The Spellbook of Sidis [EN]
A story set in a post-magical monarchy flowing the unbridled banner of "Unity". Two souls, a girl with no roots fighting for her purpose, and a boy with no purpose fighting against his roots, shall travel against the winds of fate, unsure of what awaits them.
Chapter 1: The Faithful
Scene 3: Ode to Us Fervent Drinkers
After a long day of work, many opt for a drink in the Alabastine Alehouse. This building with a white exterior housed a spacious room, free of windows so everyone could forget about their daily lives for even the shortest moment. Today, the alehouse stayed open until quite late, yet it remained as crowded as ever. Between the sounds of glass and open chatter, many chose to have a meal and a drink in this atmosphere, sharing a moment with complete strangers for one single night. The interior was dimly lit, with only one lamp per table, as well as a handful of them on the main counter. The walls were decorated with paintings upon paintings of the establishment’s most iconic patrons and managers. However, few even had time to pay attention to the displayed art pieces due to the speed at which every employee was working. Waiters and waitresses ran through the tables, holding their plates with the sort of expertise one can only develop with years of practice. At the same time, the barmen and barmaids didn’t have any breaks, either. From preparing to serving drinks to cleaning their counter whenever they had time. Whether worker or patron, everyone indulged in the atmosphere in their own way. As everyone had their moments of joy, the main event finally started. Two of the patrons got up from their table, and walked towards the alehouse’s stage. Without a word, they both prepared their instruments, adjusting their suits in the process. On the left was a young man whose mouth was covered by a green scarf. He picked up his heavy-looking bag and took out a violin out of it. From afar, his most striking features were his green hair and the sheer abundance of rings and bracelets covering his arms and body. Next to the gold-laced man was his partner, a shorter, but much more smug girl. She was unfolding the legs of her keyboard, and placing it in front of her. As she moved, her hair fluttered in the dim light that exposed her, revealing her cream-colored hair, interlaced with pink and ending in a large drill. Those who were closer to the scene could make out her pointed ears, as well as a pair of wings detached from her body. Since non-humans were quite the rarity in the Kingdom, this was a sight to behold for many. The duo waited a few seconds for the chatter to calm down, and the keyboardist started playing first, drawing all the attention on her. Her partner soon joined in, accompanying her solo with his violin into a soothing melody. While the duet was deeply invested in the short piece, the violinist could glance at everybody now and then, with a soft smile on his face. To some, it was a miracle that his bracelets never hit each other, as the noise would’ve certainly ruined the moment. As the duet continued, most were cheering, adding to the show by clapping and singing along. Sadly, not everyone felt the joyous atmosphere of this late-night spectacle. On the other side of the establishment, two younger people sat in front of the counter, only looking at the scenery from their seats. One of them was Benetnasch. He wore his work attire, except for his hood being taken off. The woman sitting next to him was the one he met in the silent house. Her hair looked more like fur, due to its messy state. She tightly held a book against her chest, protecting it with a single arm. Both looked tired and refused to comment on or participate in the scene before them, until a barmaid approached them. She gave a quick glance at the girl, then at Benet, with a soft smile. “Honestly, that piano of hers… How does it work, even ? Maybe there’s strings hidden inside. Or maybe it’s magic ?”, she asked, trying to stir up conversation with the poor boy. “Mmh. I don’t know.”, he replied without much thought. The barmaid flicked a strand of her brown hair, before sighing. She placed her hands on the counter. “Come on, Ben. What’s it going to be tonight ? You look like you could use a drink.” The young man turned towards the counter and glanced at her, but his gaze fell back on the counter. “Redplum juice.”, he answered, before turning back to the rest of the people chanting. “Figures. And what about her ? I can get her something, it’s on me.”, she mused, before beginning to pour the drink Benetnasch asked into a glass. All three went silent, expecting someone else to answer anything. That same silence quickly became deafening, before the worker sighed again. “I’ll take that as a no, then. What’s her deal, even ?”, she asked again, this time with a hint of curiosity in her voice, but also a hint of exasperation. The young boy’s gaze went up to the barmaid, then the girl sitting next to him. He then picked up his glass of light red liquid, before taking a short sip. “I don’t know. She won’t talk to me. It’s been three days. I figured this place would help.”, he replied in a gloomy tone. He didn’t want to say anything about where or how they met. The barmaid chuckled, before resuming cleaning the counter with a towel. “This place can barely cheer you up, let alone someone else. What did you do to piss her off, anyway ?” No one could answer as the patrons all erupted in cheers before them. It seemed the spectacle was over, and both musicians were bowing respectfully to the crowd. The man then waved at everyone, before speaking in a calm tone. “This be the end for today. Please, get home safely. Our paths will inevitably cross again, even if for a brief moment.” Another round of cheers erupted as most of the customers got up and prepared to leave. It seemed like most of them only stayed there for the performance, and not for the food or the drinks, much to the dismay of the employees. As the building emptied, both performers were packing up their instruments. The pointy-eared woman only graced her keyboard with a sleigh of hand, before it vanished into glowing particles. No one seemed to particularly mind this, however. Soon after, some workers started escorting the drunk customers out of the establishment, until no one remained except the two musicians, as well as the two young adults sitting next to the counter. Benetnasch took a bigger sip of his glass, before talking. “Everyone left, we should go t–”, but he was cut short by a shout coming from the other side. “Shut. Please stay there, little bird.”, the violinist shouted, before approaching the counter himself. His steps made no sound, and it seemed more like he was somehow floating above the ground. The barmaid looked in mild surprise, before she was called by another worker in the back of the store and left the counter. Now, it really was only the four of them left. The green-haired man shoved his hands in the pockets of his lower clothing, and resumed talking. “Pardon my untimely interruption, but curiosity bested me, as always. Everyone sang along and cheered, but not you two. Why is that ?”, he said, as his face approached Benet’s. Benet felt a pang of fear at this man, mixed with wonder. Somehow, the man didn’t seem like a threat, or like anything. It was like he wasn’t even there, and his form didn’t cast any shadow. For a small second, he thought the man wasn’t even real, but he could feel a kind of warmth emanating from him. The man’s accomplice approached the counter as well, but this time, she was actually flying. Her small wings kept her hovering effortlessly as she smirked down at the scene. She didn’t utter a single word, however. “I… Sorry, I’m really not… in the mood for it.”, he couldn’t finish his sentence, clearly intimidated by the ethereal presence in front of him. His words barely escaped his lips, more mumbles than a proper response. “I understand. Something of great importance to you weighs on your shoulders, but you’d rather not speak a word. Say, Leri, would you mind stepping outside with the young lady here ?”, he asked as he pulled his hands out of his pockets and gently gestured towards the front door. “Aye ! Let’s have a quick chat !”, she replied with a high-pitched voice, almost soothing. She quickly grabbed the blonde girl’s arm, and pulled her hard enough for her to get up from her seat and follow her, running. She did nothing to stop her, as they both left the four white walls of the alehouse. “There. Now, then. Please tell me everything. I hope you won’t hold back now that we are alone.” Benetnasch gulped as he slowly got up from his seat. He looked at the violinist with a worried look, before looking down. He took a deep breath, before finally answering. For some reason, he felt at ease now. “I should not be saying this, but… I took this girl in, I couldn’t leave her. I work for the Central Church, I should have arrested her when I saw her. I didn’t.”, he stopped, gazing at the front door, before closing his eyes for a short moment. “If my boss catches wind of this, he’ll be furious. I might even get arrested myself. But I just… couldn’t see myself hurting her. And now, she won’t even look at me. She’s dead silent, and I don’t know what to do.” The green-haired man chuckled and clapped his hands together. He wore the same smirk as his companion, but his gaze was almost predatory. “O poor prisoner of the House of the Holy. I implore your state. You took a step that you were not allowed to take, and yet, all you do is wallow in newfound sorrow ?”, he replied, but now, he almost seemed mad. “I have met countless men, heard countless tales, and witnessed countless ends. The blade of fate is drawn against those who relinquish their own feelings.” He took a step towards Benet, nearly towering over him. He grabbed both of his shoulders, and could feel the shudder that ensued. “It is when someone acts out of their own belief that they reach happiness. But you. You are still unsure. Please listen to this.” He made a long pause, before continuing. “Bad faith inevitably begets a bad fate. You know what she longs to hear. Why do you hesitate ?” On these words, he turned before awaiting an answer, his silent steps vanishing into the night as the front door closed behind him. Benetnasch ran to catch up to him, but as he opened the door, all he saw was the stars of the dark night, as well as the blonde-haired girl in front of him. Her eyes were reddened, and she seemed out of breath. She still held the book against her. Benet broke the silence first. “Listen, I…” She wanted to reply, but for a few seconds, no sound came out of her lips. She finally mustered but a single whisper, the likes of which were hard to make out. “I’m sorry. I should’ve said something sooner.”, she replied, not daring to look at him. “No, please listen. I’m sorry about what happened to the old man. I couldn’t stop it, but… Whatever he wanted for you, I can help you know.” She finally looked at him, her eyes widening in surprise. She took a step back, tightening her grip on her book, unsure of how to answer. Her shoulders lowered as she searched for words. “I don’t know what he meant to you, but if you lived with him, you need to hear this. People on death row always get to write one letter. If he wrote anything for you, I can help you find it.”, he sighed, before averting his gaze to the ground. Deep down, he wasn’t sure of the consequences of what he was saying. The girl gasped. Her book slipped from her hands and hit the ground in a dull thud. “I just… I just want you to trust me. That man, he told me to act on my own good faith. I’m choosing to help you, so please, let me.”, he looked up at her, holding the brown coat of the House of the Holy tightly in his hand. “Fine. I want to see it. He must’ve written it for me. I’ll do whatever it takes to get my hands on it.”, she replied, crouching to pick up her book and holding it against her again. As she got up, she noticed the soft glow of pink-ish and golden particles floating around the two of them, just like the ones surrounding that pointy-eared woman. “Do we trust each other now ?”, he asked as a smile started to form on his face. “We do.”, she replied, her fear completely gone, replaced by a more serious and confident tone. The young man sighed one last time before answering. “What’s your name ? “I’m Benetnasch. Or Ben, if you prefer.” She nodded, her face finally decorated with a smile for the first time that night. “I’m Sidis.”, she said. “Let’s work together, Ben.”
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Chapter 1: The Faithful