Three Wishes: Hongnan

The Witch

Rated PG-13. Warnings: animal cruelty

One.

Hikaru pulled their bird mask down over their face and expertly grabbed the tail of each of the three scorpions, one at a time, and dropped them in the box. Then a venomous snake, and a poisonous toad. They shoved it closed and turned the little latch on the front to lock it, and shook the box hard.

From inside came hissing and clicking and screeching.

Xia's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. "Hikaru!" she cried. "That's horrible! You're going to kill them!"

"That's magic," Hikaru said. "The one that comes out alive will be the strongest, and its venom will be best for the spell."

Fang was pale, flinching at every hiss and screech and crunch. "Is this this only way to do it, la?" he asked. "There must be another way."

"Maybe if you're born with it, like some," Hikaru said, giving Fang a pointed look. Fang swallowed. Was this really the price of magic for those not chosen? Violence and death?

Baozhai, Hikaru's little pet zombie rat, shuffled out of Hikaru's wide sleeve and peered at the box. She took a few steps closer and Hikaru scooped her up and put her on their shoulder.

"None of that, little one," they said. "You've been involved in magic enough."

Then, one particularly violent hiss, and Fang stood, brushing off his knees. He was about to leave alone, but he turned to see Xia's pale face and shaking hands, and he said, "Xia, do you want to help me find Yuhan and Jianyu? They shouldn't be far, la."

Xia slowly, unsurely started to stand.

"Meilan is with them, la" Fang added, "so they're nearby. They're just foraging for food."

Xia sprung up the rest of the way and rushed to Fang's side. "Yes, they might need help, so –"

"Go," Hikaru said. "You can say you're uncomfortable with it. I'll be here when you're ready to come back."

Fang turned toward Hongyu and Xun, who were sitting on two big rocks at the edge of the clearing where Hikaru was working. Xia lowered her eyes, being noticed by Hongyu.

"Hongyu? Xun?" Fang said.

"We'll stay here," Xun said. "In case Hikaru needs help."

"I won't," they said. "I know what I'm doing. Leave if you want. You know where to find me."

---

Two.

Hikaru finished drawing the circle in the dirt. They tossed the stick they'd used to the side and crouched down, pulling a tiny satchel out of their travelling bag.

They loosened the string at the top, clenched it closed with their fingers, and shook it. They kept their eyes closed, breathing slowly, maybe too slowly for their travelling companions' comfort, because Hongyu's soft, concerned voice wafted into their ears, "Are they okay? Should I shake their shoulder or something?"

"Don't," Fang whispered. "Let them do what they do, la. We have our methods, they have theirs."

Baozhai was up on Hikaru's shoulder, peering over their clothing to watch the little bag shake. Her whiskers tickled Hikaru's neck, but they didn't seem to notice.

Their eyes snapped open and they threw the bones into the circle. A few fell outside of it. Most of them fell inside. Hikaru squinted at the bones, gently moving their fingers from piece to piece, not touching, just hovering right above. There were a mix of frog and mouse and snake and rat bones, each one a different part to the answer they were looking for.

After a few moments, they snapped up the bones and stuffed them back in their satchel, and pushed it back into their travelling bag.

"We need to go West, toward Selan," they said as they stood.

"Why?" Jianyu asked, furrowing his brow.

"Because that's what the bones say. When we get closer, I'll read again, and see if I can get more specifics. You can take a vote on it if you want. But the bones are pushing us that way, and I think it's wise we listen."

"We'll go with you," Hongyu said, taking a step forward. Xun and Fang stepped up beside her. Then Yuhan. Then Jianyu. Then, finally, Xia and Meilan.

"I don't claim to understand how your magic works," she continued, "but it always has for us before. It's never steered us wrong or lied. I don't know how we'll find more of Zhū Què's god-wounded in Selan, but..."

"Maybe we can find some allies nonetheless," Meilan said. "Maybe that's why we're meant to go that way."

Hikaru smiled softly and nodded. "Maybe."

---

Three.

Hikaru always stirred everything sunwise. Tea and soup for health. Potions and tinctures for success. The only time they specifically stirred counter-clockwise was when they were banishing or cursing.

They weren't sure where they picked the habit up. In an old book, maybe? In a dream, once, long forgotten now? It wasn't part of traditional Hongnanese magic, that was for certain. Maybe they'd picked it up from one of the islands in their travels and lost the memory to time?

Hikaru sat far back, absently moving the spoon in their soup with the flick of a finger, back and forth, back and forth. Their traveling companions, all those known of Zhū Què's god-wounded, were sitting around the campfire. It was still before sunset but dim in the high skies.

Yuhan said something that must have been particularly funny and everyone laughed, bright and loud. Hikaru would never really belong with the little group, and everyone knew it, no matter how friendly any of them tried to be. Hikaru still saw the sideways glances and felt the flinches under their fingers if they bumped or touched one of the group.

Hikaru gave up on the spoon and drank their soup from the bowl Yuhan had given them, soft noodles and plump rehydrated vegetables and something that tasted distinctly unlike Yuhan's cooking.

When Hikaru brought the bowl back to wipe out and pack away, they bowed, hands pressed together, and murmured, "Thank you, Miss Yuhan. If I can ask, did you make the broth?"

Yuhan and Hongyu both lit up and grinned. "Why, you're right!" Yuhan exclaimed. "Our Miss Hongyu made it from dehydrated mushrooms and fish! That's why it's so yummy." Yuhan plopped her head against Hongyu's arm and grinned up at her.

Hongyu chuckled. "It's just a trick I picked up when Xun and I used to travel."

"Why don't you tell us about it?" Jianyu smiled. He scooted closer to his wife, leaving a space between him and Fang. "Sit down, Hikaru. Hongyu's stories are excellent!"

Hikaru hesitated. "I'm already a bother. I should –"

"You should sit down with us, la!" Fang laughed. "C'mere, Mx Hikaru. Hongyu, tell the one about when you arm wrestled everyone in the bar!"

"Everyone?" Xia asked, wide-eyed.

"Including Fang, here," Hongyu smirked. "And I won every single one. So," she started, "I'd heard of a young man down at the pier who had never been beaten at arm wrestling..."