The Seared Witch

Quilo

The Prince of the Fifth Realm liked to watch his misty kingdom from the top of Destiny's Peak. He sat there now, his wings folded neatly behind him. As he sharpened his arrows, he let his mind wander.

The war against the Fourth Realm mustn't continue. These battles have been going on for most of his adult life. There has to be an end, and if it means he disobeys his father's wishes, then so be it.

He placed his arrows down and stared at his gray hands. They were calloused and rough from years of training and hard labor. They had been toughened for a reason. He was to make the hard decision.

"Quilo."

He looked up as a female with snow-white skin and spotted gray, soft wings fluttered up to him. She was out of breath from the flight it took to travel up the mountainside. She placed a light foot down in front of him as she landed. Her gray eyebrows arched into a frown and her bright yellow eyes were narrowed. "Just because you're part of the royal family and it's tradition to take a vow of silence, doesn't mean I can't hear you."

The only sign that he heard her was his jaw tensing.

"You forgot about that already, didn't you? Marriage makes us empaths to one another. I can feel your solemn mood. You're planning on disobeying the King's orders, aren't you?" She crossed her arms.

His eyes skimmed over the gold ring she wore on her middle finger grimly. The fog swirled around them and his voice was carried through it, "Meliah...I have to..."

"Why?" Her voice cracked emotionally. "Quilo, why?"

"Have to..."

She kneeled down in front of him and cupped his face delicately. "You must come back."

He nodded slowly and put on a light smile. "Still have to...become king...so you can...be happy..." the fog whispered in her ear.

"I don't care about that anymore. Just come back safe." She pressed her forehead against his. She stayed there for a few moments before she sat back. "I will help you. I'll distract your family."

He nodded again and packed up his items. "Thank...you..."

She moved a strand of white hair from his forehead with a sigh. "I believe in you." Her wings extended to catch the wind and she dove off the cliff side.

He packed up his quills, crossbow, and daggers before he dove off the opposite side.

"I'm not sure I know what yer talkin' bout. Maybe a few coins'll jog me memory." The slimy merchant clasped his hands together with a nasty grin.

Quilo's hand shot out and grabbed him around the throat. Thick clouds crawled along the wooden floor of the cabin, turning everything it touched to ice. "Where...is...Anali..."

"O—okay! I—ech—I'll tell ya!" He coughed and sputtered.

Quilo tightened his grip before he released him. "Where..."

"She took off toward the corral forest—gah!" The merchant scratched his sore throat and gasped for air. "That's all I know! I swear!"

Quilo turned on his heel and exited. The sky was dark, but he could see clearly. The beach parted into the forest the merchant spoke about. As he leaped forward, the mist followed him.

He drove the arrow into Anali's heart as she tightened her grip on his windpipe. Her eyes widened and the color in them began to fade. She used the last of her strength to crunch down on his throat before his vision faded.

The world around him was drowned in shadows. He couldn't tell if he was standing, sitting, or floating. His perception of up or down didn't exist. All he knew was that he was falling. His wings wouldn't work when he tried to fly. All he could feel was the dropping sensation in his gut.

"Quilo."

He stopped falling. He could feel cold floor beneath his back. After a few moments, he sat up and looked around the dark.

In the distance, a figure walked toward him. A cloaked figure glided across the ground toward him. Angelic white wings unfolded from its back. It stopped a few feet away from him.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Quilo was surprised at his own, quiet voice. He glanced at his own wings, but the metal had been shed from them. The dark gray and black feathers he had as a teenager had grown back.

"Yes." The female voice said softly. "Do you know who I am?"

"Are you my judge?"

She chuckled. "In a way."

He watched as she shed her cloak and kneeled down next to him. Her skin was white with a yellow tint, and her blonde hair was cut short in the back, while she had two long braids in the front. Her light green eyes were kind. "I have a task for you, Quilo."

"What is it?"

"My name is Kilop. Long ago, I was chosen to become a Master. To suppress the evil."

He gaped. "I've heard about you. You have a statue in the courtyard."

"Then you know about the Seared Witch."

He nodded slowly. "She's been creating Jaddaks."

"It's been a very long time. I'm afraid I do not have the powers to defeat her...but...you could." She lightly held out her hand. "Quilo, Prince of the Fifth Realm, I have chosen you to bear my powers in order to defeat the Seared Witch. Once your task is over, I will escort you back to the Resting Place and you will return my magik to me. Will you accept my task?"

"Of course." Quilo took her hand. "How could I say no?"