After my question, an unsettling silence followed.
Agatha withdrew her hand and rose from the grass, her cloak seeming to do the work as she stood effortlessly. When she turned to face me, her eyes were narrow.
"Is it because of what that girl told you?" she asked, her voice sharp.
I pushed myself up, sitting halfway and supporting my weight on my hands against the ground. The air felt thicker, the sounds of the forest also shut down.
Agatha's appearance—perhaps due to the lack of light and her green glowing eyes— only made her look creepy as she waited for my answer.
'Shit, did I fuck up? Of course she's using Legemens. Wait, is she also hearing this?'
I heard a sigh that seemingly made half of the tension in the air disappear.
"You shouldn't blindly believe everything someone tells you simply because they claim to see the future." Agatha said, snapping her fingers. Green flames burst forth, burning away some nearby trees.
As the light returned, thanks to the fire. I could see her expression better. She wasn't mad, just... kind of troubled.
"Leo, what do you know about witches?" she asked, crossing her arms and lowering her gaze to the ground.
"I don't know, what you and Violet told me, free indi—"
"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "Forget what we told you. I'm asking about what you know. What is the common knowledge normal people have regarding witches on Earth?"
I paused for a moment. The question threw me off.
'Common knowledge? She means like in the Middle Ages and stuff?'
History was never my strength, I was a bad student—maybe the worst. In fact the only knowledge I had from history came from movies. And even that was sparse, I mostly watched because Emilie liked them a bit too much.
A few vague words came to mind: green skin, pale skin, wands, brooms, blood, sacrifices, cauldrons, goats, amulets, curses, cats, the Inquisition.
But one concept stood out above the rest with overpowering force.
"Deals with the devil," I murmured involuntarily.
"Huh? Wait, seriously?!" I asked, alarmed, as I scrambled to my feet.
Agatha smiled bitterly, and nodded still looking at something in the ground.
"Devils, Fae, Eldritch horrors, Titans... they are all just synonyms for the same thing—Gods."
"W-what? I don't get it, what does that mean?" I asked disturbed.
"It was the same in my homeworld, the same in Dottie's world, the same in Cynthia's world, and the same in yours and Vivi's world. No matter where you ask, it's always the same story: A woman made a pact with an entity for power and became a Witch."
"Wait, does that mean witches really are the most servile class?" I asked, panic rising within me.
"Servile?" Agatha shook her head, finally raising her gaze to meet my eyes. "I understand where that prejudice comes from. But those women cannot be called Witches. They are scumbags who surrendered and sold their freedom for a little power; they are frauds."
Agatha pointed a finger to the forest, her voice sounding bitter and filled with disgust.
[The Adversity urges its twin to yield]
At the same time, the entire forest trembled. The flames that had been contained to just a few trees suddenly expanded throughout the forest, yet the forest didn't burn.
Agatha closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as she whispered something. A few seconds later, the trembling ceased. She opened her eyes more calmly, and looked at me.
[The Chaos is being held by The Witch of Chaos]
"Why do you think the first spell we learn is the Sigil, Leo?" she asked, emphasizing my name.
I didn't know what to answer. I had never thought about it, I simply accepted that things were that way. I didn't hesitate much either, my future self simply passed me the spell and I just imitated and said the name.
However, a simple answer came to mind when I remember the brief explanation he offered.
"This is The Sigil. It's how witches access magic"
I casually repeated the hand movements and cast the Sigil on my hand. A purple flame emerged. I kept looking at it for a moment as I checked a particular section of my status window. The gift section
[Gifts: None]
"Because we pay our own price… Essentia" I replied.
She nodded.
"I don't know about the origin of the coven, I just know what my mother taught me and her mother taught her. The coven—our coven—was born from a woman who wanted to do magic without losing her freedom. The Founder discovered what Essentia is, and she created the Sigil, a spell that allowed her to access it."
"Discovered?" I asked.
"Yes, discovered. Divine energy, deny it whoever denies it, is nothing more than a derivative of Essentia. Everything is energy, remember? A god is a parasite that depends on its believers and on the energy they steal from them."
'Ha, I knew it. I knew Milaine was wrong'
I felt strangely relaxed, happy even. I hadn't been wrong, or at least I hadn't screwed up—or to be precise, my future self hadn't screwed up.
I sighed and let the tension leave my body.
"Fuck yes," I mumbled.
Agatha walked over and gave my arm a soft squeeze.
"What were you thinking right now, you woman of little faith?" she said, teasing.
"Hey, is it bad to be skeptical? And you were the one who made it sound a big deal!" I said matching her tone
"Uh... it's not bad being skeptical, but I made it sound serious because it is a big deal. Why do you think it is called a Game of Gods?" Agatha asked.
"To entertain them? Well, I guess, but I bet there is more since you are bringing the topic up, isn't there?"
"Yeah, indeed. A Game of Gods is nothing but a reorganization of ranks. Not all of them participate; some just watch for fun. The only good thing about this event is that when it ends, there are fewer of them," Agatha said.
"Wait? What do you mean? Can a god die?" I asked.
"Look at you. Wanna be a godslayer now?" she asked lightly.
"Come on, don't play hard to get and tell me already," I said, reaching out to pinch her deer ears.
"AH! NOT MY EARS!" she yelped, almost crying as she swatted my hand away. She rubbed her ear and looked at me with squinted eyes.
"Yes, you can kill a god. You can take them down when they reincarnate in their chosen mortal by the end of the Games, or when you go directly to its domain. That 's it." she said with a pained expression.
I felt a little bad seeing the face she made, so I approached to stroke her head. She backed up a little but finally gave in, her smile quickly returning.
"What about the Host?"
"It's the god who hosts the games." she answered easily.
"Okay, I suspected that. But I have another question. When Livia—my teammate—got her gifts, they sent the Moderator because the goddess broke the rules."
"You said it yourself. The Game of Gods has its own rules. They cannot interfere directly," she said, humming happily as she leaned into my touch.
"Ah, right. Livia also had a weird description when she received one gift."
"How weird?" she asked
"I don't know. It mentioned something about the fury of an ancient witch," I said.
Agatha stopped moving her ears, and looked at me.
"What was the name of that goddess?" she asked.
'Shitty goddess' is what I meant to say, but no. I didn't feel like it was the right time for a joke, so I decided to voice the deduction Livia had made while I was reading her mind.
"The Goddess of Fate, I think"
Agatha smile vanished.
"What? Is something bad?" I asked.
She made a thinking expression as she counted on her fingers.
"I'm not sure. It could be, it could not be. That is a major god, one who claims to control time—and you received a message from the future, didn't you?"
'Ah shit. I didn't think about that. She seemed obsessed with Livia. Does that mean something? Fuck, knowing my luck, I bet it means something.'
Agatha noticed how my body tensed up and grabbed my hand.
"Relax. Whether that goddess targeted you or not, the coven is with you. Focus on what you can do, okay? Survive Vulkris. We'll try to get you out of the games once you finish the tutorial."
"You can do that?" I asked again.
"Yeah, forget the games, we'll take you off. I would need to ask Vivi first. I honestly think it would be enough if I just go out and break some things here and there. But since I think it's a good idea, it's probably Chaos speaking for me," she said.
"Hey, speaking of Violet... can she see me? Outside her book? Or... here? I mean, I don't know..."
"You ask because of the purple message she sent you? When you discovered you could burn pain?" Agatha asked.
"Yeah, kinda, maybe… Can she?" I muttered.
"Well, we cannot speak directly. But my domain is connected to hers. Remember the tower?" she asked.
"What tower?" I asked.
She snorted. Then, with a snap, the Nexus black box manifested in her hand. She took out the green book.
The forest began to dismantle, as if it had been flat, and the horizon a decal. One by one the trees fell away, and little by little the room with the fireplace, the double bed with nature patterns, the bookshelves, the luxurious chair with its desk, the couch, the windows, and the curtains slowly returned to their places.
"This tower," she said, gesturing for me to check the window.
I walked to the window, moved the curtains, and I expected to see the citadel. Instead I found green land, a massive meadow.
'Indeed, this is a tower,' I confirmed when I looked down.
Agatha walked to my side and pointed to the horizon.
"That way is the citadel," she said.
"Where?" I squinted my eyes following her finger, but didn't see anything.
"Don't even try. It's a ten-year walk, a year if I go flying, and a week of travel if I use the teleport circles. We used to send familiars through the circles to deliver messages, but we didn't do it often; after all, we're training. Isolation, remember?"
'A FUCKING DECADE WALKING?! How big is this place?!'
"And about you... I bet she has been watching you outside. Since she is your Mother, you and she are more connected. So I wouldn't be surprised if she can see through your eyes if she wants, maybe using divination."
"Really? Fuck, that's… embarrassing, but… not so bad. I thought she… never mind," I said, calming my breathing. "And you?" I asked, my voice a little nervous.
"Maybe, maybe not. Divination is not my thing, neither charms nor illusions." She took a moment before speaking again. "I was thinking of teaching you how to summon a familiar, and maybe use it as a medium to communicate." Her voice was softer and lower.
"Familiar? What's that? More family hierarchy?" I asked.
Just as I was questioning Agatha again, I felt something touch my calf.
"Meow."
A pale beige cat was there, rubbing its head against my leg.
"What? A cat?" I managed to say.
"Tootie! You're back!" Agatha screamed as she rushed the cat and raised it to her arms.
The cat kept an indifferent face as it was lifted.
"You have a pet? Here?" I asked, caressing the cat's head.
"She's not a pet. She's Tootie. She is a familiar," Agatha said, nuzzling the cat. "I searched for this little girl for years," she said, genuinely excited.
The moment I blinked, the cat was not in Agatha's arms anymore. Again, I felt something touching my calf. I looked down.
"Meow."
"What the f—?" I flinched and took a couple of steps back, noticing how the cat had just appeared there.
Agatha picked the cat again.
"Don't worry, Tootie doesn't bite."
Immediately, the cat started to bite Agatha's hand and use her hind paws to scratch her violently. A greenish layer of shield blocked the small assault.
Agatha just smiled and hugged the cat. The cat stopped fighting, no emotion on its face.
"She's a puma. She likes to hunt a lot, and since I let her roam free from the books, she tends to disappear for long periods," she added with a hum.
"You're joking, right? You adopted a puma? Didn't you hate werewolves because they were predators too?"
I asked, genuinely wondering if my sister was out of her mind. Before I remembered who I was talking to.
"Skip it. I don't want to hear it right now." I added.
Agatha let out a genuinely honest laugh. Again, the 'cat' vanished from her arms. I noticed 'Tootie' at my side again, raising her paws as if asking me to carry her.
I grabbed the animal by the scruff of the neck and held it in front of me. She stretched her little legs and rested them on my breasts. This time I held the cat with more care.
"Meow," The feline looked at me as it purred.
"Hey, she likes you," Agatha said with content. "You should take her."
"What do you mean? Why?"
"Tootie is my familiar, so she can also use some spells that inherited from me. She'll help you and we can keep contact…if she wants," Agatha murmured the last part.
"What? This… 'puma'? How so?" I asked, not really sure about this.
"I'll link her with you. Tootie has the ability to change size and she can also use Apparition; she will also be able to store Vivi's and my book with her."
"Store them? What? She's gonna eat them? Is that safe? If you are thinking about that—"
Agatha placed her hand on my shoulder this time.
"Sis, I'm chaotic, not stupid. Besides, those books are bound with protections strong enough to resist a world-shattering explosion. Unless you're facing a Middle God with a grudge and a lot of free time, they aren't getting scratched."
'I worried about nothing.'
"Altough it would be problematic if you lose the books" she added.
Agatha took Tootie from me and rested her hand on the cat's belly. The cat did not resist, just let out another lazy 'Meow'.
A thin greenish-emerald thread emerged from Agatha's hand, which she then tied in a knot around my left hand and a soft one around the cat's paw.
A new tattoo—a door with a five-point star inset at its center—appeared on my left palm.
The cat sprang from Agatha's hands and vanished, hiding right there inside the tattoo on my hand.
A new notification appeared.
[Borrowed Spell: Familiar ★★★]
Familiar or Familiashá, an intermediate spell of the School of Conjuration.
This is a borrowed spell from The Witch of Chaos, you don't know its origin.
Casting this spell can summon and unsummon Tootie, a former puma, now one of the seven familiars who serves The Witch of Chaos.
Tootie can hide in a pocket dimension and can be summoned at any moment, transporting with her any object she is carrying. However, summoning her for the first time required to cast this spell as a ritual.
As a familiar, Tootie acts independently but most of the time obeys Agatha's commands.
Additionally, the Witch of Chaos can see through Tootie's eyes, though she cannot speak through her. Maybe Tootie will share the message, maybe not.
You don't know what will happen if you increase the rank star of this spell.
You have unlocked [Tootie status window]
The Witch of Chaos's Personal Take: "I love Tootie".
—
"Don't worry, the way to summon Tootie is in my book. This time, you don't need to use the Sigil nor Legemens. Just check the index and go to the spells section. You should be able to read it now."
"Aparaní?" I asked.
"Yep," she said smiling.
"Not gonna ask, don't care." I said.
"Lack of curiosity is the worst poison for a Witch," Agatha chided gently. "Anything else?"
"Yeah. A few things, actually. First... Why were the books on Earth? Why in that abandoned house?"
Agatha paused, her expression unreadable for a moment.
"Honestly? Had no clue my book was on Earth until you brought it up. I hid mine in the World Tree, before I began my training," she admitted, touching her cheek with a hint of embarrassment.
"W-what? You're not worried about that? I don't know, maybe someone stole it and put it there? I mean, Earth exploded, you know?"
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Why would I be worried? I already told you, the books have a very strong protection spell. They're not gonna break because a planet just exploded. Besides, only those who know Aparaní can read it. You got lucky because your future self taught you Sigil and Legemens."
'She's the reason why dumb people shouldn't be in charge of anything.'
I sighed.
"Speaking of the devil… How did he do it? I mean the message. How did he travel back?"
"Time travel?" Agatha looked up, her voice lowering. "That sounds like Chronomancy."
"Well I have a few theories, remember the goddess you menti—"
"LEO! PLEASE, PLEASE WAKE UP!"
I heard Livia's voice. A shiver ran down my spine.
"Go!" Agatha urged me. She waved her hand, and the room started to fade.
As I tried to grasp what was going on, I only managed to hear Agatha's last words before everything went black.
"Be careful, Adversity."
***