1 Chapter 2: The Lost Child

It was so long ago; I no longer remember my mother's face. All I recall is her warm arms around me, her gentle smile, and soothing words. We had just settled in a small, quaint village roughly a three-day ride from the kingdom. It was too poor to have many slave owners around and to close to the kingdom for witches to regularly visit. With that being the case, my mother become content with the area, believing that by hiding in plain site, we were safe. This would ultimately lead to her death.

We were out and about like normal, looking for any job possible to earn change and find some food. As we were doing so, the local baker had noticed us. He waved his large hand, calling us over. Covered in dough and sugar, he looked exhausted.

"It's good to see you again, thanks for bringing the flour the other day. You having luck finding work today?"

"No, but I'm sure we will somehow," my mother said while giving a weak smile.

The man put his large, sweaty, flour covered hand behind his neck to rub it while looking up and thinking. "Now, don't go telling any of the others about this; I don't want other people coming and asking me to help 'em out. But, I do have some leftover bread that will go bad soon if you want it."

My mother held up her hands and shook her head, "No, thank-you though. I can't –"

The man sighed then walked in and back out with a bag of leftover bread. "I know you can't afford it. But I see you running around with that brat all day while trying to make ends meet. Even so, you still find a way to be nice and help others on the side." He proceeded to push the bag into my mother's hands. "I don't have any work I can offer right now, but take this and it should get you by for at least two days. By then I'll have more work I can pay you for too."

My mother teared up and thanked the man generously and we set on our way. It was a blessing for sure, as we found few jobs that day and not enough to get food by any means. As dusk came, my mother started heading home with me in tow.

As we were making our way out of the small village down the dirt road and back home, my mother's mood quickly soured. Only for 2 seconds was it apparent, but she quickly scooped me up and began singing. Looking back, it was apparent she was distracting me, having sensed ill intentions from those behind us. Even so, it was too late as they were on us.

She calmly walked through the front door of our home and opened a hidden door to a pocket beneath the house, setting me down while handing me the food and water. "Now sweetie, be a good girl and make sure to save some for mommy. If I haven't returned by the time one loaf is gone, leave towards the opposite direction we came from and I'll catch up to you."

As I've aged, I learned children are rather perceptive and I was of no exception. I knew something was wrong and as such, listened to mother. One loaf of bread lasted me two days, and as she had said, I climbed out without question. I grabbed the remaining food and water, carrying it out the door. As I walked out to the bright, sunny day, I turned to the right, having planned to continue down the dirt path in the direction she requested, but went left instead.

Once reaching town, I looked around for the longest of time hoping to find anybody who had seen my mother. Eventually, I made it to the baker's shop, in hopes he would know, but nobody was home. I sat on the doorstep, hoping that maybe he would show up and I could ask, but instead, saw a tall, brunette man in his 30s come my way.

"Well, hello their child. May I ask who you are waiting for?" the man asked me with a kind smile on his face.

"Mommy," I answered. Then I decided to describe her, in case he might have seen her. "She's about ~~~~ tall and has really soft hair. It's long too; knee-length and a pretty ~~~~." I thought for a few seconds and then added, "Oh, and her eyes are ~~~~, but they get really dark when she's sad."

The man stares down at me earnestly, taking in every word while nodding every so often. "Hmm….I think I recall such a woman, how about you come with me?" My mother always said to never trust strangers….however, this was an emergency and what other option did I have?

I followed the man to the square, my nose turning as I smelled burnt flesh. Above me stood bodies, all with no eyeballs, melted flesh, and one of which was a man, with what appeared to be his pelvic region dismembered. I looked closer, unable to turn away then gasped; it was the baker. Upon further inspection, I saw his wife and child to his left. As I was about to turn my attention to the fourth, I heard a weak yet soft-spoken woman's voice, Run, child and don't look back. As I listen, I then hear a sad, miserable voice of an elderly man, Kill me now, please. Soon, a weak, whimpering child's voice rings clearly, you killed them….all of them….Mommy, Daddy, you all will pay!

I finally turn my attention to the tall, wooden pole with the fourth body, charred with melted flesh and no way of telling who the person was, had it not been for a small, blue bracelet around the left wrist given to the young witch by a deceased warlock from 3 years prior. "Mommy?" Immediately, a flood of emotions erupts; pain, agony, anger and more. I don't remember the voices I heard or the anything past the fact that I wanted them all dead, and that's what happened. I pushed all my emotions on those around me and immediately, it was if the humans had gone psychotic. Men were killing their wives and children, while children were throwing themselves into fire. Men who had a small bit of sanity for a second after the murders immediately became psychotic once more and ate coal while others would stumble into the forest with nothing but dead eyes and an empty soul.

It was a blood bath and a mess, yet not a single tear fell for anybody but the baker's family and my mother. They all would pay, and every bit of their suffering would never amount to the amount those four felt. For that, they could all rot alive.

I remember that by sunrise the following day my dress was stained with blood and all I could think about was my mother's melted face, no eyes, and limp body. The blue bracelet crossed my mind a few times, and by the time it last did, a woman knelt before me, placing the bracelet on my wrist. "I apologize we are late, Milady. I see you've gone through quite a lot."

This was how I met Her Majesty, the Witches' Monarch, and her assistant Mateo.