No. The answer was no. The blue crystal, the one Tsiann had risked so much for, wasn't powerful enough after all, and now her poor Mam was sure to die.
- Start -
"I'm not going to die, child." Her Mam told her as the Mage chuckled in the background. "What ever gave you that idea?"
Her mother was in bed, where she always was. Tsiann could remember a time where they would go into town, but it had been so long ago now that the memories were becoming cloudy and piecemeal. The Mage - he had said to call him Virgo, which she had giggled at - had taken her back home. "Escorted" was the word he used. Tsiann was starting to wonder if he just liked using big words for simple stuff.
Even though she had thanked him for helping her get the Opal he insisted on helping her get back home. She knew the way, she had told him. She didn't need any help with her Mam, she had said. No, he couldn't have the stone (He called it a crystal, and he called it blue. Was he blind?) and no he couldn't know why she needed it.
And then her Mam had made her tell. It was all very confusing. She had to hide all the time and lie about everything, but her Mam trusted the Mage? Wasn't he the one we were trying to hide from? Adults never made any sense.
So she told the whole story, of how she had found the Opal. She told them of what the inside of the wall was like, and of the choir that had been singing to her. She told them how she still heard their voices, and wanted to go back. The more she told them, the more concerned the Mage's face looked, and the bigger the smile was on Mam's.
Tsiann told them how powerful the Opal was, and how it might make Mam better, but the Mage had said that it wouldn't work like that, and Mam had agreed.
"You always told me that if you lost your Magic you'd die, and you've been in bed so long your Magic has to be gone which means you are going to die soon so I've been looking for Magic for a really long time and now you can't have any and so what else would I think was going to happen and-"
Words just kept coming out of Tsiann's mouth and tears started to follow. She felt her Mam's hand rest on the top of her head as her other wrapped around her back. Tsiann felt her mother pull her in close. She must have gotten up at some point...
Through a river of tears and snot a smile appeared on Tsiann's face. "Ma, wait!"
"Repose"
Tsiann was immediately washed over with a sense of calm. Her mind slowed, to one, single, thought at a time. Her entire body went loose, and she embraced the arms of her mother.
"Noooo.." She lulled.
"Yes, child." Her mother replied, voice as comforting as a thousand blankets. "You are too quick, you must slow down and see all that is around you."
Her mother laid Tsiann down in the large reading chair next to the window, and returned to her bed. She meandered her way into comfortableness, and then addressed the Mage. "I believe that Virgo might have some insight here. Please listen to him."
Tsiann threw her legs over one of the arm's of the chair, resting her head on the other. "Yes Ma."
Her mother threw her a look.
"Mother." Tsiann looked at the at the Mage. "Yes?"
"Well, young lady." The man was so proper, Tsiann almost laughed. "I am sure you are familiar with the Twelve Mages, and with me, the 6th. I am called Virgo, though that is more of a title than a name. Each of the Twelve has a specific role, and mine is in researching and finding stones just like the one you found. We call them Stones of Power, and they are the source of our Magic. The Twelve believe that they are the only sources of magic in this world."
"That's not true." Tsiann piped in.
"Yes," The Mage responded, a smirk appearing through his dark stubble. "Though sometimes it is more convenient to believe in something false."
"You see, Tsiann." He continued. "I met your mother years ago, almost a hundred now. When I first found this area. It was the source of many of these stones, and the other Mages sent me out here to gather them up and find out why. It was she that taught me the truth of this world - that we Mages stole the magic that we wield. Stole it from those like your mother, and yourself for that matter. The first Twelve stole Magic from the Wytches."
Tsiann looked at her mother, and her mother nodded back to the mage. "You guys are a hundred years old!?"
Her mother laughed, and the Mage looked confused. "I thought you'd be more interested in the Wytch part."
That got another rise out of her Mam. "Virgo, you dolt - I've never hid it from her. What kind of Wytch would I be if I hid Magic from my daughter. I just didn't tell her you knew as well - figured that would make it harder for her to keep quiet."
"Oh." All of the authority the Mage had wielded moments before had taken its leave. "So she doesn't know of our arrangement..."
Tsiann stood up from the chair - the effects of her mother's spell having worn off. "Wait. Are you my Dad!?"
Her mam laughed for a solid five minutes. Virgo was as red as a tomato the entire time. Tsiann simply waited in confusion.
"No, No, definitely not, little one." Her mother wiped a tear from her eye. "Though for what we are planning it might have been a good plan. No - your father was a traveling poet. I'm happy to tell you about him sometime."
"Huh." Tsiann replied. She had never given it much thought - her Mam had always been enough. She sat back down on the chair, processing all this new information as best as her 9* year old mind could.
The Mage cleared his throat. "To continue - The arrangement between your mother and I was this: As a Wytch, she would create new Stones of Power - and I would collect them to be used by the Mages."
"What?!" Tsiann stood up again, and turned to her mother. "Is that the reason you are always in bed? You are giving them Magic? Why would you do that if they stole it from us in the first place?!"
"Because of what I get out of it, Tsiann the Quick." Her mother had a smile. The kind she only got when she knew she was right. Tsiann hated it.
"And what is that?"
"In return, I would train her eventual daughter to be my successor."
Tsiann looked at both of them, with as much confused anger a 9 year old could muster.
"It would have to be in secret. To the rest of the town you would simply be my assistant - but you would receive the kind of training a Wytch of your stature deserves. And eventually, you might even be able to take back Magic itself from the rest of the Twelve."
Tsiann sat back down. This time on the floor. It was too much for her brain to process. "Would I have to live with you? Leave my Mam?"
It was her mother who answered. "Of course not! This isn't some silly fairy tale. You'd stay here with me, and I would help fix all of the bad habits he's inevitably going to give you."
Tsiann found herself wrapped in her mother's embrace for the second time today. "Even better, you could start helping me creating those Opals - which means I'd have enough energy to get out of that damn bed."
"Deal."
Her mom leaned back, holding Tsiann at arm's length. "Really? I thought you'd be much more stubborn."
"If it means you'll be well again," She gestured at the Mage with her thumb. "I'd clean his tower top to bottom for 6 months straight."
* Author's note: I have Retconned Tsiann's age to be 9 from Part 3.
Even though she had thanked him for helping her get the Opal he insisted on helping her get back home. She knew the way, she had told him. She didn't need any help with her Mam, she had said. No, he couldn't have the stone (He called it a crystal, and he called it blue. Was he blind?) and no he couldn't know why she needed it.
And then her Mam had made her tell. It was all very confusing. She had to hide all the time and lie about everything, but her Mam trusted the Mage? Wasn't he the one we were trying to hide from? Adults never made any sense.
So she told the whole story, of how she had found the Opal. She told them of what the inside of the wall was like, and of the choir that had been singing to her. She told them how she still heard their voices, and wanted to go back. The more she told them, the more concerned the Mage's face looked, and the bigger the smile was on Mam's.
Tsiann told them how powerful the Opal was, and how it might make Mam better, but the Mage had said that it wouldn't work like that, and Mam had agreed.
"You always told me that if you lost your Magic you'd die, and you've been in bed so long your Magic has to be gone which means you are going to die soon so I've been looking for Magic for a really long time and now you can't have any and so what else would I think was going to happen and-"
Words just kept coming out of Tsiann's mouth and tears started to follow. She felt her Mam's hand rest on the top of her head as her other wrapped around her back. Tsiann felt her mother pull her in close. She must have gotten up at some point...
Through a river of tears and snot a smile appeared on Tsiann's face. "Ma, wait!"
"Repose"
Tsiann was immediately washed over with a sense of calm. Her mind slowed, to one, single, thought at a time. Her entire body went loose, and she embraced the arms of her mother.
"Noooo.." She lulled.
"Yes, child." Her mother replied, voice as comforting as a thousand blankets. "You are too quick, you must slow down and see all that is around you."
Her mother laid Tsiann down in the large reading chair next to the window, and returned to her bed. She meandered her way into comfortableness, and then addressed the Mage. "I believe that Virgo might have some insight here. Please listen to him."
Tsiann threw her legs over one of the arm's of the chair, resting her head on the other. "Yes Ma."
Her mother threw her a look.
"Mother." Tsiann looked at the at the Mage. "Yes?"
"Well, young lady." The man was so proper, Tsiann almost laughed. "I am sure you are familiar with the Twelve Mages, and with me, the 6th. I am called Virgo, though that is more of a title than a name. Each of the Twelve has a specific role, and mine is in researching and finding stones just like the one you found. We call them Stones of Power, and they are the source of our Magic. The Twelve believe that they are the only sources of magic in this world."
"That's not true." Tsiann piped in.
"Yes," The Mage responded, a smirk appearing through his dark stubble. "Though sometimes it is more convenient to believe in something false."
"You see, Tsiann." He continued. "I met your mother years ago, almost a hundred now. When I first found this area. It was the source of many of these stones, and the other Mages sent me out here to gather them up and find out why. It was she that taught me the truth of this world - that we Mages stole the magic that we wield. Stole it from those like your mother, and yourself for that matter. The first Twelve stole Magic from the Wytches."
Tsiann looked at her mother, and her mother nodded back to the mage. "You guys are a hundred years old!?"
Her mother laughed, and the Mage looked confused. "I thought you'd be more interested in the Wytch part."
That got another rise out of her Mam. "Virgo, you dolt - I've never hid it from her. What kind of Wytch would I be if I hid Magic from my daughter. I just didn't tell her you knew as well - figured that would make it harder for her to keep quiet."
"Oh." All of the authority the Mage had wielded moments before had taken its leave. "So she doesn't know of our arrangement..."
Tsiann stood up from the chair - the effects of her mother's spell having worn off. "Wait. Are you my Dad!?"
Her mam laughed for a solid five minutes. Virgo was as red as a tomato the entire time. Tsiann simply waited in confusion.
"No, No, definitely not, little one." Her mother wiped a tear from her eye. "Though for what we are planning it might have been a good plan. No - your father was a traveling poet. I'm happy to tell you about him sometime."
"Huh." Tsiann replied. She had never given it much thought - her Mam had always been enough. She sat back down on the chair, processing all this new information as best as her 9* year old mind could.
The Mage cleared his throat. "To continue - The arrangement between your mother and I was this: As a Wytch, she would create new Stones of Power - and I would collect them to be used by the Mages."
"What?!" Tsiann stood up again, and turned to her mother. "Is that the reason you are always in bed? You are giving them Magic? Why would you do that if they stole it from us in the first place?!"
"Because of what I get out of it, Tsiann the Quick." Her mother had a smile. The kind she only got when she knew she was right. Tsiann hated it.
"And what is that?"
"In return, I would train her eventual daughter to be my successor."
Tsiann looked at both of them, with as much confused anger a 9 year old could muster.
"It would have to be in secret. To the rest of the town you would simply be my assistant - but you would receive the kind of training a Wytch of your stature deserves. And eventually, you might even be able to take back Magic itself from the rest of the Twelve."
Tsiann sat back down. This time on the floor. It was too much for her brain to process. "Would I have to live with you? Leave my Mam?"
It was her mother who answered. "Of course not! This isn't some silly fairy tale. You'd stay here with me, and I would help fix all of the bad habits he's inevitably going to give you."
Tsiann found herself wrapped in her mother's embrace for the second time today. "Even better, you could start helping me creating those Opals - which means I'd have enough energy to get out of that damn bed."
"Deal."
Her mom leaned back, holding Tsiann at arm's length. "Really? I thought you'd be much more stubborn."
"If it means you'll be well again," She gestured at the Mage with her thumb. "I'd clean his tower top to bottom for 6 months straight."
- End -
* Author's note: I have Retconned Tsiann's age to be 9 from Part 3.
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