“Wait, it’s only temporary?” Akira gasped as we pushed onward. “What if he snaps out of it and decides to go looking for us?”
“Well, that won’t be a problem, Miss Akira,” Vanessa grunted. “As long as we move our fucking asses.”
No one dared to question her on the matter any further as we walked as quickly as we could down the street. Then we found the holy market, and I couldn’t help but stare at the various artifacts on sale and for ridiculously high prices. There were countless vendors, and they were all screaming in different languages as they offered deals at each passing peasant. The tables were laden with various Wicca related items, such as heads, tongues, and lips, and it was growing more and more challenging to keep a straight face and not curl my lips in disgust.
“Look,” Beatrix muttered as she kept her head low. “Head of Wicca for nine-hundred gold coins. How disgusting… it’s pickled and preserved. Why would anyone need that?”
“And siren tail for two-thousand coins,” Marina gasped as we passed by dozens of stands.
“Wicca heart!” called out a red-faced vendor as he swung the dried-up organ above his head. “Get your Wicca heart for only five-hundred! You’ll never get a deal like this! It’s more than five years old! Rare find! Come and get it! Will make an excellent addition to any collection!”
“Don’t stare,” Vanessa snapped as we glanced at the young man. “I know it’s disturbing, but the only people who gape like that are interested buyers, so keep your eyes lowered and move your asses.”
“Yes, Professor,” we answered as we headed up the cobblestone pathway, and by the time we reached the end of the market, we saw a glimpse of the yellow field.
Beyond the field stood a giant, silver-tinted church with looming towers that surpassed the clouds and overwhelmed the castle just behind it. It was ridiculously grand in stature, and it made the castle look like a meager house in comparison.
“Let’s get through this fucking cornfield and into the church before my charm wears off,” Vanessa grunted. “I can already feel my spine bending back into place, so let’s be quick, shall we?”
We did as the professor demanded, and by the time we crossed the small cornfield and reached the grand, gem-embedded stone doors of the holy church, I could feel a deep presence flooding through my body.
This place felt so sacred, it was like an invisible wall was pushing against my frame each time I took a step closer, and as Alexander flew above us and kept on the lookout, I could feel a deep foreboding sense take over my entire body.
At that moment, I knew Satan himself wouldn’t want to step into this specific church, for there was something more than just holiness surrounding this place. It was a different kind of power. One that I didn’t understand and would never care to.
But we had to go inside. We had no other choice.