The Reaper's Wicked Obsession

Even though not bound by blood, the spirit mothers were like a motherly figure and spiritual guide.

They were bestowed upon by the goddess Almadra as a blessing of good nature. However, not everyone was lucky enough to have such a gift. It was rare as they came.

It only made Logi wonder about Isadora. He still hasn’t forgotten about what happened moons ago, when she saved Kraven’s life.

"I think we should go to her. This is a sign, Kraven. She could save Isadora and help understand what happened to her," Logi appealed.

This was the most talk they had in moons, but this wasn’t about them anymore, it was about Isadora so he didn’t care if Kraven gave him cold shoulders or if this unwanted discord prolonged.

"A sign," Kraven murmured. "Maybe." He sat on the bed, thinking through it all. The last thing he wanted to do was throw Isadora into the face of danger.

Logi gulped. "She has a chance, Marek never did." He muttered under his breath.

But Kraven heard him, but he chose not to say a word. It was a few minutes until he spoke. "We’ll leave tomorrow."

~♧~

A whirlpool of shadow materialized at the edge of a mountain.

The trees waved in a particular direction, and the leaves rustled harshly. The birds and the animals were chased away into hiding, pressured by the unwanted presence that shocked the area.

The whirlpool shrank and diminished within Kraven.

Logi held onto a tree, clutching his stomach as the urge to vomit seized him. "Gods! I’ll never get used to that. I prefer the old tunnels." He rose to his full height, still overwhelmed by the turmoil within his stomach.

However, it was suddenly chased away when his eyes dropped to the mountain edge.

He gulped. "We need to work on landing locations. We were mere inches away from falling to our deaths." The mere thought of it caused a chill down his spine.

"Stop whining and move," Kraven said, irritatedly, gently adjusting Isadora in his arms, and began walking ahead.

Logi cleared his throat, following behind.

The forest was filled with tall trees, the leaves in warm shades of gold and orange. Sunlight streamed through the branches, illuminating the path. The ground, covered in dry leaves, offered a tranquil aura around the place.

"I was expecting dark woods or something," Logi said as his eyes skimmed the area.

He noticed deer and bunnies were hiding. "Maybe she should reconsider her title as the Witch."

As the little time went by, the silence became unbearable between them, just the sound of birds chirping in the distance and the occasional crunching of their boots against the dry leaves.

Logi itched to say something, anything, in hopes of killing the pressure that was attempting to suffocate him.

But the words were lost to him because he didn’t know where to begin. They both had a strained relationship from the start due to Logi’s rebellious attitude but now it felt like they had drawn apart from each other and there was nothing that could ever make that change.

Thankfully, the silence didn’t last long when they caught a glimpse of a towering old house, nestled at the edge of the glowing woods.

The dark stone walls were draped in creeping vines that sprouted flowers, contrasting with the outlook the house was chilled with. It was like an unfit piece to a puzzle, but somehow it fitted perfectly and merged with the background.

The closer they got, the more they saw a misty view of a figure standing in front of the house. It didn’t seem real at first because the image blurred.

Logi opened and closed his eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on him; However, on the third try, it was revealed who waited for them.

It was a beautiful woman. Her sleek, inky dark hair was packed with hairpins, their pointed tips jutting out at different angles.

She wore a slender black fish-tail gown, the long sleeves embroidered with lace. Her bosom curve was revealed because of the heart-shaped corset she wore.

A smile took over her black painted lips. "I’ve been expecting you."

"Dear Almadra," Logi murmured breathlessly, overcome by her beauty.

The old man wasn’t just talking gibberish after all. She was divine!

~♧~

The inside of the house was cozy, the entire parlour was warmed up by the fireplace.

Logi took a drink from the cup, loving the taste of the ale she served.

Who would have thought that the Witch herself would make them feel at home?

"I don’t like this," Kraven said, tapping his fingers against the wood impatiently. "Why did she tell us to wait here? She’s up there alone with Isadora."

Logu shrugged. "I think we can trust her, she’s Isadora’s spirit mother after all. She won’t do anything to harm her."

Kraven knew that, too, but being apart from her didn’t feel right; it took everything within him not to walk up those stairs. He wanted to.

But that would delay the treatment. The witch mentioned that Isadora needed isolation to recover after her treatment.

Kraven wouldn’t have agreed to this if time weren’t against them. Disputing over it with the Witch would do more harm than good.

But his patience was wearing thin.

"Fuck!" he cursed under his breath and rose to his feet, walking to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out. I’m not as level-headed as you. I need some air before I storm up those stairs and do something I’ll regret." He opened the door.

"You would rather go for some air than sit here with me?"

Kraven came to a halt.

"Relax, it’s just a joke," Logi said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Kraven said nothing, simply slamming the door shut behind him.

Logi swallowed thickly before chugging the rest of the drink.

"There was enough tension to darken the entire place. Thank the gods for the sunlight."

Logi flinched. The witch was suddenly in front of him, holding a wooden jug as she turned more ale for him.

"Your relationship is tested because you refuse to talk about what happened, or maybe my daughter was truly the tether keeping the boys together."