According to our latest scouting reports, the Gnolls were just outside the Taliswood on the Eastern Front, and the Swalesians, just outside the Southern Woods on our Southern Front. Both groups were beginning to fell trees to construct siege weapons. That gave me about four days to get to my mother and get her to safety. I was headed to the library and scooped up Janiver en route. Margrin was standing idly about so I had him come with us as well.

  I was walking close to a run when Janiver came to a complete halt.

  “Where are we going, Mister Bascombe?”

  “Why, to the library, of course, Janiver, don't you remember?”

  “But this isn't the way, Sir.”

  “Well, it's the only way to the only library I know in this Palace.”

  “Then follow me” she said, taking me down a flight of stairs that led to a door that went inside the tree. Before us was a spiral staircase they went up into the trunk for a few hundred feet. All the way up, books lined the path spiraling up into darkness. With a snap of her finger, Jamiver ignited orbs of light along the whole of the tree's inside. Once illuminated, I could see that all of these books, scrolls, and manuscripts were of a magical nature.

  Jamiver called out, up the stairway, “Amolit! Come.” There was a quick beating of wings and a creature appeared on the banister of the stairs. A most remarkable creature that I knew from children's bedtime stories, but this one was living and real. It was a legendary Hollyphant! “By the gods! Janiver! It's a Hollyphant!”

  Margrin grumbled, “Those aren't real, you imbecile. It's an illusion!”

  “Janiver?” I questioned dejectedly.

  “Oh, no he's quite real, Gentlemen, aren't you Amolit?”

  The tiny creature put its head back and trumpeted a pretty loud blast for its size.

  Janiver explained, “Amolit is a familiar, specifically a familiar of Cairnin, the head librarian. And if you haven't guessed, we're in the lesser known Library of Magic. It's not open to the public.”

  “Amolit,” she said, "gather what books we have on Witches, specifically how to capture and, or destroy them.” She looked at me questioningly and I nodded my head. Yes. Either or both. Amolit moved like a hummingbird, books and scrolls levitating in a line behind it as it gathered the requested materials.

  Hollyphants are celestial beings, from the upper planes. As a child I learned that these creatures rewarded you for good deeds done, while devils from the lower planes doled out punishments for poor behavior.

  I had always dreamed of seeing one. It being there told me I was fighting for the right side.

  Another twenty feet up and we were at another door, this one leading out to a sunroom that was only accessible via the staircase we took. This is where the Wizards did their studies. The place was nearly empty except for a couple of young Wizards looking like they were frantically preparing for an examination.

  “Oudlin, Sturit, you two had better be prepared for Professor Gilsip tomorrow!” They both raised their heads and said, in unison, "Yes, Miss Janiver.”

  “You're both on slippery slopes!”

  “Yes, Ma'am.”

  It will be a miracle if either of those little gremlins pass that exam,” she said to me in an aside.

  We pored over ancient tome after ancient tome and came to the conclusion that it would take more to stop these Witches than we realized. I mean we knew it would be hard, they're very powerful beings. One thing working in our favor is that both Cralix and Mag'stula were still mortal. Their drive to obtain more and more included amber pointed to the probability that it could make their transition into liches much easier. But as mortals, they were beatable on some level. We just needed to get to them while that was still the case.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Closing the book she was reading, Janiver had a sudden realization, “We're looking in the wrong places, Mister Bascombe. Liches the undead, Necromancy, we don't need a library, not this one at least, we need a church.

  I told her about my meeting with the fake Mother Felistia. “That does sound an awful lot like her,” she giggled. “And you've yet to meet Father Vastila. Both of them are as powerful as they can get without some sort of transcendence, and that's what our Witches are attempting, an ascension where their power will have no equal on this plane. They wish to be demigods and gods themselves, the fools.

  “I hate to ask, but will the temptation to ascend not also affect Felistia and Vastila?”

  “You're right to ask, Mister Bascombe. It's a good question. We will have to place our trust in them. That's all there is to it.”

  “We'll have another stop to make as well, with Mater Carca in the Necropolis. She is a Warlock but, with Death as her patron, there is much in common between her practice and Necromancy. She may have the answers we need.”

  Janiver noted the distaste on my face.

  “Yes, I know, Mister Bascombe. She's creepy, the place is creepy, the Barrow Elves are creepy. We've few other paths we can take. Carca has the power to take on either Cralix or Mag'stula in a head to head fight. That makes her indispensable in this battle, don't you see?”

  I knew it was unavoidable, still … my mind fought against me.

  “We'll see Mater Carca first to get it out of the way,” Janiver said consolingly.

  “You say that as if it should make me feel better,” I moaned.

  “Get over it, Mister Bascombe, she's the most powerful, wait, I take that back, she's the Necromancer to whom we have access. It just so happens that she is a very high-powered one in the bargain.

  “Have you seen the Barrow Elf cavalry, Sir?”

  “No, thankfully I wasn't in the Necropolis for very long. Are they creepy too?”

  “I should say so!” I hadn't seen Janiver this animated. “Their horses are zombies with sharp teeth. Truly horrifying. I'll show them to you when we go!”

  “That's quite alright,” I declined. “Your description was vivid enough.”

  I'm not afraid of dying, but things associated with death terrify me, coffins, dead bodies, especially bodies. So seeing some zombie horses isn't going to help my humours.

  It was late in the day when we arrived at the Necropolis and we had to wait more than half an hour to see Mater Carca.

  Finally gaining an audience, the first thing she asked was “Where is your lady friend, Mister Bascombe? Couldn't drag herself away from the war for a moment to come say ‘hello?’”

  I was caught off guard. “Your Majesty, I'm sure I don't …

  “Oh, you know what I'm talking about, Sir. It's the scandal of the kingdom.”

  “Everyone knows,” chimed in Janiver.

  “Enough of that, Wizard.” I said between clinched teeth.

  “Anyway, Introductions are in order. Carca, this is Janiver, our new Head Wizard.

  Oh, I know everything already, Mister Bascombe. It's a good thing I'm an ally.”

  She became very serious then, “You two need to make sure something happens for me.”

  “We'll do what we can within reason,” I said.

  Her eyes narrowed, “I need a quantity of the included amber. Perhaps a pound, Yes, a pound. I've got my own surprise in store for the Swalesians.

  “I can already tell you, Your Majesty, Queen May will have no problem honoring that request. Perhaps we can share some pointers?” answered Janiver.

  “Mayhap we can work together,” said Carca, "my distillations could stand to be more pure, I'm certain.

  “Now, for the actual combat, I'll take Mag'stula one on one. We've an old animosity she and I and I'd love to send that vile creature back to the Abyss from which she came.

  “It will be your responsibility, you two and whoever helps you, to take care of Cralix.”

  “How do we do it?” Janiver asked. We know she's mortal but her powers have grown exponentially in the past several days.

  “The first thing you have to do,” began Carca, is find her mother. Her mother can break the connection between Cralix and whatever devil she's in congress with. That will halve her power. And then, my young Wizardress, you are more than powerful enough to handle her. I can feel it coming off of you like waves of heat from a blazing hearth. You're strong.”

  “Where we're very fortunate here, is that both Cralix and Mag'stula are weirdlings. Given to a devil as an infant. Weirdlings don't join covens. They are rogues. So they'll be alone to fight except for that miserable ?rdelon, but he's no bother.

  These two Witches are likely wed to Beelzebub, but I can find out definitively. That knowledge may help us in our battles.

  “Now, feeling that motherly bond, even if only for a moment, will untether Cralix from her devil Lord. At that instant, you must be ready to strike. Do you understand?”

  We answered, ‘Yes,’ in unison. “So what is your first task?”

  “To find her mother,” Janiver responded.

  “Yes, her mother, Veralia is her name. I've no idea where she might be, but you should be able to scry that knowledge, young Wizardress.”

  And now, my friends, the hour of war is nigh. What, three days hence?”

  “About that, Your Majesty, I answered.

  Janiver stepped forward and said, “I'll be by tomorrow with the amber, Your Majesty. We can swap some ideas, I hope.”

  We were escorted out by two skeleton warriors who walked us to the lychgate. I think we both were feeling a little better about our chances after that meeting.