Despite the dark atmosphere

[curiousdiscoverer]

They are in a derelict warehouse, the owner was quite happy to rent the place, it was easy to see why, it took all day to clean the floor and create a space to properly write the spell circle.

Despite the dark atmosphere, their purpose was far from evil.

Franklyn observed Ada draw the circle, while Maeghan read a book, using her cloudpine to support herself more comfortably. Maeghan looked bored, but Franklyn knew she really wanted this to work more than she was letting on.

Because if this worked, Franklyn would have magic, actual personal magic, the first male witch in this world.

Actually, the second male witch in this world, since this spell was meant to bring a male witch from another world so they could do another spell to copy them.

When Ada completes the last line of herbs in the cycle, Franklyn helps her memorizing the spell’s verse.

“Nothing will go wrong,” Maeghan assures Franklyn when Ada starts speaking the spell...

Comments

[of_all_trades]

Franklyn takes his cue and steps forward. He is very tall, but looks rather meek when he speaks.

"Huh... I am Franklyn. This is my sister Maeghan," he waves at the girl that pushed him forward "and my other sister Adamina."

Adamina is standing behind her siblings, her posture is pretty much "flight" instead of "fight" despite the dagger in her hand.

"We... mean no harm," Franklyn says "We are trying to summon a male witch from another world. In this world witches are female."

Franklyn eyes the two daemons and the woman next to Alex. He really doesn't have a clue.

"I am honestly don't know what happened," Franklyn says "are you a male witch?"

The lack of flying bird daemon should mean an obvious no, but just in case.

[curiousbox]

Maeghan's daemon flies and lands near the Great Pryrenees. He is a European Turtle Dove and without preamble he asks

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

[curiousbox]

Franklyn's daemon does the same thing.

"Be nice," He says to the dove, before turning to the dog "Hi? I am Zara, what is your name?"

[between_worlds]

"We are not a witch. And I, I will be Rove. How am I here?"

[curiousbox]

"We summoned you four here...?" Zara says tentatively.

Never mind that was the special effects for when a daemon materializes.

[between_worlds]

"No, how do I exist? I never had a form before today."

[curiousbox]

"Zombies!" The dove says sounding partially alarmed and more than a bit disgusted.

He flies away back to his witch.

[of_all_trades]

Zara doesn't fly back, but he does take a step back.

"What did she meant with not having a form?" Franklyn asks to Alex and Glen.

[between_worlds]

"I don't know. Rove, she's- I know her but- She's never been a dog before!"

[not_without_scars]

Maeghan interrupts before Franklyn can speak.

"Doesn't that hurt?" She says waving at Rove "Would you let me try some more powerful healing spells?"

[intricate_engineer]

The tarsier runs over to Glen. Glen picks her daemon up, holding the tarsier up to her face.

"I want to be Echo," the tarsier says bumping Glen's nose with her own.

Glen smiles, "Echo's a perfect name. Hello Echo."

[between_worlds]

Rove walks over to Alex and he scratches her head.
"I don't think you can heal her."

[not_without_scars]

"Why the fuck not?"

[of_all_trades]

"Chill!" Franklyn says to Maeghan "something magically weird happened..."

Franklyn eyes the newly arrival for a second than he starts fiddling with a device that he took out of his pocket.

The device looks a lot like a golden pocket watch, but if looked closely it has three hands and weird symbols.

This process takes a few moments.

Ada takes the opportunity to say defensively "I know the spell was set up correctly!"

Finally Franklyn finishes whatever he was doing.

"Okay..." Franklyn says "I think the spell was set up correctly, but the part that tried to target for a cooperative male witch... it was vague enough that caught them both. Well, fuck."

[between_worlds]

"Why do you need a witch?"

[not_without_scars]

Maeghan looks like she was going to start saying something, but instead she just looks at Franklyn.

[of_all_trades]

Franklyn thinks for a few seconds, then says.

"We are going to use him for a spell..." Franklyn explains "to switch species, the witches in this world are always female. We are trying to find a male one so I could switch into his species without switching genders. It was actually faster to design both spells that way instead of creating a spell that didn't need to use examples."

[between_worlds]

Alex shakes his head, "I'm not a witch. I don't even know any magic. Why is my spark suddenly a dog?"

[of_all_trades]

That question really confuses them.

"Er... Spark means soul?" Franklyn asks "every person..."

"Except bears," Ada says from her position in the back.

"Except bears has a daemon," Franklyn says waving at his own Zara and the dog "I don't really know how it wasn't a dog before, or some other animal. Do you have any idea why yours is so injured?"

[between_worlds]

"A spark and a soul are almost the same. My spark is damaged and I doubt you can heal souls."

[of_all_trades]

"That could explain it," Franklyn says "as far I can explain nonbear people without daemons. I am not sure if there is soul-healing magic, albeit one of our half-sisters might know she is obsessed with-"

"DON'T TOUCH OTHER PEOPLE'S DAEMONS!" Shouts Ada and her own daemon suddenly.

The three locals go very, very still.

"Yes, Yambe Akka be merciful," Franklyn says "that is a very bad idea... don't let anyone touch yours either."

[intricate_engineer]

"Why not?"

[of_all_trades]

"It feels really, really horrible," Franklyn says "I never experienced myself, but it feels like the person is in... every part of yourself and you can't escape it."

"It is considered worst than murder," Ada says.

"Yeah," Franklyn says "for the sake of completeness: If you really love the person, it isn't awful, but most people never try."

[intricate_engineer]

"So you pulled us here by accident and now our souls are animals?" Glen says, "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure we can help you."

[of_all_trades]

"Oh, that hope flew out of the window, crashed into a car and..." Ada started saying.

"Anyway," Franklyn says "yeah, you can't help us and... we were planning to bring more herbs, but we lost some while flying over here. I don't think we have enough to send both of you home and it might be better to poke the Alethiometer for facts before sending you anyway."

Franklyn looks at Maeghan, some quick communication happens.

"We are really sorry for what happened," Franklyn says "but I don't think we can return you before tomorrow morning at earliest. You guys can crash with us tonight..."