The Indecent Witch...

The sun met the middle of the sky, and I can finally see the huge stone walls that encapsulates Athens. Took around a day and a half of running while using my aura to propel myself, which drained all my aura around the halfway point, so I had to rest. Running without aura wouldn’t be fast enough.

As I enter, hundreds of people walked about the cobble floor, popup trading booths, entertainers and stores all lined up on either side. Exploring deeper, to the right there was a path towards inns, food markets, weaponsmiths and the left had rows of houses, a school and library.

I continued down the tourist area, trying not to get drowned by the sea of people, this is why I like living in a small town.

Eventually I found a store that closely resembles the mages store back in Unser, but before I could enter a large muscular man blocked me.

“You have an appointment?”

He said, staring in the distance.

“I’m not in the mood, get out of my way…”

I intensified my aura to intimidate him, but he responded with his aura matching mine.

Dammit, if I didn’t use up all my aura getting here, I probably could take him on, no… I must try, I have to make sure Corban and Circe are safe.

I stepped back, throwing my hands in the air to show that I’m giving up, but quickly bent down, almost kneeling and threw a punch at his abdomen.

But he disappeared…

I try to look up, but I’m on the ground? How?! I never saw him move! He then placed his foot on my back.

“You move; I break your spine.”

Shit… I underestimated him.

“GET OFF OF M-“

He pushed harder; I gasped for air.

Then I heard a voice, I couldn’t make out what they were saying, I was too focused on trying to breath, but then he suddenly he stepped off.

I took a deep breath and rolled onto my back, there I saw a mid 50s woman with long curly red hair and a big blue feather on her right ear.

“You better have a good explanation for trying to punch Tim.”

Without hesitation I told the truth

“My siblings were kidnapped, I was told you could find them, please…”

“Sure! But you gotta say sorry to Tim.”

I slowly got back on my feet, and put out my hand for him to shake, he agreed and shook it.

“Sorry… Tim.”

He smiled.

I followed the woman into the building, Tim close behind. She got behind her dark oak desk while Tim stood by the door, the room was dark with purple drapes hanging from either side of the walls emitting a faded purple glow. I sat down in the rocking chair in front of the desk.

“You’re lucky my client just bailed on me, usually I ain’t so nice.”

She said while sitting down in her chair, chuckling to herself.

I pulled out Circe’s book and placed it on the desk.

“Here, this is my sister’s book, it has her aura on it can you track her?”

“Woah, woah, woah, slow down! This generation is all action and no foreplay,”

I grew a bit more impatient.

She took the book and examined it, turning a few pages, feeling the broken spine from excessive reading and finally…

“Nope!”

We sat in silence…

“What do you mean… nope.”

“Well, I mean nope! Theres not enough of her aura to locate her precise location, actually, not even a vague location.”

I let a bit of my anger slip through my aura, which Tim noticed.

“I did not come here to get, nope, as an answer, aren’t you a mage? JUST FIND HER!”

Tim put his overly large hand on my shoulder pushing me down back into my chair not realising I stood up.

“Now if you have another tantrum, I will not help you anymore, understand?”

“Yes…”

“Good! Well, you’re in luck because there is a way to amplify her aura!”

I was both relieved and annoyed.

“Aww, you didn’t like my little tease? I know Tim did.”

Tim creepily smiled.

“I need you to go get some dragon blood, any dragon would do.”

She hands me a glass vile with a cork.

“I’ll hold on to this book for ya, and the guild should have some dragon extermination jobs listed, they can help you find one.”

I stood up and Tim opened the door for me, and let a small girl enter next.

A dragon? I remember Circe talking about how their manure can be used to rapidly grow certain plants, but I also know that they are incredibly dangerous, but if I can just stab it with Ritza’s sword, it should give me enough blood.

I got to the guild, rows of tables with people all drinking, sitting on benches. Towards the back was a young girl in a booth, and the job board plastered with paper full of hunting, collecting, rescuing and other odd jobs. However, nothing about dragons, I turn to the girl.

“Are there any jobs that involve dragons?

“Umm, oh yes! But that’s restricted to high level guild members, if you are apart of another guild, you can show me your id and-“

“No, I’m not, can you just show me where those jobs are? Then I can leave.”

“Sorry sir, I don’t think you understand, its restricted so low level adventurers don’t accidentally choose a job that’s too hard, but you can-“

“No that’s fine.”

A strong looking man walked behind me and up some stairs to my left.

“Hey, what’s up there?”

“Hm? Oh, high level jobs.”

I look to the girl in the booth.

“Thanks”

I said smugly.

“Hey! No! wait, he’s not allowed up there! Stop him!”

The man and I looked at each other, he shrugged and continued up the stairs, so did I while glancing back at the girl.

This board was much fancier, metal borders, clean paper, and the jobs were listed in a symmetrical organized manner, unlike the one downstairs.

There! Right in the middle a dragon extermination job for a large red dragon, only a few kilometres away from the city, I can understand why they would want it exterminated. I tore off the paper from the board and walked back downstairs.

“They should really up the security for the high-level jobs, anyone could just walk up there!”

I smiled as I left the guild without looking back.

Alright let’s go…

-

I got to the location of the dragon, it was in a large cave down in a valley, I hid behind a tree overlooking the area. Right outside the cave was a wide-open ground with just sand and rocks, most likely due to fire killing all the plant life.

From previous knowledge, I knew dragon scales were tough, if I’m able to find a damaged one, I can break it and stab it with the sword, hopefully getting enough blood.

First, I went for the straightforward approach, if the dragon is sleeping, I can get in and out quickly…

I slowly approached the cave, making sure I don’t make too much noise with my footsteps, getting to the entrance of the cave I couldn’t see anything, then a small flame appeared.

The light revealed a wet light red interior, with slightly yellow stained teeth in front.

“shit.”

Fire almost instantly covered my field of view, I jumped back and ran back to the tree I was hiding. The dragon did not move out of the cave but stayed inside.

I thought dragons were aggressive?

Maybe its protecting something but never mind that. Bad news its awake, and more bad news its not coming out-

Hearing leaves rustling I quickly look back to where that noise came from, and a beautiful girl appeared, she leaned on a tree. She had light skin, slender body and blond hair.

Brown leather covered her arms and legs, and a dark green cloth covered everything else, and she had a light brown bow with a quiver strapped to her waist hanging out sideways.

She’s an elf too,

“um, hi…”

She stayed quiet, just silently watching me.

I shook my head, I needed to focus. I look towards the cave again, the dragon will now be on high alert, if I can get into the cave, it will probably not shoot fire inside its home, but that’s just a guess, I have no idea the behaviour of dragons.

This time I tried entering from the side, keeping close to the wall of the cave, then I saw the flame again, instead of running, I jumped towards the dragons, aiming for the top of its head. I unsheathed the sword and got ready to swing, aiming for a broken scale would take too long so if I manage to land at least one attack that would make a huge amount of progress.

I got closer and closer then I swung the sword down at the dragon’s head, it made a slight scratch, but it drew blood!

“AH!-“

The dragon swung its head towards me and sent me flying into some trees. I slammed my back into the ground and laid for a while.

I used up all my aura getting here and jumping up, little to none was used to protect me.

I groaned but had enough strength to sit down and put… one drop of blood… into… the vile…

This was not going to work.

I made my way back to my original hiding spot, and the elf girl still was standing against the tree.

“Are you here just to watch? Or can you help me?”

She looked at me again with a slight grin and said nothing.

“Fine, but I’m taking a break.”

She then nudged herself off the tree and pulled out her bow, she then made the motion of placing an arrow on the bow but without an arrow.

Is she mocking me?

But then, a light green light appeared out of know where and took the shape of an arrow, remaining that green tone. She then released the arrow and shot it right in front of the cave, it planted into the ground emitting the same glow.

Pulling out a thicker arrow with a needle like tip, she placed it on her bow, drew back and waited.

“What are you do-“

Releasing the arrow, I looked back to the cave, and the dragon popped its head out!

The arrow landed right where I made that cut, she then turned her body has if she was pulling a rope and the arrow came right back to her.

While in shock, she took the vile from my hand and placed the tip of the arrow into the opening and emptied the dragons blood filling it to the brim.

She handed the vile back and waved goodbye.

“Uh, wait, hey! thank you!”

She waved back without looking behind her.

What the hell just happened?

-

Getting back to the inappropriate lady I handed her the vile.

“Woah! I didn’t think you could mange this! Let alone fill the whole vile! Any who let me track your sister now.”

She brings out Circe’s herbology book and places it on the desk, with a paint brush she draws a symbol on the book with black ink, then putting her hand over the top it lights up with a light purple glow, which creates an arrow pointing left.

She then hands me the book.

“Here you are sweetie, I can’t pinpoint the exact location of her, but if you follow the arrow, you’ll find her!”

Quickly I picked the book up, no matter where I pointed the book the arrow stayed in one direction. Suddenly I got skeptical.

“How do I trust you?”

“Well, read the sign sweetie!”

She pointed behind me and read.

“Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!”

“That doesn’t mean you’re trustworthy.”

Tim then started to push me out the door.

“Hey! What was the point of getting the dragons blood!”

I try pushing back against Tim, but he grabs me by the shoulders and throws me out.

“Hey!”

The door slams in my face as I turn around…

Ouch… anyways, this is perfect! No matter where she goes, I can follow her, as long as her aura is strong enough for the compass to track.

Now its to run again—AGH!

I tried to use my aura but instead it knocked me to my knees, shit, I used up too much again, I don’t have time to rest either, I need to be moving…

And just to my luck a carriage pulled by two horses was passing by, I looked at the book it was heading in the general direction.

“Hey!”

I said to the driver while walking with the carriage.

“Where are you going?”

“Bradberry”

Even though I often skipped geography class, I knew that getting to Bradberry was a straight journey.

“Could I hitch a ride?”

“Yeah, for a price.”

“Come on man!”

“More weight equals more time which equals more food for the horses which then equals less money! Scram peasant!”

“Wait! I can provide protection!”

“Already got that.”

He pointed back with his thumb to a group of three people, one was a tall boy with brown hair with a blue jacket, a smaller man with a long beard a dwarf, and…

THE ELF GIRL FROM BEFORE!

“Hey! You! Remember me?! Can you let me ride with you?”

The other two looked towards the elf girl.

“You know that guy?”

She shrugged.

The carriage eventually got outside the city, and started picking up speed, faster than I can manage at the moment.

“Please! I have to make sure my siblings are safe.”

They couldn’t hear me; they were off in the distance but still visible.

Shit, now I need to wait for another carriage, but then I’ll need money in case they ride off again!

Defeated, I turn around and make my way back to the city, but with one last effort of desperation I look back and the carriage had stopped.

In the distance I see a glare… its an arrow! Which lands right in front of my feet.

The arrow has a note wrapped around it.

You owe me