Nathan struggles with his chains, a futile effort against the enchantments. He is stronger than human but steps were taken to make sure he could never escape. On top of the enchanted chains there were unbreakable locks, disorientation spells and nasty curses in every corner. He bows his head in defeat. A being created for a single purpose and now came the realization that it would never be fulfilled. His life a waste. He himself used as an instrument used to usher in the End of Days, and then... cherries.
He had smelled them before, somehow he didn't believe it was Risser who wore this perfume and his teenage witch smelled of perspiration deodorant. The girl was careful, easing her way from shadow to shadow. She stood now looking at Nathan from just beyond the cell door. No older than 20, her hair auburn hair falling down in front of her shoulders covering her chest.
She stood at an angle in the dark making it hard for him to see her. He was too weak to call out, though he probably wouldn't have anyway. The girl put her hands on the lock in the door and closed her eyes whispering something he couldn't quite make out. The lock clicked opened, she took it out and came inside. "You're not here to hurt me..." He says weakly, head hanging low.
"No, well, it might hurt a bit actually." She gently places her hand on his bloody chest. Immediately the cuts begin to close up, skin crusting over and healing. His unravelled intestines tighten and his bumps and bruises level down to normal size and yes, it does hurt a bit. She holds the chains by which he hangs and speaks in Latin, "...patefacio." Nathan suddenly drops into her arms as the chains shackles bust open. Magic.
"Get your breath, take a second, but we have to move fast, they'll be coming back soon."
Nathan breathes deep, he takes a second as his body adjusts to its new condition. They get up together. "Who're-"
"We have to get out of here." The girl wraps his arm around her petite figure. Nathan tries to walk alone but can't stay up. "You're still low on blood, don't worry you'll be fine in an hour or so but for now just hang on to me."
"What if we run into those Zealots?"
"Your powers won't work in here, this whole basement is enchanted, I'll take care of it."
Quietly they the ease into the dark hallway. Nathan fights to stay awake, the girl lowers him to the floor when she sees a pair of black robed guards at the end of the corridor. She walks toward them quiet as a mouse, their back to her they have no sense of what's upon them. She lifts her hands behind them. "Somnus." She says and the one on the right falls flat on his face into a deep sleep. The other guard turns around unaffected by the spell. He finds immediate recognition in her. "I knew you weren't faithful, heathen!" He pulls a long sharp knife from his robe, she takes a few steps back finding enough room to put between them for a second attempt at the spell but to no avail.
"You have magic, I have charms." He holds out his necklace, a silver ring with four lines intertwined inside hangs from the leather strap, she's seen this symbol before, it's the signature from a powerful warlock, wearing it block all spells. He swings his knife, she instinctively doges to the right-
He shoves his left arm out hitting her in the chest. She falls in front of Nathan who stands up weakly. "Get back to your cage dog." The man spits. Nathan moves toward him, the man swings the knife again, Nathan steps to the side and grabs his arm, not as weak as he seems. He brings a hand down on the man's elbow forcing the knife to face the man's neck. Nathan stands behind him, struggling with the zealot until he has the idea to force them both to ram the wall ahead, when he does the knife penetrates the man's neck, he is dead in seconds. Nathan goes back and picks the girl up from the floor.
"You didn't have to do that." She says.
"Do what?"
"Kill him."
They continue through the maze of hallways and doors, until they find a light on the ceiling with a metal ladder leading up to it. "I don't understand, this look like a sewer grate, they had me in a dungeon or something like it, not a sewer." Nathan says curiously.
"This isn't there, we've moved in space and time since then, it's like a maze, but every hallway is in a different space dimension..." She steps on the ladder and climbs up. Nathan follows reaching the top to find himself only a few feet from the Eiffel Tower.
"We're not in Japan?" He says.
"Not anymore." She replies. They both step onto the street, people walk by staring and ignoring alike.
"Why did you save me?" He asks, genuinely curious as they start speed walking through the masses.
"It's complicated." She's fast and precise, he struggles to follow close behind.
"Is there a simple way of saying it?"
"..I wanted to leave, I needed protection. You're protection."
"Fair enough, you're a witch right? Can you teleport us somewhere?"
"It doesn't work that way."
They move into the crowd of tourists and locals couples and families, trying to blend in as best as possible. Nathan leans in "I don't understand, you were there, with them, I've sensed you there from the beginning, why were you with them? Why did you help me?"
"Why don't we start with names? I'm Lilly." She says smiling.
"Okay, well I'm Nathan. And I think Lilly is a very pretty name."
"Well it's short for Lilura so not really." She says, he laughs, "Do you know where she is, the Slayer?" She asks.
"Yeah, I'm connected with her, she doesn't kno about it though, I thought it's be safer that way."
"Safer? Why?"
"Because if I ever got caught she wouldn't be able to try an help me."
"So I guess you were right."
"I should have terminated the connection all together, it's how they found her."
"You kept it to keep her safe. To watch over her."
"Yeah."
"So you knwo where she is because what you see what she sees?"
"Sometimes, but mostly it's a feeling, like the feeling you get when you think of home, you always know where it is in relevance to where you are, no matter where she is in the world, I know where she is, she's my home."
..............................................
The little witch sits on a tombstone smacking her lips after applying ruby red lipstick. Risser comes behind her with a duffel bag full of supplies, he plops it all down next to her. "I'm not your servant, you could help a little you know." He says stretching.
"Hey I'm the one going to be doing all the hard work here. Yahafta put your own hours in too, if that means carrying my stuff, you carry my stuff." She says jumping off, she gives him a quick red kiss on the cheek and opens the bag. He wipes it off pretending to be angry. Caden takes from the bag a black candle with a pentagram in the middle, bones and twine dolls. A skull beaten and crushed, and the feet of several animals. "D'you have any gum?" She asks him.
"No, just hurry please."
"Fine... grumpy..." She kneels down at the grave and places both hands on the dirt. For a moment it is quiet. Caden closes her eyes. The earth beneath moans and groans in protest. The worms in the dirt dig away. Beetles find themselves flying off in all directions. "Find your way back, find your way home... " She says, beginning the incantation to raise the dead.
