Once they crossed the border, it was still a thirty-minute trek to Mombi's hut. The sun had completely set as the sounds of crickets and the noises of nocturnal birds filled the forest. A gentle mist had descended from the trees and a light fog had emanated from the dirt path.
The Wizard was exhausted. He didn't care if they ran into a Kalidah, nor did he care if he ran into a Nome or even the Boogeyman himself. He didn't care if the world came to an end. All he wanted to do was sleep.
And for the next nine hours, that is exactly what he did. The witch had a small three-room cabin, one for her bedroom, one for her kitchen and one that was used as a storage closet. It was here where she had a cot where the Wizard slept.
It was late morning when his eyes opened once again. The Wizard grunted as he stretched. His hand hit the nearest wall.
As he opened the small dilapidated wooden door and emerged from the closet that had been temporarily turned into a makeshift sleeping space, the Wizard saw Mombi's bedroom from across the small and narrow hallway. Her room was plain and relatively spartan. The space exuded a musty smell, partially due to the small cabin being surrounded by tall trees that obstructed the warmth rays of the Ozian sun.
The Wizard then heard a soft-spoken feminine voice several paces away from him in the kitchen. "So, the prince has finally awakened." He followed the sound of the voice down the hallway as he then emerged into the main room of the cabin, which consisted of an old and deteriorated kitchen, a small wooden dining table with several wooden chairs and the front door itself.
Mombi was sitting on one of the wooden chairs as her back was facing him. "I trust that you slept nicely", she replied in an even keeled tone.
"I did", the Wizard said with much relief in his voice as he stretched his arms once again. "Come", the witch said without turning her head. "Have a seat and join me."
When he became the Emerald City's "guardian", the Wizard did not know who Mombi was. And his encounter with her was entirely by happenstance and chance.
It was nearly a year after he had been cloistered away in the Emerald City palace that Glinda approached him with an assignment. This was the first time that she wanted him to leave the confines of the city and journey to Locasta's castle in the Gillikin's.
"Is it safe?", the Wizard responded hesitantly and with uncertainty in his voice. He was concerned about being attacked by either the Wicked Witch of the East or the Wicked Witch of the West and her minions.
"Only follow the trail and you will be fine", Glinda reassured him. The southern witch had stressed to not go off on his own or to be nonchalant about the matter. "Only do what the city wants of you. You are to go to my older sister's castle and deliver her a message…"
As Glinda continued to stress the importance of following the rules, the Wizard sighed. Since Evanora had been deposed, the southern witch would increasingly treat him like a child and baby him, even though he believed that this was probably inadvertent on her part.
And of course, the Wizard got lost when he took the wrong fork in the road. His heart started to beat faster when he realized he went off course, but he believed this to be a minor setback and would reach Locasta's castle by nightfall.
As the sun had begun to set in the sky, he emerged from a section of the woods and entered a small clearing. The path he walked on was about to bank left and pass a small hut when he heard an acerbic voice bark at him commandingly and in a threatening tone. "Who are you and what do you want!"
The Wizard froze in his tracks. He turned his head. Staring at him with small piercing eyes and an icy stare was a young woman. She appeared to be in her early twenties. She had pale skin and light brown hair, which fell smoothly to her side. She wore framed glasses. She had small brown eyes and a youthful baby face. She wore a rich beige plaid coat with black pants. She crossed her arms on her chest.
When no response was immediately forthcoming, her lips curled into an angry snarl. "What are you doing on my land! Answer me now!"
He held his hands up as he addressed the girl in a soft and calm manner. "I'm so sorry", he said earnestly and slightly nervously. He then smiled briskly. "I'm just lost…"
What he didn't know, of course, was that the young girl before him was Mombi, also known by most Ozians as the Wicked Witch of the North. However, on this day, the witch's angry expression softened. There was something about this man that made her at ease. Maybe it was his mannerisms or his charisma. Maybe it was the way he spoke. She didn't know what it was, but for the first time in a very long time, she started to converse with a total stranger. After a while, she invited him into her cabin, where they spoke some more.
The Wizard was not sure why he did this. Glinda had warned him about not conversing with strangers and beings he didn't know anything about, both because he wouldn't know what their intention was, but also to prevent people from knowing that he was a humbug. While the southern witch resembled his old friend Annie, he felt that she did not dispense the same quality of advice to him. Nor did she have the same level of warmth.
There was something else about Glinda that gave him pause. He didn't know what it was, and he couldn't describe the feeling, but it was almost like the southern witch was keeping secrets from him that she didn't want him to uncover. He didn't think she was doing this with any type of maliciousness on her part, but it was almost like the powers that be at the Emerald City itself had numerous skeletons in the closet that they desired to keep under the rug and the less the Wizard knew about them, the better it would be.
While Glinda had never told him about Mombi, in some weird way, this witch reminded him of his old friend he left behind in Kansas. As a result, this was the first time in a long while when the Wizard truly felt comfortable with someone else. Even though he didn't even know much about her, he told her about his life and she to him. As the sun slipped across the horizon, the Wizard then realized that he had lost track of time, but the witch said she had a cot he could sleep on if he needed a place to stay.
While the Wizard never made it to Locasta on that trip—he ultimately told Glinda that he got lost and camped out for the night—he secretly made a friend that day. Something about Mombi clicked with him, and he didn't really know what it was.
Like most witches Mombi's age was a mystery to him. Glinda once told him that witches would age normally like regular humans did from when they were a newborn to when they reached young adulthood. But once they did, the aging process slowed considerably. "If a witch was 200 years old, they would still look like a 20-year-old adult", she remarked. In fact, the Wizard believed that true wizards and witches could conceivably live until they were one thousand years old.
As he walked to the table and sat on a creaky wooden chair directly across from her, he recalled the upbringing that she had shared with him. He believed her story to be a sad one.
Mombi was the youngest daughter of Gayalette. Her aunt was Lurline and her older sister Singra. According to her, they were born into immense wealth and lived happily at the family castle in Winkie Country. They were a wealthy family as both Lurline and Gayalette were descended from the Faeries themselves.
Sometime later, a handsome prince paid the castle a visit. His official title was Pastoria "The Good", and he sought Lurline's hand in marriage. He was quite charming, and debonair, so she ultimately accepted. In dedication to his new wife and queen, he had the Emerald City built in her honor. As time passed, they had children of their own: Locasta, Glinda, Evanora and, finally, Theodora.
During this time, the now King Pastoria invited Gayalette to the palace on the condition that her Winkie Guards be stationed at the Emerald City. In exchange, he would make her his chief advisor. She accepted and both Singra and Mombi accompanied her.
At the time, both of her children were kind and soft spoken. Mombi was a precocious child, highly intellectual and somewhat nerdy in her disposition. Being her older sister, Singra would act protectively of Mombi and once told her that she would always be there for her. Her older sister was wise, earnest, dignified, elegant and emotionally stable. She was also incredibly beautiful and charismatic by Ozian standards. She had clear blue eyes, long flowing blonde hair, and a well-rounded face. Coupled with her slender appearance, these were qualities that everyone in the land regarded as the highest standards of beauty.
Things were looking very bright for the family.
One day, a dashing and handsome prince named Phillippe from the Kingdom of IX arrived at the Emerald City palace. He requested the hand of King Pastoria's "oldest daughter" for marriage. Prince Phillippe did not know which of the king's daughters was the oldest, but he heard all of them were beautiful.
When the king's mind started to deteriorate was a tricky one. No one, including Evanora, knew exactly when the king started to descend into madness. Some never even knew the king went crazy or experienced paranoid ideation, as Pastoria always had a radiant and outwardly charming appearance to his subjects. However, by this time, the king most certainly engaged in eccentric behavior towards some of his daughters. Since Pastoria believed that Locasta was hideous and looked "like a man", he forcibly hid her in a closet upon the prince's arrival and told him that Glinda was his oldest. "She will be perfect for you", the king boasted. "Our two kingdoms can be united and strong!"
As Pastoria ultimately wanted Glinda to succeed him on the throne, he saw this as the perfect opportunity for Oz to grow in power. And since IX was a matriarchy that was ruled by Queen Zixi and had a strong standing army, Glinda would someday take over running both countries long after he was gone. The king was elated by this development. Might and glory was his for the taking.
However, and unbeknownst to the royal family, the prince also had his eye on another. While he was conversing with Glinda during the day, he was enthralled by a bashful violet at night. Mombi was a shy girl who had mainly kept to herself, but the prince's advances towards her and his charming demeanor brought out passion she didn't know existed. And rather quickly, both her and the prince were engaging in a secret and sordid love affair. There were multiple nights when the young witch would moan in pleasure as she straddled him on the throne.
One night they were secretly discovered by a guard, and he reported his findings to the king. While the king was initially livid, Pastoria also believed that this could be a rather unique opportunity for him to push Gayalette out of the Emerald City and to further consolidate his own power. He could blame his sister-in-law for plotting to subvert Glinda's betrothment and he could then banish her from the Emerald City, along with both of her daughters. The Winkie Guards would then come under his sole authority. Secretly, Pastoria was threatened by Gayalette's charisma and charm. She was well respected by the people, and he feared that someday she could plot against him. He feared the witch's powers, in addition to her using both her own daughters in such a scheme.
When questioned, a fearful Prince Phillippe betrayed Mombi by accusing her of using "witchy powers on him."
The king decided that he was going to make an example out of Mombi. He assembled all the Winkie Guards and a group of Emerald City spectators. He wanted some of his subjects there to witness what would happen if others had betrayed him.
Gayelette was furious and ordered the men to stand down, but they refused. "We take orders from the king now!", its former captain declared.
"This witch is wicked!", the king shrieked angrily in front of the crowd that had gathered in the throne room. "She has defiled the throne and betrayed the trust of the Emerald City! This witch is not the embodiment of Goodness! Let it be known that this punishment will await any of those who impede my royal authority and engage in wicked conduct of their own!"
In Pastoria's eyes, if a witch was ugly, then she was also wicked, and he was going to scar her for life as a reminder of that.
The king's intent that day was to cast a spell on Mombi that would turn her into an old hag. But this enchantment was unique and was only designed to work on the witch it was to be cast upon. If there was any interference, something could go terribly wrong.
As the king began to cast this spell and hurled it at the terrified witch, her older sister stood up from her chair, ducked past the formation of guards that were gathered around the king and pushed Mombi out of the way. This caused the spell to explode directly at her.
As the smoke and dust cleared, the room gasped. Now on all fours, Singra's colorful clothing—most fitting for those of royalty—was now in tatters. Her eyes were bulging. She panted as she clenched her teeth and smiled crazily at the king and his various onlookers. She then released a loud and piercing cackle. While she had spared Mombi that day, Singra's body and mind had been scarred.
All three were then officially banished from the Emerald City. The king had also seized their property and assets. They lost everything.
After this scandal unfolded, the prince was recalled to IX and the marriage never took place. But Pastoria emerged far wealthier and more powerful than ever before.
Gayalette returned to the Winkie Country a changed woman. Seething with resentment and rage for how she was treated by the king and by the Emerald City, she began to take out her malice on the Winkies themselves. Bereft of her guards, she quickly made up for this by enslaving the Winged Monkeys to the Golden Cap.
Because she was an outcast from the city, rumors started to spread that Gayalette, the first "Wicked Witch of the West", now had enslaved the Winkies to do her evil bidding. Pastoria was the propagator of these rumors, largely to prevent his subjects from venturing onto the Winkie Country and to keep them fearful and in line with his rule. And since Ozians were generally gullible people, they believed everything he said.
Shortly after their banishment, Singa—now completely insane from the effects of Pastoria's magic—took up residency at the Quadling Country. She quickly ordered the Quadlings to build her a magnificent castle while she worked and beat them day and night. She would torture those who refused or defied her and wiped-out entire villages if they tried to rebel. Once a soft spoken and kind girl, she became mercurial, cruel, and capricious. After many years of enduring her tyranny, Glinda rescued the Quadlings and after she herself was banished from the Emerald City by Evanora. She imprisoned Singra and then set the 100-year alarm clock.
At least, that is what he heard from Glinda, but even now he began to doubt the veracity of her words, considering the more and more he learned about the king, the further he began to distrust and doubt her and the council, some of whom were his former advisors. Was Singra wicked and cruel? He never met her, so he didn't know what to believe at this point. This is why it made sense to the Wizard that Glinda may have tried to usurp him when Wooglebug brought him the news that the Emerald City ordered his death.
"I am sorry about your mother", the Wizard said softly as he finally sat on his chair. To this, Mombi merely shrugged and looked at him. "The last part of her life was very hard", she said to him quietly. "Much tougher than anyone should have had to endure…"
From the Wizard's perspective, this family had so much tragedy happen to them as he subtly shook his head and crossed his arms on his chest. When he worked at the circus, he dreamed of being a wealthy king, but now he hated the sight of even looking at the gold treasury in the palace. To him, having vast and immeasurable amounts of wealth was a curse.
He really wanted to change things. In these three years, he wanted to make up with Theodora and he wanted Mombi to return to the Emerald City, but he had been hesitant to do any of this primarily because of fear. At the same time, he wanted to impress Glinda and everyone else and was under a huge amount of pressure to conform. In his mind, the southern witch guided him and helped him, so he wanted to do everything possible to make her and the council happy.
"Do you forgive Phillippe for what he did to you", the Wizard finally asked. To this, Mombi sighed and stood up from her chair. She turned away from the Wizard as she began to slowly walk on the old and rotting wooden floor and headed towards her decrepit kitchen. "Some days, it is very difficult…", the witch exclaimed with a brief hint of wistfulness in her voice as she grabbed a mug and began to pour water into it. Theodora appeared to be the only one in this family who had a severe and fatal allergy to it.
"But ultimately, I hate the Emerald City itself…", Mombi seethed. She turned her head back towards the Wizard as she flashed an angry stare. "I hate what they did to me. To my mother." She briefly paused and then grumbled. "To my sister…I would burn it all down if I could…"
Her facial expressions then relaxed. "I know you had nothing to do with it." Shen then slowly started to make her way back to the table. "You are just a pawn in their game."
She paused before speaking again. "But I really want to know something. Why in Oz would you ever support Glinda of all witches? Why in Nonestica do you still support Glinda?"
"But Glinda didn't banish you…"
"No. It's just that she supported someone who did and continues to uphold a false legacy of who he was…"
"She tries to do the right thing…"
This made Mombi narrow her eyes to him as she chuckled at him humorously, like he had just said a bad joke. "Does she…?"
From where he was seated, the Wizard gestured with his hands. "Look, what do you want me to do? And who is really the other alternative in all of this? Evanora?"
"Or you", Mombi said. "She doesn't have to continue holding power. You don't have to let her. You can take a stand. And why not Evanora?", Mombi said resolutely. "She allowed us back during her 'reign', or whatever you would like to call it. None of us went back though because we just didn't have good memories of it. Too much toxicity. Too much wickedness and power-hungry hypocrites parading under the false pretenses of 'Goodness' in that forsaken place…"
This made the Wizard lurch his head towards her and in her direction. "There is nothing redeemable about Evanora. And Glinda is good…"
"Really now?" Mombi gave him a dead stare. "It's all lies, Wizard. Everyone loved Pastoria on the outside. He was a thinly veiled 'good person' too. He radiated so-called 'Goodness'. But deep down, he was a monster. Do you really think that there is this so-called 'council' at the Emerald City for your benefit? Of course not! It is all for Glinda's benefit to make sure you don't 'get out of line.'"
Mombi paused and blinked before she spoke again. "And only Evanora saw him the king for what he truly was. She had the guts and the resolve to act on it…"
This made the Wizard tilt his head and smirk when he asked a rhetorical question. "So, this makes it right to kill someone in cold blood?"
"Yes", the witch cried out. "Team Evanora all the way! It's such a shame that you can't see her for what she is…"
Oh, but I do see her for what she truly is, the Wizard thought to himself. She's an unrepentant killer, a liar, and a thief.
For the past three years, Evanora had made the Wizard's life a living hell. She had embarrassed and humiliated him with her made up stories and her constant character assassination attempts. Unfortunately for Mombi, he wanted to kill Evanora, too. As Mombi continued her spiel on how left was right and right was left, the Wizard only nodded in his chair as other thoughts consumed his mind. If Evanora is also a monster, the Wizard continued to think. Then I need to eliminate this monster from the land as well…
Mombi finally took a seat once more as her eyes gazed upon the Wizard's. "So, tell me, what happened now?"
"What do you mean what happened?"
This made Mombi smirk at him and flashed him a mischievous smile that someone like a younger sibling would do. "You know exactly what I mean. What did you do to piss off my cousin yet again?"
He motioned nervously with his hands and brushed the witch off. "It's complicated."
The witch placed her elbow on the table as she rested her chin on the back of her hand. "Try me, Wizard. I have all day."
The Wizard then proceeded to tell Mombi about everything that happened. He told her about the letter. About Agatha. About his time at Theodora's castle and how he made the decision to leave and return to the Emerald City.
To this, Mombi could only shake her head. "Gee, why am I not surprised by any of this? It's obvious this is how the Emerald City was going to react." After several moments of silence and thought, she continued. "So, wait, I'm confused, if Glinda didn't write the letter, then who did?"
"I think it was Evanora", the Wizard surmised.
"Wow…", Mombi exclaimed. "What's with the two of you anyway?"
"Don't ask", he grumbled in annoyance.
A moment of silence passed before the witch spoke again. "So, what's your plan now?"
"Well, I need to get to the Emerald City within the next twenty-four hours. I don't have much time left…"
"And what are you going to do about Theodora? Do you really think being in the Emerald City is really going to change what's going on with her?"
He sighed. But before he could speak, she interjected again. "Wizard, you need to confront her. You just need to tell her everything and let things land where they may. You need to tell her how you really feel…"
He hesitated. "I…I don't know", he said anxiously. "I don't know how she's going to react or what she's going to do…"
"Come on, what's the worst that's going to happen?"
His brows raised as his eyes became wide. "I don't know…light me on fire?"
"Wizard…", the witch sighed. "You already said you had the courage to tell her that you were going to leave, and she didn't blast you to smithereens then, so why would this be different? And besides, she's not some kind of demon who isn't going to listen to what you have to say. She's a woman who has faults, sure, but she also has feelings. You just have to tell her how you really feel. You just need to speak from your heart." She paused after emphasizing this point and looked into his eyes. "Come on Wizard, it's high time you break free of the chains and shackles and fear the Emerald City has you in. It's time to be an actual leader. It's time to fight back."
He pursed his lips as his nose twitched. "Ow", he quietly muttered. He then broke eye contact with Mombi and looked into his bag, which he had placed on the table the previous night. "What are you looking for", the witch inquired as she eyed him curiously.
"My cream", he said. He then pulled out an ointment and started to apply it to his nose. "It's an anodyne…a painkiller." After he applied it to his nose—which was still healing—he then placed it back into his bag.
"So, are you ready", Mombi now said as she gave him a devious grin.
"Oh no", the Wizard said with much caution in his voice. "What are you up to now?"
"We are going to practice…" The witch then transformed into her cousin. She had the same wide eyed peach skin complexion and even her clothes changed into the same velvety ensemble. The dark complexion around her eyelids was the same. The appearance was uncanny. The Wizard could not even tell that this was Mombi.
"Now, tell me", Mombi said, her voice now identical to her cousin. "Tell me exactly how you feel…"
The Wizard sighed nervously. He then began to twitch uncomfortably in his seat. "Or would you rather I appear to you another way", she said mischievously as she smiled sweetly, eerily mimicking the mannerisms and elegance of her cousin. She then polymorphed into the green skinned witch. "RAWWWWWWW", she howled loudly as she startled the Wizard in his chair. This made Mombi chuckle as she held her hand up. "I'm just kidding. Relax. I'm going to turn back…"
But before she did so, the Wizard hesitated. "No, wait. Stay the way you are."
The Wizard still could not believe how identical she looked to the green skinned witch. He then gazed into Mombi's now yellow eyes. He was about to say what was on his mind, but then had another idea.
"Let me write it down", he said. "I feel I will be able to convey my thoughts better that way…"
Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the front door. "Open up! Open up in the name of the witch!" Startled, the Wizard turned his head around while Mombi gasped as she had transformed back into her true self. "Oh, shit", she exclaimed.
The witch waved her hand as she rose from her chair. She walked towards the door. "Coming", she said softly as she opened it.
"We are here looking for the Wizard", an angry Winged Monkey addressed her as he barged into the cabin. A group of monkeys then followed the leader into Mombi's abode.
"The Wizard isn't here", the witch said slyly. "I did spot him before, but then he turned and re-entered the woods", she exclaimed.
As the monkeys continued to investigate and search the cabin, what they didn't know was that Mombi had transformed the Wizard into a cup that had been sitting right on his chair.
Fuck you, Mombi, the Wizard said as his whole body had contorted and shrank to fit the size of the mug. I. Can't. Move. Mombi! Get these monkeys out of here already so you can turn me back! I. Can't. Move! Ugh. I can't feel my legs!" Unfortunately for the Wizard, or perhaps most fortunately for him, since he was a cup, he couldn't make a sound.
As the monkeys continued to look around, Finley then flew into the cabin. He fluttered his wings and landed softly on the wooden floor. His touched his paws together as he nervously addressed the witch. "Hi", he nervously squeaked, but Mombi otherwise remained unfazed. "Can you please tell us where the Wizard is if you have seen him." He began to beg her in a sweet voice. "I really wish to find him. He's my dear friend. Please, please, please let me know if you do…"
The witch placed her hands on her hips as she continued to glare at the other monkeys. "I don't know where he is", she said with growing anger in her voice without turning to address the little monkey. "Hey! Hey! Hey!", she then suddenly interjected angrily. "Don't touch that!" She continued to glare at the other Winged Monkeys who were searching for the Wizard and started to touch her belongings. "Get the fuck out of my cabin! If you don't leave now, I'm going to turn you into something you don't like!"
The monkeys huffed and puffed, but they finally did as they were told. Seeing that the witch did not know where the Wizard was, Finley lowered his head with much sadness as he too accompanied his monkey companions and left. Mombi closed the door behind them and then eyed the cup that was sitting on the chair. She flashed a mischievous grin as she continued to press her hands on the now closed front door.
"You know…maybe I should just leave the cup on my chair. Hmmm, I wonder what the Wizard would think about that…"
No! Mombi! Turn. Me. Back! Now!
The witch chuckled as she flashed a large Duchenne smile in his direction. "Hmmm, you know, I think I will go take a nap now…" As she headed for her bedroom with a playful and mischievous smile on her face, the Wizard continued to scream, but nobody could hear what he was saying. The witch then stopped halfway and turned her gaze back to the chair. "Ohhhh, okay Wizard…I'll turn you back…but I was really enjoying this…"
Mombi then waved her hand. Unlike her cousins, the witch did not need a trinket when she used her magic. This was the same for both Singra and Gayalette. No one knew why they didn't need to, but there was speculation that segments of the family in the distant past had branched off from different magical Faeries.
However, just because Mombi did not have to use a trinket didn't mean she was the most powerful witch in Oz. That distinction fell to Glinda, who was indisputably the most powerful witch in Oz. The second most powerful witch in the land was up for debate. In terms of knowledge and skill, many Ozians believed that distinction went to Evanora, but in terms of raw power, it was Theodora who was arguably almost as powerful as Glinda.
Unfortunately for the Wizard, Mombi wasn't as skilled a spellcaster as her cousins and transformed him into a donkey. Heeee Hawwww, he gruffed. But the witch knew he was probably cursing her out in donkey language.
"Sorry", she squeaked. She then waved her hand again and after several more attempts—turning the Wizard into a tiger, a lion, a bear and even a snake—she finally turned him back into his normal self.
The Wizard was disorganized and his vision blurry, but after he rubbed his eyes with his hands, he grumbled. "Uhhhh, god damnit Mombi…I keep getting beaten up by this family…"
"Uhhhh, sorry", she repeated to him. But when he finally got his bearings, he sat in his chair once more. "Thank you", he finally said. "For getting me out of trouble."
The witch nodded to him. "Well, if you don't want me to do that again, you could use your own magic, ya know…"
He gave her a dead stare. "I am not a wizard, Mombi…"
She gave him a brief smile as she retook her seat from across from him. "Of course, you are! I mean, come on, you have so many inventions that you are working on…"
He corrected her. "Prototypes…"
"But still! You are going to release them soon. And you already have several that came out!"
The Wizard thought how he only used one of his inventions so far, which resulted in the death of another person and the current predicament that he was in. Some Wizard he was. And the whole irony of this was that he thought he was going to use that weapon to protect himself when one of the Wicked Witches invaded the Emerald City.
Mombi then saw a blue stone protruding from the Wizard's bag.
"Is…is that a magical stone", Mombi asked.
"Hmmm…that?" The Wizard then took it out and placed it into his hand. "Yeah, apparently. It's something that your cousin gave me. She said she got it from the field near her castle where the Faeries landed…"
"Oh, wonderous Faeries!", the witch exclaimed. "I can enchant it for you, and you can channel your magic!"
But the Wizard cocked his head slightly to the side. "I'm not that type of wizard, Mombi…"
But she held her hands up. "No, you don't understand, I can enchant this stone and you can use it the next time you are in trouble!"
His lips parted as he furrowed his brow. "What type of powers can I get?"
Mombi placed her hand over her lips. "Well, it could be the power of transformation…" When she said this, the Wizard did not look particularly interested. "Or maybe teleportation!"
He shifted his head towards her as he conveyed interest. "Teleportation? How could you do that?"
"Well…let's just say I've had some run-ins with Locasta and I've learned to develop some of those powers." She then stared at him as he gave her a quizzical expression. "But it's very limited", the witch warned him as she began to clarify. "You could only teleport to another place you can see. Like, you couldn't teleport from here to Glinda's castle. It doesn't work that way. You must be able to see the place you want to teleport to…"
"Okay, I'm interested in the stone having that power." To this, the witch flashed him a weak smile. "Good."
As they continued to converse, the Winged Monkeys flew back to their original location, which was on a hill overlooking Mombi's hut. As they gathered, the green skinned witch continued to gaze at the cabin from her perched position on a nearby tree.
"We return, oh powerful one", the leader said. "We did a full search of her residence, but the Wizard was not there…"
Keeping her eyes solely focused on Mombi's cabin, the witch did not turn to address them. "He's there", she said with much certainty in her voice. "He's definitely there." The witch was not screeching or yelling. She seemed perfectly calm and composed, which was a rarity when she was in this state.
"What are your orders", the leader asked her.
She then slowly turned her head and addressed the pack. "Continue along the path that leads to the Emerald City. Block that path. Monitor the path in the sky. Make your presence known to the Wizard, but don't confront him. The Wizard will then be forced to turn bank and venture into the Winkie Country again…" Theodora then grinned and snickered malevolently as she shifted her gaze back to the cabin.
"But we could simply grab him", the leader pointed out.
Apart from little Finley, Theodora didn't fully trust the Winged Monkeys. Perhaps it was the tainted experience she had of dealing with the Winged Baboons on the first day she met the Wizard. Or maybe it was because she knew that the Winged Monkeys were ultimately doing this against their will and would not exercise the same level of care that she would.
Regardless, she didn't trust them to whisk the Wizard away and to deliver him safely and unharmed. If he was a nobody to her, then she wouldn't care. But she didn't want any unforeseen incidents to happen. To her, he was precious cargo. And while she would allow little Finley to snatch him, he was too small and weak to do it himself.
No, she wanted the Winged Monkeys to block his path, her men to corner him and for her to make the final grab him. "I will do it", she said as her eyes did not take its gaze off Mombi's cabin and her lips curled into a small devious grin.
"Now go…"