Chapter 0: The Witch’s Den

Guards were setting fire to the house Albert was in just minutes ago. It all happened so fast, first his dad, and then his mom. Dead. Their faces twisted in pain and terror as they died, the peasant boy saw it all, he was scared, but angry that he couldn't do anything to stop these soldiers. Flames covered the entire wooden house, making crackling noises and darkening, something that the boy has never seen before in his life.

Albert hurried away from the burning house that was collapsing, and started running, shoes already on. Villagers he knew slammed their doors and windows shut as the boy ran. The entire village was against him, small as it was, some commoners closed their doors and windows, and others stayed to watch.

All around, commoners were throwing bits of food and garbage at him, rotten fruit quashed on impact, he felt sticky all over and hated it, hated the smell, some of it ran down his back. Leaves and twigs crunched under his peasant shoes as he ran towards the forest. He started to feel pain in the left side of his ribcage, but didn't stop to look.

As for why he was being chased? He didn't know. The trees were starting to get denser and thicker every minute the boy ran. The guards were yelling, getting closer, as they chased after Albert. He started to feel dizzy, out of breath and his abdomen burned.

Suddenly, the boy tripped over a bent root, the soldiers gaining on him every second, as the first guard raised his sword above his head, Albert cried out in terror and closed his eyes, head to the ground.

The air around him fizzed with scathing heat, one by one, grunts and screams of pain and agony were heard. Albert opened his teary eyes, and looked around. What was confirmed that he heard the soldiers fall to the ground in a heap, now dead, having been burnt to a crisp. The boy rolled over, peeked down at his left side and noticed a wound around his stomach, he was bleeding badly, his vision starting to blur.

A lady in a red velvet dress with a pointy hat suddenly walked into Albert's vision, he felt scared and uncertain, covering his head with one arm. "Don't hurt me!" The boy croaked, covering his wound with his other arm and cowering and shaking on the ground. The lady in red smiled and pulled out her wand. "It's ok, let me heal you, please stay still." She spoke, and casted a healing spell onto Albert, who by then, had fainted out of exhaustion and loss of blood.

The witch hauled the boy up over her shoulder, and hurried to her hut. An arrow whizzed past her, alarming her, she gasped as she looked back, there were soldiers in her forest! As they got closer to the witch's hut, the soldiers charged forward, yelling slurs and names. "Get them!" The King's Captain of the Guards yelled.

The woman hurried inside her home, closed the door and shoved the wooden barricade down. She laid Albert down on her bed and grabbed her staff nearby, which allowed her to concentrate her elemental fire magic. She rushed to the blinds and shut them all, the guards wouldn't be able leave a mark on her hut as it was enchanted to ward off intruders.

The witch rushed to the door, pulled the barricade up, and opened the door just as a guard charged in, knocking her over. She covered her face just as the soldier struck a blow to her unbreakable fire staff, and kicked the guard's feet out, causing him to fall flat on his face, his sword falling to his side. The woman hurriedly got up and stomped her right shoe on the back of the soldier's head, making him yell out in pain.

She pulled him up and kicked him out, swung her staff at another guard and yelled out a spell. Fire began seeping from the top of the staff and reached towards the soldiers quickly and mercilessly, the guards screamed as their bodies were burnt to a crisp, all except the captain, who was untouched by the flames.

"You've got a lot of guts coming into a witch's home, you know. I could curse you and you'd turn into a cute little frog." The witch said, pulling out her dagger, "Looks like I'm going to have to finish this off by hand."

The captain pulled his sword out of its sheath, and readied himself, "Don't mind if I do." The woman rushed forward with her dagger in hand and cut at the man, but he reflected her blow and slashed at the right side of her hip, forming a deep wound. The witch gasped and winched in pain. "Pitiful, I could have sold you for a pretty penny. I guess you aren't even worth a single gold piece." The captain mocked.

The witch arched her eyebrow, "Surely I would cost more than a penny. You know that all lives are worth more than a pretty penny. You're hopeless, boy." And charged the guard captain again, this time aiming for his legs. She ducks under his sword and successfully landed a hit, slashing the right ankle of the captain, making him yelp and fall on his left knee in pain.

"I have the high ground here," The witch said, pointing her dagger at the captain's throat. "I will give you a chance to leave, and to never come back. Unlike you, I am not a monster, I do not harm people for the sport of fun." The woman said, clasping her side in pain. "Now go." She turned to head back to her hut, when the captain stands up, sword at the ready, and charges.

The man was struck by a silver bolt of lightning and fell flat on his face. "Agnes!" A man in a grey hooded robe floated to the ground, with his silver staff and enchanted blue energy sword in both hands. "This man…" The old man muttered as his sandals touched the grass, "Is none other than Randolph Heirnspire!" He spoke, raising his sword, and pointing it at the man. "We will come for you, we will take you down, and hang your bodies upon spikes." Randolph's eyes glowed green as he spoke, still lying on the ground, and disappeared in a flash of green.

The old man noticed Agnes was wobbling, her wound still bleeding into her hands. He casts a healing spell on her. The witch sighed, and headed back to her hut. "I have a child here who needs to be looked after once he wakes up." She says, opening the door to the house, noticing Albert was nowhere to be found. "Oh, I know. I see all, Agnes." The old man says. "Then can you tell me where is he?" The witch asks. The old man walks over to Agnes bed, smirking, and peeks down under.

"Hello there, Albert." The wizard greeted. The boy watched him with weary eyes.