Chapter 1: The Crimson Eyed Witch

As a machete sliced through the dense foliage, a small group of poachers trekked through the jungle. They were hunting the recently rediscovered Tasmanian Tiger; its hide was quite valuable on the black market. Seems that humans haven’t learned from their ancestors.

The leader of the group whispered to his members, “Keep a close ear out, reports have said these things have evolved to be pretty stealthy.”

They were hunting in the dead of night, the marsupial's newly developed roaming time. In the past, the Tasmanian Tiger was only semi-nocturnal, but as time went on, they evolved to become a purely nocturnal creature. Finding it most beneficial to avoid human contact. The thick trees above then the poachers blocked out the moon, leaving practically no light to slip through. They had to work in near pitch black darkness to avoid giving away their location with flashlights or lanterns. They carefully and quietly moved along the jungle floor, listening to the concert that was performed throughout the area. The many croaks of frogs, the scratches of trees as some animals scurried up the bark, and even the occasional hiss of a snake to warn the poachers where not to step or rest a hand.

However, they couldn’t help but feel as though thousands of eyes watched them. Stalking their every move. All around, they could feel the piercing gaze of someone or something burn their skin. Sweat began to form across their foreheads, hands were trembling while holding their rifles. Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings came closer, and a pair of small red glowing orbs hovered above the group. The orbs came down slightly; the sound of something landing on a branch startled the group.

“What the hell is that?” One of the men asked, teeth clattering in fear. The leader took a long look at their new visitors. Then a loud caw came from where the orbs were, and one of the men fell back after getting startled again.

The leader shook his head. “It’s just a crow, you dumbasses,” He said, pointing his rifle and firing at the tree next to the crow. It flew off, startled by the sound. He looked at his group and added, “See? Nothin’ to be scared of.”

They continued walking for another half hour, still feeling as if something watched them through the trees and bushes. They began to hear more crows cry out, the sound of dozens of wings filling the air. Soon, another pair of glowing eyes popped up in front of them. Then another beside the first, and another. They sprouted from the bushes, trees…everywhere. Completely surrounding the group, freezing them in place. Not one dared to make a move, even the leader hugged his rifle closer. All around, red eyes had their sights locked on the poachers. Then, in the distance, the sound of a flute could be heard.

It was coming from in front of the group. The sound was beautiful and melodic, almost hypnotizing. The music got closer and closer, each note played perfectly. The tune the flute played was tranquil and alluring, oddly making the poachers feel some sense of security. However, the flute suddenly stopped, then started again. This time, a more eerie tune started to play. As it got closer, the crows cawed and flew into the air, circling above the poachers. Their false security melting into pale fear. The sound of the flute now only a few feet from the poachers. Each one was too stiff to make a move.

The music finally stopped, and all of the crows above them dispersed. The poachers shuddered at what was going to happen to them. One of them quickly pulled out his flashlight and shone it in front of them. There, only a couple of feet from them, stood a cloaked figure. The black cloak was tattered with a few holes at the bottom. The large hood covered the top half of the figure’s face, revealing a feminine lower half. They came to the conclusion that this was only a woman. Probably someone trying to scare them away from the Tasmanian Tiger.

The leader cockily took a few steps forward. “Look, sweetheart, we know you’re one of those tree-huggin’ ecofreaks, right?” The woman didn’t respond. So the man continued. “Why don’t you move along and let us do our job, huh? Those little theatrics were cute, but we’re not scared.”

The woman slowly lifted her head, revealing the rest of her face. She was young and strikingly beautiful. Not a cut or blemish to be found on her smooth, soft face. Her expression was cold and emotionless, crimson eyes stared daggers at the group. The leader took a step back, and a sense of fear ran down his spine. He lifted his rifle, aiming it at the woman’s head.

“This is your last chance, weird bitch!” He threatened, “Get the hell out of here, or I’ll put a bullet between those eyes!”

A very small smirk curled the left side of her lips before she lowered her upper body, bursting forward at the group. Her speed was incredible; none of them had any time to react. Their screams sounded through the canopies and into the night sky.   

In the early morning, Nia waited patiently for her daughter to return. Soon, the window to Laura’s room slid up, and she quietly slunk inside. After carefully closing it, Laura took off her cloak and went to hang it on the coat rack by her window. She jumped when she saw her mother sitting on the edge of her bed. Nia’s arms and legs crossed, and she stared sternly at her daughter.

“Did you have a pleasant evening, Laura?” Nia asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Laura’s eyes darted around the room, trying desperately to form an excuse. She eventually just laughed, scratching the back of her head. Laura awkwardly greeted Nia, “Good morning, Mother! How long have you been there?”

Nia got up and walked toward Laura. “Too long,” she said. “Give or take since midnight last night.” Now staring face-to-face, Laura took a nervous gulp. “That long, huh?” She joked.

Nia simply sighed, shaking her head as she started walking out of the room. Laura chased after her mother in an attempt to explain herself. “I’m sorry, okay,” she begged for forgiveness. “I swear this was the only time.”

Nia whipped around, her face even more furious than earlier. “Laura Amber Clare, don’t you ever lie to me again,” She snapped back. “I know you’ve been doing this for months, do not take me for an idiot.”

Laura opened her mouth to say something, but Nia didn’t give her a chance and continued chewing her out. “I don’t know what’s been going through that head of yours these days. You’re never around the house, you hardly ever want to talk, and you stay out late at night only to come back at the crack of dawn.”

She let out a long, exhausted sigh, placing her hands on Laura’s shoulders. “You are going to be made Empress by the end of this year. So please, please, start acting more responsible and like an adult.” Nia let go of her daughter and walked downstairs, leaving Laura speechless.

It had been ten years since her late father, Ferral, died saving both humans and experiments. Since that day, Laura had prided herself on becoming stronger than him. She studied every fighting technique, training day and night until her body was numb and unable to move. But as the years passed, that motive slightly changed. With the rising tension from the other empires, Laura no longer wanted to just be stronger than her father but strong enough to protect all of her people. To be the strongest in the whole world.

As she grew older, Laura certainly made a name for herself. Earning the moniker of The Crimson Eyed Witch. She gained this title for her various trinkets and tactics of fighting. See, Laura wasn’t like the other experiments…literally. She could not transform the same way they did, only having wolf ears and a wolf tail. In terms of academics, she far surpassed her classmates, but when it came to actual combat, sadly, Laura was left behind. She could not reach the levels of strength the others did as quickly. But that did not stop Laura, not even for a second. She studied for hours and developed tools to aid her in combat.

Laura studied the art of blacksmithing. Going through several duds before crafting a blade fit for the daughter of the chief. A longsword forged from iron, it was given a bronze handguard and pommel. Its two-handed handle was made from poplar wood that was coated in black paint. The scabbard was black with three wolf faces painted in gold on each side. Laura created long, rectangular paper strips that could be stuck to any solid surface. She created a special liquid that she coated these strips in, which, when lit, would burst into black and pink flames. However, these were no ordinary flames. They would continue to burn unless extinguished with water. If there were no source of water, the flames would burn until whatever was caught was turned to ash.

Her black robes, based on the Chinese fantasy books she read, were designed with wings under the arms that would allow her to glide through the air. She created metal claws that were used to climb effortlessly up the sides of cliffs and walls. All of this to have a chance against her full blooded experiment peers. Laura’s appearance had also changed from when she was younger. She had dyed her hair to obsidian black, adding a long, hot pink highlight that went all the way down to the tip of her hair. She grew out her hair as well, almost going past her entire back. Laura tied her hair in a ponytail with a long red ribbon, leaving a long bang draped over her left eye. Speaking of eyes, Laura’s were not long their old piercing blue, but were changed to blood crimson.

Another reason she was given the title of witch was for the small army of crows that would follow everywhere she went. Perhaps not right by her side, but you knew when she was in the area when more than two crows were perched. She alerted their eyes to match hers in color.

Laura wore so much black. From her robes to her boots. When it was time to go out on her night watches, whenever she spotted any evil-doers, Laura would take out the wooden flute that she created and play it to confuse or scare them. She had developed frightening tactics to ward them away without needing conflict. However, when the occasion called for it, Laura was not opposed to knocking them out. Despite being dressed and presented as some kind of villain, Laura’s bright and joyful personality always caught people off guard. She was always feared until she opened her mouth. And each time, Laura couldn’t help but laugh.