It was midwinters eve in the town of Nordberg and the town was a buzz with excitement as everyone was getting ready for the festivities later that night, but on the outskirts of town in an old run down shed the child know as Witch boy sat all alone. Witch boy wasn't his real name it was just what the villagers called him due to his blue skin and glowing eyes, a sign of strong magic, he didn't know his real name as he had been abandoned at the town gate when he was two years old, that had been 3 years ago now.
He sensed someone approaching before he heard them, he pulled his hood up to cover his face; he knew who it was but still didn't want to show his face. "Witch boy you there?" asked a girls voice, the door creaked open as Kelda came in to the shed. Witch boy glanced at her as she walked in, she was the same age as him and her fire red hair seamed to glow in the dark as she looked round for him. She was the only one in the village that was nice to him often bring him food and clothes. She spotted him and smiled "There you are. I brought you some food for midwinter." She said, shutting the door Kelda sat next to him putting a basket of food down. He didn't say anything to her, just looked at her, the smile never fading from her face. "So Witch boy, how have you been? Have you been keeping warm?" she asked. Unlike when other called him that he felt warmth and kindness coming from her, almost like it was a nickname friends give each other. "I have been fine" he responded, she smiled again at hearing his voice and got something out of the basket and handed it to him. "Here it's a scarf," she said as he looked at the red cloth in his hands, "I think you will look good in it". She reached for his hood but he grabbed her arm to stop her, "Its okay," she assured him "the way you look doesn't bother me" he lowered her arm and then slowly pulled his hood down. He could feel her eyes looking at his blue skin and all the strange markings on it as he rapped the scarf around himself and pulled it up over his mouth and nose then put his hood back in place, so now all you could see were his glowing eyes peering out from under it. "See I knew it would suit you." Kelda said, he was about to thank her when he sensed something new but strangely familiar out side in the woods. His head turned to look where the presence was coming from, he then heard Kelda getting up and looked back at her, "Well I need to go help finish setting up. I will see you tonight Witch boy." She said heading to the door. "Thanks." Witch boy said as she left, she looked back and smiled at him then left back to town. Now he was alone again he let his magic spread out a bit to try to find that strange thing again, after a few minutes of trying he found it but this time there was three of them, right at the edge of the woods near his shed, he felt a small tingling through his body up to his brain "Master?" he jumped up having heard that in his head, he rushed outside to where they were and stop when he saw three sets of glowing eyes staring at him from the shadow of the trees.
It was almost evening time in Nordberg and the midwinters eve festival was about to start. Kelda put the last of the food on the table in the center of town and looked round. All the houses had different colored lights placed round them, the trees in the town were decorated with cloths that were all the colors of the rainbow, lanterns and bunting hung from house to house and across the town center and she could see the adults getting the fireworks ready. With all her jobs done Kelda headed home to get ready, she couldn't wait for the fun her and Witch-boy were going to have, it was one of the few times she could play with him as long as she wanted as her parents were to busy drinking to notice. she ran straight to her room and started to put on her new clothes, a blue wool dress and coat to match, as she looked at her coat its blue color reminded her of witch-boy's skin. Kelda wondered how he had gotten skin like that covered in pretty pattens, her dad said it was the sign of very old and power full magic and that she had to stay way, like she was going to do that she liked witch-boy he was her friend. Now that she was ready she looked out her window and saw all the lights dancing in the night, it was a beautiful night, then she heard them passing by. Bill and his gang, the other kids in town 6 years old and under, "okay, does everyone remember what they have to do?" asked Bill the oldest boy, "Yes" said one of the girls "we have to hit him with lots of snowballs" the whole gang laugh and raced off towards the outskirts of town and Witch-boy. Getting mad Kelda rushed to get her boots on before running out the door to follow them, 'they are always picking on Witch-boy' she thought 'and today is the day i stop them, no one had beaten her in a fight yet'.
Kelda ran through the town's south gate, past Nev who was sat by the gate drinking, as she got a little way down the road she heard screams from the other kids up ahead. the next thing she saw was Bill and his gang running back to town,but insted of going to town they ran down a small path towards their fort that they had built. "Master bash good!" said a strange growling voice behind her, she turned round and saw Witch-boy stood surrounded by some strange brown creatures. They were the same size as a child, with thin but musicale arms and legs, they were wearing a fur loin-cloths and holding a club in one hand. Their round heads which were stooping forward had long pointy floppy ears and big yellow eyes, they looked at Witch-boy as if they were seeing their god in person. After looking at these strange demon creatures she looked to Witch-boy for some sort of explanation, she noticed his eyes were glowing brighter, "What...what are these things? What's going on?" she asked. "They're minions...my minions, they do what I say at least, they say they have been looking for me for years I am their master" He told her getting more excited then she had seen him ever. She looked him in his eyes and saw a spark of mischief there and knew that this was going to be a fun time. "Lets head to town the festival is going to start soon" Kelda said, Witch-boy looked at the minions around him "You sure?" he asked, "Yes this is going to be good just think what we can get up to with your demons" she said. they set off back to town, the minions following behind, when they got to the gate it was closed and Nev was leaning on it "Stop right there. Your not coming in *hic* I have *hic* order," Nev slurred drunkenly "No Witch-boy's, with your funny eyes" he look passed Witch-boy and Kelda spotting the minions, "and no demons *hic* be off with you now and stop that wobbling about you trying to make old Nev sick". Kelda look back at Witch-boy and the minions, it was true even if the towns folk let him in the minions were defiantly not human, she though about what they could do, Nev was drunk so it wouldn't be hard to trick him, if they dressed the minions up they could sneak in. "Witch-boy I have an idea. What do you say we go pay Bill and his gang a visit?" she asked. He just looked at her questions in his eyes, "Follow me" she said.
They stopped just outside the fort, it was walls of snow and wood made in to a crude building, "okay," said Kelda "if we can get the cloths off them, we can dress your little demons up and get in to town for some major fun". Witch-boy looked at the fort and without saying or doing anything, as far as Kelda could see, the minions rushed to the fort and broke in. Screams could be heard from Bill and his gang, and laughter from the minions. "What are they?", "hey don't do that!" "hey they have my coat!" the kids shouted. The minions came running back dressed in all the kids cloths. Kelda smiled "this was going to work" she thought as they head back to the town laughing, she had never seen Witch-boy like this he was normally quite but know was wild, she loved it. when they got to the gate Nev was still there he look up at them as they approached, "Hello kiddies, come to enjoy the party? 'ere why'd you bring that witch-boy he's got funny eyes I tell you." Nev drunkenly said "You can come in but don't let that witch-boy lead you astray, only drink apple juice *hic* like me." he opened the gate and everyone rushed in. The festival was in full swing, everyone one happy and enjoying themselves, Kelda and Witch-boy made it to the town square and got some food. After some planing Witch-boy told the minions to have some fun and Kelda and Witch-boy watched as they pulled down stalls and stands and smashing plates,the adults were drunk they just thought they kids were over tired, the two were laughing at it all then they saw the fireworks and a wicked smile crossed both their faces. the minions as one all stopped and went and grabbed some of them placing them round the big tree in the town center. Witch-boy got near the tree and sent a bolt of magic at the fireworks lighting the fuse both kids and minions watched as the tree went up in an explosion of color, Witch-boy held Kelda's hand as they laughed.
Suddenly there was a big crash and one of the houses crumbled and the warning bell sounded, the next minute people were running in all directions shouting "Empire, empire!", the minions disappeared in to the crowed, Kelda thought it looked fun "Witch-boy this looks good lets go see" running to the north gate and climbing up to the wall to see with the mayor and a few other villagers that hadn't run away and what they saw was a sight to see. There was an army out side the gate row upon row of armored men and on a raised bit of land stood two men on was in golden armor shouting orders, the other was fat, looking annoyed and wearing a toga. The one in gold started to shout at the people gathered on the town wall "Send out your magic users Nordberg so they may be cleansed in the name of the Empire and your new governor Borius!" the man gestured to the other one when saying his name. The mayor gulped and shouted back "We have no magic users here we are simple people of the land!" the one in gold got angry at this statement "Do not lie the sentinels have spoken!" then to hooded things appeared behind him, Kelda felt as if something was off with them as if they weren't part of this world, "send out your magic user or we will cleanse your whole town if necessary!". The mayor was panicking at this point looking around for help when he spotted Witch-boy. "Well..Well maybe we do have one!" the mayor shouted back picking up Witch-boy and throwing him over the wall to the troops. "NO!" screamed Kelda run to the wall edge but as she tried to jump down to her friend the mayor grab her, "Let me go i have to help him!" she started to cry "Don't be daft girl do you want to die to?" scolded the mayor Kelda could only watch as her friend ran to the forest away from the troops she saw the minions meet him at the edge of the forest, he looked back at her and disappeared in to the trees chased by the Empire troops, Kelda could just cry as she was handed to her mum as the Empire and the fat man, Borius, walk in to Nordberg calming it for the Glorious Empire.