Chapter 022: Nature and Her Hags

He woke up a few moments later and sat up. He saw that Vulture was still looking at him. "I guess I can learn cantrips from spell books," said Carter as he looked back at Vulture. He wasn't moving. He walked up to him and pushed his hand back and forth in front of him.

"The spell Time Stop is still in effect," said Carter as he looked around. In the corner of his eye, he caught a thin sliver of purple crystal spinning around where he had cast that cantrip. He watched it for a moment and saw it was reducing in size.

He walked back towards the Cathedral. The air was quiet, without wind or screams of the damned. He walked in and laid down on his pew. He fell asleep and dreamed for the first time in the Forest.

{Dream World}

He awakened to a feeling of pain emanating from his chest. Burning flesh tickled his nose as his eyes opened. He was chained up on the stage, and five female hags were burning symbols into his chest with roasted rocks. The hags had beautiful bodies without blemishes, but their faces were marred with scars and cuts. These were the damned ones in servitude of their elders. He read about them in the book of the damned in the Castle library.

"Get off me, hags!" screamed Carter, knowing this was only a dream.

"He is awake, Mistress. Should we stop?" said one of the Hags. Another one took a rock that was burning her hands and thrust it down onto Carter's chest. Carter released a hardy scream and started to try to free himself from their bonds.

"Finish the job. The time crystal is almost gone," came a wondrous voice behind Carter.

"Who are you?" Carter yelled as another stone was pushed into his chest.

"You sense me, little one?" said the voice.

"I am just marking you for greatness. You are my prodigy," said the voice.


Carter let out another scream as a burning stone smoldered his skin. "Finish the job and return," said the voice.

"Yes, Mistress!" said one of the hags.

"Twelve more to burn. Keep to the pattern," said another hag.

He felt a hand move down to his manhood as another rock burnt his chest.

"Do we have time to partake?" said a hag.

A small laugh came from one of the hags, who said, "No, next time, I suppose."

Carter could see that their hands were not being burnt by the stones they placed on his chest.

"Finished, Sister. Let's go before the others start to move," said another hag.
"I hate this bug-infested lower world."

One of the sisters bent over while holding Carter's manhood and gave him a little kiss. "You will forget us but know that the symbol on your chest is the crest of Nature, the Dragon of Eternity. Let it keep you alive and protect you from others.

"I don't need your help," said Carter. He still couldn't move.

"The Mark will keep you from succumbing to the curse of manhood, among other things. Things you can't slice with a sword or destroy with a firebolt," said the hag as she rubbed up and down on Carter's manhood. She stopped moving her hand and squeezed it tightly.

Carter let out a little gasp from the pressure.

She moved closer to his ear and whispered into it. "I hate your kind, Weakmen. You're the reason why this world was almost destroyed. But for some reason, She has taken a liking to you, little weakman. Rejoice in her light..." said the hag as she released Carter and disappeared.