Rocco the Guard: Part One (complete)

Female Main Character (older) x Male Monster

Deep within the woods, much farther than anyone should go, lies a house made of cobwebs and stone. Far from prying eyes the house shines light all day, probably from the cauldron that is boiling away. Smoke rises from the chimney, whispering secrets and malice. Inside this old house there is not a mouse, there is barely life at all to be seen. Except the witch who lives there, passing out charms both cursed and lucky. But beware her jagged smile, or you may not be seen for a while.

“Mom! What are you talking about?” Kali mumbled from the table.

I looked up from the page in my hand and chuckled. “Oh, nothing dear.” I tossed the paper into the fire and dusted off my hands. “Just reading one of the old nursery rhymes about me.”

Kali gave me a once over with those dark eyes of hers. “Another one?”

I scoffed and slapped my hands to my hips.  “Hey now young lady, your mother was once some hot shit back in her day. You only know the docile sweet mother, but I’ll have you know-”

Kali snickered and bit down on her lips to keep from laughing.

I leaned in close to her. “What’s that about?”

“Docile and sweet,” she giggled.

I grabbed her up, mussing up her dark hair and tormenting her with kisses. “I was a wild child, you hear me? A wild one!” I lifted her up into the air with my magic, using only a snap of my fingers. Kali giggled and snorted, floating up there close to the rafters.

“That’s why we gotta live out here, kid.” I brought her back down to her seat. “Mama still has a few wanted posters.”

“I thought it was because you didn’t like paying rent,” she says with that adorable, smug, smile of hers.

“No one likes paying rent. And I'll be damned if I make some fat cat even fatter!” I snapped my fingers towards the stove which lit up in flames. “Watch that kettle now, sweetie.” I kissed her temple. “I’ll be out for a bit.” I called over my cloak which I wrapped around me. “Don’t forget to feed Piglet when he wakes up, and if you need anything-”

“I know, Mom.” Kali waved from the table. “Don’t get yourself caught today.”

“Ha!” I laughed. “No one can catch me! I am the greatest witch of all time! I once terrorized the Seven Isles! I, who told the-”

“-great Queen to shove a rat down her house. The one who still causes terror when her name is spoken. That name is Kaireni of the Ghost Shores!” Kali said dramatically, even mimicking my hand movements.

I clicked my tongue. “Teenagers.” I then blew her a kiss. “Love you, bye!” The door swung open and, as I ran outside, I tapped my staff against the ground and the trees opened up over my head and I flew into the sky.

“Bye, Mom!” I heard Kali call out from below.

I brought the hood around my head and breathed in deeply. “You can really smell the vapors from the Mint Swamps this morning.” I looked around as I flew, checking to make sure my spell walls in the forest were still running. From the moment I knew I was pregnant with Kali I had done everything in my power to protect her. I built a home that would keep her safe, I got her a pet that would love her and guide her as well as teach her to be kind and nurturing. I have made sure Kali is the safest child in all the Seven Isles.

Something whizzed by my head, and when I turned to look, something went past on the other side. “Fucking buzzard flies.” I waved my hand around my face, only to knock something out of the way. “Ow!” On the back of my hand there was a mark and, beside me, a huge cloud of smoke erupted.

“Oh crap,” I grumbled under my breath. I flew away from the smoke, with more objects flying at me from within it. “Can’t just have a nice shopping day, now could I?” I mocked under my breath. “No, you can’t, Kaireni.” Another smoke bomb flew past my head and I scoffed. “These jerks won't leave me alone. I’m like candy to them.”

“Rotten candy!” A voice snarled behind me.

I looked back to see a familiar figure standing on the back of my staff. “Ugh. Hello, Rocco,” I grumbled.

The thick, supposedly imposing figure rose up, standing on the back of my staff. “As Grand Warden of the Seven Isles, it is my duty to bring you in to serve justice.”

“Yawn!”

He snarled, dark hood draped over his head. “What was that?”

“You bore me beyond the point of even having to yawn. You have no style, no substance, Rocco. Grand Warden? What even is that?” I continued flying even while Rocco towered over me. Dark clothes, imposing hood, it meant nothing to me these days.

“You are wanted in all seven isles, Kaireni.”

I chuckled. “I know. I’m gorgeous!”

“Listen here, you witch.”

I glared back at him. “Are we really going to keep up this song and dance? It’s been years, Rocco! You’ve wanted up my skirt more than most people. I might respect you if you just came out and said it.”

Rocco smashed one of his smoke bombs between his hands and, as we flew through it, we came into the Seven Isles Dungeon.

“Yawn,” I sighed. “I’ve seen this trick, Rocco.” I stopped my staff from flying and we hovered over the cells.

“You won’t escape me this time, Kaireni,” Rocco snarled.

I stood up to face him, looking up at him as I pulled down my hood. “Out of how many times, Rocco? You’ve done this before dozens upon dozens attempts, and I always get away,” I sneered at him. “I am better than you, I am smarter than you, and you will have to think of something pretty clever to capture me.”

Rocco chuckled. “Luck runs out, little witch.” He removed his thick gloves, revealing the mouths at the center of each palm.

“Get a lot of ladies with that action?” I stomped on the end of my staff, sending him flying over my head while I shot down to the ground. I landed on the ground and went towards the cells, tapping my staff on each lock. “Fly, my beauties, fly!” The door swung open, and uncertain prisoners began poking out their heads.

Rocco came through smoke towards me and I ran the other way cackling, unlocking more cells as I passed by.

“Somebody grab her!” Rocco commanded and prisoners came flocking towards me.

I came to a halt with guards before me and Rocco behind me. “Oh! So where did you move the prisoners?” I looked up towards the ceiling where there was a large glass dome letting in light. I swiftly moved away from grabbing hands, ducking under legs and then jumped over the rails towards the ground floor.

Hands came out of the walls reaching for me, grabbing my hair and pulling at my clothes, slowing my fall. Rocco was above me, running down the outstretched hands like stairs.

The floor opened up and hands pulled me down below. I landed in the dark and heard Rocco’s laugh all around me.

I sighed in exhaustion. “I have groceries to pick up, Rocco. You’re really ruining the mood.” I tapped my staff on the ground and the skull at the end opened its mouth and light shined out.

“Yes, I am aware. We figured out your schedule.”

“That’s creepy. You know women don’t like that, right?” I shined my light onto the wall where I saw the hands covered an exit. Just beyond it I saw Rocco standing there.

“The Ghost Shore Witch is no woman,” Rocco snarled.

“Ew. Ouch.” I turned to face him, walking towards the door of hands. “You use this little trick of yours to get off when the nights are just too damn sad and lonely?” I said with a smirk. I touched one of the hands, smoothing my fingers down it. “They seem awfully feminine for such a big, striking man as yourself.”

The hand slapped me away and I bursted out laughing. “Laugh now, Kaireni. From here on out, your life will be what you paid into it.”

I stuck my tongue out and blew a raspberry at him. “Oh come on, Rocco. Enough with the theatrics. My sister has been feeding this place her propaganda for longer than I care to think about. Don’t tell me you’re actually buying it now. We went to school together, for crying out loud.”

Rocco snarled under his breath.

“Remember the poem you wrote for me?” I cooed.

“Kaireni.”

“I thought you’d be a writer.” I waved my hand about my hand-made cell. “Not some second rate jailer. Man, my sister really made a mess out of you.”

Rocco snarled deeply and the sides of his hood fluttered. “Do not speak to the queen in such a way.”

I thrust myself towards the hands to get in his face. “I’ve seen her piss her pants, I get to talk about her any way I damn well please.”

There was an icy silence between us as we both glared at one another.

“You had potential, Kaireni,” Rocco finally growled under his breath. “You could have been queen of the Seven Isles.”

I clicked my tongue then ran it over my teeth. “Shoulda, coulda, woulda, Rocco. Maybe if ‘if and buts were candy and nuts’ we’d all be sitting pretty easy, wouldn’t we?” I narrowed my eyes upon him, counting down the seconds in the back of my mind. “But candy and nuts don’t fix the cracks in the walls. Royalty aren’t fixers.”

“You are though, Kaireni. You were always smart enough.”

I shrugged. “But I’m not royal. Fixers and royalty are opposite magnets. They repel one another.” I then sighed and shook my head at him. “No, Rocco. I would have had to burn this place to the ground. Better I make myself some children’s boogeyman than a real villain.”

Rocco approached the hand prison closer to where I could see the long beaked leather mask under his hood. “You were never afraid to get your hands dirty before, Kaireni. What would make that so different?”

“Because then it wouldn’t be just my hands,” I glanced at the hands and back into his eyes. “It would be the hands of everyone getting dirty, Rocco.”

Rocco breathed out slowly. “Now you don’t have to worry about it any further. Your sister will be pleased that you are finally back home.”

I stuck my tongue out at him. “Home is the Ghost Shore, which she won’t let anyone on anymore. The palace?” I scoffed. “Nothing more than another ornament. It’s not a home. It’s a fortress and a scum hole.”

Rocco chuckled as if he had caught me with something. “Says the woman who lived in the mortal realm.”

Every hair on my body stood on end and tingled. Shivers surged through my arms and across the front of my chest, pulling tight until it felt like my back was ripped from the seam. “And what do you know? Just stories. The mortals have it hard where they are.” I hissed back.

“After what you did, you should have stayed there, Kaireni.”

I held my tongue on that one. He had no clue after all. “Do you still write?”

Rocco was silent.

“I always thought you had a gift.” I took a step backwards in my cell. “The poem you wrote for me certainly stuck with me after all this time.”

He growled behind his mask.

“Soft spark burn brightly. Soft spark too hot. Beyond what’s greater from creatures we wrought. You are the flame despite how softly you spark. You burn far too brightly. Too greater than ought. Don’t burn too fast. Don’t let this be the last cast. Soft spark burn brightly. Soft spark in my heart.”  I clutched my hand over my chest and giggled.

“Very romantic at such a young age. Does that still stand today?” I giggled.

“That was a long time ago,” Rocco snarled.

I nodded. “That it was. That it was.” I inhaled deeply then let it out with a sigh. “Young love, never works out does it?” I snapped my fingers and the wall behind me burst open, flooding the cell with water from the moat surrounding the dungeon. “See ya later, alligator!” I waved to Rocco just as the water surged around me. It swept me up, grabbing me and pulling me outside. Rocco’s hands gave me the idea, I just work better with water than stone.

I could hear Rocco screaming as I swam to shore. I had gone down the river just enough to get far from the dungeon.

“Darn, gotta shake up my schedule again.” I climbed up into the city where I saw something that nearly threw me for an even bigger loop than Rocco did. I saw Kali, my Kali, with a couple of other kids her age. They were standing at a booth filled with jewelry and they were giggling and laughing over something.

Kali and her friends turned away from the booth, showing each other the rings on their fingers. She saw me and her eyes opened wide.

I held up my hands and shrugged at her.

“Hey, guys, I’ll be just a second.” Kali left her group and came up to me. “Hey there,” she said unsuredly at me. “What are you so wet for?”

“Hey there?” I scoffed. “What are you doing so far from home?”

Kali glanced back towards her friends then back at me. “Nothing bad!”

I opened my eyes wide at her and jutted out my chin.

“Mom, chill! I’ve done this tons of times before. I just get so bored at the house!” She extended her arm back. “These are my friends.”

I take a look at the children, recognizing a few and knowing who their parents are. I looked back down at Kali. “Tons of times, young lady?”

Kali sucked her lips into her mouth and ducked her head.

I sighed. “We’ll talk about this later. You can continue your little escape act for now, young lady. But right now I have to make sure we both don’t starve this month.”

She came up to hug me but stopped. “Seriously, why are you soaked?”

“I am the mother! I am the one who will be asking questions!” I turned her around and pushed her back towards her friends. “Be gone with you, child! I have no gold coin for you!”

Kali narrowed her eyes on me. “What?”

I ran away from her, heading towards the main bulk of the market. As I blended into the crowd I let out a heavy sigh. “How the hell is that kid managing to get out of the house without me knowing? All those spells…I should have at least been alerted about it,” I grumbled under my breath.

The line for the bakery was out the door and I cussed Rocco under my breath. “That jackass. Now I’m not gonna get the good shit.” Stepping forward, my foot stayed stuck to the ground. I wrenched and pulled, but something had a hold of me. There was a hand coming out of the dirt wrapped around my ankle.

“Rocco, you fucking nerd.” I stabbed the hand with my staff, then another and another. I was sidestepping them so much I was breaking through the bakery line and pushing people out of the way. Hands were tripping customers up as they tried to get at me.

“When a lady means no, Rocco, she means no!” I stabbed through one of the hands and it got stuck on the bottom of my staff. By that point an angry crowd had gathered and some of the local Watchguards were taking notice.

The getaway was as swift as I could make it. I flew up into the air while the crowd below yelled and made a racket. I huffed, gazing out over the vibrant pink ocean before our isle. The sea turned fuzzy lavender after that, spreading out into the pale horizon.

I yanked the hand of Rocco’s from the end of my staff and made a special detour on the way home to chuck it into the Churning Swamp. I landed at home then glared up at the door.

I put my hand to my hip and let out a long, drawn sigh. “Chik, is Kali home?”

The door shifted and a face appeared where the doorknocker was. The vaguely dragon face blinked at me.

“Kali did not go through any door in the house!” Chik said proudly.

I pursed my mouth and sucked in air through an agitated frown. “Did she leave through a window?”

Chik was quiet for a long moment. “Kali did not leave through any doors!”

“I made my house too literal,” I murmured. “Alright Chik, we’re going to have to talk about how windows are also a type of door.”

Chik opened the door and their face followed me inside. “I was told to watch the doors.”

“I also told you to watch my child! But are you watching her?” I snipped.

“She cannot evade my sight!”

I guess it was my fault Chik wasn’t too bright. “Where is she now, Chik? Can you see her anywhere?”

Chik’s face vanished and then returned on the far left wall. “She is in her room under the covers on her bed!”

I stared blankly and sighed. “Well, she’s my daughter, that I can be certain of.” I went upstairs and entered Kali’s room. It certainly did look like she was in bed. But pulling back the covers she had stacked some pillows and clothing to look like her slumbering figure.

“Kali is gone! Kali is gone!” Chik started screaming through the whole house.

“I know! Be quiet!” I roared. I sat down on the edge of Kali’s bed and looked out her window where I saw a hook had been screwed to the outside as well as fibers from a rope. “Why did she have to turn out just like me? Sneaky brat.” I stood and went over to her desk where she had some pictures put up, her diary laid out, which I guess I could be grateful she could trust me that much. There was also the pocket watch I had gotten from her father. I gave it to her just last year when she turned twelve, and she had been trying to fix it ever since.

I went back downstairs, turning the stove back on and filling the kettle for tea. As I reached for my mug, it snapped at me.

“Piglet, bad mimic.” I took hold of him and set him down on the counter where he transformed into a cookie jar.

“Bad witch!” The mimic hissed at me.

I got my mug down and waited for the kettle to boil. Piglet turned into a squirrel and began trying to grab at birds that came towards the birdfeeder in the window.

“I got you in the hopes of protecting Kali as she grew up. You’ve turned out to be more of a garbage disposal than a guard dog.”

“Not dog,” Piglet hissed.

I scoffed as the kettle started to whistle. I poured my tea, staring wistfully down into the cup. “I guess I’m entering those difficult days. Hopefully I can handle her better than my mother handled me.” I smiled from the nostalgia, warmth flooding from my chest to my fingertips as I looked back on those wild halcyon days.

“They said there was never a witch like me,” I said proudly. “And maybe never again.” I looked around the kitchen with a pout. “Who am I talking to?”

“Kali is home with guests! Kali is home with guests!” Chik screamed through the whole house.

“I hear you!” I scoffed. “Guess she’s feeling guilty.” I sipped my tea as I waited for Kali to come into the room. She had her friends in tow, three of them, all of them looking a touch nervous.

“Hi, Mom,” Kali spoke with fear.

I pointed at the table. “Take a seat.” I stood and went over to the counter. “All of you, go on.”

“Wow it really is here,” one of the girls whispered.

“She’s not that tall,” another scoffed.

I placed the cookie jar on the table. “Go ahead and have some, all of you.”

Kali made her friends stop and inspected the cookie jar, in case it was Piglet. She then offered cookies to her friends.

“I see you figured out Chik’s loophole,” I said.

Kali remained quiet.

“I’m not mad, Kali. Stop acting like I’m going to turn you into a newt.” I waved my hand out to her friends. “Introduce me to your friends. I would like to know what is so important about sneaking out on me.”

Kali’s eyes studied me before she glanced towards her friends. “This is Alicia Greenwood, Barley Biddle, and Kizzy Croucher.”

“Croucher, huh,” I said looking to the bigger girl at the end. “Your family runs the bakery.”

Kizzy’s eyes darted to Kali then back to me. “Yes ma’am.”

I leaned over the table close to Kizzy, coming at her like a viper about to eat a mouse. “How often do you make those rolls that look like cats? Are they a certain kind of bread you can get anytime?”

Kizzy’s wide eyes gave way to flushed cheeks of surprise. “Oh! Uh-” She swallowed and nodded. “The bread is our special Feast Bread. They’re the loaves that are braided and glazed.”

I snapped my fingers. “I don’t like braids, that’s why I’ve never gotten it! We don’t have to wait anymore on the cats!” I said triumphantly to Kali. “Oh, also, do you take orders? Maybe deliver? Because if you’re going to be running around with my daughter, maybe she could bring home some of that bread every once in a while.”

“Mom!” Kali growled under her breath.

“What? Free stuff tastes better.”

After talking with Kali’s friends for a while, I sent them home. I sat down to have a heart to heart with Kali.

“From now on you tell me when you’re leaving the house. I also am going to make sure you aren’t leaving through your bedroom window, that’s dangerous, young lady,” I fussed at her.

Kali nodded.

“I can’t get mad at you, because then I’d be getting mad at myself. Then again, I was a lot worse than you at your age,” I sighed.

She raised her eyes up at me again and smiled. “I’m sorry. I get so bored all the way out here. And when I met Alicia, she was my first real friend.”

“I know, kid. I know.” I patted her hand. “But the reasons we are out here are good reasons! There are people who want my neck. And if they knew you existed they could use you against me.”

“I know, Mom,” she choked up. “And I was always really, really careful, I swear! No one even knows who I am. I gave myself a nickname and backstory and everything. They would never know you were my mom.”

I smiled at her, touching her cheek and brushing back her curls. “Okay then, let's hear about this alternate persona while I go into your room and take some of your stuff for disobeying me.”

Her smile fell.

“What? I am still your mother and you broke the rules. You’re not getting out of this free as a bird, no matter how proud I am of you for taking advantage of the system.” I patted her back and led her upstairs. “So, what's your fake name?”

“Ostelinda Sedgewick,” she announced with pride.

“Not bad, kid; I almost believed you,” I chuckled.

“My parents are from the third isle and come here only for the spice trade,” she continued.

I lit up with excitement at her words. “I used spice trade as a kid too!” I grabbed her up, hugging her tight and shaking her back and forth. I then took hold of her face between my palms and squeezed her cheeks. “I love you, Kali. But remember, you gotta be smart out there!”

Kali smiled, well, smiled as best she could with her cheeks squished. “Smart as you, Mom!”

I smiled with pride and kissed her forehead. “And don’t let your friends down, Kali. You’re going to need them someday, and well-” I trailed off for a moment, lost in thought and old, dusty memories. “Well, your mom wasn’t always so smart, you know?” I let go of her then ruffled her hair. “Now go apologize to Chik.”

Kali gave me a look, one of knowing and confusion. She nodded. “Okay, Mom. I will.”

I sighed heavily as I watched her go down the hall. Biting my tongue I held back the things I wanted to tell her. Someday maybe, but not now.

That evening as Kali slept, I went into my room where I had a stack of her books locked up in one of my cupboards. I opened another one, pulling out some things I had kept from my youth. This included an old school book I had written in the margins of to correct or alter the spells we were being taught.

Inside was a small envelope that held Rocco’s poem. Not sure why I kept it when the guy had turned into such a pest. Seeing Kali with her friends though reminded me of the days back in school when I had my own little group of troublemakers. Funny to see how most of them aren’t such troublemakers anymore.