A Petronov Pact

Sometime in the 1890s, Semyon found himself lost. As usual, he was travelling on hunt for rich women to flirt and prey upon. Unfamiliar with the route to Krasnoyarsk and unsure of where to stay, he had wandered off course and ended up in Yakutsk. There, he encountered a middle-aged couple who boldly invited him into their home. Upon realizing they were fellow magic-users, Semyon reluctantly agreed to go along, though he remained wary that they might be malevolent.

However, they turned out to be benevolent wizards. They happily offered to show him the way to Krasnoyarsk, even after Semyon revealed his intention to seek out rich women for his benefit.

"If I may ask, where do you hail from, young man?"

"From Moscow."

"Ah, I see... What a coincidence," the woman said. She glanced at her aide man, who then spoke bluntly: "I once foresaw that a red-haired male wizard from Moscow would one day arrive to save our lineage—a meeting destined to happen by chance. It turns out to be you."

"Huh... But I wasn't actually born in Moscow. I'm from Izhma..."

"What?" the woman asked, confused.

"Moscow is where I live now. My old home was destroyed."

"That makes it even more certain. Moscow wasn't the birthplace of the man in my vision, but it was the place from which he set out on his journey. I am convinced he is the chosen one. His physical traits and the way he wields magic using a piece of cloth—the signs are all there," the aide said, reassuring the woman. This left the wind wizard even more bewildered. "Wait, what is the meaning of all this? I hope you have a solid explanation."

"It’s a long story—is that alright? Would it disrupt your journey?" the middle-aged man asked.

"No, not at all. I’m just traveling for fun. Besides, I’m curious about what’s going on between the two of you!"

"I foresaw that the child this woman was carrying would be a boy who chose to become a researcher rather than a doctor like his father. That was fine, though we often worried whenever he ventured too far and got lost. We feared he might die, leaving this woman heartbroken. But he turned out to be safe. Then, when he was fourteen, a family of doctors from the West arrived in our tribe. They wanted to study the physical constitution of the Chukchi people like us who fall ill when exposed to hot air. The Ice wizards here were terrified at the time that the doctors would discover the sickly ones were actually wizards, not ordinary humans. Fortunately, that never came to light. Instead, the husband and wife who are both doctors, developed a medicine that altered the genes of Ice Wizards, allowing them to withstand the summer heat. They never patented it; they were truly sincere in their work. As the leader of the Ice Wizard here, I would be very grateful then," the witch said happily.

"Leader of the Ice Wizard Community? So you're... Madame Petronova?"

"Yes, that's me." Semyon immediately rose from his chair and kneeled respectfully.

"Come on, don't be like that, young man. I may be a leader, but don't bow down to me."

"How presumptuous of me to be suspicious and not introduce myself... I am Semyon Isayev, the Wind Wizard."

"Never mind... May I continue, Semyon?"

"Please." Semyon sat back down and listened attentively to Madame Petronova and the aide's story.

"This son fell in love with the doctor's daughter. A little girl who has mutism. He didn't care about her condition. In fact, he was often found daydreaming while he was exploring the tundra. Our tribe agreed that he should marry the girl before his heart froze. He followed the doctor's family in a horse-drawn carriage, determined to do so. He study in medical, too, planning to be a researcher."

"You guys are really kind. Surely he was happy about that, right?" Semyon asked.

"Yes. It took him a year to catch up, but he succeeded with the help of the guiding star. He met the doctor's family and proposed. They married a few weeks later in secret because the girl was actually arranged to marry another family but refused. Unfortunately, the girl was very physically weak and susceptible to respiratory illnesses. Furthermore, she refused to be taken to the West for further treatment. Then, at the same time, there was a massive riot, which of course involved nobles like them. Essentially, the riot forced my son and the girl to flee for their lives. The girl's parents sacrificed themselves..." the woman sobbed upon hearing the middle-aged man's words, making Semyon worried.

"Don't continue, if it makes you sad..."

"It's okay, Semyon. Come on, just continue... Because this will have something to do with you next."

Semyon was confused and said, "I...?" But Madame Petronova regained her composure, and the middle-aged man continued his story without answering Semyon's confusion.

"The point is, they both live in a strange village. Where no one knows the girl is of noble birth. They build a new life with new people. Then they will have a son. The middle grandson of all the grandchildren who will be born. He will have his mother's physique except for his hair, which will follow his son's." said the aide.

"And?"

"And... we desperately want to protect that poor grandson. He is the most difficult of all his grandchildren. He was abandoned by his father, who died in the war, and his mother, who succumbed to her illness. He is alone, though he is being cared for by a family living in another city, and later his adult phase spending entire life at Moscow."

"And what are you going to do now?"

"We can't do anything," the middle-aged man said grimly.

"Didn't you say the doctor's medicine allows the Ice Witch to survive the summer? Does that mean you can take him in and raise him as soon as possible?" confused Semyon.

"The medicine does make our bodies tolerant of the summer heat. But it doesn't allow us to survive in warmer places. Still, we are stuck in this northern region," said Madame Petronova.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I want to ask you to protect him."

"Why me?"

"I saw that you would be friends with my grandson one day. Of all the people around you, you were the only red-haired witch I saw in my visions."

"But why must he be protected? How will it affect me?"

"Personal reasons: she's my poor grandson. My right hand saw him tragically cut short at the age of 30. With your help, he will able to see the beauty of the world longer, even though he died before reaching 60."

"And then?"

"The most important reason is that without him, you'll be in trouble. The person who will destroy my grandson's future will destroy yours too."

"My... my future is destroyed?"

"The only thing is, you must protect him so you and your future descendant won't be killed." This certainly surprised Semyon.

"W-who is going to kill me? A human??!!"

"Unfortunately, yes. But I don't know who. He was merely a silhouette with curly hair—"

"You could scry again, and I’d kill that person immediately—before he even grows up!"

"Calm down..."

"But surely you at least know his surname!" Semyon interrupted, his emotions flaring.

"Calm yourself, Semyon. This is all I could see: the silhouette came from the Cathedral in Ukraine... the very one that burned so many of element wizards, from fire to gale element. His body is impervious to magic because his blood was mingled with holy water by his predecessor. That is why I couldn't look any deeper, like seeing who his father or grandfather was. You know how sensitive they are about magic entering a person's body there, don't you? Even for an altar boy?" said Madame Petronova.

"...."

"I’m sure you know. It’s an open secret between wizards and humans. Holy water has many uses—detecting wizards, protecting against magic, even attacking wizards. Or, more accurately, it’s a liability for us. If you were discovered, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you just as the Cathedral kills our kind. Only his fragile conscience serves as a trap to keep people from being suspicious or to evoke pity. If you can shatter that, he will die. But believe me, you’d be ensnared by his gaze first. Even the cruelest wizard wouldn't realize that behind that look lies an obsessive zeal for 'justice.' As Madame Petronova’s aide, I swear this is all I could see."

"It can't be..."

"That is why I am not asking you to kill him. If you protect the Madame's grandson, that human conscience of his will wither and die on its own. Because his only weakness is seeing my grandchild remain standing, no matter how hard he tries to destroy them... whether through subtle means or brute force." "The worst-case scenario is that he becomes his first companion before you. And if the situation isn't handled, that person will eventually kill him. The stated motive might be love, money, or the throne. But the truer answer is this: the holy water within his body recognizes that Madame’s grandchild is a human with the potential to produce another wizard. He is not an ordinary human..." elaborated the aide seriously.

"Take my grandson back, even if it means extinguishing the conscience shielded by the Cathedral. I may appear overly selfish as a leader of witches, but I cannot allow anyone to harm my grandchild—even though she is human. And perhaps this is the only way we can repay the kindness shown by that doctor's family," Madame Petronova explained. The man cleared his throat, signaling that he had finished recounting the prophecy.

At that moment, Semyon still felt uncertain. He had not expected to be entrusted by the leader of the Ice Witches—and her right-hand woman—with the task of guarding a grandchild who had not yet even been conceived by the father currently growing within the witch's womb.

"Tell me what I must do to meet your grandchild when the time comes."

"Join the group that wears nothing but red. They will transform your view of love. Love will change how you see humanity. And your perspective on humanity will drive you to protect my grandchild. Everything will unfold naturally from there. Even the greatest polar ice melts, and its waters flow into the sea to mingle forever."

"For some reason, I still don't understand," Semyon said gloomily. Madame Petronova touched Semyon's shoulder, offering a gentle smile.

"It’s alright. I am certain you will find that group."

"You aren't going with them?"

"No. That group will undertake a long journey—something impossible for us. And one more thing, Semyon... Once my grandchild finds happiness, leave the group immediately, before it is too late."

"You surely don't want to tell me what happens if I disobey?" Semyon remarked pointedly, casting a suspicious glance at Madame Petronova's right-hand woman.

"My vision stops there. Except for one thing: when my grandchild finds happiness, you will receive help from many people—indirectly."

Semyon said nothing more. He was irritated at feeling as though his fate had already been decided, yet he also knew that one day, he would be changed forever. "Very well, I will do it. Though I am not sure if I can actually protect your grandchild."

"Oh, I know you can and you will. And as a token of gratitude for listening to me, I will take you to Krasnoyarsk. It isn't too warm today, so I can make the trip."

Afterward, Madame Petronova took Semyon there in a wooden boat that required no rowing. Madame Petronova simply used her fishing line to create waves that propelled their boat forward. Before long, the boat reached the harbor in Krasnoyarsk. Semyon thanked her, and Madame Petronova quickly pushed off and departed before the sun emerged from behind the clouds.

"Ah, I wonder what the grandchild will be looked like?" Semyon mused as he stared on that endless river.