Breakneck

> "*"Thaw si ti gniod tou ereh? Yhw si ydobon gnitcetorp ti? Od uoy kniht ti dluoc eb a part?" (What is it out here? Why is nobody protection it? Do you think it could be a trap?)*"
> ― **Breakneck** cautiously asking Ripgrizzle about the apparent isolation of the Quest Team
>
>

**Breakneck** is a female Witch that appears in *Knock* *Three* *Times*. She participated in the Witch Attack on the Enchanted Door Above the Burning Forest during the Second Witch War and presumably participated the First Witch War as well.

## History

### First Witch War

Though it is unconfirmed, as it was mentioned that Breakneck " had not seen anything as delicious as the Quest Team in weeks, no, perhaps years", which therefore likely means that Breakneck participated in the Witches War against the separate forces of the Wildwood Wizard and invading Iron Warriors before eventually fleeing into secret caverns beneath the Witch Mountains to await a chance to return to power, as the Witches had only been active for six months by the time of Knock Three Times.

### Second Witch War

Centuries later, Breakneck, alongside all of her kin, eventually sensed the chance of victory as Princess Wish's strange, iron-working magic came into surgence and, finally, after the return of the Kingwitch, broke out of her cocoon beneath the Witch Mountains and flew out to wreck destruction in her master's name. Later on, she, alongside her fellow Witches, answered the Kingwitch's silent summons and participated in the Battle of Castle Death, but fled after Wish imprisoned her leader to parts unknown.

### Knock Three Times

Two weeks after the Kingwitch's defeat among the ruins of Castle Death, Breakneck and another Witch named Ripgrizzle were making their way back to their nests in the Eachrymose Mountains, riding the strong currents of air on lazy, feathered wing beats when their attention was caught by the flying door of the now-outlaw Quest Team. Curious, the two Witches decided to pursue the door, watching down, invisible, at the door from up high, just below the cloud. However, despite their ravenous hunger, both Witches were still cautious due to the apparent isolation of the door so close to the Witching Hour, Breakneck asking her companion in her though it was a trap. Curious, the two Witches flew, unseen, lower to list to the team's conversation.

After eavesdropping on the Team's words, however, the Witches realised that the children were in fact on the run and, sharpening their sword-like and hovering no more than ten feet above the door, grinned smiles filled with wicked senses of humour, as their would-be-victims looked down at the warrior hunting party that was also in hot pursuit of the companions, all completely ignorant of the dangers above, save for The Baby, who had noticed the pair of Witch feathers, which had begun to glow a "strange, unnatural light" in response to the Witches presence. However, as Ripgrizzle and Breakneck prepared to swoop, they stiffened as the Enchanted *Iron* Spoon revealed itself, causing them to realize that the girl they were perusing was " the-girl-with-the-Magic-Eye-who-has-Magic-that-works-on-iron".

However, just as the two reorganized themselves and prepared to attack Squeezjoos, who’s Witchblood-infected brain had sent him out of control, made a suicidal swoop on Queen Sychorax’s entire Warrior hunting party, causing the Wish to have the door dive, just as the Witches swoops, leaving nothing but thin air for Breakneck and Ripgrizzle’s talons to close on, shocking them enough to allow the companions to finally realized they were being attacked, to gain a head start in the life-or-death race before the two Witches, shrieking with rage, wheeled around and sped of in hot pursuit, occasionally dodging Xar’s bone arrows and almost catching up with them after the Enchanted Key was jogged out of the door’s keyhole with such violence that the door reversed backward with such speed it nearly shot right into the open jaws of the pursuing Witches, allowing Breakneck and Ripgrizzle to almost catch ahold of the door with their swiping talons before Wish on again to control of the door, this time with her Enchanted Key and sending the door rocketing forwards.

Unfortunately, in the smoke of the now burning forest, one of Ripgrizzle’s talons sent the door revolving in circles before shooting into the talons of Breakneck, who took a good hold of the spinning door, keeping it in place as Ripgrizzle prepared to swoop.

However, just then, as Ripgrizzle tucked his feathered wings in a dive, one of Queen Sychorax’s arrows caught him in the heart, causing him to fall from the air, dead as a stone. With a whine of horror and fright at the death of her companion, Breakneck abandoned her intended prey and fled for her life in a whirl of black feathers.

Though it is unconfirmed, it is quite possible Breakneck was among the swarms of her kin that were drawn to the borders of Pook’s Hill by a witchblood-infected Squeezjoos, who they sensed was turning towards darkness and later laid siege to the Learning Place for Spectacularly-Gifted Wizards and later joined in the Witch’s Raid on the now abandoned Isle of the Nuckelavee.

## Abilities

* **Witch Magic**: Breakneck, like all Witches, could cast her own kind of magic. Though the full extent of her powers is unknown, she was mentioned to be able to turn invisible and like all witches, also wielded inhuman strength, poisonous lightning and the ability to shift forms
* **Flight**: Like all Witches, Breakneck possesses great, black-feathered wings which she used to fly for long periods of time.

## Trivia

* Breakneck is the only confirmed female Witch (Hemlock, Greenteeth and Viperion's genders being unknown and the Kingwitch and Ripgrizzle being confirmed males)