RETURN OF THE HYBRID (Book III)

Chapter 20

***King Lloyd’s jurisdiction 1823***

Their plan had worked perfectly thanks to Cassandra's input. Johannes kidn*pped two of Baxter’s men, undressed and killed them. He had become damn good at it, quick and clean. That's always the thing with people who were once powerless, once they become powerful they enjoy every moment of it. Johannes was having fun ripping out hearts, decollating and ripping out spines all of it without using any weapon but his bare hands, his fists in a rib cage calmed his demons of the past torture through the hands of men. Cassandra then cast a spell that made both of them men.

From there it was easy. As she went to the northern kingdom Johannes and Gaia took themselves to Baxter’s camp, beaten and bruised with a believable story of being prisoners of war for a long time. They had just escaped and they were cool if Baxter didn't remember them, that one he didn't. They asked for water to drink after which Johannes narrated another believable story. While in captivity they overheard that their King's life was in danger. Someone was already in the palace plotting to kill King Lloyd. When Baxter asked who, Gaia argued it was better off if the three of them handled it quietly without rising panic, they needed to be smart about it. And so the three of them left after sharing a drink.

"Let's hope we get there fast" General Baxter said riding upfront.

"We will general, we must save the king" Johannes said.

"The earlier the better" Gaia added on riding closer to Johannes.

She was loving it, the whole thing with disguising herself as a boy and getting to see men at war was all exciting. If you asked her Helen and Dahlia were missing a lot. She was starting to respect the soldiers who went through a lot to ensure their borders were safe and even though during that time they were terribly failing she based her appreciation to the past.

"We are here....open the gates!" General Baxter shouted.

It would have been hard to get in there without being smart. Gaia looked at Johannes and smiled. The two thinking together was one hell of a kick ass team. But there was a downside. Cassandra's spell was fading. It could only work for a few minutes.

"The spell is getting weak we need to act fast!" Johannes whispered.

Their horses followed Baxter’s horse along the clean pavements of the palace. It was surrounded by a long thick brick wall with guards at every point. It was a fortress inside and outside. As compared to Rhode, Lloyd had invested in staying safe.

"We got this" She assured.

"If it goes south ran through the back, there is a small gate with less guards" Johannes whispered.

"Are you two saying something?" Baxter asked getting off his horse.

They froze.

"Yes general we are trying to speculate the looks of the mole"

"And?"

"We can't seem to agree" Gaia said.

"That's because you are looking at him" Baxter said drawing his sword.

Gaia looked at Johannes. He was going to kill them if they didn't act and if they did it was his word against theirs. With all those men surrounding them, they were outnumbered. They retreated to a small room behind them, it was all Baxter’s plan the whole time. In fact when they told it to him that's when he perfected it. He had also helped them unknowingly. Turned out they were just on the same team. They wanted the same thing.

"What?" Johannes asked feigning surprise.

"Please don't kill us we can shut up about it" begged Gaia.

General Baxter bolted the door and quickly turned around pointing his sword to them. He was surprised, more than they actually were when he broke it to them that he was a real life character of their lame imaginary story. And the surprises did not stop there. There was more.

"Wha-what is going on here?" He asked.

Gaia smiled.

"Am a girl" she said.

"But you", Baxter stopped, his hands were shaking, “you were both men"

"Come on Baxter we are on the same team here" Johannes said getting closer.

"Stop right there!" He ordered.

Johannes obediently retreated back with his hands raised in the air. Their backs were on the wall.

"Witches! I can smell it, lucky for me I got an enchanted bracelet magic doesn't work on me, am going to kill you and kill the king then pin it on you"

"But we will be dead and dead people don't kill those who are alive" Johannes mocked.

"Or we can work together and we both win" Suggested Gaia.

Baxter laughter thunderously.

"You two think I trust you?"

"No but we only need his blood you can have the rest of the kingdom, his women and virgins and guards. We get the blood" Johannes explained.

"Why blood? Am curious I mean why risk your lives for blood?"

Explaining to him would have taken long time besides the lesser he knew the better and easier their mission was going to be.

"I can't reveal that, so we have a deal?"

"No deal"

"Baxter dear, you don't see the bigger picture here, it's easy" Gaia said approaching him.

The man who had claimed magic did not work on him a few seconds back was perplexed at what she was doing to him. The sword was in his hands but he couldn't use it. He wanted but something was stopping him. He was frozen as though her pheromones were affecting him yet he was nothing close to liking her. Gaia took away his sword.

"Your bracelet is a joke...you will take us to the king. Introduce us as sophisticated traders of weaponry then suggest a private meeting. You will leave us with the king, we kill him, get the blood and leave then you will go back to the king’s chambers and sound the alarm see, everybody wins!"

She unfroze him. Baxter went for the sword but them something else scarier happened. Johannes picked it up using his super speed and before Baxter could process how he got it that quick in the first place he had it on his throat.

"I can kill you before you blink" he threatened wearing a warm smile, it sounded like a threat but didn't match his facial expression.

"You are in?" Gaia asked.

He nodded. It was not like he had an option, no was not among the options he had. In the midst of two people, one who could freeze him and the other who moved like the wind the general was not stupid enough to show how tough he was. It was a deal.

"You will need some good garments, fine linen maybe let me organize" Baxter said keeping his sword.

He turned around and walked to the door. Scared out of his own skin. Some things he had seen were hard to process and the more he tried to understand them the more they became a mystery.

"And Baxter?"

"Yes"

"Don't think of something stupid like sending your men to apprehend us, I know where you live"

"No need for threats, we are a team" he assured.

"Good"

Were they really a team? Once a mole always a mole. I wouldn’t have trusted Baxter if I were them.

***Zeli's Realm***

When he came round Zeli found himself lying sprawled on the floor of his enchantment room. He rolled over and groaned in pain. His head was aching from the impact it made with the floor when he collapsed. Then he realized the last moments before he did collapse. A master of blackmail and mischief had just lost to hi captives and now the hunter had become the hunted.

"s**t!" He cursed getting up quickly.

He rummaged through his spell ingredients. The witches had escaped and they had a vendetta against him. They were not going to rest until he was vanquished. While holding them he could feel their anger towards him and even though he thought he was immortal, their accomplice had access to a weapon of mass destruction and his aim was to destroy what he had built for himself. For the fast time the great Zeli was in panic mode.

"Where is it?" He screamed angrily clearing the whole table.

At his worst moment everything was not working. He felt helpless. He could not keep tabs on Leon and he could seem to get his head straight and bring back the witches.

"Relax, just relax" He assured himself breathing in and out.

His environment turned to a sunny evening. He was standing in the middle of a vast Greenland with his arms spread, he added some wind that was howling past his face whispering words of encouragement. It was basically a part of him in the wind so he was like telling himself to calm down. He switched his guard off and allowed other personalities of him to take control, it was like some kind of rebooting the systems. Slowly Zeli regained his composure and when he opened his eyes he had the spell.

"Time to kill the little witches!" He growled.

It did not work as expected. He did not see any of their spirits being siphoned from their bodies and he couldn't see their bodies either. They had outsmarted him. Zeli was afraid. So afraid. Who knew what else they did with the small window of opportunity? As a good dancer he knew when to leave the dance floor, instead of having them as prisoners again Zeli was thinking of protecting his realm from intruders. As long as they couldn't get in he was safe.

***Cassandra's Quest in the northern kingdom 1823***

As a veteran oracle Cassandra rarely received a lot of resistance wherever she went. In fact the people across all the five kingdoms loved her. Not the rulers though. Only Rhode liked her. And that was only because her prophecy of a savior coming from the house of Rhode came true. Too bad it didn't last. Getting across the border to the northern kingdom needed some kind of disguise and keeping a low profile. The guards at these borders rarely allowed witches in. Killing them was however a guarantee.

She was riding in the back of a chariot, the taxi of that time. At the back there were four people, Cassandra and three others. One of them kept looking at her. A man. Of course it had to be a man. She was beautiful. Men kept making advances even king Rhode had once wanted to share a bed with her claiming it was time he also got to hear from the spirits. Whoever told him that magic was sexually transmitted was to blame.

"Am sorry woman, but do I know you?" He asked.

"I don't think so" Cassandra said looking all shy.

"Don't worry they don't know you" he assured referring to the other two. A man and a woman," They have recently moved to the kingdom, Cassandra right?"

Her eyes bulged almost popping out. They were nearing the border and even the sound of her name would have raised suspicion. She needed the blood of their king badly to prevent a catastrophe in the name of Zeli. She also had a personal vendetta against him that could only be quenched with his body floating in his own blood.

"Please sir you got it all wrong..."

"No I don't, the thing is they might not allow you in, I want to help"

Did she need help? Maybe she did. Using magic would have raised a lot of eyebrows and as witch she was also not that good at killing people. The price of magic was also a heavy one. Unless she needed to use magic she was not planning on using it. And in that case there was a Good Samaritan offering to help her.

"How?"

He smiled.

"So you are Cassandra"

"No, how?"

"My brother works there I will just tell him you are my new wife but you will need to cover your face with this veil" he said taking out a veil.

Cassandra took it gladly. Why he had a veil was still a mystery but she was not planning to ask.

"And what your name?"

"Eric the son of Jonah"

"Thank you Eric, am looking for my friend. She used to work in the kings palace as a maid. Her name was Lana. Have you heard about her?" Cassandra asked.

"No but if you know where she lives we can find her together" He assured.

The chariot stopped. They could overhear the driver talking to the soldiers. He then walked to the back looking tensed. If he was carrying anything or anyone illegal the punishment was also his to bear.

"Everyone out!"

They all got out for the mandatory search. With the war between the kingdoms there was a possibility of spies using the chance to cross through the borders.

"Eric!" His brother Sherwood said happily.

"Good day brother I came back with your sister in law" Eric said holding Cassandras hand.

Sherwood took her other hand and kissed it. He then bowed in a royal manner.

"Pleasure to meet you miss. My brother is a handful be prepared"

The two laughed lightly before Sherwood cleared them. The chariot driver picked them up a few meters away from the stop. He looked happy, meaning they were all clean.

"Told you" bragged Eric.

"Thank you I don't know what I could have done without you" Cassandra said.

"Fly or become an ant or something crazy, invisible too am sure you can do that"

"No, I mean I can do some of those but I don't like"

"Okay let's get you somewhere to rest"

"I thought we are getting my friend"

"There is a curfew and you are an oracle from the neighboring kingdom..."

"Tomorrow" she said.

She rarely liked people, Eric was among the few people she liked.