"Indigo?! Indigo!! Hellooooo???"

Indigo was jolted out of her drifting thoughts by an irritated but concerned voice. She looked up to see the pointed nose of Lady Rust staring down at her, an unusual expression of concern on her face.

"I've been talking for ages and you haven’t heard a word I said! Talk to me girl, what’s goin’ through your head?” she asked in her gruff tone.

“I- I don’t really know...,” answered Indigo, still stunned at the sudden upheaval of her life. 

Indigo was sitting in a large blue loveseat that sat before the fireplace in Lady Aqua’s office, several hours after the council meeting had ended. The enormous window was dark as the clouded night sky blocked out the light of the stars, but the room was lit with a gentle warm glow from the magical lanterns that dangled from the ceiling.

After having woken up from her faint, Indigo had immediately sought out her mother to demand an explanation. But try as she might the old witch could not be found, as if she had simply vanished off the face of the earth. Indigo spent hours harassing nearly every person in the Academy as to her whereabouts, until Lady Rust had had enough and dragged the poor girl back to the office. 

She pushed a warm mug of tea into Indigo’s shaking hands and gestured for her to take a sip. The strong flavour of mint and St. John’s wort with a hint of willow bark poured down Indigo’s throat and the hot liquid seemed to relax Indigo’s unconsciously tense muscles. She deflated into the soft cushions of the sofa, the reality of her situation sinking in. 

“Why me…? Why now?! What is even happening?!” Tears started rolling down Indigo’s face as she complained. “She- she does this and suddenly vanishes?!”

Rust shook her head, and exhaled noisily through her nostrils. “I honestly don’t know, girl. I’ve known your mother for centuries, and yet I’ve never been able to figure out what goes through that bloody stupid head of hers. ”

“I tried contacting her through magic, but she didn’t respond. Not even scrying could find anything! What if something happened to her?!”

Rust snorted. “To her? Don’t be an idiot. I’m more worried about her happening to someone else. No, she can’t be found because she doesn’t want to be found.”

“But why?!” wailed Indigo. 

“Hell if I know. Did she say anything to you before the meeting?”

“N-no! She was complaining about Lady Snow… and then she told me to represent her at the next council meeting.”

Rust bent down, staring Indigo in her raw red eyes. “Are you sure? Nothing about her plans, or where she was planning on going?”

“No! I don’t know! I can’t remember Aunty Rust!” cried Indigo, flinging her arms around the red witch’s waist. 

Rust stood there, awkwardly patting Indigo on the back. This was not her forte.

“There, there, calm down child. Have some more tea, it’s good for you.” She sat down next to Indigo and slowly rubbed her back in a comforting manner until the anweiran managed to get her sobs under control. Rust pushed the mug up to her lips and Indigo drank deeply, her nerves slowly beginning to steady thanks to the herbs’ calming effects. 

“I- I just have so many… questions,” continued Indigo in a slightly more reliable tone. “And just when I need her the most, she suddenly leaves.”

“So do I. But doing something utterly absurd and completely at random is exactly the sort of thing Aqua would do.”

“So… so she did this on a whim…?” asked Indigo in a terrified voice. 

“Well… not really. Truth be told, the things she does may seem like they’re done on impulse but… well I hate to admit it but she’s never been wrong before. You’re a good example of that squirt,” answered Rust, ruffling Indigo’s hair. “Imagine my shock when she came back from market one day and said, ‘Help, how do you look after a six year old?’”

“Did she really say that?”

“Well, it’s not like she’s ever had kids before. I’ll admit it, I made fun of her. But look how well you turned out; proof she’s never been wrong in her impulses.”

“Except now,” answered Indigo, eyes downcast. 

“Hey! None of that talk!” Rust grabbed Indigo’s chin and tilted it towards her. “Sure you’re terrified, and sure Aqua’s just up and dumped everything on you. Oh, and you’re also the youngest witch in history to be promoted to senior witch and Sect leader, and all of the witches in your Sect expect you to either fail or to be just as good as Aqua.”

Rust paused.

“...Is that supposed to comfort me or…?”

“Give me a minute! I’m not good at this comfort thing!” snapped back Rust. “Anyways! All those things I just said, they’re not important!”

“Huh?”

“They’re not important. What’s important is that Aqua chose you. Aqua believes in you and your abilities, and that’s the only person who matters. You do things your way. Learn from your own mistakes. Pick the fights you can win, and run from the ones you can’t. Whatever you do from now on, I’m certain your mother will approve. And I may be from a different Sect, but I’ll make damn sure you’re not alone. I’m here when you need help, or if you need someone beaten up.”

Tears threatened to overwhelm Indigo again as she looked at Rust’s aggressive and pointy face.

“A-are you sure?”

“Pretty bloody sure- alright, get off me,” grumbled Rust as Indigo flung her arms around the Rutilus witch. “It’s not a big deal, I’m only doing what Aqua should be doing herself really.”

“Thank you Aunty… I don’t know what I’d do without you,” sniffled Indigo.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you’d do fine. Enough crying; it’s unsightly for the leader of a Sect. Buck up and get things in order. What do you need to do first?”

“I- I don’t know. There’s so much… I have to officially meet the sect witches as the new leader, as well as the students… I have to organize Aqua’s office and see if there are any documents I can use. Oh, and I have to review council documents; Lord Goldenrod said he’d send me some things… Oh, I just know there are a million other things I’m forgetting!”

“Alright, alright, don’t get your panties in a twist. Let’s start simple; forget everything else for now and let’s start digging through your office.”

“My office? Do you mean my bedroom? What would be useful in there?”

Rust lightly swatted the top of Indigo’s head. 

“This is your office, idiot. Aqua quit and vanished, so everything she left is now yours. Enjoy.”

“But-but when she comes back -”

“If she comes back, I’m sure she’ll be glad to crash on your old bed. Accept it child; everything here is yours.”

“N-no, surely not. Some of the things in this study are super valuable!”

A smirk slithered across Rust’s face. “Well, if you won’t take em’, then I’ll help myself. I’ve had my eye on that thousand-year-old ginseng Aqua hid under her bed for ages.”

“Aunty! You can’t! I’ll- I’ll keep them safe until Aqua comes back!” responded Indigo quickly. 

“Fine. Regardless, take a look around the room. Let’s make this place yours.”

With some poking and prodding, Rust managed to get Indigo off the couch and start taking an inventory of the room. The layout of the office was quite straightforward but despite knowing the place like the back of her hand, Indigo took Rust’s advice and began reviewing the study's  contents. 

When entering the room, the desk and enormous window lay straight ahead, flanked by bookcases on every wall. To the left a narrow staircase led up to a landing that covered a large alcove. This was where Aqua had kept her labs, alchemy on the top with enchanting on the bottom. She had kept her enormous classic cast-iron cauldron on the top floor, though like the witch herself it was currently missing. A witch’s cauldron was their most personal tool, just like staves and wands for wizards and mages. Aside from a few other personal items, Aqua had left all of the other standard tools and supplies behind on dark and cramped shelves. 

Next Indigo made her way over to the right side of the room, where sat the large fireplace and a number of couches, one of which she had just been sobbing on. They were arranged around a coffee table, which sat on top of a peacock blue and gold carpet. Aqua typically used this area for entertaining guests, but she had hidden a large crystal ball on a mahogany stand neatly into the corner. Rust gave several longing glances towards it, but refused to take it when Indigo offered it to her. 

Turning her attention to the main desk at the end of the room, Indigo could see Aqua had left it mostly in the same state as before - covered in absurd amounts of papers and documents, half of which should have been thrown out ages ago. Indigo knew this, since she had already sorted those documents into keep and destroy piles three times already. Rust gave out a sigh when she saw the sight. 

“Honestly, what a useless woman. She’s never gotten the hang of paper since it was invented…”

Indigo shook her head and walked around the desk. They were normally locked, but opened with a magical click as soon as Indigo touched them. 

“Looks like she already recalibrated the locks to you.”

There wasn’t much in the desk; just old quills, random alchemy materials and broken pieces of sealing wax. Behind the large swivel chair Aqua had adored so much was the window, underneath which sat a low drinks cabinet. But instead of drinks it was also full of random bits of junk, such as empty potion bottles, the broken skull of a crow, and an interesting looking stick. Sighing, Indigo closed the cabinet; that was yet another thing she’d have to sort through. 

Rust followed her over to the right side of the room, where sat a low dark oak door. It also clicked open at Indigo’s touch, and she stepped aside for Rust to go first. But the witch gave her an incredulous look and made no further step forward.

“You know it’s very rude to enter a witch’s bedroom without express permission,” she said. "Didn't Aqua lecture you on only letting lovers and best friends into your bedroom?"

Indigo blushed. “Oh, right. But you're a best friend. Please come in.”

“Well... I suppose so,” responded the woman as she ducked through, casually hiding a slight blush of her own as she went. “You really must raise the height of that door; I don’t know why that idiot made it so small.”

Indigo gave an absent nod as she followed her into the room, before freezing and dropping her jaw in shock. 

Unlike the study, which gave off a neat and comforting atmosphere, Aqua’s bedroom was originally like a magical labyrinth. Stairs would twist haphazardly to doors and landings that merely existed, though sometimes didn’t. Shelves and random piles of books created narrow aisles in which one had to navigate, and strange and mysterious objects dangled from the ceiling, the least of which was an enormous stuffed alligator that hung over the giant bed. The walls also used to be covered in a kaleidoscope of peculiarities, as well as an explosion of different blotches of colour as if it was a former paintball arena. 

But now? Now it was nothing but an empty broom closet. Not only had almost everything in it vanished, but the room was now so small that Rust and Indigo were crammed together. Oddly enough, the stuffed alligator had been left behind leaning against the wall, its only purpose to make the closet even smaller. 

“Oh hell,” swore Rust. “She took her damned room! I really wanted that ginseng...”

Indigo looked around sadly. She had loved that room as a child, its curiosities a source of constant fascination. But now? The closet it had reverted back to felt like a joke. It taunted her, driving home how Aqua was well and truly gone. But as her eye caught something, a brief memory resurged. 

“Wait, there’s something else here!” exclaimed Indigo. Hidden behind the alligator’s tail, set into the stone wall was the door of an old safe. Aqua’s words flashed through her mind as she pulled the stuffed monstrosity aside. 

“Certainly. I will have something for you as well to celebrate your first council meeting, tucked away in my safe. I’ll give it to you then.”

Eagerly Indigo leapt forward and grabbed the safe’s handle, but unlike the other locks this one didn’t budge. 

“It won’t move!” she said, frustrated.

“Looks like this one needs a code word,” answered Lady Rust. “Any ideas?”

“Umm… open?” Nothing happened.

“Swordfish? Alligator? Mellon?” spouted Indigo, desperate. 

“Hmmm… funnily enough, I have a feeling this one might actually be for me… let me try.” Confused, Indigo stepped aside to let Rust reach the safe. Running her hands across its surface, the witch immediately spotted what she was looking for; a small vivid pink rhododendron flower that was carved into the inside of the handle. A sad smile crept across her face, and she whispered, “You never change, do you.”

She stepped back and spoke out loud.

“Mo ghràidh”

A loud click was heard and the door of the safe swung open. Rust stepped back and gestured for Indigo to look in.

“She probably wanted to make sure I’d be here to unlock it for you, but I suspect the contents are yours.”

Indigo stepped forward again, though with some trepidation this time. She reached in, and pulled out four items. The first two were photographs: one was of Indigo, taken on her graduation day at the Academy. On it bore the words Indigo’s Graduation! I’m so proud - Aqua

 The other photo was far, far older, its colours faded and washed out. But Indigo could still make out the joyous expressions of the three witches that stood arm in arm. To the left stood Rust, her expression one of a cheeky grin as she scratched her head. Her hair was much longer in the photo, and she was missing some pentagrams. On the right side stood Aqua, a familiar warm smile on her face as she wrapped her arm around the woman in the middle. She was much shorter than the other two, but her brilliant smile of pure joy lit up the photo in a way the others did not. Indigo knew her face - practically everyone in the Empire did; after all, it was the face of the most famous witch in history: Witch-Queen Cerise. 

But the Cerise Indigo saw in the photo was unlike all of the other depictions Indigo had ever seen of her. Official portraits and illustrations depicted her smiling, yes, but it was always a gentle, formal smile that betrayed a hidden strength. But here, her grin was filled with nothing but boundless delight. 

Rust leaned over her shoulder to see the photo. 

“Oh! I had forgotten about that one! That was taken about a hundred years before Cerise got married.”

Indigo bit her lip. “She-she looks so happy. Mother told me she gave all that up for our sake…”

“Eh, well your mother always had a tendency to idolize her. I wouldn’t believe everything she’s said. What else do you have there?”

Indigo turned her attention to the other objects from the safe. One was an old, leather bound journal, that was heavily wrapped around with a leather strap. The other was a sealed letter that bore the name Indigo. 

Indigo looked up to Rust, who gave her a grin. “The letter or the book first?”

Indigo glanced at the items in her hand, then turned to make her way back into the study. 

“The letter. But I think I need another cup of that tea you made first…”

Niame

I had a lot of fun with this chapter, and I hope it shows. Sadly I'm still behind on my writing; at this rate I will be for the rest of my life. Still, I'd rather publish something good rather than rushed, and while it may not get me to the front page I hope you guys will enjoy it all the more.

In other news I'm streaming irregularly over on twitch.tv/niamescrawls. Mainly its drawing, but I have this hot new idea: would you guys be interested in watching a stream in which I write a new story, start to finish? You guys can see my writing process, and we can develop story beats together. It would not touch on Serenity of the Crow as I don't want to spoil anything. I'll leave a poll to gauge people's thoughts. 

Regardless, I hope you guys are enjoying the free entertainment, and if you want to support the series please leave a rating/review!