Viola walked in the forest quietly as she hummed to herself. She was walking home from finding herbs for her mothers potion.

" I hope mother won't be mad at me today..."
She walked sadly, her mother always yelled at her, no matter what she did. She hated being a witch or even part of a witch family even. She walked in the dark of night as she saw her home in the distance. As she walked she heard whispers of creatures who wondered in the deep dark of night. She took a deep breath and kept walking forward, she had to get home or her mother would be angry. Well she would be angry either way but she did not want to hope that.

Yellow eyes glinted in the darkness like two flickering embers, gazing at the young witch with a predator's delight. A sinister smile crooked his pale lips as he sauntered out of the shadows, bathed by dappled streams of moonlight peering from the forest canopy.

He stood before her, his height towering, teeth flashing white. Hair like liquid midnight spilled over his broad shoulders, his pale skin glowing in the dark---but it was unnaturally pale.

"Is it not so a pretty girl like you travels the forest alone at night?" Matthias purred, feigning concern. "Awfully tempting to the beasts of the wild. Tell me, what brings you out so late?"

Without waiting for an answer, his eyes trailed to the basket in her hand. His grin stretched to his ears.

"I see. Gathering a few ingredients. Are you a witch by chance?" His voice lilted with a barely contained joy.

The young witch was busy in thought that she had no clue someone was lurking in the dark. She kept humming to herself. Suddenly though, she saw a pair of eyes in the shadows. Her heart beat so fast she was lucky it didn't tear out of her chest.

Viola watched with a shocked expression when she saw a man who was as mysterious as her own mother. She looked at him, cloak hood falling off and showing her curly red hair and the eyes of a girl who was as innocent as a four leaf clover. Her mouth stayed shut as he spoke.

Without thinking twice she started to back up before letting out a quiet "who the hell are you..?"

Matthias rumbled with laughter at her sheepish reply, reverberating like thunder through the forest. Before him, she was like a rabbit, a lost, scared thing--caught in a serpent's gaze. His ill grin deepened as he sauntered closer to her, eyeing her up and down. Moonlight glistened off his unnaturally sharp canines.

"I have gone by many names, my dear." He mused with a baritone growl, low and sensual. "But you may call me--Matthias. A pleasure to meet you." He stooped into a low, gracious bow, placing his spindly hand over his bare chest in a mockery of nobility. "I am but a traveling wizard--seeking knowledge of the arcane. And for some reason, this forest has drawn me to it. It's as though I can sense the magic deep within--calling to me."

His pleasant expression skimmed over the forest for a brief moment, his chest rising with a steady breath drawn inward, as if inhaling the very magical essence of the forest.

However, Matthias' reverie broke shortly.

"Apologies," he said with a light curtsey. "I was lost in thought for a moment. I forgot to ask your name."

He leaned closer, "What is your name?"

A young man heard a laughter throughout the forest and was curious of the source. It had been late at night, so persons being loud in the woods was a surprise. A surprise, that must be investigated. His attention turned toward the direction of the laughter, and quickly made his way toward it. He would grip onto a staff bearing a lantern and make his way toward.

The light of a lantern carried its way through the woods, closer to the meeting of the witch in a wizard. It wasn't stealthy, so it'd be clear before the bearer would come fully into view.

A young & short man, in a large cloak, with a tall hat that hid his eyes made his way closer. A wooden prosthetic hand gripped onto the staff he was leaning on as he walked toward the two. A silver bell necklace bounced against his chest without a sound.
He'd be rather late to the conversation.

"Hark, there. I greet thee in pleasant mind. I ask a kindness from ye folk, if ye be willing or able."
"Ye, do sound like folk of merriment. I wish not to disturb for too long thus, but may be needing of a guide."
The short traveler would reach under their cloak, and pull out a book from beneath.

viola started to stop feeling so frightend but still tried to look serious. When the man finally told her his name, she raised an eyebrow looking into his eyes. "How were known as so many names if your name is Matthias..?" His voice calmed her from the horrible violent thoughts her mother would do.

"My name is Viola Moonstone.. Nice to meet you fellow Wizard." The witch did a polite curtsey to matthias. Viola nearly jumped out of her skin when another suspicious looking man walked from beneath the shadows, but this man looked to her but she smiled when she felt like he meant no harm.

"Why I would to help you kind sir, i might have a little more time to spare." She smiled a kind smile at the both of them.

@Shadowheart

"Moonstone, you say?" Matthias' face lit up. He stroked his chin with intrigue, a cheshire grin stretching across his gaunt features. "I've heard of that name before. It belongs to a renowned coven of witches who dwell in this very forest. In fact---they are the ones I have been searching for."

@AwesomeZero5

But before he could press her for more information, another wished to join the conversation at hand — or rather, barge rudely into it.

Matthias' eyes darkened at the stranger's approach, bile creeping up his throat. His teeth grit behind closed lips. How dare this fool intrude.

"Pardon me, good sir," Matthias spoke in a composed, sincere manner, yet there was a tinge of annoyance to his voice. "but I was having a conversation with Miss Viola here---one that you so callously interrupted. What exactly, if I may inquire, do you need a guide for?"

His intense gaze flicked between the short fellow, noting the prosthetic hand and the staff he clutched in it, and the book he produced from his robes. An eyebrow arched. It would seem this one is also a magic-user.

The short figure would smile a bit and would look up toward Viola. Since he had to look up, his freckled face and eye-patch came into closer into view. The eye-patch had the symbol of an upside down cross upon sewn in, his uncovered eye was hazel. The shorter figure's brunette hair was messy and bristle like untrimmed shrubbery.

He did step back somewhat at Mathias' words, and somewhat at their tone. He would flip through his book, leaning on his staff for support for a few moments. A look of worry flickering across his, as he'd bite his lower lip searching through something. The book itself was made from standard leather and string binding, there was no title embossed on it. The pages however had various symbols, some physical diagrams, and other random knowledge upon it that were rapidly being turned through. It had far more blank pages upon it.
He was muttering under his breath in some foreign tongue in a slurry of uncomfortable gibberish.

The prosthetic hand seemed finely crafted, made out of an olive wood that matched the skin-tone of the wearer. A keen observer would likely notice a few 'bumps' upon it, that resembled simple switches. The staff was made out of a similar wood, with a curved nook for a lantern to be balanced upon and locked into with a metal clamp.

He'd eventually hit a page in the book and nod.

"Oh, my regrets dear-"
He looked up to Mathias sheepishly. "Sir, I haveth meant not to insult with hardness, Kal-you-less-ness. I had found the ring of thine laugh of good joy."

"I-I seek henceforth, a guide to the village of RIZER-KU-Ghol-Berg...."
He struggled yet again, there was a nearby village of Risserkogelen. "I, do hope upon yon mercy."

"Pleasant kindness & fortune upon you, my lady."
The short fellow would bow to Viola. "The a-ssis-thance is most appreciated. My task is of some import there."

Her heart sank when she heard that Matthias had been apparently searching for the moonstones, the skin on her bones turned to a pale color it always did when nervous. "Why are you in search for us..?" But before she could start to back away slowly and walk away like he said nothing of such, her eyes flickered up to the strange man she said she would help.

Those shiny green eyes trailed over his mysterious figure. But what caught her attention most was his wood like hand, her jaw tightened as she felt nothing but pity for him. As he searched through that odd book of his, all she could think about was what possibly awaited her at home.

Viola fiddled nervously with her fingers as she looked towards his book. "where do you want me to guide you to? " when he said the place, she said it ever so quietly as if testing it out. "Risserkogelen.."

Without asking any questions, she grabbed her cloak hood to cover her face then she looked back at Matthias, who she was having second thoughts about. "you're coming with us, only because I want to know exactly why you are looking for my family. " pauses for a moment before muttering "since your also a magic user, or so you say. I want to see how you do things."

Her spellbook shined from the pocket of the old cloak, faint purple light shown. The witch started to get it out ever so gently since it was indeed ancient, just like the forest.

@Shadowheart@AwesomeZero5
"you're coming with us, only because I want to know exactly why you are looking for my family. "

Matthias' yellow eyes gleamed with rapture hardly contained.

He was being led directly to his goal, so unwittingly by the young witch. His cold, obsidian heart swelled with excitement in his chest, his off-putting grin deepening ever so.

"By all means, dear Viola. Lead the way." He said smoothly with a gentle bow of his head. "I have no ill intentions, if that is what you surmise. I merely wish to visit the famed Moonstone Coven, because I have heard many a tale of their mastery of magic. It would be my honor to learn from them if possible. Nothing more."

He continued to feign sincerity, but alas, on the inside--

At last. I will have what is mine. But I must be cautious around these two. They are awfully inquisitive.

His gaze moved from Viola's alarmed expression to the young fellow whom they were to guide to---Risserkolgelen was it?
Now, why did that village name sound familiar to Matthias? It had been ages since his shadow stalked the forest.

An eyebrow rose as he swept over the boy's hand, noting the smooth, polished wood, the immaculate craftsmanship. This was no beggar. And were those--switches on his hand? Matthias stroked his chin, bemused. The lad had already shown an affinity for the arcane by his spell tome, at least that is what Matthias assumed the book was, judging by the eldritch symbols and diagrams he gleaned from the pages. But now he had to wonder what was so special about that prosthetic.

And what was this about a task he heard?

The traveler was clearly starting to grow nervous. He could tell that something was wrong with the new appointed guide, they looked almost ghostly in a manner. He hadn't been entirely sure as to the cause, and hadn't heard the prior conversation between Viola & Matthias. The context was greatly lost on him at the moment. It had also been noted that poking into it further, might be discomforting. He did his best to refrain until he was directed upon.

He would adjust his hat somewhat as he felt Viola's eyes look over him. A slight self-consciousness that his looks may be, 'rough' given his travels to the region. He hadn't exactly been the most well pampered about his attire, but it didn't seem too unusual. Maybe he had too many stray leaves and thistles in his cloak that had yet to be noticed.

"Rizer-ku-ghol-berg"
The traveler would repeat once more as Viola asked upon their destination. The village of Risserkogelen was perhaps only a handful of miles to the north, a fair walk, but no hike.



When Viola put on her hood, the newcomer would look to the sky and hold out his other hand. Perhaps it was going to rain soon, but it was too dark for him to see the clouds. Either way he would step closer to follow after the guide.

"Ah! Non ci credo!"
The traveler's face lit up in a mixture of surprise and fear, his eye widening as Matthias mentioned the Moonstone Conven, and magic tied along with it. He reactively pointed his staff (and incidentally put more light toward Mathias' face) toward Matthias. He immediately put his other hand over his mouth to hold back the surprise, and to also quiet himself from interrupting again (though that might not be noticed in the same way). The traveler had found something, or someone rather!

The traveler's eye would remain widened with a lot more confusion as Matthias' swept over the prosthetic. The traveler's face turning beat red, he was sensitive of such. Matthias was, very close. The traveler was fairly sure that this was unusual. Especially for one who had been upset about their previous intrusion this was, awkwardly intrusive, the traveler struggled.

"Scusi!"
The traveler croaked and leaned his red face back.

"D-dear sir, I-I mean not to insult of thy intents nor thine character. B-Be it upon that thine act appeareth rather queer (traditional definition: strange/odd), a most, ah,-"
The traveler's eyes darted to the book. He couldn't read it fast enough. "U-unkindly in tradition, to not request such approach. I, I speak thus that the wood be finer to admire in less, ah....direct circumstances. M-m-mayhaps in camped lighting, without immediate-"
"Aiutami, Dio-"
"P-please be upon ye to.. not? It is most unexpected, the craft can be better shown when surprise not upon me. My apologies upon ye should thine intents be for speech of man who lieth man-, I hath not suspicion of such but thine act is not...kindly thought."

The traveler sputtered out a lot of his words in a rapid fire blur. Starting to sweat nervously.

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