Unfamiliar Territory
Chapter 30: How Deep the Roots Grow

Sweet, darling child of the moon

Rest now, I will return soon

I picked up the sound of someone singing a soft melody after I cut my way through my old bedroom. The rest of the second story was in a similar state of overgrowth. Not one piece of sturdy wooden furniture, or fanciful artwork, or anything was left untouched by the wild entanglement of weeds, grasses, and ferns. I was lurking through a jungle where bedrooms used to be.

Though the shadows may lurk and creep

No harm shall come to you, my one who sleeps

The sounds of rumbling thunder still occasionally rolled overhead, but the rain had become tamer. I could hear the signing voice clearly through the dying storm. A woman. The witch. It had to be.

Mommy will hold the darkness at bay

She will chase all your nightmares away

With all of the windows covered up by plants, and with no other source of light, it had to be pitch black. I had to assume, because I could see just fine. Like when I was out in the true wild. This witch believed she thought of everything, but she did not think of me.

And when the sun does arise, and hurts my little one’s eyes

Mommy will be there, to soothe and silence your cries.

There, across the room. The witch continued to hum her strange melody and I could hear it much clearer and closer than I could before.

I got down on my hands and knees and crawled to a wall of tangled and colorful wildlife where her humming was the strongest. As carefully as I could, I clawed away at the flowers and vines and stems until a polished wooden door was revealed, waiting behind them.

The soft, gentle humming continued beyond it. The door was already ajar. A new, foreign light was flooding in from the cracks. I slowly pushed it open, immensely grateful for Dr. Quincy’s impeccable upkeep of the large mansion when the door did not creak. I made to immediately find a spot to hide but, for a moment, I was mesmerized.

Dr. Quincy had told me about the ballroom where his father would host fancy, over the top, get-togethers. He had only shown it to me once before and it wasn’t as grand as what I could imagine, but it still felt like stepping into a different world. Wide, open marble floor for dancing. Strong, sturdy pillars that held up a ceiling which was painted with an assortment of fantastical woodland creatures like fairies, centaurs, and the like. A massive window took up nearly an entire wall that looked out into the vast and beautiful mountainside. The view alone had taken my breath away.

I was in a similar position again, but for entirely different reasons. The once sleek, sprawling floors were now cracked, shattered, and fouled by wildlife growing out from beneath them. The many paintings that once hung on the walls had been torn down and ripped apart by the vicious vines and grasses. The pillars were taken over by twisting greenery. The once beautiful ceiling painting was nothing more than a breeding ground for the overgrowth. And, finally, the window. Something had shattered through it entirely, leaving a massive, jagged hole that allowed a cold wind to blow through.

And the sun. That’s what kept me from moving. It was setting, but it still seemed to take up the entire sky. I had never seen it so close. The orange light that came off of it and flooded into the room was almost blinding.

Someone stood in that light, just before the window. When my eyes fell on her, my body flew into motion. As she turned towards me, I only just had enough time to duck into the shadow of a nearby pillar.

She continued to hum, the gentle melody echoing off the walls in the grand room.

Could she hear me? If she made all of this insane wildlife, was there even a point in hiding?

“I know you are out there, lurking in the shadows.”

Guess not.

I gripped the grass at my side.

I had not noticed the humming had stopped. The voice that spoke was like metal. It rang out through the ruined ball room and resonated through my brain.

She sees me. She knows I’m here.

I pulled the grass out from their roots.

What do I do?

“Come out, child. You cannot hide from me.”

I have to attack her. Right now, before she can prepare anything.

I got off from the pillar. I prepared myself for the sprint. It was now or never.

“I wasn’t hiding, witch. I was just waiting for the chance to strike you!”

Gust?

I peeked around the pillar just as a small boy ran, yelling, into the sunlight from the column right beside mine. He raised his weapon, ready to strike the woman, but just before he could reach her, a vine or a root shot out from the ground and struck him across the face.

I was leaving the pillar before he hit the ground. “Hey, leave him alone! I’m the one who’s going to kill you!”

“Ah, there you are.”

That voice. I tried to stand firm, but it made my legs weak. She sounded like she owned the whole world.

The woman turned to face me. I could not see much of her face, or much of anything for that matter. She was tall, dressed in a flowing gown that was torn in various places. In her arms she held something wrapped in a blanket. Her eyes were green and glowed unnaturally in the shadows as she kept her back to the sun’s light.

“Stay out of this, fox,” Gust spat, trying to rise from the floor.

The woman waved her hand, never once taking her eyes off of me, and grasses immediately rose up and wrapped themselves around the boy’s arms and legs. He yelled profanities at her until the grass closed around his mouth.

“Now, now, child. Mommy will discipline you after she finishes entertaining her new guest.”

She made no move against me, but still I took a step back. Her glowing green eyes never seemed to blink as she fixated her gaze on me. “Fox, correct? Or is it Mr. Fox? Please, correct me if I’m wrong.”

“It’s Alex,” I managed to get out.

“Oh? Then am I not speaking with a familiar right now? Are you not one of Mallard’s new pets? Are you then just some sniveling little worm that has somehow managed to squirm his way into my home?”

She took a step forward, and I almost leapt back. The ball room was coming alive with the rustling of leaves. The thing in her arms started to squirm and moan.

I held my breath. It was Trout.

“No, no, I do not believe that is so. My child called you a fox and while he may be one for grand entrances, he is not one for lying. So, is Mr. Fox attempting to lie? Is he trying to play his part for my entertainment? You needn’t bother; I already know everything about you.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, finding my voice again. The woman stared at me for a little while longer before blinking and turning back to the shattered window.

“No, I think that will be all. You have overstayed your welcome enough as it is. My dearest Tusk, would you so kindly show our guest out?”

I heard a rustle of foliage to my left. I turned and grabbed the grunting and snarling boar by his tusks before he could strike. I tucked in my legs and fought back his efforts to dig his teeth into me. Before he could try and shake me off again, I rammed my forehead into his bulbous face.

All at once, the pressure was relieving from my arms. I had him this time.

“Interesting,” the voice of metal rang out. I looked over to the woman; she was looking back at us. ”Change.”

I almost fell forward. There was no pressure on me at all. I wasn’t even grabbing on to anything. I faced my opponent to find that the boar had vanished and a short, broad, and gruff looking old man with long salt and pepper hair and beard had taken its place.

I took this all in just before he clenched one of his meaty hands and struck me, hard, right in my face.

I blacked out for a moment when I hit the ground. I was sure my nose was broken. It hurt terribly when I came to and something wet was pouring from it. I scrambled to get to my feet, but the grizzled man had already grabbed on to one of my ankles. As he dragged me towards him, I saw an opening. He was so short; it wouldn’t take much to reach.

I kicked him straight in the groin when he pulled me in close enough. The effect was immediate. He released me in order to grab on to his injured area, struggling to stand.

“Fuckin’ cheap shot,” he groaned. His voice was dry and raspy, as if from lack of use.

I backed away and got to my feet. He seemed to have mostly recovered by then. His arms were at his side, waiting.

Tough bastard.

I charged at him, claws raised, ready to give him hell.

"Change!"

And then the grizzly old man was gone. I swiped my hands through air. Right below my strike, preparing to ram me in a very vulnerable, very open, spot was the boar.

“Damnit!”

I jumped on top of him just as I felt one of his tusks gouge into my thigh. I held in the scream rising up from my throat and sunk my teeth and my claws into whatever I could. He tasted as awful as he smelled. The blood that pooled into my mouth as he squealed and tried to shake me off was the foulest thing I had ever tasted.

"Change!"

I was raised higher into the air. I was still biting into the flesh between his shoulder and neck, my claws still deeply imbedded in his back. Two strong hands gripped the remains of my shirt and proceeded to rip it off as he tried to pull me off of him. I held firm until he started slamming his fists into my back. Even then I only took out one of my claws so I could rake it deep across his own back. I thought my ribs would break, but his blows were weakening as I continued to hold on to him.

Then we started moving. Tusk grabbed me on both sides and ran. I glanced back to see he was trying to ram me into one of the ballroom’s massive pillars of marble. I dislodged myself and tried to break free, but his grip on me was vice-like. I looked back again to see the pillar taking up my sight. I was out of time.

"Cha—!”

There was a small boy in front of us. He raised his stick just as my back hit the pillar.

“Gust! No!”

The column shook under the blow. The wind was knocked out of me, and more. My insides must have been rearranged. But there was no follow up. Tusk was not even looking at me. I stared down to where he was gazing and saw Gust, knelt down in the small space between the grizzled man and the pillar, his stick stuck inside Tusk’s stomach.

“Fuckin’...kid...” Tusk breathed, releasing me so he could back away. As he did, Gust’s stick slid out, soaked in dark blood.

But it wasn’t his stick. What he held was a blade, or something like it. I slid down the pole until I was sitting against it, my insides on fire. Gust continued to face away from me. Tusk held his bleeding stomach, breathing heavy and trying to keep his feet. I brought a hand to my bleeding nose; the pain was just then starting to bother me.

I got a good look at his weapon before he raised it towards Tusk and the witch. It appeared made out of wood, but shaped in a way that made it look just like a small sword. What made me pause was how there was no hilt to the sword. In fact, Gust was not even truly holding it; his right hand was gone, replaced with this unnaturally sharp, wooden sword.

“Gust...”

“Shut-up, fox.” Gust did not turn around, did not move his blade from pointing it at his mother and her familiar. “When I’m done with them, I’m going after you.”

“So, this is the sum of my child’s Knowledge?” the woman asked, stepping forward. I could still see nothing but her glowing green eyes. “A toy sword?”

“That thing ain’t no fuckin’ toy, Master,” Tusk implored, showing her his bloody hand. “Fuckin’ kid stuck me like a—”

“That is enough, Tusk. Darling, this is still my child you are speaking of.”

She stepped closer and I could still not make out details. She had long hair, a thin build, but everything was still cloaked in shadows. Everything except those damn eyes.

Tusk, still gripping his stomach, bowed and moved aside as she approached. I forced myself to stand, using the pillar as leverage. When I moved my hand away from my nose, it was coated in blood.

Gust held his ground as his mother drew ever closer.

“Lower your blade,” she ordered, stopping short of his striking range. Trout giggled and cooed in her arms. “I am your mother.”

“Never!” Gust hissed. “I came to get my brother back and to stop you!”

“Stop me? Dear child, why would you try to do such a thing to your own mother?”

“Shut-up!” Gust swung his sword-arm through the air between them. “You’re not my mother. You’re just a witch!”

“Watch your tongue!” the woman spat suddenly. She raised her hand and the grasses and vines around us came alive. Gust cut many of them down, swinging wildly, but for the ones he missed, I took over, moving beside him to cut them down before they could reach him.

“Stay out of this, fox!” Gust shouted over the deafening groans and rustles of the foliage that surrounded us.

But I didn’t hear him. The witch. She was so close now. She was vulnerable. I tore aside a few more reaching wildlife before making a beeline for her. Her glowing eyes bored into me as I approached, but I did not falter. I ignored the fire in my thigh, the pounding ache of my nose. I pulled back my hand to strike her.

"Change!"

I was hit from the side. Seconds away from her. Something gouged into my ribs and then I was rolling across the plant infested floor. I stopped on my side, facing the fierce boar that now stood between me and the witch. Despite the stomach wound, Tusk appeared just fine in his animal form.

“And yes, do listen to the boy,” the witch said, moving her attention back to Gust. “This is a family matter.”

“He’s my family, not yours!” I shouted at her.

Her green eyes flashed back to me for a moment. It was more than Gust needed.

He charged at her, sword raised, cutting down the plants in his path to her. He was but inches away when she said one word: “Riley.”

Gust’s shorts were nearly torn to shreds when something burst from somewhere within them. In less than a second, they twisted their way across his body before digging into the ground, rooting him in place. That’s when I saw what they were. Roots. They kept Gust frozen, his sword arm still pointed out, inches away from his mother.

“Gust!” I cried out for him. I tried to rise, but the boar stamped his hooves, ready to strike me down before I even got to my feet.

“Not yet, Tusk,” the witch ordered, attempting to shush Trout, who had begun to cry. “I wish to speak with Mr. Fox about what he said.”

“Witch...” Gust breathed. I could see the roots boring into his skin, though he did not appear in pain.

“That is enough, my child.” The witch closed the distance between them, moving around his sword and to his side, Trout still crying. “You have hurt your mother very deeply with your words and your actions.”

“You aren’t hurt,” Gust spoke, venom in his words. “I haven’t cut you yet.”

“Do you truly see your own mother as your enemy? I am here to save you, my child, from the burdens of this world and from the Knowledge you carry within you. That is much more than you can expect anyone to do for you once they learn of your gift.”

“I saw what you did to Meadow,” I shot, gritting my teeth. “What you did to Leaf, to Lilly, what you’re doing right now to Gust. You’re not helping them, you’re imprisoning them!”

“Mind your place, familiar,” the witch spoke, her eyes moving from her son to me. “Do not speak as if you understand.”

“I understand plenty. I know what it’s like to get put down, to get forced to behave, to be controlled.” I ignored the boar’s warning grunts as I stood on shaky legs. “And I know what it’s like to despise the very people you used to care for. You’re the one who doesn’t understand.”

The witch paused. She waved a hand, and I prepared to fight off more of the twisted nature. Instead, someone dropped down from the sky and into the shadows beside her. My special vision was still absent, so I could not see the newcomer, but I could smell them. Blood, sweat, and apples.

The witch placed Trout in their waiting arms before she began to approach me. “So, what Mallard said was true then. One of his own has gone feral.”

“Don’t try and...”

Wait. What did she say?

“Oh, it is all coming together now.” She stopped behind her faithful familiar, watching me with her glowing eyes. “Slipping through the fog, surviving Fawn’s children, making it this deep into my home. You could have only gotten to this point if he had no control over you. But what, pray tell, was his plan— allowing you to get this far?”

“What...What are you talking about?”

I could not see her face, but I could feel her smiling at me. Something wasn’t clicking. That cold, unshakeable dread was sinking into me again, but I could not pinpoint why. What she was saying made no sense. It was like she was saying—

“Your Mr. Mallard and I were working together.”

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