*****
Joan and Linda finally dropped to the ground after long hours of being trapped in the portal Joan had created, unmoving and still. The only time when the witches portal trapped a divine creature was when the heavens were either angry or excited so, it wasn't quite new to Joan. A similar situation had happened to her few decades back but everything else in the portal still moved and floated in pepndicular dimension.
"You did it Joan"Beverely's voice jolted her out of her unsummarised thought. She smiled while holding Linda tightly unnoticing that she had landed right in the middle of the witches council in the midst of all the elders.
"I did it!"she replied.
However, Linda was just gaining her consciousness and instinctively, she withdrew her hand from Joan and moved back in confusion and then in realisation she cursed,
"You damn witches!" If anger could be seen, they would have seen the steam that evaporated from her angelic head.
All the elders stood ready to attack but Avar stopped them immediately.
"No one moves!"she ordered.
Everyone took their seats again and seemed to be unperturbed.
"Why bring me? I have no business here."Linda continued, since she was still quite powerless.
"You are a threat!"Avar finally stood up."To your land and all the lands. You must be punished"
Linda laughed a very ugly laugh that sent chills down every of the witches spines except Avar whose eyes seemed unceasing.
"Since when Avar, did it become your duty to do all of these?"she scoffed.
"Since when you failed from your duty right?"Avar laughed sacarstically.
"Oh. I see Avar"Linda returned a evil grin.
In the long history of the divine creatures, angels and witches once lived together till a war broke out between them and the witches got too greedy, they wanted a land of theirs. Many lives were lost, so it was at that point that the heavens bestowed the duty upon the angels to take charge of the peace and since then, there has been peace amongst the divine creatures though wars were fought internally.
"You are the first angel turned Villan!"Avar stated.
"Tell that to your greedy people"she retorted.
"You must be punished"
"And by what!"
"We go by the books"
"I have no time for this. Have your minions take me out Avar"she sneered.
"You wasted so much torrent of your energy on a meaningless fight and here you stand before me weakly, I must do my bid".
"So be it then!"Linda nodded and the rest knew what was coming. A fight!
A weak strike came from Linda's staff and a strong spell came from Avar. The two powerful creatures power clashing together with force and they flew back falling to the ground instantly but however they stood up again and began to fight intensely. One had to die.
The elders watched all that was going on and they knew what to do. Knowing that Linda was going to be brought by Joan they had actually prepared down on how they were to eliminate her. There was one a limestone that had been used by the witches ancestors. Once the power was activated it was said to petrify whom had been invoked by it. However, it had been banned centuries ago because even it had such great powers, it was made with a price. So, whoever invoked it and activated its powers must be drained off all it's powers. That was the only way to pacify the ruthlessness of the stone and that also made it even more powerful.
Before Joan came in with Linda, the council had deliberated on who exactly was to achieve the process while Avar distracted Linda but it seemed they hadn't come to a conclusion before Joan arrived.
"Someone has to get the limestone"Krina began
"But who?"another elder asked "Joan?"
They all turned to Joan but she was so lost Beverley had to speak up.
"We are not using her again! She just got her powers"she sounded upset.
"Then go instead Beverley"Krina suggested.
"Why don't you do it Krina. You sound really greedy right now"she retorted.
"I make the orders in place of Avar. You don't talk anyhow Beve"she cautioned.
Meanwhile, Linda and Avar were still in their intense fight and the former knowing that she was too weak to win the battle decides to use a bait and her eyes sighted Joan immediately. She stretched her hands towards Joan and summoned her instantly grabbing her by her neck.
"Drop her at once!"Avar yelled.
"Joan!"Beverley gasped. Seeing Joan suffering in strangulation, her heart palpitated and she sighed "Fine, I will do it"she turned back to the elders.
"Are you sure?"Krina asked.
"Just stall her, while I get it"she replied and instantly, she ran out of the building.
Beverley ran as fast as she could to the drobe since that was the place where every powerful weapons that had been banned were kept. Once she got to her horse, it rode her as quick as it could. The drope was quite a distance from where the council was so she really had to be fast and in time she got there. She was among the head witches so she was able to open the door to the drope and she rushed in quickly grabbing the stone wrapping it in a black cloth and once again she got out and hopped on her horse that rode her back to the council while she really hoped the witches did a good job in distracting Linda cause that will be her only chance in savings Joan but reverse was the case when she got there.
Linda was practically draining the life and powers out of all the Elders including Joan to show how powerful Angels had always been against the witches. It took a real, critical and dangerous spell from a witch to defeat an angel but either way they had resolve to a better means which was by using the Limestone. Now she was not only going to save Joan but also her fellow witches.
So, while Linda was busy draining out the witches, she hid by a corner and at once she heaved a sigh of relief before enchanting the spell that would invoke the Limestone and at once she was almost blinded by the great light that shine from it hence, she knew she was not backing out. She came out of her hiding place and called out to Linda shouting to the villainous angel to stop.
"Linda I have what you want!"she held out the Limestone towards her.
Linda craned her neck "Isn't that the Limestone?"
"Yes."Beverley concluded somewhat emotional because she was going to lose all her powers. She looked at all the drained out witches and she nodded assuringly. Then, she began to cast the spell Linda couldn't even think much but she spoke anyway.
"It yields so much power. Do you really want to take that risk just to eliminate me Beverly?" she stated
"I have it on to her. You are more dangerous" Avar spoke weakly.
"Then, I will have to eliminate her instead"Linda proclaimed and without wasting time, she pointed her staff towards Beverley. The latter also, with all her power and might, she let her power and instantly, her eyes shone white and with all her strength she let out the limestones power. It all happened like as if it was in slow-motion however, the limestone power had Lucia petrified immediately and the power that she had let out from her staff just before she got petrified hit the Limestone without warning, there was an explosion that sent Beverley flying back and falling to the ground in force.
"Beverley!" Joan was the first to scream and at once, she stood from the ground running to her helper and all the witches screamed running towards her too but by then she had already blacked out.
Back in Mellisa, Evelyn opened her eyes and felt Locken's hand wrapped around her. She knew she had committed an abominable act, but she she had to do it so Locken would just let her go or maybe it was lust after all. She felt him sniff her hair from behind and abruptly stood from the bed naked while rushing to wear her clothes.
"Last night was all lust Locken! It's never happening again"she stated somewhat embarrassed and guilty.
Locken yawned sleepily and then turned to her with a smirk, "what if I say it was love?"
"Don't fill your head with nasty thoughts"she noted a bit irritated and nervous and then she stormed out of the room. What if he was right?
She had not gotten quite far in the corridor when Dango stopped her while holding his staff like the Wizard he was. She stopped on her track and stared at him quizzically.
"Dango, did you save my son?" she asked not minding if it was quite improper on their first meeting after her long sleep.
"You have much to know Evelyn. follow me"he instructed and she knew she had to follow him.
They arrived at a room and just about locking the door Locken poked his head through the small opening.
"I should be in here too"he stated before walking in nonchalantly.
"This should be seen by both of you anyway"Dango sighed "you know what you did."stated him to them and his statement took them unaware.
"What?" Evelyn craned her neck while asking.
"It is irrevocable. It is irreplaceable. You have cost your fated a sooner death than expected" he expounded
"Calluum? Where is he?"she began to fidget hoping it wasn't what she was thinking. The last she remembered, Caluum was having a fight with her mother and he had told her he had few days left.
Dango walked over to a crystal ball and enchanted a spell and soon it began to show images of Caluum and Lucia, she immediately moved to the crystal ball to see clearly and there she saw her husband Calluum on the ground unconscious and unmoving.
"What happened to him?"she asked practically yelling in a shaky voice.