1689
Marie and Katherine found that the sounds of sobbing echoing out of Running-Bear's home as they returned with the Indians. Monica and Rosa had remained in Glendale to look after their families, which would likely be recovering from the fog that the witches had left Glendale in.
"What is to happen with the Witches' Manor?" Katherine wondered.
"So long as people live there, it will be up to them," Marie sighed, "which will likely be us and Joella until we can get the church built... though this is a New World... it isn't likely that we'd be establishing a major Abby there in addition to the cathedral."
"And if the people the witches collected stay there?" Katherine asked.
"They'll be staying with us," Marie sighed.
"What of their curse?" Katherine said nervously, "they said we wouldn't be able to resist using it?"
"It will a plague for more then three hundred years," Marie sighed, "we will not live to see it end."
Katherine held back a sniffle. As the Indians took to their homes, they turned to Running-Bear's home. As they arrived, they found Running-Bear's body was seated in a chair with a naked girl on the ground sobbing her heart out. Joella was frantically trying to wipe away he girl's tears while the transformed bodies of Vatican, Linus, and Draco, and Mal'akh, who was still in her original form looking lost and doing what they could to help.
"It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair!" Lark cried lamenting Running-Bear's death.
"Life is not always fair, young one," Marie spoke, "as God has willed it."
"That's why he's BAD!" Lark cried.
"No, young one, God is quite good," Marie answered, "the making the world unfair is to test the races of Man. To insure that WE are fair. He wants to see if we can make good with what life throws at us."
"I... I don't understand," Lark said slowly.
"You will in time," Marie spoke, "with a proper education and learning the truth of things, you will in time."
"You're not going to train them as warriors, are you?" Katherine asked nervously.
"No," Marie sighed, "a good part of me wishes to return to Rome... I am nothing more then a killer. I may have defended the right and defeated the evil, but still a killer. I will go back... and maybe find someone more powerful then I, and pay for my sins."
"No," Joella spoke as she had listened to Marie's short conversation with Lark, and then overheard Marie's plans, which to Joella sounded like some kind of suicide... to return to some foreign master and hoping to be killed by some other killer. As far as Joella was concerned, there had been enough death. "I don't want you to go."
"I killed those you consider your family," Marie answered.
"You tried to save them to," Joella answered, "Vatican says they made mistakes and paid for them. Grandpa said your fight with my mothers came from both sides. I do not want you to go. We can remake the world here. Not through magic and curses... but by living together. Being a family. If we can all live happily together, the family of witches and the witch hunters... we can show the world by our example that not everything is solved by fighting."
"We ask your forgiveness for what has happened here," Marie told her, "I know you won't like hearing that it HAD to be done, but all the same, we are sorry."
Joella came forward and took Marie's hand, "you are ALL forgiven."
"Thank you," Marie answered.
"What do we do about Mr. Running-Bear, though?" Mal'akh asked.
"Draco," Marie asked, and waited for him to acknowledge her, "Running-Bear is Christian. It would be appropriate to read him the last rites and funerary passages allowed. Joella is the only one living who knows him best, so it may be appropriate to let her work with the eulogy. A proper funeral is to then be arranged."
Draco nodded. Marie then turned back to Lark, "and you, young one, will need to put some clothes on."
"Mothers said I didn't have to if I didn't want to..."
"The rest of Glendale will not agree with your mothers," Marie told her.
"She's naked!" Lark said pointing to Mal'akh.
"She's a Leoman," Marie countered, "nudity by Leomen and Lupmen is tolerated... not that some people I've known have urged."
"He's naked," Lark pointed to Linus, "at least I think he's a he."
"My body desssssssstroyed the clothesssssssssss I wasssssssss wearing when I wasssssssss turned into thissssssss," Linus told her, "though... I'm not ssssssssssure how clothssssssss would work for me now. I can not wear pantsssssssss."
"Not to mention that the scales completely cover the "male" bits," Marie quipped.
+++++++++++
"Completely cover?" Abbey wondered, "don't male snakes have penises?"
"In a way," Lawrence said slowly, "but being reptiles, their reproductive organs, both male and female, are not arranged like a mammal's reproductive organs. Now, many species of rattlesnakes actually give birth to live young, but they are still reptiles. The young snakes are fully capable of existing on their own after birth."
++++++++++++
Lark glared at Marie as she slowly went upstairs again while Draco and Joella were going over the funeral arrangements. She didn't want to get dressed, but Joella apparently didn't want to fight the hunters, even though Marie and Katherine didn't act like the other three.
"Vatican, is the body you carved for you nearby?" Marie questioned.
"It is not close to the house if that is what you mean, Marie," Vatican answered, "though I do not know if that body is to Joella's liking."
Marie sighed, "Your present one is still HEAVILY damaged from the fight. And we have to move Free as well."
"I do not think I'm strong enough to carry her," Vatican told Marie, "I have all I can do to stand."
"I might be able to help," Linus volunteered, the forked tongues on each hand testing the air while he talked, "thissssssssss body doesssssssssss feel stronger."
"It's worth a shot," Marie sighed.
They found Free "crying" where she had been left, still as damaged as before. No tears came out, as stone couldn't produce tears.
"You've come to kill me now?" Free asked when she noticed Marie standing there.
"No," Marie answered, "we intend to help you, as I promised I would during the battle."
Free then looked up to see that Vatican had shrunken in size and truly massive rattlesnake with multiple heads sat beside the one eyed hunter.
"In order to help you, I must be transferred into a new form," Vatican told her, "and only you can do that."
"Very well," Free sighed, "Lead the way."
Before she could move to drag her form away from the dwelling when the snake came forward and moved his long body under her. Free could then feel its six arms moving to support her weight. She was even more surprised when the snake was strong enough, though only just barely, to carry her.
"Let me help you," Linus offered.
Free only responded by gripping his shoulders. She then watched as Vatican and Marie headed to a lone stone figure. Again it was a lion-dragon hybrid and was clearly male.
"I am to go into that?" Free asked.
"No, I am," Vatican explained, "you don't understand this because the Witches transformed you... by a technicality you will be considered unclean among my kind because you were not "carved" as a gargoyle."
"They would rather I be a slave?" Free asked.
"They would rather you be human," Vatican answered, "all things being equal though... you and I are the only gargoyles here right now."
"That might be a good name," Marie commented.
Both gargoyles looked to her.
"Unless you intend to return to Rome, I doubt "Vatican" would be an appropriate name... and... I would feel uncomfortable if you renamed yourself Marie because you protect me... but, Free here has a more unique name then most other gargoyles..."
"And my new name would be?"
"Equality," Marie spoke, "after all... this land will one day be known as the land of the free... where all are created equal."
"Equality..." the wounded male gargoyle tasted the word and "name", "sounds good, Marie."
"Thank you," Marie nodded.
"You're welcome," the newly renamed Equality answered, "Now, Free, to transfer me to my new form, you are to put your hand over my head and focus on me... or think of me, and it will happen naturally."
Free slowly reached out and placed her hand above the shrunken gargoyle's head and did her best to do as he said. Marie and Linus slowly watched as a soft glowing light emerged from Equality's body and went inside Free. Free didn't seem to notice it, but her body also began to shrink as Equality's curse to be small seemed to effect her while his soul was inside Free's body.
Inside Free, Free found herself facing Equality face to face. Neither of their body's damaged or broken.
"You're doing well," Equality told her, "Now reach out with your other hand and place it over or on the unoccupied form."
"Okay..." Free said slowly.
Marie and Linus then watched as Free extended one arm to the form that Equality had earlier carved. A moment later the soft light emerged from Free and then floated into the new form. Marie breathed a sigh of relief and then gasped as she watched the new stone form shrink in size. He kept shrinking until he was about the size of a child.
"Equality?" Marie asked.
Equality stretched his wings, "I have my strength back..."
"You've shrunk again...!" Marie pointed out.
"So have I!" Free then gasped.
Equality looked down at himself and then back at the damaged female gargoyle, "apparently some parts of their curse clings to me."
"Curse?"
"The witches cursed Marie, Draco, Katherine, Linus, and I," Equality explained, "they made Marie and Katherine fight, enslaved Draco, Linus, and I to Joella, as well as turning Linus into Naga beside you, turned Draco into a Human, and shrunk me. And it would appear that my small size will stick with me."
++++++++++++++
"Free was also affected by Equality's curse because it traveled with them while he was inside her when she transferred him," Marie-Eliza clarified, "though because of the nature of how gargoyles reproduce, it also gave Free a turn of Game while Equality didn't lose his."
"Wouldn't that mean that Equality could use his turn to heal Free? Maybe even restore her?" Maddex asked.
"It would... but gargoyle nature actually helps kill the game in the sense that they are not drawn to using it the way nearly every other race has been drawn to the Game."
"So Equality's turn would never be used," Lawrence surmised.
"Yes," Marie nodded.
++++++++++++++++
Mal'akh meanwhile waited with Joella, as Draco explained the various Catholic funeral rites and the proper treatment of a dead body. Joella listened carefully, but Mal'akh was only looking on, as she knew nothing of funerals, and didn't want to be rude.
"Okay, I'm dressed now," came Lark's voice as she came down the steps.
Mal'akh looked over to the stairs and saw Lark coming down them in one of the spare clothes that Running-Bear had kept around. They were either for Joella when she had visited him... or dated back when the witches were little. The girl actually looked cute in the outfit.
"You look cute in that," Mal'akh spoke, deciding to be polite. If this girl really was a monster, she would have disappeared or lost the illusion of humanity when the witches' died.
"If you like it so much, you should wear it," Lark answered.
"I'd overheat in that," Mal'akh answered, "and it wouldn't survive running after Gold Deer... or White Tails."
"Well..." Lark began and then caught something, "you said I look cute?"
"Yes," Mal'akh answered, "Aimileona is my sister, not you... but that doesn't mean we can't be friends I suppose."
"You want to be friends?"
"I am willing to give it a try," Mal'akh answered.
Lark slowly hugged her.
"What will we do with Grandpa?" Lark then asked to Joella.
"We will take him back to the Manor. Back to our home," Joella answered, "and he will be buried beside Frank in the Witch Pride's private cemetery."
"And the hunters?" Lark asked looking to Draco.
"They are free to live their lives as they choose," Joella answered, "though I'd hope we could all be friends."
"Where did the other ones go?" Lark asked, looking between Draco and Katherine, "...you look cute with all those colors. Why do you wear clothes when your pride mate doesn't?"
"I'm a Felman, not Leoman," Katherine patted Lark's head, "our fur is softer then a Leoman's or Lupman's and doesn't hold heat in as easily. I'm apparently the first Felman to come to the New World."
"Why would mothers want us to kill someone so cute?" Lark asked.
Katherine didn't know how to answer that.
"Your "mothers" abused their magics," Draco explained, breaking from his explanation, "and that abuse drove them insane. From your point of view, they mad you happy, yes, but that madness combined with something so powerful as magic caused trouble, and they paid for their mistakes. Marie kept the trial fair, and actually defeated most of the charges against them. But she could defeat all the charges and the judge found that they were to hang for it."
Neither Joella nor Lark answered while Draco then returned to his explanation.
"So where are the others?" Lark then asked to Katherine.
"I believe they went to see to healing Vatican," Katherine spoke.
"Equality, now," came Equality's voice.
Everyone turned to see the gargoyle carrying the smaller body of Free with Marie and Linus following.
"FREE! What happened to you!?" Lark gasped.
"I was damaged in the battle," Free answered, "along with Equality and we left the battle area. He promised to heal me in the way that gargoyles heal from wounds... he will explain that later. To keep things short, I transfered his soul from his damaged body into this new one."
"Although as a result of the curse put on me, when she transferred my soul, she shrank in size," Equality finished, "and I then shrank again once in this form."
"You look good," Joella commented.
"Thank you," Equality answered, "though healing Free will take time and force me to move into a female shell. I can explain this later if you wish."
Joella nodded, "I intend to take my grandfather's body and bury him at the manor, where he will always be with family. You are welcome to stay with us."
"Thank you," Marie answered, "Until we can get a mission started, we will need a place to stay."
+++++++++++++
The return journey to the manor was a fairly slow one. Joella lead the way with Lark and Mal'akh flanking her. Draco followed carrying Running-Bear's body, wrapped in white blankets. Then there was Equality carrying Free. Marie, Katherine, and Linus brought up the rear of the formation.
"I wasssssssss thinking," Linus said slowly, "I know thisssssssss ssssssssssoundsssssssss wrong, but ssssssssssshouldn't we conssssssssider ussssssssssssssing our turnsssssssssssss to ressssssssstore the witchesssssssss' victemssssssssss?"
"It might be best to leave them as they are," Marie told him, "they cursed us for a reason. Likely because they wanted their paradise to come about. I fear that if we use it... beyond the my turn to save Katherine... that this curse will grow bigger, badder, smarter until it becomes a force that can not be stopped."
"But the witchessssssss committed murder," Linus answered, "now we can ussssssssse their own powerssssss to undo what they did."
"That doesn't mean they may use their resulting turns for some other reason," Marie said, "and besides, the people that the witches transformed, Joella included, their personalities are cemented as they are now. It was murder to turn Madeline Yule into Joella, but we'd be no better to try and turn Joella back into Madeline Yule... and since Joella doesn't know who that person is, simply using a Transform or Dare wouldn't work because she'd have nothing to guide the magic. We'd simply have a little girl who answers to the name Madeline Yule, but has Joella's personality. We can't just kill one person to restore another."
"My head hurts," Katherine answered.
Linus only sighed, his heads picking up their body heat easily, and the back of his mind was thankful it was a sunny day.
"How will you exxxxxxxxxplain me?" Linus asked the town came into view, "the people of Glendale will fear me, and I can not return to my former employerssssssss asssssss I am... even without the Dare."
"Couldn't you somehow cheat the Dare?" Katherine asked, "Marie used some technicalities in the witches words to let her turn run its course and then save me. Couldn't you, Draco, and Equality do something like that?"
"I think Joella hassssssssss already done ssssssssssomething like that," Linus answered, "we were in a trancccccccccce when we arrived. Ssssssssssshe commanded ussssssss to live assssss if we were not under a sssssspell."
"You three still seem rather connected to her," Katherine commented.
"Joella'sssssssss command ran into sssssssssomething elssssssse," Linus answered, "a geasssssssss of sssssssssome kind."
"But the witches are dead," Marie spoke, "and for the most part they were drugged. Why would they put a geass on us?"
"Thisssssssss wassssssssn't them, though I not identify who did it," Linus explained, "It knocked Draco and I out. The geassssssss could not be overpowered and ssssssssssso our mindsssssssssss were rewritten to acccccccccccept the geassssssss and their Dare. I musssssssssst ssssssssserve Joella. I aided in the defeat of her mothersssssssss, sssssssssso I musssssssst take resssssssssponssssssibility."
"Sounds like Joella killed the Dare and geass and your mind came up a suitable reason to follow the geass," Marie commented, "which probably means that the geass itself was to have us look after her."
"Probably," Linus nodded his head, trying to avoid words with the letter "s" or words where the letters "x" or "c" sounded like an "s".
"Who could have commanded us to look after her?" Katherine asked.
"I do not know," Linus answered.
"Anyway," Marie sighed, dismissing that information for the moment, "trying to turn them back would only be murder, just as what the witches did to them originally was murder."
"Remember that they ussssssssssed Human children, a few Leoman cubsssssssss, and two Lupman pupsssssssss assssssssss familiarsssssssss," Linus told her, "ssssssssuppose they develop magic on their own?"
"Then you'll have to teach them," Marie sighed, "If we can get the books and artifacts that you own. That might be your real higher calling. Being a teacher. You can teach them to be like your guardian was or like Merlin."
Linus was silent as they made their way onto the grounds of the witches' manor. The thorn hedge was now completely dead and wilted. There were some quiet crying coming from inside the manor. They were met by Hercules and Twilight at the door.
"It is good to see you well Joella," Hercules said politely, "now please stand aside so we can kill the villains that attacked us."
Linus's tail shook hard to give the two Leoman a warning. It's buzzing noise was enough to even make Twilight think twice.
"No," Joella told them, "they are not villains. Grandfather would not want a show of vengeance. My mothers are dead. Died fighting for happiness, but likely having made mistakes, as Grandfather has said everyone does. I do not want any more fighting. No more war. The Hunters are NOT to be harmed, by ANYONE."
Mal'akh watched in surprise as as both the massive male and mutated female Leoman bowed to Joella.
"Of course, Mistress," Hercules spoke.
"Who is the human carrying?" Twilight asked, "If I may ask?"
"Grandfather Running-Bear," Joella answered, "He died after the battle ended."
What followed after that were a series of sounds from inside the manor.
"NO! The hunters aren't gone yet! Come back!"
Mal'akh's ears perked up when suddenly Aimileona appeared at the door, carrying a bone in her jaws with some bits of meat still on it. Aimileona noticed Mal'akh and took off with a charge. She crashed into her sister and hugged her, while still maintaining a grip on the bone. Two more of the Witch Pride Lionesses appeared in the doorway.
"Aimi! You're alright!" Mal'akh cheered and hugged her sister back, though she nearly took the bone in the eye when she tried to nuzzle her sister.
And then came the word that Mal'akh had heard from her sister ever since she had eaten the candy.
"Mum," Aimileona spoke, dropping the bone into the grass, "mum, mum, mum."
"No, Aimi... the witches are gone, you're supposed to be you again!" Mal'akh spoke.
"Mum, mum."
And with that, Mal'akh grasped her sister tightly, and cried. Aimileona patted her on the back, almost as if to say "everything would be OK". Marie only sighed. The witches were gone, and her story was nearly over... or at least what would be the most interesting part of her life was nearly over. But at the moment there was still a long road ahead.
+++++++++++
"So Aimileona's sanity wasn't restored by the death of the witches," Betty said slowly.
"None of the "mad" children had their sanity restored," Marie-Eliza sighed, "they gained some things back, such as Aimileona recognizing her sister. But they didn't gain everything back from the witches as a result of their deaths."
There was only a brief moment of silence.