The Magician was no fool.
He had lost their dearest friend, the High Priestess, and knew his time was coming.
The Magician quickly gathered his things, throwing his garments and spellbooks into this bag. A tickle of sweat ran down his forehead, he was on edge. Any moment, the town may turn on him. In any moment, the town would too soon burn him like a witch.
The Magician had powers, powers like the High Priestess, but unlike his friend he was not afraid to fight back. He would be ready for anything they would throw at him, whether he liked it or not.
However, the Magician did not calculate a greater foe. A foe stronger than the combined forks of townies, a foe on his level. A foe who too, had power.
The Magician slung his sack across his shoulder, and slammed the door. He made his descent into the forest, through the thick branches. He was not a man of the wild, and was rather unused to all the thorns pricking through him.
“Gods, I should’ve worn something better for this.” He grumbled.It was the break of dawn, the moon his only source of light. The Magician would’ve cast a spell to help light the way, but he was afraid the light would draw attention to him.
And the last thing he needed was attention.
He made quick work, avoiding branches and thorns, and soon he could see the base of the mountain. There, he would be safe.
Unknown to the Magician, a woman was passing by. A woman on a journey, a woman on a path. She posed no threat, but she would unfortunately find herself in the midst of something greater.
The Magician walked his way towards the mountain, and the woman walked towards the same mountain herself.
Two strangers would soon lose their lives at that very mountain.
The woman stepped on a branch, to which the Magician called out, “Who’s there?”
“It’s just me, I’m passing through.” The woman yelled back, into the dark sky.
The Magician followed her voice, to see a harmless townie woman smile. He breathed a sigh of relief. “What is a woman like you doing out here?”
The woman laughed, and replied “I needed to get away, from the kids, from everything. I need to find myself”
“And you intend to find yourself on this mountain?” The Magician asked, rather curious why a woman would venture out into the unknown.
“No better way to have a spiritual journey than to cross a mountain!” She let out a big laugh, and winked at the Magician.
Now, in another timeline, maybe these two could have been friends. But fate was not kind to either woman or man on this mountain.
A figure of the dark, of the shadows, creeps up towards the Magician. It’s too fast, and he can barely react. A sword at his throat and slices through his skin like butter. He falls rather quickly, and the woman screams.
“If only you didn’t do that, you could’ve lived…” The voice whispers, before blowing out the woman’s light too.
died.