Arslan Senki: The Witch

Caged

The witch woke up in a cell in an alleyway, hidden behind more cages and a small group of slave-traders. Her hands and feet were finally free, but her wrists and ankles were raw from rope burn.
The muzzle was still on her mouth. She tugged and pulled at it but it didn't move. She became irritated and her eyes watered.

How did I even end up in this dump?

"It's no use, trying to take that off. There's a keyhole at the back." A boy said. The witch turned to him. She didn't even notice he was there.
He had short, messy blonde hair and a dirty blue uniform. She tried to speak to him, but it just came out muffled.
"My name is Etoile. I am a knight of Lusitania." He introduced.

The witch had heard of Lusitania before. They were supposed to be savages, killing people in the name of their god. This boy seemed sane enough. But he was still in a cage like her, for a reason.

The witch looked around, and found a stick in the sand. Perfect.

'Why are you here?' She wrote in the sand.
"Me and my comrades were captured by those Parsian idiots."
'Where are they?'
"The other soldiers are just behind that corner. I'm waiting for a moment to strike." Etoile said. "I'm going to get out of here with them. If you'd like to leave here as well, swear your faith to the god of Yaldabaoth."

The witch just stared at him, giving him no clue as to what her response could've been. "Fine. When I get you out and that muzzle off, we'll talk."
The witch shrugged in response. They were the same age, there's no way he could escape himself.
"What's your name?" Etoile asked. The witch wrote back in the sand. 'Zofia'.

Just then, 3 kids appeared from the corner, walking towards them. The witch, now named as Zofia, suddenly got a bad feeling in her stomach, and this was no good sign.

"Look! It's a Lusitanian dog and a smelly, toad-eating witch!" One of the boys said.

Both insults were so bad, neither responded.

"What's the matter? Are you ashamed of yourself? Serves you right for going against Pars!"
"Yeah! You and your dumb god-"

Etoile burst out of his holding cage, and kicked one kid back into the wall, another kid was punched in the face. The third kid aimed to punch Etoile back, but he grabbed his arm and twisted it behind the boy as he yelled for help.

Etoile held the boy's arm behind him, he pushed him roughly and the boy bumped into another adult. He's fast, she thought.

While the adult was occupied with the boy, Etoile grabbed a vase, abandoned in the ally. He jumped so high, Zofia thought he was flying. He smashed the pot and her the adult's head, and knocked him out cold.

"H-hey!" Another voice called out. Etoile picked up the adult's sword of pointed it in front of him, clearing threatening whoever was talking to him.

"Stay back!" He yelled. Etoile slowly bent down and grabbed the boy, who was now crying, and held the sword to his neck. "Or I'll kill him."

Despite all Etoile was doing, and his promise to free her, Zofia wanted to shout at him. Don't hurt him! She wanted to yell, but it just came out as high-pitched hmphs.

"Say, is there any chance I could get you to let him go?" The unknown voice said again. The voice was soft, quiet, kind. Almost angelic, Zofia thought. No one had ever spoken to her in a kind manner.

Even from far away, she could still see Etoile smirk. Oh no. This means trouble, doesn't it?

"Yeah?" Etoile said. "In that case then..." He walked backwards into the alley again, gesturing the voice to follow. Now Zofia could see them all clearly.

The voice belonged to a boy with pure white hair and kind blue eyes. He wore a lilac robe -which looked expensive- and it made her wonder if he was some noble's son.

The boy wasn't doing very well, and Zofia couldn't blame him. She wouldn't be doing great either if there was a sword at her neck.
"You." Etoile said to the boy with white hair. "Stay back."

Etoile cut down the bamboo bars that held Zofia captive. She unsteadily got up, her ankles burning like hell. She wobbled out of the cage, standing on both feet for the first time in a long time.

"Zofia, was it?" Etoile asked. She nodded. He asked, "Can you run?"
She slowly nodded again. It was a lie. She could barely walk.

"Get ready to run." He warned. The boy with white hair look confused. "What-"

Etoile finally let go of the poor boy, sheathed his sword, grabbed Zofia by her wrist, and the boy with white hair by his collar, dragging them around the corner then sprinting at full speed.

It all happened so fast, it was blurry. Next thing she knew, the three of them were running from the Parsian guards chasing them.