Shush, Little Bird
A Harvest Moon: Animal Parade story
By, Vivat Musa
Disclaimer: I do now own the rights to Harvest Moon or its characters.
Author's Note: Hello and welcome to my new story, "Shush, Little Bird"! A fair warning to my previous readers: the updates for this may take longer than usual since I'm currently working on some other projects (where before I usually just have one major work in progress), but I'm feeling pretty confident about this story so far.
Just wanted to clear that up. Anyways, I won't bore you with a long note. Please read on and I hope you enjoy the story!
A hand drew back the faded curtain, which spewed a puff of dust whenever disturbed. An eye the color of gold and an eye the color of emeralds—one to see the natural, and the other to see the supernatural—peered down at Castanet. Night had just fallen. The world was silent as the villagers scurried into their homes with promises of warmth to keep the frigid weather at bay. Not a soul was in sight this evening…a perfect night.
Gale pulled back his hand, and the curtain fell into place over the windowpane. A sensation of freedom made him stand a little straighter, raise his head a little higher; it felt like a heavy cloak had just been removed from his shoulders. During the day, Gale was an unsociable fortuneteller to Castanet's villagers, nothing more than a mere human like the rest of them. But at night, when everyone was fast asleep, the immortal could shed all false pretenses and become what he truly was: a Wizard.
Without careful eyes, it was almost impossible to see how the Wizard's feet never touched the floor when he glided through the wide room. In the center of his house was a square table big enough to seat only two. On it were a handful of items stacked on top of one another. First came neatly spread out purple cloth with its ends brushing the floor. Next a small plush pillow placed in the center. Gently set into this cushion was the last and most precious item: a crystal ball.
Most people would see this ball as a clear piece of glass, ordinary in every way. But, like most things, it needed only the right touch to transform into something magical. After all, isn't magic—like beauty—dependent on the eye of the beholder? And some people just have a better eye for things than others.
A half a dozen narrow candles were arranged in a semi-circle around the crystal ball. With a wave of Gale's hand the candles were lit, their flames illuminating the room. The wizard sat down in the chair facing the doorway. He reached underneath the table and retrieved a pouch with runes and spells embroidered into the cloth. He could feel the ground Fugue Mushrooms from within shifting in his hand, the fine grains tumbling and readjusting themselves into tiny hills. It felt much lighter than he remembered.
Gale sighed. He was once again running low again. It had been easier to collect the magical fungi when there was no competition, but that had changed a few seasons ago when Molly returned the Witch Princess to her original form. Those peaceful hours where the Wizard could take his time strolling through the forest and forage for the daily Fugue Mushroom were gone. Now every day was a competition between him and the Witch Princess to see who will get the mushroom first.
A frown crossed Gale's face. He tried not to think about her whenever possible.
The powder easily parted when he grabbed a handful of the substance. Gale raised his fist over the crystal ball and let the powder sprinkle through his fingers. The showering particles stuck to the clear surface like glitter sticking to glue. Then each one burst into crackling spectacles of light, reflecting off the glass in rays. It wasn't long before the entire orb was covered in these shining fragments. It was like a sun trapped on the planet it's obligated to give life to.
Wizard knew what came next.
He closed his eyes right before the sun exploded in a harsh blinding light, banishing every shadow from within the house. If the curtains were not drawn (and a concealment spell had not been cast), the building could've been mistaken as a lighthouse from the outside. When the brightness faded from his eyelids, he opened them. While his mortal eye still had to adjust to the darkness, his golden eye could pick out each shadowy detail in precision.
In front of him was the crystal ball, still ordinary in every way except for one hard-to-ignore detail. The blinding glow had been sucked into the center of the orb, and was now suspended as a pinpoint of pure light. Gale watched it for a moment before leaning close, his breath fogging the glass, and whispered, "Revelare."
Instantly the light became agitated, shaking erratically, before turning darker and indistinct. Soon its brightness was gone, replaced by a thick, gray, undulating fog that quickly expanded. Craving more room to grow, it swelled until it was pressing against the walls of its unyielding crystal prison. Wizard waited for the struggle to end. When the fog finally accepted that its barrier wouldn't relent, it collapsed into itself with a groan, becoming smaller and smaller until it was a fixed size. The gray clouds were now just a single churning mass within the crystal ball.
In a stronger voice, Gale commanded again, "Revelare!"
This time the fog did not respond in any rapid actions. Instead it changed in subtle, unhurried movements, like a bud gradually transforming into a flower. Gale scrutinized the fog's barely perceptual motions with the eye of a specialist. It stretched itself until the smoky tendrils grazed the top and bottom of the crystal ball. Then sections of the middle began to dissipate until vanishing completely, leaving behind a bizarre pattern of semisolid stripes. Then the upper and lower part of the fog thickened like a base.
The form was still too vague to accurately guess what the crystal ball was trying to reveal. Nevertheless, the countless possibilities were already racing through the Wizard's mind.
A house, perhaps?
No, that's not it…
A basket?
It could be possible…
Knock-knock-knock!
Gale's concentration shattered. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. When he let the air out, all of the candles were simultaneously extinguished with the sharp scent of smoke, shrouding the room in darkness. The crystal ball and its prediction were lost from sight.
If the knock had not come, if Gale had stayed just a moment longer, he would have seen the magical fog transform into a shape that would leave no doubt of its identity: a cage.
But he did not.
Lowering the precautionary spells, Gale glided to the door. When he pulled the door ajar, a rush of chilly air brushed back his cape. He mumbled in a monotone, "The fortuneteller is closed for the evening. Please return tomorrow at—" The words died on his lips. For the first time in years, astonishment widened his multi-colored eyes.
"You."
A calm voice as smooth as honey answered him, "Hello, Wizard. Surprised, are you?"
"You must go." Gale's face twisted into an uncharacteristic snarl. Already the beginnings of a defensive spell formed in his mind, but his visitor was one step ahead of him. Before his spell was finished, a pale finger pointed at his chest. An incomprehensible whisper, soft and haunting like a ghostly wind, was uttered.
The last thing Gale saw was an unearthly light coming to consume him.
Okay, some of you who have read my previous story probably know what I'm doing. After all, a lovely person recommended this before (and thank you tons for that!). For now, however, please be a good sport and keep my little secret a secret for those who don't know. Don't worry; this isn't much of a mystery story, but I still would like to retain the element of surprise. Mwahaha!
Anyways, thanks for reading and please look forward to the next chapter!