The witch and her monster.

Stormwind Stockade, High-security wing.

Present Day.

The prison is always cold no matter what the season, or weather there�s always a sort of chill in the air.  Amazin given there are no windows in any of the cells of this wing.  The squeak and grind of the gate in the hallway draws my attention.  The guards are bringin a new inmate.  Curious I look out through the bars as they walk him by.  

The new guys covered in bandages and limpin along, barely able to walk without the guards hold�en on to him, and his right eye is covered with a patch and bandages.  As he winces in pain I can see he�s missin teeth.  Someone must have done a numba to him.

    The guards put �em in the cell across from me.

�Light damn� hey new guy.  What happened ta you?�

For a long time the new guy doesn�t answer.  I know he heard me.  Maybe he don�t speak common, maybe he�s too injured to talk.  Honestly I ain�t gonna push it.

But then he answered in a calm quiet voice �I got lucky��

�You got lucky!?�  I look over his battered and broken body.  �Fella we have very different views on what counts as �lucky�.�

The new guy laughs but it turns into a throaty gooey cough.

    I give�m a while to compose himself before pressin for more.  �So� what happened?  Whatta ya in for?�

   

    �Ya know that shop in the Mage district, the one run by the witch?�

    Been so long since I�ve been out it takes me a minute ta remember.  �Oh the dark haired lass, with the nice rack?  Van� sumthin?�

�Yeah��

�Oh what I would do to be able ta pay her a visit.�  The idea brings a smile to my face.

�If you value your life, don�t.�

I give the new guy a confused look.  �What?  She the one that dun left ya broken?�

�No� it was her monster.�

�Oy, I heard she was one �em Fel spewers.  Can�t believe they let people like that live in the city.  What did she do?  Send a Void monster at ya?�

�What left me in this state was no demon� it was somethin that even demons would fear��

�Bloody Fel!  Jus wha is that lil witch keepin with her, then?�

The new guy is quiet for a while.  Maybe he don�t wanna talk about it, but after a while he speaks up again.  �Let me tell you what happened� it�ll be my service to others� to warn them not to set foot in the Mage district.

Stormwind Mage district, One week ago�

My partner Sully and I had been runnin a protection racket in the mage district for a few months.  Sully was a smartie he figured out the guard�s patrolin schedule so we could always make our move on the shops when they weren�t �round.  

    That day we were shakin down the old fella that runs the general store.

    �Make it quick ole timer.  We ain�t got all day.�  Sully threatens the weary old man with his dagger as he�s emptying his till.  

    �Easy there fella� I�m gettin your money��

Sully gives him a poke in the ribs drawing a startled yelp of pain from the ole timer.

�Ain�t liken that tone old man!�

I chime in.  �Yeah!  Best you learn respect ya geezer.�

The old fella finishes filling the bag and hands it over to Sully.

�Take it� but know� Some day someone is going to make you pay for this��

Sully scoffs then grabs the old guy by the lapel and jams the dagger at his neck.  �Oh really now?  You old man?�  He cracks �im over the head with the pummel of the dagger drawin blood.  The old timer hollers in pain and tries to pull away from Sully as he continued speakin.   �All of them hero types with them fancy weapons are off fighten demons, and the guard ain�t smart enough ta catch us.  Just do what�s best and pay your protect money like a good lad.�  He let the old man go casuin him ta collapse in a heap.

We left the shop our pockets and bags lined with coin.  �Sully we �eaden back to the hideout now?�

 

Sully shook his head.  �Nah, I�m feelin bold tonight I think we otta expand our �protection services�.  Been scopin out a new place fer a coupla days, the little shop with the stone bridge at the end of the street.�  

    �That�s pretty close ta the Mage�s tower� kinda risky.�

    �Nah mate, none of the windows of the mage tower can see the shop, and it�s just a little witch and her black cat.  Hell… we�d probably be doin the neighborhood a favor driven her ilk out, damn Fel spewers.�

    We make our way across the little stone bridge to the door of the shop.  We do the usual approach enter real slow �n intimidatin like.  I flip the open / closed sign to �closed� and lock the door.  But the daft lil witch don�t even notice us at first.  She�s got her bum up in the air with her back turned to us while she’s diggin through some shelves.  Had a damn nice backside though, plump and juicy like a Winter�s Veil turkey.

Sully smirked.  �Nice view.�

I chuckled in agreement.

From behind the counter the witch called out.  �Oh sorry! I didn�t hear anyone come in.  Be with you in one moment.�

Her little black cat jumped on the counter and stared at us.  Somethin was off about that cat.  It ain�t like normal cat seemed too still but I paid it little attention.

The witch finallys stood up and faced us.  �Hello gentlemen!  Welcome to my shop!  How can I help you?�  She had this bright cheery smile and no idea why we were there.  I almost felt kinda bad.  

Sully stepped up.  �Oy dove, we �ere ta make ya an offer.  My associate and I sell protection services��  His tone was dark and menacin.

The little witch looks shocked as the realization hits her.  �Wait!  Wilford told me about you two.  You robbed him last week!�

Sully laughed.  �Nah you got it all wrong lass.  We�re sellin protection.  You pay us and we�ll make sure bad things don�t happen.  Let�s take your pretty little cat here.�   He slamed his dagger down on the counter just missin the cat causin it to scamper out of the way in a panic.

�Boots!�  She cried out and scooped up the cat hold�n it like a baby.

Sully scoffed.  �See poor �Boots� almost had a nasty accident.  Ain�t it worth some coin to keep �im safe?�

I grabbed a potion from the counter.  �Yeah lotta expensive lookin potions in here to.�  I held out the potion out at arm�s length.

The witch went wide eyed and begged.  �No please don�t.  You two need to leave.�

I dropped the bottle and watched it hit the floor and shatter into a million pieces.  �Oops!� I shrugged with a mock grin.

Sully noded.  �Ay look at that.  A nasty accident.  Shame you didn�t pay that protection money, but if ya cough it up now� I think further �accidents� might be avoided.�

The witch just stared at us for a long moment.  �You have to listen to me.  If you leave RIGHT now I might be able to convince him not to chase you, but if you stay he… will… kill… you…  When he get�s angry he won�t listen� not even to me.�  She sounded like she was pleadin.

Sully laughed and gave me a �is she for real look?�  �Who ya talkin �bout dove?  Your little cat or some demon you�re goin conjure up?  Yeah, that�s right I know you�re a witch.  You try any finger waggin or magic chattin I�ll have this dagger to your throat before–�

Then it happened� the monster got us.  

This giant hand just reached out grabbed Sully by the neck and lifted him into the bleedin air as the dagger went fly�n from his hand!  Then it did the same to me and SLAMED us together!  The grip on my neck was like a fuckin iron shackle I could barely breath and I think one of my teeth got knocked out when my jaw hit Sully�s skull.  It was so quick I didn�t even understand what had just happened till it was draggin us to the door.

The little witch cried out.  �Wait wait!  What are you doing?!�

This deep boomin voice replied �Taking out the trash��

The monster literally hung Sully on coat hook by his teeth as it unlocked and opened the door.

�Wait that�s a coat hook not a people hook!�  The witch cried out again!

It grabbed Sully yankin him off the hook and I think knocked out some of his teeth in the process and started draggin us out the door.

�Wait, wait, wait!�  The little witch ran out from behind the counter and I think she grabbed the monster by its arm.  �They�re not a threat anymore� just let them go.�

The deep boomin voice replied �I intend to.�

He pulled us out through the door across the little stone bridge.  As he draggin us down the street I hear the voice of the shopkeeper we collected from earlier.

�Hey, those are the two whippersnappers that just robbed me!�

The monster stopped and dropped Sully.  He tried to crawl away or get to his feet but the monster stomped down on him!  I �eard somethin snap as the boot land and Sully screamed in pain.  All the sudden I�m upside and it�s literally shakin me causin all of my coin to fall out of my pockets.  He dropped me and I made sure to lay dead still so he wouldn�t stomp on me like he did Sully.  After that I heard more coins hittin the ground.

A few seconds later we�re bein dragged by our legs.  Behind us I can see the witch girl pickin up the coins we lost and shovin �em into the hands of the shop keeper exclaim in a panic.  �Here, Wilford you know everyone that was robbed make sure they get some of this� and uh umm� can we keep the guard out of this?�  She pleaded with a nervous and anxious smile.