It's now been a couple of hours since that fiasco.

We're now back in the bedroom we woke up in, with sister lying on the bed like a princess cursed with blissful sleep. I sighed deeply as I reset my hand on her cheek, as I had been doing for the past while.

What the heck happened back there?!

That Pumpkin-head guy hasn't said a word since he brought us here. One moment he was standing next to me moments after he knocked Amaye out, and the next I found us all in this room and he immediately stepped out "Give you two some time to rest" ... makes me wonder why we ever bothered to take a long way down, to begin with, but that's an afterthought now.

I perched on the edge of the bed, my mind replaying the chaos that had unfolded in the library. The image of my sister, writhing in pain and summoning those inexplicable vines, was seared into my memory. The worst part? I'd been utterly helpless, reduced to just a spectator. No one could truly understand the ache that knowledge brought me—not even our parents, if they were here.

If only they were... they'd know exactly what to say or do right now.

"Finished wallowing yet?"

"Wha—!"

I leapt to my feet, startled by the sudden appearance of that glowing, crescent grin of his. How had he gotten in? When had he gotten in? I'd been facing the door the entire time, and I hadn't heard or seen it open!

"I'll take that deer-in-the-headlights look as a yes! Splendid! Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

With a flourish, Pumpkin-head produced a rolled-up piece of paper from his voluminous sleeve and thrust it towards me."

You wouldn't happen to have a pen, would you?"

"A pen? What for?"

"To seal our deal, of course! Can't make it official without your signature on this contract."

"Contract?"

"Yes, contract. Noun. A formal and legally binding agreement. Surely you're familiar with the concept?"

"I—"

He pressed a finger to my lips, cutting me off mid-sentence almost immediately before uttered it.

"Actually, don't bother answering that. It was shocking enough that neither of you recognized human language earlier—common knowledge in most parts, mind you. We'll chalk that up to your sheltered upbringing. Now, let's move past that and—"

He began rummaging through his pockets, muttering to himself. "I'm certain I have a pen in here somewhere—Aha! Here we are!"

His hand emerged, spilling out an assortment of oddities—a broken pocket watch, a few fluttering moths, and what looked suspiciously like a half-eaten sandwich—before revealing a bent and battered pen.

"Right then, take this, sign on the dotted line, and we'll be on our merry—"

"STOP!"

"Eh?!"

"Enough!" I shouted, waving my arms like a madman. "Just... wait a second! This is all happening too fast!"

Pumpkinhead's brow furrowed.

"Too fast? How do you mean, witch-boy?"

"How do I mean?" I echoed, incredulous. "How do I mean?! My sister is lying unconscious after that... whatever that even was just hours ago! And you're acting like... like it never even happened!"

"But it did happen," he replied, pragmatic and matter-of-factly. "I was there, remember?"

"So was I! And yet I'm the only one here who seems to concerned by the fact that my sister is currently in a state of COMATOSE! And I don't know what to do! ... I don't --I just--"

I fell back on the bed, completely hammered with a forehead of sweat.

" ... I-I'm ... I'm sorry ... I just ... when we found our parents petrified, well ... I for was obviously going "what the bloody heck" over and over but Amaye ... sis was a mess ... for several hours we tried to utulise counter-spells but we didn't know what we were doing and each time we failed Amaye grew worse ..."

"....Mhm."

"Heck, this past month we've been through more that you can fathom, I mean with the goblins and all they sent us through, and the icing on the cake is that it could have been entirely avoided if i didn't push her to agree with me ... not that staying put would have accomplished any but--"

"Are you done yet?"

"E-Eh?!"

When he cut me off, I looked at him with disbelief, finding him staring into a hand mirror and checking his face.

"Witch boy, your constant wallowing in emotions bores me. It accomplishes nothing and wastes both our time. Your sister isn't waking up any sooner, and I daresay your parents are still as stone. Has your moaning changed any of that?"

"I... uh—"

He wagged a finger in my face, his eyes glowing intensely. "No. No, it hasn't. While you've been lamenting your sorry state, we could have been making progress on unravelling this mess you and your sister are tangled in. So, do us both a favour and shut up... or we'll never get anywhere."

With an unnatural twist of his neck, he slowly moved towards the large window and stared through it in silence, one arm tucked behind his back.

"We both want the same thing in a way, witch boy. I want to be free of this prison that is this forest, and you want your parents back. Both are goals, completely different, but goals nonetheless. Thus, the same thing."

He looked over his shoulder, his hollow, glowing eyes seeming to bore into my very soul.

"As I had mentioned previously, I want out of this wretched place. I want the glory and power that I held when I wasn't ever shackled at all and I've waited so long for the moment to come where I can accomplish this and get back at those who caused my centuries-long suffering!"

"... Are you ... talking about the humans?..."

Pumpkinhead chose to respond by shaking his hand "You could say that" he began, before twisting his face into a grin "In fact, why don't we go with that instead, I mean they were kind of the catalyst, those barbarians, so ... yeah pretty much."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

With movement faster than I could react to, he found his way sitting to me, one arm over my shoulder then, swiftly, he directed my gaze by grabbing my chin until I was looking at the unconscious sister of mine.

"They caused the pain your sister had felt in my library! What occurred a mere hours ago is a direct result of their actions. For what reason I don't know ... but the fact remains that they did this to her, to your parents... to you ... doesn't that irritate you? Doesn't that fill you with rage?"

". . ."

For the past month, we've been through the worst of what we could have ever imagined. Regardless of being stuck at home 24/7, everything was great before we woke up that day in the basement, and came out to find our home in rubble and what happened to mother and father. The crap we went through afterwards, just so we could find the means to fix all of it, and so everything could go back to normal, only to go a month achieving nothing ... so we could all be happy again ... so sis could be happy again.

They stole it . . . our happiness . . . from us.

"Yeah ... Yeah I am. I am angry . . . really angry."

"Hehehe. Then why don't we take a good look at that contract then, shall we?"

He speedily reached behind him pulled the rolled paper out and handed it to me, along with the crooked pen. I took it just as quickly, unfolded it and gave it a quick read.

*Contract of Partnership and Mutual Benefit*

*I. The undersigned (hereafter referred to as "Signer(s)") hereby enter into an indefinite partnership with the bearer of this contract (hereafter referred to as "Bearer"). This partnership shall persist until both parties have received their agreed-upon benefits as discussed prior to the signing of this document.*

*II. The Signer(s) agree to execute any and all orders given by the Bearer, regardless of the order's nature, importance, morality, or the Signer(s)' personal feelings about said order. All orders shall be carried out without question.*

*III. The Signer(s) are prohibited from disclosing any information about this contract and its contents, as well as the Bearer's identity or the Bearer's objectives in this partnership to any individual not already privy to such information, unless explicitly permitted by the Bearer. Any attempt by the Signer(s) to disclose such information through any means will be rendered impossible.*

*IV. The Signer(s) are forbidden from inquiring about, questioning, or attempting to gather information regarding the Bearer's desired outcome from this partnership, beyond what has been mutually disclosed. Discussion of this matter is limited to reminding fellow Signer(s) of this clause.*

*V. The Bearer is hereby absolved of all responsibility for any injuries, whether physical or mental, that the Signer(s) may sustain in the course of executing the Bearer's orders.*

*VI. The right to dissolve this contract rests solely with the Bearer, who may do so for any reason unless extraordinary circumstances dictate otherwise.*

*By signing below, the Signer(s) acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to all terms and conditions outlined in this contract.*

*Signer: __________________________*

*Signer: __________________________*

*Signer: __________________________*

*Signer: __________________________*

*Signer: __________________________*

*Signer: __________________________*

*Bearer: __________________________*

"Hold on, why are there seven spots for signatures?"

Pumpkinhead's grin widened impossibly. "Ah, the last one's for me, of course. Two are for you and your sister, and the remaining four... well, they're for the others."

"Others?" I echoed

"All in good time, witch-boy. Sign first, explanations later."

I studied the contract again, making sure I read between the lines as best as I could, a smother always made sure we remembered during her hole-scholling classes. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the crooked pen to the first signature block.

"Here goes nothing," I muttered, carefully etching out my name that glowed the moment I dotted it at the end: Hiroshi H.Karugame.

"There you are."

When I turned to hand the contract to him, he had a grin so large I swear it shouldn't have been possible for even him to make.

"Yes! Yes! YES!" he crowed, snatching the paper and drinking in the sight of my signature. "Per-fec-to! Now we be riding the gravy train and cooking with gas!"

Before I could blink, the contract vanished into his pocket. He seized my hand, shaking it with such fervor I thought my arm might pop out of its socket.

"Oh, what a pleasure, what a delight to be in business with you, witch-boy," he gushed, practically vibrating with glee. "You have no idea what this means for me— for us!"

"Uh, you're welcome?" I managed, forcing a smile as he finally released my hand.

"Now then" He says as he hops onto his feet "We'll just patiently wait for your twin to wake up and then once she's has too signed we can begin with the necessary preparations.

"Huh? Preparations?" I repeated back.

Pumpkinhead swivelled his head towards me, tilting it at an unnatural angle.

"Mhm, preparations," he purred, his voice dripping with anticipation. We must prepare you for what we will all go through together. The world beyond this forest can be cruel to the unprepared, after all. Just imagine it. Think of what you could achieve and how the stronger you are, the faster you'll accomplish much."

He turned back round and walked off through the door.

"Don't take too long to think about it. I'll await both you and your sister's answer."

-~-

Two and a half weeks later . . .

The decision didn't take long.

When I finally came to my senses and sat up in bed, Hiroshi was right there, filling me in on everything Pumpkinhead had told him. I'm not sure why I hesitated before signing the contract myself. I dunno, I must have still been a bit doozy.

Regardless, the next two and a half weeks were a real chore. Pumpkinhead essentially did what Mother and Father used to do when they were teaching us the way of the witch and elevated it to a far higher degree than we were used to, and he isn't a witch himself.

I'm not complaining or anything but, being taught the way of our people by someone who isn't one of them . . . well it kind of takes a blow to the pride.

But the intensity of it on numerous occasions, was worth the effort we gave.

Hiroshi finally got a handle on that massive smoke burst of his. Turns out, the reason it always hurt him was that he wasn't giving himself time to build up resistance. Pumpkinhead explained that this "area of effect" spell always bites back if you don't create a barrier first. Once Hiroshi got the hang of it, he was like a kid with a new toy.

"Tag your it!"

"W-wah! Hiroshi, get back here?!"

It's a high-level spell, meant to mess with the senses of whoever or whatever was caught in it, so badly they lose it. Perfect for when you're outnumbered. It doubles as a smokescreen too, and it's not your average smoke. You need either to be that good at avoiding it, a fast-moving spell to clear it, or at least a protection spell to shield yourself.

Lucky for me, my go-to can do both of the latter.

"Got you!" I yelled, as my vines snaking through the air within the smoke ensared him and hoisted him upwards.

"Wait, what— wah! Let me down! Let me down!"

Botanical manipulation, they call it. It's a family thing, passed down only through the women. I've been doing it since I was in nappies. Mother used to tell stories about baby-me making potted plants dance, nearly swallowing the whole house. I still can't pull that off.

Apparently, I've got this magic barrier around me all the time. I can make it bigger or smaller, and anything natural inside gets all weird before I can control it. That's why I can sprout vines even where they shouldn't grow. Vines are my favourite – versatile little buggers. They can pierce, trap, and my personal favorite, coil around stuff. Like my brother right now.

"You okay up there?" I called, grinning.

"T-This is nothing!" Hiroshi stammered, dangling in mid-air.

"Sure about that? I can let you down if you ask nicely."

"I'd rather vomit! Watch me break free in mere seconds!"

Hiroshi ended up stuck up there for a solid hour before I finally caved and let him down. The look on his face was priceless— Ahem! Anyway, those two weeks flew by in a blur. We didn't just brush up on what we already knew about magic in the witching world; we dove headfirst into the unknown corners of the whole magical spectrum.

Pumpkinhead didn't stop at spells and potions, either. He had us throwing punches and practising "Full-Nelsons" until I could pin Hiroshi without breaking a sweat. The poor guy probably still has bruises.

But it wasn't all fun and games. As we trained, Pumpkinhead started dropping hints about what we might face on our upcoming trip. And let me tell you, the more we learned about the humans, the more both our stomachs tied themselves in knots.

Humans, or Terrans as they're called, were the worst of the lot. Centuries before we ever drew our first breath, they ruled the world with an iron fist that crushed everything that didn't agree with them.

Once upon a time, they had their own world to call home. This was back when no two species could even imagine the other's existence. But humans? They went and destroyed their own planet. So, they packed up and took a little joyride through the stars, eventually stumbling upon our world.

As soon as their feet touched our soil, their eyes started roving, sizing up which corners of our world they'd claim for themselves. It was like watching vultures circle a dying animal.

Long story short, they kicked off a full-blown siege of world domination. They'd settle in an area, forcefully boot out anyone already living there, and then rebuild everything to suit their own needs. This went on for so long – so many years went by and they never batted an eye at the consequences - with one such being that at the rate they were going, our world would have ended up like theirs did.

"There were resistances, of course," Pumpkinhead had explained. "Though many didn't last even a week... until that day came when another set of aliens decided to come out of hiding and lend a hand."

The spirits. They were the ones who saved this world. They, too, came from somewhere else, but unlike humans, they kept to themselves. Rumour has it that even the world itself "opened up" to them when they first arrived. It was as if the planet recognized kindred pure souls.

When the spirits joined the fight against the humans, the tide turned dramatically. What was once a one-sided slaughter became a fair fight - and then some.

"They even lost their metal soldiers," Pumpkinhead continued "Those robotic creatures they mass-produced. Seems like giving an expendable army the ability to feel emotions was a flaw in the factory they popped out of. That, and a hella lack of respect."

He went on to explain that after we won a great war for the world, humanity was finished save for a very small handful that disappeared until around twenty-ish years ago, and by then the world they tried to conquer had grown far beyond what they could have ever comprehended.

Species co-existed and evolved into a grand civilisation that was once only possible in dreams-- or a human nightmare, which it was. Even the robot people were accepted and these days it's as common to grow up side by side with a machine as it was for a stinkbug and a grub to mate. And they mate a lot--Like a lot, a lot.

"The humans have been scurrying about ever since, You can find them here and there, rummaging through someone's trash -- metaphorically speaking. And just to ensure we don't stoop to their level, the world largely ignores them—except for the occasional shout of 'Get out of my garden!' from time to time... usually they know to keep their distance, but, with recent events--"

The dining room we sat in became silent for a time after he said that. Eventually I got uncomfortable with it so I swallowed down the frog led I stuffed in whole before speaking out.

"So, um, what't left to learn now before we go out?"

"Nothing, in fact." Pumpkinhead went "Not anything worth teaching for now, at least. You two hereby graduate from Lantern O'Jackson Academy. Time for your diplomas! AUTUMNA!"

As if she were hiding in cabinet waiting for that call, the slender, sophisticated figure of Autumna materialized from thin air, holding something flat in her hands. "Here they are, sir," she said, her voice as smooth as silk. "Here you are, dears. Please take them."

We each what she held into our hands and studied them carefully. I recognised them appearing just like one's mother and father had when I realised.

"There are . . . Identitfaction cards." Brother went.

"How else are you two gonna get through borders. You'll find there perfectly up to standard and won't make anyone bat an eye when you present them when you need to. So, finish up your meals and we'll get you two ready for first proper assignment -- To locate and bring back here ... a lonely runaway bat."