Time went on and with it the teetering heap of timber took form. Firstly all the willow was expertly trimmed to get each strand within a fraction of a millimetre. Then carefully bound with a wicker twist reminiscent of a basket (Wormwood was great at this, it seemed she had a real knack for repetitive tasks.)

Next Hestia started work on her forge, painstakingly making sure not to wake Rascal who had taken to napping there, and if disturbed would repeatedly bat at the intruding metal till it was sparking. Hestia carefully shaped something that resembled a bucket, or a cone (there was much heated debate at this point amongst the girls, all of whom approved of a different shape for the emitter. But since Hestia 1. was doing the work, and 2. was a big buff girl with a hammer it was eventually agreed to let her decide.)

Openings to fit magic stones were put in place around the unit, then Hestia started painstakingly instructing Mibbet on how to etch the array. Much swearing, a few jabbed fingers, and more than one do over later Mibbet was finally done with that bit, and mighty proud of it even if she did so herself. Then finally the entire bucket type contraption was put into place poking out of the bristles at the base, which Mibbet had to admit looked cool. Weird, but cool.

Then the practical half tree they had hauled back was treated with some sort of weird spell. Sculpted, and eventually sanded before anointing. (If Mibbet caught anybody treating a broom even the sweeping kind with any kind of disrespect after this odds were good she would kick their asses. It was easy to fail to realise how much work went into these things. After all that sanding and oiling her arms felt like they were about to drop off. She couldn’t help wondering if that was where Hes got all that muscle. Between the metal work and the sanding it was one hell of a workout.)

Then just as she thought it was all over Hagatha returned, carrying some paper, a hammer, (it turned later out it was a mallet. Until today she didn’t know there was a difference. Then she used the wrong word near Hagatha, who was apparently the carpentry herd of the group, and hooo boy she knew after that. She definitely knew the difference then.)

Mibbet was plonked down in front of a sheet of paper featuring a sketched version of her broom shank blank. Then instructed to draw what she felt like. At first Mibbet didn’t have a clue what to draw, so she went back to the beginning. A throne and a pond. Given her inability to doodle a sqwoomph she settled for the next best thing, Stars.

Before she knew it she was sucked in and the pen took on a life of its own. Bandits and coffee, oh deer, and tentacles. Caymen and gods. Ratty revolutions, and Protodragons. Wait what about that time in parliament? Well why not, she giggled as she doodled Chris Porque going pop like a bubblegum bubble. Hopping and hatchets were added as her quill started to blur with the speed she was sketching at. She couldn’t fit any more on this bit so she moved over. Former farmer palmer who wouldn’t say boo to a goose in life popped in with the wife to give a wave. Wait was the broom getting crowded in that bit.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Rascal, and Alba of course were on there.

She was so drawn in she didn’t even notice Wormwood slipping out and carefully slipping a cup of coffee down next to her. Now that really did it, as she sipped idly and the ideas slipped out. Errol in his ill fitting armour and Elvira fighting side by side. While what felt like miles further up the broom Sir Leeroy charged ahead. Now it wasn’t even just pictures anymore, as bits of herself slipped out onto the parchment, she didn’t even see the colours start to shift and change. The horses came next somehow managing to look fed up even here, followed by Buttons Grey with wings and a halo returning the favour by giving his brother Veggie a carry upwards.

Outside the sun set, and she didn’t even realise, as the lamplight took the suns place. Wannashowa popped up on the paper for a moment, and blended in seamlessly. The three spinners were of course weaving it while chuckling amongst themselves. The constructs took up their place too, weaponising giant magnifying glasses and sun crystals against Mz Melchitt as payback for the etiquette lessons from hell. While Sir Humphrey did his best to run before she hit on him, (again.) Eventually she ran out of space on one side of the broom blank, and began work on the other without even a thought, she truly was away in her own little world here. The handle was painstakingly decorated with an image of Choppy, while in his wake a dragon with a terminal migraine looked on in horror with a cohort of lizard men. The system windows were next, with Garuw below them taking score, and most terrifying of all a demon collection agency. Shroomlings and skeletons gallivanted about until Alyvyn gave them a good telling off.

Then Elvira slipped in once more to pop googly eyes on and slip off snickering. While her new found friends flew onto the scene, Hes with her faithful hammer. Wormwood with that mug of herbal tea that seemed to perpetually appear in her hands, song telling a tale which seemed to spill out to show the pictures Mibbet had doodled. While Hagatha looked on elbow deep in cats and dripping like a tap.

Finally it was just about done, Mibbet finally came back to herself only to find herself surrounded by an awestruck audience. After having seen the frenzy Mibbet went into as she lost herself in the doodles Hestia could only say “wow.”

Hagatha though couldn’t help chuckling at the bemused Mibbet.

“What? Mibbet asked. “You asked me to draw so I drew” Then she paused for a moment as the doubt from earlier caught up with her. “Is .... is it no good?” She stammered weakly.

“It’s perfect Princess” Hestia said offering a reassuring hug,

“and tomorrow we’ll teach you to carve it.”