Witch Hut. Part 1

Not a single bird sang. Silence hung thick as they walked beneath the shadowy canopy of the Arua forest. Mist crept between the roots, and twisted branches stretched like ancient hands from the trees, brushing the damp air.

Cold gripped the forest, dragging with it a creeping dread from the depths of the woods—an unease that weighed heavily on the young woman still walking hesitantly behind Patra, following him through the dark wilderness.

Anastasia didn't know what exactly the monster hunter was seeking in this place, which sent a constant chill down her spine. Her instincts warned her: she was somewhere she was not supposed to be.

Patra continued walking in silence until suddenly, he stopped. His gaze locked on something far into the shadows between the trees, as if he sensed something hidden there.

"Sir Patra… is something ahead of us?"

"This is the Arua forest. There's always something here," Patra replied, eyes still fixed on the trees. "Looks like they still want to watch us."

"What's watching us?" Anastasia whispered nervously. "Is it a Wraith… or a witch?"

She gripped her staff tightly, heart pounding—especially after realizing from Patra's tone that the creatures watching them were more than just one.

Patra didn't answer. He resumed walking, scanning the surroundings with sharp alertness until he halted again.

"From here, we'll head west. You'd better stay close to me."

The girl didn't know which way was west—everything looked the same, and the sun was hidden behind the clouds.

"Alright… but please, don't leave me alone in this forest."

"As long as you can move faster, you shouldn't fall behind and get eaten by the monsters lurking nearby."

Without delay, the young woman stepped closer to Patra. She didn't know what kind of monsters he meant, but she felt safer near him.

Anastasia found it harder to walk as thick roots snaked across the forest floor. Fortunately, the hunter occasionally helped her over the tougher patches.

But then, ahead lay a vast, muddy swamp with dead trees and only a few dry paths not submerged in water. Before they could go far, rustling came from the bushes—six black wolves emerged, eyes glowing, sharp teeth bared.

Drool dripped between their fangs, and they growled with what sounded like mocking laughter.

"So the dogs finally show up… but this is no place for beasts like you."

"Sir Patra, they're trying to surround us!"

"Stay where you are. Don't leave the swamp, and definitely don't step into the water. There are giant snakes guarding this place."

"Giant… snakes?!"

Anastasia gasped, but she remained beside Patra. As the wolves lunged toward them, the muddy water erupted violently.

A massive snake slithered out, head whipping through the air to seize a wolf mid-leap. More serpents appeared, biting and coiling around the wolves trapped in the water.

Beastly howls and snarls echoed, but the wolves didn't stand a chance. Only one managed to flee back into the forest.

The largest snake raised its red-streaked head and swallowed a wolf whole. Then it slithered toward Patra, flicking its tongue close to his face, as if trying to recognize him.

But the creature slowly retreated, sinking back into the mire, leaving Patra unharmed.

Anastasia stood frozen, trembling. She couldn't believe what she'd just witnessed. Only now did she realize she'd been walking near a mud pool teeming with giant snakes that could swallow her whole.

"Looks like the serpent still remembers me. Anastasia, we'd better move before its offspring decide we're food."

"O-Okay…"

Fear and curiosity wrestled within her. She wanted to ask how these creatures knew Patra and why they hadn't attacked him—but in the end, she kept her questions to herself.

They continued through the swamp until they saw a rundown cottage standing in the middle, a lantern flickering in the window. Someone moved inside. But who could possibly live in a place like this?

"Sir Patra… doesn't that hut look suspicious? It's right in the middle of a swamp and looks just like—"

"It is a witch's hut. She's lived here a long time, so she might know something about the Wraiths coming from the Arua forest."

"Is she the one who sent them into Orlandia?"

"She's not the kind of witch who can command Wraiths. She can cast mist like what covered the capital, but there's no way Granny Nirfa would ever help those wicked mages."

Patra had said back at the palace that not all witches were evil, but Anastasia still wasn't convinced. Too many young women had been kidnapped and sacrificed by witches.

As they approached, a loud cackle rang out from within the old hut. Patra stepped to the door and knocked.

Knock… knock… knock…

"Who's knocking?" came a raspy voice. "No one's home. Go away."

"It's me, Patra. Open the door, now!"

The door creaked open on its own. A hunched old woman with a pointy hat and warts on her face stood inside—she looked exactly like the storybook witches Anastasia had heard about as a child. A black cat and an owl sat in the corner.

"Hehehe… Patra, it's been so long! Come in, dear. Granny just finished cooking your favorite—frog leg soup."

Patra stepped in without hesitation, resting his sword by the table. Anastasia followed, confused. He knew this witch?

"Hehehe… and who is this sweet girl, Patra? Why haven't you introduced your lover to Granny?"

"I'm not his lover!" Anastasia protested. "I'm only here because the kingdom assigned me to help him hunt dark mages."

"Really now? But isn't he quite handsome? Look at that face—so noble and strong. And he's descended from a great noble family of the Welko kingdom."

Anastasia glanced at Patra as Nirfa described him—seated there, chewing frog legs. She had to admit, she was a little tempted, but quickly shook the thought.

"I'm a Priest! I can't marry!"

"But couldn't you stop being a Priest and live happily with Patra instead?"

"Enough! I don't want to hear it."

Still refusing, Anastasia watched as Granny Nirfa shuffled closer to the man she had once saved and raised like her own son.

"Patra…" the old woman whispered. "If she keeps refusing, Granny can make a love potion. She'll go mad for you."

"I can hear you!" snapped Anastasia. "So don't you dare try that on me!"

"Hehehehe… I'm just teasing, dear. Now sit and eat with Patra."

Anastasia finally took a seat, but after hearing the words "love potion," she stayed wary and avoided the food on the table.

"Anastasia… you should eat. We're staying here tonight."

"Sir Patra, weren't we just here to ask about the witches and the Wraiths? I want to leave this dreadful place as soon as possible!"

"This swamp is the one place most monsters avoid. Hunters call it the 'death marsh.' If you want to go now, I won't stop you. But you'll probably just get lost—or become snake food."

Anastasia lacked the courage to leave after seeing those monstrous serpents. So she stayed.

After finishing his meal, Patra wandered to the table near the window, drawn to a scroll lying there. He turned to Nirfa.

"There's an owl here—did your sister send this scroll?"

"No, not from my sister in Dorusania. It's an invitation… for the Klandestin gathering."

"The witches' night meeting? Are you going?"

"I don't care about that event anymore, since it'll probably just be filled with witches flaunting their power and youth—and that whore will surely be there too!"

Grandmother Nirfa looked visibly upset as she mentioned a certain witch she referred to as a whore. Patra had indeed heard that his adoptive grandmother once loved a man, but her own friend, the witch Idari, betrayed her.

The man Nirfa deeply loved wasn't just swayed by enchantment magic—Idari also exposed Nirfa's identity as a witch to the townspeople of La Arnas, a city in the kingdom of Dorusania. After years of living in hiding, Nirfa eventually found a young boy named Patra lying on the side of a lonely road.

Patra had been cast away by his own father after the truth came out: the woman who gave birth to him was a witch. Nirfa then took him away and raised him, caring for him until he was able to live independently.