The Arcana One Shots

♡Fae!MC x Asra - Merry Meet♡

Asra continued on a little farther West of Harbington, to the Babblebrook inn.

When he pushed the door open, he was greeted with the warm crackle of the fireplace and the scent of freshly baked bread.

"Hello, Asra!" Came a chipper voice.

Asra looked about and saw a familiar face. It was Bridgette, the innkeeper (not to be confused with the inn owner).

"You sure are far off from Vesuvia," She remarked. "What brings you back to Babblebrook?"

Bridgette pulled a chair from a table and motioned for Asra to have a seat while she poured a cup of hot tea.

Asra sat down and thanked the girl for the drink. He explained how a customer was looking for a potion that included hawthorn and rowan, herbs that couldn't be found in Vesuvia. Bridgette nodded.

"Common herbs around this time," she stated.

Asra furrowed his brow and gave her a questioning look.

"Beltane?" She prompted. "You are wearing a flower crown, surely you must know about the current festivities..."

Asra's face was all she needed to know that the poor magician had no idea what she was talking about.

"Beltane is the celebration of life and birth. It's a greater pagan sabbat and the celebrations are huge. Lots of song and dance, flowers and sweet things. And the Bale Fire, of course! It's the peak of spring and the telling of summer. It honours the Horned God's return and reunion with the Triple Goddess in her maiden form. It's a pretty big deal, and Harbington always has such wonderful celebrations," Bridgette explained. " Hawthorn and rowan are both herbs that correspond with Beltane."

As the two talked, Bridgette served Asra sweetbreads, fairy cakes, and even a glass of May Day wine. She explained the importance of Beltane in detail and how Harbington's celebrations were truly magical, and not just because of the spell work for love and luck!

"And Beltane is the time when the veil is thin between our world and the realm of the fae. While the fae are certainly wonderful creatures, they have a reputation for being sneaky and mischievous, so don't be going and getting yourself into any trouble with them, alright? They can't lie directly, but they can ask tricky questions. And if you somehow manage to get yourself involved, whatever you do, do not eat their food, lest you be trapped in their realm forever," Bridgette with a grin on her face.

Asra laughed and finished his drink and fairy cake.

"Thank you for that, Bridgette, your advice is almost as good as your cooking!" He said as he stood from his chair.

"You're most welcome," She replied as she cleared their table and disappeared to the kitchen.

When she returned, she looked at the old clock by the wall and drew in a sharp breath.

"Oh my, it's nearly midnight! We have to hurry or we're going to be late!" She exclaimed as she rushed to grab her scarf.

"Late for what?" Asra questioned?

"For the Bale Fire! You don't want to miss this, I promise!" She said as she opened the door.

Asra followed Bridgette outside into the cool spring evening as she practically ran down the road back to Harbington.

When they arrived on the edge of town, they could already hear the music and singing of the townsfolk which lead them back to the center square.

There in the middle of Harbington was the entire population gathered about the pile of wood, all dressed in bright colours and flower crowns of masks of leaves. They were singing and clapping along with the music as they watched the pillar go up in bright orange flames.