“Have you decided?” Broderick asked as he entered the library.

He was carrying a travelling cloak in his hands and threw it around his shoulders as he came in. Anna was sat cross-legged on the floor with a book spread open in front of her.

“I think so,” she replied, somewhat hesitantly, “I’ve decided to use fir wood.”

“May I ask why?”

There was no negativity in Broderick’s question. It was posed out of genuine curiosity, but Anna felt like she was being judged a bit all the same.

“Mostly because it’s soft and easy to work with,” Anna admitted, feeling her cheeks go slightly red as the answer left her, “what is your wand made with Nelson?”

“Pine,” Nelson wheezed as he climbed down from a ladder he had been using to replace a book up on the highest shelf, “it’s perfect for experimentation and doesn’t protest much when trying out new spells.”

Anna stood up, closed the book she had been using to research wand woods and placed it back on the shelf.

“And the three jewels you will be using for your wand?” Broderick asked Anna, watching her expectantly.

“Well, I was thinking that I could use blue topaz for the base crystal,” she answered, “it is my birthstone and should tune well with my magical abilities. For the top crystal, I figured I could use sapphire. From what I’ve read, it helps its users to remain calm when casting and works well for channeling your intentions through your magic.”

“Both splendid choices, and I see you’ve done your research. Those stone’s work quite well together,” Broderick praised.

Anna gave a knowing look to Nelson who winked at her. Truthfully, he had helped her with just about every bit of her research.

“And what did you choose for the core?” Broderick continued.

The core was arguably the most important choice. It was the gemstone placed directly in the middle of the wand. Not only did it have to keep balance between the two end gemstones, but it also did the brunt of the work in actually channeling the magic through the wand.

“I was thinking of using fire opal,” Anna answered, “it works well with both the four elements as well as most other gemstones. And it’s also the type of stone set into the necklace my mother left for me.”

“And what necklace is this?” Broderick asked curiously.

Anna was tentative for a moment. The last time she had exposed her heirloom, Ms. Whitney had yanked it right from her neck. And then she almost died getting it back. But the feeling dissipated quickly. Broderick was a far different, and kinder, guardian than Ms. Whitney. He would never take Anna’s only real possession from her. And so she reached her hand into her cloak and pulled her necklace out into view. It was the first time she had allowed anyone to see it since arriving in Monsadasia. She was usually very careful to keep it tucked away.

“Well, that’s quite a beautiful-” Broderick started, looking at the necklace.

But then he paused and a look of incredulity and confusion fell upon his face. He blinked rapidly a few times before looking up at Anna, then back down at the necklace.

“I’m sorry, where did you say you got that from?” He asked, his voice shaking a bit.

Anna was slightly alarmed at his expression. Broderick began to reach out to her, as if to touch the pendant, but his hand froze in midair. He looked almost afraid.

“My… My mother left it for me. It’s the only thing I have from her,” Anna said tentatively.

She wanted to step backwards, away from Broderick’s outstretched hand, but she fought the urge. His hand slowly fell back to his side. Nelson was looking at both of them bewildered.

“You okay Broderick?” Nelson asked.

“Yes...Yes… Of course,” Broderick muttered, though he continued to stare at the necklace.

His eyes moved back up to Anna’s face. It was as if he were examining her, searching for something. His mouth opened a bit, then closed again. Anna had the impression that Broderick was warring with himself, trying to decide whether or not to say something. The air was still and silent. At that moment, Misaada came sauntering in the room and it was as if a spell were broken.

“Are you all ready to set out?” she asked cheerfully.

“Yes, we should get a move on,” Broderick said, finally looking away from Anna and towards Misaada.

“Good, I’m ready for some peace and quiet. I am in desperate need of some ‘Misaada time’. I haven’t had a good nap in weeks with all the racket you three are constantly making,” Misaada said snarkly.

Anna knew Misaada too well at this point to actually be offended by her words. Broderick laughed heartily, and suddenly it was as if the last few moments had never happened.

“Well that is a beautiful necklace you have, my dear. Your mother had exquisite taste. Still, for safekeeping, you should probably keep it tucked away. It does look rather valuable and people around here are drawn to valuable gems,” Broderick said to Anna.

It was a rather ominous warning, but she did as she was told, tucking the pendant safely back into her robes. Part of her very much wanted to ask Broderick what the heck had just happened, but she thought better of it. She made a mental note to ask Nelson what he thought it was all about next time they were alone together. They finished getting ready and a few minutes later, they were off to the market. After a while, the strange situation had all but left Anna’s mind. She was too excited to visit the market again to worry about it.

Having Broderick with them made the trip a bit different than when Anna had travelled solely with Nelson. She noticed she received far fewer strange and uninviting looks. A few people still gave her a wide berth, but they kept their dirty expressions out of sight. Walking with a member of the council seemed to demand a certain amount of respect.

“We can eat lunch in the market after we get the supplies,” Broderick told them.

This delighted Anna. After her experience with the dragon ears, she was quite looking forward to trying more of the strange and exotic foods of Monsadasia. Her excitement was short lived unfortunately. A bellowing voice from down the road managed to rip any joy she felt straight from her heart.

“Broderick!”

Rokus was approaching them. The elder Rokus. Fear began to swim in Anna’s heart and she felt her pulse quicken. Dark thoughts began to invade her head, just as they had in Gortimer’s office. What if Lucar had told him about what happened? What if he was marching towards them to have Anna arrested, to bring her in front of the council again to be punished? Her heart beat faster with every step Rokus took towards them. But as he got within speaking distance of their party, he ignored Anna completely. He did not even glance at her. His eyes were locked on Broderick instead.

“Headed to the market I presume,” Rokus said smugly.

“That is the direction we are moving towards, isn’t it?” Broderick replied kindly.

“And what, pray tell, are you in need of today?” Rokus asked.

“Oh, a little of this, a little of that, you know,” Broderick said evasively, “and what might you be doing out and about on this fine day?”

Rokus was not quite as polite as Broderick.

“That is entirely none of your business,” he said curtly.

“Then it appears this conversation will be rather short lived, unfortunately,” Broderick said, smiling.

“Not so fast,” Rokus said, grabbing Broderick’s arm as the latter began to move around him, “have you been keeping a close eye on this filthy nontribus?”

Anna felt her skin prickle at the word. It seemed to carry a bit more of a sting now that she understood the meaning behind it. She was still just an outsider, no matter how far she had come.

“Oh yes, the closest,” Broderick said, nodding his head vigorously, “and I assure you, she’s kept the murdering down to a bare minimum.”

Anna gaped at Broderick while Nelson appeared to be doing his best not to erupt in a fit of laughter.

“You’ll watch your tongue,” Rokus warned, “your little stunt with this girl has caused quite a stir you know. Your popularity has waned a bit under your opinion of this interloper. The kingdom has been filled with mutterings about your… Mental acuity.”

“I’d rather them talk about me going crazy than talk about me being a stuck up, pompous, prick. I’d rather not be compared to you, after all,” Broderick said.

Rokus’ face went beet red and he looked lost for words for a moment. It did not last long.

“Your time will come Broderick, and you will regret the insolence you have continued to show towards my authority. Good day to you,” he spat.

He gave Anna a look that could wither flowers. She, for her part, did her best to stare at him defiantly, though she could not help but to withdraw a bit as he passed by her.

“Well, come on you two. If we hurry, we can beat the worst of the crowds,” Broderick told them.

They sauntered off from the meeting and before long, they had entered the market. Again, Anna’s spirit and wonder was ablaze at the sights she saw and the people she encountered. The tiger-man selling the miniature monsters had set his booth back up and the smell of dragonears called to Anna. She stopped every few feet to gawk at this or that. Broderick was patient, allowing her to stop and check out each kiosk and store-front in turn. Though the market was not very large, it took them a good half hour to get from the side they had entered on to where Bardis and Facetia’s shop was located. The sign above the shop made it hard to miss. It read Monsadasia Mineral and Mining Supplies. The words were written in large, blocky lettering and there were massive gemstones and mining tools painted around the words. They had just about reached the store when another voice called out to them.

“Fancy seeing you here, Broderick. And Nelson and Anna too,” the velvety smooth voice rang out.

They turned to see councilman Roderung jauntily marching towards them. Anna found it disconcerting, albeit a bit comforting, that Roderung carried himself in such a different way than Rokus did. Where Rokus looked as if he hated the world and everything in it, especially Anna, Roderung looked so much more alive and carried an air of pleasantness with him. He looked genuinely happy to see the three of them here, even Anna, whom he smiled at pleasantly. Unlike Rokus, he spoke to Anna immediately.

“And how are you liking your new home beneath the mountain, Anna?” he asked.

“Oh, uh…” Anna stammered, taken off guard at being addressed first, “it’s been great. Broderick and Nelson have been really nice.”

“Splendid,” he said jovially, “and Nelson, the old man hasn’t been too hard on you has he?”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Nelson said proudly.

“Come now, Benedict, you speak as if I torment my poor apprentice,” Broderick said, though he spoke in good humor.

Anna realized Benedict was Roderung’s first name. It then occurred to her that, apart from Broderick and now Benedict Roderung, she did not actually know the first names of any of the other councilmembers. She made a mental note to ask Nelson about that later. At this rate, she would have quite a few questions for Nelson before the day was over.

“I just hope you don’t treat him the same way you treat our dear head councilman,” Roderung said, wagging his finger in a shameful sort of way.

A moment of silence passed and then both men burst out laughing.

“I only treat those whom I have a true disdain for that way, as you are well aware my friend,” Broderick told Roderung.

“Between you and I, that disdain is well earned,” Roderung replied, putting his hand next to his mouth as if to speak in secret.

He turned his attention back towards Anna.

“Have you been learning a lot? I know Broderick here is a fantastic teacher and Nelson is quite adept at making things. Even if they do explode sometimes,” he said, grinning.

“Oh yeah,” Anna said excitedly, “I’ve learned a ton since I’ve been here. Watch this.”

She pulled a seed from within her pocket. She had gotten into the habit of carrying a few of them with her wherever she went these days so she could practice her control whenever she had free time. Effortlessly, she caused it to grow and bloom. She grinned at Roderung, who was looking mightily impressed.

“Would you look at that,” he said, “you’ll have moved on to elemental manipulation then, eh?”

“Yes, I’ve gotten pretty good at that too,” Anna said, aware that she was boasting a bit, but also being excited to have someone to tell.

“No doubt there, you are in excellent hands. And what brings you three to the market today?” he asked.

Unlike with Rokus, Broderick was far more forthcoming with Roderung, saying, “we are here to visit Bardis and Facetia. Anna, here, will be making her first wand soon.”

Broderick looked at her, and the pride on his face was evident.

“How riveting! Well, I shall not hold you all for any longer, I am sure Anna is popping at the seams with excitement over her first wand. By the Source, there are few precious moments in life like getting your first one. Anyways, I must be getting to the castle, there are some authorization forms in need of my signature,” Roderung told them, sounding slightly annoyed about the last part.

They exchanged a few parting pleasantries before Roderung set off. The encounter with him had left Anna feeling much better about her place in Monsadasia than the one with Rokus had. The three of them set off again, and moments later found themselves outside the front doors of Bardis and Facetia’s shop. Broderick pushed the door open and held it for Anna and Nelson to walk through. A rather chaotic scene greeted them.

“Gimme, gimme, it’s mine!” a young girl shouted at an older boy.

She was yanking on a small stuffed unicorn, which the older boy appeared to be trying to take from her. The boy was laughing at her distress. Next to him was another boy who looked very much like the first, who was also laughing at the girl.

“Beedus, Belvis, you leave your sister alone this instant or I will sick Spitshine on you!” a woman yelled, storming into the front of the store from a back room.

Anna was taken aback for a moment by this woman’s appearance. For one, she was larger and more muscular than any female Anna had ever seen in her life. For two, she sported flaming red hair that seemed to glow, pulled back in a ponytail, and was covered head to toe in tattoos. Anna very much liked the tattoo she had of a pickaxe wrapped in barbed wire. It made the woman look tough and rugged. The woman was covered in dirt and wore thick, leather cover-alls.

“Ah, Facetia, I see you are enjoying some good old fashioned family bonding,” Broderick said to the woman.

Facetia looked at him and grinned. She reached a large arm in between the fighting children and plucked the unicorn away with ease, handing it to the whimpering girl.

“Broderick, good ta see ya mate!” Facetia said cheerfully, “Oi, Bardis, get your butt out here, we have customers!”

Facetia’s voice rang out in such a way that it felt like the floorboards should be shaking from it.

“Coming, dear,” a much smaller, and higher pitched voice called from the back room.

There was the sound of metal objects being shuffled around and set down haphazardly, followed by a pitter-pattering of feet. A man emerged from the back room a few seconds later, whom Anna presumed was Bardis. After seeing Facetia, Anna was slightly surprised at the man who appeared before her. Where Facetia was tall and fit, Bardis was short and squat. His round belly protruded slightly from beneath his shirt. He had a set of strange, thick glasses settled on his forehead, causing his mousy brown hair to flare up at odd angles. A thick, curly mustache covered the entirety of the space between his round nose and his mouth and, indeed, Anna had a great deal of trouble telling where his nose hairs ended and the mustache began. He waddled up to Anna on short, stubby legs, and held a leather-glove wearing hand out to her.

“Pleased to meet you,” he said.

Anna took his hand and shook it.

“Facetia, Bardis, this is my new apprentice, Anna,” Broderick told them.

“Oh, the new girl, been wondering when we’d get to meet ya,” Facetia said, grinning again.

It struck Anna immediately how Bardis and Facetia were reacting to her. At this point, she had almost grown used to the nasty and evasive looks that came her way from nearly everyone in Monsadasia. Those looks were nowhere to be found among Bardis and Facetia. They both beamed at her as if they were truly glad to meet her. It gave Anna a strange sense of comfort. The two boys, who Anna thought might be twins based on their appearance, began wrestling with each other.

“Now boys, acting like monkeys isn’t going to impress our new guest,” Bardis said patiently.

The two wrestling children broke apart and smiled at their father. The resemblance they shared to their mother was immediate. Not only did they have the same grin as Facetia, but they both sported the same muscular build and flaming red hair as their mother. The small girl approached Anna, holding her stuffed unicorn in front of her face as she did so.

“You’re pretty,” the girl said.

Anna could feel her cheeks going red a bit as Nelson laughed.

“Well, thank you,” Anna said sheepishly

“As I’m sure ya gathered, I’m Facetia, and this pot-bellied hunk of a man is my husband, Bardis,” Facetia told her, “and these three are our pride and joy, and sometimes headaches. The twins, Beedus and Belvis,” at this the two boys stuck out their chests in an attempt to look macho, “and our daughter, Felicity.”

Where the boys took after Facetia, Felicity took just as much after her father. She lacked the protruding nose whiskers, but she shared the same brown hair and short, round nose of her father. She also had his kind, brown eyes.

“Nice to meet you,” Anna said to all of them.

“What brings you to our humble shop today?” Bardis asked.

“We are in need of some gems for a new wand,” Broderick explained.

Looking around, Anna saw that there were heaps of different gemstones in the shop. Some were in fancy glass cases, while others were sat out in large volumes in wooden boxes. Many of them were of the perfect orb shape that Broderick had explained were perfect for wand use. Others were cut and faceted, glimmering from the lights of the shop.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” Bardis said to Anna, noticing her look of fascination.

“Yeah, very much so,” she replied, “how come some of them are cut? Broderick told me that the round shape is ideal for casting magic.”

“And Broderick knows what he’s talking about,” Facetia said, “but where the round stones channel and amplify magic better, cut stones hold magic in more efficiently. Much better for enchanting items and storing magic for longer periods,” she explained.

“So what kind of stones are you wanting for your wand?” Bardis asked Anna.

Though Broderick had not told them who the wand was for, he had clearly guessed that Anna was the one making a new wand.

“Now, now, not so fast,” Facetia cut in, “we haven’t seen Broderick for weeks. And I’d like to get to know the newest resident of Monsadasia. Won’t you three stay for some tea and lunch?”

“We would be delighted,” Broderick told them.

Nelson’s eyes lit up at the prospect of food, and Anna’s own belly started to growl. Facetia led the group through the shop. They passed through a room that Anna thought was some kind of workshop. There were tables with magnifying glasses and vices attached to them. Different tools, such as chisels and hammers were spread out and hung on the wall. One vice had a gemstone that looked to be only half cut, one side covered in sharp facets while the other side was still perfectly round. Perhaps that had been what Bardis was working on when they first entered. They exited through the back of the shop and onto a spacious patio.

Facetia motioned for them to sit at a rather large picnic table. Felicity seemed to be rather interested in Anna and opted to sit right next to her.

“You can hold Uni if you want,” Felicity said, holding out her stuffed unicorn to Anna.

Anna took the toy, feeling gratitude that the girl was trusting her with what was clearly a prized possession.

“Right, I’ll go whip up some lunch,” Facetia said, “Bardis, entertain our guests.”

“Yes dear,” Bardis said to his wife.

The group sat around, chatting about various subjects for a while. Bardis was very interested in how Anna had seemingly obtained her magic. He was not malicious about it, though. If anything, he seemed fascinated to learn of her unique case. He asked about how her time in Monsadasia had been so far and what she thought of the kingdom. He even asked about what her life had been like before her encounter with Gwendolyn. It seemed to sadden him whenever Anna told him about her life at the orphanage.

“You poor thing,” Bardis said sympathetically, “well at least you have a good home now, a place where you truly belong.”

Other than when she was with Broderick and Nelson, it was the first time Anna had begun to feel truly welcome in Monsadasia. After a while, Facetia came back out. She had several trays of food levitating in front of her, as well as a large pitcher. With a flick of her wand, the trays sat themselves upon the table. With another flick, empty plates, cups, and silverware spread out to each of the diners.

“Bardis, could you get everyone their tea, hon?” Facetia asked.

Bardis pulled out his own wand and waved it through the air. The pitcher lifted from the table and began filling each of the cups around the table. More than once, a cup would be overfilled and would spill out onto the table.

“Er, sorry about that,” Bardis said, looking slightly embarrassed, “I’m not the best sorcerer around.”

“But you can cut gems better than anyone who ever lived,” Facetia told him, looking lovingly at her husband, “well, dig in!”

Everyone began to shovel food onto their plates. A comfortable silence fell as the group busied themselves eating delicious sausages, pork chops, salads, and fruits. The twins began fighting over a piece of steak, but quickly broke it up under a warning glare from their mother. Twice, Facetia’s wand began to glow, and she would hop up and reenter the store.

“Customers,” Bardis explained to Anna.

As Anna ate, she began to look around the back yard. Her eyes fell upon a large, wooden pen. Inside the pen were a group of sleeping animals that Anna had never seen before. They were each the size of a large dog. They were covered in glowing bronze scales, and appeared to only have two sturdy looking front legs. Their hind quarters consisted of just a long, thick tail. Each of the reptiles had their tails curled around their faces and their two legs tucked underneath their heads.

“Wha’re thoth?” Anna asked through a mouthful of food.

“Ah, that is our dread of drabulls,” Bardis said proudly.

“Dread?” Anna asked, having finally swallowed her food.

“Yeah, like a murder of crows or a blessing of unicorns,” Facetia explained, “a group of drabulls is called a dread. They can be rather dangerous if you don’t train them up right, but all of ours are completely domesticated. Heck, we even let Spitshine roam around in the house.”

Facetia put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. A few of the sleeping drabulls poked their heads up with interest. They had flat, spade shaped heads with holes in the sides. Anna presumed these were their ears. One of the drabulls yawned and Anna could see its large, curved teeth. There was the sound of slow, heavy steps as something moved from inside the store. A drabull came tramping through the back door and slowly approached Facetia, who began scratching underneath its chin. This drabull’s scales were not quite as shiny as the ones in the pen. Anna had the impression that this one was quite a bit older than the rest.

“This is Spitshine,” Facetia told Anna.

Spitshine stuck her long, forked tongue out and drool dripped onto the wooden patio. Smoke began to rise from where the drool landed.

“Bad girl, you know not to drool on the patio,” Facetia scolded.

She took a piece of steak from the table and threw it out into the yard. Spitshine followed its arc through the air and then bumbled after it.

“Drabulls are able to produce acidic spit,” Facetia explained to Anna, who was looking at the smoking drool on the deck.

“Very useful in the mines,” Bardis added, “not only do they serve as excellent protection, but their spit is highly advantageous for breaking stubborn gems away from rock that doesn’t want to let go.”

The other drabulls were now all awake and watching Spitshine with jealousy. Facetia noticed, and took a plate filled with meat over to them. She tossed it into the pen and each of the drabulls began happily eating their meal.

“Why would you need protection in the mines?” Anna asked.

She figured magic would be all the protection you could need, and Facetia looked perfectly capable of handling herself in a physical altercation if it came to that.

“There’s dark things in the mines,” Facetia replied grimly, returning to the table, “and magic doesn’t work so well down there. Some places have so much natural magic, that it interferes with our spellcasting.”

They finished eating and everyone chatted pleasantly for a while. The twins took turns attempting to show Anna their muscles, while Felicity asked her questions such as what her favorite color was and if she liked unicorns or butterflies more. Anna gladly entertained her questions and remarked on how strong both of the twins clearly were. They looked overjoyed at her response, but quickly started arguing over who was stronger.

After a while, Bardis and Facetia began to clean up. Facetia sat one of the trays of leftovers in the yard for Spitshine to munch on. They all returned to the front of the store, and Anna felt anticipation rise in her at the prospect of purchasing the gems for her wand.

“So, what were you thinking of using,” Bardis asked her.

Anna told him of her three choices. As she mentioned she wanted a fire opal core, she saw a look of apprehension pass over Broderick’s face. Remembering what he had told her earlier, she decided not to mention that she had a necklace with that particular stone. Bardis did not seem like the type to covet a jewel, especially when he had so many of his own. But Broderick’s reaction earlier had admittedly scared her. She did not want to receive the same kind of reaction from Bardis.

“All fine choices, if I do say so myself,” Bardis said cheerfully, “I use yellow topaz in my own wand. We have the sapphire and blue topaz in stock, so I can give you those today. Fire opal is a little more rare. Facetia will have to go to the deep mines in order to acquire that one for you.”

This made Anna feel slightly guilty. She began to tell them not to worry about it, that she could pick something else, but Facetia quickly stopped her.

“It’s not a problem,” she said, “I’ve been meaning to make a trip to the depths for a while anyways and this gives me a perfect excuse.”

“Facetia likes a challenge,” Bardis told Anna.

“What will the price be of those three?” Broderick inquired.

“It’s on the house,” Bardis replied.

“Oh, that isn’t necessary,” Broderick said, looking slightly taken aback.

“We insist,” Facetia added, “a first wand is a special thing. Let this be our gift to you, for the pleasant company.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Anna said quietly.

“Thanks would work,” Nelson told her.

“Don’t mention it,” Bardis said, “you should feel welcome here in Monsadasia, this is your kingdom now too.”

At that moment, a loud bell began to ring. It reverberated through the entire market, shaking the walls of the store. Simultaneously, everyone began looking around alarmed.

“Something’s happened,” Broderick said.

“What is that?” Anna asked fearfully.

“The siren, it’s the warning system for the kingdom,” Nelson explained.

“Bardis, Facetia, do you have a scrying mirror I can use?” Broderick asked, sounding a bit desperate.

“Of course,” Bardis said.

He began ruffling around behind a counter, looking for the mirror.

“Here it is daddy,” Felicity said, pulling the mirror from a low shelf.

He took it from her and handed it to Broderick, who began to wave his hand over the surface. Nothing happened. He did it again but was met with the same result. Broderick cursed under his breath. He tried a third time, and finally someone’s face appeared inside the mirror. Anna recognized her immediately as councilwoman Palistrode.

“Dorothea, what has happened?” Broderick asked her.

Though Anna could only see her face, Madam Palistrode appeared to be moving. She was clearly out of breath.

“Broderick, you must get to the castle immediately. Stuvelle has been murdered.”