Mastodawn

Alixandrina Flandery McDermitt the Third (Part 1)

#Fanfic #WanderingWitch
#Wss366 #Dragon #ScribesAndMakers Alix could finally see daylight

What I’d feared began soon after I summited the pass. The heavens opened up, and the rain came pelting down. By all rights, I shouldn’t have been flying, but the other option was a hard climb up a rocky, narrow trail etched through shale fields that was reputed to be haunted by bandits. All in all, being buffeted by the winds that tore at my black robes and tangled my long, ashen hair seemed the wisest choice.

Still, there was a limit to how much I dared, and with lightning threatening, I landed in a rugged dale that promised shelter.

And who was this daredevil with amethyst eyes and a shiny mage’s star on her cloak?

Why, of course, it was I, the young, beautiful Elaina the Ashen Witch. Who else?

Once on the ground, I made my way across the snowfields to a twisted copse of alpine pines. Under their protection, I could keep the rain off and build a small fire of pinecones and branches. It would have been cozy watching the flames dance in the draft that seeped through the leafy umbrella of my resting spot, except for the storm’s keening.

There was something else, too: a moaning that didn’t seem to be from the restless air. The sound was thin and whiny, yet had a bass quality that precluded it from being the wind or a ghost. During a lull, I made out the words: “Help! Let Alix out.” No, it definitely wasn’t a spirit; perhaps it was a wayfarer like myself.

At first, I considered ignoring it. One could never tell if a fellow wanderer would be grateful and offer a reward or be a bandit who would murder you in your bed. But after wrapping my cloak around myself and attempting to sleep, I gave up. Who could rest with that dreadful whining?

[Continued in next post]

#TootFic #NMFic #MicroFiction

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NaraMoore ⛩️👻八尺様👻⛩️ at Fedi

Alixandrina Flandery McDermitt the Third (Part 2)

#Fanfic #WanderingWitch
#Wss366 Dragon #ScribesAndMakers Alix could finally see daylight

[Continued from previous post.]

It didn’t take me long to find the source of the sound: a rockslide. No doubt, a traveler had become trapped while sheltering in a cave. Or maybe it was a band of outlaws. I shrugged; I was sure a blast of fire would deal with the latter, and the former might offer me untold wealth for helping them. After all, I needed money. Inns weren’t cheap, even the kind I used, and my purse was flat.

“Who are you?” I called.

“Alixandrina Flandery McDermitt the Third, but you can call me Alix,” the voice replied.

That sounded promising. What self-respecting bandit would have a name like that?

“What can I do for you?” I asked even though I knew the answer. It seemed like a good warm-up question to encourage a bribe.

“If you free me, I’ll reward you well. Let’s see, would a robin-egg-sized ruby do? Or would you prefer a gold nugget?”

That had worked out better than I had hoped. “It will be a lot of work,” I said.

“How about both?”

Wow, this was a soft touch. It was almost disappointing how easy it had been.

“I’ll seal you back in if you’re lying,” I said. “I would hate to go through all that labor only to release a thieving beggar without a groat to her name.”

“Truly, I wouldn’t try to cheat you.”

I sighed, dusted off my hands, and began levitating the rocks out of the way. Even if Alex only had a bent copper, it was the right thing to do.

Gradually, a cave entrance appeared, though I couldn’t see anyone. “You can come out,” I called.

“It needs to be wider,” a deep, rumbling voice said. “It is too small for Alix.”

I frowned. How big was this individual? But rather than protest, I pushed a large boulder aside, enlarging the hole. “There, that should do!” I said.

“Alix can finally see daylight,” the voice said.

I readied a spell. By all rights, a trapped person, eager to leave their confinement, should have appeared by now.

The wisdom of this was soon apparent as a snaky head emerged from the cave's depths.

“You're a #dragon!” I said as I prepared to blast it.

[Continued on Thursday]

#TootFic #NMFic #Microfiction

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Kirtai 🏳️‍⚧️12h ago

@NaraMoore
I love these Ashen Witch stories