Witch of Fear [Mild horror, Isekai High Fantasy]

Wagon wheels scythed through deep mud as an enlarged convoy made its way down the Dusk Road. Six wagons full of thirty Duskguards had joined the convoy ever since they’d left Fort Rainguard, bringing with them a sullen silence. 

For two days, they had traveled without musical accompaniment. 

Gilralei had hidden herself away within her wagon, unable to be her cheerful self. Few knew the reason, but many could guess. 

Autumn and Nethlia shared a sympathetic look. 

Alongside the Duskguards, ten mounted Rain Knights had been assigned to their convoy. Composed of the best champions the barony could offer, they had access to some of the best arms and armor. A fortune in steel reinforced bone and horn plate armor over top of a thick leather trench coat that shielded them from the elements. Gloves and boots were bound tight to not allow any water to intrude, while a wide-brimmed, domed, and visored helm protected their heads.

While each wore a keen steel sword, their main armament was the lance, for they rode atop Nightmares; black horses of dark fog and fear. They clopped along beside the convoy, unbothered by the downpour. Manes and tails of black silk and shadow swayed in the wind, smoke and embers clung to heavy hooves, and eyes of malevolence burned within fiery sockets. As they bore their riders onwards, they huffed hot air from mouths of carnivorous teeth.

And as Autumn stared at them, they stared back.

“That’s certainly creepy. Why do they keep looking at us?” Nelva asked from her seat beside Autumn.

The strange pairing of witch and chevalier had taken over driving, or at the very least, keeping their wagon on track as a burning sky heralded the falling night. Seeing as Nethlia had graciously taken the few days before, they opted to return the favor. 

Soon they’d have to stop, but the next town loomed ever so close. 

Captain Morlech had made the unanimous decision to continue on under lantern light, unwilling to rest another night under the stars and rain. Thankfully, no argument erupted as the adventurers knew that the closer they got to the Restless Mire and the woods that surrounded it, the closer they got to danger. Monster, beasts, and bandits were threats not to be underestimated. Already they’d had a few close calls. 

“They’re not creepy. I think they’re beautiful.” Autumn said.

Nelva looked to Autumn, the pinnacle of creepiness. “Uh huh. Sure.”

“They are! Just look at them, those sleek muscles, that majestic mane. There’s something about them that’s…that’s… just so beautiful. I want one.”

A wistful sigh escaped Autumn as she admired the mares as they trotted in the rain, almost showing off.  

“Of course you do.” Nelva’s voice was full of amusement and gentle teasing.

Autumn blushed as she ducked her head back beneath her hat. 

Nelva stared out at the nightmares she found so creepy. Their eyes filled with a cruel light. Under her breath, she whispered. “They kind of remind me of my fiance.”

Autumn blinked. “Fiance? You’re engaged?”

The cavalier jolted in her seat. 

Hesitance stole across her face as she contemplated telling Autumn. Under the witch’s inquisitive gaze, she relented.

“Yes, I’m engaged and not of my volition. My parents betrothed me to a monstre, a vampire most foul. I…I don’t blame them, as they weren’t to know. Nobody else was aware of their haematic lust but I. On the eve of my wedding day, I discovered their deeds most foul; they’d slain a young maid by draining her of lifesblood till she was naught but a husk. I informed my parents and le corps de garde, but no one believed me, so I ran. One day, I’ll return and slay the foul creature.”

Her grip tightened on the reins, causing them to protest. 

A myriad of other emotions flickered across the noble features of the Lepus Chevalier. Before Autumn could offer words of comfort or even her aid, a disconcerting sight drew their attention, along with the rest of the convoy. 

At first, Autumn had mistaken it for the setting fires of the sun, but long after the night had darkened, a glow of a raging inferno remained, lighting the dark expanse. Icy winds too brought ill omens, for upon them carried the cacophonous sounds of roaring beasts and men. 

With nary a word, the convoy pressed on, intensifying their pace till they flew through the muck, and their wagons shook with eagerness. Inside the bouncing wagons, spells and weapons were readied.

Autumn gripped her wand with shaking hands. 

Everwatch was ablaze. 

The once proud wooden palisades and watchtowers of this fortified town now burned into the night sky. Embers drifted in the winds to alight upon homes while timbers creaked and moaned as they fueled the inferno. Brigades of civilians sought to douse the flames and save what they could. It was all for naught, for this was no accidental spark that lit the town, but a deliberate act of violence.

Up the river, raiders had crept in silence. 

Oars that softly cut through the waters had pushed a longship with furled sails further inland. An evening fog had cloaked them and by the time the watchmen noticed, it was far too late. Upon landing on the river’s stony banks, the raiders had rushed the walls and set them alight. Now they roamed within; stealing, killing, and raping this town of its wealth and people.

Autumn got a good look at these pillagers. 

Human menfolk, bearded and braided. Fueled by fury, they had arrived with death in hand. Some brandished large rounded shields against the desperate hail of arrows and the jabbing of spears, while others cleaved flesh and meat with powerful swings of bearded axes. Helms of iron were crowned with majestic horns and antlers, while bodies of dense muscle bore the marks of salt and scars.

However, much to Autumn’s dismay, they did not fight alone.

Great and powerful beasts fought by their side; Grizzly-Bears, Saber-Toothed Tigers and Jaguars, Direwolves, and even Direboars.

Through the cracked and burned gates hundreds of these seabourne brigands had poured, yet a few still remained fighting brutal battles against clumps of isolated militiamen. Those few defenders who had the freedom to observe the onrushing convoy were bolstered by the sight of able-bodied reinforcements and fought more fiercely as a result. 

The convoy ground to a halt before the fire and the flames.

As Autumn tumbled free from the wagon her feet landed in the mud with a sucking squelch. A wash of heat from the roaring flames fought against the icy chill in the air, causing Autumn’s back to instantly become awash with sweat. Her team dismounted around her with steel hearts and aghast eyes. 

Despite her own determination, Autumn’s hands still quailed.

Liddie flashed a sharp smile in Autumn’s direction.

“Alright, you all know the drills. Keep in formation, follow Autumn’s messages and we’ll get through this. Don’t hesitate to kill. These look to be veteran Bearmaw raiders and they won’t waver when cutting you down. Am I clear?” Nethlia’s voice boomed over the flames and violence. 

“Let’s not waste any time. People are dying in there, so let’s go do something about it.”

Six pairs of well-worn boots pounded the ground as they made their approach. 

Just ahead of them the Duskguard had assembled under the guidance of their reedy-voiced captain. Unlike the Duskguard of the south, these northern counterparts had donned raincoats of wax-leather and armored conical helms. A sea of pikes, spears, and polearms rose into the sky. The Rain Knights had already rode off to harass those few enemies out in the open.

“You there! Adventurers! Get back in line! I’ll be leading this fight, and I won’t have you mucking things up for me!” 

The Duskguard Captain’s voice must have been lost amidst the cracking of fire and roar of combat, for none of the adventurers heeded his bluster. 

Mud and hot blood mixed underfoot, pooling around arrow-struck bodies and discarded weapons. Beyond the broken and smoldering gate lay a dread carpet, friend and foe lay alike in the cooling embrace of horror and death. 

Bile threatened to rise within as Autumn picked her way over strewn guts. Ahead of her, Captain Ekrus and his Nemesis Crew had killed the few raiders scavenging the dead. 

“It’s best if we split up to cover more ground. These invaders won’t be far.” Captain Ekrus said as he wrenched his axe free from a split skull.

“Right. Stay safe.” Nethlia responded. 

Everwatch’s main road loomed before them, fragmented and blood-soaked. Bodies lay crumpled in the streets, militia desperate to protect their homes. Les Lames Du Crépuscule formed a shield wall against the horror. Behind them, the grim ballads of the Wise Cavaliers resounded, bolstering allies and attracting enemies. Acting as vanguards, the other teams split off one by one into alleyways and homes.

Everywhere Autumn looked, there was violence. 

The shops and stalls that had once lined the streets with trade now lay gutted and looted while homes had been broken into to snatch the valuables within. More bodies lay tattered and torn, bleeding onto the muddy roads amidst the falling rain. Militiamen littered the streets like discarded trash at first, but as the party ventured further into the burning town, more and more civilians started appearing. Blood watered the earth below those who had tried to flee.

Ahead of them, men disgorged from a ransacked home with arms laden with gold and trinkets. 

A jinx splashed across one’s cheek, freezing him in place for a polehammer to descend and coat the ground with his brains. The rest fared no better in the face of a team of forewarned adventures. 

Now their lifeblood too graced the streets. 

A woman’s terrified scream broke the night alongside cruel laughter and the bellows of a harsh new language. Once more, unfamiliar speech became her own and Autumn understood every word. 

“Look how these monsters squirm! Haha! Kill her once you’re done, and make it quick, the sjef wants us away before these creatures send for help.”

An icy chill of dread rocked Autumn’s spine. 

She sent off a Mind Whisper to the others, informing them of what she’d heard. Racing off towards the sounds, they were there in less than a few seconds. 

A broken door hung limp from a door frame, kicked in by unkind boots. Bloody handprints marred the edges while cries and pleas of distress echoed from inside. 

Nethlia didn’t hesitate and smashed what remained of the door out of her way in her rage. The shattered remains crashed against the far wall and frightened those inside. A harrowing sight greeted them as they all crested the doorway. A lone demoness lay pinned to the floor under the weight of a brawny raider, her clothes torn asunder till she was near nude.

Five raiders had gathered inside this abode and now stared in shock at the arrived group of furious adventurers. 

Pure orange eyes pleaded for help.

Nethlia leaped with an almighty roar, and all hells broke loose. 

Utter carnage and butchery engulfed the enclosed room. 

Autumn’s ears rang as a thrown rune exploded upon a hastily raised shield nearby, turning the wood and hide into nothing more than a hail of splinters. The wielder dropped with a scream of pain and the scent of burning hair. White hot pain lanced the side of Autumn’s face as a wayward fragment of wood scored her cheek. 

Dread magic splashed across the room, freezing those it touched. Autumn erected her magical shield just in time as an axe blow skittered across it. With desperate hands she inflicted Touch of Terror upon the one who dared just before a mighty swing carved in their skull with a shattering crunch, sending blood and teeth scattering across the walls. 

The taste of blood filled Autumn’s mouth, and she was unsure if it was her own. 

In her ears, all she could hear was the pulsing of her heart amidst the ever-present screaming. Adrenaline shook her body as she laid about the room, slashed and casting. 

A keen axe spun wildly across the devastated room towards her. Before Autumn could raise her shield once more, Nelva intercepted it. The weapon quivered an inch from the cavaliers’ dilated eye, embedded within her raised shield. The thrower had but a flash of regret before a lurking pirate grabbed him and opened up his throat in a spray of gore, the crimson further painting the room and Autumn both. Now she was sure it wasn’t her blood in her mouth, gagging she scrubbed at her mouth as the smirking Liddie abandoned the rapidly cooling body.

Whatever quip she had to say ended up absorbed by the shrill ringing.

The fight had taken only a bare few seconds of absolute chaos. 

All that remained of the raiders was a pile of sundered dead and one bloodied survivor. He stood by a shuttered window as he bleed down a limp arm. Before he could even utter a single syllable whether in surrender or otherwise, a raging berserker collided with him like a runaway Agoroth. 

Both crashed straight through and back out into the gore-slick streets. 

As the party rushed to exit, Autumn spared a glance for the cowering demoness. Somehow she’d survived the sudden brutality with only a few splinters and a splatter of gore to mar her. 

“Go to the gates! We’ve cleared the way for now! Go!” With that, she rushed out into the street after her wayward berserker.