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Once the war started in Europe, later called the Thirty Years War, Douxie tried to find a way off the continent, sick of all of the wars he had seen and all of the friends he had lost. Hearing news that there was a ship, the Mayflower, taking people over to the New World, Douxie quickly made his way to the port and hid among the passengers of the ship. When he and half of the original passengers finally made it to land, Douxie decided to settle in Massachusetts for the time being, not knowing enough about the land to move.
Douxie stayed there for about 20 years before he started to regret it. Rumors grew into fears and then into hysteria as news of witches residing in the town of Salem began to circle around. Soon, everyone, your sister, mother, niece, friend, were to be suspected of being a witch. Douxie and Archie knew that the fear was unneeded since none of them were actually witches, just teenagers fooling around or women who were just trying to survive life in the New World. Sure, there were a few healers and warriors here and there that could use magic, but they were hegg (now, in the 21st century spelled hedge, meaning limited) wizards, not actual wizards like himself. Even if people knew this, it wouldn’t help. Men used the so-called ‘witch hunts’ to put women in their place when they started to go against the norm of the town they resided in.
Douxie and Archie didn’t immediately move, although the hysteria of witches made Douxie use less and less magic every day just to be safe. Douxie had made friends in Salem. One of his friends was named Anne. She, unlike most of the girls in Salem, was actually a witch. No, not an actual witch, obviously, but a hegg witch. Most of her magic consisted of healing her own and others' wounds faster than normal. She was the best healer in the village and one of the nicest people in the colony. She was also one of Douxie’s best friends. They would go to the woods together and collect herbs for her salves and medicine and Douxie would even help her make them when he had the time.
As time went on, though, people began to become suspicious of her healing abilities. Douxie would try to calm the rumors down while he was in town, but he could only do so much. When he heard rumors of Anne being executed, he quickly rushed to her home to warn her. He did, but she would not listen.
“My life is here, Douxie. I cannot leave it. I was born in this town, so in it, I will die.” The two turned when the slamming on the door started as shouts grew for the execution of the witch. Douxie used his own magic to bar the door and Anne put her hand on top of Douxie’s, making the objects fall. With a sad smile, she gave him one last hug before she opened the door and was taken to Gallow Hill to be hanged.
Douxie tried to save her before she was hanged, exposing himself in the process, but was futile. She was shot and went limp in Douxie’s magic. He ran into the woods, creating a barrier between him and the people of Salem, Archie flying right beside him.
“We definitely can’t stay here anymore, Arch,” Douxie said as he collapsed, the yells of the villagers no longer there. Wiping a few tears away, he sighed. “Now where do we go?” Archie sighed, curling up against the Wizard.
“Far, far from here.”