“Anastasia!”

Anastasia flapped her wings twice and lifted herself into the air as it accepted the magical energy that Primrose pumped through their connection. The familiar dazzled in a cyan light before speeding through the startled villagers with a cyan streak of light trailing behind her. The butterfly startled Theolas as she appeared directly in front of him in a matter of seconds and formed a protective shield around him.

“What is this witchery?!” Theolas shouted, astonished. He stumbled backward, his back pressing against the shield as he stared at the majestic butterfly with wide-eyes.

The blood-red arrow rammed into the shield causing sparks to fly. The arrow increased it’s intensity and force as black energy flared to life around it. The shield and arrow’s energies collided, causing a massive explosion that sent villagers flying to the ground from the force.

“THEY’RE ATTACKING US! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

It only took one villager to say this before the villagers started to evacuate the village in fear, leaving all of their belongings.

“WE NEED TO ESCAPE THIS VILLAGE!” Another man yelled.

Primrose finally reached Theolas who was sitting on the ground with disbelieving eyes. She moved to stand in front of him. “Leave human!” She snarled, keeping her eyes on the robed person who jumped from the tavern roof and onto the ground.

Theolas scrambled to stand up. “Y-You beasts will pay for this!” He yelled before following the guards to safety.

Primrose ignored him and called her familiar. “Anastasia!”

A ghost of a smile flitted across her features as the familiar landed on her shoulder. She pulled her hood down and focused her attention on the tall figure walking towards her.

“Now, why would a witch protect the man who wouldn’t think twice about killing magical creatures?” The robed person said, dropping their hood and revealing an unbelievably handsome face. He sent her a mocking smile as he ran a hand through his black silky hair.

“Call me William, my fair lady.” He added, his mocking smile now a full-blown grin.

Primrose sent William an icy glare. “Enough!,” Primrose frankly shouted, “leave this village, now.”

“So cold, a beauty like you,” William callously said before releasing his demonic aura to subdue her, “If I don’t leave, what will you do?”

Primrose stared at the man with a slightly shocked expression. “You’re a Blood Warlock.” She said directly, as his horrible black aura pressed down all around her. The black demonic aura rolled off him in waves and wilted the grass beneath his feet, turning it pitch black.

William wore a wicked smile as he licked his lips. “You’ve guessed right,” he admitted, “its been so long since I’ve sacrificed a witch.”

Her green eyes landed on the blood-red crossbow in his hand that dripped red blood. Blood Warlocks or Witches specialized in spells that use blood and those spells are dependant on which rank and type of demon they made a pact with.

The worst part about these types of magical creatures is that with each sacrifice, the strength of the demon grows and thus increasing the Blood Warlock or Witch magical abilities. However….

Primrose lowered her head and chuckled. “Sacrifice?” She released her magical aura that was amplified by Anastasia on her shoulder. “There will be no sacrifice today.” She raised her head, a cold glint in her eyes, and said in a scathing voice.

“Just you bowing at my feet will be enough.”

Her magical aura was cyan and swirled around her in a downward spiral. The aura seeped into the earth and around her feet, the ground broke away. Green and blue bioluminescent mushrooms, and flowers bloomed at her feet, forming a mushroom circle.

The magical auras clashed, causing strong winds to surge in the village. The old tavern nearby suffered damage, as it had its roof blown off by the magical winds.

William looked at Primrose with a shocked expression before it transformed into one of excitement. “You’re a Fae Witch? You’re Primrose Willis?!” He asked joyfully, taking a single step towards her. “The only living Fae Witch in existence who was said to have vanished.”

Primrose gnashed her teeth, her green eyes shooting icy spears at Williams. Her fingers danced playfully at her sides, itching to release a spell. Her own fame among the witch and warlock communities was nothing new, so him knowing her name didn't phase her but the way he said it, angered her.

“I can’t kill you,” William gleefully said, “you’ll be great for my magical research. I must know everything about you!”

“Disgusting!” Primrose snarled before lifting her hand and pointing her open palm at William. “Tangling Faerie Vines!” Eight bioluminescent vines shot out of her palm at a frightening speed, twisting together, and forming a sharp tip.

William dropped his crossbow – which returned to its normal state – on the ground and raised his bleeding palm towards Primrose. “Blood Beast.” He said, each word amplified by a demonic voice.

Blood gushed from the wound on his palm in copious amounts and transformed into a large mouth filled with rows of sharp teeth. The blood beast roared with an unnatural voice before moving towards the incoming attack. with its mouth wide open.

The vines pierced the blood beast through the roof of its mouth and the beast clamped down on the vines with its sharp teeth causing a deafening explosion.

Primrose dashed to the side, using the dust cloud as a visual shield, and skidded to a stop before uttering another spell. “Faerie Mushroom Shield!” She called out quickly just as thin blood-red tendrils burst through the dust cloud with incredible speed.

A single green bioluminescent mushroom burst from the ground and rapidly grew to the side of a house in height. Primrose watched as the blood-red tendrils burrowed into the mushroom and turned it pitch black.

William laughed and walked out of the dust cloud with his hand up and hundreds of tendrils coming from his palm.

“How unlucky. You would’ve been under my control with my Blood Roots spell.” He told her in a playful tone before the blood tendrils went back into his palm making the mushroom wilt and flop to the side with the cap touching the ground.

Primrose glared at the warlock before taking several steps backward.

When she didn’t talk, William continued further, walking past the wilted mushroom. “Did you know that you and I are opposites? You, who made a pact with Faeries, beings of light and me, who made a pact with Demons, entities of darkness. I can’t wait to possess you completely and learn all of your secrets. Submit to me, Primrose.”

Primrose smirked, her eyes widening a fraction. “William, was it? The difference between the two of us is that I’ve lived far longer than you.”

William scoffed. “That may be but our magical auras are evenly matched despite you living a much longer life.”

Primrose raised her hand and tapped her temple with her finger. “William, knowledge is power.” Primrose spread her arms wide. “Faerie Dream.” She said, her voice soft and otherworldly.

The wilted giant mushroom suddenly burst to life behind William, surprising him and snaring him with bioluminescent vines which bounded him against the mushroom stem. The mushroom released glowing spores that rained down on William, lulling him to sleep.

“You surprised me….but you will be mine...eventually,” William told the brown-haired witch before falling into a dream-filled sleep.

Primrose walked up to the warlock, gripped his chin with her hand and stared at him with cold eyes. “Disgusting.” She scornfully said before removing her hand and wiping it in her black coat.

“OVER HERE!”

Primrose looked at the village entrance and frowned. She could hear multiple footsteps coming their way. “Theolas sent a mini-army?” Primrose mused before looking at William. “Should I bring him with us, Anastasia?”

Anastasia who was supporting her master’s spells the entire time flapped her wings and lifted off of Primrose’s shoulder. She flew towards William and landed on his head, flapping her blue wings twice.

“Traitor,” Primrose grumbled before placing her palm against the mushroom. She channeled her magical energy into the mushroom and looked at William. “You’re in luck, young warlock.” She said, casting a cloaking spell on them before walking towards the other village exit.

The mushroom absorbed the extra magical energy and sprouted two feet on each side at the bottom of its stem. The bioluminescent mushroom stood up, testing it’s two feet before following its creator with William in its grasp.

When Theolas and the mini army arrived they only found signs of the battle but not the battlers.

Theolas grimaced. “How dare they?!” He spat before remembering the green eyes of the hood figure that saved him.

“Who are you?”

But the only person who could answer that question was gone.