“Try to keep up, Rose. For blood will stain the ground today.”

Primrose looked at him grimly, regretting her decision instantly.

SWOOSH!

Without giving Primrose time to react, William tore through the horde with bloody claws that with a single touch turns you into minced meat. Arms, legs, torsos, and heads were flying in the air as screams and groans echoed throughout the forest. Primrose covered her mouth with her hand as an eyeball rolled to her feet, leaving a trail of blood.

William flapped his wings, holding a possessed woman tightly by the neck. The woman tried scratching at his hand, trying to escape his hold but his strength proved to be too much. “Devour.” William cruelly said and slowly drained the blood from the woman until she was simply an empty husk.

He threw the body to the side and made eye contact with Primrose whose emerald green eyes met his enchanting yet terrifying red eyes. “What are you waiting for Rose?” He asked, licking the blood from his lips and sent her a mocking smile. “Even if they can’t possess you they can still kill you.”

Primrose snapped out of her stupor and with a quick look realized the possessed humans were closing in on her. The strong aura washed over the forest once more and the demon-possessed humans blazed with magical energy before running at her madly.

“Anastasia!” Primrose called out, gritting her teeth before lifting her green dress and bolting down the path created by William.

SWOOSH!

The familiar flew out of the canopy in a streak of blue light knocking away any demons that came close to touching her master. Sensing the familiar next to her, she began transferring magic into the butterfly and started chanting. “Release all bonds and soar through the sky!” Primrose chanted and a bright green light surrounded Anastasia. “Butterfly Morph!”

In seconds, the bright light faded away, revealing a much larger Anatasia. Her body was big enough to support a human with her 20-foot wingspan. Primrose quickly mounted the familiar, escaping the mindless demons and headed to where William was.

“Took you long enough, my fair Rose,” William smirked at the witch flying next to him.

Primrose ignored him and observed the situation below them. “This is an army,” Primrose said grimly as she looked at the demon-possessed humans clamoring up trees to get to them. She couldn’t understand how so many humans were possessed or where they came from.

“That is what I thought,” William replied excitedly. “They were cases of people going missing lately so this must be where they were. Brerkemuul thinks this is the work of a powerful demon. We...can sense its general direction.”

SWOOSH!

William flew off into the trees with Primrose and Anastasia close behind him. Primrose observed William’s demonic form that was drenched with blood and briefly wondered if he held back when the fought.

“Your…..give me….your body!”

Primrose was broken from her thoughts as familiar voices roared behind her. She looked behind her and gasped. The possessed humans were jumping from branch to branch like shinobi and moving faster than before. Sensing spikes in magical energy, she looked to her left and right, only to find more flanking them from both sides.

“Why are they getting stronger and faster?!” Primrose angrily said as her hands dazzled with magical energy. The fog had suddenly returned and gotten thicker leaving them only able to hear the horde.

“The powerful demon must be providing them with the magical energy but that’s fine by me!” William roared his expression one of delight. “Remove the fog!”

“Faerie Winds!” Primrose shouted, thrusting her dazzling hands outwards.

SWOOSH!

A sparkling wind swept through the forest, carrying a melodic sound that blew away the heavy fog. The moment the fog disappeared, William moved in the blink of an eye appearing to his left and cleaved the heads right off the bodies possessed with his blade-like claws.

He laughed darkly before moving to another, forcing his hand into the chest of the possessed man. Hundreds of blood tendrils burst outwards coming out his mouth, eyes, head, hands, feet, and stomach before he exploded in a rain of blood and guts. William basked in the gore before moving to his next victim.

Primrose grimaced at his macabre acts as blood splattered on her face. He admitted that he was a killer at heart but she didn’t know he was this bloodthirsty. She looked away from the warlock and turned her attention to her attackers. Her hands dazzled with magical energy and raised both hands above her head.

“Carnivorous Flora!”

BOOM! BOOM!

The magic covering her hands exploded like fireworks continuously as magical particles rained down in the forest. Growls could be heard from below and suddenly a plethora of vines shot from the undergrowth below them, binding the demons and pulling them down.

“GIVE ME YOUR BODY!” Several demons jumped at her, their hands outstretched and mouths wide open.

Primrose coldly glared at them. “Useless.” She uttered and low rumble made the forest tremble.

A giant yellow flower burst from the foliage below with rows of sharp teeth and acidic saliva. The flower swallowed the demons whole before rushing at the nearest demons with the viciousness of a snake.

The flower tilted it’s head back before spewing its viscous acidic saliva at the speeding horde behind her. The acid burned through the first wave, melting them down to the bone. The second wave jumped on the flower, attacking it with equal viciousness. Several more flowers emerged from below to help its mother with powerful vine whips and devastating bites.

She knew that the spell would last about half of an hour before the flowers would revert to their regular states. However, it would keep the horde at bay for now. She turned her attention back to William who was slightly ahead of her.

“Devour!”

Primrose slightly shuddered as William released countless tendrils of blood from his body that pierced several possessed humans and sucked their blood dry. The warlock dropped their bodies, without care and flew next to her.

“I’ve filled my quota for several weeks. So, let’s find this demon that’s been unknowingly feeding Brerkemuul and me. Brerkemuul wants to meet the one who dares to attack him.” He darkly said before speeding up.

Primrose nodded. “Anastasia.” The familiar immediately increased her speed, following closely behind William. After a series of twists and turns, the duo arrived at an old ruin located deep within the forest.

Primrose dis-mounted from her familiar and looked up the ruins with curious eyes. “Do you know what this place is?” Primrose asked without looking at William.

Nature claimed the ruins as its own as overgrowth covered the grey stone walls of ancient ruin with. The ruins had broken giant columns that lined the pathway to giant stone doors. If she could guess the ruins probably dated back at least 500 years from the derelict state it was in.

William retracted his wings and landed on the ground with a thud. He looked up at the ruins with a critical eye. “I don’t know yet but....” He trailed off, walking towards the giant stone doors in quick strides with Primrose close behind him.

He reached the door and began tracing the symbols with his hand. Primrose carefully looked at the symbols and a sense of familiarity filled her and a memory from long ago came to her.

“That language...its the language of the Elves,” Primrose said, recognizing the symbols

William turned his head to look at her with his red eyes. “The elves huh...their sudden disappearance many years ago shocked the continent. A whole race disappeared overnight and no one knows what happened.” He mused before looking at the door.

The story was the same as the one in her own world. Long before she was born the elves were bountiful in Aerilinth but then they disappeared. Many theories were passed around and many people braved the Glistening Expanse ocean to find what happened to them but none were successful.

She had even heard that the dwarven continent had dedicated a few years to the search at the request of the King of Aerilinth at that time and wasn’t successful. The disappearance of the elves was one of the biggest mysteries of the world.

“This door is warded quite heavily and I’m not that good at wards,” William said, stepping aside.

“Let me.”

Primrose placed her palm against the door and felt the pulse of strong magic. “O tree spirits heareth my plea.” She whispered with intent and eight tree spirits slowly came from the surrounded flora. Primrose sensed their cautiousness but they still came to her.

“I thought only Witches or Warlocks who specialized in nature magic can befriend tree spirits.” William curiously asked, watching the tree spirits hover around her.

“Fae Witches are similar to Nature Witches. Nature Witches connect with flora in a deeper and meaningful way almost like druids. They can understand nature in a way I cannot,” Primrose said, taking a breath before continuing, “Fae Witches have the exclusivity to faerie spells and ingredients that no one else has. As far as tree spirits go, they’re the only ones to befriend me.

“I see,” William said thoughtfully.

“Please, I need your help,” Primrose asked imploringly while looking at the spirits around her before placing her other hand on the door.

The brown-haired witch analyzed the ward on the door while tree spirits glowed brightly aiding her with nature magic. “I can remove the ward but it will take some time,” Primrose replied, putting her full focus on her door.

“Well, we have company now.” William gleefully said as he stretched his wings.

“GIVE...ME YOUR BODY!” Hundreds of the possessed dropped down from the trees before bolting in their direction.

“Anastasia, protect me while I work!” Primrose coldly ordered. Anastasia flapped her 20-foot wings once, lifting off the ground and landing behind her master, facing the horde. Her blue wings glowed brightly and a shimmering shield covered them quickly, protecting them from the horde.

“While you work on the door, Brerkemuul and I decided we’ll have another feast.” William breathed out, exhaling red smog and narrowed his eyes at the horde running towards him. “Come, let me show you all the might of Brerkemuul, The Devourer.”