she
elaborated.
William was grateful for that. At least he
could stretch his legs a big.
Hilda saw his face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Not used to sitting on a broom for
that long," William explained.
"Oh, heh, that's just some getting used to.
Come." Hilda marched ahead, to a large and aggressive metal wall
thirty yards high. She stared at it. "That's odd."
Before William could ask her what would be
odd, Hilda stepped forward and disappeared through the wall. He was
still convincing his mind that he had seen this happen, when she
came back.
"Coming with me? It's just an illusion..."
She took his hand and dragged him along until they were on the
other side of what looked as a thick wall and was nothing at
all.
Behind the walk-through wall lay a large
garden. It had patches with fruit trees, patches with vegetables,
and a small patch on which a simple wooden hut was erected.
"I don't like this," Hilda mumbled. She
walked to the hut, wand in hand and William close behind her.
"Gerdundula, where are you," she whispered.
William sensed something or heard something
and wanted to warn Hilda, but he was a second too late. The door in
the hut flew open and a dark brown shape cam charging out of it,
crashing into the witch who tumbled to the floor. William, just far
enough behind Hilda, was ready for the thing, whatever it was. The
salesman was not a fighter, but the thrill of the broomstick-ride
and the tension that hung around this place had worked him up quite
well. He had a good swing at the brown shape and hit it full in
where one would expect a face.
The shape's speed did not get slowed down by
it, the impact also took William down, but the whack had definitely
significance. After several yards the shape also tumbled down and
remained motionless.
William got up and saw that Hilda was on her
feet again also. "You okay?", he asked, rubbing his fist.
"Yeah." The wicked witch all but jumped on
top of the brown shape that lay face-down on the path. She groaned
as she pushed hard to turn it around. "Oh crap."
The man in blue joined her and looked at the
face that his hand had had contact with. "What the hell is
that?"
The creature that lay knocked out was some
five feet tall. It was dressed in what looked like second-hand bear
skin. This would make sense, as a bear would have been the previous
owner. The face of the thing was crowned with dirty short black
hair. It had big ears that stood from the wide tanned face as sails
on a sailboat. The creature had a flat wide nose and a remarkably
small mouth, around which there was hardly a trace of lips.
The lying victim was broadshouldered. It
reminded William of the Incredible Hulk, but then in a miniaturised
version. It was barefoot, its feet incredibly dirty with mud and
sand.
"This is a Grizble. It is made. Nothing
natural or normal about it." Hilda magicked a rope around the
Grizble, immobilising it.
"And what, if you allow the question, is a
Grizble?"
Hilda sighed, sat down on a garden stone and
looked up at William. "It is like a cross between a baby troll and
a leprechaun. Mean as you can think it up, they have some low-level
magical abilities, and they are strong. So how it is possible that
you managed to knock it out is beyond me."
"My hand agrees with you," William nodded as
he sat down next to her.
"Grizbles are the messengers and bell-hops
for Lamador."
William remembered the name. It was the
sorcerer that Hilda was scared of. He looked at her and recognised
traces of worry on the witchy face. In an impulse he put an arm
around her and gently pulled her against him.
Hilda let him, as she rested her head against
his shoulder. She sighed, closing her eyes. Then her eyes flew
open, as she pushed him away and got to her feet quickly. "What do
you think you're doing?!", she asked him sharply.
"Being friendly and supportive," William
replied as he got up from the ground that her push had landed him
on, "but it looks as if that doesn't agree with you very well."
elaborated.
William was grateful for that. At least he
could stretch his legs a big.
Hilda saw his face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Not used to sitting on a broom for
that long," William explained.
"Oh, heh, that's just some getting used to.
Come." Hilda marched ahead, to a large and aggressive metal wall
thirty yards high. She stared at it. "That's odd."
Before William could ask her what would be
odd, Hilda stepped forward and disappeared through the wall. He was
still convincing his mind that he had seen this happen, when she
came back.
"Coming with me? It's just an illusion..."
She took his hand and dragged him along until they were on the
other side of what looked as a thick wall and was nothing at
all.
Behind the walk-through wall lay a large
garden. It had patches with fruit trees, patches with vegetables,
and a small patch on which a simple wooden hut was erected.
"I don't like this," Hilda mumbled. She
walked to the hut, wand in hand and William close behind her.
"Gerdundula, where are you," she whispered.
William sensed something or heard something
and wanted to warn Hilda, but he was a second too late. The door in
the hut flew open and a dark brown shape cam charging out of it,
crashing into the witch who tumbled to the floor. William, just far
enough behind Hilda, was ready for the thing, whatever it was. The
salesman was not a fighter, but the thrill of the broomstick-ride
and the tension that hung around this place had worked him up quite
well. He had a good swing at the brown shape and hit it full in
where one would expect a face.
The shape's speed did not get slowed down by
it, the impact also took William down, but the whack had definitely
significance. After several yards the shape also tumbled down and
remained motionless.
William got up and saw that Hilda was on her
feet again also. "You okay?", he asked, rubbing his fist.
"Yeah." The wicked witch all but jumped on
top of the brown shape that lay face-down on the path. She groaned
as she pushed hard to turn it around. "Oh crap."
The man in blue joined her and looked at the
face that his hand had had contact with. "What the hell is
that?"
The creature that lay knocked out was some
five feet tall. It was dressed in what looked like second-hand bear
skin. This would make sense, as a bear would have been the previous
owner. The face of the thing was crowned with dirty short black
hair. It had big ears that stood from the wide tanned face as sails
on a sailboat. The creature had a flat wide nose and a remarkably
small mouth, around which there was hardly a trace of lips.
The lying victim was broadshouldered. It
reminded William of the Incredible Hulk, but then in a miniaturised
version. It was barefoot, its feet incredibly dirty with mud and
sand.
"This is a Grizble. It is made. Nothing
natural or normal about it." Hilda magicked a rope around the
Grizble, immobilising it.
"And what, if you allow the question, is a
Grizble?"
Hilda sighed, sat down on a garden stone and
looked up at William. "It is like a cross between a baby troll and
a leprechaun. Mean as you can think it up, they have some low-level
magical abilities, and they are strong. So how it is possible that
you managed to knock it out is beyond me."
"My hand agrees with you," William nodded as
he sat down next to her.
"Grizbles are the messengers and bell-hops
for Lamador."
William remembered the name. It was the
sorcerer that Hilda was scared of. He looked at her and recognised
traces of worry on the witchy face. In an impulse he put an arm
around her and gently pulled her against him.
Hilda let him, as she rested her head against
his shoulder. She sighed, closing her eyes. Then her eyes flew
open, as she pushed him away and got to her feet quickly. "What do
you think you're doing?!", she asked him sharply.
"Being friendly and supportive," William
replied as he got up from the ground that her push had landed him
on, "but it looks as if that doesn't agree with you very well."
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