A Witch's Apprentice | Xiaoven

Chapter 1

"Alatus."

Lord Rex Lapis's voice rang through my head. I looked up at the sky as the morning sun seeped through the tree's leaves. I blinked, trying to avoid the hot heat and headed towards the shade.

What the hell was I even doing here? I'm lost in the middle of nowhere in a child like form, starving with only a dull spear to protect me from harms way.

I was sent out on a task to befriend a witch for 5 month in order to find the secret of the witches weakness. And I wasn't tasked with just any witch. Barbatos, to be exact. Better known as the Windriddened witch of Mondstadt. He has terrorized boarders outside the land of Mondstadt as well, involving the Liyue witch hunters to join forces with the Mondstadt Witch hunters to search out for him.

I have to play the role of an innocent lost child who's strayed too far from home, hoping that he'd take some pity into me and take me back to his hideout.
They say that he has a soft spot for kids, but I doubt that.

Stupid idea, huh?

Some rumors have it that he eats children for lunch, which is believable in more ways than one.

I'm not even a witch hunter for crying out loud. I'm a vampire hunter! I kill living demons for a damn job. Not some-, magical all powerful witch that would slice my head off with just the flick of a wrist.

I looked at the potion bottle that was strapped to my waist belt, carrying a sparkling purple liquid inside of it. Whatever it was, it was the thing that was allowing me to stay in this kiddish form.

One teaspoon a day will allow me to stay in this body for a good 24 hours. The alchemists in Mondstadt contacted us about this witch problem of theirs and helped make this for this 'lovely' special occasion.

I walked aimlessly through the forest, trying to find my way into his arms somehow. The bird on my shoulder chirped along to the soft melody of a flute, gently well played.

The bird was covered in shining blue feathers with a sharp small beck. I had it to send intel over to the Liyue and Mondstadt Witch hunting department.

Apparently he was a very wanted man. And a witch? I thought witches were women, not men. He should've been a wizard instead-, or maybe I'm just being sexist.

Wait a second. A flute.

I had read through his file (though there wasn't much to see or find), and he had a taste for music. Besides, no random weirdo would go out into the middle of the woods to play a song.

Before I knew it, I was enchanted by it's angelic tune, and found myself heading towards it.

And there I found him, sitting on a fallen log that was already beginning to rot from the sides, covered in overgrown vines; which flowers bloomed from it.

It was surprisingly easier to find him then I had expected, considering I started out my journey to seek him out three days ago.

He sat there, his fingers sliding across the flute as his braids swayed in his face. His eyes were closed, but I still felt uneasy about approaching him. Who knows what he'd do to a young child like me. How are we so sure he even likes children?

Animals surrounded him, listening to the sweet melody of his music. So it wasn't just I who had heard it, but these creatures as well.

I began to feel sleepy the longer I was within earshot of the flutes melody. My head was starting to feel cloudy, and I nearly lost my balance for a moment. His song was like a lullaby.

I blinked, and the music stopped. I opened up my eyes again, looking back at the log to see that he was no longer seated there anymore, though the animals around that area had fallen asleep.