Chapter Text
It was a beautiful summer night, fireflies blinking lazily in the air as cicadas screeched out their ceaseless song. It was a night ripe with magic, a full moon, and the magical denizens of the forest were abuzz with activity.
Dryads snuck out of their tree trunks, giggling as they held hands with their brethren. Nixies poked their heads out of the water, clambering towards the shore to gossip with the gnomes.
Not that anybody could see them, of course. Only a hedge witch, one with the gift of Sight, could see them. And one was just coming down the forest path.
“Yeosang!” A pixie called out, in her high-pitched voice, “Master Yeosang is coming!”
Yeosang smirked to himself, tucking a strand of dark hair behind his ear. He was on his way to his favorite clearing, hoping to take advantage of the clear night to do some work and charge his protection crystals.
He clutched at the strap of his satchel, patting the area where he knew the chunks of black tourmaline were wrapped and ready to go. They usually sat on his windowsills, deflecting curses and negative energy, but they only carried a finite amount of magic. Hence, the recharging.
“Master Yeosang!” A voice called out, accompanied by the sound of scrambling hooves. Yeosang raised a hand in greeting.
“Good evening Zek!” The young faun came to a stop, staring up at Yeosang with his big golden eyes. He looked barely ten, but Yeosang knew that the faun was at least a hundred years old, if not more. Fae just aged differently than humans did.
“Mama said to give this to you. She wanted to thank you for helping Ziri with her arm,” He said, holding out something wrapped in cloth. Yeosang took it, smiling when he smelled the unmistakable aroma of apple cake.
“Tell your mother thank you for me. And maybe next time, play more gently with your sister?” Zek rolled his eyes, but nodded.
“Yeah, I know. Are you going to the hill today? The Green Duke is throwing a party.” Yeosang shook his head.
The Green Duke was a powerful Fae, and the undisputed ruler of the forest. Yeosang had only met him a few times, mainly to pay his respects. He was quite jovial and amicable, but Yeosang was still leery.
“No, not tonight. I have work to do.” Zek frowned but seemed unbothered.
“Okay. Well… Have fun with that!” And with that the faun dashed away. Yeosang resumed his trek, climbing up a hill and finally entering the clearing.
“There you are,” He whispered, sighing contentedly. The energy in the clearing was welcoming, charged with potential. It greeted Yeosang like an old friend.
Walking past the tittering flower fairies, he knelt down in the center of the clearing, laying out his altar cloth and setting the crystals in a circle. Already, he could feel his magic rippling inside of him, eager to pour itself out and into his work.
“Your magic is strong today, Master Yeosang,” A little buttercup fairy said, perching on his shoulder, “Do you need help?”
“No thank you, I should be fine. You should head off and enjoy the full moon with your friends.” The fairy patted his cheek before flying off, her wings humming like an insect.
“Hello?” A voice called out. Yeosang tensed, turning and almost jumping out of his skin when he saw another man at the edge of the clearing.
He was taller, dressed in light grey robes that matched the silver color of his hair. With his straight nose and full mouth, he was probably one of the most beautiful men Yeosang had ever seen.
“Ah! Hello,” Yeosang replied, smiling nervously. When in doubt, it was best to default to politeness, “Are you lost?” The other man shook his head, walking further into the clearing.
“No, I was looking for this clearing. I heard that it’s the best place to see the moon around here.” As he got closer, Yeosang saw the faint outlines of the other man’s magical aura. It swirled around his body lazily, shining like moonbeams and stardust. He was a witch. And not just any witch, but a celestial witch.
“You came here to work as well, then?” The celestial witch nodded. He carried himself with a straight-backed kind of grace that was usually reserved for dancers or the nobility.
“Your coven won’t mind, will they? I probably should have asked permission ahead of time…”
“Oh no, it’s fine. I don’t have a coven, anyways.” The other witch tilted his head, and Yeosang knew he had messed up.
Witches worked best in a community, with other witches to support them and balance out their magic. A witch without a coven was suspicious, and he didn’t need this one asking too many questions about why he was alone.
“Well… Let me know if you need anything. I have some extra supplies in my bag.” The other witch smiled, his entire face beaming in such a bright, stunning way that Yeosang almost felt the need to shield his face with his hands.
“Thank you, that’s very kind of you. I should be all set here, though.” And with that he moved away to set up his own paraphernalia, pulling items out of a large pack.
“He seems nice, you should ask to court him,” The buttercup fairy said, fluttering near Yeosang’s elbow. Yeosang startled, rapidly glancing back and forth between her and the celestial witch before huffing a little sigh. There was no reason to be nervous, he wouldn’t be able to see or hear her.
Non-hedge witches could only see the Fae when the Veil between worlds was at its thinnest, usually around All Hallows and May Day. Making a noncommittal humming sound, Yeosang went back to his set up. However, the buttercup fairy was not so easily deterred, flying over to stand on the altar cloth.
“What, squirrel got your tongue? Don’t want to talk to me because you don’t want to seem crazy in front of your new friend?” She snorted, “I see how it is. Humans are known for their fickleness, after all. I just didn’t expect it from our beloved Master Yeosang.”
“Hush, you,” Yeosang chided, “I’m busy.”
“What was that?” The celestial witch asked, potion bottle in hand. Even from a distance, he could feel the strong, fiery energy of hearth magic radiating from it. It must have been made by one of his coven members.
“Oh, nothing. I tend to talk to myself when I work. I hope it doesn’t bother you.” The other witch smiled that dazzling smile again.
“No, it’s okay. I have a coven member who’s the same way.” The buttercup fairy glanced between the two of them and rolled her eyes.
“Oh yeah, you’re really busy. Really busy trying to suck his di-”
“Enough!” Yeosang whispered furiously, grabbing the fairy and gently pushing her away from his crystals. Thankfully she just cackled, fluttering off back to her group of friends, who were staring at him with obviously amused expressions.
“Seonghwa.”
“What?” Yeosang asked. The celestial witch looked at him somewhat uneasily, like he was nervous about something.
“My name. It’s Seonghwa.”
“Oh, I see. Seonghwa… Seonghwa…” Yeosang said, rolling the sound around his mouth experimentally. It suited him, somehow, “I’m Yeosang.”
“Nice to meet you, Yeosang,” Seonghwa responded, and something about his tone made Yeosang know that he actually meant that, and he wasn’t just being polite, “Do you come here often?”
“A couple times a month or so? I try to make the full moons, at least.” Seonghwa grinned, his dark eyes sparkling like they contained bits of stardust themselves.
“It is nice, isn’t it?” Yeosang saw Seonghwa’ aura surge, the stars shining brighter and brighter before fading back to normal. Of course, he was a celestial witch, his magic was probably heightened just like Yeosang’s. He chuckled.
“I should probably let you get to work, before you explode or something.” Seonghwa laughed as well.
“Yeah, probably.” Yeosang waited until the other witch’s attention was diverted before starting the process of charging his crystals. Sketching out the proprietary runes in the air, he started chanting the spell. The words were old, practically as old as the hills themselves.
His magic burst forth in a riot of gossamer purple ribbons, twirling and twisting their way into the crystals and activating them so they could receive power from the moonlight. Well, most of them did. One little ribbon seemed intent on making its way over to Seonghwa. Yeosang frowned, reigning it in immediately. Was his magic attracted to Seonghwa? That would definitely pose a problem.
He didn’t want the other man finding out that he was a hedge witch, it was too dangerous. His eyes flickered over to Seonghwa and he gasped. The celestial witch’s aura was practically blinding, shining as if he were becoming a star himself. His magic was strong, incredibly strong. Seonghwa’ eyes turned to him, his black irises completely subsumed by starlight. He looked like a god.
“My… My magic wants to help you. Is that okay?” He asked, timidly. All Yeosang could do was nod.
Almost immediately, a beam of light shot out of Seonghwa’s hand, hitting the circle of crystals. It bounced from stone to stone, connecting them in an intricate web of lines that Yeosang recognized as a high level ward. That was the kind of spell they only taught at prestigious magic academies, the kinds sponsored by the royal family. What on earth was this guy's deal?
“Wow…” Yeosang whispered. Shakily, he reached out and brushed at the ward with a fingertip. Seonghwa’ magic felt warm, like the gentle heat of the morning sun. Yeosang’s magic thrashed desperately inside of him, practically begging to be released. Which only made Yeosang clamp down harder. “Thank you.” Seonghwa nodded, still smiling that brilliant smile of his.
“You’re welcome.” The two men passed a few more minutes in silence, each going about their tasks. Yeosang was about to ask Seonghwa where he had learned that spell when there was a shuffling sound in the bushes.
Yeosang bristled. It didn’t feel like a Fae, which meant it was probably an animal. And the animals of these woods were not exactly known for being friendly. Or, at least, that’s what Yeosang thought.
The wolf that tumbled out into the clearing behaved more like a dog than a wild animal, dashing over to Seonghwa and climbing into his lap with all the elegance of an hyperactive puppy. Seonghwa laughed, scratching the wolf behind its ears.
“I guess you couldn’t wait until I was done, love? Don’t worry, I only have one more task left and then we can go home.” The wolf snorted, licking Seonghwa’ face and causing him to grimace, “Ugh! Gross! I told you not to do that!” He grumbled.
The wolf gave him one last lick before staring at Yeosang. Yeosang quickly avoided its gaze, not wanting to look like he was challenging it for dominance. Just because the wolf was friendly didn’t mean it wasn’t a predator.
“Is that your familiar?” He asked. It made sense that Seonghwa had a familiar, most powerful witches had one. Yeosang had never felt the need, given the amount of times he was working and communicating with the Fae. When you were constantly surrounded by carnivorous magical creatures, having an animal companion was less of a comfort and more of a liability. Seonghwa laughed.
“No, sorry, this is one of my coven members.” He patted the wolf on the back, “Come on, be polite and introduce yourself properly.”
The wolf huffed in a remarkably exasperated tone, its shape stretching and shifting until suddenly there was a man standing in front of Yeosang. He was tall, taller even than Seonghwa. His dark grey hair was the same color as the wolf’s fur, his golden eyes somewhat apologetic.
“Hi, I’m Mingi,” He said, in a deep, rough voice. Yeosang just blinked. A celestial witch and a shifter witch. It wasn’t something you saw every day.
“Yeosang. Nice to meet you.” Mingi sniffed the air, humming.
“Yeah, we need to go soon. Jongho said it’s going to rain in like, ten minutes.” Seonghwa nodded, setting his hand on a bundle of herbs and quickly infusing it with magic. Yeosang must have looked confused, because Mingi continued, “Jongho is another one of our coven members. He’s a weather witch. What about you?” A weather witch named Jongho? Could it be… No, that was impossible.
“Oh, just eclectic? I don’t have a particular calling.” A lie, but at least it was somewhat believable. Eclectic witches were witches who never clicked with one specific kind of magic. They were more of a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ kind of magical practitioner. A bit of a rarity, in this day and age, but not entirely unheard of. Mingi’s eyes widened.
“Cool! Never met an eclectic witch before,” He said, “I… Well, I guess you already know what I am.” Yeosang chuckled. Now that Mingi was in his human form, Yeosang could see the swirling pattern of scales, fur, and feathers that made up his aura. Just as Mingi easily shifted from one form to the next, his aura couldn’t seem to decide what shape it wanted to take.
“You know, I was just thinking that I’ve never met a shifter witch.” Mingi smiled, reaching out and shaking Yeosang’s hand enthusiastically.
“Here’s to being each other’s firsts, then.” It was then that Seonghwa stood up, his bag all packed up and his body decidedly less saturated with light.
“All right, I’m done. Now, Yeosang, I don’t mean to pry, but how far away is your home from here?” Yeosang was confused for a bit before he remembered what Mingi had said. It was going to rain in ten minutes.
“About a half an hour’s walk from here. It’s okay though, I don’t mind getting wet.” Seonghwa frowned, pouting his lips a little in a way that Yeosang definitely did not think was cute at all.
“I don’t want you getting cold and sick…” Mingi patted his coven member’s shoulder, chuckling.
“It’s okay, I got this.” He pulled a bracelet off of his wrist, handing it to Yeosang, “Here. It’s charmed to keep you warm and dry.” Yeosang stared at the bracelet in his hands.
It was a simple woven leather, with a single silver, compass-shaped charm hanging off of it. It thrummed with a kind of magic that Yeosang couldn’t quite place. He had never felt a magical signature quite like this before. It felt both dangerous and safe at the same time. Like blindly reaching a hand out into the dark only for your fingers to bump against the softest blanket.
Something within his magic responded to it, almost like when it had tried to reach out to Seonghwa earlier.
“Who made this bracelet?” He asked. The other two witches shared a glance.
“Our coven leader, Hongjoong. Why?” Yeosang’s eyes widened and he held the bracelet away from himself.
“I can’t accept this! This was a gift from your coven leader!” It felt incredibly rude, taking something that had been given to Mingi by his coven leader. Presumptuous, even. Mingi just shook his head.
“It’s okay. Hongjoong-hyung might have given it to me, but it’s mine to do with as I see fit. And, like Seonghwa-hyung, I don’t want you getting caught in the rain and getting sick,” He said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “If it makes you feel better, you can give it back to me the next time we see each other.”
Next time. Yeosang frowned. There really shouldn’t be a ‘next time.’ He could only hide the truth about his magic for so long. And when the truth did come out… They would hate him. But that didn’t stop a small part of his heart from desperately yearning for a next time.
When was the last time he had made another witch friend? Not since before he moved to the woods. Almost eight years now. Eight years of denying himself any kind of connection with another witch. Yeosang tied the bracelet around his wrist, refusing to raise his gaze.
“Okay then. Next time. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome!” Seonghwa tapped Mingi on the shoulder.
“We should head back. Do you think you could…” Mingi chuckled, leaning forward as his body changed again, growing taller and longer. Yeosang gasped when he saw that he had fully shifted into a horse, a gorgeous dapple grey stallion. “Ah, thank you Mingi-ah.”
“Whoa…” Seonghwa mounted Horse Mingi with ease, smiling down at Yeosang.
“It was nice to meet you, Yeosang. Get home safe, okay?” Yeosang nodded, and Mingi trotted away, carrying Seonghwa away with him. Now that the other humans were gone, the Fae crawled back into the clearing, glancing curiously at Yeosang. A red clover fairy flew up onto his shoulder, tugging at his hair a little.
“They are a very powerful coven, Master Yeosang. My sisters and I counted five whole magical signatures amongst the silver one’s belongings,” She whispered. Yeosang released some of the tension he had been holding. He didn’t like pretending that he couldn’t see or hear the Fae. He did it out of necessity, but it still hurt him a little to do so.
And he knew that many of the Fae detested being ignored.
“Oh? What kinds of witches are they?” The clover fairy hummed.
“A storm witch, with a voice that booms like thunder. A hearth witch, with a touch as warm as fresh bread,” She said, counting them off on her tiny fingertips, “Then a sea witch, strong as the ocean currents. A green witch, tall as an oak tree. And finally… A grey witch, warrior of both light and darkness.” Yeosang stared at her in shock.
“Are you sure?” The clover fairy nodded.
“Positive.” Yeosang stared down at the bracelet on his wrist. It must be the witch who made the bracelet, the one Mingi called Hongjoong-hyung. That was why his magic had felt odd to Yeosang.
Grey witches were witches who utilized both light and dark magic in their craft. Which didn't automatically make them dangerous per se, they were just… Unpredictable. Just as capable of doubling down on a curse as they were to break it and set you free.
But Seonghwa and Mingi and the rest of their coven seemed to trust Hongjoong, so maybe he wasn’t so bad? Yeosang let a bit of his magic touch the bracelet and there was no ill intent in it. If anything, it was suffused with pure, unadulterated love.
The clover fairy flitted down, perching on the back of Yeosang’s hand as she held the silver charm in her hands. Her eyes widened.
“A very powerful grey witch, indeed. It would be wise to pursue him as an ally, or a mate,” She said. Yeosang scoffed.
“What is it with you fairies tonight trying to get me laid?” He said, somewhat exasperated. The clover fairy giggled.
“Nothing wrong with wanting to roll around in the hay with a nice looking fellow, Master Yeosang. Or, in this case… Several nice looking fellows.”
It was then that the first drop of rain hit the top of Yeosang’s head, and he cursed as he quickly gathered up his things and pulled up the hood of his cloak. He needed to get home before the rain got too bad and the paths got muddy.
Ducking back into the trees, he started walking back towards home, his thoughts preoccupied by stars and wolves and whether or not it was worth it to go back to the clearing ever again.
“No, no, none of that,” He muttered to himself, drawing his cloak in tighter, “Worrying about something means you suffer twice as much.”