The Crimson Magister Chapter 148: V4-C7: The Circle of Dance

Read chapter 148 of The Crimson Magister by Okram on NovelPedia.

Aqua and Poludnitza made their way into the rootway of Valerie’s world tree. It was spacious and clearly seldom used. Katarina and five other Vilas were preparing a large circle of flowers and mushrooms, while Katarina herself was in charge of creating a large magical circle. A faint sound of flowing water could be heard from its depths, and a large stone ledge stood in a silent vigil over the underground rivers. Aqua separated from the queen and approached the edge. She leaned over and gazed into the abyss. It reached such depths that even her senses could barely see its bottom. She nodded and turned toward the Vilas. Poludnitza had started instructing her subordinates, leaving her to merely stand witness to the ritual. It is surprising that the world soul is tied to this tree. She hummed. Sun God was never tied to anything similar, which made her think that it was due to Valerie’s relative weakness. “I guess I just need to ask Valerie,” She muttered. “Champion!” Katarina’s excited voice reached her, shortly followed by a flap of the butterfly wings. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, almost sending the two girls flying off the cliff. Aqua’s heels dug into the ground, and she quickly wrapped her arms around the excitable girl. She looked up to her with sparkling eyes. “Praise me! I have finished the ritual preparations!” Aqua chuckled, her eyes looking around the ritual chamber. The circle was ready, yet its purpose eluded her. She looked down at the girl and gently patted her head. “Good job, but what is the circle for?” “Ah, that!” She exclaimed before quickly separating from Aqua and curtseying before fondling her ethereal blue scarf. “It’s a dance circle. Us Vilas will dance and create a space where you will fall into deep slumber,” She explained. “We will dance from dusk to midnight, once the moon is at its zenith, the way will open, and you will need to let the sleep take you.” As she explained, she guided Aqua toward a small table. She then picked up a small cup of world leaf tea. “This tea will help you relax your mind and fall asleep, it is important that you do not miss the hour of midnight.” So it’s just a typical sleeping aid, I shouldn’t have an issue with that. However, despite her not having issues ingesting a sleep aid, another troublesome fact arose. She was immune to any kind of poison. Her divine phoenix blood would quickly incinerate any pathogen or poison that dared invade her body. Aqua rubbed the back of her head. “I am immune to all poisons. I am not sure if it will work.” Katarina chuckled while dragging her finger under her nose. “This tea is nowhere close to a poison. It just relaxes the mind. You can trust me, I helped with the ritual with the Empress, too.” Aqua hummed. If it was merely meant to calm her a little, then her natural immunities shouldn't destroy its effect. She nodded. “I got it. What should I do while you girls dance?” “What do you mean by what you should do?” She asked, tilting her head. “You will dance in the middle of the circle while we dance around you.” Aqua’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?!” “This is how we connect to our mother, we all dance as a way to connect, and once it is finished, we will stop, and you will lay down and let sleep take you,” she said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any other way to commune with Mother these days, I am sorry.” Aqua rubbed her chin, embarrassment on her face evident at the fact that she would need to dance. “I… this is embarrassing, but I never danced before. I am not sure if I will do well with it.” Katarina chuckled, her fingers fidgeting with the scarf. “If you think you are a klutz, you should have seen the Empress. Don’t worry, as long as you try, it will work.” Aqua nodded before exhaling in relief. “Good, how long until we start?” Katarina put her hands behind her back and hummed. “We should start in about an hour when the sun disappears over the horizon. You are free to do anything you want until then, but please make sure to r