Witch

Screaming.

That was all she heard as she was dragged through the streets, the light burning her eyes as she was dragged out of her room, if it could even be called a room.

Her legs shook uncontrollably as she was pelted with rotten food and stones, the latter thumping loudly against her frail form.

She could hear it all. The fear, the hate, all of it directed against her. But she heard one word repetitively, a word that seemed to echo the loudest.

Monster.

With as little care as possible, those that had escorted her shoved her forward, her legs buckling as she hit the floor hard, sending clouds of dust and dirt into the air, filling her lungs and causing them to burn as if they were on fire.

With weary eyes she looked around her, covering her body as best as she could as she was repeatedly bombarded with projectiles. Then, almost as quickly as it had started, it stopped. Hesitantly, she looked around, before her eyes settled on a lone figure, a burly looking man with little hair on his head and scars covering his bare chest, a man she knew as the village chieftain. With a sneer of disdain, he took out a scroll and unfurled it, his eyes glancing over the parchment as he began to read it out.

"Salem!" The chieftain began, his powerful voice causing her to flinch instinctively.

"You have been charged with crimes of witchcraft, heresy, and disturbing the peace! If found guilty of any one of these crimes, you shall be hung by the neck until you are dead! What say you in your defense?"

So these were the baseless accusations on which she had been brought here? Ever since her birth she had been ousted as an outcast, all because of the most trivial of things: her hair and eyes.

When she had been born, her hair was ash white, something many considered a sign of weakness. She could have lived with that, if anything it would have made people more sympathetic to her. But it was the colour of her eyes that were the reason everyone hated her. Unlike others, she had been born with red eyes, a sign of evil.

Her family had 'attempted' to look after her, but they were quick to discard her as soon as she was able to walk. Ever since then she had been forced to look after herself, she had to fight for her life just to get a bed to sleep on in the night. Everyone had been against her from the start, this trial was just an excuse to get rid of her.

"It doesn't matter what I say, the verdict will be the same nonetheless." She rasped, her voice hoarse and croaking. She attempted to spit at the man's feet, but her mouth was so dry all that came out was spittle. "Just get it over with."

"See! She doesn't even try to deny it!" A voice shouted in the crowd. All turned their attention to the owner of the voice, many shouting in concurrence. "She doesn't deserve to be tried! We should just hang her and be done with it!"

There was a roar of approval at the words, some of the more eager rioters rushing off to find a rope to use as a noose. There was sudden silence as one of the elder members of the community stepped forward, a disgruntled look on his gnarled face.

"I remember the time before she was born! We had our good years and our bad years, and the Grimm were a constant threat, but we got off lightly compared to other villages!" the old man began, his fellow elders mumbling in agreement. It was then that he pointed a gangly finger at her, his features twisted into a fierce scowl. "But then she was born, with her devil eyes! And the Grimm have hounded us day and night ever since!"

"I saw her one night, talking to shadows!" A lithe ginger haired woman added, stepping forward as she spoke. "I tells you, she's working with the Grimm! She's their foul fathers whore she is!"

"A whore?" Salem hissed, bringing herself to face the woman, who shrank back at her gaze. "The only whore in this village is you, you self righteous cow-..."

Her words left her as she was suddenly thrown to the floor without so much as a warning. Her right cheek hurt, even as she raised her hand to nurse it. She turned and saw the chieftain flexing his hand as he nursed his palm. It wasn't the first time he had slapped her, but somehow she knew it would be the last, one way or another.

She told herself it wouldn't hurt as much next time, that she would get used to the pain.

She never did.

"So you do not deny these allegations?" He questioned, his voice calm almost as if he had done nothing at all. Salem did not reply, instead watching as the calm expression turned to smug satisfaction. "Very well. I hereby sentence you to be hung by the neck, until you are dead."

There was a great cheer amongst the villagers as she was suddenly forced onto her feet. Any attempt to fight back was hopeless as they quickly began to bind her wrists behind her, and any attempt to voice her protests were muffled by the foul tasting gag that was forced into her mouth.

They dragged her through the streets to the edge of the town, many of the townsfolk offering their own rope to be used as the noose that would hang her. They took her to the old tree, its branches gnarled and blackened, and they gathered there. A noose was quickly made and fitted around her neck, the end quickly being thrown over the sturdiest of the branches.

It would soon be over, she told herself, as she felt the rope tighten around her neck and a sense of weightlessness overcome her. It would soon be over…

"Stop!"

Almost as soon as she began to drift into unconsciousness, the rope slackened, causing her to hit the ground hard as she did her best to gasp for air, the task made much harder by the gag. As her breath slowly returned, she saw the crowd part as an elderly woman walked forward, her wild grey hair tied back into a ponytail that draped down the back of her ragged robes, in her hands an old wooden staff, adorned with feathers and other trinkets.

Upon setting eyes on the bound Salem, the woman gasped in horror, rushing forward and removing the noose before pulling off the gag.

"Are you all right child?" The woman asked, gently cupping her face in her hands. Salem found no words to respond as the woman looked to her injuries, before turning to face the burly man. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"High Priestess." The chieftain calmly replied, not even a hint of shame appearing on his face. "We have come to deliver justice."

"She has committed no crimes!" The woman, the High Priestess, rebuked. "You cannot punish her without sufficient evidence."

"We have all the evidence we need." He scoffed, holding his hands out as he spoke. "We have multiple witnesses."

"Witnesses who all hate and scorn her." The High Priestess once again rebuked. "And for what? For the colour of her eyes of all things!"

"High Priestess please." The chieftain whispered harshly, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I understand that you pity the child, but if she stays any longer she'll tear the town apart! Something must be done!"

"So you just decide to execute her?!"

"What would you suggest?!" He rebuked, his eyes wide in anger.

"To not condemn the child to death!" The High Priestess continued to beg. "Please."

There was silence as the chieftain took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he shook his head.

"Very well." he finally said, turning to face Salem with a scornful gaze. With a nod, two of the guards harshly picked her up, cutting her bonds but still holding her hands in place. "Salem, due to the wise counselling of our High Priestess, you will not be executed."

There was uproar immediately, but before it could escalate the chieftain held up his hand, signalling for silence.

"But you will no longer be allowed to stay within these walls!" He pointed to the main gates of the town as he then spoke the damning words. "Therefore, you are hereby banished from this community! Should you set foot on our soil again, not even your precious High Priestess will be able to save you! You'll never rejoin your people!"

As the sentence was passed, the doors swung open and she was dragged before them and flung forward, the gates closing as quickly as they had been opened.

Slowly, she picked herself up, looking at first towards the gates, the archers on the towers either side already notching arrows to their bows, and then towards the forest, its black trees reaching towards the sky like grasping hands. Without a second thought, she picked herself up and dashed towards the trees, the sound of bow strings twanging and arrows thumping echoing behind her, until at last she made it to the safety of the forest.

She had slowly made her way through the forest, hoping to find something, anything. Yet all she found were more trees, and the closest thing she found to a live animal was the occasional cockroach, which scuttled away too quickly for her to even consider eating it.

Despite the abundance of trees, none were suitable fuel for a fire, all too wet and damp despite the warm conditions. Eventually she was forced to use her own clothing as fuel, and she was left naked in the night, the only sounds the forest heard that night being her pitiful crying as she came to the conclusion that this was the end.

"...Salem..."

She froze at the sound of her own name. She looked around for any sign of who was speaking, but found none. The more she thought about, the more she decided to ignore it. Besides, it sounded like the voice had been inside her head.

"...Salem..." The voice repeated, this time more urgently. She looked around, her arms doing their best to cover her nude form as she tried to discern the location of the voice.

Before she could cry out for the owner of the voice to reveal themselves, smoky tendrils whipped out of the forest, streaming directly towards her. She let out a cry of panic as she fell backwards, unintentionally extinguishing the fire as she fell. She watched with panic in her eyes as the tendrils snaked their way across her body, seemingly streaming into every orifice they could find. Yet despite the invasiveness of the tendrils, she felt a sudden calmness as the largest ones carefully slid around her, almost as if shrouding her from the cold. The same way a mother might cradle their child.

"Do not be afraid..." The voice sang, her eyes lulling as if she were listening to a lullaby. "...I am peace...I am salvation..."

She felt the tendrils leave her body, and as they did, she felt a sudden surge of strength flow through her. She turned, mesmerised towards the smoke like apparition, which beckoned her to follow.

"Ours is the timeless chorus... Join your voice with mine, and sing victory ever lasting," The voice cooed, retreating further into the forest as it spoke. "Come, child. Embrace fate, and claim your destiny."

Salem began to follow, but halted in her tracks. Was this a trick? She had heard stories of dark spirits leading travellers to a gruesome and untimely end with promises of power, or offering that which they most desired. As soon as she had stopped, the tendrils seemed to sense her trepidation, billowing towards her like a dark cloud in a storm.

"Still you fight? Still you refuse this gift?" The voice questioned, numbing her mind with each word that was spoken. "Very well, let me show you what fate has in store for you."

The smoke then forced its way into her mouth and nose, choking her immediately as she fell forward, nearly vomiting on the spot as she began to spasm and convulse on the ground.

And then, she saw the truth of it all.

The village was in the midst of celebration, cheering loudly as they drank from beer horns and flagons, celebrating yet another good harvest. Ever since Salem had been banished, fate had changed for the village. The harvests became more plentiful, the Grimm lessened in their attacks, and all in all things were beginning to turn around for the better.

Yet the sound of celebration was suddenly silenced by the loud banging on the main gates. No guardsmen were on duty, so they had no warning of visitors. They banging repeated again, and the villagers murmured to one another as to who it could be.

"I demand to speak with your chieftain!" A voice, a voice that was eerily familiar, commanded from the other side.

There were more murmurs as the village chieftain stepped forward and barked a command for the gates to be opened. The order was obeyed quickly, and the gates swung open to reveal a lone figure, cloaked and hooded in black robes.

Without another word, the robed figure strode forward confidently, their cloak brushing gently across the grass. The figure stopped within arms reach of the chieftain and froze. They then went to remove their hood, and gasps of horror rang amongst the crowd. Her skin was almost the colour of ash, and black veins ran along her arms, which were surprisingly healthy in spite of their colour.

Yet when the figure pulled back their hood, more gasps rang out across the crowd. Her hair may have been healthier looking and her face hay have been fuller, but all recognised her, and her eyes.

"Salem..." The chieftain began, his voice a whisper as he stared at first in horror before he regained his composure. "I warned you what would happen if you were to return!"

"I recall exactly what you said." Salem replied, her voice now confident in spite of her situation, a sinister smile on her face. "But I'm afraid you won't be following through with it."

"Is that what you think?" The chieftain said, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. "Someone get a rope! We're hanging this bitch tonight!"

"That won't be necessary." Salem stated, her voice surprisingly calm, much to the villagers surprise. What had happened to the cursed girl in that forest? What had turned her into this?

"You dare to overrule my orders?!" The chieftain shouted, raising his hand to strike Salem. Yet when his hand neared her cheek, all gasped in horror.

He had done it before countless times before, and no one had batted an eye before, so why should now be any different. Yet that was not the reason all gasped, nor was it the reason the chieftain himself had frozen in shock. The reason was that Salem had caught the hand.

"For so many years, I lived in constant fear because of you." Salem hissed, tightening her grip on the chieftains hand and forcing him to the ground with a cry. Her other hand then grasped his throat, turning his cries into croaks as she began to crush his windpipe. "You haunted me for nearly my entire life, and then you tried to kill me! All those months ago, you said I would never rejoin my people. And to that I say; I have no people!"

Without another word, she squeezed tightly. There was a sudden crack as his windpipe was shattered, the chieftain's eye popping out of its socket at the extreme force applied.

There were cries of horror as the villagers backed away, Salem carelessly releasing her grip on the corpse. It was then she turned to the frightened crowd, an empty look in her red eyes, even as the reflection of the fire danced in her pupils.

"And as for all of you, you shunned me as a freak, a monster!" Salem began, turning to face each and everyone of the villagers as she spoke. "I was not not a monster! But now-... Now let me show you just what a monster can do!"

It was then that the howling started, at first faint but getting louder with each and every second. The villagers suddenly panicked as hordes of Grimm suddenly rampaged through the village, clambering over walls and gates alike, nothing slowing their rush of violence.

Salem simply stood, watching in satisfaction as entire families were slaughtered like animals. She turned her attention to one person in particular, and felt a sudden pang of anguish.

Before her, clutching her staff as she tried to outrun a Beowolf was the High Priestess, a trail of blood following her as she attempted to limp to safety. She stumbled and fell, crawling away from the Beowolf as it descended on all fours, ready to leap forward and pounce.

Yet at the last second, it stopped, quickly rushing off in search of other prey. The High Priestess looked around, her eyes landing on the one person who was not running in fear. The one person the Grimm ignored.

Salem calmly walked towards the frozen High Priestess, kneeling down in front of her and cupping one of her frail hands in her own, an innocent caring smile on her face that belied the hate within her.

"Everyone here hated me, even my own parents did. I was shunned and beaten by everyone. Everyone, except you." Salem began, brushing a stray hair out of the High Priestesses eyes as the elderly woman breathed rapidly on the spot.

She thought about helping her escape, using her saviours gift to make the Grimm obey the Priestess as they did her. Yet almost as soon as she began to think those thoughts, she felt a sudden wave of force through her mind as her saviour spoke to her once more.

"She cannot live...she deserves to die..."

'She was the only one who ever loved me as a child...I cannot let her die.' Salem pleaded mentally, hoping that it would listen to her.

"If she lives, you can never rule..." Thevoice replied, seemingly seeping into the back of her mind. "If she lives, you will always be chained to your humanity...it is time to break the chain!"

It was then, as if by some form of magic, that she felt no emotion for the woman before her. She was important perhaps, to the young girl who had been shunned as a freak and a monster. But that little girl was dead in the forest, born again as someone new. Someone with power. The smile was now replaced with a more sinister one, a faint purple glow emanating from the palm of her hand.

"It will all be over soon." Salem whispered, the smile only growing as her hand connected to the High Priestesses forehead, a blood curdling scream leaving the woman's lips as her mind was flayed and ravaged by the strange energy in her hand.

Then the screaming stopped, the High Priestesses eyes having been burnt out by Salem's new power. She raised her hand, observing her palm for any disfigurement or mutation. Not this time it seemed.

Without so much as another word, she turned and left the village, her hood covering her head as she returned to her new home, the same words her saviour, no, her master, had said to her so long ago echoing in the back of her mind.

"You will be more then you ever were, and when the time comes, for what I grant you, you will serve me well."