"So Argy what do you think of Oz?" I asked him cutting into my spicy seasoned steak, and drinking a glass of red wine.
"it's pretty exciting I gotta say, but that Witch is a bitch! Such a useless woman I honestly can't wait for her to die, HOLY F***!" Argy had colorful language, but whenever it was just us we didn't care about it.
"I know right? Can you see why all of Oz hates and fears her? Next to Glinda and Ozma she's the most powerful Witch in Oz! She eats munchkins Argy! Then sends her Flying Monkeys, or other armies to attack other States," I explained. Argy ate a good old American style hamburger and a small salad with water.
"Wait states? More than one? What's the geography of this place?" he asked. I pulled out a parchment scroll and flattened it out, naming the important parts of Oz to him and showing him how far we've traveled and where we've been so far, who controls each state, and what each state provides for the Country.
"Ahh, I see, cool! So there's no ocean here though huh?" Argy finished the salad.
"Well… there are rumors of the opposite of course, but no one believes them. The people of Oz think if there was an Ocean, either Ozma would be using it for trade, or someone would be visiting by now. Others and this is quite possible assuming an Ocean in this world exists, it is quite possible that someone with a ship and crew who has docked someplace many miles east from here, would have died before even approaching the Oz border of Munchkinland. The Deadly Desert from the Nome King's Dominion encircles all of Oz, anything living that touches it is turned to sand." I finished my meal and sat back in my chair finishing my wine.
"Wow, this is insane, ok noted I know where not go now. So what is our plan Anthony? It was very vague in there with, what was she? Queezma something?" Argy had a hard time keeping it all straight.
"Ha ha! Queen or Ozma, same thing. Our plan is to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. But the only way to do that is by taking away her magic, making her what's called tranquil. She'll be just a regular mortal woman with a strange dress. Then we kick her off the roof of the palace Tower where we are right now. The only magic dark and detailed enough to accomplish this si in the Grimmerie, the Wicked Witch's cursed book. Now, there are three times of magic here in Oz: Light, Dark, and Blood. Light is what the good people use, like Glinda, Ozma, me sometimes, etc. Dark is like Langwidere: she has magic in her blood, and the ability to use it for good, but consciously chooses and takes pleasure only in evil spells. Blood magic is the darkest of them all. This magic is so evil and black, that not only was it banned in Oz centuries ago, but it always comes with a price. Usually blood of the innocent, but sometimes your own. How much depends on the severity of the curse. For example, The Wicked Witch of the West if you notice, always kills someone or something, and then accomplishes something terrible in the Land. Her magic requires a constant payment to keep it strong. She'll never weaken by any means, but to maintain her skills, she must…consume...It's up to good magic folk like us to stop them Argy, too many good people have died needlessly and horribly," We bowed our heads in respect, and then there was knock on the door. Lady Glinda rushed to answer the door, and then she came in to see me.
"Anthony, come with me now," Lady Glinda looked horrified. Argy and I looked at each other with faces of "what the hell just happened?" and followed instantly. She was holding her staff at an angle with both hands close to her chest, looking out the window, it was raining, with deep claps of thunder, and split second flashes of lightning.
"What is it your Goodness?" Argy bowed upon entering the room.
"Argy, I'm sure and I hope Anthony has filled you in on everything, but there was a dear, good friend who had helped him twice before. He has just died. A massive attack from the Wicked Witch at Cloud Swamp which has destroyed its' forests, claimed his poor soul, yesterday. And it is said that she was visited by the Ozmist of her dead sister Nesssarose Evanora Thropp. Apparently, the Witch of the East told the Witch of the West where to find the Ruby Slippers, we have less than no time now to lose Anthony, you and Argy must stop her before it's too late. If she gets those shoes, I don't even want though think of it," Lady Glinda swallowed a few hard tears, and then snapped her fingers. Lights lit up the whole city outside and in, and in the room now illuminated, six potions sat in beautiful crystal bottles with large round bottoms on a wooden table. Each one brightly glowed with a unique power.
"Drink one, and in the morning you will permanently have attained its full power. It will never go away or stop working and you cannot switch once it been drunk, and do not take more than one, the spell will be broken, and none of these will work," Glinda explained.
"What does each one do?" Asked Argy.
"Drink one and tell me in the morning dear," She replied. "All you have to do is close your eyes, hove your right hand over the top of each one and whatever one makes you feel, different, is the one to take," and with that Lady Glinda summoned her bubble with a wave of her sun topped staff, and went back to her castle in Gillikin.
Argy went first. He approached the table, and closing his eyes he hovered his hand, moved slowly to the next.
Then, one bottle jumped right into his hand and he grabbed it. It was the pink colored potion, sparking slightly from its open rim, and he drank the whole thing. He lost his balance, dropped the crystal bottle which refused to shatter, and collapsed deep into sleep on the floor.
"Argy! Argy are you ok?" I ran over to him, and checked his pulse, he was just sleeping. With a sigh of relief, I did the same process, and my had grabbed the purple colored potion which had an odd purple mist coming from the top. I drank it all like rum, and then also collapsed on the floor, asleep, but feeling different. Something was changing within us.