"A talisman of hiding, using candy people to lure children into the dark forest before abducting them—that's how she was able to get away with it for so long," Cassandra exclaimed in disbelief as the Traveller revealed the items he had looted from the witch's lair.
"We're here," the Traveller said, leading her toward the witch's candy house.
Cassandra surveyed the area, her sharp eyes catching the small figures hiding in the shadows of the woods. Candy people—scattered and broken in spirit—peeked out cautiously, their morale shattered after the Traveller had started devouring some of them and killed their mistress. They had fled in all directions, unsure of where to go.
Cassandra knelt down, beckoning gently to the frightened candy folk. "It's alright now. You're safe. No one will eat you."
Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out a small bag of sparkling white powder and sprinkled it into the air. The powder twinkled as it floated down, an enticing aroma filling the air. "You must be hungry," she said softly, as though speaking to children.
The candy people were visibly drawn to the powder, but their eyes kept darting to the Traveller with fear and suspicion.
A slightly larger candy figure, donned in knightly attire—made of candy armor, of course—stepped forward. Pointing a candy lance at the Traveller, he spoke with a shaky but firm voice. "Fair lady, we dare not approach, for that terrible foe has... eaten many of our kind."
Cassandra's head snapped around, her eyes wide with horror as she stared at the Traveller. "You ate candy people?!"
The Traveller scratched his head awkwardly, avoiding her gaze. "Well... maybe a few. It was... kind of a desperate situation."
Cassandra's expression darkened, her voice filled with admonishment. "Do you realize what you've done? Not to mention the price of eating them, these candy people are made from children who were turned into candy! They were born from the souls of children, mixed with the fear of being eaten. Promise me," she said, her tone firm, "you will never eat them again."
The Traveller, realizing the gravity of his actions, raised a hand in mock solemnity, though a hint of a smirk played on his lips. "I solemnly swear, I will never eat a candy person again."
Satisfied but still glaring at him, Cassandra turned back to the candy knight. "I'm sorry about him. He won't do that ever again. Would you like some sugar now?"
The candy knight hesitated but, reassured by Cassandra's kind demeanor, cautiously approached. He dipped a hand into the sugar and began eating. The rest of the candy people, seeing their leader take the first step, followed suit, cautiously gathering around Cassandra and partaking in the sugar powder.
"Would you like to come with me?" Cassandra asked, smiling at the candy folk. "There are many other candy people I've rescued who work with me now. You'll be safe."
The candy people huddled together for a whispered discussion. After a few moments, the candy knight emerged again, bowing slightly. "It would be an honor to serve you, fair lady."
Cassandra chuckled at the formality, her face softening with warmth. But the moment was broken when the Traveller, curious about the candy magic, came closer to ask a question.
"Can you use candy magic as well?" the Traveller asked.
At the sight of the Traveller, the candy people recoiled, some letting out small squeaks of fear. A few even huddled together as if preparing for the worst.
Cassandra's smile vanished, and she shot an irritated look at the Traveller. "Really? You've terrified them."
Feeling a bit playful and mischievous, the Traveller couldn't resist. He made a grotesque face at the candy people, widening his eyes and baring his teeth. The effect was instantaneous—pandemonium erupted among the candy creatures. They screamed and ran in all directions, with one gummy soldier fainting on the spot, its gummy heart popping right out of its chest.
Cassandra turned her furious gaze back to the Traveller, who nonchalantly turned away, pretending to whistle innocently. Rolling her eyes, she knelt beside the fallen gummy soldier, gently pushing its heart back into place and restoring it to life with a soft glow of magic.
Without another word, Cassandra led the way into the candy witch's cottage, the candy folk trailing behind her like curious children.
Inside, the cottage was a surreal scene of sugary horrors. Giant jars lined the shelves, each filled with grotesque ingredients. Cassandra's expression shifted from focused to deeply unsettled as she inspected them. "This… this is sugar converted from muscle tissue," she murmured, pointing to one jar. "And this… brain syrup."
She turned to the Traveller, her voice soft but carrying an undercurrent of sorrow. "I'm sorry for my outburst earlier. I just—thank you for killing the witch."
The Traveller offered her a half-smile. "It was my honor... though, to be fair, she was about to turn me into candy too, so I didn't exactly have a choice."
Meanwhile, John, Cassandra's silent partner, was examining the witch's body. After a few moments, he made a series of hand signs toward Cassandra.
Cassandra glanced at the Traveller. "You're of Ezekiel blood, aren't you?"
The Traveller stiffened slightly. "Uh... yeah."
"That's why she targeted you," Cassandra explained. "The price of her dark magic had almost completely consumed her. Candy made from your body, with your Ezekiel bloodline, would have given her the power to fight back against the price and restore her vitality."
John signed something again, and Cassandra nodded grimly.
"We need to get her body out of here before it turns into a Fell," she said, pointing at the blackened chocolate floor beneath the witch. "Her magic is seeping into the surroundings. If we leave her much longer, the corpse might absorb the remaining magic and become something far worse. A Fell transformed from a Marked cursed is... not something you'd want to face."
"She was on the verge of becoming one," Cassandra continued, casting a wary glance at the house. "You were lucky to defeat her when you did. If she had fully transformed or had the chance to tap deeper into her domain's magic, everything in this cottage would've attacked you. The floor would've melted, trapping you in chocolate, the walls would've crushed you, and her magic would have been nearly unstoppable."
John pulled out a small drawstring sack and, with a quick flick of his wrist, retrieved a large body bag from within.
The Traveller blinked. "That... that's a pretty useful trick."
"It's an extra-space knapsack," Cassandra explained. "There's far more room inside than it looks."
Lucian chimed in through their telepathic connection.
Extra-Space Knapsack
Description: A bag with expanded space inside, allowing it to carry far more than its outward size suggests.
Price: A silver coin must be offered weekly to the Merchant of Wealth.
While John processed the witch's body, Cassandra directed the candy people to begin dismantling the cottage. With a magic bag of her own, she started collecting candy materials and ingredients.
The candy knight led the effort, using his lance to pry up the chocolate flooring. Gummy creatures carried the broken pieces, while gingerbread workers cut down the cookie walls and recycled them into ingredients using a large cauldron that had once served as a cannon.
"Don't look at me like that, I'll pay you back for this... at some point" Cassandra said, noticing the Traveller's curious gaze.
"No, It's not that, I'm just impressed by their ingenuity and efficiency." The Traveller remarked
"They're good children," Cassandra said fondly, though her expression quickly became stern. "Which is why you must not eat them."
Her stern expression, however, only made her look cute. He chuckled, holding up his hands. "Of course, I wouldn't." The Traveller grinned playfully. "Of course, I wouldn't."
Then, just for fun, he licked his lips at a nearby candy person. The poor creature shrieked and ran in frantic circles. Cassandra shot him another exasperated look.
"Come to think of it," she said, turning back to him, "what's your plan now? Do you have somewhere to go?"
"I am... a free spirit, exploring the world and all its wonders!" the Traveller declared dramatically.
"So... no?" Cassandra asked, raising an eyebrow.
The Traveller laughed. "Yeah, no. No plans... no job either."
"Well, in that case... would you consider joining the Nightwatchers?" she offered. "We're always looking for people, and there are great benefits... You'd have to use magic frequently, so if you don't want to it okay..."
The Traveller turned inward, telepathically asking Lucian, What do you think? As a very small shareholder in our enterprise and an employee, you get a very small say as well.
Lucian, unusually chipper, replied, I think it's a great idea. He didn't even question why he only got a verys small say and small share.
The Traveller couldn't help but notice Lucian's attention lingering on Cassandra.
"Well then," the Traveller said aloud, "I'd be happy to join the Nightwatchers."
Cassandra's face lit up with a radiant smile, and the Traveller couldn't help but notice Lucian's smile widen with hers.
Ah, makes sense. After everything we've been through, a kind smile from a pretty girl must be nice for him. All the female, he's ever met are from the outer districts. The pretty people have all being take as servant for the nobles in the inner district. And he had to struggle to survive everyday both literally and figuratively, now find a pretty, kind heart girl that smiled at him. The Traveller thought with a bit of amusement at the situation.
Wait… but she smiled at me not him. This my body... This is going to be a very interesting situation in the future...
This is going to be a fun and weird future, he thought with a grin.