Chapter Text
A pinch of salt from a dried sea rubbed against the fresh meat of a moose-hound, then a few lemon drops from the local farmer, and finally, a bit of other herbs from the finest gardener. Two steady hands went underneath a small pole of rushing water, washing any debris that stuck on them. Carefully patting themselves dry, a tucked pen and ink jar stashed right on the women’s belt. She lifted the two items carefully, placing them down a wee bit far from the uncooked meat. Her fingers delicately lifted up the pen to her eyes, inspecting the very tip that was soon to dip to the ink. A patch of paper laid right next to the ink’s container, rough and brimmed around its edges. She let her hands loose, carelessly yet precisely drawing out a small spell with a trail of black liquid. Barely a minute, and a series of sigils and symbols came around, incircled. She lifted her pen up, and a fray of fire appeared. Red and warm, Agott took the pan of steak from the other side, and gently placed it on top of the spell.
The fire consumed the meat, but it did not burn. Transparently, Agott could see the meat inside the fire cooking; the scent of a delicious meal arose as smoke in the kitchen. She twisted her body around, kneeling to a cabinet and getting ahold of two plates. She laid them down flat onto the counters ahead of her, meticulously placing utensils and all things one would like to have as tools before eating. Her body carefully insisting to stay focused. Sooner than later, the steak was finished. She blew out the fire in a single breath, and the pan would cautiously land on top of the burnt out sheet of paper underneath it. Her hands touched the pan, it was did not feel hot to burn her skin, but warm.
She brought the cooked meat between the two plates, and different sides of rice, butter, bread, and any more were surrounding the main course. Afterwards, she brought in a set of two cups and a little tea pot ready to be poured onto the glass mugs on the side. Agott swept off a sweat from her brow, she leaned back standing with a small smile. Lunch was ready.
All of a sudden, a loud noise rumbled across the house. Agott grabbed onto the counter, the building growling for less than a few seconds. The curled hair witch glared confused, she looked to a specific room with dark smoke coming out; her eyes widening.
She rushed towards the door, slamming it open as a new wave of smoke hurled out of the room. She coughed out some of it while breathing others of the smoke into her lungs.
”Coco!” She exhaled, her arms wavering around and clearing the smoke out of the way. “Are you alright? What happened?”
A weak, laughing response emerged out of the dark clouds. Coco adjusted her glasses, her face almost painted with the ashes of the gray clouds. She slopped onto her chair, awkwardly.
”Agott! I’m fine- I just,” she turned back at a burning piece of paper; the smoke continued to flow out of the paper until there was no longer a thin sheet of the experimented spell. She let out a weary sigh.
”I accidentally collided one of my pre-made spells with my ink,” her hand on her neck; scratching the back of it like someone found guilty and trying to get away with the crime. The room was Coco’s room- allegedly. It had trinkets and all things combined from the old atelier before she and Agott moved into this beach-side one. The room had boxes toppling over each other, some flatly crushing others. Her brushbuddy peaked out from their own nest, shaking the ash out of their fur as it changed to pure white. Coco waved her hand at the smaller creature as an apology from the bad spell case.
Agott blinked for a couple of seconds, her chest in relief. At least it wasn’t anything too big that would cause her to do something else. Agott took out her palm quire, tearing off a specific page. She’d reach for her own pen, finishing the circle and a glowing light black appeared. It captured every smoke around them. Hovering above the spell, was a sphere of smoke. Agott spun away.
“Let me get this out of our house, then we’ll talk,” she exclaimed, her voice stern. She left the door open, leaving Coco alone. Coco smiled weakly.
“Ah, yes, Agott,” she muttered out, before slouching to her ash dusted desk. “I’m so in trouble now…”
Agott’s arms were crossed, and her eyes glaring. The two witches were both in their living room. Coco sitting in the center of the couch. The living room was the most decorated, in fact most of the rooms of the atelier were decorated and clean, all except for Coco’s. Agott was across the coffee table, standing on the opposite side of where Coco was. Her eyes looking down at Coco like a parent about to scold their child.
”You do realize that you’re in trouble, Coco?” Agott said. “You have to be careful with what you’re holding, have you been sleeping well?”
Coco opened her mouth only to shut it. In truth, after moving into their new atelier. Coco had much to unpack, and much to do that could have been spent in slow time. Her clock, however, wanted time to run.
”No,” Coco prolonged her words, shaking her head quickly before looking up at Agott. “I’ll rest well tonight! Promise.”
Agott raised her brows, sighing.
”This is the fourth time you’ve said that. You woke up an hour ago and not even an hour in you almost smoke shook the entire house.”
She huffed. “If studying here means to take care of you too, consider me your baby sitter then.”
Coco let out an exhausted breath. “You sound like I’m nothing but work for you right now.”
Agott eyes fluttered, she shook her head- and formed a dismissing smile. “I don’t mind the work at all if that’s how you put it.”
Coco glanced up.
”You could have gone out with the others, like Richeh and Tetia,” Coco exhaled. Her hands clasped together.
“You really didn’t need to stay with me, there’s no reason to.”
Agott knitted her brows, she kneeled in front of Coco.
“I have more than a few reasons.”
Coco stared. Agott quickly sat upright, laying against the back of the couch as she sat next to the golden haired witch.
“There’s a festival in the town of Kalhn coming today,” Agott exclaimed, her eyes studying Coco’s reaction. “We can go there if you want, a break is what every witch needs if they want to keep doing what they want.”
Coco didn’t give into any thought of it before her hands were grabbing the cushions. Her face is close to Agott’s own. Her eyes were bright and excited.
“A festival? Why didn’t you tell me before!?” Coco questioned, she didn’t let it be answered though. “Why can’t we go there now? It’s been so long since we’ve seen an event in Kalhn.”
She paused, looking at Agott with her head tilting like a puppy hearing something new. “Will we go then?”
Agott’s ears went red, she choked out a cough. Her hand thumped against her chest to force out more of her lungs to breathe. Coco almost panicked if Agott didn’t talk in time. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” She proclaimed, her heart beating fast. She quickly stood up, her mouth covered by her hand coiled as a fist.
“And, second of all- of course we’re going.” Agott’s voice faked disappointment, in reality it really flushed some of her emotions down. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have told you about this wouldn’t I? I’m more surprised you didn’t even know it yourself.”
Coco’s eyes shone at Agott for a few seconds, she sheepishly guided her hand to her chin, taunting her own actions.
“Well, I guess when I’ve been in a room all day- I do tend to not know what goes around me.”
“Or what goes inside you,” Agott added; she pointed to the kitchen with a cold steak and other dishes prepared. “At least get some food before we go, you can heat it up with the spell I have on top of the stove.”
Coco directed her view to the countertop, surely the food Agott prepared earlier was still there, and still untouched. Coco gave into some thought.
“Did you eat before me?”
“No, I did not,” Agott replied. “It’d be rude to eat without you sitting next to me.”
Agott suddenly felt those same feelings she sunk in just moments ago float back to her chest. She grunted.
“Whatever the case… I’ll take my portion, take yours too.” She pivoted away from Coco, not allowing herself to hear what more things Coco could have added. She headed up to the kitchen before the sitting witch. Coco observed Agott walk away before she herself stood up, a small smile appearing on her face.
Agott’s hands gripped hard at the handles in front of her, she used all of her body weight to push the rims of the Window-Way forward, circling it farther upwards. She did the same to another rim, its colors more radiant than the previous one Agott was moving along with. In mere minutes, the Window Way’s inside circle would glow a colorful pink before it faded with a town to be seen in that very inner circle.
The sounds of music and all of celebration travelled by wind, and through the contraption- countless shades of leaves blew out. Agott stepped back, arching her arms and stretching them. She found Coco not far from where she was, clumsily holding a satchel that looked near full packed. Agott took her hands to her waists, approaching Coco and immediately took a hold of the leather bag. Coco was embarrassed.
“What is this?” Agott began, opening the bag to find all things their traveling adventure does not need. A self-dusting bird when placed on a shelf. A cup of glass that floated above any terrain to keep its balance. A couple of patches of spells when complete: a dozen firelight sheets would float across the sky.
Agott grabbed each invention, pulling them out of her bag.
“Do you seriously need all of these?”
“Well, no but-“
“Then we aren’t taking them.”
“At least the firelight sheets!”
Agott held tight to the arms of the bag, she threw it back to Coco, who was close to dropping the bag. Agott entered the Window Way, viewing Coco from the other side.
“Just hurry up, and do not worry about what to bring- whatever we need, I’ll buy them in Kalhn.”
Coco watched Agott go farther away, distracted how the winds on Kalhn fluttered her clothes. It wasn’t until Coco noticed Agott staying in one place, clearly waiting for her to snap Coco back into where she was. She delicately placed all of the items of curiosity down to a secure cabinet nearby. She lifted her satchel, it was much lighter than it was before. She gave herself a little motion to hype herself up. Tapping her feet quickly onto the wooden platform before nearing the Window Way. She passed through the rims, and found the city of Kalhn bursting with light. Her eyes reflected off the small flags of colors up ahead, the gold schemes painted around the town were much more noticeable from the celebration.
”Well?” Agott tapped Coco’s head, going around Coco with her head held up high. She stood to the right of Coco, her hands attached to her back.
”Are we going? Or do you want to just stay here?”
Coco frantically lifted her hands up, shaking them all around in disagreement to Agott’s question.
”No no! We’ll go, it’s just…” she gave herself into some thought; looking pass the colors as they turned into the sky the farther she looked. “It’s so pretty watching a lively town this far.”
Agott’s eyes softened. She tried herself to view the city the way Coco did. After a moment- she took her hand- holding onto Coco’s own, and marched them forward after the town.
“A better view of what you see is when we’re in that,” Agott proclaimed. Her hands steady and not letting go of Coco’s own anytime soon. Not that Coco wouldn’t want to let go of Agott either.
They soon arrived on the bricks of Kalhn, the sounds of soil being more compacted changed to bricks holding the weight of the two newly titled Witches.
Their own caps hidden underneath their attire. Agott wore a thin color of purple and gold. Her dress had light ruffles in the end and patterns of diamond etched along with spirals. Up to her waist and beyond, a subtly different pattern emerged; except for two large diamond pieces that met up to the waist belt she had. Instead of spirals, it was just circles; just smaller than below her own belt.
Coco had an opposite color scheme, and a much fluffier outfit. Her dress touched her ankles; and was spread out like wings around the bottom of the entire fit. Her colors, gold and light green, dazzled in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Their capes, matching. Only of course the only thing that was different, was their color. For anyone’s surprise, Agott’s cape was white and gold- a drastic change from her own fitting attire while Coco had the same things: of black and purple. All were loosely fit onto their shoulders, and the two held on each other's side as they walked into the streets of Kalhn.
“This place is much more crowded than I remembered!” Coco was in awe of her surroundings. Everywhere they went, a new smell of food, a new sight to see, a new note to hear came around their senses. Coco felt like a child, her body swaying back and forth like someone on a swing as they carelessly walked across the alleyways. Agott followed shortly behind, her eyes watching Coco ensuring she wasn’t hitting anything. A scene that’ll surely happen over and over again today.
Before long, Coco almost crashed into a stall if it wasn’t for Agott pulling her back.
Then, a few steps afterwards- Coco almost tripped onto a stack of boxes until Agott moved her aside in time.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have left the atelier,” Agott scolded Coco, their hands intertwined now. “Seriously Coco, you’d might as well have honey and feathers all over you if I left you alone right now.”
Coco, guilty, let out a chuckle. “Well… I am glad you’re here then.”
Agott left no reaction, until she gave a small scoff. “You should be.”
Then as time stopped, Coco halted, so instantly where Agott nearly stumbled over herself. Agott was yet to nearly batter on Coco till she saw her eyes so focused on what was in front of her. Agott hesitated, then looked in the same direction Coco was looking.
In front of them, was one of the centers of Kalhn. A clear place, and a lively one too at that. On the rooftops of each building, was aligned with all flying colors in the shades of gold and white. In a spiraling tower up above, the bell was vaguely decorated with the patterns of the festival. The stalls this time accompanied the theme, their wood no longer of brown but of the color of the clouds. The signs are embroidered with gold insignias. In the middle, the floor itself was painted like a sun and the great contrast of the moon on top of it. Near the bottom of the spiraling tower, a small band of people played music that were singing on its own.
Ahead of the band, several couples stood along together, dancing. Their bodies synchronize along with the notes playing. Coco’s eyes widened, her hands covering her open wide mouth.
“So… pretty,” Coco uttered out with a tiny breath.
The sun began to lower, and the lanterns all around became the light itself. The stones below the dancers started to glow, a reminder of old Olruggio’s own work. Agott sniffed, her face lightly amused from the reminder of the old man.
“Didn’t know Master Olruggio’s work went all the way in this street now,” Agott went to Coco. “Come on, we can continue strolling and-“
Pause.
Agott watched Coco’s eyes, gleaming with the sunset reflecting the golden green eyes of the Witch. Her hands twitching with admiration of what was shortly in a distance from her. Agott placed her hands on her chest, shaking her head before she suddenly grabbed Coco from her trance. Coco gasped.
”Agott what are you-“
“Can you dance?”
“What?”
“Can you dance?” Agott repeated, her eyes forward and center to the middle of where many were dancing.
Coco blurted her words out quickly, “I mean, I can but-“
“Don’t worry,” Agott didn’t let Coco react quickly enough to realize they were chest to chest with each other. Their eyes met.
“I will lead.”
Coco swallowed her throat, her hands guided by Agott to hold the other witch’s waist. Agott let one of her hands rest on Coco’s shoulders. The two as a mirror in holding each other’s body.
“Are you ready?” Agott smirked, her eyes shining back at Coco’s view.
“Ready?”
“To dance, what else are we in the center for?”
The music felt louder than before, the up-beat sounds of a tambourine and flutes encircled the atmosphere. The cheering of those watching from the sidelines began to clap in a particular rhythm. The drummers gave a beat for everyone to start with now, and a musician playing with a string-based instrument started to prick every thread of their wooden tool.
Agott closed her eyes, then opened them; her hands guiding Coco to dance along the pattern they were to make. A step to the right, then a step to the left. The two created a star-shaped path as they swirled along the bricks below them, each one glowing and dimming for every step they made and left. Their hands tightly gasping onto each other, every now and then Agott would do a little leap in tune with a dropping beat of the musical notes. Coco managed herself carefully, slowly adapting along Agott until the two were of their best confidence. Coco’s smile brightened, with every step she took Agott took the same. A loud cheer came across the crowd. Agott released one of her hands, standing and letting her other raise up high above Coco’s head. Coco twirled her dress around, before Agott retreated close to Coco and the two would continue dancing. Their hands far apart now and the two would stand side by side, their arms touching each other up high with both of them circling each other now, the music lessened but was still very much active. In a moment, the instruments gave a new beat, and they both flipped opposite directions, their other arms lifting up to the sky with their fists closed. Taking a dawdling amount of steps before their both held their hands and lowered their arms down.
At last, the music came to a close. Both witches were panting, their breath converted to smoke as they curtly bowed to each other. The last cheer of celebration came up top of the roofs. The moon had already replaced the sun.
“Did you enjoy it?” Agott gently spoke, lifting her head first and would lead Coco into lifting her head up. Both of their hands tight together in between them.
Coco laughed. “More than enjoyed!”
Agott smiled softly.
Coco held her ice cream to her tongue, savoring every lick with her other hand coiled around Agott’s arms. The chattering lessened in every stall and store, the smell of bread felt cold but still warm. The steps below them started to weaken in light the farther they were from the place they had just danced. Locals started to tear down some of the decorations, perhaps holding them on for the next day.
The clock ticked fast, the two arrived at their beach-side atelier. The full moon greeted them as the ocean beyond reflected the gray light close to the shores of their wooden dock.
Agott helped Coco across the window-way first, and with not a moment to waste- closed the opening to Kalhn. Their contraption becomes a solid rock with no way to enter in for a while.
Two small brush buddies peeped out of an opening window from their atelier. The two squirming to reach them, their puffed out fur making an illusion that they were larger than they looked. Agott would pet the head of her brushbuddy, looking at Coco who’s body seemed more tired with every passing moment.
“Get some rest, Coco.” Agott said. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“In a bit,” Coco replied, sitting down on a bench that stared directly at the moon. “The view here is even prettier from where I sit… I want to look at it more.”
Agott’s eyes were at Coco… gazing. The curled hair witch sat next to Coco, her body straight when sitting. She relaxed her body, taking Coco’s satchel from her hand, it wasn’t wrapped around Coco’s shoulders. She gently placed it on the bottom of the bench.
“You were about to drop this,” Agott mumbled. She decided to be next to Coco, sitting and leaning against the back of the bench, the air becoming colder.
“Thank you, Agott.” Coco mumbled, her head leaning on Agott’s shoulder. Agott scuffed, her head making that unnoticeable shake of acknowledgement.
”No need for a thank you, I’m much more glad you were able to relax and have a better time than being in your room.” Her hands were on her lap. “If anything, I should be the one thanking you… it wouldn’t have been the same if I did this alone.”
Silence.
“Coco?”
Agott turned over her shoulder, Coco was sleeping. Agott raised her free hand, ditching into her pocket, bringing out white sheet of paper with a twisting sphere attached in the middle. It was inscribed with circles. She placed it next to her, dialing around the sphere counter clock-wise. The paper expanded, turning into a blanket. It ruffled against the wind for just a moment, until its vague weight came, finishing the spell. In a swift second, she lifted the blanket up high, perfectly landing around Coco.
Agott sniffed, her face relaxed. She faced the moon, her body warmed by Coco. She let out a weak laugh, watching the creatures of the water fly out to the sky landing back onto their habitat. That’s when she noticed a small light coming out of Coco’s bag. She reached her only free hand to open it.
A dozen tiny bright lights spewed out, buzzing all around the two laying girls. Each floating around them like little lanterns in the sky. Agott couldn’t look away, they were beautiful. She watched them float afar, or near- they could last a while around them. Agott sluggishly fixated her eyes on Coco, the firelights allowing Coco’s face to be seen, in peace and comfort. Agott’s cheeks began to flush.
“I guess you were right Coco,” she talked to the dozing witch. “The view is pretty from where I sit too.”
She cautiously let one of her hands brush a piece of Coco’s hair back to their ear.
“If only you could see the way I see this view.”