Chapter 29

“I wonder when Maisha will return!” a young witch with dark features and a lopsided grin mused as she walked down Cyewen’s cobblestone paths. “It’s been a while now since she and Baba Yaga left, right?”

The dark-skinned witch beside her laughed.

“Leyli, why are you always trying to suck up to Maisha, hm?” she asked with a sly smile. “Trying again to get an introduction to a certain Untouchable?”

Leyli pouted her lips.

“You say that as if it's impossible, but she already introduced me once!” she cried, casting a glance at the witch beside her. “Don’t patronize me, Naomi!”

Naomi’s grin broadened, her eyes glinting with an almost malicious laughter as Leyli continued speaking.

“She will definitely introduce me. And this time, maybe Yaga will teach me something!” Leyli declared enthusiastically. “If she’s willing to teach someone like Maisha, surely she’ll realize that I’m a much better candidate and begin teaching me as well. With her wisdom, I’ll be able to learn things even our professors don’t know!”

After a brief moment of silence, Leyli began babbling again.

“Did you know that Yaga can fly around in her giant mortar? Isn’t that so cool!? I hope I can also do something like that someday.”

Songbai, walking only a step or two behind them, couldn’t help but scoff when she overheard their conversation.

“What’s cool about flying around in a big bowl? Why make it harder on yourself when you can just use a broom? She’s just showing off,” the young Songbai declared haughtily.

“You’re one to talk, Song!” Leyli had said, scrunching up her nose. “You can’t even ride a broom!”

Songbai’s expression settled into a sharp glare, her fists clenched.

“Ay! Naomi, help! She’s gonna try to punch me again!” Leyli cried, diving behind her friend. Naoimi glanced lazily at the two of them, her lips curling up into a devilish smirk.

“Song-song~” Naomi intoned, “I get that you’re insecure about your magic, but don’t take it out on us~ It’s not our fault that your aptitude is so low!”

Naomi reached out and grabbed Songbai by the collar of her shirt, pulling her so close that Songbai could see her reflection in Naomi’s eyes.

“Who knows? Maybe if you practice enough, you’ll be able to catch yourself before you trip next time,” Naomi smirked as she shoved Songbai to the ground.

“Oof-” Songbai groaned when she landed on her back. Leyli snickered, her brown eyes curving up in delight.

“Come on guys,” came a voice from behind Songbai. “Stop bullying the kid, you know she can’t defend herself.”

Tsiory held his hand out to Songbai and yanked her back to her feet.

“Don’t worry, Song-song,” Tsiory said in a serious tone with a hand on Songbai’s shoulder. “There are plenty of other ways to get around, even without a broom. For instance, you could ask a friend to take you somewhere on their broom. Oh, but I suppose you would have to… ahem… have friends.” The sharp grin he had apparently been fighting back suddenly crept up his face, his eyes gleaming. Songbai shot him a glare and wrestled her way out of his grasp.

“Hahaha, Tsiory, you scared me!” Leyli cried. “I thought you might actually be siding with her for a second!”

Tsiory scoffed and shot Leyli a deriding look before heading into the school building.

“He’s right, though,” Leyli said to Songbai after a moment of thought. “There are other ways to get around. If you can’t ever ride a broom, maybe you can build a hut like Baba Yaga’s! Her hen-legged hut can go anywhere, and even if it's a little slower, all your possessions will be transported to wherever you need them as well, so really it's even better than riding a broom!”

Songbai scowled.

“I would never ever build a hut like that!” she firmly declared through clenched teeth.

Naomi laughed and clapped Songbai on the back so hard that she lost her breath for a moment.

“Aaahahaha, Songbai, you’re so funny! You speak as if you could build something like that even if you wanted to! You know how clever her magic was to make that hut? Forget mana and skill, you don’t even have a familiar!! Whose soul would you use then, hm? Only a familiar would be unequivocally loyal- any other soul would run off with all your belongings as soon as it could move!”

Songbai smacked away the arm that had wrapped around her shoulders and glowered at Naomi.

“Why would I sacrifice my familiar for some stupid walking house?!” Songbai snapped.

“Oh? I would never sacrifice my Ala either, even if it seems interesting. But what if your familiar was something like a chicken?” Naomi mused. “Ala herself says she’d rather be sacrificed for me than be a useless thing. In the end, it was a mercy on Yaga’s part to create something so ingenious out of her familiar’s life.”

“Just shut up,” Songbai muttered as she wove her way around Leyli and Naomi and strode towards the school house.

“Oh! Maisha, you’re back!” Leyli suddenly exclaimed, causing Songbai to whip around. Songbai craned her neck, searching for Maisha, only to realize a beat too late that she had been tricked. Songbai clenched her fists and scowled at Leyli.

“Ahahaha, Songbai, you’re too easy to tease, haha! Did you actually think that snake of a girl had returned?” Leyli cackled. “Hahaha, be careful Song-song! If you’re too gullible, your life will end quickly!”

Naomi smirked.

“Why are you so infatuated with her anyways? She never pays you any attention when she’s here,” Naomi remarked. “And you don’t even like Yaga- what’s the point of befriending someone useless like that if not for getting to Yaga through her?”

The genuine curiosity in her voice only incensed Songbai further. In a flash, Songbai leapt towards Naomi, her fist barrelling towards her face. But almost as soon as Songbai moved, vines sprang up from the ground and tangled around her legs, causing her to crash painfully into the ground.

Naomi flicked her wrist and the vines all receded back into the soil. With a tight smile, the sly little witch stepped closer to Songbai and stared down at her.

“No matter how many days, months, or years you spend practicing, you will never catch up with me, Song-song,” she said sweetly. “So don’t even try to touch me.”

Songbai watched darkly as Naomi steadily walked towards the school building, Leyli following closely behind her. After taking a couple of moments to stare up at the sky, Songbai scrambled to her feet, dusted herself off, and followed after the rest of her coven into the schoolhouse.

“Today we will be learning about the underlying chemistry of potion-building,” Professor Mariam said as she pulled a cloth off the top of a bubbling cauldron. “As you all know, this is the potion we brewed together last class, containing foxglove, beebalm, stinging nettle…”

Songbai stared out the window of the classroom as Mariam droned on about the contents of the potion and what ways each ingredient affected the brew’s overall chemistry. She felt a paper ball hit the back of her head, but paid it no mind- she simply assumed Hana was throwing things at her again.

“Hello everyone!” came a voice at the front of the classroom. “I’m sorry I’m late today!”

Songbai snapped her head up.

“No worries, Miss Maisha,” Mariam said with a tight smile. “Take your seat and pay attention for now. I’m sure one of your classmates will be more than happy to fill you in on what you missed after class.”

Maisha nodded and worked her way to the back of the classroom. Songbai couldn’t help but follow her with her eyes. Maisha’s cheeks were a warm sienna and her hair had grown fuller since Songbai had last seen her. She wore a pair of round glasses on her face, outlining her dark and shining eyes, and she seemed to have come here barefoot.

At the back of the classroom, Naomi slid her chair closer to Maisha and began whispering something in her ear. Maisha stifled a giggle, her smile spreading across her face like a ray of sunlight. Maisha looked up and locked eyes with Songbai.

Songbai whipped her head back around to face the front of the classroom, her heart hammering in her chest.

They’re acting like they’re her friends again, Songbai thought in annoyance after calming down a bit. When they talk so rudely about her behind her back.

And it wasn’t just Naomi and Leyli. Everyone in their coven was like that, and even some of their professors. In the end, most of Maisha’s interactions with others were flavored by her association with Yaga. And how could they not be? At the time when elder witches looking for apprentices first agreed to gather for the purpose of teaching the youngest generation, they had collectively decided to meet in Cyewen, the home of Baba Yaga.

Yaga was a well known philanthropist- there was no way she would take action against the young witches. And while she might not go out of her way to protect them and their mentors, anyone with ill-intentions would think twice before targeting the home of Baba Yaga. Even the other Untouchable witches couldn’t afford to offend that ancient hag.

So when Yaga, the foundation of Cyewen’s witch community, took on a little apprentice, of course that plain little apprentice’s identity became ‘Yaga’s apprentice’ more so than ‘Maisha.’ The fact that Maisha’s skills and talents were wholly unimpressive only further solidified that identity.

The day droned on and eventually it was time for their classes to end. Songbai wandered outside and into the warm afternoon sunlight. Watching her classmates and their familiars filing out before her, Songbai’s thoughts turned to the subject of whether her own familiar would ever find her or not. And if not… did that mean that no one would want to take her in as an apprentice next year?

As if I need a mentor, Songbai thought bitterly. I’ll learn on my own if I have to.

Songbai started when a cold raindrop fell on her face. She looked up at the darkening sky and sighed. Songbai tried taking a step forward, but found her feet had sunken into the muddy ground. Rain began pouring down, drenching her face in water. But as the rain kept falling endlessly from the sky, it started to become thick and sticky, as if some great beast were standing over her, salivating. Songbai tried wiping the viscous fluid out of her eyes with her sleeve, but quickly realized that her actions were futile and if anything, she was only gathering slime onto her sleeves and hands.

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Great vines then sprouted again from the ground and began wrapping themselves around Songbai’s body. But as they grew larger, they began to grow excruciatingly heavy and warm, dragging her to the ground. Thick fur sprouted from their leaves, tickling her nose and making it difficult to breathe as the sticky rain continued to gum up her eyes and drip into her mouth.

Songbai awoke gasping and disoriented, to the sight of Baigu splayed on top her, licking her face with the utmost dedication.

“Off, off, get ooffff!” Songbai groaned, pushing the heavy mass of furr and limbs off of her body. “Seriously, how many times have I told you not to lay on top of me like that,” Songbai muttered as she wiped the slime off her face with her sleeves. When her face was sufficiently clean, she reached out a hand to rub Baigu’s wooly head.

Sorry, master, Baigu said sheepishly in Songbai’s mind as she rested her head on Songbai’s thigh, her tail thumping against the floor.

“Haa, look at you, you’re not sorry at all you little mischief-maker,” Songbai scolded, gently smacking the white wolf on the head. Baigu didn’t say anything in response, but her tail began thumping harder.

Songbai smiled gently and began massaging the white wolf’s ears, but her heart had begun to feel a bit melancholic.

I really was a late bloomer, wasn’t I, she mused as she thought back on her dream. Baigu couldn’t even find me until I was almost 17.

Songbai sighed and stared into the glowing embers of the fire.

“No matter how many days, months, or years I spend practicing, I’ll never catch up with you, right Naomi?” Songbai muttered with a grim smile. “But how many years has it been since you died? In all this time, have I still not caught up to you?”

Sensing Songbai’s rapidly darkening mood, Baigu began nosing the elder witch’s palm, the slightly moist snoot dragging Songbai out of her thoughts. Songbai let out a long sigh. Most of her coven had already died decades ago. And while she had not been particularly close to any of them, she had never wished them harm. If anything… she felt a bit miffed that they had all left without witnessing how far she had come.

But for all she knew, she and Maisha were the only ones left. Everyone else in their coven had either been killed publicly, or disappeared without a trace. Songbai wasn’t sure how she herself had managed to survive for so long when the rest of her coven had gotten so unlucky. No doubt her habits of solitude had helped keep her out of trouble. Most witches didn’t even know her name.

On the other hand, Maisha was a well known witch even outside of the witch community sheerly due to her close relationship with Yaga. An association that had been more than enough to keep her safe over the years…

After a little while longer of rubbing Baigu’s ears and staring off in thought, Songbai stood and made her way over to the tapestry hanging on the wall. After rebuilding the house, she had changed the hidden door to Maisha’s room from being in the fireplace to being behind a warm-toned tapestry; it was simply more convenient in the wintertime when the fireplace was lit almost every night.

Songbai walked down the dark steps to Maisha’s room, but hesitated just outside. Then, with a deep breath, she rapped on the door.

No answer.

Songbai knocked again.

When still no one answered, Songbai frowned and creaked the door open, afraid the idiot witch had used up all her mana and passed out again. Luckily this was not the case; Maisha sat on the floor with her crystal ball in front of her, seemingly in some sort of trance. Songbai softly entered the room and sat down across from her. Closing her eyes, she patiently waited for her fellow witch to awaken.

Right as Songbai’s head began drooping with sleep, Maisha’s glazed over eyes sharply came into focus, and the elder witch let out a short exclamation of surprise.

“Ah! Songbai!”

Songbai snapped her head up.

“Yes!”

Maisha’s initially surprised expression settled into a look of annoyance.

“What are you doing here?”

Songbai blinked rapidly, refocusing the thoughts that had begun drifting off with sleep.

“I… have been thinking a lot lately… about our early years in Cyewen,” the elder witch said slowly. Maisha let out an impatient sigh.

“So great, you want to reminisce. But why exactly did you feel the need to once again enter my private room without my permission? And at this time of night? Why don’t we chat tomorrow when we’re both well rested,” Maisha suggested, standing up and gesturing at the door.

Songbai remained silent, her eyes lowered.

Maisha crossed her arms and frowned.

“What now? Why are you so silent?” Maisha snapped in annoyance.

“Maisha I-” Songbai raised her eyes to meet Maisha’s gaze. “I-I… I……”

When Songbai trailed off like a stuttering fool, Maisha’s sour expression shifted to one of perplexity. This witch who always seemed so self-assured and confident was now looking at Maisha with an expression like… like…

Maisha frowned. What was that expression?

“Actually I had always wanted to be friends with you,” Songbai suddenly confessed. “Since the moment I first saw you.”

Maisha blinked slowly, her heart feeling complicated and her mind trying to work out exactly what Songbai was trying to say.

“And still I… I want to be closer to you. So if there’s something going on, you can tell me. I have always-”

“Ah, so it’s this again,” Maisha interrupted. “Why do you keep trying to pry into my business, hm? What exactly is it that you want me to tell you?”

Songbai frowned.

“I just… want to help-”

“And why would you assume I need or even want that from you?” Maisha asked, her tone growing icy. “Stop pushing me, and stay out of my affairs.”

“Why?!” Songbai snapped, leaping to her feet. “Why should I?! I’m here! I’m entangled with all this mess! Did you forget how I wound up here? You and your ridiculous fate magic! Whether intentionally or not, you brought me here! So why should I stay out of your business? When it affects me as well?!”

“So what if it was magic or coincidence that brought you here!?” Maisha cried in frustration. “It’s not as if I’m forcing you to stay!”

A short silence settled in the room before Maisha spoke up again.

“You can leave at any moment. If you don’t want to be here, then just go,” she said evenly, turning her back to Songbai as she replaced her crystal ball on its table.

Songbai clenched and unclenched her jaw before letting out a long sigh.

“No. That’s… not what I’m trying to say,” she said quietly, following Maisha across the room. “I don’t want to go.”

“Then what are you trying to say!?” Maisha snapped, whipping back around. “What do you want from me? Why do you keep pestering me with this?!”

Songbai closed the space between the two of them and reached out for one of Maisha’s hands.

“I just… I want you to know you can trust me. That I’m here for you. To help if-”

“Here for me? Don’t make me laugh,” Maisha said darkly, smacking Songbai’s hand away. “When have you been here for me? You left the island as soon as you were able to and never looked back. In the face of decades, you have been here for one year. And you have the audacity to say that you’re here for me?”

“Wha- why should I have been!? Did you want me to be here? Why are you bringing up the past?! I’m here now!” Songbai cried, her genuine confusion only fanning the flames of her mounting frustration. “The past is the past! But I am here for you right now! In the present!”

“Right,” Maisha sneered. “And would you still be here for me if Baba Yaga came back tomorrow? Or would you turn tail and flee.”

Songbai’s expression darkened.

“What kind of question is that. When you are the one who would drop everything to run back to your precious mentor,” Songbai seethed. “Why is it that I must stay here with someone so loathsome when you could just as easily leave the island with me.”

“So you would not stay,” Maisha stated flatly. Songbai clenched her fist. Something about the tone of Maisha’s voice was making her chest feel stuffy.

“What reason would I have to stay if Yaga returned!?” Songbai yelled. “What reason would there be then?! She can protect you better than anyone else, can do anything I can a hundred times better, so why should I stay!?”

Songbai turned her back on Maisha and jammed a fist against her head.

“I just don’t understand!!” she cried, half hysterical. “Why must you insist on siding with someone like her? Everyone else? FINE. But you? Surely you know her better than anyone, so how can you not see her for what she truly is?! Just because everyone else pedestalizes her you would follow them? Is that it?! I’m sorry, but that’s the one thing I cannot do. If Yaga returns, and you decide to remain here, with her, then fine. I suppose I wouldn’t be here. For you. But that would be your own decision,” Songbai stated firmly, stealing a glance at Maisha. “If you stand by her, you don’t need me. And if you stand by her, I don’t want to be here with you.”

A look of desperation flashed across Maisha’s face before her expression turned neutral again.

“Well there you have it then. You would not be here for me,” Maisha stated in a tone that made Songbai flinch. “I’m tired. Now will you please leave so I can-”

“So you’ll choose to stay here with her when she returns, then,” Songbai interrupted, her eyes burning as she turned to look at Maisha. “You will choose to keep the girls here with her?! I always thought you were smart, Maisha, but maybe you’re really as slow as the rumors say!”

Songbai let out a mirthless laugh, her voice steadily rising.

“You think the girls will be safe?! When over half of the children she ‘rescues’ are never heard from again! When everyone around her scrambles to make up excuses for her! For the things she has done that everyone just accepts! Things she still does!! I thought you of all people would see that, but it seems I was wrong- you’re the same as all the others! Blinded!”

“-out,” Maisha muttered in a voice too low to hear.

“What,” Songbai snapped back, anger leaking into her voice.

“Get. Out.” Maisha choked out through clenched teeth, shoving Songbai towards the door. “GET OUT!”

When Songbai caught sight of Maisha’s red-rimmed eyes and dark glare, she paused for a brief moment, stunned, before the fire in her heart leapt up again.

“WHY!? YOU’RE STILL TAKING UP FOR HER?!’ she cried, stepping back towards Maisha. “WHY?!”

Maisha stepped back, her expression crumpling.

“ARE YOU SLOW? DIDN’T YOU JUST SAY YOU KNOW WHAT SHE WAS LIKE? AND YOU THINK I HAD A CHOICE?! YOU THINK I CHOSE TO BE HER APPRENTICE?! THAT I ENJOYED LIVING UNDER HER THUMB?! BUT WHAT ELSE COULD I DO?” Maisha screamed, her voice cracking.

Songbai froze, her eyes wide with shock.

“What could I have done differently?” Maisha repeated herself almost desperately, as she ran a hand halfway through her thick black hair, her breathing suddenly ragged. “Of course I know what she was like. But she wanted me by her side. She was the most powerful witch in the world. How could I resist her? I would not have been able to outrun her. I would not have been able to hide from her. I would not have been able to fight her. So what else could I do but stand obediently by her side, living a life that was not my own?”

Songbai grabbed Maisha’s trembling hands and pulled her closer.

“Why…” Songbai began, her mouth suddenly dry and her voice hoarse. “Why are you speaking of her in past tense?”

Maisha closed her eyes and leaned into Songbai’s chest, her face hidden within the folds of Songbai’s clothes.

“I am not omnipotent,” she whispered, her voice thick, as if holding back tears. “But I have seen certain key events in the future.”

Maisha took a deep and shuddering breath.

“Even though they are walking targets. Even though their magic is volatile and prone to backfiring against me… Why do you think I took those two girls under my wing?”

Songbai softly squeezed Maisha’s hands, her heart pounding so fast she thought it might leap out of her chest.

“I am someone who would not be able to keep their life if another witch wished to take it. I don’t have a lot of mana. I don’t specialize in combat or defense magic. But I know how to play my odds, and I know how to manipulate fate to a certain extent,” Maisha explained bitterly. She kept her face buried in Songbai’s collar, her expression hidden and her voice somewhat muffled.

“The Untouchable witches cannot tolerate any existence that could threaten their lives, or the balance struck between them and their powers. I do not know how they will find out.”

Maisha said wearily as she leaned further into Songbai.

“And so I… am not sure if this is a fate that I can avoid…” she whispered.

Songbai swallowed, hoping that she was interpreting Maisha’s words wrong. After a moment of stillness, Songbai removed one of her hands from Maisha’s and slid it into the other witch’s pocket. She then took a step back and pressed the cold stone into Maisha’s hands. The hagstone was exactly as she remembered it; pale and flat, with a hole straight through its center.

“The creation of a hagstone requires the soul of an Untouchable,” Songbai stated in a low voice as she gently grabbed Maisha’s shoulders and stooped to scrutinize her expression.

“You got the hagstone from Yaga,” Songbai said, watching as Maisha’s eyes glossed over with tears and her brows tilted upwards in despair. “But she did not give it to you. Did she.”

Maisha swallowed and looked up at Songbai. She had always been a master over her expressions and actions. But now, all those layers seemed to peel away to reveal the fear and apprehension residing in her heart.

“Songbai,” she choked out, tears dripping down her cheeks.

“I killed Baba Yaga.”