CH 27: Eternals
Sprite's eyes narrowed as she waved her hand, transforming Ragnar's clothes into a princess dress.
Elliot was the first one to react, exploding in laughter, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He slapped his knee, pointing at Ragnar with a finger. "Hahahahaha!"
Sicilia simply buried her head in her hands, bracing for a headache.
"Okay, don't be angry. It's just a childish joke," Ajak said, her smile a little forced as she looked at Sicilia, assuming she was upset.
"Well, I hope so," Sicilia murmured, shaking her head and observing Ragnar, knowing he wouldn't let this go quietly.
"You started it," Ragnar retorted, his gaze fixed on his clothing. A fierce glint sparked in his eyes as he abruptly grasped Sprite's shoulder.
Ragnar's eyes flickered with golden light, drawing upon the most basic magic from Luna's world—Transfiguration.
Ragnar wasn't sure if it was his dragon heritage or his psychic abilities, but he possessed a natural talent for wielding magic. He cast spells without speaking, channeling his intent solely through focus, and, most impressively, he could do it without a wand.
Suddenly, Sprite's clothing began to transform. Her dress morphed into a suit with green fabric and white sleeves, while her pants turned a vibrant green.
Sprite's eyes widened as she looked down. This was a different sensation from her illusions, it was real.
"Looks like I'm missing something," Ragnar said, stepping back and tapping his chin as he studied Sprite with a serious expression. A mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes as he realized what was needed.
He grinned and stretched his hands towards the RV. The door automatically opened, and a cap floated out, heading straight for Ragnar.
"Let me fix that," he whispered, flipping the cap, transforming it into a green top hat. "Now you make a perfect leprechaun, with your height and hair," he said, grinning as he placed the hat on Sprite's head.
Sprite turned her head, momentarily forgetting the clothes as she glared at Ragnar, who was mercilessly poking at her sore spots. But Ragnar wasn't done yet, much to Sprite's chagrin.
"Looks like I missed one," Ragnar whispered, tilting Sprite's chin up as his eyes flashed golden.
Sprite gasped in disbelief as she frantically reached for her face, feeling hair sprouting on her chin and upper lip. She realized, with horror, that she was growing a beard and mustache.
"You kid!" she shouted, her eyes wide. She waved her hand, summoning illusionary clones of herself, but she had forgotten that her illusions always mirrored her current appearance.
"Hahahahaha!" Ragnar burst out laughing, a sound that startled Sprite. He didn't feel threatened, merely amused as he watched the leprechaun clones multiply.
Ragnar's eyes widened slightly as he turned around, holding out his hand shielding his face as a fist materialized from thin air, revealing Sprite who was invisible, hidden by her illusions.
"You're a bit feisty for your height, aren't you?" Ragnar asked with a smirk, though his pupils had narrowed to slits.
Just as Sprite was about to retaliate, Ajak intervened, stepping between them to stop the fight.
"Okay, you two, that's enough. How about you both cancel your abilities at the same time?" Ajak said softly, separating the two.
"Huh," Sprite scoffed, but she obediently canceled her magic on Ragnar.
Seeing this, Ragnar also started to undo his spell on Sprite. He wasn't touching her clothes, so he whispered, "Revelio,"
Sprite felt her clothes revert to normal. She quickly examined her face, relieved to find that the hair was gone.
"Your abilities are truly extraordinary, Ragnar," Ajak remarked, observing Sprite returning to her usual appearance. She believed his powers were Mutant in nature, considering the possibility that a child of mutants might awaken abilities different from their parents.
'Unlike Sersi, if this is permanent, then this child has immense potential,' Ajak thought, recalling that Sersi could only alter the matter of objects, not their shape, and most importantly, she couldn't affect sentient beings as Ragnar had just done.
"You know me?" Ragnar asked, sensing a familiarity in Ajak's tone. He knew she had visited them in the past, when he was young, but that was long ago.
"Child, I was the one who helped your mother give birth," Ajak said, smiling as she gently stroked Ragnar's hair. "You should have seen how your father scrambled into a panic that day," she added, amusement dancing in her eyes.
Ragnar's eyes widened as he turned towards his mother with a questioning look.
"Now, how about we continue inside? The food is already ready," Ajak said, releasing Ragnar's hair and nodding towards Elliot and Sicilia. She then walked back into the house, Sprite trailing behind her.
"You didn't tell me that. I thought she just visited?" Ragnar questioned his mother, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
Elliot placed a hand on Ragnar's shoulder, his gaze directed towards Sicilia. "I'll explain everything to him. You should go help them prepare."
"It's for your protection," Sicilia whispered, holding Ragnar's cheek for a moment before turning and entering the house.
Elliot's hand tightened on Ragnar's shoulder as he looked at him seriously, prompting Ragnar to brace for something important.
"That was a good one," Elliot said proudly, patting his son with satisfaction as a wide grin spread across his face. "But you should have added a green bowtie, that would have made a perfect leprechaun," he added, chuckling.
Ragnar sighed, shaking his head. 'I shouldn't have expected this man to say anything serious,' he thought, pushing his father's hand off his shoulder and heading towards the house.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
"So tell me, where are you guys planning to go?" Ajak asked curiously, placing a steak on Ragnar's plate.
"Wherever the wind takes us," Elliot replied, cutting into his steak.
"We don't have any concrete plans. We're just going to travel the world and let Ragnar experience all it has to offer," Sicilia said with a smile, popping a piece of steak into her mouth, her eyes widening.
"This is delicious," she mumbled, savoring the steak.
"It should be, considering all the experience she has cooking," Sprite whispered, listlessly cutting her own steak, her mind elsewhere.
Ajak glanced at Sprite but said nothing, turning to Ragnar who was busy devouring his steak. "What do you think? Does it suit your taste?"
"It tastes great!" Ragnar exclaimed enthusiastically, but his mind was elsewhere, already thinking about potential missions from Ajak and Sprite.
'What even happened in Eternals, damn it,' Ragnar thought, frustration building at his past self for not watching the movie.
He took another bite of steak, trying to calm himself down as he searched his memory for details gleaned from fanfics and trailers. 'A celestial is being born in Earth's core, that should be a mission, right?' he thought.
As if in response to his doubts, the Chat Group System delivered a message.
[Major Destiny Detected]
[Mission 3: Stop Tiamut for being born on Earth]
[Rewards: ????,????]
Ragnar froze, his eyes fixed on the mission. 'Why are the rewards hidden again?' he wondered, as the other members hadn't faced this obscurity.
"Traveling the world is a wonderful idea. It can broaden your perspective," Ajak said, a wistful smile gracing her lips as she reminisced about her own solo travels, experiencing the highs and lows of humanity, making it feel more real than ever.
Ragnar, lost in thought, merely glanced at Ajak and Sprite while he ate, desperately trying to recall other events from Eternals. He knew that, even if he wanted to complete the mission, his current strength wouldn't be enough.
Despite his best efforts, he could only recall fragments from the trailers, mostly focused on the aliens they were fighting. 'Are they still alive after that?' he wondered.
He looked at Sprite, but the system remained silent – perhaps Sprite had survived the celestial emergence, or maybe the system didn't work that way. He then turned his attention to Ajak, hoping for a response from the Chat Group System.
Just as he was about to give up hope, the system chimed in:
[Destiny Detected]
[Mission 4: Prevent Ajak's Death]
[Reward: Healing]
Ragnar paused, but quickly resumed his normal demeanor as the time passed Ragnar continued to stay silent even as they were about to leave, he remained silent, a nagging question lingering in his mind. 'How did Ajak even die?' he thought, realizing his own lack of knowledge was hindering his ability to help or complete the mission.
Ragnar, perched inside the RV, watched as Ajak waved goodbye. 'Looks like I need to get stronger. Stronger than I could ever imagine,' he thought, realizing that strength was the key to protecting Ajak in the future and completing the mission.
Ragnar waved back calmly, a newfound resolve settling in his heart. Whatever happened to Ajak in the future, it wouldn't be this time. He had time to prepare, to grow stronger.
As the RV ascended, Ajak crossed her arms, her eyes following its flight. "Tell me, what's on your mind? Are you still angry with Ragnar?" she asked, her gaze fixed on the departing vehicle.
Sprite materialized before Ajak, her eyes gazing up at the sky. "I just wonder if he could grow me a beard. Could he change me, too?" she whispered, her voice laced with a mix of doubt and hopeful expectation.
Ajak smiled softly, pulling Sprite into a comforting hug.
"How about we ask them when they get back? They'll probably be back in a couple of years," Ajak said, her tone gentle. Time held no meaning for an Eternal, and she knew how deeply Sprite longed to have a mature woman's body.
"It's been five thousand years. I can wait a couple more," Sprite whispered, her eyes shining with hope. She wished, with all her being, that Ragnar could grow up and be stronger, strong enough to make her wish come true.
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