Alyssa, Skai, and George arrive at the oasis. All three of them have bags full of armor. There were a ton of palm trees, mud and grass which surrounded the little lake. Outside of the oasis in the sand there was a glowing blue line.
"We're here.", says Alyssa as she puts out her arm to stop Skai and George.
"What is that line?", asks Skai.
"That line is a barrier, she doesn't let anyone in unless they throw in a gold coin first.", says Alyssa as she scrounges around for a gold coin. She finds one in one of her pockets. She flicks the coin into the lake.
"So what is supposed to happen?", asks George.
"She is supposed to come up from the lake and greet the people who threw a coin in the lake.", says Alyssa as she looks around.
"Maybe she is like a troll under a bridge and is just a myth.", says Skai as he looks for a rock to sit on.
"Trolls are no myth, I've seen some nasty trolls.", says Alyssa as she sits down in the sand as she leans on her bag of armor.
"Yeah, I think she is real too.", says George.
Skai finds a rock and sits on it, "Do you have any proof?".
"No but I have faith."
"Faith is for the weak.", Skai pauses, "And I will no longer be weak from here on. If I want something to change I'll change it myself. If I want something I'll go get it myself."
"Yeah that is all good and everything, but people need to have faith in something.", says George as he walks closer to Skai.
Then the water rises to the middle and forms into a point. All of the water that rose into a point fell back down. The glowing blue line in the sand disappeared. Alyssa stands up and walks over to the lake, she sees in the center a staircase that goes down into the water. From the bottom of the staircase you could hear a bombing but frail voice, "Just a minute.". The voice pauses for a second and then says, "Just a quick second. I've gotten too old to be doing this.". Skai got up and walked towards the lake, George followed soon after. Skai began to speak, and his voice came out shaky, "Who. . . are you?". The voice from the water came again but softer and more quiet, "I am the Witch of the Well.". The witch rises from the staircase.
"Witch of the well? What well? And were you just walking on water?, Alyssa says quickly.
"I was walking on water. It is just simple water magic. Have you never heard the story of the well?", says the witch.
"No I haven't.", says Alyssa.
"Well I guess that would be for when you get into the city but that will take you a while."
"What do you mean when we get in?", asks Skai.
"Well you have to teach yourself basic water magic to get into the city. The city is at the bottom of the lake. You need to learn water magic, so you can swim down there.", The witch pauses and then walks back down into the staircase, "Good luck, but I think you guys can do it, you've got a strong magical essence."
"The blue line disappeared. What does that mean?", asks George.
"I think that means we can walk through the mud and into the oasis.", replies Alyssa.
Skai walks into the mud, nothing happens, so Alyssa follows and then George. They set their bags down into the grass.
"Do any of you know how to use magic?", asks Skai.
"No I don't, I was never taught.", quickly replies Alyssa.
"I have no clue.", says George.
Skai walks through the mud and then dives into the water. Skai is hit with a cool blast of water. He looks down into the depths and it is pitch black. Skai sinks further down into the cool dark water. A slippery scaled thing brushed by Skai's leg. He was still sinking but his head felt like an elephant was stepping on it. He begins to feel like he was suffocating. He couldn't breath and he began to quickly swim up. He emerged from the cool water gasping for air.
"It is way too deep to swim down there.", says Skai as he walks over to the grassy area.
"So how do we teach ourselves to use water magic?", asks Alyssa.
"Why don't we call her back up and pay for a book on the basics of magic.", suggests George.
Alyssa throws another gold coin back into the lake, "You know I am not rich, right?"
"Well why didn't you have the prince throw the coin in then.", says George.
"I am not a prince.", states Skai unemotionally.
"But aren't you the son of the king?", asks Alyssa.
"No but he considers me his son."
"So why were you chained up?", asks George.
"I can't tell you that, yet, I don't trust either of you quite that much."
"What if we swear an oath?", quickly asks George.
"An oath is serious George, you know that right?", asks Alyssa.
"I know but we are all empty, we have nothing to do after we save the kingdom."
"I have to protect Draco, Godfrey, and the kingdom after the siege.", says Skai as he sits down by his bag.
"What if the kingdom is destroyed?"
"I'll die with it, I have nothing else.", says Skai.
"Exactly all of us have nothing else."
"He has a point, Skai, but swear an oath to what?", asks Alyssa.
"Well, are you a knighted warrior, Alyssa?"
"Yes I am, why?"
"So that means you can make a group of knight-errants." George pauses long enough for Alyssa to reply.
"Yes."
"We will fight for the freedom of people.", says George as he walks towards the lake.
"I'll only join and swear an oath to this group if the kingdom loses.", Skai quickly says.
"I guess I could make a group of all of those who agree with us.", Alyssa pauses, "But you two will also have to be knighted."
"Why?", asks George.
"Because then we would be a bunch of lawless idiots running around with swords.", bluntly says Skai.
"And because we would not be a legal group of knights and whatever kingdom we are in could arrest us.", softly says Alyssa.
"Couldn't we just say we are travelers passing by?", asks George.
"No, because travelers are not allowed to have weapons in any of the kingdoms that I know of and then we would get arrested for carrying weapons.", says Alyssa.
Then the water emerged from the center of the lake, "What the hell do you guys want now?", she says in a frail voice.
"We wanted to know if you happen to have a book on the basics of magic?", poliently asks Alyssa.
"Yes I do. But it'll cost you about five silver pieces."
"Ok well I only have six pieces left.", Alyssa pauses and searches her pockets, "Yeah I only got a gold coin and a silver coin, so that's six."
"Ok I guess that'll be enough.", she pauses as a book arises out of the water. She throws the book to Alyssa and Alyssa catches it with both hands, "There you go so stop bothering me now, until you can make it to my house."
The witch walked down the staircase. At the very bottom of the staircase there was a dark cave but at the entrance to the dark cave there were thick large stone doors. The witch opened the doors and there was a city filled with lamps, stone buildings, and a giant castle in the center. The witch walked over the city on a small amount of water that passed through while the doors were open. She entered the castle through a window on the top floor. She turned around and shut the window. There was a hooded man sitting on the ground, because he was too large to stand up and too large for the seat. He was around twelve feet tall and muscular. He was wearing all black and a gold crown with an indent at the top which looked like it used to hold a small stone. The person's hands were filled with gold rings and they were wearing a black cloak over their black clothes.
"So what were you saying again?", asks the witch as she sits behind the desk.
"Well can I stay here for the time being, there is an old employee of mine that I need to hunt down.", says the person sitting with a deep voice. The person's face was pale, almost completely white but you could only see their black eyes.
"May I ask who?", asked the witch.
"A member of the Sisters of Night who has abandoned her post.", said the deep voice, "None of my monster slaying businesses will allow that!"
"Well what was her name so if she stops by I can let you know?", asked the witch.
"Her name is Alyssa and her punishment will be death!"