The smoky and dirty little inn was louder than usual. Maybe because the fact it was a Friday evening, or because a famous witch hunter was inside telling his incredible stories just a little too harshly and drunken.
Vlad Popescu, the living legend, the well known witch hunter just finished his biggest job ever – he had found, arrested and handed in the infamous and dangerous witch: Erzsébet, the fearfully beautiful woman from the forest nearby.
The action itself was quite life risking, due to the fact the woman was not amused when a complete stranger kicked in her door, pointing two loaded pistols to her head, yet forgetting to check the hideout for potential problematic sidekick before hand. Thus even though he disarmed and surprised the witch with no effort, her loyal dogs attacked him right afterwards, and a really long and tiring wrestling – more like a real battle– began, but eventually the witch used up all of her power and collapsed. So the hunter tied his prey up, gathered anything valuable from her house and marched back to the town, bleeding but grinning, throwing her in the prison, until the royal inquisitor arrives, and started to celebrate his greatness.
So here he was standing on a table, totally drunk and wasted, dancing with a local girl, singing horribly and totally not acting like the coolest hero of the time.
That's why it was possibly that when Vlad finally waked up the next day his head was killing him, his vision blurred, any sharp or sudden noise stabbing in his brain, you know hangover.
About the sharp and sudden noise, add irritating and high because someone was laughing, and her voice was anything but beauty for the ears right now. Heck she even snored at one point. What a lady.
- Oh look who's back. Never thought you would follow me this early, I mean I know I'm more than lovely and tempting but seriously? You would follow me into the jail? – the sharp and annoying feminine voice ringed in the dark and dusty walls and cells. Vlad finally could see a little, and quickly understood his situation.
- You would just love to have me near you, admit it. –he retorted, while flashing a heart melting smirk towards his opponent.
- Pff, please. If I would want a man to follow me around I would have done it years ago… and why would you know? Maybe I did it already.
- I guess the poor soul then killed himself? – Vlad was more than tired and upset thanks to his degrading situation, and did not wanted to deal with a laughing, but most probably furious witch.
- Actually you killed him yesterday so you should be apologizing right now. – Erzsbet smiled with a painfully innocent smile.
- To a witch? Never!
- You're all the same. Boring.
- I'm not the one doing black magic here, and making people's life miserable.
- Oh pardon me! Yes maybe I'm a witch, but I'm not necessarily evil.
- You have the highest reward on your head! And now you try to convince me that it's just a bad joke?
- You simply headed bastards can only see the world in black and white, don't you?
- Tomorrow you won't be this sure of yourself. – he snorted back.
- You seriously think I'm afraid of some inquisitor? -she chuckled
- You can't be that stupid to believe in your own innocence and the mercy of the inquisitors…
- Why do you think I'm relying on people's graciousness?
- Then why are you this sure of yourself? I mean, when the inquisitors arrive you're gonna die in a really really ugly way.
- If the inquisitors arrive… Why are you so sure they will come?
- I called for them yesterday.
- Then you ended up in the jail…
- It's only a mistake.
- . . . You hear yourself? – the witch laughed full heartedly. The hunter just blinked.
- What are trying to imply?
- The man who send to them that the infamous witch is captured is actually in prison himself for misbehavior and disorderly conduction. Yes… They will believe you. – Erzsébet's smile was poisonous. Beautiful but deadly. Vlad just stared at her for a minute then started to laugh.
- Darling - he started while whipped the tears from his eyes. – you have absolutely no idea who am I? – the witch seemed surprised and confused.
- Should I?
- Man, and I thought you were intelligent for a moment… - Vlad's laughter was even more irritating than Erzsébet's before. He could see the impatient curiosity in the witch's eyes but the woman stayed stilled waiting for him to continue. – May I introduce myself, then. Vlad Popescu, professional witch hunter at your service. – he even bowed to her.
The look on Erzsébet face was really hard to describe. Anger, misbelief, and for a blink even fear. But all these emotions were perfectly hidden behind fake disinterest. Vlad was not someone a witch – specially a witch- could fool easily, but even he couldn't read from the woman's face, and since she decided to remain silent it was harder than usual.
- I see… You're so over-helmed with my greatness you forgot how to speak.
- You wish… And how many witches have you hunted down?
- I lost counting after the fiftieth so I don't really know. – he smirked. He knew exactly that witches are strange creatures. Even thought they never meet each other they are head over hills to kill someone who harmed a witch. He could never understand where this strong empathy comes from. He waited for the well known piercing and hateful look from the woman, but she remained still again, not even looking at him. She was indeed special.
- What did you do to them after that?
- What would have I do? Hand them over the royal court and the inquisitors. They do the rest.
- So you never killed anyone before. – it was more of a conclusion, and finally she lifted up her head but her gaze was more dull and careless than the spider in the corner of her cell. As if it was a normal conversation between average people who don't care. Vlad was surprised.
- No… I did not kill anyone.
- Why?
- I don't really like the smell and vision of blood.
- You don't want to get your hands dirty? – she snorted.
- Indeed. Do you know how hard is it to remove from clothes?
- I'm seriously in doubt that you're a witch-hunter.
- Do you want to see my papers? – he deadpanned. Erzsébet laughed, finally some life in her eyes again. Vlad couldn't decide if he should be relieved or troubled.
- No, thank you, I should trust my own experiences and based on them, you're indeed a qualified witch-hunter. You could win in a match against me. I think that's something worth mentioning. – her smile was again sweet and innocent, her laughter was full of something Vlad couldn't really put his hand on.
Remembering when he first herd about her they depicted her as a heartless, cruel, inhuman and deadly fearful witch. Now if he thought about their fight and watched the woman in front of him he could only see a little crazy girl from the woods and a lonely outcast of humanity. Indeed she fought with all her power, and her attacks were enough to kill a man on impact, even tough he felt like that whole wrestling was just an act, a play, something she just did because she had to. She didn't mean it. Like she wasn't fighting with all her strength. It pissed him off a little too much.
- Speaking of our little fight, may I ask you something that keeps bothering me?
- Go ahead. – her innocent smile again. It will drive him mad.
- Tell me as honestly as a witch can, did you fight with all of your power and strength against me, or did you just play with me? – Vlad tried to make his best serious face, but Erzsébet just chuckled at his question.
- Why do you think I didn't use all my power? I collapsed in the end, remember?
- That can be because of too many reasons. So?
- If you don't trust witches why do you wait any honest answers from me? You said it yourself, and I responded with the most honest answer I could, since I'm fortunately a witch myself. – she laughed at him, mocked him, ridiculed him. But it peeved him more than anything since she was the very first witch to do so.
- I still can't get why are you this calm. You're gonna hang or burn tomorrow. Aren't you afraid of death?
- Why should I? – she asked back still smiling.
- People usually like to live. Don't you wanna live?
- Rest assured I do wanna live more, but who knows what the future brings to us? You can never be sure of anything… - her smile became mischievous.
- You're planning something.
- Whoa, you have the sharpest eyes around here! - she clearly laughed at him. At this very moment did the recognition hit him that he cannot see any of the guards. And this realization filled him with fear.
What do you think will happen to Vlad in the cells? Will Erzsébet somehow get revenge and escape? Will the inquisitor arrive? Where did the guards disappear?
Any feedback, idea, comment is welcomed, positive, negative any kind.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed, have a nice day :)