"Witch hunter? What is this joke? Who are you really?"
Lyara darted her eyes around rapidly, making sure no surprise attack would catch her. Her long tongue swirled in the air.
"You have a low voice… Heh. Are you from the freezing place up north? Or is it shapeshifting? If it's shapeshifting, then you must belong to the Willow Branch, right?
Surrender, and I will make sure you'll keep your head. Any other way, and the only thing you face will be the cauldron of my mother!"
Siderius ignored her. He climbed onto one of the trees. The heaviness of this body caused him to struggle, making noises that alerted Lyara. But on this windy night, that rustling wasn't the only thing that distracted her.
The howling of the wind. The sound of the leaves clapping. Noises of insects flying around. Everything was just too much for the witch to concentrate on. She couldn't make out which noise was suspicious.
Siderius knew exactly that. He chose the most crowded and dense area for a reason.
He managed to get on top of a branch in the midst of Lyara's speech. From then on, it was easy. Even with this slow and heavy body, he could manage to move between the branches carefully, jumping from one to another.
He made sure to choose the closest gap and thickest branches to maneuver. This body was too untrustworthy for him to attempt anything higher than that. Even then, he almost slipped several times.
With experience, he counter balanced his body and continued moving.
Siderius needed to find a location with a clear shot of Lyara.
"Well? Why don't you say anything? Did I get it right?" Lyara kept talking.
That was a good sign. It meant she was inexperienced and anxious. All the best weaknesses for Siderius to exploit.
He finally found a branch with a fine view of the witch. Siderius took out a long strip of cloth and began to tie it. It was one of his waistbands.
Siderius had no weapons. No sword, no bow, no signs to use. He had to make do with what he got. He tied the waistband into a makeshift slingshot and put a stone inside it.
Improvising was a witch hunter's most important trait. They were survivalist, alchemist, and warrior all packaged into one.
Siderius swung his slingshot. It created noise that drew the attention of Lyara. He jerked her head back in his direction immediately.
"There you are!"
Right after her sentence, a high-speed rock flew right at the witch's face. It smacked onto her right eye and caused her neck to snap back.
Lyara dropped to the ground and writhed in pain. However, she was not completely stupid. She crawled quickly behind one of the trees, using it as cover.
Witches could transform and heighten their physical prowess. That was basic knowledge. But they were never fighters. These cheap tricks were only used by unawakened witches like Lyara.
Naturally, they never cultivate their body and lead to it being dysfunctional at best. Lyara SAW the stone, but her body did not register fast enough to dodge.
As for Siderius, he was surprised when the rock hit her face. He had aimed for the center mass of her body, the middle of her chest. But it managed to hit her eye, luckily.
Now the witch was afraid. She had retreated. And Siderius' lucky shot could make her misjudge his actual strength. He intended to exploit that.
"Witch? Don't mock me, hag! I am a witch hunter. And I am here to purify you."
After he finished his sentence, Siderius moved immediately. He couldn't stay in one place after giving up his position.
The witch didn't dare to rush at him, though. It was as he predicted. She was afraid she might be hit by that rock again, so she stayed put.
Lyara threw a tantrum in place.
"You bastard! You! You! My mother will make you suffer!"
Siderius smirked. That sentence confirmed to him she was still at that place. He moved around the tree. And when he had a nice view, he swung the slingshot at her.
A second rock came flying. This time Lyara knew to dodge.
She barely made it out without a scratch. Her ears heard another shrieking sound pierce through the air. A second rock came right after and hit her on the knees.
Lyara collapsed face first on the ground. She lost her transformation and returned back to the fragile little girl from before.
Her transformation had caused most of her clothes to be torn off, so when she turned back, she was basically naked with only dirt and grass covering her body.
Lyara teared up. Two visible, glistening lines were drawn on her face. Her face was reflected under the moonlight, and for a moment, she looked like a damsel in distress.
"Please! Please! I don't want to die! Don't kill me!" She begged.
The princess witch of the Blossom Glades was actually terrified. The moon was small that day, so the woods were filled with darkness. She couldn't see her attacker and couldn't hear where they were coming from.
Her fragile heart was crushed.
Siderius finally revealed himself again. He walked out from the darkness and looked at Lyara.
"Boy… Circus boy… How did you do all that?" Lyara's voice was trembling. She seemed more curious about the boy's newfound strength than about her life.
She saw the strip of fabric in his hand.
"Don't tell me… that was what you used?"
"Look at it closely, witch. It is the weapon that drives you to death."
Siderius walked closer. He took out the obsidian knife again.
All the worry disappeared from Lyara's heart. If it's a witch, she would be afraid. But if it's a man… A man could easily be manipulated.
She rolled her eyes, thinking of a solution.
Lyara flipped her body over, letting the most alluring parts of a woman be exposed to Siderius. She knew what she was doing.
"Please… Spare me… I'll do anything you want."
Her eyes glow a faint pink color.
Lyara lost all her strength. She could only use the signature move of her coven. The charm.
But she was confident of her looks and seductive nature. If the boy got close, she was sure that the victory was hers.
Siderius sat on his belly. And that was all she needed to know she had won.
"Please be gentle…" Lyara closed her eyes and covered her chest. She covered the higher part that was actually not her intimate parts. A cunning move that made her seem fragile but seduced the victim at the same time.