Chapter 6 - NINE LIVES

"I promise." Natalie's words resounded, causing silence to follow.

"Really? You do?" The witch asked, breaking the silence.

"Maybe you don't even want me to let you go. Might as well kill you and find out myself since I'm running out of patience." Natalie coldly retorted, tightening her grasp.

"Wait! I'll..- the male witch choked. "I'll tell you. I'll answer you since you promised you'll let me go."

"Then start talking."

"The dragon warriors died already." The witch said, gasping for air.

A clang resounded from Natalie's abruptly protruding claws on her free hand, making the witch jump. "I.. I'm talking,I'm talking....they died! We were the one who gave them the final blow that made them fall in battle."

"What final blow?" Natalie asked, bringing her claws closer for inspection and giving a slight nod that says she was satisfied with the state of her claws.

"The strength recovery potion for the dragons. They weren't really what they're called. Most of it contains ingredients that makes its consumption very lethal to dragons. To stop them from suspecting anything, one of the strongest energy giving element, fit for a dragon was also added, giving them a burst of power at first but later, they end up sick and within a day or two, death comes for them. The dragonkins have been taking the potions containing moderate dose of the poison for a while now and because they'll only feel a bit weak, they will naturally think it's all from battling. I do not know why but I heard the queen ordered us to round everything up before dawn breaks. So, this morning, the potion given to them contained extremely high dose of the poison." The witch started confessing. "I don't know much about the production process of the potion, but one certain thing is that it was specifically made for dragons and it is highly potent. Just has a bit of a slowly effective attribute."

"So, you're telling me that every dragon in that dome will die? Did they all take the potion?" Natalie asked.

"Did they all take the potion? Pfft, of cou..-oof!" the witch grabbed his face that had just been punched midway through his sentence.

"Listen. If you don't get straight to the point and keep speaking in riddles with me, I promise to cut your head off!" Natalie growled.

"I'm tellin-"

"Answer mee!!!" Natalie roared and her flames surged. She finally lost the bit of patience she had.

"Or you think I do not know what that powdery substance you sprinkled your blood on, is? You think I do not know, that you plan on having a mass sacrifice where no survivor would be left?!" Natalie deeply growled. "I have no time to waste, wandering through this vast expanse of land aimlessly in search of the remaining survivors. Where have you kept them?"

"We didn't keep them! The dragon warriors are dead, leaving the other little, young and old dragons, including the women, who are fleeing towards a place even we do not know. Some of us have been traveling with them and they already trusted us since we've been helping for a while now. They do not know...hehe." the witcher's voice faded as another urgent voice replaced his.

"Alpha! Alpha! Alpha, I found them!" A voice sounded in Natalie's mind.

"You what? Wait, I thought I asked you to leave and come back." Natalie's eyes glazed over as she responded, absorving herself in the mind-link.

"I was leaving, Alpha. But on my way back, I heard some movements and followed the direction. On getting there, I found two witches tying up a sack. I couldn't get to see what was in the sack, but it was dripping with blood so I stalked them. Right now, I'm currently behind a huge rock in a part of the forest with lots of pine trees. There are so many dragonkins in the distance and I can see some people putting on black robes, standing over them while the dragonkins seem to be.. captive? because they're sitting on the ground with... chains and locks on their hands and feets? Judging from the two witches I saw earlier, I think those standing in black might all be witches. I'm sorry Alpha, I know I should get closer for better confirmation but my instinct keeps giving me huge red flags. And right now I feel like I'm being watched." The voice explained.

"Sid, listen to me. Find your way back to the pack. You'll lead others to the surviving dragonkins. Avoid being discovered by anyone. There are dark witches here already." Natalie

"Dark witches? I'm on my way back already but, aren't dark witches all long dead?? Christ!.. Alpha.."

"Don't Alpha me, Sid! Get back here!"

" Alpha,...in case I do not make it... please, my mate.. she'll soon put to bed. Tell her to name our child Eva.. and that... I'll always love her..even in death."

"Sid, what are you saying?!"

"Dark witches, alpha. All horrible looking and so many of them, just like in the books. They really are still alive."'

"Sid!"

"I've been surrounded."

There was silence.

"But a warrior doesn't go down without a fight. I've been trained for this moment. Goodbye, alpha. In my next life, I'll choose you as my Alpha.. and your pack as mine." Sid gave his final words, before blocking the mind-link.

"That's it! I've told you all I know. I really need to go now. You promised to let me go!" The annoying voice of the male witch infiltrated Natalie's ears once more and she dropped him. Natalie seemed to be absent-minded as she turned her back to the fleeing witch and entered the dome. She tried contacting Sid again but he had blocked the link on his end. Natalie's hands clenched into fists.

Her warriors were family to her. They were part of her. They've all had it somehow good until this recent war where she started loosing them. So far she's lost seventeen of her warriors to this battle and everytime one of them dies, it was like a huge chunk of her flesh was being ripped off. And the source of the catastrophe responsible for these huge losses turned out to be these witches that had pretended to ally with them. "Liam," Natalie called.

A miserable scream from the running witch accompanied with a thud and then silence showed that he had been finished off by Liam who understood the mission and had been more than eager to do the job.

Natalie gritted her teeth and immediately sent an order through the mind-link. "Listen up everyone! I just got a report on the situation inside. The dragon survivors have been found! Likewise have numerous black witches also revealed themselves. We all know what this means. It's a common knowledge in history that when one meets a dark witch, especially in battle, there is no escaping it. Also, it's always a fight or die situation with them." Natalie said, and then continued, "Team one to five! Get into that dome and find the area with lots of pine trees. One of our own has currently met not just one but many vile dark witches, and he's alone. Though due to the distance it's certain you won't, but if by luck, you make it early, good. And if you don't,...save his body. Now, your mission. Find the dragonkins and save them. Eliminate every witch you find. You must spare none! Now go!" She ordered, watching as the five packs of wolves already in formation, dashed into the dome, scattering the powdery substance on the dome's edge.

Natalie then continued as she entered the dome. "The rest of you, back up team one to five. And I do not care if they are black, purple or red. Get rid of every witch you come across. Liam, lead them."

Few seconds after, the wolves had all left, leaving just Natalie in the dome. She kept walking until she reached the top of a small hill. Death and destruction hung thickly in the air as she inhaled. Though all dragon warriors were said to be dead, she believed one wasn't dead yet. She needed to find a certain black dragon as soon as she can but first, she had to take care of something.

With a calm voice, Natalie turned around. "I know you can hear me. How long do you intend to play dead, witch?...Or should I call you, Sarabi."

A lazy feminine voice reverberated with laughter in the dark. "Brilliant. You're so brilliant I have to applaud you," a clapping sound followed. "But can you be more gentle when calling my name? You always call it with so much force and hatred it gives me goosebumps and makes me shiver." a shivering sound followed.

"I mean, I didn't do much to deserve that did I? I only tried to kill you but due to one certain dragon who couldn't mind his business, I didn't get to kill you. Although I did kill your friend, hehehe."

Someone appeared at the foot of the small hill. A lady with innocent features and adorable bright eyes that could almost trick an unknowing person into petting her at first sight. This lady was Sarabi, the second hand of the witch queen. People who had seen her didn't live to describe her, and only few of the witches themselves had seen her real features.

"You promised to let me go but you killed me instead. How wicked of you." Sarabi sighed.

"I didn't promise not to kill you." Natalie answered.

"It was fun while it lasted though. Ahh, these robes are too dirty. Since when do we have such lowly witch amongst us?" Sarabi said with slight disgust, snapping her fingers. In effect, the rags were replaced by pure white robe. "Ah-ha. Perfect!" She sighed with satisfaction.

"It's an unusually long night." Natalie sighed. "Before you die, I need to know. The royal summon. It was you people, right?" Natalie asked, still keeping her cool.

"Yes and no. It was us, but it was also equally the Alpha king's doing. A greedy lot that wolf sure is." Sarabi answered. "And did you say before I die, pfft. Out of pity, I'll just tell you this. None of you will be leaving here alive. Even if you do, and probably return to Lycanthrope, none of you will be spared by your greedy king. Hahaha." Sarabi laughed, holding her belly as she did so. " That's so pitiable." She wiped an imaginary tear off her face.

"Really? You should speak for yourself." Natalie chuckled.

"What?"

"How about you look down." Natalie said. Sarabi immediately looked down to find two thin green ropes of flame tightening around her ankles.

"You think this measly- " Sarabi started but didn't get to finish as sharp claws aimed straight at her heart, dug into her from behind. Her white gown got soaked into red.

"Since you'll only die after being killed nine times, I'll do you the honor of killing you nine times." Natalie's cold voice sounded as she pierced the heart in her claws.

Sarabi's chilling scream reverberated through the forest. "Natalie!!!! Die for me!!!"