A new day sprouts with an interesting topic of conversation rebounding around the halls of Undine.
"Apparently Stella's gone missing." One student would say.
"Stella Epedia?" Another responds.
"Yeah, I heard her parents took her home early and then she disappeared from her room without a leaving a trace." A third remarks.
The disappearance of Stella Epedia. The only daughter of the renowned Crystal Marigold Merchantry. No one knows the reasoning behind her disappearance, though there are rumors. Some say, "She ran away. Yeah, I heard that the pressure of inheriting the merchantry was too much for her so she left through her bedroom window and never looked back."
An interesting take on the situation and yet others would disagree. "No way man! I heard that she was kidnapped by a rival merchantry. I know that you've heard about the trouble between Crystal Marigold and Saphyir. They've been at each others throats for years. I say that Saphyir finally decided to strike at their throats." Yet another interesting theory. Though it would be wrong to dismi-
"What the hell are you doing Holiday?" Eric slowly looked up. He was crouched down in the corner making strange voices to himself. "Oh! I-it's nothing! I was just...narrating the current goings on at the school." The boy chuckled shamefaced. The girl stood over him mockingly looked around the office of which only he, her and the fish were in.
"Who were you narrating to exactly?" Eric scoffed. "I-its just...I was- um- actually- Haha, f-funny story. I-it's tooo noo one..." The boys voice slowly lowered as he felt incredibly embarrassed. Eric looked to the ground with his face scrunched and eyes closed. He could not look Alix in the eyes.
"S-so what are you doing today, Mama Wolf?" Alix had a mocking smile on her face. "Oh, me? I was just on my way to teach a lesson to a pair of fools. Though I see that one of them is aspiring to be a journalist so please..." Alix pulled a chair, sat down, crossed her legs, and gestured to Eric.
"...continue your narration. I've actually grown quite interested in the topic now." Eric looked up ecstatically. "Really!" He exclaimed but as soon as he met eyes with the girl he received mixed messages from her mocking expression. "Of course. What is that third rumor about Stella Epedia?" Eric hesitated to continue.
"It just feels like you're mocking me?" Alix placed a hand to her chest astonished. "What would make you believe that I would do such a thing?"
"Because the fish is definitely laughing at me!" Eric pointed to the fish bowl on the table where Mo was shaking bubbly. Now Eric couldn't hear him but the fish's movements were very indicative of laughter. To Alix, on the other hand...
"AHAHAHAHAHA!! What the hell is up with this idiot!? He made his voice all deep and scratchy tryin' to sound cool! An-and the way that he- HAHAH- he was crouched down in the corner like a gremlin!" Mo could not contain his jeering. Luckily Alix had a much better poker face and truly was interested in the situation or else she would be laughing as well. "Fish can't laugh Holiday." The girl stated with a serious tone. "Now continue."
Eric threw one more suspecting glance at the fish. It really looked like he was laughing but Alix said that he wasn't. "Alright." Eric continued dejectedly.
Some people-
"Do the voice."
"Huh?" Eric looked at the end of the room and saw his uncle approaching. "The voice that you were doing before. Why aren't you doing it now?" Eric looked around the room confused. "How long have you been in here?"
"Since the start, now continue. With the voice, of course." Winston pulled a chair next to Alix and waited for Eric to continue. Eric rolled his eyes and spoke...with the voice.
A third rumor floats around these halls. A slanderous rumor about a close friend of Stella. A rumor about the renowned, Angelica Floie. Alix and Winston nodded to each other in mockingly interest. "Angelica eh? That does sound quite scandalous." The boy's uncle stated to which the boy's tutor agreed.
Anyway! Ahem. One student has stated that foul play is to blame. "Angelica never liked that Stella seemed to be using her to gain popularity. Whenever Stella wasn't around she would call her cruel names like parasite and two-faced. So I think Angelica got her family involved. I mean why else would Stella's parents frantically take her out of the school. I heard they were even trying to skip town. Only the Floie family could dish out that kind of pressure on the famous Crystal Marigold Merchantry."
"That was indeed an interesting theory, Eric. I understand why you felt the need to recount that."
" When the hell did you get here Cas!" Cas shrugged. "I've been at the door from the start. I just waited for you to lose yourself in the narration again so that I could enter." Eric finally exploded.
"THAT'S IT! I'M DONE! NO MORE NARRATION!" Eric grabbed a chair of his own and forcefully sat in it. "Let's just start the stupid lesson." The boy said dismissively. The three that made up Eric's audience nodded. The joke had gotten old. Winston returned to his desk and Alix taught her lesson. Her lessons normally lasted around an hour to not waste too much of her own time. Once the lesson was through everyone began to disperse.
Cas and Alix were getting ready for a sorcery lesson. Eric slipped his bag onto his shoulder with an inquisitive expression. "Hey, isn't your duel with Angelica at the end of the week, Mama Wolf?" Alix dismissively responded, "Yes, and?"
Eric shook his head. "Nothing. It just feels like a lot has been happening recently so I kinda forgot about it. I was just wondering if you had as well."
Alix responded in a grave tone. "I would never forget something as important as stomping on the arrogance of the Floie family." Eric nodded slowly. "Oookay. Well, see ya." Eric quickly left the room. He was still uncomfortable about the situation from earlier. It didn't help that the fish still seemed to be laughing at him.
"Haaah haahAHAHA. Huff HuughAHAHAHA!" And it seemed that he truly was. Mo was literally wheezing at this point. Alix picked Mo up and led Cas out of the office. She had been continuing to practice with Spell-Script and had been seeing some decent progress.
Normal sorcery was getting quite easy to cast if not still slow but that was something that she would find way to improve as she continued to practice.
A thought appeared within Alix's mind prompting her to turn to Cas. "I told you that I would show you the spell that I had been working on." Cas nodded. "That is correct, Mistress. Though I do not wish for you to feel that I am forcing you. If you do not want to reveal it to me then I will simply curb my curiosity." Alix shrugged.
"It should be fine. It is not like you can use it anyway. Follow me."
The two left the school and went toward the direction of the park. Instead of going to the park, however, Alix led Cas down Glumbare Grove, which was a street in the town. They walked along side the houses before turning into an alleyway next to what seemed to be a fishery.
"What did I tell ya about slackin' off! Get yer tail out there and fish!"
"Where gramps! There ain't no fish in Lake Opin and it's way too late to travel all the way to the river!"
"Gah yer just lazy!"
"And you're senile!"
'Quite the active shop.' Cas thought to himself. "This way, Mind Slave." Cas looked to where Alix had called from and noticed that they were going into what seemed to be a forgotten cellar. Cas was a bit perplexed but decided not to ask any questions. 'What right do I have to question the Mistress?' The two entered the cellar.
Their footsteps echoed as they walked down. Cas didn't have any shoes so he could feel the cold and damp stone against his feet. It had grown quite dark but he was quite used to darkness so it did not take his eyes long to adjust.
Analyzing the walls made him realize that their were strange carvings all along the walls. The carvings looked like kids doodles but no one in there right mind would allow their children to play in a place this decrepit.
They arrived at the bottom of the stairs, with neither person speaking any words. Once at the bottom Cas could swear that he could hear something. Was it, chittering? It was probably just a few rats. This did remind Cas of the scene that he witnessed in the park a few days ago. 'She couldn't be...could she?' Alix stopped at a moldy wooden door.
Light could be seen exiting the room from the underside of the door. It seemed to be torchlight which not many people still used. "Come on in." Alix directed the boy as she pushed the door open. The light from the room made Cas wince as his eyes had gotten used to the darkness. As his eyes opened he felt less surprised than one normally would be at the sight that he was greeted with.
Within the cellar...were rats. Hundreds of rats. All gathered together like some sort of cult. As soon as they heard the door open all of the rats turned and seemingly greeted Alix. "Nice to see you all."
Cas jumped as the entire demeanor of his Mistress shifted. She was normally cold and to herself. But as soon as she came into this room with these rats she became...warm and welcoming.
'Is this my Mistress's true persona? Is she showing me her true self?' The thought lingered in the boy's brain for only a second longer before Alix called out. "Vermin of Nogreni! Today is the day that your council will be inaugurated and given power.
No longer will the citizens of the town above exterminate you all. Whilst they are unaware you will rise and grow far stronger than they could ever conceive!" The rats began to squeak in cheers as they cleared a the way for Alix and Cas.
Cas looked toward the direction that they were walking and noticed four rats standing on barrels at the edge of the cellar. The waited with anticipation. "Umm, Mistress? What is all of this?"
Alix tossed an indifferent glace to Cas. "You do not need to concern yourself with the details, Mind Slave. I merely brought you here to showcase the spell." Cas had hoped for more information but still nodded.
Albeit solemnly.
They arrived at the group of barrel rats, as Cas had so aptly named them. On the far left barrel stood a bipedal white rat. Cas stared befuddled as Alix and the rat nodded to each other and the rat seemed to relay some sort of information to the other three.
The three rats nodded. One was fat and grey and seemed to look scornfully at him but he ignored that. There was also a black one that...winked at him? he felt nauseous at sight. The final, to the boy's shock, seemed rather relatable. He was shaking in what was clearly fear and had a strange patchy white and gray pattern.
Cas nodded to the rat receiving a suppressed wave in response. Alix motioned for Cas to move to the side to get a better view. A recommendation that the boy obeyed.
Then Alix began. Cas watched intently as a cracking sound reverberated through the cellar. Cas was confused. None of the sorcery that his mistress demonstrated to him before had this sort of effect. He also didn't notice any sorcery catalyst in the girl's hands which only served to confuse him even more.
The next scene, however, was the most incredible thing that he had ever obtained the grace of witnessing. Cas's eyes widened as he watched his mistress lift her hand, index finger extended, and begin to imprint something on the air.
He watched in silence, bug-eyed. He had been learning about magic for a full month by now so he understood that he was witnessing something historic. A new way of casting sorcery spells.
Cas knew that he was still far too new at sorcery to even begin to comprehend how the girl was performing this feat but he knew one thing for sure.
'My Mistress is truly spectacular!'