The Wandering Witch VOL. 2 - The Witchfolk Genocide Arc

13.3| A Falcon Witch

At the last word that the Falcon Witch announced aloud, everyone in the alley froze, none daring to move an inch. An expanding layer of silence settled all over the four, quick and sudden. In just the span of a few seconds, the previous lighthearted mood had been replaced with a heavy tension that weighted in the air. Jul still had the skull raised, looking at both Chell and Noct with a guarded expression. Her focused glare seemed to be on alert for any sudden motion.

In that moment, the throbbing pain at the back of Chell's head returned.

Necrovitte.

The mere mention of that surname sent a jolt through her. All of a sudden, scenes of old memories flashed through Chell's mind. They flooded her vision, momentarily distracting her from reality and taking her to a place only reminiscent of the past. She saw a field of rustling flowers underneath a blinding sun. She saw the hazy face of a woman smiling as she bent down to gently caress the top of her head. She saw an old cottage nestled in the middle of a forest, vines creeping over its bricked walls and giving it the impression of an ancient home. She saw a distant blue sky. She saw a soft flickering of candlelight. She saw a silhouette of a boy sitting by a window. She saw the gentle descent of snow. They flickered in and out of her sight, filling her mind. Just when she thought she could not bear it any longer, the memory shifted. Chell saw the boy again. The features of his face were hidden by the rays of the sun as he laughed delightedly underneath a tree. The memory of the person she had treasured the most. The memory of the person she had failed to protect.

Then she blinked, and they all disappeared.

Necrovitte. That was the last name she possessed. However, it was a surname that Chell had been unwillingly given with. A surname that constantly reminded her of what she had failed to do on that fated day, six years ago. A surname that left her with an overwhelming feeling of guilt, fear, and hatred.

Chell blinked once more and gathered herself. This was not the time to be distracted again.

The alley came back into focus. She glanced quietly at the thief beside her. Noct's facial expression had changed. The light in his pale eyes were hard and tense, and the redness of his scarf seemed to burn a vivid crimson in her vision. She noticed him quietly slip a dagger halfway from his sleeve, hiding the lethal blade from the view of the Falcon Witch in front of them.

After a moment, she turned back to Jul, who still hadn't moved from her position. No one seemed to want to be the first to break the silence. A few feet behind her, the red-haired girl looked sartled. Chell was certain that she had not seemed to realize what was happening yet. However, judging from the dark faces around them, it seemed to indicate that an inevitable fight was about to happen... Or at the very least, that was what Chell had thought as she analyzed the scene before her. Because all of a sudden, Jul Orben had burst into a wide grin.

In an instant, all the the tension the air lifted and Chell found herself completely surprised by the sudden gesture. Clearly, she had not expected the Falcon Witch's expression.

But Jul Orben did not stop there. She continued on grinning, lowering the skull and suddenly bouncing on her feet in eagerness. Her eyes brightened wide as she said in a loud, excited voice that could be likened to a child getting a present for their birthday. "Holy Vitte--this is just great!"

Right then, the witch and thief looked at each other at the same time. The thief's expression was beyond compare, his mouth slightly hanging in utter confusion. Chell could not blame him. She was the same, although she did better in hiding her own. Only a slight frown was masked over her face.

Their attention went back to Jul when she suddenly started to approach Chell, looking absolutely happy. She did not even have any awareness of danger as she took each step, unaware of Noct's hidden dagger. "I can't believe it! You really are the real thing!" she cheered.