The bag of wonders produced a candle.

A lit one.

Morrigan closed their eyes, a memory rising to the surface, unbidden. One from a lifetime ago, of a fellblood who had yet to learn to harden their heart, an unlit candle set on the ground in front of them. Silently waving their hands, scrunching their face up as they poured every ounce of their being into the candle, as if willpower alone would force the wick to light. Straining themselves until the muscles in their cheeks hurt and they sweat, with nothing to show for their efforts. Nothing but a single candle that would forever remain unlit.

Morrigan opened their eyes once more.

That child was dead - those thoughts didn’t matter. Morrigan was far, far stronger than that kid had ever been. Even without the blessing of Ginma’s might, Morrigan had forged their own power, and they would be damned if they ever felt that helpless again.

Their lips split into a wicked grin as the arcuila dove for them - this time, they were ready. They felt no fear. In their mind, they had already won this battle.

Just as it opened its beak to clamp down on the fellblood, it jerked like a puppet whose strings had been yanked in the other direction. Morrigan did not have to guess who the puppetmaster was in this scenario. With its body contorted, held in place for a brief second - Morrigan had an opening. They took a deep breath, drawing all the air they could into their lungs.

And then they blew out the candle, and a massive burst of hellfire burst into the air.^[1]

The arcuila shrieked from the flames that spread across its feathers. But even rain could not douse enchanted fire, and there was nothing left for the beast to do but thrash wildly, lightning striking from the heavens blindly around it as if trying to get rid of some unseen foe.

But it was too late.

Morrigan had already won.

---

1. Flame Breath

   The battle was quick, efficient, and most importantly, informing. People usually hold a beat to fight, a pattern of body movement. Morrigan held a rare one that allowed her to switch around on a few beats. I dragged the bird's beak towards me¹, signalling Nit to wrap this one down like the other one.² I walk forward, whispering to it,³ pulsing my magics once more to intertwine with them.⁴ Allowing me to see the harm that happened while keeping the calm. I nod to Nit, signalling his to start the clearing while I talked some more.

    I turn my head to Morrigan, a headache slightly present. "It seems we make a great team! Amazing job taking it down!" I am keeping my right hand an the bird, but I do lift up my left arm to show my appreciation to not out right killing the beasts. My smile was a bit small, but truly genuine. I glace at the bird once more, locking eyes in a hop to show that I'm not harming it, nor am I about to let it go. The bird, after being with the ones who ride them so often, understood the grand command, and finally calmed on it's own.

---

1.Telekinesis

2.Thorn Whip

3.Necklace of Animal Speech

4.Calm Emotion and Reveal Truth

The battle finished, Morrigan whirled around to face their audience - which, at this point, only consisted of Madam Keyke, Nit, and Concorde - before dipping into a showman’s bow, fire and lightning flashing in tandem behind them. “And… scene!”

Another rousing and entertaining battle from the great wizard!

What was perhaps more surprising, though was the small, real smile that Keyke gave them before holding up her hand. Morrigan didn’t hesitate before smacking their own palm against hers in celebration. “Indeed! It is not often that I have the opportunity to work with a talented telekinetic such as yourself. Your precision is quite refined!” They complimented, lathering on the thick-saccharine sweet compliments while they side-eyed the arcuila that she was still holding onto. But it didn’t look like it was planning on attacking…

She seemed to know what she was doing. Morrigan took a step back, brushing rubble off of their rain-soaked clothes. Honestly… they were a delicate desert flower! They loathed getting into situations like this, where they inevitably got themselves dirty. These clothes didn’t come cheap!

“Well, I suppose I should find where Mariposa and Ceres Celestia wandered off to.” Morrigan nodded briefly at the woman and her apprentice while they dealt with the bird. The apprentices were nowhere to be seen - it looked like Mariposa had managed to find somewhere to hide and hunker down with the poor, unconscious mage while they finished dealing with the birds.

With a sharp whistle, they summoned Bubbles, doing a cartwheel before launching themselves onto the drake’s back with a bout of joyous laughter, setting off through the lightning storm in search of the wayward bard and mage.

They eventually found Mariposa and Ceres on their mount behind a rock cluster, where Mariposa was attempting to wake Ceres. They pulled a potion from their bag with a lavender liquid, motioning for Mariposa to step back. “Here. Allow me to help with that.”^[1]

Not all of their elixirs were snake oil, after all.

Ceres’s eyes fluttered open after Morrigan administered the potion, utterly drained of all her mana, but slowly coming to. “… Master Moonweaver? Did I help?”

Morrigan ruffled her hair. “Oh, you were invaluable, my apprentice. Truly, a mage worthy to study under the great and powerful wizard!”

Her face flushed from the praise, eyes shining with all the light of the stars currently hidden behind the dark stormclouds of the Cradle. “R… Really?”

“Why, of course! You have true potential Ceres Celestia. Under my tutelage, I have no doubt that you will go far.”

“Oh!… Thank you.” She squeaked, hiding her face under her hood.

“Now, what do you say that we return to the others?” Morrigan asked before turning to Mariposa. “I think we’ve stumbled upon something rather interesting in this wasteland. Perhaps some new song material for you - the story of how Morrigan Moonweaver, with the help of Madam Keyke, slayed the vicious arcuilas.” Come to think of it, those beasts seemed particularly aggressive. What could have caused such a thing to happen?

… A question for Keyke, when they made their way back to the lady and her companion. With that in mind, and a new song to look forward to, they grabbed the reins of Sparkle Blossom and made their way back to the site of the battle.

---

1. Potion of Minor Healing

   The Arcuila were both properly calm, breaths even and the eyes piercing for prey and not for any battle. This was their normal default mode, knowing who they could take and who they couldn't. These guys are very good at what they do, it was sad that they were hurting so much to this point, not even able to think of going to the riders for help.

    I was soon able to release my magic, Nit following my lead, and we got to watch the newly cared for birds fly free for the first time in what looked like a while. Nit watched the sky as I, once more, flipped my attention between the sky and the people around us. I could tell there were questions on Morrigan’s face, the inquisitive eyes that looked at me showing the true mind of the other. I skip around till I see my doll, flouting it back of me in a quick fashion, allowing me to focus on the diverging attention activities at an easier rate.

It didn’t take long for Morrigan and their entourage to rejoin madam Keyke and her companion Nit. They’d managed to calm the birds to a more manageable state - Morrigan was surprised to find the beasts were quite docile now. Whatever rage or panic that they had found themselves in had dissipated completely, leaving behind two animals that looked quite friendly, all things considered. After the heat of battle, multiple questions flickered through the charlatan’s mind. What had riled them up in the first place, and what had Madam Keyke done to calm them? She was clearly a masterful mage, but how deep did her mana run?

And could Morrigan use her?

She seemed shrewder than your average half-wit, that much was certain. She’d called them out on their fortune-telling earlier, and clearly possessed powerful telekineses. It was only a matter of Morrigan figuring out how to play the game without tipping her off. Having allies with her abilities… that was a powerful thing indeed.

They glanced back at the arcuila. The one that Morrigan had battled was still slightly singed, but otherwise unharmed, if the lightning crackling across its feathers was any indication. “My, their attitude has certainly taken a turn!” They announced the obvious, the question evident in their words. When they turned back to Madam Keyke, the young woman was skipping around, a doll of sorts floating around her. Rather childish behavior for someone so cunning. It almost reminded them of Fish.

“Whatever you did, it managed to eliminate the creatures as a threat while keeping them safe. Clever thinking. You have my thanks for your quick actions, which protected my apprentice from further harm.”

They held out a hand, inviting Keyke to shake.

   At Morrigan's offer of hand, not to mention the calculative look in their eyes, I smiled and skipped up to shake their hand. During this time, Morrigan is able to see the lack of pupils in my eyes as my focus fluctuates between them, the sky, and the area around us. "Tis not a problem! Every ability is unique to how people use it." I release the hand and hold out the hand of my doll for her to shake. "She wants a hand shake too!" I give a little giggle, "Trust me, the manure of usage is crucial to how we run things around here." I let my smile rest from the sun bright and innocent to something more close to playful.

   As they react to my doll I give a small two clap to drive attention to the words that follow. "Now then, lets get you to Stormgale!" I open my arms as my doll fly into them, allowing for a big hug to me. Nit, who was listening to this whole exchange, crouched down to Ceres and was helping regulate the mana in the air around them. "You did it again, you silly. Remember the first lesson they gave use?" He pauses at the clap, standing up and offering his hand, "Control is key. But hey," he pauses as a smile glazes over his lips, "Good job."

“She wants to shake…?” Morrigan blinked down at the doll, bewildered. Was this some weird cursed person or sentient construct? Either way, they weren’t about to be rude to the woman who had yanked around the arcuila like it weighed nothing. With a hesitant hand, they shook the doll’s, a strained grin on their face.

“Erm, good work to you too! Capital! Splendid! Yes, indeed.”

They cleared their throat, nodding at Madam Keyke. The day had been long, and the battle exhausting, and Stormgale would be a greatly appreciated pit stop. “Yes, let’s.”

The storm continued around them as they readied to set off and part once more.

With Nit’s help, Ceres slowly began to come back to herself, color coming back to the pale sylvan elf child’s cheeks. She pulled herself into an upright position, grabbing his hand with a small, embarrassed giggle.

“I guess that’s a lesson I still haven’t learned… thank you.”

She sneaked a furtive glance at Master Moonweaver, embarrassed. Though they insisted that she was still learning and these kinds of events were still natural, she wanted to prove herself worthy of their tutelage. And then she went and did things like this… it was so embarrassing.

But at the very least she’d saved them. And Master Moonweaver had made a new friend. She could only hope that one day she proved herself worthy enough to stand by the side of the likes of Master Moonweaver and Nit and Madam Keyke.

In the meantime, she would follow them and try to absorb all the greatness she could.

   Entertaining, a word to describe Morrigan's actions and reactions. It pleases me greatly when I can break masks and gain a favorable reaction to little things I do for power plays. Things like asking for a hand shake, or even just watching them in a staring manner, they almost always bring something delightful to experience as the causer.

   I give a giggle as I move forward to lead the caravan through the storm. I raise my hand to Nit, waving him over to play our game as we continue forward, he simply helps his school friend with a smile on his face. A smile he rarely gives out, as it was genuine. As he walked up to me I couldn't help but tease him, "So, she strike your heart to burn with passion?" I give a side glace to Ceres before giving a smug look to Nit, "I would say go for it if so~" My voice drags the final word out as Nit sighs, shaking his head at my words. "No, she is not the one I fancy." He looks down to me before looking away, holding a light blush as he speaks quietly in the air, "But you are." He shakes his head once more before calling out to the group, "Ready when you are!"

Ceres Celestia’s eyes widened watching the interaction between Nit and Keyke, hiding a smile behind her face. Gosh, they were really sweet. Ceres hoped that Nit could say how he really felt to her face one day.

“Watcha thinking about?”

“Eep!” Ceres nearly fell off her horse at the sound of Mariposa behind her. The minstrel leaned against the horse, a mischievous look on her face befitting of a friend of Morrigan Moonweaver while she watched mage and apprentice intently. Ceres fiddled with her staff, biting her lip. “Oh, nothing, I - uh -“

“You got a crush on that guy, or what?”

“No!” Ceres insisted quickly, waving her hand in the air, trying to clear up this misunderstanding without revealing Nit’s secret. “No, he’s just an upperclassman, he liked someone else…”

Mariposa nodded in understanding. “So it’s like that, huh?” She patted Ceres on the back with an understanding smile. “Well, you’ll find someone else eventually. Maybe another little nerdy mage like yourself.”

“It’s seriously not like that…”

“What are we whispering about over here?” Morrigan inserted themselves into the conversation, curious and a bit put out that their followers would hide things from them. They wanted in on the gossip, too!

“Oh, Ceres has a crush on someone.”

“I don’t!” She squeaked, her protests falling on deaf ears, as Morrigan had already begun grinning devilishly, a new kind of scheme cooking in their mind.

“Oh, is that so? Then we’ll just have to set up a little play date, won’t we?”

“Ceres and Nit, sitting in a tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G~” Mariposa sing-songed, not loud enough for the mage himself to hear, but enough to make Ceres’s face turn a deep shade of scarlet. Were they going to be like this the entire trip to Stormgale?

As the entourage progressed through the raging storm towards the next village, she would quickly learn that they were going to be this insufferable and more.

Travel was agonizingly slow, especially through the weather, but with Keyke’s experience, Morrigan’s stories, and Mariposa’s singing, the journey felt light and easy.

   The trip was fun, in my opinion. It seemed this chaotic group fits together quite well with me and Nit. The two school buddies, a musician that never ran out of tunes, the head of the group that simply oozes of pure dumb luck, and even the drake was a fun conversational partner. Though the last one was not to fond of the lightning storm travel, much preferring less amounts of rain and strikes. I merely nodded at his wish for these lands in understanding, as many people not a part of this land rarely see the meaning of this.

   As we got within a mile of the Stormgale village, the guards took in our appearances quickly. Without them needing to check us or even state business, they let us through with not problems. Having a presence in this land really does come with benefits, so much it outweighs the cons. I directed the group into town, excited to help them with the pit stop before fully leaving.

There was only really one inn in Stormgale Village - the Storm Shelter. To be quite honest Morrigan didn’t really care where they slept, so long as there was a roof over their heads, a warm bed, and shelter from the pouring rain. Only when the group passed the threshold of the Storm Shelter did Morrigan turn to Keyke and dip into a low bow, their tail sweeping across the floor.

“You have my thanks for assisting me and my entourage in finding shelter.” They said with all the grandiosity of someone whose thanks probably meant a lot less than they were making it out to be. Though they couldn’t deny their own curiosity about the young maiden. Though she appeared young, and full of childlike whimsy, playfulness and feigned innocence did not a fool make. Morrigan themselves was proof enough of that. Though the charlatan had a tendency to act irrationally, and land themselves in trouble, they had a sharper wit and an even sharper ambition than most gave them credit for.

Perhaps the two would get along better than Morrigan initially thought.

They straightened, turning to look at the tavern around them. At this time of evening, the tavern was decently full of others, but not unbearably so. A charlatan could enjoy a drink around here, maybe even make some decent coin with bum fortune tellings. Perhaps they could even hock off some snake oil while they were here. But for now…

“I’m sure you’re a busy woman, though I must repay you for your kindness. Allow me to buy you a drink?” They grinned, revealing sharp teeth. “Or at least a meal for your troubles.”

   With the offer in the air, I smile back, stretching out, though it reached to far for a bright smile and made a chaotic grin, "Why I would love to share a drink with you." In which case Nit paled slightly at the implications before looking to the group and thinking of worse deals that could be made. Shrugging it off as he tries to direct the group of followers to help manage them through the crowd.

   Walking in, I signal a bartender across the way. He sees me and gestures to to chairs side by side at the counter. I give a clap before point it out to Morrigan, "Just perfect for us to talk!" I giggle before rushing through the crowd, making my way to the high seats. Sadly having to look up to see the tops of the tall things.

   I take a deep breath before I attempt the challenge. In which I grab the seat and pull my leg up high to reach the foot rest. I pull upward to held my next leg reach the leg rest. The chair starts to lean, so i had to quickly let go with my right hand and grab the bar counter. I take a moment to breath before overcoming challenge part two. Sitting on it. I start to bounce for a moment and jump upward will pulling the seat under me, "Success!" I pump my hand in the air, ignoring any amused faces at the sight of what just transpired.

Morrigan was not that much taller than Keyke herself - perhaps half a foot. It was rare that they met someone shorter than themselves, though the younger woman was almost comically short in comparison to Morrigan’s slim and waifish stature. They made their way over to the bar, throwing themselves onto one of the stools. Tapping two fingers on the table, Morrigan called out, “A Blood and Sand for me, please.”

The bartender grunted. “Don’t do cocktails here.”

Morrigan huffed. What in the world kind of tavern didn’t make mixed drinks? They sighed. “A firewhisky, then, if you please. And whatever the lady and her companion want, on me. Just open a tab.” A tab they’d probably find a way to worm their way out of during their stay so they didn’t actually have to pay for anything, but that was a challenge for another day.

The bartender slid Morrigan their drink while Keyke struggled to pull herself onto the high stool. Morrigan hid a snicker behind their hand, not lacking the composure to stop themselves from laughing at their plight but not wanting to offend her. But gods, they didn’t think they’d be able to get that mental image out of their head for as long as they lived.

Madam Keyke, slayer of stools, they thought to themselves with a giggle.

“Feel free to order whatever you wish.” They bid, taking a sip of their drink while leaning back in their seat. Too little, too late, they forgot that they weren’t on a chair with any kind of back, and they fell flat on their back with a soft, “OOF.”

Two competent adventurers, and here they were, bested by a couple of chairs.

   The clatter beside me happened after I finished my little celebration of climbing the chair surprised me for a moment. I stalled for a moment and looked down slowly, only to see Morrigan sprawled along the floor, and some light dust seeping everywhere around them on the ground. It looked as if some were even still floating right where she was before. Confused at the particles, I gave a slow blink that ended with wide eyes, before turning back to the bartender.

   The look on their face, they were surprised at the craziness of the entire scenario caused them to hold a bit of shock. I gave a smile, allowing the humor of the situation to spread through it. I hold back my laughter as I order, "I will take a kirsch, vintage please." I let my smile spread out. They pause and the shock from the chaos quickly turns to me and asks, "How old are you? Wouldn't you rather have a juice?"

   I let my smile drop as I drop my voice, allowing it to be silky smooth and vertebration going through the small bar area, enhancing the tingle one could get from deeper voices. "I'm 20, I think that's enough around here." Allowing those watching me to see pupils forming in my eyes, ones that started to look as if they were glowing. Anyone seeing my doll would notice a reddening as if blood was seeping into, no, out of it.

“I meant to do that.” Morrigan insisted as they pulled themselves back up onto their stool. Keyke was already making her order, asking for Kirsch - a respectable choice, though the bartender begged to differ. He stopped what he was doing, turning to the young mage with an incredulous look on his face and asked something that had been on Morrigan’s mind since they met her, but not something they really cared about all that much.

… Wait. Hopefully she was within the legal drinking age, though. The charlatan clearly didn’t care much about child endangerment when said children were powerful enough to fight lightning chickens, but that didn’t mean they wanted to get caught at it!

Oh. She was twenty. Phew.

… Wait, she was twenty?

Morrigan scratched at their head, bewildered, as the air around them seemed to grow heavy with tension at Keyke’s answer. Her voice sounded deeper, and Morrigan thought it might have been a trick of the light, but it almost looked like her doll was turning wine-red. The bartender looked absolutely stunned, unsure what to make of the precocious young woman glaring murder at him. This wasn’t good. The situation was rapidly going south, and if the charlatan didn’t intervene then they had a feeling that Keyke was going to do something drastic. Morrigan jumped in, throwing their hands on the air with a shower of glitter into the air, and a smile on their face so wide that it pinched their cheeks.

“Yes, my companion here is twenty, so why don’t you just go make with the drinks, friend?”

The bartender stared at Morrigan. He stared at Keyke. Eventually, he decided it wasn’t worth it and shrugged, making his way to the back of the bar. Morrigan whirled to stare at Keyke, incredulous. “What in the name of Ginma was that? I was about to work that bartender for free drinks!” They had about a snowdrop’s chance in hell of doing that now, with the little lady’s demon show there.