The Witch Queen of Avalon
A Harry Potter UNIVERSE/ Sasporilla Bucket Fan Fiction
by Darren Kelly
Chapter 7
"GONIDESPECTO!" Professor Rikktor, a rather stout and bald middle aged man, of the dark arts department cast upon the rock forms of the Knights of the table round. Two figures glowed with golden light and fell free of their rocky form. Dame Splatterpalette and Dame Phenix took there first deep breath of sweet, sweet air. Cheers erupted from the crowd of professors and specially invited students crowded into the small space.
"As I thought!" Professor Rikktor smiled. "The Witch Queen is using GORGON's! We simply need to figure out the correct spells!"
"Lucky!" Dame Phenix crocked through her dry throat, grabbing a glass of water and taking a deep drink. "You were just lucky Rikktor. The Witch Queen isn't using Gorgon's!"
"No! The Witch Queen has the power of the Gorgon!" Dame Splatterpalette said finishing her water. "And she is not who she says she is! That is NOT Bougenvallia Bent!"
"No!" Dame Phenix said. "That is the tyrant Witch Queen The Baba Yaga!"
"She never relinquished power." Dame Splatterpalette said out of breath. "Baba Yaga has been transferring herself from winner to winner of the tournament for years!"
The two women had to sit as their bodies readapted to life and the excitement of trying to pass on their urgent message.
"Sasporilla Bucket must be extracted before the end of the tournament!" Dame Phenix insisted taking a seat along side Dame Splatterpalette. "Before the Witch Queen takes her over!!!"
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this," Professor Hannah said stepping forward. "but she was blown up when the scepter rejected her."
"Yes." Kathleen, Sassy's friend and dorm mate sniffed sadly. "Sasporilla Bucket, my friend, has died."
**********
The secret to building a house in a pit, or at least below ground, is keeping things dry. The last thing you want is to build a nice big home, in a hole in the ground, and have it become a deep watering hole! No you must have good drainage! Lots of sand and rock in just the right amounts in just the right places! So many thought the Millikan family mad for building their home this way centuries ago, but they knew. Oh yes they knew!
The Magi had all but forgotten about the Millikan's. The mad hermits of the wild lands. Generation after generation of lone hunter trackers that lived a solitary life. Until they needed a replacement, then a new one was made. Not in the traditional or natural sense but magically, unnaturally by the Witch Queen! A younger version of the original bound to her service for the hermits life. All of the knowledge, all of the madness transferred forward. For one purpose. To watch. To watch for one thing and one thing only, a hatchling Drodakorn.
Millikan sat on his front porch, in his simple black rocking chair, sipping his coffee and munching away on drippy bacon and egg butty, as he looked up at the sky through the top of his hole. How many centuries had he looked up at the same spot of sky now? Two? Three? Four? He'd seen the sky in blue and grey, red, green... oh the bad storms that come when it turns green! Millikan had watched the black night sky on cloudy and clear nights when you could and couldn't see the stars.
Over all Millikan the hermit was sick of looking at the top of the hole. He thought maybe this once, just this once he'd look at his boots. The old hermit lifted them up proudly and held them up to look at them. He rather liked his boots. They were brown once, and were now bare grey rough leather in need of a good repolish. Millikan just thought it gave them that lived in look! Like anyone who saw them would know someone owned them! He dropped his feet with a thump that rumbled and echoed through the land.
Millikan lifted his feet again and looked at them again but listening he could hear the rumbling continued. Something was coming. Something big was running across the wild lands.
The old hermit dropped his sandwich, as the rumble became a roar. Loose dirt fell in around the rim of the rim of the hole. The porch was shaking as he stepped onto the staircase leading to the surface. A staircase that the old man would classify as rickety at best, shook and swayed from side to side as something gigantic, with at least ten legs and what appeared to be a furry blue under belly, ran over top of his home sweet hermit hole.
By the time he reached the surface the great beast was miles in the distance. A huge fuzzy blue beast, not unlike a caterpillar.
"It could be." Millikan said allowed, surprised by hearing his own voice for the first time in years. "Who said that? I had better inform her majesty the Witch Queen!"
***********************
The wild lands had been, for the most part, a great vast flat grass land filled with many great herds of wild Unicorn tended and protected by tiny two legged Porlocks. Giraffepie's, a feathered Giraffe with bird like heads also traveled in smaller herds. Unlike Earth Erumpants were in abundance in the wild lands as were Tebos. Greyish pigs with the ability to become invisible. Hunted and coveted for their hides by wizards for invisibility clothing.
On the horizon Sasporilla saw what she thought may be a forest or at least a tree. As they got closer, squinting revealed it was not a group of trees nor a forest, but a single giant tree set in the center of the wild lands.
"Blue that tree ahead?" Sassy said pointing.
"Yes." Blue said. "I see it."
"May we stop at it?" Sasporilla asked.
"I don't see why we should?" Blue said. "But then I don't know why we should not? Because you request it, Blue will do so."
Within moments Blue rumbled up to the huge tree. Sasporilla looked up into it's high branches. It reminded her very much of the tree that was home of Majesty station. She was sure it was of the same species!
"There is a tree just like this in the city where we are going." Sasporilla said.
"Yes!" Blue agreed. "I see it in the memory of my species."
"Memory of your species?" Sassy asked.
"Yes." Blue said looking towards the sky. "Drodakorn pass down memory from ancestors to spawn. When they lay eggs and drop them to worlds to hatch, we are born with what we need to know."
"What if things have changed?" Sasporilla asked.
"Things always change Sasporilla Bucket." Blue said. "But some things always stay the same. What do you need at the tree?"
"I need to see if the tree has Bowtruckles." Sasporilla said. "Or another guardian of wand woods. I need to make myself a new wand. It's a type of ash tree and I can make that work for me!"
"Not just any ash tree Sasporilla Bucket." Blue said. "That is Yggdrasil, The tree of life! The same on this side of the world as on the other. It runs through all worlds where life exists. It's wood has great magical abilities. The tree may not easily give up its wood."
"I will ask it very politely." Sasporilla smiled shyly. "Honestly, if it wasn't for the iron crown, I would be able to talk to the tree quite easily."
"What does the Iron crown do Sasporilla Bucket?" Blue asked.
"It stops me from using abilities given me by my house elf blood line." Sasporilla said.
"What would those abilities be?" Blue asked.
"Snap finger magic for one." Sassy giggled. "That would solve many problems! But It allows me to control natural elements, and talk with plants and animals."
"Like me?" Blue asked.
"Well?" Sassy stopped for a second. "I just thought you spoke Magi English?"
"A hatchling Drodakorn just happens to speak your language?" Blue chuckled. "That would be an extreme bit of luck!"
Sasporilla snapped her fingers and apparated from Blues back up into the boughs of the tree.
"Where did you go Sasporilla Bucket?" Blue asked suddenly concerned.
"UP HERE BLUE!" Sassy laughed, excited to have her elf magic back! "THE EXPLOSION MUST HAVE BLOWN THE CROWN OFF TOO!"
"What do you want here Elf Queen?" A woman's voice said making Sassy turn suddenly.
There, on the very large branch they both stood on, was a light haired woman dressed in a leafy green cloak.
"I have come to make a humble request of the tree." Sasporilla said taking a knee before the woman. "Who may I ask am I addressing?"
"I am Edda." The woman said. "I am guardian of Yggdrasil. If you have come to request longer life you are denied. If you have come to request wood to heal others with, you are denied."
"I require a piece of branch..." Sasporilla began.
"De..." the guardian started.
"... to build a new wand..." Sasporilla interrupted.
"Den...." Edda tried to assert.
"... to defeat the Witch Queen."
Edda, the guardian of the tree stopped and listened. "How big?"
"About six inches long." Sassy said. "Fifth of an inch tapered to 6th of an inch would be perfect so I don't have to shape it. Don't want bits of Yggdrasil falling into the wrong hands."
A spot on the bough glowed with golden light between them. From the spot grew a perfect branch to Sasporilla's specifications. Edda held out her hand with a welcoming smile.
"This is not a gift from Yggdrasil," Edda said, "but a loan if you will. Yggdrasil asks that when you have completed your task that you return this wood to the her in Avalon."
"To the tree at Majesty station?" Sasporilla asked.
"Yes." Edda nodded.
"Of course." Sassy smiled. "You have my word."
"Then please take the wood for your new wand.: Edda said.
Sasporilla stepped forward and plucked up the piece of wood with a grateful smile. "It's perfect. Thank you."
"Be warned." Edda said. "The wood of Yggdrasil is most coveted! Thieves will do anything to try and steal it from you if they discover what it is."
"Why?" Sasporilla asked.
"The Yggdrasil's wood holds many great powers. Great gifts in blessed hands." Edda smiled. "Greater weapons of destruction when perverted by the hands of evil. The wood, when carried will protect the carrier from physical damage. When touched to a person who is ill or suffered injury it will heal them. It may also inflict injury and illness equally."
"I see." Sasporilla said. "I understand."
"The Yggdrasil when touched to barren soil may also bring life!" Edda smiled. "Grow crops! Bring trees! Bring life to places long dead! It may also, if it touches a corpse... return life."
"No!" Sasporilla protested. "That... that's impossible!"
"Not impossible." Edda explained. "But not what you think either. The body is reduced to s new state, an infant. New and alive. Not the same as it was. Not the same person in looks. In personality. Maybe not in colour or in sex!"
"A complete regeneration?" Sasporilla asked.
"Yes." Edda sighed hanging her head. "Now imagine doing this to your enemies for punishment or entertainment."
"I couldn't imagine such a person?" Sasporilla gasped.
"There have been many who have saught such power." Edda growled. "One such creature sits on the throne of Avalon yet!"
"My Aunt." Sasporilla said ashamed. "Bougenvallia Bent."
"No." A Edda said. "The girl who was Bougenvallia Bent died the day she won the Witch Queen trials."
"What?" Sasporilla gasped.
"The creature that inhabits her body is a much more malevolent being." Edda grimaced. "An ancient, evil witch, feared in many stories. One of the first Witch Queens, who as it turns out, refused to leave when it was her time... The Baba Yaga."
***************************
All babies are beautiful was not necessarily true for Yaga when she was born. For she was quite ugly, by normal standards, with blotched reddish, wrinkled skin. One Eye sealed shut and the other eye liddlessly open at all times. The unwanted foundling was left on the front steps of St.Boliniski's Hospital magical hospital in Warsaw Poland in 1345. It was said her birth hailed the start of the great plague. When they found her in a rough hewn basket of twigs they thought a wounded kneezle had been left. The small child had not the cry of a normal infant but the hateful growl of an evil beast.
St.Boliniski's was not only Poland's magic Hospital but also an orphanage for the foundlings, abandoned and orphaned children of magical families. That was where the child was placed. Much to the regrets of the "Hat Mummy's" as the children called the sister's of St.Boliniski's.
Yaga was an ugly, mean, spiteful child that did not share, did not make friends and did not play well with others. At three years of age a boy decided he was going to take a doll from Yaga, that the strange child appeared to be attempting to torture. The boy held it high above his head in out of Yaga's reach in an act of his dominance over her.
"Give.... me.... my.... dolllll.... " Yaga hissed.
"No!" The boy laughed. "You're ugly. You don't deserve a pretty doll! You deserve nothing! No ones ever coming for you! No one will ever adopt you!!!"
Yaga leapt like a coiled cobra, striking the large boy in the chest with her knees and biting him on the side of the neck with her little needle like teeth. She shook her head from side to side like a wild dog, tearing his flesh, blood flooding across the floor.
The screaming and growing brought the Hat Mummy's who were shocked by the site. The vicious young girl tearing at the throat of the larger boy. Flippendo threw Yaga off the boy. Levi Corpus kept her suspended in mid air gnashing her teeth and thrashing her arms wildly. The Hat Mummy's cast spells to stabilize the boy and rush him into the hospital side of St.Boliniski's, where luckily they were in time to save his young life.
Upon their return the Hat Mummy's found Yaga in a corner asleep, with the Doll torn apart in her lap, her mouth covered in the blood of the boy.
"We must seek guidance on how to handle this child." One of the Hat Mummy's said to the other.
The solution was one of abusive humiliation for the child. A collar was placed around her neck attached to a very solid magical chain. In every room in which Yaga was placed she was chained in place by the Hat Mummy's... "FOR HER OWN GOOD!" Anytime the horrid child would fight against the collar and chain it would give her a magical painful shock. The head Hat Mummy would smile over Yaga's twitching twisted little body. The small toad like woman took much pleasure in the pain of others while trying to bring order. "You WILL learn to behave like a proper young witch!"
Yaga learned to restrain herself. To stop live amongst the others but never to truly get along. Only to be free of the collar and chain. The children didn't like Yaga. She was ugly, like an old crone even as a little girl. The children cruelly called her "Baba" meaning old woman or grand mother. The name "Baba Yaga" stuck with her. She was nasty and unapproachable. She kept to herself and even had a room of her own, unlike the other girls who all slept in a large open dorm. Yaga had an old closet that had been cleaned out just for her.
Yaga excelled in school. She was not just smart, she was a genius. With a memory that never forgot, she was able to learn a spell or potion once and never be shown again. By the age most children were looking for a master Witch or Wizard to apprentice with, Yaga was going before the council to do her trials. To pass was to be a fully accredited witch and pass she did! Baba Yaga had the highest passing score of all witches and wizards in the from seas to steppes. Free of St.Boliniski's Baba Yaga, the young witch who looked like an old crone, that hated the world turned her back on it and walked in to the wilds by the dwindling embers of Poland's Magical hospital and Orphanage.
Baba Yaga made a name for herself as a Witch in the forests what would become Eastern Europe. The crone like Witch, that lived in the magical hut which ran on giant chicken legs, that stole and ate children. Known for her vicious evil spells and devious deals. Though she never once ate a child. She often took in orphaned girls and raised them. Using them as house maids and slaves until they reached the age of maturity, then she would drain from them their life and extend her own, casting out there bones into the forest.
It was during the reign of the fourth Wizard King of Avalon that a horrid tragedy befell him and his Queen. Both had been assassinated! Poisoned by a single poisoned apple, bought from a poor street vender, out of the kindness of their ever kind hearts. Now leaderless, the crown was free for She who could pass the first open Witch Queen trials! A series of brutal tests the royal court had devised to choose a worthy Queen!
The Witch Queen trials were open to all witches of noble birth and established name. This included Baba Yaga, who gladly jumped at the chance to compete.
Twenty four hundred witches competed for the crown. More than twenty three hundred were eliminated in the first round, as they couldn't brew a simple antidote to save a poisoned citizen. Baba Yaga could! Perhaps if the last Witch Queen could have she wouldn't have died from eating a poisoned apple from a poor bent old crone in the street!
All the tests were too easy for the witch Baba Yaga. She knew all the spells, all the hexes, all the potions, all the tricks. No one could beat her. In the end it came down to a simple duel. Baba Yaga versus a witch named Belinda Branch. A innocent and wholesome young Witch that was much the antithesis of the crone.
The two witches were given three nights to prepare for the duel. The rules were vague but quite simple. The spells used must be completely original! Having never been cast before, by witch nor wizard, any where! Also the out come of the duel must e definitive! No ties will be allowed!
The witches were brought before the members of the Royal court that lined the sides of the palace court yard. A simple rug was layed across the cobble stones. Dark blue, edged in gold, with the phases of the moon along it. Belinda Branch and Baba Yaga took up there positions back to back in the full moon center. Baba Yaga's slightly hunched posture gave her no advantage other than perhaps a slightly smaller, twisted target to hit. Upon signaling to begin the witches took their ten paces to the end and turned.
Their wands at the ready they cast their spells. Belinda Branch was barely through the first half of her most original petrifaction spell when Baba Yaga uttered the most horrific words ever heard by witch or wizard... "AVADAKEDVRA!"
In a blast of green magic Belinda Branch fell to the Royal court yard, dead. The first victim of the death curse.
"Long.... live... the.... Queeeennnn!" Baba Yaga chuckled as she held her crooked wand sky ward. Bringing an all new age of darkness to throne of Avalon.
*****************
Sasporilla chose ash for her wand because it was a compatible wood that would work in a conflicator with gold as her metal handle. Sassy had the bag of gold from between blues toes. She still had no idea what the guardsmen had been doing out here or what the gold was for, but Sassy was certain the Witch Queen was paying for something that she wanted no one else to know about.
Sasporilla would have to form the gold into the shape of the handle she needed. Five and an half inches with a light spiral twist and a gradual outward widening taper at handles end.
Usually she would hand carved the handle from one solid piece of gold or even pour molten gold into a hand crafted mold! Sasporilla had none of these options as she had no tools to work with, nor had she time. She needed a wand and needed one now. There was one option and now that she knew she was free to use it, she was going for it.
Sassy pulled some gold from the bag and began to pick at the corners of its weave. She started to reweave the magical gold coins into the handle her wand needed. Turning, forming and pulling the gold until it looked exactly like the image in her mind. With a snap of her fingers Sasporilla Bucket levitated both half of the wands before her.
"I have the wooden shaft of the wand and I have the golden handle." Sassy said. "All I need now is a core."
And this would be the first real test of her theory. Would it be possible to weave a core? Then would it be achievable to tune it to the wand and attune it to the witch?
Sasporilla plucked a corner of magical fabric. Then another, tying it into another and crossing over another until she had woven a small cylinder, formed from the fabric of magic hanging aloft between gossamer strands. An object unseen by normal eyes, but very apparent by violet hued eyes of the elven weaver.
Carefully Sasporilla moved the core between the two halves of the wand and connected them with the core inside. Sassy carefully drew the strands connecting the core up the wands shaft and through its tip. Pulled them carefully but firmly through the gold handle and out the back, never breaking the core from the fabric of magic.
The wand felt feather light in Sassy's hand when she dropped it from one hand to the next, it fell as if made by paper, slowly, weightlessly. As if it were a feather dropped from a bird. When moved in casting motions it felt good. Fast and comfortable. Sasporilla could see that it never broke or tore the fabric of magic, but rather moved from strand to strand and staying a part of the whole. Just as she'd predicted!!!
"Now that you're built I'll have to build a tuner." Sasporilla sighed. "Going to need a few things for that."
It was good thing they were travelling. Travelling across the wild lands. Just her and her new friend Blue.
**************
It was very rare that the Witch Queen needed to call for the Royal Physician, Dr.Ghann MG M.D. The head of the Royal Avalon Hospital, had been enjoying a nice day on the Flyff course when the Royal summons came. The Witch Queen had suffered a severe pain in her head for no known reason and she wanted answers. After hours of tests, Dr.Ghann had no answers for her.
The Witch Queen sat slumped in her throne. The residual pain and pressure from the attack still sat heavy in her skull. Her ears ringing and her eyes unable to look at the light.
"What do you mean you don't know!" The Witch Queen yelled wincing at the loudness of her own voice.
"I... I... I'm sorry your Majesty." Dr.Ghann said. "I can see no physical reason for the pain."
"What about Magical?" The Witch Queen growled.
"N...N...No sign of a magical attack either my glorious Witch Queen. I think you just had a simple headache." Dr.Ghann smiled nervously. "I have a marvelous wonder cure for them!"
The doctor reached deep into his old leather doctors bag and pulled out a white plastic bottle. The older man unscrewed the cap and dumped out two tablets. He placed them onto a golden tray with a glass of water and motioned for the her Royal Guardsman to carry it to her.
"These are what I prescribe for you my Witch Queen." Dr.Ghann smiled. "I believe they will fix you right up!
"What are they?" Bougenvallia asked as she took the pills and washed them down with big gulps of water.
"Acetaminophen." Dr.Ghann said.
"I'm not familiar with the potion." The Witch Queen said.
"Oh no!" The Doctor smiled. "It's not a potion! This is a quite ingenious MUGGLE cure all!"
"WHAT!" the Witch Queen scream pulling her wand. "AVADAKEDAVRA!"
Dr.Ghann fell dead, his open medical bag spilling out across the throne room floor.
"Stop! Stop!" A Guardsman shouted at a scruffy man as he barged past holding up a gold Royal seal. A symbol of importance, of free pass and one that said you will not stop me! The disheveled visitor stepped over the doctors corpse crunching pills and kicking potion bottles out of his way with abandon.
"I'm sorry your Majesty." The Guardsman said. "But this smelly vagrant has a Royal seal."
"It's alright Guardsman." The Witch Queen said waving him off. "Dismissed. What is it Millikan?"
"The great beast is on it's journey." Millikan said holding out his hand.
"Impossible." The Witch Queen said. "I paid very powerful hunters a great deal of gold to destroy the egg!"
"The great beast passed over my pit on its journey late yesterday." Millikan smiled through his gapped bake bean teeth. "I have done my job. I want my reward my Queen."
"Yes Millikan I promised you." Bougenvallia sighed. "You've lived for centuries watching for the beast for me. You deserve peace."
The Witch Queen held up her wand cast a soft blue light from its tip and kissed her faithful servant on the forehead. It us a sad moment when what a long time servant wants more than anything is the peaceful sleep of death. Bougenvallia walked back before her throne, turned and cast a little known vicious spell.... "NEX!"
Millikan was torn apart in a bloody slaughter by unseen magical forces. Flesh was strewn around the thrown room. Organs sat scattered in a lake of blood. The Witch Queen ran her finger through the splatter of fresh blood on her face and tasted its salty goodness as she sat back on her throne.
"Hmmm." The Witch Queen said looking down at the corpse of Dr.Ghann. "I am starting to feel better. Guards!!!! Get my advisors!!! I must organize a great hunt for this great beast! And clean this mess up!!!"
*******************
The tension was high amongst the dark arts professors and masters of their craft who gathered in the layer of the knights of the table round. Their forms of stone perplexed even the most advanced wizard's and witch's.
"Another failure Valentine?" Professor Hannah sniffed. "You said you knew every bloody spell, potion and trick to counter-act, the Gorgon's effects?"
"I do!" The thin older bearded man said wiping the sweat from his face nervously with a handkerchief. "I thought I did at least. I have never seen anything like this! There us absolutely no response at all from the stone to any part of anything any of us have done??? And we are all the foremost specialists in Gorgon be-stoning!"
Kathleen, the small unassuming technomancy student stood away from the rest wearing a Nanoccularcope over one eye and holding a small clicking and flashing box in her hand. Using a small Cavalcanti Extractor wand, Kathleen scraped small grains of stone off of Lyra and looked at them through her Nanoccularcope.
"Yep." The young Phillipina said tipping the scope up and checking the readings on her device. "That's what I thought."
Of course no one noticed a first year student from a discipline as ridiculous as TECHNOMANCY in the room! The adults argued amongst themselves measuring off who was most experienced and most important to make the next decision as to who would try what next as nothing any of them had done so far had yielded any positive results.
"Excuse me." Kathleen's small voice said.
No one listened, they just continued to argue. No one was bout to tell anyone else just who was in charge here!
"Excuse me!" Kathleen tried to exert herself.
When Professor Hannah threatened to transform into an Occamy and eat Professor Valentine Kathleen had had enough. The young small woman stepped up onto the round table and remembered the words of a good friend of hers from an old summer job.
"If the world won't bend to your will, break it!" He used to say. She never knew what he meant until today. He meant take control. With a deep breath she barked out the loudest voice she would ever manage in her entire life. "Shut your mouths the lot of you!"
The room went silent and all turned to the young woman in amazement.
"Thank you." Kathleen smiled nervously. "Your spells haven't worked because your not dealing with a Gorgon. You're dealing with Technomancy."
"Don't be ridiculous girl." Professor Valentine said dismissively. "You have no idea what you're talking about!"
"No sir!" Kathleen stiffened. "You, you pompous windbag haven't the courtesy nor bravery to admit when you're wrong and someone else is right!"
"I beg your..." Professor Valentine Gasped.
"Shut it Valentine." Professor Hannah smiled. "I like her! Go on girl. What do you know that we don't?"
Kathleen used her device to project sn image on the wall. It showed what looked like bugs scurrying around.
"What are they?" Professor Hannah asked quite stumped. "I pride myself in knowing just about every sort of living creature and I must admit, I don't know this one."
Kathleen zoomed in.
"They aren't creatures in a living sense." Kathleen said. "These are NANITES. Tiny machines designed to do certain jobs. Often used in technomancy for microscopic effect. In this case to form a stone casing over our friends and place them in a state of suspended animation."
"Brilliant." Professor Hanna said. "Now my dear, how do we get them out?'
Kathleen reached into her robes inner pocket and pulled out a small piece of metal that looked like a small dish. She placed it on the end of the device. With the pressing of three buttons and the fine adjustment of a few dials the dish began to emit a sound which grew higher in frequency as Kathleen made her adjustments.
The Professors covered their ears from the invasive whine. Kathleen had no choice but to suffer through the sounds assault as she watched the nanites in the projection for any reaction. It was at frequency 639Hz that Kathleen saw the nanites begin to become agitated. At 643 Hz the Nanites began to run around distressed and disorganized.
"Just a micro adjustment." Kathleen said turning another dial very slowly until she reached frequency 643.21 Hz. The nanites in the Projection shattered into dust!
"Eureka!" Kathleen smiled. "Just a case of needing the right frequency."
"Great, free them!" Professor Hanna smiled.
"Just need to boost the power." Kathleen said pulling a battery pack from her robes.
"How many pockets does that robe Have?" Professor Valentine asked.
"You'd be surprised!" Kathleen chuckled looking around the room spotting an old gramophone. "And I need that!"
Kathleen snapped the battery pack into the back end of her device. She pulled off the gramophones large floral speaker and had professor Hannah levitate it for her, so that Kathleen might slip the end of her device up into the small end of the speaker.
With a press of the button the clear whine of the frequency generator pulsed out of the speaker. In seconds the stone began to vibrate and shake. Then it became as mud, like a liquid prison fighting to encase it's prisoners as gravity pulled it down. Like a last gasp the nanites froze then burst into a fine powder disappearing as they dissolved.
The knights of the table round were free of the stone that held them and they were caught by the readied spells of the Professors surrounding them.
"You've succeeded I see." Dame Phenix said entering the chamber followed by Dame Splatterpalette.
"Yes." Professor Hannah smiled. "You've returned just in time. Your families?"
"Safe." Professor Splatterpalette smiled bending down to look at Angelo. "Who's spell work do we have to thank for freeing them?"
"The girls!" Professor Valentine said pointing out Kathleen.
"Ahhhh!" Professor Splatterpalette smiled. "Josie! Do you know who this is?"
"No." Professor Phenix said. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure."
"This is our Sasporilla's Dorm mate!" Professor Splatterpalette's broad smile faded. "Just how did you end up in the secret layer of the knights of the table round?"
"With just the device we would need to free the prisoners?" Professor Hannah asked drawing her wand.
"At just the time we would need you most?" Professor Phenix demanded.
Kathleen gulped looking down the shafts of three wands pointed right at her accusingly.
"She's here because of me!" Angelo said in a dry gravelly voice, "I said if anything happened to us to come here and look for a technomantic solution. I knew no one else would. I gave her directions."
The three knights put their wands away and apologized as the other knights came around.
"Where is Sasporilla?" Angelo asked.
"GONIDESPECTO!" Professor Rikktor, a rather stout and bald middle aged man, of the dark arts department cast upon the rock forms of the Knights of the table round. Two figures glowed with golden light and fell free of their rocky form. Dame Splatterpalette and Dame Phenix took there first deep breath of sweet, sweet air. Cheers erupted from the crowd of professors and specially invited students crowded into the small space.
"As I thought!" Professor Rikktor smiled. "The Witch Queen is using GORGON's! We simply need to figure out the correct spells!"
"Lucky!" Dame Phenix crocked through her dry throat, grabbing a glass of water and taking a deep drink. "You were just lucky Rikktor. The Witch Queen isn't using Gorgon's!"
"No! The Witch Queen has the power of the Gorgon!" Dame Splatterpalette said finishing her water. "And she is not who she says she is! That is NOT Bougenvallia Bent!"
"No!" Dame Phenix said. "That is the tyrant Witch Queen The Baba Yaga!"
"She never relinquished power." Dame Splatterpalette said out of breath. "Baba Yaga has been transferring herself from winner to winner of the tournament for years!"
The two women had to sit as their bodies readapted to life and the excitement of trying to pass on their urgent message.
"Sasporilla Bucket must be extracted before the end of the tournament!" Dame Phenix insisted taking a seat along side Dame Splatterpalette. "Before the Witch Queen takes her over!!!"
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this," Professor Hannah said stepping forward. "but she was blown up when the scepter rejected her."
"Yes." Kathleen, Sassy's friend and dorm mate sniffed sadly. "Sasporilla Bucket, my friend, has died."
**********
The secret to building a house in a pit, or at least below ground, is keeping things dry. The last thing you want is to build a nice big home, in a hole in the ground, and have it become a deep watering hole! No you must have good drainage! Lots of sand and rock in just the right amounts in just the right places! So many thought the Millikan family mad for building their home this way centuries ago, but they knew. Oh yes they knew!
The Magi had all but forgotten about the Millikan's. The mad hermits of the wild lands. Generation after generation of lone hunter trackers that lived a solitary life. Until they needed a replacement, then a new one was made. Not in the traditional or natural sense but magically, unnaturally by the Witch Queen! A younger version of the original bound to her service for the hermits life. All of the knowledge, all of the madness transferred forward. For one purpose. To watch. To watch for one thing and one thing only, a hatchling Drodakorn.
Millikan sat on his front porch, in his simple black rocking chair, sipping his coffee and munching away on drippy bacon and egg butty, as he looked up at the sky through the top of his hole. How many centuries had he looked up at the same spot of sky now? Two? Three? Four? He'd seen the sky in blue and grey, red, green... oh the bad storms that come when it turns green! Millikan had watched the black night sky on cloudy and clear nights when you could and couldn't see the stars.
Over all Millikan the hermit was sick of looking at the top of the hole. He thought maybe this once, just this once he'd look at his boots. The old hermit lifted them up proudly and held them up to look at them. He rather liked his boots. They were brown once, and were now bare grey rough leather in need of a good repolish. Millikan just thought it gave them that lived in look! Like anyone who saw them would know someone owned them! He dropped his feet with a thump that rumbled and echoed through the land.
Millikan lifted his feet again and looked at them again but listening he could hear the rumbling continued. Something was coming. Something big was running across the wild lands.
The old hermit dropped his sandwich, as the rumble became a roar. Loose dirt fell in around the rim of the rim of the hole. The porch was shaking as he stepped onto the staircase leading to the surface. A staircase that the old man would classify as rickety at best, shook and swayed from side to side as something gigantic, with at least ten legs and what appeared to be a furry blue under belly, ran over top of his home sweet hermit hole.
By the time he reached the surface the great beast was miles in the distance. A huge fuzzy blue beast, not unlike a caterpillar.
"It could be." Millikan said allowed, surprised by hearing his own voice for the first time in years. "Who said that? I had better inform her majesty the Witch Queen!"
***********************
The wild lands had been, for the most part, a great vast flat grass land filled with many great herds of wild Unicorn tended and protected by tiny two legged Porlocks. Giraffepie's, a feathered Giraffe with bird like heads also traveled in smaller herds. Unlike Earth Erumpants were in abundance in the wild lands as were Tebos. Greyish pigs with the ability to become invisible. Hunted and coveted for their hides by wizards for invisibility clothing.
On the horizon Sasporilla saw what she thought may be a forest or at least a tree. As they got closer, squinting revealed it was not a group of trees nor a forest, but a single giant tree set in the center of the wild lands.
"Blue that tree ahead?" Sassy said pointing.
"Yes." Blue said. "I see it."
"May we stop at it?" Sasporilla asked.
"I don't see why we should?" Blue said. "But then I don't know why we should not? Because you request it, Blue will do so."
Within moments Blue rumbled up to the huge tree. Sasporilla looked up into it's high branches. It reminded her very much of the tree that was home of Majesty station. She was sure it was of the same species!
"There is a tree just like this in the city where we are going." Sasporilla said.
"Yes!" Blue agreed. "I see it in the memory of my species."
"Memory of your species?" Sassy asked.
"Yes." Blue said looking towards the sky. "Drodakorn pass down memory from ancestors to spawn. When they lay eggs and drop them to worlds to hatch, we are born with what we need to know."
"What if things have changed?" Sasporilla asked.
"Things always change Sasporilla Bucket." Blue said. "But some things always stay the same. What do you need at the tree?"
"I need to see if the tree has Bowtruckles." Sasporilla said. "Or another guardian of wand woods. I need to make myself a new wand. It's a type of ash tree and I can make that work for me!"
"Not just any ash tree Sasporilla Bucket." Blue said. "That is Yggdrasil, The tree of life! The same on this side of the world as on the other. It runs through all worlds where life exists. It's wood has great magical abilities. The tree may not easily give up its wood."
"I will ask it very politely." Sasporilla smiled shyly. "Honestly, if it wasn't for the iron crown, I would be able to talk to the tree quite easily."
"What does the Iron crown do Sasporilla Bucket?" Blue asked.
"It stops me from using abilities given me by my house elf blood line." Sasporilla said.
"What would those abilities be?" Blue asked.
"Snap finger magic for one." Sassy giggled. "That would solve many problems! But It allows me to control natural elements, and talk with plants and animals."
"Like me?" Blue asked.
"Well?" Sassy stopped for a second. "I just thought you spoke Magi English?"
"A hatchling Drodakorn just happens to speak your language?" Blue chuckled. "That would be an extreme bit of luck!"
Sasporilla snapped her fingers and apparated from Blues back up into the boughs of the tree.
"Where did you go Sasporilla Bucket?" Blue asked suddenly concerned.
"UP HERE BLUE!" Sassy laughed, excited to have her elf magic back! "THE EXPLOSION MUST HAVE BLOWN THE CROWN OFF TOO!"
"What do you want here Elf Queen?" A woman's voice said making Sassy turn suddenly.
There, on the very large branch they both stood on, was a light haired woman dressed in a leafy green cloak.
"I have come to make a humble request of the tree." Sasporilla said taking a knee before the woman. "Who may I ask am I addressing?"
"I am Edda." The woman said. "I am guardian of Yggdrasil. If you have come to request longer life you are denied. If you have come to request wood to heal others with, you are denied."
"I require a piece of branch..." Sasporilla began.
"De..." the guardian started.
"... to build a new wand..." Sasporilla interrupted.
"Den...." Edda tried to assert.
"... to defeat the Witch Queen."
Edda, the guardian of the tree stopped and listened. "How big?"
"About six inches long." Sassy said. "Fifth of an inch tapered to 6th of an inch would be perfect so I don't have to shape it. Don't want bits of Yggdrasil falling into the wrong hands."
A spot on the bough glowed with golden light between them. From the spot grew a perfect branch to Sasporilla's specifications. Edda held out her hand with a welcoming smile.
"This is not a gift from Yggdrasil," Edda said, "but a loan if you will. Yggdrasil asks that when you have completed your task that you return this wood to the her in Avalon."
"To the tree at Majesty station?" Sasporilla asked.
"Yes." Edda nodded.
"Of course." Sassy smiled. "You have my word."
"Then please take the wood for your new wand.: Edda said.
Sasporilla stepped forward and plucked up the piece of wood with a grateful smile. "It's perfect. Thank you."
"Be warned." Edda said. "The wood of Yggdrasil is most coveted! Thieves will do anything to try and steal it from you if they discover what it is."
"Why?" Sasporilla asked.
"The Yggdrasil's wood holds many great powers. Great gifts in blessed hands." Edda smiled. "Greater weapons of destruction when perverted by the hands of evil. The wood, when carried will protect the carrier from physical damage. When touched to a person who is ill or suffered injury it will heal them. It may also inflict injury and illness equally."
"I see." Sasporilla said. "I understand."
"The Yggdrasil when touched to barren soil may also bring life!" Edda smiled. "Grow crops! Bring trees! Bring life to places long dead! It may also, if it touches a corpse... return life."
"No!" Sasporilla protested. "That... that's impossible!"
"Not impossible." Edda explained. "But not what you think either. The body is reduced to s new state, an infant. New and alive. Not the same as it was. Not the same person in looks. In personality. Maybe not in colour or in sex!"
"A complete regeneration?" Sasporilla asked.
"Yes." Edda sighed hanging her head. "Now imagine doing this to your enemies for punishment or entertainment."
"I couldn't imagine such a person?" Sasporilla gasped.
"There have been many who have saught such power." Edda growled. "One such creature sits on the throne of Avalon yet!"
"My Aunt." Sasporilla said ashamed. "Bougenvallia Bent."
"No." A Edda said. "The girl who was Bougenvallia Bent died the day she won the Witch Queen trials."
"What?" Sasporilla gasped.
"The creature that inhabits her body is a much more malevolent being." Edda grimaced. "An ancient, evil witch, feared in many stories. One of the first Witch Queens, who as it turns out, refused to leave when it was her time... The Baba Yaga."
***************************
All babies are beautiful was not necessarily true for Yaga when she was born. For she was quite ugly, by normal standards, with blotched reddish, wrinkled skin. One Eye sealed shut and the other eye liddlessly open at all times. The unwanted foundling was left on the front steps of St.Boliniski's Hospital magical hospital in Warsaw Poland in 1345. It was said her birth hailed the start of the great plague. When they found her in a rough hewn basket of twigs they thought a wounded kneezle had been left. The small child had not the cry of a normal infant but the hateful growl of an evil beast.
St.Boliniski's was not only Poland's magic Hospital but also an orphanage for the foundlings, abandoned and orphaned children of magical families. That was where the child was placed. Much to the regrets of the "Hat Mummy's" as the children called the sister's of St.Boliniski's.
Yaga was an ugly, mean, spiteful child that did not share, did not make friends and did not play well with others. At three years of age a boy decided he was going to take a doll from Yaga, that the strange child appeared to be attempting to torture. The boy held it high above his head in out of Yaga's reach in an act of his dominance over her.
"Give.... me.... my.... dolllll.... " Yaga hissed.
"No!" The boy laughed. "You're ugly. You don't deserve a pretty doll! You deserve nothing! No ones ever coming for you! No one will ever adopt you!!!"
Yaga leapt like a coiled cobra, striking the large boy in the chest with her knees and biting him on the side of the neck with her little needle like teeth. She shook her head from side to side like a wild dog, tearing his flesh, blood flooding across the floor.
The screaming and growing brought the Hat Mummy's who were shocked by the site. The vicious young girl tearing at the throat of the larger boy. Flippendo threw Yaga off the boy. Levi Corpus kept her suspended in mid air gnashing her teeth and thrashing her arms wildly. The Hat Mummy's cast spells to stabilize the boy and rush him into the hospital side of St.Boliniski's, where luckily they were in time to save his young life.
Upon their return the Hat Mummy's found Yaga in a corner asleep, with the Doll torn apart in her lap, her mouth covered in the blood of the boy.
"We must seek guidance on how to handle this child." One of the Hat Mummy's said to the other.
The solution was one of abusive humiliation for the child. A collar was placed around her neck attached to a very solid magical chain. In every room in which Yaga was placed she was chained in place by the Hat Mummy's... "FOR HER OWN GOOD!" Anytime the horrid child would fight against the collar and chain it would give her a magical painful shock. The head Hat Mummy would smile over Yaga's twitching twisted little body. The small toad like woman took much pleasure in the pain of others while trying to bring order. "You WILL learn to behave like a proper young witch!"
Yaga learned to restrain herself. To stop live amongst the others but never to truly get along. Only to be free of the collar and chain. The children didn't like Yaga. She was ugly, like an old crone even as a little girl. The children cruelly called her "Baba" meaning old woman or grand mother. The name "Baba Yaga" stuck with her. She was nasty and unapproachable. She kept to herself and even had a room of her own, unlike the other girls who all slept in a large open dorm. Yaga had an old closet that had been cleaned out just for her.
Yaga excelled in school. She was not just smart, she was a genius. With a memory that never forgot, she was able to learn a spell or potion once and never be shown again. By the age most children were looking for a master Witch or Wizard to apprentice with, Yaga was going before the council to do her trials. To pass was to be a fully accredited witch and pass she did! Baba Yaga had the highest passing score of all witches and wizards in the from seas to steppes. Free of St.Boliniski's Baba Yaga, the young witch who looked like an old crone, that hated the world turned her back on it and walked in to the wilds by the dwindling embers of Poland's Magical hospital and Orphanage.
Baba Yaga made a name for herself as a Witch in the forests what would become Eastern Europe. The crone like Witch, that lived in the magical hut which ran on giant chicken legs, that stole and ate children. Known for her vicious evil spells and devious deals. Though she never once ate a child. She often took in orphaned girls and raised them. Using them as house maids and slaves until they reached the age of maturity, then she would drain from them their life and extend her own, casting out there bones into the forest.
It was during the reign of the fourth Wizard King of Avalon that a horrid tragedy befell him and his Queen. Both had been assassinated! Poisoned by a single poisoned apple, bought from a poor street vender, out of the kindness of their ever kind hearts. Now leaderless, the crown was free for She who could pass the first open Witch Queen trials! A series of brutal tests the royal court had devised to choose a worthy Queen!
The Witch Queen trials were open to all witches of noble birth and established name. This included Baba Yaga, who gladly jumped at the chance to compete.
Twenty four hundred witches competed for the crown. More than twenty three hundred were eliminated in the first round, as they couldn't brew a simple antidote to save a poisoned citizen. Baba Yaga could! Perhaps if the last Witch Queen could have she wouldn't have died from eating a poisoned apple from a poor bent old crone in the street!
All the tests were too easy for the witch Baba Yaga. She knew all the spells, all the hexes, all the potions, all the tricks. No one could beat her. In the end it came down to a simple duel. Baba Yaga versus a witch named Belinda Branch. A innocent and wholesome young Witch that was much the antithesis of the crone.
The two witches were given three nights to prepare for the duel. The rules were vague but quite simple. The spells used must be completely original! Having never been cast before, by witch nor wizard, any where! Also the out come of the duel must e definitive! No ties will be allowed!
The witches were brought before the members of the Royal court that lined the sides of the palace court yard. A simple rug was layed across the cobble stones. Dark blue, edged in gold, with the phases of the moon along it. Belinda Branch and Baba Yaga took up there positions back to back in the full moon center. Baba Yaga's slightly hunched posture gave her no advantage other than perhaps a slightly smaller, twisted target to hit. Upon signaling to begin the witches took their ten paces to the end and turned.
Their wands at the ready they cast their spells. Belinda Branch was barely through the first half of her most original petrifaction spell when Baba Yaga uttered the most horrific words ever heard by witch or wizard... "AVADAKEDVRA!"
In a blast of green magic Belinda Branch fell to the Royal court yard, dead. The first victim of the death curse.
"Long.... live... the.... Queeeennnn!" Baba Yaga chuckled as she held her crooked wand sky ward. Bringing an all new age of darkness to throne of Avalon.
*****************
Sasporilla chose ash for her wand because it was a compatible wood that would work in a conflicator with gold as her metal handle. Sassy had the bag of gold from between blues toes. She still had no idea what the guardsmen had been doing out here or what the gold was for, but Sassy was certain the Witch Queen was paying for something that she wanted no one else to know about.
Sasporilla would have to form the gold into the shape of the handle she needed. Five and an half inches with a light spiral twist and a gradual outward widening taper at handles end.
Usually she would hand carved the handle from one solid piece of gold or even pour molten gold into a hand crafted mold! Sasporilla had none of these options as she had no tools to work with, nor had she time. She needed a wand and needed one now. There was one option and now that she knew she was free to use it, she was going for it.
Sassy pulled some gold from the bag and began to pick at the corners of its weave. She started to reweave the magical gold coins into the handle her wand needed. Turning, forming and pulling the gold until it looked exactly like the image in her mind. With a snap of her fingers Sasporilla Bucket levitated both half of the wands before her.
"I have the wooden shaft of the wand and I have the golden handle." Sassy said. "All I need now is a core."
And this would be the first real test of her theory. Would it be possible to weave a core? Then would it be achievable to tune it to the wand and attune it to the witch?
Sasporilla plucked a corner of magical fabric. Then another, tying it into another and crossing over another until she had woven a small cylinder, formed from the fabric of magic hanging aloft between gossamer strands. An object unseen by normal eyes, but very apparent by violet hued eyes of the elven weaver.
Carefully Sasporilla moved the core between the two halves of the wand and connected them with the core inside. Sassy carefully drew the strands connecting the core up the wands shaft and through its tip. Pulled them carefully but firmly through the gold handle and out the back, never breaking the core from the fabric of magic.
The wand felt feather light in Sassy's hand when she dropped it from one hand to the next, it fell as if made by paper, slowly, weightlessly. As if it were a feather dropped from a bird. When moved in casting motions it felt good. Fast and comfortable. Sasporilla could see that it never broke or tore the fabric of magic, but rather moved from strand to strand and staying a part of the whole. Just as she'd predicted!!!
"Now that you're built I'll have to build a tuner." Sasporilla sighed. "Going to need a few things for that."
It was good thing they were travelling. Travelling across the wild lands. Just her and her new friend Blue.
**************
It was very rare that the Witch Queen needed to call for the Royal Physician, Dr.Ghann MG M.D. The head of the Royal Avalon Hospital, had been enjoying a nice day on the Flyff course when the Royal summons came. The Witch Queen had suffered a severe pain in her head for no known reason and she wanted answers. After hours of tests, Dr.Ghann had no answers for her.
The Witch Queen sat slumped in her throne. The residual pain and pressure from the attack still sat heavy in her skull. Her ears ringing and her eyes unable to look at the light.
"What do you mean you don't know!" The Witch Queen yelled wincing at the loudness of her own voice.
"I... I... I'm sorry your Majesty." Dr.Ghann said. "I can see no physical reason for the pain."
"What about Magical?" The Witch Queen growled.
"N...N...No sign of a magical attack either my glorious Witch Queen. I think you just had a simple headache." Dr.Ghann smiled nervously. "I have a marvelous wonder cure for them!"
The doctor reached deep into his old leather doctors bag and pulled out a white plastic bottle. The older man unscrewed the cap and dumped out two tablets. He placed them onto a golden tray with a glass of water and motioned for the her Royal Guardsman to carry it to her.
"These are what I prescribe for you my Witch Queen." Dr.Ghann smiled. "I believe they will fix you right up!
"What are they?" Bougenvallia asked as she took the pills and washed them down with big gulps of water.
"Acetaminophen." Dr.Ghann said.
"I'm not familiar with the potion." The Witch Queen said.
"Oh no!" The Doctor smiled. "It's not a potion! This is a quite ingenious MUGGLE cure all!"
"WHAT!" the Witch Queen scream pulling her wand. "AVADAKEDAVRA!"
Dr.Ghann fell dead, his open medical bag spilling out across the throne room floor.
"Stop! Stop!" A Guardsman shouted at a scruffy man as he barged past holding up a gold Royal seal. A symbol of importance, of free pass and one that said you will not stop me! The disheveled visitor stepped over the doctors corpse crunching pills and kicking potion bottles out of his way with abandon.
"I'm sorry your Majesty." The Guardsman said. "But this smelly vagrant has a Royal seal."
"It's alright Guardsman." The Witch Queen said waving him off. "Dismissed. What is it Millikan?"
"The great beast is on it's journey." Millikan said holding out his hand.
"Impossible." The Witch Queen said. "I paid very powerful hunters a great deal of gold to destroy the egg!"
"The great beast passed over my pit on its journey late yesterday." Millikan smiled through his gapped bake bean teeth. "I have done my job. I want my reward my Queen."
"Yes Millikan I promised you." Bougenvallia sighed. "You've lived for centuries watching for the beast for me. You deserve peace."
The Witch Queen held up her wand cast a soft blue light from its tip and kissed her faithful servant on the forehead. It us a sad moment when what a long time servant wants more than anything is the peaceful sleep of death. Bougenvallia walked back before her throne, turned and cast a little known vicious spell.... "NEX!"
Millikan was torn apart in a bloody slaughter by unseen magical forces. Flesh was strewn around the thrown room. Organs sat scattered in a lake of blood. The Witch Queen ran her finger through the splatter of fresh blood on her face and tasted its salty goodness as she sat back on her throne.
"Hmmm." The Witch Queen said looking down at the corpse of Dr.Ghann. "I am starting to feel better. Guards!!!! Get my advisors!!! I must organize a great hunt for this great beast! And clean this mess up!!!"
*******************
The tension was high amongst the dark arts professors and masters of their craft who gathered in the layer of the knights of the table round. Their forms of stone perplexed even the most advanced wizard's and witch's.
"Another failure Valentine?" Professor Hannah sniffed. "You said you knew every bloody spell, potion and trick to counter-act, the Gorgon's effects?"
"I do!" The thin older bearded man said wiping the sweat from his face nervously with a handkerchief. "I thought I did at least. I have never seen anything like this! There us absolutely no response at all from the stone to any part of anything any of us have done??? And we are all the foremost specialists in Gorgon be-stoning!"
Kathleen, the small unassuming technomancy student stood away from the rest wearing a Nanoccularcope over one eye and holding a small clicking and flashing box in her hand. Using a small Cavalcanti Extractor wand, Kathleen scraped small grains of stone off of Lyra and looked at them through her Nanoccularcope.
"Yep." The young Phillipina said tipping the scope up and checking the readings on her device. "That's what I thought."
Of course no one noticed a first year student from a discipline as ridiculous as TECHNOMANCY in the room! The adults argued amongst themselves measuring off who was most experienced and most important to make the next decision as to who would try what next as nothing any of them had done so far had yielded any positive results.
"Excuse me." Kathleen's small voice said.
No one listened, they just continued to argue. No one was bout to tell anyone else just who was in charge here!
"Excuse me!" Kathleen tried to exert herself.
When Professor Hannah threatened to transform into an Occamy and eat Professor Valentine Kathleen had had enough. The young small woman stepped up onto the round table and remembered the words of a good friend of hers from an old summer job.
"If the world won't bend to your will, break it!" He used to say. She never knew what he meant until today. He meant take control. With a deep breath she barked out the loudest voice she would ever manage in her entire life. "Shut your mouths the lot of you!"
The room went silent and all turned to the young woman in amazement.
"Thank you." Kathleen smiled nervously. "Your spells haven't worked because your not dealing with a Gorgon. You're dealing with Technomancy."
"Don't be ridiculous girl." Professor Valentine said dismissively. "You have no idea what you're talking about!"
"No sir!" Kathleen stiffened. "You, you pompous windbag haven't the courtesy nor bravery to admit when you're wrong and someone else is right!"
"I beg your..." Professor Valentine Gasped.
"Shut it Valentine." Professor Hannah smiled. "I like her! Go on girl. What do you know that we don't?"
Kathleen used her device to project sn image on the wall. It showed what looked like bugs scurrying around.
"What are they?" Professor Hannah asked quite stumped. "I pride myself in knowing just about every sort of living creature and I must admit, I don't know this one."
Kathleen zoomed in.
"They aren't creatures in a living sense." Kathleen said. "These are NANITES. Tiny machines designed to do certain jobs. Often used in technomancy for microscopic effect. In this case to form a stone casing over our friends and place them in a state of suspended animation."
"Brilliant." Professor Hanna said. "Now my dear, how do we get them out?'
Kathleen reached into her robes inner pocket and pulled out a small piece of metal that looked like a small dish. She placed it on the end of the device. With the pressing of three buttons and the fine adjustment of a few dials the dish began to emit a sound which grew higher in frequency as Kathleen made her adjustments.
The Professors covered their ears from the invasive whine. Kathleen had no choice but to suffer through the sounds assault as she watched the nanites in the projection for any reaction. It was at frequency 639Hz that Kathleen saw the nanites begin to become agitated. At 643 Hz the Nanites began to run around distressed and disorganized.
"Just a micro adjustment." Kathleen said turning another dial very slowly until she reached frequency 643.21 Hz. The nanites in the Projection shattered into dust!
"Eureka!" Kathleen smiled. "Just a case of needing the right frequency."
"Great, free them!" Professor Hanna smiled.
"Just need to boost the power." Kathleen said pulling a battery pack from her robes.
"How many pockets does that robe Have?" Professor Valentine asked.
"You'd be surprised!" Kathleen chuckled looking around the room spotting an old gramophone. "And I need that!"
Kathleen snapped the battery pack into the back end of her device. She pulled off the gramophones large floral speaker and had professor Hannah levitate it for her, so that Kathleen might slip the end of her device up into the small end of the speaker.
With a press of the button the clear whine of the frequency generator pulsed out of the speaker. In seconds the stone began to vibrate and shake. Then it became as mud, like a liquid prison fighting to encase it's prisoners as gravity pulled it down. Like a last gasp the nanites froze then burst into a fine powder disappearing as they dissolved.
The knights of the table round were free of the stone that held them and they were caught by the readied spells of the Professors surrounding them.
"You've succeeded I see." Dame Phenix said entering the chamber followed by Dame Splatterpalette.
"Yes." Professor Hannah smiled. "You've returned just in time. Your families?"
"Safe." Professor Splatterpalette smiled bending down to look at Angelo. "Who's spell work do we have to thank for freeing them?"
"The girls!" Professor Valentine said pointing out Kathleen.
"Ahhhh!" Professor Splatterpalette smiled. "Josie! Do you know who this is?"
"No." Professor Phenix said. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure."
"This is our Sasporilla's Dorm mate!" Professor Splatterpalette's broad smile faded. "Just how did you end up in the secret layer of the knights of the table round?"
"With just the device we would need to free the prisoners?" Professor Hannah asked drawing her wand.
"At just the time we would need you most?" Professor Phenix demanded.
Kathleen gulped looking down the shafts of three wands pointed right at her accusingly.
"She's here because of me!" Angelo said in a dry gravelly voice, "I said if anything happened to us to come here and look for a technomantic solution. I knew no one else would. I gave her directions."
The three knights put their wands away and apologized as the other knights came around.
"Where is Sasporilla?" Angelo asked.
PLEASE REMEMBER
I am in no way affiliated with Warner Bros. or with J.K.Rowling. My work is purely that of fan fiction & do not ask for, nor accept money, gifts or other compensation for my work. If you really feel you must do something, donate to J.K.Rowling's charitable foundation LUMOS! Link below! ( https://www.wearelumos.org/ )
I am in no way affiliated with Warner Bros. or with J.K.Rowling. My work is purely that of fan fiction & do not ask for, nor accept money, gifts or other compensation for my work. If you really feel you must do something, donate to J.K.Rowling's charitable foundation LUMOS! Link below! ( https://www.wearelumos.org/ )