Chapter 162 Brewing Storm

Smoke and scent of wood which came out due to the fight still remained in the night. Fights with Ariadne's monster was a shock for the village, but for Reika, it just started. Ariadne only looked and played with them, waiting for the moment to strike. She stood at the edge of the village and clasped her hands together in anger. The Moon Goddess warned her, but it was too wild a proposition for her mind: Ariadne is so much stronger compared with what she once was, and the war is coming too much nearer than one expected. Behind her came Kael, Elira, and Althea; their countenances sober. "She's testing us," Kael said, wiping his brow. "That monster was never supposed to defeat us-it was there to intimidate us, to assess how strong we were. "And now she knows," Althea whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "She will return stronger the next time." Elira turned to Reika. "We can't give in to being scared. Now what? Reika straightened up and took a deep breath. "We prepare. We train harder, we reinforce our defenses, and we gather our allies." Smoothly, Elira's hand lay on Reika's arm. "We will send a messenger, but for the moment, you must rest," she said. Reika shook her head. "I don't have time to rest, Elira," she replied. "You don't have a choice," Elira returned firmly. "You are carrying a child, Reika. This war will be brutal, but you must conserve your strength-for yourself and your baby." Reika huffed loudly but said no more. Deep in her heart, she knew Elira was right: her unborn child weighed a little heavier each day to remind her this was not just her war but about the future. Kael glanced toward the dark horizon to say, "We should move. We don't want to be out here in case Ariadne is watching." Reika threw a last glance over the village, turning to face the coven. "Let's go." It was tight inside the coven. Witches moved around in hushed whispers, faces pale with fear. Quite literally, every single person knew about the attack within a day, and such enormity of power of Ariadne was Everyway. Reika padded down the hall, her mind racing to think ahead of what was going to happen and be prepared for the battle sure to arrive. She had reached the central chamber when a young witch emerged, curtsying slightly. "My Lady, a message has come." Reika's eyes narrowed. "From whom?" "The village in the east," the girl returned. "They request aid. Something unnatural is happening in that place." Reika stood a little taller. "What kind of unnatural?" "They speak of the dead walking." A shiver ran down her spine. Elira gasped. "Necromancy." Kael swore under his breath. "Ariadne is raising the dead now? Reika's jaw clenched. "We cannot say for certain, but if she is, we have to put a stop to it before it gets any bigger." Althea shifted uncomfortably. "This is black magic, Reika. If Ariadne can control the dead, then she is not a powerful witch; she is so much more." Reika met Althea's gaze. "I see. And that's exactly why we need to intervene right now." Kael moved forward. "Then let's go. We can't allow that to spread. Reika turned toward Elira. "You will stay here and train the witches. We will need them at full preparedness for whatever happens." Elira nodded; her eyes were full of unease. "Be careful, Reika." Reika did give her shoulder a reassuring touch, but did turn away nonetheless. "Move." They headed to the eastern village, Over their heads stretched an endless, endless night: hardly any starlight could force its way through those heavy, laden clouds, and the colder it got. And when finally they made it into the village, what waited for them there was a ghastly sight to behold: houses torn apart, streets strewn with bodies that should have been lifeless. But they weren't. Shapes tottered in the gloom; open eye-sockets shone like faint, grim, blue embers - the dead trod where the villagers spoke they would. Reika slid off. She grasped her staff tight. "Too late." Kael unsheathed his blade. "Not too late to stop it." As if knowing, the corpses jerks and turned to purse them. It growled through a low rumble of guts and then-a charge. Reika raised her hands, calling up a shield of light that pushed the undead back. "Destroy the ones still moving!" Kael and Althea charged into battle, swords hacking unnatural abominations in half. But every one they brought down sprang from the ground once more, shattered body stitching itself back together. Althea cursed. "They won't stay down!" Reika's mind was racing: Ariadne was clinging even more firmly to her dark magic now, and these were not the mindless puppets of their last battle; something far, far stronger held them in some kind of bonding. She had to break the bond. She shut her eyes, reached between her legs for the power, and called it from the soles of her body. In great waves of warmth and energy, golden light pulsed outwards from the center of her body in all directions. "Be gone!" she shouted. The mighty surge of the strength shot out of her on the undead as if hammer-struck, knocking them down one by one until their corpse-blue glow fluttered out. Kael panted, wiping the blood off his face. "Remind me never to fight an army of the dead again." Althea kicked at one of the fallen bodies. "Is that over?" Reika shook her head. "Not yet. She turned to the village elder, who'd been cowering in terror behind a broken cart. "Who did this? His hands were shaking. "A woman in black… with eyes of fire. She came through the village, and the dead began to rise." Ariadne. Reika's stomach turned over. Ariadne was beyond dangerous now-she was breaking the laws of nature itself. We have to go back," Reika said. "Ariadne won't stop here. We need to be ready for whatever she throws at us next." Kael and Althea nodded, their faces grim. The coven was now behind them, with the storm churning in Reika's chest. It was the start of a war, only one opening move for so much more.