Night of the Blight Wights

That was the third time another student accidentally got hurt in the surrounding forests of Namarast and each one of them had mentioned Blight Wights. That was funny, Alektô thought : Blight Wights only was a small story to scare off children, when the night slowly took over day in the slow wake of winter. Still, it intrigued her : a legend always had a part of truth, even though it grew with metaphors and time. Alektô wanted to investigate pretty badly.

That was why on a whim on her day off, she decided to hell with work and left the comfortable and messy office she considered her home to go out for the night. She dumped a bunch of items in her purse (potions and herbs, a candle, a few coins, her tarot deck, three dragon scales just in case, a pen and a book to take notes), grabbed her favorite pink faux-fur coat and went for the door.

Oh, and her flask. Everyone needed a flask to warm up long nights searching for Wights, she nodded to herself as she stole the fancy one on her way out.

"Come on dear, we got a busy night ahead," she called out in a high pitched tone.

The small, black wyvern jumped from the desk to her shoulder, his tail curling around her neck like a cat or snake.

"Are we sssspying to catch ssssecrets in a party ?" Carnage purred with a hint of mischief.

"No, no, not this time," Alektô replied in a sing-song voice. "We're finding out what are those Wights."

"And if ssssomeone calls you ?" He circled playfully around her.

"You'll have my back," she winked as she locked the door and hid its key in her bra. "Let's go."

Alektô avoided her colleagues as she left Namarast, not wanting to waste any time in futile niceties. She loved to meddle with people and rumors, mind you, but when needed she never lost her focus from the task at hand. Carnage fooled around with leaves and wind as they hit the main road towards Mead. They hadn't gone for a walk in a while, Alektô realized. It was nice to breathe in fresh air and the scent of late autumn at dawn. With Miriam now leading the Order, it was their first real break - and it was becoming tougher and tougher to work for the people and against the Archmon without getting caught. 

It was dark when they entered the forest. Even though the moon was bright, Alektô still formed a pink, blazing fireball in her hand while Carnage scouted a few meters away. 

"Do you notice anything ?" Alektô asked as she kept walking. "We shouldn't be too far."

"Nothing for now," echoed the small dragon somewhere on her left. "Literally. Not even for dinner."

"As if I'm not feeding you enough," she huffed. 

But Carnage was right - there was nothing to see or hear, not even a bird or an animal, and that was what made it all the more suspicious. Alektô was certain, if anything happened, it would be there. As she wrote down her hypothesis on her notebook, something cracked under her heel. She stopped in her tracks to look down and discover a small pile of sticks weirdly arranged in the middle of the path. 

Uh. It had literally nothing to do here, and as she looked around, it was not the only one. That was not natural, she'd bet her hand on it. She barely had the time to look behind her when Carnage called her name, only for her to face a giant creature, half-tree half-scarecrow, eyes glowing with an unnatural blue flame. Here it is.

"Well, well. Fancy seeing you there," Alektô cocked her head to the side. "So what are you, a monster or a spell ? Do you have a name ?"

As an answer, the Wight opened his mouth wide and let out a deafening screech.

"Hanw come on, get off your high horse I just have a few questions," Alektô eyerolled as she reached for its chin and closed its mouth in a loud clap.

Alektô didn't even bother to dodge the hit coming to her - Carnage split the air to spit fire and burnt the Wight's branch before it touched the witch. 

"They're all coming to us, follow me. I found a shack." 

"But I'm not done -"

"Alektô," Carnage hissed and bit her ear before leading the way.

Alektô did follow but took her sweet time doing so, using the opportunity to observe the Wights' structure and composition. Carnage spinned all around her to keep her safe from anything reaching for her, setting wood ablaze here and there.

"I would appreciate it if you hurried up," Carnage tsked as he burnt another Wight. "I'm not burning down the entire forest."

"You're such a whiny baby," Alektô mocked him but still, she walked slightly faster. Slightly. "Here ?" She asked as she discovered an old trail leading to a small shack.

"Yessss," some more fire, "nobody's inside." And more fire.

Alektô sighed as she complied. She knocked on the door - she did have manners after all - and after several seconds of silence, decided to enter nonetheless.

"Excuse me ?" She asked as she let go of her heels and closed the door behind her. "May I ask for your help ?"

Nothing. The small house was literally empty, except for a few books and dust here and there and an unused shrine in a corner.

"Not sssssure it was a good idea," grumbled Carnage in her ear before he landed near a window. "Sssssmells old."

At the same time, Alektô heard an eerie message deep in her mind, ancient formulas she could not grasp. When she turned around she faced an old cervine woman sitting not far from Carnage on the parlor table, staring back at her. She wore a large, brown cloak and old antlers and between her aging creases marking rose up like thorns. Corruption or a curse, Alektô wondered.

"Do you know where you are ?" the old woman asked in a sweet voice.

Alektô took another sight of the room. Carnage did seem cautious and fled back to her shoulder to snuggle in the crook of her neck. Alektô knew that, if it had to turn ugly, he would consume part of her own magic and flesh to grow and protect her. All good for now, all good, she tried to reassure him. Don't mess it up, she meant. That woman was probably the answer to the Wights and Alektô needed her alive. 

"Let me think about it real quick," Alektô smiled, polite, as she reached for her notebook. It wasn't to search for more information no - she perfectly knew the legend of the Blight Wights and thus the Brown Hag. Instead she wrote down in a few seconds any clue she'd found before putting it down and grabbing her flask instead. She ignored the smell of burning wood now filling the room and flicked a glance towards Carnage.

"Hey, that's not me," he protested. Alektô huffed at that. Idiot.

"I think," she started as she approached the old woman, "I already heard a lot about you. Mind if I sit ?"

The witch squinted her eyes a bit but kept her sweet smile and nodded for Alektô to continue. So Alektô sit down, took a gulp of whiskey and offered it to her companion. 

"Do you know where you are ?" The old woman repeated, ignoring the silent offer.

Alektô smiled, put the flask down.

"Your house. The house of the Brown Hag. An esteemed counterpart, if I may," Alektô added as she raised her flask in a silent cheer.

The Brown Hag - Morgause, if she remembered well - looked down, a softer smile creeping on her face. Slowly, her old, creased hand accepted the whiskey and she closed her eyes to savor it. Then she stepped forward, until their foreheads touched. Alektô let it be. Somehow, she didn't feel any threat in the woman. It was more than that - an understanding of sorts. Two souls fighting for the same ideals. So Alektô let Morgause's intense feeling of warmth invade her and accepted it. 

"Don't let them take what is yours," Morgause's mature voice warned, kind.

"Not a chance," and Alektô smirked almost in defiance.

When she opened her eyes, Morgause had disappeared and there was no more hint of Wights. A curse then, she supposed. 

"What are we doing now ?" Carnage asked as he checked outside.

Alektô took in the small shrine, Morgause's handwritten book and vintage sickle.

"We're leaving. The Order wronged her enough. Let's go."

On their way out, they noticed a worn carving on the door. Morgause Irving, the Brown Witch of Naramast, Healer of Young Women & Friend to the Powerless. Alektô took it in for a few seconds before she raised her drink in a respectful salute, smiling. "May you find peace, my friend. We will keep fighting for them."

And with that Alektô left, Carnage not far behind. Off to their next plan to fuck up Miriam's bullshit.