Mrs. Bartlebee's Garden

The badlands

    There was only desert in the endless darkness. It was cold, no birds called out, not an insect chirped. For everything had long sense died. The horned, hooded figure sat quietly, hugging it's knees, it glanced to the tan woman lying beside it. Her long black hair was tangled and filled with twigs and dirt. The creature observed its catch, extending it's long black fingers to touch her but quickly turning after it heard a noise. The creature's large eye scanned the area, paranoid. It slowly stood up, nervously holding it's own hands before grabbing a nearby stick, breaking the edge and sharpening it. The words echoed in it's head, this was the only way. The figure sighed as it slowly sat back down, looking to the human again.
    "I never wanted to do this, I hope you won't hate me. I have to!" The horned creature explained in a sad whisper before staring out the large hole in the side of the hollow building it took shelter in. The being watched all the millions of rainbow colored stars that filled the skies. "I just really hope this is all worth it in the end." It told itself quietly before it heard something pass by overhead. The figure panicked and jumped to it's feet, gripping the spear tightly as it heard voices pass.
    Whatever had passed by looped back around, coming closer, it then landed on the roof of the small stone building. The hooded monster began to shake as it stepped back, blinking slowly. The voices were much clearer now, one was familiar, and then it realized. That boy, he belonged to the woman it kidnapped. The creature huffed and began to feel a confliction in it's own brain. It listened as the footsteps paced and moved, growing closer and closer. Within seconds a hole was shot through the ceiling from Mrs. Bartlebee's wand, the three above froze in horror as they had finally come face to face with their thief. The vampire pounced and tackled the small, frail being, it screeched and began to claw and kick, dropping it's only weapon.
    "Mom!!" Rocket exclaimed as he jumped down from the large hole, falling to his knees as he grabbed his mother, holding hee tightly as he began to sob, brushing her hair out of her face. He quieted down as she continued to lay still and limp, cold and scrawny, looking near skeletal. "She's still sick,," He mumbled to himself before turning to stare at the monster, it suddenly punched Venus in the face and squirmed out of his grip. The creature then charged into Rocket, knocking him to the floor while it screamed and growled. It stared at him before it frantically scrambled to the human's mother, grabbing her and scampering into the dirt road. The boy chased fearlessly, grabbing the other and violently jerking it backwards, it dropped his mother as they both fell backwards. The human grappled onto the small yet agile monster and quickly climbed atop it, choking it mercilessly. The witch and the vampire screamed loudly and pulled the human off, pinning the other down with magic.
    "You don't understand!! I-I have to do this!!" The hooded figure exclaimed in a panic, quickly beginning to cry and heave, gasping for breath. The vampire king hissed in it's face to silence it, only turning the creature into a mumbling, sobbing mess, shaking and whimpering loudly. The witch stared at it and frowned, feeling sorry and sympathetic. She then shook her head and thought quickly.
    "What is your name and who are you working for?" Mrs. Bartlebee asked menacingly as she pointed her wand directly into the monster's face. She looked down at him, dead serious eyes. Her intimidating, angry stare sent shivers down the human and the vampire's spines. The badlands began to take effect on the purest soul, there was no going back. The being continued to mumble incoherently and whimper, choking on it's own sobs. She pressed her trusty wand to it's throat. It began to beg and plead out of desperation.
    "M-My name is-Is N-N-Nøel!!" The creature stammered, fidgeting and shaking more than a terrified rat. "P-Please don't k-kill meeeee!!" They called out with a cry before their hood was violently ripped off their head. Revealing their face, a troll with one eye, and eye patch on the other. Tied back hair, very short hair. It's large bottom fangs caught the trio off guard. The greenish grey complexion glistened in the moonlight, as of the skin was made of stone and scales. The creature sobbed and tried to move, trying to cover their face. The wand began to light up as the woman pressed it further into the troll's neck. "I-I-I work for Frostbite!! I-I'm sorry! Please let me go! Y-You don't understand!!" Nøel cried out, sniffling and wheezing as it struggled to breathe, being stuck on it's back, forced to choke on tears.
    "Why are you doing this?" Mrs. Bartlebee asked, continuing to give the troll a mean stare, destroying their sanity. Her hair began to float upwards, as if the air were water, her eyes becoming a pale white, empty and angry. It was clear the creature was young, has no idea what they had gotten themselves into. The vampire king hissed in the troll's face once again, before drawing back, watching the blonde with worried eyes causing the creature to burst into a nervous sweat and more crying. "Why!?" The witch screamed angrily as she loomed over the figure.
    "Bee,, this kid's clearly got a screw loose go easy of 'em!" The king mentioned light heartedly, frowning and watching the creature. He then looked back at the witch who stared deep into his eyes with a hateful glare that chilled his core. The vampire gulped and furrowed his brow. "Don't get mad at me! I'm trying to be the good guy for once!" Venus explained before looking to the human, who only watched with a hate in his eyes. "My gods, the badlands are driving you two mad!! Rocket! You have to talk her out of it! She'll listen to you!!" with that statement the young vampire was given no response. Only a bitter silence and the struggling gasps and whimpers from the hooded figure. Venus opened his mouth to speak before being interrupted.
    "Shut your trap before I cast you back into your eternal prison!" The blonde yelled as she turned back to the hooded figure, continuing to stare into it's soul and press her want onto it's neck. It's energy heating and scaring the small beast. She then used a burst of magic to bounce the vampire back once he stepped closer.
    "H-He has my mom!! He said- he-he said that i-if I brought someone of e-equal worth h-he'd let her go!! H-H-He suggested- t-this lady, I'm s-so sorry!" Nøel choked out before a large light suddenly shined down on the five. The vampire hissed in pain and slunk away into the darkness, the boy looked up in horror as a large blue and white dragon approached the scene, a floodlight attached to it. A giant net was shot at the group, the human narrowly dodged it and took off, running through the empty broken town. The net landed on the witch, knocking her into the sand, her magical grip on the troll ceased, they put their hood back on and grabbed the woman, hoisting her onto their shoulder and taking off in the opposite direction. As the dragon landed a soldier dressed in silver hopped off, approaching Mrs. Bartlebee.
    "Eleanor Bartlebee, you are under arrest for the charges of freeing the vampire king, disturbing the peace in a religious environment, and several illegal uses of magic!" The silver soldier stated as the net began to glow brightly, the witch frantically grabbed her wand, panicking when she found it didn't work. She was placed unwillingly onto the dragon and it took off, disappearing off into the endless night sky.