The handsome hero stands proudly on the crest of a hill watching the sun set. Such golden rays can barely hold a candle to his magnificent inner aura which shines bright even in the rustic setting. Leaves rustle in a lazy breeze and the hero's smooth, unblemished profile turns to face the wind. His perfectly tousled hair waves against his chiseled jaw as he glances over his broad shoulder to see –

SMACK!

"Ow, Visul, that hurt!"

"Prince Yue, why are you talking to yourself?" from the shadows emerge a small woman, black hair done up neatly in a bun, dressed simply in a once white kimono, worn from weeks of travel. She is scowling at the young man rolling on the ground, glass earrings glinting warningly, and places her hands firmly on her hips, "Prince Yue!"

"I," the man replied from the floor importantly, "am narrating. Speaking of which, didn't I tell you to call me Xing, hmmm?"

"Of course, Xing," Visul cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, "now if you've stopped fooling around, do you think we could maybe go join the Witch Hunters? Their headquarters is right. Over. There," She jabbed a finger toward the clearly visible towering structure with every word, "and we've been sitting here for two days!"

"In a minute," followed by an inappropriately cheerful grin, "I was building dramatic tension. Ahem!"

His eyes gleamed with wisdom in the fading light as his faithful servant –

BOOM! CRASH! CRACK! SLAM!

Heavy breathing among the wreckage of a newly fallen tree, a fading echo, and a spreading crimson pool around our 'hero' of the hour.

"Right then," Visul smiled brightly, gripping her ward's collar in a steel fist, "I'll just go sign us up, okay?"

She began dragging the limp body toward their destination, "I'm so glad you agree with me. I think you'll have a really good beginning here. Right, Xing?"

There was no reply.

"I thought you would feel that way," she said serenely.

And so began the epic tale of the once prince Xing, his loyal teacher Visul, and the Witch Hunters.

~.~

A/N: FREEDOM! FREEDOM AT LAST! How many months has it been? Hahahahaha~