Euriseth Is Trying to Draw

Who would have known there is a flower such as this here in Zozah?

Does her mom know about it?

Did the king who raised the mountains until they reached the skies also stopped to appreciate its beauty?

There are so many questions that Coco asks herself as she snuggles against her apprentice coat that she only removes when asked, together with her blankets until the sound of Agott’s pen slowly lulled her to sleep.

Of course, every life was transient and Coco could keep replacing the water on its vase and asked it for more time to stay, but a plant with no roots, even if it resembled the crown of a king, had its days already numbered.

Initially, she asked Professor Qifrey if there is a spell to preserve the token of her first achievement, for the flower to never wilt, and even when she can venture back to the Dadah Range to pick out a new one, it will never be the same.

(Afterall, her mom has to see the very proof of her hard work, her atonement for her careless mistake that put her in a temporary limbo of minerals and stones.)

“Every living thing can only live for so long, my dear,” the professor answered, giving her an apologetic smile before stooping down to her height to examine the herb already on its last legs.

It is obvious it is cherished greatly for it still wears its colors proud even if they already become muted because of its age.

“Is there another way, professor?”

“There will always be other ways, my dear.”

Coco’s first love will always be magic, of pavement that lights up every time she takes one, two, three steps, a tap, a burst of color, of floating lights small as fireflies, and of fire and ash lit by ink alone in her room that fateful summer night. Before magic also caused her first, eventual heartbreak.

Yet, as Professor Qifrey led her to their worktable and tenderly pressed the diadem herb between the pages of a thick book, she discovered her second love.

Ever since then, Coco formed a new, little habit.

It was only when autumn came that Coco noticed the march of time, her carefully preserved keepsakes beginning to overflow inside the small chest she kept under her bed.

The trees of Zozah are now exchanging their green coats for an orange hue, the air becoming colder. Coco always finds herself keeping her hands under her apprentice cloak more often now even before they step outside. She would clutch the snugstone Professor Olruggio had made to keep herself warm.

“Your turn, Coco.”

Qifrey called out for her after Agott made her way to Tetia and Richeh further down the path leading to the atelier to help load the mountain apples they harvested and she stood on Agott’s spot earlier, her back against the wooden frame of  the front door as he marked her height with his pen.

“You’ve grown taller,” her professor smiled, watching her immediately turn around to see the change for herself and he was right, she did!

An inch taller ever since she first stepped foot in the atelier.

“That was fast!”

“Well, my dear, you always insist on being the one to put all the books back on their shelves, no matter how tall they are.”

“I don’t mind, professor! We also used to keep fabrics high up too back-”

Home.

At this time of the year, her mom and herself would be venturing to the autumn festival of a nearby castle to purchase fabrics from travelling merchants and while her mom insists on eating at home, she always lets her buy a candied mountain apple or a roasted strawberry before they leave.

If only she knew the cost of being part of Professor Qifrey’s world, of Agott’s, of Richeh’s, of Tetia’s and of all the witches-

-Then she would have stood to the side if it meant she could still have her mom.

“Coco?”

She remained silent.

“My dear?”

“Just a little cold, Professor,”  she immediately replied upon hearing his gentle voice again, her distant look replaced by a smile and her professor did not press her any further, taking her hands gently as he handed her his own snugstone.

If kindness comes in different forms, Coco believes her professor is one of its many faces.

“Hold on to mine for now,” he said and she would have refused but she knew him long enough that even if she hands it back, his snugstone will find its way back to her pockets, “Once we arrive, we’ll get you a pair of gloves.”

“Really? I hope it isn’t too much!”

“Of course not, my dear. It is a professor’s duty to care for their students’ well-being, after all.”

Qifrey fixed her hat, gesturing for her to run along now as Tetia’s voice called out, her playful complaints ringing out as she tells them they are going to be late for a stage play the nearby town only holds during this season yet before Coco can take a step, her professor spoke once again:

“Oh, Coco, one last thing.”

“Yes, professor?”

Coco’s little habit continues as Qifrey hands her a stray orange leaf that landed on her hair earlier, telling her to keep it so she will remember to tell her mom that she has grown taller today.

“Your mother would want to hear every news, big or small.”

She tucked the memento between the pages of her palm quire, and she took one last look at the atelier before she ran towards her friends and the awaiting pegasus carriage, for every day in and out at the atelier will always be a memory forever.

Once they are in the festival, she will make sure to buy trinkets her mom and friends would love.

────────────────────

Each of them received a gold coin from Professor Qifrey after they helped unload the crates of mountain apples to the servant of the castle holding the autumn festival.

“Make sure not to venture too far from the castle, alright?”, he told them before meeting the duke, reminding them to also enjoy their visit and have fun.

Of course, Coco has been looking forward to this day.

Her coin glints as she raises it against the afternoon sun to study its face and one coin such as this can buy various items and snacks if she is wise enough on where to spend it but with so many stalls to choose from, she finds herself in a dilemma about where she should start first.

Should she buy herself first a hot drink made from roasted cacao beans?

Tetia told her earlier that they were the best, that they came from another country across the Zozah peninsula filled with lush forests, from a land where snow and ice is magic to the eyes of its people.

Maybe she should try those pastries filled with red bean paste?

Richeh was fascinated with their shape earlier, telling her how it reminded her of a full moon and to Coco’s surprise, the pastries also come in different flavors too, from savory to sweet.

Or perhaps she should go ahead and buy a pair of gloves first before purchasing anything else?

She always wanted knitted ones, the one with beautiful patterns made of wool.

In a fragment of a memory from a distant past, Coco had never put much thought on which pastry to try, which trinkets to buy for her friends, or even for herself since every time she and her mom attend festivals, she was too focused on making her way through the the crowd so she can sit in front to watch the witches show off their magic.

It doesn’t even matter back then if she is hungry or not as long as she gets to see them.

So, Coco is sure her mom would be very amused once she finds out she is finally using the coin given to her to actually buy food with her friends instead of purchasing coloring books from witches sitting alone in secluded alleyways.

For now, she settled for a bag of roasted peanuts that Agott shared with her, waiting for Tetia and Richeh who are currently in line for their cups of hot chocolate while Agott is in another stall nearby, browsing through an array of colorful scarves and gloves.

Then, she heard a small chirp beside her.

It was a yellow quadryphon, looking up at her expectantly from the pavement and  she slowly stooped down so she could look at it closer.

“Hello there,” she greeted it, and she noticed even if it was slightly thin, its feathers were clean and there was a small ribbon tied around its foot.  “Are you lost?”

It tilted its head on the right.

“Do you need help to look for your owner?”

It tilted its head on the left.

“Are you hungry?”

It finally let out another chirp, doing a little dance-If you count it flapping its wing and tapping its feet a dance-as Coco finds herself taking a handful of peanuts from the bag so she can share some with it but her new found friend moved closer and it seemed to have another idea in mind since-

-It opted to take her coin pouch hanging on her belt instead.

Of course, Coco immediately gave chase, and her talent of making way through a busy crowd proved useful as she never lost sight of the mischievous quadryphon who managed to carry a bag twice its weight, the pavement lighting up with every step she took.

“Hey, miss, watch out!”

(Coco quickly apologizes to the man carrying boxes of lanterns to be used later tonight, her eyes darting in between him and the quadryphon who is moving further away from her while she helps pick the scattered boxes.)

“You drop your hat, miss witch!”

(She gave a quick thanks to the kindly old lady, picking it up and holding on tight as she continued to give chase.)

“Miss witch, be careful!”

(She skidded into a halt when she almost bumped into a cart crossing the street, thanking the young girl who warned her.)

If only the quadryphon can talk then it would have made for a perfect fairy tale dream: A speaking bird, a young girl running after it, and a hidden little kingdom where it lives.

That is, if you count a thin painter with patched clothes lugging a broken trolley of colorful oil pigments, canvases with swirling brushstrokes, and thick sketchbooks behind him a kingdom.

Coco slowed down as she watched the mischievous quadryphon perched on top of the painter’s straw hat. After dropping her coin pouch on his palm, his shoulders slumped as if it wasn’t the first time his friend had brought him such items, and it wouldn’t be the last.

It didn’t even take a minute when the painter immediately pieced together that she is the owner.

“Oh my, Theo, of all people you could cause trouble today,” the painter sighed, and Coco watched as the quadryphon huffed in response as he handed back her coin pouch.

“It’s alright, sir. I am sure he didn’t mean it.”

“Don’t be fooled by him, little miss witch. He once stole from a daughter of a duke once and we are not allowed to step foot back in that castle even if I offered to paint a portrait of her for free.”

The painter refused to let her walk away, insisting to compensate her for the time she lost chasing after his companion and she found herself sitting on a stool in front of him.

Magic comes in different forms.

A young Coco would have shook her head then, insisting that magic is a burst of light, of sudden change, yet all this time, she had bear witness to it the moment she finally reached the table with a small chair just so she could observe her mom piece together different fabrics into one elegant dress.

She is now about to bear witness to its other forms once again and with it, a quiet voice whispers on the what-ifs, if magic has been part of everyone’s life.

Her fingertips stained with black ink while the painter burst with colors. Perhaps if the witches of the old did not ask for much and just enough, he would make for a wonderful witch too.

But perhaps it doesn’t matter anymore for he is already a wonderful painter.

Fall. The afternoon sun finally setting with each day coming to an end inching closer to winter, she will come back with a sheepish smile to her worried professor and friends who have been looking everywhere for her with the painting tucked underneath her arm that was supposed to be free it weren’t for her leaving her only gold coin to the quadryphon who is all too happy to accept her offer.

Once again, she had used the coin given to her for anything aside from its intended purpose.

────────────────────

The portrait became the latest permanent fixture beside her bed.

Coco is sure her mom would chuckle once she recounts the story behind it to her, how she grew taller, how she made a list of all the food she will try, the trinkets she saw her friends would like, and the pair of gloves she is supposed to buy only to give her only gold coin to the painter, the owner of the quadryphon she chased all the way to the other end of the town.

“Did you end up knitting your own then?”, her mom would surely ask, worried.

Coco will shake her head when she does, for this time, this story had a different ending.

After all, she is now part of a family of more than two and when morning came, she was greeted with a pleasant surprise.

She may not be able to buy gifts for her friends for now but she will have her turn, for as she held on tight on the woolen gloves everyone in the atelier has chosen just for her, she made a quiet promise.

Gloves. 

Scarves. 

Coats. 

All of it, she’ll ask her mom to teach her how to make them, after her mom wakes up and gathers her strength from her long sleep.

Surely they can open their home again to their clients and she wouldn’t mind becoming her tailor apprentice again as well on top of practicing magic and together, they’ll make clothes for everyone, ones that will fit them quite well.

For now, she will keep new mementos so she will remember each story, each adventure until finally she can hold her mom once again and surely, when that happens, everything will be right with the world.

See you soon, mom.

────────────────────

Author's Notes: I like the idea of Coco working hard to preserve memories of her time at the atelier. While we are unsure what would happen next if she did manage to reverse the spell on her mom, I like to hold on to the hope that her reunion with her mom will be beautiful one.