Mutante: Chapter 25
Copyright 2023 Elizabeth Frerichs
As soon as they reached the garden, Rosie came to an abrupt halt, her hands coming up to cover her eyes.
Robert stopped too. “Another illusion spell?”
Rosie nodded, squinting at the garden, her hand still trying to block the varicolored flares. Each of the magical plants and different varieties of soil glowed with their own unique hue. Silvery letters spanned the archway into the garden and a faint grey-green haze overlaid the entrance.
“Rosie?”
“Just—just give me a second. There’s so much magic in this place I can’t hardly see anything.”
“Well, I can’t see anything except another cliff.”
She blinked several times, and eventually her sight adjusted. “Ok. Here. Hold my hand and I’ll bring you and Waterdancer through the illusion.”
The moment they passed through the archway, the grey-green magic flared brighter than sunshine and a waterspout grabbed hold of them. Robert’s hand tightened around hers, and Rosie grabbed hold of Waterdancer’s harness with her other hand, hanging on for dear life. Ater spinning them round and round, the waterspout shoved them onto the ocean floor.
The sound of Rina’s cackling filled the air, and suddenly a transparent vision of her appeared. “I don’t know who you are, little witch, but my spells recognized your presence as soon as you entered the garden.” The filmy version of Rina cackled again and pointed to where the waterspout had flung them. “I’ve created this path just for you.” A path appeared, beginning from where they sprawled. Kelp and garden plants grew in profusion along the sides of it and it twisted to the right, not more than four tail-lengths in front of them. “It’s a maze of sorts. I hope you enjoy living out in the ocean because you’re never reaching your destination again.” She cackled again, and the image disappeared in another swirl of water.
Rosie shrank back from the path. Rina’s last path had been extremely hazardous, calling out to whatever dangers were nearby.
“So, what do we do now?” Robert asked.
“I—I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It’s like Rina put a time-delayed spell on the garden, but—” She bit her lip. “Thomas, what do you suggest?”
The mirror frowned. “It is indeed troubling. Perhaps there is a clue in her discourse.”
“How about we just try to go back to the black sand and see what happens?” Robert said, pointing up.
Thomas frowned. “I cannot begin to guess at the consequences, but at least we will have a better idea of the spell’s effects.”
Rosie wasn’t sure it was the best idea, but she didn’t really have a better one, so she shrugged.
They grabbed hold of Waterdancer’s harness and Robert directed him upward, trying to get above the foliage so they could see more clearly. No matter how hard Waterdancer tried, though, he was unable to get high enough. Rina had somehow tethered him to the ocean floor.
Robert let go of the harness when they were at the apex of the tether and began trying to swim upward. However, he too strained with no effect.
“Well, that doesn’t seem like it’ll work,” he said sourly. “Let’s try another direction.” He directed Waterdancer towards the foliage that edged the path, but then bounced right off the path wall. “Oof! That hurt. I’m beginning to really hate these magical paths. Too many rules.”
Trapped. If only she had realized what she was seeing! And now Robert would be dragged into the mess too, maybe forever, if Rina’s spell kept them from ever reaching any destination.
“I’m so sorry, Robert,” she said, her voice catching. “This is all my fault.”
He looked at her as though she had grown an extra tail. “How is it your fault?”
“I saw the magic on the archway, but I didn’t realize it was Rina’s magic, and—”
“Rosie, that’s not your fault. Who knew your aunt would put a spell on us when we entered the garden?” He smiled at her. “It’s just another obstacle. We’ve escaped one of your aunt’s paths before.”
“I—” She bit her lip, then swam to where she could see the magic mirror. “Thomas, what do you think?”
“I fear I do not have any guidance to offer, save that your knight is correct: the fault lies with Lady Rina, not with you. After all, you did not cast the spell.”
Rosie didn’t know what to say to that, so she contented herself with a small forced smile. “What now then? We don’t have time to spare—Grandma doesn’t have extra time. And just imagine what Rina can do to Aquaria once she’s unopposed! We can’t let that happen!” Her hands began to shake.
Robert swam over to her and clasped her hands. “Rosie, it’s all right. You’re a change-maker, remember? Just because your aunt can cast a spell on you, that doesn’t mean she can keep the spell working. Change it. Ride the beast.”
“Use a counterspell, you mean?” she said in a small voice, the weight in her chest growing a tiny bit lighter.
He shrugged. “Sure, if that means to use magic against her. What if you cast the path spell again?”
“I’d have to include something about not even magic being able to divert us,” she said thoughtfully.
Thomas cleared his throat. “Although that is an excellent idea, I am concerned about how much fighting Lady Rina’s spell might drain you.”
“Do we have an option?” Rosie asked fiercely. “We’ve come this far. We can’t let Rina stop us, and well, we don’t have time to come up with another solution. Nor will we be able to collect any ingredients, even if there is an anti-magic potion or anything of that sort.”
Thomas sighed. “You should eat something before you make the attempt.”
Rosie immediately unclipped the enchanted bag and pulled out a quick snack.
“And you should know that casting a counterspell requires fighting against the opposing witch’s magic,” Thomas continued as she ate. “You must hold the spell until it takes effect, no matter how difficult that is.”
Rosie’s hand trembled, but she nodded. They really didn’t have any other option. Not if they were going to save her grandmother. And Robert’s words had struck a chord. She was a change-maker. She didn’t have to do anything except accept who she was. It was comforting, even if she had no idea how to utilize the power.
Now she just had to convince her twisting stomach that eating was a good idea.
Once she finished eating, she took a deep breath and began the path spell.
“Grant us passage that is safe
through this dark and gloomy place
To find black sand we go
through all the currents, high or low.
Take us on the way that’s true
through the realm that’s deep and blue;
allow no dangers, vast or small,
to reach us on this path at all.
Let nothing divert us from our chosen course
Not magic or creature, no matter the source.”
The moment she finished the incantation, a tiny localized warping effect began right next to her and lasted until it crashed into the edge of Rina’s path. Rosie dropped a tail-length, the weight of Rina’s spell nearly crushing her. She straightened her spine and pushed back. She was a changemaker, and Rina’s spell would change.
Moment by moment, her path inched forward. First, a sliver of the warping effect broke through Rina’s plants, as though Rosie had thrown a spear of magic at them, and then, gradually, the path grew larger and larger. She anchored her thoughts to the picture of exactly what she wanted, holding even as the magic grew more and more difficult. They didn’t need the same giant path they had used yesterday or this morning. Just something big enough to follow out of here.
Inch by inch, she fought, forcing herself to concentrate on the magic, refusing to even entertain the thought that her spell might fail, choosing to believe that her mutante powers would win out over Rina’s spell.
And inch by inch, she won the battle, her path solidifying out of a mere misty warping into something they could follow.
Rosie held her hands up, trying to imbue even more force into the spell. It felt like Rina’s path was stretching away from hers and eventually, if she could stretch it enough, it would break, splintering away from them.
Her breath came in gasps, and her head had just begun to feel woozy when Robert put a hand on her shoulder.
“You can do it,” he murmured.
With a last shove, she broke through the rest of Rina’s spell and it shattered around them, the plants suddenly sweeping away as though a wave had just crashed outward from where they were standing.
Rosie sighed and collapsed onto Waterdancer. “Thank goodness that worked,” she murmured, the dragging in her bones back full force.
“I only hope—well, you should eat again and then let us proceed to the black sand now,” Thomas said. “We are, unfortunately, still lacking in time.”
“Right.” Barely able to lift her exhausted arms, Rosie fumbled with the bag on her belt.
“May I?” Robert asked.
She nodded.
He gently unhooked the bag and then gave her another seaweed wrap. She ate it and then, forcing herself to appear alert, she refastened the bag and gestured to the path. “Well, shall we?”
Robert studied her for a long moment and then sighed. “Let’s go, Waterdancer.”
A/N: And now they just have to get the black sand, make the potion, free grandma from the monster, and get the potion into her. Nothing much at all 😉
Thanks for reading! I hope you’re enjoying the story. If anyone wants to do edits, I’m always looking for ways to make the story better.
See you on Thursday!
