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Henry stands slack jawed, gears in his brain slowly turning.

“So…you’re…”

“James, our father.” Gothetta answers.

“Right…I knew that.”

James motions to an open seat at the dining table.

“Go on, sit down, I understand you’ve been running around town all night looking for this little hellion.” He pulls up a jar with a very jumpy and angry looking frog, setting it on the table.

Henry walks to the chair and sits down, quickly taking off his fake beard and wizard hat to prevent further embarrassment. He also takes a moment to survey his surroundings in addition to his new in-law. The house is clearly well kempt, not a speck of dust on the shiny brass chandelier that hangs above the dining table or a stain on the rug the table sits on. Along the walls are paintings bearing nautical themes. Ships in stormy seas, beautiful ocean sunsets, sandy beaches, fish swimming in crystal clear water. James himself is clearly an older gentleman. A well-trimmed salt and pepper moustache sits above his mouth, though it seems to have a bit more salt than pepper these days. His skin is tanned and weather worn, a thick cream colored sweater covers his broad chest. He gives Henry a curious gaze, far from hostile but not exactly welcoming either. Henry clears his throat.

“So, uhh, how’d you find him?”

“Found him on one of my melons earlier today. I could tell that he was foreign to the area from the odd shape of his head and mottled pattern on his back. Not quite a garden frog, but not a big fat toad either. So, I put him in this jar for further study. Didn’t want to keep him around if he was a potential threat to my plants.”

“Oh, uhh, that’s good. We’ve been looking all over for him. But-“ Henry looks down to gather his thoughts before looking back to James. “But I‘d rather talk about this whole son-in-law thing. You’re actually James? The real James? The one who was in the diary?”

“You’re looking at him.” He affirms with a subtle smile. “It’s all gotten a little fuzzy over the years but I recall, and cherish, the time I spent with Branwen. That crow and I spent a lifetime worth of happiness in just a few months.”

“Branwen? Your mother?” Henry asks, looking to the sisters.

They both nod affirmatively in response. Henry continues.

“And how did you know this was James?”

“That’s simple, it’s the smell!” Answers Gothetta. “Beast folk can tell a lot about a person by their scent. How old they are, if they’re sick, their sex, even familial relations. The moment we got a whiff of James’ scent that’s when we knew, that’s him, that’s dad.”

“He had that classic old dad smell, what can we say?” Adds Urmine with a shrug.

Henry leans in towards the sisters and quiets into a stern whisper.

“I thought I told you not to break into any houses. What you did was trespassing.”

“Trespassing? I prefer to think of it more like aggressive exploration.” Urmine replies with a dismissive wave of her hand. “All we did was jump a fence and unlock a door with a touch of magic. It wasn’t even hardened against magical intrusion or anything of the sort, even a novice witchling could have done it. This world could stand to learn a thing or two about how to guard against magical intrusion. The security here is pitiful.” She looks to James. “No offense.”

“None taken.” He replies. “But you really should have listened to Henry. I just about had a heart attack when I saw you in my kitchen. A pair of masked intruders suddenly showing up in your house is a mighty scary sight, especially to an old sea dog like me.”

Henry shakes his head in embarrassment.

“James, I’m sorry if they scared you. Clearly, they still need a few lessons on how to properly behave themselves while on Earth.” Henry apologizes, shooting a disapproving look at the sisters.

“No need to apologize, I remember it took me quite a bit of time to acclimate to Branwen’s home after she summoned me. Culture shock is a hell of a thing.” He points a finger at Gothetta. “Speaking of summonings, Gothetta here just finished recounting the tale of how you all met. That’s mighty clever Henry, breaking the lock they enchanted with nothing but ice water. I had to wait for Branwen to free me of her own volition before I got out of that rusty cage.”

“Thank you.”

“And thankfully it seems my daughters have grown on you over time, given your wedding rings and all. Wish I could have been there for the ceremony.”

“We could have another one!” Gothetta half whimpers. “We can bring you back with us and have Father Bloom do the ceremony again! Then we’ll be double married! And we get to have more cake and pumpkin wine!”

“Now, now, no need for that.” James laughs. “I assure you, finally getting to see my only daughters with my own eyes brings more joy to my heart than any dry ceremony possibly could.”

James smiles and his eyes begin to glisten.

“Aww, thanks dad.” Gothetta whispers back, gently squeezing his hand.

“And I’m glad to finally see you as well.” Urmine says, putting a gentle paw on his shoulder. “Before finding mother’s journal I thought your absence was a result of your own choice, rather than a cruel twist of fate. And after meeting you in person it only solidifies my realization that, yes, mother made a fine choice of nestmate.”

“Thanks girls.” He says, looking to the chimeras.

There’s a short, quiet pause. Then James’ smile begins to falter. He clears his throat and licks his lips, expression turning stony.

“Neither of you have said it directly yet, but from what you told me, and the way you speak about her, I gather that Branwen is no longer with us?”

The room quiets and the sisters avert their gazes, neither of them wanting to solidify the bad news. Eventually Urmine steels her nerves and looks up to James.

“She left us when we were still girls. Fourteen, maybe fifteen years after you left she was struck by a bolt of lightning. When we found her…” Urmine looks to the table and exhales. “…there was nothing we could do. Even an ocean of healing potions couldn’t bring her back. Charred from beak to talon.”

James nods solemnly in response.

“I'm sorry you had to go through that alone. Your mother was a wonderful woman, she deserved to see both of you grow into the fine young witches you are today. Not get cut down by an act of God.”

“We got through it.” Gothetta adds with a weak shrug. “Urmine and I are nothing if not resourceful. It wasn’t easy figuring things out after she passed, but mother taught us well. We knew how to keep ourselves fed, and the basics in using magic, and because of mother’s good relations with the town they even helped us out from time to time.”

“Did you keep her library? I recall that Branwen loved her books, hoarded them like they were more valuable than gold. We had more than one adventure tracking down a rare tome or two.” A soft grin graces James’ lips as he recalls nearly forgotten memories.

“We did! Well, for a while we did.” The doe clarifies, ears drooping. “We had to sell some of her books in exchange for the ingredients to bring Henry back to our world. Then after Malvina attacked I'm not sure if anything survived the fire. Truth be told I'm not sure if any of it still remains.”

“You were attacked? And there was a fire? Tell me what happened!”

“I’ll start from the beginning.” Says Henry. “After you left Branwen she spent some time experimenting with ways to bring you back to her. Unfortunately, she never figured out a way before the accident, but using the notes in her diary Urmine and Gothetta were able to continue her work and figure out the missing pieces to bring me back. Then we got married, flew back to the cabin, and that very night we were attacked by the entire town, a witch hunter, and an evil witch known as Malvina. They lit the cabin on fire but we were able to escape back to Earth by the skin of our teeth.”

“And just what the hell did you do to piss them all off so much?”

“We know the town was under some kind of mind control, so they weren’t acting of their own volition. We suspect Malvina was behind the whole thing as she’s skilled in illusion and mind altering magics with a well-known history of using those skills for her own ends.”

“And the witch hunter? Wouldn’t she want to attack Malvina just as much as she wants to attack you?”

“That…I'm stumped on.” Henry shrugs weakly, looking to the sisters.

“It’s possible she was paid off to attack us, witch hunters are only supposed to go after malicious witches but with enough gold anyone’s morals can be compromised.” Urmine offers.

James exhales and rubs his forehead.

“Well, shit. Looks like you’re all marooned here for the time being. Did you have any plans on what to do next? I’m willing to help in any way I can. You deserve as much.”

“We planned on getting in contact with a witchly friend of ours, an ice-mancer named Murdy.” Answers Gothetta. “Then from there we could make a plan, create a portal to travel back to our plane of existence with Murdy’s help, fly back to the cabin, and hopefully end Malvina’s reign of terror once and for all. I believe we have everything we need for the séance to contact Murdy, but we’re still missing the volcanic ash needed for the portal, right Henry?”

“Right.” He replies. “I couldn’t find any around here so I just planned on ordering some online.”

“None around here…” James mumbles, a corner of his mouth curled into a small grin.

“What? Do you have some?”

Instead of answering his question James gets up and pushes his chair in.

“Why don’t you all follow me to my backyard? I’ve got something to show you. I think you’ll like it.”

James begins walking to the rear of the house and the three of them follow. He continues to talk as they move.

“I won’t lie, after returning to Earth I had gaping hole in my heart for some while. But like all the bitter parts of your life you eventually have to grit your teeth and move past it, or risk getting caught in the doldrums of your own grief. So, I eventually had to sit down and think about what I wanted to do with the next stage of my life, what I wanted out of it, what drove me. And what I quickly concluded was that after my time with Branwen my sense of wanderlust hadn’t diminished one bit. With her I had seen enormous caverns full of sparkling crystals, I saw her cast fire with nothing but a flick of her feathers and a few choice words, I had flown across miles of untouched wilderness on a broom. A broom! As much as I wanted to return to her and explore more of that strange land I knew it wouldn’t be possible, hell, I couldn’t even talk to anyone about it for fear of them thinking me crazy. Eventually I decided that if I couldn’t explore any more of Branwen’s world then I would just have to explore the one I had. I became a sailor, traveling the ocean blue on the freighter lanes. Cairo, London, West coast, East coast, Sydney, Tokyo, Brazil, China, South Africa, I’ve seen it all.”

“Did you like it?” Asks Henry.

“My captain’s rank ought to be proof enough of my love for it. I retired a few years ago, then moved back here, to my original hometown. Felt like I had finally seen all there was to see.”

“And did all that travel fulfill you?”

James cocks his head, not entirely sure how to answer.

“Well, mostly. I would do it all again if I had the option, but something about my time spent with Branwen felt unique. There was just something special about her cabin, those woods, the odd characters we met. Even after all my travels I could never quite find anywhere on Earth that gave me the same feeling.”

They make their way through the sliding doors and onto his grassy backyard. In the corner of the yard is a small greenhouse, and all around it are plots of dirt with growing plants. James reaches down and pulls on a vine, bringing up a small, rounded melon. Curiously, the shell of the melon is composed of alternating dark red and light red stripes.

Gothetta gasps.

“A red melon! Just like what we have at home!”

James smiles and hands it to her.

“In my retirement I became something of a gardener. With all my newfound free time my mind began to wonder to the past, as tends to happen with age. I began to recall some of those odd foreign dishes I saw on my travels and wanted to put a little of that weirdness in my own backyard. I got dragon fruit over there, durian over there, purple sweet potatoes in that patch, and a few other oddities in the greenhouse. That red melon is a product of my own design though, it’s a hybrid of a few other breeds of melon. Took a long time to get the color right, but I think it’s close enough to the ones I ate with Branwen.”

Gothetta stares at the melon, salivating at the sight of its delectable red shell.

“Oh James, can I take a slice out of this one? I’m positively starving.”

“Don’t expect it to taste quite the same, but sure, I’ll get a knife from the house to slice it.”

“Wait.” Urmine stops him, raising a single claw in the air. “No need for that. I’ve torn asunder the shells of many a melon with these claws of mine.”

Urmine takes the melon from Gothetta and makes a single cut across the entirety of its surface. She pulls the melon into two pieces then cuts them again, producing four large slices. After the slices are handed out Gothetta immediately takes a massive bite of hers, pulpy red juice dribbling down her chin and fangs.

“Mmmm!” She intones. “That’s pretty good! Not quite as sweet as the ones we have back home though.”

“I was never able to get the taste quite the same, perhaps with a few more generations I can get it right.”

“We could bring you seeds from the red melon grove when this is all over. Then you can grow your very own red melon trees!”

James smiles, but shakes his head side to side.

“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think my backyard is quite big enough for one of those massive melon trees to grow comfortably in. I seem to recall that Branwen had to fly up to the branches to even reach their bounty. Not sure how I would do it without wings of my own.”

“Fair point. We can’t all be as flightily gifted as mother was.” Urmine remarks.

Henry looks around the garden, taking in all the odd plants.

“Man, who knew that another unwitting summonee lived in the same town as me. My own father-in-law no less! The chances must be astronomical.”

“Perhaps not as astronomical as you think.” Urmine counters. “Remember the ley lines we saw outside your apartment? Your proximity to them greatly increases the chances of the magical ether to choose you when it’s looking for someone to be summoned, James was likely close to those very same ley lines when mom summoned him to our world, right James?”

“That’s right. I lived here when I was young, same as Henry. And before I forget…” James walks into the greenhouse and comes back with a cotton sack in hand. He reaches into the sack and retrieves a handful of light gray powder. “I picked this up for some of my plants last year. Thought adding volcanic ash to the soil might improve their growth. Didn’t end up having the effect I wanted so you’re free to take the whole bag.”

“Nice! This’ll save us a bunch of time in getting to Murdy! Thank you so much for this.” Henry says, taking the sack.

“No need to thank me, it’s the least I can do. I would like to go with you and assist in that whole Malvina situation but to be honest my adventuring days are behind me. My body’s well past its prime, and I'm afraid that if I tagged along I would be more of a hindrance than a benefit. I feel more useless than a barnacle bouquet if I'm being honest.”

“Oh come on, don’t say that dad.” Gothetta says, putting an arm around his shoulders. “You’re already being a big help by giving us the ash. How would you like to come to Henry’s place tomorrow and help us set everything up for the séance? Then you can see us off when we travel back to confront Malvina!”

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll be there.” James looks away and clears his throat. “But going back to Branwen, did you all bury her by the cabin?”

“We put her in the melon grove. Why do you ask?”

“When it’s safe, I’d like to go back and pay my respects. Get some closure. My time with her felt like a dream, and for the longest time after coming back I nearly thought it was. Then you and Urmine show up and all of a sudden I’m reminded that, no, it was real, it happened, and now I’ve got to deal with the consequences of that realness.”

“You have my word, we’ll come back to get you when Malvina’s been dealt with.”

“Thank you, it would mean the world to me.” James looks up to the darkened sky, only a faint red glow from the sun remaining. “Well folks, I think it’d be best for you all to return to Henry’s place. It’ll be dark soon.”

The four of them head back to the dining room. The sisters don their masks once more and Gothetta takes Edmund’s jar into her hands. The sisters move outside but just before Henry steps out the door James stops him with a hand on the shoulder.

“Hey, Henry…” He softly whispers.

“Yes?”

“You’re getting an opportunity I never had. I know my daughters are a little strange, same as my Branwen, but you should cherish what you have all the same.”

“Don’t worry, their peculiarities just make me love them more, not less. And if they didn’t feel cherished enough I’m sure they wouldn’t hesitate to let me know with a fireball on the ass.”

They chuckle, then Henry steps into the cool outside air. He joins the horse and dragon and they move swiftly in the night towards home.

***********************************************************

“White candles? You seriously bought white candles for a séance?” The horned bear complains, a tone of deep disappointment in her voice.

“Ya? So what? You never told me what color they had to be so I got the white ones, they were the cheapest. Is it not going to work with white candles? I got a ton!” Henry asks, waving a hand over the bundle of candles he bought in aggravation.

Urmine sighs.

“No, they’ll still work. It’s just tradition that a séance is done with red candles. It’s an old tradition too, Murdy will have a few choice words to say to us when this is all done no doubt. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the one that made the tradition up in the first place. She’s positively ancient, even for a witch.”

“Well Murdy will have to deal with it.” Henry looks towards the open bedroom door. “Gothetta! You almost done warming the eggs up? James will be here any minute.”

In the bedroom the doe sits atop blanket covered eggs, a nature magazine in her hands.

“They’re almost done soaking up as much maternal heat as they can! Let me know when he arrives and I’ll bring them out!” She yells back, turning her attention back to the magazine. “Hmm, I wonder if I could do my fur up like that.” She turns the page. “Uhg! Why are they all naked? So uncouth.”

“So do you think I got enough candles?” Henry asks, turning back to Urmine.

“Yes, plenty. I’ll go ahead and set them up around the kitchen table. Be a good husband and close the blinds, will you? We need it to be dark for the séance to be successful.”

“Ya, sure.” He acquiesces.

Yet the moment he turns towards the window there comes a knock on the door.

“It’s father.” Urmine announces, her nose twitching slightly in the air.

“Gothetta, he’s here! Bring the eggs out so he can say hi to his grandchildren. Err, grandeggs.” Henry yells towards the bedroom, walking up to the door.

The door opens and he’s greeted by James in a dark blue sweater patterned with many small white anchors. They exchange greetings and hug briefly before separating, Henry closing the door behind James.

“I hope I’m not too early, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”

“Oh no, no, you’re not early at all.” Urmine assures him. “We were just setting everything up for the séance. In fact, you arrived at a good time, I believe Gothetta is done warming our eggs.”

“Eggs? Wha-“

He’s cut off by a clammer from behind the bedroom door.

“Da, da-da-da!” Gothetta triumphantly intones, kicking the bedroom door open. “The hatchlings are ready!” She says, emerging from the bedroom with an egg in each arm. “Dad, it’s time you meet your grandchildren, or grandcubs, or grandfawns, or grandkits, or whatever they just so happen to be when they hatch. They’re still a little yolkish, but I don’t think they’d mind being held by you.” She says, walking up to James.

Shocked, he looks around the room.

“Hatchlings? You’re telling me…”

“Yes, Gothetta and I laid these eggs a number of months ago.” Urmine answers the silent question, taking the black speckled egg out of Gothetta’s arms. “Henry bred us just before we desummoned him, same as you and Branwen. Unfortunately they weren’t quite laid within wedlock, but who’s counting the days anyway?”

Urmine walks up to James and presents the egg to him. He cautiously receives it, holding it by the base and against his chest.

“Heh, it’s heavier than I expected. Warm too.”

“You have Gothetta to thank for the heat. They must be kept warm or they won’t hatch, thankfully we have a little nesting area on our bed that keeps them toasty when we aren’t around.”

“And the weight’s largely due to their hardy shell.” Adds Gothetta. “So don’t worry about holding them too tightly, they’re durable little things. We know they can even take a drop thanks to a certain someone’s butter paws.” She ends, shooting Urmine a sly look.

Urmine rolls her eyes and takes the other egg out of Gothetta’s hands.

“So would you like to sit on the couch and keep them warm while we prepare for the séance?”

“It would be my greatest pleasure.” He replies, taking the other egg out of her paws.

James walks to the couch and sits down, looking at each egg with a curious eye. Gothetta moves behind him and leans down.

“Say, James, would you mind keeping an eye on our hatchlings while we’re away confronting Malvina? We were discussing some things this morning and, well, taking them with us seems like an unnecessary danger.”

“Wouldn’t be an issue. I just have to keep them warm? That’s it?”

“Uh-huh. And wash their shells from time to time, sing them their favorite lullabies before bedtime, make sure they get plenty of fresh air, rub their shells so they don’t get lonely, and make sure to break them up if they get into a fight. Think you can do all that?”

He looks to the eggs, then back to Gothetta.

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Great!”

Gothetta skips away to help the others, the large number of candles needing to be lit proving to be exceptionally tedious. As Henry walks over to close the blinds he looks over to James.

“Hey, you want to watch TV or something while you wait? Savor these quiet moments before they bust out of their shells and start causing havoc?” He suggests, picking up a remote off the coffee table.

“Sure, something quiet though.”

Henry points the remote at the TV and commands it to turn on. Yet nothing happens. Puzzled, he keeps pressing the power button while walking closer to the screen, eventually making out several small scorch marks nearly hidden against the dark backdrop. Cause found, he shouts over to the sisters.

“Hey! What did you all do to my television?”

He crosses his arms and the sisters freeze. Then suddenly Gothetta turns around and points an accusatory finger at her sister.

“She did it!”

Urmine groans.

“I was kind of hoping you wouldn’t find out until later, Henry.”

“Well what happened?! This thing was expensive!”

“When you went off to look for Edmund I moved to the couch for a brief reprieve. Apparently, I must have sat on that blocky wand thing because the screen suddenly lit up and do you know what was on it?”

“What?”

“A moose! A big, hairy, ugly, drooling moose charging right at me! Granted it was of the feral variety, but with my blood still hot after the fight at the cabin my instincts took over and I shot a bolt of lightning right at my supposed enemy. Your viewing portal didn’t take kindly to it, and ceased to function ever since.”

Henry sighs, he really should have witch proofed the house before leaving it.

“When it turned on it was probably tuned into a nature documentary or something, that’s what you saw. And for the record, nothing that you see on it can hurt you. Just think of it like a moving photograph. So please, don’t go shooting lighting bolts around my apartment again.”

“Point taken. I’ll refrain from using my more destructive spells while in your apartment. Unless otherwise provoked, of course.”

He points to the scorched screen.

“So can you fix it? Like how you fixed my phone?”

Urmine looks to the ground in shame.

“We, uhh, kind of forgot the spell. It was one of the things I was going to ask Murdy.”

“Then don’t forget. Gothetta, make sure she asks Murdy what the spell is before the séance is over.”

“Yes sir!” The doe replies, giving a mock salute.

Henry finally closes the blinds and the three of them get to work setting up for the séance. The spirit board is placed in the center of the kitchen table along with its planchette. Candles are placed in small stands and scattered all over the kitchen table, the kitchen, and surrounding area. Once the last candle was placed Henry gets the matches out and begins lighting them. The sisters do the same, but all they need is the touch of a finger and a bit of magic. Once Henry’s apartment was littered with burning candles he turns off the lights, the space now cast in a dim moody glow. Henry, Gothetta, and Urmine take places at the table.

“Dad, do you want to come over and watch the seance?” Gothetta asks.

“Uhh, sure. I think one of the eggs is getting a little chilly though, do you have something I can put over it?”

“I know just the thing!” She joyfully replies, shooting off to the bedroom. Gothetta returns with Branwen’s pointed hat, its many shiny trinkets sparkling in the candlelight. “Does this look familiar? We managed to save it from the fire.”

James gently receives it, silently turning it around in the air in front of him.

“Yes, I remember. I remember it well.” He quietly replies, placing the hat on one of the eggs. “This ought to keep you warm, little one.”

Gothetta returns to the kitchen table and James takes a chair, moving it so he was a few feet behind the others. Urmine places a paw on the planchette.

“Hands on the planchette everyone, and be quiet while I recite the incantation to contact Murdy. The last thing we need is to accidentally disturb a resting demon and have a hex cast upon us.” Gothetta and Henry add their hands to the planchette and Urmine clears her throat. “Oh sacred board, of oak and letter, I tug upon your ethereal cord, and use you as my message bearer. So give me a sign, however slight, that my efforts are not in vain this night.”

The candles flicker and the sounds of the road outside fade into the background. For a brief moment nothing happens. Then a faint force tugs on the planchette. Henry looks on in amazement as the small piece of wood begins to move across the board, stopping at each letter as it responds to Urmine’s request.

N

A

M

E

A grin comes upon the bear’s muzzle.

“Alright, let me do the spelling.”

The bear slowly moves the piece across the board to give it its answer.

M

U

R

D

Y

There’s another brief pause, then the planchette begins moving on its own again.

L

O

C

A

T

I

O

N

Urmine spells out her location.

I

S

L

E

O

F

B

L

O

O

M

Another pause, then the board spells out a single word

F

E

E

Henry turns to Urmine.

“This thing wants a fee? Seriously?”

Urmine groans in annoyance and reaches into her dress.

“The spirits that allow us to use this service demand payment upfront. No idea what they use them for, but they tend to like gold coins.”

Urmine brings her hand out and drops a few golden coins onto the spirit board, the planchette begins to move again.

M

O

R

E

Urmine softly growls and reaches back into her dress, reluctantly throwing more coins onto the board.

M

O

R

E

It hungrily repeats.

“Oh come on!” Urmine simmers, slamming a paw on the table. “Gothetta, do you have any coins? That was all I had.”

The doe reaches into her dress with a grumble.

“Interdimensional spirit board fees are so high these days. Greedy spirits. They ought to give witches a discount.” She complains, throwing a few more coins into the board.

The board seems to finally be satisfied and the coins begin to sparkle, fading into the air until none remained. At the same time a wisp of fog emerges from the board and creates a circular hollow ring in front of them. Gradually the hollow ring begins to fill in with color until the face of their intended target filled the circle.

A long white muzzle, two dark eyes, lines of dark blue on a mass of thick white fur. Murdy’s rounded ears flicker and Henry immediately recognizes her as a polar bear. Swirls and lines are painted onto her fur in a dark blue color, their patterns vaguely tribal. She’s seated in front of a window that Henry assumes to be part of her home. Outside is a lush tropical jungle brushing up against a bright sandy beach. But as the image begins to stabilize he notices that something’s off. Murdy is in her home. The beach is outside. Yet there’s snow falling just beyond the window and a few icicles dangling from the edge of her roof. Well, the sisters did say something about her being an ice-mancer earlier.

The image stabilizes and Murdy blinks, pointing her large black nose towards the group.

“Oh! The chimera sisters! What a pleasure it is to be visited by you today!” She beams, giving a short joyous clap. “What can this old ice bear do for you? It must be pretty important given how high séance fees are these days!”

“You have no idea, it was practically robbery!” Gothetta blurts out.

“You’re right though, we bring you an issue of grave importance!” Urmine shouts. “A few days ago we were-“

“Nuh-uh-uh.” Murdy cuts her off, wagging a finger in the air. “Greetings and good news first, then we can get to the bad news. Let’s start this conversation off right. Now, I can already see that you all managed to resummon that human of yours. I’m beginning to understand why you all chose him as your den mate, all that bare skin is so…exotic.”

“Murdy!” Gothetta screeches.

“What? What? There’s nothing wrong with liking the stranger things in life. Most don’t go all the way to making that stranger thing their husband though.”

Henry awkwardly smiles and raises his hand up for a greeting.

“Hi Murdy, I'm Henry. Seems that the sisters have already told you about me.”

“Oh yes, they told me about how they nearly came to magical blows over you, about that mighty smack you gave Urmine, about how you helped them find dear Branwen’s diary, they told me everything short of the details concerning the conception of their eggs.”

“And that we’ll never give.” Gothetta affirms, miming zipping her lips shut.

“Man eater.” Henry mumbles under his breath.

Murdy squints her eyes and leans in.

“And just who is that off in the darkness? I can scarcely make a detail out.”

Urmine waves James over.

“Murdy, I’m delighted to introduce you to our father, James.”

James gets up and walks to the table, an egg in each arm.

“Uhh, hello Murdy. I assume you’ve already been introduced to my grandkids?”

Murdy smiles and holds her chin in her paws.

“Pleased to meet you James, glad to see that the sisters still have some family of their own left. Aww, you even put Branwen’s hat on one of them. Look at all her little twinkling treasures.” She coos. “That’s so adorable. Reminds me of when I had cubs of my own to take care of, back when I lived up north. I would normally have them swaddled up against my clothing but when a blizzard hit the coast, which I was often in the middle of since I did a lot of fishing, I’d have to put two cubs inside my coat and the third atop my head, covered by my witch’s hat. It worked well to keep them warm, until one day a cub decided that my hat tasted better than any fish and when I made it back home all I had left was the brim! A real shame too, I liked that hat.”

“At least we won’t have to worry about that until they hatch.”

“True, but be sure to watch yourself when they do. Witchlings, no matter how small, can cause more mischief than you know!” She sighs and looks to the ceiling in thought. “At least I don’t have to worry about any of that these days. Ever since I moved to the island it’s been nothing but sunny skies and warm beaches.”

“Aside from the snow falling outside of your hut, apparently.” Henry says.

Murdy turns to look outside and chuckles.

“As much as I love the beach I can’t deny that my fur is thick and my body warm, ice bear heritage is a powerful thing. I’ve got to have a place to cool down from time to time or I overheat. Besides, there’s nothing sweeter than a cup of freshly shaved ice flavored with freshly squeezed juice from tropical fruits. Perhaps I’ll make you all one when you come and visit next time?”

“There may not be a next time if we don’t focus on the issues at hand…” Urmine trails off, grinding her teeth.

“Very well, I believe that’s enough for introductions and news of the pleasant variety for today. So why did you all contact me?”

“We were attacked.” Urmine continues. “You know Malvina? That drooling moose?”

Murdy puts a paw to her chin.

“Yes, I believe that she’s a member of the thorny coven. Experienced in illusion magics.”

“And mind altering magics too!” Gothetta adds.

“We believe that she somehow put the entire town under her spell and paid off a witch hunter to attack us in our cabin, on the day we got married no less! The witch hunter threw bolt and flame at us but we managed to escape back to our husband’s world just before the cabin burned down. We aren’t entirely sure that she’s behind it all, but it’s the best idea we have.”

“Oh! That’s terrible! You poor destitute newlyweds. You should be planning your honeymoon right now, not plotting revenge on that who destroyed your very home.”

“You got that right!” Henry agrees.

Murdy looks off into space and her brow furrows, deep in thought.

“But why? Why would she do such a thing?”

Gothetta shrugs.

“We really aren’t sure.”

“Your mother kept a library of valuable tomes, perhaps Malvina attacked in an attempt to steal them?”

“Then why the fire? It would destroy what she attempted to steal.”

“Did you all keep a stash of gold in your cabin? Even a pile of melted gold coins is worth a fortune.”

Urmine shakes her head.

“No, we had no such treasure.”

“A box of valuable jewels then? Historical artifacts? Enchanted items? Rare spices? Vital tax records?”

Urmine shakes her head once more.

“None.”

Murdy squints in concentration, rubbing her chin as she talks to herself.

“Malvina must have wanted something. Something that would not be damaged in a fire. Something that would be valuable to a dark witch like her. Something other than gold or jewels. Something…small…something…powerful…something…oh!” Murdy suddenly perks up. “Quick! Show me Branwen’s hat again!” James hands the hat to Henry who puts it up to the foggy circle. Murdy leans in and runs her eyes over the hat’s many shiny trinkets, finally gasping when she found what she was looking for. “Yes, yes! That’s it!”

“What? What’s it?” Urmine frantically asks.

Murdy points to a long golden chain wrapped around the middle of the hat.

“That chain! I remember it, Branwen showed it to me many years ago. It’s the chain of command!”

“And what’s so special about it?”

“It’s an enchanted artifact, ancient and terrible. It was birthed on the anvil of Helena the breaker and imbued with magical energies by a dark enchantress known as The Crone. The chain imbues its wearer with an unnatural persuasive force, once a command is heard its recipient is compelled to perform it no matter how dangerous or self-destructive. That must be what Malvina was after, I'm sure of it!”

“Eep!” The doe cries. “Its golden shine belies a cruel and dark design!”

“However!” Murdy halts her, putting a finger in the air. “The chain was designed to be paired with a medallion known as the medallion of mindbreaking. If the two are separated then their powers are greatly dulled, nearly nullified. It’s only when the medallion is attached to the chain that their true power is realized.”

“Whew!” Gothetta sighs, wiping her brow. “Thankfully we’ve never seen any such medallion.”

“So you’re telling me…” Urmine whispers as she unwinds the chain, putting it on her own neck. She points a commanding claw at Henry. “Husband slave! Go make me a sandwich.”

“Sure.” Entranced, he gets out of his chair before coming to a sudden halt. “Wait a minute…why am I…Urmine you ass! Take that thing off right now!”

Urmine breaks into a mischievous cackle as Henry snatches the chain from her neck. He then ties it back around the hat for safekeeping.

“Murdy,” Gothetta starts. “if the chain is only truly useful when paired with its medallion then we must assume Malvina already has a plan to find it as well. Any idea where it could be? We mustn’t let her find it first!”

“I’m…not sure.” The ice bear admits. “The chain itself was thought lost for centuries, when Branwen showed it to me I almost couldn’t believe it. I don’t recall where she found it, but it can be assumed that where the chain was found the medallion should be nearby.”

“I know where the chain came from.” James announces, the room going quiet. “Branwen and I were exploring the crystal caverns together when I found it lying in a chamber. I then gave it to her as a gift, hence why it’s on her hat.”

“Then the medallion must be in the crystal caverns as well!” Murdy excitedly grins. “James, can you remember where in the caverns you found it? Those caves go down for miles, it would take months to search them all, maybe even years.”

James scratches his head.

“Well, it’s been a long while since I was down there, and I’ve never had a particularly great sense of direction, but if I could just find the general area that the chamber was in I bet I could lead you to it. I remember it was fairly distinctive, with a large red gem at its center and strange sloping walls.”

“It’s worth a try then! I think you all should come over as soon as you can. I’ve got a few spare brooms you all can use to fly to the caverns then from there you can search for the medallion.”

“And, uhh, what exactly do you think we should do if we end up finding the medallion? Maybe…put them together and fight Malvina?” Urmine cautiously asks.

“Heavens no!” Murdy quickly answers. “The ones involved in its creation were foul, and cruel, and wicked beyond measure. There’s a little bit of the creator in all their creations, and I fear that anyone that tries to use the artifacts may become as dark as the ones who made them. You need to cast them somewhere where they would never be found again, somewhere untouched by time and civilization.”

“Like the big holey!” Gothetta blurts out.

Murdy nods in agreement.

“Yes, that giant ominous hole in the ground would be as good a place as any. Throw them into its bottomless depths and be done with it I say. That would put a permanent end to Malvina’s plans.”

“And then what?!” Henry exclaims, throwing his arms up in exasperation. “Even if we get rid of the chain and its medallion we would still have Malvina and her witch hunter friend to deal with.”

Murdy chuckles.

“Henry, my boy, you did say the townsfolk were under her spell, right?”

“Ya? So?”

“And those townsfolk probably travel to nearby villages, send letters, visit relatives, trade, don’t ya think?”

“Sure.”

“Then the second she put them under her spell a timer started in some far-off administrator’s office. When they discover that the town isn’t doing any trading, or socialization, or more importantly, paying their taxes and bills, then they’ll send an armed inquisitorial team to find out what’s going on. And the second they discover what Malvina’s been up to the jig is up and the cavalry comes galloping in! The best solution may to be to do nothing at all, as strange as it sounds.”

“Find the medallion before Malvina can, throw it into the big holey, wait for backup to arrive. Got it.” Henry says, his tone calm and determined

“Excellent, now all that’s left is to get you all over to my humble little island. I trust that you all have the proper items to create your side of the portal?”

“You betcha!” Answers Gothetta. “We have white sand, we’ve recaptured our froggish sacrifice, and just recently acquired a bag of volcanic ash thanks to our dear old dad.”

“Perfect. I’ll make the necessary preparations on my end. Expect the portals to link together in roughly one hour. I’ll see you all then.”

“Wait-wait-wait! One more thing!”

“Yes?”

Gothetta clears her throat and nudges Urmine in the arm. The horned bear looks to Murdy with a grumble.

“Can you remind us what the incantation for mending things is? My sister and I seem to have forgotten it.”

“And I thought my memory was getting bad.” She teases. “It’s a simple one. With constructive goal, and arcane decree, make this object whole, as it should be.”

Urmine smiles politely.

“Thanks Murdy. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Alright, I believe we’re all done here. Try to use the correct color candles next time and see you in an hour!” Murdy smiles, waving goodbye.

They all wave back then Urmine moves the planchette off the spirit board and the image of Murdy fades away. James stands and looks at the eggs in his arms.

“I guess that means I’m not staying behind and looking after the grandkids after all. Shame. I was kind of looking forward to it.”

*******************************************************

In the center of the living room a pile of volcanic ash lies surrounded by a thick circle of white sand. James, Henry, and Gothetta sit on the couch, blankly watching the newly repaired TV while waiting for the last few minutes to tick by until it was time to open their end of the portal. Edmund sits secure in his jar, angrily croaking and kicking his glassy prison to no avail. Urmine emerges from the bedroom, large leather backpack stuffed with blankets in hand. She walks up to James and opens the backpack’s flap.

“Alright dad, time to give up the eggs. You’ve done a fine job keeping them warm but I can take them from here.”

He looks at the eggs and pouts.

“Aww, I was just getting to know them.”

“I know, now say your goodbyes and hand them over. They’ll be plenty safe on my back.”

With a grumble he picks up each egg and gently places them into the backpack’s cottony interior. Urmine then swings it around her shoulders and double checks that the straps are tight. At the same time a jingle starts to come from Henry’s phone. He takes it out of his pocket and taps the screen.

“It’s time. Let’s get our side of the portal made and head over to Murdy’s little island paradise.”

“Finally.” Urmine picks up Edmund’s jar and turns to Gothetta. “I’ll perform the sacrifice, you do the incantation.”

“Very well, and be sure to make it quick.”

Together, they all stand and walk towards the sand ringed pile of ash. Gothetta steps forward and raises her hands in the air.

“Empowered by ash and secured with sand I summon a portal to a foreign land! With this offering may it form tall and strong, and lead us to where we truly belong!”

Blue lightning shoots from her fingertips and into the pile of ash. A white mist begins to drift from its center and Urmine unscrews the lid to the jar. But just as it’s opened Edmund jumps upward! He leaps through the air and bites down hard on Urmine’s finger.

Yes.

Yes!

Sweet reveng-

Urmine swiftly grabs him with her other paw and ends his life once more with the stroke of a claw, the frog going limp in her grasp. Urmine groans and looks at her finger.

“That slippery little fiend bit me. And he drew blood!”

Urmine holds her finger up to Gothetta, a small red line with a single drop of blood dripping downward. Gothetta shrugs apathetically in response.

“Maybe he’s developed a taste for bear.”

The mist that drifted from the pile of ash begins to float upward, forming an oval ring just large enough for a person to walk through. But unlike in the séance the center of the shape doesn’t stabilize, instead remaining a transparent wall covered in an ever-shifting gray fog.

“Guess Murdy still doesn’t have her side ready yet.” Remarks Urmine.

“But when she does the portal will activate?” Asks Henry.

“Yes, then that mist will fade away and you’ll be able to see your destination. And listen up everyone! Once it stabilizes it won’t remain up for long, maybe thirty seconds at the most, so be sure to move quickly!”

The others respond affirmatively and the wait for Murdy to get her side ready continues. James shakes his head in disbelief and smiles.

“A portal to another world, imagine that. I’d never thought that I’d be making it back to Branwen’s world, much less with a bear, a doe, and a son-in-law with me. At least this time I know where I’ll be arriving to, when Branwen summoned me I arrived in a metal cage. And an uncomfortable one at that, isn’t that right Henr- Henry!” James suddenly shouts, pointing to Henry’s legs.

Confused, he looks down to see his feet covered in a rising purple smoke.

“I-I-I'm being summoned?!” Henry frantically stutters. He tries to move but finds his legs locked in place, tendrils of purple smoke now rising past his waist. “What do I do?” He shouts at the sisters, his face twisted into a look of sheer panic.

Urmine and Gothetta glance at one another and shrug.

“Once a summonation has started there’s no way to stop it Henry.” Says Urmine.

“Fuck-fuck-fuck!” His head shoots to the kitchen. “Throw me a pan! If it’s Malvina doing this she’s getting a cast iron lobotomy the second I see her.”

Urmine runs to the kitchen and throws him a hefty pan. He catches it with one hand and looks downward, the smoke now crawling up his belly and onto his chest.

“Henry, we’ll come find you! No matter where you end up we’ll find you or die trying! You have our word!” Gothetta cries.

“Give her a good thrashing Henry! Break her antlers for us!” Urmine growls. The smoke reaches his upper chest and she shifts into a softer tone. “And know that I love you, husband.”

“As do I, dearest love companion.” Adds the doe.

“Love you too.” He replies, the smoke now up to his neck.

“Give her hell, son.” James says.

“I will.”

Henry takes a deep breath and the smoke finally covers him completely. It then collapses in on itself, becoming smaller and smaller until ending in a flash of bright white light. James and the sisters shield their eyes from the flash and when they lower their hands the space where Henry once stood is now empty. An uneasy silence fills the room, no one being quite sure what to say. Eventually Gothetta brings her hand up to her face. With an uneasy look she rubs the gem on her wedding ring, closing her eyes in concentration. When she opens them her ears droop and shoulders fall.

“Where is he?” Urmine quietly asks.

“In the center of town.”

“Malvina has him, no doubt about it.”

The doe weakly nods in agreement and a new sound emerges from the dormant portal. It begins to sputter to life, its center filling with color as an electric crackle fills the room. The colors shift and merge until settling on the image of an idyllic beach.

Urmine’s paws curl into fists.

“Let’s go. Malvina may have taken our Henry from us, but it’s her life we’ll be taking from her."