The trio moved deeper into the quiet forest. The only sounds that could be heard were birds flying freely and perching from one tree to another. The forest looked creepy, and no human in their right mind would think of coming to such a place.
"This place sure is creepy," Luna mumbled, pulling her cloak tighter over her head.
"Yes, boss. Not even a bicycle could ride through a place like this," Teresa said in a small, low voice.
"I agree," Rose replied.
"How far is the location we're going to?" Luna asked as curiosity began to eat her up.
"Maybe one mile away. We need to climb a mountain," Ross replied, and Luna could only nod.
They went deeper into the woods, hearing birds sing their melody of the night. Soon, they approached a small village. Everything was quiet, and only the birds seemed to welcome them.
"Who are you?" someone spoke, and the three of them froze in place. They looked around but saw nothing. There was clearly no one apart from the three of them.
"Show yourself," Teresa said. "We mean no harm."
Suddenly, multiple bats flew into the air. Though their vision wasn't clear in the dark, they counted six bats in total. All six of them landed on the ground and slowly transformed into humans. Luna was surprised—she'd only ever seen things like this in movies.
"How can we help you, and why do you seek us?" one of them asked. She had transformed into a human form, though her feathers were still visible.
"We haven't seen you before. We seek your queen," Teresa replied. This wasn't her first time dealing with witches.
"Why do you seek my queen?" the witch asked with a solemn expression. Her brows were as long as her hair, and her lips were pure black.
"That can only be told to your queen. We just need some help," Teresa said, making the witch even more curious.
"You can tell it to me, and I'll pass the message to the queen. Or maybe I can help you instead," she offered.
Witches were cunning. Any witch who said this usually wanted to betray her queen. There were four kingdoms—vampires, werewolves, witches, and foxes. But of all four, the witches were the least powerful and could only survive with spells.
"We didn't come to see you. We came for your queen," Rose said, clearly irritated by the witch's behavior.
"I'll take you to my queen," another witch said, and the one who had been speaking glared at her.
Rose noticed this and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Please take us to your queen."
The second witch nodded in acknowledgment. Luna simply observed as the four of them followed the witch, who led the way. After three minutes of walking, they approached a tall, massive mountain. Luna stared at it.
I hope I'm not climbing this, she thought. What am I even saying? No one could possibly climb—
"We have to climb," the witch interrupted her thoughts.
"The queen is up there," she said, and Luna's eyes widened.
"Does she live there?" Luna asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
"Yes. She's always up there making potions," the witch replied, and Teresa's eyes lit up with amusement.
"Let's start climbing then," she said.
Luna gave the witch a look.
"Don't worry—we're just going to teleport using my powers," the witch assured her, and Luna sighed inwardly in relief.
"Everyone, make sure you're holding on to me properly. Just place your hand on my body," the witch instructed, and they all did.
The next thing they knew, they were inside a cave made of thick, metallic rock. They started moving in a line.
"You guys wait here. I'll go inform her that humans are here seeking her," the witch said, and the trio nodded.
"This place seems so cold," Luna said, hugging herself.
"Indeed. It's not meant for humans, after all."
"She said you can come in," the witch returned and informed them, and they nodded, following her, with Luna leading the way.
They entered the part of the cave where the witch queen resided. Strange items that Luna couldn't describe hung from the walls. Pots and bottles with fire beneath them were boiling, releasing vapors in various colors. In front of one large pot stood a woman with long black hair that reached the ground. Her brows matched its length, and she was undeniably beautiful.
"Why do you seek me?" she asked.
Luna stepped closer. "I need your help. I need to protect my people, so I'll be needing some powerful spells from you. I'd also appreciate it if you could teach my subordinate some powerful chants," she said all in one go, her voice filled with determination.
"I'm surprised, I must say," the witch queen replied as she added various ingredients to the boiling pot. "You of all people want to protect others now? I thought you didn't care for your kind."
"I was young and stupid. Now I want to take responsibility," Luna said. It was a lie—but a necessary one.
"If you say so, I'll help you," the queen said, a small smile tugging at her lips. Teresa was more than happy to hear this.
"If she wants to learn some spells, she'll have to come here regularly," the queen added, and Teresa nodded eagerly.
"First, I'll give you a spell for protection."
"Yes, please do," Luna said.
"But I'll need your blood to complete it."
Luna already knew about the prophecy, though it hadn't been revealed in this present world.
"Yes," she agreed.
She stretched out her hand, and the witch queen sliced it with a knife. Blood dripped onto the ground. Taking a small tube, the queen collected some of Luna's blood.
"I'll begin the incantations now," she said.
The trio sat on rocks while the witch performed her magic. When she was done, she handed a book to Teresa, who accepted it with joy. Then, she gave Luna a bottle containing something unknown.
Luna passed the bottle to Teresa without even asking.
"Thank you," Ross said to the queen.
"My pleasure," the witch replied.
And with that, they began their journey back to where they came from.