It wasn’t like Soren to not be there. Bevel carried the three of them in its huge hands down the mountain. Bevel seemed a little larger now, or perhaps it was all in Dan’s head.
“Do you think something is going wrong in the village?” Dan asked.
“Must be, or else Soren would have been there to greet us.”
“Let’s hope it's not a deadly situation,” Ron said.
As they approached, Sage saw the banners first. Red and black banners with a cauldron in the center, a white eye rising from the center of it. The Fumers were there, no doubt. Bevel hid behind one of the houses as the group listened in.
“We heard you have more than one Witch here,” said a hauty, bowl cut man in white, red, and black garb and light armor. “An apprentice perhaps?”
Soren, kneeling between the red and black knights dressed in gnarled, spiked armor, said nothing. The spears against his neck raised his chin up. “Speak!” shouted the Commander. “Or lose your life!”
Soren chuckled, “Giving an old man the release of death? My business is complete. These people and my friends have learned enough from me.”
The Commander’s face twitched and became red. “You stupid Witch!” The spears reached back as the man raised a hand and punched Soren across the face lamely.
Sage rolled their eyes and said, “I guess we should say something?”
Bevel gave a low, whispering song.
“I think it would be worth a shot since the Mountain’s Heart helped us and all.”
Ronnie punched his palm and said in a growl, “Let’s chase them off.”
In a flash, Sage appeared between Soren and the Commander. “Hey, sorry I’m late.”
“You!” The Commander shouted, pointing a short sword at Sage’s nose. “You’re the second one we’re looking for!”
Soren scoffed, “I don’t know this Witch!” Sage shot him a look - as if that would work.
“Then you must know where this old man’s apprentice is, Witch,” the Commander said. Sage balked and answered, “You idiot!”
“IDIOT!” the Commander screamed at the top of his lungs. The soldiers around him tensed, weapons drawn and raised.
“You should give up!” Sage said. “You’re surrounded! I was fetching a couple of daemons to help!”
“Ha! Consorting with daemons! Typical witch!” The Commander said. “I, Commander Dredge, will purge this world of you degenerate witches!”
Just then a roar sounded from behind the soldiers. Ronnie and Dan stood, in their best imitation of a monster with hands out like claws and teeth bared. The crowd all screamed and backed away - hopefully getting in on the act.
“Oh no!” Soren said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “You didn’t bring those two!”
“I had to,” Sage grimaced.
The pair of “daemons” made signs with their hands and a shower of smoke and glitter hit the nearest knight, who caught fire and flailed as he was cooked inside his armor. The ‘daemons’ grimaced and roared at the other knights. One of the knights stabbed Ron in the shoulder, who recoiled and growled, “Aah-ow.” A spray of red confetti showered the knight, who waved his hand in confusion before getting pelted by blue smoke and glitter ice-packed snowball.
Another knight, emboldened, lunged forward with his spear. Ron and Dan made a series of signs and sheilds appeared on one arm of each. The duo moved in sync, like a dance, as they cast spells and blocked weapons.
Fireballs, snowballs, and a few logs were summoned and thrown in a barrage of chaos. The pair panted as they approached Commander Dredge. “I think we got em,” Ron panted. Dan nodded and pointed over his shoulder. “Sorry for any injuries.”
Sage slapped a hand on their face in embarrassment. But by now, Soren had taken down the other two knights keeping him in place and approached Sage’s side. “Now then,” Soren said, rolling his shoulders. “Let me show you what an experienced Witch can do.” He whispered a series of words. His Golem appeared behind him and a huge, golden glyph spun above them. A series of weapons spawned into existence in the glyph.
“Alright,” Commander Dredge said, throwing up his gloved hands. “I’m not nothing if not a FAIR man!” He glanced to check on his men, who groaned and writhed in pain. “I see. Well. I shall take my men and we’ll take our leave. We’ll come back when we have more witches to haul you off with.”
He rolled one over with his foot and shouted, “We’re leaving! MEN! We have more important fish to fry! Daemons won’t fetch any price.”
Dan rubbed the back of his head as he watched the group gather their things and leave. “We succeeded?”
“For now,” Soren said, relaxing. The illusion above him disappeared. “Thankfully for us, that Commander Dredge wasn’t a Witch or he’d see right through that bluff.” He turned to the puppets. “Well done display of magic, my friends! You’ll make fine witches as you go through your travels!”
“Teacher,” Sage started and hesitated. “I - well, I guess it can wait.”
“Student, my ear is always open.”
The puppets huddled as Dan tended to Ronnie’s gaping wound where cotton was spilling from in little rolls amongst the confetti.
Sage rubbed their arm in thought. “Well. I think I should go with the puppets on their journey around the world. You know. To broaden my horizons.”
Soren nodded. “You read my mind, Sage. I think it’s time I give you a rite of passage into Witchhood.”
“Oh,” Sage was taken aback. “I hadn’t thought - I mean, am I ready?”
“No one is really ready to take a step through the threshold.”
Sage started to cry and lunged into Soren’s arms to sob. Soren held them close and kissed the top of their head. “Its alright.”
Dan finished off the stitching and patted Ron’s shoulder. “There we go.”
“Ow, ow, babe, easy. Still sore.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Sage and Soren approached the two with arm in arm. Soren said, “Come then, you two. We need to discuss your advancement to Sage’s apprentices. And check on the rest of the village.”
*** *** ***
Each of them received a crown of lilies and a cup of pomegranate juice. The three were given a long speech from Soren about growth and learning. A party ensued, not just for the three of them advancing, but because the village survived their first encounter with the Fumers. An encounter with a Black Cauldron follower was usually far more bloody and angry.
“We should move the village and migrate elsewhere.” Soren explained to the three of them. “While you’re away. Perhaps we’ll find a new place when you return to us.”
The puppets egged the party on - when was the last time they’d had a party? It was time to have one like back home, complete with games, sing-a-longs in the form of shanties and ballads, and long-winded stories. The village folk were laughing and carrying on before long.
Dan left the party early to catch his breath at the hut. It wasn’t long before Ronnie joined him. He sat in the rocking chair, knitting. “I miss home,” Dan said as pearl-like tears rolled down his face.
“Me too,” Ron admitted, sitting in the rocking chair next to him.
“I don’t know if I’m really ready to go on this journey. This place just started to feel like a home.” The pair took in their surroundings. A cross stitch plaque read “Home sweet Home” next to the door. There were a few paintings the pair made on Art Night that they hung on the walls.
“I’m sure wherever we go, we’ll feel like we’re at home,” Ron suggested and put a hand on Dan’s arm. Dan nodded, tears still falling. “I think I’m just worn out, really, after everything.” He paused. “I k-killed that knight.”
Ron said nothing as the small puppet became inconsolable.
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