By the time Wolfe got back, the Witches had all six amulets ready to be activated. They were all carefully carved and lined with black paint, as the instructions called for.
If the amulet activated properly, the black paint would be transformed with Elemental Energy, and the amulets would have rings of colour around the outside, showing the elements that they would enhance, while the central symbols and possibly the disc of the amulet itself would change to show the primary element of the Witch and her Familiar who made it.
According to the book, that element would get a bonus beyond the basic one that the talisman gave, so it was in their best interest for a Witch to make her own Talismans.
“I spent a little extra to get the herbal version of the ingredients. I thought you would prefer these to the ones with live bugs and snails.” Wolfe told them, setting the box on the center of the table and ignoring Flame’s upset look.
“Even if there were bugs, they are reagents. You wouldn’t be allowed to eat them. But if you like them so much, I will see if I can’t get you a treat tomorrow.”
Pup looked up briefly at the word treat, but since it wasn’t directed at him, he lost interest again in seconds, returning his head to Mary’s lap.
Ella took one of each reagent out of the box and set them on her talisman, then turned the box so Cassie and the others could reach.
“Don’t forget to use as much mana as you can, even drain your storage Talismans if you have them. The more mana you add, the better, right up until the reagents are absorbed.” She reminded the others.
With her talisman ready, Ella was the first to go. She started pulling energy through Wolfe, so he placed a hand on her thigh and poured through as much mana as the spell would take.
A wave of darkness filled the room from the amulet, and the reagents seemed to melt into the token, not even leaving behind ashes the way they normally world. But the darkness vanished as fast as it appeared, leaving behind a simple black talisman, faintly streaked with light green and covered in rainbow lettering.
That wasn’t what they had expected. According to the instructions, at their level, only the central runes should change colour, not the whole disc, but it certainly looked like it worked.
Ella picked up the talisman and smiled at Wolfe. “It works. I can feel how much easier it is to touch the elements. I think now my [Flame Strike] might be as good as yours.
Lightning and Fire are much easier than the others, though. Those must be the ones you are best with.”
“You hear that, Pup. I will get better at what you like best. Are you ready for this?” Mary asked her fluffy white Familiar.
Pup just licked her face and set his head back in her lap, but Mary took that as enthusiasm from the sleepy dog.
The light from her spell was more like a gray mist, and when it finished, the wood of the talisman looked to be streaked with gray instead of made of onyx as the one Ella made did. It also left a fair bit of ash from the reagents, but it was a success for sure.
“That’s a lot of Wind Affinity to make a mist without a magical creature as a Familiar. Pup has some surprising talents.” Reiko congratulated her as she double-checked her own talisman and its stack of reagents, narrowly avoiding having Flame eat them.
The tiny lizard pointed unhappily at its mouth, and Reiko pulled out a peanut from her pocket, then fed it to her Familiar. That was enough to satisfy his demand, and Flame climbed down the front of her shirt, then turned around and popped his head out to watch the room.
More skin contact made mana transfers easier, so encased in her chest was technically the best place for him to be, no matter how odd it looked.
The light in the room turned bright orange as Reiko cast her spell, and the entire Talisman turned to a bright red, mixed with orange as if a tendril of fire had been frozen under the surface.
It was an interesting effect, with the multicoloured runes representing the elements, all of which were a different colour. Wolfe noticed on this one that the blue runes, which should represent water, were dull and dark, only barely changed.
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“And that leaves Cassie.” Ella cheered, then swatted Wolfe’s arm as his hand made its way further up her thigh.
“Behave, Wolfe. You need to prepare yourself for her spell.” Ella complained but didn’t actually move his hand away.
Wolfe placed a matching hand on Cassie’s leg, and she began to activate the talisman as he poured mana into her.
Cassie was definitely more sensitive, and she moaned softly as the spell completed with a rush of mana, leaving her with an onyx talisman much like Ella’s but with larger streaks of light green in the black background.
“The best balanced seems to be Cassie’s talisman, but with that mystery element base, I’m not sure we should use them for the other two,” Mary told them, picking it up to inspect it.
“Whatever it is, it’s strong. It doesn’t feel like something a Witch can use, but there is Witch Magic in there as well, the green streaks, I think.”
“You could bring them the reagents in the morning and let them activate their own,” Wolfe suggested.
Mary nodded happily, disturbing Pup and prompting him to move from her lap to lie by the fireplace. “That’s probably best. After touching yours, I can tell that making your own is better than borrowing one from someone else. It just didn’t feel right.”
Cassie reached out to pick up Reiko’s, then nodded and put it back on the table. “It would work, but it’s not mine.”
Mary packed up the ingredients and tokens into separate pockets of her bag and looked longingly at the empty bed on the far side of the room.
“Go ahead. It’s a long way to your room. You might have to share with Reiko, though.” Ella told her.
“That’s fine. She’s soft. Do you have extra pyjamas?” Mary agreed.
“In the dresser. I will excuse myself for a bit while everyone changes.” Wolfe told her, pointing to the dresser, in the same spot as every other dorm room, along the wall between the beds.
