Hello, everyone! I am so sorry that this fic has gone on such a long hiatus. It was definitely not my intention. Things got a bit hectic for me with my two jobs and graduate school, but I've taken some big steps to give myself some free time to relax and do things I enjoy. I'm down to working one job, and school has been managed a bit better than it was in the beginning. Therefore, I was able to find time to write and get prepared to finish up this fic, as well as my other writing project.

I know the last chapter was a short one, so this one's a bit longer for all of you to make up for it! Shion's going to meet the Elder. Now that there's a potential for him to get involved in being a healer, we'll see just what Shion has to do in order to take those next steps!

Please enjoy the chapter, y'all! I worked very hard on it!


CHAPTER FOURTEEN


The forests were comfortably quiet. No strange melodies from winter songbirds trilled through the windows of the Mao Elder's cabin, pulling at Shion's mind, and lulling him into a state of peace. He'd been feeling this way since Nezumi led him through the village streets and to the hut tucked in the far corner of the town that served as the Elder's work quarters.

The Elder's cabin smelled of loam and wet earth and the floral scents of eternal spring. It made Shion nostalgic for his own cabin, the home he'd built from scratch—the home Nezumi had steadily pulled apart, piece by piece, and transported through the woods with the help of a green witch named Tana whose soft magic preserved Shion's plants until they could be replanted in the soil. Branches from silver trees hung over the little garden in the back of the Elder's hut, leaves scraping the sides of the hut and bristling in the wind.

A squirrel with russet fur tumbled in the grass beyond the open door; the Elder insisted on letting the cool, end-of-winter wind chase the heat out of his hut. Despite the cold, Shion felt oddly comfortable, the thin cloak he'd been given effectively warming him.

Nezumi had brought Shion to the Elder's cabin and then left him with a whispered promise that he would return before the sun went down. Having slept late into the morning, Shion suspected that Nezumi had other business in the village to focus his attention on. If what Nezumi had told him was true, he'd spent much of his time tending to Shion when he worked the belladonna poison out of his system. It made Shion's heart flutter to realize that Nezumi had stayed by his side for days, mopping sweat from his brow and soothing him when a feverish nightmare gripped his thoughts.

"It's a wonder to meet you," the Elder had said once Nezumi bid Shion farewell for the day. His low, crackling voice reminded Shion of the judgmental priest overseeing Kronos, but the kindness in his tone melted those concerns. "It's been so long since I've seen a witch with your potential."

The Mao village generated witches. The Elder had explained that to him, quickly laying out the ways in which magic permeated the air surrounding the Mao village, bleeding into the forests itself and seeping into the soil like water. Crops grew strong enough to survive even the coldest winters. Animals that thrived in the Mao forest were far more intelligent than those who had not, able to conceal themselves from outsiders. Shion wondered if these animals were the ones the hunters in Kronos sought; if so, it would certainly explain their lack of success in their hunts.

Shion glanced up at the ceiling of the Elder's cabin. Vines and branches crosshatched the rafters in a way that made his heart ache for his own cabin back in Kronos. He didn't miss the village. He didn't miss the leers of the terrified villagers, the hatred and distrust in Yoming's face, but he did miss the cabin he'd spent years piecing together. The hours he'd spent using his magic to invite the plants inside, the exhausting weeks he'd spent planting the seeds and infusing them with his magic until he was too weak to pull himself from the bed. Nezumi might have been able to relocate his plants and belongings to the Mao village, finding places in his own home for them, but even so, Shion couldn't deny that it made him a bit sad to know he'd never see his cabin again.

"I am glad you survived long enough to make it to us," the Elder went on. He hadn't spoken for a while, sitting across from Shion from his perch on the floor.

When Shion had first entered the cabin, the first thing he'd noticed was that the Elder sat cross-legged on the floor, propped up by a cushion. The second was the assortment of bird bones, feathers, and sharpened stones woven in his unruly silver hair. And third, once Shion crouched down on the floor in front of him, was that the Elder's legs were missing from the knees down.

"I am, too," Shion replied.

"Nezumi had told us something felt… off." A bright light twinkled in the Elder's dark eyes. At first, Shion thought they were just a dark shade of brown, but after leaning closer, he could see the edge of scarlet making up the Elder's eyes. "He went to go check on you, and that's where he found you on the edge of our forest. It's a good thing he managed to find you when he did. A few moments later, and we might have been unable to save you."

Shion understood that. His strength had slowly begun to return the longer he stayed surrounded by the natural magic permeating the plants in the Mao village. And yet, despite that, Shion could still remember how it felt to collapse into the snow, the belladonna poison working its way through his veins and shutting down his innards.

"Which leads me to the main point of our visit," the Elder went on. "Nezumi informed me that you are not immune to poisons."

"No," Shion said, shaking his head. "I'm not."

"Witches are not naturally born with a poison immunity," the Elder explained. "While magic can form within an individual's body, the ability to resist poisons comes from rituals. As there are many witches in our village, it has become more of a rite of passage than a necessity to become immune to poisons."

Shion couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. "I've never met another witch before now. Before I came to Kronos, I spent so much time hiding my abilities that it never occurred to me to try and find another. And once I arrived in Kronos, I realized I was the only one. People feared what I could do—allegedly, as I never told them—and I kept it a secret."

"I understand. Though, to have come so far in your studies without another witch to guide you… I am impressed."

Shion lowered his head, his cheeks heating up. "Thank you. I tried things I learned in books, and it just felt… natural."

"Your abilities likely manifested in your youth, and even without guidance, it makes sense that you would be able to learn a few abilities on your own. But, Nezumi has told me of the state of your cabin, as well as the plants you grew. He also informed me of how you helped him when he was injured." The Elder's lips tugged upward at the corners. "You helped him, even though you had no reason to trust him. Some might call that foolish."

"I couldn't let him suffer like that," Shion explained. "When I saw him standing there, I couldn't just leave him."

"Your kindness is admirable. Nezumi is lucky to have stumbled across your cabin. It seems the Lady of the Forest wished for him to find you so that you could find us."

Shion smiled.

"However," the Elder went on, "the most important thing is that you are here with us now. You are a member of the Mao village, as far as I am concerned."

Shion's heart clenched, not with sorrow, but with a happiness he hadn't felt in years. Since the day the church had dragged him before the altar and violently questioned him about his witchcraft, some hollow part of Shion had feared his abilities. It worried him that something he'd been born with made people want to hurt him.

And yet…

And yet

It was as if every force in the universe had guided him toward this moment. Some unseen force had made Nezumi happen upon him in the woods, and that same force had guided Nezumi to his cabin when he'd been injured. Every moment they'd spent together had been leading them toward this day, this singular instant in which Shion's abilities as a witch could expand. Excitement prickled through him like tiny bolts of lightning.

"While you might be a witch," the Elder said, "there are a few things you will need to perfect. It will not happen overnight—but Nezumi assures me that you are eager to learn."

"I am," Shion said, nodding.

"Excellent. There are rituals that must be completed to solidify your abilities. The first is the ritual of poison." The Elder folded his wrinkled hands in front of his chest. "If you ask any of the witches here in the village, they will tell you that their first official test as a witch was to make themselves immune to toxins. This begins by making a pact with a plant whose properties link to poison and beseeching it not to harm you."

Shion nodded slowly. He had to admit that it sounded a bit strange. If he hadn't known about the magical side of things, he knew he would have a difficult time understanding what was meant by 'making a pact' with plant life.

However, having infused flowers and vines with his energy and his spiritual essence for years, Shion understood that a pact was another form of spiritual infusion. By twisting the spiritual essence in his heart, Shion could fortify his body against the plant's natural toxins and ensure that the poison would filter itself out of his body as soon as it entered his body.

"Once you've made your pacts, the world of magic will open for you. Your current skills are quite advanced. Just imagine how powerful you would be once you have no restrictions."

Shion's fingers fiddled with the hem of his tunic. He had to admit that it made him excited to know that there was more he could do with his magic. Another side he could access once the blinders and emotional chains were removed.

Nezumi had given Shion a few hints as to what the rituals would entail. He knew little about the process—though Nezumi had ties to magic and adorned himself with runes of power, Shion had been told that most of the villagers in the Mao kingdom had clothing and weapons and tools with magic runes adorned on them by their witchy neighbors. The actual witches spent their time weaving charms, tending to the crops, and ensuring that the Mao's magical aspects were well-maintained.

"I understand you've had a difficult life," the Elder went on. His voice dipped, softer than Shion had ever heard it since the moment they'd met. When he looked up, the Elder was regarding him with a look akin to pity. "It can be difficult growing in a world that doesn't understand your abilities. But, you are here with us now. And if you wish, we can proceed as early as tomorrow night."

"What does the ritual entail?" Shion asked.

"Simply put, we light a flame, and you sit before it while beseeching a plant of your choice. We will give you a sprig of your selected plant, and you will hold it throughout the duration of the ritual, until it is time to surrender it to the Lady of the Forest. Eventually, you will need to do it with any toxic plant you wish to gain immunity over, but for now, we will begin with one. The ritual can be a bit… intense the first time."

Shion pressed his lips together. He'd suspected as much. Often, even small rituals demanded a large amount of energy. Shion understood what the Elder was implying without him needing to say it. For the ritual to work, Shion would need to pull the toxin from the plant and into his body. It would be done slowly enough that it wouldn't physically harm him, but he would need to attune his body to the feeling of the toxin, urging his cells to reject the poisonous side effects and ensuring that future interactions with the plant would bring no harm to him.

"I understand if you have some apprehension," the Elder went on. "But I assure you, Shion, we want you to be part of our village. Your abilities are unlike anything I've ever encountered. There's a reason the Lady of the Forest brought you to us, after all."

"Yes," Shion agreed. "I'm grateful to the Lady of the Forest for bringing me and Nezumi together."

The Elder's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "He's quite fond of you. He'll deny I said this, of course, but when you were recovering, he rarely left your side."

Shion had already suspected as much, but he still blushed, all the same. His shoulders shot to his ears, and he felt his skin burn as the Elder laughed. It wasn't a judgmental sound. In fact, it made Shion feel warm, happy in a way he hadn't been in years. He couldn't help but revel in the excitement that fell over him like a curtain.

After a moment of gentle silence, the Elder said, "Once Nezumi returns, I'll inform him that you intend to complete the ritual tomorrow evening. He'll want to be present for it."

Shion nodded. He'd want Nezumi to be there, too. He couldn't help but wonder what Nezumi was up to in the village. After he dropped Shion off at the Elder's hut, he informed him that he would return before the sun went down, but he'd given no indication as to where he'd be. Shion wondered if he was gathering supplies for the other witches. Or perhaps he was returning to the cabin in Kronos and stripping it down piece by piece so the other villagers wouldn't be able to utilize its resources. Though Shion knew it was better for the villagers not to have access to anything that had once contained his magic, he felt a sliver of sorrow at the realization that his cabin was gone. Swept away and broken apart, as if he'd never been in Kronos before.

"Well," said the Elder. "Since we have some time before Nezumi returns to fetch you, how about we make some tea? I would love to hear more about your abilities."

Shion nodded, unclenching himself from the floor. His muscles ached, but Shion welcomed it. He hurried to the counter in the Elder's hut, where ceramic jars held loose leaf tea.

And he spoke. As the forests whispered their little stories and woodland critters rustled around in the tree branches, Shion told the Elder all about his abilities. He told him about the flowers he'd infused with his essence, the lights he could manifest in baubles, and the healing tonics he could make by crushing petals together with boiled water and smashing them into a fine paste.

And the Elder listened, nodding his head and chuckling as Shion spoke about his life, his abilities, and his excitement at having been welcomed to readily into the Mao village. Not for the first time, Shion found himself overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Mao village.

His new home.


To Be Continued...