Part 2:
Dale & Elena Divine vs. Nizzik
So yeah, I got sent off with Elena.
It was just me and her, just us, all alone in a corner of the candy forest. I stood there wondering what had happened.
And then I noticed I couldn’t blink.
“Rick & Josie,” I said. “Something’s blocking me. Can you get us there?”
“Her spell was constructed well, yet I can overcome it. But right now my energies are best saved.”
“What do you mean?”
“The witch sent us here for a reason. Something awaits. I can feel it.”
Elena didn’t seem too alarmed by this fact. She seemed confident. Poised. Taking it all in stride.
I was a bit wobblier. I’d had enough of the witch.
And while Elena was really nice and all … she was awfully intense.
Even her soft smiles carried edges.
Still, I decided to ask some questions.
“Um, you know a lot about magic, right?”
“Certain knowledge I do possess, yes. The five elements. Water, Earth, Sky, Love, Pain."
So yeah, I got sent off with Elena.
It was just me and her, just us, all alone in a corner of the candy forest. I stood there wondering what had happened.
And then I noticed I couldn’t blink.
“Rick & Josie,” I said. “Something’s blocking me. Can you get us there?”
“Her spell was constructed well, yet I can overcome it. But right now my energies are best saved.”
“What do you mean?”
“The witch sent us here for a reason. Something awaits. I can feel it.”
Elena didn’t seem too alarmed by this fact. She seemed confident. Poised. Taking it all in stride.
I was a bit wobblier. I’d had enough of the witch.
And while Elena was really nice and all … she was awfully intense.
Even her soft smiles carried edges.
Still, I decided to ask some questions.
“Um, you know a lot about magic, right?”
“Certain knowledge I do possess, yes. The five elements. Water, Earth, Sky, Love, Pain."
“Can you tell me what I am? Who made me? Why I can talk?”
“Your origin is beyond my sight. That alone is extraordinary."
“Hmm."
“Tell me, does it trouble you? Not knowing?”
“A little. Not really.”
“You may have to wait for the reveal of answers. They may never come. I cannot say.”
“Can you just tell me … I don’t come from evil? Like deep down I’m terrible and I don’t know it?"
“Terrible?"
“I’d hate to find out I’m a big jerk.”
“I am well acquainted with darkness,” she said. “You shine brightly. Never doubt that.”
“Thanks, Elena.”
So we’re standing there, and I’m just starting to feel a little better, when boom – that little gargoyle dude, Nizzik – he’s everywhere!
Exact duplicates of him all over the place.
There must have been at least ninety-nine of him.
Ninety-nine if not a hundred.
“What manner of thing are you?” Elena asked. “Shall we speak? You are known as Nizzik, correct?”
“Yes,” replied all of the copies in unison.
“That is a fine name, Nizzik. Why are you – ”
“Nizzik is my station! I deserve no name. I serve until someday I earn a proper title.”
“That day shan’t be today.”
With a wave, Elena made all the copies vanish, leaving a solitary figure in front of us.
I realized that his eyes were different shapes, one bugging out a bit and the other sort of scrunched.
All he had on was a thing around his waist, like a big metal diaper.
Despite all his duplicates disappearing, I gotta say that he didn’t seem all that bothered.
He had an attitude about him, kinda … haughty, if you ask me.
Pretty haughty for a guy with no name.
“Your origin is beyond my sight. That alone is extraordinary."
“Hmm."
“Tell me, does it trouble you? Not knowing?”
“A little. Not really.”
“You may have to wait for the reveal of answers. They may never come. I cannot say.”
“Can you just tell me … I don’t come from evil? Like deep down I’m terrible and I don’t know it?"
“Terrible?"
“I’d hate to find out I’m a big jerk.”
“I am well acquainted with darkness,” she said. “You shine brightly. Never doubt that.”
“Thanks, Elena.”
So we’re standing there, and I’m just starting to feel a little better, when boom – that little gargoyle dude, Nizzik – he’s everywhere!
Exact duplicates of him all over the place.
There must have been at least ninety-nine of him.
Ninety-nine if not a hundred.
“What manner of thing are you?” Elena asked. “Shall we speak? You are known as Nizzik, correct?”
“Yes,” replied all of the copies in unison.
“That is a fine name, Nizzik. Why are you – ”
“Nizzik is my station! I deserve no name. I serve until someday I earn a proper title.”
“That day shan’t be today.”
With a wave, Elena made all the copies vanish, leaving a solitary figure in front of us.
I realized that his eyes were different shapes, one bugging out a bit and the other sort of scrunched.
All he had on was a thing around his waist, like a big metal diaper.
Despite all his duplicates disappearing, I gotta say that he didn’t seem all that bothered.
He had an attitude about him, kinda … haughty, if you ask me.
Pretty haughty for a guy with no name.
“That beast beside you is the prize,” Nizzik said. “I’ll not leave here without him.”
“He’ll never be your prize,” Elena answered.
“Not for me, cow. My master! She hates him deeply. I will gain much favor for his skin.”
“Be less concerned with her favor,” Elena fumed, “and much more with my wrath.”
“While he is promised to my master, I might take you all for myself. Perhaps you will earn my favor.”
“You have disrespected me twice. You do need a good teacher.”
“You don’t scare me! I am under protection! I am – ”
There was a loud POOF! A cloud of smoke and POOF!
And then where Nizzik had stood, there was now a small white bird.
“Much better,” Elena said.
The Nizzik-bird squaked and attacked, but his beak had no point, his wings no claws.
Elena grabbed the bird by its neck and left it dangling.
“You are truly powerless. And now you are mine. You shall be my pet until I deem you ready for release.”
The bird hung its head and slumped, its tail firmly between its legs.
“Wow, that was … that wasn’t bad. Kinda easy,” I said.
“Study and preparation foster the illusion of ease.”
“I’m sure glad we met you and the rest of the QCP.”
“The pleasure is mine. But now let me try to find our way back. We can only hope Uubiquatus fares equally well.”
“Let’s give him whatever help he needs to put that witch out of business.”
“Come along,” she said to the docile bird in her clutch.
I didn’t know what would happen next, but I knew one thing: I would never, ever, ever disrespect Elena Divine.
“He’ll never be your prize,” Elena answered.
“Not for me, cow. My master! She hates him deeply. I will gain much favor for his skin.”
“Be less concerned with her favor,” Elena fumed, “and much more with my wrath.”
“While he is promised to my master, I might take you all for myself. Perhaps you will earn my favor.”
“You have disrespected me twice. You do need a good teacher.”
“You don’t scare me! I am under protection! I am – ”
There was a loud POOF! A cloud of smoke and POOF!
And then where Nizzik had stood, there was now a small white bird.
“Much better,” Elena said.
The Nizzik-bird squaked and attacked, but his beak had no point, his wings no claws.
Elena grabbed the bird by its neck and left it dangling.
“You are truly powerless. And now you are mine. You shall be my pet until I deem you ready for release.”
The bird hung its head and slumped, its tail firmly between its legs.
“Wow, that was … that wasn’t bad. Kinda easy,” I said.
“Study and preparation foster the illusion of ease.”
“I’m sure glad we met you and the rest of the QCP.”
“The pleasure is mine. But now let me try to find our way back. We can only hope Uubiquatus fares equally well.”
“Let’s give him whatever help he needs to put that witch out of business.”
“Come along,” she said to the docile bird in her clutch.
I didn’t know what would happen next, but I knew one thing: I would never, ever, ever disrespect Elena Divine.
Josephine Hatcher-Hyung & Uubiquatus vs. Dresda Kul-Vayn
Angry and terrible fire engulfed us.
A rampaging sea of flame.
Ducking, I prepared to be burned alive.
When I opened my eyes … I was still alive, no burns or pains to be found.
“Uubiquatus, what happened?”
“I protected us from the oncoming fire. You went unconscious for a moment as I worked my magic. All is well.”
The ground beneath us had burned to stones, but otherwise there was no sign of the recently raging fire.
He gestured toward the witch, who peered intently in our direction.
“We are invisible. She cannot see or hear us.”
“You shielded us from a fireball and turned us invisible?”
“I serve as protective spirit. I am Uubiquatus.”
“What now? We sneak up, ambush her and leave her spitting teeth?”
“No, Josephine Hatcher-Hyung. My abilities cannot be used in that manner. We must face her directly.”
“Fine. Stay here. I’ll get her myself.”
“I will not allow that.”
“But she tried to kill us!”
“At this moment we are safe. Therefore, we shall not cross the threshold of violence.”
I strongly, severely disagreed.
But since I owed him my life, it seemed rather impolite to argue.
At last Uubiquatus stood, beckoning me to join him.
With a wave of his arms he made us visible.
The conflict at last came to its final fight.