"What was that?" Vella, Shay, and Oz asked in unison.
"It must be the wicked witch's minions…" Theodora said, fiddling with her hands, looking around, and trying to spot the source of the cry. She turned to Oz. "They're here to kill you!"
"Kill me?" Oz asked, his eyes growing wide.
"Kill him?" Vella and Shay asked.
The cry sounded again. Everyone looked around again.
"Shouldn't we run or something?" Shay asked in a panic. He tried to grab and drag the others. Shadows danced on the ground around them.
Theodora nodded and the four of them started running. Oz looked back to see what was chasing them and got a faceful of flying baboon. Surprised, he turned back around and tried to run even faster than he already had been. He spotted a small alcove behind a waterfall.
"In there!" He yelled, pointing at it.
He helped a hesitant Theodora into the alcove. By the time he went to help the two kids, they had already situated themselves next to Theodora. The wicked witch's minions roared again and Oz clambered into the hole.
"Aren't you a wizard or something?" Vella whisper-yelled as baboons swarmed their hiding spot.
Oz's eyes lit up with an idea. He quietly reached into his jacket, pulling out a cloth. He unwrapped a dove, releasing it into the air. The four quieted their breathing and listened as the bird flapped away. Larger pairs of flapping wings could be heard fading into the distance. All four of them sighed in relief.
"I don't think I like witches," Oz said. Theodora laughed.
Oz, Vella, and Shay all looked at her with weird looks.
"I too am a witch," Theodora clarified. "I am Theodora the Good."
"You're a witch?" Vella and Shay asked.
"You're not a witch," Oz laughed. "Where are you warts? And your broom?"
Theodora looked at him in confusion? "Broom? Why would I…?"
"Nevermind," Oz said, deciding to drop the subject.
The four of them found their way back to the Emerald City the next day. Vella and Shay gagged on Oz's romantic advances towards Theodora. Oz also picked up a new companion-a small, friendly flying monkey whom he rescued from a lion. They later found out the monkey's name was Finley.
Evanora was waiting for them as they entered. Oz looked around the palace, his eyes wide the whole time as he took in the sights. He marvelled at the sparkling emerald walls and the various decorations which adorned the wall and sat on pedestals. Theodora and Evanora argued in hushed whispers about something Vella and Shay couldn't quite hear. Theodora left the room in a fit of anger.
"Have you figured out a way to get us home yet?" Shay asked in a brief moment of silence.
"Not yet," Evanora replied, sighing. "I have been busy with… royal matters… while you were gone."
"Oh," Shay said, a bit disappointed.
Oz had wandered over to the throne that adorned the center of the room. He dragged a hand over the arm of it.
"So… this is… mine?" Oz asked, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was part of a prophecy.
"Yes, as soon as… you…" Evanora's words trailed off as Oz proceeded to seat himself on the throne. She mumbled the last few words of her sentence. "Kill the wicked witch…"
"Did you just say something about killing something wicked?" Vella asked.
"Do what now?" Oz looked up at Evanora.
"Well, you see," Evanora said, "The prophecy states that you must kill the wicked witch first, before you become king."
Oz got up and looked at Evanora, slightly flustered. "K-kill? You never said anything about killing… I don't know if I want to…"
Evanora looked disappointed. "Well, I suppose, if you aren't interested in being king…"
"Well-I mean-I am interested… but killing?" Oz said.
"We could help you," Vella chimed in.
"Yeah," Shay said. "Vella's pretty good at killing wicked things."
Vella shot him a look.
"Well, I mean… my ship…" Shay explained.
Now it was Evanora's turn to be flustered. "Oh, well… Killing the witch could be very dangerous. You do want to get home, don't you?" Evanora asked, hoping to convince the two that going with Oz might preclude their chances of getting home.
"Well… I mean, yeah, but everything else we've done over the last few days has been dangerous too…" Shay said.
"Yeah, a little danger never stopped us," Vella said.
"It is not just a little dangerous," Evanora said, still trying to convince them to stay. "You do not know how powerful she is. You wouldn't want to be killed before we can get you home, do you?"
"No, but I still want to help," Vella said.
Evanora sighed and left the room, annoyed by their stubbornness and realizing there was no convincing them.
"You can come," Oz whispered, still staring at the spot where Evanora was standing, a bit confused and slightly more scared than he was before.
It was settled that night between Oz, Vella, and Shay. The three of them (and that monkey, Finley) would leave early in the morning, before Evanora and Theodora got up. They would go to the dark forest, kill the wicked witch, and return. That would be the end of it, and Evanora and Theodora would hopefully have more time to focus on getting Vella and Shay home. And no one was to say a word to the Theodora about it.