Winsome Witch of the Wet Ch. 01

Prologue

Morena stood in shock. Lying before her in a drunken sleep was her own father, a bottle in one hand and a knife in the other. Moments before she had been waiting obediently for his return, bracing herself for the inevitable beating she would receive when he found something in her housework to complain about. He always did, just so he could exact revenge on her, who he blamed for her mother's death.

He wasn't technically her father, having married her mother after she was born, but he had been there for as much of her life as she could remember. She knew he had always secretly resented her for not being his, but their humble farming cottage was still peaceful with both of them around. That all changed when the bandits came.

She had been a carefree 13 year old kid eating dinner when three of them barged into their home with weapons at the ready. There wasn't time to run or grab weapons, so they had all just froze in their seats. The leader's face would be forever burned into Morena's memory. Rugged, scarred, and sporting a sinister grin. He first calmly walked over to her father and swiftly knocked him out with one hit from the butt of his sword. Then he slowly turned his eyes on Morena, and looked down at her trembling body, uttering in a gruff voice now permanently etched into her mind, "She'll do."

The other two immediately started moving towards me, but as realization dawned on my mother she bolted up and screamed, "WAIT! PLEASE! Take me! I can pay. A lot. We have a secret stash, and you can have it all and me if you just leave my daughter alone. I'm begging you!"

That was the last time Morena ever saw her mother, and for two years now to the day she had suffered the drunken wrath of her father for it, resigned to her fate. She knew escaping was worthless, as he had worked with the guards too long for them to not immediately recognize her. There was also no way she would make it to another kingdom without suffering the same fate as her mom, so she had just hoped to endure until he drank himself to death. Then she'd finally get to start a peaceful farm life. Maybe even find a man one day when she was old enough.

She looked down again at her unconscious knife-wielding father. Nope, that wouldn't be possible anymore. This time he actually had murder in his eyes, and if it weren't for him passing out, she'd likely be dead by now.

"But where can I even go? The guards would just take his side, and then he'd kill me for ratting him out. I do know how to forage, so maybe the fore-"

She jumped as the slumped mass grunted. There was not time to think, she had to just run.

She ran through the field as the sun began setting. The sunset seemed to accelerate as she ventured into the forest, the thickening canopy above making each step more difficult to see than the last. The howling in the distance barely registered as her full concentration was devoted to the disappearing ground, until finally she gave up. Her adrenaline had subsided and she now sat on a fallen tree in the middle of the nearly pitch-black forest. She looked around, quickly realizing she had no idea how to get back.

"Great. Now I just traded a fast death with him for a slow death out here."

Then her hairs started tingling on her spine as low growls filled the air around her. The shadows of trees gave way to the shadows of wolves.

She looked around in desperation. None of the trees were climbable and there weren't any branches she could use on this one to defend herself. Running was her only chance.

She bolted up, but before she could even take a step the pack had lept in to charge her. With no time to react, all she could do was close her eyes and put her hands up to brace for her end as the fear coursed through her. Fear... and something else? It didn't matter as she saw the fabled white light getting closer.

"Well, better like this than at the hands of him. But it's weird, shouldn't it hurt?"

A few seconds passed before she realized she wasn't actively being eaten alive, and tried to open an eye. That proved difficult as the white light... or lights were still there, only they were coming from her own hands! Unfortunately, the wolves were also still there, now fully illuminated. They whined and growled as they paced around her, unwilling or unable to approach the lights.

Morena felt the fear partially subside, but that other new feeling was still there. She tried to focus on it, but as soon as she did the lights began to flicker and fade, before disappearing completely. Now she felt even more blind as her eyes struggled to adjust. She knew there wasn't much time before the wolves' eyes also adjusted, so there was no choice but to run blindly before they did.

Before Morena could take two steps, light once again erupted around her, but this time it was different. It was hot, and dancing red and yellow in a circle all around her. Unable to process anything, all she could do was look around frantically for an escape from her new fate of being burned alive.

As she did, the flames parted in front of her, revealing the figure of a woman who calmly stepped through towards her. Morena instinctively backed away but the heat on her back warned her that she was out of room. As the figure reached her, a hand extended from it.

"Hello young one, my name is Ori. Don't be afraid."

Morena couldn't help but be calmed by the soothing voice, and allowed herself to relax slightly. Now her eyes were able to fully take in the woman in front of her. She had a beautiful face flanked with auburn hair, all with shadows dancing in time with the flames. Her long black gown flew carelessly around her, and the outstretched hand looked soft and inviting.

After the shock wore off, Morena finally mustered the courage to extend her own trembling hand and reply, "I... I'm M- Morena.." as she accepted her hand. Suddenly Ori's calm, inviting demeanor turned to worry as she began examining Morena more closely. Her eyes found all of the bruises and cute left by Morena's father. With each pass over her body, anger grew in Ori's eyes.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch." She said coldly, and asked, "How long did King Leonard keep you?"

Morena looked back in bewilderment, "K.. King Leonard? What would he want with me? I... I'm just a peas-"

"How long have you known about your powers?" Ori cut her off.

"W-What? Powers?" Morena stuttered as she began to tremble again.

Ori squinted and studied Morena's expression intently for what felt like an eternity. The silence was only broken by the crackling of the now-dimming flames. Finally, her face relaxed, "Yes... Yes, I thought you looked a little young. You must be very confused then, Morena."

She managed a weak nod.

"Alright then. I promise I will give you all the answers you seek, but first I need one more from you." She paused, and gently grasped both of Morena's hands while looking her in the eye, "Given your current state and location, I will assume you have very little to look forward to back home. I will also assume this was your first time experiencing magic, and that the intensity of your fear caused it. Am I correct in these assumptions?"

Morena considered Ori's words the best she could in her rattled state. The strange woman had been exactly correct about her home, but magic? Really? Either way, it made as much sense as anything else at this point, and Morena thought it best to appease her savior, and slowly nodded.

"Then I believe you have just revealed your aptitude for wizardry. Now, I know this will be a very difficult decision even with all that has happened, but if you want to know where those lights and this fire came from, and how to use it, you must come with-"

"-I'll do it." Morena said quickly. Even in her confuson, she knew anything was better than going back home.

Ori's face showed shock, and then relaxed into a warm smile, and she released Morena's hands, "Wonderful, then follow me my student."

Chapter 1

The Offer

"Come on... something... anything!" said an exasperated Morena.

She was staring at a glass orb on a rusted stand, gray clouds willowing in the sphere. Her eyes reflected the mundane scene for a while before she gave out a frustrated sigh and leaned back. Then they drifted around her one-room shack, trading one mundane scene for another. A cracked cauldron next to a soot-ridden fireplace, Tattered black curtains framing a silent forest, and a pathetic line of hung-up clothes were the highlights of the room. The rainbow of tans and brownsof her clothing rack featured nothing more than basic traveling clothes and a gambeson, with her current state of dress being equally poor.

The only thing in the room with any color at all was a single lit candle on a small table. Morena glanced at it, and then at the official-looking piece of parchment that was illuminated by it. An ornate title dominated the paper:

"ANTI-MAGIC DECREE IN EFFECT"

Morena sighed again and ran her hand through the mess of black curls flowing from her head. How could she have been THIS unlucky? A month ago she completed her training, and the idiot warmongers decided THAT was the time to band together and stop using mages in their plots. She thought for sure that at least one of the minor kings would have tried to contact her to sneak some small favors from her. Maybe a vial of poison or a minor enchantment or SOMETHING, but instead the smoke continued to endlessly swirl.

It wasn't that she was unqualified. She thought back to Ori, who had been impressed at every turn. According to her, Morena was the youngest she'd ever heard of that completed their training. Most witches and wizards didn't become proficient enough for work until their 30s, but Morena managed it by 21. Ori had even promised to pass along her name to all her royal contacts, or at least the ones she didn't care about losing business with. Morena thought this would be a good thing, and at first dreamt of an early retirement. Now she sat alone in her shack with barely 100 Crowns to her name, wishing that she could be back with Ori.

Instead she was left with nothing but Ori's own frustrating and emphatic advice echoing through her thoughts.

"These petty leaders are happy to pay us to give them advantages, but make no mistake. They despise us as much as they fear us, and they know a trained witch or wizard won't let themself be captured or killed. Instead they go after the weak, like cowards. Our children, aging relatives, and young students are all targets, so that is why you never get attached."

Even with the sense it made, Morena couldn't help but resent the advice. She tried her best to follow it, but in her boredom it was impossible for her thoughts to not drift back to her teacher. She resented that their goodbye was unceremonious and quick. She resented that she couldn't talk to her, even though the orb could reach her in seconds. Most of all, she resented that she never got to explore her growing feelings for her.

Morena had assumed that her attraction to Ori was a result of her being the only other human around her as she was going through the changes her mother had told her about. She had also been told that it was supposed to be a man she found so that she could start a family one day, so why was it that she only ever imagined someone like Ori? The more time passed and the more she missed Ori, Morena couldn't help but feel her mother's advice was lacking.

Of course, she couldn't have ever revealed these feelings to Ori, or she would have been kicked out on the spot for getting attached. Still, she always imagined that behind Ori's warm smiles that there was something that she felt for Morena too, but now she would never know for sure.

Now she was alone. Now all of her training was useless, and for the first time since meeting Ori she felt like that helpless kid standing over her father, feeling like she had no options left.

"Morena?"

She jumped a few feet out of her chair and spun around, looking for the source. Her eyes darted to the windows as she drew her wand, before movement caught her eye. It was from her Orb. The endless gray smoke had finally given way to a face. One that Morena didn't recognize. She slowly approached it.

He appeared to be in his 40s or 50s with a well-kept graying beard, and hair to match. His face was hardened, but seemingly from stress rather than battle. Although he wasn't wearing any kind of insignia or identifier, Morena had to guess he was royalty. Could this really be happening?

"Y-Yes, this is her." She took a deep breath to contain her excitement and nerves, "Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

"My name is Lord Theodore Spruce, King of Epetor. I would like to hire your services." He said with a voice that sounded casually official.

Morena tried her best to hide her surprise. She was very familiar with him by name, and nothing she knew about him was good. According to Ori he had always been staunchly anti-magic, yet he was also highly intelligent. He had built up his kingdom from nothing even without the help of wizardry, and now was a prominent voice in the ever-changing political landscape of the warring kingdoms.

Even worse, he had been the one to organize and host the most recent peace summit, where he introduced the idea of an anti-magic treaty across all of the major kingdoms. Parts of his speech had been quoted in the decree, with him claiming that doing so would greatly reduce backroom dealings, assassinations, and espionage. This would increase trust among everyone as another large war seemed to be looming on the horizon.

Morena took a moment before responding, deciding that it would probably be best to feign ignorance, and see where this was going, but her face must have betrayed her.

"Yes, no doubt I am rather infamous in your circle of associates, so I only ask that you hear out my request. If it helps, it was your old teacher Ori that recommended you to me." he said, his face continuing to show no emotion.

This time, Morena was determined not to let anything show. He was far too dangerous.

"Ori?" She answered as calmly as she could, "Why would she ever give up a client as powerful as you?"

"The particular branch of magic I am seeking is exceedingly rare. She said she was unfamiliar with it, but that you were unnaturally adept at learning new things. She requested a finders fee if you lived up to expectations, and offered a significant discount if not. I took the offer, but I certainly wouldn't mind paying the discount. Have I wasted my time contacting you, Morena?"

Morena thought for a moment. Even though Ori had cut ties, surely she wasn't so callous as to direct a powerful, anti-magic king to her as her first real assignment without a good reason, right?

"That would very much depend on what exactly you are asking me to do." Ori replied suspiciously.

"It is something I can only discuss in person, so-"

"-Forget it." Morena cut him off, her fear getting the better of her, "With your reputation, did you think I would have that much blind trust? I'm sorry, but you'll have to take up Ori's discounted offer." Morena said sternly, and for the first time King Spruce's expression changed. First hardening and then softening just enough for a smile to creep through the creases.

"Young Morena, you should know that interrupting people like me can do nothing more than harm your reputation and your pockets. Furthermore, I did not get to where I am today by disrespecting the intelligence of intelligent people. I don't expect you to come see me because I asked. I expect you to come and see me because I am one of you." He said. Suddenly he backed away and revealed his hands, and the two balls of fire that floated in the palms of each one.

"You see," he continued, "this is how I truly built my kingdom. It was agonizingly tedious to do without revealing my secret, but I have done it all the same. Now you and your former teacher are the only two living souls to be privy to it, and the size of your down-payment should reflect how much I want it to stay that way."

"Then why us?" She asked the obvious question, still very suspicious, "Why tell us your secret when you could do it yourself?"

He sighed, "Because I have finally reached a task that I am unable to complete, no matter how skilled I become. You have my word that it involves nothing dangerous, but again, it is something I would rather discuss in person, if I have at least gained that much trust in you."

He paused, reading her expression, which she tried to keep as level as possible. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed satisfied and continued, "Tonight I will be alone in the forest due north of my castle. I will have 2000 Crowns that are yours whether you take the job or not, and I promise I will reveal to you the full details there, as well as the substantial final payment. Do we have an accord?"

She leaned back in her chair and considered him. Obviously this sounded ludicrous, and she likely would have already shut off the connection had he not mentioned her...

"Well, I guess the worst case is I'm trading a slow death out here for a quick death at his hands. Although, I'm not nearly as helpless this time."

"Alright, I'll be there"