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Chapter 54: Wands, Star-whip
🕑 Added 2025-01-14 21:15:13 +0000 UTC[-]-[P]-[W]-[M]-[-]
Chapter 54: Wands, Star-whip
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Reality: The Witcher
Johnathan Grey
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The Mustang now had a [Philosopher Stone] powering it, along with Cortana’s AI, Halo tech and engineering seamlessly integrated without changing its outer shape. With the work done, after successfully ignoring Cortana’s comment about all the tech making it technically an electric vehicle, I planned to start work on a ship… once I gave the other residents of the [Den] their wands, that is.
Carefully placing the three wands into small wooden boxes lined with soft velvet, I Telekinetically closed each box up and placed them in bigger boxes with wand cleaning and polishing kits. Each box had engravings of the animal the core was made from or what the tree of the wood used. They didn't take long to make, but the wand quality and engraved boxes indicated meticulous attention to detail, reflecting the care, time and effort I had taken in crafting the lot.
As I secured the lids, Cortana’s hologram shimmered into view next to me. “They’re on their way to the living room now,”
I had already asked her to inform them that I would be meeting them there to give them their wands.
“Thanks, Cortana,” I replied as I telekinetically picked up the boxes, stacking them neatly in the air behind me to trail my movements as I made my way to the living room.
When I entered the room, I was greeted by a father/daughter duo who looked like they had just paused a sparring match, their slightly ruffled clothes and Ciri’s flushed face being a tell-tale sign. Yennefer, in contrast, appeared stoic on the outside, but to the more observant like myself, her sparkling violet eyes she looked at me with as she leaned slightly forward was enough to know how excited she was.
“About time,” Yennefer teased, though her tone carried genuine anticipation.
I simply smirked as I approached the group, setting the stack of boxes on the coffee table. “Well, you know what they say, ‘good things come to those who wait’.”
Settling onto the couch myself, I reached for the first box and turned to Ciri, using Telekinesis with a gesture to float the box toward her. “Ciri, your wand’s up first. Twelve and a half inches, ash wood, unyielding, with a unicorn hair core.” Ciri’s eyes widened as she reached out to take the box, but before she could speak, I added, “No, it’s not from the unicorns you’re familiar with. This hair came from one in another dimension, not the kind that travels between dimensions. Why don’t you give it a wave? ”
With a look of disappointment, her mouth snapped shut as she started opening the boxes, completely ignoring the engravings and wand cleaning kit. Immediately grasping the wand, she did as she was told, giving it a wave. I could feel it channel her magic, bonding with it as the magic released into a small display of golden, bird-like, fiery wings that unfurled and beat a few times before dissipating.
Ciri went from being in awe at the feeling to immediately twirling the wand between her fingers, letting the giddy smile that had spread across her face settle into a smirk as she waved it once again experimentally. This time consciously sending magic through the wand and watching as fiery sparks burst into life at a much smaller degree than the wings. “It makes using spells from non-magic-related spells easier, just like you said. It’s amazing!”
Her excitement, however, dimmed as she seemed to come to a disappointing realisation. “I going to have to wand magic now, aren’t I?”
“Definitely,” Yennefer chimed in with a smirk, enjoying Ciri’s earlier joy fading into a half-hearted pout.
Next, I Telekinetically passed the second box to Geralt, who was leaning back against the couch, wooden sword still in hand. “Geralt, yours is slightly flexible hawthorn wood with a gryphon feather core. Eleven and three-quarter inches.”
“Gryphon feather,” He murmured as he took the box with a small nod, running a hand over the engravings on the surface of the box. Unlike his impatient adopted daughter, he at least seemed to somewhat appreciate the workmanship depicting a wolf and gryphon before opening the boxes. “Interesting choice. I appreciate it.”
“Wasn’t much of a choice, really.” I shrugged. “It was just what I felt would bond with you best from my stock of ingredients. Go ahead and give it a wave.”
I had to give it to the House Elves. They had really been putting in work on that end. At some point, I had to tell them they could stop when I realised how many rooms they had filled with monster ingredients and parts in the ‘Witcher Ingredients’ trunk.
Geralt held the wand with his calloused fingers brushing over its polished blackthorn surface as his golden, cat-like eyes narrowed while he gave it an experimental flick. A pulse of raw energy surged through the wand, bonding with it as it sent a bolt of silver light spiralling outward before dissipating.
“Hmm. The cleaning and grooming spells will definitely come in handy.” He mused aloud, tilting the wand to inspect it more closely. It felt... alive, as though responding to his every thought, but it carried a weight that was unfamiliar even to him. He waved it again, this time while using the [Quen] Witcher sign with his off-hand. Much like Ciri’s attempt with non-wanded magic, the protective sphere of bluish energy briefly encircles him before he dissipates it. “ I’ll need at least one of my hands free to wield a sword, so I guess I’ll be joining those wanded-spell lessons.”
“Well, another thing they say, misery loves company.” I teased, joining Geralt in smirking at Ciri as she sent us a glare.
Finally, I telekinetically reached for the last box and moved it toward Yennefer, who arched an elegant eyebrow as her lips curved into a teasing smile. “Saving me for last, were you? That wouldn’t have happened to be on purpose, could it?”
I playfully chuckled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” My small smile didn’t go unnoticed, if Yennefer's exaggerated eye roll was anything to go by, though her amusement was clear. “Thirteen inches, rigid ebony wood, with a phoenix feather core. And, to be specific, it’s a phoenix found in this world, not the other.”
Yennefer removed her gloves before she dared to hold the wand, like it would be a desecration to do so. She tilted her head as a faint smirk played at her lips before she flicked her wrist. The response was immediate—a swirl of violet sparks erupted from the tip, twisting into the air like fireflies before it disintegrated into a cascade of purple embers that faded into the air.
“You’ve outdone yourself. It's rather Impressive, thank you.” Yennefer said in gratitude as she traced the wand’s length with her fingers, still sending her magic back and forth through it, most likely to get a better feel for it. She then frowned, giving me a look. “You better have gotten some sleep. We don’t need you collapsing in the middle of one of your projects due to overworking yourself.”
“Yes, Yennefer. You sound like Cortana.” I rolled my eyes in mock exasperation before addressing the whole group. “You three should practice the wand spells as much as you need. Just avoid anything like Fiend Fire or the Killing Curse. If you mess those up and accidentally kill people without meaning to, I’m not going to be the one cleaning up the mess. I’ll be too busy.”
Geralt grunted in acknowledgement while Ciri nodded with a confused expression, already looking to defend herself. But, I knew full well that if a kid got their hands on a wand they would want to try all the spells they can, myself included.
“Alright, hold out your hand,” I instructed as I made my way to my feet and stepped forward and began the process of magically bonding each wand to its owner. Starting with Ciri, I made a small, precise cut on her finger and allowed a few drops of her blood to flow onto her wand. The wand absorbed the blood almost instantly, faintly glowing as the bond solidified. “All Done,” I said as Ciri quickly healed her hand with [Healing]. I then repeated the process for Geralt and Yennefer, each of them following suit by healing their hands once the bonding was complete.
“Right, I’ll see you guys later,” I said, heading toward the door, only to be stopped by Yennefer’s voice stopped him.
“And where are you going now?” She asked. “To get some sleep, I hope?”
I paused, glancing back over my shoulder. “Y’know, I do actually get copious amounts of sleep. My problem is that I just don’t go out much. But, if you must know, I’ll be working on a new ship. We’re not far from Aretuza, so I suggest you three try to master as many spells as you can. For when you want to show off a little in front of other Witches.”
The knowing look and smirk I sent Yennefer went ignored in favour of focusing on her new wand. Leaving her to it, I turned to Geralt. “How’s the smartwatch been treating you?”
I created smart watches using my new Halo knowledge while I was free, adding magical aspects to it as well while I was at it. They weren’t human tech either, having enough tech in them to communicate regardless of where they were on the planet.
Geralt glanced at the sleek device on his wrist and shrugged. “The communication function works perfectly. The map updates in real-time, as you said. But...” He trailed off, his lips curling into a wry smile. “Could lead to some kidnapping issues if others see me use it.”
“And that’s why I linked it to your blood, just like the wands.” I chuckled a little. “It’s keyed to you. Nobody else can use it. And if you are kidnapped, which would be embarrassing in its own right, you can just tell them that and they will be forced to keep you alive to use it, allowing you to bide your time until you can escape.”
Geralt nodded with a flicker of appreciation in his sharp yellow eyes. “Yeah. The distress and locate functions that allow the other two to find and know when the others are in danger will come in handy. Won’t need to send a letter that takes weeks to get there.”
I was definitely not going to miss out on adding those functions, especially with how much I know of the story. But, I had yet to find a way to allow communication between dimensions, so the hope was that things didn’t get so bad that the person stuck in another dimension was one that could teleport their way back.
With that, Geralt and Ciri headed back outside to continue their training, with their wands in highly Enchanted wand holsters strapped to their wrists. Yennefer, meanwhile, immediately made her way back to the library, intending to get started.
Thus ending my required social interaction for the day.
Descending back down into the basement, I headed straight for the briefcase I had set aside in the corner specifically to house my future fleet. I knew I could always purchase an expansion for the [Essence Of Home], but it seemed wasteful to do so for the time being with the amount of space magic I already knew.
Walking through the small corridor full of doors I designed like The Matrix, I made my way through to the door with a sign stating ‘Small Ship Garage’ and stepped onto the grassy expanse, multiple football finals wide. As I walked further into the field, my smartwatch blinked to life with Cortana’s face appearing on the watch face. “Hey, Boss. Have you decided which ship you’re putting the Slip-drive in yet?”
I had yet to put tech that allowed for her to appear in hologram form so she would have to make do with just the watch. I lifted my wrist while glancing at the watch and answered, “Yeah. I’ll be using a Kom'rk-class fighter/transport. Just under 70 meters. Compact, sleek, highly functional, and analogue-based.”
Cortana tilted her head slightly while her expression showed mild confusion. “Analogue? Why choose that? I would have thought, being a space fairing ship, that they would have improved upon the internal tech far beyond that.”
Yeah, you and me both.
“Unlike me, they sucked at coding,” I said bluntly with a smirk. “The designers weren’t exactly known for their trust in advancing tech too much. I’m pretty sure there was an incident or two — rebellion involving droids. Apparently, some of them turned on their creators, which clearly left the designers paranoid. With an analogue system, taking over a ship or an entire planet becomes more hands-on. Someone would need physical access, something they’d have to plug into the ship itself, to infiltrate or sabotage it. It’s less convenient, but also harder to hack.”
That was my theory anyway, at least in universe anyway. I couldn't think of any other reason people would be so limiting galaxy wide. I had seen Terminator, so I couldn’t blame them. Though, out of universe, it could have just been because Star Wars was created in the seventies.
“Paranoia-driven design,” Cortana said thoughtfully with a nod. “I suppose it makes sense in their context. Though, it may have been wiser to improve upon security systems while still keeping the advanced technology as a way to obtain the best of both worlds.”
[Kom'rk-class fighter/transport (Star Wars)]
[Description: The Kom'rk-class fighter/transport, also known as the Gauntlet fighter, is a versatile 68-meter Mandalorian starship renowned for its sleek design and adaptability. With rotatable forward-swept wings, it excels in both space and atmospheric flight. Larger than a typical starfighter, it combines speed, agility, and durability, serving as both a troop transport and a formidable combat vessel. Capable of carrying small crews and cargo, it’s ideal for raids, infiltration, and skirmishes. Used prominently by Death Watch during the Clone Wars.]
[+Hyperdrives: Class 1 + Class 10 backup] [+Short Range Sensors]
[+Front Laser Canons] x2 [+Rear Laser Canons] x2
[+Heat Seeking Missiles] [+Shields]
[Cost: 19,000 SP]
[Purchased]
Summoning the ship from the [Hoard], I watched as the sleek, grey and dark-blue starship materialised a few feet away while the metallic security key the size of a standard Earth car transponder key appeared in my open palm. The ship, or rather, the Gauntlet as is its name in the Mandalorian language, looked almost exactly like I remember it under Bo-Katan’s ownership, only more pristine like it was straight from the factory. Sleek design with rotatable forward-swept wings and rear-mounted engines.
Walking toward the ship, I placed my thumb on the fingerprint scanner embedded in the key and watched as it immediately turned green before pressing the unlock button. A soft beep sound that it produced went ignored as I made my way to the ship’s descending ramp with a faint hydraulic hiss, revealing the dimly lit interior.
Cortana’s voice echoed from the smartwatch as I stepped aboard. “I have to admit, I’m curious to see what you’ll do with it, aside from the Slip-Drive, that is.”
I smirked but didn’t reply. Instead, I focused on getting the full scope of what the ship was capable of, absentmindedly using [Mechu Deru] while I navigated through the ship’s compartments with my hand brushing over the cold, metallic walls as I went. Finally, I reached the cockpit, where the pilot’s seat was surrounded by an array of analogue controls, switches, and gauges.
I stopped and stared at the controls for a moment, scanning the intricate, old-school setup barely noticing my face twist into a slight grimace while I took an instinctual small step back, physically repulsed by the sheer lack of technological integration.
They needed to go.
“Ugh,” I muttered under my breath, leaning in closer to inspect the controls before finally taking a seat, leaning back in the chair with a resigned sigh as I ran a hand down my face. Compared to fiction like Star Trek, which had tech like the replicator that could basically 3D print anything a person wanted, Star Wars seemed rather lacking.
“Alright... let's get it done.”
With that, I relaxed my posture while interlocking my finger and closing my eyes. I focused, maintaining my connection to the ship with [Mechu Deru] while telekinetically taking the ship apart piece by piece, bolt by bolt, panel by panel, down to the skeleton. Then I summoned all the prepared Forerunner tech I had put aside just for this, replacing the ship's lacklustre engineering for something much better. Even the hull was replaced with [Dragon Silver] for good measure.
The Class 1 Hyperdrive took the place of the backup Class 10 and was replaced with the Slip-Space drive, laser cannons were upgraded to pack more of a punch, thrusters were improved to significantly increase speed, even the seats were more comfortable. When up against something I didn’t account for, I would simply purchase what was needed from the systems. If anyone was looking at this from the outside, it would have looked like invisible hands were playing a high-tech version of Lego, or some ship creation simulator.
By the time I opened my eyes, I was looking at touchscreen terminals with a small hologram of Cortana standing on one of the terminals with her hands behind her back. A quick glance over my shoulder showed all the other terminals the same, even the doors were now improved to be hard-light and collapsible with a thought. Through [The Force], I could feel the systems working in perfect harmony, the pathways of the circuits, the engine, terminals, each switch, wire, and component. It was looking like sunshine and rainbows.
With the final touch being put in place, that being a [Philosopher Stone] in a pre-rune-inscribed compatibility container in the engine room, the soft, ethereal glow of Cortana's hologram shimmered to life on my terminal. "Well, that was rather quick," she remarked with amusement.
Her violet-tinged eyes glanced over the newly enhanced systems, giving it a subtle nod of approval as I felt her do a brief scan of the ship to make sure everything was as we planned. "So, the enchantments be next, right? Or are we taking a breather?" she asks.
“Come on now,” I snorted. “What do you take me for? Do you think this ship is good enough to carry around a creature like myself as it is?”
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"The wand chooses the wizard."
—Garrick Ollivander
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Hello There
I appreciate the suggestions a few weeks ago. I ended up going with Bo-Katans ship for now.
They’ll be at Aretuza in the next Chapter, and after that I think John will be hoping again.
Ciri and John and currently 13 so romance will be a while yet. He’ll leave, world hop etc, and will return.
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Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC and original ideas. All credit goes to their respective owners.
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Thank you for reading.
As always, stay awesome.
Until next time, Light's out.
Comments
Lightest_Reader
They were great suggestions nonetheless.
Lictor Magnus
You’re very welcome😁
Holosagewolf
here i was hoping for a unsc prowler or spirit of fire................. awwwwwwwwwwwww
Lightest_Reader
100%. I appreciate the initial suggestion by the way.👍
Lictor Magnus
Thanks for the chapter! Solid choice in the ship. Easy enough to fly around and land yourself, while having plenty of room to take a long friends and equipment.
