Mortal (16 page)

"Mommy, can I do it please?" whined a
voice. And for the first time Kara noticed that the rock giants
were sitting comfortably in the shadows, looking bored. "Bill
crushed the last spirit walkers—and he didn’t even leave me
one—it’s not fair," moaned the smaller rock giant.

The rock giant, Bill,
smashed the other giant on the head with his battle-axe. "You’re
such a baby, Will. It’s not my fault I’m a better fighter than you.
Mom always said
I
was the strongest—"

"Yeah...but you’re ugly."

BOOM!

Will hit Bill in the chest with a
powerful blow of his club, and Bill went crashing down. Dust and
pebbles flew in the air as the two giants attacked each
other.

"Boys, enough!" The old woman slammed
her walking stick on the ground. Two electric tendrils shot out
from it and coiled around the giants. With a zap, the current
separated them and blasted them apart.

Smoke rose from their bodies as they
rubbed their heads. They stared across at each other angrily, but
didn’t go at it again.

"He started it," said Will with a
pout.

"No I didn’t, you did," said Bill
angrily.

Will jumped to his feet. "You
did!"

"Stop this nonsense at once!" cried
the old woman. "Don’t make me boil you for soup."

She lifted a bony finger at them. "You
know what happened last time."

Will slumped to the ground and folded
his arms around his chest. Kara thought she saw a grin on Bill’s
crusty face.

The old woman turned her attention
back to Kara. "Didn’t know what I was thinking, when I adopted
these rock trolls—should have left them in the woods to
rot!"

She raised her voice. "And don’t you
dare tell me I told you so, Henry, I’m not in the mood
today."

Pain shot through Kara’s arm. Tears
rolled down her forehead and onto the ground below. "Please Olga—I
know you’re the witch—we need your help."

"My help? And why should I help you,
girlie?"

"Because you’re the only one who can
help—" Kara faltered and winced. "—who can help us? Please...my
arm," Kara cringed. "It’s broken. I need to sit down—"

The witch snapped her fingers, and
Kara fell to the ground headfirst. She lifted her head—the chains
had vanished. Hot pain exploded in her arm as she struggled to her
feet. She did her best not to cry out. The ground wavered, and she
steadied herself. Something was missing—her backpack. She must have
dropped it in the cave. She licked her dry lips—she was so
thirsty.

"Here, drink this." A wooden cup
appeared in Olga’s hand.

Kara took the cup in her shaking
fingers. Steam rose from the rim, and the sweet aroma of tea rose
in her nose. She brought the cup to her trembling lips and gulped
it down in two swallows. Warmth spread through her body
immediately. Only then did she think that it might be poison, but
it was too late. She stared at the bottom of the empty cup. It was
the best tea she had ever tasted.

"Don’t worry, it’s not poison," said
Olga, as though reading her thoughts.

Kara stared at her hands. The cup had
vanished. She looked up into Olga’s yellow eye. The old witch was
smiling as though she was amused to see Kara so bewildered. Kara’s
arm started to hurt again, and she cradled it with her other
arm.

"Don’t move," ordered Olga, and she
hit the ground twice with her staff.

"What—?"

The ground shifted and moaned beneath
Kara’s feet. The earth broke and soil spat out from deep gashes
like mini volcanoes. Then roots sprouted from the ground near her
feet. They rose and coiled around her like thick lassoes, until she
was covered completely, mummified by roots. They went up through
her coat, touched her skin, and coiled around her broken limb. A
warm pulsing enveloped her. The rough roots squeezed her gently,
but she wasn’t afraid. It was like she had been wrapped in a warm
leather blanket. She was embraced in the warm comfort from the
roots. She could already sense its healing powers, like warm
sunrays.

And then all at once, the roots
slithered off Kara and disappeared back into the ground like giant
worms.

Kara lifted her right arm and
inspected it. There was no more pain. She flexed her arm
muscles—they were as good as new, maybe even better.

"That’s amazing? How did they do
that?"

Olga grinned. "Our mother Earth has
many healing powers." Olga turned around and spoke to no one in
particular. "Of course, I know. You’d better be quiet, Henry, or
I’ll throw you in the cauldron again!"

Kara searched behind Olga. "Who are
you talking to?"

Olga pointed to a human skull resting
on a wooden stool near the cauldron—Henry.

"To Henry, husband number
thirteen—doesn’t even know when to shut up, even in
death."

Kara eyed Henry nervously.

"I hate to interrupt your lovely
bonding, but...a little help here?" David twisted against his
restraints. "I’m going to lose it if I don’t get out of this
soon."

Olga snapped her fingers, and a metal
chain twisted around David’s mouth, silencing him. He frowned and
yelled angrily through his metal muzzle.

Kara lifted her hands in surrender.
"Please, Olga. These are my friends. They mean you no harm, I
promise. They came here with me to find you."

The old witch shook her head. "Spirit
walkers are sworn enemies of our kind. They are not your friends,
girlie."

Kara planted her feet. "My name is
Kara. I’m on an important mission for the legion of angels. And
these angels here are my friends. Please let them go. They are hurt
and might die if I can’t get them back to Horizon—"

Olga lifted her hand. "I’m
not interested in the dealings of spirit walkers. The dead should
stay
dead
. They
shouldn’t be roaming the earth in these corrupted body bags. It
goes against the laws of nature. Spirits should stay in the land of
the spirits and not mingle in the land of the living."

Kara could sense that it wasn’t going
to be easy to pursue her for help, if she felt so strongly about
the angels. Kara was angry with Ariel. Ariel knew that the witch
had already killed some guardians—and she had still sent them here
anyway. She wouldn’t forgive her for that.

"There’s a Dark warlock that’s killing
people," Kara blurted before she knew what she was doing. "He’s
collecting souls—he’s infected thousands already. If we don’t stop
him, they’re all going to die, including my mom. Please—I beg you,
help us."

The witch measured Kara for a moment
then closed her single eye. She stood for a moment without moving
and then said, "Go. Fetch the pendant next to Henry. Don’t worry,
he can’t bite anymore, I saw to that."

"Mom, I’ll go get it for you," said
Bill. He grinned at Will, and his yellow eyes glowed with
mischief.

Will jumped to his feet, and Kara felt
a small tremor beneath her boots. "Not fair! I want to go get
it!"

"Both of you shut up!" yelled Olga.
"You can’t touch it with your big stupid fingers—you’ll crush it
into dust, and then where would we be, eh? Now sit and be
quiet!"

The ground shook as Will fell back
down. Both rock giants glared at each other.

Kara looked back at David
who raised his eyebrows in a way that said,
go get it
.

Kara could see that Jenny’s attention
was focused on Peter, and if angels could cry, she was sure she’d
be balling her eyes out.

Olga still had her eyes closed when
Kara ventured towards Henry. She passed the cauldron and stole a
look inside. Carrot and potato cubes bobbed in a thick creamy
mixture. It looked like a giant vegetable soup, bubbling happily.
It smelled wonderful, and her stomach growled. It took a lot of
effort not to dunk her head in there and swallow a mouthful. Will
and Bill were staring at her as they polished their weapons. It was
clear they wanted to use her as target practice.

Leaving the soup behind, Kara had a
good view of Olga’s little wooden cottage nestled on the top of a
great pine tree. Massive branches held it up, like a hand clutching
an ashtray. It was even more crooked up close. Wood planks and
beams jumbled together in a big puzzled mess. It was a miracle it
didn’t fall apart in a gust of wind. There were no visible stairs
to go up. Maybe the witch floated to the front door? A large
hand-painted sign at the top read: "An Old Bat A Witch & 3
Monsters Live Here."

Kara wasn’t sure whether to laugh or
take the sign seriously. Maybe there were three monsters after
all—this was a witch’s house.

Without further hesitation, Kara
walked around the other side of the cauldron. Henry the skull sat
comfortably on a plush cushion made of red and gold silk atop a
small wood bench. It could have been his seat once upon a time,
before he became a human cranium. He looked like a normal skull,
except for the fact that his mouth was clamped shut with rusted
nails. Kara wondered if he had acquired them before or after he
became just a skull.

The pendant was wrapped around Henry
like a large necklace.

She took a breath and grabbed the
pendant. At first, she thought it might burn her or turn her into a
bug or something. But nothing happened. She held it up in her hand.
Runes were etched into a stone the size of her palm that hung from
a black leather cord. The leather was cracked and worn, but the
pendant glimmered without a scratch. Why did Olga need
this?

Kara marched up to the witch and held
out her hand. "Here," she said, "I did what you asked—now will you
let my friends go?"

Olga examined the pendant, and then
she pointed a skeletal finger at Kara. "You need to put that over
your head, girlie. It’ll protect you against evil."

Kara had no idea what she was talking
about, but she lowered the pendant around her neck anyway. She
looked over to Peter. His M-5 suit’s skin was barely keeping his
essence in. He was leaking out.

"Please, you must release my
friends—they’re going to die. I promise you, they’re not the
enemy."

The witch frowned and shook her head.
"They were warned not to enter the cave. All spirit walkers who
dare to enter my cave suffer the consequences. I will use their
spirits for my spells. They are the most powerful, you know. But
not to worry, girlie—they will be put to good use."

Kara approached Olga.

"But you don’t understand. We’ve been
sent here on a mission by the legion—all four of us. These spirit
walkers are my friends, and we’re here to save the mortals from the
dark warlock. We were sent here to ask for your help. My boss told
me that years ago the witches and angels fought together to rid the
world of the dark warlocks. I’m asking for that allegiance once
more."

Kara searched the old woman’s face.
"Please, Olga. Come with us and help us fight this evil before it’s
too late. You must help us."

For a moment Olga didn’t move or say
anything. Then, she snapped her fingers. David, Jenny and Peter
fell to the ground, and their chains vanished.

Immediately, Jenny rushed over and
cradled Peter in her arms. She rocked him gently and whispered in
his ear. Kara felt a lump in her throat.

David pushed himself up on his feet
and then steadied himself. "Took you long enough. Man, am I still
upside down or are you upside down?" He rubbed his head.

Olga shuffled forward. She pulled out
her eye and moved it slowly around David.

"Hmm. I see many ruthless spirits in
you, spirit walker," she said and then wacked him with her
staff.

"Ouch! What did you do that for?" he
said and jumped away looking disgusted. "Can you put that eye back
in its socket. It’s freaking me out, grandma."

"Kara," said Jenny urgently. "We need
to get Peter out of here. I think...I think he’s dying."

Peter’s M-suit was as thin as tissue
paper, barely holding his essence.

Kara turned towards the old witch.
"Please Olga," she pleaded. "We need your help to defeat the
warlock. I’ll do anything you want. Will you not help
us?"

Olga twisted her eye back
into its socket with a sickening
pop
. "I’ve already given you what I
can. You already posses the skills that you need."

"Now you’re talking crazy, grandma,"
said David. He and Kara shared a look.

Kara suppressed the panic in her voice
when she spoke next. "We need magic to defeat the warlock. We don’t
have magic. You have the magic we need. Without you—we can’t defeat
him."

"Listen, madam witch,
you’re the only witch left to help us," said David. "Let’s face it,
you hate me and my friends," he lifted his fingers in a quote sign,
"
spirit walkers
—we
get that, but what Kara is trying to tell you is that your magic is
the only thing that can save the mortals. You’re the only one. If
you don’t help us—we’re all doomed."