Chapter 4 Canceled Wild Hunt

• [Cernon’s POV]
• “Gather up. Gather up.” I instructed my entourage of supernatural hunters. We are going on a wild hunt. This is a new territory. One of my hunters reported that this forest is an enchanting one with a supreme magical presence. We appeared in the middle of the forest. I could sense a multitude of power. Witches were the dominant ones, but they were camping a distance from where we are. I could feel that several layers of powerful protection spells had been cast on the entire forest. I raised my head and sniffed the air, savoring the positive energy and surge of supernatural presence.
• At first, I concealed our presence and observed the surroundings. I saw an assortment of mystical creatures at large interacting with each other as if they belonged to the same species. I was stunned by the magnificence of the sight. How did they manage to live harmoniously in one place? Who has been keeping this territory?
• I wiggled my head after getting the confirmation I needed. “Aah. The power of three.” I murmured with a satisfied grin. This place is becoming increasingly exciting. I could camp here for the entire Spring. I looked around and saw the expectant glances of my hunters, waiting for my signal to commence with the wild hunt.
• Curiosity got the better of me and lifted the shield first. Suddenly, the urge to interact with different entities excites me.
• Once the shield was lifted, the fairies, gnomes, elves, and even the smallest creatures panicked and rushed back to their hiding places, creating a dust-like cloud covering their tracks. Not that I cannot see them, but I was amazed by how they seem to protect each other. They all hid inside the cave. From the looks of it, the cave was supposed to be hidden, but my power is stronger than the spell shielding it. I pretended not to see them and sent my hunters back to the territory from which we had come. I don’t want to disturb the peace and order in this forest by unleashing them for the wild hunt.
• I let out a confused sigh. With how they avoided me like the plague, I should be seething in rage. How dare these small creatures run away from me? Don’t they know who I am? But somehow, I find their reaction delightful. It’s been centuries, if not millennia, since they gathered together in harmony.
• I lifted my hand, intending to return to the underworld. I need to dip my index finger into the dark pool to explore the history of this place. But then I saw a tiny magical goddess dressed in a white frock with a silk scarf around her neck, slowly marching toward me in those muddy rubber boots. She hasn’t seen me yet. I hid myself from the human eye before sniffing the air. She is a hybrid—a potent mixture of witch, werewolf, and the suppressed power of God’s servant.
• “Interesting.”
• I waited until she was in front of me to study her features. She is young, captivatingly beautiful, and intriguing. I flicked my fingers to create an illusion that something was stalking her. I stood in place as an invisible movement circled her, but in reality, I remained rooted in place.
• She waved her hand and chanted to revoke my magic. She is brave, I give her that. She did it again, and as expected, her power is not strong enough to break through. On her third attempt, I humored her and groaned. Her eyes widened. Shocked. Panicked. She swirled left and right, asking, “Who’s there? Show yourself!”
• After she waved her hand, I appeared before her in an instant.
• I don’t want to scare her, but she is too adorable to toy with.
• Sure enough, this little thing fell backward. She must have been terrified by my antler. Or could it be my facial hair? I looked down at my body and pondered. I snapped my fingers several times to alter my appearance, making it more appealing to human eyes. I hid my antlers and facial hair, made my body muscular but not bulky, and replaced my hooved feet with human-looking feet.
• Her voice rang again, “What are you?”
• I kept mum, but I couldn’t pass up the chance of not teasing. I circled her and blew a gentle wind on the nape of her neck. She stretched her hand, trying to catch me. I could hear her racing heartbeat. Her whole body was covered in goosebumps, and I fought so hard not to laugh.
• Slowly, her innocent and gentle appearance darkened, and her expression became intense. She stretched her arms again and commanded, “Show yourself.” She swayed her hand and swirled. Her palms released a blue light. I circled her once again and breathed on her neck, which seemed to anger her further. She let out a sigh and surveyed the surroundings one more time before she disappeared from the forest floor.
• I followed her scent and hid my presence from all supernatural entities. We reappeared at her destination almost at the same time. I sat on the floor as I watched her lie on her stomach with the small slate. I couldn’t help but smile as she tried to remember what I looked like in my original form.
• After countless tries, she seemed satisfied with her illustration of me. “Not bad,” I muttered to myself. She almost captured all the intricate details of my face. I never imagined her memory to be this retentive. I showed myself in a flash, and she remembered.
• I followed her after she ran out of her room and into another one. A middle-aged woman opened the door. I could sense a strong aura from her, stronger than the underdeveloped power of the little one. Perhaps she practiced magic a lot during her youth.
• Once the little one showed her the slate, the middle-aged woman named Mimi pulled her inside the room. I followed them inside and listened as the little one recollected what happened in the forest.
• I thought of revealing myself after their conversation, but something seems out of place. Why is Mimi unhappy with my presence? She is a pure-blood witch, and she recognized me from the illustration. Many witches worship me, and she dared to show this scowl on her face once she saw the image of me. She is such a brave soul to refuse my existence in this territory. Let’s see how far your power can go.
• I was distracted when Mimi said, “Go to the River Bed Pack for now and come back after three months.”
• How dare she get rid of the little one for the entire spring? Is she defying me?
• Mimi waved her hand, and the little one disappeared. I followed her aura. Wherever she goes, I'll be there too.
• We reappeared in another place almost at the same time.
• Another witch was sitting on a long, soft… Wait, is that animal skin she was sitting on? I wag my head to regain my focus. I am here to learn more about the little one and not to find fault.
• She is a white witch? This is becoming increasingly interesting. The power of this white witch is many times more potent than Mimi's. She is also a hybrid, but her other identity is deeply hidden and has never been used. Not even once. How is that even possible?
• “Mom.” the little one exclaimed as she rushed toward the white witch. So, that’s her mother.
• The white witch closed her eyes and slowly turned her head from left to right a few times. Can she sense my presence? Once she opened her eyes, I saw a few specks of gold swirling in her pupils. Her indifferent expression quickly shifted into a playful one once her gaze fell on the little one.
• “Amara, what are you doing here?” she said.
• So the little one’s name is Amara.
• Amara threw her weight beside her mother and snuggled under her arm like a small child.
• “Mom, Mimi sent me here. She said I will spend my spring break here, and I am only allowed to go back to the coven after three months,” Amara told her mother in a childish voice.
• “And why is that? Why did Mom send you back all of a sudden, Amara? Did you do something wrong? Aren’t you getting along well with the rest of the forest population? Or the witches? Or the vampires? What happened?”
• Interesting. It seems this white witch is the one in charge.
• My lips curled into a smile as the plan began to take shape in my head.
• “You will give birth to my offspring on the Winter Solstice, Amara.”