Chương 3: Magical Static

"If this is the same symbol, it's called a sigil of summoning or calling forth. Apparently, when accompanied by a mirror, it helps a witch 'call' another person with the nearest reflective surface to said person." Sabina read out loud.

"What does that even mean?" Haidee questioned.

"I have no idea, and we'll probably never know since none of us is a witch, and magic is banned." Sabina replied with sadness.

"Uh…actually." I hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure about that."

"What do you mean by that?" Sabina asked, as her and Dee looked at me with confusion.

"Well, I mean think about it. Like, what we just read, and then finding this in a witch book. All in a place where my mother loved to come. Plus, we're all still clueless as to how she died, and isn't it suspicious how my father banned magic and the supernatural right after she died?" I pointed out. "Plus, I'm not eighteen until midnight tonight."

"Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Haidee inquired while looking at me like I just told her the sky was yellow.

I just stood there with nothing else to add as Sabina was mulling over what I just inferred. She looked at me with analytical eyes and said, "Those are some pretty brave, but valid points. You might be onto something. And darn it, why is it that the one book that could give us more information, is the book that was used to hide the calling compact?"

"Whoa, woah, woah, you can't seriously agree with her, Bina. It's absurd. This whole notion is absurd!" Dee cried in disbelief.

"Shhhh, quite down," Sabina scolded. "You don't want us to get caught. Especially now, of all times. We need to see if we can find another book on what it's like when a witch comes of age. Like what will happen on their eighteenth birthday."

"Good idea, Bina," I agreed as Bina and I headed back to the wiccan section.

"This is ridiculous!" Dee whisper shouted as she begrudgingly followed behind us. "For the record, I think you're both nuts!"

"Better nuts and wrong, than right and unprepared," I retorted.

***

-Unknown POV-

There's something in the air, I can feel it. It's like the world is on the cusp of some sort of big change, but I can't tell what it is. I woke up with this feeling of discomfort, and it's unsettling.

I prop my elbows up on my desk in front of me and rub my temples. This feeling is giving me a headache. Maybe I should take a break from this paperwork. Standing up, I meander over to the windows in my office and gaze at the city below.

I wonder if they can feel it too—the disturbance. I have this notion that it can't just be me.

"Rikard!" I called out.

"Yes, master?"

"Do you feel something…off? As if the air is slowly but gradually electrifying?"

"A little bit, sire, but it might just be because I am not as old and powerful as you are." he said respectfully. "What might you think it is?"

"Magic. Specifically a new form of magic" I answered. "Bring me something for my headache, and please, send for the head meister. I would like to pick his brain about this."

"As you wish, master." He bowed and exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

I stood and waited for the meister. It wasn't long before there was a knock announcing his arrival with Rikard.

"You may enter." I answered.

"Here is your drink, sire. Freshly acquired this morning. It should relieve your ailment." Rickard announced, handing me the goblet. "Do you wish for me to stay or would you rather I take my leave?"

"Stay," I requested. "You may have some knowledge that I do not. You may also provide a different perspective."

Rikard gave a nod as I acknowledged the presence of Meister Dravis. He is the oldest of the meisters at 847, and is quite knowledgeable in the history of the continent.

He bowed and began, "Good noontime, sire. I assume you have requested my presence due to the magic static that has shifted the air?"

So, he felt it too. Who am I kidding, of course he did. He's the head meister for a reason.

"Yes, Meister Dravis. You are correct. It woke me this morning with a dull headache, and it hasn't gone away." I informed him as I took a sip of my drink. Just one sip has already started to relieve my pain. I take another before I question further. "What can you tell me about it?"

"Ah, yes. It has been quite some time since I felt it. I believe it is the coming of age of a witch."

Rikard's eyebrows and gaze shot up from the floor to the meister in surprise. Taken aback as well, I questioned him further. "What do you mean a witch? I thought they and their daughters were rounded up and all burned at the stake in Gobet around ten years ago? It can't be."

"Of course it can," he responded simply. "The young witch in question must have been well hidden and survived."

"But how can that be? The elves and fae claimed otherwise."

"The elves and fae must have been wrong then." Meister Dravis responded without a beat. "I know how the magic static works, and trust me, this is the coming of age of a young witch. It cannot be anything else."

"I don't doubt your knowledge meister, my apologies. I am just in disbelief, that's all."

He nodded in understanding. "I have brought some records of the witches that existed before The Great Hunt. Would you like to see them? I figured you would want them so we could try to solve who this mysterious witch might be."

"You figured correctly, meister, as always." I responded with a smile and a slight raise of my glass. "Rikard, do you mind taking a few pages as well, to help us look?"

"Yes, sire. It would be my pleasure." he answered.

We read through the pages for quite some time. My glass was long emptied, and though it did relieve my headache for some time, regretfully, it was back, and stronger than before. "Ahem," I cleared my throat, "Rikard, would you mind getting me another glass when you are done with the page you are on?"

"Of course, master." he responded with swiftness. He continued his page and spoke after a minute with uncertainty, "I may have something, sire. However, I am not quite sure. It might be a stretch." He motioned for me to take a look at the page he was reading while he poured me another drink.

I grasped the page and skimmed the names. "Who caught your eye?"

"Lana Violet, sire." His statement sounded more like a question. "I think she may have been the queen of Criba. If my memory serves correctly, Violet was her maiden name."

"By the gods he's right," Meister Dravis exclaimed with disbelief. "Lady Lana Violet married King Rurik Windsor of Criba and became queen. They had one child. A daughter, named Estelle Joyce Windsor. I don't believe Estelle is listed on any of these pages. How did the elves miss that? Queen Lana must have given them her maiden name when they captured her, and they must not have thought about it in their haste to burn all the witches."

"If this is true," Dravis added, "if the Lana Violet listed is the same person as Queen Lana Windsor, then that means Princess Estelle of the Kingdom of Criba is the witch who is coming of age. She could very well be the young woman causing the magical static. And now that I think about it--," he paused mid-thought, "--I do believe I heard that she turns eighteen tomorrow. They are hosting an engagement ball tomorrow night for her to pick a husband before claiming the throne."

As the words came out of their mouths, to say I was shocked would be an understatement. "Right, so assuming that Princess Estelle is the young witch-to-be, how do we keep her from being discovered by the elves and fae? I mean, they have to be feeling the change in magical static, too, correct meister?"

"Yes, you are correct, sire. They will definitely feel the change. However, if they overlooked their mistake before, chances are they will do it again, so that should buy us some time to come up with a plan."

"Fair enough, good work gentleman. Take a break, think of a plan, and come back at sundown. We need to act fast. The poor girl probably doesn't know she's a witch." I commanded. "Meister Dravis, if you could confirm our thoughts on Lana's identity while you're gone. And gentleman, not a word of this to anyone. People may feel the static, but they cannot know why. Not yet. We cannot let word of this reach the elves and fae."

"Yes, sire." they agreed in unison, and left.