The child given a small toy, it was such a simple gift. A little dragon-shaped doll. Toys, when deeply loved, can have their own life. This toy fought with a wizard, loved a child, and protected the travelers to help the child, and new parent, find their way past darkness, toward home.
@internutter/challenge-04148-k130-one-link-in-the-chain -- Anon Guest
Midwinterfeast passed in a warm little house in a warm little village in the middle of nowhere. A place eager to have Wraithvine, even though they were wary of hir company. Three apparent monsters in the company of a legend were still monsters. No matter how tame they appeared to be.
Amity, knowing the habits of Humans around Hellkin, fretted every time Berrie's hand left hers. Not just for Berrie's safety, but also that her dear little child might be taken away.
Berrie had learned from the alleyways of the city that Humans were cruel and mean-spirited, so did not often leave their new mother's side. They had also learned to sleep lightly for their own self-defence. And that was how she caught sight of the other childhood deity. The dark shadow who saw to those Greatfather Langeven didn't see.
It was sort of shaped like a Hellkin. Tall and lean, and apparently made of smoke. Its eyes burned in the dark, and it had three horns.
Berrie couldn't reach their knife, what with Mama Amity holding them close, so they urgently patted her face. Never taking their eyes off the shadow.
Mama Amity snorted awake, blinking at the visitor. "Oh. Merry Midwinterfeast, Kinderfreund. Don't fret, my lovely. He gifts all the good children that Greatfather Langeven misses."
The shadow - Kinderfreund - pulled a toy out of his shadow-sack. It was a real toy. Shaped like a dragon and apparently made of hardy fabric.
"This will help you," whispered Kinderfreund, and calmly walked into the shadows of the night. Off to find some other soul unseen by the childhood god of joy and generosity.
Of all things possible in a realm of magic, certain things are undeniable. The one guaranteed way to break a curse is true love's first kiss. A heartfelt prayer or a heartsworn oath has power. And, of course, so does belief.
Berrie named their toy dragon Moxie, after what the innkeeper said they already had. They loved their toy, and believed that it could be real.
Enough belief, enough heartfelt prayers... get answered.
By the time the snows allowed them to climb the mountain and seek the evil mage, Moxie would sit on Berrie's shoulder and chatter with the crew. It could also breathe fire without setting itself aflame. Something it was eager to do every time they set up camp. When it 'slept', it reverted to its inanimate nature.
And that, in the end, was the ultimate cause of Noxillanimus' downfall.
[Photo by Til Man on Unsplash]
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