Chapter Text
“Phainon did you know?” Cyrene smoothes Phainon’s hair. He lays on his lovely big sister's lap basking in the warm sun. Story books piled around, some half read, and sprawled out for small plays, acting out the sentences.
Cyrene’s Tarot cards scattered around the blanket. Forgotten predictions like discarded leaves, fluttering away from their only world. Now embarking on a journey far away from their home.
How would that feel? Being away from the only home you know? They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. So according to his roots, Baba and Mama never left home.
So why would they?
“Phai? Are you daydreaming again?” Cyrene flicks his forehead. “Are my stories that boring?”
Shocked awake from his sun induced slumber he shakes his head. “No no! Please continue!” He watches her soft smile, how her eyes twinkle like an endless night sky.
“Did you know that Talanton prophesies that there shall always be a price for everything?”
“Like what? Your hair being pink from eating too many strawberries?” Or was that because of visiting the secret cave of fairies? Cyrene chuckles at her brother’s childish question.
“Like bloodline Phainon. We have magic in our blood.” Cyrene urges Phainon off her lap. He sits up and watches her every movement. He taps his hands on his knees, waiting. She slides a plant pot over.
“Cyrene.. The plant is sad.” The leaves were an ugly brown, the depressing traces of green didn’t serve as a reminder that this plant was once alive. Shrived up like it hadn’t even seen a blissful mist. It wasn’t even a plant anymore.
And Phainon had seen plants. So unlike the golden ocean of wheat that washes over Aedes Elysiae. It looks as if it's going to topple over, like the weight was too much of a burden for it to carry.
“Watch.” Cyrene, used her pointer finger and drew a circle in the air. Following where she had traced, was a light color, almost iridescent, with soft pinks and gentle blues. Waxing over each other, coexisting with one another.
Like hope. Inside the circle, bubbles seemed to fall over the plant. Like droplets of an opal, just like the ones he had seen and imagined they would look like from Cyrene’s stories. As it kissed each leaf and the soil, the plant seemed to become greener. Standing up right like the wheat.
“Cyrene! How did you cheer the plant up?” He widened his eyes, staring with awe. He lightly checked a leaf, careful not to scare the magic away. Could he do this too?
***
Phainon sat up straight, stretching his arms. Ruffling his hair he got up from his nap from the uncomfortable nook of a cave. Another dream, once again, a dream from when he was seven. He slid out of his sleeping corner, and hobbled outside.
“Look who’s finally up.” A grouchy voice calls. Mydei’s tail sways around, as he shoves a basket in Phainon’s hands. “We have a feeble amount of money, so fruit for breakfast.” He says, eyeing the pouch connected to Phainon's belt.
Phainon examines it in his hands, “What are these?” They were small, and he could have a handful at once. They smelt of sweet citrus. Maybe like a small orange?
Mydei picks one up and pops it into his mouth. “Kumquat.” He says, chewing on the fruit, "I already washed them.” Following his lead, he chews on one. The flesh was sour, but the skin made it nice and sweet.
“Kumquat you say?” Phainon unbuckles a spell book and flips through the pages. It looks like these are compatible with many other ingredients. “Looks like I should do some experimenting! These are low in mana but I wonder what I could use these for..”
Maybe something fragrant, and even if it didn’t work, maybe he could try and manipulate the mana-
This earns him a bonk on his head from Mydei. “HKS, we already don’t have enough food. Let alone ingredients for your potion disasters.” Mydei huffs, and his ears flick in annoyance.
Mydei slides their bag on his back. He pulls out a map clicking his tongue.
He turns, following along their route for Styxia. Phainon fumbles to rebuckle the spell book and catches up with Mydei. Falling into step with him. “Wait up Mydei!”
The forest branches out to the sky, fog clings and weighs heavily along the stumps. Crows caw and fly off, creating sound, now that people are there to hear it. Yet it still feels quiet. Even with the gravel that crunches as they step, and the shadows hide monsters lurking for a victim.
“The next thing on our list is to get an aconite, and water from the River of Souls.” Phainon glances over at Mydei. “You can sit this one out if you want to.”
Mydei shivers, probably remembering river Styx, and the bitter water that used to snap at his skin. Numbing his senses, as he fought the current that submerged him, struggling to stay afloat. “It's fine..” Mydei glances up at Phainon, who adjusts his hat. “Why do you even need aconite?”
“For medicine. Just think about how much money we’ll save.” Phainon says, counting out on his fingers as he mentally calculates the profit. “And if it's successful, we can sell it and make a good name for witches!.”
Mydei rolls his eyes. “Don’t get poisoned.” He ponders for a moment before adding, “And don’t poison anyone too.”
“I won’t!” Phainon chuckles, nudging Mydei.
A quick rustling shifts through the air. Like a creature is in the bushes. But, how? Everything here during this time of year should be dead. The sound was loud, far too loud. Mydei acquired a fighting stance, while Phainon drew out his staff.
It's something big. Be it in size or quantity, they seem to be cornered in a fight. The creature crept out of the woods. Large blade-like feathers, sharp feet, like daggers. Made to slice. A head of a chicken, but features much sharper, and darker.
Behind, a winding tail, hissing. A forked tongue flicking in and out. And a predator's gaze. Yellow eyes illuminating the foggy forest. Cockatrice.
“Don’t get scratched Mydei!” Phainon flipped open his spell book. As he focuses on the flow of mana, the sun on his neck starts glowing.
“Worry about yourself HKS.” Mydei started to leap forward, the Cockatrice lunched too, the snake biting on Mydei’s gauntlets, feet swiping at him.
Don’t get Phainon wrong, Mydei is a great fighter, but when he's half naked, fighting a monster with any small scratch it could turn you to stone. That makes him a little worried.
Mydei snatches the snake head, the metal of the gantlet clings against the diamond hard, emerald scales. The sound it makes is jarring, like a fork running over a chalkboard. “Mydei! Keep them distracted! I’ll flank them!”
Mydei lets out an annoyed groan, “Hurry it up then!” He grits from his teeth.
The chicken part of the head also starts to claw and peck at the familiar. Phainon drops the book to the ground, not finding any useful spells that could help. Combat magic it is then.
Phainon sprints over behind the chicken. The snake tracks Phainon with its pupil but never stops to lunge at him. Still targeting Mydei.
The chicken turns, clucking and stands its ground. Then, it starts towards Phainon. Phainon stands his ground, raising the staff above his head, as mana pulses from the middle, and starts to resemble a jagged sword.
He leans forward, angling the sword, and stashes at its head. “Let there be light!” Mana stains the air, as the slash cleanly decapitates its head.
At the same time, Mydei slammed the snake into the ground, stomping on its neck and ripping off its head. Blood drips down from both of the heads.
“Are you okay Mydei? No cuts, no scrapes?” Phainon bundles over to Mydei, inspecting for any wounds. After Mydei waved him off, looking a little pink.
“Im fine.” Phainon started to loot the Cockatrice’s corpse. Being wary to not get cut. Even in the grave, the poison can still petrify if it even gets in your blood stream.
“Let's see here…” Phainon looks around for a decent sized feather, not too small, and not too big for a traveling hassle. “Ah hah!”
Mydei takes a seat next to Phainon. “Why?” He helps to skin the snake, digging his gantleted fingers underneath the hard plate. As Mydei does that, Phainon uses the sharp crescent moon on his staff to help cut a feather.
“These are high in mana,” Phainon says, as he wraps the feather and scales in a cloth. “We could break these down.” What does Cockatrice taste like? Is it good? What dishes would they cook it in? Mydei bops Phainon on the head.
“Don’t even think about it.” Mydei is such a buzz kill. They have eaten monsters before! “Lets hurry, daylight runs short here.”
The wind surges against them, the cold blooms along their body, Phainon takes his cloak off and wraps it around Mydei. Unlike him, at least Phainon has a shirt. Mydei rolls his eyes, and hooks one end of the cloak around Phainon.
They make their way towards Styxia, huddled together. Once they get to the gates, the water reflects the stars from above. The city walls, crumbling, and the wooden bridge slowly succumbing to the tides.
Mydei unhooks their own tiny pot from the bag and scoops up the liquid night sky from the river.
As they walk through the gates. The deserted city had a couple of stalls set up, from the other witches who come to visit.
The city is slowly being rebuilt, and reclaimed by the witches. The fragrant scent of freshwater, and lily wafts through the stale air.
The common people of Amphoreus call it the land of the dead, maybe the sirens of the past who used to live here called it home. And the witches now call it a safe haven.
Yet the streets are scarce. Primarily because everyone who adorns the hat are wanderers.
The wind seems to whisk by. The moment they come close to the community cauldrons. Small, but enough to disrupt the mana in the air. And suddenly he feels lighter.
His hand unconsciously slides to his belt. Nothing’s really there, but his staff and spell book. He raises his hand to adjust his hat before it falls back to his waist, trying to feel for something.
Only his spell book and staff? What else was on him? There was something else! Realization creeps up on him like a due date. “Mydei!” He grabs onto him and shakes his shoulders. “We’ve been pick pocketed!”
“What? Mydei looks around. “I looked away for 2 minutes!” He eyes their surroundings, nothing suspicious. How fast was that pickpocket? Phainon isn’t fast enough to catch them.
Mydei gives the pot to Phainon. He slowly flashes his almost empty gold pouch, and reaches out. Slow like a panther.
“Ack!” A female voice yelps, now hanging in the air from Mydei’s grasp. Another familiar? She’s in a cat hood dressed in dark clothing. “Let me go!” She struggles a little, kicking her legs, but eventually gives up.
“Why did you rob us? Did your witch set you up for this?” Phainon demands. She rolls her eyes holding up both of their pouches.
“She’s way too prissy for that” She scoffs, “besides, ya’ll are way broke for anything valuable.” She tries to jingle them to hear the coins clink together, but they barely make a sound. She gives a sigh and tosses them back to them.
Phainon catches them from mid air. Quickly pocketing them. “Thank you.” He sighs.
“Now will you let me go?” Mydei eyes Phainon, as he drops her. She lands on her feet and starts to walk to the cauldrons. So, they follow her. “Ugh stop following me. I won’t pickpocket anyone else."
“Cipher…could you stand there?” A gentle voice asks next to a cauldron. A woman in soft purples, with bandages covering her body. She drops a couple of flowers into the water, as it bubbles down. She looks up to see all three of them.
She leaves the bubbling cauldron. And bow to Phainon and Mydei. “I’m so very sorry.” Woah, how did she know Cipher(?) did something? She starts to scold Cipher. “I thought we talked about this..”
“Sorry sorry, I was just bored!” She raised both her hands. Not looking guilty. She slides her way closer to the cauldron and sits down where her witch told her to sit.
“I’m Castorice, and she is my familiar Cipher.” She bows, and a faint scent of death hangs around her. But it wasn’t unpleasant. Like a scent that could easily draw you in like a lullaby, and lightly hold you until you fell asleep.
“Oh it's okay! My name is Phainon, and this is Mydei!” He waves Mydei over to a neighboring pot, as he draws in a magic circle and lights it up. Mydei pours in the water, and goes back to his spot, right next to Phainon.
Phainon tosses the rest of the kumquats, boiling them down. Into a jam-like consistency. Phainon flips open the book. He tosses in a chimera horn as Mydei walks off with the pot.
“Why are you making Phainon?” Castorice asks from the other pot. Cipher yawns and lays down on the floor. Her limbs sprawled out.
“Just a base for a numbing balm. I’m not sure how it works, but I'm sure it’ll be fine!” Mydei sighs, and he starts to stand where the mana is running thin. “We need Aconite, but I don’t know where it is.”
“Then you need to head to the mountain.” Castorice snuffs out her flame and walks over to them. “That is the second place where they bloom here.”
Mydei leaves his post and stands between them. Glaring at Castorice. “We can all head there together if you want. Since we're heading there too.” She smiles sweetly, making Mydei a little guilty for not trusting her.
“Of course! We’ll be heading out tomorrow,” Phainon looks up from the pot, as he starts to lower the heat from the magic circle. Castorice nods and tells Cipher something before going back to their pot.
Mydei glances at Phainon. “We just met them.” Phainon starts to reduce the base cooking out most of the water. It looks more of a marmalade rather than a potion base, but it's still in development.
“They seem pretty nice.” Phainon says, scooping the mixture into a bottle, and sealing it with wax. “And if they know where the aconite is, then we can make the balm!”
“That girl robbed us.” Phainon packs everything up as they head for the inn. “I’m pretty sure that's not how you ‘be nice’ Phainon.”
“Sometimes you have to trust others even at odds.” Phainon ruffles Mydei’s hair. “That's how we met, no?” They finish packing up, heading over to the inn.
“Fine… and stop petting me HKS! I’m not a cat!”
***
He led the detachment into Okhama. Citizens of Castrum Kremnos, citizens of a city that was lost to madness. A god who used to temper themselves like a fine blade. A titan who had now lost THEIR sanity and had succumbed to bloodshed.
A now dead dynasty, ended by a crown prince who had hailed from generations of patricide.
The scent of iron, smoke and blood still lingered in his mind. His ears flattened against his hair. The sound of battle echoed, still ringing loudly in his memory. He curls his tail around his leg.
He can still feel his blade, pressed against the neck of a coward, who cast his child into the river for the sake of ‘preserving Nikador’s sanity.’ For the sake of his own power.
Now Mydei has finally avenged his friends, his mother, and his people. He protected them. And he knows that his people are far from weak. Even when locals now cast them looks of disdain.
He knows that they wish to return home to Castrum Kremnos. But what life would they have there?
A fate he wishes to avoid.
A fear of what he could become.
Do the Okhamans view them as weak because their Crown Prince is a familiar? An assistant for witches? He would never associate with those monsters. Yet they still despise even the thought of him.
It's only been three days, and he can hear hushed whispers.
“Mommy, how come he looks so fancy?” A child asks.
“It may be Royalty in It’s city, but here? It's just a house cat.” His mother replies. Her voice was laced with resentment.
They claim he is nothing more than a mere meek animal. An animal incapable of taking care of itself. Something less than human. He never asked to be a familiar.
“Leave this place! We have no need for barbarians!” A store keeper yells, chasing them out with a broom.
“Son, do go near that thing. It's dangerous.” A father guiding his kid away. The kid that once wanted to play with him, now flinching away from Mydei.
Yet they fear him. He may have been in the city for three days, still learning their language. But he knows hospitality. And this isn’t it. So he watches. He watches how his people are turned away.
But he also sees how when he’s not around, they are more kind towards them. Letting them into their stores, tolerating their presence.
Only when their prince isn’t around.
His people are strong, courageous, and honorable individuals. Mydei knows all of them on a personal level. They have been by his side through hardship and battle. They trust him, and look up to him for strength.
Even if he’s the reason for Okhama’s hostility to them.
So he leaves the city. Crossing the gates, as they shut behind him. If Mydei is the reason the people he swore to protect are shunned, then so be it. However, under that reason lies another.
One that drove the old king to drastic measures. One he can’t seem to name.
So he heads out on an empty road, with both the places he wished to find home, now gone.
It has now been a week, and Mydei has come to terms that he will never have a home. Is that why Castrum Kremnos was a nomadic city?
He is now nearing the Grove of Epiphany. He stopped visiting cities, due to the uncomfortable whispers and stares that isolated him. He even shied away from towns. So now most of his sustenance was from hunting.
So he had little to no coin. Additionally, due to studying the environment, the Grove had implemented very strict hunting laws to continue reserve. So now he has come to a stand still.
He sits down on the top of a hill with a view of a river bed. A crash could be heard right next to him. Mydei shot up, standing on guard. Watching the figure tumble down the hill. “Ow-”
The figure was dressed in black. Contrasting his white hair that looked to be straight from the snowfall in Adonia. His eyes seemed bluer than the celestial waters from the Holy City.
He was holding a sleek crescent moon staff. And perched on his head was a large hat that droops down. A witches hat.
The first witch he had ever laid his eyes upon.
“Who are you?” Mydei scowled. Has this witch come to kidnap Mydei and make him his magic slave? His ears flatten, coiling his tail around his leg.
“Oh! Hi there, I'm Phainon!” He stands up straight and adjusts his hat. “It’s my first time flying! Hope I didn’t disrupt you!”
“Okay..” Of course, an excuse. They both stare at each other for a while. "Aren't you leaving?” Phainon dusts his cloak off.
“Funny story…I don’t have any mana left…” Great. Now Mydei is stuck with a witch of all people. “Is it alright if I stay with you?” At least if he’s being honest it can do magic.
“Keep your distance.”
So now he’s with a witch. “Do you like the stars?” He asks. Mydei looked up at the sky, they were nice to look at, but what good have they ever done him?
“They’re…Pretty.” Mydei answers. He faces the witch, not even turning his back to him for a second.
“I know right! My sister used to tell me stories about them!” The witch, or Phainon rambles on. He can see the shooting stars reflect in the witch’s eyes. Which is weird, Mydei has heard stories of witches.
Morally gray, abandoned by Kephale THEMSELF. Witches that change the natural order causing nothing but destruction and pain in the paths they walk.
Creatures that Talanton watches with disdain. They go against everything THEY stand for. Mydei had assumed that they were different. Bloodthirsty monsters, far from humans. Creatures that don’t feel, don’t think, and are born from hate.
Mydei winces. Where he had heard all that before. Has he become a hypocrite?
Phainon is a witch, just like those rumors. Yet Phainon feels so lifelike. So human. And those wonderful eyes hold a promise that others could never dream of.
And that means danger. Mydei inches away, and he notices how Phainon’s hand fidgets. How he has a mole on the base of his finger. Right between his ring and pinky finger.
Snap out of it Mydei! Stay on your guard, even when next to a pretty witch.
Then just before the cold night air seeped in. Before Phainon fell asleep. Phainon had tucked Mydei in with his cloak. Both of them forget Mydei’s warning to stay away. “What about you?” He had asked.
The night was going to be cold, and why was this witch so nice?
“I’m not half naked.” Phainon responded. So now Mydei was left awake, next to a sleeping Phainon.
Phainon seemed outgoing and relaxed, but now that he’s sleeping, he's tense. His hand is clenched around his staff. Defensive. Wary.
Mydei moved Phainon’s cloak over both of them. And he saw how Phainon flinched at the movement. But didn't wake.
Mydei could have killed him. A stranger, and someone that despised witches. But Phainon tried to lower his guard the best he could. Such stupidity.
Maybe he could learn a thing or too from Phainon.
***
The rain patters down, storming against their skin. Phainon hauls Mydei up the cliff. Cipher clings to the ledge, trying hard not to get soaked. And failing. Lighting flashes, illuminating the sky, and thunder rumbles deep into the mountain’s core.
Luckly, Mydei agreed to wear the cloak, since the weather was too extreme even for him.
The trees dance in distress with the wind. The leaves rustle together, the branches whipping in every direction with the indecisive wind. Phainon’s legs are spasming. And he fails to catch his breath as the mountain tries to push them off.
Castorice uses her scythe to slash the falling debris. With her every slash, each rock has a purple glow where the scythe touched. “It seems Aquila has not granted us permission.”
“This is only the second highest mountain!” Cipher wails. She starts to climb her way higher. The wind starts to quicken, and the water starts to freeze. How it feels like small needles stinging his face.
The hail starts to knock against them, and where it touches blooms a patch of numbness.
Phainon shields his face trying to squint his eyes up. He raises his staff at the falling boulders. “Let there be light!!” A slash of light cuts at the rocks falling on their heads. The wind starts to pick up even more. A roar greater than thunder quakes though the static air.
“Is a poison flower really worth it HKS?” Mydei growls, breaking off a loose rock and dropping down the mountain. “Rock!” He called out. Though Phainon's pretty sure no one else is climbing the mountain.
The stormy gray clouds start to part, creating a nest of clouds. More lighting crackles around in a ball each striking, or coming from a great monster descending. A sleek head just like the skull of a bird. The beak, greater than a lightning rod.
A long serpent-like body, armed with three pairs of wings, commanding the storm. Light blue illuminates in the cracks of their body.
Their feathers a clean white of a swan, now shadowed by the clouds. Their cry sends the winds into a fury.
A dangerous beauty that bends the currents to their will. They gracefully dip below them and they circle the mountain in under 5 minutes. Their eyes striking straight at them. Their body is of a skeleton. Slicked down from the rain.
Theres eyes never leaving the ones on the mountain. They perch on onto the cliff, claws digging into the stone, and their tail coils around the mountain. Caving them in. It seems they caught the attention of a lesser Titan.
The child of Aquila. Cygnus.
Phainon stands his ground, he points his staff at Cygnus. Even though it's useless. A being so much greater than them. And Phainon knows that it's best to not anger Cygnus, nor Aquila.
Mydei places a hand on Phainon’s shoulder, anchoring him down. What do they want? Is Cygnus upset? Why are they here?
Cipher hauls Castorice, who is frozen in place, away from the clif. “Princess Hombody! Snap out of it!”
Phainon eyes their surroundings, the tail blocks the way down, and if they go up any higher in these conditions then they surely fall off this mountain.
“HKS get away!” Mydei yanks Phainon by the collar, just in time to miss a large rock that would have nailed him in the head.
“Guys over here!” Catsorice yelps, back from her frozen shock. Phainon and Mydei start to retreat into a cave where Cipher reaches her hands out for them.
Cygnus watches them and with a loud ear shattering cry, they fly off, circling the mountain. Castorice beckons them deeper inside the mountain. She holds her hands out slightly cupping them before a ball of light forms. Floating just above her hands.
The light illuminates the room, giving them a better visual of their surroundings. Wooden supports adorning the walls and ceilings. Touches, unlit and cold to the touch.
“What is this place?” Phainon traces the rails on the ground with his hands. What are these doing in the mountain? Cobwebs line the mine, but there are no spiders in sight.
“The Mountain Dwellers...” Mydei exhales, “I never knew they resided near Styxia too.”
So, they try their best to head to the bottom of the mountain. Key word: try. It would have been easier if the caves weren't mazes and they knew how to get down. And unfortunately the Mountain Dwellers kept the paths very even.
“Any navigation spells, witches?” Cipher asked, nodding at Castorice and Phainon respectively. “I know you don’t princess.” She answers herself, then tilts her head at Phainon.
“He doesn't.” Mydei Answers. So they continue on a path.
Phainon clears his throat. “So dusty here.” Then, there was a pathway up. A light shining at the end of the tunnel.
“Guess there's no down.” Castorice continues up. Leading them onward.
At the top, it was like a bowl, the mountain walls circling in. At the bottom of the walls, it was covered in purple flowers. Each in full bloom. Soaking the peaceful light. Unaware of the outside. The clouds part just enough so rainfall doesn’t touch this place, leaving room for the moon to gently shine on a pedestal in the middle, spotlighting an empty nest.
As the storm clouds circle around. They could hear the wind, and Cygnus’s wind beat around the mountain. Each thunderclap flashing across the sky. Outside of this peaceful cup, is a weather frenzy.
The eye of the storm.
“Mydei! Aconite!” Phainon rushes to the flowers around the perimeter. Crouching down to inspect the petals. The petals droop down, and they seem to be the only patch of them from all the flowers here.
“Hey! Don’t touch them!” Mydei calls chasing after Phainon. He kneels down next to Phainon, helping him harvest the poisonous croup safely. “Tch, all that work for this…”
Castorice approaches the pedestal and lightly touches the nest. Light feathers weaved together, for a soft and gentle cushion. Each tightly connected with care.
“Seems like your dreams were wrong.” Cipher says standing next to Castorice. “All that for an empty nest.” She shakes her head in disappointment.
A large shadow engulfs the mountain bowl. Cygnus peers down, their eyes scorching into Castorice. Now, even the loud lighting seems quiet. Her heart was louder with anxiety. Her hands shake, and beads of sweat fall down her face.
The soft moonlight illuminating the sharp gleaming bone beak, the feathered wings matching the abandoned nest. The slick fur of their tail wrapping around the mountain.
They watch them regally, just like a titan would. Cygnus leans down to the nest, opening their beak.
As they ascended back to the sky. The stormy gray clouds dissipate, the stars twinkling in the sky. Cygnus flies back, heading along the direction of River Styx. The sound of them pumping their wings fading in the distance.
“Cipher, there's another Myth in Aidonia flowing Cygnus.” As Castorice stares at the constellation above her. She reaches her hand out to the sky. “They say Cygnus was actually a gift for Aquila from Kephale. But they were raised by Thanatos.”
She traces out Gemini in the stars. “Cipher, the prophecies in my dreams are told by my little sister.” Looking down at the nest, Castorice places her hand on the warm lilac egg. Feeling the steady heart beat. “And Polyxia is never wrong.”
She carefully picks it up, cradling the dragon egg close to her chest. Rocking gently as if it were her own child.
Welcome home Pollux.