Latest / Dad’s Bedtime Stories / Lillian the Pizza Witch - Fire and Ice - A Bedtime Story

Transcript

Lillian the Pizza Witch - Fire and Ice - A Bedtime Story · Dad’s Bedtime Stories

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Hello, friends from across the nation and around the world.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: I'm Martin, and you are listening to what has to
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: be one of the most reliable bedtime stories podcasts ever created,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Dad's Bedtime Stories. Bedtime never stops, so neither do I. Tonight,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: we're going to be diving back into the world of
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Lilian the Pizza Witch, which I did one episode of before,
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: about a witch who gains her powers by eating different
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: kinds of pizza, and so far, she went through her
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: original trial and she gained the power of telekinesis, allowing
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: her to fly out of broom, of course, and along
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: with her cat companion, she's now going to go on
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: her other trials. This suggestion originally came to me in
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: my Google form from someone named Lilian no surprise, and
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: since I published it, I have been having people ask
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: me for part two, so I thought I would finally
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: do part two tonight. If you haven't listened to part one,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: you're welcome to do that first, or honestly, I just
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: explained the whole thing. She's got telekinesis already and she's
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: about to go get other powers, so you could probably
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: listen from here too. Before we get started, I just
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: want to do my normal Sunday shoutouts to my latest
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: Patreon sponsors. First of all, thank you to Bronson ten
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: years old and Remy six years old, as well as
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: their adult Jess for supporting the podcast. That means a lot.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: Next up, thank you to Mike and his probably his
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: mystery kids, unless Mike is the kid, just let me
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: know and I'll give them a shout out. Next up,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: thank you to Sage and Rory. I really appreciate you
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: guys sponsoring the podcast on Patreon. And last for tonight anyway,
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: thank you to Colton and Sirnda from the Sunshine Coast
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: in Australia for sponsoring the podcast. But now it's that
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: time again, after a possible interruption from a possible sponsor.
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: Was there one? Did you get a sponsor there? Anyways?
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: Time to close your eyes, get as comfy as you
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: can in that bed, and imagine yourself doing what the
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: kid in the story does.
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: Now.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: As I explained before, when we left Lilian last, she
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: had just eaten a pizza that gave her the power
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: of telekinesis, and she went to bed dreaming of flying
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: around on her broom and uh, of course pizza. She
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: thought about pizza a lot. When morning came, sunlight crept
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: into a room, warm and polite, but Lilian's eyes snapped
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: open anyways, because she remembered mana telekinesis, a broom that
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: actually flew, and a cat who was pretending very hard
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: to be normal, even though normal cats did not, generally speaking,
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: help you survive ancient magical trap hauls. The cat was
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: already sitting on her windowsill, tail wrapped neatly around its paws,
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: staring at the world like it was waiting for her
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: to catch up. Lilian sat up slowly, half expecting last
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: night to have been a dream. She lifted her hand,
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: pointed it at her pillow, and thought very hard about
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: the pillow floating up. The pillow rose off the bed,
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: floated gently, and bobbed her in the face. It didn't
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: hurt it was a pillow, but it did feel like
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: magic was laughing at her. Lilian grinned anyways, okay, still
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: not elegant, but definitely real. A snappy window blinked into view. Congratulations,
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: Telekinesis has been used skill XP plus one. Lilian blinked, oh,
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: it keeps score. The cat's ears twitched like it was
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: trying not to be impressed. Lilian slid out of bed,
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: got dressed faster than she ever had on a school day,
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: and tiptoed downstairs. Her parents were already up. They looked
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: like they'd slept, a sort of like people who'd been
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: smiling all night while worrying quietly. Her mom turned the
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: mug in her hand.
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: How do you feel?
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: Lilian paused dramatically, like she was about to answer a
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: very important interview. QUI question magical, she said. Her dad
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: laughed that tracks. Lilian hesitated. I think I'm supposed to
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: find the next chamber. Her mom's face tightened just a little.
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: Her dad nodded slowly. We knew that was coming. Lilian
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: looked down at the cat, who was licking its paws
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: as if to say, yes, the quest continues. Her mum
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: disappeared into the pantry and came back holding a small
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: bundle wrapped in cloth. She handed it to Lilian like
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: it was treasure. Lilian unwrapped it. Inside was cheese. Not
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: a slice, not a sprinkle, a whole block of cheese.
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: Her mum cleared her throat for emergencies. Lilian stared, then
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: smiled so hard her cheeks that's the best idea anyone's
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: ever had. Another window flickered in front of her. Congratulations,
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: you have acquired emergency cheese item type legendary comfort. Lilian's
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: dad squinted, did the uh chamber just rank my wife's cheese?
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: Lilian nodded yes, respectfully. Her mom exhaled, Okay, eat breakfast,
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: then then go so. Lilian ate toast packed water, tucked
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: the cheese safely into her bag like it was a
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: sacred artifact, and went outside with her broom. The broom
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: was leaning against the porch, innocent, looking as if it
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: hadn't carried her into destiny yesterday. Lilian swung a leg
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: over it. The cat jumped on behind her as usual,
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: making the broom immediately feel steadier. Lilian took a breath
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: and pushed off. The broom rose smoothly this time, no spinning,
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: no wall bonks, no immediate humiliation. Her eyebrows lifted. Oh,
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: I think I've improved a snappy window flashed Congratulations, broom
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: riding has improved stability plus one. Lilian lifted higher above
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: the rooftops, above the trees, above the sleepy town that
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: was already starting to look small. Wind brushed her face.
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: Her stomach fluttered. She was flying, and she wasn't doing
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: it for fun anymore, not just for fun anyways. It
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: was still pretty fun. But she flew along the river
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: like it was a road made of water, following the bends,
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: the glints of sunlight, the places where the trees leaned
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: and closer, like they were gossiping with each other or something.
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: Every so often she practiced. She lifted a leaf and
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: made it spin with her mind. She nudged a pebble
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: off a rock and caught it midfall. She floated her
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: water bottle for a second and very carefully put it
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: back so she wouldn't spill it all over herself and
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: have to explain to the cow why she had dumped
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: all of their hydration. Each time she used helekinesis, the
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: invisible mind, hand felt a little more solid, a little less,
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: like trying to hold a slippery fish with the thought.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: Then near midday she saw it, half buried in moss
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: at the edge of a ravine, a stone archway carved
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: with the same lightning symbols. The air around it smelled spicy,
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: like hot peppers, like pizza that dared you to take
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: a bite. Lilian knew that the world system had a
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: way of adapting to the challenger, and in her case,
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: it had clearly picked up on her love for pizza.
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: She landed beside the gate, heart beating fast. The cat
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: hopped off first, walked right towards the arch, like it
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: had a map in its head, and paused beneath the stone.
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: It looked back at Lilian, just as it had the
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: first time. Lilian swallowed okay. Trial two, she stepped forward.
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: The world tilted, darkness flickered. Then he'd slammed into her,
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: as if she'd walked into the mouth of an oven.
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: She stood in a stone corridor draped with red banners.
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: Torches burned along the walls, steady and bright. The floor
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: was carved with grooves that looked suspiciously like tracks for
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: swinging things. And above her, the same dramatic voice boomed
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: as cheerful as ever. Trial to the Peppergate Gauntlet. A
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: snappy window appeared again. Congratulations, you have entered trial to
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: objective advance, adapt and don't get sliced, Lilian muttered. At last,
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: part is oddly specific. The corridor clicked. A huge blade
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: swung down from the ceiling, on a chain. It was
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: shaped like a pizza cutter, the size of a wagon wheel.
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: Lilian yelped and leapt back. The cutter womped into the
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: stone floor and swung back up again, then down again,
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: like the hallway was trying to chop the air into
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: neat portions. Lilian's hands lifted instinctively telekinesis mind hand. She
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: reached out and caught the cutter at the top of
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: its arc. For half a second. It stopped, then fought back, heavy,
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: swinging and determined. Lilian's teeth clenched. Okay, okay, fine, I
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: won't stop you. I'll just politely slow you down. She
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: shifted her grip, not holding it still, just guiding it,
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: nudging the swing just enough to create a gap. She
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: ducked under the cutter as it passed, slid forward, and
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: slipped through The cat padded calmly behind her, timing its
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: steps like this was a casual walk. The next cutter came,
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: Lilian slowed it and slid past as well. The next.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: The next she got faster and more confident, like her
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: brain was learning the rhythm. Halfway down the corridor, the
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: system window flashed again. Congratulations, Telekinesis has improved to level two.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: Lilian exhaled sharply yes. The cat flicked its tail once,
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: like it was saying about time. The corridor opened into
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: a wider chamber that looked like a dining hall after
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: a disaster. There were tables overturned, chairs scattered, a few
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: plates broken on the floor, and something moving. Figures rose
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: from behind the furniture. Humanoid shapes made of pale dough,
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: wearing scorched aprons, holding rolling pins like clubs. Lilian's stomach dropped. Okay,
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: combat one charged her rolling pin, raised Lilian's mind hand
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: snapped out. The rolling pin yanked out of its grip
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: and smacked into the wall with a hollow thunk. The
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: dough creature blinked, looked at its empty hand, and seemed
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: genuinely confused. Lilian almost laughed sorry. Another one hurled a
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: rolling pin toward her face. Lilian yelped, caught it mid
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: air using her telekinesis, and whipped its sideways. It balked
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: the thrower in the chest. Dough rippled. The creature staggered
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: back and looked rather offended. The cat darted forward, lowed
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: the ground, weaving between legs and furniture, and very neatly
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: tripped and doe creature at the knees. Lilian stared for
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: one second too long. You are not just a cat.
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: The cat didn't answer, but its posture somehow screamed. Focus less, talking,
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: more moving. Lilian advanced. She use telekinesis to fling chairs
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: into barriers, to yank weapons away, to knock enemies off
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: balance without crushing them. She didn't want to destroy them.
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: They felt more like defenders than villains. At the far
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: end of the room stood a tall armored figure with
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: a visor dripping red. A knight, a sauce Knight. It
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: raised its shield and splashed sauce in a wide arc.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: Lilian recoiled as the sticky warmth of the sauce dotted
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: her cheeks. Oh grouse. She grabbed a serving tray off
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: at table with telekinesis and held it in front of
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: her like a floating shield. The sauce Knight charged, Lilian
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: yanked its sword armed sideways. The sword slammed into the
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: stone pillar and stuck. The knight struggled. Lilian pulled the
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: shield away with her mind hand, like she was stealing
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: the lid off a pot. The night wobbled, suddenly defenseless
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: without its defenses. The cat leapt up onto the Knight's
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: shoulder and hissed right into its helmet. The night froze
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: like its programming had just hid an error message. Lilian
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: slipped past it, breathing hard, heart pounding, but smiling anyways,
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: because she was doing it. She was getting through the trial.
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: At the end of the corridor sat a stone pedestal,
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: and on the pedestal was a pizza. It glowed faintly red.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: It shimmered with chilly oil. The air around it smelled
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: like peppers and daring. A snappy window blinked congratulations reward,
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: identified spicy pizza, warning it bites back. Lilian swallowed, I
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: can take it. The cat stared at her like it
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: had heard that sentence right before disaster many times. Lilian
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: picked up the slice and took a bite. He'd exploded
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: across her tongue. Lilian made a sound that was not
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: a word, and definitely expressed regret. Then warmth surged down
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: into her chest like a furnace, igniting. The torches flared,
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: the red banners rippled, and the voice boomed overhead. Delighted Congratulations,
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: you have acquired firecraft one new skill, firebolt one passive
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: spice tolerance one. Lilian stared at her fingertips. A tiny
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: ember danced across them like it had been waiting for permission.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: She grinned through the burn. Okay, she whispered, Now we're
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: getting somewhere. Lilian stayed in the peppergate chamber for just
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: long enough to stop making the my tongue is on fireface,
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: which took a while. She sipped water, fanned her mouth dramatically,
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: and stared at her hands like they belonged to someone else.
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: A tiny ember danced across her fingertips, bright and obedient,
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: as if it had been waiting its whole life to
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: be useful. Lilian whispered, okay, firebolt. She flicked her fingers.
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: A little bead of flame popped into existence, shot forward
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: and hit the stone wall with a harmless It left
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: a tiny scorch mark the size of a cookie that
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: was adorable. Lilian said. A snappy window flashed, congratulations, firebolt
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: has been used. Scale xp plus one. Lilian grinned and
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: tried again. This time, the flame went further and left
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: a bigger mark. The cat watched with the expression of
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: someone observing a child discovering a flashlight. Lilian lowered her hands.
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: I know, I know, I'm powerful now. The cat's tail
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: flicked like you're warm, not wise. The chamber's red banners fluttered,
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: and the corridor behind the pedestal shimmered open into an exit.
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: Lilian hopped onto her broom, the cat leapt on behind her,
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: and they passed through the world tilted once again, and
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: then they were back outside. Standing at the mossy archway
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: in the real world, wind cool against her cheeks, Lilian
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: took one breath and laughed quietly, because the forest felt
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: like it was listening. She had telekinesis, she had fire.
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: She had a cat who was definitely a cat and
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: not absolutely something ancient and mysterious and possibly terrifying. Right.
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: They traveled for days, not long, exhausting days, because Lillian
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: was ten and the trials were important, but so was
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: eating snacks and not falling asleep mid air. They flew
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: over rolling hills and bright rivers. They followed old stone
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: markers half buried in the ground, carved with the same
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: lightning symbol as the arches. Sometimes Lilian landed to rest
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: and practiced her powers like it was a training game.
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: She made her water bottle float while she walked. She
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: used telekinesis to pull her bag closer instead of bending down.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: She lit tiny fire sparks to warm her hands when
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: the wind got cold. Each time, the system rewarded her
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: with quick little flashes Congratulations, telekinesis has been used, skal
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: xp plus one. Congratulations firecraft has been used scale xp
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: plus one. It was kind of satisfying. It was also
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: kind of annoying because it made her feel like the
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: universe was watching her do just normal stuff like carrying
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: a snack, but Lilian couldn't deny it. She was getting better.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: By the third day, she could hold two things at
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: once with telekinesis, as long as they were kind of small.
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: By the fourth day, her fire bolts stopped being adorable
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: and started being slightly intimidating. Then the weather changed. The
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: air turned colder, the sky turned pale, the wind started
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: smelling like snow, even though it wasn't winter yet. Lilian
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: flew lower, squinting into the distance ahead. A mountain range
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: rose like a row of sleeping giants, and tucked into
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: a narrow pass between two peaks. She saw it a
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: stone archway, bigger than the others. It shimmered faintly like
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: cold light. Even from far away, she could feel it.
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: It was the next chamber. The cat sat up straighter
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: behind her ears angled forward as if it recognized a
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: place it didn't want to say out loud. Lilian slowed
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: her broom and landed near the archway. The stone was
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: frosted over, even though the ground around it was mostly bare.
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: Lilian rubbed her arms. Okay, that's chilly. A window popped
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: up once again. Congratulations, you have discovered a trial chamber.
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: Ambient effect cold drain. Lilian frowned, cold drain. That doesn't
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: sound good. The dramatic voice boomed Trial three, the freezer cathedral.
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: A window opened again. Congratulations, you have entered Trial three.
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: Objective control, combine endure. Lilian's breath puffed out a white cloud.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: She stood in a massive hall made of ice blue stone.
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: Tall pillars rose into darkness above. The frost clung to
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: everything like glitter. The sound of the place was quiet,
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: not peaceful, quiet, more like the world is holding its
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: breath quiet. The cat walked forward, pause, silent on the stone.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: Lilian followed, gripping her broom like it was a comfort
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: item and also possibly a weapon. A soft hum began,
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: almost too load, and notice it wasn't coming from any
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: one direction, it was everywhere. Her eyelids felt heavier, her
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: shoulders felt heavier, even her thoughts felt like they were
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: moving through syrup. She blinked hard. Okay, that's not fair.
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: A window flashed open. Congratulations, you have encountered frost, hum
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: effect stamin a drain. Lilian swallowed. So we're doing the
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: sleepy dungeon. The hall split into a maze, and the
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: maze had mirrors, not normal mirrors, tall ice smooth walls
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: that reflected like glass, except the reflections weren't always right.
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: And one mirror she looked older, wearing a cloak and
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: a crown made of pepperoni slices, and another she looked
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: small again, five years old, holding out crusts to a
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: wild cat in the woods. And another she looked like
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: she was made of ash. Her stomach tightened. Okay, she muttered,
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: that's rude. The cat brushed against her leg, steady and warm.
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: Lilian took a breath, then reached out with her telekinesis
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: and lifted a small pebble from the floor. She tossed
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: it down one corridor. The pebble clinked. The echo sounded wrong,
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: as if it bounced too quickly. Fake, Lilian whispered. She
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: tossed another pebble down a different corridor, the echo deeper, slower, real,
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: she whispered. She guided them through by sound, not sight,
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: ignoring the mirrors as best she could, and somehow it
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: worked until something drifted out of the shadows, a shape
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: like fog, like snow, like a ghost made of cold.
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: Then another, then three. They weren't walking, they were floating,
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: gliding silently to water ice wraiths. Lilian's hand lifted instinctively
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: fire bolt. She flicked her fingers, a flame shot forward
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: and hit the first wraith. The wraith hissed, not a
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: sound exactly, more like a sudden pop and temperature. Its
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: form broke apart, like smoke. Yes, she said. Then the
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: cold mist gathered again. The thing re formed, whole and angrier, looking.
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: Her smile vanished. Oh no. The cat's tail puffed slightly,
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: like it had been waiting for this part. Lilian backed up. Okay,
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: so fire disperses but doesn't finish them off. She scanned
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: the floor quickly near one pillar. Half buried in frost
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: were blocks of something pale salt. Because, of course, the
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: chamber had provided an answer, like had always did, Lilian
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: grabbed a salt block with her telekinesis and hurled it forward.
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: It slammed through the first wraith. This time, the wraith shuddered,
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: its edges tearing like fabric. Lilian immediately followed with a
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: fire bolt. The wraith broke apart and stayed apart. Her
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: eyes wide and salt plus fire yes science. A snappy
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: window flashed Congratulations, combo discovered purge burst salt plus firecraft
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: equals wraith disruption. Lilian didn't have time to celebrate. There
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: were more to destroy. She grabbed another salt block, then
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: another to at once. Telekinese is strained, but she held
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: a snappy window blinked as she did it. Congratulations, Telekinesis
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: have as improved to level three, multi holed, unlocked for
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: small items. Lilian gasped, oh, thank you. She launched the
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: salt blocks, followed with quick firebolts, clearing a path forward.
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: The cat raced beside her, low and fast, occasionally battling
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: a wraith like it was a particularly rude snowflake they
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: reached the end of the mirror maze and burst into
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: a wide chamber. The ceiling soared up like a cathedral,
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: and in the center of the chamber stood something huge,
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: a golum. Only it looked like it had been built
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: from frozen dessert and ice, layers of pale blue, white,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: and pink, like a giant Gelado statue. It turned its
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: head slowly. Its eyes glowed cold. The frost hum deepened,
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: and Lilian's knees felt wobbly. The golum raised an arm.
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: Lilian lifted both hands, tele the canese is snapping out
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: like chains. She tried to pin its arms. The golam
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: moved anyways, heavy and unstoppable. Lilian's broom skittered backwards on
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: the icy floor like it wanted to leave. Lilian's heart hammered, Nope, nope,
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: I'm not losing here. She fired a fire bolt at
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: the golum's elbow joint. The flame sizzled and steam puffed up,
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: but the golum didn't fall. It did slow, however, Lilian
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: fired again, Steam rose, the gelato's surface softened slightly. The
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: golams swung. Lilian threw herself aside, sliding across the icy
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: floor and barely stopping before she hit a pillar. The
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: cad hissed leapt forward and clawed at the Golum's ankle,
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: like it was trying to trap a giant. The golum
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: barely noticed. Then it raised its arm again. This time
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: it was aimed right at Lilian. The frost hum pressed
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: down on her like a heavy blanket. Her stamina felt
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: like it was draining through her shoes. Lilian tried to
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: lift her hands, tried to grab the arm with telekinesis,
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: but her mind sort of slipped. The Golum's arm came down,
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: Her eyes widened, and the cat shot forward. It planted
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: itself between Lilian and the falling blow, and for the
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: first time, the cat's shadow did not match its body.
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: It stretched, it expanded, it grew, fur surged outwards like
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: a storm cloud, and the air itself seemed to shift
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: to make room. In the span of a heartbeat, the small,
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: scruffy cat became something enormous, a titan cat, bigger than
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: a hoarse shoulders, rippling with muscle, eyes glowing with ancient light.
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: It roared, not a normal roar, but a sound that
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: felt like a command. The golums arms slammed down onto
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: the Titan cats raised paw and stopped, just stopped, like
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: the universe had suddenly decided the cat had priority. A
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: window flashed congratulations, Guardian protocol activated, companion form, titaned, Guardian
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: Cat limited. Lilian stared, mouth opened. The Titan cat glanced
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: back at her, and even in that giant, terrifying form,
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: its expression still somehow said now do your part. Lilian's
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: brain clicked into place. Okay, she whispered, Yes, I can
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: do my part. She surged to her feet, sliding on
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: the ice, and threw telekinesis around the Golum's legs, tight
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: like convisible ropes. She fired a firebolt at the same
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: softened joint. Again, steam erupted. The Golum's knee buckled. The
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: Titan cat lunged, shoved the Golam's sideways, and slammed it
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: into the stone floor with a thundering crash. The frost
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: hum faltered. Lilian didn't waste the opening. She grabbed a
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: huge salt black with telekinesis barely holding it and slammed
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: it into the Golum's chest. Then she fired one last
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: fire bolt into the crack it made. The golam shuddered,
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: Its glow flickered, and it collapsed into a heap of
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: frozen dessert rubble. Silence fell. The titan cat stood over
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: the pile, breathing slowly. Then it shrank, fur folding inward,
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: shadow compressing. In seconds, the giant guardian was gone. The small,
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: scruffy cat was back, sitting neatly on the icy floor,
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: as if nothing dramatic had happened at all. Lilian stared
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: at it. The cat just licked its paw and rubbed
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: it over its head. Lilian's voice came out very small,
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: You are you're a guardian? The cat blinked once, which
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: was absolutely a yes. A stone pedestal rose from the
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: floor at the far end of the chamber, as if
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: the chamber had been waiting politely for the fighting to stop.
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: On it sat a pizza, A frozen pizza, frost rimmed
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: the crust, snowflake like roans shimmered in the cheese. Lilian
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: stepped closer, shivering. A window appeared. Congratulations reward identified frozen pizza,
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: warning cold truth ahead, called truth. Why does everything have
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: to sound so ominous? She picked up a slice and
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: bit it was colder than it should have been. Then
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: the cold spread through her chest like a new kind
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: of fire. Sharp, clean and bright frost sparkled along her
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: finger tips. A breath escaped her lips in a glittering puff,
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: and the voice boomed overhead, Congratulations, you have acquired cry omancy.
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: One new skill, frostbind one. Lilian stared at her hands.
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: Tiny ice crystals formed and danced in the air. Then
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: she looked at the cat. The cat sat beside her,
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: calm as ever, but this time Lilian understood. It hadn't
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: followed her because it liked her house. It hadn't stayed
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: because she fed it. It stayed because it was meant to,
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: because she was meant to. Lilian swallowed, feeling the cold
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: magic settle inside her like a new star. Okay, she whispered,
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: Now we're getting.
• 35:14
  Speaker 3: Somewhere, an.
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: Inn ne more unionism of thing.