Chapter 83: The Witch of Nether

It was the chamber of Ciara, she was meditating when she heard the sound of electricity meeting each other. Before her eyes were the sudden appearance of a purple robe clad with tiny runes that seem to interchange. She looked up and saw a familiar face.

“Audrey Cress?” she said calmly.

“Who would it be other than me?” she smiled while putting her staff behind. “I thought there was something up when I felt your spell from a distance. As always, it seems that it is a bolt that could make the earth shatter. Replicating it has always been a challenge.”

“I see.”

“I see?” she shook her head. “We’ve been years, perpetual buddies, and here you are being so cold to me. Seriously, what did the lucky guy to make so loveless for the past years?”

“I never really did talk to you about him.”

“You did. I do remember that you call your mighty blade based on his last name. Funny, I do remember a guy named Nolan Salvatore, he was quite a mysterious man, though he was killing those aborted monsters.”

“You know him?”

Audrey widened her eyes, “I hit the mark? Eh, seriously?”

“That is him.”

“Oh,” she nodded blankly. “I see. Then I am guessing that the woman’s scent he had on him was you? I see, I spotted him from a mile and thought it was odd that he carrying someone on his back while fighting monsters and making use of his body as a shield. So that was you? No wonder you’d fall in love so hard.”

“Yes,” she said proudly.

“The man who gave you to the fates and brought you power. But I must admit that it was cruel of him to leave you after such a few days? Giving you the weight of the world and to leave.”

“He had his choice. I believe that he did it because he knew that he wouldn’t last.”

“Indeed, five hundred years of protectorate duties,” Audrey eyed her perpetual friend. “Come here, love, you always seem so lonely, and even that spell of yours gives you such a sour face.”

Audrey Cress neared her, and wrap her arms around her friend. “Really, why can’t you be happy?”

“I have my daughters, and it is not like you have the right to talk when you are as stubborn as I am against finding new love. Shut up.”

“Boo, you are so stuck up with your duties. Then let us set this as an example. What if you have never met him when you weren’t the war maiden? What if you met him as a simple rank-and-file soldier instead of an experienced bleak walker?”

“That is hard,” she said. “When I became a War Maiden, all thoughts that I had became that of duty. I didn’t think much of anything other than that I had to do it. If we’ve met differently, then I believe that he would have to wait for years before I can even fathom his love, and even more, years if I still had my burnt up face.”

“And I just make do with what I have now,” she added. “I have a family and my granddaughters are by my side.”

“Well they are indeed lovely and I heard your granddaughter is getting married as well? Can I come?”

“I don’t want you pouting on me. Sigh, when did you become so lax?”

“It’s what happens when you spend too much time perfecting your spells. While you, my dearest friend, don’t have to worry about aging while I had to make do with runes and the poison I got from Vie!”

“How is she anyway?”

“Still stuck on her bog, it seems that she has no plans to get out unless something happens. Seriously, why are my friends' such single-minded workaholics? It doesn’t make sense at all!

“Well, we have duties.”

“Yes, yes, duties, and the likes of it. Sure, I understand, but, would it kill you to be with your daughters? Aside from the imperialist tendencies of the Empire, the demons haven’t been active ever since the day you fought that demoness.”

“I was able to wound her. She shouldn’t be active until then,” the relaxed face that she had vanished for a while. “That demoness is one of the many reasons that I cannot stay still. She has powerful allies and those under her are one of the reasons that this world has become what it is today.”

“Our current technology was stolen from them. They have been silent for a while but I refuse to believe that she has reasons to interfere unless it benefits her. Her legion has been keeping us from fighting and if by any means she does try to take another land. We will have to fight.”

“She’s strong but I don’t think she can match you in terms of pure raw strength. I don’t where did she learn or experience to be that skillful in battle. If you didn’t have the incarnations of the maidens inside of you. I don’t think that we’d be matched against her. Though I doubt that you could lose so easily despite that. You had five hundred years and now you are even catching up to me in terms of spells and incantations. I feel like that’s not fair at all.”

“Oh please,” she scoffed. “I don’t think I can match the Witch of Nether in terms of magic. Still, are things okay on your side?”

“Aside from the grumbles in the pale pass, it is mostly alright. But what do you expect? The Overlord of the Demons has eyes everywhere and knowing that old demoness? She probably has eyes here as well.”

“I should beef up security. The target that I hit with the elemental bolt had the same power as her. That obsidian flesh could not belong to anyone other than her own soldiers.”

Audrey Cress frowned, her arms folded, “Do you really believe that Tania of the Obsidian Blood Crown would be so brazen to her one of her minions here?”

“Who knows?” Ciara said. “She was someone who I can never predict.”