9.4

...

Time went on and on. Clara, intrigued, entered the place taking small steps to find a whole deformed and disassembled body in pieces.

"Ha-ha, that's so funny! Stop using 'Aura' and show yourself."

The horrifying scene disappeared and there appeared, on the other side, a small boy who could hardly be seen because he was holding a huge open book bigger than himself.

The book was black, made up of black pages and red letters. Clara put her hands to her mouth and ran to see what her disciple was carrying and reading. She stretched out her hands like a curious child. Rey didn't think twice and gave what he was carrying to his teacher.

"But how?" asked Clara unable to believe her eyes.

"The answer is on the first page that appears. You must create a flower like this in order to successfully complete the process. If you want, I'll show you."

Clara, as one who could not ask for such a great favor:

"I won't be able to invoke this book, even if I want to. My energy is only enough to materialize something with twelve pages and a cover. It's a specific curse I received for not being able to complete my initiation process correctly. Although it wouldn't hurt if I could copy a few clamors and add them to my book."

"Feel free to do so" he said as if it was the least he could do to say thank you for the teachings that were given to him.

Clara, returning to normal, said:

"So what's the reason it's taken you so long to get out,"

"I'm trying to understand why every time I try to "cry out", I get hurt and the movement in question doesn't fully develop. Maybe I'm cursed."

"Let me watch you do it and tell you my opinion," Clara said, sympathetic, to show the attention worthy of a faithful spectator, about to hand the big book back to the little guy, but stopped short when she saw him raise his arm in the air and get serious."

Rey, with his hand outstretched, threw a projectile of water, which exploded and knocked his hand back. Clenching his fist, he looked back in the direction of his instructor, and she was not acting normal. Clara, on the verge of fainting, lost the balance of her feet.

"You have to be at least "specialist" level to be able to cast silent spells," she said with a bitter smile. "I don't believe my eyes, it has to be a dream. Even after all this time, I'm still only an intermediate grade Wicca in the art of spellcasting; for that reason I can't use it in combat. I take too long."

Rey, sharing his thoughts, preceded to speak:

"From what I could see, my other master is advanced level. He can recreate and modify the patterns in the book with a special ink, and he uses those loose leaves to cry out as he fights. But I don't have any of that at my fingertips, so I tried my hand at a basic spell, and since it didn't end up possessing or 'wetting' me, I found out I can do it."

Clara, like someone trying to explain something to someone who knew more about it, said:

"Rey, regardless of what level you are at, you will always have to control and adjust the amount of magical energy you offer as an exchange. Even if you are someone extraordinary, if you call out too quickly something you have not practiced, it is normal for that kind of reaction to happen to you. In conclusion, you can't control your power because you lack practice." After pausing. "Do the same thing you did. Raise your arm, but first take a moment. Take a deep breath and feel the energy." Rey proceeded to follow the instructions. "Now imagine and judge for yourself the amount of energy you need to be able to perform the clamado. Regulate the distance, think of the strength, the speed, the solidity. After loading these three factors, finish the spell...."

Following the words of his instructor, the little one fired a powerful shot of water capable of reaching the other side of the place and hitting against the wall. Clara continued as one who was not allowed to be surprised anymore:

"You must practice this type of attack until your mind memorizes it and you can use it in combat. Keep in mind that in a fight you and your opponent have the same amount of time to act; as a wizard, it is your job to find a way to optimize your moves and manage time better than your opponent. You can make your core a barrier and even a "Zone", but if an opponent succeeds in destroying it...."

"I will be left vulnerable and without reserve energy to be able to clamor" finished his teacher's sentence.

Clara, nodding her head:

"Yes. Also, if you want to speed up your clamoring process, it is best if you say the shortened incantation. From the legends I've heard, the shortened incantations were designed for combat....".

She stopped talking, she didn't know what else to say or teach. She stared at her disciple, who was staring back at her as if she wanted to squeeze more knowledge out of him. With the urge to change the subject she continued:

"And now what do you plan to do?"

Rey took a deep breath and continued:

"I have to go all the way to the Tartarus to drop Edith off."

Clara commented on the subject of the Parcae:

"She was sleeping the last time I saw her" Rey was surprised at the comment. "Yes, she was all this time training with Ana; she said that her goal was to defeat you and for that reason she decided to become stronger."

"Interesting, I hope she had some progress. By the way, the Tartarus was upstairs, wasn't it?"

"Indeed..." said Clara as she was about to walk together with her disciple back to the castle. "I recommend you to climb through the floors of this place. Although it is made up of seven levels and on each level you will encounter a respective headache as is my great-grandson, I guarantee you that the pinnacle is the closest point to Tartarus in all of hell. If you scream loud enough, some "cherub" may hear you and come to your call. They have wings and can fly."

"If it's about having wings, then I won't be needed," said Rey after walking all over the place and arriving at where the little Parcae was.

Edith slept at Ana's feet, but she didn't sleep like any other child. In her sleep you could see how worry and loneliness were the ones who had caused her tiredness, because with her eyes closed she was crying without realizing it, crying that became the reason why Ana passed her hand like a worried mother.

The "Old Woman of the Forest" also had the body of a young girl, short hair and the same light brown color as her eyes. She carried strong physical features, dressed in light green, loose-fitting garments, plus a pair of sandals.

Ana and Rey exchanged words in a distant greeting. As soon as the white witch finished catching up and nearly vomiting from learning that the little boy summoned the most infamous book in the history of wizardry, she left the room along with Clara.

At the same time that the two white witches were walking out, White came in, staggering from side to side. She too looked as if she had been training and, from the wetness of her hair, it had surely been against Clara's grandson.

Rey didn't know how to wake the little Parcae. After glancing at his faithful companion, he returned his eyes to Edith and, without much thought, slowly pulled back the sheets with which she covered herself. "Without the blanket, maybe the cold will wake her up naturally," he surmised.

It didn't work, Edith simply rolled over and shrank her body squeezing a pillow.

Rey moved on to touching her shoulder and then shaking his head. He didn't want to be any rougher and thought maybe she didn't mean to wake up. "If my journey of accompanying her to the Tartarus ends, everything will go back to the way it was for you," Rey thought, realizing that the Parcae may not want to wake up because she would go back to living her boring life, the same life that perhaps gave her reason to cry in her sleep.

Edith, turning her back to the little boy and pretending not to have woken up, said to herself, "There, where I live, a severe punishment awaits me, several beatings and who knows how long without food and water between cold walls. I don't want to go back. I must pretend to sleep, I am still sleeping. Even if it means he may leave me behind. He has been interested in getting stronger, in suffering and fighting. As long as we're together, I'll be a burden on his shoulders...we don't even know each other that well enough for him to care about keeping his word." White's sounds came on. "I see, both me and that puppy are a burden to you, but you refuse to let us go because you're not alone. Someone as exceptional as you has a weak spot: you're prone to get attached to those you spend a little time with, even if they hurt you. Leave me here and pretend I never existed...it will be best for both of us."

"In a book I read a word that until now I had not been able to understand..." said Rey as he proceeded to take a seat. Once beside the Parcae, he pushed aside the hair that covered his left ear, as if to make sure she could hear him speak. "Friendship. And then I wondered as I read: why is it that some particular beings can become the best of friends? Perhaps because they take the time to listen to other people's problems. Tell me, Edith, do you want to tell me about that which torments you?"

The Parcae turned her face and, with her eyes watering, hugged the little boy and the little boy hugged her with all her strength. The child's cry spoke louder than any amount of words. The Parcae wept without contemplation or sorrow, weeping that lasted until she actually fell asleep.

As was the proper course of action, Rey lifted the little girl in his arms and so left the castle after bidding farewell to the residents. Once on the pavement at the entrance and with the absence of a roof, Rey took one last look before spreading her wings. White jumped down and climbed up to his companion's head.