Witch Hunt chapter 1 Penitence for your crime

       I walk into the small town, the smell of smoke on the air. A town that did spellcaster or “Witch” burnings frequently… The smog was enough to choke me… I walk with my head down, and hood up. The streets were line with snowbanks, but were almost completely empty. Where is everyone… I wonder. Loud chants break my thoughts. I walk at a brisk pace, and stand in the shadows, leaning against a wall and “looking” over the crowd. A small child was tied to the cross, crying and screaming. She had blonde hair with a light green streak in her hair, and her eyes were bright blue. She looked about eight... The crowd was chanting “Penitence for your crime! Take her Life!” I push through the crowd, unbelieving. I break through the front, and stand in front of the girl, Arms out.
       “Stop” I start, “This is wrong! This girl is not a witch!” The crowd gasps in shock, as I turn to the girl, take a bit of water from a bottle that rests on my hip, and run it through the girl’s hair, washing the streak away.
       “See!” I turn, my spiteful gaze rests on the crowd, “She isn’t a witch!” I look back at the girl and smile knowingly. The girl is, infact, a spellcaster, but I used a bit of my magic to hide her mark. I pull out my pocket knife, and cut the the girl free. She smiles and hugs my legs.
       “Thank you Martin” She whispers. Her name floats into my head.
       “No problem… Sakura” The girl smiles happily, grabbing my hand and pulling me along. The crowd parts as she approaches. She hums happily, as she guides me through the narrow part of people. When we reach the end of the crowd, they all fill back in and stare as me and Sakura walk away. Sakura let go of my hand and broke off into a sprint, stopping a little ways away, to make sure I was still following, but what she hadn't realized I had jumped into the trees surrounding the road and was standing above her. I can see her smirk as I lower myself quietly, so I’m inches above her, about to grab her, and pull her into the tree. She did something I didn’t expect. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me down from the tree.
       “Nice try, Martin” she says with a giggle, “That’s not going to work on me.”
       “How-”
       “I can hear you speaking in a whisper. It’s in my head.” Sakura exclaims happily. I smile, pick up the girl, and set her on my shoulders.
       “This way, Nii-san!” Sakura says pointing off in a random direction. Nii-san… Words that I haven’t heard in a long time… I follow Sakura’s directions to an old well that was dried up long ago. I set Sakura on the ground and sit near the well, to catch my breath, closing my eyes to relax. I feel my hood being moved, and my bangs being slightly pushed aside.
       “Martin… Why is your eye bandaged?” Sakura’s voice asks. I open my good eye, to see she is sitting next to me, but is leaning over so the is staring directly into my good  eye, and where the other should be. I sigh and sit up slightly.
       “People are cruel…” I say quietly, “They didn’t love me… The second they found out about… about my problem… They turned on me… The people like them took the only person who I cared for at the time and…” I couldn’t continue… I felt tears leak from my visible eye. The hurt eye isn’t capable of making tears… Sakura wipes away the tears with her tiny thumb.
       “Don’t cry Nii-san!” Sakura exclaimed, replacing my bangs, and pulling my hood back up, “L-look, it’s all better, yeah?” I nod and smile sadly. Sakura smiles, but then looks up.
       “Ah!” She exclaims, standing “It’s getting late! Bye Nii-san!” She runs off. I smile and watch her go. I close my eyes to relax once again, accidentally falling into a deep sleep…