The convoy rolled into Three wood slowly, the squeaking wheel of their carriage louder than the hoofbeats of their horses. The driver was a hunched over man that seemed to grasp onto the reins like they were his only lifeline. The townsfolk watched them approach with raised eyebrows as the carriage drifted through the streets, reaching a groaning stop in front of the inn. The coat of arms on most carriages had been ripped off the doors, leaving bare unpainted wood on the sides, with the flag carrier equally barren. The door swung open slowly, and the townsfolk suddenly found themselves looking away. The man who stepped out was wearing the leather armor of a witch hunter, the gray seeming to blend into the evening light. He looked over the road once, letting the small blue and yellow ribbons tying down his armor wave in the wind as he moved into the inn.
Inside the Inn was mostly empty, save for a young woman behind the counter, fiddling with her lyre. The Witch Hunter walked up with calm even steps, stopping a few paces away from her. She paused her strums, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Y’here for the witch?”
The inn stayed silent for a moment before the Witch Hunter nodded once. “Yes, we require him for a meeting. Where is he?” His voice was worn despite his young years. What was once the voice that caused men to hide their daughters, now held an air of strain from hours of screaming over the clashes of steel and iron.
The lady shrugged, returning to her lyre. “Dunno, he drops by every few weeks to help us out a bit, clears out any critters that are running around. If you hang around for a while you’ll see him.”
The Witch Hunter nodded, leaning an arm on the counter. “This is fair. Then I will need three rooms, one of which has to have two beds. Can you accommodate that ma’am?’
There was a moment where the woman paused, looking him over. “Course I can, boss. Price up front is four Corits a night. One Corit for the two one beds, and two for the dual bed.”
The Witch Hunter smiled. “Thank you ma’am, me and my companions will set ourselves up. If you see the witch, kindly send him our way.” The girl nodded as she watched the coins fall on her counter, as soon as they landed she scraped them into a hanging bucket with her free hand.
The inn fell into an awkward silence as the Witch Hunter stared at her, she reset her lyre to a playing position before noticing. “Oh, right. Your rooms will be at the end of the hall upstairs. Dual room is the one at the end of the hallway, the two rooms beside it are the solo rooms. Enjoy yah stay.”
With that she returned to strumming her lyre, something that could possibly be called a song began coming from the instrument, but that was only if the Witch Hunter was feeling charitable. He nodded, moving back to the carriage without glancing back. It was almost a shame that he did. If he looked back he would have seen a shadow shift into the form of a fox, and walk out the back door.
***
I perked up my eyebrow as Crystal walked into the tavern, her tail twitching as she hopped up onto my shoulder. “Well, another Witch Hunter is in town, and he brought a whole posse this time.”
I grunted, bringing my flagon up to my lips. “How much do they know this time Crystal?” There was no verbal answer, instead the memories of him walking into the inn appeared in my head. I rolled my eyes. “Great, he knows my gender. If he did enough research to know I’m a dude then he probably knows what I look like.” I let my head fall into one of my hands. “Ugh, how important is it to be near this leyline again Crystal? Because I’m really debatin’ just turning tail and finding a new village.”
Crystal scoffed, burying her head into the crook of my neck. “You don’t mean that friend. The second you started packing up, little Mori would be at your hip.”
My hand rose, scratching Crystal behind her ears. “Of course, I could use that as a way to get her out of this little village. The girl’s bright, she would do well closer to the capital. Especially with the ideas she’s gotten from watching us work.”
Crystal hummed as her tail flicked lazily back and forth. “Perhaps, but I must admit I think she may enjoy living a quiet life like she has now.”
The sound of me taking another sip was the only noise in response, thoughts whirring through my head at the idea. The door at the front of the tavern opened, with a woman in her mid-twenties walking inside. I looked her over as my hand fell to my hip out of reflex. She was probably around my age, twenty-five or six, with a head of auburn hair. She wore a dress that looked like average peasant-ware, but the stitching was a tad finer than most could make. She also lacked the calluses on her hands that came from farm work. She was obviously wealthier than she let on, and probably one of the Witch-hunter’s posse. My suspicions were almost confirmed as she walked up to my table, sitting down beside me. “Evening sir! Mind if I ask you some questions?”
The cheer in her voice was infectious, forcing a smile to appear on my face even as I prepared to lie to her face. After all, if I really wanted them to search for the witch high and low they would never suspect the helpful villager they ran into on the first day. “I reckon’ it won’t be a problem. What can I help you with dear?”
My feet kicked up as I leaned back, looking more relaxed while making the pistol on my hip all that much closer to pointing directly at her. One didn’t survive witch hunts by taking risks after all. Her smile seemed to double as she nodded. “Yes! Okay first things first. Is there a witch living in this town?”
I smirked, slowly pulling my hat forward to hide my eyes. “Yep, they’ve been living here for about two years. They keep the critters from getting into town. Past that they keep to themselves. They’ll do odd jobs every now and then, if only to afford a nice meal if’n they don’t want to cook for themselves.” I reached over and grabbed the orange colored fruit in front of me and took a bite.
The woman nodded her head, her auburn hair cascading down either side of her face. “Neat, I never get to hear much about witches, so I was curious what they did when they were left alone. Do they ever do any creepy experiments? Like spooky noises or raising the dead all wooooo-like.”
As she said this she flailed her arms about like a ghost, trying to look scary, making me chuckle. “Nah, nothing like that. We hear the occasional explosion or what not from the cottage down the way, but nothing ever comes of it.”
The woman nodded a bit slower, her hand raising to her chin. I raised an eyebrow as my hand began to slowly grasp the grip of the revolver in my holster. “So, what are you looking for the local witch for?”
She smiled wide, her hair framing her face as healthy teeth looked back at me. Proving my guess that she was wealthier than she acted right. “Oh, we need his help. There was some unrest by the border of Nayru and we had heard a witch was there. The church is aware that this witch is mostly friendly, so we were hoping to recruit them.” She smirked at me. “So, think you can help?”
That was all it took. I kicked off the table, rolling backwards as I drew the revolver at my hip and pointing it at her. Crystal jumped off me, ethereal fog flowing off her and she bared her fangs. Black smoke rose from her mouth, making the pointed crystals that came from the ground around her look all the more imposing. “Now why’d you have to go and blow my cover ma’am? I kinda like this village, and they really hate it when I make a mess in the tavern.” I cocked the hammer back as she stared at me in confusion. I spoke my mind a bit more clearly, since she obviously didn’t understand. “I have to stay here, so I can’t help you, plus I trusted a witch hunter once, and I still got the scar in my back from it. So you’ll forgive me for refusing. Get out of here, leave town and don’t come back.”
The woman frowned. Her head tilting to the side slightly. “A witch-hunter gave you a scar. You were supposed to be black-listed as a neutral witch. We were supposed to be first contact after Nathaniel came back.”
I shrugged, keeping her firmly in my pistol sights. “As interesting as that is, it doesn’t change anything. I need to stay here for my research, and as such I can’t help you. Leave.”
Her frown deepened, and finally she clicked her tongue. “I was hoping to avoid persuading you this way but...” She flicked her hair to the side, and stood up. A circle of solid mana began forming around her, and she moved her mouth to start a chant. I pulled the trigger, sending a round into the wood by her feet. A shard flew into her leg, causing her to stumble, falling to one knee. The circle sputtered and collapsed, fading into aether as I pulled the hammer back again. I redoubled my glare as the door slammed open.
The younger man from Crystal’s memories came in with a spellrod in hand, and I reached for my second gun by reflex, ripping it free from leather as I pointed it at the newest arrival. “Uh-uh church man. Stay where yah are before I leave one of yah chewing grass from the bitter root end.” They both froze, staring at me as our mexican standoff began in earnest.
What broke it wasn’t a fourth party, or even an attack. It was a giggle. The woman I fired at began to giggle. I stared at her in confusion, as the witch-hunter did so in horror. She looked at me. “You are absolutely perfect mister Witch. Fearless, deadly, but tempered with just a bit of mercy. Osmund, we have our man.” She dusted off the bottom of her dress, before gesturing to the chair across from her. “Sit Mister witch. We can’t have negotiations break down before we even introduce ourselves. My name is Princess Acacia, third in line for the wooded kingdom of Onodrim. A pleasure to meet a neutral witch worthy of my time and effort.”
I stared at her, before looking at the Witch-hunter who looked like he was given a particularly nasty smelling egg shoved down his pants and broken. My eyes glided back to the princess before letting out a breath. I slowly walked up and placed my chair back at the table. “Okay. I guess this is what we’re doing then. My name is Michael Dina. First of my name and Witch of the mountain.” I looked at Crystal, using her as a guide for how to continue. She nodded once, before climbing up to my shoulder.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
She stared at Acacia before she tilted her head. “I am Crystal, spirit of a forest both long dead and yet to be born. I am the voice of his contracts, and I will not be misled.”
Her teeth remained bared as the Princess leaned forward. “Such a beautiful creature. However did you earn her trust?”
I felt my arm tremble beneath my poncho, but held it steady. “The same way you would with any friend. I met her for business and was honest and true. When our business concluded she offered me a long-term contract and I accepted. Now we are two beings as one. Her thoughts are mine, and mine are hers. Which is why I will speak for her and mention that if you call her a creature again I will break each one of your fingers and put enough holes in you that it would take the greatest minds of a generation to put you back together for your funeral.”
The tavern was silent as the princess stared at me, and then giggled again. “How wonderfully loyal of you. I apologize, Lady Crystal, I assumed you were a simple familiar, and that was horribly uncouth of me. With my foot firmly planted so firmly in my mouth may I please state my offer to you plainly? No hidden conditions or any detritus that would foster mistrust.”
I glared at her, but felt Crystal settle on my shoulder, and her teeth were less bared, which meant her apology was at least honest. I nodded, leaning forward. “Just know, I won’t help you if I think for a moment you’re breaking my moral code. And to be fully honest, I don’t want to help you at all. I have research to do, and I need to finish it quickly.”
Acacia nodded. “Of course Mister Michael. I will be blunt. We are on the cusp of war, and the enemy has a rather large advantage.” She reached into a small pocket in her dress, pulling out a piece of paper, and I froze. In that photo was a person in a full body cloak. No discernable features were visible except for their weapon. A long rifle, a blocky magazine sticking out from the bottom and a cylindrical shape of a suppressor coming from the barrel. Details were wrong, and I couldn’t identify the gun from the photo. But, that was a gun from a world away. A world I recognised at a single glance. I grabbed the photo as the princess nodded. “Yes, their spellrod does seem similar to yours. It’s one of the reasons we looked into you. You have a spellrod with similar precision and speed. They are the advisor of the Kingdom of Tearalayn. Currently, they are also their most dangerous soldier.”
I nodded slowly, looking at the drawing. “If this drawing is accurate then I need to talk to her.” I chewed my lip, before I heard Crystal’s voice in my head. “Take their offer friend. If Mori wishes to come, you have the negotiating power for her safe-passage with you.”
The statement bounced around in my head a few times before nodding. “Okay, we can make a deal. But I need a few things in exchange.” The princess nodded, her grin growing into a smile. I reached up, scratched Crystal behind the ear. “First off, we aren’t killing this advisor. I have questions for her. So if she dies I leave all of this behind and come back here. Second, After we finish up your stupid war I get an official signed letter saying I cannot be hunted. Ever. I don’t care if it wasn’t supposed to happen. I never want to deal with it again. Finally, I have an...” I paused here, trying to find the right word. “Apprentice of sorts. If she wants to come with us she will. You will make accommodations for her and treat her with respect, or all of us walk.”
Princess Acacia nodded, looking at Osmund. “Master Osmund, if you could ready the carriage. We will leave at dawn.” She turned to me, inclining her head slightly. “We accept your offers as stated. Mr.Michael, if you would ready all of your things and meet as at dawn’s light we will depart then. We have heard one of her favored general’s will be at the Oaken Cliffs, and I would like to be there and stop whatever he’s doing.”
She smiled at me again, before twirling upwards and turning to the door. “It’s been an absolute joy meeting you, and I hope to know you better as we go on this wonderful adventure together.”
Her peasant garb seemed to roll behind her as she walked out of the room. I let out a sigh, pulling out a hand-wrapped cigarette. My boot’s thudded across the wood as I stuck the end into my mouth and walked up to Osmund, stopping beside him and not even looking at him as I fumbled a match free and struck it. Once the smoke was alight I took in the flavor of the mana-weeds that flourished behind my handmade shack. After a moment to appreciate it I looked to the witch hunter in front of me. “Well then, how much of a suicide mission is this gonna be?”
The Witch-hunter stared me down for a moment before shrugging. “By the grace of the sun and moon we’ll be fine. Though they argue enough there is some doubt.”
The next drag was slower, more deliberate. The smoke blew out of my mouth in a gentle ring. I watched it float away, staring at the smoke as it dispersed. “So we’re probably screwed then. Got it. Hopefully I’ll get a good story or two out of it. Reckon’ I’ll at least pass around some real good tales in the pearly gates.”
There was another pause as the Witch-hunter stared at me. After a long moment he nodded. “In death or glory, when the three gods call us to the table we must have lived a life worthy of the seat.”
I nodded, looking out of the tavern as Crystal curled around my neck. I moved across the dusty street towards the house that we used as the local inn. Mostly it was there so Mori had a place to hang out in town when I was doing something she didn’t need to see. I walked in quickly, and Mori instantly threw her Lyre on the desk. “Michael!”
She sprinted up to me, jumping towards me and tackling me into a hug. I spun her around with a smile. “Well howdy, how are you feeling today ankle-biter? Anything fun happen today?”
Mori smiled. “Nah, just some Witch-Hunter snooping around, but I figure Crystal already told you about all that.” She let go, falling to the floor letting me take a look at her. She was still shorter than I felt like she should be. All 5’2 of her was gangly, and her teenage lankiness only amplified the effect. She was wearing clothes I had given her, the black t-shirt and jeans that didn’t quite match up with the rest of the village. Her dirty blond shoulder-length hair was a bit matted, and I made a mental note to tell her to wash it tonight. She raced back to the counter, digging under it for a moment before pulling out a small piece of wood. She rushed back to me and presented it with a smile. "I tried to make the totem again, did I do it right?”
I picked it up, looking over the carefully carved bear with small runes placed on it. It all looked correct, and so only the final test remained. I closed my eyes and felt the nearby land for a suitable spirit before gently calling to it. The bear glowed green for a moment before the wood seemed to expand. I flattened out my hand as a small wooden bear stared at me. It tilted it’s head briefly before I passed it back to her. “Well well, looks like someone is finally making her first step’s down a druid's path. It seems our little friend here is willing for a contract. Wanna shoot your shot kid?”
Mori smiled and I heard a door open behind me. I ignored it as Mori held the little bear in front of her. “Hello honored spirit. My name is Mori, and I wanted to meet you. Can I hear your name?” I heard nothing back, but that was the way of a deal with spirits, especially with a simple wood totem. However Mori smiled wide, but quickly refocused. “That is an honorable name, friend. I know this is forward, but may I have your name? In exchange I offer mine. Our goals will be one, and the mind of one will join the mind of another.” I held my breath as time seemed to freeze, and Mori’s smile fell, but she nodded. “Of course friend. I would never dream to drag you without consent. Thank you for your help. I offer this gift freely, so the other honorable spirits know that any deal with me is fair, and wish you well.” Soft yellow Mana flowed from her hand and into the bear statue before it pawed at its nose, and I heard the spirit's voice waft from the walls.
“You are kind, young druid. The spirits will remember you.”
And with that the totem disintegrated as I rubbed Mori’s head. “Don’t worry kid. Getting a contract like mine and Crystal’s takes time. Honestly unless it’s do or die most spirits won’t truly consider it.”
Mori nodded, but her smile didn’t seem as full as it was earlier. “I know, but how can I get better without a totem spirit? I know you said you use Crystal to channel your spells. How can I do that without a spirit?”
I chuckled. “Luckily you’re already there. Make another totem like that and I can teach you how to use them to channel spells. It’s all about asking a nearby spirit for help. Most will take your mana for payment though, so don’t think you’ll be spell slinging like me.”
There was a small cough from behind me and I turned to face it as the witch hunter stood behind me. “Am I to understand you’ve been teaching this girl to use heretical magic?”
The severe witch hunter stood behind me, raising an eyebrow at me and Mori. I chewed on the end of my cigarette, letting out a puff of smoke. “Now heretical is a strong phrase. It’s nature magic, and last I checked tree’s and bears were hardly against your religion. We just ask the spirits in there for a bit of a hand.”
The Witch Hunter looked like he had stumbled upon a particularly aromatic cheese factory, and was rapidly looking for an exit. “Yes, but deals with unknown creatures are always more likely to cause the caster to end up tied together with severe consequences. The heretical nature is not due to them being inherently evil, but the risks one undertakes if they try to pursue such a style of dangerous magic.”
I chewed on that for a moment, before grudgingly nodding my head. “You’re right actually. It’s why I’ve told her to deal with only animal and plant spirits. Insects can be greedy, demanding flesh and blood for contracts, and when you get to the lords and ladies of the spirit realm they can get...” I gripped the small medallion on my belt, feeling the cool chill that it shouldn’t hold from resting on my leg settle in the palm of my hand. “Uncompromising.”
The Witch-Hunter, Osmund. He had earned his name by not cussing out my apprentice. Osmund nodded slowly, still staring at the faint glow of magic slowly falling from around Mori’s hand. “But I see you are a competent teacher. With your guidance, she may one day be a fine mage. Already, she moves mana better than many of the initiates in our own order.”
Mori seemed to grow at the praise, and I rolled my eyes as I wrapped her in a headlock and tousled her hair a bit, laughing while she tried to squirm out. “Now why’d you have to spoil that. Now her head is gonna get at least three times larger. She already has a hard time getting through doors as it is.”
Osmund nodded, looking over the inn without seeming to listen to my very logical complaint. “As the Princess stated we leave at dawn. The village of Nayru is a three day ride from here. The Empire of Weystum is pushing our border, and in every skirmish their newest pet has rained havoc across the field. She seems to know of strange methods of warfare we have never conceived of. Ambushes we never see, half our number dead and we don’t even know where they are, and then they leave before we can mount a proper defense. They’ll hit us as we move supplies and burn them with fire and run away, letting starvation do their work for them. I am scared to admit, if a war had truly started, our army would already be beaten and starving. We have desertion rates rising from our militia, and even veterans who have retired have refused to answer the call.”
I nodded, looking to Crystal. She spoke for me, letting me focus on my thoughts. “Those are in line with strategies from our own distant home. Guerilla warfare it’s called. When facing a larger army, you hit them in every way they cannot strike back. Think of it like fighting a boar. A hundred small strikes before the enemy impales itself after a desperate attack. If you try and attack early they scatter and hide, until your army is in rags and beaten. Only then will they launch a full assault.”
Mori chose that moment to break free of my headlock, scowling at me as I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. After a moment of straightening out her hair she let out a huff. “Hey, Lyly, I can’t help but notice how the Witch-Hunter that was looking for you is saying we leave at dawn.” She crossed her arms. “Forget to mention something here?”
I flinched. I made it a point to keep her mostly in the know about whats going on, but I got distracted by her totem. “Sorry little Spirit. I was distracted by your totem.” I got down on one knee, looking into her eyes. “Mori, I will not force your hand either way. They have come to me with news on another from my home, and asked me to help them stop her. They are willing to take both of us, and I will make sure you are safe for the whole trip, but if you want you can stay here. I will make a list of spirits you can try to use and notes on more advanced spells, but the lessons would stop until I return.”
Mori stared at me, her eyes scrunching up and a smirk growing. “Really Lyly? You’re useless without me.” She reached up and plucked the smoke from my mouth and stomped it out. “Like smoking your little death wish whenever I’m not around. No dice, Ah’m going with you.”
I laughed, loud and proud. I nearly doubled over, falling over as my smile spread wide over my mouth. “Little spirit, you are a treat! Of course you’re coming with me. I expected nothing less. I slowly crawled up, my smile barely fading. “Alright midget, let’s go grab our stuff. We’re going to get all our supplies together from the house and sleep in the inn. We’ll drop the key off at the tavern and ride with the princess and her merry men tomorrow morning.”
She nodded before freezing. “Princess? What do you mean Princess?”
I nodded, looking over to see Osmund raising an eyebrow, looking decidedly more amused than he had any right to. I sighed. "Yeah, there’s a Princess in charge of this little expedition. Princess Acacia if I remember correctly.”
I didn’t manage to dodge the smack to my arm that followed and Mori began hyperventilating. “Why didn’t you mention that?! I have to clean my hair, and these clothes are filthy! I-I-I I need to make myself presentable in the morning!” And with that she charged out of the room.
I scratched my head, looking between the door and Osmund as she nearly bowled him over to run out of the building. I shrugged, looking at the Witch-Hunter. “Well, guess she still has a bit of that little girl in there .”