Witch Prologue

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That day had nothing special about it. Anna’s days were seldom specials anyway and she saw nothing wrong with it. The slun liked her monotonous life just fine. Thus, like any other one, she was standing in the middle of her garden, the trees closer to her extended their branches into a makeshift chair. With a smile, she thanked them, sitting down. 

Annabeth Breengrit. She lived alone on one side of the green mountain -the mountain called so for the peculiar color of its soil. Her domain was actually the whole mountain itself, but she was kind enough to let travelers use the other sides when they would come by, though seldom do. 

Annabeth had the hair, the color of a setting sun, orange-red and the eyes the color of a sunny sky. Her floral green dress wrinkled as she found a comfortable position, opening the thick book she was holding. It was reading time after all. The book was twice as thick as the branches of the surrounding trees and as of now, she was already in the middle of it. The day had just started, the sun had yet to reach over here and with the clouds over the perimeter, she should be fine without the need of glasses, but the trees still dutifully extended their foliage, the half-shadow formed protected their mistress from the eventual rays.

Annabeth was a slun whose specialties were earth and liquid. As such, she could command anything that takes root on earth or any form of liquid. The times were peaceful, so there wasn't much to do, but just take it easy. Her way of doing so was by communicating with her friends. Though they couldn't read, they understood things just fine thus she was the one in charge of finding books and reading it to them.

They had, together, tried all kinds of books. Recently, they were infatuated with Isif's books. Isif was an old but powerful slun. Her biography said that she participated in the war of old which took place five centuries ago, so the woman was quite notorious. Anna wasn't interested in that aspect of her though but in her writer's talent. 

Isif's books had a peculiarity: they were renown for being the retelling of real-life events. Isif's specialties were space, time and soul. The woman's self-written biography -for Anna actually read that in a previous reading session- liked to boast that she'd visited more planes than they had hair on their heads and that all her books were real-life events of those people. An even more attractive point was that, the writer would pinpoint some sluns who where the replica of some characters, their doppelganger on another plan. The trees wanted to hear about Anna's doppelganger's life and so did Anna herself. In the beginning, anyway... But the more she read on, the less she believed. Even if the trees around liked it very much, Anna couldn't quite help herself but rolled her eyes a great number of times as she read along. Not able to refrain anymore, she couldn't quite help the exclamation,

"This thing was definitely not worth my money! Real-life event my foot! There is no way any person could behave like this."

'Isn't it because your doppelganger's end is too tragic.'

'Really, mistress how could you do this!'

'So shameless.'

'Not being able to marry isn't the end of the world you say, now you behave like that... tsk, tsk'

Anna's face turned red, "Who are you talking about, I did nothing! And this person isn't me. Definitely not my doppelganger either!"

As Anna went on trying to make her friends understand just why this was too strange to be possibly real, an angry voice hurled over her head,

"How dare you!" The cry was hoarse yet piercing and before Anna's defense mechanisms could set, the intruder appeared right in front of her.

The plants darted in that person's direction, the end of their branches turning into pointy spears, but before touching her, they disappeared into nothingness.

The one in front of Annabeth had white hair and a pale blue robe. Having seen her photo on the cover of the book she was reading many times before, it was easy to recognize this person: Isif! Anna's lips twitched, remembering that her biography described this woman as a grudge holder. With a wave of her hands, she calmed her remaining plants who were ready to attack yet again. She wouldn't fool herself into believing she stood a chance to win.

"Elder. What brings you here?" She tried diplomacy.

What brings her here! Isif came here in a good mood, wishing to talk to a new reader who had sent a letter to personally ask about one of her doppelgangers in other dimensions. It has been a time since Isif accepted a commission, but she did so since she had quite liked the politeness of the lass in the letter. Who knew that upon making a special trip some days after to ask about her impression, the lass, not only was not grateful, but daring enough to doubt the authenticity of what was written! Wasn't this calling her old bones a liar?

Could she read minds, Anna would try and appeal that, she absolutely didn't mean to say that Isif was a liar. Her words exceeded her thoughts, so to speak. Either way, she was talking to her plants! In her own domain! Privacy!

It was a pity that Isif was a hot-headed one and before Anna could sweet-talk her way out of her predicament, her soul had been collected by the intruder and before it completely left her body, she heard the angry woman say,

"Go and look clearly and then tell me if it's a lie or not!"  

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