Caroline wanted nothing more for something spontaneous to happen in her boring day-to-day life. But never in her wildest imagination would she have dared to think of visiting the Crimson Badlands. Her, the wizard and Esmeralda rode on a heavy-duty broomstick that put their flight on a smooth glide across the skies.

“So anyways,” continued Esmeralda, she had been talking for a full hour straight ever since they took flight. “My mom and I aren’t on great terms since you know—“ she waved her arm freely while hovering a thousands miles away from solid ground, an action so carefree and dangerous that had Caroline’s already panicked guts shoot straight out of her mouth.

“I changed my mind!” She yelled over the blizzard of wind sweeping past them. “I don’t want to go to the Crimson Badlands.”

“Is there something wrong?” asked the wizard.

Caroline yelled “Put me down! Put me down now, please.”

They set her down immediately on Calico desert, right on the wide road strip that stretched for miles away.

“We can’t delay. You can wait over there at the Oasis.” he pointed at a tall building.

“I-I’m sorry.” she said, her nerves scattered and electrified from their sudden descent. “I-uhh overestimated my bravery.”

Esmeralda patted her shoulder in assurance, “We’ll be back to take you home to the valley.”

“No, please don’t trouble yourself. There’s a bus stop right over there. I can take one going back.”

“All right. We’ll be off.” A disappointed frown from the wizard, looking away and not meeting her eyes. Without delay, they shot upwards to fly across the sky once again.

Snippets of their conversation were heard, carried by the wind as they both flew. “I told you this would happen. You never listen.”

A weight the size of a boulder took its place between her shoulders, gravity pulling her down. Perhaps it was for the best that she was going to settle for a life with Pierre. Caroline wasn’t built for a life of daring stunts and spontaneity. She sighed, her gaze roaming around and it landed on a clear blue building. That must be the Oasis, she thought and by the time she arrived there, her blouse had gotten sticky with sweat. She pushed open the glass doors and immediately the blast of refreshing air-conditioned air cooled her skin.

“Come on in.” Touching her cheek in surprise “Well, my,my. I believe we haven’t met. I’m Sandy.” She said offering her hand in greeting.

Caroline shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Sandy. Is it ok if I hang for a while? I’ve been walking around for what felt like miles.”

“Stay as you like. The air conditioning sure feels nice, doesn’t it?”

“After the day I’ve had? Yes it does. Thanks for having me.”

She crooned with interest, “Do tell.”

“I met the Wizard and the Witch living in Cindersap forest. They seemed very taken with me until they didn’t. I guess I’m not up to snuff for them.”

“Aww.” A sympathetic smile tugged at her lips, but there was something different at her eyes. Something sadistic. “Got cozy with the arrogant, rich kids then got left crying on the sidewalk because you weren’t cool enough for them. It’s a tale as old as time.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “Can’t believe I fell for it. I should have known better. They had numerous chances to get friendly with us humans at the valley. They just chose not to. That should have been a red flag.”

Resting her head on a palm, “Can’t blame you. I’ve seen them couple for myself. Gorgeous, aren’t they? Easy to lose your head over it.”

Caroline touched both her cheeks heating in embarrassment. “I’ve never been the type to lose my mind on petty stuff like skin-deep appearances.” She groaned into her palms. “There’s more to people than good looks. I should have known!”

“Don’t let them get to you. That’s how they are, they’ve been like that for thousands of years, high-handed and living alone. Imposing their “rules” on our human festivals. Them living in literal piles of gold and jewelry while the rest of us work most of our hours to get even a crumb of what they have.”

“They’re not that bad. The wizard is highly contributing to the complex sciences of magic.”

Sandy blew a raspberry noise, waving a dismissive hand. “You mean his “dedicated pursuit” to higher magic? Girl, that’s a rich kid privilege. Do you think we want to toil all day with busywork that turns our brains to mush?”

“What do you mean?”

“If we can, we would. But with the way it is, it’s impossible to get a chance to do it. If only the valley’s economy improved, we would get more chances at actually contributing more to everyone. Something real, something made with love.” She groaned in frustration, followed by a defeated exhale “In the meantime, I’m stuck renting out my rooms to shady people. I know I can’t complain, otherwise I’d have no means to earn a livelihood. My shop Oasis isn’t looking too good since there are no farmers nearby for a thousand miles away. It used to be so good, you know? But ever since the next generation are gone and the younger farmers are moving to cities, it’s a sinkhole business.”

She chuckled nervously, “That can’t be true. My husband just set up shop at Stardew valley.”

“Sinkhole business, I’m telling you.”

“No you’re just being rude.”

“Telling the truth isn’t rude. It’s fair game. What’s rude is flaunting your wealth for everyone to see when everyone else is suffering because of it.” From under her table, she pulled out stacks of pictures on the Wizard’s tower complete with a blueprint. “You’re not the first one complaining about them. I once had a shadow person named Krobus who got jilted by them just because he didn’t have the courage to follow through their impossible trials. So I started looking into what they are up to and it seems like...”

“You investigated into them? Is that even legal?”

“I happen to have the public interest in mind. And what I found didn’t disappoint.” She shuffled stacks of random pictures aside and revealed a landscape photo of a young girl trapped in a golden cage. “This is the emerald witch, caged underground the wizard’s tower. Her power is great and commands over several branches of magic. That’s what succeeding at magic gets you when you’ve studied it for thousands of years. Heck, even her own bloodline beholds multiple hold over everything magic can hold. It controls monsters, spirits, and time. Right now, the emerald witch guides all the valley’s natural resources and power to the account of the wizard’s authority. By force. She wants to be freed. If we release her, we break the wizard’s unbridled hold over the valley. And then we can all share our natural resources. Farmers will start growing in our valley and it will attract each and every kind of business for the benefit of a growing community.”

“That does seem wonderful.”

Sandy’s fist planted firmly on her counter. “Wonderful? Wonderful?! The emerald witch is caged under enforced labor without pay, sustenance or even a proper livelihood. Even worst, her own magical power sustains her that means she can’t age or go hungry. Sure, she’s not human. But she has rights too. She can’t just be.. she can’t be enslaved and treated like an animal. We have to start treating people right, and it starts by freeing the emerald witch.”

“Woo boy,” Caroline stumbled backwards, her gaze quickly roaming around the small shop. “This shop don’t get much customers, do they? There must be so much free time to do. Anyway, is that the bus I’m hearing? I should go.”

Her way cleared, she ran for the glass doors and stopped. It automatically opened like curtains upon her arrival. As she passed through, she looked back at Sandy through her glass doors and watched her waving back with a smug grin on her face.