[ WP ] The Chosen One goes to confront the powerful witch who 's terrorizing the kingdom ... and is defeated . How did it happen ?

Darius hits the wall with a loud thump, flung backward by a blast of magic to his chest. Vervain circles his location with caution, a faint smile playing across her lips. He coughs up blood, the red dotting the stone floor in front of him. 
 
 “ You really thought that just a curse to repel magic would help you? ” Vervain giggles at the thought, stepping forward. “ It repels the effect of the magic but never the force. Not that you ’ ll live long enough to see that put into action. ” 
 
 Her fingers dig into the short hair on his scalp, pulling him up to look her in the face. Darius groans in pain. Vervain ’ s eyes twinkle with delight. 
 
 “ Did you think you were the Chosen One? The one the masses claim will kill me? ” 
 
 Unable to take a deep enough breath to respond, Darius only gives another cry of pain. He had the mark, found the sword, even matched the description but has no idea what ’ s gone wrong. He had even invested time in training with the local garrison under the pretense of working for Vervain ’ s army. She should be dead, the sword stuck through her. Instead, the sword couldn ’ t even put a scratch on her. 
 
 “ I think your head will look lovely on the gate. A reminder for all. ” Vervain lights up her hand with flames, the orange glow far too close for Darius ’ s comfort. Her grin grows wider by the second. “ What a pleasure this ’ ll be. It ’ s been far too long since I ’ ve killed an intruder. ” 
 
 There ’ s a crash through the window, Vervain letting Darius drop to the floor to block a blast of magic with both hands. The stonework wraps around him like a blanket, swallowing him up. He weakly struggles until he ’ s thrown out onto the grass, laying there too weak to move further. 
 
 “ Come on, get up! ” It ’ s an older man yelling at him. Darius struggles to even get to his knees. The man gives in, glancing up towards where blasts of magic in a rainbow of colors are being pelted back and forth. “ Fucking idiot. Where ’ s the sword? ” 
 
 Darius can only stare at him, focused on the dark scruff across his cheeks. 
 
 “ For fuck ’ s sake! ” The man picks Darius up with some effort, throwing him across the saddle of a horse before hopping on. “ You better hope that Isadora doesn ’ t get hurt for you, because I ’ m going to do worse than Vervain would to you if that ’ s the case! ” 
 
 The man smacks the reins, sending the horse flying across the grassy, moonlit field. With each stride of the horse, Darius feels more pain run through him. He ’ s more like dead weight for the horseman compared to someone actually trying to stay on. 
 
 He closes his eyes, gritting his teeth against the tears that threaten to come. It wasn ’ t supposed to be like this. 
 
 *** 
 ^ ( *Thanks for reading, check out more of my stuff at /r/Syraphia* )
