The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet

Chapter 31: Reunion

After a quick thirty minutes of travelling, we reached our hotel, getting a good look and understanding of the surrounding area in the process. 

“Bigger and cosier than I expected.” Mella rolled into the room on her chair, “A little disappointed you can’t see the bricks.”

We entered our hotel room and it was quite big. The outside of the building was a large stone building with a dark wood roof and flooring.

The building itself was three stories with six rooms on each floor. Each room had six smaller rooms of varying sizes, two~three being bedrooms with one~two beds in each–depending on the specification required of the guest–then one living room with a large tv connected to a kitchen, a bathroom with a toilet, an extra toilet, and then one~two spare rooms–usually used as storage.

I said, “I say a perfectly flat wall makes it easier to decorate.” The inside of the walls was made of this simple off-white material covering the brick and also the wiring in the walls. 

“But it’s a hotel room?” Mella said, “Making it a unique and comfortable environment would drive interest. Plus, it’s not like guests are going to spend time decorating the room, especially when the max duration is a month.”

“Plenty of people would try to spice up their room even if they were staying there for just a month.” Said Tyell. 

“Quiet.” Mella sped up and drove to the other corner of the lounge space near the couch. I figured she wanted to get out of her chair, so I went over to help her. 

Tyell started removing our bags from his inventory and left them in the living room for us to sort later. 

Our room in particular had three bedrooms, one for Tyell and Mella, one for Mum and one for Me. I was happy to share a room so we could’ve had one more spare room when booking, but Tella insisted I have my privacy–which in the end, I appreciated a lot.

After we were done sorting our supplies we regrouped in the living room.

“Okay kids, it’s time to enjoy this holiday and have all the fun the Stella family can muster!” Mother said this before plopping on a nearby chair to relax.

“But what about Mella’s treatment?” Asked Tyell, “I know Ceella and you have been keeping that discussion to yourself, however, now that we are one Earth, I think it's time to spill the beans… She should get her treatment soon…”

Tyell managed to keep his sombre guilt away from his expression and spoke out his thoughts. 

It was true we kept our discussions private from the two youngest. The last time we didn’t do that, Mella complained cause we were about to spend a large amount on her recovery. Convincing her to change her mind didn’t go well because she knew that cheaper options existed even if they weren’t as available. 

Mother replied, “You're right.” She stood up from her chair and pulled out her phone. Pressing some buttons it stretched out into a large rectangular standing mirror. Then flicking the screen, a map of Newcastle loaded on the display.   

“There are five large hospitals in Newcastle, all of which have the capability to heal our darling Melly.”

Tyell replied shocked, “They all have high-level healers?”

“Yes, to some extent,” I answered. 

Mother added, “No instant recovery, but at least Mella should regain at least one of her limbs back in a fortnight.”

Healers that could restore others from serious injuries were highly sought after, but there were a few issues for the common citizen to receive help from these healers. A big reason was these people were just rare. There were plenty of people who could heal and help others, but being able to help with serious injuries and conditions was literally a different level altogether.

This usually wasn’t a problem, as most planets and places I had visited were able to support and help those injured people to get the treatment they needed. It just wasn’t always immediate. 

There were also a bunch of other little issues as well. To name a few, companies paying big bucks to healers so they would work for their private divisions, healers choosing to not work away from their home planet, and the hospital environment wasn’t one where levelling was the easiest.

Metous didn’t have too many high-level healers on the grand scale of things, which was partly due to robotics and alchemy science being simply more popular. While on Earth, due to the culture, traditions, and positive marketing towards the job, many people became some kind of direct healer. 

Mother opened the option to show the distance between the five hospitals she marked, “They are all within easy enough travel distances thanks to the free public transport provided. So it's really only a matter of whether we get the treatment process now or later.”

“But how much will it cost?” Mella asked, which put a frown on Mother’s face.

“It will cost $50, 000 Earth dollars if we get a treatment that would last a week and a bit less–$30, 000–if we choose a longer recovery period… however…” Mother raged, “IF I HEAR ANOTHER WORD ABOUT YOU BEING A UPSET ABOUT WHAT I’M SPENDING ON YOU.” She stopped and gave a large loving warm smile, “You will be in a lot of trouble okay?”

… was Mum previously an actor? Shocked at my mother's talent to instantly switch between expressions and moods, I nearly forgot what I was about to say. “However, we are going to give you options.”

“...Meaning?” Asked Mella.

“Limited options,” Said Mother, reaffirming her previous sentence, “But you can either go to the hospital now for a three-week treatment, go later for a one-week treatment, or we can get lucky at the festival.” 

Mella, confused, said, “Oh we came in time for a festival?” Clearly, she wasn’t sure how a festival could help her. 

“Yes we did, it wasn't too hard though when they have one every month for a day or two.”

“So it's nothing too special then?”

“It depends on one's perspective, for us, we could easily find activities to enjoy our time on that day.”

“But…” Mella asked, “How is it supposed to help me?”

“Well the festival itself won’t, but the individual who is going to show up for it!” Mother flicked the screen to show the date and an advertisement for the festival, “In only two weeks from now we have a high chance to get the best cure for Mella.”

Tyell spoke, “Mum I know you like suspenseful movies, but now is not the time.”

“Sorry.” Mother apologies, “It really wasn’t on purpose.” She scratched her neck and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

I decided to help, “Nina Clarword, famous healer, hunter, doctor, and wielder of the Staff of Clear Midnight Moons. Ringing any bells?”

Tyell and Mella were both silent, at that moment I learned neither of them apparently paid much attention to the celebrity hunter space. 

“Well, I guess who she is isn’t too important. But she is coming around the festival to do charity work, aka heal people for free.”

“But why?” Tyell asked, concerned.

“Cause she’s a good person?” I didn’t really have a much better answer. “She does this a lot, but usually unannounced and on Earth–because she is from here. In this case, it is just a rumour, which is why people aren’t clamouring here. Because rumours of her going places happen all the time, but I ask some friends and they believe this one is pretty accurate.” 

No one in the Hungry Wolves Hunting Guild knew Nina, but surprisingly many of them were very well connected in the social space. And with their help, this Nina rumour seemed pretty legit. But if it wasn’t? Then it was still fine, it just meant we had to pay for Mella’s treatment.

“I… see you have put me in a predicament Mother, clever…” Mella frowned and then smirked. “I need about a day to think about this.”

“Understood, dear. Take all the time you need.” Mother replied. With that sorted and a quick bite to be had, it was time to move on to the next topic.

Mother walked up next to me, “You’ve got places to be young lady.”

“Huh?” Said Mella. 

Tella turned her head to Mella, “Ceella has friends to visit.”

“Oh, friends!” Mella remembered me mentioning going to meet Betirce here. It was one of the reasons we chose Earth to visit after all.

“She has those?” While Tyell jokingly snarked. Mella kicked Tyell because of that comment–doing zero damage. 

““Haha.”” My mother and I laughed. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get to that.” I pulled out my phone and sent a simple message, ‘Look out, danger is coming’. “Everyone will be okay while I’m gone?”

“Of course Sis!” Mella gave a large thumbs up. “Just bring home a snack if you can.” 

“I’ll think about it.”

I’m more nervous than expected.

I left the hotel and went to visit Beatrice’s work. It was near Beatrice’s house and it was a small establishment with only four workers from what Beatrice had told me. It was Sunday so the shop was supposed to be closed today, but the workers still had full access to it and they used the backroom as a place away from home to relax and meet.

(“ In the minds of some, talking is harder than fighting, and in your combat-driven mind, that seems about right ”)

My communication abilities wouldn’t have regressed if I wasn’t stuck on your planet for five years. 

I reached the shop, it was a small petite building built out of a blue wood–couldn’t really tell if that was the natural colour or painted–and a tile stone roof.

“Okay.” I knocked on the front door. 

A few seconds later, it opened and I could see a tall blond man and the hairdresser establishment behind him. 

“You’re Ceella?” The blond man asked, he tried to peek under my hood to check if it matched the details provided to him. I was wearing my usual get-up of long pants and a jumper, both black this time but with some purple shoes and gloves so it wasn’t all just one colour.

“Yes, Beatrice around?”

“Backroom.” He pointed at the door at the end of the shop, “She is just in there.” 

“Thank you,” I replied. 

I walked past the man and the clean shop and made my way to the backroom door. I paused for a moment outside of the door and took an internal breath before I twisted the golden door handle and took a large step into the room.

Abruptly standing up in the room after jumping off the couch was Beatrice. 

Her long purple hair without any adornment swayed in her sudden movements up and again in her slow shuffle towards me. 

“Beatrice…” 

“Ceella…”

Tears already began to form in her clear river blue eyes. In a quick motion, she lunged forward and we embraced in a long warm hug.

It’s good to see you, Beatrice… 

I let go of her hug and took a step back, “It has truly been too long hasn’t it?”

“Ain’t wrong about that.” Beatrice pushed a tear out of her eyes.

I looked behind Beatrice to look at a short smiling red-haired man. “Long time no see Simon.”

“You to Ceella. Good to see you alive and well.” He replied, warmly smiling at the both of us. 

“Everything's been alright with you,” I asked.  

“He shrugged, I guess it's been great.” 

I wasn’t close friends with Simon, but he was a good person and a nice acquaintance to have around when working.

“I do have some things to say, but I’ll save them for another day.” Simon waved goodbye, “I’ll just be outside, got to let the women have their girl time is what I was taught after all.” He laughed.

“Still upset about that?” I joked, remembering the time when we–me and Rosa–kicked Simon out of the cafeteria when we were talking to Beterice about him. Weird and funny how she had no idea we were trying to get out what she felt about Simon out of her. 

“Nah.” He twisted the door handle. “I still got the girl in the end.” With that, he left the backroom and then the building.

“What a nice young man.” I joked, “You picked a good one.” 

“I still don’t know what to think about you and the rest of our friends not telling me about Simon’s feelings for me. And keeping the fact that my small feelings were visible.”

“I wouldn’t say they were small.”

“Agree to disagree.”

It went quiet for a moment. So I asked, “What… do we talk about or do first?

“First let’s sit.” Beatrice gestured towards the couch, “I think my legs will collapse if we keep standing.”  

I chuckled and we moved to sit down.

Beatrice asked, “Did your family have an easy time landing?”

“Hm, I guess. We are still in the first day unpacking process, but we were mostly done with everything by the time I left.” I looked at the digital clock on the wall. It had been forty-five minutes since I left, “Mum’s probably going over all the nearby cafes, restaurants, sights, and entertainment places now.” I lightly chuckled again, “When I get back, Mella will probably have a list of everywhere she wants to go.” 

“Sounds busy.”

“We’re on holiday, Miss working women. I am willing to bet you are going to be more busy with work tomorrow than my family will be for this entire month.” 

“Well you choose a good time, the last month of Autumn is my favourite.” 

“Never understood why you liked it getting colder.”

“Same for you Miss Fire Mage.” Beatrice gave me a light glare, “I remember walking around the corner. More than once. To see you playing with some fire constructs, you even had them emitting heat. The ship was properly warmed, you know?”

“What can I say? I was just… umm... Having fun.” 

Beatrice flicked my hard shoulder with a starry-painted nail. She had a nanosecond panic if she broke the nail. Before speaking as if that didn’t happen, “I’m not reprimanding you or anything, you were in your full right and were allowed to do it, plus I would never stand up for that company anymore, but I remember you always finding the furthest off corner to play pretend when we were stuck on the same ship when all outside windows were closed.”

…hahah a…aha.. yeah … I did do that…

(“ Yes, you also did it on my surface, but on a slightly larger scale. I was very confused when you first started, I assumed it was just some standard human behaviour I hadn’t heard about ”)

Quiet! I internally grimaced. “...That’s kind of embarrassing… looking back on it.” 

“I know right? You had your own room.” Beatrice replied, seemingly dumbfounded, I hoped this wasn’t something she thought about often.

We laughed and chattered about a few fun and embarrassing topics. When Rosa slipped on nothing, perfectly knocking the cooked jelly into the temporary captain’s month. When Beatrice accidentally stole some cargo because it was put in the employee storage. When I tried cooking with Rosa but managed to input the wrong settings making a burned jelly. And of course, the time Rosa got demolished in an argument with Simon about Dolphins. These brought back some good memories that were left damaged and split in the back of my mind.

After reminiscing about these moments of the past that I had trouble remembering, Beatrice asked, “Because you are here at this time of the year, are you here to enjoy the festival as well?”

“Yeah, we are.”

“Good job with the timing then.”

“The festival is like every month… we would’ve made it anyway.”

Beatrice shrugged, “I guess, but you could’ve come on the day of the festival. Then you would’ve missed out no matter what.” 

After a moment of silence that was ending due to the thud of the glass of water just finished by Beatrice.

“You also wanted to meet with Lila while you're here, right?”

“Yeah… but I’m not really sure on how I’m supposed to do that?” I pulled down my hood, letting my brown fuzzy hair flow out.

Where would I even begin? I wanted to meet her, she was the sister of a close friend, and I did speak to her pretty regularly with Rosa. And with everything that has gone on in her personal life after Rosa passed just made me want to reach out more. But after trying to reconnect with my family and the emotional mess we all were…

“Talking works. Not that I was very good at it with Lila, but you were way closer to her than I was.” 

Annoyed, I joked while also asking for help, “What, should I say, ‘Hey it's me! Aunty Ceella long time no see!’”

“Oh how badly do I wish I recorded you saying that, but no, not that, you would get slapped by every person in the room,” replied Beatrice, “Just let it happen naturally.”

“Should I message her, or do you have any better plans?”

“She should be getting a haircut soon, well she will get one on Tuesday. She likes to keep it consistent so comes every month, booked in advance. Been doing it this way for years.”

“Wouldn’t she have school that day?”

“She skips to get her haircut, the teachers were annoyed but left her alone after a while as she still did all the work of the day and they assumed the action was helping with her mental health.”

“That’s a lot. But, yeah let’s do it that way. Do we tell her beforehand?” 

“It's a surprise either way, let it be in the company of people who can support her if something happens. Far from her home and those shit parents.” 

“Okay then.” 

I ended up agreeing to Beatrice's plan, I was still a little weary of not telling her beforehand, but the feeling wasn’t that large and the semi-surprise of my returning went well when it happened to my family so I could only hope it would go well now.

 We ended up talking for over an hour total before I felt it was time to leave.

“Before you leave today we need to do something.”

“Need to do what?”

“Fix that!” Beatrice yelled and pointed at my hair. 

“It’s fine Beatrice–”

“No, it's not!” She grabbed my arm in an attempt to pull me to the main room, “I didn’t realise how bad it was over the call, I just assumed you were tired, but this is a travesty that must be fixed.”

“Beatrice… umm…” I stood up by myself, no amount of tugging would’ve gotten me to move. 

“No buts, come on, I need to show off my skills.” Beatrice sang with excitement. 

Then we spent the next five hours trying to fix my hair. I sent a message to my family to tell them what was happening and they just replied, ‘Send photos of the process.’ with a laughing face.