Chapter 2 - Getting Lost with a Whisperleaf (Part 1)

When the sun rose the next day, Jade would have almost believed that all of this was a dream if it weren't for the books on his desk. He had skimmed them a bit before going to sleep, mostly reading the sections on the Wanderprickle, but he had also looked briefly at the other plants mentioned in them. Even if it was just at a quick glance, some of the illustrations or names he saw in passing piqued his interest.

The young man got dressed, realizing just as he was about to leave the room that the walking cactus was nowhere to be found. Slightly alarmed, he looked around the house, only to find it roaming on the kitchen counter. It seemed to be unable to decide on a spot to settle down for the next few hours, walking back and forth between an area exposed to the sun and one in the shade.
Seeing this brought a smile to his face without him even noticing. He picked up the little plant and decided for it, putting it down in the middle.

"If you sit there, you can get some refreshing shade for a while before the warm sunlight reaches you. Two birds with one stone, right?"

It was only after the words left his mouth that he realized he was speaking to a plant. Wait, it's a magic plant, so maybe it can understand me? He had no idea how this worked, but in the end it was very much like talking to an animal – they could only understand a few words, but one still felt compelled to have entire conversations with them. Jade had never had any pets before though, and he certainly didn't expect his first pet to be... a cactus, of all things. A magic cactus. A magic cactus that walked around.

Jade wondered if perhaps his aunt had picked a magic cactus rather than a regular one on purpose to introduce him to the world of magic, but thinking back on it, she seemed like she genuinely wasn't aware his mother had never told him about it. It was also just like his mom to forget something so important. And it was also just like his aunt to mix it up, especially since the Wanderprickle looked exactly like a non-magic cactus when it wasn’t moving.
In any case, whether it was on purpose or not didn't matter. He had grown quite fond of this wandering cactus already, and researching magic plants sounded fun. When he came here, he honestly had no idea how he would even pass the time, but it was beginning to look like his days wouldn't be as boring as he imagined.

He found his aunt in the garden as usual. Myrtle was managing the shop, and his cousins were both in class – although only for half the day –, so it was just the two of them at home.

"Are those also magic plants?" He asked his aunt as he looked around the garden.

"Yes! We do have some regular varieties too, but most of the plants in our garden are magical. Although, the majority are ornamental and have no practical use."

"So you're saying there are magic plants with practical uses?"

"But of course! Our neighbors – the Mirewoods – specialize in potions. They only grow plants that can be used in their brews."

...There are other witches around? That was the first he heard of it. Thinking about it, it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise – the Vinesong family couldn't have been the only ones –, but it was still unexpected to hear there was another witch family, and close enough to call them neighbors too.
He had barely processed the fact that magic existed and there were witches in his family; every time his aunt told him something, it was like he had to question everything he knew about the world all over again.

But, when she says neighbors...

"... We have neighbors? Where?"

His aunt laughed. "If you go into the forest, you'll find a big lake. They live on the other side."

"Since you call them neighbors, I'm assuming they're the closest."

So their closest neighbors were all the way on the other side of the lake. Great.

"That's right. It's nice, isn't it?" She commented. "A peaceful life surrounded by nature. I like this place, it's quiet and soothing. And when you're a florist selling magic plants, this kind of place is more suitable than a house in the city, even if it had a big garden. Some magic plants can be quite sensitive."

"Sensitive?"

"Some don't like the noise of the city. Others are a bit shy and dislike seeing people pass by all the time."

Growing magic plants sounds more complicated than I imagined... Jade thought, realizing he still knew nothing of this strange world he had stepped into almost by accident. At the same time, he found the topic utterly fascinating. Shy plants? Plants that don't like noise? There was a part of him who wanted to try growing them, just to answer all the questions he had.

"So, are there other witches around here whom I should know about?"

"Oh dear, I couldn't list them all!" His aunt replied with a chuckle.

It was only then that he learned what kind of place this was – a town of witches. There were regular people around too, but witches made up over 80% of the town's population. Most of them came from an established family, each having their own specialty and their own place in the community after having lived here for generations. However, there were still a few who came from elsewhere, and even nomad witches who only stayed for a few months at a time. Naturally, most of the tourists were also witches.

Jade was completely baffled to learn all of this. His only exposure to magic so far was a cactus who couldn't sit still because it got bored of the scenery. Naturally, what his aunt told him still felt unreal – he believed her, of course, but he probably wouldn't fully register all of it until he saw it with his own eyes, like someone who believed in ghosts but had never seen one themselves.

Olive and Ivy didn't have classes on Wednesday afternoon, but this time Ivy was hanging out with her friends, so Jade wouldn't be tutoring her, leaving him with nothing to do. Just when he was starting to wonder how to pass the time, his aunt suggested he go out in the forest with Olive.

Olive had a bit of a communication problem. She was unable to speak in unfamiliar situations. She was anxious around people she didn't know, and places she hadn't been to before.

So far, Jade hadn't heard her speak once since he arrived. He felt bad about it, but his aunt assured him that Olive didn't mind not being able to talk in her own house – after all, it was the same when Myrtle and Ivy showed up. It was just a matter of time before she was used to his presence. In fact, according to her, she had taken a liking to him already – but was still too anxious to speak.
He'd met her a few times before at family gatherings, and noticed the girl watching him from a distance – but she always ran away when he approached her. Having observed her for a few days, he could tell she was the curious type. In truth, she wanted to talk with him, but it wasn't that easy

"So, why did you want to go into the forest today?" He asked after a while, hoping it would help her be more comfortable.

The girl wrote her answer on an erasable board she carried with her, brandishing it for him to read.

Since she couldn't speak in class, she had a deal with her teachers: whenever there was homework or an exam that required her to speak, they would give her a subject to write a report about. This time, she had to write a report on the magic plants that grew in the forest.

"You mean there are magic plants in this forest?"

"We've already passed a few," she wrote back.

"No way."

Once she pointed them out, he couldn't stop noticing them all around them. It reminded him of the golden ratio, and how he started seeing all around him when he first learned about it as a child. He felt that magic was much the same – inconspicuous enough to go unnoticed to the untrained eye, but present in every little corner of the world. If one knew what to look for, they would find it.
Perhaps that was the most appealing aspect of magic to him. He had always imagined magic as something flashy and flamboyant; in truth, magic was quiet, but it was always present. It was an integral part of life without one even realizing. The Wanderprickle looked like any other cactus, but revealed a touch of wonder when caught at the right moment.

"Come to think of it, why don't you use text to speech? That would be easier."

Olive didn't seem to know of it, so he explained how it worked. She was excited to hear about this technology. It was true that it would be an immense help in school, since she knew very well she'd never be able to speak there, and not all of her teachers would be this accommodating.
With so many different faces, different teachers that she didn't see for that long, and who would change the next year... it was impossible for her to become familiar enough with such an environment to be able to speak. For now, she had been lucky, and she knew her moms would defend her if she ended up having a less understanding teacher, but it was still something that bothered her.

"I don't have a phone," she wrote. "We don't have much tech at home and we're not very good with it."

"By 'we', you mean... You and auntie?"

The girl nodded. Now that he thought about it, Jade realized his aunt had no social media, and although she did have an email address, she never used it. She did know how to use a smartphone, but only the basics. Ivy had one, but she didn't use it all that much, and Myrtle used hers mostly for work. There was no computer, no gaming console, no smart anything at their house.

"I'll help you ask auntie for a phone," Jade offered. "If she can't buy you one, I'll ask my parents if they still have some of my old ones."

The girl beamed, a huge smile forming on her face.