Post by JRooster76 on Aug 13, 2013 21:45:58 GMT -5
So this is what I was up to during my vacation. It's not fully completed yet, though. I still need to come with names for characters and locations (suggestions, please), so if you see a blank line, fill it in with whatever you like. Without further ado, the tale of the wizard and the witch (part 1):
Long ago in the land of ____, 2 kingdoms went to war because… well nobody really knows why. See, the 2 kingdoms been fighting for so long that no one could remember how the war started in the first place. Some say that it was over land, others say it was over love. But whatever the original reason, these 2 fiefdoms fought fiercely for generations.
Years of continuous war had ravaged the land as the armies would salt the earth to prevent crops from growing. Good soil became a prized commodity and their location kept secret. One such place was tucked away in a remote area where people with good sense knew better than to visit. There was a rumor that monsters roamed these lands.
The armies must not have heard of these rumors or perhaps they did not care. They had their orders and their vendettas. Both sides had lost loved ones to the war and wanted revenge. So they marched on to battle once more only this time the battlefield was located on a pumpkin patch.
This, however, was no ordinary pumpkin patch. It happened to belong to a witch. Witches, as you all know, love all things pumpkins. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cider, pumpkin bread, pickled pumpkins, pumpkin seeds, you name it, they love it. Thus, witches take great care of their pumpkin patch and are fiercely protective of them. This was even truer during this time since fertile land was hard to find.
On a chilly autumn morning, the 2 armies met on the pumpkin patch. With both sides proudly waving their banners and blowing their horns, they formed their lines and charged at each other, trampling over the pumpkins the witch had so tenderly cared for.
All the ruckus from the battle woke the witch up from her sleep (witches are nocturnal). She went to her window to see what was causing all the noise and was absolutely shocked at what she saw! Her beloved pumpkins smashed to pieces. Her already blood shot eyes found a way to become even redder with rage.
She stormed out to the battlefield (in her pajamas) and let out a blood curdling scream. The sound of it was so terrifying that the fighting ceased altogether at once. “YOU IDIOTS!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ?!?!” screeched the witch. “You humans… all you do is fight fight fight fight. Yet you call us monsters. I’m not a monster. YOU’RE the monsters! You like fighting so much? FINE! You can fight till the end of time!”
The witch began chanting in a strange language. A fog rose from out of nowhere and enveloped the entire field. The mist was so thick you couldn’t see past your nose. As fast as the fog had appeared, it disappeared just as quickly along with the witch. The armies stood there staring each other a bit dumbstruck by what just had happened. Eventually one of the commanders got his wits about him and ordered his troops to attack.
The battle was long and gruesome. The blood soaked earth was littered with limbs and broken pumpkins. One army stood victorious but their victory was to be short lived. The witch reappeared with a spine tingling cackle. “Hahahaha! Well done, my pretties. But the fight ain’t over yet! Look.” she pointed across the field. By some deviltry, the fallen soldiers had risen once again. Chunks of their flesh were missing but they did not seem to mind.
Panic struck the surviving soldiers at first. However, the fear was soon replaced with determination. It was is as if they had to kill their enemies. The soldiers steeled their minds and went into attack formation. “Attack!” ordered the commander and once again the armies plunged into battle.
And so this went on day after day, week after week, until there was nothing left of the soldiers’ bodies but bones and armor. And still they fought to the amusement of the witch. Eventually the witch felt that the fighting was getting a bit stale, so she conjured up magical costumes fashioned after the better known monsters of land (some of which she’s very good friends with). Each costume would grant its user special abilities that mimicked the original monster. For example, wearing a ghost costume would grant its user the same ability as a ghost. They’d be able to become invisible or walk through walls. Twelve different costumes were made, each with a unique ability.
She instructed the undead soldiers about the costumes and how to use them. “You can wear any costume you want and you can change at any time.” To make sure that every soldier would get their own costume, the witch created several magical wardrobes that were capable of making an infinite number of costumes. There was one wardrobe per costume so that the soldiers could quickly switch between each one. “Who’s the monster now? Hehehehe!” said the witch.
The fighting continued only more viciously than before, for now the skeleton armies could destroy one another in unimaginable ways. Vampires fighting werewolves. Witches fighting gorgons. Ghosts fighting imps. Each costume capable of dealing a deadly attack in their own unique way. The battles became quite interesting to watch as the soldiers became accustomed to the abilities of the costumes and learned to develop strategies around it.
One cold winter night, the witch was reading her favorite newspaper The Wiccan Times while sipping a hot cup of pumpkin cider when she came across an article regarding how the number of witch trials had tripled in recent years. Now, most of the time people would accuse an innocent woman of being a witch and she would be burned alive and that really didn’t bother the witch. However, now and then a real witch was apprehended and burned. This news did not sit well with the witch. She decided it was past due that the humans should pay for their crimes. “Hear me, my pretties!” she told the skeleton armies. “We have a new battlefield to play on”.
The witch unleashed her army upon a quiet nearby village in the middle of the night. Her army killed all but a handful of residents. She purposely let them live so that they could pass on her message. “Remember this night, my pretties” she told the survivors. “Remember everything you saw and spread the word. Tell your people to stop the senseless persecution of my kin or face the consequences!”
The word spread quickly throughout the land of an undead army led by a witch, bent on extracting revenge against humans. The 2 warring kingdoms decided to put aside their strife and join forces. The lords of the land gathered together and decided to mount an offensive. They put together the largest army in history, whose sole purpose was to defeat the witch. They set off with haste to where she had last been spotted.
On a cool spring night, the witch sat quietly in the middle of a field. Her hands moved about quickly. She had a basket full of pumpkin colored yarn and was busy knitting a blanket. She paid no mind to the fact that an entire army had her completely surrounded. “This is the end, witch!” proclaimed one of the lords.
“Bahahaha! You ignorant toad. We’ll see about that” replied the witch. She put down her knitting needles and began chanting in a strange tongue. A fog suddenly filled the air. Snarls and roars followed by screams and shouts were heard for several minutes. When the fog finally lifted, there was nothing left of the army.
The remaining lords convened once more. This time they decided to fight magic with magic. They had hesitated at using magic at first because humans naturally fear that which they don’t understand. Also, just as not all witches were wicked, not all wizards were kind. However, they knew that the witch and her army could not be stopped through conventional means. They sought out the help of a wizard who was known for helping those in need.
Like witches, wizards tend to keep to themselves. This wizard lived in a lonely tower far to the north. A messenger was dispatched with a letter asking for the wizard’s assistance. The wizard agreed to meet with the lords.
“Thank you for coming, oh great wizard!” welcomed one of the lords. “You’re assistance is of great need. I’m sure you’ve heard of our plight. We need to fight fire with fire. We need an undead army of our own.”
“This I cannot do” said the wizard in flat tone of voice. While wizards are capable of wielding magic the same way witches can, they do not practice the same types of magic. Witches focus their energies on death, astrology, concoctions, the supernatural, and of course, pumpkins. Wizards, on the other hand, focus on life, astronomy, alchemy, physics, and apples.
The wizards tried to assuage the lords. “Though I cannot create an undead army, I may be able to control one.” The wizard then explained how the curse worked. “When a living being is born, the soul is attached to the body. When a person dies, their soul is released. The curse works in 3 parts. First, it permanently binds the soul to the body so that the body can keep moving about. In essence, the soldiers are immortal so long as their souls are bound. However, this does nothing to prevent the bodies from being destroyed. This is the second part of the curse: regeneration. Even if you were to obliterate the monsters from the face of the earth, their bodies would soon reappear. It appears that the witch only bothered to regenerate the skeletons of the soldiers. The last part of the curse is mind control, or better said, soul control. The armies do the witch’s bidding because she is able to manipulate their souls. Typically, this type of curse is reserved as a last resort maneuver as it usually kills the conjurer because of the immense power it takes to cast. It is an impressive curse indeed, and this is no ordinary witch.” praised the wizard.
“Then how to you plan to defeat the witch?” asked a lord.
“Ah, yes! I believe that I may be able to overpower the witch’s soul controlling technique, but I will require special materials to do so” said the wizard.
“You have all of our resources at your disposal. Simply tells us what you need and we shall provide” said a lord.
“I need bales of hay from the fields of ______” replied the wizard.
The lords looked rather puzzled. “You mean to defeat the witch by using hay?” enquired a lord.
“Not just any hay, my lord. This particular hay has special properties that when combined with another ingredient will amplify my willpower, and in theory take control of the army” said the wizard.
“In theory? You mean you’re not sure this will work?” quipped a lord.
The wizard retorted “Nothing in life or death is predictable, my lord,”
Another lord asked “what is the other ingredient you need?”
“Apples” said the wizard. Half the lords shook their heads and muttered words to one another.
“This is folly” said one of the lords. “You cannot expect us to believe that an army of immortal creatures led by a witch can be stopped by bales of hay and apples!”
“Believe what you like, my lord. That is my proposition. You can take it or leave it” said the wizard with a shrug.
“Give us a moment, great wizard” asked a lord. The wizard took his leave and left the council. Once the doors were closed, the lord continued “let us do what he says.”
“Are you mad? Do you seriously believe that old fool can help us with hay and apples?” said another lord.
The lord replied “what do we have to lose? If he fails then all we’ve lost is a bushel of apples and a bale of hay.”
The lords thought about it for a moment and nodded their heads. “Very well, then. Send him back in.” ordered the lord.
And so the wizard set up shop within the castle walls. The special hay was fetched and bushels of apples brought to the wizard’s workshop. Day and night he toiled for an entire week until he was satisfied with the results. “It is done” he told the lords. And none too soon, for the witch’s army was advancing towards the lords’ castle. The council convened for the unveiling of the wizard’s creation. The wizard stepped forth carrying what appeared to be a scarecrow under each arm.
“I present to you our salvations, my lords” said the wizard with a bow.
“This… this is it?” said a lord with an incredulous look.
“Yes. These fine gentlemen will save your kingdoms. It’s my honor to introduce to you _____ and _____” said the wizard with a most sincere tone. The scarecrows’ button eyes stared blankly at the council. They bore a toothless grin across their face.
“Is this a joke?!? Does our desperation amuse you? I knew we should never have trusted in magic!” said a lord.
“Do you take us for fools?” said another lord.
“Is that a rhetorical question, my lord?” replied the wizard.
“Why you--“ started the lord.
The wizard put up a hand and said “Please, my lords, give me a chance to explain and you shall see that my work was not done in vain.”
The wizard went on instructing the lords of what exactly the scarecrow twins were and how they would stop the undead army. “The scarecrows will be kept inside the castle and act as soul amplifiers. As the army draws near, I will force my willpower upon the soldiers. I will order them to stand down and all shall be well. Of course, it all depends if we have enough apples to go around.”
“Here we go again with the bloody apples. And what, pray tell, do apples have to do with the fate of humanity?” asked the lord.
“Apples are the scarecrows’ energy source” said the wizard. They’re quite fond of them. Then again who wouldn’t be? Apples are delicious and nutritious, not to mention versatile—“
“Enough, enough!” said the lord with a dismissive wave. “Just how many apples do the scarecrows need?”
“They can go through a bushel of apples in about a minute” replied the wizard.
The lord did a quick calculation in his head “A bushel a minute… they can eat through a years worth’s of apples in less than an hour! What happens if we run out?”
“Then the amplification spell wont be as effective” said the wizard. “But fear not, my lords. There will be plenty of apples to go around.”
“How can you be so sure? The witch looks like she’s preparing to lay siege to the castle. We could be stuck behind our walls for weeks” said the lord.
“First, the witch has no intention of dragging out the fight for weeks. When the time comes, her army will storm the castle doors, scale the walls, even crawl through gutters in order to make it inside. Second, it does not matter how long we remain here because I have finally finished my masterpiece!” said the wizard with pride.
The wizard brought forth a tree sapling. “Feast your eyes upon my greatest creation, my lords: the everlasting apple tree. When fully grown, this tree will bear fruit all year round. Not only that, but when an apple falls or is picked, another fruit shall replace it within seconds! I have several fully grown trees in my workshop. By your leave I’d like to begin planting them as soon as possible”
With the lords’ permission, the wizard planted several everlasting trees just outside the castle walls. And just like he said, the trees bore fruit as soon as they were picked. The people stockpiled apples everywhere they could in preparation of the battle against the witch.
The next night, the witch arrived with her with her army. “Hahahaha! Are you ready to die tonight, my pretties?” mocked the witch.
“No one will be dying tonight” replied the wizard.
The witch’s eyes widened as she pointed to the wizard. “YOU!” she said. “Bahaha! You think you can stop me? Ha!”
As confident as her words sounded, the witch knew better that to underestimate the wizard. She ordered only half of her army to march forward to see what the wizard had up his sleeve.
“Here they come! Archers at the ready! Prepare the catapults!” Orders flew about as soldiers ran to their positions. The wizard stood like a statue on the castle walls.
“Archers! Fire!” A stream of arrows filled the sky. They fell upon the monsters like a monsoon rain. The arrows stuck the monsters from head to toe like pin cushions. The monsters fell to the ground, and for a moment it seemed like they were defeated. One by one, the monsters rose up and continued their march.
The lords stood next to the wizard upon the wall. “Our fate is in your hands” said a lord to the wizard.
“Bring the apples” ordered the wizard. Immediately, a soldier brought a bushel of apples. “Go on. Feed them” the wizard told the soldier. The soldier gave the wizard a quizzical look. He hesitated for moment then placed an apple into the grinning scarecrow’s mouth. The scarecrow sprung to life like a jack in a box. The soldier went stumbling back in fear.
“Mmmmm. More please!” asked the scarecrow.
“It’s alright, son. Give them all the apples they want. And quickly, please!” said the wizard.
The soldier picked up the bucket and slowly approached the scarecrows.
“Come now. We haven’t much time” reiterated the wizard. The soldier reached down for an apple and placed near the scarecrow’s mouth. The scarecrow snatched it out of his hand like a starving dog. The soldier checked to make sure that he still had all his fingers. He then decided it would be safer if he simply lifted the bucket and tipped the apples into the scarecrow’s mouth. The scarecrow tilted its head and opened its mouth wide. The apples rolled out of the bucket and straight into its mouth. One after the other, the apples disappeared into the scarecrow, like stones flung into an abyss. When all the apples were gone, the scarecrow gave a hearty belch. “Oh, excuse me. May I have some more?” asked the scarecrow.
The soldier stood there slack-jawed. “Well, what are you waiting for? Give him some more. And don’t neglect his brother!” said the wizard. And so the soldier brought bushel after bushel, and poured them down the scarecrows’ throats.
Meanwhile, monsters had approached the castle doors. The wizard took his staff and planted it in front him. He then closed eyes and tried to clear his mind. He raised his hands and spoke into his staff like a microphone “Halt!”
Nothing happened. The monsters continued their attack. The castles doors began to splinter. Monsters were scaling the walls and nearing the top. Panic began to set into the lords. One of them placed a palm on his face “We’re doomed.”
The wizard cleared his throat. He closed his eyes once more and took a deep breath. “HALT!” His voice bellowed like a church organ. The echo reverberated across the field below. The monsters stopped in their tracks.
On the other side of the field, the witch fumed with rage. “He thinks he can take my pretties away. Heh! I’ll show him!”
The witch ordered the catapults to be set. The monsters then loaded them with pumpkins, and the witch gave the command “FIRE!”
Three large pumpkins flew across the sky and struck the castle wall a few yards to the right of the wizard. The impact caused a huge explosion. Stone and mortar went flying everywhere. Several screams were heard. Apples lay strewn all around. The lords were on their backs, while the wizard still stood upright.
The witch fired another volley. This time the pumpkins were headed straight to the wizard. He followed them with his eyes yet he did not budge. The lords ran for cover. Another huge explosion rocked the castle sending debris below and crushing several monsters. When the smoke cleared, the wizard stood exactly in the same spot near the scarecrows without even a scratch. There was a sphere made of light surrounding his position.
This only infuriated the witch even more. “Sometimes a witch gotta do what a witch gotta do” she said. She mounted the catapult herself and told one of the soldiers to release the latch. The witch flew across the night sky like a raven. She landed on the wall and made a bee line towards the wizard. The lords formed a wall with their shields “Protect the wizard!” one of them said.
“Outta my way, toads!” The witch reached down into a pouch and pulled out a bottle filled with a sickly green fluid. She tossed the bottle at the lords. The bottle shattered in front of them and a swampy green cloud of smoke engulfed the lords. When the smoke had cleared, only toads could be seen where the lords had stood. The witch continued on towards the wizard.
The witch and the wizard stood a few feet apart. “Stop this madness!” pleaded the wizard. “Haven’t you caused these poor souls enough pain?”
“Hahaha! These ‘poor souls’ have just begun to feel my wrath. They have much yet to suffer” said the witch.
“Why? What could they have possibly done to deserve this fate? I understand that they destroyed your precious pumpkins, but pumpkins can be replaced. They can be regrown” said the wizard.
“Those were no ordinary pumpkins. Those were my CHILDREN!” said the witch.
“You’re delusional” said the wizard.
“No, you’re the delusional one if you think you can stop me. I gotta admit. That was a clever trick you pulled with the scarecrows. I think I’ll be taking them now” said the witch.
“Over my dead body” replied the wizard.
“Indeed.” The witch pulled out a wand and aimed at the wizard’s head. A fireball shot out of the wand’s tip. The wizard dodged the attack by a fraction of a second. The fireball struck the soldier in charge of feeding the scarecrows. His body ignited like grease fire. He let out a gut curdling scream before crumpling over onto his face.
The witch slashed at the wizard with her wand. Each motion sent sparks flying towards the wizard. With his staff, the wizard deflected each attack. He then raised his staff with his left hand toward the sky. Lighting struck the top of his staff and traveled down its shaft. The wizard channeled the electricity down his left arm and across to his right arm, which he had stretched out in front of him. The bolt left the tips of this right hand and struck the witch squarely in the chest. The impact sent her flying back several feet and singed some of her hair.
Dazed, the witch stumbled to her feet. “You’ll pay for that!”
The witch began chanting and from her body, a colony of bats flew out towards the wizard. The bats swirled around the wizard as he covered his head. While the wizard was distracted, the witch took the opportunity to steal one of the scarecrows. She grab the closest one and tried to lift it off the ground but to no avail. She took a wide stance, grabbed the scarecrow around its waist and pulled as hard as she could. There was a small popping sound and the witch stopped immediately “Ack! My back!”
All the apples they had eaten had made the scarecrows incredibly dense. Each scarecrow weighed nearly a ton. The wizards planted his staff on ground. The staff then began emitting a high frequency pitch which caused the bats to become disoriented. The bats flew away from the wizard as quickly as possible.
Just then another group of monsters landed on the wall. “Get that scarecrow!” ordered the witch, and the monsters obeyed. The wizard stood in the monsters way. The first monster to approach the wizard was a gray haired werewolf. The wolf bared its teeth and lunged at the wizard with break neck speed. The wizard had just enough time to put up his staff and block the wolf's jaw from clamping down on his face.
The other monsters grabbed the scarecrow and carried it all together. It took a team effort to move the scarecrow and even then it was at a slow pace. The witch looked around and spotted a catapult that belong to the lords. She ordered her team to follow her.
The werewolf swiped at the wizard with its razor sharp claws. The wizard stepped back and dodged each attack. He raised his staff with both hands. Ice cold winds began to gather near the wizard. The wolf lunged at the wizard once more, aiming for his throat. The wizard struck his staff against the ground and there was a blinding light. Everything around the wizard was frozen solid, including the wolf.
But it was too late. The witch and her minions had loaded themselves and the scarecrow onto the catapult. There was nothing he could do but watch them sail away back across the sky. The witch ordered her remaining troops to retreat.
The wizard walked over to where the lords had stood. The effects of the potion had worn off. The lords laid on the ground naked and confused. “What happened? And why is my mouth filled with flies?”
“Come, my lords. We have much to discuss” said the wizard.
The wizard gave a full account of the night’s events. “Let her crawl back under the rock from which she came. I doubt she’ll return now that we have defeated her. And if she does, we’ll defeat her again!” said one of the lords. Shouts of approval filled the room.
“She will return” said the wizard. “Only the next time, she’ll be prepared.”
“Besides, she has one of the scarecrows now” said another lord. “Can you make another one, wise one?”
“I fear that there’s not enough time. She will strike again and soon. She is determined to rid us all. The only option is to bring the fight to her, and quickly” said the wizard.
“But what about the scarecrow? How are we supposed to defeat her now?” asked a lord.
“I may have a solution. In her haste, the witch left behind her wardrobes. I may be able to modify them so that the costumes they create become more powerful” said the wizard.
“And do you think that will be enough to stop her?” asked the lord.
“Like I’ve said before, nothing in life or death is certain” replied the wizard. “What I do know is this. She is mad and bent on revenge. She will stop at nothing until you and your loved ones are dead. Even then, she’ll find a way to torment your souls.”
The lords looked at one another in mutual consent. “When do we leave?”
“At first light” said the wizard.
***
Long ago in the land of ____, 2 kingdoms went to war because… well nobody really knows why. See, the 2 kingdoms been fighting for so long that no one could remember how the war started in the first place. Some say that it was over land, others say it was over love. But whatever the original reason, these 2 fiefdoms fought fiercely for generations.
Years of continuous war had ravaged the land as the armies would salt the earth to prevent crops from growing. Good soil became a prized commodity and their location kept secret. One such place was tucked away in a remote area where people with good sense knew better than to visit. There was a rumor that monsters roamed these lands.
The armies must not have heard of these rumors or perhaps they did not care. They had their orders and their vendettas. Both sides had lost loved ones to the war and wanted revenge. So they marched on to battle once more only this time the battlefield was located on a pumpkin patch.
This, however, was no ordinary pumpkin patch. It happened to belong to a witch. Witches, as you all know, love all things pumpkins. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cider, pumpkin bread, pickled pumpkins, pumpkin seeds, you name it, they love it. Thus, witches take great care of their pumpkin patch and are fiercely protective of them. This was even truer during this time since fertile land was hard to find.
On a chilly autumn morning, the 2 armies met on the pumpkin patch. With both sides proudly waving their banners and blowing their horns, they formed their lines and charged at each other, trampling over the pumpkins the witch had so tenderly cared for.
All the ruckus from the battle woke the witch up from her sleep (witches are nocturnal). She went to her window to see what was causing all the noise and was absolutely shocked at what she saw! Her beloved pumpkins smashed to pieces. Her already blood shot eyes found a way to become even redder with rage.
She stormed out to the battlefield (in her pajamas) and let out a blood curdling scream. The sound of it was so terrifying that the fighting ceased altogether at once. “YOU IDIOTS!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ?!?!” screeched the witch. “You humans… all you do is fight fight fight fight. Yet you call us monsters. I’m not a monster. YOU’RE the monsters! You like fighting so much? FINE! You can fight till the end of time!”
The witch began chanting in a strange language. A fog rose from out of nowhere and enveloped the entire field. The mist was so thick you couldn’t see past your nose. As fast as the fog had appeared, it disappeared just as quickly along with the witch. The armies stood there staring each other a bit dumbstruck by what just had happened. Eventually one of the commanders got his wits about him and ordered his troops to attack.
The battle was long and gruesome. The blood soaked earth was littered with limbs and broken pumpkins. One army stood victorious but their victory was to be short lived. The witch reappeared with a spine tingling cackle. “Hahahaha! Well done, my pretties. But the fight ain’t over yet! Look.” she pointed across the field. By some deviltry, the fallen soldiers had risen once again. Chunks of their flesh were missing but they did not seem to mind.
Panic struck the surviving soldiers at first. However, the fear was soon replaced with determination. It was is as if they had to kill their enemies. The soldiers steeled their minds and went into attack formation. “Attack!” ordered the commander and once again the armies plunged into battle.
And so this went on day after day, week after week, until there was nothing left of the soldiers’ bodies but bones and armor. And still they fought to the amusement of the witch. Eventually the witch felt that the fighting was getting a bit stale, so she conjured up magical costumes fashioned after the better known monsters of land (some of which she’s very good friends with). Each costume would grant its user special abilities that mimicked the original monster. For example, wearing a ghost costume would grant its user the same ability as a ghost. They’d be able to become invisible or walk through walls. Twelve different costumes were made, each with a unique ability.
She instructed the undead soldiers about the costumes and how to use them. “You can wear any costume you want and you can change at any time.” To make sure that every soldier would get their own costume, the witch created several magical wardrobes that were capable of making an infinite number of costumes. There was one wardrobe per costume so that the soldiers could quickly switch between each one. “Who’s the monster now? Hehehehe!” said the witch.
The fighting continued only more viciously than before, for now the skeleton armies could destroy one another in unimaginable ways. Vampires fighting werewolves. Witches fighting gorgons. Ghosts fighting imps. Each costume capable of dealing a deadly attack in their own unique way. The battles became quite interesting to watch as the soldiers became accustomed to the abilities of the costumes and learned to develop strategies around it.
One cold winter night, the witch was reading her favorite newspaper The Wiccan Times while sipping a hot cup of pumpkin cider when she came across an article regarding how the number of witch trials had tripled in recent years. Now, most of the time people would accuse an innocent woman of being a witch and she would be burned alive and that really didn’t bother the witch. However, now and then a real witch was apprehended and burned. This news did not sit well with the witch. She decided it was past due that the humans should pay for their crimes. “Hear me, my pretties!” she told the skeleton armies. “We have a new battlefield to play on”.
The witch unleashed her army upon a quiet nearby village in the middle of the night. Her army killed all but a handful of residents. She purposely let them live so that they could pass on her message. “Remember this night, my pretties” she told the survivors. “Remember everything you saw and spread the word. Tell your people to stop the senseless persecution of my kin or face the consequences!”
The word spread quickly throughout the land of an undead army led by a witch, bent on extracting revenge against humans. The 2 warring kingdoms decided to put aside their strife and join forces. The lords of the land gathered together and decided to mount an offensive. They put together the largest army in history, whose sole purpose was to defeat the witch. They set off with haste to where she had last been spotted.
On a cool spring night, the witch sat quietly in the middle of a field. Her hands moved about quickly. She had a basket full of pumpkin colored yarn and was busy knitting a blanket. She paid no mind to the fact that an entire army had her completely surrounded. “This is the end, witch!” proclaimed one of the lords.
“Bahahaha! You ignorant toad. We’ll see about that” replied the witch. She put down her knitting needles and began chanting in a strange tongue. A fog suddenly filled the air. Snarls and roars followed by screams and shouts were heard for several minutes. When the fog finally lifted, there was nothing left of the army.
The remaining lords convened once more. This time they decided to fight magic with magic. They had hesitated at using magic at first because humans naturally fear that which they don’t understand. Also, just as not all witches were wicked, not all wizards were kind. However, they knew that the witch and her army could not be stopped through conventional means. They sought out the help of a wizard who was known for helping those in need.
Like witches, wizards tend to keep to themselves. This wizard lived in a lonely tower far to the north. A messenger was dispatched with a letter asking for the wizard’s assistance. The wizard agreed to meet with the lords.
“Thank you for coming, oh great wizard!” welcomed one of the lords. “You’re assistance is of great need. I’m sure you’ve heard of our plight. We need to fight fire with fire. We need an undead army of our own.”
“This I cannot do” said the wizard in flat tone of voice. While wizards are capable of wielding magic the same way witches can, they do not practice the same types of magic. Witches focus their energies on death, astrology, concoctions, the supernatural, and of course, pumpkins. Wizards, on the other hand, focus on life, astronomy, alchemy, physics, and apples.
The wizards tried to assuage the lords. “Though I cannot create an undead army, I may be able to control one.” The wizard then explained how the curse worked. “When a living being is born, the soul is attached to the body. When a person dies, their soul is released. The curse works in 3 parts. First, it permanently binds the soul to the body so that the body can keep moving about. In essence, the soldiers are immortal so long as their souls are bound. However, this does nothing to prevent the bodies from being destroyed. This is the second part of the curse: regeneration. Even if you were to obliterate the monsters from the face of the earth, their bodies would soon reappear. It appears that the witch only bothered to regenerate the skeletons of the soldiers. The last part of the curse is mind control, or better said, soul control. The armies do the witch’s bidding because she is able to manipulate their souls. Typically, this type of curse is reserved as a last resort maneuver as it usually kills the conjurer because of the immense power it takes to cast. It is an impressive curse indeed, and this is no ordinary witch.” praised the wizard.
“Then how to you plan to defeat the witch?” asked a lord.
“Ah, yes! I believe that I may be able to overpower the witch’s soul controlling technique, but I will require special materials to do so” said the wizard.
“You have all of our resources at your disposal. Simply tells us what you need and we shall provide” said a lord.
“I need bales of hay from the fields of ______” replied the wizard.
The lords looked rather puzzled. “You mean to defeat the witch by using hay?” enquired a lord.
“Not just any hay, my lord. This particular hay has special properties that when combined with another ingredient will amplify my willpower, and in theory take control of the army” said the wizard.
“In theory? You mean you’re not sure this will work?” quipped a lord.
The wizard retorted “Nothing in life or death is predictable, my lord,”
Another lord asked “what is the other ingredient you need?”
“Apples” said the wizard. Half the lords shook their heads and muttered words to one another.
“This is folly” said one of the lords. “You cannot expect us to believe that an army of immortal creatures led by a witch can be stopped by bales of hay and apples!”
“Believe what you like, my lord. That is my proposition. You can take it or leave it” said the wizard with a shrug.
“Give us a moment, great wizard” asked a lord. The wizard took his leave and left the council. Once the doors were closed, the lord continued “let us do what he says.”
“Are you mad? Do you seriously believe that old fool can help us with hay and apples?” said another lord.
The lord replied “what do we have to lose? If he fails then all we’ve lost is a bushel of apples and a bale of hay.”
The lords thought about it for a moment and nodded their heads. “Very well, then. Send him back in.” ordered the lord.
And so the wizard set up shop within the castle walls. The special hay was fetched and bushels of apples brought to the wizard’s workshop. Day and night he toiled for an entire week until he was satisfied with the results. “It is done” he told the lords. And none too soon, for the witch’s army was advancing towards the lords’ castle. The council convened for the unveiling of the wizard’s creation. The wizard stepped forth carrying what appeared to be a scarecrow under each arm.
“I present to you our salvations, my lords” said the wizard with a bow.
“This… this is it?” said a lord with an incredulous look.
“Yes. These fine gentlemen will save your kingdoms. It’s my honor to introduce to you _____ and _____” said the wizard with a most sincere tone. The scarecrows’ button eyes stared blankly at the council. They bore a toothless grin across their face.
“Is this a joke?!? Does our desperation amuse you? I knew we should never have trusted in magic!” said a lord.
“Do you take us for fools?” said another lord.
“Is that a rhetorical question, my lord?” replied the wizard.
“Why you--“ started the lord.
The wizard put up a hand and said “Please, my lords, give me a chance to explain and you shall see that my work was not done in vain.”
The wizard went on instructing the lords of what exactly the scarecrow twins were and how they would stop the undead army. “The scarecrows will be kept inside the castle and act as soul amplifiers. As the army draws near, I will force my willpower upon the soldiers. I will order them to stand down and all shall be well. Of course, it all depends if we have enough apples to go around.”
“Here we go again with the bloody apples. And what, pray tell, do apples have to do with the fate of humanity?” asked the lord.
“Apples are the scarecrows’ energy source” said the wizard. They’re quite fond of them. Then again who wouldn’t be? Apples are delicious and nutritious, not to mention versatile—“
“Enough, enough!” said the lord with a dismissive wave. “Just how many apples do the scarecrows need?”
“They can go through a bushel of apples in about a minute” replied the wizard.
The lord did a quick calculation in his head “A bushel a minute… they can eat through a years worth’s of apples in less than an hour! What happens if we run out?”
“Then the amplification spell wont be as effective” said the wizard. “But fear not, my lords. There will be plenty of apples to go around.”
“How can you be so sure? The witch looks like she’s preparing to lay siege to the castle. We could be stuck behind our walls for weeks” said the lord.
“First, the witch has no intention of dragging out the fight for weeks. When the time comes, her army will storm the castle doors, scale the walls, even crawl through gutters in order to make it inside. Second, it does not matter how long we remain here because I have finally finished my masterpiece!” said the wizard with pride.
The wizard brought forth a tree sapling. “Feast your eyes upon my greatest creation, my lords: the everlasting apple tree. When fully grown, this tree will bear fruit all year round. Not only that, but when an apple falls or is picked, another fruit shall replace it within seconds! I have several fully grown trees in my workshop. By your leave I’d like to begin planting them as soon as possible”
With the lords’ permission, the wizard planted several everlasting trees just outside the castle walls. And just like he said, the trees bore fruit as soon as they were picked. The people stockpiled apples everywhere they could in preparation of the battle against the witch.
The next night, the witch arrived with her with her army. “Hahahaha! Are you ready to die tonight, my pretties?” mocked the witch.
“No one will be dying tonight” replied the wizard.
The witch’s eyes widened as she pointed to the wizard. “YOU!” she said. “Bahaha! You think you can stop me? Ha!”
As confident as her words sounded, the witch knew better that to underestimate the wizard. She ordered only half of her army to march forward to see what the wizard had up his sleeve.
“Here they come! Archers at the ready! Prepare the catapults!” Orders flew about as soldiers ran to their positions. The wizard stood like a statue on the castle walls.
“Archers! Fire!” A stream of arrows filled the sky. They fell upon the monsters like a monsoon rain. The arrows stuck the monsters from head to toe like pin cushions. The monsters fell to the ground, and for a moment it seemed like they were defeated. One by one, the monsters rose up and continued their march.
The lords stood next to the wizard upon the wall. “Our fate is in your hands” said a lord to the wizard.
“Bring the apples” ordered the wizard. Immediately, a soldier brought a bushel of apples. “Go on. Feed them” the wizard told the soldier. The soldier gave the wizard a quizzical look. He hesitated for moment then placed an apple into the grinning scarecrow’s mouth. The scarecrow sprung to life like a jack in a box. The soldier went stumbling back in fear.
“Mmmmm. More please!” asked the scarecrow.
“It’s alright, son. Give them all the apples they want. And quickly, please!” said the wizard.
The soldier picked up the bucket and slowly approached the scarecrows.
“Come now. We haven’t much time” reiterated the wizard. The soldier reached down for an apple and placed near the scarecrow’s mouth. The scarecrow snatched it out of his hand like a starving dog. The soldier checked to make sure that he still had all his fingers. He then decided it would be safer if he simply lifted the bucket and tipped the apples into the scarecrow’s mouth. The scarecrow tilted its head and opened its mouth wide. The apples rolled out of the bucket and straight into its mouth. One after the other, the apples disappeared into the scarecrow, like stones flung into an abyss. When all the apples were gone, the scarecrow gave a hearty belch. “Oh, excuse me. May I have some more?” asked the scarecrow.
The soldier stood there slack-jawed. “Well, what are you waiting for? Give him some more. And don’t neglect his brother!” said the wizard. And so the soldier brought bushel after bushel, and poured them down the scarecrows’ throats.
Meanwhile, monsters had approached the castle doors. The wizard took his staff and planted it in front him. He then closed eyes and tried to clear his mind. He raised his hands and spoke into his staff like a microphone “Halt!”
Nothing happened. The monsters continued their attack. The castles doors began to splinter. Monsters were scaling the walls and nearing the top. Panic began to set into the lords. One of them placed a palm on his face “We’re doomed.”
The wizard cleared his throat. He closed his eyes once more and took a deep breath. “HALT!” His voice bellowed like a church organ. The echo reverberated across the field below. The monsters stopped in their tracks.
On the other side of the field, the witch fumed with rage. “He thinks he can take my pretties away. Heh! I’ll show him!”
The witch ordered the catapults to be set. The monsters then loaded them with pumpkins, and the witch gave the command “FIRE!”
Three large pumpkins flew across the sky and struck the castle wall a few yards to the right of the wizard. The impact caused a huge explosion. Stone and mortar went flying everywhere. Several screams were heard. Apples lay strewn all around. The lords were on their backs, while the wizard still stood upright.
The witch fired another volley. This time the pumpkins were headed straight to the wizard. He followed them with his eyes yet he did not budge. The lords ran for cover. Another huge explosion rocked the castle sending debris below and crushing several monsters. When the smoke cleared, the wizard stood exactly in the same spot near the scarecrows without even a scratch. There was a sphere made of light surrounding his position.
This only infuriated the witch even more. “Sometimes a witch gotta do what a witch gotta do” she said. She mounted the catapult herself and told one of the soldiers to release the latch. The witch flew across the night sky like a raven. She landed on the wall and made a bee line towards the wizard. The lords formed a wall with their shields “Protect the wizard!” one of them said.
“Outta my way, toads!” The witch reached down into a pouch and pulled out a bottle filled with a sickly green fluid. She tossed the bottle at the lords. The bottle shattered in front of them and a swampy green cloud of smoke engulfed the lords. When the smoke had cleared, only toads could be seen where the lords had stood. The witch continued on towards the wizard.
The witch and the wizard stood a few feet apart. “Stop this madness!” pleaded the wizard. “Haven’t you caused these poor souls enough pain?”
“Hahaha! These ‘poor souls’ have just begun to feel my wrath. They have much yet to suffer” said the witch.
“Why? What could they have possibly done to deserve this fate? I understand that they destroyed your precious pumpkins, but pumpkins can be replaced. They can be regrown” said the wizard.
“Those were no ordinary pumpkins. Those were my CHILDREN!” said the witch.
“You’re delusional” said the wizard.
“No, you’re the delusional one if you think you can stop me. I gotta admit. That was a clever trick you pulled with the scarecrows. I think I’ll be taking them now” said the witch.
“Over my dead body” replied the wizard.
“Indeed.” The witch pulled out a wand and aimed at the wizard’s head. A fireball shot out of the wand’s tip. The wizard dodged the attack by a fraction of a second. The fireball struck the soldier in charge of feeding the scarecrows. His body ignited like grease fire. He let out a gut curdling scream before crumpling over onto his face.
The witch slashed at the wizard with her wand. Each motion sent sparks flying towards the wizard. With his staff, the wizard deflected each attack. He then raised his staff with his left hand toward the sky. Lighting struck the top of his staff and traveled down its shaft. The wizard channeled the electricity down his left arm and across to his right arm, which he had stretched out in front of him. The bolt left the tips of this right hand and struck the witch squarely in the chest. The impact sent her flying back several feet and singed some of her hair.
Dazed, the witch stumbled to her feet. “You’ll pay for that!”
The witch began chanting and from her body, a colony of bats flew out towards the wizard. The bats swirled around the wizard as he covered his head. While the wizard was distracted, the witch took the opportunity to steal one of the scarecrows. She grab the closest one and tried to lift it off the ground but to no avail. She took a wide stance, grabbed the scarecrow around its waist and pulled as hard as she could. There was a small popping sound and the witch stopped immediately “Ack! My back!”
All the apples they had eaten had made the scarecrows incredibly dense. Each scarecrow weighed nearly a ton. The wizards planted his staff on ground. The staff then began emitting a high frequency pitch which caused the bats to become disoriented. The bats flew away from the wizard as quickly as possible.
Just then another group of monsters landed on the wall. “Get that scarecrow!” ordered the witch, and the monsters obeyed. The wizard stood in the monsters way. The first monster to approach the wizard was a gray haired werewolf. The wolf bared its teeth and lunged at the wizard with break neck speed. The wizard had just enough time to put up his staff and block the wolf's jaw from clamping down on his face.
The other monsters grabbed the scarecrow and carried it all together. It took a team effort to move the scarecrow and even then it was at a slow pace. The witch looked around and spotted a catapult that belong to the lords. She ordered her team to follow her.
The werewolf swiped at the wizard with its razor sharp claws. The wizard stepped back and dodged each attack. He raised his staff with both hands. Ice cold winds began to gather near the wizard. The wolf lunged at the wizard once more, aiming for his throat. The wizard struck his staff against the ground and there was a blinding light. Everything around the wizard was frozen solid, including the wolf.
But it was too late. The witch and her minions had loaded themselves and the scarecrow onto the catapult. There was nothing he could do but watch them sail away back across the sky. The witch ordered her remaining troops to retreat.
The wizard walked over to where the lords had stood. The effects of the potion had worn off. The lords laid on the ground naked and confused. “What happened? And why is my mouth filled with flies?”
“Come, my lords. We have much to discuss” said the wizard.
The wizard gave a full account of the night’s events. “Let her crawl back under the rock from which she came. I doubt she’ll return now that we have defeated her. And if she does, we’ll defeat her again!” said one of the lords. Shouts of approval filled the room.
“She will return” said the wizard. “Only the next time, she’ll be prepared.”
“Besides, she has one of the scarecrows now” said another lord. “Can you make another one, wise one?”
“I fear that there’s not enough time. She will strike again and soon. She is determined to rid us all. The only option is to bring the fight to her, and quickly” said the wizard.
“But what about the scarecrow? How are we supposed to defeat her now?” asked a lord.
“I may have a solution. In her haste, the witch left behind her wardrobes. I may be able to modify them so that the costumes they create become more powerful” said the wizard.
“And do you think that will be enough to stop her?” asked the lord.
“Like I’ve said before, nothing in life or death is certain” replied the wizard. “What I do know is this. She is mad and bent on revenge. She will stop at nothing until you and your loved ones are dead. Even then, she’ll find a way to torment your souls.”
The lords looked at one another in mutual consent. “When do we leave?”
“At first light” said the wizard.
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