After falling in the ravine, the Wizard drifted in and out of consciousness. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the light from the morning sun made him open his eyes. As he did so, he thought he saw a hooded figure wearing a yellow robe. However, his eyes closed once more as he drifted back into unconsciousness.
He was then jolted out of his slumber when a bucket of cold water was thrown onto him.
"Wh—what—what! I'm…I'm awake! I'm…", the Wizard mumbled to himself as he quickly turned and tried to gaze at whoever had disturbed him. As he opened his eyes, he cringed. His arm hurt from the fall, his nose stung from the witch hitting him the day prior and his pupils burned from the lack of sleep. He squinted as he rubbed his eyes with his fingers.
The Wizard saw a young woman who stared at him curiously. She had curly brown hair and was slender in appearance. Her skin was pale, and she wore simple clothing that was customary for ordinary Winkie farmers.
The young woman squinted as she cocked her head. "What are you doing on the ground?"
The Wizard was still disoriented and dazed. He rubbed his face again as he tried to wake up. "I…I must have taken a nap after engaging in an…epic power struggle!" Even though he was still tired and slurred his words slightly, he managed to wave and gesture with his hands in a fantastical fashion. Whoever this person was, he didn't want her to know that he had just gotten his ass kicked by the Haunted Forest.
"Are you the Wizard", she asked.
He then stood and addressed her while his voice brimmed with false confidence. "Yes…yes…I…I am the Wizard", he said. "I am trying to make my way to the Gilikins! I am being chased and I must make it there with much haste…"
The young woman smiled. "Well, I know of a town that borders the Gilikin Country. We can walk there and then you can cross the border." She then placed her hands on her hips. "But who would be foolish enough to pursue someone as great and as powerful as you, o' mighty Wizard?"
His lips curled into a frown. "It is someone who is very powerful, indeed…but it is no doubt an adversary I can handle!" As he spoke, he noticed that the woman gave him a slight smirk as her brown eyes quickly glanced at the ground and then back at him. Her brown hair fell to the side, and she was quite attractive. He didn't want to tell her it was the Wicked Witch of the West, for he was afraid if this young Winkie woman knew the truth, she would not want to help him.
But by way of her mannerisms, the Wizard questioned whether if she believed him. There was something about this woman's tonal intonations and other non-verbal cues that gave him pause. He thought something was off about her.
"Well, I am sure you will be able to handle this powerful adversary—whoever it is—once you get where you need to be", the young woman responded. "I am Moira." She then flashed him a wide-eyed grin that was filled with hidden mirth. It was almost like the Wizard had met this woman before and knew who she was, but he didn't know where.
The pair then made their way across the forest while passing rivers, brooks, and streams. These trees were filled with leaves, which was a very positive sign for the Wizard. He was finally out of that god forsaken section of the Haunted Forest. As the sun approached its zenith in the deep blue sky, he believed it would now be smooth sailing ahead.
"So, tell me Wizard, what are you doing in this section of the country? I thought a powerful being such as yourself would be at…the Emerald City?" Her tone started out as affable when she asked him this question, but then slowly became subtly bitter when she made mention of the Emerald City.
This question made him nervous as he tugged his shirt collar. "Well, it is complicated, really."
"Tell me", she inquired with a sly smile.
"Let's just say I am going through some issues with the Emerald City."
Moira stared straight ahead without looking at him. "Who isn't", she muttered under her breath before her voice resumed its normal volume. "And are these issues one of the Wizard's making?"
"No…let's just say there is a witch who is responsible for all of this. A witch I am going to pay back sooner rather than later", he muttered with bitter contempt.
"And which witch would that be to earn the Wizard's wrath", she looked at him before turning her head and staring straight ahead once more.
"Oh, I'm sure you have heard of Evanora…"
"The so-called Wicked Witch of the East?"
"Yep, that one…"
"What's wrong with her? I have only heard good things about her."
The Wizard raised his brow. A Winkie farmer only heard good things about Evanora? The traitorous witch who killed her own father and usurped his throne? The liar and deceitful wench who manipulated her own sister for personal gain? The one who decimated a whole village full of porcelain dolls?
"I'm sorry", the Wizard responded. "You must be mistaken with someone else…"
"No, I don't think I am", Moira said pointedly. "Evanora is the Good Witch who banished Glinda, the Wicked Witch from the Emerald City…"
The Wizard looked at her nervously as they walked. "Umm…well, that's not quite true. You see, Evanora is a Wicked Witch…"
"Says who", Moira asked as she glanced at him again.
"Says…everyone", the Wizard replied.
"And you believe them?"
"Well, why wouldn't I?"
Moira shook her head. "Well, if Ozians told you to jump off a bridge into what appeared to be a endless black pit, would you do it?"
The Wizard shook his head. "No, of course not…"
"So, why would you believe them when they say that Evanora is wicked?"
"Because…she killed the king", he responded hesitantly.
"Oh, King Pastoria", she said.
"Yeah, that's the one."
Moira started to snicker quietly. There was something about her quiet laughter that was unsettling to the Wizard. He didn't know how to describe it, but it bordered on being sinister.
"What", he asked.
"And who told you that he was a good king", she finally responded.
"Well, Glinda, for one."
"Of course, she did."
The Wizard glanced at her wearily before looking ahead. He didn't know what to make of this exchange. Judging by the conversation, it appeared that a simply Winkie farmer had gripes with both the Emerald City and the former king. This was surprising. He never met any Ozian who ever said anything negative about King Pastoria before, even though he would rarely leave the Emerald City itself since he became the city's guardian. He was still struggling with intermittent fatigue—partly because he simply did not get a restful sleep the night prior, but he was still curious and wanted to see where this conversation went.
"Why wasn't King Pastoria a good king?"
Moira gave him a brief side-eyed stare as they walked. Her voice was mildly derisive. "Well, for starters, he would banish anyone who even had a mild disagreement with him. Secondly, he would label anyone who disagreed with him as "Wicked". Thirdly, even his so-called 'advisors' were yes-people. Fourthly, the Emerald City itself is like a mob. Fifthly, if you disagree with the city on anything, you are out."
She then glanced at him and smirked as they continued to walk. "Shall I continue?"
"God, you sound just like the Emerald City", the Wizard bemoaned as he sighed. "Just because the man had his flaws doesn't mean he deserved death…"
"And what if he did something heinous to deserve it? Or what if he was killed to prevent future suffering and other deaths?" Moira then glanced at him again. "What would you say to that?"
The Wizard exhaled out of his mouth as he grunted incredulously. "Oh, come on. That was never the case…"
"How do you know", Moira asked.
"Because…I would have known about it…"
"Would you have?"
"Look, I…" The Wizard was about to angrily object and tell her that she was wrong, but truth be told, he didn't know what to think about Moira's questions and probing. For the past three years, Glinda ran most of the administrative responsibilities of the city. And even when he wanted to become more involved, he would instead be given tedious and mundane tasks, which he quickly grew tired of. He suspected this was being done deliberately. Additionally, anytime he asked Glinda about her family history, her responses lacked real substance, and she then changed the subject at the first available opportunity. At the time, he didn't think much of it. He felt that Glinda may have been uncomfortable sharing this history, and he did not press the matter further.
There was even a time when he had an argument with Glinda about appearing in public and returning to his mortal form. The southern witch and the council were all ardently against this, arguing that if both Evanora and Theodora knew that he returned to his mortal form that they would attack the city and that he could only address his subjects if he appeared in his ethereal form at the throne room. Indeed, Glinda would repeatedly tell him that the reason why Evanora was only disparaging his character and not directly invading the Emerald City herself was because she feared his powers. Both the council and the witch used these boogeywomen as a deterrent against him leaving the palace. At meetings, the council would remind him how devious both the Wicked Witch of the East was and how cruel the Wicked Witch of the West was.
"Remember! Being ugly in Ozian society means being irredeemably wicked", one council member had barked at him during their meetings. "If they ever find out that you are a fraud or a phony, they will do away with you! In the blink of an eye!" Glinda would tell the Wizard that the only ones who could know that he was an ordinary man were sophisticated members of the Ozian public whom she entrusted to keep his secret. This included select administrative officials, the council, Glinda herself, officers in her army like Agatha and the Wizard's inner circle like Knuck, China Girl, the Master Tinker and Finley.
Finally, after months of quarrelling over this matter—which left the Wizard physically drained and mentally exhausted—both Glinda and the council finally relented and the news was made public that the Wizard had decided to return to his mortal form, but that he still retained his awesome and godly powers. Even after this decision was made, both Glinda and the council cautioned him from leaving the palace or the Emerald City. They argued that it wouldn't be good if he was seen in his mortal form because the city's denizens would come to believe that he was simply a mortal man. And if they believed he was a mortal man, they would lose respect for him and the city's morale would fall apart, leaving an opening for someone to challenge the Wizard's "rulership" or for one of the Wicked Witches to invade.
When the Wizard did leave the city, it was only at the behest of Glinda, or the council, and the trip was to be restricted to the mission at hand. "Remember, you cannot wander off", Glinda warned him. "If either the Wicked Witch of the West or the Wicked Witch of the East can locate you, I would not be there to protect you." When the Wizard asked if she could bless him just in case, she said he wouldn't need her blessing since he was either seeing an ally of the Emerald City or someone who was not going to harm him. "As long as you stick to the path I mark, you will not have any issues", Glinda would tell him.
Still, there was a nagging feeling deep within his gut that both Glinda and the council put the Wizard's wellbeing as a secondary goal and their primary goal was for him to be a symbol. He also suspected that they were withholding information from him and actively prevented him from becoming involved in Ozian affairs. The Wizard was often ignored at most meetings. Since Glinda told him what to do and what to say, he would often become meek if he wanted to veer from his imposed agenda or script. If he brought up a suggestion or an idea that was not mentioned by Glinda prior, the council would give him an icy and cold piercing stare. No one would ever tell him that what he said or did was inappropriate, but the non-verbal cues and microaggressions directed at him would indicate that he overstepped his boundaries.
Initially, he was ecstatic when he became "king" of Oz. However, he soon discovered that this status of his was largely a myth. He had great treasure that he could not use. While all the gold was technically his, he could only take money with both Glinda and the council's permission. Even Glinda and the council would have to consent if he wanted to use the money for the public good. He felt that every decision he wanted to make was closely and carefully monitored by someone, whether it be Agatha, the council or Glinda herself. He once even pulled Glinda aside and argued why he was not being given more autonomy and responsibility. "Why is my only responsibility speaking to Ozians using my ethereal head and falsely pledging to solve their problems", the Wizard would complain to Glinda. "I want to do more!" To this, the witch would initially play dumb and then say she would vociferously fight for his right to govern, but he would never hear back from her about this topic, and nothing would ever change.
There was a plethora of reasons why his romantic relationship with Glinda had ended, but one of those reasons had to do with her secretiveness. Once Evanora was banned from the city, the Wizard "found out" from Glinda herself that she had an entire army. This was never even discussed with him before they took over the Emerald City. While he tried to downplay this discovery and Glinda's reasoning for why she didn't tell him about it to begin with, he still had the lingering feeling that he had been used.
Due to many of these instances, the power struggles and the constant aggravation that followed, the Wizard decided to simply focus on his inventions and largely withdrew from Emerald City life.
The pair continued quietly until they reached the outskirts of the town. By this time, the sun was slowly starting to set amid the backdrop of this quaint and picturesque village. Several townsfolk—all of whom were men—came out to greet the pair. The man who was leading the small pack instantly recognized the Wizard.
"We heard from the resistance what had happened. We are glad that you were able to escape from the witch's domain." The leader then extended his hand. "My name is Marlow. I am the mayor of this town. Welcome to Corabia…"
"It's not over yet", the Wizard said. "I have to cross the border into the Gilikin Country, but I've had little rest for the past day." As he extended his hand, the Wizard yawned as drowsiness started to overtake him.
"We have a vacant house you can stay in for the night and then you can cross the border in the morning", Marlow said. He then looked at the men beside him. "Make preparations."
There was little fanfare to the Wizard's arrival. He did not allow anyone to make introductions or even to prepare him dinner. After experiencing the hell of the Haunted Forest and being hunted by the witch for past 24 hours, all he wanted was sleep. And that is what he did. As soon as his head was able to hit a pillow, the Wizard was out. He was given a charming two-story brick house in the center of the small village with the bedroom facing the street on the ground floor.
However, his sleep was soon interrupted by Moira. "If anything should happen, wake me up immediately", the Wizard had told her before taking leave and entering the house to sleep.
"Wake up, Wizard! Wake up", she frantically exclaimed as she shook his back. He opened his eyes as a course of adrenaline rushed through his body. He rose from his bed and looked at the young woman. "What's happening", the Wizard yawned as a hint of grogginess was still evident in his voice.
"The Winkie Guards have descended on the town", she said as her eyes became wide. "She's here…"
The Wizard darted to a nearby window. He slowly moved the curtains as the sun still had not fully set. He viewed the main road of the town, which was illuminated by the soft orange glow of tall gas lamps that were neatly arranged on each side of the street.
He then saw an array of Winkie Guards who were marching down the avenue. The witch was leading the pack.
"Where is he", she angrily demanded. "I know he is here somewhere", she screeched. Most of Corabia's subjects were huddled away in their homes, while some peeked out through windows or doors to get a glimpse of the green skinned witch.
However, for one unfortunate little boy across the street who was a bit too courageous and had ventured a bit too far out of his house, the witch pulled him closer using her telekinetic powers. Her ring glowed red as the little child wailed and started to panic. He fell onto the ground as he was dragged, but her powers were too strong. As an unseen force tugged him closer and closer to the witch, his fingernails scratched the ground. This scene compelled his parents to also leave their home. They raised their hands in the air and begged the witch to stop.
A town dweller hurriedly entered the Wizard's bedroom. "Come on! We need to get him out of here", she bellowed. "Come on! We need to leave!" But all he could do was helplessly stare out the window. Oh no, she's going to kill him, he worriedly thought. She is going to kill that child. Because of this, he contemplated just turning himself in. No Ozian life was worth this.
"Where is he", the witch snarled at the helpless boy was screaming for his parents to help him.
"Please! Please don't hurt our son!", his parents begged the witch. "We will do anything!"
"I want the Wizard!", the witch shrieked. "Give him to me! Now!" But when the parents simply froze in fear, a fireball appeared on the witch's hand as Theodora snarled angrily. "WIZARD", she screamed as she began to look every which way and in all directions. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T SHOW YOURSELF, I WILL LIGHT THIS CHILD ON FIRE AS SOON AS HE REACHES ME! HIS DEATH WILL THEN BE ON YOUR HANDS!" This made the child kick and punch as he desperately tried to get away, but the force dragging him was far too great. She then narrowed her yellow eyes as she grinned menacingly at the boy. She then began to taunt him. "Yesssss…go slow, for you will have time to think about your demise!" He was now only several paces away from the witch as she once again began to cackle madly.
No…no Theodora, please don't do this, the Wizard thought to himself. He then started to pound on the glass window, despite objections from the pair behind him. "NO!", he screeched loudly.
Even though the window to the bedroom was completely shut, this made Theodora cease her cackling as she abruptly gazed at the window. For the first time since she locked the Wizard in her bedroom, they both made eye contact.
She then pointed at the bedroom window. "GET THE WIZARD", she screamed as she turned her head and shouted at her men. This made her guards march in double file towards the house while they chanted loudly. She curled her hand as the fireball dissipated. She knew that they would seize the Wizard within minutes. There was nowhere for him to go now.
In the time since the Wizard had outsmarted and deceived the group into taking the trail that forked right in the Haunted Forest, Theodora and her Winkie Guards had regrouped around dawn. All her men were exhausted, while a few had gone missing. Of the few who had disappeared, several had been murdered by supernatural forces of the forest, while the rest had gone insane from its dark magic. When they finally regrouped, she demanded that the men continue the search, but the captain objected.
"Please, Mistress, we need to rest." Other guards chimed in. "Yes, please, we can't continue for much longer." "Please, we need rest."
In her agitated state, Theodora would often be quite unforgiving. Any Ozian would also say that she was cruel. But it was a mistake for one to assume that the green skinned witch was always cruel, just as it was a mistake to say she was always good natured and kindhearted when she was peach skinned.
On this rare occasion, she looked at her men with sympathy. She then decided that her men could rest. As they did so and she sat on a thick tuberous tree root, she pictured the map of Oz in her mind and thought of every possible crossing point into the Gillikin Country. Since it was clear that the Wizard did not veer right at the fork, she now knew that he went left. This would have led him to the village of Corabia, which would be her last chance to intercept the Wizard before he left the Winkie Country for good.
"Don't follow me", Moira hurriedly told the Wizard. She then turned to the woman who had pleaded for the Wizard to leave. "Is there a back entrance", she asked the villager. "Yes, there is", she responded. "The second door out of the bedroom leads to a backdoor out of the house."
"Take the back door and have him meet me in the woods along the border", Moira hurriedly said. "Go! There isn't much time!" But before the Wizard himself could object, she left the bedroom.
In the meantime, the Winkie Guards forcefully entered the house. But before they were able to enter the bedroom itself, and much to their shock and surprise, the green skinned witch emerged from an adjoining hallway.
"You fools", she shouted at them angrily as she stomped her black heeled boot on the floor. "The Wizard isn't here! It was his illusion yet again! He's not in this house! Another witness saw him enter the house next door! Go and find him!" As the Winkie Guards stared incredulously at her, this only made what appeared to be the green skinned witch even angrier. "What are you blind", she shouted in a shrillest tone. "GO TO THE OTHER HOUSE NOW!"
As the Winkie Guards turned around and proceeded to leave the house, they were equally as shocked to find the green skinned witch standing outside! Was the witch able to teleport? The guards were equally confused over what had just happened.
"Well…", Theodora snarled at them angrily. "Where is the Wizard?"
One of the guards pointed at her and was greatly perplexed. "But…but, you were just inside! You just told us to go to the house next to this one! How were you able to be in two different places at once!"
"You were just inside the house! You said the Wizard wasn't there", another interjected.
"You fools", the witch barked furiously. "I was never inside this house! Go in there again and bring him out!"
In the meantime, the villager was able to sneak the Wizard out of the house through a backdoor. They then walked for fifteen minutes to the meeting point that Moira had requested. Corabia itself was surrounded by forest, but now the village itself was now in the backdrop some distance away as the pair entered the woods. "Go across the border. You will be safe there", the villager told him. "I now have to make sure my family is okay."
As the villager left him, the Wizard looked around. By now, the sun had dipped below the horizon and twilight had descended on the land. As he heard the chirping sounds of crickets, the Wizard saw a wooden signpost that read "Entering Gillikin Land. Have a great day!"
He then shook his head as he stepped across the border. He had heard "Theodora" shouting from inside the home, but he was no fool. He now knew who Moira was.
Several minutes later, "Moira" started walking towards his position with a devious grin on her face. The Wizard placed his hands on his hips as he slowly, but playfully, shook his head.
"You know, you are a real asshole, Mombi."
As she continued to walk towards him, she transformed into Evanora and how the witch appeared when she ruled the Emerald City. "Why? Should I have appeared to you like this instead", she teasingly exclaimed. She then shapeshifted into her true form.
"Hello, Wizard."