Northern Fracture

Marley walked through the knee deep snow, it crunched soothingly under his boots. His destination, the village by the name of Frostwood was in sight. ‘Just a little more, just a little further, just a little…’ Exhausted, cold and hungry, but persistent and goal driven, Marley knew that the village often got visited by a witch that was great at brewing potions.

After a short while longer, he entered the village. There were no guards, no watchmen, just wide open gates, empty streets, and crunchy snow beneath his feet. The snow depth in the village was half of that outside, he took a sigh of relief as it was now much easier to walk, and proceeded down the main street, looking at signs on the buildings, searching for a tavern or an inn.

At last, a squeaky sign, gently swaying in the wind caught his attention. It was a wooden sign with a painted beer mug on it, a tavern he presumed and swung open the door. Warmth greeted him, along with angry murmuring from the crowd inside.

“Oi hlose the door mate!”

Marley stepped inside with haste and slammed the door shut behind him. Cleaned his boots off and took his hat off, looking around the rather casual and dimly lit tavern that was, to his surprise, pretty much packed.

As he walked down the aisle with guests gawking at the stranger, he noticed 1 thing that seemed odd. None of them had jackets, coats or warm clothes. At a table to his right 4 men sat in sandals, shorts and tshirts. He wondered how, or why, it was the middle of the winter and the village is quite far north. He approached the bar counter and slumped down in the chair, undoing the buttons on his fur coat.

Barkeeper approached him.

“Hup traveler? Welcome to Nobody Ihnn! Whacha want?”

Marley struggled to understand him but eventually managed to make sense of what he was asking.

“Uhm.. name’s Marley, I’m a hory teller…” he paused, realizing that what he had thought he said, was not what he said.

“Hory! I mean.. .h…ory!”

‘Story… why can’t I say story?’ confused he glanced around the room.

“Quite the htorm outhide eh?”

He shook his head ‘strange place he thought.’.

“I tell horyh! Fantah! Horror! All of them!” his neck suddenly turned in a violent jerk.

“And I give massah! What the hell? I haid masah! Ugh! Dih suhh! Grrrr! You there! A witch livh here?”

The barman pondered for a moment.

“A couple in fact, well not live, theyihit once a full moon or ho! .”

“I’m Harley by the way, hay, whahhup with lack of winter cloth?”

Barman frowned.

“Didntcha hay ya were Marley?”

Harley shook his head.

“Nah dah other me not thih me!”

Barman shook his head.

“Whatever none of me buhhnuhh. No needh warm cloth, we travel underground, city tunnelh.”

Harley nodded.

“Ah! That ih hmart!”

Barman nodded,.

“Ya htaying?”

Harley took a piece of paper out and slid it on the table toward him.

“I’ll take clienh too if any need a mahhage!”

Barman threw the piece of paper up and from the shadows a dagger came flying, pierced the paper and carried it to the billboard to the barman’s right. Harley’s neck snapped from the sudden dagger passing by him that Marley was now back.

“Whoa who wah that?”

Barman shrugged.

“Home-ahhahin, I dunno him, but he good! A drink?”

Marley shook his head.

“Nothing alcoholic, a tea? Or milk?”

Barman nodded and retreated to the back.

He reemerged with a mug of milk that Marley very much enjoyed, and then took a notebook out and began jotting down a story of the wild northern village where witches visit and a curse of ‘s’ exists, an s that can not be spoken. He slid paper toward the barman that had a question written on it ‘Why no S?’ Barman pondered a moment before telling him the tale of a witch by the name of ‘Ham’ according to him, which Marley wasn’t certain if it was actually ‘ham’ or ‘sam’.

She apparently had a lisp and cursed the land and all within it to speak as she did, and all because she was bullied as a kid.

“Hure ih a lot of witcheh in thih area huh?”

Barman nodded.

“Yahu… Dunno why, we but regular folkh.”

Marley shrugged and quickly noted the story of the ‘ham’ or ‘sam’ witch that the barman told him about, then retreated to his room where he rested an hour before a knock on the door pulled him out of his slumber, but it awoke Harley, not Marley.

“Can’t a man rest in pe..” he said, swinging the door open to see a bearded dwarf standing up to his waist.

“Hohoy mate! I heard ya give mahhage?”

His facial expression distorted into a bone chilling grimmace.

“OHH YEAH! Come on in I will crack you goood.”

The dwarf shuddered.

“Ahh, Ah got the right place ye?”

“Yeh, abholutly” he said with a creepy fake smile on his face.

“A..alright mate! Ah hurt me back few dayh ago! Lower back!”

Screams and loud cracks echoed from the room.

“AHHHH DAH MY TAILBONE!”

“Take… thih!!! Haya!!”

“Ughhh!! Ahhhh! HELP!! HELPP!!” cried out the draft from pain as the sadistic masseur, Harley, continued to give him the deepest tissue massage a dwarf could imagine. Each squeeze felt like it squeezed his soul out, eat press was like the hammers of gods reaching to his bones!

The barman kicked the door in and walked in, meat cleaver in hand.

“WHAT THE H…” he paused and watched the scene before him, a screaming dwarf and a grinning masseur. The scene ended with more screams as the dwarf jumped off angrily from the bed, and then realized the pain was gone.

Despite the unbearable pain of the session, many still chose to suffer the pain for the blessing of relief afterward. The rumors of the ‘sadistic magical touch masseur Harley’ lived on and were passed through generations, or, as they were better known in the town ‘hadihtic magical mahheur Harley’.

The night was quiet, the snow was falling once more, off in the distance, in the frosted forest a pack of wolves howled at the full moon. Marley awoke from the howls and realized it was the full moon. He peered out his window at the shadow emerging from the forest, and then another one, walking in its step.

“Come on Max, it’s just a bit of snow” encouraged her Mitra, a witch walking confidently through the deep snow. Max looked like a teenage girl, and was following in her steps.

“Oh come on, you live here and I’m just visiting! Why did you pick a frosty northern place anyway? I miss my beach hut.”

Complained the young looking girl. Mitra shrugged.

“It’s soothing and refreshing, the gentle tingling of frost on your cheeks in the morning.”

“Yeah I hate it!”

As they got closer to the town, Max turned around.

“Mitraaa! Your stupid dogs are chasing us!”

Mitra glanced over her shoulder.

“A mighty witch of unlimited power is afraid of some northern wolves? Adorable” she said with a gentle smirk on her face. Max chuckled.

“Oh come on, I talk with wolves on friendly teAAAHHH!” she screamed as a wolf pounced on her and pushed her down into the snow.

Its warm wet tongue slid over her face as the wolf huffed and licked her excitedly.

“Mitra! Ha..ha phtuey! Bleehh! Ahh! He’s licking me!”

Mitra turned around, sighed and continued walking.

“Yea, they always worry when I go to town for some reason, silly ones they are, so protective and all because I took care of their pups.”

Few moments later Max caught up to her, wiping her face from the animal’s saliva.

“Hmm, so what ya need here?”

As they entered the empty town, Max glanced around.

“So empty..”

Mitra shook her head.

“Oh no, they don’t use the above ground streets in winter, they use tunnels.”

Max gasped.

“So why aren’t WE using tunnels?”

Mitra smiled at her warmly.

“I told you I like the feeling of refreshing frost on my cheeks.”

Max rolled her eyes.

“Right… So who’s that weirdo?” she pointed at the guy sprinting, struggling through the deep snow, toward them. Mitra glanced at him.

“Looks like a troubled traveler.”

Max’s eyes ignited, literally, small flames ignited from her eyes.

“Ahh! Troubled traveler! I love helping those.”

Mitra shook her head.

“No no, you aren’t going to be helping anybody today.. Not after the stories you told me.”

Max pouted.

“What ya mean? I always help people!”

“Mhmm, like that 1 time you sent a man and his horse to hell by accident..”

Max shrugged.

“Once in a 100 years accident.”

Mitra chuckled.

“And the giant carrot that destroyed half a village?”

Max sighed.

“Nobody was hurt and they had food for the entire winter….”

Mitra shook her head and facepalmed.

“And then it rotted and brought upon the village maggot and locust infestation.”

Max pouted.

“What about that one time I saved like half a dozen weirdos stuck in an alien world?”

Mitra chuckled.

“Ah yes the wizard who ended up in a volcano with a fairy pulling him out by the tip of his hat, loved that story….”

Max sighed.

“Fine fine!! I won’t brew any potions today!! You can handle them!”

At last the troubled traveler got to them. His attire was even more questionable than his speech to them. He was wearing a bathrobe, knee high winter boots, and seemingly no pants.

“Horry I uhh! Phew… ahh!” he huffed.

“I got hoo excited heeing the witcheh!”

Mitra only smiled at him softly while Max stared at Mitra with a visible confusion on her face.

“What’d he say?” whispered Max.

“He got excited seeing the witches.”

.

“Hold up! Why can you hay the .. letter that I can’t?”

Mitra blinked at him a few times, then reached up for his forehead and booped him on the forehead with her finger, a sudden flash of light from inside his brain seemingly blinded Marley for a moment, as he blinked.

“That was so unnecessary! Wait.. Huh?” he stared at the witch with a confused expression, Max nodded.

“Ah I hee!” she chuckled then slapped the back of Marley’s head knocking the ‘s’ right out of him again.

“Htop hlapp.. Ohh noo….”

He looked at Max with a saddened expression, as if about to cry.

“Max….”

“Yes Mitra??” replied Max in a sassy tone.

“What did I tell you?” she shrugged.

“I didn’t brew any potions so I kept my promise…” she replied sticking her tongue out at the blood witch beside her.

Marley proceeded to explain to them the reason why he traveled 500 kilometers on foot to get here! That he heard rumors of the powerful witch that might be able to cure his split personality, only occasionally getting interrupted by the giggling Max who was obviously amused by his inability to speak the letter ‘s’.

“So what’s the deal with S?” inquired Max.

“Bullied witch, had a lisp, cursed the lands, the usual witch business…” replied Mitra while scanning Marley up and down.

“Ah what a b….”

“Witch, yes..”

Mitra interrupted her, focused on Marley.

“Split personality is not something I can cure, not easily at least.”

Spoke Mitra at last at the shivering, troubled story-teller Marley before her.

“Bring out the other.”

She requested, but her request was met with concerned mumbling.

“Well uhm you hee, he comhh out when homething unexpected happenh.”

Max poked him in the bare knee, a jolt of electricity shot from her fingertip through his nervous system.

“Oi kid what the hell ya think yer doing??”

“You’re welcome” smiled Max as she stepped back a step and Mitra sighed.

“You are the other one?”

Harley nodded.

“I’m Harley, unlike that weahel of a Marley! Why’d I name myhelf so cloh to him anyway?”

Mitra smiled.

“Are you him in parallel or someone else entirely?”

Harle grinned.

“I’m him just different.”

“Ahh then he needs to see the….”

Mitra nodded.

“The ancient fox spirit, yea, haven’t rubbed his ears in a long while.”

“Oh my god I know right?” squealed Max.

“His ears are the SOFTEST!!”

Harley raised his eyebrow at the witches that were fangirling to each other about a fluffy soft fox spirit.

At last, Mitra returned her attention to Harley and cleared her throat.

“Go erhm, get dressed properly, we’ll take you to the spirit, I need to make some purchases first though.”

Max glanced around then her gaze fell upon the tavern sign.

“I’ma go erhm.. Explore!”

She said, running off toward the tavern with haste. The trio met again shortly after and ventured into the forest, the dark, frosty forest of the north. No light, no guide, snow crunching under their feet, cloud shrouded moonlight barely provided any light.

They walked and walked, Harley slammed his head on a branch, Marley awoke.

“Wh..where are are?”

“In a forest” replied Max in a sly tone.

“Wh..why..??”

Max chuckled.

“To eat you, of course! That’s what witches do, no?”

Marley shuddered for a moment.

“Th..they do..??”

Mitra sighed.

“No, we do NOT eat humans or turn them into frogs.”

Max remarked.

“Oh but I love fried frog legs and we CAN turn people into frogs… Ohh that’s an idea….”

A while later, when the sound of crunching snow was becoming almost annoying rather than soothing, when the darkness was turning from calming to terrifying, and the sound of footsteps of forest beasts following them in the darkness was serving as a reminder of their limited time, a faint glow coming from a cave ahead became the saving grace for Marley.

“Is that..”

Max nodded.

“Foxy!”

Inside the cave, they were greeted by warmth and welcoming atmosphere, inside a large opening, by a small pond, laid a beast. Its fur was flame-orange like the morning sun! Its 3 massive tails jerked as the 3 intruders passed through the entrance.

It opened its eyes to check who dared intrude on the ancient mighty spirit’s rest. Before it, he saw a teenage looking young girl dressed in a casual summer dress, a young woman in a large pointy typical witch looking hat, and robes of ruby color, and a well dressed traveler who was very confused by the beast’s tiny appearance.

“Mitra!? If it isn’t my favorite witch!”

The fox jumped up and ran up to the blood witch, rubbing its tiny head on her robe and letting out a joyful bark.

“Mitra! Did you? Did you bring it?”

Mitra reached into her pocket and pulled out dried bunny ears, then squatted down and offered them to the fox spirit that happily devoured them.

“Ahh my favorite snack! You’re the best.”

Max was busy rubbing the fox’s fluffy soft and tiny ears all the while.

“Foxy oh ancient wise spirit what is your wisdom for such soft fur?”

The spirit glanced at her and wiggled all 3 of its tails.

“Proper diet and good rest, young one. So, how may I be of assistance?”

Mitra bobbed her head at Marley.

“He’s uhh, he’s got another 1 of him inside of him.”

The spirit sniffed the air.

“Ah yes, I can smell it. No problems, I’ll knock the false out of him.”

“Wait huh? Kn..knock?” stuttered Marley taking a step back, but before he could go anywhere he found himself backed against a wall, the tiny, barely stuffed toy sized ancient fox spirit was flying through the air toward him. Its tails connected to him one at a time. First smack on the cheek and Harley awoke. The 2nd tail impacted and seemingly tore Harley’s soul out of Marley’s body, and the third tail hit Harley not Marley, giving him a body.

As the 2 men who looked identical stared at each other for a long moment, the fox spirit walked up between them.

“Alright listen up you! And you” he glanced at 1 and then the other.

“You 2 will now have to learn to get along, and when you do, one of you will return to your rightful home, and the other will forever remain in this cave as my personal assistant.”

The two glanced at each other, and then scattered away, pulling 1 another back trying to get to the cave’s exit before the other, the fox laughed at them.

“I’m joking!! Well partly, now you 2, go learn to get along!”

Said the fox spirit and then in a blink of an eye, he ran a full circle around the 2 confused identical looking men that were holding onto each other’s jackets. The circle glowed, and the 2 men suddenly found themselves standing alone on a tropical island.

Only the fox’s voice rang through the air.

“Survive together, that is your task.”

He turned and looked at the 2 witches, Max’s mouth was agape, and Mitra only smiled gently.

“Now that those 2 are busy, why don’t you 2 indulge me with your stories!! We ought to wait for them anyway!”

And so the ancient fox spirit, found itself in the company of one sassy, and one kind and sweet witches, in its cave, sharing stories, for the next few days.