The Witch of the Castle of Glass

Whitewing wore a grim expression as she studied Rain and Xavier’s injuries. Healers hovered over their unconscious forms, muttering in disbelief as they slowly stemmed the worst of their bleeding.

“How are they still alive?”

“Even wolves would have perished from that.”

“Maybe Nobori was telling the truth.”

“Your friends are strong,” Whitewing said with authority, silencing the gossip. “Most fairies wouldn’t have survived what they endured.”

Whitewing knelt beside one of Sapphire’s warriors and closed his eyes with her fingers, whispering a silent prayer over his empty form. Calista placed a supportive hand on her shoulder, then stepped outside the seonangdang and left the healer to tend the growing number of wounded.

Fairies were starting to trickle in from the Gathering, led by the guides Calista had sent into danger. Milly breathed a sigh of relief when Nobori emerged from the path along the shore, guiding the Lost Foals and Floating Leaf Skulk towards their defensive line.

“You did well, Nobori,” Milly praised. Spotting a gash across his left paw, Milly held it in her hand and healed it. “There you go. Good as new.”

“Thank you, Goddess. Now I must find the others,” Nobori said respectfully. He gave her a quick bow and dashed back along the shoreline trail and into the battle.

“I’m not a…” Milly protested, but Nobori had already disappeared behind the trees.

Elders Twotongue and Lightpaw had arrived with their tribes and were now moving their children and elderly underneath the light of the seonangdang. The children scurried up the branches as high as they could go, while the elders settled in around the trunk and helped tend the wounded.

“I’m glad you are safe,” Calista said with genuine relief. Over the past several days, she’d grown close to Twotongue, and Lightpaw had supported her at the Elder’s Council.

“We were lucky,” Twotongue admitted. “We gathered our tribes at the shore of the lake. When the wolves descended from the southern slopes, we were fleeing here when Nobori found us.”

“The other tribes were not warned of the danger,” Lightpaw added. The elderly fox, who had been so stoic at the Elders Council, held in a simmering anger. “Only Sapphire believed your pleas and prepared her people. The other elders dismissed your concerns, and didn’t tell their tribes of the danger. Their xenophobia will be their undoing.”

“It may be all of our undoing,” Calista mumbled. Fox scouts led two small groups of fairies safely behind their lines, but for every one that reached them, four more had been dragged up the southern slopes as newly captured slaves.

“It’s only a matter of time before the wolves find us here,” Calista said. “Elders, I need you to…”

Before she could finish, a bright light erupted above the giant obsidian in the Lake of Memories. The light exploded into fine, golden dust that fell over the dark corruption on the dome and dissolved it like an industrial cleanser. The first rays of morning light broke through and illuminated the valley’s floor, reflecting off dew that hung delicately on the leaves.

A tiny message scrolled across the bottom of Milly’s glasses as Tutoria’s voice boomed out over the Arena. “Update complete.”

Tutoria’s voice came through crystal clear from the sky above the obsidian, the roar of the battle relegated to background noise.

“On behalf of the AI Director, I would like to extend our sincere apologies for the small bug in the Arena of Protection. Rest assured that the problems have been resolved. As compensation, prizes for successful completion of the Arena will be adjusted to…”

“Just tell us how to win this fucking Arena, Tutoria!” Calista shouted at the invisible guide with every ounce of impatience she could muster. The two Elders stared at Calista with shock.

They can’t hear Tutoria. Only the players can. They have no idea this is part of a game. Luna, what the hell is going on?

“There’s no need to be rude, Calista. We are getting there. Now that the win conditions are patched, we can resume.”

A timer appeared on the obsidian slab, set to ten minutes.

“This is a points-based Arena. Your goal is to protect the fairies from the onslaught of the wolves. There are one thousand, two hundred and fourteen fairies at the Gathering. When the timer reaches zero, there must be a minimum of three hundred fairies left alive to be victorious. Bonus points may be earned by exceeding this goal or accomplishing side quests within the Arena. After ten minutes, if the players are alive and the goal completed, rewards will be calculated based on your accumulated points. Please consult the running tally for progress.”

A player screen popped up in front of Milly and Calista.

Time Remaining: 10:00

Total Fairies: 1,214

Fairies Enslaved: 172

Fairies Murdered: 194

Fairies Under Seonangdangs: 63

Remaining Fairies: 785

As they read the cold, horrifying statistics, the ‘Fairies Enslaved’ count increased by one as a tattooed wolf dragged an elderly fairy beyond the Arena’s dome.

“You… you sadistic asshole!” shouted Calista. “You and that AI Director. These are intelligent, kind people. You can’t just throw away their lives for the entertainment of mad gods.”

“Calista, this is the God Contest,” Tutoria said, as if she were a mother scolding a child. “Monsters die. Fairies die. Players die. You need to accept that if you want to survive. Now, if I may continue?”

Calista shook with anger. “Just get on with it, you monster,” Calista said through gritted teeth. She held her bitter retort, knowing every second was paid for in fairy lives.

“Thank you, Calista. You are as reasonable as you are even tempered,” Tutoria said sarcastically. “Now, there are two side quests available. You see, the Wolves of the Silver Lakes have brought with them two powerful, unique beasts – Gorath the Alpha and Fairy Killer. You may earn bonus points by…”

Tutoria paused. Milly imagined the guide’s invisible gaze slowly turn towards Gorath’s broken body that lay on the eastern path.

“Oh. Well, I’ll just add those bonus points now, shall I? You’ve been busy while we patched. Well done, players! I’m certain your battle was marvelous entertainment for the gods.”

There was a distant whirl followed by a sharp ding, as if an old punch card computer had finished a calculation.

“Now, you’d better get back to the battle and save some fairies, or those bonus points won’t count. On behalf of the AI Director, I thank you again for your patience. Good luck, players.”

Tutoria’s voice faded away, and the sounds of the battle returned to their all-consuming volume.

“I don’t like this version of Tutoria,” Calista spat as she returned her attention to the battlefield. She addressed the Elders. “Lightpaw and Twotongue, get your children and those unable to fight under the healer’s seonangdang. Anyone willing should join the defensive line alongside Sapphire’s warriors.”

Twotongue waved over Tentongue, who arrived with Passiflora at his side. With her own tribe extinguished, the Tentongue and the Lost Foals were all she had left.

“Tentongue, I need you to take care of the children. Climb as high as you can, and do not leave the tree’s light for any reason. Do you understand?” Twotongue instructed.

“Umm… yes, Elder,” Tentongue replied. He was putting on a brave face, but fear reflected deep in his eyes as sudden responsibility was thrust towards him. He rushed towards the seonangdang, shouting high-pitched, shaky orders to the children in the tree.

“Elders, you should also take shelter…” Calista began.

“No,” interjected the Elders in unison.

“We will help with the fight,” said Lightpaw. “There is still strength in these old bones, and precious little space under the seonangdang. Saving our children – the future of our tribes – must be priority.”

Calista did not argue. They didn’t have time to argue. A group of four fairies burst from the Gathering, pursued by twin wolf predators. The wolves fell upon the limping fairy that had fallen behind. Dragging it to the ground, they tore him apart with teeth and claws as the others crossed Sapphire’s defensive line. The ‘Fairies Killed’ stat on Milly’s screen ticked up by one.

The Spear of Pinga flew towards the beasts, Calista close behind. Sapphire bellowed to three of her warriors, who advanced. Milly began to follow, but she was stopped by a tiny hand that grasped at her gown.

It was Passiflora. The young fairy girl looked up at Milly with pleading eyes, her face filled with terror.

“I… I want to fight,” Passiflora insisted, yet her eyes flickered to the seonangdang, each glance heightening her fear.

Milly felt the tingle in her spine as Ceaseless Skepticism activated.

Lie. She doesn’t want to fight. She’s scared to death of the seonangdang.

Milly glanced at the source of her fear. Xavier lay beneath its light, unconscious and tended by Whitewing’s healers.

No, she’s not scared of the seonangdang. It’s Xavier. She’s more scared of him than all the wolves. Xavier, what did you do to her?

“See that shelter?” Milly said as she knelt at the girl’s side and pointed towards the northern edge of their battlefield. “I have a job for you, Passiflora. I need you to keep an eye on the northern hills. If you see anything, let the strike group know and then run away, okay? You run and you hide, and don’t come out until all this is over. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, Witch,” Passiflora agreed with a squeak.

“Good girl. Now hurry along.”

I’m going to find out what you did to her, Xavier. And when I do…

Milly watched Passiflora scurry away, leaving her thought unfinished. As Passiflora ducked out of sight, Milly rushed towards Calista.

Back into war.

* * *

Calista, Sapphire, and her warriors had dispatched the two wolves by the time Milly arrived, though not without cost. Two monkeys carried one of Sapphire’s warriors towards the seonangdang. Raked across the gills by wolf claws, the fairy clutched his throat as he struggled for breath.

Milly stepped towards the fairy, her hands glowing blue, but Sapphire grasped her arm tightly.

“Save your magic, Witch. You’ll do more good fighting than playing healer,” Sapphire insisted, her words cold and calculated. “Every death you bring to the wolves is fewer monster to bring death upon us.”

Witch. A bringer of death. Is that who I am now? Is that who I want to be?

Calista’s gripped the shaft of her spear and yanked it from the wolf corpse. The air around them was heavy with the tang of blood. They could see the shadows of wolves in morning light moving in the nearby trees and hunted fairies trying to reach the safety of Sapphire’s line.

“Milly, we need to…” Calista started. The ground began to rumble under their feet.

Fairy Killer erupted from the edge of the Bazaar. The massive beast shattered trees as it bounded into view. Fully healed, it clutched three struggling fairies in its mouth. Milly watched in horror as Fairy Killer’s tongue wrapped around its victims and drew them back onto its molars. The sight of their silent, terrified pleas burned into Milly’s memory like a cattle brand.

The beast closed its maw, and the fairies were crushed. Bones snapped as the beast chewed, and when he swallowed their remains its eyes grew bright with replenished magic.

Milly smashed her hands together, a lightning bolt coming to life. Her anger engulfed all other emotions as Salem’s Fury flared, hatred for the beast acting as gas poured on internal fire.

Fairy Killer saw the flash of the lightning. It tilted its head curiously to the side, then it bounded away with a single leap, deciding on pursuing easier prey.

Milly cursed, frustrated at being flat-footed. She rushed to intercept the beast, but Calista held her back.

“I know you want to go after it, love. I do too,” Calista said sagely. “But we barely survived our first encounter with it. We need to focus on saving as many fairies as we can.”

“But…,” whispered Milly, frustrated. The fire of Salem’s Fury urged her to pursue the beast, but she knew Calista was right.

A fox mother cradling her kit in her arms stumbled from the trees, pursued by a lone wolf that tackled them to the ground. Milly pointed and released her lightning into its face from fifty paces away. The crackle echoed across the valley as the wolf hurled backwards and lodged in the crook of a poplar tree. Only scolded flesh remain where its head had once been.

The mother and kit clutched their ears in pain from the crackle as Sapphire’s warriors carried them behind the protective line.

How many fairies are safe with us? Less than half of the three hundred we need, and how many of our defenders will die before the timer reaches zero?

“Cally,” started Milly, and Calista had the same thought.

“It’s not enough,” she agreed. “Sapphire, can your people hold the line if the wolves attack in force?”

Sapphire looked doubtful. “If fairies had the strength to hold against wolves, we would not be here today. They are predators. We are prey, as loathed as I am to admit that. We can hold out against a wolf or two, though even those will take their toll. If they attacked in force? The only thing to slow them down would be our corpses.”

“Damn it,” Calista spat. She opened her screen and read the timer. Eight minutes, thirteen seconds. “I wish Rain were here. Hell, I’d settle for Xavier right now.”

She took a deep breath, her eyes set with resolve.

“Milly, stay here and help Sapphire hold this line. No, don’t argue with me,” Calista said, cutting off Milly’s protest. “If the wolves attack in force, my spear and my shield aren’t going to make the difference. Only your magic can.”

“Cally, I don’t want you out there alone,” Milly protested, as a sudden burst of fear broke through the consumption Salem’s Fury’s fires. She needed Calista by her side, where she could protect her.

What if something happened to her? How could I live with myself, knowing I could have been there to save her?

Milly had lived her whole life in the depths of loneliness. It had surrounded her like a friend and cut her off from the world, until she had been dragged to a new one. Until she had Calista.

After all these years, she finally had someone she cared for. Someone she loved. The thought of losing Calista made Milly feel sick to her stomach.

And how do you think she felt when you ran off on your own?

The revelation hit Milly like a ton of bricks.

“We don’t have a choice. And don’t think this means I’m not still mad at you. You’re getting an earful when this is over,” Calista said, leaning in so only Milly could hear.

Calista placed a finger under Milly’s chin and lifted it slightly. With a gentle, loving kiss that promised more to come, she whispered “Wish me luck”.

She didn’t wait for Milly’s response as she rushed into the Gathering. Into the heart of the fray.

“Good… good luck…,” Milly whispered as she watched Calista disappear into the trees. Only the wind heard her words.