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The Chronicles Al Patreck
Vol 2. Chapter 5 – Preparations

Vol 2. Chapter 5 – Preparations

I walked into my apartment, leading Misa in, and headed right up to my small refrigerator. I put my hand on the handle and left it there, holding it. I was not sure what to do. Something about opening the door to grab my beer felt like an important moment, as if it would define my life from here on out.

What was I supposed to do now?

I had traveled back a few weeks, like that time when we had brought Tedet to my house and I felt just as trapped. The Cabal was summoning me, along with other official Wizards to a grand meeting where the topic was vampires and torviela. Not only was this related to that duel I had, but if they found out about this possible future war, then they surely must have found out about me participating as the champion of a torviela.

I began pulling gently with my fingers, but the door did not budge. It gave me time to think a little more about whether not I wanted that cold beer right now.

“Mr. Ed?” asked Misa from behind me. “I’m going to close the door.”

I only looked back and nodded and used that momentum to open the fridge. I had gathered enough strength to go through with it and drank a beer. Who knows, it might help me cool down.

I reached inside, but the instant I moved my arm, I stopped midway.

I had no more beer.

All of my resolve for nothing.

I slumped down in front of the open refrigerator, illuminated by the faint light inside it, painting me in a sanitary white.

“Mr. Ed, are you sure you’re alright?”

“There’s no more beer,” I said exasperated. A little more frustrated than I thought I would sound. Quite a lot more frustrated, actually.

“I’m sorry.”

I felt a surge of fury come from me and I slammed the door close with a loud: “Damn it!”

“I’m sorry!”

I looked back at the scared Misa, who had settled to the wall, finding comfort in having her back covered, like a scared animal backing itself to the corner so it could only be attacked from the front – from where its fangs were located. But Misa was a fangless and clawless human, and she had only her fidgety hands, that rubbed on each other anxiously, to rely on. She looked down hoping for the moment to be over.

I hunched down and closed myself into a fetal position, crossing my arms above my knees and burying my head behind them. I was angry and ashamed. I had just burst into anger over some stupid beer. I was already stressed due to my concerns with the Council, but having my resolve be for nothing over some stupid beer had pushed what little sanity I had over the edge.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

I felt a cry coming out of my throat, but I forced myself to swallow it before I answered Misa. It hurt as I held it back and it took me a second for me to answer back, just enough for Misa to feel uncomfortable and address me by name to call my attention.

“Sorry,” I said. “It’s just something very stressful.”

“Is it related to that note?”

I thought about whether I should tell her, and though there was no reason to lie, but that there was no point in telling her the whole truth either.

“It is,” I said. “But it has nothing to do with you. What matters right now is your and Jaser’s mysteries.”

I walked up to my sofa, right in front of my screen, and beckoned Misa to sit.

“I have no beer to offer you this time,” I apologized.

“It’s fine, I didn’t come here to drink anyway. But if I had known, I would’ve bought a bottle or two on my way here. Next time, you should send me a message.” She smiled as she looked at me.

“I can’t, I’m a wizard.”

“I’m sorry. I thought that would make you laugh.”

I wanted to cry.

This poor girl was doing her darndest for others and here I was throwing a tantrum over a bottle of beer. Granted, it wasn’t what my real anxiety and frustration were about it, but I had actually gotten angry over it anyway.

I covered my face with my hands, trying to hide my embarrassment, and then slapped myself with them thrice, trying to figuratively wake myself up.

I looked back at a confused Misa and reassured her with a smile, but she wasn’t amused or moved by it.

“Alright,” I began. “First order of business.”

I explained to her all my theories about the Faeries that I had come up with on my way here. She didn’t seem to understand it, but she looked at and heard me intently all the same while nodding as I explained everything.

“How do we find out if this is real?” she asked.

“There are two ways to do this, but both require us to meet a great fay. We either summon them in the mortal realm or we travel to the spiritual realm. The former is a lot harder to pull but much safer. The latter would be dangerous, but if you know where to go, then meeting someone is guaranteed.”

“How do we summon a fairy?”

“We require a ritual for that. But I have a feeling that we’re going to have to go to the spirit realm. Nothing ever works for me. If that were to happen, I’m not taking you with me.”

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Misa looked at me with disapproval, her eyes clearly expressed how much she wanted to go.

“Don’t even think about it. You would be a liability,” I explained.

Dejected, she settled down and retracted to her usual insecure posture and mannerisms.

“I might need your help with the ritual, however. Having a set of hands would be useful.”

I have no idea why I just asked her to help me summon a fay. I wasn’t intending on helping her in the long run, and yet I was asking her for her assistance. It made me feel like scum, but I could not stop myself before I did it. I saw her sad expression and I could only imagine that asking for her aid in something else might make her happy.

She seemed to be happy about it, however. Her expression changed once again, too bright to make me feel in any way at ease. I was using her and abusing her. I was going to sacrifice her, but only after I had run her dry of all her handiness.

“I’m going to give you a list of things to bring to my apartment tomorrow. This is all we need to summon the fay. But it needs to be tomorrow, I can’t wait for the day after.”

I began writing a list of things she could most likely find and buy somewhere near her. Things like candles, wine, salts, and pieces of objects. All sorts of miscellaneous. I on the other hand would take the most exotic things, which I already own to some degree.

“By the way, Mr. Ed. Have you figured out anything about my troubles?”

I stopped thinking for a bit but tried to ignore it.

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to be a bother. It’s just that I don’t know if this thing is still stalking me. Do you think it’s dangerous?”

“My bad. I forgot that I didn’t tell you. Your case is a lot more complicated. I have no clue what could be. Could be human. Could be the Faery as well, for all I know. If we manage to summon one to ask about my nephew, we can ask about your situation as well.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ed. I don’t want to push another problem on to you. Especially with whatever you read in that letter. You could try postponing my issue for after you deal with your nephew and the other thing.”

Misa didn’t know how much her words were hurting. It made me question whether choosing Jaser was the right thing. Clearly, Misa was a much more positive and nicer person. She did so much for others at her own expense. Jaser did push himself into trouble for his mom, but I doubt he’ll ever go to the extent Misa would. If she had the power, she’d be helping me without hesitation; she’s trying to help me regardless of power, but she has not much to offer.

I wonder why people who should have power don’t get it. It seems unfair.

Some people believe in an all-powerful and all-benevolent being, the Almighty, that looks over us. But when I see the unfairness of the world, I questioned whether such a being really does exist. Too much evil and too little good for my liking.

If the Almighty does exist, they may not be who we think they are.

I finish the list of things for Misa and I handed them over to her before she left.

Another day without anything happening. The world around me moves and I have not taken a single step. That is about to change tomorrow. I have been idled for a while, but these preparations are for a purpose. A wise person once told me that there is no use in rushing, even when other people say that dealing with trouble quickly is the best, sometimes haste does make waste.

But more than the start of my actions, tomorrow also signifies the start of a series of events. The day after tomorrow I will be attending the Cabal’s grand meeting, and soon after we might be able to continue our investigation on the stalker matter. Whether the ritual works, the third day will be either busy with more investigation or a trip to the spiritual world. Heck, it is possible that the trip there might be done regardless of whether we get useful info from a great fay or not.

This, however, is under the assumption that nothing happens at the grand meeting. If I get approached about Uderach, things might not end well. Or well, things might simply just end there. And by things, I mean me.

You’d think I’d be more scared for my life, but for some reason, I feel worse that I’ll be disappointing a lot of people. Jaser and Misa might be some of them, since I won’t be able to help them deal with their troubles. But more importantly are Tedet, Martin, and Hayier. That’s where my anxiety began getting the better of me. I don’t know what will happen to Martin and I’m sure Tedet might just start his tantrum.

With all this on my mind, the evening finally turns into night while I gathered what I needed for the ritual. The specific time for the ritual is not necessarily needed, unless we’re trying to summon the top dogs. What really matters is the feeling of the place.

To summon a great fay of any of both jurisdictions, Rain or Storm, the obvious thing seems to be water. We need a place with water, but specifically, running water. This is a problem itself, since running water tends to dissolve magic. Any kind of running water does it, but some have a much greater effect than others. I needed the running water to exist within my summoning circle, yet my shower seems far too small for a decent and perfect circle.

I needed to be creative with my circles. In general, although magic tends to be picky, it also doesn’t care much for human perception, like what the concept of a circle is. Only when you need very powerful or precise magic, does the shape of the circle matter. A ritual only intends to create a setting, and you require a certain combination of things, one of which isn’t the shape of your circle, only that the circle exists and contains the magic.

At this point, it’s easy to understand that a magical ‘circle’ can be understood as a closed geometric shape of any form.

I draw my liberal idea of a circle on the floor and walls of my shower and place a bucket just under the shower head – I don’t want the water to run down the drain. I don’t own a fan but my single and small bathroom window might provide a current of air, and if I make it damp by wetting the walls just before we begin the ritual it might just be perfect to summon the type of fay we want.

There’s just one final thing to do before I’m done for tonight.

I grab a stone from my collection. I treat it carefully so as not to trigger it. Then head to grab a lipstick that I keep for such an occasion, and head to the bathroom.

I direct myself in front mirror and take a long look at my reflection.

The man in front of me was me – light emitted from my body reflecting on the silver painting behind the barely noticeable greenish glass. That thing in the mirror was me, but it also wasn’t.

Have you ever thought that mirrors may be showing a different place? Or that the person looking at you isn’t you? Well, there are falsities and truths in there.

The mirror isn’t showing a different place, but it can. In the right conditions, a mirror can become a window to a new place or world.

The reflection in the mirror is you and the world you see around yourself, but that can be changed. Since a mirror can be a window, it can be a window to a place that resembles the world just around you, and the person in front can be a doppelganger.

Lastly, because a mirror can be a window, it means it can be opened, and because the other side can be a spiritual place, things can come in from there. Summoning things inside a room is an invitation to come in, although the summoning circle only extends to one kind or a specific type of magical being, and can only be just one – so long as you don’t make more circles. However, the invitation to come into the room is still for any kind and number of beings. This isn’t a problem since you can only summon one being and only within the circle – that’s what the circle is for. But a mirror inside a room, where a summoning exists, is equivalent to leaving the window open, letting all kinds of insects inside.

I know you’re good at math. I don’t need to explain arithmetics to make you understand that one plus one equals two.

Similarly, I don’t want things to come into my room and my apartment. Not a fay, not a demon, and not my doppelganger.

I draw a rune on the mirror and place storing stone right on top of the glass and stick it with a piece of tape.

“This ought to keep you out of my place,” I tell my reflection. “Tomorrow is going to be a sensible day and I don’t appreciate unwanted guests.”

The mirror’s rune will passively suck the magic to activate during the night. When the time comes, I won’t need to use my power, making sure that the bathroom has the best magical setup for the ritual.

“Don’t look so down. Maybe one day you’ll catch me with my pants down.”

I winked at my reflection and, for a moment, I thought it didn’t wink back.