Glinda Cyclonia's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Glinda held the slippers in both hands, feeling their weight. The girl who'd fallen from the sky needed protection for the road ahead, and this was all she had left to give. She knelt and slipped them onto Dorothy's feet, knowing what it would cost them both. The house still sat crooked where it had landed, one corner crushing the pillar that had held the slippers only hours before. The witch beneath was long gone, but her sister would come for what remained. Glinda had seen this pattern before. Power drew attention, and Dorothy was carrying it now on her feet. Dorothy stared down at the red gleam against the yellow bricks. She didn't understand what they meant yet. Glinda didn't tell her about the sister or the hunger that would follow. She would learn the danger soon enough. For now, she needed to believe the road was possible. Glinda stood and pointed toward the archway where the path began. Dorothy took her first step, and the bricks caught the light like a promise. Glinda watched her go, carrying the one thing that might save her and the one thing that would make her a target. The choice was made. Now came the watching.