The birds sang softly as the sounds of crunching twigs echoed between the trees, his armor clinked and rattled with each step. He narrowed his eyes and looked deeper into the forest, keen to make sure no one could ambush him.
As he looked, he saw movement in the trees. He took a deep breath and wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword, the cool leather helping him focus as he crept towards the swaying branches.
He took firm steps, making sure that his footing would be stable if he was to stumble across the beast and need to swing his blade quickly. However, as he approached the rustling, he started to spot a shape. Not the shape of a beast, but one that resembled a person.
He continued to move, keen to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him. He walked around a large Elm tree and saw a clearing a few meters ahead. In this clearing crouched a girl, her red hair blowing in the breeze as she picked flowers.
“This is no place for you,” said the man firmly as he marched into the clearing, causing the girl to turn around in confusion.
“Why ever not?” Asked the girl as she rose to her feet.
“A beast lurks these woods,” replied the man gruffly.
“Many beasts do, it is a forest after all,” sung the girl as she knelt back down and returned to her flower picking.
“This beast,” growled the man. “Will eat you as soon as look at you.”
“Animals eat people, we are made of meat,” replied the girl flippantly, not bothering to even look up at the man.
“It isn’t an animal,” replied the man, growing tired of the girl’s rudeness. “It is a witch, a foul Satan spawn who poisons the very land she treads on, one who won’t hesitate to devour you and your soul.”
“I’m sure I will be fine,” replied the girl as she pulled a flower from the ground and put it into her basket.
“What makes you think that you can stop a creature like that?”
“What makes you care if I can?” Sighed the girl as she lifted her basket and started to walk into the forest, only for the man to grab her firmly by the arm.
“Because that creature has terrorized every village around here, filled them with so much fear they have opened their coffers and hired me to kill it.” Growled the man.
“She hasn’t terrorized anyone.” Replied the girl as she yanked her arm free and glared at the man. “Just because they don’t understand something, it doesn’t allow them to murder it.”
“And how do you know this? What makes you think that you know better than the Lords of several villages?”
“Maybe because I’m her familiar,” huffed the girl. “If she terrorized anyone I would be the first to know!”
“A familiar!” Growled the man as he backed off and drew his sword. “But you are not an animal or demon, whose form have you stolen?”
“I’ve stolen nothing,” replied the girl as she crossed her arms. The man reached into a small leather pouch and pulled out a vial. In one flowing movement, the man pulled the cork out of the bottle and threw the contents into the girl’s face.
“What in the world!” Shouted the girl as she rubbed her sleeve over her face in an attempt to remove the substance. As she looked at her damp sleeve her nostrils flared. “Holy water?” She said as she started to laugh. “What good did you think that would do?”
“Return to the ashes of whence you came foul beast!” Shouted the man. “Stain this place with your presence no longer!”
“You are the one who came to me,” replied the girl as she continued to dry her face off, only for the man to throw more water at her.
“Out dammed creature!” Shouted the man.
“I’m not a housecat, mere water doesn’t make me run away,” sighed the girl.
“Holy water is the bane to all creatures ejected from the firey pits.”
“I’m not from a pit,” interrupted the girl. “I’m from the coast.”
“Familiars are nothing more than evil taken form.”
“I’m the form I have always been.”
“A familiar is not born a human they only become a mockery of it,” seethed the man, a hint of fear growing in his eyes.
“I was born as human as you.”
“Then you are not a familiar.”
“What gives you the right to say what I am and what I am not?” Asked the girl. “I am a familiar.”
“How can you be both human and a familiar?”
“I was hired, just like you.”
“A witch hired a familiar?”
“Of course, how else does anyone get work?” Smiled the girl.
“They apprentice to someone with a trade, a witch is not a trade or a skill it is merely a curse.”
“An apprentice? A paltry four crowns a month for breaking my back at a kiln? Then my body goes and I’m thrown out on the street and have to rely on pity.”
“It is honest work,” started the man, only for the girl to instantly cut him off.
“Honest for whom? Because no town has ever given me honesty, but she has. I may work for her but I share the food at her table and every other comfort she has.”
“And for what? For damnation?” Shouted the man as his temper got the better of him. He raised his sword and leaned forward, using his free hand to grab the girl by the arm. “You will suffer with her.”
“If you so much as hurt a hair on my head, you will bring untold pain on yourself and those towns you said you would protect. She won’t allow me to be harmed.” Muttered the girl without a hint of fear.
“I have no intention of harming you,” smirked the man as she squeezed the arm tighter. “I will take you to town and let them decide what is best for you.”
“And get yourself laughed out.” Chuckled the girl. “No one is going to believe you, you said it yourself, familiars are not human.”
“You think they will believe your lies?”
“Who do you believe, a young innocent flower like me, or a drunken monster killer like you? You couldn’t find anything so grabbed the first girl you found in the forest.”
“You are a sinister girl, no wonder you fell into the employ of a witch.”
“She doesn’t take on anyone, she accepted me as I’m the best at what I do.” Smirked the girl. “And now we know you are looking, but just know, if you continue to look for us, I’ll be sure to tell everyone about your manhandling of me.”
“Fine,” shouted the man as she let go of the girl’s arm and marched back towards the town. “But you’ll pay for this!”
“She will pay me handsomely for this,” snickered the girl as she picked up her basket and slipped deeper into the forest.
Jonathon Greenall is a freelance writer, artist, and tabletop roleplaying game designer who has written for CBR, Polygon, Nintendo Life, Gayley Dreadful, Enbylife, and many other publications. They have also published several popular and highly-praised tabletop roleplaying games including “You Have One Ability….The Ability To Fuck This Up,” “Macarons, Milkshakes, And Magic,” and “Wander Wizards.”
Jonathon has always been fascinated by media, from the big hitters to the small, obscure, and often overlooked titles that linger on the sidelines, capturing both the on and off-camera stories that make these shows so fascinating.
Jonathon is also a major anime fan, having been exposed to the medium through shows like Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena. Since then, Jonathon has maintained a passion for anime, watching most new shows each season and hunting down overlooked gems from previous ones.