“I might not be able to use it as a watch anymore, but I guess I can still keep it to remember him by…”
Fine said this with a smile, but there was something hidden behind her expression. I’m sure she was saying this more to herself than to us, as her way of telling herself it was time to give up.
Is there anything I can do for my friend? I thought for a few moments before eventually tapping Fine on the shoulder.
“Hey, Fine.”
“Yeah?”
“I have an idea.”
“A mourning what?”
Orange leaves fell from the trees around us in the town square where Fine watched with wide eyes as I drew a spell circle on the ground with a branch.
“A mourning ritual. It’s something witches used to do to thank certain items that they’d used for a long time. Think of it as a way to say good night. You know how the Spirits inside your watch have used up all their energy and are now in an eternal rest? We’re gonna do a ritual to tuck them in tight for eternity.”
“Wow, I’ve never heard of that before.”
“The idea that all things harbor Spirits is a very witch-and-wizard sort of concept. Sometimes, we borrow their power to perform magic. Think of this as our way of thanking spirits who’ve fulfilled their duties.”
“Sounds kind of religious.”
“Well, magic is chock-full of religious ideology.”
I etched out a small circle on the ground, then a larger one around that. This made a donut shape where I would formulate my spell. I had to pick and choose where I would cut off each verse to fill them with meaning, verses that I would later chant.
An intrigued Fine watched from over my shoulder as I scratched out my magic circle on the ground.
“I love the little shapes you use in your spells. They’re so pretty.”
“Are you talking about runes?”
“They’re called runes?”
Runes were a special alphabet that used different combinations of lines to formulate its characters. Each individual character had its own meaning and could also be used for things like fortune telling. Runes had been created long ago when, unlike now, civilization was more in tune with nature. Thus, runes bore the power to activate the laws of nature.
“Do you know them all by heart?”
“I know a few alphabets, like runes and the signs for the twelve zodiac signs. I have the characters of the Theban alphabet that are used for spells memorized. I don’t know what they actually mean, though.”
“Wow…”
Fine was clearly impressed, though something about the way she was staring at me felt a bit off.
“What?”
“It’s just, uh…I didn’t know you were so smart.”
“You’re acting like that’s not a given? You want me to smack you?”
In this way, she kept me entertained while I finished my circle. Once it was complete, I placed a handkerchief in the middle, then set Fine’s watch on it.
“What happens next? It’s not gonna burst into flames or something, is it?”
“Relax. You don’t think I’d do something like that to my best friend’s precious watch, do you?”
“That’s why I’m asking… I mean, you did try to drug your best friend earlier…”
“Cut the chitchat! I’ve got a spell to chant!”
I snapped my fingers, and Carbuncle dismounted my shoulder while White-Owl, who’d been flying above, joined him on the ground. My two familiars and I formed a triangle around the magic circle. The three of us were going to be a catalyst for the magic, which would travel through us evenly.
As I held my hand over the magic circle, the immediate vicinity surrounding us grew dark, and the runes began to faintly glow—a magic reaction. It was time for me to begin the twelve-verse chant I’d written into the circle.
“Worker Spirits both kind and true—come to me in your eternal rest—so that you may begin anew.”
A swirl of wind lifted up the fallen leaves around the magic circle as I chanted, like they were dancing along with the ritual.
“For two lifetimes of work so resolute—I pay respect so absolute.”
The watch was then enveloped in a faint glow, and from its center emerged a small orb of beautiful, clear light. It looked like a tiny sun. This was the group of Spirits that had fulfilled their duty to the item they inhabited.
“With gratitude deep and sincere—into life’s cycle I return you here.”
The orb of light shot high up into the sky, bringing the dancing leaves up with it. The leaves flittered and fluttered around the orb, only to then be blown around the park by a gentle breeze that also seemed to center around the orb. Fine let out a “Whoa…” in awe at the spectacular light show.
“I have but one wish—for when you finish your quest—I pray you return—to the place you knew best.”
The light then began to grow larger. It was time for the finale.
“Now return to the cycle.”
With my final verse, the light exploded, spreading out in every direction without making a sound. It expanded out toward the ground, the trees, and to the heavens before eventually dissipating. Ambient light then returned to the surrounding area, and the hustle and bustle of the town square could once more be heard.
“I-is it over?”
“Yup.”
“What happened?”
“I returned the dormant Spirits in your watch to nature. These Spirits can then be reborn and then come back to you in the form of a new item.”
I smiled as I said this.
“That new item will find its way to you, and you’ll have something new to remember your favorite grandfather by.”
“Meg…”