Chapter Text
Nene copied the last few lines out of the spell book carefully. She was skeptical it would work, of course, but this book in particular had been a major hassle to come by, so she couldn’t help but get her hopes up just a little bit.
With the final words written out, she stood from her desk and put the book in her satchel as she began preparing to go out.
She slipped on her coat and her shoes. She brushed through her hair hastily and tied the front bits into neat ponytails so they wouldn’t get in the way of her casting. She secured the utilitarian sash of supplies she wore around her right shoulder, then around her left hip. She checked the boxes and vials to make sure she had what she needed.
The compartment of twice-burnt ashes was half-empty, and she looked at it disparagingly. She would have to remind herself to purify some more and restock, but she would be fine for now.
With that done, she left the academy and made her way quickly about a half-mile into the surrounding forest, until she reached a familiar clearing.
Once, this place had been alive with flowers and grasses in a dazzling array of hues, but — well, practicing ancient arcana had certain side effects.
She drew the sigil on the ground with a practiced eye. She didn’t bother to measure and trace, not anymore. She knew the angles and dimensions of every magically viable polygon by heart these days.
She would be at the top of her class, she was sure, if she ever did any of her school work. But she had a more important role to fill, she knew.
Next, she secured the elemental ingredients at the positions of power: de-salinified ocean water, twice-burnt ashes, sifted and blessed dirt, and a small beaker of air captured from the northern wind above the clouds.
With the sigil prepared, she began to read the spell from her precisely copied notes. She could feel the thrum of magic beginning to gather in the air as she spoke. The final words, and then —
She giggled. She stopped.
Her body felt warm and light.
She would kill someone for a sandwich.
Goddammit.
It wasn’t happiness after all. Just arcane intoxification.
The same as it always was.