Archer crouched in an alley, salivating over the pie resting in his palms. Scarfing down the treat, Archer smiled in satisfaction before his train of thought was interrupted by another. It was not that he wanted to steal, but his hands were tied. Leaning against a brick wall and placing his palms over his eyes, Archer noticed he had landed in a puddle.
He tried to get up, but he found himself stuck in place. The puddle was abomination goo, meaning that someone must be nearby. Archer's thoughts immediately went to Paramain, Abomination Coven Head, here to send him back to the Emperor for failing his quest. Archer shivered. Anything would be better than that.
Attempting to unstick himself, Archer barely noticed the grandmother-like figure walking toward him. Short and plump, she wore a pink apron and carried with her a small rolling pin. Glancing at Archer, she smiled a rather warm smile before she spoke.
"Did someone here steal Mima Ally's pie?" Archer stiffened at this question, but Ally simply smiled and stepped up to the boy, placing the tip of her rolling pin under his chin, "You liked that pie, didn't you?"
Archer nodded, too nervous to speak. This witch felt more powerful than she looked, and Archer was almost completely powerless himself.
"Nice boys like you know stealing is wrong, don't you?"
Archer sniffled. He had cast a once in a thousand year spell, only for him to come back empty handed. He had trudged through the woods, facing man-eating plants, and was starving. Archer began to shake in frustration as he let out a sob. He just could not get a break. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he planned, he was a failure. There was no doubt in the boy's mind that he was a complete and utter embarrassment to the Emperor's Coven. This thinking only made him cry louder, as he remembered the Emperor's none-too-kind reminders of this.
Ally, upon seeing the child cry lowered her rolling pin and looked the teenager in the eye, "You were really hungry, weren't you?"
Archer paused. Still trying to pull himself together, he nodded, now wrapping his arms around his knees, pressed against his chest.
"I can't just let you steal," Ally stepped back and began pacing, her rolling pin transforming into a Honeybadger staff, "But you clearly have nothing to pay for it anyway. . . How about we make a deal? Yeah, a deal!" Ally turned to Archer, sticking out her palm, "I'll let you go, even give you room and board, if you work for me at the bakery."
Archer considered for a moment. Surely working at a bakery was beneath him, but no one would expect him to be there either. She also was offering more food, which he would surely need given the current rate of the quest. Archer then glanced down at the puddle trapping him. He really didn't have much of a choice, either way.
Turning back to the old witch, Archer shook her hand.
