After three more days of traveling—three dull days kindly summarized and skipped over by a benevolent DM—Morgana spots something in the distance and points. Half a day’s journey away, rolling green-and-yellow hills give way to the only man-made building for miles: Shira’s tower. It’s built with white brick and covered in curling vines, capped with a purple roof sporting a black flag flapping merrily at the top. Jaylie did not expect it to look sofriendly.She’s of half a mind to walk right up to the front door and ask nicely for the safe return of Alora when a loud, guttural croak shocks her into stillness.
Morgana puts her hand on her dagger defensively just as Kain bares his fangs in an intimidating snarl. Everyone tenses, ready for another attack.
But when Jaylie catches sight of the figure approaching on the trail ahead, she has to press her fingers to her lips to cover her smile. The stranger grumbles under his breath, head hung low as he angrily kicks at pebbles in his path. His glittering attire clearly marks him as a wizard—but he’s got to be the cutest little wizard Jaylie has ever seen.
He’s also a frog.
About the size and height of an average halfling and dressed in brilliant purple robes, the little wizard waddles up on webbed feet. Between his bulging eyes sits a conical hat embroidered with silver and white moons and stars. The entire party dissolves intooohs andaahs of admiration until he opens his wide mouth.
“You lot ought to fuck right off in the other direction.”
Loren lets out a surprised guffaw.
The frog’s eyes narrow to slits. “Let me guess—you’re on your way to pay Shira Soros a visit, aren’t you?” He throws his arms up in exasperation. “Not like there’s anywhere else to visit in this blasted forest.”
“We’re here for the witch,” Kain confirms, his low voice gravelly and irritated. “Not for you.”
“Aye, and I’ll be the first to tell you that you don’t stand achanceagainst her,” the frog sneers.
Morgana huffs. “What are you, herguard frog? Don’t you dare tell me what I can and can’t handle—”
Jaylie steps forward, hands held out helplessly before her. “We really don’t have much of a choice, sir. We don’t need to kill her or anything gruesome like that. We just need her to release her captive.”
“Is that right? And are any one of you talented in the arcane arts? In wizardry?”
Loren splays his palm out in front of him and shakes it in aso-somotion while Jaylie self-consciously fingers her holy symbol.
“I’m going to take that as ano,” the wizard snaps harshly.
“Why the bad attitude?” Loren asks. “Are you here to defend her against us?”
The frog folds his hands atop the curve of his large belly. “Hells, no. I’m here to warn you that if I,Alastair Darkthorn,can’t handle her, then you haven’t got any hope at all.” He pauses, but when no one reacts to his name, he deflates slightly. He wrings his webbed fingers in agitation, and Jaylie can’t help but notice just how slimy they are. “This morning, I arrived at Lady Shira’s tower to challenge her to a duel.”
“Did she wrong you in some way, too?” Morgana asks.
Alastair narrows his glassy black eyes, anger causing his throat to bulge with a sudden and surprisingribbit.After an embarrassed moment of silence, he says, “…No. See now, when one wizard challenges another to a duel, the winner receives their defeated opponent’s spellbook—”
“What’s the spellbook do?” Loren interrupts.
Alastair exhales a long-suffering sigh. “Why, a spellbook is what every wizard needs to cast spells. Without their spellbook, they’re useless—they can’t do much more than light a candle. The book guides every spell they cast, every day.”
Jaylie shares a smug look with Loren; their magic has no such limitations. All Jaylie has to do to be granted a wealth of spells to cast is send up a little prayer to Marlana, and Loren seemingly just bursts into song and his spells follow after. It occurs to Jaylie then: “Well, why would any wizard willingly enter into a duel, then? A spellbook seems too precious to risk.”
“But the reward is just as great,” Alastair insists. “As powerful as she is, her spellbook would give me access to a whole host of new spells. I wanted her spellbook, and I thought I was talented enough to get it. But she won, obviously, and turned me intothisas punishment.” He gestures to his body, disgusted. “Typically I’d be able to turn myself back with a snap of my fingers, but without my spellbook…” Alastair shakes his head. “I’ve got to find one of my apprentices, convince them I’mme,and have them return me to my original form. At the very least, I must undo this curse.”
“But you’re socutein this form.” Jaylie slaps her hand over her mouth as soon as the words are out. Alastair looks like he might explode with indignation.The nerve!
“You know, I heard a tale about this once,” Loren says, rescuing her from the stormy silence. He leans forward slightly, batting his eyelashes and tossing his hair from his eyes. “Might a kiss get rid of this curse? I could try, if you like.”
Alastair cuts him a withering glare. “Imbecile.”
Jaylie stares thoughtfully up into the sky. It’s a beautiful day, with puffy clouds floating carelessly across the blue expanse. “If you know her well enough to challenge her to a duel, then you must know something of her tower or her weaknesses, Alastair. If we don’t return to our employer with Shira’s captive, Alora Clare, he won’t be kind to us.” She lowers her gaze back to the small wizard. “We’ll go to Shira’s tower with or without your blessing, so why not help us out? Give us some guidance?”
He shoves his webbed hands—feet? Paws?—sullenly into his pockets. “And why should I?”
“Well, you seemed happy enough to warn usawayfrom certain folly, and you didn’t have to do that. You could have let us wander on to our doom,” Morgana says. “Why not help us, if for no other reason than to spite her?”
“We could try to get your spellbook back,” Loren adds. Immediately the party all begin to nod. It’s a good offer. “Should we have even a sliver of success, we might be able to return it to you. Otherwise, it will take you, what…years to collect all the spells that you had before?”
