Chapter 43: The White Witch

Ambroz was fast approaching his cave when he even almost hit his head to a rock after his foot stumbled upon a pebble causing him to lose his balance but he was able to hold on to a support. He was starting to get even more anxious.

"I-i was discovered— my existence has been displayed." His hands were shaking and his body was trembling. At the very center of his core was nothing but the anticipation to finally end this feeling. "What will happen to me? What will happen to these people?"

He was still standing in front of the entrance towards the cave as he panic and thought of many negative assumptions towards many possibilities of those people getting in mad trouble once they will finally uncover what he is truly made of.

Ambroz started to get evil images of death and flames. Distraction and shouts. It was the end. Just like before, this has been appearing to him once he gets nervous about things. Like a paranoid man. His hands were placed on his face as he had his eyes widened. Pants and heavy breaths, he was finding it hard to consume air.

"No... No!"

He was in a state of chaos upon what he has brought upon himself.

"This... This is dangerous. They know me... The curse will penetrate me again... Doing the same mistake again." Trembling, he exclaimed.

Ambroz remained standing there but he heard rustling from somewhere. He wandered his around, then immediately entered his cave and hid himself in the dark shadows of the walls. His eyes were widened. He has never felt this frightened before. He was afraid of himself.

But, who could have ever thought that this would have gotten any worse?

As he was hiding there, his guard never left his system. Because no matter what happens, he needs to conceal his identity. This is not just about himself but the safety of everybody involved and is standing on this land.

He was numb. But, he still cares. And making connections with these people is the least bit that he would do.

Who would have thought this would happen?

Suddenly, with all the anxiety filling him in. His curse form reacted to it and heated breaths started to emit from his lungs to his throat. His vermillion eyes heightened, smooch of his scales was showing, and his skin turned rough. An awful disposition.

Turns out those rustlings were from the very people on the land that arrived. A woman and its fellow lads. They were seeking through the deep forest, embarking on a journey towards what interesting things they would find. And, as a curious woman she is, Ambroz's current habitat, the cave, piqued her interest. She began to infiltrate the cave. Though she had those lads, they never went with her. Within them was curious but no strength has been built in.

Alone she surpassed the only border that separates Ambroz from the light.

Ambroz felt her footsteps however, he was too occupied with his condition. It was worsening and he froze when he saw the woman's face.

She was too stunned to speak so she could only shout and squeal once she could finally see his situation.

"Wha— Aaaah!!" Squealed the woman and in an instant, she run outside and left her compatriots in confusion. But, they reckoned something was inside the cave, even more so when Ambroz let out a growling and slight roaring noise.

"Was that an animal growling?" One asks the other.

"No, if Yilena shouted as if she would die. I supposed this is far more rumbustious than just a mere animal. Yilena likes animals, so," Responded by the other one.

They looked at each other and created cacophonies before running towards the woman, following her back to their village.

Ambroz on the other hand was trying his best to calm himself down. However, nothing was working. Never giving up was his best bet as of now, or else these people would be in grave danger.

"C-calm down, you m-monster!" He exclaimed to himself, talking to his curse form as if it was another being. Afterwards, he hit his chest multiple times, hoping that would help him. But it never did.

He shivered and was avoiding to rub his manhood. Along with this curse was not only the dragon itself but the disgusting heat as well. Causing him to oblige to his desires and give in. At this point, he would commit pleasurable things, attempting to put an ease on that particular part of his body.

"W-when would this end?!" Shouted by Ambroz. "Arg!" Groaned right after, grasping his neck harshly.

He ripped his top open and as he was laying down on the ground, this man started crawling his way out. His knee began to attain bruises and his palm had scratches on it. His core was thirsty and was drowning in hunger.

"W-water... I need water." Ambroz blurted out.

Ambroz reached outside and the bright sun and wind came after him in a glimpse. For a moment, he raised his head while still on all fours. But, all he saw was the shade but never the figure. His vision was blurry and it turned hazy. He then lowered his head making his long hair bang to the ground right back.

As expected, those fellows were completely gone.

"Screaming when she saw me, even I don't recognise myself anymore. This whole figure is a treachery for my fellow being. It is truly inhumane. Who would not be afraid? Probably those witches." With his rusty voice, he muttered. "That's right, I don't know myself."

Ambroz thought of himself as an ugly and atrocious beast. Far from normal and close to the evil. However, he only turned into a dragon for just on time. Centuries passed and within those years, he only ever experienced wanting to feel pleasure. His hands itself never pleasured him so he ends up in slumber for days or weeks if that happens. Nonetheless, the transformation never occurred again. The witch's existence has a lot to do with it, this gave him a rest. But, who knows? Who knows what the future holds?

Ambroz slumped on the ground with his trembling hands and shivering body. His consciousness started to fade and again he dropped to sleep. However, before he could finally dream of anything and fall down to the obscurity brought by slumber, he heard other footsteps and a voice of a woman. Till then, he finally saw his subconscious.

Sounds of water? My head, it's fresh."

I no longer feel the lingering body heat. What's happening?"

My mind feels light."

These were just a few of his expressions while still closing his eyes.

Indeed, he was now laying on a soft fabric but the roughness of the ground was still felt. The bumps and the bulges, but never did it annoy him. Furthermore, he feels as if he is being treated.

When he slightly opened his eyes, even though it was blurry, he let out a word he never thought he could ever say again.

"Mother?" Soft and with tenderness, he uttered.

However, the moment he fully opened and was used to the view. A woman, not so young and also not so old, appeared before his eyes. It had his mother's demeanour and manner of movement. But her face was far from his mother.

This woman had a white veil securing her head, but it was not thick so her hair was vaguely visible. She had a curly brown hair, her ringlet had a dash of gold tinge to it but the natural touch was vivid. This woman has a skintone so pale and yet glowing. Even after being inside the cave, her face was plastered right in front of him. He was awestruck by its beauty. He never saw a woman this flawless ever since his mother died.

And on top of that, it was taking care of him. He can feel his heat subsided already.

However, who could this woman be?

"I see that you are finally awake. How are you feeling, my dear?" With her soft voice, she asked him and smiled right after.

He groaned silently, settled down to sit and held the waist part of his body, it suddenly ached. "Who are you?" He asked, respectfully.

The woman kept wiping his head with a white towel, the exact reason he re​sus​ci​tat​ed.

She giggled and placed the towel down to the wooden bowl filled with water. "The first time you wake up and this is what you as of me." Responded by her.

"Pardon, but should I must thank you?" He asked and breathe softly.

"Nothing like that," She stood up from squatting and fixed her dress. "But, you see, I saw you lying on the ground. Almost as if you were not breathing. You're not a man from our tribe. You have lived here your entire lifetime. I'm curious, with all the goods in this forest, why did you faint?"

With her question, Ambroz's heart thump. He began to feel anxious again. His eyes widened and he did not know what to do. His breathing was heavy once more.

"I— I don't know... myself. I don't..." He panicked. His throat started to heat up once more.

The woman sighed. She went back and leveled her sight to his. She held his face and looked at his vermillion eyes. Suddenly, her eyes turned from their natural color, which is brown to foggy white.

Ambroz stopped his heavy breathing and those eyes soothe his mood.

"I know you." The woman exclaimed with an airy voice.

That voice echoed through Ambroz's ears to his mentality.

"I know who you are. Where you are from. And what you truly are." She continued.

It was a constructive manipulation. His heart started to calm down. His widened eyes settled and inside him was too stunned.

Then, the woman's eyes turned back to brown, its natural shade, and Ambroz was able to breathe back to normal.

He coughed. "Hold on, how? And what are you supposed to be?" Furrowed brows and scrunched facials, he asked the woman.

The woman stood up and positioned her hands to her back. She traces her way slowly to the bright light outside. As she walks, her head reminisces the flicker of memories as to when she decided to come to this land.

"Have you heard about the long tales of the witches revival?" She inquired of him, but Ambroz had no words to reply, so she proceeds. "Hmm, thought so. In that era, the creator of this world has brought decisions for flawed souls to be turned living for use. As shall they be sent to the ground and spread wide in the vastness of various dimensions. The creator was on with his creations but a flaw came to generate. Despite the white witches reviving, these flawed witches came to unite with the treacherous beings of the world. They were against with curing humans and instead they slaughter them, stealing their souls for their own good. And you know what else is there, my dear?" She halted from her sentences and looked at Ambroz strangely.

Ambroz raised his brows and climbed up his sit. "There's more to that?"

The woman slowly nodded "There is. Beyond honesty, those souls still are created by another evil witch. One of the many flawed creations of the creator performed this and she succeeded, forging three more witches and in which one of them having a soul of a good man. In return, she was born quite different from the others."

"Different? How so?"

"She was kind, considerate, and later on used her abilities to escape from that flawed evil witch, her mother, and made it in this very land. That kind-hearted witch is your mother, dear." She revealed.

Ambroz was quite shocked at what he heard, he avoided her gaze and bowed down— trying to process all those things. However he already did see his mother's past before, this very detail is news to him. Set that aside, he was still confused as to why this woman knows all of that when it happened many centuries ago.

'Unless...' He thought.

Ambroz almost snapped his neck when he hastily gaze at the woman who was speaking seconds ago.

"Are you—"

"Before you could say anything. Yes, dear. I'm one of the creator's successful creations. I am what you call the 'white witch'. I have lived longer than you did and almost gave up with the world's cruelty and barbarity. However, fate inserts people who would impact you the most. That changed my perspective and once again had my fate in humanity. Just like how your mother hoped for, too." She gave him a smile and stifled her overwhelming happiness with a sigh. "That's why seeing someone as you suffer from that witch's curses? Dear, the sadness grown within me."

Ambroz who was staring at her talk truly did see the sadness and sincerity through her eyes.

"How would you know all of that, if not seeing it in front?" He asked afterwards.

"I'm a white witch, one of the successful creations. Of course, these things are heard of. I can see through it, but, it was hard enough to find this part of the world." She admitted.

However, Ambroz comprehended all that with doubt still in his core. "Does this mean you will remove the curse? Will I die in peace after that?" He asked without looking at her this time.

The woman walked a few steps towards him. "As of now, all is still in modifications. Searching for the curse's cure is not an easy task. It's very hard as it is such an evil curse to form, one would know it took that witch a couple more souls to create such thing." The woman explained to him.

He clenched his hand and answered, "I see,"

There he is again, wrath filled his head and death was all that he could think. Even a white witch finds it hard to remove the curse. If this takes longer now, it might take another go and destroy more lives. He does not want that.

Ambroz goes and blames himself again. He hit his chest and vengeance was grasping his head. For many reasons, he was angry at himself. Too desperate to remove the curse and just die.

"When the curse is perhaps removed, what would you wish to do with your life?" The woman suddenly asked.

"I wish to die." He said almost instantly and with no second thoughts. "After all, I have killed many mercilessly. That includes my loved ones. Granting myself death is reasonable."

"Life is unfair. I know. But, instead of death why don't you look up to what you can do good to your remaining years after that? Your mother loved someone and I know she had no regrets with her life except that she left you here. I can assure you, you staying alive is enough reason to make your mother somewhere feel somehow relieved. Trying my best, I will remove this curse."

Ambroz felt hopeful at this time. He wanted to place his trust in this woman talking to him. He wanted to trust again.

"How come the goddess still remained calm upon your arrival? She has punished me and set a testimony to never let anyone step on this land anymore. So how?" This question has piled ever since the second day came for the people that arrived.

"She knows my arrival," She replied. "The goddess is kind no matter what. From all the disastrous things granted to her land, she chose change still. The other things would be left unanswered for now. My people are looking for me, I would want you to lie low for now. Only I and my lover know about you. Save me some time."

Before she could finally leave, Ambroz stopped her. "Wait!"

She halted and gaze at his position, with only her peripheral vision on. "Yes?"

"What's your name?"

She lifted the edges of her lips and look at her front, the forest before answering and muttering the words that says her name. "It's sacred. But the name's Elena Alinac."

After she said so, the woman escaped the scene and her presence slowly disappeared from his sight. Her name left emotions to his insides and it lingered till then.

But what destroyed the mood was the grumbling of his stomach.

"I should grab some fish anytime soon. This guy would not let me to rest."

"Finally! You're back. How could you leave me here? These people are panicking. How could they set foot on that part of the forest? Elena, what is your plan?" A thick voice was heard inside the hut.

"What are you panicking about?"

"These people, we have been with them ever since that day we have met. We know them. If we keep this on edge, they will be the ones in panic, Elena."

"There is no need to panic," she said with full of confidence.

"Elena. The man has the curse with him, it's a dragon. Anyone would panic, Elena. Even I did the first time I saw you and knew about your intentions. Now, what is your plan?" The man gave him a serious look.

He's in his leader self, I see.' Elena thought and heaved a sigh.

"Let them, it will not take long for them to know the man." She responded and went towards the man.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I am. So should you." She answered and scoffed right after. "What I don't get is you calling me by name, Bergen Bartleby!" She did the same.

The man nervously laughed and cross his arms around her shoulders. "Pardon my rudeness, love. I won't do it again. You are so beautiful as always."

Elena then heaved a sigh. From the window, she observed how the people started talking with each other. Spreading pieces of information about the man in heat inside the cave. She also thought about the consequences when the other tribe or trope of people would also know about his existence. She will take her abilities to use when that time comes.

She has planned it all ever since then. Until the very end, she will help this man stand. Through numerous consequences.

This is her purpose. Will always be to help humans.

"Mother!"

"Mother!"

Two beautiful girls came running inside the hut when they saw their mother arrive. Elena plastered a smile seeing the gift of her life. Yes, it was her two daughters. Two loving daughters.

"My lovelies, where have you been? Have you played with the other fellows?" She asked.

"Mother, we heard about the man in the deep forest. Who is he?" The eldest asked with such innocent eyes. The younger remained silent as she was still can not understand well about the world.

"Well, he is a man we will help," Elena responded, changing her gaze to Bergen and back to her daughter.

"We will help? Including us, too?"

"Yes, we."

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ABYSSCESS