Madeline

Madeline: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"At last. We're here." Madeline closed her eyes, trying to smell the fresh air of the town. She could smell fresh breads being baked. She could hear the laughter of children. She could see a town, full of delights and happiness. 

Daniel nodded, "Yup. We're here. Should've used your summoning skills since Day One though. We could've reached here a lot faster." 

Jack snapped him, "She was injured, remember?" They slowly walked pass the welcome board. Carefully, they inspected their surroundings, trying to see if there were any dangers here. "Are you sure this place is safe, Daniel?"

"Positive." 

Madeline was astonished at the view she was seeing. There were shops, houses, and buildings made out of bricks, and they're no more than two stories high. In the middle of this town, was a fountain, with water as blue as the sky. Kids were running around, casting spells at each other---harmless spells, of course. 

What surprised her, was that this place, is just like the town in Walt Disney's movie, Cinderella---except that, there are no castles here, and then everyone here uses magic, spells, etc.

"You said that you were looking for itineraries such as compasses, maps, and first aid kits right? Well, I think we should go to Hans's. It's right there," Daniel pointed at a small yet fancy shop. A one-story building with a wooden door. Next to the door was a window which looked very antique. 

When they reached the doorstep, Jack knocked the door. Suddenly, there was something written on the door, as if by magic. It said, 'Welcome to Hans's Store!' and then the door opened by itself. Madeline, who had never seen anything such as this gasped. "Shocked?" Daniel smirked. 

The three of them entered the shop, where a tall and slender man greeted them warmly. "Daniel, is that you?" 

"Hans! Long time no see!" They hugged each other, as if they're brothers. Jack and Madeline looked at each other. "How's business going?"

Hans chuckled, "Ah, business is going very well! So, you're still hunting?" 

Daniel nodded, "Yes. Oh yeah, Hans, this is Jack, and this is Madeline." Hans eyed Madeline and Jack. "I met them in the woods, when I was hunting. And, I kind of accidentally hit Madeline."

Hans looked at Madeline. "You're saying she was hit by your cannonballs?! You should've been dead by now, young woman!" His eyes narrowed, inspecting Madeline's injury. "Wait, how come you're hit, when you're walking on land?"

Daniel explained, "They weren't walking. They were raiding this bizarrely humongous bird." Hans eyes were wide with shock. "Hey, why are you so pale?"

"The only one who could summon a huge bird, is The Black Raven Enchantress." Hans gasped and closed his mouth with his right hand. "This couldn't be possible!"

Daniel yawned. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, Madeline is The Black Raven Enchantress." He casually walked towards the cashier to look at the items Hans was selling.  

Hans kneeled, "It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty." Madeline smiled. Hans examined the Madeline's fingers. "That ring! That is the Raven Ring! The most powerful and almighty ring of all! It possesses a dark magic which could only be controlled by the most powerful enchantress of all, which is you!" Hans stood up. He gasped.

Madeline smiled, "thank you. I'm here looking for a compass, maps, and first aid kits. Oh yeah, do you sell any backpacks or things like that?" She inspected the store, looking for the things she was searching. 

"What's a backpack?" Jack asked, scratching his head. "I don't think there are any backpacks here." He was confused about the idea of a thing called backpack.