Wand of the Witch

by Daniel Arenson

  Were these boulders once spiderlings, or were they humans like me? Scruff wondered. Do they still remember walking and breathing? Can they see and hear us now?

  A tall spiderling stood between the boulders, clad in white robes. A halo of fireflies encircled her head. Her skin was indigo, darker and bluer than the skin of young spiderlings. Her eyes were azure and too large, her face ageless. An elder, Scruff knew. A leader of the clan.

  The elder raised her hands above her head. Her bracelets of white stones chinked. She raised her deep, sonorous voice; it seemed to shake the clouds.

  "Today we gather atop the Stairway to Heaven to put the traitors on trial!"

  The spiderling guards cheered.

  "That's not fair!" Scruff said. "How do you know we're traitors if the trial hasn't begun yet?"

  The spiderling elder stared at him, and Scruff gulped. Her eyes were twice the usual size and deep as night. Stars swirled inside them. Scruff could not speak or breathe. This was an ancient creature of great power, he realized.

  "The trial begins," she said.

  The spiderling guards goaded the prisoners close together. Cobweb pressed against Scruff's right arm. Gossamer and Webdew huddled to his left. The guards surrounded them, smirking and leaning on their spears. All around, the boulders rose, runes glowing upon them.

  The elder stood before them, glowing and stern. She stared at Scruff. Her eyes bore into him. Scruff wanted to turn away, to look at anything else, but could not. Those eyes held him; it seemed ages before they left him. He trembled and breathed in deep, shaky breaths.

  The elder stared at Cobweb next, a stare that lasted an eternity. She trembled under that gaze; Scruff ached to see it. And yet his wife stared back, chin raised, trembling but defiant.

  I'm proud of you, Cobweb, Scruff thought.

  Finally the eyes stared at Gossamer and Webdew. Both trembled and whimpered, and Webdew's eyes filled with tears. After ages of staring, the turns of seasons and the passing of histories, the elder stared ahead into the horizon.

  "The trial," she announced, "is complete."

  "That's it?" Scruff demanded. "We haven't even said anything! Won't you let us defend ourselves?"

  "Silence!" shouted a spiderling behind him, and spears stabbed his back. Scruff barely noticed the pain.

  "So what now?" he said. "Speak, elder!"

  A long silence fell. The spiderlings caught their breaths. The birds did not chirp. The trees below did not rustle. Scruff heard his heartbeat thudding in his ears.

  Finally the elder spoke.

  "Guilty!"

  Scruff sighed. "Was I really expecting anything else?"

  Cobweb gasped and Webdew whimpered. Gossamer stared around in shock. The elder raised her hands. Moonlight glowed inside them. She pointed her hands toward Webdew, who was weeping now.

  "No, please," the young spiderling begged.

  The light blasted onto Webdew. She gasped and tossed her head back. Her skin turned grey, and tendrils of stone raced across her.

  "Webdew!" Cobweb cried, tears in her eyes. She turned to the elder, panting. "Pwease, don't! She d-d-didn't do anyting! Tuwn me t-t-to stone instead!"

  The elder ignored Cobweb. Her teeth were bared. Her eyes blazed like suns. The moonlight flowed from her fingers, bathing Webdew. The young spiderling wept and screamed, but the tendrils of stone covered her face and ran into her mouth. Her scream died. Her body froze. Her hair hardened and her tears fell as pebbles.

  "Webdew, no," Cobweb whimpered.

  It only took a few seconds more, and Webdew was a boulder. A rune glowed upon the stone.

  Silence fell.

  "Guilty," the elder whispered. She turned to glare at Cobweb. "And you are next."

  Chapter Nineteen

  Roc Sounds

  "Okay," Romy said as they walked down the tunnel. "There's only one challenge left to face." She swallowed and shuddered. "But it's the most horrible, terrifying enemy of all."

  She clutched Neev's hand and squeezed it. She hated this part of the journey. Hated it. She was tempted to turn back and run to Earth.

  "What is it, Romy?" Neev asked. He patted her hand. "You're trembling."

  She squeezed his hand so hard, he grunted. "Oh, it's awful, Neev!"

  "Worse than the molemen?"

  "Mhm."

  "Worse than the snakes and the whale?"

  "Much worse." She thought she could hear them ahead: the terrible padding of their feet, the bloodthirty call of their voices. "We're going to die, Neev! We're going to DIE!!!"

  "Calm down, Romy!" Neev muttered a spell and a fireball formed in his hand. "We've defeated so many enemies before. We'll defeat this one too. You've come through here before and survived, right?"

  Holding hands, they stepped deeper into the tunnels. Romy's knees knocked. Maybe the monsters wouldn't see her this time, she thought. Maybe they were sleeping. Maybe....

  She saw them ahead.

  "AHHH!" she screamed. "Neev, run! RUN! We're done for!"

  She turned to flee, but Neev held her hand tight.

  "Romy, really! They're cute."

  She covered her eyes and peeked between her fingers. A hundred red little devil ducklings blinked at her. Their little beaks opened and they quacked. Their fluffy wings flapped uselessly, each the size of her pinky fingers.

  "I hate them," she said. "Oh, why did we ever come here?"

  Neev began pulling her down the tunnel between the devil ducklings. The monsters quacked and squeaked at their sides. A few even brushed against her legs. Romy shrieked.

  "Neev, please, let's go back home. Back to Earth."

  "Romy, we've come all this way. We've defeated all these enemies. We can't turn back now because of a few cute ducklings."

  "A few monstrous, demon-eating devil ducklings!"

  He patted her hand. "You can do this, Romy. I'm with you. I'll protect you. Step by step, okay?"

  She trembled and kept her eyes closed, but could still hear the quacking, and she could still feel their fluffiness against her legs. The tunnel was too low for flying, and Neev kept pulling her through the sea of feathers and beaks. A tear streamed down Romy's cheek.

  "We're almost through them, Romy. Just two more steps, okay? I'm with you."

  She clung to him, shivering and whimpering. She missed the hellsnakes. She missed the molemen. She even missed the giant vulture Vanderbeak. They all seemed tame as bunny rabbits compared to these ducklings.

  "There, Romy. We're past the ducklings. You can open your eyes now."

  She shook her head wildly. "Nuh uh."

  Neev patted her shoulder. "I promise you, Romster. No more ducklings."

  She trembled. "Are there any feathers around?"

  "No feathers. Only pools of lava, jagged rocks, and a black staircase plunging into darkness."

  She sighed in relief and opened her eyes. Neev was right. The ducklings were gone behind them; she could hear only faint quacking. Before them, the Staircase of Shadows descended into the pits of Hell.

  "We're home," she said and breathed deeply. She hugged Neev. "We made it! The last challenge is always the toughest, innit?"

  He raised his shoulders and eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak. Romy shot him a shrivelling glare. His shoulders and eyebrows fell, and he nodded.

  "It always is." He kissed her cheek. "You were very brave. I'm proud of you."

  She wagged her tail weakly. "I did all right, didn't I?" She nudged him. "Better than you with the lava whale." She thought for a moment. "Or the snakes, or the molemen, or—"

  "I get it, Romy. Now let's go find your friends."

  She nodded and pointed down the staircase. It was a narrow staircase framed with craggy black walls. The steps were narrow and glowed a deep red.

  "Hell is down there. This is a back entrance, of course. When we bring sinners in, they enter the main gates, which are all scary and fiery, with giant vultures like Vanderbeak, and demons with whips, and skulls and things. This is ju
st a service tunnel—a back door—so it's not very impressive. It's really quite plain, and... it's not the best introduction to my home." She thought for a moment. How could she bring Neev into Hell, her beloved homeland, like this? She turned around and began walking away. "Forget it, let's go back to Earth. I know another entrance to Hell that's much more glamorous."

  "Romy!" Neev grabbed her and pulled her back. "We're not turning back now. Besides, do you want to face the ducklings again?"

  She gulped. "No, but... Oh, Neev. I've told you so much about Hell. I want you to see the main gates, not the back door. When we walk downstairs, can you imagine mountains of skulls, and evil rocs, and demons with flaming whips?"

  He nodded. "I will. I promise."

  "Okay. So come on."

  Hand in hand, they began walking downstairs. Heat rose from below. The steps were so craggy, they had to hold the walls for support. Shadows and smoke swirled around their feet. Every step was a balancing act.

  "Neev," Romy whispered, "are you imagining rocs?"

  He nodded. "Yes, Romy."

  "Big ones. Evil vultures the size of dragons. CAW! CAW!!!"

  He nudged her. "Ow! My ears. Romy, what are you doing?"

  "CAW! CAAAAW! I'm making roc sounds to help you."

  He glared at her in the shadows. "It's okay, Romy. I can imagine them quietly too."

  They kept walking downstairs. The way featured nothing but rocks, smoke, and craggy walls.

  "GROWL!" Romy said. "RAWR! GROAWRRRR!" Her cries echoed.

  "Romy!" He elbowed her. "Quiet. My ears are hurting. What are you doing?"

  She groaned and pouted. "Neeeev! You're not imagining. You shouldn't think it's me. I'm being the hell dragons now. Are you imagining the hell dragons?"

  "Yes, they're very nice."

  "They're not nice. Neev! Come on." She crossed her arms and stood still. "We're going to go back, and find the main entrance, unless you can pretend better."

  He sighed. "Oh, wow! I can see hell dragons. They're not nice at all, and they're very big and very scary, especially the sounds they make. Better?"

  She nodded. "Mhm. Okay, we're here."

  They took three more steps and reached a wooden door. It was a bit chipped and somebody had scratched a naughty drawing in the corner.

  "Behold!" Romy said. "The gates of Hell! Cower at their might!" She nudged Neev and whispered from the side of her mouth. "Cower, Neev."

  He shuddered theatrically. "Oh, fright!"

  Romy put her hand on the doorknob, then froze. She looked at Neev and tapped her chin.

  "I just realized something, Neev. You're human."

  He rolled his eyes. "You only realized that now?"

  "Well, I always knew, sort of, in the back of my mind. But it never mattered much, not on Earth. Now we're about to enter Hell. There will be demons there; lots and lots and lots of em. These demons might be surprised to see a human down here."

  Neev pulled his hood low over his head. "I'll do what you do on Earth. Hide under cloak and hood."

  She pinched his cheek. "No, silly! That won't work. Demons don't wear cloaks and hoods. We wear fire. You'll have to pretend to be dead, to be a sinner sent for eternal damnation."

  "I usually feel like I'm doomed to eternal damnation around you, Romy."

  "Perfect then! You'll have to pretend to be my sinner, specifically. I used to be a torturer, you know. I've tortured lots and lots and lots of sinners."

  Neev raised his eyebrows. "I can't imagine you torturing anyone, Romy. You—torturing sinners with whips, racks, and pincers?"

  She lowered her eyes sheepishly. "Well... my methods were a little different. I mostly gave sinners wedgies and Indian burns. Sometimes I'd play my accordion for them or make them smell my old socks." She shrugged. "Whatever gets the job done."

  "I ain't smelling your socks, Romy."

  She reached into his pack and rummaged around. "Hey Neev, remember how in Queenpool, we put on a show? You chained me up, so that everybody thought I was a tame demon." She found rope in his pack and pulled it out. "Well... gueeeess what?"

  He held up his hands. "No way, Romy. No. Just no way."

  "Come on! It's the only way it'll be believable. I have to tie you up."

  "I'm not doing it!"

  She stamped her feet and pouted. "Neev, on Earth, I did what you asked. I wore a hood and cloak. I let you chain me up, so people thought I'm a monster. Well, now we're in my home, so you have to do whatever I say. It's the rope for you."

  "No deal."

  She sighed and looked away... then pounced onto him. She knocked him down and wrestled. He tried to fight, but she pressed her knee into his back.

  "ROMY!"

  She pulled his arms behind him and wrapped the rope around his wrists. "Don't fight, Neev! You have to do it."

  He grumbled and muttered and kicked, but finally she had his wrists tied behind his back. She helped him up. He stood glaring.

  "Perfect!" she said. She stood behind him and goaded him forward with her pitchfork. "Now move it, sinner! Be good or I'll torture you with my singing voice." She opened the door, revealing a chamber of fire and darkness. "Home sweet home."

  * * * * *

  Scruff stared at the boulder that had been Webdew. Ice filled his belly.

  No! His anger bubbled. He couldn't allow it. He would not watch this happen to Cobweb too. He growled and shouted.

  "You want boulders?"

  The elder turned to stare at him. Her eyes bore into him, but Scruff was so enraged, he barely felt them.

  "You like boulders, crone? I'll give you boulders!"

  He leaped and slammed into a boulder that rose before him.

  "Scwuff!" Cobweb shouted.

  The boulder tilted. The spiderlings screamed and the elder leaped back. The boulder slammed down, narrowly missing the elder and shaking the stairway.

  The elder snarled and pointed her hands at him. The moonlight fell upon him, and he screamed. He looked at his hands and saw them turn grey.

  "No! You will not turn me to stone too."

  He slammed into a second boulder and knocked it over. The elder jumped back, and the boulder slammed down beside her, cracking the stairway. Scruff slammed into a third boulder, and soon they were falling like dominoes.

  "Down the stairs!" he shouted to Cobweb and Gossamer. "Hurry!"

  The two began racing down the Stairway to Heaven. The guards leaped after them with spears, but Scruff shoved more boulders. They crashed down, shaking the staircase and trapping the guards on the platform above.

  "Scwuff, come on!" Cobweb shouted.

  Scruff knocked down a few more boulders. The spiderlings atop the staircase tried to climb over, but slid off. Scruff knew the barricade wouldn't hold them for long. He began racing downstairs behind Cobweb and Gossamer.

  The elder's voice rumbled behind them, cascading down the stairway.

  "Kill them!"

  Scruff looked over his shoulder. The spiderlings had climbed over the fallen boulders and were racing downstairs. Their spears glinted.

  "Come on, run faster!" Scruff cried to Cobweb and Gossamer. They hopped downstairs, leaping three steps at a time. Their legs were still hobbled, and with every leap, Scruff was sure he'd fall and break his head.

  "Kill them!" the elder cried behind.

  It seemed ages before they reached the forest. They crashed through branches and reached the forest floor. Great dragonflies waited there, tethered to the trees. They bore saddles of polished wood and rope. Fastened to each saddle was a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a spear. Scruff gasped to see his own weapon—his spiny mace Norman—attached to one saddle.

  "They stole Norman!"

  Cobweb hopped toward one dragonfly, turned her back, and reached out her bound arms.

  "Bite da wopes off, dwagonfwy!" she said. "B-b-bite dem off and I'ww give you a tweat!"

  The dragonfly bit through the ropes. Soon Cobweb, Scruff, and Gossamer were free of their bonds. The spiderli
ngs came racing down the staircase before them, crashing between the branches toward the forest floor.

  "Fwy!" Cobweb cried. She leaped onto one dragonfly. Gossamer leaped onto another.

  Scruff hesitated. The dragonflies were large—the size of horses—but they were still slim insects with brittle wings. He weighed as much as three spiderlings; could they carry him?

  "Scwuff, huwwy!"

  The elder raced toward him. Her hands reached out. Moonlight flowed from them. Scruff cursed and leaped onto the dragonfly his mace was strapped to.

  The insect gave a long, mournful moan. "Oooowwwwww."

  "Now fly, boy!" Scruff shouted. "Fly!"

  Moaning and squeaking, his dragonfly began flapping its wings. It wobbled and dipped. Gossamer and Cobweb were already soaring toward the treetops.

  "Fly now, or she'll turn me to stone, and I'll be twice as heavy!"

  The dragonfly gave a startled squeak and soared. They crashed through the treetops and into the sky. Scruff saw Cobweb and Gossamer flying ahead.

  "Fly to them, boy," Scruff shouted. The wind shrieked and spiderlings shouted below. "Go on."

  "Ooowwww," said the dragonfly.

  Soon he flew alongside Cobweb and Gossamer. Clouds streamed around them. The forest spun below.

  "Now let's fly out this forest!" Scruff shouted to his wife. "Let's fly to Burrfield."

  Cobweb shook her head wildly. Her hair streamed. "We have to get fwowews!"

  Below them, more dragonflies were taking flight. Spiderlings rode them, shouting and pointing. The elder rode at their lead. Scruff cursed.

  "Cobweb," he said, "I love you, but this is no time for picking flowers."

  Gossamer rode her dragonfly beside him. "Cobweb is right!" she shouted. "Scruff, only the flowers can save Webdew and the other boulders. The pollen can cure them."

  Scruff looked at her as if she were insane. He grumbled. "Great. More silkflowers." He sneezed in anticipation.

  Cobweb pointed to a meadow below. "I see a b-b-bunch of fwowews der!"

  Before Scruff could look, arrows whistled around them. One flew so close to his ear, it sliced a strand of his hair. He cursed and looked over his shoulder. Twenty spiderlings were chasing him, riding dragonflies and shooting arrows. Scruff grumbled and reached for the bow and arrow attached to his saddle. He was a clumsy archer at best; his arrow flew and missed the spiderlings by a hundred yards.