As they reached the village again and bought some food and water to last the way home, the smith and his son came to them to thank him specifically for curing their dog. They had even selected a little present for him in advance.
That must mean that the curse was really lifted, because not only the boy had remembered him, but the smith too. He was too surprised to speak, but managed a thank you in return.
Some other villagers thanked them too for curing their pet, when they saw him. It felt weird and incredible to be remembered.
They said goodbye to them and the other villagers, leaving the village behind and walking back across the fields. Cybele could have flown, but she insisted on walking with him and Asha. Kyrell sat on her shoulder, he didn't want to fly either, so he let himself be carried instead.
The fisherman gave them a weird look as they reached the lake and he was prepared to fight the older man if he tried anything funny. But fortunately the man took them across the lake without trouble.
The way back home seemed even longer and felt shorter at the same time than before. It was nice to travel with Cybele, she even cooked simple food over the open fire with everything they had bought at the village and found in the forest. It tasted way better than he had expected.
At their last stop before they would arrive in Jericho, Cybele asked him: "What do you want to do now?"
He didn't know what he should say, not sure what kind of answer she wanted. He had thought all the way what he should do now that his curse was lifted. The first thing he wanted to do was see his sister. But afterwards? He had nowhere to go. He didn't want to live at the orphanage with his sister and going back to his life on the streets wasn't a good option either. But he also hadn't allowed his hopes to grow yet.
"Do you want to come and live with us?", Cybele asked. Asha purred approvingly and Kyrell flapped his wings from excitment.
He looked at them. They really wanted him to stay, to live with them? "You really mean it?" He couldn't believe it, but it didn't seem like they were joking, not that he thought they would joke about something like this.
Cybele nodded and Kyrell croaked: "We'd love too! Please say yes!"
There was nothing else to say, so he just grinned. "Although, I have one favor to ask of you", he added after a thought popped up in his head.
"I think that will be no problem", Cybele answered with a smile, a warm light in her eyes.
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From this day onward the poeple of Jericho would gossip about the handsome young man living with the witch and the little girl they had adopted. A teenage boy, a girl, a cat and a crow living together with a witch. Like one happy family.
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THE END
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wordcount:
chapter: 509 words
in total: 26.196 words
I finally completely finished this story! ;D
Sadly you didn't get to meet his sister, I initially wanted to include her too, but just know that she gladly let herself be adopted and lives a very happy life with her brother, Cybele, Asha and Kyrell. ^^
So, we really got a happy end! :D
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The Familiars of the Lost Witch (ONC 2024)
FantasyA tale about a cat and a crow in search of their witch. Asha, a black cat, and her friend Kyrell, a hooded crow, are living their best lives as the familiars of the town witch Cybele. But as Cybele goes missing, their peaceful lives are threatened a...
