She looked over the guardian of the island, the famed witch Serce. Her long wavy copper hair cascaded over her shoulders while her piercing green eyes stared at Keylynn.

  “Salutations, I assume you are none other than Serce, the guardian and protector of Holy Moly, your veritable paradise. I’m Keylynn of the Royal Assessment Department and Adventurer Welfare Council. My team and I are conducting an annual assessment of Ody’s Journey,” she explained before Serce decided to turn her into a pig as well.

  When Serce leaned against her doorframe, Keylynn felt relieved, at least for now, she won’t be turned into a pig. At least for the moment. When she heard that Serce had just turned her team into pigs, she feared the worst: a rogue employee. Rogue quest employees are always the hardest to work with because they are unpredictable. One moment they can be at the top of their field, and the next they can be on a rampage. They are often called the modern-day villains. Keylynn has been lucky enough to encounter very few of them.

  “So, that raging asshole is finally eating the shit pie he deserves, is he? Anyone working to remove his crown is welcome in my home. Oh, do be careful around the pigs. They are learning a lesson on manners.” She waved her hand in the air casually as she retreated deeper in the cottage.

  Keylynn gave Inferno a look indicating he needs to follow her lead. They were treading headfirst into danger. She had little doubt that Serce was a rogue employee or well on her way to becoming one. All she needed was the proof to support her feeling.

  The cottage was warm and inviting inside, the opposite of its inhabitant. It appeared to be mostly one large room, taking inspiration from the modern open floor design. Most of the walls were lined with shelves holding various potion bottles, jars of numerous ingredients, crystals, candles, and books. There were a couple of rooms off in the distance, one that didn’t have a door; instead, it had a waist-high wooden gate. Peering through holes in the gate were overly large, warm brown eyes belonging to adorable pink pigs.

  Serce riffled through a cupboard, pulling out two glasses and a decanter with an amber liquid in it. She set them on the small table nestled beside a fireplace. Thankfully it was warm enough to not warrant an actively burning fire. Serce gestured for her to join her at the table.

  “Thank you for welcoming us to your home,” she said, taking a seat in the empty chair across from Serce. Inferno stood awkwardly nearby, casting gazes over to the pigs.

  Keylynn reached out with her magic towards the pigs. The pigs were clearly her team. Even without her magic, she was sure she could identify who each pig was. The pig with a bored look was naturally Ragna, while the unimpressed pig was Demetra. The pig that looked as if they were waiting for their perfect moment to strike was Tsunami, and the pig that wasn’t pink at all was Zukyov. He looked more like a wild boar than a pig, with dark scraggly fur and a long snout with small tusks jutting out from it.

  Serce poured the amber liquid in both glasses and slid one over to Keylynn. “You’ve found my pigs. Don’t let them fool you. They are all the same. They are always so remorseful and sad once I reveal what they truly are.”

  Keylynn sniffed the drink and was pleasantly surprised to discover it wasn’t fermented fruit juices. She sipped it, and it was a lovely earthy drink with notes of clove and cinnamon. “One of your pigs looks… umm, rather different,” she said, hoping it wasn’t a comment that would send Serce over the edge.

  “Darling, I know. I’m not sure what happened there.” She mused, taking a sip of her drink. “Hmmm, well, a pig is a pig.”

  Keylynn bit her lip. She had to tread carefully, or else she and Inferno would be joining their team in the pigpen. She doubted she could inquire about how Serce transformed them into pigs. “May I inquire as to how they earned… piggie time?” She asked, hoping it was the right question.

  “Oh, look at you, quivering in fear of joining them! Ask away! It’s your job, no? It’s how I handle adventurers these days. Ody, as odious as ever, demanded that I ‘make it easier.' Which is ridiculous. It was never a difficult quest! All they had to do was be an ideal guest for a day. Then I gave them a simple list of tasks to complete. Now I turn them into what they really are: pigs. After a day or two, as long as they behave, they will be returned to their previous forms and set on their merry way to go play with sirens,” she explained morosely. Keylynn felt empathy for her. She could only imagine how soul-killing it was to craft an island and quest that once was thought of as perfect only to be told to make it easier.

  “That’s not much of a quest,” Keylynn mused out loud and immediately regretted it.

  “I know! It’s pathetic. First, my jungle was filled with beautiful monsters and creatures. There were ponderous traps that gave them a thrill of adventure and wonder. What lies at the end of the path? Then they are faced with a witch who stole their heroes and is threatening to eat them. And now, my lovely jungle is just that, and adventurers have to do little more than be in my home. But it’s what our noble lord demands.” She finished her drink.

  Keylynn took another sip of her drink. “May I use everything you are saying for my assessment?”

  “Why do you think I’m telling you all this, dearie?” She asked with a sly smile. She poured herself another drink. “I suppose you need the paperwork. Forgive me. It’s been ages since we’ve had an assessment.” She stood up and gracefully walked around her cottage to the closed door and slipped inside.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Inferno leaned close near Keylynn’s ear. “Shouldn’t we be worried about reversing their pig transformation?”

  “We have to tread carefully. She may not be in her right mind. There is no way she is authorized to turn people into pigs and call it a quest,” she whispered back, keeping an eye on the closed door.

  “But can’t we just take them and go?”

  “I don’t know how to reverse what she did, and figuring it out will take time. For now your friends are safer than we are. I won’t let harm come to them. Now shush, she’s coming back.” She spoke a moment before Serce opened the office door.

  Serce returned with several thick files and manila envelopes stacked in her arms. She dropped the stack on the table in front of Keylynn. “That should be everything for you, dear. I know it’s not the most sophisticated system, but alas, it’s what I make do with.”

  “Thank you,” Keylynn said as she opened the file that sat on the top. At least the paperwork inside was neat and orderly.

  “Oh, that will take you hours! You can take that with you. I have copies.” Serce waved her off.

  Keylynn bit her lip and cast her eyes at the pigs. “I can’t leave, unfortunately, until my team has been restored to their previous form.”

  “Oh dear, those pigs are yours? That does change things, doesn’t it?” Her tone became darker as she stared at Keylynn.

  She sucked in a deep breath. She can do this. She has no other choice.

  “Yes, they are. They are a team in training and requested to conduct an assessment without my supervision. I'm sure you know how trainees can be. Ready to run before they walk,” She tried to sound casual but doubted how effective she was.

  “It’s a shame, really,” Serce mused, swirling her drink and finishing it. All of Keylynn’s remaining hyphae were on edge. The witch of Holy Moly was unhinged.

  “I see you are understanding the responsibility of training an entirely new team. I apologize on their behalf for the behaviour that led to turning them into pigs. I will be disciplining them on your behalf,” Keylynn tried to calmly say, when in truth she was at a loss for what to say. She doubted Demetra would have said something deserving of being turned into a pig. She suspects that Serce simply opened her door and turned them into pigs before Demetra could even introduce them. Furthermore, what words would appease her enough to return them to their previous forms? Nothing in her team leadership training prepared her for this situation.

  “Oh, I understand. I also understand how dreadful this entire situation is. I finally had someone who had a real chance to take down the asshole. But we both know I can’t very well let you or them leave now, can I?” Serce gave her a sly smile.

  Keylynn’s heart beat loudly in her ears. Serce can’t let them leave because of how it would reflect on her that she turned RADWC staff into pigs. She has to think quickly or else she will be joining the pigpen. “I am under the assumption that they had said something to cause you to turn them into pigs. As they are trainees, they are prone to these mistakes, are they not? And I’m sure your quick use of transformative magic has likely taught them a much-needed lesson.”

  Serce swirled her drink as she thought it over. She didn’t look like she was going to see reason. Keylynn bit her lip and continued, “As their supervisor, I’m sure you know I can deem it an appropriate response in my report. And I can’t file my scathing report against Ody if I am a pig. Hooves make it hard to type.” She hoped that Serce would enjoy her attempted lighthearted joke.

  Serce chuckled softly. “Hooves make it hard to type,” she repeated softly. “Oh, I like you.” She took a sip of her drink. “If I were to say that they failed to identify themselves, which forced me to assume that they were adventurers, would my reaction be reported as appropriate?”

  Keylynn nodded. “Absolutely.” She absolutely will not be absolving her actions in her report. She gave her a warm smile. “I wasn’t aware that adventurers are willing to stoop so low,”

  “Oh, that isn’t even half of it. They will do anything to weasel out of the work. All they want is the glory of saying they completed a quest. If they could wave a wand and gain the title of hero, they would. Instantly.”

  “I wasn’t aware of the ridiculous lengths you have to go to to ensure adventurers complete the quest,” Keylynn said, confused. Wasn’t the whole point of adventuring guilds to gain access to quests in order to do them? “May I add that to my report as well? It’s the storymancer’s job to address such behaviours, and it seems to me that yours is encouraging them.”

  “But that requires me to let you and your team go,” she teased. “I would, but I don’t have any guarantees that your report will truly do anything about Ody.”

  Keylynn let out a deep breath. “You’re right, I have no promises except to do my job.” She paused. There has to be something that she can do. “What else can I do to convince you to let us go?”

  “You are persistent,” Serce mused. “A trade—once upon a time my quest used to be a test of will, of what they were willing to sacrifice to return those poor war heroes home.”

  “Would you like one of my fungal colonies? Each one is connected to me. They help in every facet of my life from connecting to my maigc or helping me perceive the world. Most have perished through our trip across Ody’s Path, but my corpse flower mushrooms have survived.” She really didn’t want to have to part from any of her fungal colonies at this point. She didn’t know how much longer they would be trapped on the quest. She fears the day that not even her corpse flowers are able to survive.

  Serce looked at Keylynn shocked. “You would give up one of your fungal colonies for your team and risk losing your connection to your magic?”

  She didn’t hesitate with her answer. “Of course I would. They are my responsibility.” Keylynn doubted she would lose her connection to her magic completely. Even in FrostMaiden with Dauven, she still had her connection to her magic; it was just harder for her to connect.

  “Very well then,” Serce nodded.

  Keylynn reached her hand out to one of the smaller corpse flower stalks and asked it if it would be willing to join Serce. Keylynn waited for its answer, hoping that it would be willing to leave. She didn't know what else she could sacrifice to appease the unhinged witch. Slowly one hypha reached for her hand, and slowly pulled the stalk closer to it.

  She manifested a small clod of dirt before setting the fungal colony on it. She reassured it that Serce will give it a good home. Keylynn wasn’t sure she believed that, though. “My team, please.”

  She waved her hand in the air lazily. “There you are. They have returned to their final forms. You and your team are welcome to my island as long as you require it. When you leave, it’s best if you stuff cotton in your ears. The ship only stops if you hear the sirens,” Serce said before reaching across the table to finish Keylynn’s drink.

  Keylynn stood up, taking the stack of files and envelopes with her. She felt a little lightheaded. She looked around, noting that colours lost their vibrancy. “Inferno, can you help guide the others back to the ship? Transformation magic of any kind can often be disorienting,” she said, looking at the door. She can still feel the small colony on the table, fearing it too will perish.