《Magic & Love》 Chapter 1 - Fate Fate has a funny way of manifesting itself. One may call it a product of coincidence; simply the result of adding location and opportunity and indeed location and opportunity meet on a day-to-day basis, occurring consequently, second after second. Fate, however, is much greater than all of that. In fact, the main ingredient to fate is both known and unknown. Known in the sense that it is granted by a higher power and unknown in the sense that it cannot be created or emulated with current knowledge. It is also unknown whether this ingredient is something desirable or not, but for the young maiden, Nitri, it was not her choice to possess it. It was not her choice to run through the forest or, more precisely, run from it. It was all the cruel conclusion of location, opportunity and that unknown main ingredient. ¡°Someone grab ¡®er!¡± yelled a ten foot(3m) ogre. ¡°Don¡¯t you give out orders, Stumpy,¡± its companion replied. Stumpy was, in ogre size, quite tiny as an ogre of its age had usually grown to around fifteen feet(4.58m). ¡°You shoulda nabbed her when you had the chance but you just love playing with your food,¡± Stumpy growled. ¡°Knock er off, both of ya!¡± the third and final ogre said. It was much larger and incomprehensibly uglier which, in ogre terms, made for a fine specimen. Nitri held the hem of her red dress up as she sprinted through the forest brush. It was partly torn by the wild shrubs but that minor detail was not of the utmost importance. Not when three sets of acrid yellow jaws were chasing at your heels. Should have stayed home today, but no, I just had to go out! I just had to take a pleasant detour through the Forest of Trivial Encounters(just wait til I get my hands on the nimrod who picked that name!) I just had to meander by that river and I just had to nonchalantly skip the one rock across the water that just HAD TO HIT THE FRICKIN HIDDEN OGRE! Nitri rambled, her internal monologue becoming louder and louder. It was true though. Nitri was a dedicated homebody. Being the daughter of a minor noble, she could afford to not bother with the world beyond her estate¡¯s border. She had everything she needed inside. Everything except for excitement and boy, how she ached for Mrs. Plumbodice¡¯s lecture on ¡°Duties and Manners for the Modern Lady¡±. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± she yelled. ¡°Here we go, one little human,¡± the largest of the ogres proclaimed. ¡°Jest ¡®cause you caught her don¡¯t mean you git the largest piece. I was the one who got hit by the rock,¡± Stumpy complained. ¡°Well, I was the one who spot ¡®er,¡± the other ogre said. Nitri kicked and screamed as strongly as she could but, within the iron grips of the orcish green beasts, it was all so very futile. Her red bow bounced on her hair with her flailing. It bounced and bounced loosening with each shake until, with one final violent head movement, it fell off her head. ¡°Oh, how pretty,¡± said a quiet voice from below. ¡°Stumpy, I knew you were a moron, but a priss as well?¡± the largest ogre said without looking down. ¡°That wasn¡¯t me, Lumpy!¡± Stumpy replied. ¡°Grumpy?¡± asked Lumpy. ¡°Nope,¡± the middle ogre replied. ¡°That would leave me,¡± said the quiet voice again. Nitri and the three ogres looked below. In the middle of them, sitting on a root of one of the great trees was a boy, face overshadowed by his large triangular hat. ¡°Well, hello there,¡± he added as all four focused on him. ¡°Another human,¡± said Lumpy. ¡°A very stupid one of that,¡± said Grumpy. ¡°He looks tasty!¡± said Stumpy. ¡°Help me!¡± screamed Nitri. ¡°This is yours, right?¡± the boy said, completely ignoring her plea. He raised the red bow he had caught earlier into the air. ¡°It¡¯s very pretty.¡± ¡°Who cares about the stupid bow! Just help me!¡± she yelled once more. ¡°Don¡¯t you get any ideas now, Lumpy¡­¡± Stumpy growled. The stunted ogre¡¯s face turned meaner, if you can believe that, as he bared his fangs at his massive companion. ¡°Too late,¡± Grumpy sighed. ¡°He¡¯s got that stupid grin on his face again.¡± How they could differentiate how one grin was stupider than the last is an ogre trademarked secret. ¡°Shut er up you two. You know I like meat pre-heated,¡± he snapped back. ¡°Now listen here, human. Do you want to help this little girl?¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± the boy replied. ¡°You suppose? YOU SUPPOSE?¡± Nitri yelled. ¡°Eh, maybe not then?¡± the boy asked inquisitively. ¡°Help me, idiot!¡± ¡°Maybe if you say please,¡± the boy said a little more loudly. ¡°Puh-lease!¡± she cried. ¡°I¡¯m not begging some no name magician to help me. I¡¯d rather be eaten.¡± ¡°Suit yourself,¡± the boy said. He started walking away, just as calmly and quietly as he had walked in. There was no hint of remorse in his stride. ¡°Wait¡­ wait, you¡¯re not just seriously going to leave me here! Really?!¡± Nitri screamed. The boy didn¡¯t turn around. His disinterest would not allow him. There were more important places to be. More grateful people who could be saved. Nitri¡¯s desperation grew worse when Lumpy¡¯s deformed index finger wrapped around her thigh. Cold, morbid fear crept up her body and seized her throat. The ogres seemed to have forgotten about the boy¡¯s presence with her fresh new screams. Distracting an ogre wasn¡¯t particularly difficult. All five and a half hungry eyes were on her. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you your weight in gold if you help me!¡± The young magician immediately halted. No, it¡¯s more precise to say his legs had grasped the meaning of Nitri¡¯s words even before she had said them. Without changing his earlier tone the boy said, ¡°You give me your weight in gold and it¡¯s a deal.¡± ¡°F-fine!¡± she yelled, her fear not allowing her to realize the disguised insult.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°It¡¯s settled then,¡± he replied. ¡°Your weight in gold¡­ it should make this more than worth it.¡± ¡°Wait! What do you mean MY weight in gold?¡± ¡°Simple mathematics,¡± the magician replied. ¡°More weight equals more gold.¡± Her face reddened in both embarrassment and fury. Nitri swore to wipe the smirk off the boy¡¯s face the moment she was free. ¡°Ey Lumpy, look who¡¯s back,¡± said Stumpy as the magician approached. To other magical creatures his return would have not been a surprise. Any simple-minded person would have understood that the magician and damsel in distress had just reached an accord, but ogres could never really be accused of having even vague situational awareness. ¡°Came back to play?¡± Lumpy asked the magician boy excitedly, shaking Nitri up and down in the process. ¡°Well, who doesn¡¯t love good ogre fun every once in a while?¡± he replied. Lumpy grinned, the one stupid grin the magician boy decided, and explained the ¡°game¡±. ¡°The rules are simple! I¡¯ll toss this little human here into the forest as far as I can and you have to try and catch her. Easy, right!?¡± As mentioned before, ogres are not the brightest of magical creatures. They are, in fact, somewhat crude(if you hadn¡¯t figured that out by yourself yet). Nitri¡¯s horror-stricken face was accompanied by an equally horror-stricken complaint. ¡°What a stupid game! What do you ogres think I am?! There¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to catch me and even if he does manage to, we¡¯ll both be splattered! Do none of you have even the most basic understanding of physics?! Think of something else or let me down this instant!¡± Lumpy¡¯s already contorted face became an angry sort of contorted. The crooked, chipped and blunt yellow teeth in his mouth were in full display. His pungent breath assaulted Nitri¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy licking your brains off the grass,¡± he barked. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s a splendid game,¡± the magician boy replied. ¡°Don¡¯t encourage them, you fool!¡± Nitri screamed. Her scream was prolonged by Lumpy¡¯s sudden movement. He cocked his humongous ogre hand back and flung the human in his grip as far as ogerly possible. There is no precise measurement for ¡°as far as ogerly possible¡± but believe me when I say that it is a rather long distance. ¡°Go chase her now,¡± Lumpy commanded. The magician saluted the three ogres and began walking in the direction Nitri had been flung. He didn¡¯t bother running. For one, it was too tiresome, but it was also quite obvious that he would never reach her in time using his legs. He placed an open palm to the side of his mouth and called, ¡°O.¡± Nothing occurred at first but a warm, gentle breeze came up from behind him, circling around his body before becoming a strong gale. He had to close his eyes to stop them from drying out and then suddenly and without warning the wind died down. The magician opened his eyes and before him, held up by the invisible winds, was a woman no bigger than six inches(15cm) in battle armor. She wore her usual stern face which had a seriousness only matched by the sharpness of the spear strapped to her back. Her olive skin was accentuated by her flowing white hair which obscured one of her red eyes. A simple golden wreath with two silver wings sat on her head. ¡°I need a favor,¡± the boy stated. The small woman called O only nodded. Way above, up in the sky, Nitri¡¯s face was buffeted by the wind as she flew at unknown speeds through the air. This was definitely the end for her. There was really no other way out of the situation. Think positively. At least I won¡¯t have to pay that magician that ridiculous sum of money¡­ and I¡¯ll die instantly¡­ probably. Not having to pay was a consoling thought but, given the reason why, she couldn¡¯t help but be depressed. ¡°SCREW YOU, FATE!¡± she yelled at the top of her lungs. ¡°You sure love to scream, don¡¯t you?¡± The calmest, most annoying voice she had ever heard whispered in her ear. I must be going crazy, now of all times. Death was so cruel. Out of all the things that could have flashed before her eyes, it had to be the sight and voice of that bratty no-name magician. ¡°I am actually here, you know,¡± the hallucination repeated. ¡°And I¡¯m not a hallucination,¡± he added, slightly annoyed. ¡°Wait¡ªbut how!? And why?!¡± ¡°Well, the technical explanation can be a little long but I can simplify it for you. Location displacement, commonly and erroneously referred to as teleportation, can be achieved through a variety of means. Light, fire and wind mana can all be employed to this end. I prefer to use wind, personally, but one¡¯s¡¯ attunement will usually dictate what kind of mana the magus uses. Although, I would be remiss to mention that dark mana can provide true teleportation but it¡¯s often limited in its application. All that being said, to depict it crudely, the mana is funneled into¡ª¡± ¡°WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING EXPLAINING ALL THIS NEEDLESS CRAP TO ME RIGHT NOW?! CAN¡¯T YOU SEE WE¡¯RE SPIRALING TO OUR DEATHS?!¡± Nitri screamed in frustration. ¡°Correction,¡± the boy said. ¡°You¡¯re spiraling to your death. I¡¯m quite confident when I say I¡¯m just spiraling.¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE GOING TO BE SPIRALING AND PENNILESS IF YOU DON¡¯T SAVE ME RIGHT NOW!¡± ¡°There¡¯s that too¡­ now, how did that spell go again¡­¡± ¡°YOU FORGOT?! ALREADY?!¡± ¡°Could you be a bit more silent? I¡¯m trying to remember.¡± If Nitri could¡¯ve stomped the air, she would¡¯ve, but she settled with making the most disgruntled face she could muster. The magician was muttering strange words under his breath, stopping and shaking his head seconds after. He was about to reach into his cloak when he suddenly exclaimed. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°What¡¯s ri¡ªahh!¡± Nitri exclaimed as the young boy embraced her. He did not ask nor did he explain. He simply reached out, placed both hands on the small of her back and pulled her to his chest. He was surprisingly strong. ¡°What are you doing!? Unhand me!¡± she yelled. ¡°Do you want to live or die?¡± The magician¡¯s eyes met hers. There was an utter disregard for her life in there. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ just warn me next time. You can¡¯t just embrace a woman and expect her to not react.¡± ¡°The embrace is necessary to simplify my calculations. Normally, I¡¯d be able to do them for both of us, but at this speed it¡¯d be best if I added our masses together.¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± she said. The magician whispered words in a language she had never heard before, each word seemingly a different story. There were winds, storms, hurricanes¡ªshe could picture those powerful forces of nature clearly while not exactly understanding the sounds. The magician¡¯s eyes, a dull brown, glowed an ethereal blue. Wisps of wind mana from the very air around them engulfed them as they rushed to meet the ground beneath them. The wind mana consumed them, leaving only a raging vortex behind. The natural wind in the air whipped the mana away, revealing empty space where they once were. ¡°Did it work?¡± Nitri had closed her eyes as soon as she felt the wind mana, like velvety ribbons, squeeze them together. She could still not feel the solid ground beneath her feet, but the feeling of falling had disappeared. Regardless, mortifying thoughts ran through her head. Forgetting her earlier embarrassment, she clenched the magician even tighter. ¡°It¡¯s ok now,¡± he whispered softly. She opened her eyes slowly. Everything was a green blur at first but she could tell it was the forest backdrop. As her eyesight recovered, she could distinguish individual shapes. Her head turned until her eyes met the magician¡¯s once more. They were still glowing with a blue hue, but the intensity from earlier had diminished. She wanted to know why she was still having trouble feeling the ground. ¡°We¡¯re safe¡­?¡± she whispered. He nodded and, tentatively, she looked down. Their feet were inches from the mossy earth. They were floating within the sea of tree trunks and the only light that caught them came from the sun above that filtered through the leaves. ¡°Location displacement can be a bit dizzying for first timers. Some people never quite fully get used to it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± she exclaimed. Slowly, they began to descend onto the ground. Her toes touched first and then the rest followed. ¡°Mmm¡­ there you go,¡± the boy said, with a kind smile he had not revealed before. ¡°Oh,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°There¡¯s something missing.¡± There is? Nitri thought. He reached into his cloak and pulled a neat red bow. Gently, he placed it on her head and clipped it where she had placed it this morning without any particular meaning. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. A tinge of rose played on her cheeks as she became conscious of his proximity. ¡°Er¡­¡± ¡°Em,¡± said the magician. By then the blue hue had already receded into his eyes. ¡°Thank you, Em,¡± she repeated. They gently touched the ground, he a little sooner than her as his height became apparent now that they were both on solid ground. ¡°Shall we then?¡± he asked, letting her go and taking a small step back. ¡°Lead the way,¡± replied Nitri. Maybe fate isn¡¯t so bad. Chapter 2 - Hoppstead Homestead You can tell a lot of a man by the way he carries himself; the state of his clothes, his cleanliness, his manner of speech, even his walk. Em was a bit of everything. Prideful, confident, rude but he was also humble, shy...kind, as if he had yet to decide what kind of person he wanted to be. He was quick to respond to questions he knew the answers to, and he knew plenty, but he was never one to probe people for information. It was just not in his nature. Curiosity killed the nekomata, or so they say. They traveled through the forest of Trivial Encounters without any further trivialities, save for Nitri''s brush with a dragonspore mushroom which, disregarding its intimidating name, only launched her into a vivid but brief and harmless delusion. Given that it was rather small, she was out of its area of effect in seconds. ¡°Dragons!¡± she huffed, wiping the very real sweat from her brow. ¡°Where?¡± Em asked nonchalantly, pretending to look for the skyscraper sized creatures. ¡°Over¡ª¡± she looked around nervously, shoulders hunched as if to make herself a smaller target. Em was already on his knees, covering his nose and mouth with his cloak to prevent the spores from making contact with any of his mucus membranes and giving him visions of the mushroom''s namesake. He cut the pale stalk with an expert hand, three inches(7.62cm) from the ground, just high enough to not stress the mycelium which was the true body of the much larger organism. A stressed network of magical mushrooms was never a good thing. He rummaged around the inside of his cloak and pulled out a large glass vial where he dropped the black and purple capped mushroom, corked it and stored it back inside his cloak. ¡°Come,¡± he said as he walked past the slightly traumatized Nitri. Not completely understanding the situation Nitri followed, all the while throwing nervous glances to the canopy above her. They cleared the forest soon enough. The ogre had launched Nitri a great distance to begin with and, as far as forests went, the Forest of Trivial Encounters wasn¡¯t grand. One could traverse its longest stretch in three days or so, two if you legged it, and the flora and fauna left much to be desired. Em thought it was aptly named. Not to say that it was unimpressive because it was quite a sight to behold¡ªif you were a country bumpkin. ¡°Recognize anything?¡± Em prompted as Nitri popped out alongside him. She looked out at the rolling, lush green hills beyond them. There was a certain calm in the sight of the swaying evergreen grass, the smell of the breeze and the gentle warmth from the sun above them. ¡°Over that way. That looks like Bornie.¡± In the direction she pointed, amongst the rolling hills lay a sleepy hamlet composed of grey stone houses with thatched roofs and wooden doors. ¡°Quaint looking,¡± said Em. ¡°It¡¯s a nice little village. Most of the people there work for my family,¡± replied Nitri. ¡°Not much in the way of entertainment, though.¡± Truly a noble-world-problem. ¡°That way then?¡± Em asked. Nitri nodded. ¡°Are you teleporting us?¡± Em narrowed his eyes, as if the insinuation that he would do something so vulgar offended him. ¡°No, I will not be teleporting us anywhere. I could displace us there but O¡¯s rather tired from last time. Besides, I don¡¯t make traveling magically a habit.¡± ¡°Why not? It seems so convenient being able to skip all the boring parts,¡± said Nitri. ¡°That is such a human way of thinking.¡± He smiled with a look that reminded Nitri of her family¡¯s late butler, a fragile, kind, wizened old man she had taken to calling ¡®grandpapa¡¯ in her formative years. His grandson managed the estate¡¯s custodial affairs now. Em elaborated no further and led her through the tall grass. He examined the blades as he went, as if there was more to them than the chlorophyll that gave them their life and color. This was part of the way he carried himself. Always searching but never really asking. Nitri took the chance to take a good look at Em now that they were out of the forest shade. His robes were mainly modest but well taken care of and his pointed hat must have, at one point, been magnificent but the years of wear and tear on it were evident. The only thing that seemed impeccable was his brilliant marengo gray cloak. It had an elegant gold trim and, in the same gold thread, a singly symbol adorned the back, slightly obscured by the hood. If Nitri had to describe it she would say it was a triangle intersected by a crescent moon. A trinket of the same shape dangled from the point of his hat. He looked back at her momentarily to see if she was keeping up and, just as she had finally had a good look at his attire, she now too saw his face and she was stunned by the innocence of his beauty; the coy half-smile, the caramel brown eyes she had mistaken for dull, the shimmering silver hair that danced in the wind with the grass behind him. What¡¯s this Nitri? Calm down. He¡¯s just a dumb magician boy after your money! Her heart was aflutter. You¡¯re just confused because of earlier. No boy has ever held you like that. She tried to reassure herself. Wait! Stop! What are you doing?! Stay right there! She yelled internally as the magician came closer, unable to open her mouth. She tried to focus on something else, something other than his perfect nose, or the small birthmark sitting next to his right dimple, but her eyes kept drifting to the single braid that floated by his ear until it finally brushed her cheek. ¡°Shhh, stay still. Breathe calmly,¡± Em instructed in a soft whisper right into her ear. She could feel his lips move as they brushed against her skin. Nitri could do anything but breathe calmly. If her heart was aflutter earlier, it was coming dangerously close to collapsing now. In one quick movement, Em¡¯s arm shot around her, the motion turning into a hug as he brought her face into his chest. One maiden¡¯s virginity was lost that day, or so Nitri had felt at that precise moment. He pulled back slowly, still leaving an arm around her but creating enough distance between them so Nitri could resume panicking at non-lethal levels. ¡°Look,¡± he said, still whispering. He brought his other closed fist up between them and Nitri immediately shot her eyes at it, relieved to be focusing on something more mundane about Em. He opened it carefully, leaving his index finger to grip what he was hiding in his hand. She blinked a couple times and only through slightly closed eyes could she really see what it was. A single beetle with a glimmering gold outer shell, equally golden horns and eyes sat on his hand. Its outer wings were outstretched as if preparing for flight. The only thing not golden about it was the viridian green abdomen which could have passed for a large emerald gemstone from sight alone. Nitri forgot she was less than cool with insects for the moment as she was taken in by the radiance of the small life form. It helped that the childish joy on Em¡¯s face was contagious. It was like that of her younger brother¡¯s after they had caught something equally new and disgusting with their haywire contraptions. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, breaking the silence. ¡°An emperor beetle,¡± Em grinned. ¡°It¡¯s very rare. I¡¯ve heard say they¡¯re as old as the universe, not that that¡¯s ever been proven, but they have the distinct ability to compel other beetles to do their bidding. I suspect with a type of mental mana.¡± Just as he had stored the dragonspore mushroom, he also stored the beetle and hid it in the folds of his cloak. Nitri¡¯s breath returned to her as Em fiddled with his new acquisition and she quickly power walked ahead of him in the same direction he had been headed before. You know, places to be and all that. At the outskirts of Bornie, they were finally greeted by the ambience of a small yet lively village. Some of the homes were built into the hills and others sat on top of them. It was a strange mashup of nature and human society. A single windmill seemed to be the tallest structure in the area but even that seemed sort of small.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Em noted how easy it was to simply walk into the village. There was something wrong with that. ¡°This village isn¡¯t warded at all.¡± Nitri¡¯s eyebrows furrowed into a question. ¡°Uh¡­ This is just a small farming village. There¡¯s nothing worth taking here.¡± Em¡¯s facial muscles hardened for a moment as if to reprimand her but then just as easily softened. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about thieves or bandits. You know those ogres we left roaming in the forest? They¡¯re stupid creatures, but dangerous nonetheless. They don¡¯t steal jewels, gold or precious heirlooms. They kill things weaker than them for food and sport and, because they have a hard time grasping anything not in their immediate vicinity, the only way they can tell what¡¯s weaker is by finding what¡¯s smaller. Do you understand the consequences of that?¡± ¡°Ye¡ªyeah,¡± she stuttered. ¡°Oh, little miss, there you are!¡± A gruff voice from the village caught their attention. ¡°Whole of Bornie¡¯s been in a bit of a panic this afternoon.¡± The one who called was a gruff older man in a dirt dusted pair of overalls. He had a bit of a gut, but toned and suntanned arms. He laughed heartily but the concern and relief in his voice was evident. The small child in his arm also looked at Nitri fondly. ¡°Oh, good afternoon Mr. Paddis. Devin is looking healthier today.¡± Nitri curtsied and the man¡¯s smile only widened. ¡°Where have you been hiding all day? You¡¯re going to give that poor Dorris¡¯ grandson a heart attack one of these days. He¡¯s been runnin¡¯ back and forth through the village, fields and the manor like a madman.¡± Nitri slightly chuckled. ¡°Kind of got a little lost on my way to the forest.¡± Em coughed at the comment but made no other acknowledging remark. ¡°I guess I should head home quickly then,¡± she said and curtsied again. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again Mr. Paddis. Let me know if you ever need more medicine. You can take Devin to get looked at by mother any time.¡± ¡°Tell your father we¡¯ll be there bright and early tomorrow to make up for the lost time today!¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need,¡± Nitri replied. ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Mr. Paddis. ¡°He¡¯s been taking care of us so we¡¯ll do the same in return.¡± Nitri did not counter the man but politely smiled and waved. Em followed the girl through the village as she greeted the residents, calling them by name and engaging in short bouts of small talk whenever it was appropriate. She seemed to know a little about everyone¡¯s lives, even the youngest villagers. At the top of a particularly tall hill, a short hop from the outer edge of the village, they finally stopped. The hill itself was undisturbed. It was as lush and green as the fields leading up to Bornie but once you reached the foot, the landscape completely changed. About fifty acres of hills had been unnaturally flattened and instead of the grass that grew on the hills, numerous rows of crops were planted in dark soil. A large white brick manor with red clay roof tiles had been built roughly in the center of the plantation, complete with complimentary buildings, a stable and a concrete fence. ¡°Welcome to the Hoppstead plantation,¡± Nitri said snidely. Em sighed heavily. ¡°Suddenly your offer to pay me feels legitimate.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your insolence as recognition of the difference in our statuses.¡± They arrived briefly at the manor, taking one of the large paths that cut through the plantation to allow easier travel. Nitri told Em a little about her family on the path. Her father was the current head of house, a (minor, she refused to admit this) noble whose family had been cultivating the land for six generations. They paid a certain amount of crops as tribute to the crown every year, in accordance to the decree that gave them power to administer their land and the immediate surroundings. How far that decree extended was blurry, but it was safe to say that there weren¡¯t many people out this way to contend the title anyway. Her mother was a retired nurse who had actually helped deliver her and her older brother. Their mother had passed during Nitri¡¯s birth and since she never knew her and her step-mother raised Nitri as her own, she had always treated her step-mother as her own. Apart from her older brother, she had a pair of younger half twin brothers and an even smaller half baby sister, a product of her father¡¯s second marriage to the nurse. The dark iron gate had a lock but as Nitri demonstrated by pushing it open without so much as a pull of a lever, it was mostly decorative. ¡°You should see the fountains when they¡¯re on. They liven up the whole place.¡± Em tried to imagine from where the fountains sprouted water. One could never tell if would come from an undine¡¯s cupped hands, the point of a cherub¡¯s finger or a group of vulgar satyrs relieving themselves off a rocky hill. Entering the manor caused quite a scene. First, the exaggeratedly large doors creaked much more loudly than Em was expecting. Given how quiet the manor had been, the sound echoed into the vast entrance, alerting the whole household of the visitors. A group of children, three to be precise, dressed in the most elegant little uniforms one could imagine burst through a door from the right, yelling as they chased each other with what seemed like handfuls of flour. Through the flour mist they left, a man, smartly dressed with a neat haircut and waxed mustache also burst, yelling after them. ¡°Mathias, Jerricho and Lila, stop this instant or there will be no cookies for you for dessert!¡± Right after him followed three maids, an older and two younger ones, cleaning as they went as if none of what was happening was remotely frustrating. The smartly dressed man grabbed at his hair as he returned to the entrance, seemingly having lost the kids. How one could lose children leaving such an obvious trail was beyond Em¡¯s understanding. At that moment, the smartly dressed man looked towards the entrance, having only just noticed Em and Nitri silently observing the scene. ¡°Nitri¡ªI mean, young miss! You¡¯ve returned!¡± Were those tears in his eyes? ¡°I¡¯m home, Alphonse,¡± Nitri said with her polite smile. ¡°And good afternoon Auntie Tilda, Marth and Grace.¡± The maids quickly stood from their duties, bowed, and just as quickly returned to cleanup. ¡°Need a little help?¡± she asked. ¡°Please,¡± Alphonse cried. Nitri drew a long breath and shouted, ¡°Peter Palmer clapped his hands!¡± Nitri clapped her hands three times and a series of three uncoordinated claps followed the call from three separate locations. ¡°Peter Palmer stomped his feet!¡± Nitri proceeded to stomp her feet in the same rhythm as she had clapped. Three pairs of stomps answered in return. ¡°Peter Palmer marches to the beat!¡± This time she clapped three times, proceeded to stomp her feet again and continued forward into the house as she marched, keeping a rhythm with her hands and feet. From three separate hiding locations, the children appeared, copying Nitri and marching behind her joyfully like the pied piper and his band of mice. After walking around in circles a couple of times she shouted again, ¡°Peter Palmer hugged his big sister!¡± All three children immediately stopped their marching and rushed Nitri, attempting to claim as much as her as their little appendages allowed. They all tumbled to the floor in a fit of laughter. ¡°Peter Palmer is kind of smelly,¡± Nitri laughed and the kids laughed with her. ¡°Alright Mathias, Jerricho and Lila. You need to stop giving Alphonse a hard time, as hilarious as that is,¡± she added. Alphonse snivelled. ¡°Get ready for your baths and have Auntie Tilda help you in.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± they answered in unison. They walked to the older maid and she gently led them away. ¡°Thank you, young miss,¡± said Alphonse. ¡°They get rowdy the second you¡¯re not in¡ªspeaking of that, I was looking for you all day! Where have you been without leaving a note or telling anyone!¡± ¡°Oh, you know,¡± Nitri said, looking away. ¡°No, I do not know,¡± he replied. She looked pleadingly over at Em and he promptly looked away, pretending to be interested in the artwork hanging next to the door. There was no way A Bucket on Pzotatoes by Monsieur Le¡¯Poof was as interesting as he made it seem. ¡°Regardless of what you tell me, your father will want to know,¡± Alphonse sighed. ¡°You know he has a lot to tend to without having to worry about his children and how much he dotes on you since Hector left.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Nitri sighed. ¡°Sorry, Alphonse.¡± ¡°No need to apologize to me, young miss. Let me take you to him.¡± ¡°Ah, he should be in his studio, right? I¡¯ll find my way there. Could you get Em seated in the drawing room?¡± ¡°Em being your magus acquaintance?¡± Alphonse asked. ¡°Y¡ªyes,¡± she stuttered again, her face reddening. ¡°Em, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± *** Em noticed a lot of things as Alphonse, the head butler, the only butler led him through the large manor. Sure it was massive, sure it was opulent, but it was missing something. People. A place this big could not be serviced by such a small staff. There was no kitchen staff to speak of. No stable boy or girl for the stables and what for if there weren¡¯t any horses? No gardener, and that much was obvious from the weeds growing in the basin of the fountains and the military trimming much of the garden¡¯s bush hedges and flowers had received. Much of the glamour the manor had was concentrated at the entrance, as if to give the best first impression possible before tapering off into the ordinary decor of the rest of the building. The drawing room¡¯s walls were barren, save for the patterned carpet that seemed to be an integral part of the room¡¯s design. The rest of the furniture was very clean but minimal and, while Em could certainly appreciate a minimalistic design, it was obvious from the entrance that the Hoppsteads did not. The sun was already setting in the distance, the stronger of its rays obscured by the large hill that led to the plantation. The result was an orange tint flooding the room through the wooden shutters. ¡°May I bring you something to drink, honored guest?¡± Alphonse asked. ¡°Coffee? Tea? Perhaps a ten year Cabernet?¡± ¡°Warm milk,¡± Em answered without skipping a beat. Ever the professional, Alphonse did not question, only serve. He was back soon after with a delicate set of china topped with a few select scones, tiny cakes and freshly baked cookies as well as a rather sweet smelling pot of warm milk. ¡°I took the liberty of adding a little of our stock¡¯s fresh honey to the milk. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± My good man, if I could do the opposite of mind, I would be audibly doing that. ¡°Not at all,¡± Em replied. He feasted on the delicacies plated before him, trying to remember the last time he had something that required more than simply burning halfway to eat. He gulped the warm milk and swore to bless the first cow he came across as gratitude. ¡°If everything is in order, sir, I am to take you to the master¡¯s studio when you have finished relaxing.¡± ¡°No time like the now,¡± Em said. Chapter 3 - La Llorona Nitri was mortified. In the short time Em had met and known her parents they had inexplicably fallen in love with him. They talked to him as they would an old friend who had stopped by to retell stories from their youth. Although inexplicable might be the wrong term. Perhaps she was just surprised by what she already suspected. Both her parents were secretly magic nuts. A goblin could have walked in with the magician¡¯s hat and the result would have been no different. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, it¡¯s wonderful to have you here,¡± said Hector Hoppstead the second. He was a rotund man with a thick mustache and bright red cheeks which gave the impression he was three shots shy of gnomish fire liquor from speaking in tongues. He was elegantly dressed despite his messy hair and general jolly demeanor. Jane Hoppstead, the wife, was also a rare beauty, although not quite in the traditional sense. Of course, at one point in her life she was the talk of the town; a mysterious nurse with magical proportions from a neighboring univerCity(a school-city hybrid) called in to assist the former Mrs. Hoppstead¡¯s midwives with a difficult delivery. She was known to cause even the most faithful of men(and women) to double, even triple, take. But now, after having given birth to three children, she had¡ªahem¡ªfilled out. This was made more apparent by the large family portrait that hung on the studio¡¯s wall as the major centerpiece. In that same painting, Em spied the final son who was already a man at the time of its creation. He was much like his father in some ways, rosy-cheeked and tussle-haired, but his stern expression, his stature and piercing eyes were a product of someone else. ¡°My daughter has already explained how you were instrumental in her safe return. I will forever be grateful.¡± Em waved him aside. ¡°No need for eternal gratitude. Your daughter and I settled on a finite calculable sum that should save you the hassle.¡± Nitri coughed. ¡°An agreement made under extreme duress.¡± ¡°But, an agreement nonetheless,¡± Em shot back. She glared at him and he only arched an eyebrow at her. Would he have actually left me? Nitri pondered. ¡°Now, now, dear, our magus guest is correct. If you made a deal, you must honor it,¡± her father said, but as he said it, each word that escaped his lips was heavier than the last. ¡°Under normal circumstances¡ª¡± Em interrupted, ¡°You would have already facilitated the payment, but these are not normal circumstances so you cannot.¡± He looked to Mr. and Mrs. Hoppstead to see if they would come back in, but neither did. ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re either hoarding your money or you¡¯re making none. Given the state of your manor; the peeling paint, missing roof tiles, unused facilities, sparse commodities, simplistic decor, utilitarian garden and lack of staff my firm belief is the latter.¡± Mrs. Hoppstead and Nitri¡¯s mouths were left slightly agape while Mr. Hoppstead chuckled nervously before he replied. ¡°To put it bluntly,¡± he said, ¡°yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an agricultural expert but even to my untrained eyes, your fields look like they¡¯re an excellent condition,¡± said Em. ¡°Trouble selling?¡± ¡°In a way, both of those things are half the truths to a whole,¡± the rotund man replied while he gently curled the hairs of his mustache. ¡°The crops look like they¡¯re in excellent condition, but that¡¯s just, quite literally, on the surface. We specialize in growing root vegetables because the soil around Bornie is nutrient rich. However¡­ these past few years, the roots and bulbs themselves have more than halved in size. Some are even eighty percent smaller. As such, our usual distributors will take sparse few. Each year they accept fewer and even if they didn¡¯t...well¡­ each year the amount we can set apart for sale becomes less.¡± ¡°What my kind husband is trying to say,¡± Mrs. Hoppstead cut in, ¡°is that we¡¯ve switched over to subsistence farming. Most of the harvest is stored and used for our and Bornie¡¯s needs.¡± Mr. Hoppstead scratched his head. ¡°We can¡¯t properly pay the people working the fields so this is the least we can do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rather philanthropic,¡± Em said cooly. ¡°however, that doesn¡¯t resolve the matter of my payment.¡± Mr. Hoppstead half winced, half smiled. ¡°There are, uhm, items in my collection that I¡¯ve yet to sell that should cover your fee. These are treasures near and dear to me, you understand, but I could be convinced to part with them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Em replied. ¡°I¡¯m certain that the cause of our crop failures is magical. If you manage to fix the problem, I will immediately settle my daughter¡¯s debt.¡± Em closed his eyes, and rested his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose as he was wont to do when he was in deep thought. After a brief but intense internal argument he looked back at Mr. Hoppstead. ¡°What makes you think your problems are magical?¡± ¡°They¡¯re certainly not due to a plague or pests¡­ the plants themselves are growing fine as you¡¯ve seen. We rotate our crops so the soil isn¡¯t fatigued. It¡¯s the edible parts that are either not sprouting or not growing enough.¡± ¡°Curious, but that doesn¡¯t really qualify as supernatural.¡± ¡°Then maybe the wailing lady does,¡± Nitri stated matter-o-factly.¡± ¡°The what now?¡± Em¡¯s face turned a curious white. ¡°You know,¡± Nitri said. ¡°The wailing lady, the weeping woman. La Llorona.¡± ¡°Now dear, don¡¯t be silly. I hope you¡¯re not sharing any of these ridiculous theories with your little brothers. They only recently stopped wetting their beds,¡± Mrs. Hoppstead chided. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not, mum,¡± Nitri replied, embarrassed to have received a scolding, however mild, in front of Em. Her father¡¯s signature red cheeks finally made an appearance. ¡°I¡¯m just¡ª But I¡¯ve heard her! The older workers in the village have heard her too when they¡¯re out in the fields! They say she¡¯s put a curse on the land.¡± ¡°You know they have a special place in our hearts, love,¡± Mr. Hoppstead said, ¡°but the villagers are a superstitious lot.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not!¡± Nitri insisted. ¡°I know what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Ghost, this La Llorona, business is all something to keep their minds occupied from the reality of the situation. We could be facing a famine, love. We need to keep our heads together so they don¡¯t have to.¡± Mr. Hoppstead chuckled nervously again. ¡°Sir magus, I don¡¯t suppose you could clear this up for my daughter, would you?¡± ¡°What part, exactly? Ghosts? They¡¯re fictitious. The soul is an abstract concept. When you die, your body returns to the dust, your mana returns to the aether. Simple as that.¡± Em paused. ¡°Spirits, however? Very real. So if this weeping woman of yours turns out to be a Hellion Spirit like a wraith, poltergeist or worse, a banshee, you could all be in mortal peril.¡± Mrs. Hoppstead passed out and Mr. Hoppstead¡¯s cheeks were no longer flush. Nitri tried for an I-told-you-so face but it ended up looking more like an oh-shit-this-is-not-as-satisfying-as-I-thought-It¡¯d-be one. Despite Em¡¯s earlier surprise he remained collected. ¡°I don¡¯t usually accept jobs like this,¡± he proceeded. ¡°Requests get screened at my office before I consider taking them, but because this is in our mutual interest, we¡¯ll skip the whole procedure. Here¡¯s my card.¡± He rummaged through his cloak once more and withdrew a single, white card. It was very minimalistic. On one side, in black, was the same emblem sewn into his cloak. The other side read:
Magician for hire Em, CEO 14 Fenton Rd, Tiridea, Osk Runia
Nitri snatched the card from his hand and examined it before passing it on to her father. ¡°What kind of shoddy business do you run? Are you really in the capital? This is obviously handwritten and drawn.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Em looked as if she had crushed his entire being with her critique. ¡°Shoddy?,¡± he gasped. ¡°Tera would cry her little heart out if she heard you. She spent hours slaving over ten thousand copies. Each one has her pure devotion etched into it.¡± ¡°Eh?! You made someone copy this ten thousand times? Are you some sort of sadistic pervert?!¡± Nitri replied. ¡°I don¡¯t see how one leads to the other,¡± Em shook his head before redirecting himself to the head of the house. ¡°Are we clear on this? I solve another issue for you and I¡¯m on my merry way with a full purse.¡± Mr. Hoppstead agreed. ¡°Where do I sign?¡± Em stood up, extending his hand over the table that separated them. Mr. Hoppstead grasped it and Em shook firmly enough to surprise the robust man who only saw his lithe frame. He smiled at Mr. Hoppstead before replying, ¡°Paperwork is for bureaucrats.¡± *** After their discussion ended and the mother of three curious children was awoken by six poking hands, they retired to the dining hall which only qualified as such for its large size. Where a great table had presumably once rested were two round small garden tables and a third tea table which Em recognized from the sitting room. The children were seated around the latter and they did not seem to mind the strange accommodation. In fact, from their loud whispers and giggles, it seemed they thought themselves quite important for having the only different one. After serving the food, a very brothy yam soup with sparse cuttings of other root vegetables and bits of what Em could only assume was some sort of meat, the butlers and maids actually joined the family to eat, albeit on the separate table. Em was no expert on nobility but he was sure this was unusual. There were desserts, as promised earlier. This seemed to keep the children content enough to power through the admittedly disappointing main and only course. All in all, the atmosphere was pleasant. The Hoppsteads weren¡¯t just talk. They were amicable with their servants, even offering to help bring the silverware back to the kitchen on their own. They seemed more like a family than employer and employees. It was then that Em learned what the Hoppsted manor was like in the years before the decline. It had a robust staff with a dozen maids, three chefs, a dedicated groundskeeper, stable master and the butler was actually a head butler with four butlers below him. The rest of the staff had been forced to let go, but apparently they were a summons away from returning if the Hoppsteads ever had need for them again. The four that remained hadn¡¯t actually been paid for over a year but, according to them, they were bound to the Hoppsteads for more than just financial reasons and, by the way the family interacted with them, it was apparent. The manor often hosted events for Bornie and most of the village residents had been married in its courtyard. This was not the kind of home that was a target for curses. *** Late that same night, Em hopped down from the second story window. He landed gently on the ground as a warm breeze guided his descent. ¡°Thanks, O,¡± he said to the air around him. Another warm breeze caressed his face in response. The air was crisp and cool, the sky clear save for the waning moon and some stray grey clouds; a perfect night for spirit hunting. Or it would have been without the added company. ¡°Do you make putting yourself in harm¡¯s way a habit?¡± Em asked the minor noble¡ªnay, minor annoyance. Nitri had hopped down from a similar height a couple windows down. ¡°I knew you¡¯d catch me,¡± she smirked. ¡°You¡¯re lucky O likes your hair. She¡¯s very particular about that.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s O?¡± Nitri asked. Em didn¡¯t answer, ¡°Why are you even out here?¡± ¡°To make sure you¡¯re not doing anything weird?¡± ¡°Have you ever met another magician? Everything we do is weird.¡± ¡°My point still stands. Besides, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d miss out on an adventure so close to home.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why the butler is here.¡± ¡°T¡ªto ensure the young miss¡¯ safety.¡± The man had come rushing out through the main entrance with a look of terror on his eyes as he watched Nitri land faintly beside the magician. ¡°Alphonse,¡± Nitri replied gently with a faint hint of embarrassment, ¡°I told you that you can call me Nitri outside the house. It¡¯s strange hearing anything else from you. We grew up together.¡± ¡°The whole point of me leaving through the window was to avoid waking anyone else,¡± Em sighed. Nitri smiled proudly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep. I¡¯ve been keeping tabs on you all night.¡± From the look of Alphonse, he hadn¡¯t slept properly in a week either. Em contemplated knocking them out with some morpheus dust, it would do the butler good, but decided against it when he realized he¡¯d have to drag them both back into the manor. ¡°Alright, you can tag along,¡± Em said. ¡°But you both must listen to and obey everything I say. Hellions are no laughing matter, as Nitri can surely attest to.¡± She looked away but nodded in the end. Alphonse nodded as well, but the uncertainty was hard to miss. ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re here, I might as well ask. Has anyone actually seen this weeping lady?¡± Em questioned. ¡°Not per se,¡± Nitri answered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard her, at night. Even in the day, but very rarely.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her either,¡± Alphonse offered, ¡°but I manage most of the requests the workers make and I¡¯ve heard a lot of them ask to be excluded from working the outer fields.¡± ¡°Any specific reason?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Alphonse answered. ¡°However, the requests only started coming in after the weeping lady rumors.¡± ¡°Good enough place to start,¡± said Em. From the manor, they headed to the edges of the plantation. Because most of the crops were root vegetables, the leafy greens that grew above ground were not too tall. This allowed them a clear view in every direction. A Hellion Spirit would have been quite easy to spot but nothing was out of place in the horizon so they took to combing the ground. The extra eyes almost merited the hanger-on¡¯s presence. Almost. ¡°Hey Em! Here, here!¡± Nitri shouted for the ninth time. Em walked to her, resigned. It would be another rabbit track. He was sure of that. ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said in a voice that expressed how unimpressed he was, ¡°you¡¯ve managed to locate yet a different set of bunny tracks. If this plantation thing doesn¡¯t work out, you have a future as a tracker.¡± ¡°Hardy har, har,¡± she shot back. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about the tracks. I meant this.¡± She held up a smooth, dark grey stone that looked like a sparrow egg. Em took it from her hand and rolled it around his fingers. He felt nothing coming off it. ¡°Strange, but not magical,¡± he replied and dropped it back into her hands. She looked downcast for a brief moment but returned to her task with even more diligence. Em dug up a plant, a potato plant it seemed, and inspected it in the moon¡¯s light. The tubers were small, as Mr. Hoppstead had described, most not bigger than that rock Nitri had discovered, but the plant had already matured. It seemed healthy otherwise, just tiny. ¡°Nothing¡¯s coming off this either. The ground feels normal.¡± Em scratched his chin. There was no way around it. He pressed the tips of his fingers together, forming the rough shape of a spade in the space between his hands and called through it, ¡°Cat, here kitty kitty.¡± Nitri and Alphonse were dumbfounded by the sudden action, enough to stop what they were doing to just stare at Em. Em made no comment and simply called through his hands again. ¡°Come Cat, I know you don¡¯t like the dark but I wouldn¡¯t have called if it wasn¡¯t absolutely necessary.¡± From the space between his hands something like a loud purr resounded, followed by an explosion of black smoke. When Em removed his hands, the smoke seemed to follow them, revealing a pristine disc made from some foreign dark material polished to a mirror shine. As it hung in the air, smoke billowed from it like a volcano threatening to erupt. An arm shot out from its depths, black as the mirror, with matching sharp dark claws. A similar arm followed it and the hands found purchase at the disc¡¯s edge. The terror that owned the hands freed itself from the mirror with a single push. It floated in the air like a wingless, twisted fairy. She was naked from her toes to her head, save for the iridescent silver shells that covered her breasts and fur skirt. A mess of curling orange hair fell behind her like cascading waves and from those waves the same dark smoke she spawned from floated away. Her dark eyes would have been lost on her expressionless face if not for the orange paint that surrounded them. All in all, nightmare material, but there was a hauntingly terrifying beauty about her that scared Nitri even more. She immediately flew towards Em, dragging her disc with her before diving into the hood of his cloak. Em sighed and reached into his hood with a little difficulty and gently removed her. She sat in his hand, hugging her knees. The magician smiled fondly at her and she beckoned him with her hand. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Cat,¡± he replied after lending her his ear to whisper. ¡°I know I promised no more night jobs for a while, but I can¡¯t ask anyone else for help with hexes.¡± She waved her arms in a frenzy and Em suppressed a chuckle. ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t pout. It¡¯s just until we find what we¡¯re looking for. Will you do that for me?¡± She stood up, hugging her mirror close to her and nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered. She flew up to the top of his hat and sat on the brim without adding any weight to it, as though she were a feather ornament. ¡°Are you going to explain that at all?¡± Nitri asked. Her eyes darted from Em¡¯s hat to his eyes. Alphonse¡¯s, however, were glued to the dark entity. It looked back at him, expressionless. ¡°Cat?¡± Em asked as if the answer wasn¡¯t obvious. ¡°I¡¯d rather not. She¡¯s really shy. Let¡¯s just get on with this.¡± He snapped his right hand¡¯s fingers while muttering something in that strange language Nitri had heard him use before except this time, instead of winds and hurricanes, she pictured waves of darkness crashing down on her. Each syllable was a new wave that came down upon her, but the waves did not drown her like water would. Each crash seemed to drown the light of the world until he suddenly stopped speaking. Em framed the fingers of his right hand around his eye as if it were a monocle and stared hard through it. From Nitri¡¯s perspective, his eye was completely clouded by a milky white. He spun around slowly, looking up and down, scanning every horizon unfazed by his newfound blindness. ¡°You¡¯re in luck,¡± he said as he removed the hand monocle from his eye. It returned to its original color. ¡°There aren¡¯t any apocalyptic monstrosities lurking in the higher plane. Unfortunately, that also means I¡¯m back to square one.¡± As he said that, a loud piercing shriek cut through the air. It was the kind of wail that snaked through your skin and scraped at your bones. Haunting and ugly. ¡°Oh Deus, take me,¡± Alphonse muttered as his legs turned to jelly.