The Frost, the Candy and the Witch

After spending three weeks in Illumé, Meliana Quoronriel requested that the Order of Adamant pay a visit to Fendan and Lothrick back in Cyrill. They obliged, and after their meeting, King Barus of Cyrill entered the chamber. Grateful for the Order’s continued support, the King presented them with another matter—this time, a small but unusual request: a detour.   A few days north, in the Iseryl Grove, was a village called Yslenor. There, they were to make contact with a woman known as Selira, the Candy Witch, and deliver her a package—discreetly. The gift was safe to carry, but they weren't allowed a peek in.   The approaching of this witch must be done very carefully. Barus told them to get to know her first. Offer help, try out her sweets. Don’t give her the gift right away—and most importantly, don’t mention the king of West-Cyrill. She had once worked for the Illumé government, an extraordinary woman whose talents went unrecognized. In response, she had retired, traveled, and finally settled in Yslenor, devoting her time to candy-making.   But Selira's true strength? Medicine, Glyphs and Wards. She had walked between worlds for centuries using these skills to survive—and now she was beloved for protecting the village from danger with these skills, not to mention her mind-blowingly good sweets. Children naturally adored her and the villagers revered her.   The world was on the brink of war. They needed allies, and few were as uniquely gifted or well-positioned as Selira of Yslenor. But alliances like hers could not be forced. Who knows what earning Selira’s trust might take? Would it simply require words? Maybe empathy, patience, and perhaps even sacrifice. For the Order of Adamant, this detour might seem small on the surface, but it could determine the fate of the kingdom.