The Goblin the Witch and the Stardweller

Chapter 1 - An Itch for Adventure

This had not been the first time Ursula had crash landed, but it had perhaps been the first time in a few hundred years that she'd done so.

In hindsight she should've listened to her cousin. Her ship was very clearly low on fuel, and after the last meteor shower she barely survived, it was in desperate need of repairs. Yet, Ursula was stubborn and always had an itch for adventure. That itch had taken her to different planets, unique systems, galaxies and many times in the homes of hospitable aliens who were just as curious in her as she was in them.

For hundreds of years, Ursula had familiarized herself with star charts and maps that led her all throughout the universe for her own personal expeditions and she was always on the brink of a new discovery.

Yet now, as she gave a concerning look to the fuel monitor just past the control switch, and the temperature in her bunker began to increase due to her ship making contact with some unknown planet's atmosphere, she figured she'd have to put her next adventure on hold.

She braced herself as the hull began to shift, and little by little, the planet came to view from below. Nearly spiraling out of control, the old yet sturdy ship pivoted through the clouds leaving a trail of white smoke in its wake. All the while, Ursula had lost her balance inside, attempting to take hold of the controls. It had been her bad luck that this planet had gravity, for if her ship had just exploded in space, she could have floated aimlessly for a while and she would not have to be stuck anticipating a painful impact.

When the land below came into focus, Ursula had just happened to be jerked back into her seat and then, the actual crash began.

First, the ship brushed over what appeared to Ursula to be trees. Very tall, dark green trees that rose high and covered the ground in a thick brush. The firm branches scraped the belly of her ship as she was carelessly thrown through the main cabin again, attempting to steady herself. Just as she thought she found her footing, the ship began to pivot on what seemed like clear ground. Despite the blaring noises, flashing nights, and the ship skidding across land faster than the speed of light, Ursula found her footing. Breathing a sigh of relief, she crawled back into her chair in an effort to take hold of the main controls (yet again). Her jaw almost dropped when she looked ahead at the cracked view screen for less than a hundred feet away Urusla already spotted a cliff and a large drop off.

She had only a few seconds to brace herself before again, she was tossed out of her seat as the ship hurled itself off of the cliff and into air. Now this worried Ursula just a bit, as the ship was not as durable as she was and would not be able to survive yet another fall. She crawled her way back into her chair and began to fidget with the switch board. Fuel was low, the thrusters and main jets were damaged beyond reasonable repair however, she still had more juice to cushion her landing.

Taking hold of the control switches and forcing her ship's thruster on, the machine missed the ground by an inch and shakily glided in midair for about a few miles until finally, she landed in what seemed like a secluded area in the forest.

A few moments of silence passed while Ursula made sure that all had calmed down, and the crash for the most part, was over. She remained still, her hand gripping the break and the throttle as if she was too afraid to move. She had been in many crashes over the past hundred years, yet that one rattled even her old bones.

When some time passed, and she confirmed to herself that she was indeed stationary and that the worst of the crash had passed, she let out a deep breath. With relief, she released her tensed shoulders and leaned back into her chair. She closed her eyes, allowing the stress of the event to roll over her before she finally decided it was time to get to work. Where was she exactly?