The high sun beat down on the desolate landscape, raising the already boiling temperature at least another ten degrees. Inside the emerald mines, the temperature was only slightly cooler, but with all the labor that was taking place, it didn't really matter.
Boq wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, pushing his hardhat up slightly as he readjusted his grip on his pickaxe.
"Boq!"
The munchkin paused from where he'd just raised his tool again. He turned towards the voice, trying to hide his grimace when he saw the foreman, Avaric, approaching him.
"Y-yes?"
"You know we're behind on our quota, and based on the records, you haven't been pulling your own weight lately."
"Well, I—"
"No excuses. I expect you to fill your share by the end of the day, or you're fired!" Avaric stalked away and the munchkin sighed before turning back to his work. He wanted to point out that emeralds were hard enough to find nowadays, and whenever he did find any, the bigger workers always pushed him around and took his share. But Avaric didn't accept excuses, nor did he even pause to listen to them, so the munchkin was left with no other choice but to just bite his tongue and do what he could manage. Besides, it was better to take abuse from the foreman than to be fired. Living with a job was hard enough, but without one… well, it was hard to live at all.
That night found the munchkin still hacking away at the rocks, even though most of his coworkers had left for the night. The mines were almost impossible to navigate at night, and Boq was slaving away by the dim light of a lantern, reminding himself he needed to buy more oil soon.
Clink.
The munchkin paused. That was an unfamiliar noise. Even when he hit emeralds, it didn't sound like that. Boq saw a glinting in the rocks and he raised his lantern. The surface looked smooth, and had a faint bluish tint. He lowered the lantern before he resumed chiseling away, revealing more and more of the foreign object.
Fifteen minutes later, it was free and he stepped back to look at it, though not entirely sure what in Oz's name he was looking at. In his best guess, it appeared to be… a person, frozen solid in… was that ice? He ran his hand down the smooth, cool surface. Yes, it felt like ice all right. Boq leaned in to look at the person inside. Their eyes were closed, but what intrigued him was… no, their skin couldn't really be… green? He picked up his pickaxe and brought it down hard on the ice. Cracks formed around the impact site and when he pulled the tool away, they began to spread. There was a pause before the ice exploded, sending shards flying and forcing Boq to the ground.
The munchkin looked up hesitantly after the danger had passed and saw that the person (female) had fallen to the floor. He approached her, reaching out cautiously to touch her, wondering if she was even alive. A sudden gasp for air answered that question.
Elphaba felt as though she was coming up for air from a stagnant pool. The green woman sat up weakly, putting a hand to her head.
"Are... are you all right?"
She looked towards the familiar voice. "Boq? Is that you?"
He looked confused, and slightly frightened. "H-how do you know my name?"
"Boq, I don't have time for this. Where are we?"
"The Glikkus emerald mines. Who are you?"
The green woman was growing tired of this game. "Boq, quit fooling around. You know perfectly well who I am; we used to work together."
"I think I would remember if I had ever worked with a green woman before."
Elphaba paused. Now she was starting to believe that he really was telling the truth. But... how could he not remember her? And how had she ended up in the Glikkus? The last thing she remembered was going to the Emerald City to fight Morrible.
"Boq... it's me. Elphaba. I... you and I worked in the circus together."
"I... I did work in the Uplandian Circus... but that was a while ago. Back when it was still..." He didn't finish.
"What? Did something happen to the circus?"
He didn't answer.
"Boq, answer me. Did something happen to the circus?"
The munchkin sighed. "A while ago... Madame Morrible led the siege on Kiamo Ko. Soon after, she ordered Mr. Upland to disband his circus... but he refused. Then at one show... the main tent caught fire... and that was it."
Elphaba looked down, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. Morrible had laid siege to Kiamo Ko… but why? The Grimmerie had been destroyed, Morrible knew that. So why go back to the place it had once been?
Unless it was there again...?
No, how could that be? That didn't make any sense… and why have the circus disbanded? What did she gain from that? It wasn't like Elphaba really worked there anymore.
"Boq, are you sure you don't remember ever working in the circus with me? I was a fire breather."
The munchkin looked down in thought. "I do remember that there was someone who came to Mr. Upland, asking about that position, but there was an… accident."
"What kind of accident?"
"The kind no one comes back from."
Elphaba got to her feet, feeling unstable and stumbling a little. Boq caught her before she could fall.
"So… who are you, really? How long were you frozen?"
Elphaba shook her head. "I don't… know how long… and I told you, my name is Elphaba. Elphaba Thropp."
Even in the dim light, Elphaba could see the munchkin's face turn stark white and he released her instantly. "S-stay away…"
"Boq, what's wrong?"
"Y-you can't be… Elphaba Thropp was killed…"
"What?"
"I-if you're her ghost—"
"I am no one's ghost! I don't know what you've heard, but—" She paused. "Wait… how did I die?"
"Well, it was deemed an accident…"
"How, Boq?"
"You fell into the Glikkus Canals… and your body was never found. We assumed you drowned."
The Glikkus Canals… water. Of course they wouldn't have found a body. All the skin would be burned away. But… how could she be dead if she was right here? Was she a ghost? She didn't feel like one. The green woman looked down before gingerly sticking a finger into the lantern, letting out a yelp when it burned.
"Well, I'm not dead…"
Boq was still staring at her as f he were unsure what to think, and though the green woman didn't want to deal with him, she knew that she wouldn't get far alone in this new Oz.
"Boq, listen to me… I know you're scared, and you don't quite know what to make of all this, and honestly… I feel the same, but please, I need your help. I need to figure out what's going on… and what to do."
The munchkin was still wary of trusting the green stranger who claimed to be the deceased Elphaba Thropp, but how could he leave her here, without any help at all? He sighed. "I'll help you… though I may regret it…"
Elphaba looked around the small house as she closed the door behind her.
"Are you hungry?" Boq asked, moving to start a fire under the small black cauldron.
"Uh… yes… thank you." The green woman noticed that he was having trouble and drew her torch, lighting it. "Permit me?"
He nodded, stepping back as Elphaba held the flame to the wood, setting it ablaze immediately. She extinguished her torch before replacing it in its holster.
"Would… would you like to sit?" Boq asked, pulling out a chair.
"Yes, thank you." She did and watched as the munchkin moved around, retrieving two wooden bowls and a ladle. Minutes later, he placed a bowl of lukewarm soup in front of the brunette.
"S-sorry… produce is hard to come by these days."
"I'm sure it's fine," Elphaba said, offering him a smile as she picked up her spoon. "Boq… tell me what's been going on. Why is everything so… dismal?"
The munchkin sighed. "Before Madame Morrible took over, the Wizard ruled Oz… and everything was all right. I mean, it wasn't perfect, but living was… well, it could be enjoyable. But after the siege on Kiamo Ko… and Madame Morrible got her hands on that book… things changed. She overthrew the Wizard and…"
"It all went to hell…" Elphaba sighed, her gaze wandering down. In the firelight, the glint of her ring caught her eye.
Her ring…
"Galinda!" She stood up suddenly, knocking her chair over. She'd almost forgotten about her wife! "Boq, after the circus was disbanded, what happened to Galinda?"
"The ringmaster's daughter?"
"Yes, Galinda Upland! What happened to her? Is she all right?"
"I… I don't know. She disappeared after the fire… and no one's seen her since. Some believe she was killed… others think she's a rebel in an underground organization to bring down Madame Morrible."
"She's not dead! She can't be…" Elphaba picked up her chair. "I need to find her."
"Why?"
"I… I just do." She looked at him. "If Morrible wants me dead… then we need to keep her thinking that I am."
"You're not going to go… looking for Galinda Upland, are you?"
"I have to. I… I love her…"
"You'll be killed… again!"
"No I won't… Morrible already thinks I'm dead."
"Elphaba, I really don't think this is a good idea."
"Well I can't just sit around and do nothing! My entire world has been changed… and I need to start finding a way to fix it." She looked right at him. "How do I find this underground organization?"
"I… I don't know."
"Boq!"
"I honestly don't know! It's underground, Elphaba! It's not meant to be found!"
The green woman let out a sigh of frustration. "Of course, because that would be too easy…" If she wanted to find Galinda, it was obvious she was going to have to go through some channels first. "What happened to Mr. Upland after his circus was disbanded?"
"Come on, move it! That emerald quota won't fill itself, you know!"
Elphaba peered around the scaffolding, looking down at the scene. It was true what Boq had said: getting out of the Glikkus wouldn't be easy, as it appeared as though Avaric was still the same jackass as before.
"Some things never change…" she muttered, her eye catching the munchkin's. Boq quickly looked forward as he followed the others into the mines. Although he desperately wished to escape the mines himself, helping Elphaba was the next best thing, he supposed. He only hoped she made it out alive.
Once everyone was inside, Elphaba grabbed onto a rope and slid down, landing solidly. She made her way over to where a horse was hooked up to a large cart. Her eyes flashed towards the cavern opening as she undid the harness, freeing one side.
"If you forget your lantern again, you'll be out of work before lunch!"
Elphaba froze in the middle of undoing the second buckle. Shit, someone was coming! She had to get this horse free and fast.
Approaching footsteps.
"Come on…" The buckle finally slid free and Elphaba grabbed the horse's reins, pulling him forward and out of the harness.
"Here's your ozdamn lantern."
Elphaba leapt onto the stallion and kicked his sides. He reared up before taking off.
"What the hell—"
The green woman didn't stick around to hear what Avaric had to say, as she and her horse raced across the landscape.
Something suddenly whizzed by her head and she turned to see that she was being pursued.
"Shit." She turned her horse sharply and they ducked into a narrow stone alley, another arrow whizzing by them. Boq was right: this was difficult. A sudden explosion caused her horse to rear up, and she looked up to see several rocks falling in front of them. The green woman turned her horse again, heading up a slanted rock formation. She gave him another kick as they leapt across a gap, landing on a second formation before continuing on. Elphaba wasn't sure if they were still being followed, but an arrow in her shoulder told her that they weren't giving up.
"And so it begins…"
Another explosion rocked the ground and her horse stopped as cracks formed underneath them. Before Elphaba could react, the rocks gave way beneath them and they were plummeting into the canals below.
Avaric watched the intruder disappear and he turned his own horse, heading back for the mines.
"Who do you think that was?" one man asked. "Do you think they were one of the rebels?"
"It doesn't matter. They're dead now, just as it should be," Avaric replied. "But they didn't get here alone… someone helped them… someone on the inside."
"One of ours?"
Avaric nodded. "One of ours."
Elphaba clung to her whip, which she had just managed to wrap around a protruding tree branch before falling into the deadly water below. The green woman swung herself a few times before undoing her whip, hitting solid ground and rolling. She stood, winding up her whip before replacing it on her belt. Looking back towards where she had fallen from, she knew she was lucky to still be alive. She reached back and yanked the arrow from her shoulder with a grimace.
If I follow the canal downstream, it should lead me out of here.
And so her path had been set. Follow the canal out of the Glikkus on foot… and she'd be on her way to finding Galinda.
Mr. Upland let out a sigh as entered the storage tent, picking up a broom before leaving. His own circus had been so much more than this sorry excuse for entertainment, but still, it was the only one left, so people flocked to watch anyway. It made the old ringmaster sad, but this was his only connection back to his own circus, so he stayed.
"Upland!"
He turned towards the voice. "Yes, Sir Chuffery?"
"The main tent still hasn't been swept."
"I'm on my way there now."
Sir Chuffery sighed, placing a hand on Mr. Upland's shoulder. "I understand why you came to me for work… and out of my sympathy, I allow you to stay… to live vicariously through myself, but I cannot abide… any delays."
"I understand… I'll try to move along."
Sir Chuffery left and Mr. Upland held his tongue once again before he entered the main tent (much smaller than his had been) and began sweeping. A sudden crashing noise caught his attention and he looked up to see a figure lying in a heap in the end section of the bleachers.
"Are you all right?" he asked, approaching.
Elphaba sat up with a groan. "I'm fine… did he see me?"
"Who?"
"Sir Chuffery, the man who owns this freak show. Damn, I wish he'd stayed dead."
He offered her his hand and the green woman took it, standing up. "Who are you, might I ask?"
"Elphaba."
"Interesting name." Mr. Upland took a step back. "And is there a reason you don't want Sir Chuffery to notice you?"
"I want as few people to notice me as possible, especially one such as that bastard."
"You seem to hold a lot of contempt towards him."
"We aren't exactly on the best terms, he and I. Mr. Upland… I came to you on a very urgent matter."
"And how can I assist you with this urgent matter?"
"It's about your daughter."
He froze, his grip tightening on the broom handle. "Galinda… have you seen her?"
"Unfortunately not, but you were the last one to see her before she disappeared after the fire, correct?"
Mr. Upland turned away from her. "I don't know… why are you looking for her anyways?"
"Mr. Upland… it's far too complicated to go into at the moment, but please believe that I do have her best intentions at heart."
"I… I've been told my daughter is dead."
"You don't really believe that, do you sir?"
He looked back at her. "I haven't been called that in a while. Have we… met before?"
"Maybe once… a fire breather came to you… looking to join your circus?"
"Yes… I do remember that…" Mr. Upland's brow furrowed. "Was that… you?"
Elphaba smiled slightly before she drew one torch. "I dabble in that area, yes."
Mr. Upland was about to reply when he noticed what was on Elphaba's hand. "Your ring… my daughter has one just like it… or she used to. I don't know if she does now."
Elphaba froze. Galinda still had her ring? That maybe… was there a chance that she could… have retained her memories as well?
"Sir, please… where would she have gone after the fire?"
"I… I don't know. Perhaps to the Emerald City? She was angry when Madame Morrible took over."
"Of course. Right into the belly of the beast." Elphaba sighed and was about to stow her torch when the flap suddenly opened, revealing Sir Chuffery.
"Upland, what's taking you so lo—oh. Hello. The circus has not opened yet," he said, his gaze falling on Elphaba.
The green woman stepped in front of her old ringmaster, lighting her torch. "You should be dead. Pity it didn't stay that way."
"Have we run into each other before?"
"Unfortunately."
Sir Chuffery's gaze fell on her lighted torch. "I don't recall seeing you before… why are you already so bent against me?"
"Because I know you're going to try and stop me. There's a reason your circus is the only one Morrible allowed to remain intact. You work for her."
A pause and he let out a short laugh. "You're very smart. What did you say your name was?"
"My name is of no importance."
"You appear to be itching for a fight."
"Only if you don't let me go."
"Ah, I see. You are on Madame Morrible's bad side then, and you wish to remain under her radar."
"You could say that."
"I might feel more willing to cooperate if you lowered your weapon."
Elphaba lowered her torch, but only slightly. "I have become wary of trusting people."
"Not a bad approach." Another pause. "I will make a deal with you, stranger. I will allow you to leave and keep my silence… and in return—"
"I'm not making any deals with you."
Sir Chuffery raised an eyebrow. "You won't even hear me out?"
"No."
He sighed. "Then our only option is a duel."
"A duel?"
He tossed her a sword, which the green woman caught clumsily.
"Surely you wouldn't begrudge me that?"
Elphaba didn't like it, but she extinguished her torch before stowing it, switching the sword to her other hand. "All right. One duel… but don't expect me to be kind."
"Of course not." Sir Chuffery swung at Elphaba raised her sword quickly, blocking him. She pushed him back before swinging. He easily sidestepped, swinging again. The green woman ducked before jumping to avoid both. She aimed a jab, and he sidestepped again, slicing her arm. Elphaba grimaced, taking a step back as she held her injured arm close, blood dripping onto the ground.
"Your hand is untrained… but you show much potential. Are you sure this is the path you want to take?"
"I never second-guess myself." Elphaba ducked to avoid another swing, rolling forward and turning, only to be met with the tip of Sir Chuffery's sword at her throat. The green woman glared at him.
"It would appear you have lost," he said with a small smile.
"If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that nothing is over until I'm dead!" She swung her sword, catching him in the left leg right below his knee and cutting it clean off. Sir Chuffery fell to the floor with a yell of pain and Elphaba threw the sword down, getting to her feet and looking back at Mr. Upland.
"I'll find your daughter, sir. I promise!" she said before she ran from the tent, heading into the nearby forest. She hit a muddy embankment and fell backwards as she slid down, pulling out her whip and snapping it to wrap around a tree branch, yanking her up and over the canal, landing solidly on the other side. Elphaba replaced her whip before turning her attention to the road just outside the forest… the road made of yellow bricks.
"All roads lead to the Emerald City… Galinda, hold on. I'm coming to find you."