CH.10: Cheshire Witch

It's been said before that our Little Witch Alyssa is a bright, inquisitive young lady. Able to learn things in the blink of an eye, though playing dumb is an ability all on its own. Let's see what mischief and mayhem, Alyssa may cause in this chapter for this day:

"Why did you come to the gathering?" yelled Alyssa trying to be heard over the wild wind, flying through a cloud.

Glancing over her shoulder Cheshire spotted Alyssa, hair damp from the moisture held within the fluffy white cotton cloud. "So, you did notice me?!"

"What is happening?" Alyssa managed as she caught up to the huge black and red Dragon, with a smallish Cheshire sitting comfortably between its wings. "Flying with wings on one's back is harder than balancing on a flying broom." she thought while taking in the massive wing span.

"You are Dragon Born, child!" Roared the Dragon banking to his right to avoid a large flock of birds. "Your second nature has awoken in your blood. You will undergo several changes."

A large flock of seagulls soared above Cheshire and the Dragon, Alyssa watched as Cheshire snatched a young gull out of the air that was trailing behind, moving much slower than the others. "Without training, you'll continuously do what you did in that building." Cheshire said while stroking the bird's head and neck.

"You're referring to the fire I threw up!?" Alyssa yelled noticing that the bird was watching, more like glaring at her. "Was the bird a witch's fur-miliar, or a witch in disguise?"

Cheshire's mouth opened wide in a large sweeping smile, sharp fangs flashing white. Her mouth grew wide enough to swallow the bird whole. She did just that, with a loud crunch. Cheshire looked to Alyssa with a wicked smile. "It's called fire breathing, so yes!"

"This is crazy." Thought Sock Monkey in shock at what he was seeing. "I can't believe we're flying over an ocean, riding on a dragon back between its wings. Alyssa has wings too and to think she can't even ride a broom properly. Wait... Miss Cheshire, did you just eat that bird?"

"The island is just ahead." Roared the Dragon pointing with a large talon at an island, surrounded by fog, a desolate island surrounded by a sea of blue so dark it could have been the night sky. "Cheshire hold on tight to that talking doll."

"Alyssa, be careful with your approach." Cheshire tucked Sock Monkey into a random belt strap on her person. "What looks to be trees are in fact rock spires. If you hit one of those it will kill you!"

"Rock spires? Trees?" Alyssa had fallen behind the dragon making it hard to hear Cheshire. "Flying against the wind was hard, birds make it look too easy."

"Do not hit the trees or you will die!!" Screamed Sock Monkey in a loud high pitched voice, finally getting a view of the island as the dragon made a dive at the rock spires.

"She is Dragon Born!" Laughed the dragon. If you've ever wanted to know what a dragon's laughter sounded like well, it's like rolling thunder, while in a forest, sheltering in a cave while it's flooding. "She'll do just fine!"

In fact, Alyssa did do just fine. She watched the older dragon as he lined up his dive and approached the spires. She copied all of his movements. She successfully, barely avoided the rock spires this way. Though when it came to landing on the crowded sand beach, that was another thing. She must have flown into no less than three sunbathing dragons before face-planting into the sand.

As Cheshire and Sock Monkey watched Alyssa's landing, Sock Monkey couldn't help but blurt out, "I think we need to work on her landing skills." If Sock Monkey had full range of motion, he'd be face-palming quite hard at Alyssas' landing.

With an eyebrow raised Cheshire sighed, "You're probably right, Eric."

Sock Monkey's eyes shot up to Cheshires' face. "How do you know my real name?

"I knew it as soon as I held you the first time." Cheshire made her way through the sunbathing dragons to where Alyssa was sprawled out in the sand. "It's possible that Alyssa may know as well. Then again, she might not. All things given she does need work on her landings."

"Not just when she has those wings sprouting from her back." Sock Monkey's eyes snapped back to scanning the crowd for Alyssa, who was most likely playing in the sand. "Did you know that Alyssa flew her broom into a tree, then blamed the tree for getting in her way!?"

Cheshire laughed. "She shouldn't need to ride a broom after this."

"Child, stop playing in the sand." Boomed the dragon as his form started to change within a shimmering cloud of sand dust. In the blink of an eye, a six-foot-four red-haired man stood where a dragon had once been. "Dust yourself off child, and follow us."

"Shouldn't I apologize to those I crashed into?" Asked Alyssa as she stood up, sand pouring off of her, except for her hair. The sand clung to her hair, so much so that she had to use both hands to shake it all out while flipping her hair from side to side.

"Don't bother, you're just a child." The dragon-man took an eye patch from Cheshire, affixing it over his left eye socket. "They understand more than you think. Most Dragons fly into other dragons for the first several months when they discover their wings."

"Oh!" Was the only word that came out of Alyssa's mouth. Yet she thought, "That must be an extreme inconvenience for them while sunbathing." All while glancing up at all the different colored dragons.

Cheshire patted Alyssa on the back and whispered, "I've lived here for several years now. I can tell you this, dragon children fly into everything, including the trees."

"The craziness continues." Mumbled Sock Monkey. "You live on an island full of dragons? I've never heard of an island full of dragons."

"Isn't Dragon island supposed to be invisible to everyone?" asked Alyssa tripping over what she thought was a rock, but a grey dragon's tail. "It's also said that witches are forbidden from the island."

"This island is forbidden to witches, just not all witches." Cheshire waved an apology to the grey dragon. "The island is invisible to humans, due to a storm that pushes them away. The storm itself keeps magic users away, not entirely sure how that works."

"Well, that's dumb!" Alyssa stopped to look at a tiny dragonfly that had flown into her face. "We didn't fly through a storm, there wasn't even a cloud in the sky, just some fog."

"Once in a while, the storm will dissipate, usually when a solar eclipse happens." Boomed the dragon-man, flicking the dragonfly out of Alyssa's face. "Though other solar events can cause the end of the storm, it is rare."

"Usually, when this happens any ships caught in the area will be destroyed or seized," said Cheshire staring up at the sky.

"Ships are destroyed?" If Sock Monkey's face could show emotion, it would be one of horror in this instance. "You kill the sailors?"

"Yes, No!" The dragon-man muttered while walking at a brisk pace.

"The ships are destroyed." Cheshire motioned to some wreckage on the shore. "The sailors are made to live out the remainder of their lives here on this island. As for the witches on this island, they're usually "attached" to a dragon. Normally they are considered part of the dragon's hoard. Other times it's because of being their mate."

The dragon-man turned on Cheshire and spoke harshly. "Cheshire, they're too young for such information."

"Fine, she'll probably learn later in life," mumbled Cheshire so low that only sock monkey could hear her, as he was still attached to her.

Quickly changing the subject, before things got weird, sock monkey cleared his stuffed throat. "What did you save us from?"

"You will learn!" Was all Cheshire said while staring at the dragon-man.

"Learn what?" Alyssa snatched a red-blueish bug out of the air.

"That your coven is not as they should be..." Cheshire slapped Alyssa's hand releasing the bug.

"They're evil, I already know that." Scoffed Alyssa shaking her reddening hand out.

"Alyssa, they're not just evil." Cheshire guided Alyssa, by the shoulder, out of the flight path of a young dragon. "The head of your coven would have, will hunt you down."

"Wait, What?" Mumbled Sock Monkey trying to blow a rather large bug off of his face, but it wasn't working.

"Young dragons are hunted down and killed by dark witches." The Dragon-man flicked the bug off of Sock Monkey's snout. "Your family's coven has been actively trying to kill off all the dragon races. This is why we hide our lands from the world. Not to mention normal humans are dumb as bricks."

"So evil!!" It is unclear as to whom Sock Monkey is referring to, for the same bug that had been flicked off his face was back.

With a sigh, Cheshire motioned for everyone to keep moving. "Alyssa your mother's coven was formerly known as "Druidesses of the Death Song", only within the last fifty years or so did they change the covens name. That coven made it their mission to destroy, and eradicate all dragons. Why? No one knows. They're the main reason why this island has to be shielded from all of the outside worlds."

"What would happen, should a witch from that coven make their way here? Other than me, that is!" Alyssa picked up a shiny rock, quickly pocketing it.

"One would or at least should be more concerned with what they would have done to you." Sock Monkey uttered while eyeing a particularly large bee headed straight at his face.

"Eric's right!" Cheshire waved the bee away as it tried to land on the sock monkey's nose. while completely ignoring the other big.

"Who's Eric?" Alyssa pretended to be confused, she indeed knew who sock monkey was in his previous life.

"Never mind that," muttered Cheshire. "Alyssa your mother and her coven are pure evil, but not your grandmother. Shockingly, yet not surprisingly, your grandmother does evil things but she also does some good too..... Anyways, your mother and her coven would have used you in one way or another to find this island, storm or no storm."

"What do you mean?" Alyssa eyed Cheshire quizzically.

"Your mother tried to use an elder dragon, to get here. Instead, she got you!" The dragon-man stated matter of factly.

"Alyssa's mom seduced a dragon?" Sock Monkey's mouth dropped open just in time for a fly to dart in his mouth. He didn't even notice, the bug.

"Yes and No! She took advantage of an old lonely dragon, who lost his way. He is here on the island." The dragon-man gestured towards the volcano. "You will meet him soon enough if he wants to meet you."

"What do you mean by, "if he wants to meet me?" Alyssa stopped moving to glare at the dragon-man. "Does he have a right to refuse!"

"That's a long story, one that your father would be best to tell you." Cheshire stopped at the opening of a low stone wall, gesturing to an iron gate. Beyond the gate sat a quaint, little moss-covered cottage. It was no ordinary moss-covered cottage, as this one played host to a dragon shifter and a witch. Suffice it to say the cottage itself was enhanced with magic.

Gliding past the small group the dragon-man opened the heavy wooden door. "Welcome to my home child." The cottage was much bigger on the inside than on the outside. From the outside, it looked as if the cottage was a single-story building though on the inside it boasted several floors and corridors, as well as a natural hot spring that was visible from the entryway.

"Our home!" Corrected Cheshire gently guiding Alyssa in with a hand on her back.

Exhausted the dragon-man took off his boots while muttering to himself. "My home, you live in a pocket dimension. Your trunk moves at random, just like you."

"I heard that!" Retorted Cheshire with a glare. "Regardless of that being true, I do live here too."

With a stretch, dragon-man jumped to his feet, and I do mean jumped because somehow he was now on the ceiling. "Everything you need to know is in the library, down the third hall on the left." He began to walk off, still on the ceiling/floor.

"It's not a library if there's only one wall of books." Cheshire snapped her fingers and the dragon-man was face down on the floor. "Alyssa, the third hall on the left will lead you to the garden room. All the books you need are on the round table in the center of the room.

"They're on the shelves!" The dragon-man was on his feet, straightening his clothes.

"No, they're not!" Cheshire was starting to get visibly annoyed. "I cast a spell as soon as we walked through the door."

"Silent casting is not allowed on this island. You know that." Commented the dragon-man striding towards Cheshire. With a flick of her wrist, the dragon-man somehow had moved clear across the room.

"Really!" Cheshire was being sarcastic, yet simultaneously speaking; "Alyssa go now, I'll be there in a moment." In her head, while handing sock monkey over to her.

"They're fixing to argue," said Sock Monkey all too interested in the two adults glaring glances at each other.

"Do you think they're a married couple?" Alyssa asked genuinely not knowing, as she grew up with her mother and grandmother.

"Probably... Definitely... Maybe??" Sock Monkey was trying to remember if his parents had ever argued with him.

Cheshire and the dragon-man did start arguing. Trust me when I say that it's not something a child of any age should hear. In addition, those two are not married, though they've had an unusually long engagement. This long engagement is most likely because of the advice of the council of twelve that stated quite loudly for all to hear; "Cheshire Witch should never marry, Ever!" It's not that, Cheshire is hard to deal with, so much as she comes from an alternate dimension and no one knows what would or could come about her procreating in this world. Anyway, let's get back to the story, Alyssa and sock monkey have entered the library.

Upon locating and entering the large round library sock monkey promptly sat in an empty chair. "Don't you mean the "Garden room", it's not quite a library.

Sock Monkey, don't correct the narrator. "Continue with your rambling!"

Well...

"I think the narrator is at a loss for words." Sock monkey stated matter of factly.

Ignoring sock monkeys' comment Alyssa walked over to the only table in the room, which happened to be placed directly in the center of a giant mandala. On the table there were several stacks of books, she placed her hands on top of one stack of books after another, and absorbed all of the knowledge held within. "What are you blabbering on about?"

"Nothing." Muttered Sock Monkey glaring, or what passes as glaring, at Alyssa. "Did you not hear what that eye-patch-wearing dragon-man said?"

With a huff, Alyssa shifted her voice down and actively tried to sound like the dragon-man. "Silent casting is forbidden on this island."

"So you were listening?!" Sock Monkey mumbled under his breath.

"I'm always listening." Alyssa looked toward Sock Monkey with a smile on her face. "Though, I may not always follow the rules. Besides, aren't rules meant to be broken!?"

"Maybe out in the world beyond the island, but here we are encouraged to follow the rules." Cheshire plopped down in front of Alyssa, on top of the books, in full purple and black cat form.

"What if I didn't use a spell at all!" Stated Alyssa matter of fact, while resisting the urge to pet Cheshire's head.

With a leap from the table, she shifted back into her human form. "A normal which would assume that you're lying, but I'm anything but a normal which."

Disappointed Alyssa glared at Cheshire. "I didn't use a spell!"

"Show me!" Cheshire smiled cheekily.

"How?" Alyssa threw her hands up in the air.

"The shelf!" Cheshire gestured. "All the books there contain knowledge of herbology. Draicken loves his plants and collecting knowledge of said plants."

" Who's Draicken?" Both Alyssa and Sock Monkey asked at once.

"The dragon I rode on the back of when rescuing you." Cheshire gestured to the door as if he was fixing to walk into the room.

"So that's his name!" said the two, both glancing towards the door

"He never did introduce himself, did he?" laughed Cheshire with a shake of her head. "He's about five thousand years old or so. I guess he gets a free pass at that. Alyssa show me exactly what you did."

Confused at Cheshire's words, Alyssa placed her hand on several end books. "Just this." She spoke no words, her breathing stayed the same. Yet her eyes went pitch black as the words began to flow from her fingertips up her arms, across her face, and disappeared into the dark depths of her eyes.

"Are you sure you didn't use a spell?" Cheshire took an unconscious step back.

"Bioluminescence in plants for fungi is not found naturally, they are created by pouring a potion containing liquified firefly butts and..." responded Alyssa glaring at Cheshire.

"That's enough." Interrupted Cheshire. "I've never met someone who could do that naturally, without uttering the spell."

"It's probably become part of her nature, given how many times she's used that technique to learn new things." Muttered Sock Monkey wondered where the fly had come from.

"Interesting..." Cheshire picked up a book, looking inside to see if the text still existed.

"Will I get to meet my father now?" Alyssa watched as Cheshire examined more books.

"That's still his decision to make." Cheshire placed a book on the shelf. "Besides, Draicken has already gone off to talk to him."

"Oh, how fun." thought Sock Monkey. "I hope he's successful. I'd love to meet the man-beast-dragon, the thing that fell for Alyssa's mother.

"Will you teach me how to create a pocket dimension?" Alyssa quickly changed the subject.

"You're too young to learn that." glared Cheshire "Maybe in a couple of hundred years, or maybe you'll figure it out on your own."

"I suppose I'll have to figure it out on my own then." Alyssa placed a journal on the shelf.

"Good luck with that one." Cheshire smiled. "That is something that needs to be taught, not book-learned."

"That won't stop her!" Scoffed sock monkey, watching the fly. "She'll eventually figure it out, though it might take her some time."

Alyssa glanced up towards a large wind. "Wow, it's getting dark outside."

"So the twelve have begun." Cheshire was not happy."

"Begun what?" blurted sock monkey still tracking the fly.

"The spell to create the largest storm ever seen." Cheshire picked up another book and put it on the shelves. "The storms protect the island."

"Can I learn that?" Alyssa watched Cheshire's face for a reaction.

"You've already absorbed the knowledge!" Cheshire taped a book titled Wheather And How To Control It. "It's just a matter of time and experimentation with combining spells and sigils, but you'll be able to do it in time, after all, you are exceptional."

"Wait, What?! She doesn't need to know that!" yelled sock monkey thinking about all the rain storms she'd create just so people would stay out of her way.

"Shush, you!" Snapped Cheshire pointing at the sock monkey. "Spell experimentation is a part of growing up. Alyssa, it's time for rest!"

"What, that's it?!" thought Alyssa placing the last book on a shelf.

"Yes, the spell the twelve are weaving will only go into full effect when everyone is at rest." Cheshire rolled her eyes as having everyone resting could or would affect the spell. As Cheshire led Alyssa down several halls, the streets and skies began to clear out. Witches, dragons, and mortals took to their homes to rest. Though the twelve were chanting, dancing, and ultimately flailing about a large cauldron. Now if one was spying on the twelve they would take great notice of the ground under the cauldron and the twelve witches. There were hundreds of thousands of runes and jars littering the floor. Some were placed atop scrolls, others carved or scattered directly into the marble floor. No one witch uttered the same words at the same time. Somehow they moved seamlessly and harmoniously.

~END~