Chapter 24

Songbai rushed back to Maisha’s cottage. She couldn’t be bothered to wait for the boy to wake up- she could check on him tomorrow. But she had to see Maisha now. The hagstone felt heavy in her pocket, and even with a layer of cloth separating her from the stone, she could still feel the warm power emanating from it. There was no mistaking it- this wasn’t just some rock found on the sea-shore. It was a true, bonafide hagstone. And she had cast a truth spell on that boy- it was safe to assume the stone belonged to Maisha.

Meaning either that idiot witch had stolen it, or she had made it herself.

Songbai slowed her steps as she approached the house, trying to organize her thoughts. A hagstone was not something one could make with basic magic and knick-knacks; it required the soul of a witch. And not just any witch. To create a hagstone worth anything, only the soul of an Untouchable witch could be used.

But as their name implied, the Untouchable witches were just that- untouchable. A whole coven of regular witches would have trouble even scratching an Untouchable, much less threatening their life. Though of course, no one was truly immortal, and it was not unheard of for one Untouchable witch to kill another. But such a battle hadn’t happened in years- the four current Untouchables had struck a tentative peace between each other. Why threaten your chance at immortality by picking risky fights with little to gain? The power of a hagstone, after all, was something akin to a toy to a witch as powerful as that. Something that only common witches like Songbai herself would ever covet. The gap in power between an Untouchable witch and everyone else was simply too large.

And why was the gap so large? Well, while it was true that the Untouchables had no interest in fighting with each other, they were quite invested in preventing any future threats from arising- anyone who threatened their shaky power balance would be eliminated. This was, of course, one of the main reasons why Morg and Xisa were urged to keep their abilities a secret- though it was clear they harnessed great potential, they were untrained and lacked control. In other words, they were threatening, but they were vulnerable.

Songbai whipped out her fan and began tapping her chin with it as she paced.

Wasn’t it the same for Maisha? If she had stolen this hagstone- it was only a matter of time before its owner tracked her down and took it back. If, however, she had made it herself…

Songbai shook her head. No, there was no way Maisha had managed to kill an Untouchable… right?

“Ugh,” Songbai groaned, clenching her fan so hard she felt its wooden ribs crack. She muttered a transformation spell, restoring it back to its original condition while she paced. Whatever the case, stealing from or killing an Untouchable, Maisha had branded herself a threat to the most powerful entities in the world. One wrong move and she would be dead.

You idiot witch, Songbai thought as she stormed inside. It was no use speculating. She needed to confront Maisha directly.

“Songbai!” Maisha cried, clasping her hands together at the sight of her fellow witch. “Just in ti-”

“Come with me,” Songbai grumbled, grabbing Maisha by the hand and dragging her towards the fireplace.

“Now, now, Songbai, I’d rather you didn’t-”

Songbai didn’t bother trying to convince Maisha to open the hidden door, opting instead to use magic to allow them to pass through the wall.

“Well that’s not very nice,” Maisha grumbled as Songbai dragged her down the dimly lit stairs.

Right, this is the witch that can’t even protect her hidden room from simple vanishing or transformation spells- how could she possibly be a threat to an Untouchable?! I must be misunderstanding something…. Right?

“Songbai, what-”

Before Maisha could finish her sentence, Songbai fished the hagstone out of her pocket and smacked it into Maisha’s hand. Maisha’s bright expression dimmed.

“Where did you get this?” she asked, her brows furrowed.

“Apparently that boy swiped it from your pocket,” Songbai said, taking a deep, steadying breath. If she lost her temper now, she might never be able to get answers from Maisha. “But… where did you get it?”

Maisha smiled brightly, but something about it looked off to Songbai.

“Who else would have given me a hagstone but Yaga?” Maisha shrugged, pocketing the rock. “She gave it to me before she left. I suppose she knew she would be gone for longer than usual this time.”

Songbai slumped into Maisha’s desk chair and ran a hand through her hair.

“Ha… ahaha…”

Of… of course. It’s totally plausible that Yaga had a hagstone. And it was only natural to leave it with her beloved apprentice before traveling for a long time! Songbai let her body relax with utter relief. But… What was Yaga thinking?! The elder witch thought, tensing up again. If word got out that Maisha has a hagstone, even if it's known that Yaga gave it to her, it would basically be a target on her back!

Songbai ran a hand through her hair once again, her expression growing complicated. Maisha looked curiously at the emotions cycling across her fellow witch’s face.

It’s a good thing I took care of that boy, but… can Sajni really be trusted? Songbai mused, I should look into-

“Ahahaha, Songbai, what sort of thoughts are you having now, why do you look so sour? Are you worried that boy might say something? I wouldn’t worry, it’s not as if a witch as green as him would even know-”

Songbai waved her hand.

“No, no, I took care of the boy. He won’t remember anything about today.”

Maisha raised her brows.

“Oh? I didn’t know you were proficient in mental magic like that.”

Songbai muttered something incomprehensible in response. She saw no need to tell Maisha about how she nearly murdered some innocent kid, nor about Sajni’s involvement. If it came down to it, she could take care of that mycelial witch herself.

“What were you even doing with a hagstone out in the open anyways?” Songbai asked accusatorily, “I know more than one witch who would kill for such a powerful tool.”

“Hmm~” Maisha sighed, “I’ve been stealing mana from the girls from time to time. I figure, the less excess mana they have, the less likely they are to lose control… it’s a win-win!”

“You…!” Songbai slammed a fist down on Maisha’s desk. “You mean…! You!”

Maisha took a step back, feeling she must have miscalculated something.

Why is she so angry? Maisha wondered as she studied Songbai’s cold expression. Isn’t it a good thing that I’m lowering their mana right now? It’s not like it's permanent!

Songbai sucked in a deep breath.

“You mean. All this time. You’ve been taking mana from the girls. And yet you still passed out from overusing your mana?!” Songbai cried, losing control of herself at the end of the sentence. The elder witch abruptly stood and crossed over to Maisha, who had been steadily backing away. “Just what are you using all this mana for?!” Songbai waggled her fan in Maisha’s face.

“And why haven’t you been taking more, then?! HM? You want to pass out again? Better yet, drain those two dry of mana and give us both a little peace of mind!”

“Well, I’m not sure what would happen if-”

“Who cares what would happen! It’d be an act of mercy on your part, you know those two would have a much easier time of things if they weren’t so innately strong!”

Well, if I did that, then who’s gonna face Yama Uba later… Maisha sighed internally.

“Gah! I don’t know why I bother when you never tell me anything,” Songbai suddenly sulked, sinking back into the desk chair. “I can’t believe I actually thought this idiot might have taken down an Untouchable…” she muttered, rubbing her face with her hands.

“Oho, did you misunderstand something earlier?” Maisha teased with a smirk, “Were you actually thinking that ‘Maisha the All-Knowing’ was some sort of threat to the Untouchables?”

“Don’t… don’t call yourself that,” Songbai sighed, raising her head to look at Maisha.

Maisha cocked her head.

“Call myself what? ‘Maisha the All-Knowing?’ Why shouldn’t I?” Maisha asked, her eyes glinting. “It may be a hubris title for now, but it’s not a bad goal to aspire for.”

“You know that’s not how it’s meant.”

“Who cares how it's meant.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“You’re better than that stupid title.”

Maisha glanced at Songbai’s tired expression.

“Even if that’s the case,” she replied flippantly, “Isn’t it better to be underestimated?”

Songbai frowned.

“I suppose so…”

“Well,” Maisha said after their conversation came to a lull, “If that’s all you wanted to talk about, can we move somewhere other than my private room?”

“Right, apologies,” Songbai muttered, standing up again.

“No worries, no worries~” Maisha intoned, pressing her hands into Songbai’s shoulders and gently guiding her out of her room. “I appreciate your concern for me, Sister~!”

“Who’s your sister,” Songbai grumbled as Maisha led her back upstairs. Maisha smiled brightly when they reentered the main room of the hut, immediately heading over to the girls’ sides to check their work. Morg proudly handed over her finished worksheets, her smile brightening with every word from Maisha. When the elder witch checked over Xisa’s work as well, she praised the little girl, tousling her hair warmly and causing a hint of happiness to leak through Xisa’s usually stoic facade.

‘Better to be underestimated’? Does that… apply to me as well? Just what are you hiding, Maisha…

Songbai watched the three witches happily chattering in front of her. The tranquil scene was one Songbai had seen countless times before- a scene that had usually offered her an odd sense of peace. But somehow, watching these three witches now, she couldn’t help the feeling of unease settling within her heart.

*

The warm summer months passed by relatively uneventfully, and before the girls knew it, autumn had rolled around once again. That strange boy, Suhail, hadn’t come around much since Maisha had tried to teach him math, but Morg didn’t particularly miss him- he was annoying, and Xisa paid less attention to her while he was around.

But… Xisa seems a little bummed that he’s more or less disappeared, Morg thought from where she sat up against a spindly birch a little ways from Maisha’s garden.

Which is also annoying…!

Morg sighed deeply and decided not to think about the nuisance kid anymore, turning her thoughts to the tree behind her. If one merely looked at the tree in passing, it appeared to be a regular tree, but…

Morg pressed a finger into one of the many knots within the bark. Rather than feeling the hard and rough texture of wood beneath her fingertip, the tree gave a little. The knots were squishy. An eye furiously blinked open and glared at Morg in annoyance. Not long after she had arrived at Maisha’s hut- almost a year ago now- she had lost control of her mana and somehow covered this tree in eyes the same color as her own. She hadn’t really thought much of it at the time- there had been so many things happening that day, and the funny tree had been quickly pushed to the back of her mind, forgotten.

But over the weeks, she realized she had memories of events that she didn’t remember witnessing in person. Visions of this area filled her mind, as if she had sat here watching from this exact spot for a very long time. It wasn’t unpleasant or particularly jarring. It just… was. And so Morg slowly began paying better attention to this strange tree. Songbai, too, seemed oddly fascinated with it, saying it was a unique use of transformation magic. Her mentor even went so far as to ask Morg all sorts of questions about her experience with the tree- what visions she saw through its eyes, what sensations she felt through her connection to it, how exactly the scenes appeared in her mind…

Is this magic… really so unusual?

Morg looked at the deep green eyeball rolling around within the wood.

“Morg! You out here?” Songbai called from the house.

“Song Laoshi!” Morg cried, hopping up and running over to her mentor.

“Oho, there you are! Get yourself ready, Baigu and I are taking you girls on a trip!” Songbai declared, placing a hand on Baigu’s fluffy head. The wolf let out an excited ‘woof!’ of agreement and began wagging her tail.

Morg cried out ecstatically, her face lighting up with a smile. Without skipping a beat, she rushed inside to change into more durable clothes and pack her overnight essentials. Xisa, though seemingly less enthused, was already inside and packing a small bag.

“But Song Laoshi, I thought we were supposed to practice transformation magic and the Wandering Runes tomorrow with you and Maisha,” Morg mused curiously as she gathered her things together.

“Maisha has been feeling a bit under the weather, so we’re gonna give her a break and let her rest,” Songbai explained. Morg widened her eyes and nodded rapidly.

When the girls finished their preparations, Songbai began drawing a complex symbol on the door.

“Where are we going this time Song Laoshi?” Morg asked enthusiastically. “Camping in the Olympic Mountains? Or backpacking along the Great Wall again? Or somewhere new?!”

Songbai tousled Morg’s golden hair affectionately.

“You’ll see.”

*

“Help! Helllpp! Huuuu…”

“S-Song Laoshi, someone’s crying!” Morg exclaimed. “We should- hup!”

Songbai snatched Morg’s collar and hauled her back by her side before the girl could run off. Xisa remained still, but the elder witch put her other hand on the girl’s shoulder just in case.

“That, girls, is a Crone’s Tongue,” Songbai said. “Stay close, it’s dangerous out here.”

As Songbai began to walk along the soggy forest floor, Morg and Xisa followed cautiously behind. The Wandering Rune Songbai drew had led the three witches to a small village not unlike Cyewen called Baile Cailleach, though they had left before they saw anyone.

From the village, Songbai had led their little group into a nearby forest. Their hike started pleasantly, the forested wilderness a familiar setting for the girls. Songbai had led them through many short hikes before, and had even taken them on longer overnight trips. Though as the afternoon drew on, the solid, dry paths of the woods soon shifted into a slick muddiness.

Morg frowned when she stepped in a particularly squishy patch of sludge, thankful for the waterproofing spell Songbai had cast on her boots.

“A… Crone’s Tongue…?” Morg asked after a while of silence. “What’s a Crone’s Tongue?”

Songbai smiled and beckoned the girls over to her side.

“Here, I’ll show you. Come stand here and look down there…” Songbai said, pointing at something a little ways down the steep side of the hill they stood atop. Morg and Xisa peered curiously through the swampy trees.

“It’s…! It’s a lady! Why is she crying?!” Morg asked in alarm. Songbai hummed thoughtfully.

“Watch closely.”

With a flick of her wrist, a nearby boulder dislodged itself from the ground and flung itself towards the woman, landing with a loud thud beside her. As soon as the dog-sized rock hit the ground, the earth beneath the woman collapsed and rows of huge teeth emerged from the ground.

“Kekekekeke!”

The raspy laughter of a woman whistled through the air. Morg watched in horror as the gleeful face of an elderly woman emerged from the earth, her wide open mouth large enough to swallow a horse whole. Her teeth snapped down with a sickening clacking noise, trapping the small boulder and crying woman in her mouth. But almost as soon as she had closed her mouth, she made a face of disappointment, her lips curling in disgust. Crinkling her nose, the face in the ground spat out the boulder, causing a rain of spittle and pebbles to come pattering down.

The wrinkly visage then began working her jaw, as if rolling something around on her tongue. When the face finally stilled, she began nestling herself back into the ground, dirt and foliage falling into the crooks of her wrinkles. Then she slightly parted her crusty lips and hucked somthing out of her mouth.

“Help! Helllpp!!!” came the distraught voice of a child. Morg stared at the little boy crying in place of the woman from before. Around the child, Morg could now just barely make out the features of the face in the earth- the lips wrapped around the sobbing boy like logs, the nose sticking out the the ground like a tree stump, the two half-lidded eyes covered in moss and little plants…

“The big face there uses its tongue to lure people in to eat,” Songbai explained, gesturing to the sobbing boy. “That kid there is it’s tongue.”

Morg and Xisa stared at the creature in awe- had things like this always existed in the world?!

“Now let’s go! I didn’t bring you two here to marvel at useless demons like this!”

Morg and Xisa scurried to follow.

“Then what’d we come here for?!” Morg asked with anticipation. Could it be something even more exciting than the Crone’s Tongue?

“Practice,” the elder witch responded curtly.

“What sort of practice?” Morg asked, her excitement only growing.

Songbai looked at Morg and Xisa and gave them a wry smile.

“Combat magic.”

*

“These,” Songbai said, gesturing to the black gooey slugs writhing on the ground around them, “are Bone Leeches. They’ll siphon a lot more than just your blood if you’re not careful. Now, there are many ways to attack a creature with magic; Watch closely.”

As she spoke, she waved a hand in the air and pointed at the closest leech. The slimy creature froze, its shape bubbling and contorting until all that was left in its place was a wriggling earthworm.

“Transformation magic is a great way to turn something dangerous into something harmless. As you know, transformation magic works best when you use your magic to turn a creature into something both similar to what it was before, and something simpler than it was before. For instance, while it's easy to turn these leeches into something like a worm, it would be difficult to turn it into, say, a bear. Not only is the bear larger than the leech, with more muscles, organs, fur, and so on; it is also a completely different creature in terms of shape and style. Try turning a leech into a bear, and you’ll risk a backfire where the creature reverts back to its original form before you can stop it.”

Songbai turned to a leech sneaking up behind Morg and pointed at it. A static charge filled the air as a tiny bolt of electricity shot from Songbai’s finger and landed squarely on the leech.

“Elemental magic is also excellent for straightforwardly eliminating any danger,” she said, whipping out her fan when the crisped leech began filling the air with an unpleasant stench.

“Of course, any magic type will have its own set of techniques- illusion magic might put your enemy into a fugue state, kinetic spells could be used to blast the danger far away or immobilize them, vanishing spells could cause a hole in the earth below them to open up and swallow them… it really depends on the type of magic you specialize in.”

Songbai flicked her wrist and a leech sneaking up behind Xisa turned into another earthworm.

“Now, I know you two aren’t yet quite comfortable with the transformation spells I’ve shown you, but why don’t you two give it a shot now?” Songbai said, gesturing to the leeches wriggling towards them. Xisa shifted uncomfortably. What if she lost control again? And with… combat magic…?!

“S-Song Laoshi,” Morg spoke up anxiously, “shouldn’t we focus on practicing something else? I’m worried that…”

“I understand you’re nervous,” Songbai interrupted, “And you should be- combat magic is usually something only well-seasoned witches practice. You two haven’t even decided on what types of magic you’d like to focus on, and your control of what you do have is atrocious.”

Morg looked sheepishly at her feet while Xisa frowned.

“But you two are not typical witches,” Songbai continued. “Your mana stores are already deep enough to rival those of adult witches, and at such an unprecedented age. And who knows how quickly your power will grow?”

Songbai clasped her hands behind her back and looked thoughtfully at the bone leeches wriggling towards them.

“Power without control is dangerous to both the caster and those around her. But understanding how to use your magic to attack- that is, understanding how your magic can be dangerous- will help you keep the dangerous elements of your abilities in check much faster than anything else.”

Xisa’s eyes momentarily widened before she gave a determined nod, while Morg swallowed hard and let out an anxious sigh.

“Breathe deeply, focus on what you want to do. If you need help remembering any of the spells you want to cast, just let me know,” Songbai coached them, pulling out her fan to leisurely fan herself. “And don’t let these leeches touch you. Now, begin!”