Maisha’s vision was becoming blurry from staring at the equations before her for so long. Taking her glasses off and rubbing her eyes with her palms, Maisha found herself thinking of her old mentor, Yaga. She could still clearly picture the witch’s coal black eyes and hooked nose, her silvery-white hair and her hunched back. Yaga had almost always taken the form of an elderly woman- she was several centuries old after all, and while she could of course change her appearance to look young, using an elderly body allowed her to store mana most efficiently. Though practicality aside, Maisha had always suspected that the ancient witch simply preferred that decrepit old body.
With her mind still stuck in the past, Maisha’s eyelids grew heavy, her head sinking onto her desk as sleep began taking over her mind. But just before she drifted off, she felt the hair on the back of her neck raise.
Maisha’s eyes snapped open.
In one motion, the elder witch leapt out of her chair and spun around, her muscles tensed and ready to flee. But… the room before her was empty, almost eerie in its stillness. Maisha’s eyes scoured over every shadowy hiding place she could think of, that ominous feeling suspiciously unshakable. But the room appeared as it always did- nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
With a sigh, Maisha turned back to her desk. But just as she was about to sit down, she froze, her expression twisting into a silent and unfathomable pain. For on her desk, lying limply and with its spine bent at unnatural angles, was an emerald green snake. Her emerald green snake. With shaking hands, Maisha reached out towards Ua.
Her first thought was to heal him- she could whip up a quick potion, or contact someone who specialized in healing, or even try healing spells herself if there was no time! But it only took a single glance at her familiar’s bent and crooked spine to know. Anyone would know.
She began rifling through her books anyways, frantically grabbing any texts remotely close to healing and flipping through them. With a shaking voice, she recited a spell. Then another. And another. Her mind felt hazy and blank, and her mana had been nearly exhausted even before she had recited the first spell, but she still desperately flipped them, through one after the other.
“Ahaha! Dear Maisha, you know as well as I do- that snake’s little soul has long since passed to the other side.” The sentence was said gently, almost reassuringly, in a tone of voice that a mother might use on her child.
Maisha spun around to lock gazes with a pair of soft malachite eyes.
“Morg…” Maisha stared up at the woman towering before her. Golden hair as bright as the sun chaotically hung past her lower back, the lightness of it contrasting greatly with her dark hickory brows. Her cheeks still held some of that innocent roundness they had had when she was little, and her smile kept that same naive and child-like glee that it always had. Though when her lips parted and she smiled with her teeth, the unnaturally white and sharp bones made Maisha shudder. Though she had been so small as a child, her height could now easily surpass that of many men, not to mention Maisha.
The wide-eyed witch clutched her limp familiar against her chest.
“Morg… help me. Help me heal him. Please…”
Morg let out a gentle sigh and smiled softly.
“Now why would I ruin the gift I have so painstakingly prepared for you.”
The usual rosiness of Maisha’s cheeks had disappeared, leaving behind only an ashy hue.
If Ua has been… If Ua is…then Henry
“Henry…” Maisha choked out, “Where… Where’s Henry?”
Maisha’s trembling and hoarse voice made the question sound more like a desperate plea. Morg’s sweet expression turned sympathetic as she hissed in a breath. With her hands calmly clasped behind her back, the towering woman leisurely stepped closer. Maisha felt her limbs grow heavy and her heart slow.
“There is no need for me to explain,” Morg said gently, that sweet smile still tugging at her lips, “I will end your life quickly. And after that, you will no longer suffer.”
Maisha’s vision grew blurry as her heartbeat thundered in her ears, growing slower, slower, until eventually, it stopped. And everything went black.
*
Maisha jolted herself awake, falling out of her chair in the process and landing, disoriented, on the floor.
Calalalang! Calalalang!
Gasping for air, Maisha frantically felt her body and her limbs, checking and double checking that she was still alive.
That dream again… Maisha rubbed her eyes, annoyed to find a bit of moisture around them, and hoisted herself up off the floor. No. Not a dream. That was a vision. And this time Ua and Henry were… Maisha took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm herself. She wanted to see Ua and Henry right away, but she knew such a thing would not be wise at this moment. I shouldn’t worry. That was Morg in the vision, without a doubt, and she was at least 20. I’ve picked up the right child, I just need to keep preparing. I have time. Maisha rubbed her eyes again. I have time…
Calalalang! Calalalang!
Maisha jolted at the cacophonous pounding in her ears, convinced for a second that it was her own failing heartbeat. She clambered back into her desk chair, feeling dizzy.
Calalalang! Calalalang!
Ah, she thought when the pounding sounded again, not my heartbeat, it’s coming from upstairs… but what is that?
After taking another moment to gather herself, Maisha ascended the steps to the upper level of her house.
Calalalang! Calalalang!
“Maishaaa!!” Morg called from behind the wall. She was apparently thumping on the stone door with some metallic object, the noise it produced sharp and tinny as it echoed down the stairs.
I should just kill her now, while she’s weak. That vision still hasn't changed… I haven’t done enough…
Maisha stood silently in front of the door, listening to Morg urgently calling for her.
Calm down, Maisha! She scolded herself, It’s not even been half a year since you brought her here, you still have time! Use this girl wisely. Remember- she’s not your only threat!
“MAISHAAAA!! HURRY UPPP!! SONG LAOSHI AND XISA ARE IN TROUBLE!!! …… AND ALSO I NEED YOU TO FIX MY HARP!!!!”
Maisha rubbed the space between her brows, thoughts of future troubles immediately swept away by present ones.
Sounds serious…
Adjusting her expression, Maisha pushed open the stone door.
Surprised, Morg fell back into the fireplace, sending up a puff of soot. Maisha glanced at the ash-covered child cradling a ladle in her hands.
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Who knocks on a door with a ladle? She mused, a smile tugging at her lips.
“Maisha!” Morg cried, jumping to her feet, “Xisa accidentally turned Songbai to a statue and then the statue started moving and chasing Xisa and then the trees started acting funny and…”
Not waiting for Morg’s panicked babbling to stop, Maisha rushed out the door. And upon seeing the chaos surrounding Xisa, she immediately turned on her heel and rushed right back inside. Maisha was not a powerful witch in terms of mana and spell-casting strength. In fact, it could be argued that she was the weakest in her entire coven. When it came to casting spells, she could only reliably cast the simpler ones- levitating small things or snuffing out candles, for instance. Anything greater than that and she risked something going wrong.
Despite what Morg and Xisa’s abilities may lead one to believe, transformation spells, animation spells, and the like were incredibly difficult things to pull off without incident. Even Songbai had needed to rigorously study the anatomies of various creatures before she could safely perform such magics, and that process of mastering transformation skills had taken her nearly half a century.
A witch as seemingly weak as Maisha, while not seen as a threat by her fellow witches and thus not targeted as such, could still be killed with a wave of a hand by some. She had only been able to keep the company of her fellow witches for so long without losing her life for two reasons; First, for many years, Yaga had been her protector. It was widely known that Maisha was Yaga’s favored apprentice. Even now with Yaga having been gone for so many years, any witch would think twice before antagonizing Maisha. Second, Maisha had the unique ability of fortune telling. And while fortune tellers were infamous for their half-baked prophecies, by pouring all her mana into her trade, Maisha had been able to get by.
Dammit! How did I not see this coming?! What is it that I have been missing this whole time?
In other words, she used her clairvoyant abilities to avoid danger altogether. It wasn’t always an exact science… yet… but it was enough to keep her alive.
Something about the harp. There must be something I’m missing about the harp. What else could it be?!
“M-Maisha?” Xisa called trepidatiously from outside. Maisha shook her head. Now was not the time for such thoughts. She needed to think of a solution. Closing her eyes, Maisha focused on the mana stored throughout her body. It wasn’t a lot, but it would do the job. Maisha briskly walked over to one of the many bookcases in her hut and began running her finger along the spines until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out the book and began rapidly flipping through the pages.
“Morg,” Maisha called to the golden-haired child.
“Yes!”
“I need you to fill the small cauldron three-quarters of the way up with water and hang it over the fire,” the elder witch said as she snapped her fingers, bringing the fireplace to life. “Can you do that for me?”
“Yes!” Morg exclaimed.
“Alright. I’m going to go and get Xisa.”
Book in hand, Maisha strolled out the door. Upon seeing Maisha, Baigu, who had been worriedly pacing around the commotion, sauntered up to Maisha’s side. Maisha spared the wolf a glance before turning back to her book. She knew of several spells with calming or sedating effects, and one in particular that should work well for this sort of animation magic. Not wasting any time, Maisha flipped through the pages of the book in her palm until she found what she was looking for.
I hope this works…
As she quietly recited the spell, the bits of wood and string stopped writhing in their mad dance and the air around them calmed. Soon after, Maisha beckoned Xisa over to her side. Songbai’s stone statue slowly followed behind the young girl. Though her eyesight kept trying to blur, Maisha forced her eyes to focus and glanced around, ensuring everything had returned to normal.
“We’ll need to do something else to cure Songbai,” Maisha said as she snapped her spellbook shut. “But everything else should be back to normal. Things always want to return to their natural state- especially animated objects. The stone statue is a little more complicated since we’re dealing with a living human. Songbai would be able to fix this mess up in an instant, but she’s…” Maisha looked at the enthusiastic statue and sighed. “Plus, it seems it was animated after being turned to stone, right?”
It took a moment for Xisa to realize Maisha was asking her a genuine question. She nodded quickly.
“Then there are at least two layers of spells on her. This may be a bit tricky…”
Xisa glanced at the stone statue of her mentor, its limbs twisted into unnatural positions.
“I-I’m sorry,” the young girl whispered. Maisha felt a little taken aback- it was rare for Xisa to speak to her, or to anyone for that matter. She patted the young girl on the back. After a moment of contemplation, Maisha crouched in front of her. Songbai pressed her face close to theirs, as if not wanting to be left out of the conversation. Maisha ignored her, focusing on Xisa.
“Can you tell me what’s going on?” The elder witch asked gently. Xisa peered up at her mentor. After a moment’s pause, she shook her head.
“Something about the harp?” Maisha tried. Xisa’s shoulders immediately tensed, but the young girl still refused to respond. Maisha sighed and rose from her crouch. A wash of dizziness passed over her- that singular spell wasn’t anything special or even particularly powerful, but it was still too much for her mana stores. Maisha swayed slightly on her feet, and although the movement was near imperceptible, Xisa immediately grabbed her mentor’s hand as if trying to help stabilize her. Maisha glanced down at the girl and thought she could see a hint of worry in her stoic features.
“No matter,” Maisha said, taking her hand back and tousling the girl's snowy white hair. “Let’s get to work on Songbai.”
Xisa followed the elder witch inside, the stone statue trailing behind her.
*
The process of returning Songbai back to normal was a rather grueling one. Because her spellcasting abilities were suspect, Maisha resorted to the safer method of using a potion to restore Songbai to her former state. But since Songbai had no way of swallowing a potion, she had to be somewhat more creative with the application.
“You’re going to pour it on her?! But won’t that make a mess?!” Morg exclaimed when she heard Maisha’s plan.
“It will, but that’s alright,” Maisha said with a smile. “Now go and get those towels like I told you. When we start applying the potion, make sure it gets into all the creases of her clothes. Try to use the towels as much as possible. It’s alright if some of the potion touches you, but too much could affect your health.” Maisha then repeated her instructions in Chinese for Xisa’s benefit.
While she put up a calm front for the girls, Maisha’s heart was pounding. She was only about 90% certain this would work- a statistic that was much lower than she would have liked. How would she explain herself if anyone found out this witch had been turned to stone by her girls?! Her plans could be ruined! Plus, she was rather fond of this silly witch, it would be a shame to lose her.
Baigu whined as the three witches set to work dousing Songbai in the odd smelling potion. Its fragrance was neither good nor bad, but it was potent and strange, leaving one feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
“It’s… difficult! She keeps moving around! Just let me… ack!” Morg cried when the Songbai statue accidentally knocked the young girl over. Xisa, too, was struggling. The statue still hadn’t left its distorted backbend, so the crunched and creased up sections around her shoulders, neck, and hair were particularly difficult to apply the potion to. Not to mention her ever wriggling fingers tapping on the floor.
“Maisha, nothings happening,” Morg observed after they finished.
“Hmm. No, I don’t think that’s true. Look, she’s finally straightening up.” As she said so, the statue began slowly rising out of its backbend, its head, too, twisting around into the proper orientation. Though it still swayed back and forth, it was moving much less chaotically now. Everyone let out a sigh of relief at the sight.
“But…” Morg continued in a worried tone, “She’s still a statue!”
“That’s alright,” Maisha responded in a reassuring tone, “the potion is working. We just need to keep applying it.” The three witches worked diligently for three hours, only breaking to eat a quick dinner. But the sun had set even before Songbai had been turned into a statue, so it didn’t take long for the girls to begin dozing off.
Maisha continued working even after they went to sleep. Due to the nature of this particular potion, she had to wait a full hour between applications. Though this was fine with her as it also took her about an hour to brew a new potion each time, which she had decided to do for two reasons; One, the potency of the fresher potions would increase the efficiency of Songbai’s recovery. And two, she was afraid of messing up on a large-batch potion and wasting all of her ingredients.
That said, Maisha hadn’t messed up a potion in years.
After applying the potion twice more to her fellow witch, Maisha decided to sleep and continue the process in the morning. Her vision had gradually begun blurring, even with the help of her glasses, and she could feel a headache coming on. It would be a shame to make a mistake just because of fatigue, and it wasn’t as if there were any time constraints.
Actually, Maisha thought as she plodded her way down into her room, it may do us good to wait for a day or two before trying to turn her back. Considering the nature of this spell, time may make it easier. All things will want to return to their natural state, after all.
Maisha threw herself onto her bed and let out a long sigh.
Right, there’s no urgency to this. And the potion is working fine. I should stop worrying.
As she drifted to sleep, her thoughts turned to Ua and Henry. She found herself wishing for the company of her lovely green familiar, but some things just couldn’t be helped. Before long, the exhausted witch sank into a fitful sleep.
Perhaps it was due to strange dreams, or some clairvoyant premonition, but when Maisha awoke the next morning, she had the sneaking suspicion that the day before her would be another day of disquiet.
And in the early hours of that wintery morning, just as Maisha was thinking such thoughts, an unexpected visitor arrived.