Meet The Witch

"You mean ... Konsta?"

"Yes, anyway... whoever is blocking our way, then we need to finish it as well. We are Jotuns, and we should not be friends with creatures other than Jotuns so that we are always feared and can rule a territory without the intervention of other creatures, you understand?!"

"Ok."

"Then you arrange the situation here, and I will go to Volka to divert her attention. Don't do anything before hearing a sign from me," aunt Kara ordered.

At this time, the Jotun herd seemed to be led by Aunt Kara. She did that because she felt that at this time, the Jotuns had no direction at all from Rudolf when he left the Howa cave. In addition, she also thinks that she has power because she is the only younger brother closest to Rudolf. So, she volunteered to be the temporary leader of her flock.

So, where did Adolf go?

Emotions culminate, accompanied by the greatest fear in Rudolf Howard. He ran away from the cave that had been his residence without giving any message to his family. So scared, he couldn't get disappointed with Gus and Volka for finding his son.

Knock Knock

Rudolf was knocking on the door of a place in the middle of the untamed forest.

The knock on the door with solid force sounded like someone was about to break the door made of pine tree wood. A small cottage that was only about five by five meters in size shook because of the loud beat that Rudolf had done with both hands.

"Yes... yes... wait a minute!" said someone from inside the cottage.

"Can you be faster?! I can't wait anymore!" exclaimed Rudolf, who was still banging on the door. His beat was now getting louder because he couldn't wait.

Before long, a woman opened the door with her face bent. For some people, especially humans. You will be surprised if you see the woman for the first time because her appearance is quite scary. How could it not? The nose is high with an elongated shape almost parallel to the chin. The clothes are all black though with some patches in some parts. The grayish-black mole attached to her cheek also adds to the sinister impression every time she sees it. Not to forget also with long curly hair dangling and unkempt adorning the head of the woman whose path was half bent.

"Ah... it turned out that you came. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be visited by guests at my house. I'm busy!" concluded the woman. Then she closed the door of her small cottage again but was thwarted by Rudolf, who held the door until the woman could not close the door tightly.

"Wait, Maleen! My son, Arthur, was about to see you. Have you met him?"

"I don't want to meet you, and you are asking me about your son?! I told you I couldn't break your curse!" said Maleen, the witch from the southern forest.

Yes, Maleen is what Arthur has been looking for. Gus's fairy tale about a witch in the southern forest is accurate.

"Maleen, please. Can you give me a favor? I need your help. Please help me find my son. After that, I won't see you again. I promise," Rudolf pleaded terribly.

"I can't do much, Rudolf! I don't have any magic power anymore!" concluded Maleen.

"Please, I believe you can do something for me. I'll give you whatever you want, as long as you're willing to help me, even if it's just one piece of information."

Maleen was silent for a moment. She then opened the door slowly while peeking with one eye.

"Whatever I want?" asked Maleen, ascertained.

"Yes! You can help me, right?!" replied Rudolf very indeed.

Maleen then agreed to Rudolf's offer, which she found very tempting. She also told Rudolf to wait outside while she prepared some equipment to perform the ritual. In her cottage, many old utensils can be seen hanging on each side of the existing wall. Some are rusty, and some are intact and shiny. Maleen was a witch in the past who is now retired. Her current activities are making tools made of metal and iron. Although she was already empty of customers because the distance between the village and the forest she lived in was quite far, she never stopped pursuing her work.

"Please tell me, your son's name and how long he's been away from you," Maleen said.

"His name, Arthur Howard. He's been gone for about three days," Rudolf explained.

"Is there any other clue than that?" asked Maleen again.

"None."

Maleen then picked up a small bowl of hers made of wood. She also held a pinch of dry straw that she stirred in the water-filled bowl. Her lips looked like she was talking about something Rudolf didn't understand. Her gaze aimed over the overcast sky as if she was talking to someone.

"Bad ... It's so bad," Maleen said in a monologue.

"You mean? Where is my son?!" asked Rudolf impatiently.

"What is clear is that he is not alone. He's with a girl whose abilities you can't underestimate," Maleen replied with a look of reassurance.

"Girl? A human being, you mean? Ah, that's ok. I believe Arthur will be able to conquer it. At least I can be a little calmer hearing this. Arthur must have survived wherever he is," said Arthur, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I didn't say anything about surviving," Maleen said.

"And then? What do you mean? Who is with him?" asked Rudolf again.

"You said, you only need one piece of information. I can't tell you more than that. Now, it's time for you to pay for my services!"

"B-But, all right. What do you want?"

"I want to... you brought me the young girl who left with that kid of yours. So I'll absorb the girl's aura to take me back to the young way I used to be, hahaha," Maleen said, laughing with satisfaction.

"That's a matter of ease. After Arthur comes, I will take the girl for you. So you have to wait, deal?"

"Wait a minute, what if your kid doesn't come home? Or, how about you lie to me?" asked Maleen in doubt.

"Then it is my life that is the guarantee," Rudolf replied confidently.

"Your life? Tsk! What's the benefit of getting your life? You're an old Jotun who's probably going to die soon. It's just the energy you still have today," Maleen retorted dismissively at Rudolf.