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justatinybunwriting · 1 year ago

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Playing With Fire 1

Doing a word prompt challenge that littleLorraine over at Deviantart and @gtypewriter cooked up! This is where I mix and match the selected words to create a continuing storyline! I figured for this it'd be a great time to visit The Witch and the Raven AU again! Haven't seen these guys since The Fugitive x3 This story takes place roughly one year after that one.

content warnings: fearplay, mentions of war crimes, discussions of eating smols

Chapter one: Torch

The deepest part of the enchanted forest was no place for the most fearless of men, much less that of a humble one. But here was Reginald, who had fought his quivering nerves to ride atop an elderly horse far into the wretched canopies. Aside from his steed, he was alone. Yet he embarked on what most considered a fool's errand, with the terrifying stories that surrounded this place clear in the back of his mind.

Just as the legends proclaimed, the woods were cloaked in perpetual darkness as far as the eyes could see. He knew not if it was noonday nor midnight, not that he had time to worry for such trivialities. Had it not been for the peculiar light that flickered atop the wooden stave he carried, Reginald would have been unable to discern his own hand in front of his face, let alone his environment through the thick brush.

With the flame as his guide, the young man slowly advanced forward, careful to not make even the slightest disturbance. His efforts were for naught however, for as essential as his light source was it made him stand out like a beacon. All manner of eyes would likely draw attention to it, from woodland creatures and perhaps more frighteningly, the beings that were said to haunt these lands. And no matter how hard he tried to shake off that thought, the young man couldn't help but feel that he was being hounded by something, somewhere unseen.

A sudden burst of wind whipped up, which sent a chill that crawled up Reginald's neck. This could have been just any old cold snap, but to the young traveler the timing seemed a tad too uncanny to his liking. As an unrelenting panic seeped in, his mind began to wander into sinister places.

Why am I even here?!! Reginald screamed in his head. Why the hell did I think this was such a good idea?! What's so important that I would risk everything to come to this wicked place? No man had ever made it out of here alive- why would things be any different now!?

As he shifted through his pocket with his free hand in a turbulent fit, the brunette pulled out a cloth of a simple beige hue, embellished with art of delicate flowers. A small reminder.. one that immediately took effect to quell the storms in his head.

I... can't go back on my word. Not after I've come this far... I made a promise... even if it takes me to the ends of the world, I will--

At that exact moment the old stallion reared up on its hind legs and cried out a long and fearful bray. Reginald slid down unceremoniously onto the gravel beneath him, just as his mount had taken off to who knows where. The young man fought through his aches and pulled himself up slowly, as he desperately reached for his torch which had fallen onto the foliage. Miraculously it's flame remained in tact, and for whatever reason it seemingly refused to scorch any growth in its path. Reginald could not help but stare dumbfounded as he pulled up the fire in front of his face. A costly mistake, for he had let down his guard for a minute too long.

A loud snap of a branch was his first sign. Reginald instantly whipped his head towards the source, but failed to see the culprit before he was immediately knocked back down. Before he knew it, he felt like he was tossed afar and caught again, and his entire world began to spin. He came too in brief moments but would fall back into disorientation before long, only understanding with certainty that he could no longer feel the ground beneath his shoes. All the young traveler could do before he blacked out completely was accept that he was at the mercy of whatever had taken hold.

****

Goro swooped into the corridors of his home base, relieved to finally be able to tuck in his wings. As he waddled inside, the Beta Wile was careful to not leave a single graze on the prize he had obtained during his excursion. He would not be alone for long however, for his presence quickly caught the attention of another member of the flock. Harutaka looked down at the fellow bird's talons with a glint in his eye. He then leaned close and craned his neck around Goro's own.

"Care to share with a peer?"

Goro remained unfazed. "I don't believe our master would be pleased to learn that one of the flock has eaten from what belongs to him. The smell of human can't easily be hidden."

"They always say you were the master's pet." Harutaka grumbled.

"Would you volunteer to be gorged instead?"

That was enough to keep the other Beta Wile from saying any more on the matter. Without further delay, Goro traversed through the winding tunnels until at last he had reached the cave's very core. The heart of the Tengu Wile's homebase was massive- a luminous cavern wide enough to house a multitude of said giants. Yet only one was present, though it was difficult to tell as his form melted into the darkness that surrounded him. It was in this precise moment when the human in Goro's clutches finally stirred.

"Master Rikuo." Goro lowered his head.

"Ohhh? What's this?" Said a haunting voice that bellowed from within the shadows. "A human? How delightful!! I haven't had one in months!"

Reginald's eyelids flung open the very moment the Alpha Wile stepped into the dim light, as the it's massive stature overtook the young man's entire view. This was his greatest fear manifested, spoken in tongues as the titan with jet black wings, part bird, part man. He and his flock were responsible for the deaths of many among the strongest battalions this side of the country. And here he stood just mere feet away from the young man's minuscule body. The monster's eyes showed clear signs that he had the eagerness to strike and he desperately wanted to hurry things along.

"Wait." Goro exclaimed as he surprisingly held back the human, obscuring him slightly from the Alpha's sight. The Beta Wile then presented the torch with his wing claw, which envoked a head tilt from the much larger Wile Giant. A couple of seconds later, the Alpha puffed up his neck feathers, and his eyes narrowed to a sharper slit than he had prior.

"Where did you find this?" The Alpha spoke, his voice sent ice down the human's back.

"The human was holding it." Goro replied.

The master Wile loomed over them, which was the unspoken signal for the Beta to set the human down on the cave floor. Reginald's heart pounded relentlessly, but he was too panic-stricken to make an attempt at escape. Sensing the human's fear, the monster couldn't help but give out a smile. In turn he deliberately showed off his dreadfully sharp fangs at every opportunity, delighting at every squeak he could get out of the tiny man.

"So... You came to our forest with a magic flame that you had no right to possess. Tell me human, how did you obtain it?"

Petrified beyond reason, Reginald remained in his shivering position. Which prompted the Alpha to raise his voice.

"ANSWER ME!!!"

The human's ears rung in pain, and from his inner turmoil he finally spoke.

"A wizard gifted it to me! He said it would protect me from creatures like... like..."

"Like us?" The Alpha Wile crooned. "An unlikely story! No mere magician would be have control over something so powerful. And it would have been severely irresponsible to hand it to the likes of someone like you." The giant's head lowered ever so closer to the man's quivering body. "Did anyone ever tell you that causing trouble in these woods with such uncontrollable magic would get you killed, small one? Not that such advice would do you any good now.... What was your purpose, hm? Fame? Fortune?"

"NO!!" Reginald stammered as hard as he could. There was no way he could fight off tears at this point. "I was just passing through! I had no intention to cause any problems! Please!! You gotta believe me!!"

With that, the Alpha Wile grew silent for a few seconds, although it was merely a fluke. The monster bird then crashed his clawed hand right next to the tiny human, which caused the latter to hyperventilate ceaselessly. Years of anger seeped out like smoke from the giant's throat.

"I have been told such lies countless times! After being stabbed in the back repeatedly and losing my men to your soldiers, you suspect that I would feel differently now?!"

The Alpha calmed down after that statement, as his voice slowed to a deep, intimidating crawl. "How bold of you to believe that I could be thwarted so easily with mere trickery. Unfortunately for you..."

The monster bird's teeth were mere inches away, and he made sure his catch could feel every last breath. Rikuo whispered darkly, cracks of an animalistic rumble could be heard between each sentence. "I can't just let you leave with you knowing everything you do. An army isn't something I need to deal with later. No...." he bellowed. "I need to make sure you won't ever. Say...Another...Word..."

But just before he was ready to open his mouth to make the fatal blow, all of a sudden, the Alpha Wile was interrupted by thunderous explosions that echoed from within the tunnel walls. During his interrogation, the apex predator failed to notice the commotion that had quickly advanced towards their location. He looked up to see that Goro was readily fending off the whirlwind-like menace on his own, but she ultimately proved too much for the Beta Wile to handle.

"I can't let you in here! Master Rikuo is very busy--"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY OR ELSE!!" Shrieked a high pitched voice.

"OK!!" Goro staggered as he cleared the path.

Almost immediately after, a barrage of magical blue fireballs erupted from the entrance which continuously bombarded the Alpha Wile square on his face, neck and wings. The giant reared back and let out a horrendous shrill. Although the flames disappeared on impact and left no lasting scars, it felt like the equivalent to getting stung by a swarm of fire bugs. And the attacks were merciless enough that it forced the mighty master of the Tengu Wiles to back off into a corner. A small blur then dashed into the scene and stood in front of the still cowering human. It was clear as day that this infuriated the Alpha Wile to no end.

"Jaaaaaaac..." The bird rumbled.

The much smaller woman looked up at the mountainous fiend with a fearless and defiant grin. The sparks of blue flames still shimmered above her fingertips, just waiting to be flung again.

"You've been a bad, bad, bad, bad bird, Richard." She spoke with unwavering confidence.

"Don't call me that!" The Alpha Wile growled. "I'll have you know, that human would have burned the forest down if we hadn't intervened! It's only right that he should be punished for his deeds."

"He hasn't done anything! And you likely wouldn't have given him a fair trial!" Jac shouted. "Besides, you and I both know that you're just using that as an excuse to eat him."

The Alpha Wile then let out a bone curdling hiss, which prompted Jac to give out a loud hiss in return. Reginald in the meantime was finally able to look up at his savior, though the sight of her did not alleviate his fears at the slightest. She wore a smoldering hood and ebony colored shoulder pads which ended in a long cape that flowed in the breeze. The rest of her attire was in tatters and she showed a startling amount of skin on her legs and stomach.

"Y-y-you're a witch!!" He shouted.

"How'd you guess?" Jac hummed. Sensing the man's continued apprehension, she tutted. "You got a problem with that? Look, it's either going to be that guy or me. Take your pick."

Seeing the cards that were dealt, Reginald felt as though he needed to stick with the lesser of the two threats. Either instant death or a slow one. He'll take his chances on the latter if it meant he'd have an opportunity to get away any day.

"Thought so." Jac smirked. "I wasn't going to let you choose anyway!"

At that very moment, the witch threw a fist on the ground, which caused a five star banded circle to magically appear beneath the human's feet. Rikuo's eyes shot daggers knowingly at Jac before he charged towards Reginald like a rampaging bull. With his enormous size, the Alpha Wile would be able to reach their spot in a matter of seconds, but despite his efforts he was no match for Jac's quick recitation. Being the fastest spell caster in all the land did have its perks, even if she wasn't the best at it.

A star mark appeared on Reginald's forehead, alongside Jac's. The magic engraved flashed a bright crimson light before it disappeared beneath their skins. The monster bird screeched to a halt, his eyes red with fumes. He reared up on his hind talons, showing off his grand size in a final show of desperation. But in the end, there was nothing he could do from that point on.

"There! He's magic now!!" Jac yelled as she stuck her tongue out. "You can't do shit!!" The young witch then gave out a cackle befitting of her title.

The Wile giant lowered his head and leered at the woman, which only got her to sneer right back at him. "What are you gonna do about it, Richard?" Jac said in a sing song way. "You'd have to destroy me to get to him now."

Richard could only give out a light grumble in response, which prompted Jac to give him a pat on the nose.

"Atta boy." Jac mewed. She made sure to rub it in for a couple of minutes before the giant decided that he had enough.

Defeated, the monster bird refused to speak another word as backed up into the shadows that his feathers blended into well. Jac then turned to Goro who had witnessed it all unfold from a safe distance. His head dipped slightly into his shoulders.

"I need to take this fella to the ends of the forest." The witch said. "Care to give us a lift?"

Goro normally wouldn't think twice about heeding Jac's request, but the Beta Wile was nonetheless hesitant. With the master retreated to his roost however, he relented shortly afterwards. As the just as imposing bird lowered his body, Reginald was understandably shaking by his knees. With a little bit of magic to power up her palm, all it took was for Jac to shove the man forward to get him to land on the bed of feathers. She stepped on with practiced ease, as a magic rein appeared before her hands and wrapped around the monster bird's neck. Goro then carried them through the corridors, first on foot and then by wing. Despite his size, their flight would still be a long one that stretched for many hours. Which had given Reginald plenty of time to calm down somewhat and think about what in the world just happened.

****

The crimson mark sparked brightly as Jac put her fingertips on his scalp. The witch then clinched her hand in a tight fist, and in that instance the mark had vanished. She then let out a tired sigh and smiled.

"Okay! The pact has been removed. You're free now." She said.

"W-what??"

Reginald was outspoken by this point after the initial shock had mellowed down. "What exactly did you do to me back there?!"

"I gave you a witches contract." Jac replied plainly.

"You signed me up for a deal with the devil?!!" Reginald hollered. That got Jac a little vexed but all she could do was roll her eyes.

"First of all, I don't deal with devils. Second, that was the only way I could get you away from Richard safely. As long as we were linked that way, if you feel pain, I do too. And of course the other way around. But now that you're leaving the forest, you won't be needing it anymore."

Reginald was at a loss for words, but as the minute rolled on he was able to find them again. "S-sorry...for accusing you of... that. And uh, thank you... for saving me."

"Ehh, it ain't nothing. I knew straight away that you weren't some kind of hooligan out for blood or anything. If it's one thing I trust, it's that of a horse's mouth."

"Wait... huh?"

Soon, just as the crack of dawn had lit up the sky, they had reached a clearing with fields of grass that stretched far beyond the horizon. It was there when Reginald spotted a familiar creature, the very horse he thought he would never see again.

"He ran up to me and sought for my help." Jac explained, as she gave the steed a light pat on the chin. "I figured out right away what happened to you from there."

"He... spoke?"

"Nah! Just intuition. Though I heard witches can do that with some animals, it's beyond what I'm capable of with my current skill."

"I... see."

"Well, you're out of the woods now. Quite literally in fact." Jac chuckled. "I have to ask though, what made you come all the way to a place like this? There has to be some reason why you didn't take the long road around."

"Y-yeah.." Reginald was hesitant, but after a few gulps he fought off his nerves to pull out the cloth from his pocket.

"I... heard of an elf that goes by the name of Jillian."

Jac's eyes opened wide upon hearing that name. The traveler then continued. "I made a promise to someone that I would find and seek out her help. And rumors said that she would visit this very forest."

Jac's mood lowered. "She used to live here, many moon cycles ago. But she left suddenly, and I have no idea of her whereabouts." The witch grew silent for a moment for her old friend and tutor, before she shrugged off the unhappy thoughts the best she could. She then raised her hand on Reginald's shoulder.

"I wish you the best of luck on your journey. I hope you'll find what you are looking for soon."

"Thanks."

As Reginald walked away on horseback, he waved goodbye to Jac. Thankful to be alive, he would continue to keep her in his thoughts from that point forward. Despite this, the witch gave out one last warning before she disappeared into the covers of the trees she called home.

"Don't come back, all right? I can't promise I'll protect you twice!"

"I don't plan to!" Reginald said from afar.

Next chapter>>

#cw fearplay #sizey stuff #sfw giant #oc: richard #oc: jac #AU #the witch and the raven #g/t #giant tiny #size difference #g/t writing

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