The Witch Child's Amulet: #1

((DISCLAIMER: This is a writing project based on an original work created by my sister, Cosmo Ringer. She has not yet shared her story publicly, so I can not link to it. But this world and all its mechanics belong to her.))

Chapter 1 - A Child & An Adult

The night was deep and a heavy fog lay over Suddlepuff, the capital city of Ost Tera. All windows were dark, even the windows of the castle in the center of the city. Every Suddlepuffian was sound asleep in their beds. There were few guards on duty and only two late-night watchers by the gate. Why should there be more? Suddlepuff was a peaceful city, ruled by the high king's nephew. They didn't fear much. It didn't make sense to fear. No one in the city had an abundance of wealth that could be stolen, and though lesser kings gave allegiance, tribute, and military support to the high king in exchange for recognition of their sovereignty, they were not altogether important enough to assassinate. So, with such little security, no one noticed the hooded figure that climbed quickly over the gate into the city and hurried off into the gloom.

----

 By the next morning, the fog had turned to rain and Suddlepuff was soaked, as was any person who ventured out into it. Most especially one specific individual who had been out in it for hours: His name? Well... What's in a name? An age-old question to which some would answer nothing. Others might argue names held identity, and if that were so, what would be the identity of a Klippin Vano Kolompár? It was an odd name, undoubtedly, perfect for the odd bloke to which it belonged. But Klippin didn't use his full name. He preferred to go simply by Vano-- Which isn't much better if you think about it, but it was shorter and therefore easier for the village children to both remember and pronounce.

 Vano, the beloved puppeteer in the town square, was also ironically the lesser king of Ost Tera! He wasn't very kingly. In fact, he was borderline foolish. The majority of his time was spent regaling the local children with stories, told through hand-puppets and songs.

 Vano didn't mind the weather. It would be what it would be, and something somewhere probably needed it that way. Unfortunately, he couldn't in good conscience ask the children to sit out in it. So today, he chose not to open his wagon theater. Instead, he busied himself ensuring everything was ready for a show tomorrow. As he worked, he swayed and hummed to himself like a drunk man, except that his voice was delightfully melodious and his swaying was the intentional motion of dance.

 Morning had lengthened into afternoon and the rain had steadily begun to increase when a voice was heard calling on the wind: "Lord Kolompar!" It was the voice of an elderly woman, heavily cloaked, with long silver hair draped over her shoulders. She hurried toward him from the direction of the castle, holding an umbrella over her head. "Lord Kolompar!"

 Vano didn't so much as glance at her, but continued his humming and working. "I don't go by that name out here, Dolly." He said in a sing-song voice when she finally drew up close to the wagon.

 "Vano then!" The old woman, Dolly, hissed. She opened her mouth to continue, but he was too quick. Spinning on his heels, he wrapped an arm around her waist and took her umbrella-holding fist in his hand, sweeping her into a spin with ease. After a quick twirl, he stopped and he smiled broadly in her face.

"Why, hello, Dolly! Fancy meeting you here, what can I do for you?" He asked.

"Stop being a fool for starters!" She snapped.

 Vano stepped back with a smug, self-satisfied smile and turned back to his work, allowing his nursemaid to continue lecturing him without interruption-- Yes, nursemaid. He didn't need one any more, being nearly 33 years old with a pointy goatee and receding hairline, but he loved the old woman so much that he had never dismissed her. Even before the death of his parents in his teenage years, he saw Dolly as more a mother than a nurse, and "you can't fire your mother" as he'd always say. Dolly loved him too. She had tended to the odd duck since he was an infant, but whereas most children grow up, Vano never had. Ofttimes she could enjoy his foolishness, but there were certain childish antics which were quite dangerous for older folks, and these were the ones she grew irritable trying to steer him away from.

"I'm not sure if you are trying to kill yourself or not, but I guarantee your puppet theater doesn't mind the cold and rain half as much as your immune system will. You've been out here since the crack of dawn without a cloak and skipped breakfast. Lunch is now on the table. Come inside where it's warm and stop fussing over this silly wagon." Dolly demanded.

 "Oh, alright." Vano sighed, closing the side of the wagon and giving it a loving pat before joining Dolly under her umbrella. As he was a good head taller than the hunched woman, he had to take the umbrella from her and hold it up over the both of them. Despite Dolly's news about lunch being ready and waiting, Vano could not be persuaded to hurry. He strolled along casually, enjoying the sights and sounds of his city. The people along the streets were doing what people did, trying to get somewhere despite the weather or sell something despite disinterest, though many merchants were closing their shops early due to the increasing intensity of the storm. A couple of them lifted a hand and shouted a greeting to Vano and Dolly as they passed, and more than once Vano was distracted by a conversation with one of them. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to converse for very long since Dolly insisted that lunch was getting cold-- Though in actuality, it had probably gone cold long ago.

 As the two neared the castle, Vano resumed humming to himself. "I miss the children." He sighed whimsically, "Say Dolly, what do you think of hosting a puppet show in the castle tonight? That way they can be safe and dry, and we’ll get to play today."

 "Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked doubtfully.

 "Forgetting?" Vano repeated, looking at the old woman with confusion.

 "Your uncle’s celebration.” Dolly explained, "You were told about it months ago, but you haven't made any preparations for the trip."

Vano laughed. "I don't want to make that long journey just to pop in for an hour, and to spend a whole month away from Suddlepuff just to celebrate is ridiculous! It shouldn't take that long to celebrate his accomplishments anyway. We could celebrate the worthy things he's done in 45 minutes."

"I realize you and your uncle have conflicting views, so why not go to visit Keidith?" Dolly insisted, "She'll be there, she won't have a choice and I'll bet she could use a friend at the party."

A sudden solemnity came to Vano’s face and eyes. "I’d love to see cousin Ki-Ki again, I really would, but I can’t risk seeing Haygen… Not after everything that's happened.” He began slowly, choosing his words carefully so as not to taint the universe with undue negativity. "It… It wouldn’t end well. For years I looked up to him, but he’s no fun anymore. And there’s the Oath of the Lesser Kings which I haven’t sworn yet.”

“Lesser kings have sworn that oath for generations, Vano.” Dolly said reprovingly.

“Not that oath. When Haygen changed 16 years ago, so did the meaning of the oath.” Vano explained, “The simple fact is I'm not going to stand in front of all those people and sacrifice my integrity merely to keep the peace with him. The very thought makes my stomach feel funny and my heart feel worse.”

“Well, how long do you intend to put it off for?” Dolly asked.

“Forever.” Vano replied simply.

Dolly frowned. She knew why Vano did not want to promise to obey the laws of his uncle, but as long as he delayed it, he could be accused of treason; and the punishment for that was unthinkable. “You’ll have to swear it eventually.” She said.

“Not if I can help it.” Vano said defiantly.

“Haygen has allowed your excuses all these years because he’s been preoccupied with the witch hunts and such, but he hasn’t forgotten. He will eventually demand it of you.” Dolly warned.

Just as suddenly as it had vanished, Vano's playfulness and smile returned. "Which is why I shouldn’t go. Besides, anyone else who notices my absence will be glad of it."

With this, the two came upon the door of the castle and Vano reached out to turn the knob. No sooner had his fingers lightly touched the brass when the pair suddenly heard a shriek from within. Dolly and Vano exchanged a brief look of alarm and confusion, then both hurried inside. They found the dinner table had been overturned, food sprawled across the floor and a back window shattered, but more shocking were the large patches of ice which freckled the room alongside a pink rubbery substance and a black ash wafting through the air as though something had been burned! The cook, Alfonso, was on his back by the table; staring upward with unseeing eyes, and with a breakfast platter still clutched in his hands. For all intents and purposes, he seemed to have been frozen as well, there was even frost in his beard.

"What's going on? What happened here?" Vano asked, moving swiftly to the cook's side and stooping to check for a pulse. To his relief, the man was still alive, but what had happened to him?

 A few feet away a maid struggled to free herself from the pink rubber around her ankles. "A magician, sire! She was trying to steal the French toast and attacked Alfonso when he caught her. She fled upstairs!"

 "A what?!" Dolly cried, shock and horror in her voice.

Without warning, Vano shot across the room and up the stairs like an arrow loosed from a bow string. On the second floor, he found two castle guards jumping around and scratching their arms and backs, as if they'd fallen into a nest of biting ants. In the corner across from them stood a young girl with pointy ears, yellow swirls on her face, and short, curly red hair-- Well, red for the most part. A patch near her forehead was snow white, as was the brow and lashes of the eye below it.

"Look out, sire!" One guard shouted upon seeing Vano. The girl made a motion to flee, but Vano jumped in her way. She withdrew back to the corner, her hand diving quickly into the pack at her side. She drew out what looked to be a pink marble and held it up with intent to throw it at him. "Watch out! She's got all kinds of spells in there!" The other guard cried.

Vano threw up both his hands. "Wait! Please! I won't hurt you." He said urgently. The girl grunted doubtfully and kept the pink marble held high. "I won't, I promise!" Vano continued.

 Everyone was quiet for a moment as the girl stared long and hard at the man in front of her. She thought him tall, skinny, and altogether quite weird looking. There was a thin streak of purple and gold in his hair, and a golden hoop earring in his left ear, which conveyed to her that he was a whimsical being. Such a being could probably move fast, but wasn't likely to be violent, and there were other things she noticed: His eyes. They were heterochrome, just like hers, but there was no lie or guile within them. They shone with genuine honesty; he would not hurt her. Slowly, she lowered her hand which held the marble.

 Encouraged by this, but still wary, Vano chanced a friendly smile. "Now, if you could, would you be so kind as to undo whatever you have done to my friends? Esmé, Alfonso, Reno, and Jardani are good people. I'm sure they didn't mean to scare you."

"They attacked me!" The girl growled.

"An overreaction. They won't do it again, I promise." Vano said.

Once again there was silence as the girl stared into his eyes. She could tell he was being genuine once more, but she was not foolish enough to believe he could promise anything on behalf of another. After a moment, she placed the marble back in her pack and drew out a grey one instead. This she gingerly tossed at the two guards; Reno and Jardani. The moment it touched the ground at their feet, the two were briefly encompassed about by smoke. When it cleared, their itchy ailment had vanished. All three men heaved a sigh of relief, then Reno made as if to charge at the magician: "Get her!" He called to his companion.

"No, no. There's no need of that." Vano said, turning quickly to face him.

"But sire, a magician--" He began.

"Are you sure she’s a magician? Magicians typically come in far more exciting colors—I think I can see face markings there, but a little face paint and glue to the ears would yield the same appearance of any play-acting child in Suddlepuff." Vano said with a casual wave of his hand.

 "But the spells--" Reno argued.

 "Those 'spells' are alchemical concoctions, not magic. Very convincing but hardly authentic." Vano said.

 "Are... Are you certain?" Reno asked, casting a suspicious glance at the child in the corner behind his lord.

 "Of course, I am. I know a thing or two about preforming and dress up, don't I?" Vano replied. Neither Reno nor Jardani could deny this was true. They knew all too well the antics and eccentricities of their lord and enjoyed them almost as much as their wives and children did. Vano continued: "There's no cause for alarm. Continue what you were doing and leave the girl with Dolly and I. We'll see to it she gets home safely."

Turning back to the girl in the corner, Vano indicated for her to go down the stairs. "Esmé and Alfonso next, please." He said.

Slowly, the girl moved from the corner and walked past him, leading the way down the stairs and back into the kitchen. With another couple of marbles, Alfonso was unfrozen and Esmé was freed. Vano repeated to them his explanation for the girl's magic and bid them resume their duties as well. Soon only Dolly, Vano, and the stranger were left alone in the ice-covered dining room.

Vano cast a brief look at the breakfast on the ground and the ice around it. "When you said breakfast was getting cold, Dolly, I didn't realize you meant it was freezing over." He said with an amused smile. Dolly growled his name through clenched teeth. She had gone stiff when the girl entered the dining room and hadn't relaxed since. Vano returned his attention to the child. He noticed she had her right hand hidden behind her back. She put it there while he was speaking to Esmé and Alfonso about play dressing, and kept it there even now. "There's no need to hide it. I've already seen it." He said, indicating toward her hand.

A look reminiscent of disappointment shone on the girl's face for a moment and she slowly let her hand fall to her side. There, on the back of her hand was the mark of her magic level. It was surprisingly high: Level 12 if he wasn't mistaken. Vano was also quick to notice the only thing on her wrist was a decorative wrap. She wore no magic bind.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning. What's your name?" Vano asked.

 "Bridgette. Bridgette Witch-Hazel." The girl replied. Dolly's stiffness intensified.

 "Where are your parents, Bridgette?" Vano asked.

"Where do you think they are, Human? They're gone, just like everyone else." Bridgette replied curtly.

Vano frowned, looking at her with understanding and pity. "Mine are too. How old are you?"

"Ten."

 "And when you lost them?"

 "I was six."

"You've been on your own since you were six?" Vano gasped, barely able to believe such a thing. Bridgette made no response.

"Well, what brings you here?" Dolly interjected, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted something to eat! There was more than enough on the table, I didn't think anyone would miss a slice or two of bread." Bridgette retorted defensively.

"No, you're right. We wouldn't have. But we'll all probably miss it now." Vano said wistfully, looking once again at the food on the ground. He didn't realize until just now how hungry he was. "It won’t do to ask Alfonso to make more. But I do know a few recipes, so perhaps I can make us something if he'll let me use the kitchen."

Bridgette and Dolly alike stared at him incredulously as he walked away. To say nothing of the fact that he left Dolly alone with a magician, and Bridgette knew she could run now if she wanted to, they both only wondered if he meant to say he was going to let Bridgette eat with them. Well, yes. Yes, he did. And she did, once Vano had finished preparing pancakes for them all. The three continued to talk while they ate so that both Dolly and Vano could learn more about their impromptu guest:

Bridgette was apparently Narvian, which explained why she had been so quick to trust in Vano's given word that he would not harm her. She had learned potion lore and alchemy from her mother, yet after her mother's death four years ago, she had practiced her magic all on her own. Her father had apparently died before she was born, fighting in the rebellion against King Haygen. Bridgette was diligently working toward improving her level to 50 so that she could follow in his footsteps and free her people from Haygen's oppression. As they spoke together, Vano was struck with the way Bridgette communicated. She didn't use the tone of a child; frightened, proud, or otherwise. She spoke with the competence of an adult, and one with a sure knowledge of how to care for herself. She met their eyes directly, seeming oddly secure in their company. It was both a wonder and a pain to Vano.  In Bridgette, he could see a child who had been robbed of her childhood.

Dolly and Bridgette had their own wonders that evening in regards to Vano: First, that he had let Bridgette stay to eat. Then, that he did not return his thoughts to the puppet show, but stayed attentive to his guest for the remainder of the evening. Lastly, he would not hear of Bridgette going back out into the storm at their parting, even though she insisted that she could find her own shelter for the night. The wind had changed unexpectedly, bringing a renewed fierceness to the storm that rattled the windows, and Vano absolutely refused to let Bridgette go out into it. Instead, he prepared a room for her so that she could stay somewhere warm and comfortable, with the promise that she could leave unhindered in the morning if she so desired, and even gave the key to her so none else could enter while she slept.

He left Bridgette standing by the bed where clean linen in her size, sent for and purchased that very afternoon, lay folded and awaiting use. The bedroom key was clasped in her fist, and a mixed look of suspicion and surprise was on her face when Vano left, carefully closing the door behind him. He had barely released the knob before he heard the sound of hurried footsteps and a click. Bridgette had wasted no time locking herself in. Vano chuckled to himself, then went back to the main room and there found Dolly by the hearth, tending the fire.

"Did you hear that, Dolly? A ten-year-old magician on a quest to defeat an oppressive evil." He laughed, "What a quest! It’s what tales of legend are made of!" With this, he propped an elbow on the mantle and rested his chin on his fist, bringing his other hand to his hip. He continued chuckling quietly to himself for a time before falling silent. Eventually, he looked again at Dolly. "You know, I've never seen a Level 50 Magician before. Their power must be incredible."

Dolly shot him a quick glance. "Don't even think about it." She warned.

 "Think about what? Helping Bridgette become a Level 50?" Vano asked, turning his back to the mantle and folding his arms.

"Helping her punish your uncle! You know how the magicians hate him. Punishment could very well mean his life." Dolly said seriously.

"Oh tush." Vano replied, tossing his head and one hand in dismissal. "Forget Haygen. Whatever crimes he's committed, real or imagined, I'll leave his judgement to a Higher Power. I'm talking about Bridgette. Four years on her own from the age of six, and she's already a Level 12! Do you realize the force of will and amount of dedication that she must possess, not only to have survived, but to thrive? It's inspiring!"

"It's terrifying." Dolly retorted with a shake of her head, "With determination of that sort, she could very well achieve her goal, and a Level 50 magician would be both powerful and dangerous."

"Not too powerful considering they're mostly extinct now." Vano muttered, "But you know, they ought not to be. Things are all topsy turvy now, but it wasn’t that long ago that a Level 50 Magician wasn't so rare. Think of it, Dolly. There might be a reason Bridgette ended up here." Slowly, he fell into deep thought.

“A reason? I highly doubt it’s divinely appointed that you help assassinate your uncle.” Dolly retorted.

“Dolly, please, forget Haygen.” Vano begged.

"How can I? You want to help this child, even knowing she wants revenge on your uncle!" Dolly said.

"Freeing one's self and one's people from oppression does not inherently denote revenge. And anyway, no. I just think becoming Level 50 is a worthwhile goal. It's hardly one that should be hindered for fear. Maybe, with a little guidance, her quest for greatness won't become a quest for revenge." Vano argued.

"Klippin Vano Kolompar. This child has bewitched you! You want to keep her." Dolly snapped, hardly believing what she could so clearly see was the truth.

Vano thrust himself away from the mantle. "And why not? I love the children in the city, but as much fun as we have together, I can't call any of them mine. They all go home to their own families at the end of the day. Well, now I've found a child no one else wants. Why shouldn't I keep her?"

 "She's not a lost puppy, she's a magician." Dolly replied bluntly.

"And the one person in the whole city who isn't bothered by that is Klippin Vano Kolompar." Vano said with a sweeping bow.

 The conversation lapsed into silence. Dolly pulled a face and muttered something under her breath. "What?" Vano asked, though he was sure he could guess. Dolly did not answer. "I know what you're thinking. You've said it before:" From behind his back he produced a hand puppet that looked like Dolly, and bounced it in front of his own face, waving its arm at his nose. "If you weren’t such a fool, you'd have a wife by now, and children of your own to entertain." He said in a snide, raspy voice, very like Dolly's.

"I never said that." Dolly retorted dully, not looking at him.

 "Well, maybe not those exact words, but close enough." Vano replied in his normal voice, coming to sit beside the old woman. Dolly sighed, seeming to concede the argument. She glanced at him with an affectionate, if somewhat pitying smile, then her gaze wandered to the puppet on his hand.

"Where do you get those things? I never see them on you before you pull them out, and you always seem to have the right one." Dolly asked.

Vano smiled mischievously. "Magic." He said, wiggling his fingers to indicate sparkles. Dolly scoffed. Vano returned the puppet to its hiding place behind his back, kissed the old woman on the cheek, then retired to his chambers for the night.

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