#spellthorn 1

[chrystalwynd]

Spellthorn Academy 2

*****

Scene: The Quiet Trap in the Stacks (continued)

Dakota (hand on the rune-stone):

“Beth…wait…something’s-”

Too late. The sigils blaze with light. A faint whoomp sounds, soft but final, like a cork being popped in reverse.

Beth exhales as her swollen belly visibly flattens. The faint violet glow vanishes from her skin.

Dakota (eyes wide):

“What the @#$%?!”

Under her blouse, a curve begins to form. Subtle at first. Then undeniable. Her trim waist pushes forward, slow but unstoppable, rounding beneath her hands.

Dakota:

“What did you do?!”

Her eyes are wide as the bump surges outward to a clear six months’ size, shifting her center of gravity.

Beth (gives a serene sigh of relief):

“Oh, thank heavens. I thought that imp was going to start singing again.”

Dakota (blinks):

“Imp?”

A faint giggle echoes from inside her belly.

Dakota (stumbles back from the rune circle, hands cradling her newly rounded belly):

“You transferred your pregnancy into me? You’re not allowed to do that! It’s…it’s illegal! Or…unethical! Or…well, it’s definitely something! Don’t you have a hippopotamus oath or something?”

Beth, now slim and radiant, adjusts her robes with the grace of someone who just dumped their problems on someone else.

Beth:

“Oh hush. It’s a Diony imp, not an apocalypse fetus. You’ll be fine. Honestly, I envy you. You wear it well. Do you know how hard it is to find someone with the right arcane resonance and sturdy hips?”

Dakota (sputters):

“I am not going to waddle around campus six months pregnant-!”

Zzap!

A flash of magic ripples from Beth’s fingertip to Dakota’s boots. They vanish instantly, leaving her standing in just her socks…which unravel into glittery thread and then vanish too.

Dakota (yelps):

“Hey! My shoes!”

Beth (eyes twinkle):

“Correction: barefoot and pregnant. It’s a classic aesthetic. Matches the energy.”

Dakota (pure barefoot rage):

“You can’t just dump your belly on me! I’m not your magical maternity storage unit! My back already hurts, my center of gravity’s off, and the first person to offer me a chair is going to get-“

Beth (raises a hand, nails glowing with quiet threat):

“Careful now. Keep protesting, sweetie, and you may just find your maternal blessings expanding in ways you really won’t be able to hide. Permanently. Let’s not test the thresholds of arcane lactomancy, hmm? Diony imps love milk. Copiously.”

A beat. Somewhere inside Dakota’s belly, the imp hiccups again. Dakota closes her mouth.

Beth (smiles sweetly):

“See? You’re going to make a lovely vessel. And don’t worry…you’ll learn to center the weight. There’s a calming spell in the Restricted Section. Page 172, ‘Wombborne Weaving’. Don’t worry- it’s not locked out to you anymore. And Chapter Three of ‘Mage-Midwifery in the Modern Age’ covers posture, by the way. You’ll want to get started.”

Dakota storms off, or at least tries to. Her brisk pace transforms into an awkward, sway-backed waddle, with every step reminding her that her center of gravity has been relocated without consent. She scowls as her bare soles slap softly against the stone corridor. Each cool tile is a fresh indignity.

Beth (flips open a narrow, rune-etched ledger, makes a tidy note with a quill that glows smugly): “Successful transfer. Vessel adapting. Emotional resistance: high. Footwear: removed. Threat of lactation effective.”

She taps the page twice, and it shimmers shut with a self-satisfied snap.

NEXT: The Walk of Shame to the Nurse’s Nook

[chrystalwynd]

This is the opening scene for an ongoing saga I’m working on. The setting is Spellthorn Academy, an arcane institution with a prestigious history and a colorful, trouble-prone cast of rivals. Sort of a Harry Potter in Chrystal Heights thing. It’s rambling and weird and I have no idea where it’s going. You might want to avoid this altogether, come to think of it.

Welcome to Spellthorn Academy

Opening Scene Title: The Quiet Trap in the Stacks

Location: Spellthorn Academy Library – Early Afternoon

Tall arched windows cast a soft golden glow over the ancient shelves, which shift ever so slightly when no one’s watching. A few tomes float lazily overhead, humming quietly to themselves. The air smells of parchment, candle wax, and something vaguely floral- maybe illusion magic.

Mood: Calm, Gently Scheming

A peaceful afternoon for studying…or for springing a low-key arcane betrayal cloaked in helpful friendliness.

Characters Present:

Beth Arclight: A composed 24-year-old librarian associate mage, six months pregnant from a summoning ritual gone wrong. The Diony imp in her womb radiates chaotic energy. She’s mastered the spell of pregnancy transfer- a subtle, targeted spell requiring proximity, misdirection, and the right kind of distraction. Today she has a plan.

Dakota Bellamy: A bright, cautious, 22-year-old fourth-year student. She’s sharp, observant, and (sort of) respectful of rules. Especially in libraries.

*****

Beth stands behind the front desk, her figure mostly hidden by the long, dark folds of her enchanted robes. One hand rests casually on the swell of her belly—six months along and lightly pulsing with Diony imp mischief. She mutters a silencing charm under her breath just as the imp hiccups, nearly jostling a bookshelf thirty feet away.

Across the room, Dakota steps lightly between the aisles, arms stacked with tomes on foundational spellwork. She looks focused, unaware.

Beth (warm, friendly, totally not scheming):

“Dakota, sweetie? Would you mind lending me a quick hand?” She motions Dakota over with a radiant smile. “You have just the kind of magical signature I need for a stability test. Harmless little rune charm- takes two minutes, tops.”

Behind the desk, Beth’s fingers flick through invisible sigils, quietly weaving a pregnancy transfer matrix into place.

Dakota (blinks up from her books, then smiles politely):

“Sure, Beth. Just let me put these on the return shelf first.” She trots over, her leather boots scuffing softly against the polished stone floor.

Beth (nods approvingly):

“Wonderful. Come here- now just stand on that faintly glowing circle. Don’t mind the shimmer; it’s just a stability sigil.”

Dakota (glances down at the delicate whorl of violet light pulsing on the floor):

“Wow. That’s some serious rune layering.” She steps into it. “What is this for again?”

Beth (smiles, gently positioning her behind the desk):

“It’s for catalog calibration- helps with attunement drift in older enchantments. You’re helping real library magic here.”

Beth guides Dakota’s hand to a glowing rune-stone. The air tingles. The sigils flare faintly. A warm current passes between them.

Dakota (squinting):

“Is it supposed to feel warm?”

Beth (smile bright, unwavering):

“Perfectly normal.”

Inside Beth’s belly, the Diony imp stirs excitedly. The transfer matrix flares to life.

NEXT: The Quiet Trap in the Stacks- continued