Chapter 4 Naku

Meanwhile, back at the lighthouse, Naku tries to sneak onto a sailing ship with his disguise. He walks briskly as he tries to blend in with the workers,but his vintage shirt gives him away. It is none the less obvious that he stole the shirt from one of the containers. Surprisingly, nobody stops him, although he can feel their eyes piercing through his skin. He leaps on the floatation and moves towards the mainframe, hoping to gain access to the ship.

Two figures emerge from the ship. "Stop right there filthy wolf! Not only do you have the audacity to steal our clothes, you move around with it as though it were yours. Identify yourself!"

A bizarre silence fills the air as Naku refuses to speak. The witches,out of exasperation, rip the shirt off him and push him. He stumbles,but doesn't fall."Didn't you hear us?" They ask, Naku then says "I am one of the workers here, meant to deliver a message to the captain! Do you intend to face her wrath? " The witches scoffed and said,"If you're a worker, you would know that wolves are not allowed into the ship!", they then knock Naku unconscious with a sleeping potion and drag him back to the lighthouse.

"Who released this brat?"The witch thunders. The mages, shocked to see Naku outside the prison,start to mutter among themselves as the witches at the prison entrance try to calm Chablis down. The mage speaker named Krakus steps forward and says" Is this not Naku, the son of the king who" "correction!" Chablis butts in," its former king, lord Meldus and his army must have overrun the capital by now. Theo clan has fallen. If it has not yet, it surely will. So watch your tongue, mage!"

"Our alliance is more of a slavery than an alliance, Chablis" krakus says. "Now, back to this mess, what is Naku doing outside his cell? Did he suddenly become invisible? Or maybe werewolves can now teleport like mages, and we were not aware?" All the mages burst into a hysterical,but nervous laughter. Chablis then replies,"my attendant has just informed me that Naku was freed by one of you,traitors!","Impossible" krakus revolts. "It is true,krakus",Izbul, the adviser of the mages mutters. Krakus then orders that the culprit be thrown into the prison along with Naku.

At dawn, the mage leader, Sura Ran is informed of Ecosa's betrayal. He goes to the prison to find out if Ecosa was bewitched as the mages do not trust the witches. They suspect that the witches plot to make them look like traitors before Lord Meldus, the leader of the werewolf rebels. The prison doors creak open, Sura walks into the prison cell and requests to see Ecosa. The guard walks into Ecosa's cell and says," wake up, young mage. Your leader summons you." Ecosa's feet feel frozen, she is filled with fear and anxiety. She summons up courage and moves ahead of the prison guard." The guard annoyingly pokes her with her spear as she abruptly increases her pace.

"Sura ran is seated inside" the guard nods towards a door. Ecosa walks in and takes a seat.

In his old,cracky voice, Sura asks,"What happened?" Ecosa begins to speak almost immediately. Sura urges her to calm down,that he has all the time in the world. Ecosa continues, "I didn't betray my clan. I only did what was right. When I touched Naku, I saw a vision, I did not pay attention to it because I did not know how he was. But when I found out he was the king's son, I understood the vision. In the vision,Naku becomes king, and all the creatures bow to him. There is great prosperity, peace and unity among the clans. He lifts..." oh shut up! Susa thunders. "You mean you betrayed the clan because of what you think you saw?" He then proceeds to order her killing.

Meanwhile, Krakus had attached a sound aura to sura,so he overheard the whole conversation. He wondered why Sura was so repulsive about the vision. Even if witches were to ignore visions, mages would not. Krakus concludes that something fishy is going on. 5 witches then drag Ecosa outside the lighthouse for execution.

Among these witches is Tabitha, the witch leader's assistant. She cast an illusion spell on the other 4 witches. She made them see the scene where Ecosa is murdered. In that instance, Krakus, who planned on saving Ecosa arrives at the scene, only to find her in the arms of Tabitha.

"Hand her over!" Krakus requests.Tabitha then replies,"she is safe with me! If she is found among your people, I will be beheaded. Krakus then tells Tabitha,"Is that so? 'She is safe with you'? Is it not you who told your leader that she set Naku free?" "I know I did all those things, but I am sure one thing brings us both here; the vision!" Tabitha replies. "Very well then," Krakus agrees. "I will let you keep her,but let it be known that if any harm shall find its way to her, I will hold you responsible." Tabitha heads over to her room with Ecosa's body. She places her in a bathtub filled with water, she then proceeds to cleanse her from the effect of the spell.

Krakus summons the mages, except Sura ran, and he requests for their opinion on the current state of things. The mages report that the witches do not treat them as equals,the witches have no laws to regulate their use of spells and scrolls. The future is filled with chaos and misery. Lord Meldus cannot rule the witches. They have him in the palm of their filthy hands. Back at Tabitha's quarters, Ecosa becomes conscious and is surprised to be alive."Please, let me live" she asks, and Tabitha replies,"As surely as you tell me the vision you saw and its meaning,nothing shall make even one hair on your head fall off!".