“There, on top of that sand dune. See the tracks? That is a perfect spot for hunting.” Calista placed another X on the map she was sketching in her notebook. “That makes five potential hunting grounds, and four fishing spots. I don’t suppose anyone in the tower is an avid fisherman that keeps a fishing pole in their office?”
“I doubt it, Calista,” Milly said with a chuckle, “The nearest lake was fifty miles away.”
“Nonsense, Milly. Maybe Mr. Fredrickson is a fisherman. He seems the type.” Calista’s voice grew deep, trying to imitate Mr. Fredrickson, “After a hard day in the office tormenting my employees and banging my secretary, I like nothing more than to avoid my wife and escaping to the lake to fish, where I can contemplate how to be an even bigger dick tomorrow.”
Milly giggled. In the three hours they had been exploring, Milly had learned two things about Calista.
First, Milly was amazed at just how much Calista could talk about nothing at all. A rock that looked like a celebrity’s head. A bay that would be perfect for swimming. Whether or not pineapple was an appropriate topping on a pizza. Calista did not mind filling the space with endless pointless topics.
Second, even more surprising to Milly, Calista had a strangely delightful, almost nerdy, sense of humor. A sense of humor she had never let anyone at work see. It felt like a special gift that Calista was giving Milly, a glimpse into the true Calista she hid behind the thick walls of the mean girl.
As the afternoon wore on, Milly was surprised at how much she enjoyed both hidden aspects of Calista. The pointless topics and strange humor were the perfect counter to Milly’s quiet and deep thoughts. It was simple, carefree nonsense. For all her fears of Calista, Milly found her easy to talk to, the conversation flowing between them organically.
As the sun dipped into early evening, Milly found herself sitting next to Calista on a boulder overlooking the sea, watching the tide rolling in. Calista munched happily on half of Milly’s last roast beef sandwich.
“You know,” Calista started, swallowing the last bite, “this place isn’t so bad.”
“You mean if we ignore the hunger, deaths, monsters, and constant danger?” Milly said skeptically.
“Yah, you know, if we ignore those things…,” Calista said, feeling like she just put her foot in her mouth. “Sorry Milly, that was a stupid thing for me to say.”
Milly stared down at the water, the reflection of the witch staring back. It was smiling. Milly could not remember the last time she had seen her reflection smile.
“It…could be worse,” she admitted. “And it’s not like we have a choice, so we might as well find what happiness we can.”
She remembered the memory from the beach. Four years. The twelfth contest had lasted four years, and it had failed. The sooner she accepted that, accepted this new reality, the greater her chances for survival. And the easier it would be for her to build her new life. Maybe she did not need to build it on her own.
“Calista,” Milly started hesitantly, “you don’t sound like you want to go home.”
Calista shifted uneasily on the boulder. “Well, yesterday was rough. Did you know that I nearly died?” She grinned at Milly, grateful, “But today? Today, I was able to feed hungry people. Today, I spent the day on a gorgeous beach with a wickedly wonderful witch.”
Calista stared at her own reflection in the water. “Today, I started down the road to becoming someone I actually like. So, I guess I am not ready to go home. Not yet.”
The witch’s reflection rippled in the water next to Calista’s. “Yah, me too,” Milly whispered.
They sat in silence for a while, until the edge of the tide touched the boulder beneath them.
“We should head back,” Calista finally whispered, reluctant to interrupt their time together. “It’s getting dark.”
“I guess so,” Milly said, just as reluctantly. She stood slowly and watched the witch’s reflection fade away.
They walked along the beach, the full moon rising behind them and sparkling off the rolling waves, enjoying each other’s company.
* * *
They spotted the glow from the roasting pits just as the delicious smell of roasting boar reached their noses. Milly felt her mouth begin to water. “That smells amazing,” she said.
“Yah, they had better have left some for us,” Calista added, “Just look at the crowd around the pits. There must be hundreds of people. Oh no…”
The sounds of the crowd reached them. Angry sounds. Panicked sounds. They watched as the orderly line suddenly collapsed, and the crowd rushed forward in desperation.
“Elmer will have his hands full. Come on.” Calista began to run, Milly following behind.
It was chaos. Three of the spits were torn down, the boar laying in the sand as people clamored around it, tearing off chunks and rushing away like vultures. Four men, middle managers from Acicentre, carried two whole boars into the second-tower storehouse. The remaining two boars were surrounded by Elmer and a dozen men and woman, trying to re-establish the orderly line so everyone would get something to eat. But it took everything they had to simply keep the rabid crowd at bay.
Milly and Calista arrived at the edge of the crowd just as Jacob Stone and the other CEOs appeared on the steps of the lobby, calling to the crowd as it rushed forward.
“Do you see?” shouted Stone, “This is what happens when you do not have order! When you do not follow our directions. People starve. People die! We cannot afford to have freelancers in our midst.”
The crowd surrounding the two remaining boars pushed forward hard. Milly recognized the Carthage twins in the middle, egging people on. Milly’s blood boiled. The CEOs had planted their people in the crowd, and were sewing the chaos from within. They had caused order to break down.
“Starting tomorrow,” Judy Brass added, her voice harsh and unyielding, “food and access to the tower shall be restricted to those who follow our directions. For those who pay for the right to our food and shelter. You three,” she pointed at Elmer and his two companions, “will be sleeping in the sand, food for monsters, if you do not comply. As will anyone who defies us.”
Stone put a hand on Brass’ shoulder, rising to his full height and using Brass’ harsh personality as a springboard to appear reasonable. “We do this for your own good, you understand. We know how to lead, and we will ensure that we lead you out of this situation. Order keeps your bellies full and our tower safe. Order keeps you alive.”
The managers in the crowd gave a choreographed cheer that did not stop until the CEOs had turned and re-entered the lobby. The moment the glass doors closed behind them, the managers started prodding the hungry people forward with renewed vigor, and Elmer and his few companions were pressed back to the edge of the roasting pits in the ensuing onslaught.
Calista and Milly ran forward, shoving their way through the crowd until they reached Elmer’s side.
“Where the hell have you been?” shouted Elmer, his feet nearly falling into the pit, “Those damn managers started a panic in our orderly line. Things went to shit so quickly.”
“No kidding,” Calista said sarcastically, moving in beside him. She retrieved her shield and shouted “Barrier”, and the light shield expanded in front of her and Elmer. She gave the shield a small thrust, sending the nearby people sprawling backwards.
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Milly fell in beside Calista, heart beating wildly. Milly shoved two men trying to break their defensive line with her open palms, sending them flying backwards and knocking over a few more in the process.
A cry of alarm went through the crowd at the show of force from the two women. It bought them a few moments reprieve, until Edna Carthage picked up a stone and hurled it towards them.
It struck Elmer in the head, and he collapsed to his knees, a bloody gash across his forehead. Their defensive line began to collapse, the crowd rushing forward.
“Shit! Milly, we need to get out of here,” shouted Calista, fear etched in her words.
The world seemed to slow down. Milly watched Calista haul Elmer to his feet, holding her shield and trying to find a way to escape. But they were surrounded, the crushing crowd pressed shoulder to shoulder in a tight ball that grew tighter by the moment. Milly watched as two of them were pulled down, trampled beneath the feet of a crowd that had abandoned all sensibility. Hands fell on Calista’s arm and she shouted in distress.
She watched as Edna Carthage leaned over and pick up another stone, her smug face delighting in the chaos she had created.
Milly grew angry, as angry as she had ever been. Her blood boiled and her face grew red, her hands clenched into fists at her side. The pool of magic within her erupted into her blood unbidden. Her eyes flashed with fire, twin lights flickering brightly in the darkness. The edges of the crowd stumbled in shock, and Milly thrust her hands forward with palms raised to the sky.
Blue fire erupted in front of Milly and stretched across the sand until it had encircled the defenders, creating a wall of deadly flame. It rose six feet into the air, drenching the area in heat and light. The crowd stopped in its tracks, the closest falling jumping back in shock. Shadows of fire danced across the beach, and the crackle of the flames filled the stunned silence that followed. The crowd had stopped moving, every eye fixed on Milly, fixed on the witch, in utter astonishment.
Calista stared at Milly, amazed. Then she saw the beads of sweat growing on Milly’s brow, and realized Milly could not hold onto the flames for long.
“What the hell is wrong with you people?” Calista shouted over the silence, reaching the ears of every person in the crowd. “Are you all complete and utter fools? I know you are hungry. I know you are scared. But look at what you are doing! These people were trying to help you. And you turned on them without a second thought.”
Calista paused, letting her words sink in. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves.” Milly was swaying on her feet now, struggling to keep her eyes open.
“We still have three boars,” Elmer shouted to the crowd, blood streaking down his face where he was cut and needing to lean on Calista for support. “If you form an orderly line, we can still feed as many people as we can.”
There were murmurs of disbelief in the crowd, their anger and desperation evaporating in the heat of the flames that rose above them. A few moments later, the crowd broke apart. Some began to form a sheepish line across the sand, though most retreated into the tower, their shame more powerful than their hunger.
Though blurred vision, Milly saw Ms. Carthage turned her back on the crowd and move into the lobby, joined by another dozen instigators. They had accomplished their goal of isolating those who would go against them, even if a few would still be fed Elmer and his crew.
The last of the magic inside Milly faded away, and her flames faded away, leaving only the feeling of heat in the night air. She collapsed to her knees, her face drenched in sweat. She felt empty inside and was struggling to keep her eyes open.
Calista dispelled her shield and knelt beside Milly. “Milly, are you alright?” Milly could hear the concern in her voice, but her words were fuzzy, as if Milly were underwater. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed forward into the sand.
“Milly!” came Calista’s panicked cry, the last thing Milly heard before she lost consciousness.
* * *
“Why are her eyes like that?”
Milly heard the words through the fog in her head. She could feel herself laying on something soft, the air around her filled with the strangest scents.
“I don’t know, Rain. One moment we were about to be crushed, and the next she was staring down the crowd like a demon, eyes glowing and commanding fire. It was incredible.”
It was Calista’s voice, filled with…pride?
Milly cracked open her eyes, wincing at the glare from the lights overhead. Her head ached and she felt as if she were hollowed out. She felt like she had when she had healed Xavier on the prairies. She felt for the magic within her and found it drained.
She was lying on a make-shift bed in a tiny storage room. It was Rain’s storeroom in Rain On My Parade. She must have converted it into a bedroom. Milly groaned, feeling nauseous, and slowly sat up.
Milly caught her reflection in a small mirror attached to the wall. Her hazel eyes now shone with a subtle firelight beneath the surface, as if fragments of light were dancing in her pupils. “What happened?” she whispered.
The conversation stopped in the front of the store, and a moment later Rain and Calista were at the door of the tiny storeroom.
“Milly, you’re awake!” Calista said excitedly, her words touched with relief, “I was so worried.”
Rain stepped inside and handed Milly a steaming cup of tea. “Here, drink this, Mils. It is Dark Introspection, with a little added something. Those pink flowers from the woods. It should help you refill your magic.”
Milly sipped the tea, feeling its comforting warmth flow into her. The tea had a floral touch that it had not before, and Milly could feel the emptiness inside start to trickle back to life. It was not much, but it took away the ache within.
“Thanks Rain,” Milly whispered, grasping the cup in both hands. She was still so tired. “You’ve been busy.”
“So have you, it seems,” Rain responded, “Making new friends, feeding people, and standing up to a desperate crowd. I know I said to be flashy, Mils, but you really know how to put on a show. The Witch of the Castle of Glass will be on everyone lips tomorrow.”
Calista raised an eyebrow at Milly, who looked away and took another sip of her tea.
“The Witch of the Castle of Glass?” Calista asked, turning to Rain. “What’s that?”
“Office politics,” answered Rain, smiling. “A message to CEOs who try to belittle or control her. A message I am sure they heard loud and clear tonight.”
“Will that work?” Calista asked, skeptically, “Based on how they control the crowd, they are building an iron grip on the tower.
“I guess we will know soon,” answered Rain. “Let’s hope they have bigger things to worry about than a couple women who don’t want to follow their rules.”
Milly finished her tea, her eyes growing heavy as the exhaustion threatened to claim her again.
“You should get her upstairs to bed,” Rain suggested. “Mils, you might want to keep a low profile while you are in the tower until we know what the CEOs will do. You should change into your hoodie. I doubt the managers will even recognize you without the witch’s outfit.”
“Okay, Rain, I understand,” Milly yawned, and Calista and Rain left to let her change. They came in a couple minutes later to see Milly leaning up against the wall sleeping soundly, her gentle snores filling the room and only one arm in the hoodie. The two women smiled, and Calista finished putting on Milly’s hoodie before wrapping her up in her arms and carried her to the elevators.
“You need to be careful too, Calista,” Rain said as they waited for the elevator to arrive, the blue glow of the tutorial screens lighting up the darkness, “I’m sure the CEOs will have you in their sights now too.”
Calista looked over at Rain on my Parade, its windows fogged with steam from the various brews Rain had been experimenting with that afternoon. “I don’t think it is just Milly and I who need to be careful, Rain. You and Elmer and the others from the beach. Anyone who chooses to follow their own path in this contest rather than submitting to their control is at risk.”
Rain sighed, “As if we did not have enough problems just trying to survive this contest. Now we must worry about this too.”
She looked at the unconscious Milly as the elevator arrived. “I have no one else here. I only met Milly last night, Calista. I want to protect her. I want to keep her safe.”
Calista looked down at the woman sleeping in her arms, smiling. “Me too, Rain.” She stepped into the elevator and hit the tenth floor. “We’ll need all the allies we can get. It was good to meet you.”
“You too, Calista,” Rain said as the doors closed.
Calista carried Milly through the quiet halls of the tenth floor to her cubicle. The lights were dimmed low and only a few voices carried over the cubicle walls. The full moon lit up the side of the northern mountain in a haunting beauty, the stars in the sky above shining brightly. Calista lay Milly her gently under her desk, listening to her softly snore.
“No Xavier,” Calista muttered, displeased, “Where the hell is that man? I thought he was her friend. He should be protecting her too.”
Calista turned to head to her cubicle, then stopped. She looked at Milly, then at Xavier’s empty desk, and kneeling down with her back to Milly’s cubicle wall. And she drifted off to sleep, sitting protectively over Milly to keep her safe.
* * *
Xavier stepped over the half dozen goblin corpses, the moon lighting up the chest in the middle of their camp. Their blood dripped off the edge of his sword and onto the soil below as he knelt and inserted the key.
His own blood dripped from half a dozen wounds he had taken since he left the tower at first light. He started to curse himself for not bringing Milly along so she could heal his wounds, but he shook the thought clear of his mind as soon as it arrived. If she were here, he would have to split the experience from the monsters with her, which would slow him down.
She was better off remaining in the tower. He liked Milly, and she had a useful talent for healing. But yesterday proved he needed to do this alone. He knew she got more experience than he did from killing that ogre. The crowd had cheered for her. And did she think he had not noticed that skull ring on her finger? That could have been his.
He would not let Milly be stronger than him. He must be the best. He might bring her along later, once he was so far ahead that she could not catch up.
Xavier opened the lid of the chest and smiled.
“Well, that’s a good start.”
Xavier threw the dark cloak over his shoulders and strode into the darkness towards the tower, leaving the corpses behind, food for the vultures.