The Natherian and The Thief

Echo Briar was different! This was probably down to the fact that she was the only witch in an entirely Muggle village. She knew a lot about magic! Her parents had taught her everything from the moment she could talk. In secret of course. However, after a terrible accident, she was orphaned at the age of 10 and driven out of her village when her powers became too strong and erratic for the villagers not to notice. Afraid and alone in a world where anything is possible, Echo learned how to trick and deceive others to survive!

Growing up she immersed herself in learning how to control her powers and how to use them to force people to do as she wished or trick them into giving her what she needed. She was a master manipulator and a pretty sly thief to boot. Soon she had gained enough reputation that she was known in the local villages as "The Black Wind" due to her uncanny ability to flit in and out of places tricking and thieving as if on the whisper of the wind. This was mostly down to the help of her powers now honed into the perfect weapon to aid her in the art of deception. Echo reasoned that she was only doing it to survive but secretly under all of her lies to herself she knew she enjoyed it a little too much.

Outlaws and bandits soon came to her to pay her for her skills. She would steal for them and in return, she would gain secrets and truths to use as leverage on the next unlucky victim she would manipulate! One day a bandit came to hire her for a job in return for secrets from a Lord she was trying to manipulate out of gold! The bandit told a story of a legendary creature that told the future. Sceptical but needing the information Echo allowed the man to continue. He said he needed to learn the future of his ailing wife but could not afford to pay the creature what it needed in return for its services. The creature required the bandit's deepest kept secret, however, he was unwilling to give it. Echo knew why! Telling someone a dark secret is only leverage to be held over you the next time you are in trouble. Such were the ways if you lived as an outlaw where secrets spread like wildfire! The bandit asked Echo to deceive the creature and get the truth about his wife! She agreed and set off with only a cloak on her back, a small pack of food and her wand to protect her.

For days Echo travelled to the place where the creature known as the Natherian was rumoured to dwell. Exhausted and rather irritable she eventually found a clearing surrounding a cave carved deep into a tall mountain. As she neared the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. There was powerful magic surrounding this place. Her magic so in tune with the world seemed to sing as she stood at the entrance to the cave. All traces of exhaustion left her as she stumbled forward in awe and entered the cave only to yelp back in fright and trip over her cloak as an ethereal voice sounded in her head! The voice asked why she had come. Stuck dumb momentarily and sprawled out on the cave floor, Echo did not reply. The voice turned sharp and asked again why she had come. Untangling herself from her cloak, Echo stood and lit her wand. She gasped as the light from her wand illuminated two enormous paws before her. Slowly and with great trepidation, she lifted her head to the sight before her.

A gigantic wolf the size of a horse with blazing sapphire eyes stood before her. She could see the silhouette of two enormous wings protruding from its silver back. Gaping up at the creature she quickly analysed the situation. Shaken out of her thoughts by the Natherian's voice sounding in her head once more, its ethereal voice now irritated, she replied explaining in a shaky voice that she wished to know the future of the bandit's wife. The Natherian sat back on its haunches and demanded Echo's darkest secret as payment for the future she wished to see. Steeling herself for what she was about to attempt she ran over her plan in her head. She knew she couldn't divulge the secret she had guarded closely for many years or it could be the death of her. So she drew up her magic ready to manipulate the great creature before her.

What Echo didn't know was that you cannot deceive a creature that knows all. A snarl echoed through the cave and she jumped in fright. Knowing that the Natherian had sensed her plan Echo began to back out of the cave. The Natherian advanced on her, its furious voice echoing inside her head. Terrified, she set off in a sprint away from the Natherian blindly shooting spells behind her. Fear coursed through her veins as she heard the pounding of enormous paws gaining on her. Making turn after turn she ran through the trees, branches and thorns snagging at her cloak. She skidded to a halt at the edge of a cliff panting and grabbing at the stitch in her side. She was done for.

The snapping of a twig had her whirling round in terror. Trembling, she watched as the Natherian stalked closer to her, its pearly white canines shining in the sunlight as it snarled at her. She tried to use her magic to defend herself but her spells bounced right off of the Natherian's sleek silver body. Suddenly the Natherian's sapphire eyes shifted to a fiery red and Echo felt a great pain in her head. Screaming she fell to the ground clutching her skull, her wand rolling out of reach. The pain felt endless until the Natherian's voice sounded in her mind. Tinged with anger it told her that she had tried to trick the wrong creature and she would rue the day she came to its cave. In punishment for her trickery and the use of her magic in the most despicable way, the Natherian cursed her to sleep for ever more. Echo's eyes rolled back into her head and she fell into a deep sleep. A sleep from which she would never wake.