Chapter 223 - Book-ish

Vell set his bag on the kitchen table and unfastened it, calling out, "Hiraeth, if you can hear me, can you check the library and fetch a few books on general magic education?"

A moment passed before a book shot out of the bag. 

"Thanks," Vell said, catching it.

Then another book emerged. And another. Then a rapid flurry of tomes came pouring out, stacking high on the table until they began spilling onto the floor.

"Alright!" Vell called, raising a hand. "That's enough!"

The bag went still, and he shut it with a satisfied nod.

"What was that?" One witch asked.

Vell dusted off his hands. "That," he said, "was Hiraeth, a sprite who lives in my bag. Nothing too crazy."

The witches stared at the pile of books, then back at Vell, their expressions ranging from curiosity to mild disbelief. 

"A sprite…lives in your bag?" one of them echoed.

Vell shrugged. "Yeah. His name's Hiraeth. He's helpful and a good conversation partner—most of the time." He tapped the bag. "Spends his days in the library, organizing, reading, and fetching books when I need them. Occasionally complains if I don't return things on time, but otherwise, he's good company." 

"Willingly?"

Vell narrowed his eyes. "I'm not some monster who kidnaps people. Hiraeth came of his own volition." Then, shaking his head, he turned back to the books, picking up a particularly thick tome and flipping through its pages. "Anyway, we're getting off track. I had him grab these so you can start learning the fundamentals—magic history, spell theory, basic alchemy, and rune work. All the things you must know before attempting advanced magic."

His gaze swept across the group. "Study these well. Magical ethics and law, theory, and bestiary studies—it may be dull, but it's necessary. We'll only move forward once all of you have caught up. Understood?"

A few hesitant nods.

One witch leaned back in her chair, idly flipping through her assigned book. "Yeah… but what happens if someone does touch the staff?"

Vell's smile disappeared.

Silence settled over the room. 

When he spoke again, his voice was sharper. "Don't." 

A few of the witches exchanged uneasy glances, but no one pressed further.

After a beat, Vell exhaled and gestured toward Sonder. "If you have other questions, ask Sonder. She's well-read enough to help."

"Me?" Sonder said, caught off guard. 

"You've read more than anyone here," Vell pointed out, flipping another page. "And besides, you'd correct them even if I didn't ask you to."

Sonder smiled, charmed by Vell thinking so highly of her.

The witches, meanwhile, looked between the books and each other, some nodding in reluctant acceptance while others seemed overwhelmed by the sheer volume of reading ahead. A few knelt to retrieve the ones that had fallen.

One of them frowned at a dense book on rune work. "Some of this looks complicated… How fast are we supposed to get through all of it?"

"As fast as possible," Vell said. "The more you read now, the less I have to explain later. Once you apply it, the knowledge will stick, but you need the foundation first."

Another hesitated. "And if we don't understand something?"

"Then you ask," Sonder answered before Vell could. She gestured toward the books. "This isn't easy, but you'll pick it up faster than you think."

Vell nodded. "She's right. The time spell will help. Your minds will adjust, and you'll absorb knowledge more efficiently than normal. But that also means you must keep up. We won't move forward until everyone is ready."

A few groans rippled through the group, but no one outright refused.

Vell clapped his hands together. "Good. Now, get to it." 

The witches hesitated for a moment before settling in, books cracking open, pages rustling. Some dove in eagerly, others reluctantly.

Vell, watching them, felt a familiar hunger pang twist in his stomach. He patted it absently. "I'm getting hungry. Sonder, you?" 

She barely glanced up from her book. "A little." 

"I think I'm going to bake something," he decided. Grabbing a bowl, he poured in water and flour, beginning to mix them together.

As he worked, he glanced at Sonder, who was already absorbed in her reading. "Do you also want to join Herow?"

For a moment, Sonder was silent. Then, in a quiet, melancholic voice, she said, "No. I don't want to."

Vell arched a brow. "You have something else in mind?"

"Yes… but I'm not sure what yet."

Vell didn't press. Instead, he nodded, letting the silence settle between them, the only sounds in the room the turning of pages and the quiet kneading of dough.