Chapter Text

The sound of water dripping somewhere down the hall was the only noise he had heard for hours. At first he had found it annoying, but now it offered him white noise to passively listen to as he meditated. Not that there was much else he could do in this prison, anyway.

The cold air of the dungeon nipped at his fingertips and toes, he tried to tuck them closer to himself with little success. The cuffs rattled at the motion, rubbing against the raw skin of his wrists in a way that caused him to frown. He tried to be careful, not wanting to exacerbate his worsening physical condition. 

If his math was correct, then he had been trapped in this dungeon for about three months. Such a short amount of time would be considered a trivial sentence for any hardened criminal, but he was no criminal.

He was but a simple healer from a small village not too far away. He had wandered there, starving and lost, and offered his services to the ailing people. His aid was welcomed with open arms, as they had been experiencing a rather difficult malady at the time, and he found himself taking up permanent residence there as the village’s doctor.

The villagers had been very kind, they had been more than willing to share what little food they had with him. The children adored him; they followed him practically everywhere and absorbed the little tales he made-up off the top of his head. The innkeeper would always joke and said he must have had a library in his head to have that many ideas. Many agreed that his presence had greatly uplifted the people’s moods. It felt like no time at all had passed before he had been accepted into the fold of this little community in the middle of a barren land.

No one demanded his past from him, which he was more than fine with because he had no past he could remember. Despite magic being a dying art, no one tried to threaten him or monopolize his magical gift for their own benefit, like he had unfortunately experienced many times during his travels. No, this was a good village, with good-hearted people. Poor in wealth but rich in spirit as they struggled to survive the harsh environment of the wasteland they called home.

Which was why, when a Witch had moved into a long abandoned castle nearby and had begun kidnapping children from the village, he had decided to take a stand.

Now, he was not a violent person by any means. He could not wield a sword, and his body was too frail for armor. But he had his words and his staff, and he was confident any injuries he might sustain from the confrontation could easily be mended. His personal well-being was not particularly high on his list of priorities, all that mattered was the safety of the children.

The Witch had underestimated him at first. After all, he looked nothing more than a blind beggar. Despite his best efforts to keep things diplomatic, the situation escalated, and he found himself forced to go on the defensive. 

The sound of spellfire crackled against the shield he had thrown up, he used the direction the sound had come from as a point of reference as he returned fire with a spell of his own.

The two exchanged blows for a while, neither one gaining much of an advantage over the other for long. He didn’t even remember where he knew most of these spells from, every gesture and vocal component flowed from some subconscious memory. He didn’t care to question it, he only cared about the innocents in danger.

He had been in the middle of preparing another attack when suddenly the Witch asked about making a deal. He wasn’t sure what brought on the sudden change of heart, but as suspicious as he was, he jumped on the opportunity to solve this problem without bloodshed.

Thus, the Witch presented an ultimatum: the children could leave, but he had to stay a prisoner in their place.

“No!” cried the oldest child of the group. She struggled against the ropes around her wrists as she shouted, “Healer, please, don’t do it! It’s some kind of trick!” The other children joined in, afraid for his safety.

He smiled, despite the bittersweet feeling that had settled in his chest, and raised a hand to try and quell their fears. 

“I will be fine,” he had said. “This is not goodbye, I promise.”

The Witch was at least honorable enough to keep her word. The children were released from their bindings and forcibly escorted out of the castle by magical suits of armor. They called his title-turned-name and tried to fight against the guards in a futile attempt to rescue him.

“Someone will come back for you!” The girl had screamed before the doors slammed shut.

In that moment, he was glad he was blind, for he knew he would not have been able to handle seeing the tears in her eyes.

He did not struggle as his staff was confiscated and cuffs were slapped on his wrists. He did not fight as two suits of armor roughly grabbed him and escorted him down into the depths of the castle’s dungeons.

He did cry, however, when he realized he had given that girl an empty promise.

It has been three months now. Alone. No other prisoners existed within this dark pit, leaving him with only his thoughts and fears.

He had no idea what the Witch had planned for him. She wanted him alive for something, because the guards would come to occasionally deliver food and water. Just enough to keep him alive, not enough to fulfill him. Day by day, he could feel his strength waning, and without proper care he lacked the energy required to cast spells. She wanted him weak enough so he couldn’t fight back. The implications were chilling.

At one point, he had attempted to reach out with his magical senses to get a better feel of the castle, and immediately regretted it. This place was practically bursting with ancient magic. It was what he imagined being unexpectedly flashed by a light spell to be like, surprising and disorientating. Any normal person would have been overwhelmed by it all.

Well, at least now he knew why the Witch had come here in the first place to enact whatever scheme she had. This castle was a font of great power. Unfortunately, it muddied the waters when it came to his information gathering. With literally everything reading as “magical” it was impossible for him to parse which areas were more important than others. That fact in itself suggested a spell had been cast over this castle, but what it was and why escaped him.

It frustrated him, but all he could do was speculate as he awaited whatever fate the Witch had decided for him.

His thoughts were disrupted by a shout.

“Get back here!” A male voice hissed. “In the name of my Lady, I command you to stop!” There was a bit of a commotion down the hall that got closer to his cell. The hissing of a cat mixed with the angry demands for someone to stop running away echoed all around the dungeon.

There was a sound of something scurrying along the stone floor. It was small and its pace suggested panic - perhaps a mouse - as it ran down the hall outside his cell. The little creature paused, either to catch its breath or get its bearings, before it let out a startled noise and bolted into his cell to hide.

The Healer remained still within his dark corner, interested in the events unfolding before him as it was the first mildly interesting thing to happen in ages.

“Where did you go?!” The voice got closer. Were it not for his loud voice, the Healer never would have heard the stranger’s approach as their footsteps were totally silent. “Come out and face me, you little pest!”

The Healer furrowed his brow slightly in confusion. Was this stranger referring to the mouse? He wasn’t sure whether to laugh in amusement or feel pity at the idea of a person challenging a rodent like one would a warrior. Now that he thought about it, this dungeon was miraculously free from what would be considered common vermin. The Witch must dislike pests if this was the first one he had been made aware of during his stay, and this loud individual must take her rules about them very seriously.

He heard the creature in question move along the wall of his cell, no doubt attempting to hide in the shadows from its pursuer. His heart went out to the little thing. It probably wandered into the castle looking for food and lost its way. He doubted this chatty minion of the Witch was just going to capture and release it peacefully. The Healer frowned at that thought.

He sat in silence, straining his ears to the best of his ability in order to hear the small creature move over the challenges of the loud voice. Both the mouse and the voice got closer and closer until…

He felt something small bump into his side just as the voice’s owner arrived outside of his cell. He had been sitting with his back pressed against the wall, his knees up to his chest with his chained hands in his lap. Slowly, so as to not startle the little thing, the Healer twisted his sitting position. He braced his right shoulder against the wall and lowered his hands to press them onto the floor, using the sleeves of his robes to act as a curtain. He felt the mouse startle as he moved, finally making his presence known to it, and he silently hoped it wouldn’t scurry away from the hiding place he had provided.

“You there! Prisoner!” The stranger called out to him. “Have you seen anything strange come down this hall?”

“I’m afraid not, sir.” The Healer smiled, a hint of amusement in his voice as he continued, “I haven’t seen anything.”

There was a beat of silence before the stranger seemed to realize that the man he was talking to was, in fact, blind.

“Do you think you’re funny, wise guy?!” He spat, trying to poorly cover up his embarrassment with anger.

“Not particularly. I simply told you the truth.” Healer shrugged, still smiling. His response earned him an angry hiss that definitely didn’t sound human.

“You’re lucky you’re already blind or else I would claw your eyes out myself!” The voice growled, punctuated with an angry yowl that sounded like…

“Excuse me, but… are you a cat?” He asked, a new sense of curiosity overtaking him. He couldn’t say he had ever met a talking animal before. What an interesting surprise!

“Of course, I’m a cat! What else do I look like–?!” He cut himself off when he once again remembered that the Healer couldn’t see him. The feline audibly took a deep breath to steady his nerves before deciding to growl out a proper introduction. “I am Sheriff Whiskerton, one of my Lady’s most reliable servants. I uphold her law within the castle walls. So you should treat me with some respect, prisoner! ” The last word was spat like an insult. “Now… Did you sense anything passing through here before I arrived?”

The Healer shook his head before replying, “Nothing passed my cell.” Still technically true, since the mouse hadn’t passed it, but entered it.

The cat bit out a frustrated curse, clearly unhappy that it had lost its prey. He muttered something under his breath, but all the Healer could catch were snatches of phrases like “not gonna be happy” and “obnoxious little crumbs”. Would the Witch really be that upset over one little mouse living here? It seemed like a rather disproportionate response to something so small.

Before Whiskerton could press the Healer for any more information, the clunky sound of metal armor echoed down the hall. Healer knew that the sound meant a suit of armor was approaching with his daily meal.

“ Hmph… I guess it’s lunch time…” Whiskerton mumbled as the armor approached the cell and slid the tray’s contents inside. A plate with a single piece of bread and a glass of water. The Healer heard the cat’s claws tap on the stone, as if he were shifting his weight in uncertainty.

“Have you eaten yet, my friend? I would not mind sharing.” The Healer smiled warmly, a strange sight in his bleak surroundings. The offer was genuine, even though he barely had enough to feed himself.

“As if I’d reduce myself to eating such a meager portion! I have my standards!” Whiskerton scoffed before continuing in a more contemplative tone. “Still… I am hungry… I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I returned to the hunt after a quick meal; b-but don’t tell the Witch about that! You keep your trap shut, you hear me?!”

“You have my word.” He was glad that having the cuffs on meant he wasn’t expected to shake on it.

With a final grumpy ‘harumph!’ Whiskerton trotted away from his cell. The Healer sat still, listening intently until the sound of the cat’s claws faded into nothing. He sighed once he was sure the coast was clear before focusing his attention to the little form pressed against his side. It had gone completely still when Whiskerton had arrived, but now that he was gone it had begun to tremble.

He felt a stab of pity for it. The poor thing was probably frightened to death.

“It’s okay…” He said softly, causing it to startle, so he lowered his voice further. “You’re alright. You’re safe.” He knew his words meant nothing to a mouse, but the isolation had started getting to him a bit.

Slowly, he reached for the platter of food and dragged it a bit closer. With his arms no longer acting as a wall, the small body took a few steps away to distance itself from him, but it didn’t run off entirely. Thankfully, the rattle of his chains didn’t frighten the mouse more as he picked up the slice of bread and broke off a tiny piece. 

He offered it to the creature with a smile as he said, “Here. I was being honest when I said I didn’t mind sharing.”

There was a beat as the mouse hesitated, or perhaps it was investigating the scrap of food he held pinched between his thumb and forefinger. The Healer expected to feel the tickle of whiskers on his fingertips or maybe the rodent would bite him for the food. Instead, he just felt the tiniest tug on the crumb and he released it.

Now that his little guest was fed, he indulged in his own meal. His stomach twisted in dissatisfaction at the small portion, but it settled once he drank his water. He was far from content, but at least he didn’t have to have this meal alone. It may have just been a mouse, but any sense of companionship brought him comfort in this trying time.

He wished he could pet it, but knew better than to try to touch an animal he had just met. So he settled for the company offered by the sound of its scurrying.

“I’m afraid I don’t have anything else to offer you, my friend,” he said, interpreting the mouse’s running around as searching for more food. “This is the only meal I will get today. If you want more, I’m afraid you will have to come back tomorrow.”

The scurrying stopped at his words and for a moment he idly wondered if it actually could understand him. After all, if there was a talking cat, was it so outlandish for there to be an intelligent mouse? This castle was brimming with magic, so he supposed anything was possible.

The Healer was pulled from his musings when he felt something tug on the sleeve of his robe and push the fabric up. He got the sense it was investigating something, but the only thing he knew it would find were his cuffs. They were clunky rusted things, one chain bound his wrists close together while a second linked him to the wall. There was enough length for him to stand and walk a few feet, but not enough for him to pace the full length of his cell.

He shifted slightly out of discomfort, accidentally causing the mouse to jump back as if afraid of his touch. But after he muttered a small apology and went still again, the little creature returned, this time fiddling with the chains. They rattled as it tried doing something with no success. Healer couldn’t help but be curious about what it was trying to accomplish by investigating his restraints. What a strange little guest…

And… A strange smell…

He hadn’t noticed it before, having been too focused on his hearing, but among the typical scents of mold and moisture there was a distinctly new out-of-place smell that threw him off. It was sugary, sweet, and smelled of ginger. It reminded him of the treats some of the village children would indulge in, in the winter time.

He concluded he must have been imagining things. Homesickness and starvation combined into some sort of sensory hallucination. Still, the imaginary smell made his aching stomach twist more and he let out a sigh. He pushed the empty glass and platter back toward the door to be collected later.

“You should return home, little mouse…” He said with a hint of sorrow in his voice. His words caused the mouse to stop whatever it was trying to do. With a heavy heart he continued, “Take advantage of the freedom you have and escape. The cat may be gone, but he’ll come hunting for you again.”

A small part of him didn’t want it to go. He had gotten rather lonely over the past few months, but he knew it would be cruel to keep it here. He had no right to take away its freedom like the Witch taken away his own. 

He lifted his hands, pulling the chains away from the curious mouse and frowned at how the metal dug into his skin. At that moment, he was a bit jealous of the creature’s freedom. How he wished he could be small enough for the cuffs to not fit and slip through the bars with ease. Instead, he was chained up, his future in the hands of another; doomed to whatever fate the Witch dictated for him.

Like a rodent in a cage. How ironic.

“Thank you for sharing a meal with me. It’s the most kindness I’ve been shown in a while.” He said with an air of finality. “May your days be many, and your woes few…” With that he once again curled up in the corner, knees pulled up to his chest, and he rested his head in his arms.

There was silence for a long moment, before the Healer picked up on the telltale sound of scurrying. He listened as it grew further and further away, until the sound of distant water dripping was his only companion once more.

Gingerbrave didn’t stop running until he was back in the safety of the castle's secret tunnels. He leaned against the wall with labored breaths, both of his hands clutched his candy cane so tight that he felt like they would snap from the pressure.

He had gotten careless.

Gingerbrave had just wanted to explore the new area he and his friends had found. A few of the castle’s more friendlier residents had advised him against it, warning him those particular tunnels went down to the dungeons, but he hadn’t listened; his own curiosity had gotten the better of him. Rumors had been spreading like wildfire all over the castle about the Witch’s prisoner ever since the commotion three months ago.

Unfortunately, no one Gingerbrave talked to seemed to have actually seen the battle or have any details on the why , all they had was the aftermath and rampant speculation. Once the entire castle started shaking with spellfire, everyone had hunkered down and taken cover. It wasn’t until after things settled down did bolder parties in the area went to investigate and the information they returned with was barely enough to piece together a full story.

A human had come to the castle and picked a fight with the Witch, and that was it. No one knew why he had lost. No one knew why he had come in the first place. No one knew who he was and only a vague understanding of what he was capable of.

Every resident seemed to have a different image of the prisoner in their heads, but most of them concluded that he must be a dangerous monster in human skin for being capable of nearly destroying the South Wing. (Then again, “human” and “monster” seemed to have very similar definitions to a lot of folks around the castle.)

Some say he came to try to steal the Witch’s magical abilities. Some say he came to try to take over the castle in a bid for power. Some say the prisoner was a greedy thief, having come to the castle for treasures.

Gingerbrave now understood how wrong all those rumors were.

He hadn’t been expecting Whiskerton to be doing a patrol that day, typically the feline kept to a strict schedule, but it seemed he had wandered off his usual route. Luckily, Gingerbrave and Whiskerton had seen each other at the same time. The cat could be pretty sneaky when he wanted to be, especially if he spotted a target first, so it was better to see him than to not see him at all.

With all hopes of stealth gone, it very quickly turned into a chase through the winding halls of the dungeon.

Imagine Gingerbrave’s relief when he finally pulled ahead of the cat and found a dark empty cell to hide in.

Imagine his fear when he realized it wasn’t empty.

At that moment, he thought he was dead for sure. If Whiskerton didn’t get him, then the prisoner would. Yet to his surprise, the prisoner covered for him, and even more surprising the human shared what little food he had with Gingerbrave. The bread hadn’t been very good, but it was the thought that counted.

Monsters didn’t do that.

The boy’s brow furrowed as he practically glared a hole into the floor. A swirl of thoughts and questions plagued his mind at this new development.

And then, an idea came to him.

At first, he dismissed it, thinking there was no way… Unless… And then if he… They could…!

Gingerbrave smiled, a determined twinkle in his eye as he took off running down the tunnel. He had a new escape plan. One that he couldn’t wait to share with Wizard Cookie and Strawberry Cookie.

Chapter Text

“I don’t know who’s more crazy,” Wizard Cookie started with a grumble. “You, for thinking this was a good idea, or me, for going along with it.” He kept his voice low so as to not cause too much noise in the otherwise silent dungeon.

“I-I kind of have to agree with Wizard on this one, Gingerbrave…” Strawberry Cookie fiddled with the drawstrings of her hood, as if getting ready to hide her face at a moment’s notice. “This doesn’t seem… safe…” 

She eyed the shadows and cobwebs, mind running wild with terrible fantasies of monsters jumping out at her. This was the dungeon , only dangerous things were supposed to be kept down here…

“It’ll be fine, trust me! If he wanted to hurt me, he would have done it already.” Gingerbrave was leading their little party down the path he vaguely remembered taking the other day.

After his encounter with the Witch’s mysterious prisoner, Gingerbrave had run all the way home to his friends and told them all about it. Wizard had scolded him for being so reckless while Strawberry freaked out over Gingerbrave having been cornered like that. However, both of them changed their tune when the boy had announced his plan. Now they both just thought he had gone crazy.

After all, he was proposing they set the human free.

Wizard Cookie was vehemently against that idea. Most castle residents treated the Witch like a force of nature. She came and did as she pleased and there wasn’t much they could or should do about it, lest she send her servants after them. Meddling in the Witch’s affairs would only put a bigger target on their backs. 

The Witch wanted Desserts. Old ones who had been living in the castle for years, fresh ones right out of the oven, it didn’t seem to matter. If it walked, talked, and had Life Powder in its dough, then she wanted it. The ones who were caught were never seen or heard from again.

It was why the three cookie children wanted to escape this castle. To escape the castle would be to escape the danger of the Witch and her minions, but leaving had been deemed impossible by most. The kids, however, were determined to find a way out and Gingerbrave was certain that the Witch’s prisoner was their key to freedom.

“Stop.” Gingerbrave whispered and pressed his back up against the wall right beside the cell bars. Wizard and Strawberry copied him, but were a lot more uncertain of what was happening. Gingerbrave carefully poked his head around the corner to peer into the cell. Once he was sure it was safe, he gestured for his friends to come take a peek.

Slowly, they moved closer and slowly spied out around the corner. Wizard Cookie sucked in a sharp breath and Strawberry Cookie trembled at the sight of what was inside.

The prisoner was curled up in the corner just as he had been yesterday. He wore coco colored robes that had definitely seen better days, and wrappings hid his eyes from the world. His hair was matted and dirty, but they could make out the bright blonde strands in the dark. He sat as still as a statue; were it not for the small motions from his breathing, Gingerbrave would have mistaken him for one.

“H-He-He’s huge…!” Strawberry whispered, tucking herself closer to the wall.

“He’s blind…?” Wizard Cookie’s eyes narrowed. Gingerbrave had forgotten to mention that particular (and very important) detail.

“He thought I was a mouse,” he explained with a smile. “He’s also really nice! C’mon!”

Wizard and Strawberry tried to grab him before he could do anything stupid, but Gingerbrave was too quick and he ran past the bars and into the cell. Despite his better judgment, Wizard chased after him, a few drops of ice cream landing on the floor behind him. Strawberry hung back, at first deciding against going in; but then she realized she was all alone in the dark spooky hallway and decided to follow her two friends.

The prisoner’s head lifted slightly upon Gingerbrave’s approach. His brow furrowed as he listened intently, but his bandaged face never turned away from the opposite wall.

“Little mouse…?” He whispered with a hint of surprise.

Gingerbrave ran right up to him and tugged on his robe. The man’s form shifted from his curled up position, turning his attention to the cookie beside him. 

Wizard‘s chase was forgotten when his arms and legs froze of their own accord. He stared up at the human with wide eyes, afraid of the worst but unable to look away. Strawberry pulled her hood closed, thinking Gingerbrave was about to get snatched up.

The man’s hands hovered over Gingerbrave, but did not touch him. A smile spread across his face for some reason when the cookie reached over and rattled the chains.

“It is you!” He exclaimed with a warm chuckle. “I didn’t expect you to return.”

Gingerbrave smiled up at him before he turned around to wave at his friends to get closer, but Wizard Cookie and Strawberry Cookie were frozen in their respective spots. Clearly they were just as afraid as Gingerbrave had been the previous day, which he couldn’t really blame them for. Humans were intimidating beings, and this was the closest any of them have willingly gotten to one. Gingerbrave was typically able to work past his fears, but his friends were paralyzed by thoughts of what this human might do to them. (Which Gingerbrave knew, was nothing.)

With a light huff Gingerbrave made his way over to his friends, grabbed their arms, and began to drag them closer. Strawberry let out a startled squeak when she had been snapped out of her spiraling thoughts and tried to backpedal. 

“What was…?” The prisoner trailed off, his expression once again morphing into confusion when he heard more sets of little footsteps. After a bit of tug-of-war, Gingerbrave managed to get his friends to a distance he deemed acceptable.

“Little mouse, did you bring friends?” The man asked. Gingerbrave nodded eagerly, though the action was lost to the human. “What brought you back again, I wonder…” The human muttered, curious but clearly pleased to have company in his lonely prison.

“Gingerbrave, this is crazy. We should go…!” Wizard Cookie said as softly as he could, not taking his eyes off the human’s hands in case he decided to make a move.

“He's not gonna hurt us, watch.” Gingerbrave whispered back before turning his attention to the clunky sound of armor walking down the hall, right on cue.

“Ahh, is it that time again already? I suppose that explains your arrival, then.” The prisoner said as the suit of armor came to carry out its one duty. The magic animating it was simple, thus it could only carry out simple tasks. Not good for conversation, but good to automate the mundane process of delivering food. Once the plate and glass were deposited, it vanished back down the hall, with no acknowledgement to the man’s “mice”.

Just like yesterday, the human slowly pulled the platter closer and broke off tiny pieces of bread to offer them. Gingerbrave knew his friends were still too afraid to get close, so he took each piece and distributed them to Wizard and Strawberry.

Wizard Cookie gawked at the whole thing with disbelief, only broken out of his trance as Gringerbrave shoved his portion of bread into his hands. While the smaller cookie fumbled to not drop it or his staff, Gingerbrave went back to collect Strawberry’s piece. She accepted her portion with a bit more grace, her initial fear melting into something a bit more curious. 

When the man offered a fourth piece, but it wasn’t taken, he took it back with a mutter of, “Three pieces… I see.” Three pieces, three mice. The man had used the offering of food to figure out how many of them there were. 

That caused a red flag to raise in Wizard Cookie’s head, already distrusting of this man who apparently was strong enough to match the Witch in combat. He was clever, and that could mean hidden danger his friends couldn’t see. The boy practically glared daggers at his piece of bread, refusing to take a bite (despite not eating yet that day).

“You know…” The prisoner began after taking a bite of his own meal. “There were three children who always followed me around, back in the village. A group of troublemakers, but they had good hearts.” He chuckled before finding himself launching into a story of their antics. The story filled the silence, making it a bit more comfortable as Strawberry and Gingerbrave nibbled on their food.

“... of course, I healed the child’s knee once he and his friends finally built up the courage to come see me and admit my advice was ‘sort of right’. The boy's mother came by later that day and was kind enough to gift me a bag of apples from her orchard as thanks. I can only imagine the stern talking-to he received when he got home.” He shook his head, a good natured smile on his face as he reminisced. “After that day, I wasn’t just the Healer to the children but also the Advisor...” He laughed a bit at his own joke before his expression became a bit more somber.

“I hope they are all getting along fine without me,” he sighed. “Oh, what I wouldn’t give for one of those apples now…”

Strawberry gave the man a pitying look. Wizard gave him a calculating one. Gingerbrave got a new idea.

The human - who the cookies now knew as the Healer - grew visibly weary after concluding his story. This was the most he had spoken since his confinement, and in the excitement, his poor diet caused him to feel queasy.

He put a hand to his head as he said, “I’m… Not feeling very well. I think I’m going to try to get some rest. I will not keep you any longer, but I greatly appreciate the company. Thank you, my little friends.”

“Tha- Keh!” Gingerbrave had opened his mouth to thank the Healer back, but Wizard Cookie’s hand shot out and smothered the words with the bread crumb he had refused to eat. Gingerbrave pouted at him, Wizard glared back. Soft laughter from high above them drew their attention back to the man, who had mistaken the sound for a squeak.

“May your days be many, and your woes few.”

With that, the cookies took their leave.

“See! I told you he was nice! But did you really have to stop me saying thanks, Wizard?” Gingerbrave frowned slightly as he looked at said Cookie.

“Of course I had to stop you! If you had spoken, he would have figured out we weren’t normal creatures! Plus, you know the rules!” Wizard brought his staff down with a sharp ‘clack!’ to emphasize his point. The sound echoed down the tunnel they were taking; a long winding path that ascended back into the upper floors of the castle. The old lanterns in this area no longer activated in the presence of travelers, leaving them to rely on Wizard Cookie’s magic to light their way.

“Rule #1: Don’t talk to humans.” Strawberry Cookie quietly recited. Wizard nodded, visibly pleased that the survival rules they had come up with were remembered.

“Exactly!” He said. “Humans and any other creatures that live outside the walls are extremely dangerous! And if that human was put in the dungeon? Then he must be extremely dangerous… and extremely hungry…” That last part made a shiver instinctively run through all three of the children.

“I mean did you see how small that slice of bread was?” Wizard continued. “I don’t know how much humans eat normally, but I doubt that would be enough to satisfy him. If we talk to him, and he figures out what we are? Then instead of sharing his dinner with us, he’ll be having us for dinner! I’m sure of it!”

“Hmm, I… don’t think he would do that, Wizard Cookie…” Strawberry Cookie shook her head, earning a surprised look from her friend. His incredulous expression prompted her to keep speaking. “I-I-I just don’t get the sense he’d do some-something like that?”

“I agree with Strawberry! The Healer is a nice guy, and we should help him out!” Gingerbrave nodded, already starting to brainstorm how to go about his newest plan.

“Guys, I deeply care for you both, and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way when I say: Are you crazy?! Do you hear yourselves right now?!” Wizard Cookie exclaimed, a few sparks jumped off his staff. “What if he has some kind of sinister ulterior motive?!”

“Like what? He thinks we’re mice. What would he get by feeding mice?” Gingerbrave crossed his arms and tilted his head, trying and failing to conjure any sinister reasons in his head.

“Like… Like… Oh, alright, I admit I can’t think of anything either, but we can’t just give our trust to humans all willy-nilly!” Wizard Cookie insisted. “One of us has to be the skeptical one, and it might as well be me! After all, it got us out of trouble before. Better to be rude and alive than polite and dead!”

“Yeah, but how are we going to escape if we don’t take risks?” Gingerbrave challenged, raising a hand to his chin as he puzzled over the situation.

“Wha- uh-EH??? What makes you think he’s going to help us escape?!” Wizard was having a hard time wrapping his head around Gingerbrave’s thought process. Just because they helped the human didn’t mean he was obligated to help them in return. His sheer size alone put him at a massive advantage over the children, not even taking into account his rumored power. They had no leg to stand on, no real bargaining chips or insurance to make sure he held up his end of any sort of deal.

In short, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t betray them, and Wizard didn’t like it.

“Because he’s really tall and can open big doors...” Gingerbrave nodded a-matter-of-factually, not noticing the withering look Wizard Cookie gave him. “Plus, my gut is telling me this Healer will be our ticket out of here. I say we go for it!”

Strawberry Cookie set a hand on both of her friends' shoulders, prompting them to stop walking. “W-Wh-Why don’t we make a compromise…?”

The idea was simple. Since the Healer wasn’t going anywhere any time soon, the children could keep visiting him. If he thought they were just mindless animals, then he would talk with no fear of being judged. If he said or did anything they found questionable or dangerous, then they would just stop going into the dungeon. It gave them time to see if he was worthy of trust and to devise their own plan of escape.

Both boys agreed with her proposal. Gingerbrave liked it because it still meant they were giving the Healer a chance. Wizard was happy because it still gave them a way to keep themselves marginally safe. And Strawberry was happy because it stopped her two friends from spending the rest of the day bickering.

As scared as she was of the idea of approaching such a big human, she had to admit, he seemed just as nice as Gingerbrave believed him to be. She wasn’t the smartest or bravest cookie among them, but she liked to think she could at least read others well. This Healer had been so gentle in everything he did, projecting his actions so as to not surprise them, speaking in a soft voice, even the story he told them today just sounded so… normal. It felt like talking to any of the other residents around the castle (those who weren’t loyal to the Witch, at least).

Strawberry wanted to give him an opportunity to prove himself.

She just hoped none of them came to regret this decision.

Whiskerton took a deep breath as he stood outside of the Mistress’s chambers. His Lady had summoned him, but he was clueless as to the purpose. Was he in trouble? Was she in trouble and needed his help? Was there some sort of emergency that was–

“Whiskerton, stop muttering to yourself and get in here.” The Witch’s voice called from the other room. The feline jumped, embarrassed at his mistake, before darting through the slightly ajar door.

“S-Sorry, my Lady! So sorry! I’m right here!” Whiskerton was a dark blur as he flew across the room to rub up against his Mistress's leg. The woman stood before a lectern, flipping through a large tome and paid the cat’s affections no mind.

She was a terrifying woman, touched by darkness and cloaked in shadow. Blood-red eyes scanned the yellowed pages, her brow furrowed slightly as if she were trying to solve some kind of puzzle.

“You wanted to see me?” He asked as he jumped up to perch on the edge of the lectern.

“You’ve been down to the dungeons recently, correct?” The Witch asked, not looking up from the passage she was reading.

Whiskerton’s ears flattened against his skull, his appearance becoming sheepish as he recalled yesterday’s incident. He hadn’t meant for that cookie to escape! It was just so slippery! And at that point, it had probably escaped back into whatever hiding spots the vermin of the castle hid in anyway. The situation had been totally out of his control!

“Oh, that? Well, you see…” He began to stammer out an excuse as to why he had failed to capture the cookie before he was cut off by his Mistress.

“How did our guest seem?” Her question gave the feline relief. Thank goodness he wasn’t in trouble.

Whiskerton took a moment to recall the man he had spoken to the other day before saying, “He seemed… sickly. All skin and bone. But he still had enough energy to joke around and smile.”

The Shadow Witch hummed in acknowledgement. She turned the page of her book, eyes immediately trained on a strange series of symbols for something she had yet to attempt. After taking the time to read the passage beside the diagram, she addressed her little minion once again.

“I see… Then I suppose we can begin moving forward soon.” She nodded, seemingly pleased by the cat’s report.

Whiskerton tilted his head in confusion. “Forward? Forward with what?”

“Very important research, my dear…” She closed the book, and scooped up Whiskerton, scratching behind the feline’s ears in a rare show of affection.

“Very important research, indeed.”

Chapter Text

The Healer was beginning to grow rather fond of these mice. Of course, it had only been a few days, but they had helped ease his loneliness so much he couldn’t help but get attached. They still refused to be touched, which was disappointing, but he supposed they were still a bit skittish around him. Hopefully, if he fed them enough they would see him as less of a threat in the future. He planned to aim for that as a small goal.

 While he didn’t exactly have proper names for the mice just yet, he had begun to get a general idea of each of their respective personalities.

The first one he had met was easily the bravest of them. It was always eager to tug on his robe or run around the room to explore. He was a bit envious of its seemingly endless energy.

The second one was a skittish little thing. It always stuck close to the wall or tried to hide whenever it heard a distant echo through the dungeon halls. His heart went out to the shy mouse, wishing he could comfort it or offer it safety.

The last one was highly alert. It always tried to keep the other two close and seemed to distrust him the most. He got the feeling its trust would be the most difficult to earn. Its defensive nature was probably born from being hurt in the past, the poor thing.

The Healer always took great interest whenever they arrived. He wasn’t sure why, but the presence of these mice always livened up his day. All of a sudden he had something to look forward to. No longer did he feel as if he were losing himself to depressing monotony, nor did he feel the crushing march of time, when the mice presented something new and fun for him to observe.

And yet, somehow, today felt different.

He recognized the footsteps of the Alert Mouse coming down the hall first. It waited outside his cell for a while, occasionally kicking a pebble or making a small noise. Then the Shy Mouse arrived a few minutes later. The two stuck close to each other, but didn’t move further. The Healer furrowed his brow when he failed to hear the Brave one’s steps nearby. 

Where was it? Usually the three traveled together but today it seemed as if they had been split up. He hoped the Brave Mouse was alright…

The pair of mice hesitated outside of his cell, as if the absence of their friend made entering difficult. Well, it was almost lunchtime, so if they didn’t come in on their own, maybe the promise of food will entice them closer?

As if it had sensed his concerned thoughts, the Healer heard the familiar skittering of the Brave Mouse’s footsteps. However it seemed rather… Sluggish. As if it was having a difficult time moving. 

As it got closer, the other two mice began to kick up a bit of a commotion. For a split second, their startled sounds almost seemed like voices. His concern only grew at the idea that the Brave Mouse might have gotten injured.

(“What are you doing with that?!” Wizard Cookie harshly whispered, pointing at the apple Gingerbrave had been rolling down the hall. “Did you steal that from the kitchen?! Is that why you told us to split up today?!”

“Yep!” Gingerbrave puffed out his chest, proud of having lugged the fruit all by himself.

“Are you out of your–?!” Strawberry slapped a hand over Wizard Cookie’s mouth, nervously looking over her shoulder when the Healer stirred in the corner.)

“Little mouse? Is everything okay…?” The Healer asked, though he wasn’t sure why, since it couldn’t respond. He supposed it had just become a habit for him to fill the silence.

Miraculously, it ran over to him to tug on his robe in its usual way of greeting him with no sign of complication. It was almost as if it were telling him, “I’m fine, silly!” The thought put a smile on the man’s face.

“Of course,” chuckled the Healer. “I don’t know why I was so worried. I suppose old habits die hard.”

With the Brave Mouse breaking the ice once again, the other two felt comfortable to enter, yet there was still some sort of tension in the air. Healer was unsure of what caused the sudden shift in demeanor. Perhaps the poor things were just having a bad day…

The telltale sounds of the armor approaching alerted the Healer to his daily meal’s arrival. His stomach yearned for it, and yet he couldn’t help but be less than thrilled. Days and days of the same bland food had left him craving for something even a little bit more flavorful. He probably would not be offered such a luxury while under the Witch’s “care”.

Oddly enough, when the plate was set down, the Healer noticed the Brave Mouse scurry over to that area. Oh dear, it was quite eager today wasn’t it?

(Gingerbrave sprinted over to where he left the apple and quickly shoved it onto the Healer’s plate before the human touched it. Wizard made a stressed noise in protest, muttering something under his breath about “being too suspicious”; but before he could do anything about it, the man’s hand had already reached over and began to pull the platter closer.)

“Settle down, little one. You’ll get your share.” Healer chuckled, though his expression turned thoughtful when he noticed the additional weight. Was there something else besides bread?

Curious, he ran his fingers over the plate’s contents. There was the bread, where it always was, but next to it… Was that…?

The Healer’s eyes widened behind their bandages as he slowly lifted the apple with a sense of reverence. He turned it around in his hands, as if disbelieving it was real. The smell, the texture, the weight, there was nothing else it could be.

But why the sudden change?

His stomach growled, reminding him this was the most food he had in front of him in months. His mouth was already watering. But first, the mice. It would be unfair for him to start eating before they had their shares.

“It seems fortune has smiled on us today, my friends.” Healer set the apple to the side before picking up the bread and breaking off three pieces as usual. “The Witch must be in a generous mood!” Wanting to share this newfound bounty yet unable to cut the apple into slices, he offered the apple whole for them to take nibbles out of. 

There was a long moment of nothing before, much to his surprise, the Brave One pushed the apple back towards him. When he tried offering it again he felt another little firm shove against the fruit in his palms, as if insisting he keep it.

How strange...

It was almost similar to how the village people gently pressed things into his hands back home. The Healer always denied any sort of payment for his services, after all, life was not something one should put a price tag on. Yet some of the villagers insisted on paying him in some manner, typically in food or coin.

‘No, that’s ridiculous,’ whispered a voice of reason in his head. ‘ It probably was just investigating the apple and decided it wasn’t interested. Your loneliness is causing you to read far too much into the actions of common animals… ‘

And yet as he raised the fruit to his lips, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling that something was off. 

(A part of him that had been forgotten, a part that sought out the Truth in all its forms, stirred slightly in the back of the Healer’s mind.)

The crunch of his first bite echoed throughout the cell. Unbeknownst to him, the “mice” cringed at the noise. He had been expecting it to be bitter, maybe even rotten, but no it was fresh and healthy. After months of nothing but stale bread and lukewarm water, the apple tasted like manna from heaven.

The bandages around his eyes began feeling damp as he took another bite, and then another. He felt a little silly, crying over something as simple as an apple, but after being denied most everything for months, he couldn’t contain his emotion.

“I needed this.” His voice was tight, but his spirit felt at peace. He knew this probably wouldn’t last. He knew he most likely wouldn’t get something like this again for a very long time. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to feel dread.

Though the meal was small, he felt incredibly satisfied.

“It might just be the starvation talking, but this is one of the best meals I’ve tasted,” he chuckled. “In fact, the last time I tasted anything this good was–!”

He froze, every single muscle in his body seizing up in almost an instant. The apple core slipped from his grasp and rolled a bit aways when it hit the floor. Once again the eyes behind his bandages had gone wide, as some sort of memory tried to claw itself to the surface. 

A crackling fire. A make-shift camp. Someone pouring ale and singing songs, trying to get the person next to them to sing along. The stoic individual refusing to acknowledge the other, focusing on sharpening a well-maintained blade. Another person crouched by the fire, slowly stirring a pot, their golden hair almost glittered in the dim fire-light. And then…

Warm hands clutching his. The scent of lilies wafting through the air, overpowering everything else. A laugh that made his heart swell with grief. In his vision, he turned to face her, her name just barely on the tip of his tongue.

Pain, sharp and stinging shot through his skull, and as quickly as the memory had surfaced, it had vanished. Whatever the vision had brought with it slipped out of Healer’s head like water through his fingers. The man hissed through his teeth, suddenly within his own body once more as he reached a hand up to clutch at his aching head.

Despite already sitting down, he lost his balance and almost toppled over. He braced himself against the wall, preventing himself from falling over completely.

What… was that? What had he just been thinking about? Why did he feel like his stomach was tied in knots? Had he been crying again just now? Of all the places to have one of his “episodes”…

Frantic tugging on his robe brought him out of his thoughts. The sounds of panicked skittering reminded him that he wasn’t alone.

“I’m sorry.” Though he wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to apologize to the mice. “This happens sometimes. Whenever an old memory tries to surface, I... zone out, I suppose. I’ll be fine. I just need a moment…”

Healer struggled to right himself, eventually succeeding with a heavy sigh. He knew it wouldn’t be long now before the armor would be back to collect the tray, so he distracted himself with returning the empty plate and glass to their proper place. However, he had dropped the apple core, and struggled to find it. He felt around for a moment, but came up empty. That is, until he felt something pressed against the back of his fingers. One of the mice had pushed it up to him (though he wasn’t exactly sure which). Muttering his thanks, he deposited the core onto the otherwise empty plate.

There was a long moment of silence. This was the longest the mice had stuck around after a meal with him. Usually they left long before the armor was due to return, yet this time they remained. He liked to think that maybe they were worried about him.

“... I had another life, once.” He whispered into the dark silence. “Before the village. Before I became the Healer. I had a name. Friends. A life. It’s all gone now. The only thing left of the man I used to be is my staff… And now that’s gone too.”

He could feel a migraine coming on with a pressure steadily building behind his eyes. It made him feel more than a little queasy.

With a sigh he said, “I am going to try to get some rest, my little friends. Thank you for sharing another meal with me. And, while I know my words probably mean nothing to you, thank you for listening regardless… Your presence has truly been a blessing these past few days.” He smiled despite himself.

“May your days be many and your woes few.”

“I know what you’re thinking, Gingerbrave, and the answer is No.” Wizard Cookie said as they finally reached the upper levels.

Gingerbrave was startled from his thoughts at being addressed. “What are you talking about?”

Wizard Cookie fixed his taller friend with an unamused look. “I know that face. That’s the face you make when you’re trying to figure out a complicated problem. And my guess is it has something to do with the Healer. Well, the answer is No. We’re involved enough as it is. We can’t go out of our way trying to fix all his problems.”

Gingerbrave’s cheeks tinted pink at being called out. “Not all his problems. Anyway, how’s about we do something special?”

“Special?” Strawberry was pulled from her own musings at Gingerbrave’s suggestion.

“Yeah! The bread was nice, but watching Healer enjoying that apple so much kinda makes me wanna go to the Cheesehaven! It’s been way too long, and I miss the Cheesemaster’s cooking…” The boy put a hand to his stomach. He really did miss the lively tavern and its meals. It’d been a while since they swung over to that area, and at this time of day it wouldn’t be too crowded as the usual customer base was nocturnal.

There was another reason he wanted to go, but he kept that part to himself. After all, she might not even be there, but… It wouldn’t hurt to check.

“I like that idea.” Strawberry visibly perked up at his suggestion. “It has been a while.”

Wizard narrowed his eyes, as if trying to glean any ulterior motives from Gingerbrave’s suggestion. After finding nothing, he shrugged and said, “Alright. I wouldn’t mind having some of that stew we had last time.”

“Oh! And those cheddar biscuits…!” Strawberry smiled.

Their conversation petered off as they adjusted their course toward the castle’s kitchens. Most would think the Cheesemaster was mad for putting his tavern so close to a place often frequented by Sheriff Whiskerton, but the mouse’s passion for his craft seemed to outweigh his common sense sometimes. Then again, it could be said that his customers were just as mad for making the trip. The tavern’s amazing food made the journey more than worth it.

Just as Gingerbrave had thought, once they arrived, the tavern was rather quiet. There were a few mice, a rabbit, a dessert or two, but there were plenty of tables open. The tall form of the Cheesemaster was busy polishing a glass behind the bar, but upon the children entering he looked up from what he was doing.

“Ah! Gingerbrave! Strawberry Cookie! Wizard Cookie! Come in, my friends, come in! It’s been too long!” He smiled and gestured for them to come inside. Luckily the Cheesehaven was a few layers of stone and wood beneath the kitchen, thus those inside didn’t have to worry about staying quiet. The establishment certainly lived up to its name, being a small haven away from the many threats that stalked the much smaller castle residents.

The children took up seats at the bar with warm smiles. Eagerly placing their orders and catching up with the Cheesemaster (though they didn’t exactly tell him about what they had been up to in the dungeons). The mouse was more than happy to listen to their latest adventures.

“By the way, has Witchberry Cookie been around lately?” Gingerbrave asked. He wilted a bit when Cheesemaster shook his head.

“I'm afraid I have not seen her. Perhaps she has gone to explore parts unknown, like your other friend?” He set down a platter of biscuits between the children to share. Strawberry Cookie almost instantly snatched one up and took an enthusiastic bite.

“Knowing Gingerbright’s tastes, I doubt they’ll be bumping into each other any time soon.” Wizard said as he gratefully accepted a mug of juice. “She’s probably playing in the Cookievorous Garden and having a blast…”

Gingerbright was a highly optimistic cookie who had traveled with them for a while. Wizard's assessment of her wasn't wrong, as Gingerbright had incredibly odd tastes. Nothing seemed to shake her, even stumbling across a jar full of stale lifeless cookies was deemed "cute" in her eyes. She had initially planned on joining their escape, however she decided she needed to explore every “fun” thing the Castle had to offer first, before venturing out into the wider world.

“There’s just so much I haven’t seen yet!” Gingerbright had exclaimed. “We might never come back once we leave, so I want to make sure I don’t miss out on anything! Just go on without me, I’ll catch up, no problem-o!”

Strawberry seemed to understand the other girl’s mindset more so than Gingerbrave and Wizard, she had compared it to “one-hundred percenting" an area. Wizard supposed he could understand wanting to get the full experience now before they left forever, but considering what a terrible place the Castle was… He believes he is fine with what few portions of the Castle he has seen.

The children lingered in the Cheesehaven well into the night. It was easy to lose track of time, especially once a musician showed up and began playing. The place was packed with all sorts of residents, all of them in jovial moods as every night in the tavern felt like a celebration. It didn’t matter where one was from or whether they were beast, object, or dessert. Everyone was unified in warm hearts and warmer meals.

It was in the middle of the night when Gingerbrave spotted them. A mixed group of a few animals and a cookie sat at a table in the corner. They seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere, especially the big burly beaver who loudly sang along to the current tune being played. Well, if Witchberry Cookie wasn’t here, then he supposed they would have to do.

Casting a glance over at Wizard and Strawberry and finding them distracted, Gingerbrave slipped out of his seat and made his way over to the group.

“Excuse me! You’re the Apricot Jam Syndicate, right?” He was pretty sure that was the case, as the group matched the wanted posters he had seen around. When Gingerbrave approached, the three hooded animals turned to him with mixed reactions of confusion or annoyance. The cookie at the table, however, simply ignored him, favoring a sip of her wine. “Sorry for interrupting you, but can I ask you guys a question?”

“Beat it, kid. We’re not taking any new recruits.” The beaver grunted.

“Yeah, scram!” A chipmunk huffed, waving a spoon-staff around and motioning to their food. “I’m trying to enjoy this culinary masterpiece!”

“Oh, no I’m not looking to join up.” Gingerbrave said with a smile. “I was just looking to see if you guys had some information! I heard you have eyes and ears all over the Castle.”

“Yeah…” The third animal - a mouse - crossed their arms. “But… we don’t go giving that type of… type of stuff out to nobodies…”

“Now now, my friends.” The cookie finally spoke up, commanding their attention. She looked down at Gingerbrave with a polite smile as she set her drink to the side. “Why don’t we hear the boy out? Come, have a seat. Let’s talk business.”

She gestured to an empty seat between the beaver and chipmunk, which Gingerbrave happily made himself comfortable in. The other members at the table grumbled, but if the boss wanted to talk to the kid then they supposed they had no choice.

“I am Sachertorte Cookie,” she said. “Pardon my comrades. They’re rather excitable.”

The boy gave the group a wide and genuine smile before saying, “It’s okay, I’m Gingerbrave! Nice to meet you!” He hesitated for a moment as he thought about how to go about this, but Sachertorte Cookie beat him to the punch.

“Now, before we discuss what you want, my dear. Let us first discuss payment. Everything has a price after all.” Her grin widened ever so slightly. “What exactly can you offer us in exchange for the information you’re looking for? I must warn you, we’re not cheap.”

“Yeah, make it a good offer!” The chipmunk jeered.

Gingerbrave pondered this for a moment before a metaphorical light-bulb lit up above his head. “Well, my friends and I explore a lot so we’ve got a lot of things in our place, but… We have a pretty big stock of Life Potion! How’s about ten vials for some info?”

The offer was absolutely insane. After all, life potion was a vital resource, as the food and drink around the castle lacked much Life Powder. Some castle residents, especially the desserts, needed it desperately to remain animated, and it could get scarce in some areas. Some colonies in the Castle broke out into fights over the stuff. It was tricky to find normally, but Wizard Cookie - the genius that he is - somewhat accidentally created a cauldron that flowed endlessly with the substance; meaning they had all the life potion they would ever need.

That wasn’t to say the kids were stingy with their supply. Whenever they saw the opportunity to give some out to those in need, they did. However, most folks didn’t know about the kids’ endless supply. Upon Strawberry’s insistence, they planned on spreading news of the formula once Wizard figured out how he did it in the first place, but for now, it offered the kids a means of bargaining and trading for resources.

The three animals all had mixed reactions of shock at Gingerbrave’s offer. After all, how did a kid like him have that much life potion? Sachertorte Cookie did not visibly react, but there was a mildly interested twinkle in her eye.

“I’ll consider it…” She said with a slight tilt of her head. “What would you like to know?”

Gingerbrave looked around for a moment, knowing if any of the others overheard this then it might kick up a fuss. After all, he was about to bring up the one being most creatures in the Castle feared. After making sure Wizard and Strawberry were still busy, he leaned in and lowered his voice. “You know the Hea– I mean – The prisoner the Witch caught a few months ago?” All four Syndicate members tensed, but Sachertorte Cookie remained composed enough to nod her head. “I hear he had a staff, but the Witch took it away. I want to know where she could have put it.”

For a long moment, the table was totally silent, a glaring hole of intensity within the jovial tavern.

“Boss–” The beaver started before Sachertorte Cookie raised a hand.

“It’s alright, Walnut.” And like that, the Syndicate Leader’s face was a perfect mask that gave away nothing to the boy sitting across from her. She brought her hands together and leaned forward, fixing Gingerbrave with an intense gleam in her eyes. “That… Is a very big question you’re asking, Gingerbrave.”

“Is it?” The boy tilted his head.

“Oh yes, we deal in many forms of information.” Sachertorte Cookie took a moment to take a long sip from her drink before continuing. “Caravan movements, rumors of this noble or that celebrity, dirty secrets of our underworld rivals, all of it fetches a very pretty coin. However, when it comes to information on the Witch, well, that’s a bit more pricey. After all, everybody is afraid of her and thus information on her movements are highly valuable… How badly do you want to find that staff, dear boy?”

“Really badly! It’s super important!” Gingerbrave bounced a little in his seat.

“Super important, hm?” Sachertorte Cookie leaned back in her chair. The tension in the air was so thick, one could probably cut it with a knife. “I’m afraid some mere life potion won’t do as payment, then. We’ll need something else…”

“What kind of something?” It was clear to the criminals at the table that the child was determined to get that information no matter what.

Sachertorte Cookie’s polite smile turned into one that looked downright devious as she laid out her terms. Unfortunately, Gingerbrave was far too naive to recognize this for what it was and accepted the deal without much of a second thought. By the time he got back to Wizard and Strawberry, he had already shaken on it and told the Syndicate leader that he’ll meet her back here in the Cheesehaven in two days time.

“Hey, Gingerbrave, where did you go?” Strawberry Cookie asked as he took up his seat beside her.

“Oh, just talking to some nice folks!” he said. To which Wizard quirked a brow.

“Who…?” Why did he have a bad feeling about this? When Gingerbrave pointed out the table he had been sitting at, Wizard visibly paled. “You– Gingerbrave, that's the Apricot Jam Syndicate! They’re one of the most wanted criminal organizations in the Castle!”

“Yeah, and they’re gonna help us find the Healer’s staff for him." If they weren't best friends, Wizard would have strangled Gingerbrave by this point.

“Did you not hear me earlier when I said we weren’t going to fix all his problems for him?!” Wizard whispered harshly.

“Not all his problems. Just this one! And the jail one, but this first! Two problems!” Gingerbrave puffed out his chest. “Besides, I already shook on it and Sachertorte Cookie says no take-backs!”

Wizard Cookie let out a long suffering groan, burying his face in his hands. Why was it whenever Gingerbrave wandered off on his own he got them all into some kind of trouble?! “I’m afraid to ask but… what did they want in exchange…?” Wizard peeked out from under the brim of his hat.

“Oh, it’s nothing much!” Gingerbrave picked up the drink he had left behind and took a moment to finish it before saying, “Just some life potion vials and one of Whiskerton’s solid gold badges.”

. . .

“WHAT?!”

It was the dead of night when he was awoken by the sound of clanking armor. Slowly, Healer came to his senses, silently appreciating the fact that sleep had eased his migraine to nothing but a distant ache. He raised his head, brow furrowed, as for the briefest of moments he thought he had slept well into the next day; the only time he heard the armor approaching was when his meals were due.

However, two factors told him otherwise. The first, was the simple fact that he did not hear the mice. Their presence was steadily becoming a staple of his meal time, and their absence concerned him. The second, was the fact it sounded like more than one suit of armor was approaching.

Cautious but curious, Healer rose from laying on the cold floor, propping himself up on his elbows as he listened to the hollow march. It wasn’t until they grew close that he heard the familiar sound of claws tapping on stone alongside them.

“Good evening, prisoner!” The familiar voice of the cat - Whiskerton, he believed - greeted him. He could hear how delighted the feline sounded, but was unsure as to why.

“Hello again…” Healer slowly sat up fully. “To what do I owe this visit?”

Whiskerton took a moment to chuckle to himself, as if enjoying some kind of inside joke before replying, “You’ve been summoned by my mistress. Grab him.” The last part seemed directed at the armor.

Healer heard the creak of a door being opened followed by the sound of metal coming closer. He backed away on instinct, uncomfortable with whatever was going on. A hollow gauntlet roughly wrapped around his upper arm, eliciting a pained hiss as it squeezed a bit too tight to keep him still. Another set of hands went to undo the chain that kept him bound to the wall.

“Careful!” Whiskerton commanded the armor. “The Witch wants him unharmed!”

Healer was hauled to his feet with little grace, being supported on either side by the guards. He tried to dig in his heels but they were too strong and his body too frail to really fight back. Something in his instincts screamed that whatever was happening couldn’t be good, but he was too weak to do much of anything.

“I don’t understand,” he said, a bit panicked. “After all this time, she wishes to see me again? Why?” Why leave him to rot for three months just to meet now? What’s changed? Did it have something to do with the apple from earlier today? Was it something else entirely?

“You’ll see, you’ll see!” Whiskerton giggled, the cat taking point to guide the group back down the hall, too happy about whatever this was to take notice of his little fumble.

‘No, I won’t.’ Healer thought, feeling a sickening feeling churn in his gut. ‘And that is going to make this worse, I fear.’

Chapter Text

“Come on, I said I was sorry!” Gingerbrave said with an irritated huff as the kids made their way down the tunnel. It was slow progress, as they kept having to find routes wide enough to accommodate the bunch of grapes that Gingerbrave and Strawberry Cookie were currently working together to carry.

Wizard Cookie merely turned his head away with an angry little ‘harumph!’ And why shouldn’t he be angry? Not only was he still mad at Gingerbrave for getting them involved with a literal criminal organization, but this morning both his friends needlessly put their lives at risk so they could steal the very grapes they were carrying!

He had a minor heart attack when he woke up early to find them gone from their little home under the floorboards. They didn’t even leave a note! He had thought something happened to them when they didn’t return for hours, so he had started getting ready to go searching, only for the two of them to come back with a bunch of grapes and sheepish expressions. So yes, Wizard was still very angry.

And it was all that stupid Healer’s fault.

He knew it probably wasn’t fair to blame the man for his friends’ reckless choices, but darn it he was frustrated! His friends kept going out of their way to show this human kindness and Wizard couldn’t bare the thought of how heartbroken they would be when the man eventually showed his true colors. (If they survived, that is.)

Yes, Wizard was still suspicious. No, he was not going to trust the Healer after a few meals and a sob story. His newly discovered status as an amnesiac changed nothing of their current predicament. The Healer was starving, and the only thing keeping them safe was the blind man’s misconception of them being mice. Humans could eat a lot of things, yet he seemed reluctant in making any attempts to eat his only company thus far; but what about a few days from now? A week? A month? The way he desperately ate that apple yesterday only gave away how hungry he truly was.

Wizard Cookie had read somewhere that humans often associated mice and rats with plague and disease. They were considered dirty vermin that most would avoid eating out of fear of growing sick. Frankly, it was a very rude passage. Mice like the Cheesemaster were very cleanly! But that association might be what has kept the Healer from trying to eat them thus far.

If he learned they were Cookies literally made for human consumption? What would he do then? Would he have the same reservations? Wizard didn’t think so.

Maybe they could take the amnesia angle and use it as a bargaining chip? This castle was stuffed full of magical artifacts, it would be easy to lie and say one of them could restore the man’s memory. That way he wouldn’t be able to kill them lest he lose access to regaining the identity he lost. Then again, he was cunning enough that he might call their bluff. On top of that, Gingerbrave and Strawberry were terrible liars; it was a miracle they hadn’t blown their cover yet.

He’d put that idea on the back-burner for now.

Now he had to focus on guiding his friends through the tunnels with their stolen prize.

“So is this just going to be a thing now?” Wizard asked over his shoulder. “That’s not going to do much to satiate his appetite, and if any of the Witch’s familiars catch us stealing from the kitchen, we’re dead.”

“You always say that stuff is gonna kill us,” Gingerbrave pouted.

“Because a lot of things can kill us! We’ve just gotten ridiculously lucky so far.”

“Well, the Healer isn’t one of them,” said Gingerbrave with a confident nod. “And yes, I want to try bringing him extra food as often as we can manage. It’s what friends do!”

Wizard Cookie gave the other boy a deadpanned look. “He thinks we’re non-sapient mice. At best, he considers us pets.”

“I’ll take it!” Because, of course, nothing could shake Gingerbrave’s unwavering optimism.

“He does seem pretty lonely…” Strawberry muttered from her place in the back of the line. She adjusted her grip on the grapes before talking again. “And yesterday he seemed so sad… I would be too, if I was alone, trapped, and I didn’t remember you guys… I-I think maybe showing him a little bit of kindness could go a long way.”

Wizard loved his friends, he really did, which was why he didn’t have the heart to tell them the bitter truth that humans and desserts couldn’t be friends. The proof was in all the records he had read, the way the Witch ruled with an iron fist, and his own unfortunate experience of watching cookies being eaten... It would never work, and they were just going to hurt themselves by trying to pursue a friendship with this Healer.

Unfortunately, there was no going back now. So Wizard resolved he’d be there to offer his support when things eventually went to hell. It was the best he could do.

Well, no, the best thing he could do right now is help Gingerbrave and Strawberry get the grapes through the exit. With a sigh, he rolled up his sleeves and helped his friends push. After a few good shoves, they managed to get it through with minimal damage.

The dungeon was silent, as it always was. The chill in the air made a shiver run through Gingerbrave. The distant creak of rusted metal made Strawberry jump. Wizard, however, was more bothered by the wide open space they were in. He hated leaving the safety of the walls. The rooms and halls designated for humans were just… too big. He waved at his friends to get their attention and whispered for them to get moving. The sooner they were out of the hall, the better. They left behind the unassuming crack in the wall and started down their usual route to the Healer’s cell.

“Hey,” Gingerbrave spoke up in a hushed tone. “After this, I’m heading over to Whiskerton’s to get that badge. His ‘office’ isn’t too far from here, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

“All by yourself…?” One could hear the frown in Strawberry Cookie’s tone.

“Well, I was the one who made the deal with the Syndicate. And I didn’t mention you guys, so I don’t think they’re expecting anything from you. You don’t have to get involved if you don’t want to.” Gingerbrave took a minute to remember which way to turn, and then scrambled to follow Wizard Cookie who had already hung a left.

“I still can’t believe you thought that was a good idea…” Wizard sighed.

“Well with Witchberry Cookie not around, it was the best thing I could think of! Asking around too much would’ve made me look suspicious and you guys said we can’t tell anybody what we’re doing down here!” argued Gingerbrave. “Besides, Whiskerton has tons of those badges. I doubt he’ll notice one missing.”

The kids quieted their conversation as they approached what they recognized to be the Healer’s cell. They were a few minutes later than usual due to the delay provided by the grapes, but considering the lack of noisy empty armor clunking together, the kids were fairly certain they had made it just in time. Gingerbrave personally couldn’t wait to see the look on Healer’s face when he discovered the grapes on his plate. He had made sure to pick the juiciest looking bunch out of the barrel.

Deciding he just couldn’t wait anymore, Gingerbrave yanked on the grapes and dragged both it and Strawberry Cookie forward. They blew past Wizard, who threw a hushed word of caution at them. Strawberry stumbled and tried to keep up, making sure they didn’t lose any grapes in their sudden sprint.

It took all of Gingerbrave’s self-restraint not to call out a happy greeting into the man’s cell.

And then it took all his self-control not to trip over his own two feet. Much to Strawberry’s and Wizard’s surprise, the boy stopped short and barely maintained his balance as Strawberry almost accidentally bowled him over with her half of the grape bunch.

“Gingerbrave?” Strawberry whispered as she leaned over in an attempt to look at him. Unfortunately she couldn’t make out his expression.

“What’s wrong?” Wizard asked when he got close enough to be heard. But again, Gingerbrave didn't respond, only stood there with a shocked and mildly confused expression. The other two children followed his gaze to find… nothing.

The cell was empty.

“Wait… that’s…” Wizard blinked, taking a cautious step forward and squinting his eyes in an attempt to see into the shadowy corner where the man usually hid. Nothing but empty air and cold stone.

“I don’t understand, did we make a wrong turn…?” Strawberry followed Gingerbrave into the cell to get a better look around. All the cells pretty much looked the same, and the dungeon itself was like a maze. Perhaps they had been too distracted by their conversation to notice their misdirection.

“No, this is the right cell.” The grapes were set down in favor of fanning out. Gingerbrave walked up to the chain that usually kept the Healer tethered to the wall. He halfheartedly kicked it, making it rattle.

“But then where is he?” Strawberry was getting concerned now. “Did… Did he escape?”

“I doubt that.” Wizard rubbed at the spot between his eyes. “Unless he just invented a spell that allowed him to slip out of here like a ghost, then it is most likely he got taken somewhere.” And if he had to guess, it was by the Witch. Wizard Cookie had a bad feeling about this…

The kids debated on what to do with this new development. Did they wait to see if the man would return? Did they leave? Did they attempt to search for him? They wouldn’t be able to reach a consensus, as the choice would be made for them in the form of enchanted armor approaching. The little cookies could feel the vibrations through the floor with each approaching ‘CLANK CLANK CLANK’ . 

“Hide!” Gingerbrave whispered, startling his friends out of their stupor and causing them to scramble for a good hiding place. The cell itself was rather bare, no furniture to hide under or behind, nothing they could use to make a hiding spot either. Unfortunately, the best they could do for the bunch of grapes was drag it into the shadows and hoped nobody searched the cell too thoroughly. As for their own hiding place, there was a large crack in the corner that had just enough space for the kids to squeeze into. Water dripping from a leak made the space uncomfortably wet and the tight fit made it more than a little claustrophobic, but they made it work.

Just in time too, as the earthquake of metal footsteps had just arrived outside the cell.

“Alright, we’re here.” Whiskerton’s voice made all three children tense. Gingerbrave felt Strawberry huddle closer, trembling. “Toss him in.”

There was an unpleasant creak of rusted hinges, the rustling of cloth, and then…

‘THUD!’

The Healer’s body hit the floor. Despite the man being skin and bones, the impact still caused enough of a tremor to make all three children instinctively hold onto one another. They watched with wide eyes as the man’s body rolled a bit and then came to a stop, lying on his left side. He had quite literally been thrown by his captors, a fact that apparently Whiskerton wasn’t pleased with as he hissed at the armor to be more careful next time.

“If you kill him then the Witch is going to take you apart and skin me alive! She wants to do these sessions at least every other week, and for that to happen she needs him alive, you useless walking bucket!” The cat furiously batted at the legs of one of the armor. Obviously, since it was lacking consciousness, it didn’t respond.

Seeing he wasn’t getting anywhere with this, Whiskerton ordered the suits of armor to get moving. Once again the halls of the dungeon were filled with the sounds of the hollow march. Nothing in the cell moved until everything once again faded into silence.

Once the cookies were sure they were in the clear, Gingerbrave wiggled out of the hiding spot and rushed toward the Healer. Strawberry and Wizard quietly called to him, begging him to come back, but the boy didn’t stop or show any indication he had heard. With a determined little pout on his face, he ran right up to the human’s still body.

He paused to assess the damage. He didn’t see any physical wounds, but the Healer was visibly paler, his skin almost ashy. That combined with how still the man was, almost gave him the appearance of being dead. However, as Gingerbrave got closer, he could make out the slight motion of Healer breathing.

He had gotten close to Healer many times over the course of their visits, but typically after he tugged on the man’s robes he would back up in order to avoid the risk of being touched. Now Gingerbrave had no reservations as he approached the Healer’s face and pressed a hand to his forehead.

Healer had broken out into a cold sweat. His skin was clammy and cold, as if ice had seeped into his very core. Gingerbrave did not interact with many humans over the course of his short life, but he did know from his brief interaction with the Shadow Witch upon his baking that human skin was supposed to feel warm.

“He’s alive,” called Gingerbrave over his shoulder. “But… I think he’s sick.” That was the best way he could describe what he was seeing. He took a moment to try brushing away some strands of hair clinging to the Healer’s face. He didn’t look up from this task as he heard his friends coming up behind him.

“Y-You don’t think he’s going stale, do you…?” Strawberry Cookie asked after making her own assessment of the situation.

“Humans can’t go stale. Unlike ours, human bodies produce their own life essence, which is why they don’t need to drink life potion all the time.” Wizard Cookie gently informed. “But his health is definitely in critical condition… What happened to him…?”

Strawberry Cookie shuffled in place before saying, “More importantly, what do we do?” And that was the golden question, now wasn’t it? All their gazes sank to the floor as they contemplated what to do next.

The kids didn’t know how to handle a human normally, let alone a sick one. Without knowing what the Witch had done to him, they couldn’t exactly begin to guess what the man needed most in that moment. He was cold, so did they try warming him up? Or was there an issue on the inside they couldn’t see? They didn’t have anything like a first aid kit either so then how could they help?

Gingerbrave’s gaze snapped up as he remembered something they did have. He had no idea if this would work or not, but… It couldn’t hurt to try.

“Strawberry.” Gingerbrave turned to face her. “How many life potions do you have in your backpack right now?”

“H-Huh?” She felt a bit put on the spot. The information had flown from her mind the second Gingerbrave had asked the question and it took her a moment of embarrassed stammering to recall it again. “Three. I think. One for each of us.”

“Alright…” Gingerbrave nodded, weighed their options, and then said, “Let’s give them to the Healer.”

“What? Gingerbrave, we need those!” Wizard Cookie protested. “Besides, I’m not even sure if life potion will work on humans!”

“We can always head back home and get more potion from your cauldron. Animal residents use life potions all the time and it heals them! So why wouldn’t it work for him?” Gingerbrave argued back. “Please, Wizard, I can’t just stand here and watch someone die without trying something!”

Wizard Cookie hesitated for a long time. He still had his reservations about the Healer, but he also wasn’t thrilled at the idea of watching someone perish right in front of him. (He’d seen enough of that already.) Even if the man was suspicious, whatever the Witch had done was clearly causing him great pain. The voice of sympathy within Wizard’s mind was winning his internal conflict, but he still wasn’t sure…

“What do you think, Strawberry?” Wizard eventually asked, deciding to let her be the tie breaker. She might have been quiet, but Wizard knew her as a very insightful cookie. Plus, she was the one holding onto the potions.

Strawberry Cookie looked between both of her friends, then her gaze shifted to the Healer. Slowly, she stepped forward, getting the closest to the human she had ever gotten. She… didn’t think she had ever willingly gotten this close to a human before, actually. At this distance, it really put into perspective how small they all really were. But to see someone so big become so hurt, it kind of made him seem less scary.

Nobody had ever seen the Witch get injured or sick. It kind of gave off this idea of humans being untouchable as a result.

The Healer was hurt. The Healer was sick. He was not invincible. He was… like them. Just as vulnerable, if not more so, to the horrors of this Castle.

With her little trembling hand, Strawberry reached out to the Healer and placed it to his chest. Every movement, however slight, was easy to spot due to their dramatic size difference. Thus the shallow rising and falling of his chest and the slow drumming of his heartbeat was not lost on her. She brought her other hand up to clutch where she could feel her own fluttering heartbeat threatening to escape her.

She closed her eyes and focused, not on what they were, not on the scary sounds of the dungeon, not even on her friends. Strawberry just focused on feeling the two heartbeats. While they were nowhere near in sync, they were similar.

He was like them.

“... Let’s give him the potions,” she concluded, immediately followed by her shrugging off her backpack. Gingerbrave visibly brightened, and while Wizard still had his own conflicting opinions, he did not protest.

They worked together to make it happen. The plan was to feed him one potion at a time to see what happened. Strawberry would pass the vials to Gingerbrave, Gingerbrave would pour the potions in, and Wizard would be there for magical backup in case anything went wrong. He cautioned Gingerbrave to be very careful around the Healer’s mouth. Apparently, humans could just make corrosive substances without even needing to think about it; a crazy thing to learn in the middle of an emergency. Gingerbrave promised to be careful and thus they began their plan.

Strawberry passed him the first potion, and Gingerbrave very carefully poured it into the Healer’s mouth. They waited a moment. When there was no reaction, they fed him the next one. Still no reaction. Gingerbrave was starting to get concerned. The vials weren’t very big, even by cookie standards, but life potion was potent. Most creatures only needed one vial’s worth to get the full effect no matter their size, weight, or species. Did it really not work on humans?

Well, three was the magic number. He poured the last potion in, took a step back, and waited. After a long moment of nothing, Gingerbrave visibly wilted and Strawberry set a hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry Gingerbrave…” she said, also clearly sad. “I guess it didn’t–” Her statement was cut off by the Healer’s hand twitching, followed by a groan. Wizard had enough sense to grab his two friends and drag them back just as the man turned over onto his stomach.

They watched from a safe distance as the human broke into a coughing fit and his breathing - while less labored - became louder. The chains on his cuffs rattled as he struggled to prop himself up on trembling elbows.

And then with a raspy voice, the Healer said, “I’m… still alive…”

The Healer had been terrified when the Witch had summoned him up from the dungeons. Any attempt to get answers out of her feline familiar had proved fruitless, thus he reluctantly resigned himself to his fate. He had wondered, briefly, if this would be where he met his end.

The Witch had welcomed him warmly, but he could sense the thorns in her tone. She had ordered his cuffs removed and for him to be strapped down onto something. If he had to guess, judging by the runes his fingers brushed up against, he was on some kind of stone ritual table.

“Before we begin… May I ask you a question?” He had cut off whatever instructions the Witch was relaying to Whiskerton. She had gone silent for a long moment before he heard the sounds of her footsteps coming up beside him.

“Make it quick,” she had said, clearly displeased.

He tilted his head in the direction of her voice. “Was this what you were planning on doing to the children?”

Another long stretch of silence. He could feel her drumming her fingers against the stone next to his head as she contemplated whether or not to reply.

It seemed she figured there was no harm in it, as she said, “Yes. I suppose there’s no point in hiding it.” And thus she laid out the whole terrible truth to him.

She had taken the children with the intent of harvesting life essence from them. Apparently, this woman had been conducting Life Powder experiments, and her supply was running dangerously low. She had tried many different methods, but plants and animals only had enough essence to make barely a fourth of a teaspoon’s worth of Life Powder. On top of that, methods used to passively gather life essence from Nature took weeks, maybe even months to produce a worthwhile sum. Thus, she had decided to try human subjects. Healer felt dread sink into his gut at the revelation.

Back in the days when magic was thriving and its practitioners were not persecuted, Life Powder had been a groundbreaking discovery. Pure Life in a workable form. However, such power was misused in many terrible ways. The wars that broke out because of it and the inhumane practices to see how far its capabilities could be pushed were just too much; thus Life Powder was outlawed. Some still blame the Life Powder Craze for the eventual downfall of many places and people. Some witches and wizards cited it as the beginning of the end of the Era of Magic.

“The children had been easy to target, and I probably would have gotten a decent amount of essence from them too,” said the Witch. “But then you came along. You have a very powerful spirit, I could sense it within your spells during our fight. I realized then that you could probably give me more essence than all of those brats combined and more. Hence our little deal.”

“I see…” Healer sighed, fully understanding what was about to happen now. “And that’s why I’m here now, is it? You plan on extracting my life force to make more Powder and further your experiments, but… Why?” He furrowed his brow. “What are you so desperately hoping to achieve by practicing such forbidden magic?”

“That is none of your business.” The Witch hissed next to his ear. There was a soft 'snip!' that almost reminded him of scissors, but before he could question it, the Witch was walking away. “I suggest you get comfortable, the next couple of hours are going to be painful.”

And they were. Dear divines, it hurt. It felt like a wildfire had broken out under his skin while a savage beast ripped at his rib cage. He could feel the blood coursing through his veins with every painful pump of his heart. The sensation of pins and needles made him writhe and the smell of ozone made him feel sick.

In that moment he was truly grateful he had prevented the children from having such an experience.

Healer wasn’t quite sure at what point during the process he had passed out, but when he awoke he was greeted by the feeling of cold stone beneath him, the weight of cuffs once more around his wrists, and the familiar ambiance of the dungeon.

There was the lingering taste of something on his tongue and he sputtered as whatever it was accidentally got sucked into his windpipe. He choked on it briefly, flipping himself over and forcing himself to swallow the substance. It was sweet like honey but felt like water, leaving a sunny aftertaste.

After gathering his wits, he said with vocal chords which had been strained by his earlier screaming, “I’m… still alive…”

He had thought for sure the process would kill him, but it made sense now that he said it out loud. The human body could naturally produce its own life essence. Taking all of it resulted in death, but if she left just enough to keep him alive, his body would attempt to replenish what had been lost.

Which meant she was planning on subjecting him to that ritual again at some point in the near future.

He took a breath to steady himself, trying to banish the dread he felt settling as the true weight of the situation became clear.

But… Wait. How much time had passed? If his essence was replenished enough for him to be conscious then several days should have passed, but something in his instincts told him that wasn’t the case. The aches and bruises from the rough handling of the armor felt too fresh. If he had to guess, it had only been a few hours, but that was impossible…

‘Tink!’

His hand brushed up against something. Slowly, he reached out and picked up what felt like something tiny, round, and made of glass. Examining its shape carefully, he concluded it was some kind of minuscule jar or bottle, though it seemed to no longer have its contents. He felt around the mouth of the bottle and felt a drop of something wet. It had no scent, so he decided to dab it against his tongue.

Sweet, watery, sunny aftertaste. The exact same substance he had felt going down his throat just moments ago. How curious.

“Hello?” He called out, wondering if anyone was nearby. He sighed when he got no response.

Healer felt around his immediate area some more, discovering two more of the little bottles, bringing his collection up to three. Three bottles, which he was assuming were all carrying that substance, and someone had fed it to him… Perhaps those were what had helped him regain consciousness?

He still felt half-dead, but with some rest, food, and time, he would be good as new in a few days.

Speaking of food, his stomach twisted into painful knots. He was famished. He set the tiny bottles down in favor of turning around to figure out if his usual meal of bread and water was present. Much to his disappointment, there was nothing. He frowned, biting his lower lip as his stomach gnawed at his insides.

“I suppose I’ll just have to wait…” Healer whispered with a heavy sigh. If the cat came back this way to check on him later, he’ll have to inform Whiskerton that this level of neglect will just cost the Witch her precious life essence resource. Perhaps if he played his cards right, he could convince the daily meal count to be bumped up to two instead of just one.

That is, if he was lucky enough for the feline to even show up.

With slow and careful movements, he found the nearest wall and sat against it. But just as he was getting settled…

Scurrying.

He tilted his head in the direction of the noise, brows raising in surprise. It hadn’t come from the direction of the bars, but from the far corner. He felt a little seed of hope spring up as the source approached, followed by two others. The gentle ‘tap tap taps’ in the otherwise silent dungeon had brought him a sense of relief.

“Little mouse…?” He leaned forward, and much to his delight he felt a familiar tug on his sleeve. In that moment he felt overcome with emotion, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth as he took a shuddering breath. Had the mice been waiting for him? Had they remained even when they saw there was no meal for them?

He swallowed down a sob as he felt his heart swell. He knew he was probably reading too much into it, but the thought that someone was present and cared was one he desperately needed.

“Oh, my little friends,” his voice was strained with sorrow. “Such terrible things are happening…”

He told them everything about his terrible experience. He told them what the Witch had done to him and what she planned to do. He described the sensation of having the life literally ripped out of him and expressed his fears of experiencing it again.

“I thought I was going to die,” he chuckled, but there wasn’t really anything to laugh at. “Everything felt so cold before I lost consciousness. I thought I felt Death’s icy hand grab my own.” He shuddered, pulling his robe tighter around himself. All three mice had gotten so close to him over the course of his story. Even the Shy one, usually so scared, was close enough to touch, but he refrained from reaching out. He knew it was better to let the creature initiate contact first, than to try to force it. Even if, in that moment, he really could use a hug.

“But I don’t regret it,” he concluded. “If I hadn’t come here when I did, she would have done this to the village children instead. I don’t regret my decision to exchange my freedom for theirs. Not now, not ever. If this means they remain safe, then I suppose I’ll just have to… get used to it…” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, leaning heavily against the wall. Of course, that didn’t mean he was at all happy about this arrangement, but he would accept it for the sake of those he cared about. Talking about it, even to creatures that didn’t understand, helped him cope with the situation a bit better.

His words hung in the air for a long moment. Not even the mice moved or made a single noise.

Then, a flurry of movement. The Brave mouse scurried back to the corner it had initially came from. He could make out sounds of effort along with something scratching at the stone. Then the Shy mouse scurried over to the same area and the pair began to slowly make their way back over. The Alert one seemed nervous, taking a few steps back as they got closer. Healer listened, curious as to what had them so worked up.

The pair abandoned whatever it was they were doing once they were close enough. The Brave mouse then ran up to him and tugged on his sleeve. When Healer only tilted his head to the side, it tugged again, as if trying to drag his hand somewhere but failing. He lifted his hand, allowing the mouse to guide it forward. The moment his fingers brushed up against something smooth, the mouse released him, ran around to the other side of the object, and firmly pushed it up against his palm.

He didn’t realize what it was until he picked it up. Grapes.

“This…” His brows knit together as he tried to process what had just happened. Where had these come from? The Witch? No, there wasn’t a platter with his usual meal waiting for him and he doubted she would have just left him a random bunch of grapes for when he woke up. So then how…?

His head snapped up when he recalled the apple from the previous meal. That had been the first time in months he had anything other than what the Witch was feeding him. First an apple, now grapes. What changed? He couldn’t imagine fruit having any form of affect on the Witch’s life extraction ritual.

It wasn’t until he heard all three mice begin scurrying toward the exit did he realize something.

He had wished aloud for an apple, and one appeared the next day. Unless there was a very friendly ghost listening in to his lonely ramblings, the only ones that could have heard him were… The very creatures he had been talking to. The mice.

The fresh food. The aversion to touch. The minuscule bottles on the ground when he had awoken.

Healer felt his heart skip a beat when he realized his initial assumption about the mice being mice was just that, an assumption. He hadn’t even so much as heard a real squeak from the creatures since they had begun visiting him. How did he know that assumption wasn’t wrong?

“Wait…!” called the Healer, reaching out a hand to where he could hear their scurrying, but by that point they were already gone.

For the first time in a while, the Healer would be having his meal alone.

“You guys don’t have to come with me. I’ll be fine on my own.” Gingerbrave didn’t slow his pace, didn’t even look over his shoulder at them.

“I’m not le-letting you go in there alone.” Strawberry Cookie said as she adjusted the straps of her backpack. It was easy to see she was terrified at the thought of entering Sheriff Whiskerton’s lair, but she was motivated enough to work past that fear. “I-I want to help the Healer! And if getting his staff back will help him, th-then I’ll do what I can!”

“And I’m not letting you guys endanger yourselves again like you did this morning.” Wizard Cookie huffed. When Gingerbrave raised a brow at him, the shorter boy made a dismissive motion. “As if I’d let my dislike of the Healer keep me from helping you.”

“Seriously? Even after all of that, you’re still skeptical? He’s not a monster, Wizard Cookie!” Gingerbrave crossed his arms, getting tired of this argument. There was a beat as Wizard gathered his thoughts.

“No, I agree. His sacrifice was noble,” he said slowly. Three months ago, the Witch had made multiple trips outside the Castle, but for what purpose nobody knew. To learn it was to kidnap children for the sake of harvesting their life essence was chilling. Even if they were human, Wizard didn’t even wish such a fate on his worst enemy.

“My concern comes from the fact he still doesn’t know the truth about us.” He looked off to the side, clearly conflicted with everything going on. “And when he does learn the truth - because we all know he will - how is he going to react?”

“I think he’s going to like us.” Gingerbrave said with a firm nod. “I like you guys, and you guys like me, which means we’re all very likeable.”

Wizard Cookie stopped walking, his gaze cast down on the floor, and his expression hidden under the brim of his hat. His friends stopped as well, fixing him with concerned looks. 

“I want to believe that, but think about it for a second. Just take a minute to really look at us.” Wizard gestured at himself, then at his friends. “We were made by the Witch. We have Life Powder in our dough. We were born from the very same experiments that’s causing the Healer pain. Would he really like us after learning what we really are?”

Gingerbrave and Strawberry shared a look. Eventually Gingerbrave scratched the back of his head with a light sigh.

“Well… I guess we won’t know until it actually happens.” He shrugged, a smile easily sliding across his face. “But until it does, I’m going to do my best to help. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Y-Yeah. Me too.” Strawberry seemed emboldened by Gingerbrave’s words.

Wizard shifted his gaze between the two of them, expression unreadable from behind his scarf. Eventually, he relented with a small, “Okay…”

“Alright!” Gingerbrave raised his candy cane proudly, his smile widened as he felt the thrill of a new adventure. “Let’s go steal that badge from Whiskerton’s lair!”

“L-Let’s do it!” Strawberry Cookie raised her own lollipop in an attempt to match his enthusiasm.

“Outsmarting that silly old cat should be easy.” Wizard adjusted the brim of his hat, deciding to put his faith in his friends.

“Excuse me?” asked a fourth voice.

Gingerbrave, Strawberry Cookie, and Wizard Cookie froze. Slowly, all three children turned to look behind themselves.

“Who exactly did you plan on ‘outsmarting’…?” Whiskerton grinned, sharp eyes and sharper teeth gleaming in the dark.

Uh oh.

Chapter Text

Left. Right. Left– NO RIGHT! Straight ahead. Pass that broken lantern. Skip over the uneven floor. There! A crack in the wall! So close. So close…!

‘WHAM!’

A paw came down before Gingerbrave and his friends could flee into the safety of the walls. The boy was mere inches away from getting pinned. He watched as Whiskerton unsheathed his claws, a wicked grin on his face.

“Not this time, you little pests. ” He went for a swipe, but Gingerbrave ducked just in time. The children once again fled, yet another escape attempt thwarted.

It felt like they had been running around in circles because the basement levels of the castle all looked the same. It was easy to see that the extended chase was beginning to have an effect on the children. Gingerbrave was getting slower, Strawberry’s breathing felt labored, Wizard kept leaving a trail of melted ice cream. Unfortunately, Whiskerton was especially spry today, and he was more than happy to keep up this game of cat and mouse.

He was messing with them, Gingerbrave realized as he avoided being pounced on for what felt like the fifth time. There was no way the cat was taking this as seriously as he usually would.

Whiskerton let the children gain a bit of distance before once again giving chase with a delighted laugh. “If you surrender now, I’ll put in a good word for you~!” he sing-songed. “Cooperative cookies get served up special! The berry one could top a nice parfait!” He swiped at Strawberry, who screeched when she felt the displacement of air get a bit too close. “Ah, but it has been getting warmer lately! How about a nice ice cream sundae topped with hot fudge and cookie crumbs?! ” Another swipe, this time at Wizard, who nearly stumbled over his own robe. “Of course, you can’t beat the classics!” Gingerbrave just barely avoided a claw to the back of his head.

“We are NOT interested!” Gingerbrave called over his shoulder, just before grabbing both his friends and yanking them into a sharp turn. The endless halls of the dungeons were replaced by a different kind of corridor. A few doors lined the hall, all of them closed and seemingly forgotten. They didn’t slow down as they barreled down the hall.

Upon reaching the end of the hall, the children slid under the door with ease. Taking a quick glance around, Gingerbrave concluded they were in some kind of wine cellar. Barrels, racks, and shelves of bottles were everywhere. Wizard was the last to come through the crack under the door, just barely avoiding Whiskerton’s paw that came after them. They heard the feline hiss and curse as he blindly felt around for his prey.

Deciding he wanted a bit of revenge, Gingerbrave raised his candy cane and struck the offending appendage with all his might.

“YEEEEEOW!” The paw was retracted quickly. “You’ll pay for that!”

Gingerbrave blew a raspberry, but was cut off by Wizard shaking his shoulder. Once he got the taller boy’s attention, he pointed up at the doorknob. It took Gingerbrave a moment to process what it was Wizard seemed nervous about.

Lever knob. Cats could use those.

It didn’t seem like Whiskerton noticed it yet, as he sounded too preoccupied with tending to his injured paw. Thus, the children took this opportunity to put some distance between themselves and their pursuer. By the time Whiskerton realized he could open the door, the cookie kids were already halfway down one of the aisles and looking for a place to hide.

Ducking behind a group of barrels, the children desperately tried to regain some stamina. Gingerbrave’s legs felt like jelly, it was taking all his strength not to topple over. Strawberry leaned her back against one of the barrels to try catching her breath. Meanwhile, Wizard took a moment to fan himself with his hat.

All three children froze when they heard a click followed by old hinges creaking open.

“If you guys have any ideas, now would be the time to share.” Wizard spoke softly, trying to keep his ears open for the feline’s approach.

“Have any spells that might help?” Gingerbrave asked as he pressed his back against the barrel and risked taking a peek to get a better grasp of the layout.

“My lightning might be able to do some damage, but I’m not sure about causing a spark in a room full of alcohol…” Wizard sighed, casting a nervous glance around at all the old barrels and bottles. “On top of that, as a Familiar, he’s already somewhat resistant to magic. We’d have a better chance if we hit him over the head with something.”

Gingerbrave cast his gaze upward, noticed something, and grinned. “And I know exactly how to do it.” That grin soon turned into a frown. “We might need a distraction though…”

Slowly, all three children shared a look. Each of them silently expected one of the others to step forward and offer being the bait, but none of them did. By this point, all of them were tired and none of them wanted to face off against the feline, but a decision had to be made eventually.

Without missing a beat, all three cookies gently shook their fists in sync, muttering “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!”

Gingerbrave and Wizard chose paper. Strawberry chose rock.

“Aw crumbs…” Strawberry felt her heart sink. She knew she should have gone for scissors…

“We’ll be close by.” Gingerbrave patted her on the shoulder, and then pulled Wizard closer so they could huddle up. “Alright guys, here’s the plan…”

Meanwhile, Whiskerton was slowly patrolling up and down the aisles, eyes peeled and ears strained. His paws were almost totally silent as he moved like a shadow through the dark wine cellar. Unfortunately for him, the smells of spoiled wine and moldy wood made picking up on sweet scents next to impossible. Just when he thought his luck was turning around, he had to go and lose his targets in this disgusting forgotten corner of the castle…

The Witch always loved when he brought her cookies. Bringing her one measly little dessert always earned him a badge! So imagine his excitement when he managed to sneak up on three. And not just any three, oh no, it was those three little nuisances that kept causing trouble around the Castle. Oh yes, the Witch would reward him handsomely for bringing them in. Especially that plain looking one who thought himself brave. He had dared to strike the hand of his Witch! The little brat clearly had no respect for even his own creator.

Whiskerton couldn’t wait to knock him down a peg.

He turned the corner just in time to catch a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye. His attention snapped to where he saw the tiny form duck out of sight behind a crate. He crouched low, moving like a ghost towards his target; the badge on his collar didn’t even make a noise, just barely touching the stone floor. Slowly, carefully, he peeked around the side of the crate…

‘BOP!’ A strawberry-scented lollipop hit him on the nose. Whiskerton jumped back with a startled yowl. He shook off the pain and glared as the little pink cookie made a run for it.

“C-C-Can’t catch me!” She sounded reluctant when she threw the taunt over her shoulder. Whiskerton growled and took off after her.

“When I get my claws on you…!” He bit out through clenched teeth and scrambled to catch up.

He tried to pounce onto her, only for her to swerve to the left and duck under one of the racks. There was just enough empty space between the top of a barrel and the bottom of the shelf above it for Whiskerton to squeeze through to the other side (not without some effort). After squeezing himself through with a grunt and a mutter of needing to cut back on the tuna, he came out into the next aisle over. It didn’t take him long to find the pink cookie again; she had just been standing there waiting for him.

He was too angry to recognize that as odd, blindly charging forward with an enraged hiss. Strawberry Cookie squeaked and once again took off like a shot, her fear making her almost as fast as Gingerbrave.

Strawberry scrambled to get her bearings when she came to the end of the aisle, tripping over her own feet a bit as she made a sharp right turn toward where Gingerbrave had told her to go.

‘Just a little bit further,’ The girl thought to herself in an attempt to will her aching legs to keep going. ‘Just a little bit more…!’

And then she hit a dead end.

Strawberry Cookie ran up to the wall, leaning all her weight against it, fighting to catch her breath for a few precious moments. Upon seeing Whiskerton barreling down the row towards her, Strawberry raised her weapon and fell into a defensive stance. Despite how confident she looked, her knees were still knocking together.

The feline slowed when he realized his prey was cornered. His enraged snarl morphed into a smug grin and he slowly approached the little cookie.

“Well, would you look at that,” chuckled Whiskerton. “All alone. None of your stupid little friends in sight. Such a shame…” The little cookie didn’t reply, which was fine by him. He preferred it when they didn’t talk anyway. The usual begging and crying was always so annoying. “My offer still stands. If you cooperate then maybe the Witch will be kind enough to give you a pretty little dish to sit on. Presentation is always important.”

Strawberry Cookie furiously shook her head.

“A fighter, huh? That’s fine too.” He was looming over her now, sharp teeth gleaming. “Either way, you’ll be joining the Witch for dinner tonight.”

Strawberry’s entire body began to tremble and she watched Whiskerton raise a paw to strike at her. She brought up her lollipop in a futile attempt to block the anticipated blow.

‘CRASH!’

A wine bottle fell from above and shattered over the feline’s head. Strawberry Cookie cringed when she was suddenly drenched in old wine. Whiskerton’s eyes lost focus, his raised paw fell limply to the floor; he swayed a little back and forth before ultimately collapsing. Strawberry sank to her knees, exhausted and relieved that the plan had worked.

“Sorry!” Gingerbrave called from the wall-mounted shelf he and Wizard had climbed onto. “I’m afraid she’s gonna have to take a rain check.”

“Nice shot.” Wizard stroked at his scarf like one would a beard. “Are you alright, Strawberry?”

Strawberry shot both boys a shaky thumbs up. “J-Just a bit wet…”

With a wave of Wizard Cookie’s staff and a gentle word, the boys were surrounded by a golden shimmer. They both stepped off the shelf; their descent was pleasant thanks to the slow fall spell. Once their feet touched the ground, the light faded and both boys rushed to reunite with Strawberry.

“I knew you could do it!” Gingerbrave lightly punched her on the shoulder, to which the girl sighed. She appreciated her friends having faith in her, but she never ever wanted to have to do something like that again.

“Here, I think I have a spell that can dry you off.” Wizard took her hand and guided her over to the side so they wouldn’t be out in the open. Even if the cat was knocked out, he still didn’t feel comfortable with them just hanging around in plain sight. Once they were in the shadow of a barrel, he took a moment to try to remember the incantation.

While Wizard and Strawberry were busy with that, Gingerbrave fearlessly marched up to the downed feline. He poked Whiskerton’s cheek just to make sure he really was down for the count. When nothing happened, Gingerbrave reached for Whiskerton’s collar.

It took a bit of tugging and fumbling, but he managed to unlatch the solid gold sheriff’s badge from the cat’s collar. Well, it wasn’t how he had initially planned to get one, but this at least saved them a trip.

“Guys!” Gingerbrave hefted the badge up with both hands and ran it over to his friends. Strawberry was huddled into her sweater now, enjoying how warm and dry it felt thanks to Wizard’s simple spell. Both his friends turned their attention to him as he ran up to present his prize. “Ta-dah!”

“That’s one way to get it, I suppose…” Wizard Cookie sighed. “I could have used less running around.”

“What’s important is that we have it now!” Gingerbrave moved it back and forth in his grip to watch how the light caught on the gold. “We’ll give it to the Syndicate, they’ll tell us about the Healer’s staff, we’ll get it for him, bust him out, and then BOOM! We’re free!”

Wizard Cookie was clearly less enthusiastic about this. “Uh, I think you’re skimming over several issues there.”

“Like what?”

“Other than the fact the Healer has absolutely no real reason to help us, how do you expect us to transport a staff made to be wielded by humans? ” Wizard put a hand to his hip. “It's going to be massive! There’s no way we’d be able to carry it.”

“Oooh…” Gingerbrave hadn’t thought about that bit. “Well, I’m sure you have a spell or something we could use. You have spells for everything.”

“That’s a bit presumptuous, don’t you think?!”

Strawberry Cookie sighed as her friends once again began bickering. Gingerbrave’s impulsiveness and Wizard’s stickler attitude often lead to the pair butting heads, but she knew it wasn’t from a place of hatred. It was, however, a bit annoying. While the girl tried to think of how to keep the peace, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. At first, she thought nothing of it. Probably just a shadow flickering in the room’s dim light…

Wait.

Strawberry Cookie wasn’t the fastest cookie in their party, but in that moment she moved like lightning. She grabbed Wizard Cookie and shoved him out of the way of the cat who had just begun to pounce. “WATCH OUT!”

Apparently Whiskerton hadn’t been as down for the count as the children had thought. With an enraged hiss his claws came down. He had been aiming for the annoying little spellcaster, but instead his claws sliced into the pink cookie instead. Jam splattered onto the floor as a huge gash was cut into the girl’s back, she fell to the ground with a strangled shout.

Surprised from being pushed and frightened by the sudden appearance of the sheriff, Wizard Cookie instinctively shot off a bolt of lightning. It missed Whiskerton by a mile, but the stray shot wound up hitting a shelf bracket and blasting it to bits.

‘BANG! CRASH! THUD! SHATTER!’

The shelf and all its contents came crashing down on top of Whiskerton. The cookies frantically tried to take cover from the hailstorm of breaking glass and raining wine. Gingerbrave grabbed Strawberry’s limp form and pulled her under the cover of a rack, Wizard not too far behind. Both boys covered their ears from the explosive sounds of glass shattering and Whiskerton’s pained screeching.

And then everything went still. The cookies held their breaths, waiting to see if it really was safe before risking a peek.

Whiskerton was still alive, but he was definitely going to be feeling all of that tomorrow. Wizard wouldn’t be surprised if the feline had sustained a concussion. Still, even with him down and out, they weren’t safe staying here.

“W-We need to move,” Wizard breathed, his heart felt like it was about to escape his chest. This day was turning out to be too much of a rollercoaster for him. “His connection with the Witch will tell her that he’s in distress. If she doesn’t come down here to look for him, then she’ll send someone else to do it. We can’t be here when that happens.”

“Wizard.”

He didn’t hear Gingerbrave as he tried to run over the quickest possible routes in his head. “I think I saw a way back into the walls not too far from here. If we’re quick we can be on the upper levels in no time.”

“Wizard.”

“That badge is going to attract a lot of attention though so we might have to take a more roundabout way to get home–-” Gingerbrave grabbed his shoulder and shook him roughly.

“WIZARD!”

“WHAT?!” He finally turned his head to look at Gingerbrave but his annoyance quickly melted into horror.

Strawberry Cookie had her head on Gingerbrave’s lap. The overpowering scent of her namesake and the growing pool of jam beneath her made Wizard’s heart squeeze. In all the excitement, he had almost forgotten that the girl had just taken a blow meant for him.

“Oh dear creation.” The boy whispered, his hands beginning to tremble. “I-Is she…?”

“She’s breathing…” Gingerbrave frowned, carefully tucking a bit of her hair back into her hood. “But… It doesn't look good.”

Wizard bit out a curse, hand flying up to his hair which was already getting runny. He bemoaned his lacking talent when it came to healing spells, and of course this had to happen right as they had given all of their Life Potions to someone else. 

“Okay, al-alright, just stay calm…” Wizard wasn’t sure if that was for Gingerbrave or for himself, but didn’t put much thought into it, instead diverting his attention to what he knew about first aid. “Put pressure on the wound. Stem the flow. We need something to-to wrap around her torso. Uh… This.” He reached up and began unwrapping his favorite scarf from around his neck. “We need to make it tight. W-Wake her up, we need to try to keep her awake until we can make it home!”

“We can’t move her that far, it will only make things worse.” Gingerbrave’s voice was soft. 

Wizard knew he was right, but where else could they take her that was safe enough? They couldn’t just leave her here! It wasn’t until Wizard Cookie was busy using his scarf as a make-shift bandage for Strawberry, did he realize what the other boy was getting at.

“No.” Without his scarf on, Gingerbrave could see the grimace on his friend’s face. “Absolutely not.”

“Please, Wizard, he’s our best shot.” The taller boy begged.

Wizard looked between Gingerbrave and Strawberry Cookie with wide eyes. The stress of the situation was really starting to get to him. He usually prided himself on his knowledge, but at this moment, he was truly at a loss and he hated it. 

He hated that he wasn’t strong enough to help one of his closest friends.

He hated that they had to put their trust in someone else. 

He hated the idea of being indebted to the Healer, but what other choice did they have?

“He’ll figure us out.” Wizard Cookie warned, though there was no longer any fire behind his words.

“We’ll just have to deal with it.” Gingerbrave replied before he looped an arm under Strawberry’s. He picked up her backpack, slinging it over one shoulder, and used that to carry the sheriff's badge. “Help me get her up. Strawberry, we’re going to get you help okay? You’re going to be alright.”

The girl - barely conscious - replied with a weak whimper as she was helped to her feet by her friends, Gingerbrave supported one side while Wizard supported the other. They took it slow, one step at a time as they left Whiskerton and the wine cellar behind. Now that they weren’t running in circles, getting back to the Healer’s cell would only take a few minutes. Despite the short distance, it still felt as if they were walking miles.

Strawberry Cookie’s breathing became more labored, her steps became less steady, her eyes began to lose focus. The boys kept her awake to the best of their ability. Her responses to their questions became slurred and a bit nonsensical, but at least she was talking. At one point she began to cry. They didn’t stop her.

By the time they finally arrived at the Healer’s cell, Wizard Cookie was beginning to have second thoughts. All that was left of the grapes they had left with him was the stem, and the glass bottles they had left behind were not too far from it. When they ducked into the room, the human’s head was already tilted in their direction. No doubt he had heard Strawberry crying upon their approach.

They set Strawberry Cookie down in the nearest corner. Wizard knelt beside her to hold her hand and mutter small words of encouragement, leaving Gingerbrave to approach the Healer.

“Hello? Is someone there…?” Healer asked, visibly distressed by the quiet sobbing nearby. It sounded like a little girl. Was it a sorrowful ghost? Or even worse, had the Witch gone back on her word and begun taking children from the village again? The idea mixed with the pitiful sounds made his heart drop into his gut.

Gingerbrave ran up to him, but for once refrained from his usual greeting of tugging on the man’s robe. The sound of his hurried footsteps was enough for the Healer to recognize his presence.

“Little mouse? You’re back again so soon?” The man’s confusion only grew and he shifted a bit closer to the small form. It had only been an hour at most, and usually his guests didn’t come back multiple times in a single day. Something strange was happening, and he was getting a sneaking suspicion that the crying nearby had something to do with it.

Gingerbrave dug up every ounce of courage he had, squared his shoulders, and after taking in a deep breath, he spoke, “Healer…” 

Despite his voice being kept low, it sounded deafening to everyone in the room. The human visibly stiffened upon hearing the small voice of a child address him.

Gingerbrave continued before the man could properly react. “Healer, my friend is… she got attacked and… she’s hurt. Really bad. There’s nowhere else we can go. Can you… Can you help her, please…?”

In the corner, Wizard Cookie clutched his staff in his free hand, already charging a spell in case the man turned hostile. Strawberry continued to sob, mumbling about wanting to go home. His grip on her hand grew tighter to keep her grounded.

For a long moment, the Healer didn’t move. Gingerbrave looked up at him with pleading eyes, as if his gaze alone would sway the blind man to help them. Of course, the Healer didn’t need much convincing.

“I will help your friend,” he said softly. Gingerbrave’s expression instantly brightened, hope and gratitude already swelling in his chest. The Healer continued, “But for this to work, I need to touch her. Is that alright?”

“Y-Yeah, uh, just… put your hands on the floor, palm up.” The boy instructed before running back over to his friends.

Gingerbrave carefully picked Strawberry up in a bridal-carry. The action disturbed her wound, and the boy ignored the warm jam smearing against his chest as he walked over to the Healer. Wizard was right behind him, his staff sparked dangerously, casting strange shadows all over the cell. If the man so much as twitched wrong, Wizard was prepared to zap him and run.

The human had cupped both his hands together and lowered them to the floor, just as Gingerbrave had instructed. Gingerbrave did not hesitate. He got as close as he could and gently set Strawberry down in the cradle the Healer had provided.

Healer seemed to consider her for a moment; the light weight, the humanoid shape, the warm substance that smeared across his fingers. He did not lift the delicate little form, afraid of causing further damage and not wanting to separate her from the friends who were so worried about her.

Instead, the Healer took a deep breath and called on the wellspring of magic within his soul. Though he was still weak from the life-extraction ritual, the additional food he had been getting along with the earlier life potions gave him enough strength to cast a familiar spell. He channeled that power into his hands, causing them to grow warm.

Gingerbrave and Wizard Cookie gasped when a gentle light radiated from the Healer’s palms. They watched with wonder as Strawberry Cookie’s injuries began to stitch themselves closed. The girl’s labored breathing became easier, the flow of jam stopped, her eyes became less clouded; while the spell did not mend her clothes, they could see the gash vanish without even so much as a scar.

The light slowly faded, the lingering warmth in the air being the only indication it had existed at all. Strawberry blinked, as if waking from a dream, before slowly turning her gaze toward her friends.

“Gingerbrave? Wizard…?” Her voice was still a bit croaky from all of her earlier crying.

“Strawberry!” Gingerbrave threw his arms around her, squeezing her tight without fear of harming her. Tears pricked in the corners of his eyes. For a moment, he had been really scared of losing her.

“Can we go home?” The girl weakly asked, her head resting on Gingerbrave’s shoulder. She felt drained, but whether it was from all the excitement or a side effect from the magical healing, she was unsure.

“Yeah, of course!” Gingerbrave wiped at his eyes before turning his gaze up to the Healer. The man hadn’t said anything for a while, but when Gingerbrave looked up he could see a smile on the Healer’s face. “Thank you,” Gingerbrave said with a watery laugh. “Thank you so much.”

“I am happy to help,” Healer replied. “Make sure she gets plenty of rest and fluids tonight. I may have closed the injury, but she still lost a lot of… blood…” Though he wasn’t sure if that was the proper term for the substance that was rapidly cooling against his hands. “Light meals as well. Anything too heavy might upset her stomach.”

Gingerbrave nodded at the man’s instructions while, with a grunt of effort, he slowly lifted Strawberry Cookie up again. He hesitated though, uncertain on how to address the elephant in the room.

“I guess you have questions…?” Gingerbrave asked, giving a sheepish look to the human above them. The man chuckled warmly, dispelling any worry the child might have had.

“I do,” he admitted. “But my curiosity can wait. Your friend’s health should be top priority. She would feel more comfortable recovering at home than in this cold dungeon cell. Go, I will not keep you.”

“I… We… Thank you. One of us will be back tomorrow, I promise. C’mon, Wizard.” Gingerbrave turned to leave.

Wizard stared up at the Healer with an unreadable expression. The spell he had been charging in his staff had fizzled out the moment Strawberry Cookie seemed okay. He silently followed Gingerbrave back out into the hall, casting glances over his shoulder all the while, and they made their way down their usual route back.

“I assume by ‘one of us’ you mean me, right?” Wizard Cookie asked, keeping his voice low.

“Would you be okay with it? One of us has to deliver the badge and you’re a lot smarter than me when it comes to this stuff, so…” Gingerbrave adjusted his grip on Strawberry Cookie when they came upon a little nook that had been used to keep cleaning supplies. 

Well, really it was just a mop and a bucket, and judging by the amount of mold growing on both of them, they had not been touched in quite some time. The children ducked behind the bucket to find the large crack that acted as their usual entryway into the dungeons. Once they were in the safety of the castle’s vast tunnel network, Wizard Cookie channeled a glow spell into his staff to light their way.

“Someone has to explain everything to him…” The smaller cookie sighed. “Nothing more dangerous than curiosity, so might as well answer whatever questions he might have. And if he pulls anything, I can use my magic to get away.”

“After all of that, you still think he might be dangerous?” Gingerbrave frowned, thinking Wizard was just being stubborn at this point. Wizard Cookie looked at him as if he hadn’t slept in weeks, an invisible weight sat heavy on the little cookie’s shoulders.

“I don’t know what to think right now…” He replied, sounding just as exhausted as he looked. “Today was… bad. I just need time to process everything.” Gingerbrave nodded, knowing better than to try to push the topic when Wizard was feeling burnt out.

With that, the children began their long walk home.

Meanwhile, back in the dungeon, the Healer was still trying to wrap his head around the entire encounter. He was correct in his suspicions that the “mice” weren’t really mice, but if that was the case, what were they? What had attacked them and why? Were they alone or were there others like them?

He also couldn’t help but wonder why they had kept visiting him. He certainly hoped it was because they trusted him and not that they felt obligated to. Clearly, there was a lot more going on here than he was initially privy to.

Once the little footsteps had faded into nothing, the Healer curiously flexed his hands to get a better feel for the substance that had bled all over him. When it first gushed into his palms it was warm and wet, not unlike blood, but now as it cooled it had begun to get clumpy and sticky. It didn’t hurt to touch, so the substance thankfully wasn’t harmful, but it was too thick to be a normal fluid.

In fact, the texture almost reminded him of…

Healer brought his hands closer and hesitantly smelled the substance.

Strawberries. His hands were coated in strawberry jam.

His stomach twisted in hunger at the scent, but he instantly stomped down the urge to consume it with revolution. No. Absolutely not. This did not come from some innocuous source like a jar, it was the result of another creature’s agony. A vulnerable life that could have died had he not acted. He would consider this the same way he would a human patient’s blood, his stomach’s desperate growling be damned.

Healer rose from his usual position, stumbled as far to the opposite side of the room as his chains would let him, and wiped the jam off his hands onto the cold stone floor. He found a puddle from a leak in the ceiling and rubbed his hands raw until he couldn’t feel a hint of lingering stickiness. It did not banish the scent of strawberries as much as he would have liked, but so long as the jam was no longer there, he would manage.

Now he really wanted those answers. What sort of creature bled strawberry jam of all things?

He supposed he would just have to wait…

Chapter Text

Wizard Cookie wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about this meeting with the Healer. On one hand, he was deeply grateful for the man’s help in saving Strawberry’s life. On the other, his own fears kept whispering terrible things to him.

Trust was such a difficult thing to give, especially in a place like this Castle. His opinions on the Healer had teetered back and forth all night as a result. He had tried to lose himself in his research, but his heart just wasn’t in it. He had stayed up late scrubbing Strawberry’s jam out of his scarf, the sight made him feel sick and only reminded him of his turmoil. Busy hands were supposed to keep a quiet mind, yet Wizard’s mind was anything but. It raced around and around for hours until he finally gave up and managed to get some sleep.

Not enough sleep, but at least some.

It did nothing to banish the anxiety that was growing in his stomach as the hours ticked down. He kept checking the pocket watch they used as a clock, the countdown made him lose his appetite at breakfast. Gingerbrave offered to go instead, but Wizard declined citing that the human was probably going to have a lot of technical questions, and it’d be best if Wizard answered them. After all, if there was one thing he was good at, it was regurgitating anything and everything he’d ever read. Besides, the Syndicate was expecting Gingerbrave, not Wizard. It only made sense for him to go speak with the Healer while Strawberry rested. (Though the girl kept insisting she was fine after sleeping for well over fourteen hours.)

Thus, when the appointed time came, Wizard Cookie approached the Healer’s cell alone. The usual bleak atmosphere of the dungeon only soured his mood further. It was more like he was walking into a monster’s den than going to have a nice little chat about recent events.

“Hello there.” The Healer’s voice pulled Wizard Cookie out of his musings when he finally arrived. The man’s head was tilted in Wizard’s general direction. “You’re… The Alert one. Your friends called you Wizard, yes?”

“Uh, yes. That’s me…” He replied, taking a hesitant step through the bars and daring to get a bit closer so he could be heard easier. “I hope this isn’t rude but… You can tell us apart?”

Healer chuckled, “I can differentiate the sounds of your footsteps. Your stride is a lot smaller than the other two.” He was oblivious to Wizard’s face growing a few shades redder. His soft smile fell soon after. “I must admit, I’m surprised. When I heard what you were called, I assumed you were much older. Yet you and your friends all sound rather young… How old are you?”

Wizard Cookie put a hand to his scarf and hummed in contemplation. Oh boy, only the first question and it was a complicated one. “I… Suppose that depends. Do you want our psychological ages or our actual physical ages?”

“There is a difference?” The man furrowed his brow.

“Age is a tricky thing when it comes to beings created through Life Powder,” Wizard explained. “We don’t really grow at the exact same rate humans do, and even then there are exceptions…”

The Healer sat up a bit straighter, a lot more alert. He leaned forward, his brows coming together in a stern expression. Wizard took a hesitant step back, not really sure how to interpret this sudden shift in demeanor.

“You were made using Life Powder?” His tone had a serious edge to it, though Wizard wasn’t certain as to why.

“Y-Yes. My friends and I were made by the Witch. She’s not the first to live here, just the most recent…” Wizard’s gut churned, silently hoping this wasn’t going to upset the Healer. “The Witches have always tested Life Powder on pretty much everything! Animals, toys, and… and desserts…” The Healer’s brows shot up. Wizard wished he could see the man’s eyes so he could at least attempt to figure out what was going on inside his brain.

He seemed to pick up on Wizard’s frustration and said, “Life Powder experiments and Magical Baking were both banned many years ago. After several incidents, they were considered inhumane practices…” Healer shook his head with a sigh. “But, I apologize, we’ve gotten off track. Your ages. Both of them, if you would.”

“Right…” Wizard Cookie cleared his throat. “In terms of our mental ages, I’d say the three of us are around the same… Nine or ten in human years. As for when we were created…” He ran some numbers in his head. “Three years ago, give or take a few months.”

Healer sputtered, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re only three?! ”

“I told you, age is a weird thing for us! But for the sake of simplicity, yes, we are considered children,” said Wizard, albeit rather reluctantly. After all, he didn’t like it when people looked down on him for his age. “There are some in this castle who are hundreds of years old but don’t look any older than you! It’s complicated! My friends and I probably won’t start actually growing older until our physical ages catch up with where we’re at mentally. Even then I’m not sure. It depends on how much Powder you have–!” He cut himself off before he said anything related to dough.

“If you’re only children then do you have anyone you might consider a parent? Guardian? I would very much like to speak with them.” But almost immediately after uttering that last sentence the man came to a realization that made him feel more than a little anxious. “… Please do not tell me you three are all on your own.”

“Alright then, I won’t tell you.” Wizard Cookie not-so-casually looked the other way.

Healer ran a hand through his hair with a weary sigh. It explained so much, but painted everything in a much more concerning light. Three children, on their own, surviving in this dangerous place with no one else to rely on.

It broke his heart.

He supposed it was a silly question. Even if they were created by the Witch’s life powder experiments, was there truly no one they could point to as a parental figure? No sort of guardian or adult supervision? No one they could trust? 

Yesterday’s incident probably would not have happened if these little ones at least had someone to look out for them.

The memory of the Shy One - Strawberry - bleeding out in his hands almost made him want to cry. But then that memory reminded him of the scent of strawberry jam. Combine that with Wizard’s earlier explanation of the experiments…

Things finally clicked together in the Healer’s head.

“Wizard…” Healer began slowly. “Are you and your friends living desserts?” 

Wizard took a half-step away, doing his best to fake a laugh. “Wh-What gave you that idea!?” His hair was already getting runny. Oh dear Creation, how did he figure it out so fast? Wizard was keeping his answers vague on purpose! “Don’t be ridiculous! No dessert would be caught dead coming down here…!”

What should he do? Should he run? Tell the truth? The human’s hands hadn’t inched any closer, but with his size and reach he could overcome Wizard easily. Could he cast a teleportation spell fast enough if the man tried to grab him? Should he try–?

“Strawberry jam.”

“Huh?” Wizard was knocked out of his growing panic by the Healer’s strange response.

“Yesterday. Your friend bled strawberry jam all over me.” The man held his hands together like he had when he was healing Strawberry. “And then the other one, Gingerbrave, when we first met I picked up on the scent of gingerbread. It’s not much, but that is what is currently supporting my theory. If I am wrong, feel free to correct me.” 

The boy’s mouth pressed into a thin line behind his scarf. The silence was deafening.

“You all felt the need to be so secretive about your true nature… Was it because you thought I would hurt you?” The boy still didn’t reply, so the Healer decided to press. “Wizard. Please, be honest with me. Did you believe I would have eaten you? ” He felt sick just saying it.

Wizard gripped his staff so tight it felt as if his hand was about to snap in half. The Healer couldn’t see how the child had begun trembling, but he could hear the shaking in his voice when he replied, “What else was I supposed to think?”

Not wanting to see the Healer’s reaction, Wizard lowered his gaze to the floor, his face hidden beneath the brim of his hat. He supposed if he was going to seriously confront the man about this, it might as well be now.

“We-We’re cookies. When we were first made we didn’t know any better; not at first.” The boy said with a watery chuckle. “I thought I had been baked to help forward arcane studies. Strawberry thought she had been baked with the purpose to help those who were lonely and be their friend... We were still practically fresh out of the oven when we— when we learned why the Witch had made us. We watched as she ate a cookie right in front of us. Not just her either. She had a whole coven over one night and they were all…” He trailed off, his trembling had gotten worse as he recalled the terrible sounds. He took a moment to center himself and to prevent his voice from cracking when he spoke again. “Gingerbrave and Strawberry seem to trust you a lot already, but how can I trust any human after learning we were literally created for the sole purpose of being eaten? ”

A minor tremor and chains rattling alerted Wizard to the Healer moving. The boy stumbled back, back pressed against the wall, startled by the sudden movement, he looked up with wide, fearful eyes. The man had shifted to lying down on his stomach, propped up on his elbows but still kept low so he was more on Wizard Cookie’s level. He had a deep frown on his face and his hands had balled up into fists, but he did not make any threatening movements toward the little cookie before him.

“I am… so deeply sorry you had to experience something like that,” Healer began. “I cannot even begin to imagine the pain caused by such a thing, nor can I fathom how your creator could be so heartless! You, Strawberry, and Gingerbrave are all such wonderfully kindhearted children. How could anybody even think of…?!” He took a deep breath before he got too worked up about it. 

This was exactly the reason why such practices were outlawed in the first place. Selfish and cruel individuals, creating life just to destroy it. And for what? A few more years added onto their life span? An increase in magical power? How could anybody believe that made snuffing out innocent life acceptable? How could they justify ripping the life essence from the earth, killing every plant and animal, just to satisfy their own petty desire?

When the first products of Life Powder were created, they were seen as companions and assistants. Through art they were born, and therefore art was embodied and inborn in them, they need not learn their skills from anyone. It was a triumph, and for spellcasters it provided a viable and less difficult alternative to Familiars, who could be limited in their utility.

Of course, all it took was one bad actor with a selfish idea. That single corrupt seed of thought soon sprouted and was fed from humanity’s greed and sloth. It grew, and grew, until it became out of control.

He remembered the outrage. The controversies. The constant debates. Recalling all those meetings trying to change the final decision made frustration flare up in his gut just like it had all those years ago. All these so-called “experts” who talked as if they knew everything, yet they refused to acknowledge the truth: that what they were campaigning for was immoral. Could they not recognize that Life Powder didn’t just animate things? It gave them souls! The new life brought forth could think and feel just like any other person. How could they just write that off?!

(He was too distracted by his righteous fury to realize he had actually just remembered something about his own past.)

“I will never hurt you.” The Healer’s expression hardened behind his bandages. “I will do everything in my power to protect you and your friends. And if there are any others in this castle who need help, they need only ask.”

The clanking of armor drew the attention of both the cell’s occupants. Healer took this opportunity to slowly rise back up into a proper seated position and turned his head to face the noise. Neither of them said anything as the typical meal was left for the man. Fortunately, it seems the Witch had forgotten to "turn off" the spell that automated the process of delivering his daily meal. For all she knew, the Healer was still half-dead from the life essence extraction ritual. Hopefully she didn't realize her mistake and stop the armor from coming; but neither man nor cookie were thinking about such things at that moment.

Healer and Wizard sat in silence long after the sound of the armor faded. Eventually, it was the Healer who spoke again.

“I have one last question, if I may…” He tilted his head back in Wizard’s direction. “Why did you children decide to visit me so often?”

Wizard sighed, trying to pass it off more as a sound of annoyance than one of relief. He gripped his staff with both hands to hide how they were still shaking from the earlier scare. “That was Gingerbrave’s idea. He seemed to have gotten it in his head that if we helped you escape, then you might help us escape as well…”

“Oh?” The Healer reached over and slowly pulled the platter closer. “But you’re all rather small, and I doubt the Witch has eyes on all the little cracks and windows throughout the castle. Such a large place would have plenty of exits for ones at your scale.”

Wizard shook his head, but upon remembering the man couldn’t see the gesture, he explained, “The Witches who built this castle cast an enchantment over it… Any creatures created via the Life Powder experiments, and any offspring they produce, can’t leave the castle unless accompanied by a human. It was probably put in place to prevent anything dangerous from escaping.”

The Healer frowned at that. “And leaving you and the other peaceful beings here with them? That’s rather cruel is it not?”

Wizard got a distant look in his eyes as he recalled all the rumors and texts. “From all the old stories, most of their passable creations were brought to the paradise they had created. It was supposed to be a place full of Life Powder, where we’re free to live however we want. But when that Coven vanished, they took the secret of how to get to Earthbread with them…”

Healer chuckled as he lifted his glass of water to take a sip, “Earthbread? Interesting name.” 

The child merely shrugged. “I didn’t pick it. That’s just what everybody calls it. Though, most have written it off as a myth at this point, Gingerbrave, Strawberry, and I think it’s out there… Somewhere…” Everything he had found thus far suggested it was a real place that existed. A place where they could be safe. A place where they wouldn’t have to worry about being eaten or going stale. He hoped - prayed - it was real, he wanted so desperately for those old stories to be true. He was pulled from his thoughts by the human lowering his glass and taking up the slice of bread.

“Well, I’m afraid I’ve never heard of such a place. However, I do believe I owe you children a great debt already. All the wonderful gifts you’ve given me; the extra food, that strange revitalizing substance, and your company have helped me a great deal. If you were to assist me in escaping this place, then the least I can do is take you with me.” Healer broke off a piece of the bread and held it out for Wizard to take. “After all, that’s what friends do, yes?”

Friends, huh? Wizard couldn’t help but hesitate at the offering. Gingerbrave was usually the one to take the bread from the Healer, as Wizard and Strawberry were too nervous to get close. Since Wizard was alone, he would have to get close to the human if he wanted to take it.

Did he want to take it? Did he trust the Healer enough? Trust was such a hard thing to give…

But constant fear was also so draining. The Witch, the familiars, the monsters in the abandoned sections of the castle, the shadier folks that roamed the tunnels, there was so much to be afraid of. Taking on the responsibility of keeping his friends safe was incredibly taxing both physically and mentally. Every day it felt like there was some new danger to worry about. He loved his friends and the home they had built together, but Wizard was just so tired of worrying all the time. So tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop…

And yet no matter how many times they visited, no matter all the odd and scary things that kept happening, no matter how many golden opportunities presented to him, the Healer had done nothing to Wizard Cookie or his friends. The Healer had many chances to hurt Wizard over the course of this conversation, and didn’t take any. Hell, Wizard had been cornered just a moment ago, his back literally pressed against the wall and everything. Yet, the man made no move to harm him, or even touch him. Either he was just really really patient or… Or he genuinely wasn’t interested in hurting them…

Just this once, Wizard decided, he would show the Healer a tiny drop of faith; because deep down the boy truly did want to be proven wrong.

Wizard dared to get closer and reached out with a trembling hand, half expecting the man to take the opportunity to snatch him up. Healer didn’t move, save to release the bread when Wizard tugged on it. His hand pulled away, giving the cookie beside him some space and focused on his own meal. Instead of instantly backing away, Wizard Cookie slowly set his staff down and sat beside the Healer.

Another lapse of silence followed, though this one was a bit more comfortable as the food provided them both with an excuse to think.

Healer especially had a lot to think about. It was a strange turn of events to be sure, but a part of him was delighted that the little mice he had grown so fond of were so much more than mere animals. Another part, though, was deeply concerned for their wellbeing. Have they ever felt the heat of a midday sun? Had they ever experienced a free-flying breeze? Enjoyed birdsong and the smell of flowers in spring? He had a feeling the answer was ‘no’. He felt a stab of pity at the realization. Though they were not bound by chains and stuck in a cell, they were just as much prisoners of this Castle as he was. How sad…

“Um…” Wizard almost immediately regretted speaking, but when the Healer turned his attention to the boy, he felt pressured to keep going. “I didn’t have a chance to say it before but… Thank you for helping Strawberry yesterday. She’s doing a lot better now that she’s gotten some rest… She means a lot to us. So… Yeah…”

Healer smiled gently. “Of course. I heal everyone who comes to me for aid.”

“I see…” Wizard Cookie took another moment to muster his courage before saying. “That spell you did… It was really impressive.” His compliment startled a little laugh from the Healer.

“Is it now?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice. Wizard felt heat rising into his cheeks and looked the other way.

“You didn’t have a foci. Casting such a strong healing spell without something to focus it not only shows you’re well practiced, but also shows how strong you are…” Without his candy wand, Wizard could only muster small sparks and simple little spells. He needs his staff or some other foci to cast anything significant. But Healer was able to save Strawberry’s life with no sort of wand, staff, or trinket! He’d never seen that level of advanced spellcasting before… “Can all humans cast magic like that?” He felt a bit embarrassed indulging in his curiosity like this, but the man’s widening smile banished the shame he felt.

“Actually, no. It’s just that I’ve cast that spell so many times, it’s gotten to the point I don’t need my staff. By this point, it’s second nature to me. As such, it’s no surprise that my services are in rather high demand,” said Healer, once again taking up his glass. “Alas, magic is a dying art among my people. Even in the few places where it is still practiced openly, I’ve yet to come across anyone else able to do the same. So to answer your question, no, not all humans are capable of the same level of magic.”

“Wait, really?” Wizard’s gaze snapped back up to the man, uncertainty replaced by surprise. “But-But magic is so important! Humans have used it for thousands of years! A-At least in the books I’ve read…”

Healer shrugged. “No, you are correct, it was a significant part of our culture for a rather long time. But times change, I suppose…” Seeing an opportunity to shift the topic to something more pleasant, he then asked, “It has been a long time since I met a fellow spellcaster. What exactly do you specialize in, my friend?”

“M-Me?” Wizard was once more nervous, but not like before, rather he was afraid his own skills wouldn’t measure up. “I-I can’t really pick so I’ve been dabbling in a bit of everything…” He buried his face into his scarf. “But I’m really good at casting lightning bolts and I can teleport a bit… Not super far, but just enough to get me out of trouble sometimes…”

Healer’s brows raised, taken aback. He assumed Wizard was self-taught, considering the living circumstances he had described. For someone with no formal training to grasp such complicated spellwork… “Those are some very advanced spells, and for someone so young…” The man chuckled. “You called me impressive, but I believe the impressive one here is you. I suppose I should not be surprised to see such talent from one whose name is Wizard.”

“Fl-Flattery will get you nowhere!” Wizard Cookie’s face had gone even more red. If the Healer could see how the boy puffed out his chest, he would compare the action to a prideful kitten. “But yes, I’m one of the best spellcasters here in the Castle. You won’t find any other cookie or critter who knows as many spells as I do!”

“Is that so? Well, now you’ve piqued my interest. Please, do share.”

Wizard and Healer’s conversation would wind up continuing for quite some time, even long after the suit of armor returned to collect the food tray. 

If someone had told Wizard that morning that he would actually be willing to stay and talk with the Healer, he wouldn’t have believed it. And yet, he actually found himself enjoying this. Don’t get him wrong, he had lots of fun with his friends, but it was refreshing actually being able to talk about his theories and projects with someone who actually understood magical theory. The man even gave him some new ideas to chew on, to which Wizard was very grateful.

But alas, all good things must come to an end, and Wizard knew his friends were probably starting to worry. However, before he left, he decided to try something…

Journeying to the back of the Healer’s cell offered him the grape stem and the life potion bottles that had been left behind yesterday. The boy considered the items for a moment, did a little bit of math, and then moved the stem to a spot closer to the Healer.

“Wizard? What’s going on?” Healer’s brows furrowed, as he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the sounds he had been hearing.

Wizard pulled out a piece of chalk from inside his robe, got down on his hands and knees, and began to draw a magic circle. While he did this, he said, “Just trying something.”

Once the circle was complete, Wizard double-checked his work. Once he was certain everything was ready, he raised his staff and brought it down on the chalk with a sharp ‘clack!’ The circle lit up instantly, a few sparks jumped around, and a split second later a plume of smoke burst in the center. The grape stem regained its color, as if it had just been plucked from the vine. The spell continued to revitalize it, new grapes growing to replace where the old ones had been. In a matter of seconds, it was like new.

Wizard wiped the melted ice cream from his brow and instructed the Healer to hold out his hand. When he did, Wizard gently grabbed one of the Healer’s fingers and guided the man’s hand over to where the grapes sat. The Healer was too surprised by the boy’s contact to immediately recognize what it was he was touching, but when he did…

“This is…!” Healer’s eyes widened behind their wrappings.

“I felt a little bit bad that I didn’t bring you anything extra like Gingerbrave’s been doing. But I’m too scared to go to the kitchen by myself…” Wizard rubbed the back of his head. “I hope this is okay…” It wasn't something he could do all the time, as such a revival spell required a bit of life energy to pull off; and with all the natural life energy from the earth being sucked out by the Witch's experiments, that left Wizard having to use a portion of his own. It left him a bit winded, but he had packed a life potion for himself just in case. He would he fine, and the Healer got another fulfilling meal. He felt this was the least he could do for the man who saved Strawberry Cookie's life.

In response, Healer’s smile was blinding. “This is excellent, Wizard. Thank you so much.”

The pair bid each other pleasant farewells not too long afterward. As Wizard finally took his leave, he felt strangely at peace; the turmoil from last night was gone. He still had his worries, yes, but those mostly revolved around Gingerbrave and his harebrained ideas.

“Well… I suppose whatever comes next we’ll just have to deal with it.” Wizard muttered to himself. At least he doesn’t have to worry so much about the Healer anymore…

“We are not got to deal with this,” Wizard said in response to Gingerbrave’s absolutely insane idea.

He had gone to the Syndicate and delivered everything they had asked for. According to Gingerbrave, it had taken all of his self control not to burst out laughing when some of the Syndicate members’ jaws dropped at his success. Sachertorte Cookie was very pleased by the results and had been forthcoming with the information as promised.

Unfortunately, that was part of the problem.

“The Healer needs his staff, Wizard!” Gingerbrave argued. He was happy when Wizard told him that their conversation went well, ecstatic even when he realized the shorter boy had taken his time because he was actually enjoying himself. He had thought that meant Wizard would be all on board with the staff retrieval plan. That did not seem to be the case.

“I agree, but we shouldn’t just go rushing into the Witch’s Lab!” Wizard pointed out. “That area is heavily guarded! We’d be crazy if we went in there without a plan!”

“The plan is go in, grab the staff, get out! Simple.” Gingerbrave crossed his arms and nodded, clearly pleased with himself. He wanted to get that staff as soon as possible, before the Witch could do that life-draining ritual again. The sooner they busted the Healer out, the better.

Wizard Cookie scoffed. “And how are we going to move it without being spotted?”

“With a tarp to cover it up!” Gingerbrave’s grin grew wider. “If anybody asks, we’ll just say we’re Cokeberus’s minions, and that we’re on an assignment.”

Wizard Cookie had to take a deep breath. There were so many things wrong with that plan, where did he even start? The fact that Cokeberus has always turned cookies over instead of hiring them? The fact that a tarp would only make moving the staff more difficult? The fact they still don't have a way to reliably move the staff? How about the issue that any guards stationed near the Lab wouldn't bother asking questions, instead opting to outright attack them the minute they were spotted?

Before he could point out any of this, though, Strawberry cut in from her place on the beanbag chair, where she had been watching their argument like a tennis match. “Every good heist…” But she trailed off, suddenly second guessing herself.

Both boys turned to look at her. “Huh?” Gingerbrave tilted his head. “What’d you say?”

“N-Nevermind…” Strawberry Cookie buried herself deeper in her blanket.

“No no,” Wizard took a softer tone when addressing her. “It's only fair you get a chance to talk too, Strawberry. Did you have an idea?”

The girl hesitated before emerging from her cocoon ever so slightly. “I was going to say… That every good heist needs one very important thing.”

“And what’s that?” Gingerbrave was curious now.

“Recon.” Strawberry said a-matter-of-factually. “Why don’t we just… check things out? It’ll at least make crafting a plan easier if we know the layout of the room…” Both boys blinked, turned to each other, then turned back to Strawberry. She had a point.

And with that, it was decided. Starting tomorrow, the children would begin preparations for what Gingerbrave would call Operation: Staff Swipe.

Chapter Text

The Witch’s Lab was the source of many horror stories among the castle residents. Some say they could hear screaming coming from behind the heavy oak door. Others claimed that anyone foolish enough to enter would never leave, winding up as subjects to the Witch’s wilder experiments.

It was rumored that the Shadow Witch never slept, instead spending her nights within the Lab continuing her seemingly endless research. Then, in the morning, she would move to the Kitchen and bake until night fell, once more retreating to her Lab. It was a seemingly endless cycle of work that made Gingerbrave exhausted just thinking about it. Whether they were true or not, he really wasn’t sure, but one thing was clear: The Witch’s Lab was dangerous.

The first issue was there were no tunnels that led directly into the chamber. Since the entire Castle avoided her like the plague, it only made sense that nobody would have bothered to carve out a tunnel into what was widely considered to be a den of nightmares. Thus, a good chunk of the kids’ morning was spent trying to find a reliable and safe way to even get inside.

The answer to this problem quite literally came from above, in the form of a small crawl space between the floors. The lighting fixture on the lab’s ceiling had a hollowed-out space right above it that the kids found a way into. From there, they discovered that the mounting plate for the light’s canopy was loose, allowing them to wiggle it in such a way it left the children with a big enough hole to squeeze through.

Gingerbrave was more than willing to be the first one down the hole and into the Lab proper. With a rope made from some yarn tied around his waist, Strawberry and Wizard slowly lowered him down enough until he could grab onto the light. The intricate, twisting design of the Victorian chandelier offered Gingerbrave plenty of footholds. Once he was certain he wouldn’t fall, he looked down on the laboratory below.

It was impossible to tell if this room had any other purpose before the arrival of the Shadow Witch. If it was something else, it was totally unrecognizable. Books, papers, and schematics were scattered everywhere; tables were full of strange instruments of twisting-twirling glass; a well-used desk sat near an open window; the bookshelves and cabinets were fit to burst with half-finished projects; there was a cabinet full of tools Gingerbrave couldn’t even begin to guess the purpose of.

The most important thing here, though, is that the Witch was nowhere to be found.

“Clear.” Gingerbrave whispered back up to his friends.

“Do you see the staff?” Wizard asked, struggling to whisper and be heard at the same time.

Gingerbrave turned his gaze back down. Sachertorte Cookie had given the boy a very general description of their target, “Like every other staff, but the foci is wrapped in bandages.” Not a lot to go off of, but if it was a simple staff, then it made sense for the description to be so brief.

It took Gingerbrave a minute or two of searching - the Lab being a mess really didn’t help things - but eventually he did find it. The Healer’s staff was next to the desk, propped up in what looked to be some kind of umbrella holder, but instead of umbrellas it was stuffed full of brooms and other foci. (So maybe more like a staff holder?) It really did look as simple as Sachertorte Cookie described, the bandages looked old and worn from whatever journeys the Healer had been on. Gingerbrave wondered what kind of foci needed to be wrapped up, then again, he wasn’t a magic-user.

“Found it!” He pointed it out, but from their position, Strawberry and Wizard couldn’t see it.

With the Witch being absent and the target spotted, the remaining cookies made their way down their make-shift rope and met up with Gingerbrave. He proudly pointed it out once again.

“It’s not too far from the door!” He happily noted. “We’d be able to walk out with it easily!”

“If there wasn’t a suit of armor right outside, I’d be inclined to believe it could be so simple…” Wizard Cookie hummed and stroked his scarf. “But now comes the question, how are we even going to move it?”

All three children fell into quiet contemplation. The staff was much too large for them to just pick up and walk out. Plus, there was the added challenge of getting it out of the basket. Whatever they wound up doing, they would have to be quiet, lest the guard on the other side of the door hear them.

“Hey, Wizard,” Gingerbrave started. “Your slow-fall spell makes things lighter, right?”

Wizard looked up from his thoughts and quirked a brow. “Well… Technically yes. But I never cast it on something of that size before.”

Gingerbrave nodded, taking that into consideration before turning to Strawberry. “If my mental map is correct, then that window leads out into a courtyard, right?”

“Uh…” Strawberry thought about it for a moment before shrugging. “Maybe? I’m not sure.”

“Are you suggesting we try to get the Healer’s staff out the window?” Wizard Cookie gave his friend a baffled look. “What if it breaks?”

“That’s why you use your slow-fall spell, and we’ll hitch a ride on it down to the ground floor,” said Gingerbrave. “From there we'll just have to figure out how to get it to the dungeon… Or maybe it would be easier to get Healer to the courtyard? I’m not sure about that part of the plan just yet, but we need to focus on getting it out of the lab!”

Wizard took a moment to try to see Gingerbrave’s vision. From where the staff was positioned, if they managed to tip the basket over to the right, then the Healer’s staff would just barely hit the windowsill. If Gingerbrave’s guess was correct, and they really were above a courtyard, then that might be the optimal route after all.

“Let's investigate further…” Wizard hummed, before slowly making his way over to one of the chandelier’s arms that stopped just above the dusty top of a bookshelf. Strawberry and Gingerbrave followed, hopping off the light fixture and leaving little footprints in the thick layer of dust. Strawberry closed her hood a bit to keep herself from sneezing.

Getting to the window was quite the journey. From the top of the bookshelf, they lowered themselves down one shelf at a time, until they reached a shelf that was level with the workbenches. From there, they navigated among the strange equipment and stacks of books. Wizard Cookie stressed at them not to touch anything, as a magical laboratory could be incredibly volatile. Gingerbrave took one look at a jar of stale cookies and decided he didn’t need to be told twice.

They were about halfway there when the children got startled by a wet ‘thwak!’ against glass. They turned, weapons immediately drawn, as they came face to face with what looked to be some kind of tank. They jumped again when there was another hit to the glass. Inside was one of the castle’s many monsters, a moldy blob that groaned and pressed its mouth up against the barrier keeping it contained.

Strawberry muttered a tiny “ew” before backing away a step, clearly disgusted. Wizard and Gingerbrave both lowered their weapons, but didn’t take their eyes off the living sludge.

“That’s… big.” Wizard squinted into the hazy glass. Bigger than the usual mold monsters they’ve seen around the castle. What was the Witch feeding this thing? Why was she feeding it at all? The memory of that jar of stale cookies from earlier made Wizard decide he didn’t want those answers.

‘THUD. THUD.’ The monster banged on the glass with more fervor.

“Let’s keep moving…!” Strawberry pushed the boys’ shoulders and ushered them away before the creature made too much noise and alerted the guard. Hopefully it didn’t understand the concept of object permanence and would settle down once they were out of sight.

Eventually they reached the marginally clean desk that was positioned next to their objective. The cool breeze from the window shuffled the papers a bit, but other than that, all was still.

“How does the Witch find anything in this mess?” Wizard disapprovingly looked around from their new vantage point over the room. Nobody would ever catch his lab looking like this! “She has a castle full of familiars and constructs and not a single one of them bothers cleaning up? I can’t make heads or tales out of this sorting system…”

“I don’t think she has one,” commented Strawberry as she carefully sidestepped an inkwell so as to not accidentally spill it. Wizard Cookie couldn’t help but find such a mess extremely unprofessional of any spellcaster. After all, it was a statistical fact that workplace accidents were more likely to happen if one’s space wasn’t neat and tidy. With a groan, he restrained himself from tidying anything, lest the Witch notice someone was messing with her things.

The children surveyed the area, noting what could be useful and what wasn’t. Sometimes they came across an experiment or reagent of mild interest, other times they quickened their pace to avoid looking at the preserved things in jars. However, one jar wound up catching Strawberry Cookie’s attention. The boys didn’t realize she had stopped short until she had already fallen behind a few paces.

“Strawberry?” Wizard looked over his shoulder with concern. “What is it?”

Strawberry pointed up, to a high shelf that was far out of their reach. Gingerbrave and Wizard followed the gesture, and it didn’t take them long to find what had stolen the girl’s attention.

“Witchberry Cookie?!” Gingerbrave didn’t care if he was loud. Normally, seeing Witchberry would be a surprise because she was typically so elusive, but the fact she was trapped in a jar made this surprise meeting a lot more distressing.

The cookie in question had her back turned to the kids. Her prison sat on the edge of the shelf closest to the staves. It looked as if she had been dozing within her prison, but at Gingerbrave’s call she startled into awareness. Turning her head, she scanned the area far below her and found the kids.

“Wh-huh?!” She scrambled to turn fully, eyes wide in surprise. “What are you three doing in here?!” Her voice echoed within the confines of the glass.

“We should be asking you that!” replied Gingerbrave, but he got shushed by Wizard soon after.

“The Reaper caught me off guard,” Witchberry Cookie said, clearly disgruntled. “I’ve been stuck here for weeks!” Thankfully, the Witch hadn’t gotten around to doing what she had initially planned for the cookie just yet. From what bits and pieces Witchberry picked up, her captor planned on studying her and her ingredients before eating her. And since the Witch had been so busy with that other human, she had almost totally forgotten about the cookie in her clutches.

Now if only this jar wasn’t warded to prevent her from using magic, that would be great.

Witchberry shook her head and muttered a reminder to herself to focus. “You guys gotta get me out of here!” she called down to them. “I don’t know how much longer the Witch is gonna forget I’m here, and I don’t wanna be around when her sweet tooth reminds her!”

Wizard Cookie sucked in a sharp breath, wondering how rotten their luck had to be to stumble across this situation. If this were any other room in the castle, he would have no qualms with helping out. But this lab was dangerous, and if the Witch noticed anyone messing with her things…

‘Clatter!’

The sound caused Wizard and Strawberry to jump and turn on a dime. A pencil had gotten knocked off a stack of books, and climbing that stack was…

“Gingerbrave!” Wizard snapped, getting the other boy’s attention. “What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Helping,” replied Gingerbrave as he hauled himself up onto the next book in the stack. If he kept climbing, he’d be able to grab onto the bottom-most shelf. Wizard, of course, thought this was a spectacularly bad idea for several reasons. The main one being that it was very unsafe to touch any unfamiliar things in a magical lab. That was just basic safety precautions!

Instead of voicing this - because he knew it would fall on deaf ears - the boy decided to give chase, muttering all the while as his shorter stature struggled with the climb. Strawberry Cookie watched on, deciding to keep an eye out for any danger.

“One of these days you’re going to get us into serious trouble, Gingerbrave!” Wizard panted when he finally caught up. He had to lean on his staff to keep himself from totally collapsing in exhaustion.

Gingerbrave gave him an apologetic grin before wandering over toward Witchberry Cookie’s prison. The feline-like cookie got to her feet when the boy approached, the ears on her hat perked all the way up.

“I don’t suppose you kids are strong enough to twist that lid off…?” She gestured up to the top of the jar. The runes etched into it glowed slightly under the dim light filtering in from the window.

Gingerbrave tilted his head, contemplating the best way to get the proper leverage, before nodding. “We’ll give it a shot! C’mon Wizard.” The shorter boy scrambled to catch up and helped give Gingerbrave a boost on top of a little wooden chest that smelled of tea leaves. He offered up his staff and allowed Gingerbrave to pull him up by it.

“Let’s just hurry. We didn’t consider a surprise rescue mission, after all.” He muttered as he set his staff down and grabbed the lid.

“Yeah… Why are you guys even here?” Witchberry Cookie asked as she watched the boys struggle to twist the lid. “You know this is the Witch’s Lab right? This isn’t the best place to explore and play.”

After a few unsuccessful yanks, Gingerbrave collapsed against the top of the jar with a tired ‘phew!’

“We came here for that.” He pointed over to the bandaged staff that wasn’t too far away. “It belongs to a friend of ours, so we’re getting it back for him!”

“That?” Witchberry’s ears twitched in interest. “But that belongs to…” She trailed off with a shake of her head. “Nevermind. Get back to twisting!”

‘CRASH!’

Everyone paused whatever they were doing and turned to where they heard the noise. Both boys felt unnerved when all that followed the sound of shattering glass was dead silence. They shared a look before Wizard stepped forward, peering down at Strawberry Cookie on the desk. She clearly heard the noise too since her lollipop was in her trembling hands and she was facing the direction the noise came from.

“Do you see anything, Strawberry?” Wizard called, struggling to keep his voice hushed while being sure he was heard.

“N-No…” Strawberry took a step back, eyes darting to the nearest shadows. “And that’s only ma-making me more freaked out…!”

“Just hang on, we’ll be down soon!” Gingerbrave called, being a bit less careful about his volume.

“Let’s hurry, I don’t feel comfortable leaving her down there on her own,” said Wizard turning back to Gingerbrave who had started trying to use his candycane like a crowbar. Neither of them wanted a repeat of the events of the other day. Weighing their options and knowing that the sound of glass breaking might have attracted unwanted attention, Wizard decided to make an executive decision.

“Normally, I wouldn’t even consider doing this in an active lab space, but we’re in a rush.” The tip of his staff began to spark, and he pointed it at the jar. He had checked the runes, all it did was prevent whatever was trapped inside from using magic, but that didn’t mean it could handle a blow from an external force. “Witchberry Cookie, back up as much as you can. I’m going to shatter the glass–!”

A shrill scream followed by the entire shelf shaking threw Wizard off balance. The spell fired off but missed its mark by a mile and hit a mirror. The bolt of lightning began bouncing around the room, breaking more things and causing even more of a ruckus. Wizard flailed his arms to try to regain his footing, but another shake sent him stumbling over the edge of the shelf.

“Wizard!” Gingerbrave ran to try to catch his friend, but his path was intercepted by a moldy appendage slamming down. He looked up to find the blob monster from earlier bearing down on top of him. He was forced to jump back again as it once more tried to grab him, but Gingerbrave was too nimble for it to feasibly catch him. As it went for another swing, the clumsy creature knocked Witchberry’s jar off the shelf. He cringed when he heard glass shattering on tiles and hoped that the feline-cookie managed to have landed on her feet. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to check on her because the monster made another grab for him.

“Gingerbrave!” Strawberry Cookie called from below just as he dodged another attack. “Gingerbrave, look out–!”

Her warning came a split second too late. Gingerbrave took another step back, only for his foot to find open air. Now it was Gingerbrave’s turn to go tumbling off the shelf. The boy screamed, heart in his throat as he felt his stomach do flips. On instinct, he screwed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the approaching floor.

But as quickly as his descent began, it stopped. Surprised and confused, he opened his eyes. Far below, he could see the shattered remains of Witchberry’s jar that he no doubt would have fallen on and gotten seriously hurt had he hit the floor; but there was no sign of its former occupant anywhere. Had Witchberry Cookie gotten away? More importantly, how was he alive right now? Had Wizard Cookie caught him with a spell? No, the glow of his friend’s familiar magic was absent. Then how was he currently being suspended in mid-air?

Gingerbrave felt something squeeze tighter around his midsection and it was now he realized that he was being held up by something. Looking down, he saw something long and green had wrapped itself around his torso. Some kind of green… rope? With a furrow in his brow, Gingerbrave slowly looked up to see who or what had caught him.

“Let me go!” Wizard Cookie, who was suspended not too far above him, struggled against a similar mystery green thing. “I said let GO you crazy plant!!”

Plant? Gingerbrave looked beyond him, following the vines(?) up and up until…

He sucked in a breath, body going rigid. There, peeking out from behind the bandages on the Healer’s Staff, was an eye, and it was staring right back at them. The Syndicate had said nothing about the staff being alive, but they hadn’t had much information on it to begin with. 

More vines slithered out from the wrappings, and Gingerbrave also found himself struggling against the one holding him.

Please don’t be a Cookievorous plant, please don’t be a Cookievorous plant….!

Strawberry shrieked as the mold monster had turned its sights to her. The girl was backed into a corner and was wildly flailing her weapon to scare the beast back. Gingerbrave called out to her, the urgency in his tone caused his voice to crack a bit as he struggled and kicked even harder. The vine only wrapped tighter, a second one joining it to restrict his movement and solidify the grip it had on him. He and Wizard were helpless and watched with great distress as another pair of vines lunged out and snatched up Strawberry just as the mold monster was about to take a bite out of her.

All three children were shouting now. Gingerbrave flailed and kicked, Strawberry tried to curl up into a ball, Wizard cursed and decided to try going on the offensive.

“I have had just about enough of this Lab and its nonsense!” He shouted, charging a different kind of spell. His plan was to teleport out of the plant’s grasp to a safer location, free his friends, and then they would flee the room before anything else would try to eat them. Alas, this plan would not work out.

Among the chemicals and reagents that had spilled everywhere due to the stray lightning bolt, some of the more volatile substances had found each other in the mess. They bubbled and frothed, and just as Wizard was about to attempt his daring rescue plan, they reacted. A fireworks show of violent chemical reactions lit up the room in hues of reds, blues, and purples. Utter chaos broke out as the lab was trashed even more, adding more substances to the already unstable concoction that painted the tiles. The forces of these wild explosions caused the basket of staves to start swaying wildly, giving the kids exclusive tickets to the most terrifying ride of their lives. 

Of course, it drew the guard’s attention. The suit of armor opened the door, only to get blasted in the helmet by one of the colorful explosions and having its ‘head’ fly off. The thing staggered back out of the doorway as quickly as it had appeared, and judging by the clattering sound it must have fallen completely.

“I’m gonna be sick…” Gingerbrave put a hand to his mouth to try to keep himself from losing his lunch. All the wild swaying and overwhelming lights were starting to make his head spin.

That was when their situation decided to go from bad to painful, as the mold monster flung itself at the staves to try snatching up one of the cookies. The weight of the creature, plus its momentum, caused the entire thing to topple.

Wizard desperately scrambled to try to slow their fall, but as he had never cast a slow-fall spell on so much mass at once, it sputtered and died. The mold monster, the Healer’s staff, and all three of the cookie children were sent careening to the floor.

‘THUD! CLATTER! CLACK!’

Gingerbrave saw stars when he hit the ground. For a moment, the world felt like it was spinning, and he brought a hand up to the aching part of his head. In his daze, he had enough sense to check on his friends, sluggishly turning his head to assess the current situation. Wizard Cookie was out cold, but Strawberry Cookie looked like she was conscious, if only barely.

Meanwhile, the vines retreated to the protective cocoon of bandages and bundled them up tightly just as the mold monster tried to attack it. It brought its sludgy limbs down on top of the cocoon, but whatever kind of plant was inside seemed well protected from the onslaught. The creature was too single-minded to recognize its assault was failing though, so it only continued to attack the staff with a series of wet slaps.

Despite his body telling him otherwise, Gingerbrave struggled to prop himself up onto his hands and knees. If they were going to get out of here, they had to leave now. The lab was in chaos, the guard was down, the monster was distracted. If they were fast enough, they could flee before anyone–

The door opened.

With that single action, the mold monster, the cookies, even the violent chemical reactions went still. It would almost be comical if Gingerbrave wasn’t so terrified. From his position, the open door was blocking him from seeing who or what was standing there, but some instinctual part of him knew that it was the worst-case scenario.

Unfortunately, he was right.

A tall dark figure stepped into the room, shadows clinging to her heels as each sharp click made the room’s temperature drop a few degrees. Red eyes shadowed under the wide brim of a witch’s hat surveyed the damage done to the lab. A displeased sound broke the stunned silence of the room.

And then, much to Gingerbrave’s horror, those red eyes met his own.

A chuckle, a clicking of heels, and then that terrifying shadow fell over him.

“What do we have here…?”

The Healer had a bad feeling in his gut.

He wasn’t sure what it was at first, since there wasn’t much about his situation that could give away anything being “wrong”. In fact, he should be relieved. The Witch still had no idea he had regained consciousness early, which meant he had time before he was expected to undergo that terrible ritual again.

And yet, when he woke up that morning on the cold floor of his cell, he couldn’t help but feel as if something was amiss. The aura around the castle felt darker somehow, and it left him on edge.

‘No, surely I am only overthinking things,’ he thought to himself. He tried to banish this uneasy feeling by focusing on the fact that all three of the children would probably be visiting him today. Now, with their true nature out in the open, he was looking forward to sharing real conversations with them. It was exciting, both for his curious mind, but also to soothe his loneliness. They had become a light for him in this dark place. The days didn’t feel as if they were bleeding into each other anymore.

But as the hours ticked on and he failed to hear little footsteps approaching, that bad feeling once more began to swirl in his gut.

What if something attacked them or there was an accident? What if they were too injured to seek him out? They were only children, all alone in this vast castle. Just what sorts of dangers existed for them within its depths? The Healer flexed his fingers at the unsettling thought, recalling the sticky sensation of jam. He shook those thoughts away.

‘Calm down, just be patient. You’re overreacting…’ He knew he’d always been a bit fussy when it came to others. When he moved into the village, he was always reminding the children to be careful and the elderly to take the medicine he would make for them. It was hard not to be a little bit of a mother hen to the people he had taken on as patients. But with these cookies, it was a bit different, as he was unaware of their physical limitations. 

Were they just as fragile as their lifeless counterparts? Would soaking in water cause them to fall apart? What about their diets? Were they susceptible to poison? Could they get sick in the traditional sense? Or were they more prone to something like fungal infection? If so, how would one go about treating that? Healing magic certainly worked on them, but what if they didn’t have any means of magical healing on hand?

He was starting to get a bit too worked up with this train of thought, but he made a mental note to ask Wizard about it when they arrived (and they will arrive), both to satiate his curiosity and put his worries to rest.

Another hour passed and he finally heard footsteps, but much to his disappointment it was the familiar loud clanking of armor.

For the first time, the food arrived before the children.

He waited a few minutes more, half expecting the kids to come running in, out of breath, but safe and happy.

When they failed to appear, the Healer’s hunger won out and he began to eat without them.

It felt a bit wrong, eating all alone again. He could barely stomach the bread and water; his rising anxiety made it difficult to swallow. The meal felt incomplete and unsatisfying without anything extra to go with it.

Healer bit his lip. The bad feeling was hitting him full force now. He silently prayed that he was worrying about nothing. He hoped that the children had merely decided to remain home that day and not get themselves into trouble.

‘Or maybe… Maybe they decided you were not worth visiting after all…’

He shook his head and rubbed at his temples, banishing those darker thoughts. No, he would not make such a terrible assumption about them. That line of thinking wasn’t productive. It would only be doing his new friends a massive disservice. He would not insult their kindness, and he certainly will not insult himself by thinking such a thing.

(A friend back in the village would be very disappointed in him if he allowed himself to fall back into that bad habit. She had worked too hard to help him out of that pit of despair. And he didn’t want to be subjected to ‘crow therapy’ as she had dubbed it. Which was really just one of her crows sitting on his head all day.)

“They’re fine,” he muttered to himself as he put the now empty plate and glass back onto the tray. “Everything is fine. Relax. There is no need to overthink things. It is only one day, one meal, this break in schedule might not mean anything. They are fine. Everything is fine…”

“Everything is NOT fine!”

The new voice made him jump, nearly causing him to drop the glass and break it. He hadn’t heard anyone approaching, not even the scurrying sound he was beginning to associate with cookies.

“Hello?” He tilted his head in the direction he thought he heard the voice.

“No wonder the Witch underestimated you at first, you really don’t look like much.” The stranger was closer now. Practically right next to his ear, in fact. Healer leaned away on instinct, slightly disoriented that he couldn’t track his new guest.

“I-I’m sorry…?” His brow furrowed. “What do you mean everything isn’t fine? Who exactly are you? Where did you come from?”

“You sure like asking questions.” Once again, the position of the voice changed. He felt the tiniest breeze against his cheek as they presumably moved, and it was now he realized the reason he couldn’t hear this stranger moving is because they were most likely flying. “We don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll keep it brief. The name’s Witchberry Cookie. I’m an… acquaintance of some kids I believe you know...”

Another cookie? Well, Healer supposed that made sense. Wizard had mentioned the presence of other cookies around the castle, though he never brought up any names.

This was it, the other shoe was about to drop. He wasn’t sure how he knew - intuition, magic, instinct, did it matter? - but somehow, he knew that something terrible had happened. Which was why the first words out of his mouth were a dead serious, “What happened?”

“They got caught.” Witchberry said with an equally serious tone. “They were in the Witch’s Lab, things got out of hand. She has them now.”

The Healer felt as if his lunch was about to come back up. Of all the awful things to happen… The way Wizard had talked about the Witch made her come off as some sort of boogeyman. A fairytale monster. To think she would instill such fear into her own creations. Those poor children were probably terrified. Would she actually go through with it? Would she actually eat them? 

Had she eaten them already…?

“Why are you telling me this…?” Because there was nothing he could do from within this dusty cell. Just the mere thought of it was agonizing. He could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces all over again. “I’m trapped here. I cannot help them! Why not have just allowed me to ignorantly believe they were safe?!”

“Because you’re gonna go save them, duh.” Witchberry’s blunt reply felt like a slap to the face. The man did a double take, totally taken off guard by this. “I owe those kids a favor for saving my tail, but I can’t pull this off by myself. What? Are you telling me you don’t want to save them?”

The Healer regarded Witchberry with a thoughtful tilt of his head. “I will not lie and say I do not want to at least attempt to help them. But why come to me? I am weak, starving, and have no weapon. I won’t be able to fight the Witch in this condition.”

“Who said anything about fighting her?” He felt a weight settle on his shoulder and tensed a little on instinct. “Just sneak into the lab, grab the kids, then get out. Easy. Besides, you’re a human. You’ll have an easier time moving that jar than me.”

He frowned at that. They were trapped in a jar? How cruel… Oh no, they didn’t need oxygen did they? The lid at least had holes–?

“It’s simple. I’ll provide a distraction while you do your thing. With any luck, we’ll all be home by dinnertime.” He felt Witchberry’s weight slide down his left arm to his wrists.

“Can you pick the lock? It’s rather rusty.”

“No need, I stole the key~!” Witchberry giggled. Healer felt something slot into the cuffs, twist, and then they hit the floor with a noisy clatter. The raw skin on his wrists were finally allowed to breathe, the air felt cool against the sore spots. Slowly, he lifted his arms, marveling at how light they suddenly felt without the heavy cuffs to weigh them down.

But then his expression turned into something a bit more reserved as a rather important detail came to mind. “I do not know where to find this lab. And if you are busy providing the distraction, then how am I to find my way to safety?” He motioned to his bandaged eyes.

He felt Witchberry’s weight hop off his wrist. She took to the air again, saying, “I’ll show you the way to the lab, but you’ll be on your own in there. I don’t think it’ll be much of a problem, though. After all, it’s not just the kids. The Witch has something else of yours in there too…”

The Healer gave her a confused expression for a moment, before finally putting the pieces together. He only had one thing to his name, and it was something the Witch confiscated the minute he surrendered to her.

Suddenly this plan sounded a lot more feasible.

With trembling hands, the Healer pulled down his hood and went to the tight knot on the back of his head.

The bandages that had been covering the blind man’s eyes hit the floor.

Chapter Text

“Turn here.” Witchberry’s voice was in the Healer’s right ear. He turned right on a dime, thankful that his feet made no sound on the tiles as he ran. They had worked out a system where Witchberry Cookie would whisper in the ear on the side she wanted him to turn. That way, they could keep their approach quiet and avoid miscommunication.

Breathing was getting difficult – this was the most exercise he had in months. He pushed himself to keep going, though. Every time it felt as if he was running out of stamina, he managed to scrounge up just a little bit more. Every time his head started spinning like a top, he willed it to hold steady for just a few extra minutes. He refused to slow down for even a fraction of a second, as every second wasted could mean his dear little friends were that much closer to their demise.

A part of him hoped this woman would show her own creations at least some form of mercy, but it sounded like there was none to give. The Witch saw them not as truly living things, but as food that just pretended to have personality. If that was the case, she was a fool. If that was not the case, and she was doing this despite understanding that they had souls, then she was just plain evil.

Either way, the Healer was not happy with her.

“Here.” A whisper on his left. He must have turned a moment too soon because he felt his shoulder clip a corner. He barely managed to catch himself on the wall and prevent himself from face planting. Taking a moment to reorient himself, Healer scrounged up a bit more energy and started running again.

Running blindly through a castle he wasn’t familiar with was turning out to be a challenge. Luckily, the solution to at least one of those problems lay within their destination.

“Stop!” hissed Witchberry Cookie as she yanked on his hair. Healer did just that, following her tugging until he was pressed up against the wall. He was a panting mess, relying on the bricks to hold him upright while catching his breath.

“We’re here?” he asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Yeah, it’s right around the corner, first door on the right.” Witchberry whispered back. “But there’s two guards outside, with a bit more sophisticated enchantments than the average armor. They’re a lot more alert to sight and sound. If you turn the corner, they’ll come after you.”

“Will you be alright?”

Witchberry chuckled. He could hear the smile in her tone as she said, “Heh, those rusty old things? Please, out flying them will be a piece of cake for me. I’ve been living in this castle for ages; I know shortcuts for shortcuts. They won’t stand a chance.” But after a beat, her confidence seemed to waver and she asked, “But what about you?”

“What about me?” Healer’s brow furrowed.

“You said you won’t have the strength to fight her again, so I’m guessing the plan is to run away, right?” Her tone was expectant, searching for a specific answer.

“I am going to get the children out of harm's way. That is my top priority,” he explained. Witchberry was quiet for a long time, before making an affirmative noise.

“Alright, then. Good luck, Mister Healer.”

“Good Luck, Witchberry.”

He felt a slight breeze as the cookie zoomed away. Pressing himself against the wall, he strained to listen for her distraction.

“Hey, you gaudy buckets!” Witchberry called out. “Lookie over here~!” Her taunts were quickly drowned out by the sounds of armor plates clanking together. Healer listened intently as the commotion grew further and further away. Once he was sure he was in the clear, he used the wall to guide him down the hallway.

First door on the right. First door on the right…

The tips of his fingers brushed up against wood. Slowly, he felt around for the doorknob, but refrained from opening it right away. Pressing an ear to the door, he tried to identify if the Witch was inside or not. He could hear the idle sounds of something bubbling and a flame crackling, but among them was a rather unexpected sound: snoring.

Someone was inside, but they were asleep.

Healer risked opening the door.

He was grateful for his thin frame, because the moment the door was wide enough to accommodate him, he was slipping inside and silently shutting it behind himself. The hinges barely even had a chance to creak before the whole thing was being closed again with a gentle click.

“The minute you get in there, reach out to the left.” Witchberry had told him not long after he had fled his cell. He did just that, raising his hand to blindly feel around. When he was met with nothing but empty air, he took a step along the wall. Then another. Then one more…

Just as he was beginning to wonder if maybe he had misunderstood Witchberry’s directions, he felt it. Something thin and leafy and oh-so-wonderfully familiar wrapped around his wrist and tugged. Healer couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face as his hand was guided to a time-worn staff.

A piece of himself felt like it slotted back into place as he pulled his staff from whatever was holding it.

“Hello, old friend,” he whispered. “I’m afraid it is time to break our vow. I need your sight.”

A part of him was terrified as he reached up to loosen the bandages wrapped around his Orchid. After all, he had vowed to never look upon the world again for a reason.

But the lives of innocence were at stake. He would simply have to put that vow to the side, for now.

When the bandages fell away, soft petals brushed against his fingers. His smile turned into something a bit nostalgic as he tapped into a familiar magic he hadn’t used in a very long time.

And for the first time in years, the Healer’s eyes fluttered open.

The pitch-black darkness that had been his vision slowly started to get overtaken with fuzzy blobs of color. Deep purples, blues, and greys painted his world, but remained rather vague. He supposed it only made sense; it had been quite some time since he last allowed himself to see. His eyes would need time to adjust. For now though, he would have to work with shapes and colors. It would have to do.

From across the room, he could hear the snores. Squinting, he made out a blob of black that was vaguely shaped like a person lying across a shape that looked like some kind of settee. So, it was the Witch. His mouth pressed into a thin line at that realization. Now knowing what area to avoid, the Healer turned to better survey his immediate surroundings.

The horizontal lines of shelves were easy to pick out, but their exact contents were lost to him at the moment. How was he supposed to find the cookies in this mess?

With a small sigh, the Healer began slowly walking along the workbenches. Softly, he called out, “Children, are you here?” He paused for a moment to listen. “Wizard? Gingerbrave? Strawberr–?”

‘Tink tink tink!’

Something tapping on glass made him pause.

‘Tink tink tink!’

He followed the sound, blurry vision scanning for his targets.

‘Tink tink TINK!’

His head turned sharply to the left and his gaze drifted upward. There, on a shelf that wasn’t too high above his head, was what looked like a fairly large jar. It was a few inches bigger than the average mason jar; inside were three bright colorful blobs -- one blue, one pink, one golden brown. They were moving, cramped in a space much too small to hold the three of them at once.

‘Tink tink!’

One of them was knocking something against the glass, followed by the sound of a voice that was too muffled to make out. He felt a wave of relief wash through him. Thank everything that was good and holy, the children were still alive…

With his free hand, the Healer reached up and carefully lifted the jar. Being mindful not to shake around its precious contents, he hugged the jar close to his chest.

“Let’s get you out of here,” he whispered. His heart was pounding as he turned on his heel and made a beeline for the door. Quick and quiet, he didn’t disturb the silence of the room as he moved like a ghost. When he was only about six feet away, he secured his staff in the crook of his arm and reached out a hand to the doorknob…!

“Where exactly do you think you’re going?”

Ice flooded his veins, causing every muscle in his body to freeze. He sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth, muttering a small, “Shoot…” Typically he avoided such vulgarity, but he felt it was the only way to properly express his frustration in that moment. They had been so close. Now this situation just got a bit more complicated.

Schooling his expression into well-practiced neutrality, the Healer turned his head to look over his shoulder. He blinked a few times, his vision getting a bit sharper to make out the red color of the Witch’s eyes from where she stood a few feet away.

“I have need of my staff’s sight for a moment,” he said, trying to hide the jar against the folds of his robe by hugging it tighter.

“And the cookies?” She didn’t seem very impressed at his attempt to hide them. “I’ve heard of getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar but taking the whole jar? That’s an interesting new spin on the old expression.”

The Healer remained silent.

“Aren’t you supposed to be half dead in a cell right now?” The Witch took a step closer. The sharp click of her heels made Healer tense. “My my, you really are full of surprises…” He could make out the white of her teeth as she sneered. “I never liked surprises.”

“I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years.” Was Healer’s reply as he turned to face her fully. “But I am not here to cause you any trouble. Simply repaying a debt.”

“Oh? To who?” A beat passed, then she laughed and gestured at the jar in his hands. “Those?”

“These little ones have shown me great kindness during my time here as your… guest. I wish to repay them by setting them free.”

The Witch crossed her arms. “No, absolutely not.”

“I fail to see what you would lose.” The Healer’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “In fact, I was under the impression you have been baking quite a bit. What’s three cookies compared to the dozens you have been making on a daily basis?”

“The difference is most of my batches remain inanimate.” She took a step closer; Healer took a step back. “The difference is those three little pests have a knack for causing myself and my familiars quite a bit of trouble.” Another step, Healer kept a firm grip on the jar. “The difference is they are my creations that dwell within my castle, you have no right to sneak in here like a thieving serpent and do whatever you want with them.”

“What I plan to do with them is far kinder than your plan to devour them!” Healer snapped, feeling bold as righteous anger began to boil in his chest. “I have complied with all you have asked of me thus far. And I continue to comply within the parameters of our original deal; I have not left this castle. However, I cannot stand idly by and allow you to do something so inhumane!”

“Oh yes, how cruel of me to treat things that aren’t human ‘inhumanely’!” She laughed, but the sound was as cold as the tundra. “You’re starting to sound like those fools in the history books. Do you even hear yourself?”

“These are children!”

“Those are cookies. And failures on top of that. The only thing they’re good for is the life powder in their dough.” Healer felt the vibration of the children cringing against the glass. “I created them. I can do with them as I please.”

“Exactly.” Healer hugged the little ones closer to his chest. “You created them. You gave them life. How can you say you don’t feel anything? Have you ever spoken to them? Do you even know their names?”

No response.

“These three… are wonderful,” he said with a soft smile. “I haven’t known them for long, but I know that they are kind, and clever, and so very brave. I don’t know what it is you hope to achieve with these experiments of yours, but these children are not failures. Quite the opposite, really. If they cause you such trouble, then allow me to travel to the edge of the castle grounds and grant them their freedom. They will never bother you again. If you wish to seek the secret of their coming to life, then allow me to assist you instead of ripping them apart! Please, there must be some other way to give you what you want that doesn’t call for their suffering!”

For a long moment, the only sound was the bubbling of the cauldron in the corner. By now, his eyes had adjusted enough that he could start to make out her face properly. The world around him sharpened with every heavy beat of his heart.

She grinned, but the glint in her eyes was far from amicable. “You’re a fool,” she said with a shake of her head. “You are a fool who has no idea what you are asking of me. You have no idea what I have set out to accomplish. You have no idea what I seek to correct. You just have no idea–!” The Witch laughed with a manic twinge, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. “So, allow me to make this simple for you! I am the mistress of this castle. My word is law. You have no authority - no right - to take that which is mine, and THOSE–” She pointed to the jar. “Are mine.”

A soft click from the door behind him caused the Healer to tense. He raised his staff a few centimeters off the ground, hoping he’d be quick enough to do what he needed to.

“Either give me the jar and go quietly back to your cell, or I will have your head separated from your shoulders and start picking off those brats from the village again!” She spat, rage overcoming her features.

Healer blinked. In a strange moment of clarity, he compared the woman before him to a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. She was clearly the type of person who was very stubborn, especially when it came to things she wanted. She wanted what she wanted, when she wanted it – no room for negotiation. In fact, he was rather certain she was not used to hearing the word ‘No’ from anyone.

“No, I do not think I will do either of those things.” The Healer stated plainly. “Now, would you be so kind as to call off the suit of armor that currently has a sword pointed at me? I would prefer if we talked this out like adults–”

A displacement of air behind him. A furious scream from the woman in front of him. Long fingernails aiming to claw at his face. A sword aiming to slice through his spine. Rock and a hard place.

Healer sharply brought his staff down with a single arcane word, the spell he had been preparing was discharged immediately. Within the span of a single blink, ice coated the floor. Healer lunged out with his staff, successfully pushing the Witch back. The armor’s sword missed its intended target by a mile; the blade embedded a few inches deep when it hit the floor. Meanwhile, the Witch had lost her footing and fell. The back of her head hit the corner of a desk with a sound that made Healer cringe.

But with just a glance he could tell she would only suffer a nasty bump. Nothing that required serious medical attention.

Throwing an apology over his shoulder to the unconscious woman, Healer slid around the armor that was still struggling to free its weapon and ran for the door.

A yawn over by the settee alerted the Healer that the Witch hadn’t been alone.

“What’s all the commotion?” A groggy sounding Whiskerton grumbled from where he had been peacefully napping. He saw the suit of armor, still struggling to free its sword. He saw the floor of the lab frozen over in rapidly melting ice. He saw the obnoxious blind man from the basement standing there with his hand on the doorknob. He saw his Witch passed out on the floor–

Wait, WHAT?!

“GUARDS!” Whiskerton shrieked as loud as his lungs would allow. “GUARDS!!!!”

Healer threw open the door and ran. Whiskerton’s voice echoed down the hall after him, followed soon after by a chorus of metal. For the second time that day, by some miracle, Healer found the energy to run as fast as he could.

He could feel the rapid beating of a war-drum behind his rib cage. With every heavy thud, he felt what must have been adrenaline flooding his system. The sensation was almost electric, numbing the ache in his feet and the pain in his muscles. His frail body felt as if he hadn’t been rotting in a dungeon for over three months, but on some instinctual level he knew it wouldn’t last.

The clank and clatter of the guards behind him spurred him into action. Healer found himself weaving in and out of different hallways, effectively getting lost within the labyrinth-like castle. He had heard from the villagers that the castle was huge, but actually seeing its grand scale with his own eyes made him wonder what kind of Coven needed such a massive structure to call home.

By now, the world had snapped into perfect clarity, and just in time too as the shine of a spear caught his attention from around a corner. With a surprising level of dexterity, the Healer managed to side-step the ambush and turn the opposite way.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, just hold on tight, I’ll try to lose them…!” he said to the children, doing his best not to shake the jar too much before turning another corner. He knew they were probably experiencing quite the bumpy ride, but couldn’t afford to slow down, lest they all be caught.

It felt like forever before he finally managed to pull ahead of the guards. The clanking of their empty feet were persistent echoes on the stones behind him, but after a sudden burst of speed he had finally succeeded in breaking their line-of-sight.

Seeing a chance to end this chase, Healer made a beeline for the first door he saw.

He ripped it open as quickly and quietly as possible. The creak of rusted hinges made him pray that his pursuers did not acknowledge sound as he hurried inside and struggled not to slam the door.

He pressed his back up against the hardwood, slamming the lock into place before jamming his staff into the corner of the doorframe and bracing for the worst. For a long moment, the only sound was his heavy breathing as he struggled to catch his breath. He knew it probably wasn’t the wisest decision to corner himself like this, but if he had tried to run any further, then exhaustion might cause him to pass out.

His poor health meant he was already feeling lightheaded, but he shook it off as best he could. He just had to hold on a bit longer, if not for himself then for the sake of the children.

When he heard the rush of empty boots, he held his breath and braced his shoulders, fully expecting the armor to come banging on the door. He was already planning on what to do next; tell the children to hide and allow himself to be captured. But much to his relief, it seemed Lady Luck had smiled upon them, as instead of attempting to bust the door down, the armor ran right past their hiding place.

Healer listened as the sounds of their footsteps got further away. After the stampede faded to silence and he managed to count to thirty with no troubling noises, the man allowed himself to breathe again. His entire body went slack and his relieved sigh caused all the tension in his body to melt. He slid down into a sitting position, coming to rest on the floor trembling like a newborn fawn.

What a day this was turning out to be…

After catching his breath and calming his rapidly beating heart, Healer took a moment to survey the room he had found himself in. His mind struggled a bit to not feel overwhelmed by everything in the room. After going countless years without his staff’s sight, the world seemed almost alien.

It looked like an elegant bedchamber. If he didn't know better, he probably would have mistaken it as a room meant for royalty. A large four-post canopy bed was shoved up against one wall, the curtains and other linens were off-white thanks to the dust collected over the years. Large windows lined the back wall, overlooking the dark forest beyond the castle grounds. A crystalline chandelier hung from the ceiling, the candles had magically lit themselves upon sensing a human entering the room, bathing the chamber in a warm glow. There was a door that looked as if it led to a private restroom, and a second that was probably a closet of some kind. In the corner was a piano with a long-forgotten book of songs sitting on the music rack – as if awaiting the original owner to return and play once again. The air was a bit musty, revealing that this room probably hadn’t seen a proper guest in years.

It made sense. One human living in a castle meant for several meant that many rooms probably lay untouched. It’s likely the Witch didn’t even know this room existed.

Using his staff to support his weight, he rose onto his aching feet and stepped deeper into the chamber. The carpet muffled the sounds of his steps as he surveyed this new area. It certainly seemed like a safe enough place to hole himself up for the time being. Perhaps if he pushed that armchair up against the door for added security…

The tapping of glass and a muffled voice calling his name reminded the man that he wasn’t alone.

“Ah! Right, I’m so sorry. Let’s get you three out.” Healer took a moment to find a good place to set them down. There was a silver vanity opposite the windows, it looked as good a place as any to let the children loose. After taking a seat, he had his staff wrap one of its vines around his arm before setting it to the side. Now that both hands were free, he twisted the lid off the jar with a small grunt of effort.

But the moment he peered inside, he froze. His mismatched eyes going wide as for the first time he got to see the faces of the little ones who he had mistaken for mice.

It only took him a moment to piece together who was who. They were, quite frankly, adorable; and he knew at least a few friends from back in the village would squeal in delight at the sight of them. The one dressed in bright pink with little icing dots made to look like seeds just had to be Strawberry. The tiniest one with ice-cream hair and a waffle cone hat, obviously had to be Wizard. Which meant the last one, the one with only two buttons and a wide happy smile was Gingerbrave.

And dear creation, they were so small. The expected size of a gingerbread cookie, yes, but still… He felt something in his heart squeeze as he recalled everything the Witch had said about them. How could anybody see these children and wish to bring them harm? How could their creator look upon them and see nothing worth loving?

After a long moment, he realized he was staring and shook his head with a good-natured chuckle. “My apologies,” he said as he slowly tipped the jar onto its side to allow the children to exit onto the vanity. “It’s just nice to finally have faces to go with the names…”

“So, you can see us now?” Gingerbrave asked as he hopped out of the jar and immediately ran up to the edge of the table closest to Healer. The light in his eyes was full of wonder and joy.

Healer held up the arm where the vine was still wrapped. “So long as I have my staff, then yes. It has a special enchantment that grants me sight, both from my own eyes, and from the orchid. I have had it for so long, it is like an extension of my body.”

“Wow…” Strawberry took a step closer to the staff. “Now that all the bandages are off, it doesn’t look as scary.”

“Scary?” Healer’s brow furrowed.

“Yeah, it really surprised us when we first found it!” said Gingerbrave. “We knew it was magic, but we didn’t expect to see a big eye peeking out at us when we tried to move it!”

Healer pondered this new information, wondering why on earth the children had attempted to move his staff. But then he realized that was the wrong question to ask. No, the question he should be asking was why the children had been in the Lab in the first place. The answer to which was made clear when he recalled the lengths they had gone to steal him the extra food he had inadvertently wished for.

He had mentioned his staff a few times during those one-sided conversations, and then again during his longer talk with Wizard. No doubt, the children had sought out the Lab and the staff for his sake.

“You did not have to do that…” Healer said. Now that his eyes were uncovered, the children could see a hint of sadness in his gaze. “The food and aid were more than enough. You did not have to put yourselves in danger.”

“But we wanted to help!” Gingerbrave argued. “Besides, we’ve gotten into worse situations. That isn’t the first time we’ve been caught.”

“No, but it is the closest we’ve gotten to getting eaten…” grumbled Wizard, though Healer was fairly certain he wasn’t meant to have heard that.

“Still, I am very sorry you all got into trouble because of me.” Healer felt a familiar sense of shame stab him in the chest. Why is it, wherever he went, trouble only followed? Why does it seem he can only cause pain toward those who show him kindness? The cookies who were captured trying to fulfill his desire for his staff. The village who got their children taken all because his medical aid had made them healthy viable test subjects. (The friends he had hurt by sacrificing himself. The Kingdom he lost because he had been entrusted with a power he did not feel worthy of.)

It was this same sense of shame that had driven him to wander the world totally blind. He recalled those early days, lost in a haze of grief, as he bandaged the eyes on his face and staff and swore to never look upon the world again, for someone such as him did not deserve it.

He had broken that oath for the sake of these children, but now he was sorely tempted to blind himself once again.

He felt something touch the hand that was resting on the vanity and looked up from the floor to see Strawberry had placed her hand over his. With a soft little pat against one of his knuckles, she said, “It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong. We just bit off a little more than we could chew. And you came to save us. That means a lot. Th-Thank you…”

“Strawberry’s right!” Gingerbrave grinned up at the Healer. “Usually, we have to get ourselves out of those kinds of messes, so it came as a big surprise when you came to save us. Thank you!”

“First you rescued those kids who got kidnapped, and now you rescued us…” Wizard sighed, but there was the hint of a smile behind his scarf. “I guess that makes you a hero.”

“No.” The response was automatic, knee-jerk at the word. When he was met with confusion, the man shook his head. “I don’t deserve to be called such a thing, but I appreciate the sentiment, and I am glad that you all are alright.”

There was a moment of silence as the Healer once more lapsed into thought. The cookies shared a look with one another; a silent conversation held through shrugs and furrowed brows rather than words. Eventually, Gingerbrave stepped forward, gaining their human companion’s attention.

“So, what happens now?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

At that, Healer’s face pinched into something contemplative and concerned. “You children are free to go home, if you so wish. I, on the other hand, have a bit of a problem…”

“What kind of problem? Can we help?” Strawberry came up beside Gingerbrave, fixing the straps of her little bag as if already preparing to do what needed to be done. These children were being so sweet, Healer was pretty sure he was going to get cavities just talking to them.

“My deal with the Witch,” he sighed, “is the only thing preventing her from targeting the villagers. If I were to go back on our deal and escape this castle, then people would start disappearing again. She would subject them to that life-stealing ritual, and I fear they might not survive…”

Because he was an exception, not the rule. By this point, the Witch knew he was far more than he appeared on the surface, though he doubted she had put the pieces together as to why he had much more life energy than the average person. The attempt on his life earlier was meant to scare him into submission. In retrospect, that sword hadn’t been aimed at his spine, but at his feet. The armor had been seeking to immobilize him, hence why the blade hit the floor.

He was too valuable for whatever she had planned to truly kill off, but whether that was a good or bad thing had yet to be seen.

“If I wish to keep everyone safe, the best thing for me to do would be to turn myself over.” He absentmindedly rubbed at his wrists, imagining all too easily the feeling of the cuffs that had been there a few hours ago. His skin still felt a bit raw from the prolonged chafing, and he didn’t look forward to having them back.

But what other choice did he have?

Once again, the cookies shared a look. Gingerbrave looked between Wizard and Healer, as if asking if the smaller boy had any advice. Wizard shook his head and shrugged, not entirely sure how to tackle such a complicated situation. Strawberry just looked defeated.

“Do… Do you have to do it right away…?” she asked, voice small as if afraid she would be laughed at.

“Y-Yeah! Why don’t you just wait until the morning?” Gingerbrave hastily added on. “Sleeping on a problem always helps me come up with a solution!”

“I think they’re right,” said Wizard. “The Witch is known for her temper and she’s going to go into one of her tantrums when she wakes up. It’d probably be safer for you if you waited until things settled down a bit. At least then, you might have a better chance at renegotiating your deal with her.”

“Listen to Wizard, he always knows what he’s talking about!” Gingerbrave once again jumped in, slinging an arm around Wizard’s shoulders. “And you don’t have to be alone either, because we’re gonna spend the night here with you!”

“We are…?” Strawberry whispered.

“Yep!” Gingerbrave smiled brightly.

A gentle laugh pulled their attention back up to the Healer. Strawberry felt her heart skip a beat. The way he was looking at them… she wasn’t sure if anybody had ever looked at them like that before. There was a fondness in his gaze that was unfamiliar to her. The way he smiled and the light in his eyes made something within her simultaneously jump for joy and twist anxiously. This gentle loving expression, and those kind words he had said earlier, was this how the old coven of legend had looked upon their creations?

No, she was probably just overthinking it. Healer seemed like he cared for everybody. This was probably nothing special for him…

“If you insist, then I suppose I have no choice,” the man said with a smile. “You children have known about the Witch for far longer than I, so I’ll have to take you at your word.” And if he was allowed to be perfectly honest, he didn’t have any energy left to spare. Even now he could tell that rising from his chair would take a Herculean effort. Despite the heavy exhaustion settling within him, he didn’t let it show.

“Alright!” Gingerbrave jumped up and down in excitement. “Sleepover!!!”

Chapter Text

“He’s been in there for a while,” said Gingerbrave as he looked at the door the Healer had vanished behind. The echoing sounds of running water could be heard from the other side, accompanied by the occasional rustle or thump.

“It’s only been about thirty minutes,” Wizard pointed out. “I hope he stays in there a little longer. Gives us more time to tidy this place up a bit!” He waved his staff, summoning a gust of wind to blow the dust from off the bed and toward the nearest open window.

Not long after securing the bedchamber for the night, the Healer had broken out into a terrible sneezing fit. Citing the dust as the cause, he fled into the restroom, both to wash up and to escape the allergy-inducing onslaught. The kids decided to try to lend a hand while he was busy.

Strawberry had found a handkerchief and was rubbing down the wooden surfaces as best as she could. Already she had managed to clean off a whole desk! Wizard Cookie was doing a lot of the heavy lifting, relying on his magic to get the job done. Meanwhile Gingerbrave was tackling the cushions and pillows, burning all his extra energy by using them as trampolines. It helped that the whole ordeal with the Witch and the chase had gotten him excited.

“I still can’t believe how fast he was running!” Gingerbrave exclaimed as he wound up for another big jump. “And did you see the way he froze the floor and pushed the Witch?! Did’ja?! Because I didn’t, his hand was in the way. But I saw all the ice!! Oh oh, and then–!”

“Gingerbrave, please!” Wizard banished another cloud of dust kicked up by his friend out the window. “We saw everything! Your elbow was digging into my side the whole time!”

Strawberry giggled from her current spot on the bedside table. “Still… It was kind of amazing. I’d never seen anybody fight the Witch before.”

“And this was his second time doing it too!” Gingerbrave pointed out with stars in his eyes. “I’m telling you guys; I got a great feeling about this! We have got to help him out as much as we can!” He jumped to the next pillow, kicking up an even bigger cloud.

Always the realist, Wizard put a hand to his hip. “What exactly do you expect him to do? Healer said so himself, if he tries to act against her any further then she’ll start kidnapping again. Heck, he’s already pushing things by not going back to her immediately!” Not that he wanted the Healer to get locked up again, but it was just facts. The Witch’s temper was the stuff of legend. He’d never seen an active tantrum, but he’d seen the aftermath. That oak desk never stood a chance. “He’s also not in very good health. Casting spells takes energy too, you know! If that ice trick had failed…” He shivered, not wanting to think about what might have happened.

Strawberry Cookie stood, shaking out the handkerchief before moving to another section to scrub down. “Maybe tomorrow morning we can lead him close to the kitchens and sneak him a meal? I’m sure he’d be happy to have some real food after so long.” Then she sighed. “Even if he does wind up going back into the dungeon, he should at least have a full stomach before that.”

“I say we give it a shot! Great idea, Strawberry!” Gingerbrave made another enthusiastic leap, whooping a bit as he slid down the pillow to the mattress.

‘Click! Creeeeeeeeak!’

The restroom door opened, offering escape to a puff of steam and moist air. The Healer walked out with his staff, still in the same robes, but his hair was clean and the grime from the dungeon was gone. The red areas on his wrists had been tended to and wrapped as well. Overall, he seemed much more comfortable than he had before.

His eyes scanned the room for his friends, checking the floor first to make sure it was safe to walk. It didn’t take him long to find the cookies on the bed. The moment he spotted them, a warm smile found itself on his face.

“You three have been busy,” he noted with a deep refreshing breath. The air was noticeably less musty now thanks to their efforts. 

“We wanted to make sure it was comfortable!” said Gingerbrave while puffing out his chest.

“You deserve a good rest. E-Especially after everything that happened…” Strawberry pitched in and hopped over to the bed proper. Though the jump was not a large one, she landed with a little grunt of effort and scurried across the soft surface to stand beside her friends.

Healer slowly sat down, careful not to disturb their balance. He marveled at the feeling of the sheets beneath him. How long had it been since he slept in a proper bed? Even his bed back home was not this soft.

“Do you know whose room this used to be?” he asked. Curiously enough, this chamber did not seem to have anything that could be identifying. No personal portraits, no family crests, and a lack of many personal amenities made the room feel barely lived in. He would have thought it a guest room were it not for the clothes in the closet and forgotten make-up on the vanity.

Wizard stroked his scarf, seriously considering it. “Hmmm… My best guess would be one of the members of the Coven who built this castle, but it’s hard to say. We don’t know a lot about the individual members.”

“How sad… Someone loved this place once. To see the castle in its current state, neglected and cold…” Healer’s gaze shifted to the window.

“The big rooms can get kinda spooky, yeah.” Healer felt a tug on his thigh, and he looked down to see Gingerbrave climbing up to stand on his right leg. “But the rest of the castle isn’t so bad! There’s a couple of nice little villages near here, I think…”

“Villages?” Healer’s eyes widened in surprise. There were entire settlements here? They must be hidden away in places humans didn’t frequent or couldn’t reach. He was having a hard time picturing a lively and happy community in such a sad and dark place.

“The big towns are a bit further away.” Gingerbrave continued. “I know there’s one in an attic space above the ballroom! We went there for a festival once!” Strawberry perked up in interest from her place off to the side.

“Oh! Yeah, that was last autumn. Wizard drank that weird juice, got into an argument with someone else about whose staff was better, and then he got dragged into that game…”

“HEY! Haha, Let’s stop talking about that now!” A few drops of ice cream were already threatening to fall from Wizard’s hair. The Healer’s mouth pressed into a thin line, thoroughly amused but desperately trying to hide it. After all, if that “juice” was what he thought it was…

“Gingerbrave, do you remember what that game was?” Strawberry tilted her head to the side, ignoring all of Wizard’s attempts to shush her.

“Yeah, I think it was ‘pokey’ or something… And then when he lost, he started that big fight in the tavern!”

“THAT HAMSTER CHEATED! HE WAS STUFFING CARDS IN HIS CHEEKS!”

…Dear Divines, these children really needed adult supervision.

“I didn’t think this castle was so lively,” Healer said. “Villages, towns, festivals… There are really that many living here?” 

Gingerbrave nodded. “Oh yeah, lots and lots! Probably hundreds! Cookies, critters, toys; if it’s got Life Powder, then they’re probably a resident!”

If that was the case, then this castle was almost like its own continent for these creatures. The fact they have festivals suggests a level of culture and tradition. A tavern suggests businesses, which in turn means an economy. They most likely did trade with one another. He supposed that it made sense, a town settled in the attic would probably have access to different resources than a town settled in a pantry. Did that mean there were different territories? Feuds? Laws? 

How amazing… With no humans to give them direction, they had found one on their own. It was like an entire society had been trapped in a snow globe, all of it contained and isolated from the influences of the wider world.

If Healer didn’t have the looming dread of becoming a prisoner again, he would have thoroughly loved to have studied this place top to bottom. 

A little tug on his sleeve drew him from his thoughts and he looked down to see Strawberry’s wide brown eyes. Upon acknowledging her though, the girl seemed to lose some of her enthusiasm. What little he could see of her face turned a bright red and Strawberry tried to hide it in her hood.

“Um… Healer? Ca-Can you tell us about outside?” Her voice was small, as if afraid he would laugh at her for asking such a thing.

“Yeah! Is it really as pretty as in the picture books? How big is the ocean? Have you ever seen a dragon?” Gingerbrave jumped on the line of questioning like an excited puppy.

“Is it true there’s a City of Wizards out there?” added Wizard with stars in his eyes.

The Healer chuckled, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “All right, one at a time. I will tell you all that I know to the best of my ability, how does that sound?” When he was met with a round of affirmatives, he began.

He told the children about the feeling of the sun, of the sweltering heat in summer and the chilly bite of winter. He told them of the rain and the snow and of the rivers they fed. He talked of the ocean’s vast and seemingly bottomless expanse, and the colorful seashells that washed up upon the beaches.

He spoke of loud bustling cities packed with people, traveling across vast grassy expanses and forests full of life, and then of the small quiet village he wound up calling home. He spoke of the village people he had come to care for; of the baker who was always willing to share bread with him; of the school teacher who went out of their way to get him braille books whenever they visited their sister in the city; and of course he told them of the town’s self-appointed protector, a young woman always tending to the crows.

Originally, the village had been prosperous, the land bursting with life and surrounded by vineyards. But then a creeping rot came up from the valley, the very same valley the Castle stood in. The land died, the grapes dried up, and things became difficult. With the loss of their main export, everyone had been struggling. Not long after that, an illness swept through the area, which was about the time he arrived.

He believed now that it was caused - possibly inadvertently - by the Witch. This Castle was draining Life Energy from the Earth, probably to fuel her mysterious experiments further. He recalled how eerie the forest had been during his journey to rescue the village children. The rotted trees had creaked ominously and there had been no birdsong or other sounds of life. It was a stark contrast to everywhere else he had been.

At one point during Healer’s impromptu lesson on the outside world, the man had laid down on the bed, sprawled out on his side. His staff was propped up against one of the bed posts, easy for him to grab at a moment’s notice if needed. The children had huddled up against the pillow beside him, but since he had let go of his staff he didn’t realize they had fallen asleep until he could make out the sounds of their gentle snores.

He paused in the middle of the story he was telling, but his surprise was quickly replaced by a fond smile. He truly wished there was something more he could do to help them.

Perhaps, in the morning, he could smuggle the children to the edge of the castle grounds and give them the chance to see the world for themselves? Then he could confront the Witch without having to worry about them getting captured again. It would be lonely without them, but Healer couldn’t stand the thought of the danger she posed to them.

Ah.

But there was a snag in that idea, wasn't there? As wonderful as the world was, he was no stranger to its dangers. Would he truly be doing right by the children by just letting them head out on their own? Or would it just be pushing them out of the frying pan and into the fire? Healer found himself worrying his bottom lip.

They came from two totally different worlds. And while this castle wasn’t the safest place, the idea of the children going out into the wider world to find their paradise didn't sit well with him either. They were just so small. So innocent. They had no idea what was really out there. Already his mind was conjuring up all sorts of terrible scenarios of how they might fall into danger. A storm could wash them away, animals might prey on them, and what if they were discovered by a stranger?

Healer cared for other people, but he was no fool. He has seen both the best and the worst mankind has had to offer, and he understands how these little ones might come off as novelties at best to the average person.

He did not want to think about the worst end of that spectrum.

Instead, he decided to focus on how he could fix the problem. How could he ensure their safety? He usually loved puzzles, but this was turning out to be quite the head scratcher.

One scenario had the children go live in the village. He did not have much, but they were small enough where his humble little home would have more than enough room for them; and it was not like they would put much of a dent in his food stores either. He’s sure the townspeople would be more than accepting of them. Maybe they’d find the children a bit odd at first, but with time he could imagine the little ones would be welcomed into the community. If he played his cards right, then maybe he could convince the Witch to allow him some slack. He could go to the castle for the ritual and then return home to recover. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but in the best case scenario it was leagues better than the current accommodations.

But would the children be satisfied with that? Would they be comfortable surrounded by humans instead of their own kind? On top of that, they wouldn’t have much freedom of movement, what with everything being on a larger scale. Yes, accommodations in his own home could be made, but that would take time. And whenever they would want to leave the house, they would probably need assistance. The castle at least offered them some independence in the form of the aforementioned tunnels and little settlements, along with socialization with the other residents.

On top of that, while he knew he could trust the villagers to be so kind and careful to the little cookies, he could not say the same for the merchants and travelers who would occasionally pass through. All it would take was one brief moment of nobody paying attention, and the children would be gone. Spirited away, never to be seen again.

No. As much as it pained him to admit it, such a thing could never work.

Ignoring the issue of the Witch for a moment, another scenario he began to entertain was going with them to find this “Earthbread”. As a human, his longer stride would mean they could cover more ground. He could also secure transport in the form of hitching rides on wagons and caravans. He could make sure they wouldn’t be washed away from storms, his presence would ward off any animals that might hunt them, and they could hide in his pockets should they come across anyone shady. On top of that, his skills in magic could protect them all in an emergency.

But whether it was him escorting the little cookies or he entrusted the children’s safety to another, the problem remained of not knowing where they were going. Healer had wandered quite a lot before settling down in his village. At this point he was pretty sure he had traveled a good chunk of the continent. Yet in all his travels he hadn’t heard of anything like how the cookies described their paradise. A land of sugar and spice, abundant with Life Energy and peace. It sounded like a children’s tale. A fantasy. How was he to know where to begin to look for such a place, let alone verify if it even existed?

Witchberry Cookie seemed to get around. If this “Earthbread” was created by the Coven that used to call this place home, then perhaps there existed a record of it somewhere? He decided to put a pin in it for now.

But let us say he did find the way to Earthbread. Let us say he freed himself from the Witch’s clutches and fled with the children in tow… What about everyone else? All the little creatures that called this Castle home would still be living in fear of the Shadow Witch. And with him going back on their deal, who's to say she won’t just start kidnapping village children again?

His mouth pressed into a thin line as he realized that he might have to once more come to blows with the Witch. Only this time, the stakes would be much higher. This wasn’t just about the safety of the village anymore, this was about the safety of everyone who lived within the castle walls. They may have been small, and to any other person the lives of these creatures might have been insignificant, but what few he has met all seem so - excuse the term - sweet.

Not only did he want to secure the safety of Gingerbrave and his friends, he wished to secure the safety of all the castle residents as well…

Healer had been so caught up in his swirling thoughts, he didn’t notice one of the little weights beside him had begun to stir. Without his staff’s sight, he didn’t see the cookie get up and move closer to him. He did feel it when something touched the hand he had resting in front of his chest, though.

Moving his right hand ever so slightly, he wrapped a finger around a dangling vine from his staff and cracked his eyes open to see what was poking at him so intently.

It was Gingerbrave. The boy had scooted over and began investigating the Healer’s left hand. He gently prodded at the skin of the man’s index finger, comparing the softer parts to the harder areas of his knuckles and marveling at the warmth he radiated. Where Wizard’s curiosity was more analytical, and Strawberry's more cautious, Gingerbrave’s was as innocent as any child’s. This was probably the closest the boy had gotten to a human who was aware of his true nature. When Healer was still under the misconception of him being a mouse, the child had been averse to touch. Now he had no such reservations as he bent over and tried to peer at the underside of the Healer’s hand.

With a chuckle, the man gently turned it over, allowing Gingerbrave to see. The boy, not realizing he was awake, startled and met his gaze. Healer smiled, giving him a tiny nod and allowing him to indulge in his curiosity once more.

Gingerbrave reached out and began to trace along the lines of his palm. It tickled a bit because he kept his touches light, but Healer didn’t mind it. The child investigated from the prints on his fingertips, down to the areas smoothed over by years of work. A lifetime’s worth of history was written there, and Healer wondered briefly what Gingerbrave was gleaning from trying to read it.

“There’s cracks in your hand,” he said.

Keeping his voice soft so as to not wake the others, Healer replied, "Those are normal. In fact, some fortune-tellers believe a person’s future lies within the lines on their palms. Each one has a name. The one you’re tracing now is called the Life Line. And this one—” Healer traced the line that started between his thumb and index finger and ended in the center. “— This one is called the Head Line.”

“And this one?” Gingerbrave ran his hand along a pale long line that cut across the heel. Healer frowned.

“Ah, that’s an old scar. I got it long before arriving here.” It was one of many. His body was littered with the remnants of a tragedy he couldn’t remember. (A tragedy he couldn’t bring himself to remember…)

Gingerbrave pulled his hand away with a frown. “Does it hurt…?”

“Not really. Sometimes when it’s about to rain, the bigger one on my side gets sore. It is easy to manage, though.”

The boy hummed in acknowledgement, tracing the life line again thoughtfully. He then rested his whole weight against the man’s palm, sinking into the warmth of his skin with a murmur Healer couldn’t make out. Healer’s fingers curled in a bit, just enough to keep him propped up.

“When I first woke up and left the oven, the Witch grabbed me,” said Gingerbrave. “It hurt. She was squeezing really tight, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get out. I thought I was gonna get broken in half…” The boy curled up a bit tighter. “I got scared. So I hit her really hard with my candy cane. Managed to get away right after that, but it was a close call…”

Healer frowned, his heart going out to the boy. Just having been created and being forced to go through such a scary experience. He couldn’t even imagine it.

“I still remember how it felt, too.” Gingerbrave buried his face in the crook where Healer’s thumb met the palm. “Her hand was rough. Warm, but suffocating. Her nails are sharp and her fingers are boney…”

Healer’s hand wasn’t any of those things, though. It was smooth and soft. All his gestures were gentle. He was warm, but it felt like standing in a sunbeam coming in through an open window. It was so strange seeing all the differences between this man and the Witch who made him.

Movement caused Gingerbrave to involuntarily flinch. Then next thing he knew he was being pressed against the Healer’s chest. It wasn’t a tight hold, meaning Gingerbrave could easily wiggle free if he wanted to, but he didn’t think he did. The heavy thuds of the man’s heart were soothing, and Gingerbrave found himself sinking into the embrace.

“… Healer?”

“Yes?” Gingerbrave listened as the word rumbled through the man’s chest.

“Everything is gonna be okay.”

The boy’s words made Healer chuckle, the sound causing Gingerbrave’s world to shake a bit. It wrapped around him like a blanket and settled into his chest. Gingerbrave couldn’t fight his own sleepy smile.

“We will take things one step at a time,” Healer whispered and had an orchid vine tuck Wizard and Strawberry under the comforter. “For now, focus on rest…”

And rest they did.

But there was never rest for the wicked.

Splintered wood and shards of glass littered the floor. The scattered puddles of water had taken on an oily quality to them where ink and plant extracts had mingled. Whiskerton’s paws and belly had gotten uncomfortably wet to the point he was dreading having to groom himself later, but he knew that would only be a possibility if he got out of this room alive. 

He had hidden under a metal standing cabinet that his Witch typically stored the more volatile substances. It was also one of the few pieces of furniture in this room that was bolted to the floor. As secure as his hiding place seemed, it didn’t stop him from growing nervous as yet another chair got sent flying.

He had seen his lady get upset before, but this was on a whole other level! Whiskerton could practically see the metaphorical steam coming out of her ears as she looked for the next thing to tear apart in her rage.

He had been fussing over her head injury and had gotten one of the guards to perform some first aid, but after only a moment of being dazed, the Shadow Witch decided to go on a full-blown rampage. Whiskerton ordered the door to the Lab to be locked until he gave the okay. When she got like this, she was blind to friend and foe alike and had no qualms in destroying everything she could get her hands on. Protocol dictated that whatever room she was raging in be locked to prevent her rampage from hitting other areas like a natural disaster.

That didn’t mean Whiskerton exactly enjoyed being locked inside with her, but at least one familiar had to be present to verify when she was calm.

Thus he remained, reluctantly listening as she screamed and cursed and broke another vial. The Witch’s tantrums were usually like a firework; big and loud, but over just as fast as they started. This one, though, was proving to have a lot more presence as every time it seemed she was beginning to cool off, she’d think of something that pissed her off all over again. It had been about forty-five minutes now, half the lab was destroyed, and Whiskerton was already dreading seeing the aftermath.

The cat held back a groan when he started hearing pages getting ripped out of a book and turned into confetti. He really hoped that wasn’t anything important…

Silence.

Whiskerton startled, his fur stood on end. Was his Witch finally calm? No, he could practically feel her anger coming off her in waves from across the room. So then why had the destruction stopped so suddenly? Why had her screaming ceased? A cautious glance from his hiding place revealed that she had frozen, hand about to tear out another page from the book she had been destroying. With her back to him, he couldn’t make out her face, but by some miracle something had caught her attention through the haze of anger.

Whiskerton hesitated, unsure if he should try calling out to her or if that would be a mistake. Last time he got her attention too early during a tantrum, he got an unpleasant bald spot on his tail.

Without any warning, the Shadow Witch sprung back into action, however instead of throwing the cast iron cauldron (again), she righted it and brought it to the fireplace. Whiskerton watched with wide eyes and a bit of concern as she started grabbing a multitude of reagents from the shelves and the scattered remnants on the floor.

Hazel oil as a base, followed soon after by the entire jar of inkcaps, then she tossed in a handful of copper shavings and– was that somnia root?!

“M-My lady, not to be rude but, what are you doing?” Whiskerton poked his head out from under the cabinet as she spun the lock’s combination and yanked it open with laser focus. A moment later she pulled out the vials of concentrated mandrake essence and void fiend blood.

“If that blind fool thinks this is over, then he is sorely mistaken,” she growled and popped the corks on both vials, pouring them in. The resulting smell made Whiskerton’s skin crawl. “I will not be insulted in such a way in my own castle. And if he does leave and tell others what is happening here, that will put all of my plans at risk. The last thing I need is a damn witch hunt knocking at my door. He leaves me no other choice. Whiskerton–” She snapped her fingers, making the feline scramble out from under the cabinet and stand at attention. “-- Send someone to the kitchen, I don’t care who. Get me a cookie from the last failed batch. Now.”

She barely even noticed him scrambling to do just that as she turned her attention out the window to check the moon’s current phase.

New Moon.

The Witch grinned at the sight. The moon was in its darkest phase; the sky was partly cloudy with hints of a storm rolling in. Oh yes, tonight was perfect . Truly, Fortuna’s blessings were on her side this night. It was the perfect night for the darkest of magics.

She spent the next few minutes picking through her own mess in a tunnel-visioned haze for everything she would need. Her own spite spurred her on as she thought about how sweet this bit of petty revenge would be. The Healer had kicked the hornet’s nest, and while she had no intention to kill him, this little spell she was cooking should at least put him in his place.

She was the one in charge here. She was so much more than he would ever be, because she was going to be the one to bring about the second coming of magic. A pathetic beggar pretending to be a doctor would never understand her grand designs. In fact, he should be THANKING her! Once her research is complete, spellcasters such as himself would no longer have to worry about being persecuted! They would no longer have to worry about being taken advantage of or hunted down! Yet he kept getting in her way, kept stumbling about and being a general thorn in her side, setting her back again and again.

He couldn’t just go around and tell her what she could and could not do. First, he came here telling her not to harm the village children, next he believed he had the right to tell her she can’t eat and pick apart a bunch of stupid little cookies?

Clearly, he needed a reminder of who the boss was around here.

When Whiskerton returned with the inanimate cookie, she took it from him and crushed it between her fingers. The crumbs were dumped into the now-boiling cauldron. Black foam began to form on the surface.

The large jar where she kept a hefty amount of life powder had been shattered, but by this point she couldn’t remember whether it was from the chaos the cookies had caused earlier or from her own tantrum. (She decided to just blame the cookies for it anyway.) Luckily, there was just enough powder left within the jar for what she needed. She gathered it up and tossed it in the mixture.

“This doesn’t seem safe…” said Whiskerton from off to the side. “My lady, don’t tell me you’re using a Dark Moon Magic ritual?”

“He decided to pick a fight with a witch,” she replied and pulled a much smaller vial from a bag in the corner. “I’m just going to show him the error of his ways. He adores children so much? Fine. Then I’ll make sure the children will know him as a cautionary tale. That will keep them nice and safe to his liking, hm?” Her voice was dripping with venom as she showed her cat the vial she now held. Whiskerton’s eyes widened.

Of course, he had been there when the Healer had been strapped to the stone ritual table in the atrium. He had helped her set up the life-stealing ritual and assisted her in converting the man’s life energy into the powder they needed. But he had totally forgotten what the Witch had done right before the ritual had begun: she had taken a lock of the blind man’s hair. He hadn’t bothered questioning it at the time, but now that she was threatening to throw that very same lock of hair into such a vile concoction made the cat’s whiskers tremble with rising horror.

“A curse?” His tail was already starting to puff up from stress. “But, my lady, don’t you need him for his life essence? And what about you?! This type of dark magic is dangerous!”

“Oh, don’t fret, my dear.” She reached out a hand to scratch him behind the ears. Usually, he would love to drink up any attention she gave him, but right now it felt anything but inviting. “He will still serve his purpose. I’m just making it so he will be a bit easier to manage…”

With that, she opened the vial and dumped its contents into her palm. Holding the blonde strands in a tight fist, she marched up to the boiling cauldron. She took a letter opener from the nearby desk, pressed the blade into her palm and sliced into her skin. She squeezed tighter, making sure her blood soaked into every strand before letting it all fall into the cauldron.

The reaction was immediate. Black smog billowed out and coated the floor like a carpet. Whiskerton jumped as every light source in the room was replaced by an eerie crimson glow. Looking out the window, he saw when the other windows across the courtyard also began to turn that same blood-red hue. The phenomena was probably spreading throughout the castle.

His attention was drawn back to his witch when she began chanting in the ancient tongue; calling for the old gods and demanding justice against the man who wronged her. Then came the part of the ritual where she was to address her enemy, saying:

Vile wretch, beg and kneel,
your bleeding heart be made to heel;

For defying me and attempting escape,
let your body take a smaller shape;

Until lost is found and nameless is named,
bound to this castle you shall remain!

Thus at my mercy shall you be,
for all of eternity…

And then with one final rageful scream, she plunged her bloody fist into the boiling cauldron. Shadows leapt from the pot in an all-consuming wave which blotted out Whiskerton’s vision for a few moments. In the pitch darkness he could hear whispering voices, skittering of insects, and the creaking of dead wood. As fast as it arrived, however, it vanished. The massive shadow slipped under the crack in the door and spilled into the hall. Whiskerton watched it go before turning again to the window where he could track the spell’s movement as it sped through halls and rooms, hunting for its target at frightening speeds.

“Whiskerton.” The Witch was breathing heavily now as she pulled her fist from a now empty cauldron. “I want every single familiar on the hunt by morning.”

Chapter Text

Consciousness returned to him in waves. As he slowly became more aware of himself, the unpleasant throbbing of a headache and a soreness in his limbs caused him to stir. He was on a warm and soft surface. The heavy weight on top of him would have been pleasant - comfortable even - but he was unable to really enjoy it due to his own miserable state. Sleep was supposed to be refreshing, yet he woke up feeling worse.

Healer made a small noise as he pawed at the blanket. Was it supposed to be this heavy? Pulling it up and over his head, he tried to go back to sleep. Just five more minutes wouldn’t hurt, surely. Anything to dispel this all-encompassing ache. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but it certainly felt like it was too early. Then again, yesterday really put him through the wringer. A scarce diet and sedentary lifestyle were not a good combination for rescuing children from witches. That was probably why he was so sore, he reasoned, he must have over-exerted himself.

And yet as he tried to relax, he got a nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. A seed of anxiety began to grow in the pit of his stomach. Despite having secured the room against intrusion last night, Healer still wasn’t sure how safe they were, given the castle’s strange nature. First priority, check on the children. Putting a hand to his chest, he didn’t feel the familiar shape of Gingerbrave. Maybe the boy had wiggled free in the night and got up? Carefully, he reached out to where he recalled Wizard and Strawberry sleeping, only to find that space empty too.

Okay, don’t panic. They were very independent and self-sufficient children; they might have just wandered off to another part of the room.

He reluctantly sat up and tried to reach out a hand, but no vine or staff was there to grab onto. Confused and a bit concerned that his primary method of sight wasn’t responding to him, Healer stretched out his arm further and further, until his strained posture made him collapse onto the mattress.

A mattress that seemed to just… keep going.

As he felt around some more, he realized that his environment had drastically changed since last night. Naturally, for a blind person, this was rather disorienting and distressing. Wherever he was, it was soft. The texture of the fabric and the slight mustiness of the air definitely seemed like the bedchamber he had fallen asleep in. But the overwhelming scent of vanilla from somewhere was new, and whatever he was lying on was far bigger than any bed he had seen. Was it even a bed, or something else entirely?

Someone’s sleepy muttering made Healer relax somewhat. That sounded like Gingerbrave. If the children were here, that meant they hadn't been caught by the Witch again. Unfortunately, the sound had been too soft to track properly, but he got a vague sense it came from his right…

“Gingerbrave?” he called, keeping his voice gentle to not startle the boy. “Are you awake?”

“Mmmh, I am now… Huh?” There was a sound of cloth shuffling. Gingerbrave’s voice sounded distant. Not too far where he had to yell to be heard; it was more like hearing someone talking from across a room. Now how had the boy gotten all the way over there?

“Healer? Where’d you go?” More shuffling. Healer could practically envision Gingerbrave’s head whipping back and forth to look for him.

“I’m right here…?” Healer’s brows furrowed. The boy sounded close, and yet he could not see him? He sat up fully again, tilting his head in an attempt to get a better idea where exactly Gingerbrave’s voice was coming from.

Right when he did that though, Gingerbrave’s movements went still. There was a long beat of silence before it was broken by a very loud scream.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!”

The reaction from everyone was instant. Healer jolted back, head whipping around and listening for danger. Wizard sputtered awake, already alert and flailing around for his staff. Strawberry’s own scream harmonized with Gingerbrave’s, making the situation more distressing.

“What is it?! Is it the Witch? Is it the cat?” asked Wizard over the chaos of his screaming friends.

“I-I’m not sure, I just woke him up to ask about–!” Healer’s explanation was cut off by Strawberry’s scream rising in pitch.

“W-W-WHAT!? HUH?!” There was the sound of cloth rustling. “N-N-N-NO WAY!!!”

“What? What is it, I don’t…” More rustling as Wizard was pointed toward whatever had distressed the other children. “WHAT THE FUDGE?!”

By this point, Gingerbrave’s scream had devolved into nonsensical stammering. Meanwhile Strawberry was only repeating “oh no” on loop, whilst Wizard sounded as if he was deflating. Realizing he wasn’t going to be getting any answers while the children were in this state, Healer decided to take action.

‘CLAP CLAP!’ The sharp sound of him clapping his hands together was enough to startle the children out of their shock. Once he was sure he had their attention, Healer said, “Are we in any immediate danger?”

A beat, and then Gingerbrave replied. “N-No, there’s nothing dangerous.”

“Then what is it that has upset you all?”

“You mean you don’t…?” Strawberry’s voice tapered off as she got a bit closer. “O-Oh, right, you can’t see without your staff. Uh…”

“It looks like something happened in the night.” Wizard filled in, though his words were slow and carefully chosen. Healer tilted his head, prompting the boy to continue. After a moment, Healer sensed another weight on the mattress approaching him. Then, much to his surprise, he felt a hand grab his own and squeeze it.

“Healer,” Gingerbrave’s voice was surprisingly close. “You’re a cookie…?”

“Eh?” Healer’s currently useless eyes open from surprise. How could that even be possible? There was no way…

He reached up to feel his own cheek. He marveled at the strange texture for a moment, before bringing the hand further up to feel his hair. Was that icing? And… oh, that overwhelming vanilla scent was coming from him.

Oh good heavens.

Healer took a dramatically deep breath and tried to get the rapid fluttering in his chest to slow down. He could not panic. If he reacted poorly, then the children’s anxiety about the situation would escalate. So Healer packed up all those emotions inside a little box and decided to have a crisis about this later.

“Okay.” He said after a moment. “Honestly, this could be worse.”

“H-How could this be worse?!” asked Strawberry, before immediately backpedaling. “Actually, wait no, I don’t want to know!”

“Do you feel okay…?” Gingerbrave asked, squeezing Healer’s hand a bit tighter.

The man-turned-cookie shrugged. “A bit sore, but nothing egregious. Though I must admit, I’m not sure what could have happened to have caused this dramatic transformation.”

“I-It’s the Witch! It has to be!” Strawberry was sitting next to him now, followed soon after by Wizard.

“Of course! How could I have been so stupid?!” Wizard audibly slapped his forehead. “Last night was a new moon! That’s when dark magic is at its height of power! She must have done something crazy!”

“Oh no, oh man, oh gosh, oh no no no, w-wh-what do we do…?!”

“If I may?” Healer held up a hand, silencing the children’s rising panic again. He rose to his feet a bit clumsily because the soft surface was difficult to get a proper footing on. Once he felt like he wouldn’t fall over, he said, “First thing’s first, does anyone know where my staff is? I would very much like to have it.”

There was a beat as the children presumably looked around.

“It’s, uh, gone…” Gingerbrave sounded upset.

“Maybe not. If Healer shrank, then maybe his staff shrank too! It might be on the floor,” said Wizard who also got to his feet. “I’ll go down and check. Be right back!” There was a slight bounce as he ran off.

Healer sighed, rubbing at his forehead and pondering again the texture of his new… dough. “While he does that; Gingerbrave, Strawberry, are we still on the bed?”

“Yeah?”

Healer nodded. One could hear the gears turning in his head. “Alright. We should work on moving somewhere else. If the Witch is acting out to the point of using dark magic, then it is probably safe to assume she won’t just stop at a simple transformation. I do not want to remain in this room if that is the case.”

“There’s probably a way into the walls around here somewhere,” said Strawberry. “Most rooms in the castle have at least one.”

“I can go hunt it down!” Gingerbrave offered with audible enthusiasm.

Healer considered his options for a moment before nodding. “Take Strawberry with you. Don’t travel too far.” Oddly enough, Strawberry and Gingerbrave didn’t immediately run off. Interpreting their hesitance as worry about his new ‘condition’, he waved off their concern with a warm smile. “I will be fine. I’ll just… take this opportunity to adjust. If I need any assistance, I’ll shout.”

Seemingly satisfied with this, he felt the bounce in the mattress as the other two ran off.

Now alone with himself, Healer took this opportunity to seriously gauge the situation.

Quick summary: this was bad.

If Wizard’s assumption was correct, and this truly was the result of a curse, then this situation just got a whole lot more complicated. Curses - especially Witch’s curses - were nothing to scoff at.

Curses that evoked transformations were not simple feats despite what the fairytales might say. It required powerful emotion to fuel it, which was why it was a favored curse among those who felt intense spite, jealousy and hatred so easily. But the result of this spell was not something like a frog or a swan, but a cookie. The symbolism was not lost on him. This was probably done as a form of ironic punishment due to him rescuing the children last night.

Healer frowned at that. If she was trying to get him to regret his decision, then she was sorely mistaken.

The idea of renegotiating the deal with her was off the table, now. If his new cookie body really was her doing, then this might as well be a declaration of all-out war. Such a drastic and reckless action, all because he defied her. Healer shook his head, feeling a bit of pity for her inability to see reason or cope with someone denying her.

Regardless, this presented a massive problem that needed swift correcting. He wasn’t an expert on curses, but he did know that curses followed a set of rules like all magic. He’s certain with a bit of research and work, he’d be able to figure out what parameters this curse was operating under. But first he would need…

“I got it!” Wizard Cookie was panting heavily as he scurried over to Healer. “It fell over when it shrank and rolled under the bed… phew! H-Hey, where’s Gingerbrave and Strawberry?”

“They’re looking for an entrance into the walls. We need to get moving.” He held his hands out and accepted the staff. It didn’t feel much different than it usually did, but the smell of vanilla persisted. Slowly, Healer channeled its sight and blinked as the world around him steadily came into focus.

“Oh!” His head whipped around, taking in the dramatic shift in perspective now that he was the same scale as the children. The canopy of the bed and the room’s ceiling above were impossibly high. Looking out over the rest of the bedchamber felt like standing on a cliff over a valley. Healer wasn’t exactly afraid of heights, but the sudden change was enough to give him a hint of vertigo.

“Are you ok?” Healer looked down when a little hand grabbed his robe to steady him. Wizard Cookie had concern in his eyes. Before, the child had been so small that Healer could easily hold him with a single hand, now he practically came up to Healer’s waist.

Realizing he was staring, Healer shook his head and cleared his throat. “I’ll be fine. I’m just adjusting to the changes, is all.” He raised a hand to make a placating gesture, before freezing at the sight of it.

Oh. Oh goodness, that really was his hand.

“Wizard…?” Healer’s gaze slowly shifted to the boy, trying very carefully to keep the tremor out of his voice. “Is there a reflective surface nearby?” A part of him didn’t want to know, but it was vital he see how bad it was.

The boy hummed, stroking his scarf like one would a beard before saying, “I think the vanity would be too hard to get on top of, but the window reaches the floor! We can use that.”

Healer nodded numbly and allowed Wizard to take his hand and guide him over to the edge of the bed. He stumbled a bit, but with Wizard and his staff he managed not to fall over. Once they reached the cushiony cliffside, Healer took a moment to peer over the edge to the carpeted floor.

“I suppose we’ll have to use the comforter to climb down…” He hoped he had enough energy for that.

“No, need!” The boy waved his own staff and a gentle golden glow surrounded the two of them. “Around here, a slow fall spell is a must.”

“Of course,” Healer chuckled, the knot in his heart being overtaken by pride for a moment. Wizard really was so clever to have taught himself such a useful spell. With that, he joined Wizard in stepping off the bed without even hesitating. He trusted the boy’s talent, and that trust was well placed when they gently floated to the floor.

Once again, the man-turned-cookie was taken aback by the sheer scale of everything. As Wizard guided him the short distance to the window, Healer’s gaze shifted everywhere. It was still the same room just… bigger.

A storm had rolled in overnight. The grey sky was occasionally lit up with a flash of lightning. The sound of rain hitting the windowpanes was a lot louder at his new size. Thankfully, due to the darkness outside, it made the glass more reflective.

Healer closed his eyes and took a long steady breath. After assuring himself that this is what was needed, he looked upon his new reflection.

It… certainly looked like him. Healer blinked and raised a hand, watching the cookie in the glass copy the action. He turned his head this way and that to get a better look at it from all angles. The features were simplified, and it looked rather cutesy, but the eyes were the same color, and the hair looked like it should.

He opened his mouth. Stuck out his tongue. Scrunched up his face and then let it relax. He brought his hands up to his cheeks and squished, puzzling over the texture again. He messed around with his hair trying to understand how that worked - after all he’d never known icing to hold together this well. He checked the flexibility of his arms, his legs, and his torso. He felt something similar to a heartbeat in his chest and took a deep deliberate breath to feel whatever he had for his lungs expand. As curious as he was about how it all worked, he wasn’t about to crack himself open to find out.

His clothes had been transmuted from cotton cloth to some kind of fondant, meanwhile his staff seemed mostly untouched. Though, he wasn’t sure if this was the same breed of orchid as it was before, or a similar-looking sugary species. Overall, he felt fine, if a bit sore, and his investigation didn’t bring up any sort of curse mark or ill affect that he could see at the moment.

“Okay.” Healer eventually nodded. “Alright, I think I’m done. Thank you for your help… But, I believe I’ll have some questions for you later, Wizard. I’m not entirely sure how to care for a cookie body, after all.”

“Right! Leave it to me!” Wizard was already determining how best to explain the new anatomy to him. However, his train of thought was cut off when there was a shout.

“There you are!” Gingerbrave and Strawberry Cookie emerged from under the bed. “We were looking for you guys! Strawberry and I found a way into the tunnels.”

“Perfect timing,” Healer was visibly relieved. The sooner they could get to a place the Witch couldn’t reach, the better. He motioned for the children to lead the way, preferring to take up the rear so he could keep track of everyone.

Gingerbrave guided them under the bed to the upper-rightmost post where the bed met the wall. There was a way to get behind the bedside table here. He had first thought the piece of furniture was flush to the wall, but this new perspective revealed a gap just big enough for a cookie to fit through. Gingerbrave and Strawberry fearlessly walked into the pitch-dark crevasse, Wizard not too far behind. Healer hesitated for only a moment before moving to catch up.

Much to his surprise, there was a door waiting for them.

Gingerbrave opened it and poked his head in. There was a beat as he surveyed for any danger. After finding nothing, he opened the door the rest of the way. “It’s safe! We’re good to go.”

Healer didn’t think he wanted to know what sort of danger could be lingering in the walls, but with how things were going he probably would not be so lucky.

Using the eye of his staff to keep a look out for danger, Healer followed the young cookies into the little hall that awaited them on the other side. A few lamps flickered to life when they entered, revealing a long corridor decorated like one would expect a castle to be. Only the paintings on the walls depicted beings that were distinctly not human and a bit sugarier in nature. It was a rather whimsical sight, and made it feel like he had just stepped into another world.

“This area looks old. I don’t think I’ve ever been here before…” said Strawberry as she tried to determine if it would be best to go left or right. “Do you think there’s a village nearby…?”

Wizard Cookie hummed and narrowed his eyes. “I think I have a rough idea where we are,” he said. “These look like the old service tunnels, which means if we follow this path we’ll wind up close to Gnome Square.”

While the name meant nothing to Healer, Gingerbrave and Strawberry instantly perked up in recognition. It must have been an area they were well familiar with, considering how quickly they agreed that would be their destination.

Thus they set off, deeper into the castle than Healer ever thought possible.

Chapter Text

Healer found himself grateful for the fact that he had traveling companions for this journey. He was rather sure that if he was alone, he would have been too distracted either with studying the strange new world around him or losing himself to a mild panic attack. But Gingerbrave’s sunny disposition, Strawberry’s hand in his, and Wizard’s playful banter helped keep the cursed man centered. As they made idle conversation through winding tunnels and weaving pathways, Healer busied himself with observing their surroundings.

The lanterns that lit the path utilized a glowing fluid he was unfamiliar with. They were bright but lacked warmth when he raised a hand to one. The tunnels themselves were carved from the spaces between walls and under floorboards. Sometimes their path would open up and he would see larger cavernous areas full of green moss, fungi, and pipes. It was a maze so intricate that sometimes the children had to stop to consider a map or peek out of an exit to see what room in the castle they were adjacent to. When Healer asked Wizard about the construction of the tunnels, the boy said they were as old as the castle itself.

“Nobody’s quite sure who built them, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the first Sugar Gnomes who lived here.”

“Sugar Gnomes? I’m afraid I am unfamiliar.” Healer tilted his head slightly.

“They’re master builders,” explained Wizard, “but they’re also made of a very delicate sugar floss. If they get too stressed, they start to melt, so they tend to stay away from dangerous places.”

That was a rather terrifying concept. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what that must look like, let alone feel like. The lives of these creatures must be harrowing indeed…

“Their presence is a good indicator that a place is safe,” continued Wizard with a smile.  “The old saying ‘a gnome space is a safe place’, always rings true! Gnome Square would be the perfect place for us to regroup and figure out how to deal with… well…” The boy gestured at Healer, his good mood deflating a bit. He didn’t like that there was a magical problem that he couldn’t help with. Curses were fickle things, unfortunately. Oh, if only he were an arcwizard…

Strawberry’s hand on his shoulder pulled Wizard from his negative thoughts. “L-Let’s try to look on the bright side. We might have the chance to show Healer some of our favorite places around the castle! Or introduce him to some of our other friends.”

“Hey yeah!” Gingerbrave spun around from where he was further up ahead. “Everybody was afraid of you, but now we can show them that you’re really nice!”

Healer was a bit taken aback by that statement. “They were afraid of me? Whatever did I do?”

“You fought the Witch,” replied Strawberry.

“Humans are a rare sight around the Castle these days. And those that are, aren’t exactly friendly…” Wizard Cookie sighed. “So a strange human showing up for unknown reasons, fighting the Witch, and having her on the ropes like you did? It sparked a lot of rumors.”

“I see…” he supposed that made sense. By the sounds of it, the creatures of the castle stayed far away from the Witch, so the fact she had been capturing human children went largely unnoticed by the residents. They stayed in their hidden towns and tunnels where she could not reach, and left the Witch to her own devices, hoping whatever path she chose didn’t cross their own.

It was as if the woman was a force of nature, untouchable, unflinching, uncaring.

And then he came along and shattered those preconceived notions. An unknown variable who challenged her and her absolute power over this secret world within the walls. With their limited understanding of humans, they had no idea if the Healer was just as bad or worse than the Witch, thus their response was to fear him rather than revere him.

“I believe we should keep my true identity a secret for the time being,” Healer concluded. “I would not want to scare anyone, after all.”

“Aw, but I wanted to clear your name…” Gingerbrave’s shoulders sagged a bit. His expression startled a small chuckle out of Healer.

“I’m sure they will come to know the truth in due time. For now, I am satisfied with keeping my true nature between us. Besides, you said the Sugar Gnomes are easy to frighten yes? I would hate for them to think I’ve come to harm anyone.”

“Oh, right good point…” Gingerbrave could very easily imagine the pandemonium that might break out. Gnome Square was supposed to be a well-kept secret and a safe place away from the Witch and her Familiars. If the gnomes thought its safety was compromised, it might spark a panic and that would just lead to a lot of melted gnomes...

“By the way, how much further until our destination?” Healer was beginning to tire. It felt like they had been walking for miles, but in reality, they’d probably not traveled too far from where they started. His earlier comparison of this castle to a continent really felt as if it were ringing true, now.

“Not too far now,” said Wizard. “With the pace we’re going, it should only be another ten or so minutes."

From his place up ahead, Gingerbrave exclaimed, “I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone! Maestro Sugar Gnome is really smart! And the smithy is so cool! Oh! And if we’re lucky maybe we’ll bump into--!”

Gingerbrave’s sentence petered off, his eyes losing focus. He grabbed his head and stumbled, collapsing against the wall.

“Gingerbrave?!” Healer was beside him almost immediately, fraught with concern. The boy waved him off.

“I-I’m fine. Just a dizzy spell,” he said with a little shake of his head. After a moment to gather himself up, he managed to stand up straight and smile. “Though, uh, Strawberry? I think I’m gonna need a Life Potion.”

“Oh! That’s right! In all the excitement yesterday, I totally forgot!” The girl pulled off her pack and rummaged around for a moment before producing a bright honey-yellow bottle. After giving it to Gingerbrave, she produced another and shoved it into Wizard’s hands. “You too.”

“What?! But I feel fine!” complained Wizard.

“Thats because you’re really focused on what we’re doing. But your hair is already starting to melt and I bet your arms are getting crumbly too. Drink.”

“Fffffineeeeee!”

The Healer watched with interest as Gingerbrave and Wizard popped the corks and started drinking. Satisfied that her friends were cared for, she pulled out a bottle of this potion for herself and took a sip, before hesitating.

“We can share mine,” she said to Healer, offering up the bottle.

“What is it?”

“Life potion. It keeps us healthy. We need to drink it pretty regularly.”

Seeing an opportunity to flex his knowledge, Wizard said, “Cookie bodies can’t make their own life energy so we have to get it from other sources. Typically, it would just be through eating and drinking normal food, but since all the life energy in nature is getting stolen by the Witch, we have to rely on these potions to make sure we get a big enough dose. Without it, the powder in our dough loses its potency, which makes us become inanimate and then our bodies crumble.” He took another sip before getting a thoughtful expression. “Though, considering your situation, maybe you don’t have to worry about that? Human bodies make their own life energy. So maybe that trait carried over into your cookie body?”

“Still, better safe than sorry,” said Strawberry while gently pushing the bottle into Healer’s hand. When he hesitated, she gave him the biggest saddest puppy eyes she could muster. “Just a couple of sips?”

Healer took a moment to smell it, though nothing came from it. Slowly, he took a small sip.

Oh! He recognized this flavor! Well, there was that mystery solved. (And another kindness from the children to be thankful for.) It did give him a bit of a kick, but he wasn’t sure if it was because he was still weak from starvation or if he was actually suffering from ‘crumbling’. After a couple of more sips, he passed it back to Strawberry, who finished the rest of the potion off.

Healer made a mental note to make sure the children were well-stocked with this potion in the future.

“What was I saying?” Gingerbrave asked as he wiped the gold stain from around his mouth. “Oh yeah! You’re gonna love Gnome Square, Healer…!”

Thus, they continued further down winding tunnels, their destination well at hand.

Healer had not really known what to expect upon arriving at Gnome Square, but he certainly hadn’t expected the lush plaza that stretched out before him.

Lush green grass, mushrooms, and flowers that towered over them dotted the space. A bright light not unlike a midday sun filtered down from an unknown source. Carved into the stones were different levels where Healer could make out houses. A stone spiral and a series of pully elevators allowed access to the higher layers of the settlement. In the heart of the plaza was an elegant fountain, a statue of a cookie nobly holding up a sword acting as its centerpiece. Surrounding the fountain was a market, an inn, a garden, and something akin to a town hall.

And it was packed.

Cookies and critters of all kinds were milling about the market. A hamster here, a living toy there. He even caught sight of what had to be a sugar gnome manning one of the stalls.

Something about the sight made Healer’s inner child absolutely giddy.

“Welcome to Gnome Square!” Gingerbrave threw his arms out. “The crossroads of the Witch’s Castle!”

“It’s beautiful…” To think they did all this on their own. No human instruction or assistance needed. If there was any further proof required that the products of life powder had souls – it was this. Only beings with higher thought and deep emotion could make such a lovely place within such a dark castle.

“They say all the roads in the castle eventually lead back to here,” said Wizard.

“With how often we visit, I believe it.” Strawberry huddled a bit closer to Healer, grabbing his hand to make sure neither of them got lost in the crowd.

“If I did not know any better, I would never guess we were in a castle created by humans.” Healer squinted against the light bearing down on them. It couldn’t be sunlight, not only was it still raining outside, but it lacked the warmth of the sun. This light was probably coming from an artificial or magical source. “When you mentioned settlements, I imagined small communities with tightly packed buildings. But the Square is so big! How is such a large space like this even possible?”

Wizard Cookie replied, “Because of the weird architecture of the Castle, there’s a lot of blocked off rooms and void space between the walls and floors. Which gave the castle residents plenty of secret places to build. The walls currently surrounding us are especially thick, which is why the Gnomes built here.”

Healer wished he had the time and energy to thoroughly explore the square and talk to everyone, but he knew it was probably best to stick close to the children. This was unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar creatures, and while there hadn’t been much miscommunication between himself and the children, he did not want to run the risk of any accidental cultural faux pas.

As they wove their way through the market, Healer took note of the wares being sold. Trinkets both magic and mundane, clothing of all sorts of colors and materials, books and scrolls, and then there was the food.

Healer did not care that the meat slowly roasting over a fire seemed to be made of some sugary substance, it smelled heavenly. His pace slowed considerably as they passed the busy food stall, but much to his disappointment he realized he had not a cent to his name.

“Healer? Are you okay?” Strawberry’s voice broke him from his thoughts. He had forgotten that he was still holding the girl’s hand.

“My apologies, I got lost in thought there.” Healer smiled and pretended like whatever constituted as his stomach wasn’t twisting into knots.

Strawberry didn’t seem convinced though. She slowly tilted her head to see around him at the stall he had been looking at. It wasn’t difficult for her to piece together what had caught his attention.

“Hey guys! You ok?” Gingerbrave called from where he and Wizard had stopped a bit further down the street. They had not realized Healer and Strawberry had lagged so far behind right away. Healer made to reassure him that everything was fine, but Strawberry beat him to the punch by calling her friends back over.

Once they were close enough to be heard at a regular volume, Strawberry said, “Do you want to grab something to eat?” She motioned over to the stall that Healer had been eyeing.

“We didn’t have any breakfast, did we?” Gingerbrave thought aloud.

“And we missed dinner after we were caught by you-know-who…” Wizard lowered his voice on the last part. Saying anything about the Witch made some folks act as if the mere mention would summon her.

“We should have enough for all of us.” Strawberry Cookie slid her backpack from her shoulders and rummaged around for the group’s shared coin purse. Gingerbrave had no pockets, and Wizard could be a bit of an impulse buyer if a certain book caught his attention, so it was decided long ago that Strawberry would be the one to handle their money.

Healer, however, shook his head. “You should feed yourselves. I don’t want you putting yourselves out for my sake. I can—”

He was cut off by Strawberry rather forcibly putting a hand in his face. “You’ve been surviving off of scraps of bread and dusty water for months. We have plenty of coins, so it’s not a problem. You saved our lives when we were planning on being the ones to save you. The least we can do is get you some real food.”

He couldn’t really argue that logic. On top of that, the promise of food made his stomach ache even more. When Strawberry started taking everyone’s orders, he only felt a little bad when he requested the stew that was on the menu.

“Just that?” Strawberry narrowed her eyes at him. It hadn’t escaped her notice that it was one of the cheaper items on the menu. He better not have been asking for that because he was still fussing over the money.

“It’s best if I keep it light for now. Eating anything heavy after an extended period of starvation can lead to an upset stomach,” explained Healer. “And warm broth sounds rather nice to me at the moment.”

The girl stared at him, as if searching for a lie. After determining that no, this was his actual line of logic and he wasn’t just selecting it because of the price, Strawberry nodded and left to go put in an order for everyone’s food. Healer let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. For someone so shy, Strawberry could be rather intense when she wanted to be!

A tug on his sleeve drew his attention down to Gingerbrave. The boy was practically bouncing when he said, “Healer! There’s a friend I want to introduce you to! Can we go say hi while we wait for the food?” It was rather amusing to Healer that the boy felt the need to ask permission.

“Let Strawberry know where we’re going first and then we can go.” He was rather interested in the idea of meeting more of the castle’s residents. That curiosity only increased when the boy loudly informed Strawberry that they were heading to a smithy. Strawberry at least was familiar with who they were planning on seeing and asked them to say ‘hello’ for her.

“Well well well, look who it is! It’s been a while!” said a tall and burly cookie as their little group approached the smithy. The individual had already been in a conversation with a different cookie, but both seemed to recognize Gingerbrave and Wizard and paused what they were doing to greet the children.

Gingerbrave excitedly ran over to his friends with all the energy of an excited puppy. “Hi Avocado Cookie! And Herb Cookie, you’re here too!”

“Some of my gardening tools need to be replaced so I came to Avocado Cookie to ask for help,” the leaf-haired cookie explained, knowing his presence was rather odd since he wasn’t one to use weapons.

“Makes sense,” Wizard hummed, “Avocado Cookie’s projects are always sturdy.”

Avocado laughed, a bright sound that filled the air and overtook the hissing of the forge. “You bet! I’ve fixed Gingerbrave’s candy cane enough times, I’m pretty sure it’ll take a rampaging stampede of Choco Boars to break it now!” She paused, then bashfully asked, “Unless it broke again and that’s why you’re here…?”

“Nope!” Gingerbrave proudly held up the still-intact cane. “Still in one piece! We were just passing through and wanted to say hi.” He then grabbed Healer – who had been peacefully watching the exchange with interest – and pushed him forward. “We also wanted to introduce you to our new friend!”

“Oh!” Healer startled when he was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. He quickly laughed it off with a gentle shake of his head. “It’s nice to meet you.” He held out a hand for Avocado to shake, but was suddenly intercepted by a starry-eyed Herb Cookie.

“Your orchid!” He exclaimed, his hands hovering as if wanting to hold it but refraining from doing so.

Healer jumped back, glancing between Herb and the flower and wondering if there was something wrong with it.

“I’ve never seen a vanilla orchid so healthy! Its petals are so vibrant, its leaves look good and healthy, oh and the eye is perfect! Not a hint of fogginess at all! You’ve been taking wonderful care of it!” Herb took Healer’s still extended hand and shook it vigorously. “It’s always nice to meet cookies who are also passionate about plant care!”

Avocado Cookie’s booming laugh once again filled the area. “Excuse Herb Cookie’s enthusiasm. He’s iris-istibly drawn to plants!”

From his spot beside Healer, Wizard groaned. “Here we go…”

“And I hope you don’t mind but I’m always a succa for a good pun!”

Healer chuckled, politely hiding his smile behind his sleeve as he said, “Well, I don’t mind. I tend to grow with the flow…” Wizard made another loud groan, feeling betrayed.

“A cookie after my own heart!” Avocado harshly patted Healer on the back, nearly knocking him over. “What part of the castle do you come from, stranger? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around the Square before.”

Healer didn’t know what to say to that without sounding incriminating. He subtly looked at the children out of the corner of his eye. Both boys had visibly tensed at the question, and he could tell they were scrambling for some sort of story. Healer was never one who enjoyed outright lying, but even he could tell that this sort of situation needed a bit of discretion.

“You’re correct that this is my first time here; my village is rather far away,” he said. “Everyone back home calls me the Healer. I’m afraid that is the only name I can give.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Healer Cookie! Any friend of Gingerbrave, Wizard and Strawberry is a friend of mine!” The blacksmith paused, as if just realizing something, and looked around. “By the way, where is Strawberry Cookie?”

Gingerbrave pointed back the way they had come from. “She went to go grab us some food—”

“…and I told you to please leave me alone!” Strawberry’s voice cut through the dull white noise of the bustling market.

All heads turned in the direction of her voice just when someone replied, “Come on! I swear it will be quick! I just have to know!”

Strawberry Cookie carried a few bundles in her arms, trying to speed walk away from a cookie dogging her every step. Thanks to her burden, she was unable to pick up the pace and lose them in the crowd. The cookie in question seemed to be a child. They certainly sounded like a child to Healer, at least. Bright pink hair that stuck out in all directions, a cape made out of a soft waffle-like material, and a rather interesting headpiece that almost resembled a crown with its many points.

When Strawberry saw everyone, she quickened her pace and ran to hide behind Healer and her friends.

“Is everything okay, Strawberry?” Gingerbrave asked. She seemed overwhelmed and embarrassed.

“T-This cookie won’t leave me alone! They keep a-asking me for a dough sample and want me to go somewhere with them!” Strawberry buried her face into Healer’s robe.

“Well that’s not shady at all…” Wizard Cookie grumbled, side-eyeing the newcomer who found themself under critical scrutiny.

“Hey now! Don’t get your hoodie in a twist! Saying it like that makes me sound like a creep!” The new cookie said, putting their hands on their hips.

Healer cleared his throat, successfully gaining everyone’s attention. “First, may I ask your name?”

The child looked Healer up and down, not at all impressed by the sight of his patchwork choco robes. Eventually, they said, “I’m Strawberry Crepe Cookie.”

Huh. Did that make them related to Strawberry and that was why they were following her? Well, he didn’t want to assume anything just yet. There was a lot about cookies he didn’t really understand.

“Would you mind clearing up this misunderstanding for us, young Strawberry Crepe? Perhaps we can find a solution that will make you both happy?” Healer asked, taking on a tone that usually got the village children to listen to him. The pink-haired cookie made a little ‘hmph!’ noise and pouted like any child would.

“I came to Gnome Square to do some research on common ingredients in cookies. You know; are there more bitter flavored cookies in the castle or sweet ones? Are fruits and berries more common than cheeses? That kind of stuff!” they explained. “I figured since it was always so packed here, that it would be a great place to get new statistics to analyze! So I was just minding my own business, scanning cookies as I went, when I came across her!” The child jabbed a finger in Strawberry’s direction. She cringed and tucked herself further behind Healer.

“She looks like a berry cookie, she says her name is Strawberry Cookie, and she even SMELLS like strawberries, but…” Strawberry Crepe paused for dramatic effect. “When I scanned her there were NO strawberries in her dough AT ALL!” They were getting a bit worked up now, eyes sparkling with curiosity and a hint of frustration. “I just have to know! How can you be a berry cookie if you don’t have any strawberries?! Do you have the strength that all berry cookies have? Are you some kind of new berry subset? Come back to my lab with me so I can use more sensitive equipment and do a thorough scan!”

“And I t-told you no! I don’t want to go anywhere with you!” Strawberry Cookie snapped back. She didn’t want to go near another lab for the rest of her life if she could help it! The last one was too scary! “My name is Strawberry so of course I have strawberries in my dough! And that’s it! There’s nothing more too it! Stop following me!”

Healer hummed in thought at the interesting conundrum presented before him. Are the ingredients in a cookie’s dough that important to their culture? Or was that interest a trait unique to their new friend here? Considering how fiercely Strawberry was defending the idea of her namesake’s presence within her dough, perhaps it was rather important within their societal structure.

Strawberry clearly wanted nothing to do with Strawberry Crepe. She had given her answer, and they were just going to have to accept that. Still, Strawberry Crepe seemed rather… stubborn. If they had refused to leave her alone after three “no’s”, Healer doubted the child would stop after a twelfth.

While he was pondering this situation, Gingerbrave and Wizard had rushed to Strawberry’s defense. It made quite the comical sight to Avocado and Herb, who were off to the side watching things unfold rather helplessly. The tall shape of Healer was just standing there, deep in thought, surrounded by a gaggle of bickering children. It seemed the noise did nothing to sway the mysterious cookie’s meditation. Which worked just fine for Gingerbrave and his friends, who were currently using Healer as a wall between themselves and Strawberry Crepe Cookie.

‘CLAP! CLAP!’ Healer sharply clapped his hands together, easily quieting the argument going on around his feet. All the children looked up at him with wide eyes.

“I am very sorry Strawberry Crepe, but if Strawberry says she does not want to go with you, then she has every right not to comply.” He set a hand on her head, the girl leaned in closer. “Labs make her uncomfortable, and if your analysis is only for your own satisfaction, then I’m afraid there’s no real reason for her to go with you.”

“Oh, come ON!” Strawberry Crepe whined, throwing their arms out in indignation. “Don’t be such a baby dough! It’s just a lab! It’s not like I’m going to dissect you or anything!”

Healer frowned slightly, allowing Strawberry to hug him around the waist a bit tighter. “Strawberry has a good reason to be afraid,” he began. “Not only has she had a very negative experience with one recently, but she does not know you or trust you. You have not given her a reason to trust you either. Even if what you are saying is truthful, you are doing nothing to make her feel safe with you.”

“Yeah!” Wizard jumped back into the argument with vigor. “We don’t go with anyone we don’t trust! And someone demanding dough samples is just creepy! How would you like it if someone you didn’t know walked up to you and demanded you go to a strange place with them?”

“If Strawberry doesn’t want to go with you, then the answer is no. Plain and simple.” Gingerbrave chimed in, crossing his arms and standing as straight as he could. He was taller than Strawberry Crepe and was now using this size difference to be a wall between his friend and this bossy cookie.

“Why you—! YOU—!” Strawberry Crepe’s face turned bright red. They looked just about ready to pop, but before they could, Healer reached out a hand and patted them on the head. They were so taken aback by this, they practically jumped a foot away with a startled yelp.

Healer merely chuckled. “Now now, my friends, there is no need to be hostile. I doubt Strawberry Crepe Cookie was going to bring Strawberry any harm. Isn’t that right?”

“Y-Yeah…” Strawberry Crepe kicked a nearby pebble. “Scanning is harmless. I just… I have to know the answer!”

“You’re a curious one, aren’t you?” Healer stepped forward and knelt down to Crepe’s level. “You don’t like it when there is something you don’t understand, so you try to pick at a problem until it makes sense. I’ve met many others like you in my travels, young cookie.” Strawberry Crepe nodded along, fidgeting with the hem of their cloak.

“Normal cookies are so boring,” they explained. “Same ingredients, same make-up, same ratios… So whenever I find a cookie that stands out, I have to know everything about them! I have to know how they work! I like knowing how everything works…”

“I see. Well, there is nothing wrong with wanting to pursue knowledge. In fact, I think what you are trying to learn is wonderful. However if you want someone else to willingly give information to you… It would help to be a bit friendlier.” Healer chuckled and gestured back toward Strawberry. “Perhaps, if you say ‘please’, my friend here might agree to help you with your project?”

Crepe looked at Healer as if he had grown a second head. Strawberry froze up like a spotlight had just been shone on her. The two children stared at each other for a moment, unsure how to proceed.

Crepe seemed to make up their mind first, marched up to Strawberry with flushed cheeks and asked, “Strawberry Cookie, could you please accompany me back to my lab so I can scan your dough more thoroughly?”

A beat as Strawberry seemed to seriously consider this, and then…

“No, thank you.”

“BUT—” Before Strawberry Crepe could lose their temper again, Strawberry cut them off.

“But if you join us for lunch, I would be willing to talk to you about my ingredients.” She emphasized the offer by holding the bundles in her arms a little higher. “We were going to find somewhere less crowded to sit and eat. We can talk there.” She turned to the others with a sheepish look. “I-If that’s okay with you guys?”

“I suppose I wouldn’t mind someone else joining us for lunch. But we’re not buying!” Wizard said.

“As long as you’re fine with it, I’m fine with it.” Gingerbrave offered Strawberry a thumbs up.

“I would be delighted.” Healer rose to his full height, that gentle smile still on his face.

Strawberry Crepe Cookie balked.

Did… Did that shoddily robed cookie just trick them into having lunch with his group? His earlier use of the word “friendlier” practically slapped the child genius in the face.

Friends? With normal boring cookies??? Strawberry Crepe much preferred the company of their waffle bots, thank-you-very-much. But still, the mystery of the berry cookie with no berries demanded answers…

“Fine. I’ll join you. But you’ve gotta answer all my questions! And I have a lot!”

“That’s wonderful, because I believe I also have some questions.” Healer gently herded the children together in a way that was far too familiar to him at this point. “Avocado Cookie, Herb Cookie, it was wonderful meeting you both, but I believe it’s time for us to take our leave. And sorry for the scene…”

“Don’t worry about it!” Avocado Cookie laughed from where she had been leaning on the counter. She couldn’t deny it had been one of the most interesting things to happen all day. The market was always pretty peaceful, so a bit of excitement wasn’t all that bad. “Feel free to poppy on in any time, Healer Cookie!”

“If you ever find yourself in the western portion of the castle, feel free to visit,” Herb said with a wave. “My friend Sparkling Cookie runs the best tavern over there, and Mint Choco Cookie is always performing his music for the patrons. We can all have tea together!”

The group said their farewells and left the bustling area behind. Healer stayed to the back of the group, making sure to keep an eye on all the children as they went. With Strawberry Crepe now joining them, things were a bit tense, but it didn’t take Gingerbrave long to settle things down with an idle conversation topic. The boy seemed very good at easing tension by just being himself. It was no wonder Wizard and Strawberry seemed to default to him as their de facto leader.

It was a bit familiar, in a way.

Eventually their little group came to rest beside the fountain in the center of the Square. Once everyone was seated, Strawberry began passing out the food to everyone but Strawberry Crepe, who had purchased a roasted marshmallow bunny at a food stall on the way.

When Strawberry handed Healer a warm sealed bowl-shaped container, the cursed man blinked in surprise. In all of the excitement, he had almost forgotten that one of those bundles of food were meant for him. He took it from the girl with a grateful nod. The reminder of food was already making his stomach twist into knots again.

The minute he popped open the lid, it took all his willpower not to immediately go to town on it. The savory smell of the stew, the warmth of the bowl in his lap, the beautiful scenery around him… After three months in that dark dungeon with nothing to eat, this felt almost too good to be true.

Slowly, he took a spoonful of the stew and lifted it to his mouth. A part of him was afraid that everything would vanish the moment he took his first bite. That the world around him would melt back into those cold stone walls and he would feel the oppressive weight of the cuffs on his wrists again.

But the idle chatter of the children beside him, Gingerbrave’s jokes, Wizard’s snippets of knowledge, Crepe’s questions and Strawberry’s tentative answers, grounded him.

And with that comforting white noise, Healer took his first bite of the first full meal he’s had in months.

…

He was very glad the children were so involved in their conversations. It would be a little embarrassing if they noticed the grateful sugary tears falling into his stew.

“EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!” Chestnut Cookie peddled his tricycle into Gnome Square, a freshly printed newspaper held high into the air. “WITCH’S PRISONER ESCAPES! FAMILIARS ON THE HUNT! COOKIES AND CRITTERS ARE ADVISED TO STAY OUT OF HUMAN CHAMBERS!”

A few surprised noises in the crowd. A couple of heads turned in interest. A nervous energy was left behind his tricycle as the little boy peddled down the road toward where he usually sold the papers.

“READ IT ALL HERE IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF THE CASTLE CHRONICLE! PRISONER STILL AT LARGE! WITCH’S MOVEMENTS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN!”

It had been like this all morning. Every stop Chestnut Cookie had made on his route reacted to the news the same way. Upon reading the article, the adults would fall into nervous hushed conversations that they thought the kids couldn’t hear; and the kids were afraid, because the adults were afraid.

Nobody was quite sure what to make of this troubling news, but one thing was for sure: the castle was heading into uncertain times.

Chestnut pulled his tricycle over by the square’s iconic fountain, same as always. He dismounted his little bike, tucked a few papers from his bag under his arm, and began the usual routine of calling out the headline to passersby.

“I’ll take one.” Blackberry Cookie passed the boy a coin, who took it with a grateful tip of his hat. Beside her, Onion Cookie whimpered in fear.

“W-What’s it say, Blackberry Cookie? Are we going to get eaten?”

The dutiful maid opened the newspaper and began skimming through the troubling article. “I don’t believe we are in any immediate danger. Though we should be careful on our way home…” They typically cut through one of the castle’s many parlors on their way back to the cabinet they called home. If the Witch’s familiars were out in full force, and an unknown man was lurking the halls, it might be best for them to take a more round-about path. Blackberry Cookie would never forgive herself if anything happened to her charge.

“It says here, he fought the Witch!” Nearby, Creampuff Cookie was reading the same article from her own copy of the paper. “Could he be a real wizard? Wow… He must be so powerful!”

“I certainly hoooope he isn’t!” A jellybear merchant at a nearby stall added. “Remember how the castle shooooook when he first arrived? If he and the Witch have anooooother big fight, it could destrooooy the place!”

“Not to mention, he’s probably starving from being locked up in the dungeons!” piped up a porcelain deer in a fancy dress. “You desserts better lie low! If you’re not caught by him, then you’ll definitely be caught by the Witch who’s hunting for him!”

“Grrr, all this gossip makes me ANGRY!” Purple Yam Cookie grumbled.

“But it’s important news,” Milk Cookie argued. “We should be careful too. Bandits might decide to take advantage of the increased traffic that will no doubt be traveling through the tunnels. And let us not forget the strange red lights and moving shadow that overtook the castle last night. Things are changing, and we need to be ready for anything.””

A troubled air had settled over the once-cheerful Gnome Square. Who was this mysterious prisoner? Where was he now? What were his goals? How was the Witch going to respond to this, and how could the cookies and critters avoid getting involved in any of it?

“I don’t think there is anything to worry about.” A gentle voice cut through the idle murmurs. The statement had been directed at a group of children beside the speaker, but the confidence with which he spoke drew more than a few eyes his way.

“Why’s that, mister?” Chestnut Cookie couldn’t help but ask. After all, this was the first adult he had seen who hadn’t immediately grown troubled upon hearing the news.

The strange cookie looked to Chestnut with mismatched eyes. It looked like they had just finished having lunch by the time Chestnut had gotten there, bowls and plates were stacked up beside where they sat. One of the newspapers was in the hands of a cookie in a pink sweater, and the kids seemed awfully worried.

And yet, this stranger wasn’t.

The cookie with mismatched eyes turned to Chestnut Cookie fully with a soft smile on his face. “It’s simple. The Witch’s Prisoner isn’t here to hurt anyone. So there is no need to fear him.”

A couple of less-than-polite disagreements were whispered in the crowd.

“So then why is he here?” asked a pink-haired cookie with a waffle cloak.

“The Witch had kidnapped human children from the village beyond the valley,” said the strange cookie. “He had come here to rescue them, and in a way he succeeded. By trading his freedom for theirs, the children were released, but the man was forced to stay.” A beat and then he said, “I suppose he decided to mount a daring escape.”

“How do YOU know any of this, HUH?!” Purple Yam Cookie challenged. “You’re talking like you were THERE!”

The cookie with mismatched eyes seemed to consider these words, before rising to his feet. With staff in hand, he replied with a smile, “Because I was.” And with that, the stranger began to tell his story. It wasn’t long before the small crowd turned into a big audience. The cookie spoke, his voice projected far, as if he was used to speaking to large crowds and having them listen with rapt interest.

He told them of the battle he had witnessed between the Witch and the mysterious man, how the man had journeyed far for the sake of kidnapped children, he told them of the Witch’s evil plot to take their life force and how she had been doing the same to the man she had imprisoned.

The strange cookie was a masterful storyteller. The audience gasped at every surprising twist and nefarious turn.

Chestnut Cookie scrambled to get his notebook and jot it all down. 

After all, if it turns out this cookie’s story about the Prisoner was true, then this was big news!

Dead leaves and dry grass crunched under her boots with every step. If this were any other forest, she would have probably tried to keep her movements silent out of fear of attracting predators. However, most of the animals have long since fled this dying land, meaning she need not worry about wolves or bears.

Still, she traveled with her hand on her dagger’s hilt, just in case.

Her pace was fast. Not quite a walk, but not quite a run either. The storm had already delayed her far too much for her liking, and she wanted to reach her destination as soon as possible.

Three months. She couldn’t believe it had taken her three months to finally carry out this mission.

The minute the children had returned to the village with word of the Healer’s sacrifice, she had wanted to leave right away. But some of her dear friends and fellow townsfolk had been against it. They called her reckless for such an idea, saying she would only wind up dead by charging into the den of a Witch. She was their only protector at the moment, and with the spreading decay from the valley, their little town had come under threat of potential bandit attacks.

On top of that, she simply hadn’t been ready yet. After all, she had no magic, nor any means to protect herself from it. Only a handful of birds and a knife to her name.

So she was forced to wait, and plan, and train.

Slowly but surely, she sent the birds of her flock to that damned castle. Scouting, gathering, practicing. She mapped out the forest, found what was possibly a suitable point of entry where she wouldn’t be detected, and started preparing rations of food and water. Silently, secretly, patiently awaiting her chance…

Then, the village teacher came back from visiting the city with a book about warding dark magics. The village took to it instantly. Everyone put up wards in their homes, parents sent the children to school with little bags of herbs around their necks, the farmers hung iron charms on their scarecrows in attempt to protect their meager harvest.

She used the book to create her own protective charms. The hagstone around her neck bounced as she walked. Its gentle weight reminded her that the Witch would not be able to come anywhere near her, and the iron pendant beside it would protect her from malicious spells. In the off chance those failed, the bag on her hip contained all matter of herbs and minerals she could use to dispel or ward off any would-be dangers.

Her murder had grown considerably in size as well. Spring had come and gone, and the chicks had gotten their flight feathers. With her birds having doubled in number, she used this to justify her leave.

Leave a majority behind to protect the village but take some along with her on a long-awaited rescue mission.

None of the townsfolk were able to argue with her plan. (And none of them wanted to, anyway. They were all worried about the Healer. They were all upset at not being able to rescue him. They wanted their dear friend home, and she was ready and willing to make that happen.)

The flapping of wings pulled her from her thoughts. Her oldest friend landed on a branch above her, eyed her, and then flew further down the path. It was clear that humans had not touched this place in a long long time. The road was overgrown. She could barely make out the path in the dim light of her lantern. Luckily her crows knew the way by now, she only had to follow them and they would lead her to her destination.

And what a sight it was. When she finally broke through the brush, the Witch’s Castle towered over her. Its dark silhouette cut an imposing shape against the overcast night sky, and she couldn’t help but take a moment to admire it. It was easily the biggest structure she had ever seen. It could probably house the entirety of her village and still have plenty of room to spare.

Such decadence was wasted on the vile Witch who called this place home.

She whistled, a quick sharp sound. The call summoned her most faithful crow to her side, the bird settling on her shoulder with a little warble. She cooed at it for a moment, whispering little words of praise and stroking its beak before she got moving.

This one would join her inside, be her extra eyes and ears. If anything happened, the other birds that were lurking in the trees surrounding the castle would provide back up. She would do her best to make sure they would not be needed, though. In and out. Quick and quiet. That was the goal, at least.

Thankfully, with the castle being so large, she had plenty of windows to choose from. (She wasn’t going to walk in through the front door. She was reckless, not suicidal.) But there was one in particular that had caught her interest when scouting the castle. It was on the third floor, overlooking a withered garden. Most importantly, the glass was busted from neglect and there was a large tree with a branch that offered easy access. It was the perfect infiltration point.

One would think climbing a tree with only one arm would be tricky, but she had climbed plenty of trees when she was younger. A large oak like this was nothing for her.

As quiet as a shadow, she shimmied along a branch and reached the window. Being careful not to cut herself on the glass, the young woman pulled herself through with elegant dexterity. The crow on her shoulder was diligent the whole time, its eyes peeled for any danger to its mistress.

The room was tiny. A walk-in closet of some kind. The carpet was faded, the clothes tattered, there was a strong scent of mildew wafting through the air.

Once both her feet came to rest on the floor, the young woman took a breath to steady her rapidly beating heart.

She was here. After three long months she was finally here. Unfortunately, from this point, she was totally blind. She had no idea about the castle layout, so she would just have to improvise and pray she would get lucky. The castle was probably crawling with the Witch’s minions, so stealth would be her best option—

“Oh wow, you’re tall!”

The voice came from her right. She wasted no time drawing her dagger, and the crow on her shoulder made a threatening sound.

But where she was expecting a cat, serpent, or any other traditional familiar, the tip of her blade wound up pointed at something much smaller.

“Wow!” The little thing said, completely unphased by the obvious threat. “Your knife is so pretty and glittery! And your bird is so cute!”

The young woman balked. Her jaw went slack and the knife slowly lowered. Was… Was she seeing things? No, her bird was reacting to it too, so it was probably real.

But if that was the case, then how in the name of all the Gods above was a gingerbread cookie talking to her?

It was a simple little thing, with its dough in the shape of a dress, and a glob of chocolate to imitate a ponytail. It was standing on one of the shelves, allowing it to be eye level with the human woman. The cookie looked up at her with glittering purple icing eyes and a wide goofy smile. It continued to talk despite her not responding.

“It’s been so long since the castle had any new guests! Where did you come from? Why’d you come in through the window? Why are you up so late? What’s your favorite color? Can I pet your bird? Do you want to be friends?” It was overwhelming her with questions, and it was now that the young woman realized that this chatty little cookie might blow her cover.

“Shhhh! Keep your voice down!” She whispered harshly, looking nervously over at the door.

“Okay! Oop! I mean, okay…” The cookie giggled. “Why’re we whispering?”

“Uh… Because I don’t want to wake anybody up. It would be rude.” The cookie made an affirmative noise and nodded. The woman was well and truly at a loss for what to do. If this was a minion of the Witch, she might be screwed.

“So…?” The cookie was giving her an expectant look.

“So?” The young woman bit the inside of her cheek.

“You didn’t answer my question!” said the cookie. “Do you want to be friends?”

The young woman took a moment to think about it, and then inspiration hit. “I’ll be your BEST friend if you help me find the dungeon.”

“REALLY?!” The young woman shushed the cookie again, but it was too happy to comply. “Oh boy! I love making new friends! Especially best friends, they’re… well… the best! What’s your name, new best friend?”

The young woman hesitated but eventually decided it was probably fine. She was dealing with a Witch, not fae.

“My name is Raven.” She finally returned her knife to its sheath.

“What a pretty name! I’m Gingerbright, it’s nice to meet you!” The cookie – Gingerbright – held out her hand. Feeling awkward but wanting to comply, Raven carefully pinched her little hand between thumb and forefinger and gave it a tiny shake. Much to Raven’s surprise, Gingerbright climbed on top of her hand and practically skipped down her arm to the shoulder not currently occupied by her crow. The young woman resisted the urge to jolt or flail. “Oh boy! A new best friend! And a new adventure! Luckily for you, I know the best way to get down to the dungeons from here, yep!”

Gingerbright had no adverse reaction to the pendants on the crow-tender’s neck. Raven’s eyes narrowed at that but decided to look into it later.

“Is that so?” Raven tried to crane her neck so she could look down at the cookie on her shoulder. A smile crept onto her face at the sheer absurdity of the situation. “Lead the way, then.”

“Step one, get out of the closet!” Gingerbright pointed toward the door. “Forward, ho!”

Raven nodded and made her way to the door. While this wasn’t at all what she had been expecting upon entering the castle, she wasn’t about to go looking a gift horse in the mouth.

‘Just hang in there, Healer,’ she thought. ‘Someone finally came back for you.’