The Child Snatcher

Mission Details:

Was there a reason most of her missions seemed to take her into the mountains? Perhaps it was because mountains were out of the way; most people did not go visiting such highlands unless they had a really good reason, and as a result, many atrocities could be carried out without
the interference of the good. That was, unless one such as herself was involved. These mountains were not as cold and unrelenting as Hakobe, but Belladonna was mostly indifferent either way, as she did not fear the cold. She wondered why people usually lived in such areas, far away from other cities and civilizations, but she realized that her family had done the same when she was little. It could be to escape persecution, or they could have been exiles or their descendants, or maybe it could have been tradition that dated far back and the people still saw it fit to uphold them. Whichever the case, these people had called for help, and she had responded.

It was a mission of missing children. Someone had been stealing children from the village, and the villagers were alarmed. Naturally, they had sought out help, but the mission seemed to be classified as the kind that just about any mage could sink their teeth into. To Belladonna, it had secret implications. The major one was that it could be carried out in any fashion, as the mage involved desired. That meant the person could go all out and do drastic things, as long as the children stopped disappearing. Perhaps somebody wanted something, or someone, to die.

She approached the village, the wind swirling dust and fallen leaves around her feet. The small town was interestingly cradled by a forest that sheltered it from winds and storms. It was a sort of safe haven, a surprising and sudden respite from the harsh elements outside. Some villagers stopped and stared at her, whispering among themselves as she drew nearer. Then one of them walked forward to meet her, a tall, broad shouldered man.

"Good afternoon, lady. Are you looking for someone or something?"

She looked up at him and shrugged, though she did not try to act too dismissive and aloof, and as a result, snobbish. "yeah, you could say I'm looking for someone. The leader or elder of this village, perhaps. I'm here to deal with the problem of the missing children."

"Oh that. Yes, we've been expecting you. It's terrible, really. Mia and I are really worried that... uh, I shouldn't keep you waiting." He pointed to a hut that had some elaborate designs carved into its wooden walls.

"Thanks. I wouldn't mind hearing your take on this matter, if you're okay with it."

The man nodded, allowing himself a small smile. "I would appreciate that." He turned and walked back to his company, and they continued discussing in hushed tones, as they eventually returned to their business. Belladonna went to the hut that had been pointed out to her, and knocked. For a while, there was no answer, then a teenager opened the door and looked at her questioningly, before his eyes began straying to study the rest of her body. She cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Is this the residence of the village elder? I should like to see them."

"Oh yeah, it is. Who's asking?" the boy replied.

"The solution to your kidnapping problem."

Just then, an elderly, wizened woman pushed past the boy and stepped outside to meet Belladonna. "I'm the one you're looking for. My name is Edna. Would you like to come inside?"

Belladonna assented, and followed her into the interior of the hut. The young man trailed behind, seemingly interested in staying in the company of the purple haired mage, if only to ogle at her features.

"Cylan," Edna said in an ordering tone, "make yourself useful."

The teenage boy grumbled something in reply, but obeyed.

"Now, where were we?" Edna asked, sitting in a chair and beckoning on Belladonna to do the same. Belladonna obliged her. "I got a request to solve the problem of the kidnapped children."

Edna sighed. "It's terrible. Some of our kids have gone missing, and we can't say who it is. However, I have my hunch."

"I'm listening."

"Not far from here, a witch lives,"Edna continued. "She has never liked our village, and always seeks to make life difficult for us. If you ask around the village, you will see that I'm right. The witch always conjures shades to haunt our roads, and has resorted to kidnapping our children. We need you to deal with her by any means necessary."

Belladonna nodded. "Evil witch kidnapping children. Deal with her. Noted."

The old woman smiled. "Thank you very much, kind stranger. If you need anything, do let us know. And be careful when handling the witch. She is dangerous and a very sly one."

Belladonna stood. "I'd best be on my way, then. I'll be back when I've solved the problem."

With those words, she went outside. The evening was approaching, and the villagers were rounding up their daily chores. Some were returning from the forests with wood, while others were beginning to light vesper fires. She spotted the man who had spoken with her as she entered the village.

"Okay, sir, I'm all ears. What do you know about the kidnappings?"

He looked over his shoulder, then straightened up and turned to face her. "Yeah, that. Our people are saying lots of stuff, and you may have heard that the witch is involved. But I don't know." He lowered his voice. "My wife and I are convinced that she can't be responsible."

Belladonna crossed her arms. "Okay. You'll have to have a good reason for being opposed to the general opinion."

"Mia and I have met her a couple of times. The witch, I mean. She may be touched, and can act really scary, but she's almost harmless, and I know she has a good heart."

"Okay, this is new..."

The man looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, whatever you do, try to find who is really responsible. If she's guilty, do what has to be done. But if she's not, then don't let an innocent person suffer."

Just then, a woman, a few years older than Belladonna, ran to meet the man. "Roy, Hugh and the others have gone to look for the witch. I think they want to harm her..." she looked at Belladonna and stopped.

"Guess I'll have them to deal with, too. Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of it, and justice will be done." She turned to go, then paused. "Out of curiosity, why would this Hugh seek out the witch when darkness falls?"

"Her house has a strong enchantment that only allows it to be accessed in the evenings," Roy replied. "If you leave the village, and turn to the left, a trail should get you there. It's hard to miss by this time of day."

Belladonna nodded. As she went back towards the village entrance, she frowned slightly. Whoever Hugh was, he was complicating matters by taking laws into his hands. She didn't want to have to start trying to protect him and his people from the powers of an irate crone.

Heading up out of the village and further into the mountains was not difficult, even as the setting sun cast long shadows across pretty much everything. The trail to the witch's abode led out of the forest and snaked towards the mountain peaks, but was wide and distinct enough to make passage as convenient as mountain hiking could afford. As she walked, she reviewed what information she had gathered so far. First, there was Edna, the village elder, who believed that the witch was responsible and should be dealt with. Then, there was Roy, who believed that the witch was not responsible. And of course, Hugh and his friends had gone off to carry out jungle justice against the witch. She would have to find a way to defuse the anger of Hugh's mob, because she knew that if anything, they were not going to the witch's place to ask her to confess over a cup of tea. It ought not to be too difficult, for someone like her. Maybe make a scapegoat out of Hugh, ensure it's not permanent, and send everyone back to their homes...

A din up ahead caught her attention. It looked like she had found the witch hunters. Rounding a corner, she found herself facing a wide patch of land, like a small plateau along the side of the mountain. A group of people were gathered, holding various farm implements that were likely brought for the purpose of grievous bodily harm. What with her height, she could not see the front of the crowd, but her Right Eye of the Mind let her discover that there was a man at the front (Hugh, most likely), and further ahead was a cave in the mountain, in which a lone figure, female, stayed. The person seemed to be cowering. That didn't seem like a witch that was causing trouble.

Belladonna walked around the crowd to the front, where they faced the cave with angry yells. The leader of the mob was shouting at whoever was inside to come out, but no reply was answered. The angry townspeople were somewhat taken aback, when a petite, strange woman with purple hair walked out like she was supposed to be there, and towards their leader. The shouts subsided to confused murmurs. Belladonna sensed that the person within the cave was trying to observe what was going on without being seen.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Do you have a leader I can speak to?" Belladonna asked no one in particular. As she expected, the "leader" of the mob stepped forward to meet her.

"You can address me. I'm Hugh." He gave her a once over with his eyes. "Are you here to help us flush out the witch?"

"If by your question, you are asking if I came to help you solve the problem of your missing kids, then yes, that's why I'm here. If, however, you're asking if I'm going to barge into the cave to flush anyone out, well, that remains to be seen."

Hugh scoffed. "Lady, if you're not here to help us, you'd best be going."

"Mister," she replied in an icy tone, "I came here to do some work, and you might be a distraction. You'd best leave me to it... and it doesn't hurt to be civil, either."

The man laughed, then stepped closer so that he was towering over her. "I 'might be a distraction'?! Can you imagine that?!"

Belladonna held her ground, her jaw set, as she glared stubbornly back up into the face of Hugh. For a while, an uncomfortable silence reigned, then a man's voice broke it: "Why don't we see what the lass wants to do, Hugh?"

Hugh turned sharply to reply, a statement meant to enforce his will, but another joined the man's suggestion. "Yeah. Perhaps she'll see that we're doing the right thing and even help us out, since she's probably who Edna sent for."

"Glad to see that quite a good number of people here have common sense," Belladonna said with a smug smirk.

Hugh discovered that his position as leader here was not powerful enough to be undisputed, so he muttered something incomprehensible, and walked away from Belladonna. The smirk blossomed into something sweeter.

"Thank you very much! Alright, now before we begin to pass judgment on anyone, I'd like to get some facts straight. How do we know our witch here is the culprit?"

One of the townspeople answered: "She uses dark magic."

Belladonna shook her head. "That statement is relative and extremely biased. Magic is dark or light based on the person wielding it. I should know."

"We didn't come here for a discussion..." Hugh started.

"Somebody, please give me a concrete reason why we should smoke her out," Belladonna interjected, cutting him off. There were murmurs, but no one came up with anything substantial. Finally, someone ventured, "Edna is sure it's her."

"Edna has always blamed everything on this 'witch'. I'm starting to think she is anything but," a voice suddenly said. Everyone turned to see Roy, breathing heaving, but making his way to the front of the crowd. "Great! The witch-lover..." Hugh spat.

"Let's kindly have your opinion, Roy," Belladonna said, ignoring Hugh.

"What of the glowing orbs at night? And that creepy voice? It's definitely the witch!" someone yelled.

"Yeah, I've met the orbs and heard the voice," Roy replied, "but surprisingly, they led me home when I was lost. Hasn't that happened to anyone else here?"

At this, the people began to talk among themselves. The way it sounded, many of them were murmuring in agreement. So, that meant that the strange occurrences had helped more than harmed. This was getting more and more suspicious. "You guys are missing an important detail," Hugh said suddenly, looking like he was about to say something intelligent. "None of you guys is a kid."

"My Ernie and Zeke have told me about the lights," a chubby faced woman shot back. "They said the voice always told them not to be afraid, and one of those glowing things was going ahead of them. They're just twelve and eight, but you know that, Hugh, don't you?"

Now more people were starting to openly agree with Roy. Belladonna shook her head gently. A moment ago, they were up for dragging out a harmless woman and perhaps beating her to death. Now, they were switching sides. Humans were so easily manipulated. Some were here for the action, others as spectators, so that they would have something juicy to dole out in their next gossip chain.

Belladonna clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention. "So, the truth comes out... at least to an extent. It doesn't seem to be the witch, anymore."

Hugh started to say something, but the mother of Ernie and Zeke cut him off. "Hush yourself, Hugh. I've always known Edna's never liked the witch, and you're just her right hand man, always doing what she tells you. I'm not surprised you're like this." Hugh grew red in the face, but said nothing.

"Well, if that's the case, can I suggest that everyone goes home and back to their families? I will continue my investigation here, but I feel our witch might not be willing to talk with a mob on her door step. I can promise you one thing, though: whoever is responsible for the children will pay when I find out, and if harm has come to them, I will mete the same harm on the culprit. You can rest assured that I will not pass judgment until I am sure without a doubt. The innocent will be acquitted and the guilty will face the music."

"Let's go home, people," Roy called out. As he left the space, the villagers began to follow him in trickles, until only Hugh was left, and if looks could kill, Belladonna would have been mincemeat by now.

"You might want to be on your way, too. I have a feeling that if you get lost, there'll be no lights and voices for you to follow."

She chuckled, as the man stormed off, cursing under his breath. The smile faded, as she pondered on one thought: why was Edna so interested in getting rid of the witch? She had asked her to get rid of her, and had most likely gotten Hugh to round up some villagers to the same end. Maybe the witch would know something that no one else did.

She would talk to the witch, and hope that the witch was up for a peaceful discussion.

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

Belladonna approached the cave mouth and called a greeting. If not that her Benediction was giving her information, she would have assumed that there was nobody in the cave. "I don't want to harm you. I just want to talk. The mob has gone away. You're safe now."

Still, there was no response. Belladonna sighed gently. Maybe the witch was not trusting. Perhaps she might be like that, too, if she had been mistrusted the same way the villagers seemed to mistrust this witch. Belladonna stood at the mouth of the cave, not coming inside, yet not going away. If she said that she knew the witch was in, she might get her spooked, and her chance would be gone. If she left, she might be giving up before the witch had a change of heart. So she waited, and waited.

It had been about thirty minutes since Belladonna, with help from Roy, had dispersed the crowd, and there had been no response. Belladonna sat on a rock less than a stone throw away from the mouth of the cave, wondering whether she wasn't wasting her time or not. The moon cast a beautiful soft light on the earth, and black shadows were formed that seemed to hide a depth of inky darkness from which giant monsters could spring forth. Bah, the result of an over-imaginative mind. She looked up and thought she could see a very faint glow, hovering near the mouth of the cave. Perhaps it was her imagination running wild again, but on looking closer, she noticed that energy was coalescing into a small but bright ball of light. Then, she heard a voice:

"Come closer, stranger. Don't be afraid. Follow the light."

Belladonna stood up, nodded, and obeyed. She was inwardly pleased that the witch had finally reached out to her. The ball of light darted into the cave. It would move sharply, but stop, seemingly to make sure she was following, before it zipped again. The young mage followed the light into a myriad of tunnels, a labyrinth that would easily get anyone who ventured in lost. Belladonna smiled to herself. The witch had a natural line of defense that could ward off attackers. That was smart. Maybe that explained why Hugh was not so eager to rush in, but would rather that she come out to them.

Her Right Eye of the Mind, as well as her Slayer eyesight made traversing the dark interior of the cave easy, and after about five minutes, she saw an orange glow ahead. The glow of a fire. The ball of light sped towards the glow, then burst into glitter and was gone. Belladonna walked a little gingerly, until she came into a large 'room', with about six other exits. The room was designed with various beads and stones, and the bones of animals. To her surprise, she noticed two children sitting close to the fire, eating some sort of soup from a bowl. Close to them sat a larger figure in animal skin.

"Hello?" Belladonna called out. The children looked up, curiosity in their eyes, as they watched Belladonna. She noted that they were not afraid of the figure in the animal skin, so unless they were under strong enchantment, this person was not their captor.

"You arrived earlier than I expected. That's good. Good. Join us for supper, yes?"

The figure rose, and Belladonna saw a middle aged woman in the firelight. Streaks of her hair had turned silver, and she had a gentle look to her. If she stood in a different environment, in different apparel, no one would assume that this was a witch.

"You are not afraid of the old witch, are you?" The woman cackled, then beckoned on Belladonna to come closer. "I don't bite; this is not poison. Come. Eat. Eat."

Even though she didn't really feel like it, Belladonna obliged her. Being cordial would help her get to the truth faster. She sat on a rock stool the woman ushered her to, and received a steaming bowl of soup from the older woman.

"Thanks, ma'am. You don't look like a witch to me..."

At this, one of the children looked up sharply. "Maran is no witch! Edna's the witch! A devil woman!" she said shrilly, emotion in her voice. The woman, Maran, leaned over and placed a hand on the child's head, and the girl calmed down. "They've been through a lot, Olive and Ben here. I just wanted them to be healthy before I sent them back to the village. I'd have done it, if not for the mob. It would have made me look red handed. You did good out there, child."

Belladonna nodded and scooped some of the soup into her mouth with a wooden spoon. It was some sort of mushroom stew, simple but quite nicely prepared. "This is good soup," she commented. "Do you mind if I ask what happened to the children?"

Maran looked away, and Belladonna sensed regret in her eyes. "They are the ones I could save. They were almost killed, but the wisps told me, and I came."

Now, it was Ben's turn to talk. "Edna is ridiculously old, but she hasn't died. I dunno what she wanted to do to us, but it sure was going to kill us. Then, Maran came and saved us. Edna almost killed her, but she wouldn't let Edna take us."

"So, that would mean..." Belladonna said slowly, not wanting to jump to conclusions too hastily.

"Maran isn't kidnapping any children," Olive said, a bit impatiently. "Edna is the kidnapper. And she kills them too."

Belladonna frowned, her appetite fading away. That was a very sick thing to do. Why would the old woman do such? Unless it had to do with a spell that substituted the lives of the young for that of the old. The old would then live, while the child would die. Belladonna had come across such a Curse before, and this seemed like such was at play. There was one last thing to do, and Belladonna would be assured of the truth. Her Left Eye of the Mind did not lie.

"I came to solve the problem of the missing children, and I think I have come to my conclusion." She set down the bowl and rose to her feet. "I need to ask a favor of you, Maran. Could you tell me where you rescued the children from Edna? I need to verify something. And I need you to give me something of yours that is very important. I will return it to you, one way or the other."

"In return, I would ask a favor of you," Maran replied, although she frowned at the last request. "I want these children to return home. I want their parents not to grieve. Let there be a little joy in the village, at least. If you promise me you will lead them home tonight, I will direct you to the place."

"You have my word, Maran."

"Thank you. Take the exit behind me. It is a secret, faster route to get back close to the village. You will get out of a small, hidden crevice in the mountain wall. At the bottom of the slope is a small stream. It was there I saved the children. From there, you will easily make it back to the village."

Maran hugged the children tightly. "Now, off you go, my dears. Wouldn't want your parents to shed an extra tear."

"We'll come to visit, Maran," Olive replied. "Or we'll get the village to accept you. You're our hero," Ben added.

"We'll see, we'll see," Maran said, letting go of them. "Now get going. The wisps tell me that wolves will be out in about an hour. I want you safely home before then."

She looked at Belladonna, her face suddenly serious, as she removed an ornate bone necklace from about her neck and handed it to Belladonna. "You make sure you keep your word, child. I feel good about you, which is why I entrust these young ones into your care. But if you betray my trust, or theirs, I will find you, no matter where you hide..."

"Save the ill for if I don't make good my word, Maran. I will see it done."

With that, Belladonna beckoned to the children, who waved at Maran, then followed her into the tunnel. It was not as misleading as the one she had come through, and it was much easier to follow. Eventually, they came out into the open, out of the inside of the mountain, and far ahead, they could make out the lights of the mountain village. The stream murmured idly as it flowed, and as they approached it, Belladonna activated her Left Eye of the Mind.

The images flowed swiftly by, moving in "rewind", as they often did. And there, she verified Maran's words, the children's witness and her suspicion. Olive and Ben were the last children to be led here. To her horror, Belladonna watched the ghostly play of the past, as about six young promising humans met their end at the hands of Edna, right by that stream. What pained her most was the betrayal, the horror in the eyes of the children as they died.

"Are you alright, lady?" a voice suddenly cut into her phantasmal reverie. She started, and looked at Olive and Ben, who stared quizzically at her. "Are you... crying?" Olive asked.

Belladonna sniffed. "It's nothing. Come on children. Before the wolves chase us home."

Leading them through another part of the forest with a well beaten path, most likely the path through which Edna led her victims, they eventually got to the village. Belladonna placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "You're home. Go find your parents, but don't get them looking for Edna yet. She has a reckoning to answer at my hand. Give me time to sort it out."

The children nodded and headed off. Belladonna for her part, went to the elder's hut and knocked. As she was ushered in, there was a loud cry of joy from without. Edna, who was seated, raised an eyebrow. "Well?" she asked. "And what does this noise mean?"

"I found two children, and I brought them home." She noticed that Edna seemed to pale somewhat, but she continued deceptively. "They were delirious, and I think they've suffered amnesia."

"The poor children," Edna said, allowing relief to show in her voice, though Belladonna was sure it came from the fact that they wouldn't remember what she did, if it was the truth she had said. "And the witch?"

In reply, Belladonna brought the bone necklace out and dropped it on the table. "I've made sure that she will never disturb your village ever again."

Edna studied the pendant, then smiled, satisfied. She gestured, and Hugh came from a hidden room with a package. "Here is your pay," Edna said. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Belladonna counted it, and nodded. "Thank you. Pleasure doing business with you too."

She turned to leave, then stopped at the door. "Oh, something very important, Edna."

The old woman tilted her head. "Yes?"

"I promised I would deal with the kidnapper. And I know what you did to those six children."

Edna started, and rose to her feet, but Belladonna flicked a small needle, pure compressed poisonous matter, which lodged itself in her neck before the woman could respond. In panic, Hugh ran to his elder, as she expired in horrendous pain, her skin flaking off her bones to leave only her bones behind. With white hot rage, Hugh rose to his feet and charged through the door. He was met with surprised villagers, none of whom had seen the short purple-haired mage leave.

Two children had been saved. The village elder was gruesomely murdered. Some of the villagers would believe the children. Some, like Hugh and maybe Cylan, would not care, and would hate Belladonna for it. She cared not. It was hard, but justice had to be done.