Farah clung to Saul desperately. "Oh, gods… Ben?" She ran to his side and knelt in front of him while Saul stood back, numb at the sight of his friend. "Don't hurt him!" Farah cried to Emerisa. "Please! He's our friend!" The male earth fairy looked over at Farah, and she immediately noticed his eyes were an unnaturally grey color. Farah inhaled slowly and lifted her fingers to his temple. "Ben? Ben, can you hear me?" she asked worriedly. "Ben?!" She used a small amount of magic to remove the spell someone had put on him, and his eyes turned back to brown.
Ben gasped and winced immediately, the wound on his leg finally making itself known to him. "Farah?" He looked past her. "Saul? What happened? Where am I?" His eyes slid to the dead witch, Emerisa's poisonous glare, and Farah's panicked face. "Oh no…"
"Ben," Farah whispered, shaking her head. "What did Rosalind do to you?"
"You know it was her?" Saul asked, unable to take his eyes off of Farah.
"Positive," the mind fairy replied. "I sensed her magic in him the second I touched him." She rose to face Emerisa and Baxtor. "He didn't kill her on purpose. It was Rosalind acting through him. She's the zealot you want. Not him. Please, get him help for his leg. Please!"
Emerisa only saw red, only felt bloodlust. "That was a beloved mother and wife!! You except me to just let that slide?! How fucking dare you! I shoul-" but before she could finish, Baxtor stood in front of her. His golden eyes met her once emerald and turquois eyes now ruby red. "Baxtor, step aside." Baxtor planted his hoof deeper in the soil.
"I don't think so. Emerisa please, don't do this." Baxtor was regretting his next choice of words, but knew it would help. "Remember Nova's garden? Remember what they told you?" Emerisa blink, her eyer changing back to heterochronic colors. They started to tear up, lower her sword that turned into a group of butterflies. She sighed and wiped her tears, leaning to Baxtor with open arms. He hugged her and held her close.
"You're a dick, you know that?" She made them both chuckle as called a med fairy to take Ben to a tent and another to take Cassandra's body. She looked to Saul and Farah. "You two, come with us." Emerisa commanded as she and Baxtor walked them to her private tent.
As Emerisa yelled at Farah, Saul instantly stepped in front of her to protect her. Both of them were tense as the scene played out between Baxtor and Emerisa. Farah was prepared to use her magic again if need be, and Saul was ready to do anything necessary to protect Farah.
They sighed with relief together as Emerisa's sword dissolved into butterflies, and Farah watched with interest. Weaving their fingers together, Farah and Saul followed Emerisa and Baxtor to the tent. Farah glanced over her shoulder, worried for Ben, but her curiosity quickly won out. "How did you do that magic?" she asked.
Emerisa didn't feel like talking and Baxtor knew, so he answer for her. "It's a light sword, it's power is contained in little butterflies that form into any weapon their master chooses. Emerisa has a love for swords." They got to Emerisa's tent, where she laid in her bed and gave Baxtor a brush. He untied Emerisa's long braid and fluffed up her bouncy, curly red hair. Baxtor sat next to her and brushed her hair as she relaxed her head on his lap.
"Saul has an affinity for swords as well," Farah murmured, elbowing him lightly with a small smile. She ignored the face he made and instead, she watched the seemingly intimate scene, curling into Saul all the while. Her Specialist wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. Farah's hair was a very important part of her appearance, and she considered anyone touching it to be a vulnerable and intimate act. "Why did you want us here?" she finally asked.
Esmerisa sighed and stood up, her poster strong and orderly. "I understand you're friend had know control of his actions, that I can forgive. However, your friend still need to pay. An innocent young woman died today because of him. He's staying here in our village until we have a final decision on what to do." Emerisa remembered what Nova taught them about holding their ground, and that she did.
Farah's eyes showed her desperation. "Please, don't. Ben did nothing wrong, it wasn't him at all in there. The only part of him that was really him was his physical form. Rosalind manipulated his mind. She's a zealot – despising Burned Ones and blood witches, and she won't stop until they're all dead." She paused for a moment, and Saul rubbed her back to signal he supported her as she kept going. "We'll help you catch Rosalind. She's a manipulator, and she tricked me into…"
At that, Farah abruptly stopped. Saul understood and cradled her gently. "It's alright," he murmured.
"…It still doesn't change what happened. A mother of two is dead, a wife on 5 years is dead, he must pay the price." Emerisa paused for a moment then smirked. "If it wasn't for Nova, I would have killed him… but I'll think of a more civil punishment. He won't die or get hurt, but justice is needed." She laid back down in Baxtor's lap to relax. "My decision is finally."
Farah shook her head. "I'm telling you it wasn't him! Let us help you. We can all track down Rosalind together, then you can have her pay the price. That will be justice, not the punishment of an innocent man. His body may have been the weapon used, but it wasn't him in control."
"Rosalind being any closer here will put to many more people in danger. I've made my choice." Emerisa sat up to braid her hair and put in bluebells in. Night rolled by and Emerisa placed her crown on her head. She grabbed a candle and walked out her tent, guiding the three to a hill with the rest of the village. Emerisa understands what needed to be done, and Farah's pain.
Farah abandoned Saul in favor of walking beside Emerisa. "Please tell me what's going on," she insisted. "I want to understand. And I don't want anything to happen to Ben. Or Saul. Dear gods, take me if you want."
"Look, this hasn't happened in a centuries…after tonight I'll let him go, but he is never to set foot in Hexa again. Same goes for you and Saul. Better?" She walked a picked up her pace to reach the hill. Cassandra's body was on a bed of bluebells surrounded by candles. People gathered around to start the soul crossing ceremony. Some held matching candles, some matching flowers.
It surprised Farah that Emerisa's decision slightly upset her. She'd grown quite fond of the place, and now she didn't want to leave. After Cassandra's funeral, she would speak to Emerisa privately about her feelings. "Is there anything I can do?" Farah murmured.
"Yes, there is. You can fucking leave." Emerisa turned to Baxtor. "Look I know the work you and Lux do and I'll support you guys to the end, but they gotta go." Baxtor sighed and nodded.
"I understand…I'm sorry." Emerisa smiled and lightly punched Baxtor arm.
"This ain't the first time dumbass, you're fine." Baxtor and Emerisa started laughing together.
"Please don't make me go," Farah whispered.
Saul looked at her in shock. "Farah? What are you talking about?"
Farah smiled sadly at him and turned to face Emerisa. "I don't want to leave. I think I've fallen in love with this place… I'd like to learn your magic."
Baxtor stepped in, "We can discuss this another day, but not now. Not after what happen. Come one, I'm taking all three of you back to the manor." Baxtor walked down the hill to pick up Ben and take the three back down the path to the cauldron drop..
Farah continuously looked over her shoulder at the witches' ceremony. She continued to watch them until they were completely out of sight, and Saul even had to yank her out of the way of several objects so she wouldn't run into things as she watched them.
"Farah, do you mind filling your friends in on everything? I'm not feeling well." Baxtor said as he held his head up. He was completely overstimulated and exhausted after what happened. They reached to hole and Baxtor helped everyone up inside and back in the manor living area, where he collapsed on the nearest piece of furniture being a couch.
Farah hurried over and knelt at Baxtor's side. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. "Is there anything I can get you? Anything I can do? Could I get someone for you? Brooklyn, maybe?"
Saul stood behind her, supporting Ben – who's leg was nearly healed. He watched her with a touch of sadness in his gaze. It was clear that she loved it here… and if she chose to stay, where would that leave Alfea?
Baxtor smiled. "I'll be fine my dear. Just very tired… I'll talk to Emerisa ok? She's been through a lot in her past but I know her. She'll come around, trust me." The sound of heels echoed throughout the room, a 6'7 tall woman covered neck to ankles with tattoos walked down the stairs. She had neon blue hair with a gray streak and was wearing a bra and loose silk pants. She eyed the three strangers, but all ready new of Farah.
"Hello there, you must be Farah? These are your friends?"
Farah rose to her feet, suddenly feeling very small. "Yes, I'm Farah. This is Saul and Ben." She motioned to them, and they quickly averted their gazes respectfully. She looks beautiful, Farah couldn't help but think, and she quickly averted her gaze too by looking down at Baxtor. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Baxtor yawn. "Yes, I just…need…" He started to snore, which made the tall woman chuckle.
"And off to sleep he goes. I'm Lux." She noticed Farah getting flustered and decided to be a tease. She bent down to Farah's level, with her cleavage visible and gave a seductive smirk. "What's a cutie like you doing in a place?" She booped Farah's nose.
Farah instantly blushed. "Ah, um… we all, uh… We're from the, uh, the Otherworld, and…" She quickly trailed off desperately trying to keep her eyes off of Lux's cleavage. Oh gods, and in front of Saul too… Farah bit her lip. "In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure…"
"Are you alright? You seem…uncomfortable~" Lux keep teasing at Farah for a bit until she straightened her back, only her hourglass abs faced Farah. Brooklyn, Tiara, and Diamond started walking down the stairs.
Farah cleared her throat softly and shook her head. "I'm fine." She saw Brooklyn and Diamond, who she recognized immediately, and she thought the third girl looked familiar, but she'd been introduced to so many different people, it was hard to remember.
