19. Adeline listening to the witch’s call. 

****

"Come! receive power" The witch elated her voice again.

Each time she continued to speak to Adeline yet in a distance, it seemed as though she was whispering up close, coupled with the fact that her words were caressed with her hysterical laughter.

But Adeline had not bothered. What remained in her thought was how she could be free from her limitations: cured of her curse.

All of this the witch had heard and thus laughed against.

"Come… I shall grant your wishes and make you whole again" she informed with a continuous cackle.

Not a single beast, nor a human could be found on the way that led to the witch. It appeared as though no one had been passing through the forest for a long time. Aside from the mountains, she had rested for the day, that was the last place Adeline had seen anyone to talk to.

All of these had not meant even the smallest fear for Adeline. Her aim was bigger than anything that could scare her thus she kept walking and sprinting whenever she felt like it.

A fact that Adeline was not hungry does not mean if she finds food she will not eat. Each step she took, as her mind was overwhelmed with thoughts, she sauntered her eyes to and fro and thus faster and faster if she could sight any animals to prey upon.

Even if not for the sake of hunger but for the fun of it. But not a single animal, nor a single insect, she saw. Everything that she could see and that was friendly to her was the night sky and the trees and their branches.

The witch heard this and decided to make Adeline's Journey a little more adventurous. Immediately, she formed a different kind of beast out of the fire portal she had created.

It was so that the witch of the hurt needed no spell to create her own magic. Her embodiment was magic as she was of the old and dead.

Out of the fire portal came a creature like the bird with the horse head. This creature could fly and it sounded like a horse and also had the speed of a horse. But that was not all, it poured fire from its mouth like the dragon.

Another of the beast was a vampire just like Adeline. This makes the Vampire a replica of Adeline even up to the resemblance of her face, but not in strength because the vampire was stronger than her and could also pour fire from the mouth and fly in the sky even when it had no wings.

Just before the portal of fire would close up completely, a creature, a reptile, was formed. This one was the biggest of what was formed. Though it was a reptile, it had not walked like one. It walked like a proper human and its palms were rough enough to be able to grab and throw. It could also turn completely invisible leaving no light distortion to help determine where it is.

Just after the creation of these creatures was complete, the fire disappeared completely, and the witch rendered loudly her baleful laugh.

Adeline had not known anything. This time, she had sprinted at a maximum speed only to make the journey faster. But the journey before her though could be called near, it was still far and it did not seem like she could make it to her destination even in three nights.

Her ears had caught a movement in her direction while she paused immediately to listen more attentively. All she thought was that it was an animal she could finally prey upon. But what she saw at this instant was a creature she had never seen in her entire life charging up against her.

It was the bird with the horse head sprinting up against her. Its speed had not been instantaneous like the vampires but a horse and so, Adeline could see it coming.

She was also able to foreknow its moves as it had already gotten closer the bird was taking its head to hit Adeline's stomach but she was able to dodge that. She already sprinted in a blurry manner behind the bird and watched it hit the tree with the head.

This time, Adeline could see the antlers of the monster protruding fast as it hit the tree. When it turned back to Adeline and charged towards her again, the bony core was already tall on its head, it looked more sharp and big like that of a bull.

[Running against Adeline]

At this time Adeline waited and intended not to move an inch. What she prepared was something different. She wanted to be the one to strike the creature at this period and maybe kill it once and for all and suck its blood.

She clenched her fist, hardened her feet on the ground and waited to look deadly at the beast which had almost hit her. But instead of hitting her in the stomach or in the way Adeline had thought, when it came very close, it only opened its mouth and rained fire on Adeline.

She was burnt, a whole lot before she was able to rescue herself by speeding away from the fire. Her healing rescued her from her festering burning skin. Even when it had not happened as quickly as it would for Cyrus or even the turns, it happened slowly and she was able to stay alive.

Again, the Monster had turned to her. Charging against her again. If Adeline had waited was a lie. Even though her regeneration was not complete, she only ran away.

The witch expressed her menacing laugh as Adeline had thought of nothing else but running away from what preyed on her. Also, Adeline's name she romanced into her laughter.

This had not discouraged Adeline even when she had not understood what kind of monster preyed upon her or why it preyed upon her. Thus, they were useless questions that needed no answer until she could conquer it.

Her safety was more important for now. If the monster can rain fire then, she must certainly run for her life.

Though all vampires are living dead, they could still die again if a fire burnt them to ashes, they cannot heal again. For this, she kept on sprinting; she believed nothing would be able to stop her. At least, the beast was not as fast as she was.

[A punch on Adeline's face]

Even while she was speeding to escape from the monster that was chasing after her, another monster sent a blow to her face suddenly. She had not expected this one. Moreover, the impact of the punch was a big one as it threw her away to hit the tree behind her.