The Pearl Witch Ch. 04

Aside from the crackling of the fire in the background, the only sounds in the room were of Vera's grunting and the wet squelching sound that came from Ellise's mouth as the witch fucked the girl's throat. Once in awhile, she would pull all the way out—which would allow the blonde to gasp and sputter but the witch would immediately plunge back in, not allowing her enough time to fully recover.

Soon, Vera lost all control.

She thrust with wild abandon, pistoning in and out of the blonde's throat with her eyes wide and her teeth gritted. The girl let out faint gurgling sounds but for the most part lay still and accepted the pounding.

"Ah, fuck!" yelled Vera.

She shuddered and jammed her cock as deep as she could, throwing her head back as pleasure coursed through her veins. Her cock jerked inside the blonde's throat, flinging rope after rope of thick white cum into the girl's waiting belly.

Ellise pushed against the witch urgently and Vera finally pulled out. A few stray globs of spunk poured out of her tip onto the girl's face. Even though this was the second time she came that night, it was no less potent.

They were both still, both panting and in shock. Finally coming to her senses, Vera quickly looked away and turned to face the hearth, her eyebrows furrowed and her face burning with shame.

"Vera...?" Ellise murmured.

"Ellise... I-I'm..." The witch grimaced and turned back to face her apprentice with a look of self-disgust etched onto her face. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me, I just—"

Vera faltered, unsure of what to say next. Ellise had sat up and she started scooping the stray cum off her face and into her mouth, smiling as she did so.

It was almost as if she had not heard the witch. "Mm, that... that was..." The blonde sucked on her finger as if it were coated in sugar.

"Ellise are you... are you okay?" asked the witch softly. Her expression had now shifted to one of concern.

Ellise crept forward and silenced her with a kiss. A slow, lazy kiss.

"That was fun," she whispered.

"I-I-wait, what?" the witch sputtered.

Ellise wrapped her arms around the witch's waist and pulled her into an embrace, resting her head against her master's chest. "The way you... used me... I don't know. It just felt... right." A chill went down the witch's spine. Ellise giggled, leaning into the witch and letting her fingers graze the top of her master's still-sensitive cock. "It also helps that your cock tastes amazing. Even after several days of travel," she added with a slow wink.

Vera groaned but smiled hopefully. "See, when you say things like that. It just makes me want to have you again."

Ellise grinned and looked up at her master. "Please do," she said again in that strange, dreamy voice. "Again and again and again. As many times as you like." She licked her lips.

****************************

Shouts.

Vera groaned and rolled over in bed. It was too early for this type of behavior. Why were the inn's patrons so noisy? Ellise lay beside her, chest drifting up and down gently.

More shouting. Bells. Ringing.

Vera tried to shut out the noise and go back to sleep but the ringing was incessant. And the noise grew steadily louder. It sounded almost as if people were yelling from outside the inn. Ellise squirmed beside her, as if irritated by the noise.

"Mmm, wha's going on?" mumbled the blonde.

Vera turned back over and scooted closer to her sleeping companion, wrapping a leg around the girl possessively. Her brows scrunched up on her face as she struggled to ignore the cacophony outside.

"Why're they... rebelling?" muttered Ellise under her breath. The girl seemed to still be dreaming. Vera ignored her and planted a kiss on her head, breathing in the girl's soft, floral smell.

Ellise's eyes suddenly flew open and she gasped.

"The rebels!" she cried. In a single motion, she threw the blankets off herself and rolled out of bed to rush over to the window. Pulling the curtains aside, she pushed the framed glass outward.

The noise was immediately louder.

People milled about on the streets. Most seemed to be headed in a single direction. South. The road that led out of the city the fastest—that was the road that was the most congested. There were men running from door to door knocking on all the buildings and crying children swept up in the arms of their mothers. Panicked shrieks could be heard along with shouts and various people yelling at each other. And of course, the ever present ringing of the bell. Some emergency was afoot.

As the crowd drew nearer to the inn, the voices became more and more discernable.

"The rebels are here!! The rebels are here!!"

"They've burned the houses to the north!"

"Run for your lives!!"

Ellise turned back to rouse the witch but found that she was already sitting up in the bed, her tired eyes wide open and her lips pursed.

"What do we do?" asked Ellise in a distraught voice.

"Get dressed. We need to move."

There was a loud crash as the two rushed down the stairs, their hair in disarray but their outfits worn and packs slung over their shoulders. Vera glanced over at Ellise a moment before stepping in front of her on the stairs.

"Stay behind me," she said.

The main dining hall of the inn was deserted. A few chairs had been overturned and there were mugs and plates strewn over the floor, along with the remnants of partially-eaten breakfasts. The front door was completely ajar. The two made their way through the mess and as they approached the front, the sounds of panicked shouting grew louder.

Outside, people were running through the streets with their belongings and whatever else they could carry stuffed under their arms or strapped across their back. There was an acrid smell to the air. A mixture of fear, sweat, and the faint smell of smoke in the distance.

"Vera! Ellise!"

The two turned in time to see Yara jogging towards them. She was dressed in full armor. How she had the strength to run with all that metal on her, the witch would never know. Although her sword was sheathed, there was urgency in her movements. As she drew near, the two saw that her breastplate was peppered with red. She came to a halt before them and quickly peeled her helmet off. Her face was covered in a layer of sweat and her hair was matted and tousled.

"Where's Tomas?!" called Vera, raising her voice to be audible above the background noise.

Yara shook her head and her expression fell.

"Dead," she grunted.

Ellise eyes widened and Vera's brows furrowed.

"What happened?!" cried the witch.

"Found him at the trading post on the other side of town. Rebels had gotten there first. Slaughtered everyone inside."

Ellise's jaw dropped open in horror. Vera groaned, as if she could not believe what she was hearing.

"But... why?" she asked.

Yara shook her head again. "Don't know. I slew three of the bastards before reinforcements came. There's too many of them. We need to get out of here."

She strode past them quickly in the direction of the stables. Vera and Ellise followed. The warrioress untied one of the horses from the deceased merchant's wagon. She had pulled a spare saddle from the back of the wagon and was now buckling everything together. She glanced over at the witch.

"Can you ride?"

Vera nodded.

A young voice suddenly called from the back of the stables. "Yara?"

All three women turned their gaze towards the back where a small head peeked out from behind a bale of hay.

"Dilon? Is that you?" called Yara.

"Where's Granpa? He said he'd be back by now."

A look of sadness crossed the knight's face.

"Come here."

The small boy scrambled over, his eyes wide and short strands of hay stuck to his hair. The knight kneeled to look the boy in the eye.

"I-I couldn't—there was nothing I could do for him, Dilon."

"What do you mean?"

"He's gone."

Dilon blinked and stared back at Yara, as if not comprehending her words. Then his eyes glazed over with tears as he understood. The warrioress took the boy's face in her hands gently.

"I'm going to take you someplace safe, all right?"

The boy looked away, the tears still pouring out of his eyes.

"I need you to be strong."

Dilon sniffled and looked up at her.

"Miss Vera and Miss Ellise will be with us," said Yara.

The boy looked up at Vera and Ellise who both tried to smile reassuringly at him. He looked back at Yara and nodded. In one motion the warrioress picked the boy up and placed him on the saddle of her horse as if he was nothing but an extra piece of luggage.

Vera looked at the horse in front of her—a dappled grey with a black mane and calm, observant eyes. She motioned at the beast to Ellise.

"Do you know how to get on?" asked the witch.

Her apprentice shook her head.

The witch tapped the stirrup.

"Like climbing a ladder. One leg up, stand—grab hold of the pommel and swing your other leg over." To demonstrate, Vera stepped into the stirrup and pushed herself up and over. Ellise looked up at her balefully. Stepping gingerly onto the stirrup in an effort to mimic her master, she pushed herself up, only to wobble and flail out with her arms as she crested the top of the saddle. The witch grabbed hold of one of her arms and with a huff, managed to stabilize her. Ellise swung her other leg over and fell into place on the saddle in behind Vera.

"Now, hold on tight. I've not ridden for a while now. This could get messy," said the witch with a bemused smile. The blonde apprentice frowned but wrapped her arms around her master's waist.

Vera looked over at Yara and nodded.

"Let's get out of here," grunted the warrioress. She pulled on the reins and galloped out of the stables. The witch followed suit.

Outside, the streets had cleared somewhat but there was still a trickle of people hurrying past with packs slung across their shoulders. Bits of straw littered the cobblestone and there was a broken down cart abandoned beside one of the buildings in front of them.

They followed the road south, riding along the river, past emptied houses on both sides.

"ARRGH!"

A blast of energy ricocheted off the walls of the buildings in front of them.

An explosion of dirt, debris and smoke blew through the area and their horses whinnied and slowed to an abrupt halt.

"Mercer's whip, what was that?!" cried Yara as her horse stamped and rose up onto her hind legs in protest. "Whooaaaa!" she called, attempting to sooth the beast.

Ellise coughed as dust filled the air. Vera frowned, sensing that something was off. Then, as suddenly as it had filled the air, the dust cleared and before them stood the hunched over form of someone shrouded in a light grey cloak.

The figure stood and the witch tensed as dark magic emanated towards her. Vera's eyes widened as the person pulled back the hood, revealing a beautiful face framed by light auburn hair. Her movement caused her cloak to part, allowing a glimpse of her outfit underneath. A royal crimson tunic cut close to her frame was paired with grey trousers that hugged her thighs. she had traded her slippers for a pair of tall red boots. There was no adornment around her neck save for a leather choker with a large black stone set into the center. She wore a set of red robes over all this, decorated with the gold motifs of the crown. Ice blue eyes scanned their faces and narrowed as they locked onto the dark haired witch. Her knuckles visibly tightened around her staff.

"Vera," she greeted.

Yara looked over at the witch and frowned slightly. "You know this woman?"

"I used to," replied Vera in a low voice.

At this, the enchantress chuckled and raised her brow at the witch.

"That's all I get? No, 'nice to see you again, Clarabel. How've you been, Clarabel? Apologies for leaving in such a hurry last time, Clarabel?'"

Vera pursed her lips.

"That's cold. And to think we used to be classmates."

"I'm afraid we have business elsewhere, Clarabel. Will you let us pass?" asked Vera in a firm voice.

Clarabel smiled, the corners of her painted lips twisting upwards but not quite reaching her eyes. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

The witch tensed though only Ellise, who sat directly behind her, felt the change.

"Why not?"

"You're wanted for questioning. I'm to bring you back to the capital."

At this, Yara turned and gave the witch a hard look.

"On whose authority?" challenged Vera.

"The king's orders. I have it in writing right here." She reached into her cloak and drew out a thick envelope with what looked like a red wax stamp embossed on the back. The enchantress's smile broadened as she opened her mouth and showed them her teeth. "Don't make this difficult, dear colleague. Come quietly and no harm need fall on your companions." She eyed the rest of them in turn, her gaze lasting the longest on the little boy peeking out from behind the red haired warrioress.

Vera's mind raced. There weren't many ways out of this situation without things getting messy. The streets were nearly deserted at this point but even so, she didn't relish the idea of trading blows with Clarabel in close quarters like this. They had some distance at the moment but that could change in an instant.

"I don't care who sent you. I don't take kindly to threats," growled Yara. She rested her free hand atop the pommel of her sword and glared at the enchantress pointedly.

The enchantress rolled her eyes and waved a hand almost lazily through the air.

Vera cried out a warning but was it too late. Magic hummed through the air. All of a sudden, their mounts let out blood curdling screeches. The horses' legs buckled underneath their bodies, sending the riders tumbling off. Vera hit the ground hard and let out a gasp as her shoulder hit hard stone. Ellise fell on top of her, knocking the wind right out of her. They both gasped and breathed heavily for several moments, squirming in pain and struggling to regain their senses.

Their horses lay on their sides in the road, still and no longer breathing. The clear sound of feminine laughter sounded from a dozen metres away.

"Looks like I have to do this the hard way!" shouted Clarabel with a smirk on her face.

Vera grimaced and pushed herself quickly off the ground before grabbing Ellise and hauling her up as well. The blonde huffed and looked at the witch with fearful eyes. Looking around, Vera confirmed that Yara had picked herself up and was in the process of making sure Dilon was all right. The witch turned back to glare at the enchantress and began forming a spell in her mind. But before she could even utter a word, she heard a loud cry from across the road. Yara had drawn her sword and was charging at Clarabel.

Not good.

Vera's brows furrowed as she abandoned her previous spell and instead started anew, muttering a few words under her breath while pointing an outstretched hand at the red-headed warrioress.

Yara swung her broadsword in an arc over her head and brought it down at the royal enchantress. Clarabel ducked to one side to avoid the blow and pointed her staff at the knight, calling out a word in an unknown language. The crystal at the end of her staff glowed with red light. Her spell hit the warrioress but Yara continued to move, swinging her arms around for another strike. Clarabel dodged the sword again and glanced over at Vera. Her eyes narrowed as she put two and two together. Reacting quickly, she stuck out the palm of her hand and cried out.

An unseen force threw Yara several metres back and the warrioress landed heavily on her back in the middle of the road. Clarabel chanted again and a wave of dark energy struck the witch.

"Urgh," grunted Vera. As her body absorbed the magic, she could feel the curse intensifying throughout her body, leaching at her focus.

Without pausing, the enchantress had pointed her staff the red-headed knight again and muttered a string of words under her breath. At first, nothing seemed to happen but then, as Yara rose and picked herself back up, her movements slowed. Her skin seemed to pale and small white specks began appearing all over her armor. She grimaced but continued to rise, albeit slower and slower. Clarabel doubled her efforts, pouring more power into the spell and the sudden surge in energy caused Yara to cry out in pain as her body began to stiffen.

"Oh no." Vera's eyes widened as she realized what Clarabel was doing. She was freezing the knight.

Vera immediately began to chant under her breath as well in an effort to halt the spell. She had shielded the warrioress from Clarabel's magic earlier but those wards had not been designed for this kind of magic.

When seeking to inflict harm, most mages resorted to fire. It was fairly simple to call, easy to sustain, and difficult to counter. The ward that she had used was prepared as a shield against fire and a few other common magical assaults—implosive and explosive forces, decay, abrasion, and blunt trauma. It did not account for freezing. She had forgotten that Clarabel had had a particular affinity for ice and cold at the Academy.

It wasn't working. Yara's armor was almost completely frosted over. Small white flakes dusted her eyelashes and her face was pale as ice. Soon her body would start to freeze solid.

Vera twisted her wrist and spoke a few words. A column of fire erupted out of the ground in front of the warrioress and with a flick of the witch's fingers, the fire sped down the road towards the enchantress. The witch rushed over to where Yara stood frozen and laid a hand on her shoulder plate. With a gasp she pulled her hand away quickly as if burned by the frost. Instead she hovered her hands over the redhead's armor and murmured a spell to release the magic and thaw the warrioress's body.

The flames that had engulfed the enchantress suddenly exploded outwards, dissipating into the air and a furious looking Clarabel stalked out and raised her staff again to point at both the witch and the knight. Vera lunged forward, putting herself between the still-recovering warrioress and the slew of energy that the enchantress had just flung their way. The witch's brows furrowed in concentration as she willed an invisible shield into being and Clarabel's spell hit and fizzled away around them.

"Stop this madness!" yelled Vera.

"Oh but I'm just getting started!" cried Clarabel as she flung another spell at her.

Yara blinked and looked down at the witch. The feeling had returned to her limbs and she could once again move though her extremities still felt numb and cold. Vera turned and gave her a look of ragged urgency.

"Grab the boy!" Hissed the witch through gritted teeth.

"By the authority vested in me by His Majesty, I hereby proclaim that you are under arrest, Verena Avalis. For charges committed against the crown!" screamed Clarabel as she threw another spell at Vera.

She grimaced as another spell hit her shield. With every spell she absorbed, the fatigue seemed to show more and more in her face.

Yara nodded and ran over to where Dilon had stayed crouched behind one of the fallen horses, watching the scene with a mixture of horror and adulation. She bent down and grabbed the boy with one arm, slinging him quickly over her left shoulder and jogged back to where Ellise stood huddled behind the witch.

"We're ready," said Ellise.

Vera nodded and her face took on a look of intense concentration as she called forth what remaining power she had left. Sweat began to bead on her forehead as she sustained another blast from Clarabel and finally closed her eyes to concentrate.

A furious gust of wind suddenly howled through the openings between the buildings, kicking up the dirt on the road and soon a swirling whirlwind of sand, dirt, and fog shrouded the air, blocking visibility and biting at all of their skin and clothes. The witch's eyes opened and she grabbed Ellise's hand and waved at Yara, beckoning her to follow. With one arm shielding her eyes from the sand and dirt, she led the way. They ducked into an alleyway between two houses and stumbled through to the other side, weaving through side streets and lesser roads until they came upon the shore of the river.