WQ - The Fade: Witch Ops Deployment

It had been a normal day for The Grand Witch, and like most nomral days when she wasn't hunting mushrooms or forming world changing adventurer groups, she was drinking cocoa and candy at a bar.

"Hehe, fill her up barkeep! I can barely feel taste the sugar in this one! Hehehe, you better not be holding out on me! Hehehe."

As the bartender scuttled by to pick up her glass and refill her drink, she took a sidelong glance at the other clientele. Most were fairly mundane, a farmer or villager. A drunk in the corner prattling on about his fighting prowess. Two women sipping on drinks while enjoying the afternoon. It was by chance that she had overheard the whispers coming from the corner. As she turned, she watched as two common looking men spoke in hushed and nervous whispers. They seemed shaken, one blotted sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, while the other subtly massaged his neck. One of the men spoke a little too loud and was quickly ushed by the other. Majolica hadn't caught all of what was said, but what she did stood out.

"Death, sickness, paranoia... hehe... a growing darkness... hehehe... "

Could it be that dumb fog again?

The villagers seemed shaken as they spoke of the rumors coming in from the west. Something was happening there... whether it was an illness, a sickness of the mind, evil magic, or a demon they couldn't be sure, but whatever it was, it was spreading.

Majolica hopped off her stool and approached the villagers.

"Hehehe, so... darkness is on the rise? Hehe, tell me where!"

Not sure exactly who this little witch was, the villagers shook their heads at Majolica. Apparently, they had mistaken her for a village girl with a penchant for playing dress-up.

"Look, missy. I don't know what game you're playing but keep quiet and go back to your Mama. You shouldn't be listening in to people, and the matters we're speaking of ain't no game."

Majolica grinned.

"Hehehe, I'm not a baby, I'm a very powerful grand witch that fights on the side of justice... hehe, and I'm asking you politely for some direction..."

The Grand Witch's eyes flashed with dark energy as she looked at the man. Not quite sure what was going on, and not wanting any trouble, the two men told Majolica all they knew including where the strange malady was occurring.

"Hehehe, Naryu Canyon to the west..."

Majolica thanked the two villagers for the information and left the be while returning to her bar stool and her cocoa drink. Though she wasn't sure if it had anything to do with that black mist she ate that one time, it really didn't matter. Evil was on the rise, which could mean only one thing...

"Hehehe... time for deployment..."

As the dark protectors of Astorea and punishers of the wicked, The Grand Witch Commander's Witch Ops would not sit idle while evil festered. Using her dark magic, Majolica called out to two of her trusted operatives.

"Hehehe, @Haru and @Janet Reilly it would seem some evil has arisen in the Naryu Canyon out in the west. Hehehe, the Witch Ops will not allow this evil to infect our lands! Meet me at the tavern at the following coordinates! Hehehe, when each of you arrives, we'll make for the canyon to curb whatever sickness is growing, hehehe, and obliterate any being responsible!"

Majolica sent her message then stretched her back, with a giggle. She kicked her feet happily while taking another swig of her drink.

Hehehe, whatever is causing this better be gone before we get there, hehe, I've had enough of those fog monsters for once in a lifetime... hehe, this time, The Grand Witch plays for keeps... hehehe.

 

A black magic summons wasn’t really the way Janet had planned to start this morning. It caught her a little off guard, to be honest. She dropped the bit and bridle she’d been holding as Majolica’s message came in loud and clear, complete with the Grand Witch’s trademark cackle (giggle? Janet still hadn’t decided what she preferred.) She let out her breath, gathering her nerves again and rested a hand on her horse’s neck. “Well, that’s that,” she said, looking around for a stablehand to help her saddle up the chestnut mare. “I suppose we’re going on a ride, then. To… Astorea.”

Despite her oath to defend it, Janet had never actually been to Astorea and had no idea how to get there. Fortunately her mount—with whatever inborn sense of direction this game seemed to have provided her with—did. Un-fortunately, she paid no heed to Janet’s attempts to rein her in or have agency with the steering. More than once, the horse broke off to vault a fence or fallen log as they passed through the forest. By the time the eighteen-year-old arrived at the tavern Majolica had specified, her auburn hair was windswept and her cheeks were rosy from the adventurous ride. She almost collapsed after she slid off the mare—who she’d originally named Sarah but was now calling Rebel for obvious reasons—and wobbled unsteadily to the tavern door, willing herself to make a good impression. As she’d expected, one didn’t get back into riding overnight—it would take a long time to build up the skill and muscles. Still, she was determined to try.

“Commander! I came as quickly as I could,” she said as she stepped into the inn, striding businesslike towards the little witch. She ignored the barkeep and the others in the inn—she had eyes only for the one who’d called her here. “Is Haru here yet? I’m quite concerned about this ‘evil’ in the canyon you mentioned.” It didn’t seem like a coincidence that Majolica had invited the two Nature Magic users in the Witch Ops battalion to tackle this particular problem. She’d mentioned an illness and Janet had been wondering about it during the ride. The brunette looked around for a moment, still standing uncomfortably at the bar, before folding herself uncomfortably into a chair. Averting her eyes, she fiddled with her fingers, unsure what to do with them. “Ahem… wh… when do we set off?”

 

Haru couldn't get the headache out of his skull. Of all places, why did it have to be this one..? He wouldn't complain about the opportunity to finally walk out of Brisshal yet he had not wanted to do so for fear of coming back to this place. It's not like he was exactly traumatized here, but he didn't have any good memories from this place.

Allowing Headwind to rest in the town's stables for now, Haru listlessly wanders to the bar. There are a few in Astorea, though he knew by heart where he'd end up. Fate had a funny way of stringing him around in this game from what he could find. So he trailed around town, slowly circling inward on the same little inn he had first come to town to rest in. The inn where he had made his promise with Vince. Was he having a cool year? Haru wasn't sure.

He arrives eventually though. Sure as rain, the coordinates led him to here. The place that he only knew to sell good tea and better hot chocolate. It really was a shame that he leaned towards the taste of tea, though. Just another little something that his father passed along to him. He walks inside to the smell of cocoa and the sound of people- particularly two he knew. It seems he had been keeping them waiting with his wandering. Oops.

He didn't want to listlessly travel alone anymore for the day. Haru walks over to them. "We'll go when we're ready, I assume. Perhaps even before that if fate is quick on the feet." Sitting down to face his Commander and friend both, he can't help but feel a little bit bad for keeping them in wait for so long. He should make up for it somehow... "Before we go, though, my throat's parched. Would anyone care for another drink? I'll pay today." Rubbing his hands to get used to the warmth, Haru orders himself a cup of cocoa this time, relaxing and mentally prepares for whatever scheme his commander had in mind.

 

"Hehehe, That will be a new rule! The person who's late... hehe, has to everyone else drinks and/or snacks! Hehehe! I want another cocoa, tell them extra candy, hehe, that means it comes with lots of sprinkles, and gummy candies, andddd whip cream, and a lollipop to stir it with! Hehehe, if you say extra candy, they'll know what to do!"

Majolica waved the server over to take their orders.

Now that the group was assembled, Majolica could fill in the details of the mission, which there honestly weren't many of.

"We should get down to business! Hehe, before everyone got here I was here enjoying my day off, but then I heard some men talking."

Majolica decided it would be fun for her to narrate what happened, and so she did.

"'Hehehe', giggled Majolica as she walked into the bar in all of her awesome witchy glory! 'Hehe, I could use a drink because my throat is dry, probably from being the most powerful being in the universe! Hehehe, but what should I get?'

So then, the terrifyingly powerful Grand Witch sat at the bar and looked at the menu.

"Hmmm...hehe, beer no. Don't want alcohol since it tastes yucky... hehe, guess I'll just go with the usual! Hehehe!

Having decided on her drink, hehehe, The best witch in the land called over the bartender. As he approached, tears in his eyes from being so happy that the famous Grand Witch Majolica had decided to visit his bar, he took down her order of one cocoa extra candy. Witch's don't get cavities so they can eat as much candy as they want, hehehe, in case anyone was wondering.

'Oh, thank you Ms. Grand Witch and future ruler of all the world! Thank you for visiting my establishment! Of course, the drink is on the house, but can I offer to pay you the cost of the drink for visiting today?"

Being a good Grand Witch, Majolica didn't accept the money.

'Hehehe, no! That would be unfair to your other customers! Hehe, you should give that money to orphans, or people with diseases! Hehehe!'

Hehehe, awestruck by the saint-like goodness of Majolica, the best witch in the universe, The bartender said a prayer, hehe, thanking the Gods for placing here in the world. Hehehe, wiping another tear from his eye, he turned to go prepare The wonderful Grand Witch's drink.

As the radiant Grand Witch, hehe, waited for her drink she looked around the bar to see all the people that came in that day. Hehehe!

'Hehe, this place is sort of busy."

Hehehe, then she noticed to shadowy looking guys in the back! Hehe, they weren't shadowy like bad, but shadowy because they were in the corner! Hehehe, and there were lots of shadows. So, hehehe, while looking over in their direction The beautifully extravagant Grand Witch overheard these two people talking about growing darkness! So she walked over to learn more!

'Hehehe, excuse me you two! I overheard--'

But before she could even finish, hehehe, the two men jumped up from their seats and kneeled before her.

'Oh, glorious Grand Witch Majolica, we implore you to save us! there is a darkness rising in Naryu Canyon! People are getting sick, death is coming for us all! Only you, in your dark glory, could ever hope to combat this grave threat! Please save us, please!'

Hehehe, so the Grand Witch, being a good guy and commander of the evil-destroying Witch Ops, decided that something would need to be done, hehe. Using her magic, hehehe, The Grand Witch called upon two members of her team to go investigate!'"

The server approached with the drinks. Majolica polished off her first one and took a sip of her second.

"Hehehe, and that's more or less what happened! All we know about what is happening in the canyon, hehehe, is that mysterious things are happening there. Animals and maybe people are vanishing and things are getting sick and withering away. Hehe, which means that there is an evil that must be dealt with! Hehehe, it was for this reason that The Witch Ops was formed, and so onward we ride into the face of evil, hehehe, to exterminate it at the root!"


@Haru @Janet Reilly

 

The bell dinged at last and the door swung open, her friend and fellow naturamancer entering the little inn. “I don’t drink, thank you,” Janet said immediately to Haru's question, lifting a dismissive hand. Hearing Majolica’s order made her think she’d gotten the wrong idea about this… establishment… however. “They serve that? To—” To adults, she almost asked. Was Majolica joking? The Grand Witch was so surreal and dramatic that Janet was never sure if she was trying to be funny. It doesn’t help that she giggles every other sentence.

She cleared her throat—Janet was thirsty, but she was also wary of strange, sugary drinks. “Just water for me, please, no ice.” Well, she was looking forward to see if the server actually humored Majolica’s strange request, or if it was just the witch commander’s way of punishing poor Haru for his tardiness (Janet knew she would feel embarrassed to place such an order…)

The sudden switch to third-person in Majolica’s narrative threw Janet off. Her brows drew themselves together as she struggled to concentrate on… on what? Why is this story so long? Janet wondered, a little annoyed by the constant use of descriptors like “awesome” and “terrifyingly powerful” that Majolica liked to use for herself. She could feel herself starting to get frustrated and had to remind herself that no matter how it seemed, the teenage witch was the commander of a battalion, and—just like the strange initiation she and Haru had gone through—there was surely a purpose to this grandiose tale. Janet sat a little straighter in her chair, expression serious. If this was a test, she would not crack under the pressure.

Her eye twitched as the server finally returned with drinks (Majolica’s exactly the way she’d ordered it, lollipop to stir it with and all). Apparently this was what the Grand Witch had been buying time for, since she finally told them what was happening in the Canyon and why Janet and Haru had been called in the first place. Thank the Lord!

“Withering away?” the brunette asked seriously, leaning forward across the table. As usual, she dismissed “evil” as part of Majolica’s theatrics—surely this was a natural phenomenon. She really only knew about crops, but perhaps if she and Haru worked together… “It could be a disease affecting the plants, or it could be insects... hmm.” Janet lifted her chin. “I have my horse in the stable—if that's it, should we head out?” Glancing at Majolica’s still-full cup of hot cocoa, she amended that with "Um... after you finish your drink, of course.”

 

"Yes, yes, after that. Aha ha ha." The man looking like snow that walked in from the streets took a moment to stretch after finishing his cup. That stuff was heavy. Way too heavy for someone like him, in fact. Haru predicted that he might start feeling under the weather if he didn't drink something light after this one. He was even chuckling like Majolica at this point. This is why he preferred tea...

Haru snaps out of his haze by choosing to remove his robe for now to feel less full. Simply wearing a black sleeveless shirt and equally colored pants beneath, which showed off that he was actually rather thin without the flowing white of his cloak. He sets the robe folded in his lap as he decides to continue talking. "We'll both be going there, it seems. I let Headwind have a rest over at the stable as well. Are you ready, Commander?"

His gaze travels over to the lady in question who was still taking huge sips out of her mug. She had told him that it would be easier to just say 'extra candy,' but it was too amusing for him to not give out the full order to the poor bartender. It was like asking for forty things on a Subway sandwich. It was rather surprising to have seen what was probably an NPC take all of this with a cool demeanor. Haru had to give credit where it was due to the men working here. Regardless, he wasn't here for the bartenders, but to listen to what Majolica had to say. There was only one response he could give as he was ready for something like this, "So, shall we get started then?"

 

Majolica turned away from the strange blond woman to the rest of her team.

"Hehehe! We should get going so we can solve the problem with our awesome, amazing, and stupendous magical powers that way everyone will hold us up and worship us as heroes! Hehehe!"

Turning back to the blond, Majolica stuck out her tongue. It would appear that, as per usual, Majolica just did whatever she wanted to whenever she wanted to. After giggling to herself a bit, she continued.

"Hehehe, I see you're completely enthralled by Grand Witch Majolica's terrifyingly beautiful Witch Rainment! Hehehe, obviously you don't know how Halloween works, so I"ll explain it!"

Majolica began pacing.

"Halloween doesn't make the witch, the witch makes Halloween! Hehehe, and since I'm the Grand Witch, it's Halloween whenever I feel like it! Halloween doesn't have jack o' lanterns, bats, purple, and orange just because it's tradition, it's also because people see me and think, Halloween should be scary but also fun like the Grand Witch! Hehehe, why don't we use her as the model for the holiday! Hehe, now does it make sense? If it doesn't, think about it later! Hehehe, we have work to do!"

Pointing back to her team, Majolica broke off from her tangent to return to the heart of the matter.

"Hehehe, Don't mistake Grand Witch Majolica and her team for babies! Hehehe! This is the Alpha Strike Witch Ops unit! First responders! Haru could crush an enemy with his awesome naturmancy vines, and Janet could also crush another but probably equally strong enemy with her awesome naturmancy vines! Hehehe, whatever the problem is, we'll figure out a way to fix it! Probably with a mixture of vines and other magics! Hehehe, that's what the Witch Ops does! Hehehe! So, hehe, sorry to say this dummy, but the Witch Ops will decimate any evil plaguing the land! Then, afterward, hehehe, you'll get a stern lecture about how you shouldn't build your house in a monster-filled death canyon! Hehehe."

Majolica's face dropped.

"Also, Hehe... stop talking about yucky stuff, pervert. I don't know anyone named, Hussy."

 

A kind-looking, straw-haired woman with impressive moral values in this day and age stopped them before the squadron could leave the tavern. Who’s this? Janet turned mildly towards the stranger, cheeks coloring as she took in her words. She gave a little humph at the word ‘stupid.’ Her first inclination was to jump to their defense, but some part of her hung back—after all, the only information they had to go on was what Majolica had allegedly gleaned at the end of a very fantastical story. Maybe it is stupid… but I don’t care for it anyway. Janet’s spine stiffened straight as a ruler and the teenage girl found herself stepping up to the blonde and looking down her nose. As much as someone who was shorter than the offender could, anyway. “You should how the Grand Witch more respect,” she said sharply, voice cracking like a nun’s ruler on a misbehaving student’s knuckles. Perhaps in the real world Majolica’s outfit would have deserved some rebuking, but in a fantasy land full of swords and dukes and purple slimes? The attire was more than appropriate.

Fortunately, Majolica was perfectly capable of defending herself and Janet stepped down, tossing her auburn hair back over her shoulder with a sigh. “Goodness,” she sighed. Now she’s done it. She’d been trying to avoid tangents, but it seemed there was no escaping that now. If their guest had been trying to make herself seem more reputable, coming dangerously close to insulting their leader was hardly a good first step. “Magical powers seem as valid a solution as any,” Janet contributed (somewhat peeved) in the group huddle, still annoyed by the whole thing. It really would be nice to be heroes, she thought privately, though being “slowly digested at the hands of a being” etc. was less-than-pleasant. It occurred to Janet the perpetrator of the disease here, in fantasy-land, might be another creature on the same level as the purple ooze the Witch Ops had faced before. “Let’s prepare similar tactics to back then. Haru, how did you make that vine-ball?” It had been very useful.

Had Majolica accepted the blonde woman’s offer? It seemed unclear—perhaps the answer had been lost somewhere among becoming the poster girl for a holiday and scolding their acquaintance for building her house in a canyon. “Please guide us, if you’re still willing,” Janet spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest. “I-if you already know where the heart of the matter is, it would save time instead of trying to talk to farmers and locals.” That was what Janet really wanted to do, to see if she could make any suggestions for the dying crops, but that didn’t exactly seem like something worthy of summoning the “Alpha Strike Witch Ops Unit” for (she secretly liked that title.)

 

-Ah, what was he doing again? Haru could had sworn that he was about to reprimand this rather rude lady, but as he had tried to open his mouth, Majolica had done the same. And after that little witch of a Commander started talking out like this... everything had gone a bit hazy. It was probably something about how great they were supposed to be as the Witch Ops.

He was standing around the others with his robe back on. Regardless of how long they here out here, cold was too cold for him nowadays. This woman seemed colder than the temperature around them, so he rather disliked her. With a kind smile he affirms his Commander's statements, "Ma'am, we don't need to be storybook heroes to give you our help. We'll do what's needed from you. Ok?" Haru decided to keep his voice chipper and friendly regardless of how he felt about this lady.

That was about all he felt like telling her as there were people he felt it to be better to talk to, like Janet. What a far more fascinating topic to talk about! "Ah, were you curious? It's a formula I made. I call it Strangleweed. I can't use it here myself- the magic of life is weaker when I'm in a cold place like this. Perhaps you would do better than I by trying this. Here." He might as well demonstrate for her.

Haru draws out his right arm, ring around the finger glowing with ethereal green light. He trails his finger in the air at a quick and rhythmic speed, the light forming letters and numbers and variables in a pattern that could be seen like a manuscript of asinine theory. It took him about eight seconds to write, the text clumping to something about as long as his forearm. Haru mentally praised himself for this speed built from use of Free Mode and constant memorization of this spell. and it only helped that half of his life's job was writing. He was also sure that this sort of thing took longer when he was under pressure.

He wanted to show the ideal, though. It looked cooler that way and allowed him to bring the topic to an offer for his recent friend. His grin widens in mirth as he extends his equation to the other practitioner of nature, asking, "It might look like a bit much, but perhaps I could try to teach you on the way there? It would be ease my mind to give you another way to protect yourself."