George jolted up from a bed in a dark room. He looked around the room which was small and was mostly empty. George quickly checks his pocket and finds his power orb shard in his pocket. He slowly stands up and drags his feet to the door. He opens the door and it opens up to a long stone hallway with torches on the walls and doors on each side. George turns to the right and walks down the dim hallway. The stone is cold and the hallway stretched down, then opens up into a room full of tables. The room was brighter than the hallway, the room was large, and at the other side of the room there was a long table with tons of food. The room was packed with tons of people sitting and eating at each table. George walks through the room to the long table with the food. The end of the table has plates and George walks through the table putting eggs, sausages, and potatoes on his plate. At the middle of the table the witch was standing there and she said, "So how did you sleep?".
"Good. How is Skai?", asks George.
"He is doing much better than the past couple of days. The stitches are all good but he is going to have to stay in a cast for eight weeks.", says the witch.
"Oh thank you so much. . .", George pauses, "What is your name?".
"My name is Agnes, the girl in the well.", says the witch.
"Well thank you Agnes.", says George.
"I will make him a plate and walk it over to him with you.", says Agnes.
"Ok, I will wait for you.", says George.
Agnes makes a quick breakfast plate, sausages, bacon, pancake, eggs, and some fruit.
"Let's go.", says Agnes.
She walks back into the long hallway, all the way down where there was a dead end. She turns to her right and puts her empty hand on the wall. A stone slab shifts down to Allen up a small passageway. They walk through and the slab moves back up, closing them into a large room with stone beds lined on each wall with mattresses on top. In the middle of the row on the other side is Skai. Skai is sitting up with his back against a cushion protecting him from the stone wall.
"We brought you some breakfast.", says Agnes as she walks over to Skai and hands him his food, "So why are you guys here?".
"Well I came here because our friend Alyssa is supposed to protect me and her boss thought you would protect us. Then we brought along Skai because we got tied up in this war in his kingdom, so we thought this would be a good place to train.", says George as he begins to eat his breakfast.
"Yeah, where is Alyssa anyway?", asks Skai.
"Huh, I don't know but she is down here somewhere.", George pauses and then looks at Agnes, "Do you know where the girl that came with us is?"
"No I do not but I'll have my people look around for her.", says Agnes.
"Also, do you know how to grind up power orb shards?", ask George.
"Ah so I did sense them to you two, yes I do know how to. Would you like me to?", asks Agnes.
"Yes.", says George as he pulls the shard out of his pocket. The stone was glowing a beautiful turquoise color. George hands it to Agnes, Agnes takes the stone and then asks, "Do either of you have any water or wine? Really any drink?". Both Skai and George shake their heads, "I'll be right back.", she says in her frail voice. She walks further down the room, turns right and then disappears for a little bit. She comes back around the corner with a chalice in her hand. She walks up to George and hands him the chalice, "Drink it. . . all of it."
"What is it?", asks George as he suspiciously looks in the chalice.
"Just water.", says Agnes.
George takes a small sip of the water and then drinks the rest of it. His eyes begin to glow turquoise on his face.
"Do you feel any different?", asks Skai anxiously.
"Not really.", says George.
"That is normal.", says Agnes.
"Wait, why are you called the Witch of the Well if this is an oasis?", asks Skai.
"Well would you like to hear the story?", asks Agnes.
"Sure we don't have anything better to do.", says Skai.
"Ok well a long time ago I was a young girl living in a small village not far from here.", Agnes starts.
"What do you mean? Were there other cities in the desert?", asked Skai.
"Yes actually this place was not a desert but a range of hills.", says Agnes.
"Wow really? What happened?", asks George.
"Well hundreds of years ago there was a great war between all of the races and the dragons decimated this area. Over time because of the wind and the rest of the battle it became a desert.", says Agnes, "I was a small girl before the war and was told to go fetch some water at the well, so I did. When I got the well I tripped on a rock and fell in, I waited and waited for someone to save me. The war happened and someone looked down the well, then they just left. I learned water magic and carved a small cave into the well. Then a house and then the town, then I surafaced and made it an oasis."
"How dumb can you be to not escape when you learned water magic?", says Skai as an insult.
"Do not get snarky with me, young man. Ijust got comfortable down there.", says Agnes.
"What did you eat?", asks George.
"Well during the war I surfaced and at the scared deer, stag or whatever else was around.", replies Agnes. Agnes gets up and walks over to Skai and examines his arm, then says, "I think he is in good enough shape to walk home."
"Great.", says George.
"But one last question.", starts Agnes, "Why did Alyssa want to bring you here?"
"So you could help protect me.", says George.
"And why would you need protection?", asks Agnes.
"Because I am an Osmund.", says George.
"I knew your magical essence felt familiar.", says Agnes with a smile on her face, "Would you like help in developing your magic abilities? Both of you?"
"Yes.", Skai and George quickly say instantly.
"Then I will teach you. For the time being.", says Agnes.