In this world exists two rulers.

The giants, who which bear their fur, feathers, and scales on two legs. They stand tall and proud of their raw strength.

Then there are us, the Incantatori. Our bodies are small, yes, but we were blessed by Lord Cievo directly to pen into the book he wrote creation in.

That is to say.

We're Verus Magae--or in terms you can understand--magic crafters.

Our power is our boundless imagination, and the systems we create from mere thought.

With our might in magic, one might think we would have conquered the world with ease.

That's not who we are. We just like creation, not destruction.

Perhaps it was that foolish desire which led to our demise…

"Chell."

"Chell…"

"Chell! Wake up!"

Curious yellow eyes opened to the dawn of a new day. "Harper? What time is it?"

"Early enough! Get up sleepy head!" The owner of the cheerful voice hopped from the bed, leaving Chell to their own devices.

He shook his head and sat up, slowly blinking. He scratched his ears with his back claws, letting out a small purr as he did. "Nyaaa… it's too early." He eyed the inviting sun beams filtering through their window.

"Harper'll kill me if I go back to sleep." His long tail flicked with indecision. "Maybe a minute wouldn't hurt." He nestled up into a little ball in the light, curling his paws up and enjoying the warmth of the day star.

"CHELL!"

A pair of clawed paws hit the cat right in the gut, snapping him back awake.

Chell and Harper walked down the street. It was a town of bricks and wood, of magic and craftsmanship. The air was crisp, fresh, as the wind blew down the busy city streets.

Bipedalism was a rarity. Most were close to the ground, walking on four paws. Variety was the spice of life, so there were those of the avian persuasion fluttering from building to building.

This was a world of small animals, but in this world they possessed unrivaled intelligence.

Chell shook his head, in a vain attempt to get his cloak to settle into place.

"Here, hold still/" Harper stopped his fellow cat. He pointed a paw at Chell and closed his eyes. "Stirare le Pieghe, Lento," recited the feline.

Sparkles of magic fluttered through the air and took hold of Chell's cloak, removing the wrinkles and fixing how it sat on the cat's back.

The recipient of the magic smiled. "Thanks." He rubbed his face against Harper's, allowing their cheeks to remain that way for a moment.

"W-we should get going!" Harper stammered, quickly darting down the street.

Chell giggled to himself and quickly caught up. "What's wrong?" he asked playfully.

"You should know," Harper huffed, pouting. "Save it for when we're alone," he added.

"Am I not worthy of the Magister Verae Magiae's affection?" Chell teased.

"That's not--!" Harper looked to his partner with horror in his eyes. "I just--!"

Chell gently pawed the magician's snout to silence him. "Relax, I know."

Harper pouted at the other cat. "W-we're late… Come on."

The two cats rushed into the chamber populated by many other animals of varying shapes, sizes, and forms. Snakes, dragons, birds, even foxes gathered in the meeting room. All wore some kind of small clothing item or trinket, mostly cloaks or capes. Some of the larger beasts donned pieces of armor which glowed with runes unlike the ones used to transcribe their spoken word.

Neither cat paid much mind to their fellow beasts as they slinked through the crowds, using their unique anatomy to slip between the many bodies with ease. Their stealth (or lack thereof) was certainly noticed, but quietly ignored as a normalcy of this gathering.

Finally the pair of felines took their place at the front of the room, sitting on a pillow before a table.

Perched on a tree branch that grew from the very wall itself was a bird bearing feathers of all the colors of the rainbow, wearing a cloak similar to many of those gathered.

She raised a wing, and the room silenced.

"Fellow Vera Magiae, I call this meeting to order," she spoke.

Chell's felid gaze tracked every small movement in the room, his attention hopelessly lost at the many tail flicks, ruffled feathers, or twitched ears.

Harper batted at him with a retracted paw. "Pay attention!" hissed the fellow feline.

"Fine fine," he whispered back.

"Magister Harper--what say you to meeting this delegation?" questioned the leading avian.

"I would be honored to do so, Magister Cunei." Harper held a paw level against his chest and bowed his head.

The bird nodded, her sharp gaze remaining on Chell for a moment before returning to the rest of the room. "Most excellent. From our initial scouting reports, these 'humans' appear to be incapable of Verus Magia. That said, it would be foolish to dismiss them as lesser beings simply for their strange appearance. They appear to be at odds with the other giants. Depending on their capabilities, they could be formidable allies."

"What is she talking about?" Chell whispered to Harper.

"This is why you need to pay attention!" he growled back.

"How are you not overstimulated?! This room is too noisy!"

With a small huff, Harper closed his eyes and wrapped his tail around Chell's. "Gestire i Disturbi da Deficit di Attenzione, Moderato Tutti."

Chell sat at attention, his mind sharply focused. Well, more like he was able to focus.

"I'll tell you about what we're doing later, pay attention to the rest!" Harper scolded his partner.

The rest of the meeting was boring, as Chell expected, but at least he had been able to pay proper attention to it.

"Your magic system is better," Chell huffed as the two cats made their way through the streets once again.

Harper chuckled sheepishly, though his tail curled under the praise of his partner. "It's really basic, but it gets the job done," said the cat. "I just want to connect everyone in the world with magic. All of us, the humans, and even the giants." His expression clouded as he lowered his head. "Compared to his ideas at least…"

The two came to a stop, Chell facing his fellow feline.

"It's just, Danton's spells do something mine don't. It feels like there's something he's not telling us about them," Harper admitted.

"Well, thanks to your spell, I was able to listen to the whole thing. It seems… sketchy. His main point was it was a class of magic that manipulated not the elements, but the very fabric of reality itself," Chell explained. "The theory is sound, it just feels like there's something he omitted from his explanation. Even if we can write magic to perform any task, what he's trying to do… it may anger Lord Cievo and bring a correcting force upon the caster. I thought it was very suspicious that he didn't show any of his theoretical spells in the meeting room."

Harper couldn't help himself and pushed his head into Chell's chest.

"Nya?!" he squeaked in surprise.

The magician cat stepped back. "Sorry, you're just so smart when you want to be," Harper purred.

Chell's tail flicked as he whipped his head away from his partner's warm gaze.

"Didn't you have any ideas for spells?" Harper questioned.

"Well… I did have an idea that'd work with your system."

"Oh?" Harper's ears perked up. "What is it?" His tail swished behind him with curiosity.

"Well, it's not that good, it's like uh, it kind of builds off of your system." Chell folded his ears back, his tail continuing to flick behind him.

Harper walked around his companion, close enough to brush against him. "Come on Chelly, tell me what it is," the cat continued to purr.

"Okay, so it's like, I had an idea from Danton's spell system. Like how you have different schools of elemental magic, what if there was the peak of that magic? Like say the heat spell can wipe out anything created by the civilized world, or the liquid spell channels the pressure from the depths of the ocean to create the ultimate cutting force, or something," Chell explained quietly. "We could make it like you only get the one most suited to fit you and you only get that one."

Harper stopped. His expression clouded as he considered the idea. "Even so, that seems... dangerous. Well, most magic is dangerous in the wrong hands, but such power, it well exceeds what is capable in my system." He noticed Chell's previous excitement fade as his partner curled up in on himself. "What would you even call it?" Harper tried.

"Magia Suprema, Ultimate magic," said Chell.

The concern never left Harper's form as his fur puffed out a little as he mulled the idea over.

This only dampened Chell's mood further.

"It's not a bad idea!" Harper quickly yelped. "It's just, that's a boundary I haven't thought to cross. Magic so powerful it borders on Verus Magia." He paused, refusing Chell's gaze. "It's the kind of thing you can work into cursing the very planet itself. It's not power even we should wield."

Even with the best intentions, Harper couldn't deny the hurt that weighed on his partner. He placed a supportive paw on Chell's shoulder. "I'm not saying its impossible, it's just something that if you want to implement it, you need to really consider the ramifications of the system. There has to be a way to make sure only the right people can get a hold of it."

Chell nodded slowly, still unconvinced.

It hurt to do that, but Harper knew it had to be said. There was a reason only one of them had the title of Magister Verae Magiae.

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Time passed without consent, days became weeks, which became months. Chell and Harper continued their every day life, attending meetings, playing around town, and developing magic.

Chell was not dissuaded from his efforts, much to Harper's delight. The aspiring Vera Magiae put himself fully into his work on ultimate magic, learning how to properly weave the systems together and bond him with his partner's work.

He was devoted to this cause. Harper considered it maybe a little spiteful. Chell was always the type to work harder when he was told he couldn't do something.

Harper didn't intend to take advantage of that, but it worked itself out in the end, so he let his dear companion work.

It was a blessing in disguise really. The humans Harper had been tasked to guide were emissaries from the stars. They came from a long distant world, their craft a massive satellite which glowed brightly and illuminated the night with its brilliance. They called it "Luna" and it was quite an impressive feat of engineering.

With all the buzz around the humans, Harper felt bad about leaving Chell alone for so long, but it was important work to make sure their two races could be amicable. Having an ally against the giants was key for their safety after all.

So life continued on, their work never complete. It was all so mundane and normal.

Until one day--

"Come here! Come here!" "I'm going as fast as I can, stop pulling my cloak!"

The two cats stood atop a hill overlooking the city. All around their humble home was the sea. If they weren't masters of magic, some may have considered it a miracle that such a robust civilization could exist solely on a small island in the middle of the stormy ocean.

Chell took a breath. "I admit, people would probably use some of my spells to do damage, ultimate damage as it were," he began, "but just as there's the capacity for evil, I made sure there was the ability to perform ultimate good."

Harper nodded slowly.

Chell took in another breath, closed his eyes, and began to chant.

"From the moon to the sea…"

Harper perked up as magic surrounded them in an instant. Probably the most amount of magic he had ever felt in his entire life.

"From the mountains under star-blessed nights…"

The grass under Chell's paws began to rustle as if tousled by a great gale. Pink blossoms materialized and began to get caught in the wind, swirling around the casting cat.

"His quill scribes your story in this hallowed haven…"

More and more the pink petals surrounded them, a space forming, cutting them off from the rest of the island.

"By his will your journey is freed from strife!"

Chell's eyes opened, glowing brightly with magic power.

"Frutetto del l'Avalon, Ultrissimo!"

With that call, the blossoms exploded out, blanketing the land in deep pink hues. The brilliance was too much to take in initially, but soon enough their vision cleared and allowed them to behold the majesty of Chell's original spell.

Harper's breath caught in his throat. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen--both visually and magically. Gone was the island they had stood in before. The air didn't just spell different, it was different. This was an entirely different world from the one they left. The ground was coated in pink petals, all around them were pink crowned trees bearing the shiniest red apples in all of the world. The sky was even dyed in the pink hues. It was exceedingly bright, but at the same time no strain came to his eyes. It was all very comfortable. He had never felt so warm and cozy before.

Finding the words was difficult. "You… Chell you…"

The caster in question looked around at his handiwork. "What do you think? This space creates a world without pain. It's a place of infinite healing."

"It's amazing! How did it--?! How did you--?!" Harper had a million questions, and they all scrambled over each other to leave his mouth.

Chell couldn't help but giggle. "This spell only works here." Harper's visible confusion served him well, and Chell continued his explanation. "This version of the spell is just for us. If its cast right here, it'll bring us to this place."

Harper's racing thoughts came to a halt. "Wait… we met at the festival of blossoms…" he realized.

"Surprise," Chell spoke with a purr. "If it's cast anywhere else it heals all wounds and will continue healing all wounds in the past."

"Wait--?! Time magic?! You made a time spell?!" Harper gasped.

"It only hits an instant in the past, but that's enough time to reverse the flow of cause and effect. Or put another way, the cause of the target's pain is negated, so the effect never manifests. It'd be like I'd scratch you and my paw would bounce right off, the cause of your scratch being negated in the past."

The Verae Magiae stared in awe at his audacious companion. "I…" His head fell, and he shuddered.

Chell folded his ears back, his eyes wide with concern.

Harper pounced, tackling his dear companion to the ground, laughing the entire time as he clung to Chell. "You're amazing! You're a far better magician than I could ever be!" Their noses touched as they lay in the blanket of petals.

"I'd be honored if you added your magic to my system."

"H-harper… I…"

The tender moment was shattered as the space around them returned to the island. The shadowy veil of night surrounded them. Screams of horror hit them like a runaway boulder. The scent of fire reached them from the winds below. The glow of a city ablaze illuminated the night in the most horrible way.

They scrambled to their feet and beheld the horrors below.

Everything burned. They could see the fliers flitting about in a tizzy, while buildings lay in ruin.

"H-huh?!" Harper looked around in a panic. No matter the direction, devastation greeted them. The two stumbled as the ground beneath them shook. Cracks formed in the ground and sea water began to spray up from below. Something was horribly wrong. It wasn't the destruction that inspired that thought.

"Why… is no one using magic?" Harper breathed.

"Huh?" Chell stuck close to his companion, though he had a sinking feeling in his gut about the whole situation.

Inaction would accomplish nothing. The screams of the injured or dying filled the air. It was sickening. Everything was falling apart around them--how could they not be held by fear?

"Chell!" Harper shouted, snapping the fellow cat out of his stupor. "We gotta get down there and help!"

With a short nod, the two ran down into the thick of it.

It was even worse than they imagined. Their infrastructure wasn't designed to handle tremors of this magnitude. Buildings cared not who was inside, crushing any and all that inhabited. Their fellow countrymen lashed out when Chell and Harper approached. They spoke in a tongue neither cat could understand.

Fellow Incantatori who they shared streets with swiped and snapped at the two cats as if they were enemies.

What was worse were glowing crystals that had abandoned the flesh. It was not bodies of the dead that littered the streets, but the gems that dwelt in their centers--their magical essence. It hurt to look at, but even so, the two cats pressed on. There had to be an explanation for this madness. There had to be a fix! They were Incantatori--wielders of Verus Magia--no problem was beyond them!

In all the pandemonium, only one approached them with familiarity.

"Magister Harper!" called Cunei from the skies.

The bird landed before the two cats. Her once resplendent wings were now covered in soot and ash, feathers charred or entirely missing, and her cloak was long abandoned.

"Magister Cunei, what in the world is going on?!" Harper breathed hard, his chest puffing out with each struggled breath.

"I can't be certain. I know there was that human sage who escaped, after which they must have cursed the island," Cunei replied. Even the greatest of their kind was shaken by the events transpiring around them.

If the one who unified them--the great leader of the Incantatori--was powerless to stop this calamity, what hope did they have?

"Curse? What do you mean curse?" Chell questioned.

"My grace has failed, you two are the only ones I've been able to find that still speak common," Cunei admitted.

The news was chilling. Harper eyed a crystal that lay abandoned on the street near a collapsed home. The ground shook once again and water spilled down the streets.

"Camminare Sull'acqua, Rubato!" Harper called. His and Chell's paws glowed and they jumped over the wave that rapidly approached. The two cats landed atop the water as if it was solid. Cunei had enough strength left to take to the skies once more.

"You're still connected with the source?" Cunei questioned, in shock.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Chell quizzed back.

Cunei's expression clouded.

Harper looked back, his heart pang with guilt as the crystal he spotted before was washed away with the waves.

"The island is sinking?" Chell asked uneasily. "What's going on?!" he demanded of the bird.

Finally, she found her nerve. "Whatever cursed the land severed our link with the source, our very way of life. Our home was never a natural part of this world. It too was crafted by our forefathers, using ancient magics. With that magic dispelled, the mighty seas that once protected our people will now reclaim the land," explained the bird.

Harper and Chell could do nothing but watch as the land they were born and raised on sunk beneath the turbulent surface of the ocean blue. Harper closed his eyes and averted his gaze as the twinkles of many crystals--the souls of their brothers and sisters drifted into the depths.

"What do we do Magister Cunei?" Chell asked.

"We find land as quickly as possible. The strength in my wings is already beginning to wane, and your magic will not last forever. Come, we must make haste."

Harper remained for a moment, a galaxy of shimmering stars below his feet slowly turning black as the light was lost in the abyss.

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