Marvela Mystic | ✔️

Chapter 5 ✨ Spellbound

"No one's chasing us anymore, Marvela!" the panting black kitten heard Curious shout from her back. "You can stop running now!"

The kitten stopped short in the street, skidding to an abrupt stop and crashing into a bush covered in sticky fake spiderwebs.

"Ow..." she mewled as she and Curious untangled themselves inside the bush. She brushed leaves and webs from her fur. The kitten hissed as she slapped fake spiderwebs away from her in disgust. "More of this horrifying stuff!"

"Horrifying?" Curious said, watching the shredded traces of webbing float away in the wind. "This isn't horrifying! It's for Halloween! It's fun!"

Marvela shook her head at the white rat and ran her tongue over her now filthy coat, taking care around the slightly singed parts. "I don't understand what's supposed to be fun about all this," she muttered once her coat was clean of webs. "Vigilance is very different from the forest I'm from."

Curious peeked out through the leafy limbs of the bush they hid in, excitedly taking in all the festive sights of Vigilance. "Halloween is more than decorations. Supposedly, people like to dress up as things they're not. Oh! And there's lots of candy involved! More candy than you can ever dream of! Or so I've been told by the older rats." Curious clapped his paws together, lost in a dreamy reverie. "I can't wait! I'm going to get so much candy, and I'm not going to be forced to share any of it with the Rat King! I'm going to get so fat!"

Marvela rolled her eyes at her new friend with a chuckle. She crouched beside him in the dirt and stared out through the leaves, trying to see Vigilance through Curious' eyes.

Outside, people were bundled up under scarves and coats against the chilly weather, but they grinned and waved at each other all the same. Children laughed and chased each other around the block, pointing out all the lavish decorations of black, orange, and purple. Freshly carved pumpkins were placed on porches, their toothy smiles mirroring the delight of any passersby.

There was an air of excited anticipation all around the town. And Marvela had to admit; it was infectious.

She found herself smiling, whiskers perked, as a little girl pranced by their hiding spot. Both the girl's hands were clasped with those of her parents on either side of her as she skipped merrily down the sidewalk. The pointed witch's hat upon her head seemed comically too large for her, and the plush black cat perched on her shoulder was missing one of its button eyes, but the child never stopped giggling as she spoke of her excitement for the upcoming festivities.

Marvela watched the little family carry on their way down the block. She vaguely recalled Asra's hatred for those without magic. She remembered what had done to the fiery-haired sorceress all those centuries ago. The kitten swallowed. "Do people here in Vigilance like witches?" she whispered to Curious.

"Uh, well... Kinda?" Curious squeaked, scratching at his ear with a hind leg. "Most people and animals don't believe in scary monsters or magic anymore. I didn't either until you came along. But they sure do seem to celebrate them on Halloween."

Whatever witches remained in Vigilance, they must be hiding their magic very well if none of the magic-less humans and animals knew about them.

But Marvela knew that they couldn't hide from Asra.

The kitten sighed. Her coat prickled as she did so, and she ran her tongue over it once more in frustration. She needed to make that healing potion. She surveyed the strange, alien town in which she found herself. If she had been in her forest, she could find everything she needed for the potion with ease. But here she was, lost in an unfamiliar world. And she certainly couldn't leave her spellbook behind again. Not after what happened the last time...