Willow looked at the ancient building looming before her. There is nothing special about it. In fact, it is creepy and forlorn, perfectly suited to keep the wanderers away.
The building screams of abandoned forgotten stories. It's more like a hollow castle... just a huge, lifeless cluster of rocks. Creepy. The silence encircling it enhanced the tension. Anticipation hung hugely in the air.
Without any further ado, Willow put her hand on the nearest tree.
She can't see anything or rather not see in the right direction. Sometimes it happens. Trees don't have a timeline, they are eternal. It's hard to distinguish the stories it shows and when it happened.
Sometimes the imprint is so strong that they are noted by each bark and leaf. And other times it shows fleeting incidents of no value. The strong imprint doesn't mean it has to be a recent event. That's the negative side of her powers. She has to go blindly sometimes, especially when she doesn't have time to concentrate and dissect the story.
Willow growled in frustration, closing her fist until her knuckles whitened and hitting hard on the bark of the tree. She grunted from the pain.
"Dammit!" She held her left hand near her chest, her knuckles throbbing and split. She can't lose focus like this but she doesn't have time.
She checked her watch. Ten minutes... only ten minutes before the clock struck 12. Willow glared a last look at the trees as if they had betrayed her and sprinted towards the truck.
Removing the dead vampire and throwing to a side she rummaged the back of the truck for suitable weapons. She doesn't have time to hide the evidence (dead body) or waste her power. After all, they will know once she rampages her way through.
Reloading all her weapons and some tools that might help her, Willow jogged toward the structure before her. Her steps are feather light not making any sound that may alert the Supernaturals.
A sense of urgency gripped her. Sudden anticipation unlike any other took hold of her, increasing her pulse. Her feet started moving without her consent. There is a pang in her chest, tugging her heart, urging her to move faster.
Willow didn't question it. Her goal is to reach inside as fast as she can. Sweat trickled along her spine. She has to reach there before it's too late.
Checking for any mercenaries she stealthily entered the building, her back always to the wall. She finally encountered the open courtyard inside the castle walls.
Peeking a look from the narrow slits of the wall, her breath hitched. Anger is too simple a word for what she is feeling. A deep, dark rage built inside her. She didn't question why she is feeling like that or why her heart is shattering looking at the scene before her. Only that she is not going alone from here.
Unbeknownst to her, an alone tear trailed down her cheek, followed by another.
Her heart gave a tight squeeze as her eyes trailed over the person bound in the middle of the courtyard. She is not a person that usually cries. She has seen more gruesome scenes yet never shed a tear. But this... pulled her heartstrings. It scoured the depths of her soul.
The vampire who is bound to a long pole is starved. Those thousand captives have nothing on him. He wore a black shirt and black pants that are so grim and worn out it is a wonder they are still holding in one piece.
His eyes are closed as if he is resigned to his fate or he has been drugged. Willow felt a deep sense of pity for him. Looking at him, she can see that he must have been handsome once. Now... he is just a shell.
His pale skin is so luminescent, his cheekbones sharp, his eyes sunken... Willow wondered how long he had been in captivity. Longer than others.
Willow bottled her sorrow, the wilderness inside her, and focused on her rage. There will be time to focus on him but for now... for now, she has to rescue him.
Willow scanned the courtyard. There must be 50... or even more. Some stood at even intervals guarding, and some were frantically discussing something.
A woman stood near the bound vampire chanting something back to Willow. Scented candles and a rune circled the vampire emphasizing the fact that the ritual is on its way. The biggest she has ever seen.
Suddenly the mage, Willow is sure she is the mage, stopped her chanting and lifted her dagger.
Willow didn't give a second thought. She shoots the arrow from the narrow slit hitting directly the sword hand of the mage.
The woman cried, dropping the sword with a loud clang.
Everyone stood alert, frantically searching left and right, taking out their weapons and aiming everywhere. Willow knew she couldn't do anything until she secured the vampire. She doesn't know why she is taking a risk for a single vampire, God, she hates vampires with a passion, but something deep in her gut is pushing her in this direction.
Noting the positions of everyone, Willow released the pin of the smoke bomb and threw it in the courtyard.
Chaos. Utter chaos erupted. Shouts, screams, some fired the gun assuming there were more than one, some scrambled in frantic. Using the commotion for her advantage, Willow lowered herself with the help of a grappling gun and ran to the center of the courtyard.
"Where the fuck is my sword!! Bring me my sword, you imbeciles." The mage shouts louder than anyone else.
For good measure, Willow unleashed her power in full measure, growing poisonous vines from the ground in every direction except at the pole.
"Someone is here. Shoot at them!! Where the hell is my guards!" The mage's shout is loud and clear, closer than Willow expected.
Sensing her direction, Willow made a vine grow. This kind of vine can be found only in Faeland. It renders a person unconscious for a few hours no matter how powerful he is.
She let the vine do her job, cutting the shouts of the mage mid-sentence. She then stepped foot beside the vampire, carefully removing the chains with the runes Brenda gave.
Once the chains snapped, he started crumbling to the floor. Willow hastened her grip on him before he can fall face down.
If he is of his normal weight, Willow couldn't have lifted him up. Even now, she has to struggle. But with no time to waste, Willow with the help of her vines made a steady grip on him and ran to the front door.
The smoke started to clear behind her. Gunshots resonated as she stomped through the tiles.
Ducking her head, Willow ran until she reached the truck. She then placed the vampire in the truck, reversed the vehicle, and drove full speed.
Bullets hit the side of the truck as she drove past them, leaving the dust behind. Within seconds, four cars followed her.
"Shit!" Willow cursed loudly as she maneuvered the road. She needs a detour.
Willow swerved the truck, the tires rubber screeching, trailing smoke, just as one of the bullets hit the window shield, breaking the glass and peppering the shards over them.
Willow hit the brakes suddenly making the car chasing her crash into the truck. She jerked at the impact but other than that nothing phased her and the vampire. She then reversed the truck, crunching the hood of the car, and stepped foot on the accelerator once again.
A thrill shot through her staring at the face of the danger. Why won't she feel it? She has retrieved what she came here for.
Adrenaline surged through her as the cars trailed behind her truck. Time to drop the tail.
Amidst the raining bullets, Willow turned to the side of the road and barrelled into the forest, crushing the plants under the truck's tires.
The cars followed suit just as she expected. Once all the cars are amid the trees, Willow hits the brakes causing the car to twist and stop haphazardly.
She then dropped from the truck with guns in her hand and unleashed her power.
Not a single bullet grazed her or the truck as she used her powers to block them with the vines.
Thick, poisonous vines engulfed the cars with the people inside them. She didn't wait to see what fate awaited them. Instead, she jumped into the truck and drove once again until she lost sight of them.
Willow is weak from using so much power in so little time. If they gave her a chase once again, she doesn't think she can use her powers again tonight. However, no sounds penetrated the dark, quiet night. No cars screeched. No shouts followed.
Feeling elated at successfully retrieving everyone, Willow took a slanting look at the vampire.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!!"
Willow stepped foot on the brake and took in the condition of the vampire.
No!!! He has a long gash on his chest. Blood is seeping from it. At this rate, she doesn't think he could make it.
How did she miss this!! If he died... her heart gave a squeeze. He can't die. Willow refuses to let him die. His life is hers. She won't allow this to happen. Not on her watch.
Without thinking about the consequences, Willow did the one thing she thought she could never do.