1 Serena The Little Witch

Ka-chak!

A quarter turn of a silver key and the house was locked. Serena contemplated her new house,proud of her latest purchase. A now completely furnished house; one that she has for herself.

The house was built in the trunk of a tree. Only the entrance, the front "porch" protruded out of trunk. On side was a balcony garden. These could be customised to the owner's liking. In Serena's case, the roof was of a muted orange, white walls and a wooden door with a golden, round handle; all framed by green vines.

Smiling with satisfaction, she turned around, a violet cape bellowing behind her. Serena adjusted the brim of her equally violet and cone-shaped hat with one hand while picking up her magical broom with the other. Azu landed on her shoulder cooing in delight. The witch and her familiar nodded to each other before setting out to accomplish their duties for the day.

Witches' Grove did not have bridges. Its residents circulated either by flying or by scaling the gigantic trees trunks that ran across the middle section of the forest;the understory. Air traffic was restricted to the canopy in the residential area to avoid unfortunate accidents.

Serena made her way to the shopping "district" switching trunks when needed. There she would be able to fly freely. Her step was confident but her mind unsure whether her feet encased in brown leather shoes would stick to the rough, uneven surface. From time to time, Azu would take off but would never go too far.

He spread his small, copper wings, shot into the air and let out a cute, triumphant roar as if he was the chosen hero who had recently defeated their sworn enemy, the Demon King. Although, according to legends, Azu was more fit to stand by the Demon Lord's side since he was a dragon. Well, only a baby dragon at the moment.

Serena watched him do so with a small smile on her face.

Halfway to the shopping district, Serena reached Bianca, her friend's house. A landing station and half of the house along with a big balcony stuck to the trunk of the tree. The other half was likely hidden within the trunk itself. Bianca's house stood out against the green background with its red roof and saffron walls. Same for the balcony; a plethora of lush green,pink, blue and other odd coloured plants spilled out of it, hanging to the now almost completely hidden black rail or hanging in the air.

The witch spotted her friend on the balcony.

"Bianca!" She greeted.

"Serena!" the latter replied, tucking strands of blue hair under her glittery fuschia hat. " Hello, Azu darling. Awww, so cute as always! " Bianca cupped her hands as the baby dragon approached her. She gently pinched his cheeks and blew him a kiss.

" Here for your monthly stock of potions, I presume? "

"Yup, thanks. "

" Aren't you excited? Tomorrow you're finally turning 18! Oh, I can't believe you're gonna be an adult! " The Potion Witch jumped in excitement. Then she grabbed a small pouch Serena had handed her, " It's got tons of inventory space, right? I'll throw in one extra 'cause you're a regular. "

" Not 'cause I'm your friend? " A gentle breeze sent her flaming red hair fluttering to the side.

" Both. "

They laughed.

" Here, " Bianca handed Serena's pouch back, " Mana boosting potions. Enough to hold a whole day in the Dragon Valley and come back. "

" Thanks, Ben, " The redhead slipped the pouch in her satchel, " I'll be going now. Try not to cause an explosion with those whacky potions of yours! "

" Hey! I was experimenting with new combinations! "

Giggling, Serena resumed her journey to the shopping district with Azu in tow. Roughly fifteen minutes later, she reached her destination.

Serena heard it before it came in sight. The bustling of the shopping district; liveliest part of Witches' Grove. It came as a soft murmur first and grew on and on and on as the redhead approached-- into a discordant cacophony. Up to the canopy, the shopping district was filled other residents zooming past each other on their brooms or hovering in a corner for small talk. Wizards and witches would gather at the numerous cafés which were mostly condensed in the middle, a variety of shops decorated the trees up to their leaves while any kind of attraction was at the forest floor and underground level.

One of the most eye-catching attractions was the underground theme park. Its iconic transparent dome made of thick, pentagonal glass panels. It shone gently under the few spots of sunlight which made to the ground. The rollercoaster could be seen.

"Gyuu!" Azu exclaimed. He hovered next to the witch before diving to the forest floor in direction of the glass dome.

" Azu?! " Serena called out, startled, " Wait for me! " She jumped onto her broom and followed the baby dragon in his wake.

She landed frantically scanning her crowded surroundings for a copper-coloured mini-dragon. The redhead was about to call him when she felt someone hug her from behind. Breaking away from that person's grasp, Serena whirled around bewildered; halfready to confront them. But her initial shock subsided though as she recognised the #1 richest witch in town.

The owner of the underground magical theme park herself, Béatrice.

"Gosh, you scared me, class captain, " Serena gently scolded her.

" Come on, girl! Still calling me that? " Béatrice laughed, " Didja come for a tour of my theme park? " Wizards and witches could be heard screaming in delight and horror, half muffled by the thickness of the glass dome and wheels clanking against the rails of a rollercoaster.

Béatrice smirked. Her purple eyes sparkled, " For you my friend, I shall let you enjoy it freely- for today at least. Tomorrow's your big day after all, mwahahahaha! " She put her hands on her hips, " So? Wanna have a go at it? We'll invite the others too as a way to hang out and remember our time at Heather Academy together. "

"I'd love to, " Serena said, " But i'm on duty today...so let's do it tomorrow, okay? "

Béatrice hugged her, " It's okay. As long as you promise to enjoy the hell out of it when you come back, 'kay? Unnie, will be waiting and then we can party till we drop! "

Azu sat on Serena's shoulder.

" Thanks, little dragon, " Béatrice winked and Azu smiled like he was Béatrices partner in crime, " Don't forget to watch over my friend. "

" I need to head to Marigold's workplace. See ya later, Béatrice. "

" See ya! Tell Marigold I said hello. "

" Yes! " Serena flew off to Witches' Grove's magical library.

After several twists and turns within the traffic routes, Serena and Azu found themselves in a quieter part of the shopping district. There, sunlight gave trees and leaves a grey shine. Coupled with a faint but never-fading fog which hung to the trees, the equivalent of nearby kingdoms' Magic Tower, gave off a mysterious almost eerie vibe.

Yet, this place is nicknamed "Haven " because of the vast amount of knowledge it holds, brimmed with mana. Natural light was faint here and the only source of lighting available outside was from fireflies, a few generous pixies and fluorescent mushrooms.

As Serena entered Haven, she felt calm and the mana present in the air seemed to soothe her. She slowed down taking in the gigantic library that stood before her. Its roof made of black shillings grazed the canopy. Its massive ebony walls were varnished till they reflected all the golden, orange light that poured out from Haven's insides. These same walls dug so deep into the ground that they vanished out of sight; devoured by the fog. The actual height of Haven was unknown. No one dared to estimate its height.

Azu left her, distracted by the fireflies and Nanika after which he chased. It was a game for the baby dragon and the little helpers- those who were free of tasks, at least- would entertain him.

Golden orange particles zoomed out of Haven and reached Serena. It turned out to be a very small, winged being. A chimera would to be more precise. One of the library's helpers; a Nanika.

It looked like a a doll with thick visible stitches around its body. The chimera had the face of a cat with dog ears and buttons for eyes. Its body was an amalgamation of both pets. The one that attended to Serena was a fusion of Calico cat and a Dalmatian.

Its current appearance was only temporary though. Nanika's external appearance changed in function of  who was Haven's current apprentice, its would-be Guardian if everything went well. The small helpers' design were to reflect the apprentices inner self and would change as the apprentices would grow up and hopefully understand themselves better.

Nanika led Serena through one of the numerous golden arch of Haven. Inside, thousands of other variations of Nanika flew about, busy with their tasks or with attending to other witches and wizards. On the equally wooden floor were ice blue warp tiles placed in such a way that from a bird's eye view, it looked like a big snowflake design. This was Haven's "lobby." Basically a portal room for the magical library's exclusive use to travel from floor to floor. 

The Haven was home to centuries of knowledge for the Witches' Grove; even dating back to when the founder of the Grove, the first Dragon Witch made a pact with the legendary reptiles and settled in this magical forest. Throughout the years the position of the Dragon Witch had been passed down to generations of apprentices (who would not necessarily become the leader of Witches' Grove).

A title and great honour that might soon be passed down to me.

This thought made Serena a little bit nervous as she swiftly jumped off her broom and landed in the library's "lobby."

She followed Nanika further into the lobby towards a warp tile. It was a white tile with a blue pentagon at its center. As soon as Serena stepped on it, a transparent wall with a blue glow surrounded the tile. A list of roman numerals appeared in out of thin air.

" Which floor? Need anyone in particular? " Nanika asked in a creepy-cutesy voice which would suit a broken doll.

" I'd like to meet Marigold, please. "

"Marigold, " Nanika repeated, " The apprentice of the Guardian of Knowledge is currently in the Unicorn Witch's company. Would you like to proceed? "

Serena's eyes widened in surprised at the mention of the Unicorn Witch.

" Yes, " she answered trying to hide her excitment.

Nanika pressed its little paw on the button marked with a 'XXXI.'

"Warping to the 31st floor..."

Everything turned white and when Serena opened her eyes, the roman numerals for 31 appeared in front her and faded away as fast as it came. The glowing wall retreated downwards. Serena stepped off the tile. Before her stood a spiral line of colossal bookshelves in a which glowed with a golden hue, exuding warmth.

Serena took a good minute to take in the sight. She was left in awe every time she came to Haven.

" This way, " Nanika said. Their bee wings flapped quickly as they led the apprentice Dragon Witch further down the aisle, " The Tome Witch and Unicorn Witch are further ahead. "

The redhead followed in Nanika's wake. There was no one else on this floor but Serena was too excited at the idea of meeting Luna, the Unicorn Witch, again to notice . It had been a few years since they had last seen each other but it felt like decades.

The spiral path lead onto the center of the 31st floor and Serena noticed familiar long, wavy, pastel purple hair.

"Luna! " She immediately called out.

Two girls who were hunched over a pile of books were startled out of their concentration. They whirled around. A pair of gray eyes meeting brown ones as the recognised their friend.

Luna ran and flung herself into Serena's embrace, pastel pink cape fluttering behind her, black heels thrown aside. Both of them spun a bit before being able to halt their momemtum. They laughed, tearing up a bit as they exchanged greetings under Marigold's amused gaze.

The ravenette tipped the brim of her brown, conical hat while making eye contact.

" Good to see you too, Serena, " her gazed lingered of them for a bit. Then, she directed her attention towards a  bookshelf found directly across her.

" How are you, Marigold? Bianca sends her greetings. "

" I'm tired and thanks. "

" Aren't you always? " Luna joked.

Marigold chuckled. " It might take a while for me to find the book you asked for, Serena. You guys catch up on what Luna missed out on. " she walked to a certain bookshelf.

" Don't take too long. I'm going somewhere near Dragon Valley. " Luna said.

" Eh? " Serena exclaimed, " What? I'm going too...I'm on duty today. Nyx-sama's orders. "

They separated and Serena squeezed Luna's hand, " It's been so long..."

The Unicorn Witch teared up, " I know, " she muttered.

" If only we didn't have to move along with the herd..." she sighed, " But Calliope-sama...you know how he is..."

" Yeah, I know...but let's not think about that today. Cheer up! I'll tell you all about what happened in Witches' Grove as well as the latest gossip~ "

" Ooohhh, ya mean gossip from the choir? "

" Y E S, " Serena chuckled.

¤¤¤

" Here you go Serena, " Marigold exclaimed as the two friends exploded in a hearty laugh.

" Oh, thanks a lot, " the redhead said in-between laughs.

" For Hecate's sake, Marigold. Who gets lost at a circular marketplace? "

The ravenette facepalmed and sighed, " I was completely disoriented. Unlike you two, I'm not really used to shopping in human cities. " she pushed her purple-rimmed glasses up, " The books  you asked for. These were....interesting choices. "

The Tome Witch handed a sizable book on ' Fairy Tale: The many Guilds and how to destroy them like a pro '  to Serena and another similar one on ' Further understanding of Unicorns: The Art of Trash-talk gossiping on lower Mythical Creatures at a Bar' to Luna.

" Interesting indeed. " Luna said.

" I could say the same for you. " Serena replied, raising an eyebrow.

They stood up.

" Thanks, Marigold. " Serena said.

" Thank you! " the Unicorn Witch pulled the librarian into a hug, " Until next time? " she glanced at Serena who had her back to them, grabbing her broom and winked at Marigold, " See you later, for you-know-what. " Luna whispered.

Marigold nodded, " I'll bring my crow bar and get my spells ready for a break-in. " she whispered back.

" See you! " all three said in unison while Serena and Luna departed. They waved back at Marigold.

¤¤¤

" Rwaahh!" Azu's cute roar rung loud and clear as he glided along air currents. He flapped his wings occasionally and when tired he would sneak in Serena's bag. It was warmer there. Plus, the baby dragon simply had to pop his head out in order to obverse his surroundings.

It was way better than having both witches' curls lash out at him while the strong wind made them bellow behind the girls and transform their hair in a tangled mess. The Dragon Witch apprentice kept a hand on her hat while the Unicorn Witch chose to tuck her hat away.

Serena and Luna were engrossed in their conversation. The topic had gone from Luna's current crush to how life with unicorns was and the many troubles encountered when Luna visited human settlements. Dragon Valley was still a long way off.

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Endless treetops finally gave way to grass plains spotted with lakes. On their right, the faint silhouette of a watch tower could be seen in the distance. It demarked where the last human settlement was-- for this area at least. Beyond that, all sort of magical and mythical creatures raomed free. On the far left, undulating plains dropped and split in two. A landmark; a mountain as if pulled apart. It was where the land of dragons started where Serena was to head.

" Looks like my ride's here..." Luna exclaimed.

Serena was startled out of her observation. She glanced at Luna who looked down. Azu squealed as his eyes fell on heard of horses like he had never seen before.

The herd was made up of about 300 individuals. Their coat was as white as freshly fallen snow. On their forehead was a golden, sharp horn with pink, purple, blue and even mint-green manes cascaded down their neck.

Unicorns.

The creatures had an arrogant look about them. Especially the tallest one out of them with a silvery mane. It huffed as a person approached it with  sugar cubes in their hand. They also wore a black conical hat. It had an accessory shaped like a unicorn's head pinned on it.

"Woah, " Serena whistled in amazement, " That's... Calliope-sama, right? "

Luna sighed, " Yes...that's my mentor. They said they'll be heading back to the island the day after tomorrow. "

Serena felt her heart tightened.

" That's unfair, my friend. If only you could stay longer..."

" I wish I could do the same, sis..." she offered her friend an apologetic smile, " I'll see later-- "

" Luna! It was about time. " came Calliope's voice.

Both girls flinched.

" See you, later, Sen"

" Laters, Lulu "

They hugged. A good minute passed before Luna hurried to Calliope side. Serena watched as her friend busied herself with the unicorns before she herself headed for Dragon Valley.

¤¤¤

The vast plains slowly receeded and let barren land take over. Desolate peaks; as if a maximum curve been pulled apart to form a narrow but deep chasm spread wider and wider till the horizon; this was the Dragon Valley.

Serena always felt nervous at the sight of the Valley. A temporary condition which quickly faded away once she met up with the dragons. As the redhead passed the peaks a deafening roar echoed through the air.

Startled at first, the witch instinctively swerved to the left as Azu mirrorred whichever of his seniors it was. But the bby dragon's cry mimicked that of a young tiger cub rather than one of its species.

Serena felt air currents shift around her; they undulated instead of the sharp, rhythmic shift she usually was subject to with normal dragons.

'It's him!' Serena thought.

"Long Mian!" The witch called happily.

Pleased, the creature descended from above the clouds.

Its snake-like body revealed itself. His pale turquoise scales shone under the sun. Serena was captivated by how Long Mian flew; his body rise and fell like the waves. The tendrils (or were they more like a moustache?) seemed to have a mind of their own. They too undulated from time to time at their own rhythm. His thick branch-like horns radiated energy and his golden eyes...Although Serena always found snake eyes scary, she found herself at ease in Long Mian's presence. His eyes she noticed held a trace of great wisdom and benevolence which his people, in the far North; these frosty alpine regions, greatly benefitted from.

Azu jumped out of Serena's bag and joined Long Mian's side. The two dragons exchanged greetings.

" I brought an interesting book, today, " the witch yelled over the wind, " Will you stay to listen to me reading it? You dragons could puff out smoke and snort at how stupid it is. Maybe provide better strategies? "

" Better strategies on what, young witch? " The dragon's voice echoed in Serena's mind. It was deep with a hint of amusement. 

" How to destroy guilds. "

Long Mian let out a sound which resembled a scoff. When he chuckled, Serena thought a thunderstorm was about to start.

Soon, the valley came into view. Thick waterfalls poured out from the earth, their roars echoed throughout the valley. Trees were scarce but fruitful. The volcanic land was almost black; remnants of a once active volcano in the area.

Azu let out a joyful cry before dashing forwards under Serena and Long Mian's watchful gazes. Other roars rose in response to Azu; some close, some faraway. Serena leaned forward. Her broom gently sloped down until her feet grazed the earth.

She landed in a crater which had the appearance of a natural version of the Coliseum arena...except its scale was inappropriate for the legendary reptilians that lived here.

The apprentice Dragon witch made her preparations: she took out several story books including the one Marigold gave her, updated her notes on the most recent gossips and news, drank a few mana potions (staying in Dragon Valley drained a lot of mana because of its strong magic field) and then seated herself as she watched the arena slowly grow crowded with a variety of  dragons. Long Mian took his place behind her. He curled up on himself. His snout rested next to Serena at an angle from where he could see the contents of the books. Azu came back shortly after and sprawled himself on the Chinese Dragon's forehead. The baby yawned.

Serena clapped her hands and most of the dragons quieted down. She took out her silver wand and cast a spell which would project her voice.

" Hello, everyone! I am honoured to be here again today. Our monthly storyline and discussion session will begin shortly. "

Low mumbles or more like rumbles rippled through her draconian audience. A few snickers could be heard as well as others with serious conversations.

¤¤¤

It was a little past 11 p.m when Serena stumbled out of Dragon Valley. The debate and gossips that followed the session was long but entertaining. She even enjoyed a meal with them as well. However, Long Mian demanded for the redhead to listen to him tell for the nth time the Legend of the Dragon Witch and the First Dragon. Serena had begged him not to but Long Mian insisted with a sly smile, that it was his duty to do so when Rakshas was absent.

Rakshas was out for patrol. That's all what Serena knew.

Azu was Rakshas's sibling and would one day be just as strong as them. Rakshas was one of the strongest dragons of the Valley; one of its protectors and they took their duty very seriously. Rakshas and Azu shared the same robe, the same golden eyes. Their mild personality seem to run in the family as well.

The witch recalled her familiar's sibling. How great the pressure was when they were ready for battle. How mighty and terrifying their roar could be, how intimidating they were in front of enemies. A colossal, powerful copper-coloured dragon. Their glittering claws and canines...Yet all of these descriptions were in stark contrast to Raksha's inner self. They were benevolent, childish at times and playful with their younger sibling. Rakshas was Azu's number one fan.

Who would have thought that a dragon could melt in front of their siblings cuteness? Rakshas was one to. It be as if their brain had stopped functioning properly once their brother entered their line of sight. The witch recalled how particular she had found the dragon at first. Their voice was feminine, but they were biologically male. They were against using he or she as pronouns, instead preferring neutral ones or their name.

It took some time for the witch to get used to it but she succeeded nonetheless.

Serena took off. Azu was sleeping in her shoulder bag. The night sky on the way back home was always a sight to behold. Thousands of stars were scattered across the darkness, illuminating the night. Serena liked to think that they lit the path to guide her home. Stars are like bright flames that brighten the sky and thousands of trails of them gave hope and guided lost souls.

The way home was fortunately uneventful despite fatigue taking over the girl many times.

The young witch heaved a sigh of relief upon reaching her house. Azu had woken up and she laid on her shoulder. He nudged Serena gently with his snout; a sign of encouragement 'Almost there.'

" Thanks, Azu. "

Serena briefly leaned on her door to catch a break. She checked her wristwatch. 01:47

Then she pushed the door open. It creaked and revealed the darkness of her home. She stepped in, let the door swing close and felt the wall for the light switch.

'Found it!'

Click! The lights turned on.

" HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

The witch dropped her broom in surprise. Confetti popped out, and Serena found her friends waiting for her in her house. Béatrice, Luna ,Bianca and Marigold were all here; bright smile on their face. Her dinning table now had a white tablecloth on it with a 3 level cake covered with cream. 'Happy Birthday' was written on it with chocolate and there were candles shaped like a 1 and an 8.

" You guys..." Serena's vision blurred with tears. Heat rose up her cheeks. Azu squealed in delight and initiated a hug. Luna and Bianca rushed forward, followed by Béatrice and Marigold who completed the group hug.

" Thank you, thank you so much! " Serena said.

" It was nothing. Although we did have to cut off on precious slee--" Marigold started.

" It's our pleasure, " Béatrice cut in.

" Anything for our friend! " Luna added.

" And you truly deserve it, Serena. " Bianca continued. She cupped the birthday girl's cheeks and pinched them, " Aww mah god, you finally got older. "

" Took you long enough..." Marigold smirked.

Luna chuckled.

" You're the older one," Serena shot back.

" Excus-- Béatrice is the oldest in this room, " Marigold argued.

" Hey! "

Serena erupted into laughter. The lyrics of an old song came into mind.

' The trails of fire always knew, when they cary me home they lead me to you. '

" What would I do without you guys, hm? " she pulled her friend's in another hug.

" Okay, once more!" Bianca exclaimed, " The four of us, in unison. "

"We wish you all the best, the greatest. Wonderful health, wealth and happiness. To live a blessed and long life. We love you. Happy birthday, Serena! May fortune and hope always be by your side! "

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