Scientific Sorcery : Beware of Kittens!

“WHAT?!” I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "No? What do you mean, no? There has to be a way!"

Stormy just stared at me, offering no further explanation, no elaboration, no solution to the pressing issue at hand.

"Why?" I snarled, losing patience with the kitten. "Why does Teya have to decay away? What was the point of stealing the artifact from that blasted swamp that nearly melted my face off?!"

The kitten tilted her head at me then slowly mewed a single word: "Ssss-rrnnn-bbbreee-am.”

“Sunbeam?!” I sputtered. “This is all… for a sunbeam?!”

Stormy simply nodded at me, as if there was nothing more important in the world for her other than… a sunbeam.

“Is this… is this why we’re here in this dark, damp cave?!” I yelled. “Is this why we left Grandhilda’s forest?! Is that why Cali had to die… why Teya is dying right now?! A freaking sunbeam?!”

“Srrrrrnn-breee-am,” Stormy repeated, squinting at me as if I was an idiot.

“No, no, no,” I grabbed my hair, fingers running through my head. “Teya can’t die. You have to save her! You have to tell me what to do…”

The kitten’s paw slid over to [No].

I choked.

Why did I trust the guidance of a kitten?! Why did I… think that Stormy knew the way, knew where the future led? Was my guiding light in the darkness flawed? Did it lead to our ruin and death?!

Feeling frustrated beyond measure, I stormed out of the sleigh and once again looked at Teya’s megalith. The damage was increasing, the rock coming apart. I couldn't waste any more time arguing with the sunbeam-obsessed kitten. I needed to do something, anything, to help Teya.

I grabbed the largest barrel of earth from within the sleigh and dragged it out into the cave. Teya's flickering form watched me with detached interest as I approached the water's edge.

"Teya," I said, my voice softer now, "I don't know if this will help, but it might slow down the decay, stop the red lightning eating your anchoring rock from within. Will you trust me?"

Her ghostly form nodded, and I felt a lump form in my throat.

I activated the remote, liquefying the earth in the barrel. Then, with as much care as I could muster, with the help of a giant watery hand I guided Teya's cracked megalith into the liquefied barrel.

"I hope this helps," I whispered as I watched the barrel envelop the damaged stone. "I'm so sorry... I can't do more."

Teya's form flickered again, but she managed a small smile as the cracked megalith sank in the barrel, warping and rippling it. She gave me a single thumbs up before the stone became entirely submerged. Teya's Avatar vanished, leaving me alone in the oppressive darkness of the cavern.

I re-solidified the barrel, feeling magical sparks grating at me from within it.

Deep down, I knew this was just a temporary measure.

I stormed back into the sleigh, determined to wring some answers out of Stormy.

"Why?" I demanded as soon as I entered, shaking the dark artifact in front of the kitten. "Come on! What am I supposed to do with this damn snowflake ? It can’t all just be for a sunbeam… it can’t! I can't lose Teya! She's the only person on this damned planet who isn't trying to enslave or kill me, who understands me!”

Stormy just blinked at me, with a far too calm expression, her tail swishing lazily.

I was about to launch into another kitten-shaming tirade when a sudden flash caught my eye. Cali's Farcast Orb, sitting among her other artifacts, was pulsing with an eerie light and producing the sound of a ringing bell.

I froze, staring at the orb.

As it flashed and jingled louder, an image began to form within its depths. A fish-eye lens warped face peered out at me, a large yellow eye looking left and right. The face retreated, revealing features that seemed to blend human and white and black feathered crow or perhaps a magpie.

A light gray beak was prominently featured on her face. Her outfit consisted of white, rather revealing leather suit, brown leather straps, steel bracers and rings and a glass magnifying lens hanging above her right eye encased in a fanciful leather holster.

Behind the bird-girl the view featured some kind of a workshop covered in randomly scattered books, lamps, tools, wires and partially disassembled artifacts. Dust motes floated through the air.

The orb's insistent jingling bounced across the sleigh, echoing around the cavern as I stood there, paralyzed with indecision, wondering what new horrid complication this was going to be.

Crowgirl. Workshop. Tools.

My mind clicked, recalling Cali talking about her Corvix Arcanicx confidant. Was this Cali’s overseer, the one who leased Cali her sleigh?

“Shit. Should I answer or…” I whispered to myself, staring at the flashing orb and the increasingly annoyed looking Corvix Arcanicx who now crossed her arms, white and black feathers fluttering behind her.

Stormy’s black paw tapped the word [YES].

I hesitated, my hand hovering over the flashing orb. According to Cali, the Corvix disassembled everything of value. Exposing myself to this girl as the only male witch on Thornwild seemed like an incredibly dangerous move.

"Stormy, are you sure about this?" I asked in English. "These crows specialize in taking apart everything magical. What if they try to… disassemble me?"

The kitten just rolled her eyes at me, offering no further guidance.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Is this really part of your plan for... a sunbeam? How does talking to this Corvix help us? Will talking to her help Teya?”

Stormy remained silent, her tail swishing lazily, paw sitting on [YES].

The orb continued to flash and ring insistently. The crow-like face peered out again, looking increasingly impatient.

I took a deep breath, weighing my options.

On one hand, the Corvix might have knowledge that could help me and on the other talking to her would further embroil me with the Arcanicx Ring of Castia.

I felt lost, unsure if I could trust the kitten’s feline desires. Her single-minded focus on the 'sunbeam' seemed at odds, misaligned with my own human goals.

"Stormy," I said, my voice tight with tension, "I need more than just a 'yes'. Is this truly the best path forward? Will this help Teya?"

The kitten's paw hovered over the Codex for a moment before tapping [maybe].

I groaned in frustration. "That's not very reassuring, damn it!"

The ringing suddenly fell silent. The Corvix tapped the orb from her end with a metal-ring covered black claw.

“Cali,” she said, her sharp, clear voice echoing across the cavern. “Where in the name of Mundus are you, girl? Please just pick up the damn voicecast! I’ve called a few times already! I’ve been delaying my reports, saying that you’re enjoying your first dalliance with your new barbarian Champion ravaging you night and day…”

I squinted at the orb.

“I seriously can’t wait any longer, can’t feed the Prima-Mother more excuses! If you don’t answer right now, I’m going to have to assume that you’re grievously injured or dead and send a hunter-tracker retrieval team! From what I can see here, you're somewhere in the North Sea, at the edge of the Ninitza peninsula, about seven point six hexa-wings North-East of the mouth of River Glinka. Just tap the pearl on the base and answer me! Come on, it’s not that hard!”

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I realized just how precisely the Corvix had somehow pinpointed our location. Did the sleigh or the orb have some kind of a magical GPS in it or something?!

I hesitated for a moment longer, then tapped the pearl on the base of the glass orb.

"Hello?"

The image in the orb flickered.

"Oh!" She smiled, her beak-like mouth curving upwards. "Greetings! You must be Ioan! Blue eyes, red hair... barbarous outfit... yes, of course, the description fits."

"Yes," I nodded, glancing at Stormy. "I'm... Ioan."

She clapped her hands together, feathers ruffling with excitement. "How marvelous! I'm Moonalia Cavil, but you can call me Mooni. I'm Cali's Corvix confidant and Mission Overseer. It's so wonderful to finally meet my bestie's first Champion!"

Before I could get a word in, Mooni launched into a rapid-fire monologue. "I've heard so much about you from Cali's reports. The dashing Nordstaii barbarian who stole her heart! Though I must say, you look different than I expected. Cali described you as more... rugged? But no matter! I'm sure you're just as charming in person."

She tilted her head, bird-like. "I do hope you've been treating my kitten well. She can be a handful and hell-a distracted sometimes. Speaking of which, where is she? I've been trying to reach her for days now. The Prima-Mother is getting quite impatient for an update on her mission progress."

Mooni's words came out in a breathless rush, barely pausing between thoughts. I struggled to keep up with her rapid-fire delivery.

"Oh, and what an adorable kitten!" she cooed, noticing Stormy. "How fascinating! Why do you have it with you? Does it have any special abilities? I'd love to study it sometime. Why is Cali's sleigh so… messy? Are those plants? How are they alive? Isn't it below freezing over there?”

Finally, she seemed to run out of steam, or perhaps just air. "Anyway, Ioan, would you be a gem and fetch Cali for me? I really do need to speak with her. There are some pressing matters we need to discuss..."

I stood there, momentarily stunned by the rapid barrage of words and assumptions. How was I supposed to respond to all of that? And how could I possibly explain what had really happened to Cali?

It was at that moment that I realized that she was speaking in Nordstaii from the very beginning, trying to get me to touch the orb. She had been watching me and Stormy through the orb from the start, evaluating my behavior, pretending that we weren't really connected yet.

The Corvix squinted at me with sharp yellow-gold eyes, her expression suddenly shifting from sweet and playful to cold and dangerous.

"She's dead isn't she?" The Corvix asked suddenly, somehow jumping to a very dangerous conclusion. "Did you kill my best friend, Ioan?"