Chapter 359: Are you fated with me?
A blurry streak of radiance cut apart the clouds, whirling, swirling, and slithering in the sky, with a smile on its face.
Darcie knew the taste of freedom. But how sweet it could become? This she didn't know.
Today, she got a hint.
Darcie felt herself one with the incomplete Firebolt. With her one thought, the broom spun, turning on the spot without losing its momentum. With her another thought, its gear spun in reverse, instantly backing up. Even if she didn't have wings on her back, Darcie didn't mind it at this moment.
Then there was the vastness, almost boundless.
When one stood on the cobbled path, one could see the distant sceneries as if they were projected on the walls at the edges of the path, just like a TV screen. Only when one truly left the path, leaving those unseen walls, did one see the genuine grandness of this island.
The earth, forests, and ranges of rocky, snowy, and naked mountains stretched endlessly under Darcie.
She came to a rest midair, took a whiff of the fresh air and cloudy mist, and observed the beauty of this divine land.
From behind, Madam Villanelle came flying, her mouth hung open and her eyes wide. She seemed to have lost her voice as she looked at Darcie, and only after several seconds of gusty silence did she say something. "… you are a natural, aren't you?"
"I enjoy flying," Darcie said, not hiding anything.
The wind wasn't strong up here, despite their height. Darcie had a woolen hat over her head and winter clothing, and her long white-golden hair swayed lightly as she kept taking deep breaths, calming her wild emotions and heart. If it wasn't for the charm placed by Madam Villanelle, her hat would have already fallen off.
"What about the broom?" the older witch asked, eying the ebony handle with a newly found gleam.
Darcie's eyes were already shining, but ultimately she shook her head. "There are some problems," she told her mentor. "Braking Charm can be improved, and they can lower the intensity of Cushioning Charm to increase the turning speed. Acceleration is superb, but there are issues with continuous stops and changing trajectories while accelerating."
Madam Villanelle no longer even dared to find how Darcie's mind operated.
As of this moment, the reincarnated biblical witch just accepted it. Darcie was the most outstanding and generations-surpassing witch of her time, and normal reasoning wouldn't work if one tried to figure out her thoughts.
"Well, you can throw these points at Sir Loras' face later," Madam Villanelle giggled. "Now come with me. I know some great nesting areas. And try not to outrun me. God knows I can't catch up with you on this broom of mine."
Darcie gave a solid nod.
Madam Villanelle took the lead, then. The two witches flew into the sky, heading deeper into the mythical island. Darcie gazed at the land underneath and found many magical creatures running around in hordes.
It was then her mentor's voice entered her ears. "The best pet is one which is not only fated with you, but it also must have the ability to travel long distances," Madam Villanelle told her, her voice booming through the air magically. "That's why the flying-type magical creatures are preferred the most."
After 15 minutes of smooth flight, Madam Villanelle brought Darcie to the foot of a dormant volcano. The scenery was lush green here, with patches of grassland running far and wide.
A small lake rested in the middle of this grassland, and on the bank of this lake was a Chinese parasol tree.
It was near this tree that the witches landed.
Madam Villanelle slid down her broom and let it fall to the ground. Darcie threw herself off, too. But her broom didn't fall, and instead hovered at a mounting height over the ground.
They came to a stop under the shadow of the tree.
Darcie felt like asking what they were waiting for, but as she saw the serene smile on her mentor's face, she kept her lips shut tight as well.
And soon she got to know the reason behind the smile.
Cry!
This cry shook the world. A fiery red bird flew down the tree, flapping its majestic wings. It landed on Madam Villanelle's shoulder and gently nudged her cheek with its beak.
It was a Phoenix.
Darcie had never seen one up so close. It had bright red feathers that faded to orange and yellow, and its tail was like tongues of fire, giving out a sense of heat.
Not to mention, it was beautiful; its charm beyond comparison.
Madam Villanelle whispered something to it, and the Phoenix released another cry.
To Darcie's amazement, two fist-sized Phoenix hatchlings flew down, fluttering like ballooned, red fur balls. She felt her feet moving out of her control, nearing the two Phoenixes on the ground. They couldn't fly yet, so the hatchlings were hopping on the grass, beating their tiny wings.
Darcie was in a stupor. She crouched near them and gently stroked their red plumage. A soothing, warm sensation entered her skin, and Darcie couldn't help but ask, "Are you fated with me?"
The hatchling of the legendary magical creature gently nipped her finger in reply. Then… it ran off.
Even the second hatchling let out a cry and rolled away from Darcie.
An intense wave of disappointment surged in Darcie's eyes, rooting her to her crouched state.
Madam Villanelle approached her and patted her head. "Sigh! Don't think too much about it," she consoled. "They aren't fated to be with you now doesn't mean it's eternal. Moreover, several magical creatures are waiting for us. We can't even visit them in one day. Don't forget that you must return home in a few hours. Take it all as a tour, and try to enjoy it as much as you can. I will bring you back to this place once you've grown up a little."
Darcie regained her composed nature in no time. She stood up and nodded in understanding. However, the disappointment persisted in the deeper regions of her heart, knowing well that the first encounter with the magical creatures meant a lot today. If it hadn't, then the six giants wouldn't have recommended to her to take away a magical creature.
Madam Villanelle looked at Darcie's little back and sighed once again, shaking her head lightly. The Phoenix over her shoulder nipped at her ears and then flew away, releasing cries of purest fire.
Darcie mounted her broom in silence, her thoughts unknown.
The witches flew up in the sky, leaving the lake, the tree, and the sleeping volcano behind. After another half an hour of flight, Madam Villanelle descended to the top of a mountain.
A forest of bamboo, wild herbs and shrubs, and rare, leveled rocky patches could be seen here. The two witches left their brooms behind and approached a gigantic mouth of a cave. A stream was running out of the cave, giving it an otherworldly, grotto-like appearance.
Madam Villanelle made Darcie stop dozens of feet away from the cave's mouth and advanced alone. When she was just about to enter the cave, the older witch flicked her wand and sent a globe of pure, gold light into the darkness.
Then she backed up and came to stand by Darcie's side.
Roar!
The sudden beastly growl took Darcie by surprise. Even before she could clear her doubt with her mentor, a gigantic beast lunged out of the cave's mouth, howling and growling in its throat.
It was a monstrously large feline-like beast with a striped body, scraggly mane, four fangs that curled out of its mouth, long sharp claws, and a disproportionately long, ruffled multicolored tail. Not to mention, it resembled an elephant-sized cat.
Its four paws had long, hooked claws, and its eyes were round, like that of a puppy.
"Zouwu!" Darcie cried in realization. This was but one of the rarest magical creatures, capable of apparating thousands of miles in a single jump. From what Darcie had learned, it could even ignore all precautionary charms against both Apparation and Disapparation.
Zouwu's long, ruffled tail was like a vast serpent, coiling and slithering in the air with a life of its own.
Madam Villanelle once again flicked her wand, bringing a football-sized furry toy out of thin air. She threw it at the magical beast.
Zouwu let out a cheery growl and pounced on the furry ball, playing with its long claws.
Only then did Madam Villanelle find the courage to approach it. Once again, she whispered a few words, letting the beast know the reason for her visit.
Zouwu didn't let go of the furry toy. It spun around and faced the cave's mouth before letting out a feline growl. Its mane glowed gold and divine, letting out an electric radiance.
To Darcie, it felt no less magnificent than a Phoenix now.
Suddenly, the space near Darcie shook. With a dazzling blue flash, a tiny creature jumped out of nowhere and landed on the ground. It looked like a kitten, with four pointy teeth curved upward, and a squirrel-like tail, twice the length of its body.
It was Zouwu's young.
The little Zouwu meowed a growl at Darcie, hopping around her playfully. Darcie chased it around for a while, and then lifted it in her palms, caressing its fur and tail. She hadn't seen these magical creatures before, but she had read about them more than any other child of her age, and even more than some adults, perhaps.
The young Zouwu rolled over in her palms, clawing at her skin with its tiny claws.
"Are you fated with me?" Darice asked, her tone incredibly expectant. She didn't need to ask, Madam Villanelle had told her. But asking and putting her request in words eased the nervousness in Darcie's heart, so she didn't keep herself from doing so, either.
The little Zouwu meowed and licked Darcie's cheek in response.
A glorious smile danced on Darcie's face, making her look like a white fairy among the bamboo.
However, in the very next moment, the little Zouwu blinked away, apparating to the giant magical creature.
Darcie's gaze couldn't move away from her empty palms, the warmth of the creature's tongue still fresh on her face.
Even Madam Villanelle's expression was downcast now. Even though she had said those consoling words to Darcie before, she had truly believed that the second magical creature would share some fate with her.
Unknown to Darcie, her mere presence on this island had already made her worthy enough to share a fate with all magical creatures. And in the past, there had been no candidate for the Indigo Seat who had needed to visit a third magical creature.
This truly was out of expectations, even for Madam Villanelle. She didn't know what to say to Darcie. No words and explanation could wash away the trace of disappointment on her face.
'What am I doing wrong?' Darcie questioned herself stupidly, her calm and composed nature vanishing a bit with each rejection.
"Let's go," Madam Villanelle said, forcing out a smile. "The world is full of magical creatures, you know."
Darcie reluctantly nodded.
"Mentor," she asked, mounting the broom, "will we try dragons?"
Madam Villanelle shook her head. "Dragons are quite vicious, Darcie," she answered, flying toward the sky. "Not to mention, proud. You must have read about them already, right? Their size, growth, and nature don't make them good pets. Not the ones like you need now. The only dragon you can afford to have is the Peruvian Vipertooth, as it's the smallest and the fastest among all the dragons. But…"
"… it causes Dragon Pox," Darcie finished.
"It's good that you understand," Madam Villanelle praised. "Hmm, the Malfoy family share a fate with Slytherin. Perhaps a serpentine magical creature would find a liking to you. Umu, let's try it out."
Darcie didn't know what to say. There was a feeling in her heart, though.
She just knew that her fate with serpents had already brought out results, letting her come in contact with the white-silver serpent in dreams; the imprint of her ancestor's Patronus.
At this moment, soaring through the clouds of this divine land, Darcie couldn't help but recall a quote she had read recently.
'Fate truly is a fickle thing!'
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