glossolalia

OOooo, I got to put this here *G* I didn't even know karmyn had written it!

This is just TO CUTE! :)

LittleStar in The Site Wars

Posted by me at 3:02 PM | Permalink

And, indeed, she had, for in the next moment the eletrical
light show ended and the Sorcress stood before the group,
ash covered. Coughing violently and waving away the smoke
around her, she turned and looked behind her. Sitting
there quietly, staring intently at the raven Gothic, sat
Magique's companion and gryphlet friend, munchkin.

"Tell me, gryphlet, why I am always the one to get the brunt of magical spells while you are left undisturbed?"

"Magique?!" Witchy, Chaos, and One-di-ful all cry in disbelief.

Startled, the sorceress whips around, eyes sparkling.

"Oh my! At last, we're our of that horrible void!" Magique bends down, picks up Munchkin, and twirls with him delightfully. He, in turn, chastizes her with a few stern clicks of his beak. Putting him back down to stare at Gothic once again, Magique turns back to her friends. "I can't believe we're finally free. It was so awful in there."

"But how did you get stuck? Couldn't you fight the sorcerer?" One-di-ful asks.

"He was too powerful for me. I tried, really I did. He just sent one of the whirling Dervishes after me. Once I was so confused that I couldn't even tell which way was up, he started throwing spells at me. If it hadn't been for
Witchy's pockets, I don't think munchkin and I would have survived. Munchkin remembered how we had visited the space within Witchy's pockets once, so he thought to jump into the pocket of the cape that Witchy lent me. Amazingly enough, it worked. I wipped off my jacket and followed him, zipping it shut behind us. After that, all was black."

"Caw...so that's why you weren't turned into another creature like the rest of us. The magic of witchys coat pocket must have protected you," said Gothic.

"Gothic!! You made it out as well. That's wonderful. After seeing what happened to Dusty Boots, and Yasmina's disappearance, I feared for you as well. However, I did not return unscathed," she said, looking away sadly at the sky above.

The four look up, but are unable to see what had drawn Magique's gaze. The moment is shattered by the wild cawing of Gothic.

"Get 'em off! Caw...Get 'em off!" Munchkin is standing curiously over Gothic, pinning him to the ground by his wings. Gothic is trying unsuccessfully to free himself. Twisting and turning, but with no luck. Munchkin held him fast to the ground.

"Come on munchkin, off the nice birdy. I'll give you a Witchy Nutty Bar, if you do," Witchy, trying to hide a smile, coaxes the gryphlet. Glancing quickly between Gothic and the Nutty Bar, Munchkin bounds towards the Witch, tail flicking back and forth.

"We're going to have to do something about you Gothic. We can't just leave you as a raven," Chaos points out, thoughtfully. "What about you One-di-ful? Can you use your wand and change him back?" she inquires.

"Well, I can try.... Haven't had much practice with transformations," One-di-ful replies uncertainly.

"Maybe we shouldn't chance it," Witchy interjects, breaking pieces of the Nutty Bar to give to Munchkin. "I mean, what if something goes wrong? We don't want to risk anything happening to Gothic."

A light bulb suddenly flashes over One-di-ful's head, lighting the immediate area before disappearing. "What about Magique? She used to transform between dragon, unicorn, and human all the time."

"What?" Magiques asks distractedly. "What? You want me to transform him? I don't know if I can do that."

"But why not Magique? One is right, you use to change all the time," said Chaos.

Tears suddenly well up in Magique's eyes, and the others look on in concern. "I...I can't change anymore. W..When everyone else was transformed it was because of me. The sorcerer, he stole my transformation powers, and used it against everyone. The magic was so powerful that he was able to change all of the Arabian Nights, and I was unable to transform again. I will no longer be able to soar through the heavens," she finished
sadly, glancing to the sky once again.

"We'll just have to lend you some of our powers then," said Witchy. "You can provide the knowledge and we'll provide the magic."

"I don't know..." Magique replies weakly.

"It'll work," Chaos said enthusiastically. "I'll just use a few of these strings.... You cross some of your wires...." Chaos begins hopping excitedly from foot to
foot as the plan begins to form. "One can use her wand and we can finish it all with one of Witchy's brews."

"Oh, this'll be fun," One-di-ful said happily. Gothic and Magique, on the other hand, were looking a bit aprehensive. However, as they form another magical circle, Witchy rightens up the cauldron, and begins her brew. Taking a little of this out of her pockets, and a little of that...she has One-di-ful stir with her wand.

"I'll have to be in physical contact with him, I think. I really only transformed myself, but should be able to apply similar concepts as long as he isn't too far away," said Magique.

"Well, go on then, hold one of his wings," Witchy laughs. "Don't be so timid."

And thus the spell begins. Chaos begins first, drawing together their magical energies with her vampire power. Concentrating hard, Magique blends the differing strands of power, creating one homogenous strand, which is than directed into Witchy's brew. Taking her wand, One-di-ful aims it at the cauldron and first stirring, then, with a grunt of effort, sends the brew flying towards Magique and Gothic, who stand in the center of the circle. Before the magical mixture strikes, a blur of wings and fur is seen hurtling itself into the
circle. "Munchkin, NO!" Witchy shouts, but it is too late.

The brew hits the trio and there is an explosion of sound and smoke.

Coughing, Witchy, Chaos, and One-di-ful back away slightly, trying to see into the smoke, to no avail. Then, slowly, it begins to lift, and four shadowy figures begin to form.

"Four?" One said in disbelief. Suddenly, one of the forms streaks through the smoke and slams into Chaos.

"Oww!" She cries, as both topple over. Witchy and One-di-ful turn to Chaos to see a midnight black raven panting heavily on her chest.

"What happened?" Gothic asks in confusion. I don't feel like a dragon, nor do I feel like a bird. Well...not compeletly."

Witchy spins around to see the three remaining forms. As always, munchkin seems uneffected by the events. Magique and Gothic, on the other hand, are both changed. Where there once sat a raven, there now stood a majestic and
fully grown silver gryphon. Beside him stood Magique, a gigantic pair of dragon-like wings protruding from her back. Cautiously she reaches back and runs her hands across the new appendages.

"W..Wings..." she said in amazement. Astonishment and joy crossing her face. You could tell very clearly, that she was thrilled with the idea of taking to the skys again.

"What about me? I'm still not back to my original form. Darn that gryphlet! If he hadn't jumped into the middle of us, the spell would have worked. Let's try again," Gothic said.

"That would probably not be the wisest idea right now," Witchy replies. "It took a lot of power to change you, and it'll be a while before we get it all back." She herself felt exhasuted. She could just imagine how the others felt.

"You'll just have to stay a gryphon for a while Gothic. It doesn't look to be such a bad form," One-di-ful added.

"That's true," Gothic agreed, a bit begrudgingly.

"It appears I have a new friend," Choas laughed, joining the group with the raven sitting upon her shoulder. She was a looking bit devilished, and her usually perfectly styled hair, was sticking up all around her. But she did have a smirk on her face. Of course, the Raven seemed to be smirking also.

"More than that Chaos, I'd say you have a familiar. Your magic was in the spell and the raven that was created chose you," Magique said. "There is hardly any stronger bond between two creatures."

Suddenly the wind picks up and a crackling circle of electricity is formed once again before the tavern. From it emerge a variety of creatures, from gnomes to sprites, trolls, and ogres, each looking slightly familiar.

"The rest of the Nights have made it through!" Gothic cries excitedly.

"However, they are Nights no more," Magique adds. Watching in astonishment at all the strange (and not so strange) creatures came from the mist.

"Well then, we'll form a new group then," One-di-ful said, stepping forward. "A new land, where they will be safe from persecution and fear.

"A group of mystery, a group of spirit," added Chaos, joining One-di-ful, the raven still perched upon her shoulder.

"Yes, let's band together and settle in this new place," Witchy said, walking over to stand between Chaos and One-di-ful.

Then, the three look at each other and say "Arabian Nights
is Nevermore"......and they decide to take the whole of the new Nevermore Clan of Creatures through Starlight Thrufare, Through Perseus, To the MilkyWay and Home........"

Knowing, that in the end, friendship, caring and working together, could overcome all obstacles.

Posted by me at 1:49 PM | Permalink

"Oh my gosh!" shrieks Witchy. "Hurry Chaos, find me some water or here, no time for that, slap her on
the cheek."

"No problem!" says Chaos, while happily applying light slaps to the fat, little purple dragons face.

"Uh....Oh..." moans One-di-ful

"She's coming around." says Witchy. "Okay Chaos, you can lay off now."

Chaos reluctantly stops the cheek slapping.

"What happened?", says the groggy dragon.

"You fainted." says Witchy

"Fell right over onto the ground with a thud." giggles Chaos.

"It was something about the Raven." says One-di-ful. "I can't believe it. Gothic how did you survive?"

"It wasn't easy." says the Raven. "After you beat feet out of Arabian Nights the whole shabang came down around our ears. The Whirling Dervishes went mad and caused such a dust cloud that no one could see a thing.
Then the earth shifted and a great crater opened up and part of the palace fell right into it and was covered up with sand. All of us who were left behind were then swept away on a zephyr and have been twirling around in the cosmos for over 1,000 years. Some didn't make it and others, like me were changed forever."

"Than a while ago, all of a sudden, a great white light appeared and we could hear a distant voice saying,
"Nevermore...nevermore"

Everyone rushed toward the white light and the voice. It was the first voice we had heard since the mad man made the 'happening'. Then the air seemed to compress and breathing became difficult. I believe I blacked out and when I came to, here I was. Perched on the roof of this gingerbread tavern staring down at you guys. I couldn't believe it was really you, One-di-ful.I thought we would never meet again." finished Gothic.

"Well." said Chaos, "That's some story."

"Yes it is." agrees Witchy, looking at Chaos with raised eyebrows.

"What happened to the others, Gothic?" asks One-di-ful.
"Yasmina? Magique and her gryphlet? Nightshade? Dusty Boots?" One-di-ful asks about old friends.

"I used to pass Yasmina occasionly while swirling through the mist of time." said Raven "But after a time I didn't see her anymore and assumed she just drifted away altogether. "Dusty Boots as well is gone, I'm afraid. I actually saw her explode in a shower of brilliant light.", said the Raven, hanging his head. "Nightshade I couldn't say for sure, but she may have made it. We lost touch some time ago, and Magique? Well, she's got to be around here somewhere. The last time I saw her she was hanging onto the tail of that creature she associates with and trying to stop him from riffling the pockets of some poor stranger."

Witchy grins to herself. It was her fault that the gryphlet, Munchkin, was always rifling's strangers pockets. (or friends pockets for that matter). Once, quite a while ago, the gryphlet fell into one of Witchy's pockets and it was quite hard getting him out. She had to finally bake him a special chocolate and cream treat to lure him out.

With these words the air began to emit loud pops and crackles. A large wave of static electricity circled out from a spot just in front of the tavern door, causing Chaos' and Witchy's hair to stand on end and snap about. One-di-ful's talons began to tingle and the Raven began flapping his wings madly, bobbing his head and cawing, "Look out!, he yelled. "I think Magique has just found us!"...

Posted by me at 1:42 PM | Permalink

...BUMP! "Ouch" yells Witchy, "Get off you fools!" she hollers as she pushes Chaos and One-di-ful away and jumps to her feet.

Gazing around wildly she spies her neat little gingerbread tavern sitting in the middle of a crossroads.
"Whew! For a minute there I thought someone had dropped a house on me." She said, with a sigh of relief.

Chaos and One-di-ful cover their mouths to hide wide grins and stifle the giggles.

"It's NOT funny." Witchy says in a haughty voice. "I can't help it if houses falling from the sky is a family curse. You KNOW I have to be careful and keep watch for them."

Chaos and One-di-ful, looking somewhat shame faced, both agree that it's really not funny, and assures Witchy that they too, will keep an eye out for flying houses. Witchy helps them up off the ground and they begin to survey the area.

The lightening and thunder still rumble in the distance and Witchy's tavern is
diffidently NOT where it was before the storm blew up. It sits smack in the middle of a crossroads, like it usually did when landing in a new place. A path leads into the right door of the tavern and goes right through out the left door. Our trio stands on a path that enters the front door of the tavern and travels
through and out the back door. Witchy's gingerbread tavern is somewhat strange. It travels from place to place and always seems to seek
out a crossroads to land on, as they are the places where great change occurs. When landing, the front door of the tavern
always faces South, the house hasn't let it be known 'why' yet.

Because of this unusual habit of the tavern, Witchy had to
modify the design to include four doors. She got tired of giants and
dragons (and other interesting creatures) knocking holes in the East & West facing walls to pass through.

The woods surrounding the tavern seem to be closer
the trees more dense and the atmosphere a tad more sinister.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore ladies." snickers One-di-ful.

"Your tavern does have a way of finding crossroads, Witchy." says Chaos, while remembering a distant past and her first meeting with the Witch.

Suddenly a loud 'cawing' sound rents the air. Startled the trio looks up to find a huge midnight black raven with fiery eyes perched
on the roof of the tavern. He was nibbling on the cookie shingles.

"Caw, Caw, Caw" speaks the Raven

"If he pipes up with 'Nevermore'" says One-di-ful, frantically digging through the pockets of her robe "I'm gonna zap him with my wand! Somethings not right here. After Witchy started saying THAT word all that wind came up and those birds..."

"Don't be silly." interrupts Chaos, "There's no reason to be afraid. My gosh, we've all lived long enough to see just about every strange thing there is. This is nothing to worry about." she says off handedly, all the while thinking back to her government training and wondering just how fast she could still move.

Witchy wasn't saying much, which worried her companions even more. A
quiet Witch was a rare thing to behold.

"Maybe we should see if he can communicate with us?" asked Chaos, "How's your Raven speak, Witchy?"

"Pretty rusty I have to say." replied Witchy, giving a few weak sounding caws. "Isn't Ravens one of the animals you can call Chaos?"

"Well, I'll give it a try." says Chaos, "Hello! Hello! You up there..."

The Raven opens his beak and lets out a loud "CAW...are you talking to me?" he says.

The trio jumps three feet in the air, then takes an apprehensive step back.
One-di-ful furiously searches her pockets and finally locates her wand in the back one.

She begins twirling it wildly in circles then replies, "Uh, hmmm..Yes! We were wondering if you could tell us where we are...there was a storm and we fear the tavern may have been uprooted and blown away from the land that we were in. This does not look like the place we were in when the
storm began."

The Raven cocks his head to the side, seems to offer an evil grin and whispers, "Nevermore"

"That's it!" yells, One-di-ful pointing the wand and muttering under her breath,
"Danged fool Witch...should have never picked up that book, all that talk about wind, and night and Nevermore." Sparks and twinkling's start flying from the wand tip, swirling in a mad dance toward the roof and the Raven.

Chaos drops to the ground and rolls, looking like a white faced GI Jane, then does knees and elbows to avoid any loose sparkles.

Witchy raises her arm and knocks One-di-ful's wand to the ground. "STOP!" she yells, "You're firing at the tavern! Oh No! Chaos look, my roof cookies, they're smoldering" Witchy pouts.

Indeed, several cookie shingles were trailing wisp of smoke and the air was
filled with the scent of scorched icing. The Raven sat, unperturbed.

"Now! Everyone calm down!" said Witchy in a stern voice.
"What we have here is a puzzle. Chaos you love puzzles. And my nose tells
me this could be a fascinating one."

("sure that's just not burnt icing? mutters One-di-ful")

"That's true." replied Chaos, "I do love a good puzzle. The harder the better
I always say."

"I'm still gonna zap him if he makes a wrong move." says One-di-ful, gathering up her wand.

"Just hold your horses with the wand thing, purple dragon." says Witchy. "Let's ask him a few more questions before anyone gets hurt. Okay?"

"Ahem, Mr. Raven? Could you possibly tells us exactly where we might be?" asks Witchy, in her most polite voice.

"Nevermore." squawks the Raven

"I'm telling YOU..." mutters One-di-ful beginning to twirl the wand again.
Witchy lays a restraining hand on One's arm.

"You want to know where you are, eh?" says the Raven

"YES!" chorused the trio
"Nevermore." replies the Raven gesturing with his right wing. "Read the sign."

The three turn to the right and sure enough right beside the road is a purple and gold painted sign that reads, "Nevermore." It is made of crossed arrows. The one pointing to the East says, "Castle Way". Gazing in this direction our trio sees a path filled with golden light among tall gently swaying fir trees. The outline of a massive castle perched upon a mountain top can be seen in the distance.
The arrow pointing to the West says, "Thieves Alley". This path is darker and more narrow than Castle Way. The trees grow close together and underbrush
tumbles out in spots to almost completely obscure the way. The friends feel a
collective chill as they watch a small bird fly down this path and seem to
disappear into the gathering mist in the distance.
The friends note that the third arrow is marked, "Starlight Thruway". Looking again at the tavern this path seems to extend from the rear door and off into a swirling black ball with twinkling stars and lights. A comet whizzes around inside this vision then speeds off into the night.
The last arrow, the one for the path our trio stands upon,which enters the front door of the tavern, has no name. There is only what appears to be a faint drawing upon it. One-di-ful steps closer to the sign
and lightly rubs the drawing to clear away some dust. The drawing emits a faint glow and the image of a magic lamp appears then quickly recedes back into the wood.

One-di-ful slaps her claw to her chest and turns toward her companions with a shocked look upon her purple dragon face.
"It's...it's...a...a...llll...aaa...mmmm...ppp." she sputters, chills racing through her
fat, little purple body.

"One. What's wrong?" asks Chaos coming to stand beside her friend. "What did you see?"

"Yes, One-di-ful." adds Witchy,"What's on the sign? Are you okay?"

"It's a lamp, it's a magic lamp. I think it's from the Arabian Nights." says. One-di-ful still shaking.

The Raven gives a couple of caws that sound like laughter.
"Hey!", he squawks. "I remember you now. I thought you looked familiar.
How did you escape the end of the stories when the rest of us couldn't?"

"What's he talking about?" asks Chaos

"I have no idea." replies Witchy, but her and Chaos look at one another, remembering the mission they were suppose to be on. What had happen to the realm of the Arabian Nights?

One-di-ful steps closer to the Raven and peers intently into his fiery eyes.
"Wait. Can it be?" she thinks, "No, it couldn't be. There's no way."

As if reading her mind, the Raven begins to bob his head up and down cawing and flapping his wings. "That's right One-di-ful, you know who I am. I used to be your friend. I used to be something else altogether. I used to be a dragon...named Gothic Dragon!"

"But how? But why? But...ohhhhh..." One-di-ful flails her arms then falls to the ground in a dead faint.

Posted by me at 1:37 PM | Permalink

The weather was nice so they drag the cauldron out into the yard.

One-di-ful and Witchy start a fire, Chaos stays back a ways, because fire and vampires do not mix well.
When the fire is ready, and the water starts bubbling witchy opens the book and begins to read the book. Once upon a midnight dreay, while I pondered, weak and weary,....

As she reads One-di-ful starts to twirl her wand. Over her left hand and under to the right...

Chaos starts to panic, remembering the flying jar of eye of newt.
Chaos decides she better speak up, "One-di-ful, put your wand in your pocket right now!
I don't want to levitate and I am sure Witchy wants her house to still be standing."

"Okay, okay" mumbles One-di-ful "But how am I ever supposed to learn this magic stuff, if you won't let me practice?" she whines.

"You can practice all you want." says Chaos, "Just not when we're around!"

A disgruntled One-di-ful starts searching the pockets of her robe for a place to put her wand. Her front pockets are full of flares and scrolls, while her side pockets are bulging with crystals and stardust. The top pockets are wriggling from the mice and snakes. The bottom pockets emit the smell of burning sulfer.
"I've got to get a magic bag." she thinks and wonders how Witchy does it, she has tons of stuff in her pockets, and they never seem to bluge, "Oh well, back pocket it is then!"

While Witchy is reading from the book called Raven, the birds in the yard have suddenly gone silent. Suddenly, great dark clouds begin rolling in, looking very ominous. Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, and each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Chaos shivers and mutters, "things are getting a tad creepy....."

Witchy continues to read at a fevered pitch, Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore--Tell me what thy lordly name is on the night's plutonian shore... arriving at the part of the story where the Raven whispers NEVERMORE....

When all of a sudden, all the birds rise up in a great swooping flock; ravens, thrush, cranes, hummingbirds and a duck (whose quacking sounds more like it was saying AFLAC) rise as one group.

One-di-ful Covers her head, "EWWWWWW duck!"

"No One-di-ful, I think that was a crow" Chaos replies.

Onediful says, "NO! I mean cover your head!"

Choas just nods her head in agreement.

The wind picks up, thunder sounds close by. Where once the sky was a crystaline blue, there is now a rolling mass of vapor and starlight and it smells of rain.

Witchy shreeks "Take they beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door! Quoth the Raven-- Nevermore!" again, and the birds, who were flying around the magic circle, suddenly start diving into the cauldron, faster and faster ...

One bird accidently bumps into One-di-ful, knocking her to the ground, where she falls right on her wand. A spark from the wand lifts her off the ground and she flies right into chaos, who crashes into witchys lap,
just as she screams the final "shall be lifted--

NEVERMORE!"

The world tumbles and spins, flashes of lightening in all the colors of the rainbow light the sky, thunder crashes and the world spins out into the Cosmos...
as the wind seems to pick up our three friends and land them again, with a THUMP onto the ground.

Posted by me at 1:31 PM | Permalink

Witchy was scrabbling around in her auntie's attic a few days later, looking for some potion bottles for a new brew when she stumbled upon a leather bound book.

The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe, she read. 'Hmmm...wonder what this is?' she thought to herself. Witchy sat down in an old rocker and opened the book to begin to read.

Once upon a midnight dreary..." Oh! Just my kind of tale!", she exclaimed out loud and continued to read.

About a 1/2 hour later she remembered that the girls, One-di-ful, a fat, little purple dragon
of indeterminate age who was a mage in training, was sleeping at the tavern, and Chaos, a two hundred and thirteen year old vampire queen, was coming by to help with the brew she was suppose to be starting.

"Oh my! Look at the time. I'll have to take this down and show the girls. What a marvelous tale.", thought the Witch She tucked the book under her arm, located the potion bottles and headed off home to fire up the cauldren.

Several hours later with the brew bubbling nicely the friends retired to the parlor with steaming cups of cocoa to kick back and have a chat.

"Oh! I wanted to show you this lovely book I found in auntie's attic today.", said Witchy

"Nice cover.", replied One-di-ful while sniffing the book. "That's odd, it smells like human skin." She said.

"It can't be." Said Chaos, "No book it covered in human skin unless it's a spell book."

"I didn't think it was a spell book.", added Witchy. "It does sort of read like one though. It has a certain cadence to it. The way it's written I mean."

"How far did you read, Witchy?" asked One-di-ful

"Not too far.", replied Witchy. "I remembered you were here sleeping, and Chaos was coming over, so I had
to rush back home."

"Well, if it is a spell book, maybe we should check it out." Said Chaos "Maybe we will find a new brew recipe in there."

"What's wrong with MY brew recipe?" asked Witchy

"Nothing." Replied Chaos "Was just thinking a little change of pace might be nice."

"Hmmp..." snorted Witchy.

"Well girls", piped up One-di-ful "We won't find out until we read it will we?"

"Just in case it is a spell book or maybe a new brew recipe, I guess I'll put the small cauldren on so we can try it out." said Witchy

"Good idea." said Chaos

"I'll warm up my wand." said One-di-ful

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Witchy. "Not in my house, not again! It took me weeks to put everything back in order the last time. I still haven't found my newt eyes. Last time I saw them they were flying out the front door, 'cause you accidently put wings on the jar."

"Well, maybe we could haul the cauldren outside then." Said One-di-ful. "I can't get into but so much trouble in the great wide open."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Mumbled Chaos.

Posted by me at 1:23 PM | Permalink

The wind is blowing loudly, leaves are scattering across the road, a small spring rabbit, just now large enough to go out on his own and start looking for food, is hiding by a fallen, half rotten log. A small sparrow is fluffing it's feathers, sitting in a nearby tree. A Blue Jay, sitting in the tree across the cross road from him, seems to be watching the 4 way road intently. First glancing down one way, than another. A passer by might have taken the jay's action, as if it was on guard, and looking for something.

The passer by, might not have been wrong.

Suddenly, the wind picks up more, and small dust devils
go swirling in all directions.

Out of nowhere a house appears. Where once was an empty
crossroad, now sits a small looking cottage. There was a sweet smell
in the air, as of fresh baked cookies. Roses growing at one corner of
the house. There seems to be a door, at each point of the road. As if
the road itself, went through the house and out the other side.


Two large wolves come loping out of the woods, the wind
seems to die down completely. They sit at the closes door they come
to, staring at it very intently. You hear a mumbling inside. Than the
door opens. If you had been brave enough to get closer to the house,
you might have heard a grumpy voice, explaining loudly, "Yes, yes,
I know your here. She's gone to sleep. We stayed up all night so she could tell me her story, and won't wake up till tonight, you
know that, what's so urgent, that you had to have me come running to
open the door for you?" and with that the door shut behind the
last wolf.

The Blue Jay takes off in one direction, flying as fast
as it could. The sparrow takes off in another direction beating it's
little wings as fast as it can. The rabbit, crouches down to watch the
house.

Inside the house, the wolves lope into another another
room, sitting next to the kitchen trestle table. Looking back over their
shoulder at the witch.

"Hungry, are you? That's no excuse to get me up so
early, and come running to open the door for you. You've been gone all
this time, you're wolves, for lights sake, you're suppose to get your
own food." But even as the woman walked around the table, complaining
loudly, she was reaching inside her small cold box, and pulling out
food. First slices of left over roast beef, she reaches back into the
box, and pulls out half of a chicken, again she turns back to the box
reaching in, she pulls out the end of what had once been a large salami,
and a small chunk of cheese. As she closes the door of the box, she
pats it on the top, and mumbles "Thanks Dad", turning back
to the table, she starts putting all the food together on the beef platter.
As she finishes this, there is a loud banging at the east door, and
than stomping of feet, and the raised voices of a group of men. She
wipes her hands on a towel, throwing it on the table, looking at the
wolves, who are eating from the platter, she tells them "Finish
up, than go lay by the fire, think ~dog~". One wolf looks up, and
gives a nod, the other keeps eating, but looks at her out of the corner
of his eye, almost as if he were giving her a dirty look. She grins
at this one. Than goes out the door of the kitchen.

"Hello there good farmers", she says, to the
group of men that are there. You could see they had been traveling quickly
through the woods, there were leaves in one mans hair. Stickers and
brambles seem to be stuck on others.

"We're following the tracks of some huge werewolves.
Monsters they are, and the tracks lead right up to your home, good women.
Right to the door. Do you have any monsters here?" says one man,
very belligerently.

The woman looks at him, and thinks to herself, only you
dear sir, but she controls her mouth, (for once), and says "No
sir, I have not monsters here. It's just me and my friend, and my dogs,
at the moment. My husband has gone hunting. I'm not expecting him till
late tonight, if we are lucky and he was able to shoot a deer. But you
are welcome to search my home. Do be careful though, the last time the
guards came, wanting to search, I never did see them again. They went
through that door past the kitchen there," and she nods her head
at a door that is next to the open kitchen door. "I hope that you
have left someone to care for your wife and children, sir. And told
her where you have hidden the money"

"What! What! I have not hidden any money!" the
belligerent man bellows. "What are you, a Witch! To accuse me of
such a thing!" But the other men in the party had started to smile,
and one had even laughed out loud, before he could stop himself. The
loud man, gave this one a dirty look. But another, smaller, thinner
man, smiled and said, "Ack Jack, now ye know that ye have the money
hid away."

The woman smiles, and says, "Yes sir, I am a witch,
all women have a little witch in them."

At this the men mutter, looking at one another, than back
at her. Again the women just smiled at them. "Now sirs, don't tell
me that on that soft summer eve, when you have finished the plowing,
and the sun is finally coming down, and all you want to do is to lay
back in the hammock, and let the breeze cool you off. That your wife
is not there, fussing at you to fix the gate, or that step over there."

The men look at one another, all thinking the same, ~How
did she know?~

She smiles wider, "Or in the evening, when the work
is all done, and you want to go into town to have a small beer and visit
with your friends, and she's fussing at you for wanting to spend a half
penny and staying out all night."

Again the men looked at one another, sheepish grins on
most of their faces.
"Well, that's not witchin', that's just being a wife",
says the, what the witch took as, leader.

"Ahhhh" says she, "Than every wife is a
little witch, hmmmm?"

The men all grin at each other, and the man is turning
red in the face, "Nah Nah" says he, "every woman is that
way".

Grinning at the men, the women again says, "Ahhhh,
I see, every Woman has a little Witch in her, hey? Well, you make sure
you tell my husband, next you see him, hmmm? So maybe he'll stop goofing
off and fix the step, as I ask".

All the men laughed at this, even the leader. "Here,
come into the kitchen" she says, "I've got some stew on the
fire in there, it's been cooking all day, and you can tell me if I'm
missing any seasonings in it. Besides, if you all have been out chasing
monsters through the woods, you must be tired and thirsty, come in and
sit down." She walks through the door into the kitchen.

As you walk in, you smell the beef stew, which is in a
huge pot, hanging from a fire hook, close to the fire. There is also
the smell of fresh baked bread. The woman cries out, "Oh!"
and runs to the oven, pulling on huge mitts onto her hands, she opens
the oven door, and pulls out a large (very large) tray, of a dozen loaves
of bread. The men all sit down at the trestle table. The roast beef
platter is no where to be seen.

"Were you expecting company?" asks one of the
men. Looking suspiciously around.

"Yes" says she, "I'm always expecting company"
she puts the tray of bread down on a counter, and goes over to one of
the cupboards, opening a door, she takes out a stack of bowls, and starts
filling them from the pot by the fire.

"How big were these monsters you were chasing?"
she asks "as you can see, my dogs are large."

The men glance down, in front of the fire, and saw the
two dogs lying there, there seemed to be a blurring in the air, but
they thought nothing of it, after all, they were looking right into
the fire, probably just the heat from it.

"Well, indeed lady, they are large dogs, largest
I've ever seen" Just as the man says this, one of the dogs rolls
over to his back, with his legs curled in the air, asking her to scratch
his belly. As she stands there, filling the bowls, she stands on one
foot, and lifts the other one up, using it to rub his stomach, like
he begs for her to do.

"Aye they are large, my husband found them at some
farm house, many miles south of here. The farmer had a whole house full
of them. Seems the mother had just whelped her third litter, and he
gladly gave these two, to my husband, for a loaf of my bread, and a
pint of my brew. He said they were eating him out of house and home."
The woman has a large grin on her face, as she puts the bowls down in
front of the men. Turns and gets three loaves of bread. Putting them
also on the table, she also gets out some butter from the cold box.

The men start eating, hardly nodding to her, as she talks.
Not saying a word, as they shoveled the stew into their mouths. They
all acted like they had not eaten in many a week.

Finally, after they had finished off two bowls of stew
each, six of the twelve loaves, and two pitchers, of the root beer,
that she brewed herself, the men all sat back. Belching and rubbing
there stomachs. What the woman thought of as the leader of the bunch,
says, "Lady, that was the best meal that I've had in ages.", was a mystery.
The whole atmosphere of the kitchen, was relaxed, and pleasant.

"Well, thank you good sir", says the women,
"I thank you for the compliment, but please, let's not tell your
wife that it was the best, hmmm" and she grins at the man. This
time the man grins back at her.

"Aye, Lady, good point, good point indeed. We're
very sorry, that we busted in on you the way we did" he says shamefully,
making sure the blame was on all the men. "But there are dangerous Monsters lurking about here. Oh, and if I were you, Lady, I would not joke about being a witch. We don't take kindly to witches around here, No sir, we do not. Not Witches, Not Werewolves, Not Vampires, No Un-Godly creatures do we have around here. We take care of them, oh yes we do."


"Oh posh!" says she, "'twas nothing, and
as I told you, I'm always expecting company. Just seems strange that
you were chasing a couple of wolves. Have they been bothering your flocks? And where are all these monsters that you're taking care of, coming from?"

At this the men looked more serious, also more nervous.
"Well, strange going on's are happening around here lately. One
of our most respected citizens had a terrible accident occur to her.
There's nothing left of her at all." the man shakes his head. "Terrible,
Terrible." He murmurs.

The other men, look at each other nervously, and start
shifting in their seats. Some glance out the window, and see the sun
going down. They had been there all day. One elbows the leader in the ribs and nods at the window.
When the leader sees this, he jumps up and says "Well, lady, though
the meal was excellent, we really must go now."

The woman smiles up at him, gets up from her chair, and
goes over to the bread. "Well, Here, here" and she wraps up
the bread in brown paper, "Take this with you", she hands
a loaf to each of the men,"and see, there is still a loaf left
over. This way, your wives will not think you have been at the fishing
hole all day" she chortles.

All the men grin back at her, thanking her, they leave
by the kitchen door, heading around the house, to go back the way they
had come.

As the men rounded the corner, one of the wolves comes
over to her and sits down at her feet. Looking at her intently. She
looks thoughtfully at it, and starts talking..."hmmmm, yes. We're
going to have to be very careful here, I can see. I think one of you
should always be with her, after she wakes up. In fact. I think you
both should make sure you're on guard, when she goes to sleep. That
is when they would come after her, if they found out what she is. Now,
I need a little bit more information, before I go rummaging around Auntie's
house."

With that the women got up, picked up all the bowls and
bread platters..."hmmm, she thinks, not much on manners were they"
she glances at the wolves, who were again laying in front of the fire,
grinning at her. "The didn't even pick up their bowls and put them
in the sink." She goes over and puts the dishes in the sink, turns
on the water, when it gets to a certain level, she turns off the water.
The water starts bubbling, and swirling, and gently, small streams of
water start shooting across and down, onto the dishes. The Witch watches
for a second, thinking, ~Thank You Dear Dad.~ Of all the inventions
he had ever made, the cold box was nice, but always having fresh water,
and an automatic sink that washed dishes, was the best invention of
all, even into the future, where sometimes the witch did travel.

"all right" she says briskly, "Lets go
start the fire in the other room, and get out Chaos's Brew. We're going
to be plenty busy tonight, I think."

As Chaos and Witchy sit in front of the fire, an hour
later, each drinking they're own drinks. Chaos her brew, that Witchy
had made for her, and Witchy a super large Chocolate Mocha Latte, with
whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Witchy tells Chaos about the
men, how nervous they seemed to be, jumping at shadows, and saying they were killing werewolves, and vampires. "And not only that Chaos, but all day today, I seem to be hearing a "sucking" sound" Chaos gives the witch a funny look, "No really Chaos, you know me, I wouldn't make something like this up, and that's the only way I know how to describe it. Just on the outside of hearing. Like someone sucking through a straw."

"Chaos, I know you're used to going and doing what
ever you want, but please, do me a favor this time, can we keep it
kind of low key?" says the witch.

"Low Key?" says Chaos, with a slightly offensive
tone in her voice. "*I* Always keep it Low Keyed Witch" she
says in a huff."

"Oh Chaos, Please! You know what I meant!" says
the witch, slightly taken aback by the tone of voice.

All of a sudden, Chaos grins at her, than laughs, saying,
"OK OK, I won't go walking through town, looking for someone to
bite, in fact I won't go walking through town, with the wolves, at all,
OK?"

Grinning back at the vampire, Witchy says in a relieved
voice, "Oh Chaos! Well, I have to admit, I've asked the wolves to stay
with you pretty much constantly, especially when day breaks. If the
local farmers are so nervous, and I can't get a bit of sense from this
rabbit I found hanging around outside. He seems all a twitter, can barely
get out that it's his first time outside in the world. Keeps saying
something about, he has to stand watch. He can't leave. I gave him some
lettuce leaves, and a bit of spinach leaf that I had," and here
the witch really grins, "He seemed very grateful, but than it was
worse trying to understand him, when all he could think of was how yummy
everything tasted. So I gave up," Witchy is really grinning now,
"You know how impatient I get, and hearing him going on and on,
about how sweet the lettuce is, and how cool, and fresh, and etc etc"
the witch laughs out loud, "just made be throw my hands up, and
leave him be. He's probably still out there, munching away."

As
Witchy sat in front of the fire that evening, drinking a cup of cocoa,
her eyes getting heavy, and her head nodding. Feeling happy, and mellow,
knowing that soon, she was going to see an old friend, and probably
even have a great adventure. She was confident that she had enough
chocolate for any trip, her pockets were full of all the necessities
of life, in case they got stranded any where, and the house was stocked.
Yes, she thought drowsily, I think I'm ready, and soon I will see
my dear friend Chaos. Before her thoughts could go much further, she
realized that she was hearing a small tapping at her door. In fact,
she had been hearing it for awhile now. Again the witch mumbled ~nevermore~.
And again, she didn't seem to even realize it, for her head lifted,
and she turned toward the door.

"Hello?
Hello? Is any one there?" the witch speaks up "HELLO?"
again, she heard a tapping, but this time, she realized that it wasn't
coming from what she always considered the "Front Door",
but from the side door, next to the fireplace. She gets up, and goes
to the door. "Hello?" she says, as she opens it.

A
figure stands there, shrouded in a large dark cape, Witchy can see
that the lining of the cape is a blood red, but that's all she can
see.

"Hello?"
she says again, not quite understanding. Expecting Chaos, she wasn't
sure who this was turning up at her door step. Than she saw them.
Two extremely large gray wolves. Witchy steps back to let them enter,
gesturing with her hand, to come in. "Chaos?" she says,
with puzzlement in her voice. "Come in..."

The
shrouded figure follows the wolves in, who were being greeted by a menagerie
of Witchys "friends". One of Witchy's spirit sisters, kept
taking in stray and hurt animals. On taking a vacation, she had left
the animals for Witchy to take care of. The problem was, that the Lady
Donna, had disappeared. But this was before the disappearance of some
of the realms, so Witchy was sure it had nothing to do with them...

Or
did it?

As
the wolves were being greeted by the Imp and others, that were making
there home with the witch, Witchy turns back to the shrouded figure.
"Chaos?" she says again.

Chaos lifts her
arms, and pulls the hood back away from her face. By the Stars, thinks
Witchy. Now I know exactly what they mean, when I read ~white as a sheet~.
For Chaos was white. Not ~Pale~, not ~Chalk White~, but a white like a
brand new cotton sheet. That almost has a bluish tinge to it. Except for her lips, they were a rich red in color, moist, like she
had just drank a large glass of tea, (now why did I think that, the thought
flutters through the witches mind), and her eyes. Lord, her eyes. They
burned. Looking into them, Witchy thought she was going to drown. Witchy
blinks. (Some times, it's good to be such a scattered brain space cadet,
thinks the witch) She looks back at Chaos. Her chin tilted up, a defiant
look on her face.
"Dragonstar
told me Chaos" says the witch, "You were bit by a vampire".
All
of a sudden, Chaos's face breaks into a grin. All of the tension in
the air seemed to melt away. "What Witchy? I have to get right
to the story? What happen to your manners? No invite to sit down? No
offer of a drink?"

Witchy
could see Chaos's fangs just slightly, as she grinned at her. Witchy
grins back. "Well, Chaos, you know you're welcome to sit down,
but drink? Well, all I have at the moment is this "garlic puree'",
Witchy could hardly hold back a giggle.

Chaos grins more widely, and says "Lights Witchy, I sure have
missed you".

With that both friends burst into laughter. Witchy reaches out and
hugs Chaos, than pulls her towards one of the over stuffed chairs, pushing
her into it.

The wolves already lying in front of the fire. The other animals
having gone back to their regular spots. Imp draped on the back of the
chair Witchy usually sat in.

"All right now, tell me *Everything*" says the witch,
"and surprise!" Witchy jumps back up, and goes over to the
side board, where there are two crystal decanters and two glasses. She
pours from one decanter, a rich red liquid. Than she pours from the
other, into the other glass. Again, a rich red liquid. As she picks
them up, she grins at Chaos, and says "Here you are my dear, something
for your heart, and a little for your soul". She hands the glass
to Chaos.

Chaos frowns slightly, and looks at the witch. A shadow in her eyes.
"But really Witchy, you know I can't".

A huge grin is now spread over the witches face. "THIS you
can" says the witch. "It's a Very Special Brew, that I've
just spent all day on, Just For You. The least you can do, is give it
a taste." And with that, the witch turned and sat back down in
her chair. Taking a sip from her own glass.

Chaos, looking at the witch suspiciously, takes a small sip. All
of a sudden, her face breaks out into a huge smile. "What Have
You Done Witch?!" says a very surprised Chaos, taking not just
a sip, but a large gulp of the drink.

Witchy laughs, that joyous loud laugh she does, when she's really
enjoying herself. "Now Now my dear Chaos, you know the witch won't
give her secrets away, but I have yet, another surprise for you."
And with that the witch reaches down, and pulls out a heavy black wood
box from under her chair. It is carved all over, and seems to weigh
quite a lot as Witchy picks it up, and carries it over to chaos. "A
present, just for you, my dear wonderful sister of the soul. I found
it in one of the rooms of the tavern. It was sitting on a table, in
an other wise empty room. I have no idea why I took it, and I've never
seen that room again. Trust me, the way the walls were carved, matching
the carving on the box in fact, I would remember if I ever came across
that room again. And I actually looked for it, too." The witch
grins, for she knows that Chaos understands what she means. Chaos has
had experienced with the tavern, and she grins back at Witchy.

Chaos moves her bells, that are around her waist, and hanging almost
to her knees, off of her lap. The wolves are watching her intently.
Even Imp, has sat up on the back of witchys chair. Staring at the box.

Looking up at Witchy again, with a strange little smile, and back
down at the box, she says, "This is the first present I have received,
since "It" happen.

Witchy knew what she meant by "It". "Yes? Well, how
sad" says the witch, almost flippantly. She knew that Chaos would
understand. She wasn't being flippant, or shrugging it off light heartily,
there was to much emotion, and the witch was trying not to cry by putting
a light hearted tone to her voice. "Well, you should have come
to see me sooner, dear soul. Now quick! Open the box! I want you to
see this really Cool present!" and Witchy laughs.

Looking at her, Chaos grins again. For the first time in many a
long year, she actually felt relaxed. Like she had feasted for hours,
and was in a safe place. Still grinning, Chaos opens the box. Seeing
what was inside, her mouth falls open. Lifting out of it's red velvet
lined boxed, a silver chased drinking horn, Chaos just stares at it.
Carved like the outside black wood of the box, with a thick supple leather
strap, so that she could wear it over her shoulder, the silver shining
with light, as if freshly polished, The Silver Drinking Horn, seemed
almost alive with an inner fire.

"Where ever did you get this, Witchy?" chaos says, in
almost a whisper. "It's one of the most beautiful things, that
I think I've ever seen".

The witch was practically bouncing in her seat, peels of laughter
coming forth. "You like it! You Like It! I just Knew you would! As soon as I made up your brew, I started thinking. ~Chaos is going
to need something to carry this brew in, something that she will never
need to refill, something that will never leave her!~ I walked into
my pantry, and there it was. I swear I had left it on a top shelf, where
you would need a stool to get to it. But there it was. Sitting right
there on the shelf in front of my nose. I knew than, what it was, and
that it was for you."

Chaos finally takes her gaze away from the silver horn, "But
Witchy, I don't understand. No" and at this she grins at the witch,
"I understand your giving me a present. From what you're saying,
I'll never lose the drinking horn, and I'll be able to put the drink
that you've made me, into it. What I'm asking why about, is "WHY?!"
What's with the brew? It does taste wonderful. Not quite like blood.
Not quite like wine. But something," and chaos gets a faraway look
in her eyes."Something" she repeats herself. The wolves, that
had been lying by the fire, get up and sniff at the bottle, the drinking
horn, Chaos's lips. They both look at the Imp, seemed to nod their heads,
and went back to lie down in front of the fire again. Only this time,
they put there heads down, and went to sleep.

Chaos laughs, "Well, obviously the wolves think everything
is all right" and again grins at the witch.

Witchy laughs and grins back. "It's really quite simple Chaos.
By the way, how are you feeling?" she looks at Chaos intently.

Giving a small smile, she says "Well, truthfully, I don't remember
ever feeling this good. Diffidently not in the last few decades. Do
I want to know what you put into this brew of yours, witch?"

Again laughing out loud, Witchy says, "Well I told you, I'm
not going to give any of my secret's away. But I Will tell you, my dear
soul sister Chaos," and witchy's grin is just about splitting her
face. Chaos feels a qualm run through her, sometimes, it's better NOT
to know, how the witch does things. "With a little of this, and
a little of that, and LOTS of Chocolate, I added a few drops of my own blood to the brew. Just
three drops mine you, but with that and everything else I put in it,
well, as long as you drink it at least once a day, you will never have
to drink the blood of another creature, ever again." Now Witchy
is bouncing in her seat again. "AND!" she almost shouts, she's
so excited, "After a few days of drinking this brew, you may even
be able to start enjoying *real* food again!"

Chaos stares at the Witch...."Chocolate?" chaos almost
whispers the word reverently. "Oh, Witchy. If I could just taste
Chocolate again, it would be so wonderful! I think out of everything,
pizza, donuts" she pauses and grins at Witchy, "spaghetti
and garlic bread", here Witchy again laughs out loud, "I really
miss Chocolate the most. Chocolate covered cherries, Chocolate chip
cookies, Chocolate cake, Chocolate Pie, Chocolate Covered Almonds...
" here she is grinning broadly at Witchy. For all of the talk about
Chocolate, has made the witch jump up from her chair, practically knocking
the imp off the back of it, to rush over to the side board, but this
time, instead of filling her glass with her drink, she opens up a drawer,
and starts pulling out bars of Hershey's Chocolate Covered Almonds.
Ripping the cover off, she breaks off a piece and takes a bite out of
it. Turning and grinning back at Chaos, she hands hers the rest of the
bar.
"Want to try now?" she says. Chaos grins and shakes her
head no, even though she seems to be eyeing the candy bar thoughtfully.
"No, says Chaos, "Not yet."

Laughing, Chaos puts the strap of the silver drinking horn around
her, and pushes the horn itself, towards her back, so that you don't
really see it. The light of the horn, seems to have dimmed some. "Witchy!
All this, has almost made me forget!" says chaos with an exasperated
tone to her voice. Sometimes, being with the witch, was a very confusing
experience.
Witchy looks at her, "Forget what?", the witch was sure
they weren't forgetting anything, because they had not started doing
anything yet. (Sometimes the witch didn't think like others, either)

Chaos laughs, "My but I have missed you, my heart sister! It's
to bad we weren't able to get hold of Lady Donna, we'd be able to combat
this void easily enough with the three of us together again."

"Oh? Have you heard from her?" asks the witch.

"Stop!" says the vampire, exasperation in her voice as
she laughs.

"What? What? I'm not doing anything!" says the witch,
quite innocently, and honestly confused.

Laughing out loud at this, chaos says "Oh Witch! The Mission!
Sarina told me, right as I was leaving, to start immediately for your
Aunts. There seems to be something strange going on in that direction
of the universe."

"OH! The Mission" and Witchy grins at Chaos. "That!".

All of a sudden, both of the wolves stand up and look at Chaos,
than at the witch, walking to the door, to be let out.

"They're going to go and make sure that there is no one around
the tavern. They'll meet me at your Aunts." explains Chaos.

Witchy looks at her with an affronted expression on her face. "Excuse
me" she says with a huff, than grins at Chaos "your friends
spoke very clearly, Thank You, you don't have to translate Them to Me".

Chaos and Witchy look at each other and laugh. Remembering all the
times that Chaos or Lady Donna would have to translate to someone, what Witchy was
trying to say.

Witchy opens the door, and lets the wolves out, Imp gives a small
'eeowww' to them as they leave.

"Well dear one" says the witch "I'm ready to go,
and better yet, the house is ready to go also, shall we?"

and with that, the house was gone.

As a lone crow flew overhead, hoping to soon land in a safe haven, a haven that he had heard about, a place that he had to get to, to deliver his message, knowing that there would be warmth and food. But there was nothing. Nothing but the wind blowing between the trees, and an empty cross roads.