(Please know due to formatting issues, Maguro's star quirk will be added in a later update.)
In-Between Magic
Arle was reminded of her childhood as she gazed at Ringo. Bright and starry-eyed, Ringo balanced on her heels as Arle inspected the quiet stretch of forest. Arle pretended to note the trickling scent of honeysuckle and pine, but she was curiously glancing over her shoulder at Ringo, who babbled to Maguro and Risukuma about honing her mathematical magic.
It almost felt like Arle was back in magic school. The noisy, overcrowded Suzuran Middle School was not the place for her, but being a teacher for budding magicians, each with a unique magical style, fascinated Arle. With the forest as their learning ground, it was as if Arle had gone back home.
"So, teach, what's the first thing we gotta learn?" Maguro asked, idly playing with his kendama.
"From what I understand, your magic is based only on Puyo battling, right?" Arle asked, receiving nods from her students. "Well, have any of you attempted magic at all? Conjuring a little fireball? Sparking a tiny lightning bolt?"
"Well, no. That's not something any of us would have ever considered in our world," Risukuma explained, crossing his arms.
Arle frowned. Summoning a fireball was some of the most basic magic. She had learned that spell when she was with the fairies as a four-year-old. Tapping her foot, Arle hummed and wondered how to proceed.
"Could you show us an example? I've never really seen the other Arle use magic without Puyos," Ringo asked, raising her hand.
Arle's mouth fell open. Her eyebrows reached her hairline, but before she could verbalize her shock, she shook her head. It seemed the other Arle was slacking in her magic studies, something she would never do. It was almost as if her other self just wanted to fool around for all eternity.
"An example. Got it," she said, cupping her hands near her chest and curling her fingers towards sky. Approaching the trio, she beckoned them to come forward.
They gathered around her, inspecting her open palms. The wind stirred around them as if building anticipation, but Ringo merely tilted her head when nothing happened. Ringo expected something grand like fireworks bursting out of her fingertips. Instead of commenting, she watched, studious as always.
Arle thought of red hot fire and inhaled the smoke, and low and behold, fire appeared. In her hand was a shifting fireball the size of a baseball. It crackled and faintly blew in the wind, and Arle tossed it in the air, extending her pointer finger to catch it. Like a basketball player spinning her ball, Arle twirled it, trickling smoke wafting around them.
Arle explained, "Magic is like a thought. If you think it, then it can appear, but it requires an understanding of their composition. For elemental magic like fire, you must understand what fire is made up of. Such as-"
"When gases get too hot, their compound molecules break apart. Atoms then combine with oxygen in order to make water and carbon dioxide among other products," Ringo interjected, satisfied until Arle's lips spread out into a thin, befuddled line. "What? They burn. Plain and simple."
Arle slowly shook her head, saying, "No, geek. That might be the scientific way, but that is not the magical way."
Maguro chuckled. "She got you there, Ringo."
Elbowing Maguro, the flushed Ringo replied, "But then how is that possible? It doesn't make logical sense."
Arle snapped her fingers, dispersing the fire. Reaching forward, she flicked Ringo's brow, and as the other girl yelped, she said, "And that's exactly why you haven't understood magic. In fact, that's probably why this world hasn't been able to utilize magic."
"Because we're scientific?" Risukuma asked as Ringo rubbed her forehead, scowling at her teacher.
"Science is also an art. You break apart compounds and create newness out of it. That's, in a way, magic, too," Arle said, closing her eyes and spreading her hands apart. Ice formed between the slits of her fingers, traveling along her arms and forming long blades. She immersed herself in its chill and surrounded herself in an arctic world. "For me, I think of what exactly is ice. The freezing, smooth texture, the hardness or softness of every crystal if I decide to make snow. Then, I bend the world a little with my will."
"Your will?" Ringo asked, her anger vanishing.
"That's right. Magic is composed of the power of someone's will whether it's a desire to become a great magician or someone who can simply bend the world to their whims," Arle said, and she shot her hands up to the sky, the blades striking upwards. Clapping her hands, the blades exploded into snow, soft crystals dancing as they descended upon the baffled students.
Maguro reached up and caught a few snowflakes. He watched them melt right away, their intricate designs becoming nothing but water. Wiping his hand on his jacket, he shouted, "So, all of that right now was completely magic? That's incredible!"
Arle chuckled. "I'm glad you agree, but I think you three need a little familiar practice before delving into a really magical experience."
"Ah, the Super Moves, correct?" Risukuma asked, the memory of his battle with Arle making his head hum.
"That's right. You all looked completely shocked when I used Void Hole, but for me, it's natural," Arle informed, and she pointed at Ringo and Maguro. "So, I'd like for you two to have a practice Puyo battle. Play like normal until I say otherwise."
Ringo and Maguro nodded, each eager to learn about Super Moves. Stepping away from each other, the playing field opened as they shouted for a Puyo battle to begin. The heavens ripped open, and from the vortex came multi-colored Puyos descending upon their world. Ringo squinted, calculating each perfect chain length as she guided red Puyos along the left side of her field. She noted Maguro was stacking his Puyos erratically, creating a few shorter chains to send Nuisance Puyos to her side.
"Swing In!" Maguro shouted, flipping his kendama about, and Ringo smirked as the Nuisance Puyos appeared on her side, having a chain long enough to counter.
"Cosign!" Ringo barked, lightning sparking from her hands over Maguro's head. Her Puyos fell into place and popped, refuting Maguro's attack. Seeing Maguro grimace, she knew his shorter combinations would-
"Void Hole!"
Ringo gasped, her eyes widening as a black hole appeared just underneath the Nuisance Puyos that were about to fall on Maguro's field. To her bewilderment, two more vortexes appeared underneath the incoming Puyos on both of their boards. She watched the eyes of Puyo widen before their blobby forms were consumed by darkness.
Arle lowered her hand, stepping between the combatants. She looked over at Ringo, smiling, but then she turned her gaze to Maguro, who merely scratched his head.
"Maguro, this is a potential time to use a Super Move," she said, flicking her gaze up to the black holes she created.
"It is? How?" he wondered, idly playing with his kendama.
"All Super Moves are different. My Void Hole can halt Nuisance Puyos from falling, but it isn't inevitable. If I don't create a stronger chain, then I can't destroy them or send them back with more of them stacked. They'll crash on me if I don't come up with a plan," Arle explained, and she waved her hand, dismissing one of the black holes. As the Nuisance Puyos threatened to plummet on Maguro, she asked, "Now, what should you do? You have two options with one being to use a stronger chain, which you don't have, or use a Super Move."
"But how would he use it?" Risukuma wondered, a notepad in his hand as he wrote down Arle's instructions.
She shrugged, and Maguro uttered a confused cry. "That's not up to me. Like I said, all Super Moves are unique to their user, but Maguro has just used magic to send over a chain. From what I observed, he channels his magic into his kendama." Pointing at his kendama, she grinned. "That device allows you to send over your attacks, right? Try it again."
"But he has to sacrifice Puyos, doesn't he?" Ringo asked, a touch irritated that her battle had been interrupted.
"Super Moves can be used three times in a match." Arle sighed, shaking her head. "I guess the other me really didn't tell you guys anything. How disappointing."
Maguro hummed, bringing his kendama to eye level. If he couldn't come up with a solution, he was going to get smashed with Nuisance Puyos. He tilted his kendama, watching the ball fall onto the base cup. He pursed his lips, tricks filling his head, but he couldn't think of anything. He knew too many tricks without the knowledge of how to transfer it to magic.
"For starters," Arle said, "you know that you're about to be attacked. Since this is a Puyo battle and anyone involved can use magic, shouldn't you will yourself to use magic as well? You've already been doing it, so turn an idea into magic."
Maguro stared at her, a reply on his tongue. He had seen her create fire and ice out of nothing, but he was just a simple boy. Magic was still relatively new to him, but he was not entirely without his abilities. With his kendama to channel his power, he was a fine magician of Puyo battles.
All he needed to do was think of a trick to channel his magic, and when it hit him, he gasped. His eyes widened behind his bangs, and noticing his amusement, Arle waved away her Void Holes. Stepping out of the playing field, she smirked as Maguro bent his knees.
He flipped his kendama into a large circle with the ball never leaving the base cup. Following it with another spin, he caught the ball on the base cup once more, and his kendama flared, magic emitting from the ball.
"Zero Gravity!" he shouted, and Ringo's mouth flopped open.
Her blue and purple Puyos rose, manipulated by gravity. Puyos were suddenly swapping all over the place. They squished into greens and yellows, destroying her budding combinations. They were as bad as Nuisance Puyos, being there when she simply did not need them.
"Sidewinder!" Maguro shouted, performing the trick, and with Ringo distracted by her unsettling Puyos, he sent over another wave of Nuisance Puyos, effectively destroying her chance at victory.
Yelping, Ringo waved her fingers and tried to think of any way to salvage her combinations. Her board looked like an absolutely mess, a chaotic array of colors torturing her eyes. At Arle's smile, she knew it was her turn to come up with a Super Move, but in her confusion, the Nuisance Puyos crushed her. The Nuisance Puyos slammed down on her skull as they filled up her board, and she collapsed, her chin hitting the ground. Hearing Arle clap for Maguro was the icing on a burnt cake, leaving her with a nauseous pit in her stomach.
"That was tight!" Maguro gushed, punching the air, and Risukuma grinned, finishing his notes.
"Incredible work, Maguro. I wrote down lots of valuable information, because of that match," Risukuma remarked, and Arle nodded.
"That was good. With more training, you could use your kendama in real magic duels," she said, and as Maguro snickered, she went over to Ringo, who brushed off the Nuisance Puyos covering her. "As for you, that wasn't bad, but I know why you couldn't perform a Super Move in that clutching time."
"Is it because my Puyos were suddenly rearranged?" Ringo grumbled, the boards and Puyos vanishing.
Arle smirked, hands on her hips. "Well, yeah. That's really it. You became flustered and didn't know what to do, but that's expected with Super Moves. They're all different. Even I can't predict what kind of attack a Super Move will be used on me. For Maguro to manipulate your blue and purple Puyos, well, that was just his brand of magic."
Ringo nodded, her somberness trailing off into appreciation. Maguro had defeated her fair and square, and she allowed uncertainty to infiltrate her concentration. Congratulating Maguro, she rolled her eyes as he kissed his kendama, gushing over his techniques.
Still, she was left with the urge to learn. Super Moves were decisive in Puyo battles, but before she could vocalize her interest, Risukuma gasped.
"My jellies! I left them at school!" he shrieked, grasping his ears, his notepad falling onto the grass. He snatched Arle's hand, frenetically shaking it. "I have to go now, but thank you for your valuable lesson!"
Watching Risukuma dash off as Arle blinked, Maguro chuckled and said, "I think I'll go after him. Make sure he doesn't hurt anyone, yeah? Anyway, see you two later. Thanks for the Super Move training, Arle."
Waving as Maguro rushed after Risukuma, Arle was alone with Ringo in the quiet forest. The faint scent of honeysuckle and pine wafted around her once more, and she heard Ringo sigh. Turning her attention to Ringo, she asked what was wrong.
"That was really impressive. You know, what Maguro did. He's been on a bit of a losing streak with Puyo battles lately, so that probably boosted his confidence," Ringo said, a tired smile splitting on her lips, but it was quickly erased with brightness illuminating her expression. She snatched Arle's hands, bringing herself closer to her bemused teacher, "but I'm gonna win the next one for sure! Can we have a Puyo battle so I can try to use a Super Move?"
"Firsthand experience is always the best way to teach," Arle said, nodding, "so, of course. I'll gladly give you a match."
"Fa~bu~lous!" Ringo sang, tossing her hands up above her head.
"After I remove the bastard watching us."
The sudden curse word dragged Ringo out of her happy stupor. She uttered a confused thrum, watching Arle whip her head over her shoulder. All Ringo could do was gaze on as a flurry of events happened before her eyes.
Firstly, Arle vanished in a cloak of darkness, in what Ringo assumed was a modified Void Hole. Secondly, Ringo watched as Arle appeared in a tree several yards away from them, her hand curled around Satan's throat. Finally, she saw Ecolo laugh and hold their belly as the combatants glowered at each other.
"Wow! Stingy Armor, you were quick! You were like supersonic just now! Are you gonna turn gold by any chance?" Ecolo asked, and when they saw Ringo gawking, they shot over to her, shouting, "Ringo! It was so funny watching you get smooshed by Puyos! Kinda reminds me of how we first met. All I wanted to do was bury your world in Puyos, but seeing you under all that heavy weight was kinda like that!"
"E-Ecolo? Ecolo!" Ringo blurted, shaking her head as Ecolo hovered in front of her.
"That's me! Don't wear my name out," Ecolo teased, flicking her forehead.
Smacking their hand away, she wanted to retort only for Satan to be thrown past her in a mess of tangled limbs and clothing. She gasped, hobbling forward, and Ecolo steadied her, but the clammy sensation of their hands on her shoulder sent a chill down their spine. Shoving them away, she furrowed her brow as Satan calmly stood up, brushing off dirt from his cloak.
"Hello, Ringo. It's been a few weeks since we've last spoken," Satan remarked, and Arle lunged down from the tree, her back hunched.
Ringo swallowed, unsure of how to continue. If a reply proper then she had no idea. Jerking her head over to Arle, she paled. Even if she was not an ideal magic user, she could sense bloodlust emitting from Arle, and copper reached her nostrils, making her want to gag.
Arle narrowed her gaze. She coolly looked among the trio before settling her glare on Satan, saying, "You saved me a lot of trouble."
"I take it you really were going to cause trouble for my Arle, doppelganger," Satan mused, and Arle grit her teeth.
"I'm the real Arle. You know that girl is nothing but a replica!"
Steeling himself at her harsh tone, Satan shook his head. "No. She's more like the real Arle than you will ever be. The real Arle would never act like you."
Arle felt like her molars were about to ground into dust by the sheer pressure she exuded on them. Her knuckles pressed against her skin, and all she could feel was hatred. The despair and malice she felt in the void of nothingness chomped her, biting into her and tearing off whatever flesh could be found.
"What do you plan on doing? Brainwashing me again? As if that worked out," Satan replied, checking his nails, and he smirked as if he was dealing with a petulant child. "Oh, will we Puyo battle? That also worked very nicely last time."
"Shut up! Shut your disgusting mouth! I'm going to end it," Arle seethed, fiery sparks brewing at her fingertips.
"A-Arle, stop! You can't-!" Ringo blurted, but Ecolo slapped their hand over her mouth. Flustered, she snatched Ecolo's wrist, but their strength overpowered her.
Arle scowled, "So, Saliva Mouth, I take it you told Satan about what happened between you and I."
"Yep! Guilty as charged!" Ecolo laughed, sitting on Ringo's shoulders and kept their hands over her mouth. While Ringo struggled, they bobbed their head back and forth. "Go on! Have at it! I wanna see a real show!"
"This was all for the sake of them being amused," Satan snapped, glaring at them.
Ecolo winked. "Hey, don't knock me until you try me, big boy. It's all in good fun."
Prying their hands off her mouth, Ringo gasped and regained color to her cheeks. She tried pushing Ecolo, but they zipped off, floating by Arle. She shouted at them to leave Arle alone, but Ecolo clicked their tongue against the roof of their mouth.
"Aw, look what we have here, Arle. We have the guy who imprisoned you for five hundred years. What a cruel, salacious guy, right? Being able to live in the lap of luxury while you suffer?" Ecolo crooned, resting their elbow on her armor, her shoulder tensing. They played with a few tresses of her hair. "I'm on your side, Arle. I really think this guy needs some punishment, and shouldn't the victim dish it out?" Their voice lowered, and they leaned closer to her ear. "Let him have it. It's what he deserves, and you and I both agree-"
Her hand moved faster than their lips. Arle clutched Ecolo's face, holding them away and digging her nails into their face. Faint blue liquid bubbled on their skin as she pierced their temples and cheeks. As Ecolo yipped and kicked their legs, Arle plunged Ecolo into the ground, their body becoming one with the earth.
It felt like a small tremor went off as Ringo lost her balance, but Satan steadied her. He glanced down at the shivering girl, knowing she had been dragged into the battle. Satan sighed, watching Ecolo writhe on the ground and the doppelganger pant through her frustration.
"We can settle this in two ways," Satan said, "the easy way or the hard way."
Arle's neck bent at an odd angle, and she licked her lips as they formed a smirk. "I think you already know the way I want, you pathetic excuse for a god. I've already taken down one god, so defeating another like you should be a piece a cake."
Satan closed his eyes. He sighed. The outcome of the battle was obvious to him, but she would never see it. Her perspective was closed. She only sought revenge against him and the world he created.
Satan flexed his fingers and opened his eyes, welcoming her challenge as Ringo looked on, a powerless girl in the midst of gods.
"You disgusting-! You irritable-! I will end you!"
Raffina's shrill voice echoed as Amitie groaned. Amitie looked on as Raffina kicked Gogotte into a tree, his fallen pot spilling out the sloppy contents of his soup. She noticed mushy mushrooms clinging to the bottom of the pan, and she shook her head, the intrusive notion of how disgusting the soup's taste would be attacking her thoughts.
Gogotte yelped as Raffina continued ramming her heel into his side. "Stop! Hurts, it does!"
"Well, you shouldn't have been so-so-so obscene! Pulling that pan out of your...our of your-!" Raffina threw her hands up, grunting and jumping away from Gogotte. She leaped back over to Amitie, her fists clenching at her sides. "Now, let's get back to business, please."
Gogotte groaned, fixing his cap and scrambling for his soup. He wanted to refuse, but he feared the power of Raffina's kicks. Rubbing his stomach, he grumbled, "You win, you win. Was going to share, but I'll take it back. You aren't worthy of my soup."
"We really didn't want it. It's been in your..." Amitie pointed at Gogotte's pants.
"Amitie!" Raffina shouted, covering the other girl's mouth. "Don't give that creep any ideas."
Amitie shrugged, and Raffina released her. Clearing her throat, Amitie asked, "So, before you tried giving us that soup, you said you met with the Witch of Nahe at her doorstep. Do you know where it is?"
"I do, I do!" Gogotte nodded, his grin stretching. He reached into his pants, and Raffina shrieked at him to stop, but he pulled out another pot. From his bag, he tossed in pieces of lemon and rosemary. He shook his pot, the faintly brown concoction swirling and spilling out. "Was a real looker! Pretty, blonde, but oh so very sad. Offered her my soup, I did, but she refused. Said she only wanted home. Hunger meant nothing, absolutely nothing, to her. So thin, so sad, so very raggedy in her clothes."
"Where is her home?" Amitie asked again, sadness etched into her heart as Gogotte spoke.
Gogotte hummed, dipping his thumb into the soup. Slurping it, he grinned at the sour taste and replied, "Far away. Right in the center of the woods, and yet, deeper and deeper and deeper still. Want some soup?"
"For the last time, no, we do not," Raffina deadpanned, shaking her head. Grabbing Amitie's hand, she dragged her past Gogotte, snapping. "Thank you for your terrible assistance. We will never contact you again."
"Thanks for trying to help, but maybe keep your soups somewhere else!" Amitie offered, hurrying off with Raffina on another path filled with rocks and grass.
Raffina groaned, hearing Gogotte call for them to return any time. She shuddered, rubbing her stomach and mumbling that was she was a bit hungry. She knew she should have eaten something before running off on a wild goose chase, but she wanted to prove Tarutaru either wrong or that she could best the allegedly powerful Witch of Nahe.
Amitie sighed, peering up at the gnarled trees. They had gone quite a distance into the Woods of Nahe. Shadows crossed over them, covering them from any sunlight. The trees meshed together, forming a barrier from the rest of the world. The scent of pine entranced her as they went deeper, filling her with hope that were coming closer to the witch's home.
In silence, they continued their search for what felt like hours. Their feet ached, dragging themselves forward until they could no longer recognize fantasy from reality. Raffina thought she saw Yu and Rei dancing among the thick roots, and Amitie believed she spotted Sig chasing butterflies, but they were nothing but tricks their minds played upon them.
"We should go back," Amitie mumbled, pinkness fading from her cheeks.
"Just a little more. We have to find this stupid witch," Raffina grumbled, "just so I can teach her a lesson about having a home in the middle of a forest without any markings or indications of where she might be."
Amitie yawned, feeling like she could have fallen asleep. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she heard Raffina stifle a yawn as well. She wanted to immerse herself under her comforters, the cotton feeling of her pillow caressing her cheeks. Rolling around, wrapping blankets around her body, and then drifting off into a peaceful dreamland would have been the greatest pleasure after a long trek in the woods.
Still, it was an unnatural sensation. It was sudden, hitting her like a wave of nausea. Her head hummed, demanding rest and tickled her legs. A sigh heaved from her throat, prompting Raffina to stop and rub her eyes.
They looked at each other, the unspoken idea of wanting to return home passing between them. Raffina and Amitie faced the forest before them, the woods gnarled and demented. Darkness crossing over the path, they could not make out what lied before them. Amitie swallowed, her eyes aching and ordering rest. She tried to step forward, but slumber pulled her backwards, tempting her body to turn away from her quest. Raffina hunched, a rare moment of inelegance contaminating her as her own feet betrayed her. She began to amble away. As another yawn left Raffina, Amitie snatched her hand, getting dragged along by Raffina's stronger pull.
"H-hey, Raffina! We can't...we can't..." Amitie groaned, squeezing her eyes shut.
\
"I wanna go home. I need to sleep right now," Raffina mumbled as if in a trance, her voice monotone.
Reminded of Raffina's brainwashed stint when the worlds nearly meshed together, Amitie wrenched her eyes open and forced herself to stare over her shoulder. The foreboding forest faced them, and with all her might, she began to yank Raffina off her feet. She trudged through dead grass and sharp stones, her muscles tense and sore with each step. It was like she was lugging dead weight, causing each step to be excruciating as her body wailed upon her soul, crying out for sleep.
Yet, Amitie felt like she was so close. She couldn't turn back to Primp Town empty-handed or without a story to tell. Returning home would mean she admitted defeat to the unknown witch, who probably cackled at their expensive.
As Raffina groaned behind her, Amitie wondered why she was so sleepy. Each footstep felt like she could have fallen over into a nightmarish rest, plagued with terrible illusions as she slept. Her mind and body beat at her soul, craving defeat and a warm bed, but Amitie pressed against blackened nature.
"A spell," Raffina crooned, her voice as audible as a pained whisper, "Someone is putting a spell on us."
"D-do you think it's the witch?" Amitie murmured, and Raffina nodded, each breath labored. She wrapped Raffina's arm over her shoulder, forcing herself to match Raffina's longer strides.
"Absolutely. This magic is strong." Raffina's eyes rolled, threatening to fall into her skull and show her fully white sclera.
Their eyes grew red and puffy, veins appearing like cracked glass. Gasps became their normal breaths. Their heavy bodies pressed together, supporting one another as they walked. Sweat stained their brows as their natural color was stripped. Amitie felt like if she even blinked, then she would fall asleep, so Raffina kept her fingers pinched to Amitie's neck.
"A little more, just a little more," Amitie said, voice hoarse and eyes blurring.
Everything meshed together. The browns and greens of the trees painted their vision with indistinguishable hues. No trace of sunlight remained, and they could not tell if it was day or night. Mosquitoes threatened their bodies, buzzing incessantly and matching the droning hum of their minds.
They weathered through, urging each other to keep moving. Even as tears streaked down their cheeks and their bodies ached for rest, they moved. Gravity was their enemy, coaxing them to collapse, but they rebelled. No witch or cruel spell would deter them from finding out the truth.
Then, at the end of their arduous journey was a hut. They froze, suddenly wide awake and electrified, but all they could do was stare. The rotten wood, devoured by insects and critters, served as the flimsy cottage's walls. Leaves in yellows, greens, and reds were the colorful roof. The knotted roots bolted the abode into the earth, the soil surrounding it a faint tan tint.
However, bones tormented them. Yellow husks of ribs and marrow appeared like clubs. They served as a doormat, lampooning merriment and cheer of a host welcoming their guests. Whether they were human or animal bones, the girls did not want to question it.
"So, not even my best spell, Ongoku, could stop you?"
The voice, hollow and cold, echoed from the bowels of the home. Raffina ripped her head up, a gasp splitting through her teeth. Amitie clung to her, burying her head against her shoulder.
"Come in, come in. It's been too long since I've had guests. Please, won't you come in?"
They approached. The door was made of silver, clashing with the grotesque appearance of the hut. Exchanging a glance with Amitie who nodded, Raffina turned the jiggling knob, and they entered.
No light pierced through the hut as the door opened. Raffina and Amitie entered, and the door slammed shut behind them. Amitie yelped, gripping the doorknob, but it refused to budge. Raffina grit her teeth, glowering at the one who trapped them. Amitie turned as well, biting her fingernails and faced the legend.
There, sitting on top of an oak table riddled with splinters, with nothingness as her companion, in tattered red garbs and flowing hair that reached her ankles, was the Witch of Nahe.