Chapter 39: Crafting the Voodoo Doll

"Kael!" Bilbo was overjoyed to see him return and quickly ran out into the yard to greet him. Kael smiled gently. "I'm back!" He then waved his hand, causing everything on the carriage to float down, and picked out a finely crafted Dwarven dagger, presenting it to Bilbo. "This is for me?" Bilbo asked in surprise. Kael nodded. This was a special gift he had chosen for Bilbo. Although it couldn't compare to a true divine weapon, it was still meticulously forged by skilled Dwarven artisans. He remembered that Bilbo would soon encounter his Sting in the Trollshaws, but using this dagger as a substitute until then was a good plan. "Thank you! I love it!" Bilbo held the dagger excitedly, caressing it like a treasured heirloom. "I'm glad you like it. By the way, could you prepare a dark room for me? I have some work to do," Kael said. "A dark room?" Bilbo looked puzzled but didn't press further. "The cellar at the deepest part of the hobbit-hole is pretty dark. Besides some wine stored there, there's nothing else. You can use that." "Perfect, thank you," Kael nodded. He then carefully placed the petrified Mandrake back into the glass greenhouse, covering it with several layers of glass to insulate and block out sound. Next, he took another Mandrake into the cellar, along with a pot of black soil, thirteen caged bats, a large bag of sea salt, and a clay pot. The cellar was indeed dark; apart from a tiny skylight that let in a little light, there were no ventilation gaps. But as soon as Kael arrived, he sealed the last skylight, ensuring no light could enter. He pulled the Mandrake out of its pot and replaced the soil with the black earth he had brought. This black soil had been dug from a graveyard at midnight on a full moon. Kael didn't want to recall the digging process—it would tarnish his image as a wizard. After replacing the soil, Kael took a bat from the cage, expressionless as he slit its chest with the dagger, extracted its heart, and dripped the blood onto the Mandrake root. He then buried the dead bat in the black soil. The entire process was bloody and eerie. If anyone else had seen it, they might have suspected him of being an evil wizard. Having done this, Kael did not continue further. In the days that followed, he only needed to water the Mandrake with the heart's blood of one bat each day—nothing more. Bilbo noticed Kael going to the cellar every day, then emerging with a faint smell of blood. Although curious, as a good friend, he restrained himself from asking too many questions. On the thirteenth day, Kael took out the last bat from the cage, extracted its heart, dripped the blood onto the Mandrake root, and buried the bat in the black soil. By then, the soil had become foul-smelling, and the Mandrake itself had turned gloomy, as if it had been growing in darkness, exuding an eerie and ominous aura. At midnight on the thirteenth day, Kael pulled the Mandrake out of the black soil. He poured sea salt into the clay pot halfway, placed the Mandrake inside, and buried it completely with the remaining salt. He compacted the salt to ensure the Mandrake could not struggle free. After covering the pot with a black cloth to block all light, he waited for the moon to rise. Only then did he remove the cloth and open the skylight, allowing moonlight to shine directly onto the sea salt. After seven days of this treatment, the sea salt gradually turned black, eventually becoming completely dark. Kael took out the Mandrake buried in the salt. At this moment, the Mandrake was dead—its features twisted, its small eyes pitch black and eerie, and its entire body radiating an aura of darkness and ill omen. This was the cursed object made from the Mandrake—a voodoo doll. Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection warned: "Making cursed objects with Mandrake is like handing the grim reaper's scythe to oneself—it reaps not only the enemy's pain but also the caster's soul." Although Kael took the warning seriously, he did not avoid it entirely. After all, Dark Arts like curses, if overused, could affect one's temperament and twist the soul. But their power and effect were unmatched by other forms of magic. Moreover, Kael had recently learned Music Magic from Tom Bombadil. This magic was lively and joyful, capable of counteracting the negative side effects of the Dark Arts. He was therefore not worried that his temperament would be corrupted. After completing the voodoo doll, Kael carefully wrapped it in cloth and placed it in a small wooden box. This item could not be touched for long periods, as it could easily bring bad luck to anyone who handled it, so he stored it with great care. After cleaning up the remaining items, Kael left the cellar. He had spent more than half a month making the voodoo doll. During this time, Gandalf had not come to Hobbiton, and Kael did not know what kept him busy. However, according to Kael's estimation, it would not be long before Gandalf and the Dwarves arrived, officially beginning their expedition. In the following days, Kael spent his time reading the Dictionary of Runes and waiting. One evening, as Kael and Bilbo sat down to enjoy dinner, there was a sudden knock at the door. Bilbo looked puzzled and exchanged surprised glances with Kael. "Who could be knocking at this late hour?" Kael had his suspicions—it should be Gandalf or the Dwarves arriving—but he said nothing, instead replying, "Let's go see." Bilbo agreed, rose from his chair, and went to open the door. As soon as the door opened, a bald dwarf stood there. "I am Dwalin, at your service," he introduced himself. Before Bilbo could react, Dwalin walked straight into the house and prepared to scrape his muddy feet on a wooden chest by the door. "That's... my mother's dowry chest!" Bilbo exclaimed, but it was too late. Before Dwalin's foot could touch the chest, it was moved away by an invisible force, causing him to kick empty air and nearly stumble. Dwalin's eyes widened as he stared at the chest that had dodged him, then he noticed Kael sitting at the dining table in the living room. He immediately realized, "Amazing magic! You must be the black-robed Wizard Kael that Thorin spoke of. A pleasure to meet you!" But his attention was quickly drawn to the food on the table. Without another word, he approached and plopped down in Bilbo's chair. "I've been traveling so long, I'm starving!" As he spoke, he grabbed food from the table and stuffed it into his mouth with crude, swift movements. His thick beard was covered in crumbs, as if he hadn't eaten for days. 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