Just in Time

Date: July 20th, 926 

Schuyler looked at the decaying corpse curiously, intrigued by how much it had decomposed within just three hours. He sighed, climbing to his feet after kneeling next to it. With his helmet in hand, he turned to his soldiers. “This one’s a goner, too.” 

Hamlin, his second in command, came to his side. He put a hand on Schuyler’s shoulder. His contingency of knights began mounting up.

Schuyler stayed behind for a moment. He didn’t mention that the dead man was one of his closest childhood friends. A soft wind blew and he called to his knights, “Wait! We need to bury him.” 

Hamlin turned his horse about, “Sky, we’re running out of time. More and more people are succumbing to this disease. We need to find the witches and make sure they aren’t the culprits.”

“We don’t need to lose our humanity in pursuit of finding the witches. Let’s bury him.” Schuyler said.

His friends and comrades exchanged glances, then nodded solemnly. They helped him bury his childhood friend, Tuck, and Schuyler said a few words for him.

Schuyler had been on this mission to save the human race for a month now. His queen had sent him out to find any clues to cure the disease. Physicians had evaluated those infected, and could find no biological, scientific reasons. So, it was assumed someone had been playing with magic. And if anyone were playing with magic, Schuyler assumed it must be the Witches of West Hollow. They were now a week away from confronting them.

Date: July 23rd, 926

Schuyler and his contingent were riding past his home village where his mother lived, so they decided to stop by for food and warm beds when night began to fall. A brilliant, purple sunset wrapped the village and all its citizens in a comfortable blanket that would allow them to sleep soundly throughout the night. Schuyler dismounted and walked to his mom’s door, knocking eagerly. He hadn’t seen her since he was fifteen about ten years ago. They had had a bit of a falling out when he left to join the queen’s army without her permission. 

She opened the door, and he was shocked when she welcomed him with open arms. He smiled, feeling safe in her embrace. She had dinner cooked already, and it happened to be his favorite foods: Steak, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. His mom cooked up extra seeing he had brought his knights with him. As she cooked, he sat in the kitchen with her, smiling brightly at all the familiar sights of his old home. 

He cleared his throat while she lit her oven and cooked more potatoes and steaks. He twiddled his thumbs guiltily. “Mom, I’m sorry I ran off like I did. I just wanted to explore, to serve the queen, to become the noblest knight known throughout the land.”

“I understand now. You had more important things to do than live on a farm with your mom all your life.” She gave him a weathered smile, still beautiful despite advanced age. “I’m very proud of you, you know? I heard you slayed three dragons and a griffin in one year. The lives you have saved… I have heard tales of your bravery even in this tiny hamlet.”

Schuyler lowered his head, tears nearly coming to his eyes. “Mom, I wish I had come back here sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

She tsked. “It’s no problem. Let’s let bygones be bygones.”

Schuyler smiled. “I’d love nothing more, mom.”

At dinner, he and his contingency spoke cheerfully about their experiences. 

Schuyler regaled them all with tales of the three dragons he had slain. Then, Hamlin chimed in and told an embarrassing story of a time when Schuyler, known as being a light weight, got blackout drunk and danced like a rooster bobbing its head on a restaurant table. 

Schuyler covered his face, and then told an embarrassing story about Hamlin in return. They all laughed cheerfully and the night was full of merriment. When everyone was nearly finished eating, his mother asked, “So you are pursuing the witches…? You know what they did to your father, Sky. I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.”

Schuyler looked down at his plate of food quietly. His fists clenched when he thought of it. Just months ago, a witch had stolen his father’s head while he was visiting Schuyler, and left his body behind. 

“Word has it that one of the witches is gone. If they are responsible for the curse, you’ll need to kill all of them to stop it.” His mother said.

“I heard that rumor, but this is the best rumor we have to go on. People are dying by the thousand every minute.” Schuyler murmured. 

His mother’s eyes lowered. She swallowed audibly and tears rolled down her cheeks, “I carried you for nine months, loved you more than anything for twenty-five years. I don’t want you to die!”

His mother sobbed and left the kitchen. His soldiers looked at him, and he stood up silently while they began washing the dishes for his mother. 

Schuyler knocked on his mother’s door. There was a pause, but no answer. He knocked again and she opened it. 

“Mom, I promise you I will come back alive. I know all the love and care you’ve poured into me, and I will not let it go to waste.” He embraced her, then he put his pack on the ground and retrieved a ring from it. 

He whispered, “It was for Adrianna, before she was killed by the witches. I want you to have it as my promise that I will return.”

His mother sobbed all the harder, but nodded and clutched the ring in her hand. “Every time I look at you, I still see a tiny baby, struggling to gain weight, who needs my constant care and affection. I just want to protect you from this awful world.” 

He shook his head and embraced her. “This world is wonderful, ma. People like you make it that way.” 

He went to bed after that. Looking up at the ceiling, his eyes turned glassy as he thought of Adrianna, the only girl he ever wanted to marry. 

Date: July 26th, 926.

They were now a day away from the Witch’s Hollow. They paused when Schuyler fell off his horse. Hamlin helped him up and he forced him to take a break and eat. 

“Sky you have to remember to eat. I’m not your mom and I don’t keep track of that sort of thing.” Hamlin groaned, force feeding him a piece of bread. 

He chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry. Food just sounds gross to me sometimes, but if I don’t eat it, I feel gross too. There’s no winning. If we hadn’t met two years ago, I’m sure I would have died in the first fight against that dragon.” 

Schuyler sat and ate a full meal, and then gasped in relief. His body felt bizarre afterwards—like he had too much energy to use up. Hamlin chuckled a little. “You’ve got some odd issues. Your mom said you had trouble breastfeeding as a baby, too, right? It seems like it’s hard to keep you alive.” 

Schuyler pursed his lips. “Well excuse me for not being born perfect like you.”

“Darn right!” Hamlin replied with a grin. 

“I thought I remember you only eating meat and cheese as a kid cause you would get sick otherwise.” Schuyler retorted.

“You’re thinking of our other friend, Boris.” Hamlin shook his head. “Your memory is going, too.” 

Schuyler groaned. “I’m too young to be losing my memory.”

Date: July 27th, 926.

The Witch’s Hollow was coming into view. Schuyler whipped the reins on his horse to make it go faster, his knights following after quickly. Up ahead was a rocky outcropping with several circular holes carved out. Schuyler could see fires lit within them where the witches lived. Instinctually, he drew his blade, and when they arrived he called out, “Witches! Come out, tell me if this curse was caused by you!” His voice echoed throughout the Hollow.

There was a long silence filled in by the crackling torchlight from the outcroppings. Night had fallen and crickets were chirping. 

Suddenly, they were surrounded by a mist of rushing black magic, and when the mist cleared, the witches were revealed. One of them was tall, statuesque and beautiful. The other two were hunched, fat, and their faces were full of warts. 

They encircled the knights in their dark robes. 

Schuyler said fearlessly, “Witches, if you are responsible for this curse, revoke it, or I will kill you.”

“If we revoke it, what will you sacrifice?” The beautiful witch asked, grinning under her hood.

“Sacrifice? I will sacrifice nothing!” Schuyler cried. 

“Give us your life and we will revoke the curse. Otherwise we will destroy you and everyone else.” The witch hissed.

“Never!” Schuyler yelled. “You’re outnumbered. You’ll lose this fight.”

There was a pause, and neither party would acquiesce. Schuyler threw himself into battle with a great cry. His sword, blessed by the priests, absorbed the first blast of rapid magic. But then, the fight was nearly over before it began. His knights were blanketed in black magic that melted them like lava after they managed to kill one of the witches. 

Schuyler was the last one left. His rage made him fight harder than ever. He sustained a vicious blow to his chest, but managed to dispatch one more witch and then had the last witch at his mercy as he continued melting.

“I may die, but I will end this curse.” Schuyler panted.

“No. You need to find the last witch for that.” She grinned.

Date: July 20th, 926

Schuyler woke up with a start. He sat up slowly. He couldn’t remember his dream, but his heart was thudding. He rose slowly and emerged from his tent. He and his knights then mounted up and continued on their way to the witches. They arrived at the hamlet of his childhood friend and found his body there, eaten away by the disease. Schuyler raised an eyebrow. Before burying him, he noticed a one-of-a-kind flower clutched in his dead hand—a flower made out of green crystals that was identical to one his father had. Schuyler picked it up and examined it. “I thought there was only one of these in existence, and my father had it… what’s this?”

Schuyler saw in Tuck’s other hand, a note. He grabbed it.

“Sky, we need to move on!” Hamlin said impatiently.

Schuyler read the note out loud, “Sky, your dad gave me this on his way to visit you. He wanted you to hold onto it for your mother’s sake…” 

Schuyler scratched his head, but pocketed the crystal.

Date: July 23rd, 926

Schuyler and his contingent stopped by his home village on the way to the hollow to rest. He apologized to his mother for being absent for so long, and she waved away his concerns. She begged him not to go to the witches, but he told her he must. 

“I want you to live a long life.” She begged.

“Mom, I have to go. The world needs to keep going. I have the crystal flower from dad, too, I’ll keep it as a motivator to make it back to you.” Schuyler said.

“You have been my world since I first held you twenty-seven years ago. I’ll hold you to that promise.”

He embraced her and gave her Adrianna’s ring, telling her he would survive. He went on his way the next morning.

Date: July 26th, 926

Hamlin forced Schuyler to stop and eat when Schuyler had fallen off his horse. Schuyler stood up shakily after finishing his big meal.

Hamlin tsked. “When we first met 4 years ago I never anticipated that I’d be your babysitter.”

Schuyler grinned sheepishly. He stood up once he finished the meal, walking past Hamlin and mounted up. 

Date: July 27th, 926

At the witch’s hollow, Schuyler called out to them, telling them to break the curse or die. The three witches surrounded them in a flurry of black smoke. Schuyler drew his blade. 

“End the curse or I will end you.” Schuyler said simply. 

The witches cackled. “Kill us if you wish. Without the fourth witch, you’ll never end the curse.”

Without a second thought, Schuyler threw himself into battle against them. His contingency was picked off until only he, Hamlin, and the beautiful witch remained. Hamlin attacked first, jutting his blade at her, but she skipped backwards, dodging the blow. She sliced through his arm with magic, her hood falling away from her face. 

Schuyler’s cry split the air. He fell to his knees. “A-Adrianna?”

She looked at him with mad eyes. She hissed, “yes, it’s me.”

“You’re alive?”

“Yes. I traded my humanity to become a witch and save you.” She yelled, launching ball of black fire at him after ball of black fire. He absorbed the blows with his blade.

She shrieked as Hamlin stabbed her in the back. Schuyler caught her as she fell. She panted heavily, touching his face with some affection. She whispered, “You killed me. You finally killed me. Hamlin you traitor.” 

He shook his head, eyes full of tears. “Why are you doing this?” 

Her eyes were full of love. “I didn’t want to lose you. But, maybe that was selfish of me. You don’t have long to figure it out.” 

Suddenly, with a hideous cry, she launched a fireball at Hamlin's other arm. It fell off, but he made no sound of pain. 

Schuyler jumped to his feet, his eyes wide. His friend wasn’t even bleeding. “Hamlin. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Sky… I’m so sorry. I can’t say. Think of all the things you’ve seen that don’t add up.” His friend plunged his sword into his stomach.

Then it all hit him like a tornado, and sent his mind spinning. “Mom!”

He rode back to his mother’s house at breakneck speed. 

***

When he arrived, his mother would not answer the door. With tears in his eyes, he kicked the door down. There was his mother, wearing a dark cloak.

“You’re the fourth witch, aren’t you? What is all this mother? Why do you and Hamlin say it’s two years later than it actually is? Why is Hamlin eating bread? When did Adrianna become a witch?” He asked.

He couldn’t see her eyes, but tears were rolling down her cheeks. “What’s going on, is that I discovered from that witch you were courting, Adrianna, that you were going to die no matter what on today’s date. Witches get their powers from blood sacrifices. So she came to me, and told me that if I sacrificed my husband to her and surrendered to the dark powers, that together, we could save your life, so long as we made sure you died before God intended you to, before eleven at night on this very day.” 

“I die no matter what on this date?” Schuyler’s stomach curdled.

“Yes. In fact, you have already died several times. We have been doing this for two years.” His mother explained. 

Schuyler shook his head. “I am being kept alive by some sort of perverse magic? Why didn’t you let me have a say in this!”

“Because you are too weak, too sweet to see that your life is worth more than this whole sorry world to us. In fact, we have sacrificed it for you. Their lives for yours. Your friend Hamlin and everyone else is undead, forced to lie to you or be killed for good by the magic.”

“They are all dead? That's why Hamlin can eat bread now?” He said breathlessly. 

He was chilled to the bone. “You killed Father for this—sacrificed him in such a grisly manner. Change it back, mother!”

“No.” She said coldly. “Do you have any idea what it is like being a mother? To bring life into this world, knowing your child will have to suffer? It was hard enough, watching you waste away as a baby and working so hard to ensure your survival. Every day you were dying, I was dying, too. You will never know the mental anguish of giving life only for that life to be taken away. She not only dies with him, but her very spirit dies as well.”

Schuyler’s hand shook violently as he grabbed his sword. “R-revoke the curse or die, mother.”

Her eyes narrowed. “If you kill me, you are as good as dead. Lower your sword. You’re too important to die.”

Schuyler’s eyes were full of tears. Not for himself—but for her. As a knight, he was always ready to die. But what she had said was true. She had put hours upon hours of care and love into him, only to find out he was going to die before her no matter what. He couldn’t imagine the visceral pain she must be in.

“Mother, I can’t live in a world where everyone is dead but us. If you don’t revoke the curse I—“

“There is no other way, other than to kill me. That’s the magic. And if you die, I may as well die, too.” His mother hung her head. 

Schuyler remembered the crystal from his father. His father claimed it was magical, and claimed it held the soul of his mother safely after they had married. Schuyler folded it in her hands. 

“Promise me you’ll live, mother. This magic is different from yours. It’s holy. You will always have a piece of me in you.”

Before she could protest, he unsheathed his blade and cut her down. 

The world was revived, but he was dead. His mother’s soul, safe within the flower, preserved her when the world reset.

She carried on, for his sake, and told tales of his bravery.