Chapter 50: Science and innovation.
I walk out of the house with Croix's hand grasped in my left hand and my wand in my right. We come to a stop in front of the dying cocoon and only then I let go of my girlfriend and approach the thing to examine it. It has six protrusions coming from the main body, that is of a dark grey color and has a blue six-pointed star on the center. Yes, it's exactly how I remember it, and I'm certain that the spell should work on it. And then I just have to cast it in every other cocoon and I'll finally be free to go to Paris.
"Papillio Fillio Nymphodya." I say, pointing my wand towards it. Instantly, I feel magic coursing through it as a blinding ray of light comes out of my wand and into the cocoon, making it start glowing again as it's healed from the injuries it sustained from the Murowa spell. Now, just a bit more and it should hatch. "Come on." I mutter. "Papillio Fillio Nymphodya." I repeat, hoping that will be enough. But the cocoon remains static as ever, with not even a hint that a butterfly will come out of it any time soon.
"Uhm… were you trying to revive the plague we've been asked to combat?" Croix asks, chuckling. "'Cause you know, I'm all for revenge against those viticulturists, but you could have at least told me."
"These aren't a plague!" I explain. "They are the cocoons of the magical butterfly Pappiliodya."
"The one that only hatches after spending one hundred years underground, and brings hope to the hearts of everyone who sees it?" Croix asks, now expressing more interest as she comes closer to examine the cocoon.
"Yes! And the spell I casted was supposed to make it hatch." I whine in frustration.
"I see." She frowns. "Aren't there any specific conditions that have to be met in order for it to work? Like, does it have to be at midday, or under a specific cosmological configuration?"
"I… don't think so?" I answer, but it comes out as a question. After all, I don't know much about this spell. Just that one of my ancestors casted it once in this very region, and… nothing else, to be honest.
I try to recall what I saw in the vision. There was a mob of people, the glowing cocoons sprouting from the ground, and then my ancestor casted the spell and all the cocoons were illuminated before they all hatched at the same time… wait. At the same time?
"Maybe they all need to hatch together, or else the spell doesn't work?" I ask, and as soon as the words leave my mouth, I know it to be the truth. How? Well, it's just a weird sensation. Like someone whispered the right answer inside my mind, and I only registered it unconsciously at first, but now I'm finally remembering it.
"Wait… you mean all of them?" Croix asks in disbelief. "Aren't all the vineyards of the region infested?"
"Most of them, yeah." I answer sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck.
"And how are we supposed to manage to hatch all of them? Do you have any idea how much magical energy is required for a spell of that magnitude?!"
"A lot?"
"Probably ten times more than the energy your sorcerer's stone emits in an hour." She grimaces. "If only it was bigger, then maybe we could pull it off, but as it is…"
"There must be something we can do." I answer, unwilling to give up now that the solution seems to be just one spell away. "What about a magic circle? It's supposed to reduce the magical cost and amplify the range of a spell, right?" I ask, remembering what Croix told me when she was trying to write her thesis about magic circles.
"Well, yes, but we'd usually need at least three witches for it to work." She explains. "On some occasions we could also use a sorcerer's stone or a bunch of spellstones as a replacement, but for a spell as big as this… the source of energy has to be massive, and able to direct its magic to a focal point as a witch would."
"I see." I pout, unable to find a better solution to this huge problem. A part of me wonders if one even exists. But then again, if it doesn't exist, it just has to be invented, right? And who's better at inventing things than Croix, my super intelligent and super kind girlfriend? "And can't any of your inventions do that?" I ask.
"Well…" She hesitates, obviously not wanting to disappoint me, but also unwilling to downright lie. "I suppose a magical battery could be modified to achieve such a feat, but we'd need at least seven for what you want to do."
"Really?" I squeak in excitement.
"But I don't think I can do all that in just a day!" She exclaims before I can get my hopes too high.
"And if I help you?" I counter, but she just blinks at me, almost unbelieving of what I actually said.
"Uh… I suppose that would speed up the process." She admits. "But are you really sure? You never really liked using technology."
"I can make some sacrifices." I shrug.
We've been here for years, or at least what feels like it, just putting together all the things we bought from the town (yes, we went to a nearby town very quickly just to buy the materials), varying from different types of wires to 9V batteries and even a few quartzes of different colors. And chalk too, to draw the magic circle.
Croix is taking care of the more technological parts, while I'm investigating in my family's books the best circle to use and calculating the amount of energy required. I also read the horoscope and it seems like the conditions are favorable tonight to go ahead with our plan. The problem is… now that I did my part, I'm left here just watching Croix working and getting frustrated.
"I could help you, you know?" I ask, eying her as she struggles to insert the quartz into a small metal container.
"You've already done enough." She answers stubbornly, wiping off some sweat from her forehead. "But… maybe get me something to drink? I'm getting thirsty."
"Sure! I can do that." I beam, happy to finally be able to do something useful, before skipping down the stairs and towards the kitchen, where my aunt is preparing dinner.
"Hey, Chariot." She smiles when she sees me enter, pausing from cutting vegetables. "How is work going?"
"Terrible." I pout. "I really didn't want to work on my birthday."
"Well, that's the life of the Red Witch for you." She says, chuckling, while I go to the fridge to get some lemonade or soda or something from it. I find a bottle of grape juice and decide it should suffice. "You know? Your mother was so dedicated, she had to work the day after you were born."
I pause at her words. She rarely talks about mom because it always makes her sad, so what little she says is always precious to me. Of course, instead of going back upstairs immediately, as was the plan, I close the fridge and go to my aunt, giving her my whole attention.
"What happened?" I ask.
"One of the neighbors got sick." She smiles sadly. "You had been born just a few hours before, when they came looking for your mother."
"And she went to try and save him, I suppose." I say.
"She did." Aunt Daneb frowned, glaring at the vegetables as if it was all their fault. "And it cost her life."
"Oh." I simply say, my mood sobering. So that was how she got sick. I'd never asked for more details about her death for fear of upsetting my aunt, but now that I know… I don't feel better, or worse for that matter; just empty.
"She may have been the Red Witch, but she should have just called an expert in healing magic. I'm sure there were plenty of witches, or even normal doctors, more qualified than her." Aunt Daneb continued talking, as she cut yet another carrot as if she were trying to murder someone. "If she hadn't been so stubborn, so proud of her legacy, and so adamant on being the only witch of the region, maybe she would still be alive."
I just stay there in silence, not knowing what to say, or even if I should say anything. Every time someone talks about my mom it just feels… unreal. Maybe because I never knew her and yet her actions shaped my whole life. Maybe because oftentimes people tell me I'm just like her and yet I can't tell if that's true or not. Still, I always feel awkward and don't know what to say when someone mentions my mother.
"That's why I didn't want you to be a witch." My aunt's voice suddenly pulls me out of my thoughts. "I didn't want you to end up like her; relaying in an obscure power to fix everything, unwilling to embrace innovation, and… being an outcast in the outside world because no one really trusts witches."
I feel my heart clench at her words. Is that really what she thinks of me? Of magic? Sure, she was always reluctant when it comes to me becoming a witch, but she was also supportive. I thought she was proud of our family history.
"But then…" She continues talking, a smile forming on her lips. "Then I came here after my mother died, only to find a little girl that just wanted to make people smile with the power of magic because, ever since she was born there had been tragedy after tragedy, and she was tired of seeing people cry." She chuckles, staring at me so fondly that I even feel happy tears forming on my eyes. "For you, it was never about being the Red Witch like your ancestors. You wanted to be a witch on your own terms; to bring happiness with your awesome tricks and awe everyone with your beautiful magic."
"But I also wanted to be a witch because my mother was also one, as well as grandma. It made me feel connected to them somehow." I protest.
"I know that." She nods. "And that's a noble sentiment. But the real reason I allowed you, encouraged you, even, to study magic was because I saw in you someone who wasn't content on just doing what others told her to do, or to adhere to traditions and scoff at any sort of change. I didn't want you to become the Red Witch, and I also didn't think you'd be content with that."
"Well, I mean… it's not like I want to be the Red Witch. It's not my dream or anything, but…" I stutter, not really knowing how to answer that, and fearing I'll disappoint Daneb. "If people need my help, I'll always be willing to help them."
"I know, and I'm not criticizing you for agreeing to help the viticulturists." My aunt giggles, which calms me down greatly. "All that I'm saying is that you shouldn't conform to the past. Heading traditions is alright, as long as you don't lose sight of the future and of who you want to be."
"I won't, Aunt Daneb." I assure her.
"I know, and with that innovative girlfriend you have, I think I don't have to worry about you becoming like those stuffy old witches." She chuckles.
"Oh, speaking of which, she's gonna kill me for taking so long!" I exclaim as I take the grape juice and run out of the kitchen in a hurry. "Thanks for the advice, Aunty!"
Practically five seconds later I enter my studio, only to find Croix sitting at my desk, so absorbed in her work that she probably didn't notice how long I was gone. As she also doesn't notice I've returned.
Taking a moment to normalize my breathing, I go to her and wrap my arms around her neck from behind, resting my chin on top of her head. She lets out a surprised yelp and jumps a little, but then realizes it's me and relaxes.
"Chariot." She says as she takes the juice from by hands. "Took you long enough."
"You probably didn't even notice I was gone." I tease her. Then I look at what she's working on, and notice she's attached the battery to a metal box with the quartz inside of it, and is trying to put some kind of antenna on top.
"How are you doing? Do you need any help?"
"The last time you helped me with magitech you almost blew up the school." She deadpans.
"Well… then can you at least explain me what you're doing?" I counter, which gives her pause. Not that I blame her; ever since I met her, I haven't been all that interested on what she does, even now that we're girlfriends! So, it's no surprise she's a little disconcerted.
"Ahm… Sure, I guess." She answers, shrugging like it's not a big deal, but her tone is happier than usual. "Well, I made this magic battery by taking a normal battery and mixing its components with your natural-energy stones and infusing it with magic." She starts explaining, holding up her battery. "I was planning on connecting it to the broom in order to replenish its magic once we weren't near the sorcerer's stone."
"Connect it? Like, with a wire or something?"
"A cable, actually. Like those you'd use to connect a light bulb to the electric current."
"Oh." I nod, putting as much attention as possible to her explanation.
"But, since we need to direct its magic outwards for the magic circle, I now took a wire and used it to connect the battery with a metal case containing a quartz." She pauses, holding up the thing in question for me to see. "The stone will function as a natural magic attractor, as well as an enhancer, since we'll need as much energy as possible." I nod again, showing I'm paying attention. "Then it will be naturally directed through the antenna… or at least it should, but I think I'm missing something."
"Is it made of iron?" I ask, curious. After all, is just like Croix to think of everything, so I doubt she made the mistake of using anything else.
"Well…" She laughs awkwardly. "I mean, I just thought that steel would serve just fine, you know? Both are excellent conductors."
"Of electricity? Sure. But for something to be a magical conductor it's better if it is as natural as possible." I remind her. "And remember that steel is an alloy made of carbon and iron. For it to be formed, it had to go through two separate industrial processes."
"Then why aren't we using wooden wands like in the old times?" She asks, annoyed. "How natural something is has nothing to do with its conducting properties."
"Yeah, I remember you told me that metals are better conductors of magic, even after being processed." I roll my eyes. "But, you know? Some of the things written in the old books remain relevant even today."
I let go of Croix to go search in my bookshelf for something I remember I read a long time ago. It was a very old book about how to make wands. So old, in fact, that there were like ten chapters talking about the best types of wood for the task, and only one about metals. But I remember it also had a chapter about how to enhance the magical conductivity of any material, regardless of its origin. And I think it could be useful just about now.
Aha! There it is! Let's see… magical transfer… natural properties… contaminants… natural energy… There!
"To enhance the conductive properties of any material, one must cleanse it from the negative energy derived from human manipulation and reconnect it with its origin. For wood that'd be plants, and for metal it'd be soil." I read out loud, for Croix to hear. "It's highly recommended to do this process regardless of the material you're using, because it'll make the casting of magic smoother and the energy summoned greater."
I pause, waiting for Croix's response for a moment and fearing she might scoff at my old books and make up some scientific reason only she's able to understand to prove how these ideas don't hold any value anymore, but after a few moments of tense silence she sighs and runs a hand through her hair.
"… Fine." She agrees reluctantly. "I suppose it can't hurt. But what does this process actually entail?"
We end up working without pause until it's dinner time and the sun has set beyond the horizon. First, we use the recipe inside my book to cleanse all the materials we'll use so that they'll have a better magic conductivity. It's nothing too complicated; just a purifying potion made with common ingredients and a simple spell to speed up the process.
Then we assembly Croix's system (yes, she lets me help but is carefully supervising my every move), and finally we make a magic circle using chalk in my front yard. For it, we use one of the images drawn in the Recorder, representing the Nine Olde Witches casting magic while standing on a circle that has a nine-pointed star and a symbol that kinda looks like a flower of many petals surrounded by three spirals, all of which is contained inside a circumference that's actually the symbol of Luna Nova.
Why this circle? Well, I thought that if the Nine Olde Witches were using it, it must be powerful, and Croix agreed.
After that, it was all a matter of putting the seven batteries on each point of the star with their antennas directed towards the middle, while Croix and I took our positions on the remaining spaces.
Thankfully, the night is calm, and the breeze blowing is a bit chilly, but not enough to hurt the butterflies we'll help hatch. The sky is also clear, and by the position of the constellations I can tell that tonight is a good night for self-growth, union and hope. Yes. It's time. The legendary Pappiliodya will finally come out from the ground and adorn the skies with their majestic dance.
I take out the shiny rod (Croix insisted, saying it's able to use more magic at once than a regular wand) and wait for Croix to give me the signal to start the ritual.
"Remember how this will work?" She asks, also taking out her wand.
"Uhm…" I scratch my head, remembering what she told me earlier about how her batteries work as well as for the proper usage of the circle. "We… have to cast the spell at the same time?"
"Yes, but we need to draw the energy from the batteries and redirect it as well. Think about it like having multiple wands."
"Okay." I grimace. That sounded too complicated. "I take the three to my right while you use the four to your left."
"Exactly." She nods in approval. "Ready? In the count of three. One…" I close my eyes, reaching out to feel the magic inside the batteries around us in the circle. It's easy, since we're all connected by the magic circle, so soon I can clearly sense the three batteries I'm going to use, like three flames to my right. "Two…" What's next is to start invoking the energy inside them, so it'll come out once I cast the spell. I try moving the shiny rod from left to right and I'm glad to feel the energy moving in tandem. Okay. So maybe this isn't as complicated as I feared, though that's probably because of Croix's clever design; I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to do this if those were normal spellstones attached to a wand, or something like that. "Three!"
"Papillio Fillio Nymphodya!" We yell at the same time, letting the magical energy course through our wands and out of the batteries onto the center of the circle, before condensing into a beam of green light that shoots up to the sky and disperses into a rain of smaller rays of magic that land all throughout the fields. It's really beautiful; kinda like rain of stars, or the largest firework ever, and it paints everything in an ethereal glow that looks truly magical and makes a wide smile appear on my face.
I wish I could use this spell in my performances!
"Chariot! Look!" Croix's (oddly) enthusiastic voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I turn to her, only to find her pointing to something. And it's… the cocoon! The glowing cocoon that was outside my house now has a hole in it, from which a butterfly is emerging.
The butterfly is pretty big, almost human sized, and her body is that of a woman too, though with six arms, a pair of antennas on her head and a six-pointed star on her chest. With an ethereal yellow glow, not unlike the cocoon, and a pair of massive wings that are simply majestic to look at she looks like a giant fairy-butterfly hybrid.
Not too long after she's hatched, she takes flight, rising up to the sky until she becomes but a glowing point in the dark sky, which is then joined by other luminous objects… the other Pappiliodya! The whole sky is full of them now, and their light is enough for it to seem like it's daytime, or at least dusk. And here I thought the spell was spectacular! But this… now this is a magic that can put a smile on everyone's face!
"We did it! We did, Croix!" I scream, jumping from happiness before going to hug my girlfriend as tightly as I dare, squeezing her between my arms as I nozzle on her neck.
"Y-yeah. We did." She laughs, her voice sounding a little strangled, so I stop crushing her between my arms and proceed to just hold her carefully as I smile happily. "Though it was mostly you, to be honest. If it weren't for that ancient spell, the cleansing process for the materials and the magic circle, it wouldn't have been possible." She compliments, giving me the gentlest smile I've seen on her ever. Honestly, I just want to kiss her right now, and so I do. Instantly, the joy I was already feeling inside my chest amplifies and spreads all throughout my body.
"Well, you were the one who invented the magic batteries and came up with the whole magic circle plan." I mumble between kisses, but then she gently pushes me away by my shoulders so she can stare into my eyes as she gives me a smug smile.
"Of course." I just roll my eyes at her not-so-modest attitude. "But I guess your old traditions and family history were also pretty useful. I think I also learned a thing or two."
"And I suppose I have to admit that technology isn't that bad either, and that maybe I wouldn't be opposed to learning a bit more about it." I reply, before trying to close the distance again and kiss her one more time.
"Wait." She pulls away before my lips can touch her. I pout at her. I want that kiss! "The Claiomh Solais!"
"Huh?" I look down to where I had put the shiny rod, secure on my sash, and see that one of the gems is now shining. My heart jumps from the emotion as I take the rod between my hands and raise it to stare at the fifth gem, now glowing with blinding green light.
"Say it, Chariot!" Croix encourages me, her smile being brighter than the shiny rod itself. "Say the word!"
"Together." I answer, placing the rod between our bodies, but still a safe distance away from Croix. After all, I wouldn't have unlocked this word if it weren't for her, so I think it's only fair she gets to say it with me. Thankfully, she nods in agreement, and soon we both pronounce the ancient spell at the same time, without even needing a cue, like our minds are linked and our hearts are joined.
"Sybilladura Lelladybura."
Instantly, all the gems start shining as the rod levitates off my hands and transforms itself with a blinding flash into… a broom? Yes! It's a broom! A very beautiful one at that, with the bristles at the end tied off as if they were three brooms instead of one, and a broomstick made of golden metal with the gems encrusted throughout. Even without touching it, I can feel it's more powerful than any normal broom, and it's not only the fact that it's floating by itself! Or that it's glowing!
Eager to try it out, I hop on top of it and situate myself, ready to take off… until I remember Croix. I turn to look at her, and see she's wearing a sad smile, trying to hide her pain. My heart breaks instantly at the sight.
"Go." She encourages me. "I bet the Pappiliodya look so much better up in the sky."
"But… we did this. We should be allowed to enjoy it. Together." I protest.
"It's okay. I bet its cold up there anyways." She shrugs, obviously pretending this whole situation doesn't bother her at all. But I can see right through her; I can see the way her eyes keep shifting between me and the shiny broom, how her smile is more than a little forced, and her jaw is tense. This is wrong. This isn't how I want my birthday to end.
"No. Come up here." I say firmly, patting the broom at the spot directly behind me.
"Thanks, Cherry, but I really don't fancy getting shocked by that stupid thing." She answers bitterly.
"It won't shock you, right?" I say, directing my question to the broom, even though I know it's a little silly. "You're the reason this was all possible! You should be allowed to ride on my shiny broom!" And before she can answer, I take her hand and place it on the broomstick. She winces and closes her eyes, preparing for the pain, but… nothing. No bolts of magical electricity come out of it. For the first time since I got it, Croix is allowed to touch the Claiomh Solais.
Slowly, she opens her eyes, and when she sees that she's not being electrocuted, they widen to the size of saucers as a relieved laugh comes out of her mouth. A smile as bright as the sun itself also appears on her face and, for the first time in what seems like forever, I get to see her jumping in excitement and cheering as she hops into the broom, taking a sit behind me before her arms wrap around my stomach and she buries her face of my back, still laughing so much I can feel her whole body shaking from it.
"Chariot! Chariot!" She exclaims, still laughing. "Did you see that? I can touch it!"
"Yes, Croix, you can!" I laugh too, happy to see my girlfriend so overjoyed. "I knew it!"
"I can't believe it!" She says between laughs, nuzzling against my back. "Thank you, Cherry. Thank you!"
"It's really nothing." I blush. "I was very impulsive. What if the shiny rod had shocked you? You wouldn't be thanking me then!"
"But it didn't." She says firmly, tightening her grip around me even more. "You knew it wouldn't. You're more in sync with it than I give you credit for."
"S-stop it!" I blush even more. I mean, I'm used to people complementing me on my appearance or my kindness, but Croix praising me on my connection with the Claiomh Solais? That's unheard of! And I don't know what to do with it.
"Okay, okay." She concedes as her chin comes to rest on my shoulder. "How about we go see some magical butterflies?" She practically whispers on my ear, giving me goosebumps. The pleasurable kind.
"R-right!" I squeak. "T-Tya Freire!" I barely have time to brace myself before the broom shoots up flying at what feels like the speed of a rocket, since the cold wind is hitting my face so hard it makes it hurt and I have to squeeze my eyes shut in order to protect them. I'm also barely able to keep breathing while going at this speed! I struggle to reign in the broom, slowing the magic I'm feeding it as I would with a normal broom, until it almost feels like I'm not using any energy to fly and I fear we might fall, but… then it finally starts slowing down until I'm finally able to safely open my eyes. And my breath is immediately taken away by the sight.
We're already very high up, to the point my house looks like a tiny square far down in the ground, and the cold wind is blowing against my face, which should be unpleasant, but I find rather relaxing. From here we can see the vineyards extending miles and miles in every direction, illuminated by the thousands of butterflies that keep happily dancing around us, twirling and coming close only to retreat a second later, forming shapes into the sky and then dispersing, making our hearts fill with hope. Hope that the future will be as bright as our present; that we'll be able to overcome every obstacle and will be able to achieve our goals. Together.
"I mean… it's not Paris, but I won't complain." Croix's playful voice pulls me out of my contemplation.
"Are you kidding me?! We're watching tens of thousands of magical butterflies dance in the sky! Paris is nothing compared to that!" I laugh.
"Oh, I don't know… I can think of a thing or two that would have made you see magical butterflies too." She whispers on my ear rather suggestively. Which gives me a pretty good idea of what kind of things she has in mind.
"C-Croix!" I complain, almost losing my concentration and, therefore, my control over the broom. She just laughs, however, when we lose a little altitude.
"But then again, I guess we don't have to go to Paris for that." She finishes, no doubt smirking when she feels me shuddering under her embrace.
"Croix! Seriously, do you want us to fall to our deaths?"
"Sorry, sorry." She relents. "I'll behave. But only because it's your birthday."
"Thank you." I sigh in relief, glad that she's finally going to let me watch the Pappiliodya peacefully.
"But maybe when we get back, we could have a… proper celebration, eh?"
"Croix!"
A/N: Five words down, one more to go! Hope you liked the end of this little arc, and if you did please leave a review/favorite/follow; it helps a lot. Thank you, and see you in two weeks with a little surprise ;)
Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.
