The Wandering Witch VOL. 1 - The Prelude Arc (COMPLETED)

6.1| A Public Execution II

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C H E L L

    Ten minutes.

    That was the longest she could maintain the summoning. The reason for that time limit was not only because Chell was still depleted after healing her fatal wound by herself earlier. It was also because anchoring a spirit of the dead to the material world was extremely and immensely draining. If she continued to press on like this, exerting herself to continue the spell despite her weakening state, the drawback she would have to suffer later was extremely dangerous-—no, deadly, even. Countless of times had Chell been warned by the dead, telling her that she was too unwary and often acted without thinking it through. And she, on her part, had no intention of proving them wrong. After all, they were right. Yes, she was foolish, impulsive, and too trusting, but those were the only traits left of the old her, the her before that day, six years ago. And Chell decided that she could not afford to lose those small remnants, no matter how dangerous it could end for her.

   Now, in the midst of a fight with the witch hunter using the spirit that she had called on, Chell could feel her life force slowly and gradually ebbing away, eating at her own reserve of mana. This was extremely dangerous for Witchfolk. Under normal circumstances, a witch or a wizard could either use a catalyst to channel an object's stored mana or borrow the mana itself from the surroundings, which also included their very own life forces. The better method of the two, however, was the use of a catalyst. They were objects imbued with power, made specifically to lessen the burden of the user. It was the safest, most secure way of using magic. Through a catalyst, the owner could tap onto its reserve mana without using any of their own and endangering their lives. Depending on its quality, a catalyst could greatly amplify a Witchfolk's effect in using spells.

    The problem however, was that Chell's catalyst wasn't currently with her. It was left back at the guard house, kept within one of the rooms. She knew this simply because she could sense where it was, calling out clearly to her. Chell knew of where to go and where to find it. This was the main reason why she had easily tracked her satchel back when the thief had first stolen it. The catalyst was something that had been handed down to her and could never live without. It was a requiem, a reminder of the tragedy six years ago and of the choices she had regretted on that day.

     The skull.

     For her, there was only one way she could escape this situation without it leading to the worst. Chell would have to wait for the thief to deliver the skull to her. This was the plan they had decided on after they had agreed on the truce. In exchange for her satchel, Chell would help him escape. However, now as she watched the fight between the witch hunter and the knight, Chell realized that she had made a grave mistake. Amidst the chaos in the crowds, she could not see any sign of Noct anywhere. She had no idea whether the thief was indeed fetching the satchel as agreed, or he had decided to abandon her instead. In the back of her mind, an unsettling thought was forming. Perhaps she had been abandoned.

    See?, she imagined the words the dead would say to her right then if they were still there. We told you. We warned you.

    No. The best thing Chell could do at that moment was hope that Noct had honored their agreement. She had to believe that he would come back to her and deliver the skull. There was nothing else to do than wait and endure.

    SZZZZZK!

    With a startled jolt, Chell returned to the scene in front of her as Worick and the knight exchanged deadly blows, the forces of their blades reverberating sharply in the air. Chell collected herself immediately. She was in a fight, she reminded herself, and she needed to focus all her attention on maintaining the summoning. That was only the first problem, however. Since she was in a public area, it was only a matter of time before the other witch hunters in the kingdom appeared. Chell did not even want to imagine what she would have to do in that situation, in her feeble state. Instead, she focused on the fight. Both of the two combatants looked to be completely absorbed in their intense battle, not even giving any notice to the chaos around them. It was as if they were in a trance, where one could only see the enemy in front of them.