Chapter 4: The Wicked Solution
Elara looked at the chaos. She could just stay inside. She could let the purple bramble turn the village square into a salad bar.
"Elara," Mirella said, standing beside her with a bagpipe in hand. "They're idiots, but they're our idiots."
Elara groaned. "Fine. Julian, get the vinegar from the pantry. Large bottles. Mirella, start playing. The high notes. The ones that make my teeth ache."
Elara descended the tower, not with a wand, but with a spray bottle and a look of intense annoyance. As Mirella blasted a truly horrific rendition of "The King's Gallop" on the bagpipes, the sentient bramble recoiled in sonic pain. Elara moved in, spraying the vinegar-salt solution on the plant's core.
With a hiss of steam and a very dramatic wilt, the monster collapsed. Mayor Pips was dropped unceremoniously into a compost pile.