Chapter 23: The flower and the spider.

"Ursula-sensei! Come, quick! It's an emergency!" Those were the words that, especially when coming from Akko, always made the professor run like she was being chased by a wild Cockatrice, trying to get to the fire, explosion, or whatever disaster Akko had caused.

Except that evening, when she got to where Akko was leading her, all she found was the green team sitting at one of the cafeteria's tables while Jasminka arm-wrestled with one of the minotaurs. A small crowd had formed too, consisting of both students and fairy staff, and even ogres. One of the members of this last group was being particularly loud too.

"Come on, you have to win! Avenge me!" He said. Apparently, Jasminka had defeated him before.

Just then, the Russian witch, with a calm and sweet smile, simply applied a bit more force and defeated the Minotaur, earning both cheers and frustrated yells.

"I told you all!" Amanda yelled, a big, smug smile plastered on her face. "Just give up, Jasminka is the strongest one in this school, and those who bet otherwise now owe me ten bucks!"

While Amanda collected her earnings from the bet, a very confused Ursula turned to Akko.

"Uhm… what was the emergency, exactly?" She asked. After all, even though making bets was prohibited at the school, she doubted Akko had brought her there to punish her friends.

"I bet all my money that you can win against Jasminka!" Akko replied confidently, but her teacher paled at this.

"W-what?"

"Don't worry. I know she's strong, but you are way stronger, aren't you?" She winked conspiringly, like it was a secret only the two of them knew.

"But Akko, I can't…"

"Yo, Akko, did you bring your contestant?" Amanda cut off her protests, her gaze alternating from Akko to Ursula. "Seriously? You brought Chariot? I thought you were over that obsession." She deadpanned. Then she turned to address Ursula. "I mean, no offense professor, you're cool and all, but I doubt you will be able to beat the undefeated champion."

Amanda was clearly skeptical of her strength, but Chariot couldn't really blame her. After all, the whole point of her Ursula persona was to appear like a normal Luna Nova teacher. But then again, Akko had already heard the story of how she'd defeated a giant rock monster using only her bare hands, which was probably why she was so confident. Still, she didn't think it was appropriate for a professor to partake in such acts.

"Akko, I really don't…" She was cut off when she turned to see her student and was met with the sight of those infamously cute puppy dog eyes of hers. And then she knew she was doomed. "Alright." She sighed. "But just this once."

"Yay!" Akko cheered as her sensei went to sit in front of Jasminka.

"Heh. Ready to lose all your money?" Amanda asked with a malicious smirk.

"Funny, I was about to ask you just that." Akko replied, still confident as ever, which just earned her a chuckle from her friend.

"Alright contestants, take your positions." Amanda said as she went towards the table, since she was the judge. Jasminka then got in position and offered her hand to Ursula, who took it hesitantly, already feeling a little ridiculous about it, especially since they had a growing audience. But then she was distracted by Amanda making sure their hands were an equal distance away from the table. As she did so, she started explaining the rules.

"The rules are that you can't use magic, you also can't cheat by using both hands or whatever, and whoever touches the table first loses, alright?" When they both nodded, she smiled, satisfied. "Good. Now… ready, go!"

As soon as Amanda said 'go', Ursula started feeling an immense force pushing against her arm, almost catching her by surprise. She probably would have ended up losing just because she wasn't prepared, but her body reacted before her mind could catch on. And in a blink of an eye, Jasminka's hand had already hit the table.

There was a moment of stunned silence, after which their little audience erupted in cheers and claps, making Chariot's cheeks turn a bright shade of red. She had never intended to make a spectacle out of her strength.

"Ha!" Akko was, of course, the loudest. And she didn't mind rubbing her victory all over Amanda's face. "What did you say about me losing my money? Who's gonna lose now?"

"Uh… Two out of three?"


"Sensei, that was amazing! You are so strong, I almost can't believe it! It was a leap of faith, really, since you only told me about it in one of your stories." Akko said while the professor walked her back to the Astronomy tower, where they were supposed to study before they'd been interrupted by Akko's "emergency".

"A-ah, well… it's not that big of a deal. Anyone can learn strengthening magic, really." She answered, still sheepish about what had happened earlier.

"Could you teach me?" Akko asked, stars shining in her eyes at the prospect. After all, having that much strength could technically count as a superpower, right? So she'd be a super-witch!

"I don't know, Akko. The training is incredibly hard and more than a little dangerous. You'd end up getting hurt, and if it goes wrong you might be incapacitated for months." She answered, adopting a more serious tone to convey just how dangerous it could be. After all, she didn't want Akko to treat it as a game.

"Really? Who taught you then?" She asked curiously.

"Croix, although she never practiced it herself. But she had read a ton, and decided I needed to learn since I kept getting into trouble… and almost died in a fight with a giant spider."

"That sounds like a story." Akko smirked, making her professor giggle.

"Alright. But afterwards you need to study, okay?"


Three weeks had passed since the end of Samhain break. And things with Croix have been going… well, I'm not going to say good, because there's still some tension between us, but at least they're better now. She's still tutoring me, we're still hanging out at her lab from time to time, and she even lets me watch as she works on her inventions! In summary, we're still friends… until the shiny rod comes up.

Which is always why I've kept that thing hidden and try not to bring it up around my friend. And that's also the reason I haven't made much progress. Not even with Karen teaching me spirit language! Like, sure, I can understand a couple of words between the whispers now, but nothing useful.

And so, I'm frustrated. And when I get frustrated I usually end up doing something stupid and getting into trouble… and today was no exception.

So, of course I ended up getting punished, together with the mischievous twins, after pulling a prank on Babcock. We stole some ingredients from Lukić's lab and made a potion to then pour it on Babcock's tea, who ended up turning purple and making weird animal sounds. It was honestly a lot of fun! And it wore off relatively quickly too, so no harm done. But the teachers weren't exactly thrilled.

Which is why now the three of us are here, seven in the morning, on Sunday, roaming the forest around the school in search of the ingredients we used, since Lukić insisted she needed them back.

And I mean, yeah, this isn't exactly fun, much less considering we had to wake up super early, but… at least the little prank we pulled was amazing. A welcome distraction from all my problems and the stupid quest that hangs over my head.

"So… next we need a golden snail." Anaid says, reading the ingredient's list.

"That should be easy to find." Her sister shrugs. "I mean, it's golden, and it can't run away or anything."

"But I doubt there are a lot of them, considering how rare of an ingredient they are." I argue. "What else is on the list?"

"A crow's first feather, a red mushroom with purple spots, a mandrake's leaf and a spider's venom."

"Okay then." I say. "I think we should start with the crow's feather. That should be easy enough to find."

And so, we spend the next hour or so climbing trees in order to find a crow's nest, and although we do find quite a few, most of them only have eggs, not chicks. And even less have chicks that are already starting to develop real feathers! Plus, the parents aren't exactly happy with us getting so close to their babies, so we end up with quite a few scratches and bites from their sharp claws and beaks. At one point their attacks are so vicious I end up falling out of a tree, but… in the end Enid finally gets what we're looking for. So that's one ingredient less on the list.

Plus, between all that chaos and searching, I managed to find a golden snail in one of the trees, which means now we only have to find a mushroom, a leaf and a spider. Should be easy, right? I mean, what can be worse than getting attacked by the entire crow population of Luna Nova?

"Hey, look! A mandrake!" Anaid exclaims shortly after we start wandering around searching for mushrooms. We turn to see where she's pointing and, sure enough, there is some sort of plant that kinda looks like a giant lettuce, with a single bud on top of its steam. Thankfully, we don't need a petal; just a leaf.

"I'll get it!" I shout as I start running towards it, eager to get this over as soon as possible. But then, just after I arrive to where the plant is and grab a leaf in order to pull it off, I hear my friend's voices.

"Hey, wait… isn't that plant…?"

"Chariot!"

Before I can even turn around to see why they're suddenly yelling in panic, I feel the leaf I'm holding starting to move. Huh. But… but plants don't move, right? So what…?

I look up slowly, fearing what I might see, and then… oh no. The bud has opened and is now a colorful orange and pink flower with eyes at the tip of its petals, and a mouth in the middle full of teeth. Yep. Sharp, long, dangerous teeth. And of course I can only scream and run for my life. But before I can even take two steps, a vine wraps around my feet and lifts me up in the air, pulling me towards the monstrous flower.

"Aaahhh! Help!" I scream, starting to panic when I feel a sucking motion pulling me inside inch by inch. Thankfully, the teeth aren't as hard as I feared, but they'll still probably leave a scar. Ow.

"Chariot!" Enid calls, wand already out, with a determined expression. Anaid is also by her side but her expression is more fearful than her twin's.

"Help!" I say again, struggling not to get swallowed all the way in. But damn! Who would have thought a flower could be so freaking strong?! Then again, this isn't an ordinary flower, is it?

"What do we do?" Anaid asks her sister. "I don't know any spells against plants."

"A burning spell should work." Enid answers, the tip of her wand lighting up already.

"No!" Anaid places her hand stop Enid's wand. "You'll end up burning Chariot."

Ugh. Croix would've already gotten me out! She probably would have casted some sort of precise offensive spell at the base of this thing and… wait. That's it!

"Cast Murowa! Aim for the stem!" I shout. Just then, this thing takes the opportunity to swallow me whole.

It's wet and sticky in here, but at least smells like roses. This thing, as sentient and carnivorous as it is, is after all just a plant. A stupid ugly plant that apparently doesn't feel a thing when I punch it, kick it and generally try to get out of here.

Thankfully, only a few seconds pass before I suddenly feel like falling and then I hit the ground. Groaning, I open my eyes and see the flower has opened and my two friends are looking at me with concern.

"Ugh." I groan, crawling my way out of the now-dead flower. "Thanks girls. Thank you from saving me from... What was that thing anyways?"

"A mandrake." Anaid deadpans. "Didn't you know they can eat people?"

"I… Of course!" I answer, my pride a bit sore. Because yes, I think I've heard something like that somewhere, but I hadn't remembered it until now.

"Right." Even Enid looks skeptical. Ugh. So now it turns out the twins actually know more than me when it comes to magical stuff?! Maybe I deserve to be called a dunce.

"Come on." I huff. "Let's take a leaf and let's go."


So we keep wandering around, searching for ingredients for a couple more hours, even if I'm already all tired, sore and dirty and just want to take a hot shower and sleep off the weekend. At the end, we're just missing the spider poison, but since we don't know how to extract poison from a freaking spider, we decide to just take the spider.

Now, the list doesn't say what kind of spider, meaning just any spider should do, right? And I thought a normal spider would be easy enough to find. Except, for some weird reason, we've been searching in every single tree, hole and cave in this stupid forest and there hasn't been one single spider or web in sight. Not. A. Single. One.

"Hey, what if we just go back now and say we couldn't find the stupid spider?" I suggest, tired and frustrated from all of this pointless searching.

"They would never believe us." Anaid objects. "Finnelan would probably come up with another, even worse, punishment."

"But…!"

"Hey, look what I found!" Enid suddenly comes running from our left. She'd gone exploring on her own and has in her hands a flask with some sort of… wait. Is that a tarantula?

"Where did you find it?" I ask, absolutely ecstatic. We can finally return to our cozy dorms and forget about this whole thing!

"There was a very weird cave over there." She answered, pointing to where she had come from.

"You mean the one with a giant sign that said 'Danger' in bold letters?" I ask. Because yes, I came across that same cave earlier, but decided it was better to leave it alone, least we end up getting into even more trouble.

"That's the one!" Enid answers, not concerned at all. "But hey, we have the spider, right? We should go."

"Uhm…" Okay, so common sense would probably tell me to carefully inspect the spider, go see the caves, ensure there's nothing unusual about it and then decide if we should go. But then again, I'm tired, and sick of this stupid quest and just… what's the worse that could happen? "Sure. Let's go."

And so, the three of us start walking back towards the school, almost entirely quiet because of how completely exhausted we are. At this point, I think the only thing that keeps my legs moving is the promise of a warm bed and a good night's sleep. And hey, at least it doesn't take that long! Sooner than I would've expected we reach the base of the New Moon tower, and now we just need to walk a few more minutes before finally getting to the main building and…

Wait. I heard something. Like… cracking? And it's coming from…

My friends also notice and immediately stop, the three of us staring at Enid's bag for a whole moment before it also starts freaking moving, and she finally reacts and opens it, trying to see what's going on. She gets out a flask, but immediately let's go of it as if she had been burned when it moves once more. When it shatters, it becomes clear what was causing the ruckus.

It's the spider; the one from before. It's no longer an ordinary tarantula (which are scary enough on their own) but is now the size of a small cat… and growing.

"Uhm… what the hell?!" Enid exclaims, taking a step back in fright.

"What is that thing?" Anaid asks, trembling from fear.

"I don't know. But I definitely don't want to be here when it grows enough to eat us!" After all, being almost eaten once is enough nightmare-inducing material for one day. I don't need another giant creature making me its dinner.

Thankfully, the twins seem to agree with me and soon the three of us are running like our lives depend on it towards the Luna Nova main building… and the spider is in hot pursuit.

It's a lot more agile than us, not gonna lie, but I was hoping it would slow down a bit as it grew! Which of course wasn't the case. Turns out, having eight legs and the ability to climb along almost any surface is pretty damn useful!

Still, we're almost at Luna Nova now. Just a few more meters and we can let the teachers deal with it instead. Come on, just a little more! Keep running! Keep…!

"Aaaahhh!" I stop dead in my tracks when I hear Anaid scream and see her trip and fall to the ground. And the spider, now the size of a large truck, is hovering over her, ready to inject her with venom using those horrible fangs that could easily pass as swords.

"M-Murowa!" Enid is the first one to react, casting the spell towards the beast head. But the powerful blast of magic that should have at least stunned the arachnid, instead gets captured by its mouth… and swallowed. Instantly, the spider becomes even bigger.

"Shit." Enid curses under her breath.

"We can't use magic on it! It'll only make it stronger!"

"But what do we do now?"

"Heeeelp!" Anaid screams, trying to get away from the spider but being cut off every time she tries to flee. Damn. This thing is fast. And incredibly dangerous. And resistant to magic. Well, there's only one thing to do now.

"Vega varulus!" I grit my teeth when I feel the powerful energy filling every limb in my body, already dreading the pain I'll feel for days and days after this. Still, I don't have an option, do I?

Quickly, I run straight towards the spider, something it apparently wasn't expecting because it just stays there, like it's trying to predict what I'm going to do. And what I do isn't precisely graceful, and doesn't have any kind of thought behind it, but hey, it works: I just punch it straight in the face, sending it flying.

After that, it's all just a matter of throwing kicks and punches as fast and hard as I can, while at the same time trying to avoid this thing's fangs and webs. And it's very apparent, when I keep missing hits and getting all sweaty and flustered sooner than I would like to admit, that I need more practice. I was very lucky at Arcturus forest; the rock monster I fought not only had a clear weak spot, but also wasn't very agile and relied solely on brute force. Something that can't be said of this stupid arachnid.

But still, brute force wins in the end and, after deciding I had to immobilize it first and managing to pull most of its legs off, I'm finally able to deliver the final blow, using all the energy I have left to crush its head.

And as soon as it stops moving, I sit down, feeling absolutely drained. I know I lasted way too long this time; it might even be a new record. My head is spinning, my whole body is trembling, and my breathing is shallow and quick. So, it really isn't a surprise when, as soon as I cancel the spell, I collapse and everything turns black.


Ugh. Everything hurts. Literally everything. From my scalp to my toes it feels like every single cell is on fire. Like, geez, I wish I could go back to sleep, but I'm pretty sure it was the pain that woke me up.

Where am I, anyways? The last thing I remember I was fighting with the spider, still a hundred meters or so away from Luna Nova, and then… why am I in a bed? Am I in my dorm?

Using every last bit of strength I have, I lift my eyelids and finally open my eyes. I see a familiar high ceiling above me, made of the sand-colored stones of Luna Nova. The air also smells like medicine, and the bed I'm lying in isn't all that comfy. All in all, it only takes me a couple of seconds to realize I'm in the infirmary.

"Chariot?" A voice comes from my left side, and when I turn my head slightly to look at the person who spoke, I find… Croix? But what is she doing here? I thought Enid or Anaid would be more likely to visit me after what happened. "Chariot, how are you feeling?" She asks apprehensively.

"Fine." I'm barely able to answer, but I try nonetheless. My voice sounded all raspy and weak, but at least I think Croix heard me.

"You scared me, you idiot!" She shouts, making me wince because my head hurts even more. Also, her eyes are so furious, but I don't understand. Why is she mad at me? "Do you have any idea how long you were unconscious? How many spells and potions they tried? You could have died!"

What? Surely that can't be right. She's probably exaggerating, isn't she? She's just trying to scare me. But then… why are there tears in her eyes? Why does her voice sound strained?

"I'm okay, Croix." I say, placing my hand stop hers in a comforting gesture, but she only ends up crying even more, furiously trying to wipe the tears from her eyes using her sleeve. But it's useless; the tears just won't stop, and my heart clenches in pain at the sight. "Croix… don't cry, please. I promise, everything is f-…"

"Don't say it." She cuts me off harshly. "Don't you fucking say it." Finally, she uncovers her eyes and stares right at me. With those tear-filled red eyes with black bags under them. Eyes filled with both anger and worry.

"Your heart almost stopped. When the professors managed to bring you here, you were practically dead, and it was only thanks to magic that you were saved." She pauses, fixing me with the meanest glare she can muster. "What on Earth possessed you into using a spell that I specifically told you could easily kill you if used in excess?!"

"I… it was the only way." I answer weakly, deviating my gaze. I don't understand. I shouldn't feel guilty for using my powers to save my friends. Like, I knew the risks. I just didn't think it would end up so badly.

"Promise me, Chariot, that you won't ever, ever, under any circumstances, use it again." I feel her grip tightly my hand. I hear the urgency in her voice, the desperation... and yet… I can't.

It's stupid, I know. I could have died, and I obviously don't want that. I could easily die if I ever use that spell again. I don't even like using it, but… I know, deep down, that I can't make such a promise to her. If she, or any of my friends is ever in danger, I know I won't think twice before using Vega varulus once more.

"I can't promise you that." I say, still not looking at her. Instantly, I feel her grip on my hand tighten, and I quickly rush to keep talking before she interrupts me. "You know how keen I am to trouble, how easily I end up in dangerous situations and… well, with the world's destiny resting on my shoulders, I'm afraid things will only get worse." I pause, taking a deep breath and finally turning to look at her once more. "So you see, Croix, I would love to make that promise, but I can't."

Croix just closes her eyes, breathing in a couple of times as if trying to calm herself down before speaking once more. When she opens them again, they're strict, but also determined.

"If you keep recklessly casting that spell you will die, are you aware of that?" I give her a hesitant nod, and she continues. "And I don't want that happening to you, not only because you are the owner of the Claiomh Solais, but because… because you are… we're… f… f-friends?"

The hesitance and insecurity with which she says it is something really surprising, considering how long we've been friends. Most surprising though, is how she keeps staring at me as if waiting for a confirmation that what she said is true, something that I quickly give her with another small nod. At this, she releases a breath she was holding and then keeps talking.

"Right. So, yeah, we're friends, and although things have been… awkward between us lately, I still c-care about you, so…" She shrugs. "I guess the only solution is to train you properly."

"What?"

"Vega varulus is a spell that needs proper physical preparation in order to be used safely. And I mean a lot of preparation." She explains. "Many witches have actually died just by doing the basic training, which is why it's a forbidden spell. But I guess if I'm there to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't injure yourself, it'll be safer." Croix shrugs, like it's not a big deal, but…

"You would really do that for me?" I mean, not only are we not in the best of terms right now, but I also know how busy she is between her technological inventions, being the best at the school and helping me not being the ultimate witching failure, so… it is a very big deal that she's offering to dedicate even more of her time to me.

"Yes. Come on, don't be so surprised." She says, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you!" I exclaim, trying to sit up and hug her, but ending up hitting the mattress once more and wailing in pain. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Heh. You won't be thanking me when you end up just as sore every single day."


A/N: Happy Halloween everybody! (Or should I say Samhain? Nah, I'll leave that for the Samhain chapter... which still feels like it's miles away lol). Anyways, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review/follow/favorite. I'd appreciate that.

Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.