《Pumpkaboo in Stardew》


 Ch [1] Fated

    Caroline fell hard for a boy in highschool and promised him a lifetime a marriage. She made good on that highschool promise but she hadn¡¯t known that her heart was still growing, still so many ways left to grow like a young tree in the Cindersap forest. At a schoolyard with Pierre back when they were kids, she felt like a strong hearty tree, sustained, rooted and loved. But on a warm autumn day during her secret trip picking up mushrooms, suddenly¡ª out of nowhere¡ª with no regards to her safety, fresh blooming flowers overturned in the deepest corners of her heart. The ones she hadn¡¯t known that was there before.


    There she was, blooming like a wild spring flower in that autumn morning. Who knew the makings of her heart had grown to such an impossible size over the years without her knowing and then one day, in an impossible moment, it just flew away into greater heights. Like powerful winds of nature hitting the wings of her heart one day, and she flew¡ª


    It wasn¡¯t the first time her body betrayed herself. Puberty was a hellish hellscape that made it difficult to cope. If it weren¡¯t from the support of her family, friends and the kindness from her then-boyfriend Pierre then she wouldn¡¯t have made it as far with fewer scars. Caroline should have heeded back then the lesson of puberty. If puberty had taught her anything, it¡¯s that her body did not care for upheaval of emotions, great sorrow or a broken heart. It only and only erred on the side of survival. In many ways, her body was a practical no-nonsense machine, caring only for her greatest chances at longevity. ¡®Survival of the fittest¡¯ as a Darwinian would say.


    So was it no wonder that her body betrayed her and fell in greater love for a powerful man like Magi Rasmodius? It was a mistake. It should be a mistake. And yet her heart, her treacherous body, never thought of it that way. She had stumbled onto him one day, assisting hapless monsters in the heart of Cindersap forest, treating them with kindness and with an awe-inspiring magnitude of earthly magic that it had struck her dumb.


    ¡°A monster?¡± he had muttered then. He must have sensed her right away, hiding behind a tree. Massive branches of vegetation were leaning over her face, safely tucking her in the shadows with one dirt-smeared hand resting on the trunk, shaking. Of fear or excitement? She couldn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Come out, monster.¡± he said gruffly. ¡°I mean you no harm.¡±


    Against her better judgment, her treacherous feet stepped out into the light for his knowledge. ¡°I¡¯m no monster.¡± she said, her voice breathy as if every last drop of air in her lungs were stolen.


    He gave a soft grunt, and went back to his work assisting monsters that looked like pumpkins, ignoring her. ¡°You are. A thousand times more than I can count.¡±


    Her pulse skittered to a speeding rate.¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer. He was on his knees wearing a violet cape over his shoulders and she had to step sideways to see what shirt he was wearing.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Caroline had a favorite book growing up called ¡®One Thousand and One Nights¡¯ and his outfit seemed like he just came straight out of the Middle Eastern folk tales she always loved to read.


    When she didn¡¯t leave or even move away after long moments, he sighed. A wave of power emanated from his fingers that it lulled the monster pumpkins to sleep. One by one, he wrapped them up in a blanket swaddle like they were babies and carefully placed them inside his basket. ¡°Pumpkaboos. Trained them myself from the day they were born. Now I have to release them to a new trainer on a far far away land.¡±


    She clasped her hands behind her and shifted her weight to one foot, jutting a hip. ¡°You don¡¯t seem too happy about that.¡±


    His hands, filled with rings and talismans, hesitated as he tucked the monster pumpkins in their basket. ¡°It is a known universal fact that change is scary. Evolution is pain. Even more so for these poor creatures. The transfer will cause them great pains.¡±


    She frowned, her mind sending go signals to turn away from the strange man but her feet stayed planted to the ground across him.¡°You hurt them?¡± she finally said.


    There was a deep tremor in his voice as he made an awkward chuckle, ¡°No. Well, yes.¡± he licked his dry lips, a movement that Caroline followed with rapt attention. ¡°Pumpkaboos grow to love their trainers very much. They¡¯re made of galactic hearts, their feelings the size of a hundred oceans. When they lose a trainer, their hearts will break. And a pumpkaboo heart breaking will trigger an evolution.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡±


    His hundred-yard stare was received by the dry autumnal grass, unblinking ¡°It isn¡¯t good. Necessary, it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    ¡°Like puberty.¡± she murmured.


    He chuckled, a wet booming chuckle that showed off a dimple off his left cheek. ¡°Guess you could see it that way.¡±


    ¡°Are you a parent, Mr.¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Rasmodius to you¡± he said, pushing to his feet. Out of thin air he pulled out a pointy hat and fastened it on top of his darkest shade of violet hair, ¡°And no. I am not.¡±


    ¡°Would you like one?¡±


    Her outright blatant question seemed to have startled him. ¡°I do. But my wife is not so keen.¡±


    She lifted a shoulder in a shrug, surprisingly nonchalant about meeting the actual wizard of Stardew valley. ¡°I can give you one.¡± said she, admiring the large brim hat with a pointy end that gave away his real identity.


    ¡°Ah.¡± he nodded, his purple eyes swinging to her in amazement ¡°The human invention of surrogacy.¡±


    Now that he was standing, he seemed bigger, taller and his frame so imposing that he could easily capture her if he ever gave chase. She blushed and looked away under his scrutiny, ¡°It isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡±


    He muttered an incantation and conjured up a few thick, sturdy roots from underground that were the sizes of huge drainage pipes. The large thick roots wiggled and stacked up on top of each other until they resembled a couch, ¡°Come sit.¡± he invited as he took a seat.


    The man was deep in thought, leaning forward and rested both elbows on his thighs. Once she began sitting down next to him, he rattled off. ¡°It is a matter of convenience, our marriage. I was a young wizard back then with big ambitions but dirt poor. Higher education seemed out of reach until I married into her family, you know? Now I have a towerhouse on my own, built and established in one of the most potent magical fields here in this dimension. I couldn¡¯t have made it this far on my own.¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡± she tucked a stray strand of green hair behind an ear, ¡°We humans are social beings. We can¡¯t survive on our own either. We have to stay connected.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± his gaze sweeping around the forest surrounding them. ¡°I just wish the terms of a healthy social life didn¡¯t come with marriage.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re human too, huh? Who would have thought?¡±


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m human?¡±


    ¡°You did. When I said ¡®we humans¡¯ and you didn¡¯t say nothing to deny it.¡±


    He reared back, shocked ¡°Astute.¡±


    Smiling, she began leaning back, trying to get comfortable. Wondering if this was a start of a beautiful friendship, or even something bigger moving forward. But one thing she knew for sure that day, that moment. It was that her heart was prepared to take the leap no matter the fallout. ¡®Marriage¡¯ and ¡®Friendship¡¯ were constructs her heart didn¡¯t understand. It only understood that he was near, and that alone made it near triumphant, filled with joy. In that moment, every fiber of her being knew that this was worth it.

 Ch [2] Enchantress

    Magi Rasmodius wasn¡¯t fond of humans. They see him as monster, outcast, and stranger. They keep their distance and he keeps a distance away from them. Boundaries were established long ago since the first settlers of Stardew valley had arrived. He stood alone working at his forest, and occasionally acting as supervisor whenever their human rituals called ¡®festivals¡¯ came. Other than that, he would rather focused on what is shaping up to be the greatest opus of his entire life. Dimensional magic, or crudely called ¡®portal¡¯ magic, a complex study that required input from a variety of species. He had scoured spirits, monsters, and races across all lands in order to further his study on magical properties involved in conjuring a single portal effectively. His study finally came to a groundbreaking peak when he discovered the new aliens from outer space that were carried by vanishing comets. The next hundred years following after that was a blinding blur. He studied them relentlessly like a man possessed.


    And yet he didn¡¯t like the man in the mirror that stared back at him. Shadows ring under his eyes, his violet hair a ruffled mess of knots and electric abandon. He was a man consumed by mental thoughts, facts, and calculations. His body a mere vessel to his glorious mind. It pained him to see how his body could not reflect how magnificent he felt whenever he experiences his inspired breakthroughs. He felt alive, a man bigger with ancient wings of old, a powerful being so magnificent that complex equations to magic were a mere passing thought. Though, his body did not reflect that. The man looking back in the mirror was an aging, haggard fool who forgot to eat that day. Maybe weeks.


    Suffice to say, his wife didn¡¯t take kindly to his demanding work. It was a strange marriage they had but no more stranger than humans partaking in lifelong promises to commitment for a solidified sense of security. He needed his wife, needed her just like any other man would. And he always lets her know how much he needed her. Every morning is a ritual dedicated to her by completing a tray full of glorious offerings: drip coffee, a vegetarian bellpepper omelet housing her favorite quionoa inside it, and lastly, an exquisite emerald stone he mined from his morning walk. Only the best raw stone the earth can give for his witchy enchantress whose known across five dimensions as the most gorgeous supreme being who ever lived. Esmeralda¡¯s mother being the previous holder of that family. Her family¡¯s genetics run strong, potent with incredible magics that defy global laws of science. The matriarchal family he married into took to their bloodline legacy with a kind of dedication stronger than he did for his pursuit of absolute magic. But their kind of dedication didn¡¯t imprint without any lasting scars. Indeed, his wife was the most beautiful prize among all five dimensions, not only in beauty but in her potent promise to secure a powerful legacy coming from her own supreme bloodline. It¡¯s in her DNA. The wild abandon of extreme universal possibilities was secured in his home, his tower, as his wife. Though she didn¡¯t want any of it.


    She wanted to break her most sought-after and very prized bloodline. She thought of it a curse, rather than a gift. And like a fool, he made promises he regretted.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Are those for me?¡± Esmeralda turned in her silk bed, her face catching sunlight as she rested a cheek against the back of her hand. She was exquisite. Thick black tresses of her hair curled like a luxurious fabric against their sheets, her skin wondrously glowing even as she had just woken up. Half-lidded and sleepy, she teased. ¡°Or are we breaking our tiny rituals?¡±


    His heart skipped a beat as he recounted in his head what he was about to say, ¡°Actually..¡± he said, setting down the breakfast tray in front her as she sat up. ¡°I met a human today. A kind human.¡±


    Her brows lowered, ¡°Don¡¯t let them fool you. A nice human is a human asking for favors. They will at once crucify you when they finally get what they asked for.¡±


    He shifted the plate towards her, and her fixed utensils in place. ¡°Would you say the same about me?¡±


    Quickly without hesitation, ¡°No you¡¯re different.¡±


    ¡°This human, she¡¯s different too. There¡¯s something about her..¡±


    ¡°My, my.¡± she drummed her fingers against her full bottom lips, a smile teasing at the corners. ¡°Could it be? Magi Rasmodius is finally taking notice of someone.¡±


    ¡°Not true. The last person I took notice of is you.¡±


    Rolling her eyes, a dimple appearing. ¡°Yeah, but let¡¯s face it. I¡¯m a special case.¡±


    ¡°The only special case. For my heart.¡± he said, giving her a kiss.


    ¡°Stop.¡± she chuckled. ¡°So what¡¯s so special about this human girl?¡±


    ¡°Open-hearted. Adventurous. Smart. So smart.¡±


    ¡°Oh no.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of involving her to your experiments? You know what happened last time.¡±


    He heaved a drawn-out breath., grumbling. ¡°The last time was with shadow people. This is going to be different.¡± Taking her hands, ¡°She offered to carry our baby.¡±


    She gasped, affronted. ¡°No. You promised.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been 507 years. Your mother is gone. She won¡¯t bother us anymore. We can accomplish our dream now. We can do it.¡±


    ¡°Your dream. One of your dream.¡±


    ¡°Fine. One of my dream, you know me. Come on, Esme. Don¡¯t we deserve to be happy?¡±


    She grew thoughtful. ¡°You have been working real hard. For a really long long time. You deserve some happiness of course. If anyone deserves it, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°But not with kids. Surely there has to be another way to make you happy. How about an adventuring party to the Crimson Badlands? I know you like playing around void serpent remains.¡±


    His grumble went even deeper. ¡°I do like brewing void serpent remains.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you have it. Let¡¯s go do it. Why don¡¯t I get the rest of our adventuring party and you prepare, yeah?¡±


    Quietly, he plucked at the pieces of omelet he set aside in bite-sizes.


    She held his face between her palms, ¡°Hey. We don¡¯t need to be striving for an ultimate dream, an ultimate goal that we can work for most of our lives. We can chase happiness little by little everyday, no matter how small.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I promised.¡±


    ¡°Has something changed?¡±


    His resolve to the promise he made her had been weakened over these years. Battered down by his failure to achieve dimensional magic the way he theorized it to be when he was a young wizard. ¡°No. I¡¯m just feeling weak, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Esmeralda moved off her bed and stood with a brightening smile, ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can change that, shall we?¡±

 Ch [3] Friends from Outer Space

    Caroline strolled by the lakes in Cindersap forest at a leisure she has never felt before meeting the Wizard. Something has changed. It used to be her secret trips because Pierre forbade her to come on her own. It used to be this time of day that gave her a secret thrill, an exciting terrifying tension she balanced on that made her feel normal and free. But that has changed. The feeling of forbidden thrill wasn¡¯t there anymore. Instead, it was replaced by an inner peace coming from the fact that at the end of the road, the Wizard will be there wearing a friendly smile.


    As though the wizard had been summoned by her mere thoughts, he appeared. Next to him he was walking arm in arm with a woman whose black hair went down to her ankles, a carefree laugh bubbling out of her as though she had all the time in the world. She must be Esmeralda, his wife. Suddenly, her guts turned into a thousand knots and she tamped it down with a hard swallow, looking away to the beautiful lakes staring at it with a wistful stare. She had accepted long ago what kind of life she was going to live with, and it¡¯s going to be a kind of life with Pierre. She had come to peace with it. So why does she feel like her chest was drawn inside out by a heaviness made out of lead?


    ¡°Caroline!¡± came the wizard¡¯s voice, he and his wife moving towards her. Their friendly faces giving her a huge challenge to match but with great effort, she pushed hard to muster up her usual cheeriness. A kind of cheeriness she reserved for Pelican townspeople.


    ¡°Magi Rasmodius, how do you do? And you must be Esmeralda, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Caroline. I feel like I already know you. We have just been talking about you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± she laughed nervously, ¡°I hope all good things.¡±


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    In excitement, Esmeralda stepped forward eyes widening ¡°Surrogacy is such a fascinating concept.¡±


    The wizard shifted his basket of sleeping pumpkaboos he was holding to another arm and snaked his other arm around Esmeralda¡¯s hips. ¡°My wife likes to keep up with human inventions. She finds it fascinating.¡±


    ¡°It is fascinating.¡± his wife said, she wore a floral dress made out of thin wispy fabric, vibrant and delicate. ¡°I especially like the recent one about indoor plumbing. I mean outhouses already solved the deal but indoors changes the game. I never knew.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± she said, clutching a fist against her chest. Instantly growing conscious of her basket of mushrooms, it must seem so primitive to them. ¡°That sounds like a million years away. We humans have definitely made milestone inventions since then. Hundreds of them.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡± she took her arm in hers ¡°You must tell me all about them. Can she come with us, Magi?¡±


    ¡°If she isn¡¯t busy?¡±


    Expectant faces both stared at her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Caroline said.


    Esmeralda practically bounced in her place, ¡°To Calico desert. Me and Magi are going hunting for void serpents.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that extremely dangerous?¡±


    ¡°With friends, not so much.¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡± her gaze roamed around them, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Right behind you.¡±


    She turned around to face the Cindersap lake, there were new monsters dotting the sides of it.


    Esmeralda pointed at them with a hand filled with sparkling jewelry, ¡°Those are my little pawniards polishing their blades with river stones, and that big girl over there is their alpha. A bisharp, her name Xynthos. Mama Xynth.¡± She dipped her mouth close to Caroline¡¯s ear, whispering ¡°She won¡¯t let us name her little pawniards. She gets strict about hierarchy. It¡¯s a touchy subject.¡±


    The afternoon sun glinted off the monsters¡¯ heavy armor, newly polished and washed. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt us?¡±


    She reared back, seeming offended. ¡°Dear no, they don¡¯t think humans are fair game. Too easy, you know? Xynthos and her little pups are more interested in the hunting game. They help us reduce the growing population of deadly monsters in the Crimson Badlands.¡±


    ¡°Void serpents, skeletons, iridium bats and all those old monsters¡± Magi listed. ¡°The ones that attack with no discrimination.¡±


    Esmeralda swung her head at him in a snap, slapping a palm on his chest. ¡°Oh but they do!¡± she frowned, visibly chastened by her thoughts. ¡°Though that¡¯s a conversation for another day. Caroline why don¡¯t you join us? My friends and I will make sure no harm comes to you.¡±


    Unsure, she stared for a moment and gauged her new friends¡¯ expressions ¡°If it¡¯s no trouble..¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Esmeralda exclaimed.


    Magi muttered, taking Caroline¡¯s arm to his. ¡°We won¡¯t be long.¡±

 Ch [4] Secrets of the Desert

    Caroline wanted nothing more for something spontaneous to happen in her boring day-to-day life. But never in her wildest imagination would she have dared to think of visiting the Crimson Badlands. Her, the wizard and Esmeralda rode on a heavy-duty broomstick that put their flight on a smooth glide across the skies.


    ¡°So anyways,¡± continued Esmeralda, she had been talking for a full hour straight ever since they took flight. ¡°My mom and I aren¡¯t on great terms since you know¡ª¡° she waved her arm freely while hovering a thousands miles away from solid ground, an action so carefree and dangerous that had Caroline¡¯s already panicked guts shoot straight out of her mouth.


    ¡°I changed my mind!¡± She yelled over the blizzard of wind sweeping past them. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the Crimson Badlands.¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± asked the wizard.


    Caroline yelled ¡°Put me down! Put me down now, please.¡±


    They set her down immediately on Calico desert, right on the wide road strip that stretched for miles away.


    ¡°We can¡¯t delay. You can wait over there at the Oasis.¡± he pointed at a tall building.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± she said, her nerves scattered and electrified from their sudden descent. ¡°I-uhh overestimated my bravery.¡±


    Esmeralda patted her shoulder in assurance, ¡°We¡¯ll be back to take you home to the valley.¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t trouble yourself. There¡¯s a bus stop right over there. I can take one going back.¡±


    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll be off.¡± A disappointed frown from the wizard, looking away and not meeting her eyes. Without delay, they shot upwards to fly across the sky once again.


    Snippets of their conversation were heard, carried by the wind as they both flew. ¡°I told you this would happen. You never listen.¡±


    A weight the size of a boulder took its place between her shoulders, gravity pulling her down. Perhaps it was for the best that she was going to settle for a life with Pierre. Caroline wasn¡¯t built for a life of daring stunts and spontaneity. She sighed, her gaze roaming around and it landed on a clear blue building. That must be the Oasis, she thought and by the time she arrived there, her blouse had gotten sticky with sweat. She pushed open the glass doors and immediately the blast of refreshing air-conditioned air cooled her skin.


    ¡°Come on in.¡± Touching her cheek in surprise ¡°Well, my,my. I believe we haven¡¯t met. I¡¯m Sandy.¡± She said offering her hand in greeting.


    Caroline shook her hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Sandy. Is it ok if I hang for a while? I¡¯ve been walking around for what felt like miles.¡±


    ¡°Stay as you like. The air conditioning sure feels nice, doesn¡¯t it?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°After the day I¡¯ve had? Yes it does. Thanks for having me.¡±


    She crooned with interest, ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°I met the Wizard and the Witch living in Cindersap forest. They seemed very taken with me until they didn¡¯t. I guess I¡¯m not up to snuff for them.¡±


    ¡°Aww.¡± A sympathetic smile tugged at her lips, but there was something different at her eyes. Something sadistic. ¡°Got cozy with the arrogant, rich kids then got left crying on the sidewalk because you weren¡¯t cool enough for them. It¡¯s a tale as old as time.¡±


    She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I fell for it. I should have known better. They had numerous chances to get friendly with us humans at the valley. They just chose not to. That should have been a red flag.¡±


    Resting her head on a palm, ¡°Can¡¯t blame you. I¡¯ve seen them couple for myself. Gorgeous, aren¡¯t they? Easy to lose your head over it.¡±


    Caroline touched both her cheeks heating in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ve never been the type to lose my mind on petty stuff like skin-deep appearances.¡± She groaned into her palms. ¡°There¡¯s more to people than good looks. I should have known!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them get to you. That¡¯s how they are, they¡¯ve been like that for thousands of years, high-handed and living alone. Imposing their ¡°rules¡± on our human festivals. Them living in literal piles of gold and jewelry while the rest of us work most of our hours to get even a crumb of what they have.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not that bad. The wizard is highly contributing to the complex sciences of magic.¡±


    Sandy blew a raspberry noise, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°You mean his ¡°dedicated pursuit¡± to higher magic? Girl, that¡¯s a rich kid privilege. Do you think we want to toil all day with busywork that turns our brains to mush?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If we can, we would. But with the way it is, it¡¯s impossible to get a chance to do it. If only the valley¡¯s economy improved, we would get more chances at actually contributing more to everyone. Something real, something made with love.¡± She groaned in frustration, followed by a defeated exhale ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯m stuck renting out my rooms to shady people. I know I can¡¯t complain, otherwise I¡¯d have no means to earn a livelihood. My shop Oasis isn¡¯t looking too good since there are no farmers nearby for a thousand miles away. It used to be so good, you know? But ever since the next generation are gone and the younger farmers are moving to cities, it¡¯s a sinkhole business.¡±


    She chuckled nervously, ¡°That can¡¯t be true. My husband just set up shop at Stardew valley.¡±


    ¡°Sinkhole business, I¡¯m telling you.¡±


    ¡°No you¡¯re just being rude.¡±


    ¡°Telling the truth isn¡¯t rude. It¡¯s fair game. What¡¯s rude is flaunting your wealth for everyone to see when everyone else is suffering because of it.¡± From under her table, she pulled out stacks of pictures on the Wizard¡¯s tower complete with a blueprint. ¡°You¡¯re not the first one complaining about them. I once had a shadow person named Krobus who got jilted by them just because he didn¡¯t have the courage to follow through their impossible trials. So I started looking into what they are up to and it seems like...¡±


    ¡°You investigated into them? Is that even legal?¡±


    ¡°I happen to have the public interest in mind. And what I found didn¡¯t disappoint.¡± She shuffled stacks of random pictures aside and revealed a landscape photo of a young girl trapped in a golden cage. ¡°This is the emerald witch, caged underground the wizard¡¯s tower. Her power is great and commands over several branches of magic. That¡¯s what succeeding at magic gets you when you¡¯ve studied it for thousands of years. Heck, even her own bloodline beholds multiple hold over everything magic can hold. It controls monsters, spirits, and time. Right now, the emerald witch guides all the valley¡¯s natural resources and power to the account of the wizard¡¯s authority. By force. She wants to be freed. If we release her, we break the wizard¡¯s unbridled hold over the valley. And then we can all share our natural resources. Farmers will start growing in our valley and it will attract each and every kind of business for the benefit of a growing community.¡±


    ¡°That does seem wonderful.¡±


    Sandy¡¯s fist planted firmly on her counter. ¡°Wonderful? Wonderful?! The emerald witch is caged under enforced labor without pay, sustenance or even a proper livelihood. Even worst, her own magical power sustains her that means she can¡¯t age or go hungry. Sure, she¡¯s not human. But she has rights too. She can¡¯t just be.. she can¡¯t be enslaved and treated like an animal. We have to start treating people right, and it starts by freeing the emerald witch.¡±


    ¡°Woo boy,¡± Caroline stumbled backwards, her gaze quickly roaming around the small shop. ¡°This shop don¡¯t get much customers, do they? There must be so much free time to do. Anyway, is that the bus I¡¯m hearing? I should go.¡±


    Her way cleared, she ran for the glass doors and stopped. It automatically opened like curtains upon her arrival. As she passed through, she looked back at Sandy through her glass doors and watched her waving back with a smug grin on her face.

 Ch [5] Dangers of the Forest

    The next day, Caroline really felt awful about disappointing the powerful couple living at Cindersap forest and she mustered up the courage to go after them, send an apology and try to fix their friendship. Since her turkey finished baking and the afternoon was fast closing, she enlisted Pierre¡¯s help to carry their friendly offering to the wizard¡¯s. Her husband was a man of business, he didn¡¯t even question why they were befriending the strange couple at the forest. Only that they should have done it sooner because it looked bad that they waited so long.


    Night fell as they made their trek for the tower. They had no difficulty finding it since the tower was basically sitting on top of a hill. There were stone stairs going up to it and by the time they arrived at the bottom of the hill, Esmeralda was already waiting at the top with an amused smile tugging at her glossy pink lips. ¡°What have we here? Too scared to go here alone?¡± she said while using her broom to skip their flight of stairs, meeting Caroline at the bottom.


    Pierre gave a hearty laugh that boomed, ¡°We¡¯re new in town. We thought to introduce ourselves.¡± His cheeks heated as he scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Is it too much?¡±


    ¡°It is just as well. But we ate already so there¡¯s no need for that.¡± She turned away and walked back to the tower, broom in hand.


    ¡°Please?¡± Said Caroline. She and Pierre followed Esmeralda up their stairs to the front of the tower where Rasmodius waited. ¡°We came all this way.¡±


    Dark clouds rolled in so suddenly without warning, bringing thunderstorm and rain. ¡°We can¡¯t turn them away.¡± the wizard said ¡°It¡¯s going to rain hard soon.¡±


    Esmeralda hissed under her breath, whispering ¡°Then do something about it and let them be on their way.¡±


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    ¡°I can¡¯t. Both of us spent our powers yesterday. Calling off a weather like this takes huge reserves.¡±


    Folding her arms, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ask her to pull it off?¡±


    ¡°You know it takes magic to get underground. Magic I don¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not going under that musty old basement. No way now how.¡±


    Caroline cleared her throat, stepping closer to them. ¡°That sounds like a disagreement. Maybe I can help?¡±


    After a terse moment, Rasmodius broke the ice and said ¡°Do you have lights, human?¡±


    She smiled awkwardly, ¡°You know my name. And here I got flashlights for two.¡±


    Pierre said, ¡°Hey maybe I should go instead.¡±


    Suddenly, Esmeralda¡¯s aura changed. Her skin glowed extra, her lips went moist almost looking bigger and her eyes sparkled with tears. ¡°On second thought, that turkey smells amazing. What¡¯s your name again?¡±


    Pride filled his chest, ¡°Pierre. You must be Esmeralda. I¡¯m very pleased to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Pierre¡± said she, almost purring his name. ¡°You must be getting tired carrying that 13-pound turkey. Why don¡¯t you come inside and put that down?¡±


    He nodded dutifully ¡°Lead the way, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Once they were safely tucked in the foyer with their shoes and boots taken off, Rasmodius announced ¡°Caroline will assist me to turning the power back on.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Pierre glanced at the scope of their home tower, adorned with eccentricities and multi-cultural furniture complete with chandeliers and functioning lamp lights. ¡°Your home looks mighty lovely and your power seems fine.¡±


    ¡°We need more.¡± muttered the wizard, going inside. Caroline following closely behind him. ¡°Sweeping away a storm like this needs more power.¡± He passed through an open arched doorway that led to descending stairs that disappeared into darkness. ¡°Flashlight?¡±


    Caroline fumbled for two of her flashlights and passed it over to him.


    ¡°You hold them. I need my hands free where we¡¯re going.¡±


    Esmeralda pulled at Pierre, ¡°Why don¡¯t we fix the table while they fix the thunderstorm?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ate already?¡±


    ¡°We got more friends. You can meet some of them over dinner.¡±


    ¡°Pan pan? Pan poo jin.¡± A gaggle of carved smiling pumpkins with stubby legs marched to the dining room.


    A proud Esmeralda giggled, ¡°They recently evolved to Gourgeist yesterday. I think they would love to eat extra food.¡±


    Caroline could hear the dimmed spirit in Pierre¡¯s voice, ¡°I-is that so?¡±


    ¡°Come along, Caroline,¡± said the Wizard from inside their basement, his eyes shifty. He hasn¡¯t met her gaze head-on ever since they had arrived. ¡°Help me.¡± He said, almost a whisper barely heard but it reached her nonetheless.

 Ch [6] Wizard鈥檚 Cunning Plan

    The wizard had little time. Chances of an opportunity like this came by so rare. He had to take action now. ¡°Caroline.¡± He mumbled, not quite addressing her head-on. She was following closely and in the dimlit basement he could hear her audible intake of breath. ¡°You must go there to the emerald witch. Not me. I¡¯ll stay behind.¡±


    ¡°Me?!


    He pointed to the end of their hallway, and even from a distance Caroline could see how much magical barriers were in place and it looked extremely dangerous. Fire, ice and patrolling bisharps marched around the perimeter with vigilance.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look safe.¡± she said


    ¡°It will be fine. I only need you to guide pumpkaboo here.¡± From inside his cape, he cradled the smallest pumpkaboo and transferred her to Caroline¡¯s arms. He lifted a finger and the little one¡¯s eyes sparkled at it with interest. ¡°Meet Caroline, Kaboom. You will listen to her from hereon. She will let you know when to use those moves I taught you.¡±


    Kaboom grew visibly distressed by his words, her gaze shifting from Caroline to Wizard with confusion, tears welling. When it started dropping across her cheeks, her body flashed like starlight, fully engulfed in a ball of glorious blinding light. Quick as it came, the light died down to reveal a new-looking Kaboom, a form similar to Esmeralda¡¯s friends from upstairs. A gourgeist, Caroline thought she said.


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    Fully evolved, Kaboom had grown long pink hair and it moved upon her will like vines, starting to wrap around Caroline¡¯s neck in a hug that reminded her of pumpkin spice latte.


    ¡°Well done,¡± the wizard nodded. ¡°As for you, Caroline. You will be doing me a wealth of favor by freeing the emerald witch.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s true. You.. you do have someone locked in your basement. Why?¡±


    ¡°I married into it. Believe me I wasn¡¯t aware of a caged emerald witch until I got home after getting married. I¡¯ve been wanting to free her ever since. It¡¯s not right.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I can do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been leaving trails and hints over the years, enough to inspire interest. So far I¡¯m aware that the emerald witch has been having successful correspondences with a human association. If she sees you, she will trust you.¡±


    ¡°What do you intend to do with her once she¡¯s free?¡±


    ¡°Her will has been locked under cafe for 507 years. After she is free, I want her to do whatever her heart desires.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. If you really care about her, why haven¡¯t you done so already?¡±


    He sighed, turning away. ¡°I admit, I haven¡¯t entertained the idea seriously up until I learned that some areas of wild magic are slowly disappearing. The emerald witch being used up to benefit a select few is creating a lack of necessity for other magics. And so, poof. They disappear. And the magics that are newly created for the past hundreds of years since her imprisonment are ones borne out of desperation and cruelty. If it continues to pervade this world, then it will soon be over for all of us. So yes, the emerald witch must be set free. To restore a balance that gives all of us a greater benefit in this dying world.¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat, bottom lip trembling from the sudden surge of responsibility burdening her shoulders ¡°I have my doubts and more questions but right now helping with this comes first.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I will now teach you the moves.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s skin had turned clammy, heartbeat racing exponentially from his growing nearness. Even through what he said, her body doesn¡¯t seem to be getting the memo of all the red flags he was flashing. The intimate feel of their darkened hallway, underground basement and his indomitable size had influenced her body with a thrill she has never known before. Throat getting dry, she tightened her fists and mustered up the courage to resist. There was something very wrong in this tower.


    And it wasn¡¯t the strange monsters.

 Ch [7] Heart of a Fool

    Magi Rasmodius walked back into the shadows, watching intently as Caroline faced numerous magical barriers protecting their prisoner. If he brought them down Esmeralda would know right away, dooming his plan.


    Upon Caroline¡¯s whispered instruction to Kaboom, the smallest pumpkaboo of his litter used shadow sneak, a portal teleporting move that he had yet to utilize by himself and was exclusively known by monsters like gourgeist. During his studies, the monsters themselves can move through those shadow portals but he himself was unable to use it. There must be something he was missing. He just didn¡¯t know it yet.


    He has this wild niggling intuition that it might have something to do with humans. It¡¯s been hundreds years of experimentation he didn¡¯t want to have to resort to this but he had to. Humans were the only race he hadn¡¯t tried.


    A piercing scream disturbed his reflecting thoughts. Just as he had deducted. He saw Caroline getting pulled in the shadow portal Kaboom had created, safely shifting her location to their inner sanctum. Esmeralda¡¯s trained bisharps were patrolling with vigilance but they were no match for Kaboom¡¯s insidious snore. Within a few steps, they fell sleeping, their guards gone and snoring in a heap over the stone floor.


    Then he uttered a simple incantation to heighten his senses, allowing him to hear past the magical barriers.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± said Dani, the emerald witch. Her innate natural power served to dispense time around her with abundance, keeping her young and fully fed without any maintenance. She was so self-sufficient that it became easy for him to forget that they even had a prison underground at all.


    But Esmeralda never forgot. How could she? The emerald witch¡¯s power flowed to his wife like a coursing river with no holds barred, and most importantly, against her will. The invasive absorption of power over these years should have degraded Dani¡¯s condition. And yet, against all odds, her skin was as bright as morning sunshine. Eyes glittering with sparkling green as though she had only been born yesterday. Her frame that of a 13-year old. Any other men who didn¡¯t know better would have thought her lovely as a dewy spring blossom but Magi wasn¡¯t fooled the first time he saw her. He saw through the astral plane, where her aura of power were visible to his sight. And the sight of it disgusted him like no other.


    ¡°My name is Caroline. And this is Kaboom. We¡¯re here to free you.¡±


    Dani¡¯s tired gaze swept around her in a passing glance. She remained undaunted and bored, hugging her knees with barely a twitch to her body. ¡°You did this.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s eyes shifted to the floor where monster guards called bisharps slept soundly, her gulp audible ¡°It was my doing, yes. No one else but me and Kaboom here.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Dani was locked in a small cage hanging from their ceiling, poised at the center of a circular room filled with piles and piles ofarcane protection designed to keep her imprisoned. The golden cage has been her home for a hundredfold years. It kept him up at night, wondering where she would go first if she were set free.


    Then, Dani extended her arm through the gold bars offering her hand. ¡°Set me free. And I will grant you a wish. No limits. No laws will defy it. Whatever your heart desires, it will be yours.¡±


    Caroline sputtered senseless words, seeming conflicted for a few beats then she finally said.¡°I¡¯m not... I-I¡± she spied Kaboom, twirling around in the air, happily spinning from her swift movements. ¡°I¡¯m just here for a ride-along. If you¡¯re looking to reward someone, give it to Kaboom. She did all the work.¡±


    She frowned, retracting her hand back through golden bars and folding it close to her chest. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Kaboom widened her soulful eyes at Caroline, waiting and watching. Vigilant for a directive. Anticipation buzzing in her pumpkin frame.


    Putting her out her misery, she nodded ¡°Let¡¯s do ally switch, Kaboom.¡±


    The smallest pumpkin monster trilled at the attention given her way that she blipped into non-existence in a blink and in her place appeared Dani hunching over, hugging her waist. Dani¡¯s knees automatically buckled from disuse with Caroline catching her fall. ¡°Woop. Take it easy.¡±


    Dani clawed her hands into Caroline¡¯s shoulders, digging painfully into her skin. ¡°A dream?¡±


    Kaboom danced from inside the golden cage as if newly awakened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Caroline said, breathless at the confusing magic. ¡°Do witches dream?¡±


    When she would have replied, it was cut off from the earth-shaking banshee shrill that shook the earth. It came from above. Directly above them.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Heart stopping at her chest, ¡°KABOOM!¡± shouted Caroline and immediately the little pumpkin teleported out of cage and blinked to existence right in front of her face.


    ¡°Boo!¡± She surprised her, giggling carefree.


    Magical barriers surrounding them powered down, one by one. Weakening the room¡¯s atmosphere into a quiet buzz.


    The wizard Rasmodius strutted in with an exhausted gait, his left hand resting on the wall. ¡°Go. Now!¡± His voice thundering above the noise of an earthquake.


    Kaboom made a beeline for him in haste but was stopped by a delicate jeweled hand wrapping around her neck. Esmeralda appeared out of thin air in a fury of smoke and gouts of arcane fire burning below her feet. She laughed as her crystal-blue gaze landed on her husband. ¡°You always were too deep in abstract sciences, worrying about complexities. Ever thought a simple matter of sigil magic would have sufficed for portal use?¡± Under her feet lay powerful flames of circles and another encompassing circle that brought them all together.


    Heavy in disbelief, the wizard looked to his wife and said ¡°You knew portal magic all these time?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She cocked a hip to the side, ¡°Like it¡¯s hard?¡± Her grip around Kaboom tightened, burning with glorious flames until the room was swelling in the smell of pumpkin spice.


    Before Caroline can found her voice to stop her, Kaboom had transformed to a blackened char. Gravity crumbling her ashen form down to the ground in a graceful drop of destruction.


    Esmeralda clapped her hands together, wiping the dust off. ¡°Kept you busy, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    ¡°Because you are human. Easily subjected to my power. Why else would I have married you?¡±


    ¡°No. I am wizard. I am power in every way imaginable¡ª¡°


    In a heartbeat, Esmeralda appeared across the wizard. Her face a breath away from his. ¡°By my power.¡± She smiled, gaze lingering on each planes of his face. ¡°All that you are. All you have become. And the power you wield. Came from me. My bloodline. Do you know why I chose you? I chose you because you leeched off my power immediately upon our meeting. And honestly? You would never have so easily leeched off my power if it weren¡¯t for your humanity. That¡¯s right. Your humanity. No other species would have been able to absorb and adapt such power.¡±


    Another disbelieving breath left him, ¡°Is humanity the answer to everything?¡±


    Her eyes grew half-lidded, a smug grin from her painted lips. ¡°Humanity is the center of earth¡¯s magic. Silly, silly boy.¡±


    His jaw gritted, rumbling ¡°I¡¯m your husband.¡±


    ¡°No you¡¯re not. A means to an end yes. All these times playing scientist to your different species of labrats, hasn¡¯t it occurred to you that you might be a labrat?¡±


    ¡°Enough, daughter¡± said Dani, words that trembled with a hundredfold of authority that the earth itself shifted to disquiet, opening up to her voice, awaiting directive.


    A thousand daggers were facing Esmeralda, and yet, she was unperturbed by the sight of its pointed tips being inches away from her. Instead she lifted a brow at Dani. ¡°Do you really think I would risk turning my back to you without thought for my safety?¡±


    In exhaustion, Dani fell forward. Her dagger enchantment undone. ¡°I¡¯ve finished paying for my dues. You can¡¯t possibly punish me for crimes our entire legacy of ancient witches are guilty of.¡±


    ¡°No. But it will be a great start.¡± Upon seeing Caroline¡¯s struck face, filled with shock and fear. Esmeralda turned to her with empathy, ¡°Generations of my family are responsible for crimes of segregation. It gave them consolidated power. Would you like to know how?¡±


    Through it all, Dani leaned her full weight to Caroline¡¯s. The immediate trust of a little small girl depending on her gave Caroline strength, burdened with a newfound purpose that prompted her to find a voice, small as it may be. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know..¡±


    Esmeralda rolled her eyes, passing a devil-may-care glance at Rasmodius. ¡°They held bloodline samples of each species. Live. Here. Several levels deeper than this basement. My husband¡¯s playground.¡±


    Rasmodius crashed his fist against the wall ¡°It¡¯s wrong, Esmeralda. It shouldn¡¯t be done.¡±


    ¡°And yet you still found a way to cut them open, and use them for your rituals and offerings. It¡¯s all fair play here, honey. I win and you lose.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re guilty too. Our crimes are yours too.¡±


    She bared her teeth. ¡°I was born into it. You had your choice. You could have gotten out.¡±


    ¡°Esmeralda, I¡¯m a good guy. Nobody would have saved these creatures if it weren¡¯t for me. I¡¯m saving them.¡±


    ¡°Saving them? After you¡¯re done using them up for experimentation?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck would you have done?¡± He boomed.


    Crystal-blue eyes gone cold, unforgiving. ¡°Reparations.¡± She said, swiping her palms at an invisible wall until rainbow sigils bloomed in a starlight glow. ¡°My husband, obsessed with image and reputation that it sent you to a dark path of enforcing your will upon unwilling species. I sentence you to an eternal life of decrepit starvation for revenge. And I cast this evil to the valley of Starew. For turning me away.¡± Her tone had changed, voice turning to a different sultry tone as her hair visibly transformed to orange and her dress turning blue as an ocean.


    ¡°Sandy!¡± exclaimed Caroline, hand shooting up to palm her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t, please.¡±


    ¡°Too late. From hereon, husband. You will be known as the emerald witch. My cursed bloodline will end with you.¡°


    With a vicious roar, ¡°What are you doing?¡± His skin turned green, grand purple robes have shifted to a permanent charred black and the sound of his roar became like the shrill scream of a banshee.


    Not done yet, she lifted an accusing finger at Dani. ¡°Mother, I sentence you to a lesser power and subject your existence to one that you have long taken advantage of. Human.¡±


    Caroline hugged Dani close to her chest, ¡°Stop. Whatever you¡¯re doing. Stop it right now.¡±


    ¡°I cannot take life, sweet Caroline.¡± Kaboom manifested next to her, joy and glee exuding from her trill. ¡°I can only direct. If magics were able to take life, then it would have destroyed the world ages ago would it?¡±


    Dani groaned as a dark force of magic entered her body, slouching forward she grew taller and taller into purple robes. Her eyes were matching the outfit¡ª vibrant purple so infectious that it became the color of her hair and beard as well.


    Esmeralda who has been disguising herself as Sandy, smacked her palms together, satisfied ¡°Now you look like your age, Mother.¡±


    Dani didn¡¯t have time to respond as she was dizzy with magic impact. Caroline held her for support and told Esmeralda ¡°You can¡¯t curse us like this.¡±


    Suddenly, she grew quiet. ¡°It is not my curse. This evil here was created since the dawn of time. I¡¯m merely directing it to its righteous recipients.¡±


    Dani grunted, the sound of her voice matching that of the wizard¡¯s.


    ¡°Whatever you want to call it.¡± said Caroline. ¡°Just stop making life difficult for all of us.¡±


    Esmeralda¡¯s new face was even more stunning than her previous one, the eyes of hers were even deeper in blue. ¡°Isn¡¯t it already difficult?¡± she asked, a question that shot straight through her insides.


    Caroline was struck dumb, mouth hanging agog. How could someone so gorgeous and looking stunningly divine be so cruelly direct?


    ¡°Otherwise why would you have followed a strange man like Rasmodius into the most dangerous part of Cindersap forest?¡±

 Ch [8] Amethyst Blessing

    Caroline froze at the implication she wasn¡¯t happy with her life. She was blessed. She had it easy. Better than anybody she knows. So why did Esmeralda struck a chord in her?


    Before she could muster a reply, Esmeralda summoned a portal made of symbols and circles with a sweep of her palms. ¡°Back to your swamp, witch.¡± she said, using an invisible force that pulled a green-faced witch in a pointy hat to a portal vacuum. Once she was done getting rid of her previous husband, she turned to Dani. ¡°Mother, do as you lesser power demands. Guard this valley and all its inhabitants.¡±


    ¡°Guard? You¡¯ve just consolidated our bloodline¡¯s power to a curse within that witch!¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°Better the devil you see than those who are nameless, unseen. Hidden.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want? The truth for everyone to see? They¡¯re not ready for it. They won¡¯t understand.¡±


    Raising a palm, ¡°It is done. Although, releasing the monsters underground all at once will cause a disruption. I will leave it up to you to release them bit by bit over time.¡±


    A defiant huff, ¡°As if I would do anything you tell me.¡±


    Esmeralda moved to stand next to her portal, ¡°You will soon understand. With your lesser power, fighting the newly cursed emerald witch will prove difficult without some help. And you will find power given freely and willingly is much super effective rather than taking.¡± With that, she stepped off and bowed, her disguised form disintegrating inside the vacuum with Kaboom following after her.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I should have known I wouldn¡¯t have gotten out that cage so easily.¡± Dani said, a masculine voice as she herself had been cursed into transforming with the face and body of Magi Rasmodius. She checked the various rings and enchantments down her hands and wrists, frowning at it with distaste ¡°Low-brow enchantments. But I guess my spells won¡¯t work anymore without it.¡±


    Through the prolonged quiet that fell upon them, Caroline mumbled an apology ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± she said.


    Purple eyes glowed with power, crinkling on the sides as Dani grinned with a new masculine face, ¡°Don¡¯t be. This feels much better. Sitting around sedentary in a cage was unbearable. At least, this way I can accomplish some small feats. I¡¯m not as powerful as I used to be but I can still reward you for your hand in helping me to freedom. What do you desire?¡±


    ¡°Companionship.¡± She blushed, staring at her feet. ¡°I realize life back in Pelican town can be so dreary. And I¡¯ve been chasing excitement all along. Magic is such a fascinating matter, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯d be honored to see more of it, experience more of it, if you don¡¯t mind. I¡¯d love to be familiar with umm.. magic. With you as my friend of course. Is that ok?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Throat rumbling in a deep contemplative sound, ¡°There are many reasons why humans are forbidden to sensing magics, the universe is better off without humans using it. However, since you desire it, I will make a special exception.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She nodded much too quickly, still not meeting their gaze, ¡°My husband and I made turkey, would you like to eat dinner?¡±


    ¡°Ah. The tower upstairs. Let¡¯s not keep your husband waiting. I assume Esmeralda must have stunned him senseless. It won¡¯t take much magic to recover him. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Glad we¡¯re friends. Can we make this a weekly dinner thing? I can come twice a week. Or everyday I¡¯m sure Pierre won¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Your husband won¡¯t know any of what transpired tonight. Like I said, you are the special exception. Not him.¡±


    Her cheeks flushed, ¡°Oh.. umm.. well, I guess that¡¯s that.¡±


    The wizard, who was previously Dani the original emerald witch, lifted a questioning brow at Caroline, ¡°Friends can keep secrets, do they?¡±


    Breathless by the sudden intensity of their attention, ¡°Yes. You can count on me.¡± Then a sudden thought occurred to her, ¡°If you switched places with the previous emerald witch and the original wizard has taken your place, what would you like to be called?¡±


    ¡°Wizard. Just wizard. I can¡¯t bear to think about it more but I¡¯ll let you know once I decide on it.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± she smiled, happy to make a friend. ¡°Hope you like turkey. It¡¯s my husband¡¯s recipe. It¡¯s all the rage in town.¡±


    A friendly laugh bubbled out of them ¡°Can¡¯t wait to taste it.¡±