CHAPTER SIX

When Gerald and Calanthe came back to join Pitney and Gwen, they all laughed at Pitney's funny tales about her town, and eventually, they fell asleep. But little did they know that Pitney wasn't asleep but just pretending.

Gerald laid down on his mat sleeping soundly and surprisingly comfortably for someone who is sleeping in a place where evil and danger lurked.

When Pitney thought that the trio was in deep slumber, she took out a dagger from her boot that had a crest of the beast that Gwen killed.

Pitney raised the dagger and was about to stab Gerald but felt a sharp and intense pain in her legs like she was stabbed there.

She cried out in pain and her fangs became visible, due to her loud cry, she woke Calanthe and Gerald up. They looked at Pitney with horror, not believing their eyes.

Pitney looked down to see what pierced her and saw an icicle that looked like a stake was stabbed through her leg and rooted into the ground due to this she couldn't move.

Pitney already knew that this was Gwen’s doing and wondered how Gwen came to suspect her. Gwen immediately went to pick up the dagger that Pitney wanted to use to stab Gerald, after picking up the dagger she gave Pitney a hard slap.

Gerald immediately stood up and looked at Pitney whose fangs were now visible to them all. Calanthe cursed under her breath wondering why she didn't notice Pitney was a Gorgon.

“ Quick look away, she's a Gorgon, “ Calanthe said and turned around to face the other direction in fear of not wanting to be turned to stone by mere eye contact with Pitney and Gwen turned together with Calanthe.

Pitney smirked even though she was in pain because she saw that Calanthe and Gwen were scared of her, but Gerald stubbornly didn't turn around because he wanted to see what a Gorgon looked like.

A Gorgon is a cursed creature with snakes as hair, it is said that Gorgons were human before they committed sacrilege and were cursed. Any human who looked into the eyes of a Gorgon was said to instantly turn into a stoned sculpture.

A few seconds later, Pitney’s long hair began to transform into snakes which began snarling and hissing at Gerald but he looked unshaken by them. Pitney snarled at him wondering why he was looking her in the eye and wasn't turning into a stone.

“ Oh shut up, you don't scare me. Why do you want me dead? “ he asked Pitney who struggled and removed the Icicle stake that Gwen stabbed her leg with.

Pitney then proceeded to leap towards Gerald who took slow steps backward until his back was touching Gwen’s back, with Calanthe standing beside Gwen which automatically means Calanthe was also standing beside Gerald since his back was now touching Gwen’s.

Pitney began speaking “ You are getting it all wrong when you think it's only you I want dead, yes my main aim is to kill you but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna kill your companions. So in summary I want to kill you all “ Pitney said as she smirked evilly.

Pitney continued blabbing about how mighty and strong she is while pacing left to right even though she was leaping, unknown to her while she was boasting, Gwen and Gerald were having a conversation on how to kill her but she didn't notice and kept talking.

“ I'm still trying to wonder how you can look into the eyes of a gorgon and not turn to stone “ Gwen whispered to Gerald who had his back on hers.

“ let's save that talk for later, what do we do now “ Gerald whispered back to Calanthe and Gwen in a way that Pitney won't know they were conversing, not like Pitney was paying attention anyway.

“ The only way is to behead her and burn her head, “ Calanthe said.

“ How are we supposed to do that? I can't unsheath my father's sword yet “ Gerald said, never for once looking away from Pitney so that she won't notice what was happening.

“ Gerald, distract Pitney now, “ Gwen said in a whisper but even still sounded commanding to Gerald who scoffed and rolled his eyes but did just what was asked of him.

“ So what would you gain by killing us? “ Gerald asked Pitney as he walked to the side while she took steps aside to be a safe distance away from Him.

Gerald kept walking to the side and stopped when Pitney stood with her back facing Calanthe and Gwen, and he was sure they wouldn't be able to turn to stones even though they turned to face Pitney.

“ Well those answers are very simple, my first reason to kill you is that you are in my territory and I always kill those who trespass, your companion even killed my innocent pet, the beast that was pursuing me. “ Pitney said and a hissing sound resonated from her lips, and also from the snakes on her head.

“ And? “ Gerald asked Pitney, trying to buy some time for Gwen who was now standing behind Pitney and holding something in her hand that Gerald couldn't fathom but it looked like a hilt of a sword.

He found it weird that she'll be holding a hilt of a sword that had no blade but decided to trust her. He couldn't wait to unlock his powers so that he'll be in charge fully, after all, he was the one destined to save the empire.

“ The second reason is that I have to kill you all because of the prophecy, I can't let you live so that you'll find the stone and have the power to free this forest and…. “ Pitney wanted to continue speaking but just within a blink of an eye Pitney’s head slowly slid down from her body, because Gwen chopped off Pitney’s head with a sword that now had Pitney's black blood dripping from the sword's blade.

The snakes on Pitney’s head shriek loudly and faltered but before that Pitney said “ Oops, I didn't see that coming “ and then her head finally slid down from her neck and she died with her eyes still open.

“ Quick Gerald, pick up her head and throw it into the campfire to burn “ Gwen instructed Gerald who had had enough of Gwen commanding him.

“ Why don't you do it yourself instead of commanding me, “ Gerald said as he glared at Gwen.

“ I just saved us and you dare to say such a thing to me? “ Gwen asked Gerald while glaring at him with her hands rolled into a fist and controlling herself from flaring up. She still viewed him like the weak chubby boy that she always saw when Calanthe always sent her to check on him.

“ Enough!!! Both of you. we need to be united if we want to complete this quest successfully, so stop bickering with each other “ Calanthe yelled at them both, while Gerald and Gwen who were still glaring at each other scoffed and looked away from each other.

“ Good, Gerald, even though Pitney’s head has been cut off from her body, if we look her in the eyes we can still turn to stone. She may be dead now but her power still resides in her body and we can only make it vanish by burning her head “ Calanthe explained to Gerald who understood and immediately lifted Pitney's head by grabbing the now dead snakes on her head.

But before he proceeded to the fire he turned to Gwen and said “ Was that so difficult for you to explain? “ but Gwen scoffed, with that, he walked to the fireplace and threw Pitney's head into the fire.

The moment the head was in the fire, the flames increased and the head burnt to ashes immediately and Pitney’s body that was laying down in front of where Calanthe and Gwen stood also turned to ashes at the same time the head in the fire turned to ashes. Gerald walked back to where Calanthe and Gwen stood as they heaved breathes of relief.

“ Mother, you have to show him how to unlock his powers now or I'll use the hard way, “ Gwen said as she turned to look at her mother Calanthe.