The Seventh Son

THE RISE OF THE PHOENIX

The Cave opened up and witch Cleselda began chanting, “nimwe!, nimwe! nimwe!, nimwe!, what do you want my child?”

“I want Jerald and Rachel to cry for eternity, I want them to cry forever. I want to hit them where it hates the most. I want blood,”

“Clarrissss remember, there is no turning back from this, everything has got consequences. Not once have I heard you ask about the sacrifice you are about to make nor the consequences. You are not even curious about your family history?”

“I do not care about any consequences or family history, all I want is king Jerald on my feet, I want him to regret the day he set his eyes on me.”

Hearing such words, Cleselda smiled, initially she had doubts whether Clarris would take revenge on behalf of all the cresent witches. But to her surprise Clarris was ready to unleash her wrath without any questions. She was proud of herself.

“Niwe! niwe! niwe! niwe!,” the witch continued chanting. She grabbed Clarris and ordered “take off your clothes, and deep your innocent body into the sacrificial blood,” the witch commanded. 

Without hesitation, Clarris took off her clothes and jumped into the river of blood. She was a woman ready to unleash her wrath on those that betrayed her and nothing mattered at that moment. Clarris gasped for air but her determination forced her to hold on, the witch finally let go and Clarris breathed in hard. “nme nimwe nmwe,” she continued chanting.

“I want his sons,” Clarris yelled on top of her voice.

The witch stopped chanting and looked at Clarris, “I was not worthy of him, I will be worthy of his sons. He forgot about me as soon as she had told him about her pregnancy, his joy will be turned into his sorrows.” Clarris added.

The witch smiled, not even her millennial old a*s would have thought of that, so she gave Clarris a potion to drink and began chanting again, “Nimwe! nimwe! ninwe! ninwe!”

The ground opened, inside it was hell fire split into light and darkness. The witch grabbed Clarris and threw her in the burning heat. Clarris tried to jump out but rotting hands emerged and dragged her back. The fire began tearing into her flesh. She screamed in anguish as all her flesh burnt to hashes. 

In a dark corner of the cave, Darrell, still in his rat form regained consciousness but was stuck between the bones, the chanting and Clarris's screaming pierced through his ears, he could see the hellfire spilling its fury, it was too hot that if it weren't for the bones in front of him, his mouse body would have been roasted.

Both the chanting and screaming stopped, there was silence. The hell pit began to grow and from it Clarris emerged like a phoenix, her eyes were as dark as coal, her skin had traces of reddish and greenish scales. Her hair was so long that it swept the floor behind her and the edges had eyes and the mouth of a snake. The hair hissed as she moved. A new creature was born, a creature that was witch, snake, phoenix and mutant combined. She was an abomination, no creature was allowed to have such powers that she now possessed.

“With such powers comes heavy sacrifices,” Cleselda chanted and Clarris's chest opened up, her heart floated out and the witch grabbed the heart and buried it in her tomb. “this is my gift for the powers I have given you.”

Darrell watched in fear, he still couldn't shapeshift, Clarris smelled his presence and walked over to where he was pinned and picked him up, “hello little mousy, I'm so hungry,” she said in a cold hissing voice.

“You look beautiful my queen,” bowed Cleselda.

Clarris ignored Cleselda and held Darrell by his trail and was about to bite his tail off when he shouted in fear, “Please princess Clariss do not eat me, it's me Darrell.”

Clarris stopped in mid air and smiled at him, “I know it's you Darrell, I can hear your thoughts, even in your mouse form you look delicious. If only my eyes were as open as they are now, I would have had an affair with you. You always looked delicious in that knight uniform.”

Cleselda laughed out loud while Darrell closed his little mousy eyes in fear.

“Bring me my clothes Cleselda, Darrell is staring” she teased.

Without hesitation, Cleselda ran to her tomb to bring something for her to put on.

“I wasn't staring at my princess, please forgive me and spare my life.” A pleading Darrell cried out.

Clarris laughed out, Cleselda came back with a magnificent dress fit for a queen and handed it to Clarris. “How powerful I'm I Cleselda,” Clarris asked while putting the dress on.

“No one matches you my queen, all the powers of the crescent witches that had been buried have been restored to you. You are untouchable. With just your finger tip you will be able to make armies kneel in front of you, with just your face and body, men will perish with lust.” The witch replied.

Clarris smiled, with a snap of her fingers she turned Darrell back into human. Darrell struggled to breathe, he tried to stand up but collapsed under his own weight.

“Hold up Darrell, It's been seven years since you used those legs,” Clarris informed him.

Darrell looked up at her in shock. She raised her hands and lifted him, “Darrell, for I have spared your life you shall serve me for eternity.”

Darrell wanted to protest but his throat was blocked, “you will only speak when asked to.Take this as a present because you will get to live forever. And you will also get an opportunity to avenge the man that sent you and your men to your death. she hissed some chanting and Darrell stood still. She whirled the hellfire and splashed it at Darrell who screamed in anguish. 

Both Clarris and Cleselda laughed out loud, as Darrell burnt before their eyes. Darrell's skin became scotched and after some minutes, his skin was as dark as cole and eyes turned dark. He knelt down in submission before Clarris and said. “My Queen”

“Rise,” Clarris ordered, Darrell rose up and flesh began appearing on his skin. The two women eyed each other, “Cleselda put some clothing on him. We have a date with Ergad,” Clarris ordered.

In Egard, King Jerald, Rachel and their two sons sat in the garden having their snacks. Rachel was almost due to give birth to their third child. “My king, have you thought of the name, I will soon be put to bed,” Rachel asked while placing kisses on king Jerald's hand. 

“Maximus, after my great grandfather, we shall name him Maximus” king Jerald replied.

“That's not bad, I have heard a lot of good stories about him. Our son will conquer a lot of nation's just like your grandfather did.”

Jerald grabbed and held her face in his palms and whispered “So I'm not great because I have not conquered nations?”

Rachel smiled, “You are great in my eyes, My king.”

She noticed what looked like ashes on her dress and tried to brush them off but got burnt and screamed in pain, OUCH! Jerald grabbed her hands and asked, “what is it love?'' Before Rachel could reply her first born son also screamed out in pain and they both rushed to him. They looked up and noticed the sky turning black, and more ashes began to fall. “It's the ash,” his son cried out, Jerald looked at his wife who seconded with teary eyes.

 King Jerald quickly got up and grabbed his sons and wife and they all ran into the castle. “what's happening? Rachel asked in a terrified voice.

One of his dark knights came running, “your majesty we need to take you to safety.”

“What's going on?" King Jerald asked 

“Looks like a spell hell, the scoceres are on it, but first your safety comes first, come with us, they will come and explain.” the knight replied.

“What's a spell hell?" Rachel asked.

“Witches, they are back,” the Dark knight replied 

“That's impossible, the Elders of Ergad made sure that no spell binders were left, this is impossible.” King Jerald replied.

“We still not sure, yet, but it's pointing to the witches.”

“Mom I'm scared,” the eldest son cried out 

Rachel held on to her sons in fear, the knight stopped in front of them when he noticed that they had just passed the same corner they passed a minute ago. “Your majesty, this place is under a spell we need to get out of this castle.”

“What, please no, what's happening,” Rachel cried out.

Jerald now took both sons in his hands and urged Rachel to follow them. “There is another way out of this castle, follow me, '' King Jerald shouted.

“And where are all the other knights and Guards,” he asked the knight. 

The knight stopped and smiled

“My Lord, why would you ask for the others when I'm here, I'm here to save you, even enter the Deadman's Forest on your command.”

Jerald stopped in his footsteps and looked back, he remembered the voice, the knight shape shifted into Darrell and both Jerald and Rachel's heart stopped for a bit.

“Is that how you welcome back the knight you sent to his death while you never had interest in the woman you sent us after?” Darrell asked with a grin on his face.