The Hunter

Chapter 6
Pursuit of Answers

Chapter Description: Having regained his full power, Adrul questions Heather in the hopes of getting to the bottom of his current predicament.

Adrul continued to pace back and forth. He was grateful to this woman, infuriated at her, wanted to kill her, but also felt indebted to her. He glared at Heather’s limp form on the bed. He couldn’t bring himself to harm her- not when she was in this form, at any rate. He put his hand through the wall. The wall was littered with craters where his fist had been. Heather woke with a start upon hearing the impact.

"Oh, god. Where’s Addy? Where’s my baby?!!!" she cried out. She tried to remember anything beyond last night’s events, but nothing came to her. She looked at the man in her room. He looked as though he were very pissed off, but he didn’t seem intent on harming her as her pursuers had been last night. His eyes seemed to soften as she looked into them.

Adrul locked eyes with Heather. "Relax, he’s safe. I just have a few questions for you." Heather gave him a terrifed look at his last statement. Seeing her uneasiness, he added, "I swear on my blade I will not harm you. I just have a few questions."

Heather regained her composure. "Ask me anything, just give my baby back to me!!!"

Adrul shook his head as he realized this would be no simple interrogation. "Who are you? Where did you learn magic?"

"I-i-i’m just a simple merchant’s wife." Heather stuttered. "I found a lost child a few weeks ago and want to see him-"

"I will be the one asking the questions and making the demands," Adrul countered. "Who taught you magic?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Heather replied, bewildered at his question.

"Guess this isn’t helping anything," Adrul muttered more to himself than for the purpose of obtaining the answers he sought. He drew his blade on Heather. You will tell me which demon taught you your spells!"

Heather cringed, "Y-y-you said you wouldn’t hurt me..."

"Get it in writing," Adrul hissed. "I’ve spent the last few weeks under your spells and tire of this charade. You will tell me how you learned magic that would make mere mortal men and women go insane from hearing of the forbidden knowledge, or I will strike you down here and now."

Heather just sobbed as Adrul shook his head. She didn’t see a man anymore; Adrul was a raging monster before her eyes. He slowly made his way to the bed where she lay, shivering under the covers. "Farewell," he murmured as he brought his blade down with momentous force. Heather shuddered as she saw her end approach.

A flash of white light hurled Adrul backward into the wall. He was more or less prepared for this, but it still hurt a lot. He groaned upon impact. As he looked in Heather’s direction, he did not see his captive. From the bed rose someone whom he thought he’d seen in a waking dream, but as he’d dismissed her as fantasy Vanessia had implanted in his mind, was caught completely off guard. "You!!" he exclaimed.

"It seems like my little boy’s been misbehaving again," said the sweet, sugary voice he’d heard in dream, although now it seemed more like nightmare to Adrul. It was his turn to cringe as Cynthia took small steps toward him.

"You stay away from me!" Adrul growled, trying to sound fierce, but felt increasingly weak, as a pup before a lionness, as Cynthia made her way towards him. "I will kill you." breathed Adrul.

"Tsk, tsk tsk, tsk. Now that’s a very poor way to greet your mother." She stretched her hand out towards him, "Now, I don’t know what’s got you so upset, but you need to calm down and leave everything to Mommy."

"You’re not my mother," Adrul spat, slapping her hand away from him, feeling strength leave his body as skin contact was made with this woman. "tell me, wench, why do you toy with me? Take on your true form so we may finish our battle."

Cynthia laughed, "Darling boy, this is my true form. Won’t you calm down and accept your mother’s protection?"

Adrul shook his head. Whether out of fear or disbelief of this crazy witch, he couldn’t be certain. "Grant me one last battle with Vannessia. If i lose, I am yours to do with as you please."

Cynthia laughed at him as she ruffled his hair, both she and the room seemed as though they were growing bigger by the second, "Silly boy. You need a nap." As Cynthia again extended her other hand toward him, Adrul fled the room."Such a wayward child," Cynthia sighed as she followed him out.

Passing a mirror, Adrul saw from his reflection that he was now a little boy. His chances of fleeing this madwoman were slim, considering she seemed as though she had complete control over him. "Stay away from me!!!" Adrul yelled as she effortlessly closed the gap between them. She stooped to pick up her little captive as he squirmed about in her arms.

As Cynthiia’s grip tightened on the writhing toddler, he screamed, "Come ’ace me, Essie!!!"

Cynthia’s smile dissappeared as it was replaced by a confused look on her face. Her hair darkened, her body grew a foot taller, and her kind features were slowly replaced with a colder and uncaring visage. Once the transformation was complete, the Sorceress set the child on the floor and turned to exit the inn.

"AAAaaaiiit!!!!" Adrul called, "Angie ’ack"

Vanessia turned around. Though he could no longer speak any better than a toddler, she knew what he was saying. Vanessia chuckled menacingly, "No," she said, "I’ve no intention of changing you back. I would rather kill you here and now for even interfering with my plans all those weeks ago, but you are under HER protection, so I can’t lift a finger to harm you." Vanessia turned and exited the building, leaving Adrul wailing as he couldn’t even walk after her.