Mage Lucas Will Know

Val’s steps don’t slow down. We go up two sets of stairs, to a third floor I haven’t ever been to before. Once we’re up at the top of the stairs, there’s a simple hallway that leads right down to a door, devoid of anything else aside from a window to the right. Val walks confidently down the hall, giving the door a knock. On the other side, a sudden crash has both of us jerking our heads back a bit. Val hesitates for a second before he pushes the door open and peers inside.

BOOM!

A blast of purple smoke explodes everywhere! When it clears, both Val and I are left covered in a thin layer of purple! It’s… what the heck is this stuff?! In the middle of the room, a smoking cauldron rests, a middle aged guy standing over it. Said guy is also covered in purple— but when he removes his glasses, a pair of bright blue eyes look at his visitors. A manic grin spreads on his face.

”Oh! My, Your Highness! To what do I owe the pleasure this time?” He asks, futilely rubbing his hands on his shirt. He grabs a towel from a drawer and tosses it to Val, who catches it and starts wiping off the purple… substance. I shake my fur trying to get what I can off before trying to use a paw to get the rest off.

“Can you destroy this charm? It’s got a lot of people acting weird… Someone used it to manipulate them somehow.”

…Is this Mage Lucas? Geez, I thought he was gonna be some old wise man with a beard! Sure, he’s not young, but I certainly wasn’t expecting… this guy.

The Mage reaches out for the charm, which I finally let go, allowing him to take it from my grasp and study it. It glows for a second while he continues to stare at it, before nodding.

”Yes. I can destroy it. That will release some people from its hold. However…”

”What? What’s wrong?”

”It seems like it was used excessively on a select few of people. This kind of charm makes people bend to the user’s will. Mind control, kind of. It does this by feeding on emotions that might benefit the user and amplifying them. So, for example, if you wanted someone to give you something they own, you could amplify their affection for you to make them give you what you want. It gives the target the illusion that it was their choice. However, it’s possible for the target to reject the user’s desires still, if their feelings aren’t strong enough. It seems to me like, whoever used it, thought that by using it on the same person for the same thing multiple times, it would force them to bend eventually. Not how it works!”

”Wha… then, how do we fix those people?”

”Hm… someone close to them should be able to snap them out of it using a different charm. Something like… that one~!”

Mage Lucas gets closer, pointing at the charm around my neck. I blink, unsure what he means. Val also seems confused, like he never noticed the charm on me before. The charm is removed faster than I can comprehend, Mage Lucas studying it closer.

”Yes… this one will do. It helps keep people’s minds on track. It should help to bring everyone back to earth!”

”I… didn’t realize Princess had something like that. Thanks, I guess.” Val says, reaching for the charm. “How do I use it?”

”Just use a bit of calming magic on the charm while touching the person in question. Like on their shoulder or holding their hand. For the best chance of breaking the manipulation, the person closest to the victim should try using the calming charm! The closer the better. I’ll wait to destroy the manipulation charm until everyone that needs the calming spell is taken care of!”

Magic Lucas smiles at Val. Val, for his part, doesn’t seem too sure, but still nods as he turns to leave with my charm in hand. When we’re back out in the hallway, he looks down at me as he walks.

”How on earth did you get a charm like this?” He frowns. “Was it back then…?”

What? What are you talking about? Back when?? I tilt my head, but I never get an answer.

Val continues his stride until we reach the set of doors we entered earlier, back at the dining room. The old king looks like he’s half asleep, head resting on the table as a servant panics a bit trying to keep him awake. It makes Val chuckle as he approaches quietly. Gently, he rests his hand on his father’s shoulder, closing his eyes to focus on the magic. The charm glows a soft pink light. It’s soothing, makes me a little sleepy, actually. When the glow fades away, Val slowly shakes the king’s shoulder.

”…Dad?” He says softly. “Wake up, you can’t sleep at the table.”

The king groans, slowly sitting up. He stretches his arms, rolling a shoulder as he turns to look at Val.

“Son? What time is it? Oh dear… when did I fall asleep? How rude that must have been to our guests. I’m sorry if I ruined everything… What happened to your friend?”

”It’s okay.” Val smiles. “I’ll tell you what happened a little later. I need to go see some other people, so go get some rest, okay?”

”Alright. Let’s talk in the morning, then.”

The king stands, hobbling out of the dining room with the servant escorting him. Val watches as he goes, a little more confident in himself.

“That’s one down. Should I check on Leo? If Janice went after people she saw as a threat, he probably went after him a couple of times… But what do I do if I find him? It might not work since he’s upset with me…” Val looks down, but jumps when I place a paw on his shoulder. “… You’re right. I should still try, right?”

Eh, maybe not what I meant, but close enough. I give him a cheeky “nya” in response. It motivates him, as he perks back up and walks right down the hall to where we found Leo before.

He’s not there anymore, but we don’t have to look too hard. I spot him outside, nudging Val’s face with my paw to make him look in the same direction. As soon as Val spots him, he jogs to the nearest door and out into the garden. He stops in front of Leo, who’s sitting on the steps of the gazebo he built the other day. Leo looks up blankly at Val, eyes completely unfocused. Taking a gulp of air, Val kneels before Leo, reaching a hand out and placing it on Leo’s arm. Leo flinches, but doesn’t pull away this time.

”Don’t move.” Val murmurs. “This will be over quickly.”

The charm glows again, Val and Leo both closing their eyes. The glow vanishes, and when Leo opens his eyes, there’s a bit of life returning to them.

”…Prince… I mean… Your Highness… I…” Leo mumbles, shielding himself with his arms and hanging his head. “…What just happened? I feel like… a storm in my heart has calmed…”

”Someone used a charm that fed on your emotions. The bad emotions, it seems.”

”…I’m sorry.” Leo curls up further on himself. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that, no matter how frustrated I was. I couldn’t stop myself…”

”I know, Leo. I’m not mad at you.”

Val reaches out, placing a hand on Leo’s head. Leo hesitates, but eventually lifts his head to meet Val’s gaze. In return, Val smiles at him.

”I’m sorry it took so long for me to give you an answer. My mind was a mess, but I think I can see it clearly now.”

”…It’s okay. I… can we… still be friends?” Tears start to slip out, making Leo flinch and reach to wipe his eyes. “Sorry, sorry, I just… don’t want…”

”We’re still friends, Leo.” Val’s declaration makes Leo pause, gazing up at the other boy. “I promise this won’t change anything. I know you wouldn’t have lashed out like that under normal circumstances. Still… I apologize for leaving you hanging for so long. It was… cruel, even if I was dealing with other things. Please be assured, there wasn’t a day that passed where I didn’t think about your confession, though.”

Leo blushes, lowering his hands. A bittersweet smile touches his face as he looks at Val.

”I know. Thank you for considering it in earnest. Please continue to talk with me in the garden when you go for a walk in the mornings.”

”I will. Promise.”

”…can you give me some time? I think I want to stay here and calm down a bit more.”

Leo smiles up weakly at Val, who nods as he stands. He walks away, not saying anything further, reaching up to make sure I’m still perched on his shoulders. His phone buzzes in his pocket, and when he checks it, his eyebrows knit together.

”Mage Lucas says one more person. Well… who else do I check? Should I check in on… Yancy, I guess? See if Janice messed with her too.”

I give him an agreeing “meow!” As he goes off to track down Yancy. Val has to ask around, but eventually, he finds her in the study. She seems to be mindlessly organizing things, cleaning the same spot over and over. Not totally present at the moment. Val approaches cautiously. When she notices him approaching, she flinches.

”Your Highness?”

”Hey.” He says, giving her a soft smile. “Can you let me try something? It might help you a bit.”

”…Sure.” She bows, standing back up straight to look at Val.

Val reaches out to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. When he closes his eyes, the light begins to glow. It’s weaker this time, though… I hope that’s okay. Yancy remains, unwavering, and when Val opens his eyes, nothing has changed. He looks around, obviously trying to figure out what went wrong, before he tightens his grip on her shoulder.

”C-Come with me to see Mage Lucas. He needs to see you.”

Yancy remains silent as Val grabs her hand, leading her back to Mage Lucas’ room on the third floor. Val seems a bit panicked, and I am too. Yancy is here alone, her family isn’t exactly available at the drop of a hat! What if she’s stuck like this until we can track down a family member?!

Val pushes open Mage Lucas’ door.

”Mage Lucas! Yancy—“

BOOM!

Both Val and Yancy stand there stunned, this time a reddish dust leaves a thin layer on our faces. I shake off what I can and begin trying to rub the rest off with my paw. Ugh… I’m going to be waterboarded tonight, aren’t I?

”Sorry, sorry!” The guy says, tossing some more towels to Val and Yancy. “This formula is extremely volatile! Unstable. It’s a hazard to come barging in!”

”…one of these days, I’ll learn that lesson.” Val huffs, rubbing his face into the towel. When he looks back up at Mage Lucas, there’s less of that stuff on him. “Um…! I couldn’t get Yancy to snap out of it! Would you be able to?”

The mage pauses, examining Yancy as she wipes her glasses clean.

”Hm… I’m not sure if she considers me close beyond a teacher or mentor. I fear if I tried, the result would be the same.”

”Th-then, what do we do? Her family isn’t close by… We can’t leave her like this…!”

The pair look at each other, trying to come up with some solutions. Ugh, guys! I didn’t know this mage was a coward. Won’t even try? Please. Before Val can react, I snatch the charm from him and leap off his shoulders, walking up to Yancy myself. Mage Lucas chuckles, amused.

”Well, now that’s a sight. Does the kitty want to try?”

Val blinks a few times. He thinks for a second before turning to Lucas.

”Can she? I know she’s a cat, but… can a cat use magic?”

”Hm… I’ve never heard of it. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t! If this kitty cat can use magic, then maybe there’s a shot. Yancy talked about your kitten a lot whenever she took care of her.”

”Then let’s try it!” Val reaches down to pick me up, holding me out to Yancy. Yancy pauses a second, confused why Val’s holding me like that… but she reaches out and takes me into her arms. I blink up at the girl, paws resting over her arms. Okay… now what do I do? I never once considered I might use magic while in this world! I never bothered to read about it! Mage Lucas then approaches, smiling down at me.

“Okay, miss kitty. Close your eyes and focus. Focus everything you can into this charm! If you understand, give it a try.”

Well… okay! That’s kind of like that fortune teller thing. Let’s give it a go. I do as I’m told and close my eyes, focusing on everywhere I touch the charm. The charm, I can tell it starts to glow, but I try not to let it divert my focus. One… two… three… four… five… Is this working? I can’t tell. I open my eyes and the charm’s light dims. Yancy lets out a shaky breath, opening her eyes and looking around at everyone.

”I… What happened? I can’t remember.”

It worked? It worked!! I used magic! With a charm!! That’s—That’s amazing!

We meet eyes, and I wiggle free, jumping down to the floor. Val sighs, approaching Yancy carefully.

”Hey, how do you feel? Are you okay?”

”I… I think I’m okay…” Yancy scratches her head, eyes lighting up when she recognizes her surroundings. “Oh, when did we get to the magic study?”

”Glad to see you’re back with us, Yancy.” Mage Lucas smiles at her. “Seems like you were under a charm spell. This little kitty managed to snap you out of it.”

”R-Really? Oh my gosh. Did I do something weird?!”

”No, not at all. Just seemed very tired.” Val reassures. “It was Janice’s doing. I’m sorry you got all wrapped up in it because of me…”

”Oh, oh please don’t worry about that! It wasn’t your fault. She was trying to force you to marry her, wasn’t she?” When Val nods, Yancy sighs, looking a bit defeated. “I can’t say I really remember how she got me, but… I’m glad she didn’t get what she wanted. She didn’t, did she?”

“No, she didn’t. Marius helped me take care of everything.”

”Ah… I see. Then… Did you make a decision?”

”…I did.” Val offers a small smile to her. “You helped me a lot by being a good friend. Thank you.”

“N-No, it’s all okay, really… I’m the one who should be saying… Oh!”

Yancy blinks at him, before lighting up and running off to a corner of the room, rummaging through a drawer.

”I… I don’t have much to say ‘thank you’ with, but… I do have something for Princess. As a gift, if I can present it…?”

She holds out a new collar, something that sparkles when the light catches it. Val looks at it curious, taking the collar from Yancy, and Mage Lucas chuckles.

”Oh, that! You made that for the kitty?”

”W-Well… I thought… It would be nice. Sometimes, she might need help and I can’t always help her… She would know what I mean, I think.”

Oh? It’s a magic collar? Sweet! I want it! I trot up to Val, pawing at his leg so I can maybe see it! He laughs, kneeling to slip the collar around my neck.

“If she needs it, I’m sure she’ll use it.” Val says, gathering me up and standing. He smiles at Yancy. “Thanks, Yancy.”

“Y-You’re welcome!” Yancy smiles back, fiddling with her skirt.

The door closes softly as Val leaves, hand lingering on the handle. He sighs, looking down at me in his arms. He pokes at the collar, curious.

”You’ll have to show me what it does later, Princess.” He whispers to me. I flick an ear, mimicking his poke with my own paw.

Should I? If this does what I think it does, turn me human… Would it even be okay? I still… don’t know if I want Val to change how he sees me. Something else, other than a pet? A cat? I don’t know if I’m ready for that.

But… maybe Val is ready.