The Witch's Crimes

"Your evil dies here and now!" said Sir Darylius with cutlass held high overhead, poised to strike the killing blow. The evil sorceress, on her knees and defeated, cowered on the chamber's stone floor, crystals and silver rings dangled from her pierced ears, big green eyes filled with tears, sensuous crimson painted lips opened slightly, her lower lip trembled.

"Your foul witchcraft will curse this land no..." His hand eased as she sniffled in a most distracting manner, a single tear trailed down her cheek.

"Now... now stop that crying this instant!" Darylius gestured backwards with his sword. "You just burned two whole villages to the ground, young lady, not to mention summoning that army of demons to devour the souls of the living! Now it's time to take your medicine and pay for your evil deeds!"

Darylius's dark pointy mustache wriggled with righteous fury and he aimed the tip of his sword at the witch's helpless but slender and attractive throat. "Before I... smite you," he relaxed a bit. "Do you have any last words?"

Still trembling on the floor, the sorceress was clad only in her short and very revealing silken black dress, a wavy lock of raven hair fell across her face; she brushed it aside and looked up at the hero and then sadly shook her head. "I... I don't know why I did it sir... I'm sorry about the village and demons and all... I didn't mean to hurt so many people. I never wanted to be evil, it just kind of happened, it's just that..." She sighed. "My family has magic in its blood..."

She bit her quivering lower lip, choking back a sob. "When your name is Sinestria Bloodhex the Damned it's hard to live a normal life." She shook her head sadly. "But that's no excuse for what I did sir."

"Well I should say not!" Darylius lowered his blade but wagged a finger at the young sorceress. "Do you have any idea what kind of damage you caused? The whole kingdom is in an uproar, trade disrupted, farms abandoned, foul beasts stalk the land... and then you even used your vile magic to turn the king's son, the crown prince, into a monkey!"

"Gibbon."

"Er what?"

"Sir," she timidly said. "I turned the prince into a gibbon, not a monkey."

Darylius frowned. "Oh... uh... well, be that as it may, you have single handedly brought this country to the brink! And there's still the matter of you luring innocent children to your cottage made of candy."

"Please sir," the witch pleaded with her hands clasped: "I... I didn't mean to cook them... it... it was just a baking accident, I swear! I was only trying to make a casserole and it... it just kind of happened..."

"Humph," Sir Darylius scoffed: "Well, if you spent more time cooking and less time practicing black magic then maybe you wouldn't be in this predicament! And really, a house made of candy! Did you give any thought at all as to how structurally unsound such a building would be before inviting in guests?"

"Uh... well, I've been meaning to get it inspected..."

"And," Darylius cut her off. "I suppose you didn't care what damage all that sugar would do to their teeth?"

"Um..." She sniffled. "No sir."

"Young lady," Darylius said. "I am deeply disappointed by this reckless behavior of yours."

He watched as she looked down sadly, slender but shapely shoulders slumped as though she felt ashamed of her mischievous behavior. She must, Darylius thought, at last be realizing the error of her evil ways.

Sinestria's lower lip quivered, her voice broke and she sobbed pitifully in front of him. Darylius, being virtuous and noble, produced a silk handkerchief for the young lady to dry her tears on.

Presently she calmed herself, and continued in a sad trembling voice: "I'm sorry sir, I never meant to be so villainous... it just got out of control... it all started when I was just a child, I learned a minor spell or little curse to use around the village... nothing much, I would conjure a little sparkle to amuse my friends, I cursed a boy who pulled my hair with an itch. I enjoyed it and... and I did it again and again and it just got out of hand. Once I got started to take pleasure in the power... I just wanted more and more."

"More... villains always want more." Darylius spoke his thoughts out loud.

"Sir?"

"Oh... I was just thinking, out of all the villains I've ever smited, that is the key to all of their descents into evil." Darylius explained. "They're never satisfied with having enough- they always want more."

"Sir," The sorceress looked up at the brave warrior. "Are you going to smite me now?"

Darylius took a long look at his trusty cutlass, before turning his attention back to the young witch.

[]

Sir Darylius unbarred the main gate and threw open the door, beyond the battlements the remaining troops tended to the injured and buried the slain; a pile of dead orcs was dowsed with oils and lit afire. Other soldiers loaded horses and prepared for the long journey home. All turned to watch the famed hero stride past.

Squire Todius ran forward enthusiastically congratulating Darylius on his victory in the witch's tower. "It must have been a glorious battle, sir, we heard the witch crying and screaming all the way down here."

Darylius nodded gravely: "The witch has paid dearly for her crimes."

"You slayed her, master?"

"No, Squire Todius, I did not take her life." Sir Darylius smiled proudly. "But I gave her such a spanking! That's one witch who won't be sitting on a broomstick anytime soon! But alas, this great and noble quest has given me an idea of immense significance. It could change everything. Think of it Todius, what if I could stop evil before it started?

"I don't understand sir."

"Never mind that... Let us break camp at once and be off, we have much to do."