The Coven

✓ Kiergan

My back hurt after hitting the hard wall, as I and Orion- who was fuming behind me- were thrown into an old rusty cell, reeking with smells of wet earth, and something metallic— blood, perhaps by two hooded husky guards— draped in dark robes. Our wrists and ankles were bonded together with brittle chains, and it clanked as I tried to sit, my head banging, and my stomach churning— neither at the pain nor the otherwise.

"How has your idea benefited us now?! Huh?!" Orion growled at me, his eyes glowing red, a similarity to the eyes of the wolf which had bit me in the forest, and my body shook slightly.

I sighed deeply, my chest tightening at the weight that had now weighed on my heart. "We need to calm down. I have a plan." A lie. The resolve I had before we were brought had evaporated, and all that remained in me was— fear?

"You have been repeating the same thing, but now I'm beginning to think that it was all a lie, and maybe you have something to do with this. Gosh! I knew I was making the wrong decision!"

The image of Orion in chains in the cave came back and antagonized me, and a bead— maybe two— of sweat slowly dropped from my head, "What do you mean I have something to do with this?! Would I have risked my life if I did?"

"Who knows." He scoffed, and strained on the chain, trying to break loose, his countenance as that of a wild werewolf, but his effort was not enough as nothing changed.

Wait, something did. Maybe, there was a plan after all.

"There's a crack, man!" I shouted, and dragged myself up, while almost tripping on the chain. There was a little strained fading mark on the iron, "If you insert much energy into it, the iron might just break!"

"Why don't you just f****** do it yourself?!" He shouted, tried again, and after a couple of minutes, he stopped trying.

"My wolf's weak, dude!"

Orion grunted, slowly shutting his eyes, and opened them back with the same motion, my heart beginning to pound against my chest as I waited, watching as his irises flashed with yellow glow, and his fangs and claws pointed out, sharply.

I folded my chained hands together, muttering words of prayer, with my body tensed, so much so that I couldn't move. Not like I could, freely, anyway.

Orion continued to stretch, groaning and growling loudly, his veins popping out of his skin, and his muscles out, and I knew he could transform into a werewolf in the next minute which would be at our disadvantages, and more so anyone could have sensed something going on.

The thought hadn't even taken a moment to rest when I began to hear heavy and fast footsteps approaching, and my heart skipped with two beats, with my breathing getting caught in my throat.

With urgency, I dragged my feet towards Orion, and began to shake him with one hand, while whispering his name into his ear. He didn't stop. He just continued, as though his ears were blocked to the outside world.

The footsteps neared and I shut my eyes closed, canceling out every noise, "Orion, can you hear me?!" I was calling for him through a mind-link now.

No response.

I tried again, "Orion, you need to come to your senses, man! We're about to get ourselves into real trouble if you don't stop!"

"What's wrong with Orion?! Where is he?!" Suddenly, Joanna's voice cut through the conversation, and my heart leaped— with hope, as much as I didn't want to admit it, she was the only one who could probably help retreat Orion's wolf.

I heard the clanking of the first silver gate— which they knew would hurt us if we decided to escape— before the ordinary iron gate locking us in, and I jerked out of my thoughts, "Joanna, you need to help me!"

"I need you to call Orion's name with the mind- link right now! Can you do that for me?!"

"What's going on?!"

"The f*** Joanna! Call the goddamn boy's name!"

She went quiet for a couple of minutes, and sweat began to form on my back, but some were already dripping down my face. "Joanna? What's keeping you?"

"Stay calm."

"I can't!"

A low growl caught my ears, and my head snapped towards Orion, who slumped to the ground immediately, and simultaneously was the gate of the cell which clanked open, causing my heart to almost jump out of my chest, as I frozed in my position.

The hooded husky guards trooped into the cell, and without wasting a glance on us, they grabbed me and Orion, and dragged us out into a dark hallway with flickering candle lights queued on both sides of the hallway, while they casted eerie shadows onto the walls as we walked between them.

It was as though the light was reflecting the true nature of everyone who passed, for mine and Orion's shadows were of a giant werewolf, and their features that of a gigantic fox. But, there were some of them who didn't have a shadow.

Cold sweat covered my body, and I glanced back against my shoulder to see if Orion was also seeing the same, but his head was bowed, and his shoulders sagged, like a sack of rice being dragged along.

Suddenly, the guards stopped before a strange, but grand gate, with lots of spells integrated into it.

My wolf began to stir terribly in my head, while my heart raced wildly, hammering against my chest, my thoughts jumbled together as one of the guards began to chant incantation, my head swelling, and goosebumps enveloping me.

"Pit'chu Sha'arei HaGedolim! Pit'chu Sha'arei HaGedolim! (Open up, you grand door!)" He set about chanting, afterwards, for a while, before the gate began to move, opening as slowly, and grand as it would.

The door revealed a heavenly kingdom which was a huge contrast to the cell and the strange hallway which we had just passed through. There was a narrow path leading to a huge castle, with different gardens of flowers adorning every side. And, within them were cute little children jumping, and chasing each other around.

What on earth was this place?

I haven't seen paradise, but the place looked like one.

The guards continued to drag us along into the castle, and though the place was a beauty, my restless heart still couldn't bring myself to see it as that.

We arrived at the castle, and into a courtroom, which was also a far cry to what was outside, but similar to the hallway.

There were witches with robes as though a liquid darkness lined up on the both sides of the path leading us to the head witches who was sitted on a golden throne, with a staff obviously carved out of gold, these were a big contrast to the darkness that filled the place.

We got to the front of the throne, and the guards pushes us to the ground onto our knees, as they informed the Head witch of our arrival.

"Here are the prisoners, my lord." The leader of the guards spoke up, and I arched my brows, since the voice sounded too familiar. Too familiar.

"Welcome, heroes!" The Head Witch said, and I almost raised my head to check out who had spoken. The voice was as though it was dripping with sweet honey. It was very sweet and melodious, a voice I wouldn't have excepted in this situation.

I heard the meticulous clinking of heels on the uneven floor of the dark courtroom, resounding throughout the hall, my heart jumping at every step taken.

Then, I raised my head, and my eyes beheld the second most gorgeous woman in the universe after the Moon Goddess, and I got caught in the trance, staring at her, mouth agape.