Chapter 17: The Forgotten Hut and the moon

The morning mist curled lazily around the trees as Antoinette led a small group of villagers and guards through the dense forest. The sun barely peeked through the thick canopy above, casting dappled golden light upon the damp earth. This was supposed to be a simple foraging expedition—search for wild herbs, gather ingredients for the new liquor she had proposed, and return before dusk. A straightforward task.

Or so she thought.

The air was thick with the scent of moss and damp wood as they picked their way through the underbrush, their baskets already half-filled with fragrant herbs. Elara, the young woman leading the foraging efforts, paused to inspect a patch of wild rosemary. "This should do well for infusing the liquor," she mused, plucking a handful.

Antoinette nodded absently, her attention drawn to the eerie silence that had settled around them. The deeper they ventured, the more unnatural the quiet became. No chirping birds. No rustling leaves. Just the rhythmic crunch of footsteps against the forest floor.

Then, one of the guards stumbled upon something unexpected.

"Princess!" the guard exclaimed, his voice echoing through the stillness. He was pointing towards a cluster of trees, where a dark shape stood out against the green.

Antoinette approached cautiously, the other villagers and guards close behind. As they drew nearer, the shape resolved itself into a small, dilapidated hut. It leaned precariously to one side, its roof sagging, and the wooden walls were weathered and gray. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, but one with a dark twist.

"No one's been here in years," one of the villagers whispered, his voice hushed with a hint of fear.

Curiosity overriding caution, Antoinette pushed open the creaking door. The interior was shrouded in shadows, dust motes dancing in the faint light that filtered through cracks in the walls. Cobwebs hung like ghostly curtains, and the air was thick with the scent of decay.

"Careful," Antoinette said, her voice barely a whisper. She stepped inside, her boots crunching on the dusty floorboards.

The hut was a single room, sparsely furnished with a broken table, a rickety chair, and a moldy mattress. Antoinette cautiously began to explore, her eyes scanning every corner.

"Princess, look!" Elara called from the corner of the room. Antoinette rushed over. Elara was kneeling beside a section of the floorboards that looked slightly out of place. With a bit of effort, they pried it open, revealing a small, hidden compartment.

Inside, nestled amongst faded cloth, was a collection of old, yellowed papers and a thick, leather-bound book. The book was heavy, its cover worn and scratched, and strange symbols were etched into its surface.

Antoinette's heart pounded in her chest. She reached out and carefully lifted the book. It felt strangely warm to the touch.

"What is it?" the guard asked, his voice filled with awe.

Antoinette didn't answer. She opened the book, her eyes scanning the pages filled with unfamiliar writing and intricate diagrams.

(Ethan's Inner Monologue)

No way… This can't be real. Is this a freaking grimoire? Like, a real-life spellbook? This is insane! Magic spells? This is actually happening? I'm gonna be a wizard! Wait, why haven't I seen anyone use magic here? Where are the dragons? The elves? The… Okay, calm down, Ethan. But still, this is huge! Maybe this book can explain why I'm here, in Antoinette's body. Maybe it can even help me get back! Or maybe… maybe I don't want to go back? Monsters, magic, a whole new world… It's crazy, but it's also… exciting.

Antoinette closed the book, her hands trembling slightly. She looked up at the others, trying to sound composed despite the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swirling within him.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.

The guard and Elara exchanged nervous glances. Elara stepped forward, her voice hesitant.

"Princess," she said, "it appears to be… a grimoire."

(Ethan's Inner Monologue)

A grimoire! I knew it! I was right! But why are they acting so weird? Is it a bad thing? Did I do something wrong?

Antoinette pressed them for information. "A grimoire? So, magic is real?"

The guard nodded slowly. "Yes, Princess. But… it hasn't been seen in Aethelgard for ten years."

"Ten years?" Antoinette's eyebrows shot up. "Why?"

Elara's gaze shifted nervously. "There's… there's a seal, Princess. A magic seal that prevents anyone in the kingdom from using magic."

Antoinette was stunned. "A seal? Who would do such a thing?"

Elara hesitated, then took a deep breath. "The rumor says… it was placed by a powerful mage. Someone who resented the king."

"Resented the king?" Antoinette's mind raced. "Who?"

Elara took another deep breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "The rumor says… it was your mother, the late queen."

Antoinette's eyes widened. "My mother?"

The guard nodded, his expression grave. "The previous queen… she was a mage of great power. She fell in love with King Theodore, a commoner at the time. She used her magic to help him become king."

"And then?" Antoinette pressed, her voice barely audible.

"Later," Elara continued, "King Theodore was… bound to marry another woman. For the sake of the kingdom, they said. The previous queen… she was heartbroken, furious. They say, in her rage, she placed the seal on the kingdom before disappearing."

The weight of this revelation settled heavily upon Antoinette. Her own mother, a powerful mage, the source of the kingdom's magical suppression. It was almost too much to comprehend.

They left the hut, the grimoire carefully wrapped and secured. The forest seemed darker now, the shadows deeper, the air thick with unspoken secrets.

As they made their way back towards the main group of villagers, a shout pierced the silence.

"Princess! Trouble!"

One of the villagers came running towards them, his face pale with fear. "It's… it's the fishing boats. They're under attack!"

"The Bakunawa," another villager explained, his voice trembling. "It's back, and it's more ferocious than ever. We've lost two boats already!"

(Ethan's Inner Monologue)

The Bakunawa? What the—? That's... that's a creature from the old stories my Lola used to tell me back home! A giant sea serpent that eats the moon! I always thought it was just a legend to scare kids. But… here? And it's attacking people? That shouldn't even exist here! That's a monster from my world's folklore, not this one! This is way beyond messed up. But the villagers are suffering. I can't just ignore this.

Antoinette's mind was already racing, formulating a plan. He thought back to his old life, to the strategies he had used to deal with difficult situations.

"We need to do something about this," she said, her voice firm. "We can't let this monster terrorize these people."

Suddenly, the grimoire, which Antoinette had been holding tightly, began to glow. The light intensified, pulsing with a soft blue hue, and the book started to shake violently in her hands.

The villagers gasped and stumbled back, fear etched on their faces. Even the guards looked bewildered.

Then, the book floated out of Antoinette's grasp, hovering in the air, the blue light radiating outwards. The pages flipped rapidly, as if an unseen hand was turning them.

And then, it happened.

From the glowing book, a creature emerged. It looked like a perfectly ordinary calico Persian cat, but its eyes shone with the same eerie blue light as the grimoire. It landed gracefully on the ground and then, to everyone's astonishment, it spoke.

Its voice was surprisingly deep and resonant, filled with an ancient power.

"When the moon is veiled for a hundred tides,

And the serpent of the deep swallows the sea,

A warrior's soul, bathed in blood, shall awaken,

Bound to the vessel of the sleeping goddess."

The cat paused, its glowing blue eyes fixing on Antoinette. The silence that followed was heavy with anticipation and a touch of fear.

Then, the blue light began to emanate from Antoinette herself. It started as a faint aura, but quickly intensified, engulfing her in a brilliant glow. The villagers cried out, shielding their eyes from the blinding light. Even the guards had to look away.