The Witch of the Castle of Glass

Milly and Rain were half an hour from the tower, following the river that ran up the valley towards the closest mountain. Its peak rose majestically into the air, a cool air billowing down from its peaks and licking at their skin. They followed a well-worn deer trail along the water, making their travel smooth.

Milly continued to scan the forest, looking for any unusual tracks that led into the forest, as Xavier had taught her yesterday. Finally, Milly spotted one. A trail of crushed moss and broken branches that led up a trickling stream to a small cave at the base of a rocky outcropping.

They moved quietly along the trail, and quickly found what they were looking for. There were five of them, creatures resembling the goblins that she and Xavier had fought on the plains, only these ones were light brown and had weaved bark and branches for armor. Instead of spears, they held tree limbs as clubs, but they had the same sharp fangs and murderous glare plastered across their faces. Camped at the entrance to the cave sheltered on the right by an eight-foot-high slope, they sat lazily around a campfire. Meat skewered on pointed sticks slowly roasted over the fire, and the camp was filled with high pitched chirps and grunts as they argued with each other.

“Are you sure about this, Milly?” Rain whispered nervously, clutching a rusted dagger as they lay in the moss and watched the goblins.

“We need to start somewhere, Rain,” Milly answered, clutching a rusted spear in her hands. “And this is a pretty good place to start. We can do this.”

“But how do you know they are…” Rain began to ask before they heard a sudden snap at the edge of the camp. The goblins hooted in pleasure. The largest one, weaved armor adorned with tiny skulls, walked over to where the noise had come from and returned with a small black squirrel struggling in its grip.

Milly and Rain watched in horror as the goblin tormented the squirrel, loosening its grip just enough for it to believe escape possible, only to squeeze its grip tight to listen to its squeaks of fear. It repeated the game over and over, until the squirrel finally stopped struggling. When it’s fun was over, the goblin placed the squirrel’s neck between its sharp teeth and slowly crushed the life from it, the squirrel’s cries of fear echoing across the camp. Its life ended in a hideous pop as the goblin bit down, and then spat the severed head at the smallest goblin, which grunted in protest.

Rain gasped, drawing the attention of the largest goblin. It’s malicious gaze scanned the trees, and Milly and Rain held their breath, unmoving, until it lost interest and threw the squirrel’s body into the fire.

Milly glanced at the steep hill that ran along the right side of the camp, leading to a narrow ledge overlooking the cave. “Rain, do you think you could climb up that slope, quietly?” Milly asked, a plan forming in her head.

Rain looked at the slope, then nodded. “Yes, I think so. My dad used to take me rock climbing in school. Why?”

Milly opened her inventory and quietly placed five spears on the ground, most stained with ogre blood. She passed three of the spears to Rain. “You’ll be safe up there. Here, take these spears and position yourself on that ledge. I’ll move over to that boulder. When you hear me whistle, jump up and draw their attention, throwing those spears at them. If you run out, start throwing rocks. I’ll use the distraction to run in and take them by surprise.”

“Milly, there are five of them. You can’t be down here alone.”

If this had been yesterday, Milly would have agreed. But she had been watching these goblins. Their movements seemed slow, almost lazy. She was afraid, but she was able to push it aside easier that yesterday. She was stronger and faster now, and practiced in how these enemies moved.

“I'll be okay, Rain,” Milly assured her. “Xavier and I hunted these creatures all day yesterday and we got it down to an art.”

Rain looked worried, but slowly nodded and started moving to the slope. Milly watched as she ascended, wincing at every shifting stone that dislodged along the way.

It was a few minutes before Rain was in position. Milly’s heart raced. For all her bravado, she had never faced this many goblins before. Could she really do it?

Rain gave her the thumbs up, the three spears laid at her feet. It was time. Milly stayed low and quiet, moving behind the boulder only a few paces from the closest goblin.

Milly whistled, and Rain popped up with the first spear in hand. “Hey, goblins. Look up here.” Rain hurled the first spear at the closest goblin and gave a squeal of success when the spear struck it in the shin. The goblin gave a yelp of pain, ripping the spear from its leg with a look of shock and hate in its eyes.

Milly dashed from cover, closing the distance to the nearest goblin in mere moments, a spear in each hand. She caught her first target by surprise, her new strength sending her right hand spear straight through the goblin’s chest. She could feel it shatter its ribs and pierce its heart before erupting out the other side. Milly let go of the spear in shock as the goblin fell forward dead, startled by her own strength.

The two goblins closest to Milly dashed towards her, clubs swinging wildly. Milly deflected the first club with her bare hand, stopping it in its tracks and pushing it to the side to throw its owner off balance. The impact sent a shock through Milly’s arm but she kept her focus. The goblin stumbled sideways, leaving an opening for Milly to twirl like a dancer and plant her second spear through its back.

Milly laughed, feeling a mix of elation and guilt as the goblins were no match for her newfound strength and agility. She caught the second goblin’s club with her bare hands, wincing at the sting as it slapped her palm. She ripped it out of his hand and then struck him in the head with it. The creature flew into the air, landing a few paces away, its skull crushed.

In a matter of moments, Milly had eliminated three of the five goblins, their bodies collapsed at her feet. Her breath was heavy with the effort, her stomach queasy at the dead around her, but she choked it down and stepped forward towards the largest goblin with the armor of tiny skulls.

Rain watched in amazement from high upon the slope as she watched Milly make short work of the creatures. The goblin that Rain had struck hobbled over to join the largest to defend against this new threat. Rain shouted a warning to Milly and threw her second spear at the goblin. The spear struck it square in the back. It gasped, blood erupting from its mouth, its hands clawing desperately at the air. “Yes!” Rain shouted triumphantly.

Rain threw her final spear to finish it, but the goblin collapsed just as the spear landed two feet short.

There was only one goblin left.

“Ok, just you and me,” Milly said, throwing the goblin’s club aside and drawing a rusted sword from her inventory. She was ready to charge when she suddenly saw Rain sliding down the slope, rusty dagger in hand and nearly stumbling twice on the way down. She reached the ground a few seconds later, on her feet with trembling knees. She gave Milly a sly smile and held the dagger out towards the goblin.

The largest goblin was flanked, its head darting side to side with a look of fear and anger. It smiled at Milly with vicious, pointed teeth, then turned and charged at Rain, weapon raised high and ready to bring it down on Rain’s head. Milly ran forward as fast as she could, sword at the ready.

Milly ran forward, trying to close the distance. “I’m not going to make it,” Milly cried. She held her breath as the goblin swung wildly, looking for blood.

Rain stepped carefully to the side, allowing the powerful swing to glide past her and strike the rocks below, and then reached forward and buried the point of her knife into the goblin’s neck. It stopped, stunned for a brief second, before it collapsed to the ground, hands clutching at the hole left in its necks. By the time Milly arrived, it was laying in a pool of its own blood and death came for it.

“Rain, what were you…I mean how…” Milly stammered, astonished.

“I had eight brothers, remember? They made sure I knew how to defend myself. I have fought against bigger,” Rain said, trying to sound composed, though her voice was shaky. “And I’m a butcher’s daughter. I’ve been handling knives since I was six.” She tried to flip the dagger around in her hand but accidentally dropped it. She bent over and picked it up, her face red with embarrassment.

“Well…um…good for you Rain,” Milly whispered, impressed. “I think you…”

A fist-sized rock struck Milly’s back with a wicked crack. Her breath was knocked out of her lungs and she fell forward hard, rocks opening bloody cuts on her arms.

“Milly!” screamed Rain, rushing over to her side.

From the cave emerged a sixth goblin, a monster that towered a foot over either woman. The club in its hands was five feet long and thick, with branches snapped off for makeshift spikes. It was dressed head to toe in hide, shoulders protected by a pair of deer skulls. It stepped forward slowly, unafraid.

“You fucker,” Milly cursed, spitting out a mouthful of blood and stumbling to her feet. “You are going to pay for that.” She struggled to take more than shallow breaths, piercing pain in her lungs. “Suck it up, Milly,” she whispered to herself.

Milly ran forward clumsily as Rain picked up a spear and hurled it, its point bouncing off the goblin’s armor harmlessly. She could hear the goblin chuckle, then it filled the air with its roar and ran forward to meet Milly.

Milly could feel her heart pounding, her mouth full of blood. She should be scared. She should run away. But she knew Rain was behind her, and she could not leave her to the mercy of such a monster. She pushed aside the pain, staring into the goblin’s eyes.

She needed to finish this quickly. One move. She just needed one move.

They met in the middle of the camp, the fire crackling between where they stood. The goblin swung its massive weapon in a horizontal swing towards Milly. Milly jumped, high enough that the weapon passed under her feet. She landed toe to toe with the goblin, raised her sword, and cleaved through the goblin’s arm. The club, and the arm attached to it, continued its momentum and crashed into the rocky outcropping.

The goblin howled in pain and rage, but Milly did not give it time to recover. She spun in a circle, sword moving from ground to sky, and sliced into goblin’s neck. The sword stuck in bone and flesh as it lost momentum and Milly let go, leaping backward three steps, gasping for breath.

The goblin stood in place, eyes staring forward in disbelief. Its severed arm hung limply at its side, blood pooling on the ground below it. Milly’s gaze did not leave its eyes until it fell over, striking the ground hard. The impact severed the last of the flesh that held head to neck, and Milly watched as its head rolled and came to rest at her feet.

Rain rushed over to her, shaking, and covered in sweat. “Milly! That was…you were…holy cow, you were amazing!” she praised excitedly. Then she looked at Milly, swaying on her feet. “Mils, are you ok?”

“I…um…just give me a…” Milly said, then rushed over to the edge of the forest and vomited into the moss. The mix of blood and roast beef sandwich covered the ground below her as she heaved again, until her stomach was empty.

Milly lowered herself to the ground, gasping. She brought her hand to her chest, focusing on the magic within her. She could feel her broken ribs and her collapsed lung, the bruising on her back and the cuts across her arm. She tried to shut the pain out, willing the healing magic to flow. The pain began to slowly fade, but the nausea in her stomach did not.

Rain sat herself next to Milly, holding her hand in comfort. “Are you ok, Mils? Was that from your injuries, or because of the goblin head?”

“A bit of both,” Milly replied, trying not to think about it, “And I will be. I just need some time.” She grunted in pain as the magic touched her injuries, then breathed a shallow sigh of relief as the pain started to fade. She closed her eyes, trying to stay focused on healing. It felt easier with the increase to her magic granted by the gown. She was able to feel where the injuries were, and better target her healing to conserve her energy. She could judge her magical reserves better as well. She had energy to fix her internal injuries, but the welt and cuts on her arm would need to wait in case she drained herself dry.

Rain sat next to her, in silence, holding her hand, and patiently waited for her to finish. It was a slow process, and Rain kept a watchful eye on the forest.

“I got careless,” Milly admitted, stopping once she started to feel exhaustion setting in. She let the healing fade, wincing from the pain in her back as she stood. “If I were with Xavier, he would never let me hear the end of it. He’d say, ‘Don’t underestimate your opponent, Milly.’ Then he’d ramble on about something I would not understand.”

“We survived,” Rain countered. “Isn’t that the most important thing?”

“Yah, I guess it is,” Milly said, feeling jealous at Rain’s endless optimism. “Rain, I barely survived my first battle. I froze, like a deer in the headlights. The bravery you had today…I’m jealous.”

“It doesn’t matter where we start, right? Just where we are right now. Did you see yourself? You were amazing! I cannot wait to be as strong as you are.”

“Speaking of which…” Milly said, willing the battle results screen to open.

Congratulations!

You have defeated a Gobin Raiding Party.

You have been awarded 100 experience points.

You have leveled up!

You have received two attribute points and one talent point.

Item: Key to the Goblin Raid Chest

Gold: 20

"What is this?" Milly asked, opening her inventory and pulling out the key. It was made from plain iron, the length of her hand, and rusted from top to bottom.

“Hey, I got one too!” Rain said excitedly. Milly peeked her head around her screen and saw Rain standing with her own key in hand, jumping with excitement. “And I leveled up three times!”

“That’s incredible, Rain. You deserve it,” Milly said as she put her attribute points into toughness. As the increase took hold, Milly felt her skin grow more resistant, the pain she was feeling diminished. “Is that what toughness does?” whispered Milly, wishing she had invested more points earlier.

She looked up, and saw Rain spin in circles and jump across the battle ground like an agile cat. She leaped over to a boulder and wrapped her arms around it, trying to lift it out of the ground. It did not budge. “Oh well, I guess I am not that strong. Yet.” she laughed, “But this is incredible! I feel like a whole new person.”

“Now you just need to pick your talent. There are thousands to choose…” Milly started.

“Oh, I already did that,” Rain said chipperly, “Look!” She plopped herself down next to Milly.

Nature’s Bounty

An instinctive knowledge of the alchemic and magical properties of plants and animals.

“I thought about what you said last night. About there being tea ingredients out here in the wilds. And then my talent map opened and moved on its own right to it, and it is perfect.”

“It is very you, Rain,” Milly agreed.

Rain held up the rusted key. “So, what do you think we do with these?”

Milly’s eyes darted to the cave entrance. “Perhaps we will find out in there.”

The cave was narrow, only a dozen paces deep, and had a deeply pungent smell that made Milly’s nose twitch in disgust. Animal carcasses, half eaten and ripped apart, were strewn haphazardly across the cave floor. Against the back wall, covered in discarded antlers and entrails, was an unadorned bronze chest.

“Oh, eww,” Milly said, “Do we really need what is in there?”

Raid laughed and, without missing a beat, grabbed a hunk of fur off the ground and swept the entrails off the top.

“I think being a butcher’s daughter might have prepared you perfectly for this Contest,” Milly teased. “I’m double jealous.”

Rain kicked aside the desiccated carcass of a squirrel and knelt, inserting her key into the lock. There was a rhythmic hum, and they watched as the key dissolved into dust. There was a click and a hiss, and the lid popped opened.

Rain looked inside. “What the heck is this?”

She pulled out a leather-bound briefcase engraved with a myriad of plants and animals in fine silver. “It’s gorgeous,” Rain whispered.

Milly knelt beside her as Rain slowly unraveled the thin bronze coils that sealed it shut on either end and eased open the case.

Inside were a dozen glass bottles, each a different size and shape with a unique stopper for the top. Rain gently grasped the one shaped like a frog and pulled it out. “They are so adorable,” she cooed, “but what are they for?”

“Perhaps that will tell you,” Milly said, pointing to a small leather-bound book in a small pocket on the underside of the lid.

Rain withdrew the book. “A Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy,” she read, cracking open the weathered cover. The pages inside were covered with instructions, sketches, and recipes, creating step-by-step instructions for how to create simple potions from various plants and animals. “It’s like brewing tea, but magical,” Rain whispered, eyes shining with delight.

As Rain scrolled through the pages, a screen appeared in front of her.

Talent Book: Alchemy (Beginner)

Prerequisite Talent: Nature’s Bounty

You may learn the talent “Alchemy (Beginner)”

Do you want to learn the talent “Alchemy (Beginner)”?

Rain looked at the prompt. “Of course I do,” she said with confidence.

The leather-bound book started to shake in Rain’s hands, and suddenly her eyes turned milky white. She started to tremble in place, fingers grasping the book tightly. Milly gasped as the words and sketches detached themselves from the page and flew towards Rain. Milly held Rain tightly as she tried to swat the words away, but the words floated into Rain’s pupils and into her mind.

Seconds later it was over. The book was blank, every word and symbol absorbed. She stopped trembling, and the milkiness in her eyes faded away.

You have learned the talent “Potion Making (Beginner)”

“Milly, it’s incredible,” whispered Rain, her eyes flickering back and forth as if reading words that Milly could not see. “I can see it in my mind. Sleep draughts, nausea elixirs, and here’s one for the common cold. Is that an explosive? What the heck is essence of the shrieking mushroom?”

“I’m sure we will find out eventually. Now, what do I do with mine?”

Milly held up the rusted iron key, and they jumped as the lid of the bronze chest suddenly slammed shut. They heard the lock click back into place and a gentle hum emanate from its depths.

“You don’t suppose…” Milly wondered, inserting her key into the lock, and watching it dissolve. The hum continued for a moment, there was a click, and the lip popped open.

Milly tentatively peaked into the chest. Laying on the bottom was a round, wide brimmed hat with a long-pointed top and a bronze buckle on a purple ribbon encircling the base of the point. It was decorated with glistening stars and moons that perfectly matched her gown.

Milly drew it out slowly, a look of confusion on her face.

Rain burst out laughing.

“Oh my god, Milly. That’s perfect for you,” she snorted between giggles.

“It’s a witch’s hat,” complained Milly, holding it by the point as if it were filthy, “It looks like it came from a Halloween costume. Why would it give me this?”

“Well, let’s consider the facts,” Rain said, trying and failing to sound serious, “You are wearing a black gown that resembles the night sky, the ring of your finger has an embedded skull, your hoodie has a pentagram on it, you’ve got this whole goth girl thing going for you, and…” Rain took a dramatic pause, “you can use magic! I don’t think you need the hat for people to think you are a witch!”

“I’m not a goth,” Milly mumbled, still holding the hat away from her, “I mean, not really. But I guess…maybe…”

Milly focused on the hat.

Milly’s First Witch’s Hat

Yer a wizard, Milly

Benefit: Increases the wearer’s magic by 2

Benefit: Grants Talent “Reanimate Rodent” while worn

“Oh, gross. Gross, gross, gross. Do I have to use it?” Milly protested.

“Yes!” exclaimed Rain, “Put it on. Put it on.”

Milly sighed and slipped the hat onto her head. It was a perfect fit, the conical hat curling back comfortably into a half-moon.

“And…” Rain said expectedly.

“Please don’t make me.”

“Every talent is an advantage, right?” Rain insisted.

Milly gave a deeply reluctant groan and shifted her gaze to the desiccated squirrel that Rain had kicked. She felt the invisible magic inside her spiral out towards the carcass.

Milly held her breath, until the magic stopped flowing. Then the squirrel carcass began to move, twitching its skeletal legs back and forth as if waking from sleep. Then its arms started pressing into the stone, pulling itself upright, and Milly gasped as its head snapped towards her, empty eye sockets gazing sightlessly forward.

The squirrel of matted fur and cracked bone sat there unmoving, watching its witch.

“Make it do something,” Rain said, circling around the squirrel, utterly fascinated.

“Maybe you should wear the hat,” Milly whispered, “I don’t like how it is looking at me.”

“It is literally called “Milly’s First Witch’s Hat, Milly. If you don’t like it looking at you, tell it to look somewhere else.”

“Um…Mr. Squirrel, can you…” Milly did not have to complete the sentence. The squirrel responded to her thoughts, turning its head, and bounding away from Milly until it reached the wall furthest away from her.

“It’s horribly adorable,” Rain said, hands clasped together in delight. “It could ride on your shoulder.”

“No!” Milly shouted, shocked at the thought of it, wishing the squirrel would go away.

The squirrel collapsed into a heap against the wall, and its bones turned to ash.

“At least we know the talent works,” Rain said, slightly disappointed.

“I could feel it in my head,” Milly said, trying to forget the sensation. “I don’t like rodents. Not since…not since I spent a night sleeping beside a dumpster when I was sixteen.” Milly shivered at the memory.

Rain threw a comforting arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Well, I’m proud of you for trying, Mils. You are the bravest woman I know.”

Milly looked up at her, surprised. “I’m not brave,” she mumbled. Rain gave her another squeeze and stood up.

“Sure, Milly, sure. Now, should we get out of here? I want to see what other trouble we can find.”

* * *

Ten minutes later they were back along the river, headed north down the wide valley. They made slow progress, but Milly did not mind. She giggled as she watched Rain scurry from plant to plant, picking leaves and stems with abandon and stashing them in her inventory.

“This Nature’s Bounty feat is amazing Milly,” she exclaimed for the third time in as many minutes, “Look, this plant here with the purple flowers? It can be brewed into tea that improves sleep. And these stems can be pressed into a poison that temporarily paralyzes someone. I guess I had better not mix those two up. Ooh, this one can be brewed into a drink three times stronger than coffee.”

“That’s great, Rain,” Milly laughed, picking her way carefully over roots and rocks, her own talent screen floating in front of her. She had been agonizing over her decision, unable to choose from so many remarkable options. It felt overwhelming.

“Did you pick one yet?” Rain inquired, popping her head up behind the transparent screen and causing Milly to jump in surprise.

“Damn it. No, I haven’t decided yet. If anything, I’m more lost than I was five minutes ago,” Milly admitted, frustrated.

Rain gave a mischievous grin, then moved to Milly’s side to gaze at her talent map. She looked into Milly’s eyes and smiled.

“You should change your approach. Do not worry about all the options. Think about what challenges you have, then see if anything will help you fix them.”

Milly looked at her friend in surprise. “Rain, that’s…kind of brilliant.”

“You give lots of advice as a barista. It’s like being a bartender, only people are sober. Usually.”

Milly chuckled, “Ok. Problems…challenges…Well, we are stuck in a Contest where death is around every corner. That seems like a big problem.”

“Maybe a smaller problem? I don’t think there is a talent for ‘win the Contest’ located in there.” Rain watched the screen for a moment, but it did not move. “Didn’t think so.”

Milly started counting problems on her fingers. “No food. No supplies. Every other minute I just want to fall apart and cry.”

“Do the first two worry you?” asked Rain, playing devil’s advocate.

Milly thought about it. “Well, we know there is food out here. We have seen the bananas and coconuts around the tower and animal paths in this forest. I saw buffalo in the plains and I’m sure there are fish in the ocean. I spent three months homeless on the streets after I ran away from my final foster home and always managed to find something to eat. At least here we have a roof over our heads and the bounty of nature at our doorstep. We will struggle to feed eight hundred people, but at least we can fend for ourselves.”

“And feeling like you are going to fall apart?" asked Rain, concerned.

“I’m off my meds,” Milly said, feeling ashamed. She had never told anyone about her medication. “I have depression. I have had it for years, but my doctor is trying to get me to try non-pharmaceutical management.”

“Maybe there is a talent to help you with your depression?"

Milly considered this for a long while, but finally dismissed it. “No, I…how do I put this? I’m battling depression, but I’ve lived with it for so long that the fight has become part of me. If I use this system to suddenly make it go away, it would feel like…I don’t know. Cheating? Or like I had given up? That probably sounds stupid, huh?”

“Can you manage it off your meds?” Rain asked, simply.

“I’m not sure,” Milly responded tentatively. “Honestly, it has been so crazy these past two days that I haven’t sat still long enough to really think about it.”

“Then perhaps this is not the time to use a talent point on it,” Rain concluded. “I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any plants that might help, and you can always use a future talent point for it if it comes to that.”

There was one other problem on Milly’s mind, so fresh that she hesitated to raise it.

“Mr. Stone,” she said softly, “I’m scared of what will happen when I go back to the tower. He made me feel so small. I’m afraid he’ll try to use me as a tool or turn people against me if he cannot. He has so much power, and I have so little.”

Rain stopped walking for a moment, eyes staring at the majestic mountain peak before them. Then her eyes fell on Milly. To her black dress and her witch’s hat. And she smiled.

“Office politics, Milly. People like Mr. Stone prey on weakness. They belittle people to make themselves seem big and eliminate those who do not fall in line. If he sees you as weak, he will target you.”

She took a deep breath, grinning for dramatic effect. “You need to show him your strength. Show him you are not to be messed with. Show him he will be in for a world of pain if tries anything like that with you.”

“And how exactly do I do that?” Milly asked, “I am not strong. Not like that.”

Rain looked skeptically at Milly. “Yes, you are, Mils. But it is about more than simply being strong. Lots of strong people are taken down because they are passive, unknown, or alone. You need to create a story of strength that is spoken from the mouths of every person at the tower.”

“And just how exactly am I to do that?” Milly asked, overwhelmed.

“You already are,” Rain said, pointing to Milly’s gown and hat, “People saw you take down that ogre. They have seen you heal people. Lean into it!”

As Rain spoke, Milly’s talent window shifted, zooming in to the top left corner of the map. To the section entitled ‘Witchcraft.’

“But I’m not a witch!” Milly protested.

Rain burst out laughing. Her enthusiastic giggles echoed off the mountains.

“You could be. Even the System agrees. It's perfect. You have got the clothes. The gloomy disposition. The long, black hair. You can create undead rodents and kill ogres. Build the legend! Even Jacob Stone would not mess with the Witch of the Castle of Glass.

“The Witch of the Castle of Glass?”

“Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

It all felt a bit much. But Rain was glowing with delight, and Milly did not have any better ideas.

“Okay,” Milly said, hesitantly, “Okay, I’ll give it a shot. But I don’t think anyone will be convinced.”

“Fake it until you make it,” Rain recited.

Milly sighed and scanned the witchcraft section of the talent map. The branches were vast, but only five beginner talents were currently available to her – earth, wood, metal, fire, and water.

“Pick something flashy,” recommended Rain, “The Witch of the Castle of Glass needs to be flashy.”

She thought for a moment, then selected fire, thinking it would be the most versatile. She locked it in, and suddenly felt the knowledge enter her mind, the power of fire flowing from the same pocket of magical energy where healing came from.

It felt warm.

It felt powerful.

It felt…almost familiar.

Milly stretched out her palm, pointing at a fallen log, and tapped into the power.

Her hand became encased in blue flame, pleasantly warm, before quickly forming into a ball in her palm. She thrust her palm at the log and the fire flew forward, striking it with a loud crack. Pieces fractured as the ball exploded, and moments later there was a gaping hole in its side, edges lit with glowing embers.

“Now that will get Stone’s attention,” whooped Rain, jumping with excitement.

Milly looked at her hand, completely untouched by the fire. “Unbelievable,” she whispered, “This is beginner level? What kind of contest is this where such power is the first stage?” The thought made her tremble.

“Are we ready to find some more adventure, Witch Milly, the witchiest witch that ever was?” Rain asked, giving her a deep bow.

Milly laughed, jarred from the dark thought. “Lead on, Rain. Let’s see what other trouble we can find.”

“Oh, we should find a dead rat for you to reanimate. You need a familiar!” Rain demanded.

“No rats!” shouted Milly, running forward with a laugh as Rain chased after her. The two friends continued upriver, laughing, the horrors of the contest forgotten for the moment.

“The Witch of the Castle of Glass,” Milly whispered as she sped through the woods, “I might grow to like that.”

Mildred Persephone Brown

Player

Level: 6

Specialty: Survival

Strength: 10 (+4 from Wedding Ring of Phillip the Ogre)

Agility: 11 (+5 from Gown of Moon and Stars)

Toughness: 10

Magic: 13 (+5 from Gown of Moon and Stars, +2 from Milly's First Witch's Hat)

Talents: Healer's Touch, Fire Magic (Beginner), Reanimate Rodent (Witch's Hat)

Rain Desjarlais

Player

Level: 3

Specialty: Brewing, Experimentation

Strength: 8

Agility: 8

Toughness: 4

Magic: 6

Talents: Nature's Bounty, Alchemy (Beginner)