Last week, dear reader, Eldritch Maiden entered battle against the drowned devil himself, Roman! For all her magic availed her in previous fights, against Roman it seemed to carry no charge. Indeed, although Belinda advised her of a plan to banish the specter back to the murky depths whence he came the plan carries great risk, for should her banishment spell fail, Eldritch will be defenseless against the predations of the warrior!

For now, however, the pair stand in positions reversed from their previous meeting. Roman offers a deadly choice, to die peacefully after handing over the dagger or in combat, as befits a warrior! Of course, dear reader,

Eldritch cocks her head to the side and replies, "Why are you doing this? If you were malicious, you wouldn't bother with an offer like that. So clearly you don't just want to kill me, I'm just a means to an end. Maybe you'd like to tell me that end and this might not need to end with one of us dying?"

In her head, Belinda’s voice echoes as though from far away, “Good, keep him talking child.”

Atop the roof, Roman pauses to digest her words before he continues in the same authoritative tone as before, "Very well, I share no personal enmity with you witch. But I do share enmity with your kind. Witches gave power to the worst of sorceries, the one that empowered my killers and turned me into this."

He gestures towards his intangible form before continuing. "Now, though it pains me to work with such a being, Thorm Athow offers me the chance to be whole again. All I must do is spill your blood and take the dagger you carry to him. Then he will have Belinda's spirit and I will have my body back."

Eldritch speaks in shock, taken aback by the villain’s conviction and simple motives. "You'd kill two people just for that? For a body? That seems immoral. Don't you realize that?"

"Morality means nothing to me. I have suffered an eternity lost amidst the depths of the ocean. It was not morality that destroyed my heart, nor was it morality that foiled my revenge. I have but one hope left, to be whole and hale again. So if I must water Athow's gullet with the blood wine of a thousand souls I shall." The certainty in Roman's voice is clear, even through the watery undertones.

For a second, or several, Eldritch simply gazes up at Roman. Then she collects herself and takes a deep breath before exhaling slowly and answering, "Okay then. I suppose we can't be friends then." Eldritch replies with a grin.

"Indeed." Roman pauses, and then continues. "But I have no hatred for you, Maiden. So come willingly and I will allow you the joy of a swift death. Or, if it is your creed, you may fight me and die as a warrior. You may choose, but both paths end the same."

"Well then I choose the warrior's death! I'd never offer a moment of hesitation to someone like you." Eldritch playfully shouts back.

Securing his spear, Roman merely nods. Then he leaps off the rooftop and smashes into the pavement below. This time, he does not close in on Eldritch so unexpectedly!

Even as he began his flight, she rolled to the side. Now ensconced behind a damaged Porsche, Eldritch has an obstacle placed between her and him. Then she draws her dagger and transforms it into a whip that she cracks at Roman's unprotected flank.

It connects, and as it does the length of the whip lights up as electricity courses through it into Roman. The lightning flickers about his form, slowing him as he turns towards Eldritch. However, after a moment, it dissipates and he is no worse for the experience.

Through gritted teeth, Eldritch hisses, "Well he sure wasn't bluffing about his electrical resistance."

Hurling herself to the side, she moves under the car and drags her whip back as it shifts into a shield that she spins about her midsection. Only just in time too, as Roman's spear comes crashing through the car and smashing into her barrier!

In a swift motion, she partly transforms the weapon back to a whip. Where Roman's spear hit her, the shield remains. Then she wraps is about the head of the spear, leaving the silvery material wadded up behind the edges of the weapon.

Of course, not all this transpires without the notice of Roman. First, he attempts to put additional pressure on the spear to crush Eldritch beneath the sheer weight of the massive weapon. Her protective barrier remains, the impact point of the spear still solidly connected to the only remaining piece of the shield. By the time is occurs to him that he must pull back and try for another attack, his weapon is solidly ensconced in the Porsche sitting on the curb.

Then Eldritch rolls out from under the car, leaving behind her whip! She begins to chant as Roman continues to struggle with his spear. Just as he begins to tear the vehicle in two to retrieve his weapon, Eldritch's spell bursts forth!

Again, a series of brilliant white lines bisect the area and leave behind scarred ground. Again, Roman remains unharmed. His shield does not even show the signs of contact with her wires, despite his retreat behind it when the lines arrived. Although his mask cannot express emotion, what body he has clearly displays his confusion.

"This attack... it is the same one that failed before." His tone is almost disappointed as he shakes his head.

Eldritch grins and begins her hand motions again, "You know what they say buddy, 'if at first you don't succeed...'." Then she enters her chant and a moment later, another set of lines, this one in a slightly different pattern, bisects the ghost. Again, the lines have little effect on his intangible form.

Now Roman's disappointment is clear as he speaks, "Unfortunate. I had expected more from the witches’ lineage. Your kind once sunk Atlantis and now these feeble spells are all you can muster?” He shakes his head, “You lack imagination and ability. Perhaps I spoke to soon in offering you a warrior's death."

Then he frowns, having expected a response from the snarky teenager across from him. A moment later, he realizes why she cannot reply. Yet another set of lines passes through his form. "Eldritch... you are a lesser foe than I was led to believe."

In a sage tone, Eldritch replies, "Well you know wizards. You can't trust em."

Roman nods slowly, "Indeed. I shall have words with Athow when I return with your heart."

Now with playful shock in her voice, Eldritch gasps, "My word Roman, I didn't know you felt that way about me! You know we might have a teensy bit of an age gap to overcome if you want my heart, but my girlfriends are always telling me older guys are better. More mature, you know."

"Disgusting! Fornication with a filthy witch such as yourself? I may not hate you, but I would never tarnish my bloodline by introducing the impurity of a jinx flinger!" Roman hisses in reply.

For a moment, Eldritch stares back at him incredulously. Then she mumbles to herself, "Man you should've met the last guy, watching you two get along... well that would almost be worth the trouble of beating both of you at once!"

Then, loud enough for Roman to hear, she says, "Well I'd have an opinion on that, but I think I'd rather stick with boys who know not to get their spears stuck inside a car. Besides, I don't need to keep you talking anymore."

"Keep me talking... a trick!" Roman whirls about as though he expects someone to be sneaking up on him. "What... what are you planning witch?" He says, now with a hint of nervousness.

"Ooooohhhh, nothing much. But now that I've got the go ahead from Bel and I know we're finally alone, well I can hardly contain my excitement!" Eldritch’s playful tone is gone now and nothing but steel remains in her voice.

"Ahhh, you have some dark magic you do not wish the citizens to witness. Clearly the evil spells of your ancestors do not remain as buried as I thought." Nodding, Roman moves towards her, abandoning his spear. "I shall simply have to end you quickly now, no more time for talk Maiden."

Tossing aside his shield, Roman walks towards her with his bare hands poised to seize her up and crush the life out of Eldritch. However, without weapons, Eldritch's superior agility can finally come into play. Although Roman's unnatural speed grants him incredible abilities, his size limits his ability to secure the diminutive form he chases.

His fist swings in a cross that catches only air as Eldritch ducks under his arm. Then his other arm sends a vicious uppercut that passes within inches of Eldritch's recoiling frame. As she jumps back out of range, still chanting, she trips over the edge of the curb.

Sprawling on her back, she scrambles away as Roman's foot smashes into the pavement. He begins stomping his way towards her as she continues to dart backwards, unable to regain her footing with how swiftly he advances.

Eldritch now rolls to the side in a desperate attempt to gain some distance, her chant raising in volume and pitch as the air about the street begins to distort and twist. Roman howls, knowing he has only moments to stop her!

Diving towards her, hands outstretched he pile drives into Eldritch, but for all that her face betrays her pain her voice does not. Finishing the chant in a series of painfully enunciated words, she falls back and begins to gasp for air.

Roman, however, raises his massive fist for one final strike. Having secured Eldritch with his dive, he intends to smash the life out of her to divert her spell! Then, it is as though something caught his hand before he could swing!

Railing against the pressure, he strives mightily to smash the girl below. Now raising his other hand as if to pound her into dust with both at once he moves -to no effect! Howling in rage, Roman writhes and twists against his invisible shackles. Slowly his incorporeal form begins to shimmer and shrink and his howl fades off into the distance.

As it does, Roman feebly utters one final threat, "Maiden! Maiden... know this... I conversed with Athow at length... his plan... dying to me would have been a mercy!"

With this, a rushing sound fills the street as if a torrent of water just fell upon the pavement. Then a POP reverberates through the area and all the lights go out at once. Everything is silent except the sound of Roman's vestments falling to the ground, the tinny sound of metal on pavement reverberating through the tense air.

"Well Bel, looks like it isn’t over yet." Hailey intones to the empty street. With this, she lets her head fall back and continues to suck in precious gulps of air. After a few more moments, she stands with a wince, clutching at her side where the apparition battered her, and reaches down for the facemask of Roman. "I think I'll be keeping you someplace safe."

Then she glances at the rest of the armor and down the street to the discarded shield and embedded spear. "But I can think of a few museums that might appreciate an anonymous donation, especially museums far away, like really far away, maybe even on the other side of the world!" Slowly Hailey limps down to the car and rolls under to unravel her whip and free the spear.

Then she is off! Floating away atop the buildings before the citizens muster enough courage to reenter the street.

What is the ominous and mysterious plan of Thorm Athow that Roman spoke of? What fate could be worse than death? Will Hailey have enough time to finish her homework for Mr. Memely by tomorrow's class? These questions will all have to wait as next week we turn our gaze to Mr. Napp and his daughter's recent dealings in... "The Flop!"