Chapter 3: The lessons start.
"Ursula Sensei!" Akko called into the tower, while pretty much barging in. She wore a huge smile on her face as usual and carried a stack of books. The professor in question almost jumped out of her skin at the intrusion, having to grip her desk tightly in order to not fall from her chair, but she calmed down when she realized who it was.
"Akko! You have to stop doing that." She chastised her, straightening up as she turned around to look at her student, who came to sit by her side.
"I'm sorry." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I was just too excited! I have so many questions!"
"Questions?" The professor asked, confused. She has never seen Akko so excited about studying, more so if she was having trouble with the information.
"Yes! How was Croix as a tutor? I bet she was wonderful, since she was really my favorite professor while she was here… after you, of course." She amended quickly. "Also, you promised to tell me why you were so powerful, and why you knew almost nothing about magic, and…"
"Akko." Chariot cut her off before she could continue her question-vomiting, and sighed internally. She should had known Akko wasn't excited about the tutoring session, but the little talk they'd agreed to have afterwards. "You need to study first! Come on, which exam do you have tomorrow?"
"Can't we study later?" Akko pouted, and Chariot had to close her eyes, trying not to think of how her student looked like a kicked puppy when she made that face.
"No. You'll get distracted and keep asking me questions instead of studying." She firmly said, opening her eyes and taking Akko's books from her hands. "Now, about the exam…"
"Bird language." She mumbled angrily. Or as angry as she could be knowing her professor was right, as usual.
"Ah! That one's easy." Chariot smiled, trying to cheer her up.
"No, it's not." Akko pouted once more. "At this rate I'll end up having a fish for familiar."
"Cheer up. You learned fish language pretty quickly! Understanding birds should be easy now." The professor encouraged her, knowing Akko answered quite well to positive reinforcement. "Alcor will help us, right?" She turned to address the bird, who was perched on his usual spot. He, however, just opened one eye and cawed at her, sounding irritated.
"He said no." Akko complained.
"Very good, Akko! You're getting better." Chariot beamed at her.
"I don't need to know bird language to understand that."
"But still, that's the first step." She answered, not losing her optimism. "Now, come on Alcor, don't be mean." She told her bird, who kept glaring at her as if the two were having a silent conversation. After a while, the crow sighed in defeat and took flight, landing on the extended arm of his mistress.
"So he really is Alcor, huh?" Akko asked, eying him intently. She'd be more excited about it if he looked at all as the glowing phoenix she remembered, instead of the old white crow he was now. No wonder she never recognized him before knowing her professor was really Chariot in disguise. "I have a plush of him, you know?"
"Oh, I do remember those toys! He never liked them; said they were too fat." Chariot laughed, looking at her crow, who mumbled something that Akko was unable to understand, yet she also laughed at his annoyed expression.
"But they were so cute!" Akko teased.
The crow just cawed in protest, wondering why his mistress had to get him involved in teaching such a girl. But then again, if he was really honest with himself, he knew deep down that he didn't really mind. Akko reminded him a lot of Chariot when she was young, after all.
"Ugh! It's useless!" Akko whined for what felt like the hundredth time in that hour. "How am I supposed to know the difference between one caw and another?"
"Pay attention, Akko. It's not only about listening; it's about understanding." Chariot explained patiently. "More so, there's magic involved. You can't treat bird language as if it was English."
"Ugh! But then how can I understand fish language, which is supposedly more difficult?" She complained.
"That's actually a good question." Chariot mused. "How did you learn it?"
"I transformed into a merman, and then I suddenly knew fish language." She shrugged. "But no matter how many times I transform into a bird when I turn back into a human I can't understand birds anymore!"
"Well, that's usually how it works." Chariot said, rubbing her chin as she reflected on what she had been told. "But then again, a merman is half-human and half-fish. Have you ever tried turning into a creature that's half-human and half-bird?"
"Oh! Like your winged witch form?" Akko exclaimed excitedly, stars shining on her eyes as she recalled Shiny Chariot's show, and how awed she'd been when she saw her transform into some sort of angel, flying majestically through the sky.
"I suppose it could work." Chariot shrugged. Truth to be told, she was curious, since she'd never heard of something like this before, and if it could help Akko with her studies she supposed it was worth a try. Even if she would normally be against taking the easy way out.
"Alright!" Akko exclaimed, getting up with a jump and taking out her wand. "Time to shine then! Metamorphie faciesse."
Instantly, Akko was surrounded by a cloud of smoke and emerged transformed into a pink bird, oddly resembling her Alcor plush toy.
"Sensei!" She whined, upset she was unable to transform into what she wanted.
"It's always more difficult to transform into humanoid creatures than normal animals." Chariot explained, giving her an encouraging smile. "It's normal that you couldn't get it the first time. But with how good you are getting at metamorphosis magic, I'm sure you'll be able to do it in no time at all."
"You really think so, Ursula-sensei?" The bird-Akko asked, hope being very clear on her tone of voice.
"Yes. Just turn back into a human and then cast the spell one more time. Try to concentrate solely on your arms and imagine them transforming into wings. Remember: you have to have a clear image on your head for it to work."
"Okay!" Akko nodded happily before doing as told. First, she casted the spell one more time, transforming into herself (thankfully she'd never had a problem with that part) and then got ready for the difficult part. "Here it goes again! Metamorphie faciesse!" Smoke surrounded her once more, but only around her arms, and when it cleared… there were a pair of wings there alright. But there was only one little problem. "Sensei!" She whined once more.
"Oh, goodness." Chariot put a hand over her mouth and tried not to laugh, but it was very difficult when her student had a pair of chicken wings instead of arms. Akko pouted, flapping uselessly her wings as tears started to appear on her eyes. The professor took note of it and instantly rushed to reassure her. "Akko, don't get discouraged. I told you this isn't easy, and at least you now have wings."
"Yeah, child. Stop whining; it's getting annoying."
Akko's head shot up at the speed of light and her eyes widened to the size of saucers when she heard the voice coming from the crow perched on her professor's shoulder. She could understand him! She had managed to understand Alcor!
"You talked!" Akko beamed, so happy about it that her wings started flapping without her even meaning to.
"Of course I did!" He scoffed. "I've been talking the whole time. You just weren't able to understand me."
"Well, now I will! Just see! Metamorphie faciesse." And Akko then turned her wings into human arms once more, confident that she would be able to understand Alcor this time. "Come on, speak!"
But the crow just cawed, and Akko screamed in frustration, unable to understand a thing… and then Chariot laughed and shook her head.
"Alcor, don't be mean." She said between giggles.
"Agh. Alright." He answered, and this time Akko was able to distinguish the words within his caws. She also could very distinctly tell he was laughing at her. "It's funny teasing her. As I did with you back in the day."
"Hey! You're such a big meanie!" Akko yelled before sticking out her tongue at him. "And to think I wanted to have a familiar like you." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head to the side as she pouted. "Now I'm starting to think a fish isn't that bad of an idea."
But the crow just kept laughing, obviously having the most fun he'd had in ages, so Chariot decided to intervene before Akko did something to offend her familiar (he was so sensitive she swore she sometimes walked on nails while talking with him).
"Uhm… Akko, now that you've seemingly mastered bird language, would you like me to tell you about my first lesson with Croix?"
"Oh, yes professor!" Her whole demeanor immediately changed as she flopped down on the chair and regarded her intently, smiling like she'd gotten an early Christmas present. Alcor, on the other hand, just sighed and took flight to land on his wooden perch.
"If you're going to start gushing about her again, I'm just going to go to sleep." He said in a very annoyed tone, and Chariot flushed at his words.
"I-I'm not… I don't gush about her!" She protested.
"Right."
"I don't!" She affirmed once more, but even Akko raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh, come on, don't believe what that old crow tells you! Anyways, where were we?" She quickly attempted to change the subject, seeing that just denying what her familiar had said wasn't working.
"Your first lesson with Croix-sensei?" Akko answered, although it sounded more like a question.
"Right! Right, well, okay. Where to start?"
After classes, I go running towards the second floor corridor of the east dormitory, where Croix's room is, and I wait for her at the entrance fidgeting impatiently. I'm practically jumping in excitement! I have a good feeling about this. With Croix's help I'll get better at magic and become the best witch that's ever set foot in this school!... Or at least stop failing at practically every subject. That would be great too.
"Croix! Croix!" I yell when I spot her, walking behind her roommates, who are both talking between them. I, however, don't wait for her to arrive to her room and instead run past the other two girls and stop in front of Croix, beaming at her. "Croix, I've been searching for you all day! Here's your robot!" I say, practically shoving the toy in her only good hand, with which she's barely able to hold it. "What are you going to teach me today? Will I be turning into a dragon? Or maybe fighting one? Oh! What about riding one? That would be pretty cool!"
She blinks a couple of times, trying to make sense of what I just said before chuckling and shaking her head in disbelief.
"What on Earth made you think our first lesson would have anything to do with dragons?" She says amused.
"Uhm…" I trail off, not understanding my own logic either. "I just… thought it would be fun?"
"Alright." She sighs, still smiling. "Since I see you're lacking basic understanding of, well, everything, I suppose we shall start from the very beginning."
"Okay?" I raise an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"Let's go to a more secluded place. Perhaps the fields? I know a very nice spot where we can study undisturbed."
"Sure. Sounds nice." I shrug. It's better than the library, that's for sure.
"Ahem." One of Croix's roommates interrupts us, making us both look at her as I rub the back of my neck sheepishly, having totally forgotten they were there. "Hey Croix, aren't you going to introduce us to your new friend?" The girl with short olive hair I encountered the other day speaks, wearing an amused expression.
"She's not my friend!" Croix immediately protests.
"That's right! I'm her slave." I clarify, because surely a prodigy like her wouldn't want people to think she's friends with a troublemaker like myself.
"What?! No!" Croix blushes, averting her gaze before mumbling out something resembling an explanation. "We're just… she just…" She pinches the bridge of her nose, taking in a deep breath as she attempts to regain her composure. "I'm tutoring her, and she's helping me out in return."
"So I'm not your slave?" I ask confused. I thought that was the deal.
"That was only a joke! Jeez." She pouts, looking away from me.
A joke? Huh. I guess that makes sense.
"So I take that you did find her the other day?" Her roommate asks, probably deciding it was better to ignore the weirdness of it all.
"I did! Thank you… uh…" I pause, remembering I don't know her name.
"Miriam." She answers, smiling kindly. "It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too! I'm Chariot." I then turn to the other girl, who has asiatic features, tan skin, long black hair and brown eyes. "And you are…?"
"Hitsume." She answers, also wearing a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure. Honestly, it's so good finally seeing Croix making some friends."
"She's not my friend!" Croix protests once more. And though her words are very much true, they still hurt a bit. But then again, I tell myself, just because we're not friends now, it doesn't mean we can't be in the future… If she improves her attitude, that is.
"Then why are you helping her and not the dozens of girls that asked you before?" Miriam counters, raising an eyebrow.
"That is none of your concern!" Croix snarls before turning around and starting to walk down the hall. "Come on, Chariot."
"Aren't you going to retrieve your books? They're still in our room, you know?" Hitsume says. At this, Croix pauses and turns around to glare at her teammates before walking again towards her room.
Just as Croix had said, we soon find ourselves sitting at the shadow of a three in a secluded area near the sports fields. No one really comes around here; its a little clearing just a few meters into the forest, so it's nice and quiet. The atmosphere is quite pleasant, since the tree shelters us from the fierce rays of sun and the wind that blows from the south isn't too cold or too hot, providing us with a very relaxing breeze that carries the scent of freshly-cut grass and flowers. Over all, a very nice spot to study, though I wouldn't mind having a nap here. Or a picnic.
Croix (well, I, because she can't carry anything) brought a history book, as well as her notes from last year, and is now flipping through the pages, looking for the best place to start. I just stay silent, watching her and thinking about what her roommates said.
So… from their conversation I inferred two things: one, she doesn't have any friends. And two… many have asked for her help and yet she's only every agreed to tutor me. I bet it was all because I saw her secret lab and she figured I wouldn't tell the teachers if she helped me, but still, she's been nice I guess, and yesterday we were getting along somewhat. And I also don't have any friends, so maybe we could be friends? Eventually? I think I'd like that. I don't want to just stop seeing her after her hand heals and I get better at magic! Even if I don't know her, I think it would be very sad to go back to our friendless lives after this.
"Chariot?" Croix calls my name, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Y-yes?" I ask, slightly startled.
"I think it would be better if you first told me what you do know about magic, so I know where to start."
"Oh, right! Well…" I pause, blushing when I realize I don't really have much I can tell her. Aside from what we've seen in classes this past week. "Uh… I suppose I know about the Ley Lines, which carry magic all around the world, and the Sorcerer's Stones that take and emit that energy, allowing us to use it." I pause, putting a finger on my chin as I try to recall something else. "Also, each person has magic energy inside themselves, which when conducted through a wand or a broom can interact with the magic from the Ley Lines and… do stuff." Yeah, no better way to describe magic.
"Eh… I suppose that's correct." Croix shrugs. "But do you know why we now need a Sorcerer's Stone to use magic? It certainly wasn't like that in the past."
"Because…" I pause, searching through my memories for something to give me the answer. Maybe one of the books back at home? No. They're all full of spells and potion recipes, and also a few about magic plants and creatures, a couple on magic languages, also some about familiars, but… No. Nothing about magic history. And I fell asleep the other day precisely during that class. Great.
"Because magic is dying." Croix says when it's obvious I can't answer her question. I just stare at her for a few seconds, trying to process her words.
"W-what?" I squeak out, looking intently at her face, trying to find any sign that she's lying, but I find none.
"That's right. Magic is rapidly disappearing from the world." She confirms what she just said. "It has been for nearly fifteen centuries. Perhaps more."
"What happened?" I ask, concerned that the thing I've dreamed with for my whole life is suddenly going to just banish. How can I be a witch if there's no magic anymore?!
"Have you ever heard of the Nine Olde Witches?"
My stomach twists at her question, and I feel my palms get sweaty as I look away and answer as calmly as possible.
"Even I am not that ignorant." I huff. "They were the ones who founded the school."
"And?" She prompts, raising an eyebrow.
"And…" I pause, looking around as if the threes and the grass could give me the answers. "And they… uh… did many other things?"
Croix just gives me a deadpan stare before searching for a page on the book and then thrusting it at me. In it, I see there's a picture of nine different hats, under which there's an inscription in lunar runes.
"They restored magic to the world after the Great Era of Magic ended, and then sealed the Grand Triskelion in the Arcturus Forest to ensure magic wouldn't disappear again." She explains.
"I-I see." I gulp, hearing her speak with such fervor and enthusiasm about that, though honestly I only understood half of what she said. I wonder what she'd think if she knew my little secret.
"Do you, really?" She asks with a smug smile. "Then tell me what is the Grand Triskallion?"
"It's a… a thing that the Nine sealed at some forest?" I answer sheepishly.
"It's the world-altering magic, you dummy!" She laughs. "Once part of the legendary tree, Yggdrasil, which connected the stars with the Earth and allowed people to use magic without any sort of restriction." She pauses long enough to switch the page to another one that has a drawing of an enormous three covering practically half of the planet. "The Grand Triskallion only possesses a small fragment of the magic of Yggdrasil, but it's still supposed to be strong enough to grant any wish to the one who obtains it."
"A wish? That sounds cool!" I exclaim with enthusiasm, after all, this history lesson is more akin to reading a fairytale.
"Of course that's what you'd get from all I said." She rolls her eyes, but still chuckles and continues talking. "Yes, a wish." She then flips some more pages and stops when finding another drawing, this time of some sort of scepter with seven round gems ingrained all through its body. "However, to obtain it, you must first unlock seven ancient spells by using the Claiomh Solais, an ancient rod said to belong to Woodward herself."
"Woodward?" I tilt my head curiously.
"Seriously?" She deadpans. "You don't even know who Woodward is?" When I shake my head no, blushing brightly in embarrassment, as it seems this is yet another important thing about magic that everyone knows except me, she just chuckles. "Okay, I don't know why I'm even surprised. Didn't your parents teach you anything?"
I feel a slight pang of pain inside my chest at her words, as she just reminded me of the reason I'm so behind everyone else. In Luna Nova everyone is from a magic family, and so they're taught ever since they're little the history, traditions and methods of magic. That would have also been the case with me, but…
"They're dead."
"Oh." Croix smile vanishes instantly and she looks to the side, fidgeting in discomfort.
"My aunt raised me, but she isn't a witch, so everything I know, I had to learn it on my own." I continue explaining. "Though, I have to admit, I focused more on the practice than the theory."
"Well that… uh… that explains a lot." Croix coughs awkwardly, probably because I made her uncomfortable by coming out with such personal information. But I don't regret it. After all, if she's going to teach me she needs to know why I'm so behind everyone.
"Yeah…" I trail off, unsure of what to say to dispel this silence that suddenly fell between us.
"So." Croix says after a few seconds, startling me a little. "Seeing that you're more lacking on the theoretical field than I expected, which is saying a lot, I believe I need some time to prepare, so I can teach you without confusing you even more. Meanwhile… do you want to practice some spells? I believe it would be wise to test how much energy you can use at a time."
"Uhm… sure." I shrug. It sounds better than sitting here in awkward silence anyways.
A/N: I hoped you liked this chapter, and if you did, please leave a review telling me your thoughts; it'll encourage me to write more :D
Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you soon (about two weeks, most likely).
Thanks to my beta readers Colten Gillam and moonwatcher13.
