After the girls had arrived at the Hoffen family residence, they spent a few days there to learn more about Lilith's ninth book. Marianne had to learn more about it than she had in the other eight books, being even a little stubborn, she practically only respected Kara and Madeleine. Hilda had a huge job in making her daughter behave, even being in shock when she knew that the girl could fly on broomsticks.
But even with Marianne's stubbornness, Hoffen was gradually interested in learning about the other books and getting along with Madeleine and Kara's couple. The other girls made a bit of money with the local broom races and Brillant Anna presentations that were very well received by the Saxons.
The day after Marianne lost the race to the duo, the girls learned about Harriet and Freya's relationship and were surprised, Kara even congratulated with a "Finally the chubby and the giant are together". The couple related in such an intense way that the girls used spells all the time to inhibit the sound because they couldn't stand the moans of the blonde who was all the time dominated by Benson.
Because Harriet and Freya's couple had been formed, the center of attention of wanting another couple to be formed, was in Woodward and Beatrix, since both showed affection between them and both were even bathing together, which already showed that the two Cavendish were much closer, but they never said they were dating, which triggered even more the other girls wanting to believe that the two were a couple.
26th September 621, on a morning like any other, Beatrix and Woodward were just waking up and coincidentally both wake up at the same time and have a yawn and a stretch.
- Good morning Wood.
Says Beatrix.
- Good morning Bea... Time goes by so fast... It's not like it's going to be 10 months since we've been on this journey.
Says Woodward.
- And to think that all this started with us meeting and you almost kill me in our first meeting.
Says Beatrix laughing.
- You laugh now, but that day I was very scared... I was very afraid of people.
Says Woodward.
- Now we're leaving here for Lilith's tenth book... and who would have thought that we were so close to getting there, I never imagined that we could have gotten along so well... Leaving a village being mistreated to get here and have a house, a bed, food, we know a lot of spells, things I never imagined learning, things even my mother doesn't know.
Says Beatrix.
- Yes! We've come a long way and we're going to come even further!
Says Woodward taking Beatrix's hand and slowly approaching the face.
The two were slowly approaching their faces, Beatrix even opened her mouth and felt Woodward's breath doing the same, at the moment her lips were almost touching, the girls knock on the door and Kara even calls them "Hey couple! Stop pacing and let's go to the kitchen, we have to talk!" Because of this the whole atmosphere of the two is ruined and they move their faces away again rubbing the back of their necks and blushing.
- Kara is right, we'd better get ready.
Says Woodward stained.
- Yes, yes, at least close to you I don't hide anymore, I feel safe to change and even bathe close to you Wood.
Says Beatrix undressing.
Then the two of them change and from there they go to the kitchen where the whole group was with their bags packed. As usual they talk to each other while having breakfast and this time the day comes when they would leave Marklo for the next book that was in the kingdom of the Lombards. After a while Anna uses the spell to shrink things, puts it on her broom and soon the girls go to the door, but before they leave Hilda goes to Marianne and hugs her.
- I know it was kind of forced this trip... But I'm sure you'll enjoy going on a journey to meet the goddess Lilith... I'm sorry to force you so much Marianne...
Says Hilda hugging Marianne.
- Now you say that?
Says Marianne until Kara punches Hoffen in the shoulder.
- Respect your mother girl!
Says Kara.
- Okay... Sorry mom... I think I'm going to enjoy this silly journey, but if it sucks, don't want to push me on another silly journey if I'm not leaving Marklo. Stop it! That hurts!
Says Marianne until it takes two pinches from Madeleine and Kara.
- We haven't even had a daughter and we are already dealing with a child.
Says Kara.
Marianne gives her last hug to her mother who was already collapsing in tears, takes her broom and from there the girls leave Marklo towards Lilith's tenth book, which in all these months hasn't changed place.
The trip took a few hours, but soon they were arriving in a city that was in the kingdom of the Lombards, Freya takes the opportunity to use the language spell, so that they can understand how to speak Latin, something that Marianne, Anna and Harriet already knew with fluency, which was surprising, the book was pointing to a huge house, where the girls arrive there and already knock on the door. When they knocked they were attended by a woman with lilac hair and wearing a leather apron and gloves, as well as holding a hammer and she also had a badge written "Athena Meridies" which was the lady's name.
- Is that right? What do you want? You don't look like you're from around here...
Says Athena with her hand on her chin.
- Madam... Athena... You happen to know about this.
Says Beatrix taking Lilith's book out of her purse and leaving Athena perplexed.
Athena just pulls Beatrix and the other girls enter right after, in that Meridies closes the huge gate and soon gets all bouncy and happy to notice that they were those witches who were with Lilith's books.
- You have no idea... I've been waiting for this moment for over 20 years... The witches who have Lilith's books in hand have finally arrived... Feel welcome!
Says Athena.
- You are acting in a very nice way with eight strangers. Because we should trust the lady.
Says Marianne suspicious.
- Marianne!
They all say.
- Don't care about this blonde, she's still a beginner.
Says Kara pointing to Marianne.
- You don't have to be afraid of me, I have many good intentions, I know the legend of Lilith and also I appreciate very much that the witches who have the books in hand are people of pure heart, can feel at home.
Says Athena opening her arms while the house lights came on instantly and the girls were impressed.
- Less bad... She's a nice witch with a house.
Harriet whispers until Freya scolds her.
- Harriet!
Says Freya.
- Girls! Girls! Come here! They're here!
Says Athena calling for her daughters.
- Who are they?
Says one of the daughters.
- The witches with Lilith's books!
Says Athena.
The girls who were in another room of the house quickly descended the stairs and passed through the corridors, while the eight were admiring all that place full of strange trinkets, drawings on a table, fans that worked inside the house, besides a laboratory. Until the girls arrived and there were four girls with lilac hair and wavy hair, what made them different from each other was only the way they combed their hair or the length of their hair and the height. Each one had a badge with their name on it.
- They are my quadruplets, Hera, Demeter, Persephone and Aphrodite.
Says Athena.
- Quadruplets? What do you mean?
Says Woodward rubbing her confused head.
- My four daughters were born on the same day; I basically got pregnant of all four at the same time.
Says Athena while the girls were impressed.
- I am Hera.
Says Hera.
- I am Demeter.
Says Demeter.
- I am Persephone.
Says Persephone.
- And I am Aphrodite.
Says Aphrodite.
- I might as well call each one Meridies 1, 2, 3 or 4, because you are very similar.
Says Kara.
- The only one more different is Hera who is taller and is the only one I know without those little plaques on her chest.
Says Harriet.
- They were named after the ancient Greek religion, this is our family, we are the Meridies, I also had a husband, but he passed away years ago? At least I could keep all that we inherited from him and thus continue with my inventions, since I was a child I heard about these books of Lilith and even thought about running after each one, but for that I would need gold and a lot of time to travel from place to place behind these books? Unfortunately now I am 37 years old is not the same thing? I'm too old to run after those books and I'm also a mother.
Says Athena.
- But I am here to fulfill my mother's dream! I will help you on this journey!
Says Hera.
- And now we are nine witches.
Harriet whispers until it takes a Beatrix pinch.
- Harriet! Stop being boring, it's been months and you still think that way.
Says Beatrix.
Then the girls say their names for all of them and they go into the Meridies family house where they pack their bags in the rooms of the house, which were many, but not so big, besides having five bathrooms, which were very small too, but the laboratory and the area where Athena worked was most of the house that looked like a huge shed. After they finished tidying up, the eight of them went back to the shed where Athena and her daughters worked setting up a chair.
- The house is very spacious and very cozy; it must have taken many generations to reach this beautiful place.
Says Beatrix.
- This was my late husband's inheritance; thanks to him I was able to continue to realize my inventions.
Says Athena.
- Inventions? We are curious to know some.
Says Woodward impressed.
- Just come and see some of the things I did without even using magic, just science.
Says Athena.
Athena starts to show some of her inventions, most of which were impressive, like the lamps that light just by pulling a lever, in several places in the house, a black powder that by setting fire could cause the greatest illumination or even explosions without needing magic, but no doubt the most impressive was a metal box that she showed to the girls.
- It's just a metal box with some gears and a chain.
Says Kara.
- You will see how amazing this gadget is.
Says Athena.
Athena takes a can and puts a golden-colored liquid inside a container that was next to the metal box and puts a crank inside the hole of that box fitting some gears, Hera turns a key and the older Meridies starts turning the lever of that thing that was starting to make some strange noises to the eight girls, while an iron pipe was coming out of that thing, until finally it turns on making a noise that the girls never heard before things hitting and small explosions.
- What does it do? Besides making noise?
Says Kara with her hands at her waist.
- This here.
Says Athena by fitting a glass ball with metal and positioning it on a base.
This glass ball was quite similar to an incandescent lamp made of filaments of a very rare metal to find, and it illuminated more than any lamp, which makes the girls surprised with that, but not only to illuminate lamps that it served and also to make things of all kinds move, the moment it puts that some connection with the metal box. Even a wheel spinning without anyone pushing it.
- Woah! That's amazing! This is a magical metal box that makes everything move!
Says Woodward marveled.
- This is an engine, it works without using magic, I just need to create a liquid with the oil of the media and give a refined and ready, I have the liquid that makes this engine work, which works basically by explosions inside. Inside this box there are small parts that do all the work.
Says Athena.
- Boy, do you know how to do these things? How did you learn?
Says Woodward even more impressed.
- With Lilith's book I have, it's a book dedicated to just build things not related to magic that make magic things, with that I could acquire a greater knowledge in science, there are even some things about magic, but were very advanced like raising an entire floating island using the magic of a sorceress stone, which I have never heard of. And I have traveled to distant lands in the world.
Says Athena until all the attention turns to Woodward giving a shout after she touched a strand and had her hair shivering.
- Ahhhh! That wire burned me inside!
Says Woodward after taking a shock.
- Ah and watch out for exposed copper wires, they can shock you and holding them for too long can even kill you.
Says Athena while Beatrix kept her hand on her face.
- You're a curious one yourself; ask before you go out touching things.
Says Beatrix embracing Woodward.
- But when it's to touch you don't have to ask.
Says Harriet provoking the two who were blushed.
- So you mean we have couples of girls around here? I don't have anything against it, but it's better if they take it when they're just inside the house and avoid showing up at the entrance together, it could give us a problem with the church.
Says Athena with her hand on her waist.
- Church...
Says Anna looking down.
- You are Brillant Anna right? I recognized by the red hair.
Says Athena while Anna agreed with her head.
- Brillant Anna in these lands! What the fuck!
Says the daughters of Athena.
- You are being sought in some lands of the French Kingdom, for blasphemy still, I imagine it is only because you are a witch, so you can rest assured that I will not denounce you, feel free in this place, but I recommend not to leave too much, unless it is for an emergency or to fly on a broom and as for you four ... I don't want you to spread the word that Brillant Anna is around.
Says Athena.
The girls talk some more among the quadruplets who are even curious to know more about how they relate to each other and also about Lilith's books, which they already knew. Harriet and Freya who this time takes away the doubts of the girls and tells about all their adventure. Beatrix and Woodward take a light break from the girls to take a walk around the house until the older Cavendish arrives at the balcony of the residence and watches the buildings and the Ticino River passing through the city, while the younger one was behind her leaning on the door.
- (And to think that I'm here... Since I woke up today, I haven't stopped to think about how lucky I was to stop in this place... How fate took us on this journey, that scared girl who almost killed me... I love her so much... She's here behind me... I don't even know how to react or talk sometimes).
- Bea, it's a beautiful landscape, don't you think? Of all the places we went, this is without a doubt the most beautiful city, even more so than those of the Franco Kingdom, I still miss our lands, that cold one? Those forests... One day I imagine having my family and scaring my children with the trees.
Says Woodward until Beatrix starts laughing.
- You would be a horrible mother that way Wood, it's a good thing the other mother would be much smarter and wouldn't let your daughter die.
Says Beatrix who ends up blushing.
- What? What other mother?
Says Woodward confused.
- Nothing! I'm just talking nonsense.
Says Beatrix stained.
- (Wait a minute... Beatrix is talking about her being the mother of my daughters too? How cute! I would love it! But I don't know... I still haven't had the courage to admit my feelings to her and whenever we are almost kissing something happens... Although that would be the golden opportunity).
- Wood?
Says Beatrix snapping her fingers in front of Woodward.
In this Woodward holds Beatrix's arm and gives a kiss on the mouth of the oldest Cavendish who blushes on the spot, but it was a quick kiss on impulse, so much so that the youngest, when noticing the bullshit she did, pushes the tallest one and runs out of there embarrassed while the girl with light green hair was with her hand on her face still trying to process what had happened.
- (She kissed me... And it wasn't a kiss that the girls pushed... It was a real kiss... I was so shocked that I didn't even give up the passage of my tongue to her... But that was such a good kiss... As good as that one on Wood's birthday... But why did she do that? That Woodward likes me I know, but not that she would come and kiss me like that).
Beatrix leaves the balcony still perplexed about that kiss and just pretends that nothing happened there, so much so that at the moment the two of them were together again, they didn't even talk about the kiss that had happened, but it was remarkable the way they were perplexed about the kiss since they barely heard Athena talking about her inventions.
See you, inventor witches...
Full name: Hera Meridies
Date of birth: October 9, 604
Place of birth: Pavia, Kingdom of Lombardy (actual Pavia, Italy) (Lombard/Italian).
Height: 1.64m (5'5")
Weight: 58 kg (127 lbs)
Hair color and appearance: lilac, long wavy, reaches the hip line, bangs that pass the eyes with some loose ends.
Eye color and appearance: Teal green, occidental.
Body appearance: Extremely pale Caucasian skin, thin, large breasts, rectangular nose, freckles on face and body.
Hera is the first of the quadruplets of Athena, is a witch who has a huge knowledge about magic and also in human knowledge such as mathematics, science, geography, physics, chemistry, knowing how to use this knowledge to create inventions that together with magic could help humanity a lot, but in the village where lives nobody gives a damn about these crazy inventions, only for the services that the mother does repairs, The Meridies have a possession of one of Lilith's books which helped them to assemble some very interesting machines Hera is also a little arrogant about her inventions and loves to praise her genius, although there are many more intelligent people than her in this world, but even so Hera is a person with a good heart and wants one day to have some love that will admire the genius of the girl, who thanks to her mother knows much of the world.