Forceful

The First & The Last - Chapter 0.5

Celestin was born to Isabella and Cristiano Verdino on a dark and thunderous night of 1880, in the relatively new unified state of Italy. After a 13-hour delivery process, a loud cry filled the family's mediocre sized home, consisting of a one-bedroom and small kitchen and living room. The exact time of Celestin's birth was lost in time, but the date, oh the date could never be forgotten. February, Friday the thirteenth in the year of 1880. It can be argued that the superstitious belief of Friday 13th began around the late 1800s, but some say it was even older than that. In old Biblical, Norse, and other Abrahamic religions the number 13, whether it be a person or date, was seen as the day of disaster and ravage. Friday 13th was supposedly the date of many ancient executions and storms and floods.

Scared for their young child, the young couple left the boy at the doorsteps of the church to make sure his date of birth and lineage will never be found, for his father practiced Witchcraft. Despite the witch trials being over and done with, Pagan beliefs were being oppressed and relinquished. Cristiano Verdino, the son of a peasant man, believed that his gods and goddesses would protect him and his family from the authoritarian power of The Church and their beliefs.

In the end, it seemed they won as they ended up surrendering their only child to the opposition. Or so they thought. In the early hours of morning, a lone figure watched as the man and woman safely placed the bundle onto the footsteps of the church and hurried away, a lone tear escaped down both their faces. The figure, who would later be known as Mamma to nobody except the abandoned boy took the lone child in their hands. The figure's name to never be revealed to Celestin in the 16 years he was under their wing. A feminine appearance and the presence of a dress apparent, but a hardened scar running across their right eye and down to their cheek got rid of any traditional beauty they once possessed.

Not once did Celestin ask of the scar and its origins for he was too afraid of the answer.

They lived peacefully, and Celestin and Mamma's chemistry was undeniable. It was almost as if before Mamma could even ask, Celestin had handed them the herb they needed. As beautiful and serene it was on the outside, behind closed doors, Celestin would learn, sometimes the hard way, about Magick and its basics and its limitations. To Mamma, Celestin was an apprentice of sorts. Although it was never revealed to Celestin, Mamma had been a part of a clandestine coven that his birth father had been apart of before their oppressors, their laws, influence, and beliefs forced most covens to disband and vanish under the cover of darkness with only the full moon as a light source.

Mamma, ever the solitary practitioner had a small cottage up in the winter mountains, where no mortal would dare venture. Celestin would be sent down the summit with a list of ingredients or foods Mamma would need and he was to return straight home. No detours, no talking to anyone other than the shopkeeper that knew them.

That was the original plan. A life of isolation and remoteness to make sure the mortals wouldn't learn of their practices.

It was a simple Giugno early evening when Mamma handed Celestin, who was reading a group of papers that held magickal knowledge. Mamma had told him that what he was reading would end up lost in time and history, also known as Liber Juratus Honorii. The boy had been deeply involved in the old words before his Mamma had told him to make his journey quickly as it was a waxing moon and they needed to perform certain spells. Nodding robotically, Celestin put on his coats and fixed his hair before exiting the cottage and stepping on the platform that held his humble abode. His eyes trailed up to the growing moon. A perfect time for sympathetic magick thought the boy before trailing down the small witch-made path down the sierra. In his pocket held a paper with words such as rose petals and yarrow scribbled on them. Celestin's eyes trailed on the rows upon rows of black pillar candles that seemed to burn forevermore. He had once asked Mamma why the candles didn't go out, all he got was: the Gods and Goddesses wanted it that way.

Returning from his trip down memory lane, Celestin's brown eyes glanced at the horizon and realized the usually busy and bustling centre was more or less empty. Mamma never sent him down after the sunset, but it seemed today was the first exception of many for the boy. Kicking dust off his boots, Celestin descended onto the centre and made his way to the herb shop that he suspected would be closed. As he got closer and closer to his destination, the more Celestin's clairsentience kicked him in his core. He had a bad feeling. Knowing of his gift and its general inaccuracy, Celestin decided that he would bring it up with Mamma when he got home but would disregard it for now.

The black-haired boy stood in front of the small shop, a small sign with the words 'Fatto per il Giorno' written in fancy writing hung on the door. A sigh escaped his lips as slumped his shoulders, he was right, it was closed. Looking around, Celestin decided that he would get Mamma those herbs as he had never failed them before and he sure as the afterlife wouldn't start now. A slightly bigger shop than the one he stood before was noticed by Celestin. The shop was made mostly of dark woods and small metal structures littered about. Above the shop was what seemed to be a small home. The sign before the shop read 'Subsolanus' in carved lettering. East Wind, thought Celestin and entered the dimly lit shop. 

Every step he took inside the shop, the worse the feeling in his stomach got until when he was in front of a figure and he felt as if he was to vomit right then and there. The figure, who Celestin assumed was the shopkeeper, turned around to look at the costumer and flashed one of his polite smiles. Upon looking at the expression painting his potential client's face, the unknown shop keeper asked Celestin if he was okay. When Celestin could barely nod, the shop keeper sat him down on a large pillow in front of a low table and hastily retreated into the backrooms.

A moment or two later, the shopkeep returned with a ceramic tea set and quickly poured Celestin a cup of tea. Upon tasting it, Celestin came to the conclusion that it was peppermint tea and it very quickly made the heaving boy feel better. Still, the feeling of bad happenings to come grew in the boy's core despite his physical sickness being conquered.

Putting his teacup down, Celestin blushed at the scene he had unknowingly caused. He fake coughed as to catch the shopkeeper's attention that had drifted off to the client's hair. Celestin promptly introduced himself and thanked the young man for his quick thinking. The man, Astore Camonica, nodded politely and asked Celestin what his business here was. Fumbling with his satchel, Celestin handed Astore the small paper with the list of ingredients he needed. Astore nodded at the list and looked back up at Celestin. A rather specific list for a very specific night, inquired Astore. He and Celestin held eye contact for a little too long before fibbing and coming up with some story about how his mother was to make different loaves of bread and needed to prepare the mixture beforehand. Astore nodded stoically and whispered that he'd be back.

In the back rooms, Astore searched his shelves for the ingredients and packaged the required items into glass jars with corks as caps. Slowly but surely, 4 bottles laid out onto the front table and Astore quickly slipped a small paper into Celestin's satchel before the boy paid and left.

Before turning the corner, Celestin looked back at Astore, only to find him staring at him as well. His ears reddened with embarrassment and he shuffled towards the path that would lead him up and home. While halfway up the mountains, Celestin decided to count the bottles once again, not that he believed, for whatever unknown reason, that Astore would rip him off, but for the sake of his own peace of mind. When shuffling around the bottles, the young witch found a folded paper that he hadn't seen before. Opening the paper, Celestin's eyes drank in the beautifully drawn words: Worry not, attraction spells aren't that difficult.