The Witch Child's Amulet: #6

Chapter 6 - The Secret of The Amulet

When Bridgette returned to the cottage later that night, she was amazed to find Vano, sitting with his arms folded on the table and his chin resting atop them, watching as Meep filled its little belly with the rest of the mushroom stew. Behind the specter lay the coveted Keonor Root. Her shock and elation were so great in that moment that when Vano told Bridgette that he’d given Meep permission to stay with them, he received no argument.

Finally, the Potation of Location was brewed and the two companions ingested it simultaneously. Its effects were not as intense as the effects of raw Mind Mallow; rather the potion imbued them with a very subtle, subconscious awareness of one another that Vano didn’t really notice until the following morning. He awoke to find Bridgette absent from the cottage, yet he knew exactly how far away she was and in which direction to go to find her.

Bridgette was out collecting big red mushrooms with white spots, which the pair had previously agreed were likely poisonous: Fly Agaric. When Vano arrived, with Meep at his heels, she instructed both to collect as many as they could. The mushrooms were brought back and planted in a large circle around the cottage, then Bridgette brewed another potion. A ‘Faux Fairy Ring’ potion she called it, and put a drop of it on each mushroom’s cap. To Vano’s surprise, the house suddenly disappeared, leaving only the tree it had once resided under. Bridgette too, who stood within the ring of mushrooms, vanished with the house; yet because of the Potation of Location, he knew she was still there. As he stepped within the ring of mushrooms, he found the house as well.

“The hallucinogenic properties of Fly Agaric mixes with the potion to create an illusion.” Bridgette explained, “It’s not as good as a Miric illusion or a proper cloaking spell because you can still see the mushrooms, but it’s the best I know how to do.”

After that, Bridgette lost all concern for her human friend, and frequently left him to his own devices while she went out to train. Meanwhile, Vano felt he could at long last fulfill his desire to explore Niris Tul. He took to wandering far and wide with Meep, climbing all the hills that Bridgette had avoided, and trees too whenever he found one that he could scale. During these exploits, and thanks to the Potation of Location, Vano learned the true immensity of Niris Tul’s ancient spell: When he stood still and focused on Bridgette, he could feel the direction that she was in orbit nearly a half-circle around him, yet the view of the swamp ahead did not alter in the slightest. Every day, he found somewhere new to explore, because he could never find the same place twice.

Meep continued to collect magical resources as Bridgette indicated she had need of them, and in response to any thanks she gave, it would offer her the grass doll.

The three of them; Bridgette, Vano and Meep, spent two weeks living together in the mire house. During that time the house was filled with garden boxes and hanging planters, which Vano crafted out of dead tree branches and old vines he found in his wanderings, and Bridgette filled them with seeds from the magical resources that Meep collected. At Bridgette’s request, Vano also added a garden box to the side of the house, where the water from the mire pooled. There, she planted a thin piece of the Keonor Root.

In later years, Vano would recall that time spent in the Niris Tul mire house as some of the happiest of his life. For Bridgette, it seemed like she had woken up from a terrible four-year long dream and found everything the way it used to be; except that she lived with a father now instead of a mother.

----

One day, Vano and Meep were out and about once again. They had gone several miles from Bridgette and the mire house, and had just scaled a very tall hill, when Vano caught glimpse of a tree arch out of the corner of his eye. “Look at that, Meep!” He said, “Why, that’s nearly a perfect arch. The only time I’ve ever seen something that round was when it was man made.”

Meep chirped and followed him as he approached it. He put a hand to the bark of the bent tree and thought he felt it shudder; or perhaps it caused him to shudder. It brought to his mind the thought of energy, but he didn’t know why. Was he feeling the life within the tree? He’d done so once before as a boy, with a tree a magician had told him was more awake than most, but in that instance Vano recalled the life felt like a powerful vibrance of deep seeded strength; not a vibrating energy. Maybe different trees felt different.

Vano swept around the trunk and under the arch. Immediately, the illusion dissipated: Instead of seeing more unremarkable swampland down the hill from where he stood, he found himself faced with a steep, natural stair, cut out of the earth and overgrown with grass; leading down to a monolithic structure, overgrown with moss and vines. Vano stumbled in surprise and fell down the stairs, but managed to stop himself before he reached the bottom or sustained too many bruises.

Meep rushed after him, coming to his side just as he crawled backward, up one step and sat there. The specter climbed his arm, up to his shoulder and peered at his face, chirping in questioning concern. Vano did not give heed to it. He continued to stare in awe at what they had accidentally discovered.

“I think we found something we weren’t supposed to find.” Vano whispered.

Meep chirped.

Suddenly, Vano’s attention was grabbed by movement below. He noticed the building ahead had a large door, which was open. Half of him worried about the trouble he would be in if he got caught, but more prominent was the voice in his mind telling him that he would never have a chance to explore this place ever again if he left now. So, he stood and continued down the stairs until he came to the doors and passed inside. To his astonishment, he discovered the building was an ancient library.

The walls, from ceiling to floor, were lined with books. A spiral staircase at the far end of the building ascended up to one balcony after the other, higher and higher until it was lost from view in the shadow of the tower. Each book looked well preserved; despite being so clearly exposed to the elements. There was no glass in any of the windows, grass grew out of the floor, vines and other foliage riddled the shelves. Birds, squirrels, and other small creatures Vano couldn’t name scurried to and fro. Even those strange balls of light from the swamp hovered here and there.

Vano was so lost in the wonder of the place, he almost didn’t notice that there were several magicians around him making use of its services. He looked at each of them anxiously, but they took no notice of him. Each person was busy with a book, or searching for a book, or speaking in hushed tones with a companion. It gave Vano a little courage. He ventured further in, with Meep still on his shoulder.

Inwardly, he bubbled with excitement; was he the first human to ever set foot in a magician library? Probably not, but he didn’t care either way. He only wanted to open one of those books and see what was inside it. Vano made his way to a shelf and grabbed the first book his fingers touched; a heavy one with a dark blue cover and golden binding. Clutching it with both hands like a greedy child, he scampered toward the spiral staircase, intending to sneak behind it and shield himself from suspicion as he gleefully explored the book’s contents. Upon rounding the stair, however, he found himself face to face with Nyx!

“Klippin!” She exclaimed, then checked herself. “I mean Kolompar. I guess Klippin is not your real name.”

Vano started, but couldn’t decide whether to drop the book and run, or throw it at her. His indecision caused him to just stand there and stare at her. “It is my real name actually.” He responded calmly, resolving not to show fear in case it activated some latent maniacal tendency in the magician’s genes. “Klippin is my first name. Kolompar is my last name.”

“Oh.” Nyx said.

Vano waited, but nothing followed. She did not raise the alarm, and didn’t even look like she intended to. Instead, she bit her lower lip, lowered her eyes and twiddled her thumbs. It seemed she didn’t know what to do in this situation either. Several minutes of awkward silence passed with the two standing across from each other.

“I owe you an apology.” Nyx said suddenly, looking up and meeting his eyes.

“No, you don’t.” Vano said bluntly, “You owe Bridgette an apology.”

“Yes. Her too.” Nyx said, an expression of shame coming to her face. “Her especially. …Uhm… Where-- Where is Bridgette?”

“Hiding.” Vano replied.

“She didn’t lose you, did she?” Nyx asked, seeming suddenly concerned, but he couldn’t tell who for.

“No. I know where she is.” He said.

“Ah, of course. Potation of location. She would know how to make one of those, wouldn’t she?” Nyx chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

Vano didn’t know how long he should keep this conversation going. He wondered how to politely excuse himself, but before he could do so, Nyx suddenly reached over and grabbed his arm with both hands, dragging him around behind the spiral staircase. He saw a cozy reading spot back there, but at the moment his focus was on Nyx.

“What are—” He began. Nyx lifted her finger to her mouth.

“It’s Father. He mustn’t see you.” Nyx said, glancing cautiously around the stair. Vano didn’t really believe her, so he risked a look around the other end. She was telling the truth. Ikalis had just entered the library and was looking up searchingly toward one of the balconies. Quickly, he approached. Nyx and Vano ducked behind the stair simultaneously, subconsciously sitting next to one another on the reading bench. Neither dared breathe as Ikalis ascended the stair until the sound of his footsteps died away.

“Is he searching for you?” Vano asked, looking at Nyx with a suspicious glare.

Nyx’s gaze was still focused in the direction Ikalis had gone. She shook her head. “He’s probably looking for a book on potion lore. My family is not as skilled in potions as Bridgette and her mother.” She looked at Vano with a soft smile. He detected deep sadness in her eyes at the mention of Bridgette’s mother and felt his heart pricked by it. Though he didn’t want to let his guard down around this woman, he couldn’t deny he was starting to feel it slip. Nyx wasn’t as hardened as her mother and father. Maybe, just maybe, there was a reason he’d run into her again.

“Did you know Bridgette’s mom?” He asked, his tone softening.

“I did.” Nyx replied with a chuckle that was both fond and sad. “Avalon was my favorite person ever. She was so beautiful and kind, and loved so deeply. I remember spending hours in her cottage as a little girl, watching while she brewed potions to sell at market… It was the only place I felt was really safe after--” Nyx bit her lip to stop herself.

Vano didn’t push for her to finish her sentence, he was barely even listening. His mind was going back over all the stories that Bridgette had told him about her mama, and finally putting a name to the woman: Avalon. It was so perfect.

“Klippin, I’m sorry.” Nyx said, drawing him out of his thoughts.

“You already said that.” He replied.

“No. I’m truly, TRULY sorry. I didn’t know what to do, but I should’ve done something. Anything. I was just so shocked to hear Mother say she wanted to kill you, I couldn’t think. We owe so much to you.” Nyx continued earnestly.

“What?” Vano asked, taken aback.

Nyx took a deep breath before explaining, as if bracing herself to reveal something that her family was not okay sharing. “That name, Kolompar, is known to us because your father was the one who enslaved us. He captured all three of us; my father, my mother, and myself. We lived in Suddlepuff.”

Vano felt his heart skip a beat, then fill with dread. Miva’s merciless hatred toward him, upon learning his name, finally made sense. “You lived in Suddlepuff?” He repeated in a gasp.

Nyx nodded. “I was only six or seven, but I remember seeing you around town, apprenticing yourself to the various artisans. I even watched your puppet show. You seemed fun, but I confess I was afraid of you. Mother told me you were the son of our enemy and not to be trusted… Then… Then the day after the castle collapsed, you returned to Suddlepuff and set us free. You said no one had to stay if they didn’t want to. So, we left. I’ve never forgotten that. These many years I’ve spent in Niris Tul, getting to meet my aunt Avalon before her death, I owe it to you really.”

Vano didn’t know what to say. He almost couldn’t believe it. Frantically, he searched his memory for even a glimpse of Nyx somewhere. Had he ever noticed a young Ayto with pink markings on the streets of Suddelpuff? He couldn’t recall. Then an image flashed through his mind of a small magician child watching his first puppet show from across the street. Yes, it was Nyx, a few months before the castle’s collapse. Vano remembered wondering why she didn’t come over and join the other children in the audience, but then forgot all about it as his show continued.

“I’m so sorry, Nyx.” He whispered.

“No! Don’t say that. You never did anything wrong. I don’t blame you for what happened.” Nyx said quickly, “Like I said, I’m grateful to you, because you taught me that not all humans are bad. I’m humbled that, after all this time, you’d be sent from across the world to teach me another lesson: That I should’ve stood by Bridgette.” She looked away remorsefully.

Vano stared at Nyx. His view of her had completely changed. She wasn’t an enemy. She was a victim. She was confused; frightened by the things Miva and Ikalis had told her, conflicted by the fate they had sentenced Bridgette to, and deeply ashamed of her part in it.

“I should’ve done more to help her when she came to us four years ago. I could’ve taken her when Mother turned her away. …I should’ve taken her.” Her voice cracked. She looked at Vano again and her eyes were full of tears and agonizing regret. “I was just so afraid of Corvin.” She sobbed.

“Who is Corvin? Why is everyone afraid of him? And why is he after Bridgette?” Vano asked.

“Because of the amulet.” Nyx replied, trying to compose herself so she could speak clearly.

Vano’s mind returned to that day in his kitchen, when Bridgette had all her tricks displayed across the table, but refused to show him the last ornament in her pack. He had completely forgotten about it until now. “You mean that red one?” He asked.

“Yes. Corvin is desperate to have it.” Nyx answered.

“Why?” Vano asked.

“It’s part of the Witch-Hazel Curse.” Nyx explained, “You remember how we said the Witch-Hazels were trying to make an Ultimate Master Key? Well, the amulet was one of the means they were using to do it. You see, when the first Witch Kings made the master key, they were all Level 50-- And married. Their wives were Level 50 also, which technically meant their magic was Level 100 each. No magician has even come close to obtaining that kind of power since your uncle, Haygen, began his conquest. So, the Witch-Hazels created an amulet that would amplify a magician’s power by 10 Levels for a short amount of time, and sought high level craftsmen of all the coven families to wear the amulet while they imbued the new key with their ancient magic. But it wasn’t enough. The Witch-Hazels realized they had to increase the power of the amulet, so they started to imbue it instead, making it more and more powerful until it could amplify a magician’s power fifty-fold. That seemed to work, but then came the price… Then came the curse. The kind of power they sought to imbue the amulet with is meant to be obtained through hard work and true union, it cannot be contained in an object. The amulet became volatile. Anyone who wore it for too long would lose control, and there were many high-level magicians who suffered terrible injury because of it. Thus, the name of Witch-Hazel was blackened, because those high-level magicians were needed in the war effort—And now, they couldn’t fight.”

“Where does Corvin come in?” Vano asked.

“The Witch-Hazels wouldn’t give up. They were determined to make an Ultimate Master Key to present to the Heir of Keonor to save the enslaved magicians, maybe even the amulet as well. They passed the quest from one family member to the next, until the burden finally fell to Reuben; Bridgette’s father.” Nyx said, “Reuben and Corvin were childhood friends, and Reuben told Corvin about the amulet, but he himself wasn’t focused on the Witch-Hazel quest anymore. He and Corvin were part of the Great Witch’s rebellion; Reuben saw more hope in following The Great Witch, who had earned her power the proper way, than in trying to break the laws of nature with a volatile amulet. Sadly, because of the Witch-Hunters, Corvin and Reuben were captured and enslaved together. Corvin told Reuben to use the amulet to help them escape, but Reuben didn’t have it. He had left the amulet with his pregnant wife, Avalon. As I understand it, they spent years in captivity, and Corvin slipped further and further into hatred and insanity. Then an escape plan gone horribly wrong cost Reuben his life, and Corvin snapped. He cut off his own hand to be rid of the Magic Bind, and hunted down Avalon to get the amulet from her. But she refused to give it to him…”

Nyx paused for a moment, then continued: “He took the amulet, but not the Witch-Hazel’s well-intentioned but sadly misguided quest. He intended to turn the amulet into a weapon and wipe out all humanity with it. He hunted down Aytos to imbue it with more and more power, and even resorted to imbuing it with dark magic. That is why the amulet is red. It used to be white, but it is now tainted by blood. It is a terrible object now.”

Vano’s mind spun with all this information. He was starting to feel the full gravity of Bridgette’s danger, and understood now why she was rejected by all her people on account of her family name. “Why does Bridgette have it?” He asked.

“She stole it. She stole it back from Corvin at seven years of age, then came to find us. Anyone who helped her along the way was killed. Mother told Bridgette to just give the amulet to Corvin, but Bridgette refused, saying she wouldn’t allow him to kill the humans. …That’s all I know, I’m afraid. It was the last I ever saw of her until recently.”

Vano heaved a deep sigh. “So Corvin is a murderous lunatic, and he’s after my girl because she has his toy.” He surmised.

“I—I suppose that’s correct.” Nyx confirmed.

Vano clicked his tongue, but said nothing else, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He still had questions, but knew Nyx couldn’t answer them. After learning all this, he was sure his amazement over Bridgette could go no deeper; she was only ten! Then his thoughts turned to finding a solution to the Corvin problem. “Can the amulet be destroyed?” He asked suddenly.

“I don’t know.” Nyx replied, “I should think so, but it has a lot of power stored inside it, so only something equally as powerful could damage it.” Suddenly, her gaze shifted to the specter that sat on Vano’s shoulder. She chuckled lightly. “Who is this by the way?”

“This is Meep.” Vano said. Meep chirped.

“He’s adorable!” Nyx laughed, patting the creature on the head.

“Oh, so it’s a boy then. What with those eyelashes, I wasn’t sure.” Vano said humorously, glancing at Meep as the specter pulled a huffy face.

“Is that a grass doll?” Nyx asked.

“It’s Bridgette’s. Meep is really fond of her, but she won’t accept him on account of Corvin.” Vano explained.

“I see.” Nyx said, looking a little conflicted by that information.

“It’s getting late. I should get back to Bridgette.” Vano said suddenly, rising from the bench.

“Yes, of course. Will you give her something for me?” Nyx asked, suddenly bending over and grabbing a wrapped parcel out from under the bench. “I made it for her after our… Unfortunate parting. As part of my repentance.”

“What is it?” Vano asked.

“It’s a wand. I enchanted it with an amplifier. Any magic she uses with it will increase in power twofold.” Nyx said.

Vano gingerly took the parcel. “Should I tell her who it’s from?”

“Only if she asks. You can’t lie to a Narvian.” Nyx replied.

“I’ll give it to her.” Vano said.

“Thank you… And, uhm, this is for you. I’m sure you remember it.” With this, she removed from her waist the dagger she had used several weeks ago to cut the rope that held Bridgette and Vano together.

“Yeah, I do.” Vano answered.

“It’s also enchanted. It can withstand magic blasts and cut through any spell. I made it for myself though, so it glows pink when near someone who means to harm the dagger's wielder.” Nyx said, then added with a sheepish shrug: "...I like pink."

"So do I. But why are you giving it to me?” Vano asked.

“I didn’t have time to craft you a weapon, but if Corvin catches up to you two, you’re going to need one.” Nyx replied.

Vano set Bridgette’s parcel down a minute so that he could inspect the offered blade more closely. Drawing it from its sheath, he admired the skilled craftmanship. His only complaint was the red, two-headed snake on the hilt. Nyx must’ve somehow noticed his displeasure because she chuckled. “I’m sorry. That’s my family crest.” She said. Vano sheathed the dagger and strapped it to his side.

“Thank you, Nyx.” He said honestly. Nyx seemed to beam. Shyly, she reached over his shoulder and stroked Meep’s head. “It was good to meet you, Meep. I wish you wouldn’t go back to Bridgette—But… No. That’s selfish of me. Bridgette needs allies. Take good care of her.”

Meep chirped affirmingly.

Nyx looked at Vano again. “And you, Klippin Kolompar, if ever you need anything an Ayto can provide; I am at your service.”

Vano smiled. “You can call me Vano. It’s my middle name.”

Nyx chuckled. “Until we meet again, Vano.”

“Until we meet again.”

Nyx acted as a lookout for her father while Vano and Meep escaped the library. After hurrying back up the steps and toward the tree arch gate, Vano paused a moment and looked back. He suddenly remembered that he hadn’t looked inside the book he grabbed, and had just left it on the reading bench behind the stair. His heart filled with regret as he realized he could no longer go back for it. Ikalis was there, and unlike Nyx, he wouldn’t hesitate to get Vano mobbed by every magician in the place. Besides, who knew how many more of them were prisoners from Ost Tera? He stared longingly at the library for a moment, committing its glorious image to memory. He knew he would never see it again.

Then, with a remorseful sigh, he turned and plunged through the gate.  

----

The sun was sinking and darkness was setting in quickly about Niris Tul when Vano finally returned to the mire house. As he drew near it, Meep suddenly gave a shrill chirp. “What is it, Meep?” He asked.

The specter leaped from his shoulder and scurried toward the cottage beneath the tree. Vano watched him go in confusion. The house looked fine. Then suddenly, his heart froze. THAT’S what was wrong: He could see the house! The Faux Fairy Ring potion didn’t sound like something that should be temporary, something had to be wrong. Vano sprinted after Meep. Upon passing the ring of mushrooms, Vano noticed they had been violently slashed. As the two arrived together at the door, they found it was broken. Dread filled his mind and heart. He could detect Bridgette within the cottage, but he didn’t know whether the Potation of Location stopped working if the other person was dead.

Passing the threshold into the house, Vano found all the planters and garden boxes had been overturned. The chairs were all destroyed, the cauldron had a horrible gash in its side, and the table lay partially shoved into the fireplace. Bridgette stood in the midst, quietly salvaging what she could.

“Bridgette! Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened here?” Vano panted.

Bridgette turned to look at him. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes shone with disillusion and weariness. She turned away, pointing to the table. There, as if written by a flaming brand, was a name: CORVIN.

“He must’ve found the place while we were out, and left his name behind so we’d know who did it.” Bridgette muttered. Vano knelt beside her, aiding in the cleanup. Meep, too, began to help where he could. “It was starting to feel like home again, you know? I should’ve known it was too good to be true.”

“Yeah, we were getting too comfortable here.” Vano mused as he turned the table over. The table legs were uneven now, burnt and blackened, it couldn’t even stand up straight anymore. Staring at the name on its face, he didn’t even want to salvage it. Bitterly, he drew out his dagger and began to carve into the wood. The blade glimmered faintly, confirming what Nyx had promised about glowing when near hostility, though Vano assumed from its dimness that the threat wasn't close enough to worry about.

Bridgette noticed the room was suddenly filled with a pink light and turned to discover it’s source. She approached Vano slowly, looking over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Under the name CORVIN, he had carved the words: IS A DORK.

“Isn’t that Nyx’s dagger?” Bridgette asked, looking at Vano with confusion and concern.

“Yup. I ran into her at the library and she gave it to me. She also gave me this to give to you.” Vano responded casually, offering Bridgette the wrapped parcel. Bridgette took it with no small degree of suspicion and unwrapped it; a silver wand with a green jewel in the shape of a star lay within.

Bridgette’s eyes widened. With a trembling hand, she reached for it, but quickly withdrew and glared up at Vano. “Why would she give you this?”

“It’s part of her apology. She feels bad for what happened.” Vano explained.

“Good. She should.” Bridgette said, thrusting the package into Vano’s hands and turning back to her work.

Vano watched her for a moment. “You know, if you don’t forgive after amends are made, the sin is with you.” He said.

Bridgette spun around with eyes like fire. “Don’t try to make this out as if it were easy! Nyx turned her back on me, just like Miva and Ikalis and everyone else.”

“I know that. So does she. But she’s trying to make it right, and I don’t think we’re in a position to refuse any would-be allies.” Vano argued. Bridgette folded her arms stubbornly and looked away. “She’s sorry, Bridgette.” Vano insisted.

Bridgette looked at him. “I can see that you believe she’s sorry, but I would’ve preferred to be there myself, and see for sure if it was in her eyes or not.”

“Maybe you will someday.” Vano said, “Until then, I have a question for you: What do you intend to do with the amulet?”

Bridgette looked at him in shock. “She told you?!” She shrieked angrily.

“You would’ve had to tell me about it eventually!” Vano replied defensively.

Bridgette growled, turned, and kicked the remains of one of the chairs. Vano was unmoved. After several minutes of seething, Bridgette finally answered through her teeth: “I’m going to destroy it.”

“How?” Vano asked.

“Reverse engineer it. I can undo each spell inside it if I’m the same level as the magician that imbued it.” Bridgette replied, “I just don’t know what those levels were, so I’m aiming for Level 50 because that will cover everything.”

“So that’s why you’re trying to increase your level? I thought it was to help liberate your people.” Vano said.

“I didn’t lie about that. I fully intend to help liberate them, but I can’t until the amulet is unmade. It’s as much as danger to magicians as to humans, because Corvin wants to rule Niris Tul. If he had the amulet--” She paused, “Well, it probably wouldn’t help him succeed. It’s so volatile now, it would probably destroy the place.”

“I’m surprised the thing hasn’t destroyed itself. How much magic can possibly fit in there?” Vano mused. Bridgette only shook her head. Meep scampered around busily at their feet, seemingly unaware that a conversation was even taking place. Bridgette and Vano followed his example. Vano used the table to repair the door; making sure to put the words on the outside in case Corvin stopped by for a visit in the middle of the night. Bridgette gave what was left of the chairs to the fire. The planters were mended and restrung, and the garden boxes put back together, but sadly nothing could be done for the poor cauldron.

When the work was done to a satisfying degree, Bridgette and Vano sat together on the floor in front of the fire. Meep was curled up in Bridgette’s lap, sound asleep. Since Bridgette was still unconvinced of Nyx’s penitence, Vano related everything Nyx had told him, to confirm whether or not there were any falsehoods in the story. Bridgette listened carefully; eventually being forced to admit that it was all true.

“There’s one thing that I’m still curious about: How have you avoided Corvin for so long?” Vano asked.

“Corvin is scared of humans because he doesn’t want to lose his remaining hand, so I took to sneaking into human cities to ward him off.” Bridgette answered.

“By doing that, you’ve been risking your own freedom and your whole purpose. If you were caught and a Magic Bind put on you, your quest to destroy the amulet would fail. You won't be able to exceed level 20.” Vano said.

Bridgette nodded solemnly as she watched the dancing flames. “What else could I do? Corvin was always one step behind me. It was almost worse than having a Witch Hunter on my tail because he never gave me a break, not even for a second. Human cities were the only place I could go to rest for a bit.”

“You have got to be the bravest little girl I have ever met, Bridgette Witch-Hazel.” Vano said, staring at her face.

She looked at him with a proud grin, but there was sadness in her eyes. “It’s not easy being brave. I really wish I could stop for a while.” Vano didn’t reply, so Bridgette stood and stretched. “Corvin knows we’re here, we can’t stay here anymore.”

“You’re right, but we can’t go running out in the dark like sheep without a shepherd.” Vano said, “If Corvin is so afraid of humans, we’ll surround you with them. Let’s go back to Suddlepuff.”

“He's already followed me into Suddlepuff." Bridgette replied.

“What?! When?” Vano demanded.

“The night before we met. It’s why I broke into your house; I had to up the risk for him. I told you; he’s getting braver.” Bridgette explained.

Vano huffed. “Well, this time we'll be on the lookout for him."

"What do you mean?" Bridgette asked.

"You're not going to hide out in Suddlepuff, you're going to live there, and everyone is going to know it.” Vano replied, rolling backward into a standing position.

“What?” Bridgette gasped.

“I’ll introduce you as my ward. Everyone will know about you, and by virtue of your connection to me, they’ll be watching out for you. Who knows? Maybe some of them will even learn to like you.” Vano said confidently.

“And if they don’t?” Bridgette asked dubiously.

“They will. We Suddlepuffians are good at adapting.” Vano laughed, then his smile fell to a look of concern. “You can continue your training in Suddlepuff, right? I know you wanted to come here to level up, but--”

“Actually, about that.” Bridgette beamed as she lifted her hand up for him to see. Her level had changed.

----

Early the next morning; Bridgette, Vano and Meep set out. Initially, Bridgette wanted Meep to return to the swamp and find another magician, but Vano refused to allow it. “We’re taking anything that a magician needs that you can’t find in Suddlepuff.” He said, “That means this wand from Nyx, seeds for a magical resource garden, dirt from Niris Tul for them to grow in, and Meep.”

They were packed, the cottage was clean and secure as well, and some magical resources were still growing in the planters so that the next person who found the house would have a safe place to be. As Vano closed the door for the last time, and the trio turned their back to the mire house, their hearts were heavy. It had become a home for them, and they were sad to leave it.

“The mire house took good care of us.” Vano mused. “It’s hard to say goodbye.”

“We’re not the first people to leave it. I hope someday it can be a permanent home for somebody.” Bridgette added.

So, with the expanse of several hundred miles between them and their destination, the three companions began the long journey home, ever haunted by the knowledge that Corvin was following.

To Be Continued...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much for reading The Witch Child's Amulet! I sincerely hope you've enjoyed it thus far. Don't worry, the story is not over. Vano and Bridgette's adventure will continue for several chapters yet, but this novella will be taking a short intermission until the next chapter is finished.

Chapter 7, currently titled "The Thing About Zevs" , features characters that do not belong to me. I am collaborating with their owner in order to portray them correctly, which is taking a hot minute. Please check back later, or follow my newsroom for updates!