Gasping and out of breathe, I enter the shop. Immediately, the musky scent of dried herbs greeted me. The shop was bustling with magifolk fingering price tags, examining wares and the occasional voice yelling for Madge to assist them. I walked past the cluttered shelves filled with vials, parcels and labels written in Madge's spidery handwriting. Slowly I relaxed, my grip loosening on the strap of my satchel. Turning around, I caught sight of an imp trying to swap a stalk of Nightbloom with a fake one. Most likely an explosive or something that caused potions to go wrong when some unfortunate soul happened to buy it. Before I could move, Madge strides over and swiftly grabs the imp by its ear and drags him towards the door.

"Perievous, how many times have I told you not to touch my ingredients!," yelled Madge.

"I'm innocent! I didn't do anything," the Perievous said with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Innocent my ass. I'll believe that when fat pigs fly." Uh oh. From the way the imps was grinning from ear to ear, the imp had come up with another trick to get him dragged by the ear and kicked out of the shop by Madge. With a huff, Madge chased the imp away and closed the door.

"I swear those imps will be the death of me. Perievous, especially." Out of all the imps, Perivous was the worst of them all. He was a living headache for Madge, who was done with his silly antics. Sighing she said, "You finished early today. Did you get all the ingredients?"

I silently cursed in my head. The encounter with the two strange magifolk and the little lapse I had caused me to forgot about collecting ingredients. Luckily, I did stop by to collect a few herbs on my way to the spring so I wasn't completely empty handed. I shoved those thoughts away, not wanting to think about what the strange "lapse" meant. "No. Sorry. I got distracted by the spring." It was a half lie and I knew she didn't completely buy it. Madge, the closest thing I had to a mother, could tell I was lying.

Realizing I wasn't going to talk about it, she let the matter drop "Well, whatever happened it's okay. At least you got the Mandrake and the nettles. Mauve wants her batch of healing potion delivered today. I'm only missing two mandrakes and four bunches of nettles. Come help me with the stirring."

Sitting in the corner of the shop, was a medium sized cauldron filled to the brim with a clear liquid that hissed and bubbled as I dropped the mandrakes, causing the mixture to turn an angry red. I stirred in the nettles, calming it into a softer red. Opening the cupboards, I reached passed the vials and tinctures and grabbed a small parcel, tied by a piece of twine. A pulled at it, undoing the bow and grabbed a handful of mint leaves to soften to bitterness. I could still taste the stinging bitterness of the potion when I reached into the mixture and tried a few drops. My little witch mind had let curiosity take hold and regretted it. Madge had laughed at my soured expression as she dried my fingers and mixed some honey water for me. I ladled in five batches of potion among four bottles. I snatched the roll of parchment paper and wrapped them around the bottles, sticking them on using tree resin. Taking the bottles from me, Madge lit a small flame on match before blowing it out, and seared letters onto the paper using the charcoal ashes. Her hands writing in sweeping letters Healing Potion.

Dusting off her hands, she ladled the remaining potion into bottles for later use. "Jess, can you deliver these to Mauve",she asked handing me the four bottles "I have a few more batches of bath salt crystals that I need to make so they'll cure in time."

"Yeah. I'll stop by", I replied.

I head out and stop in front of a sturdy oak with a door. A bunch of fairy lights were strung up around the lower branches. To the left of the door, there was a small round window that let in or shuttered light depending on your will. Patches of mass and flowers adorned the tree and its roots. I knocked on a door and called out "Mauve, it's me. Jessina."

"Come in", I hear her say. The floorboards creak as I enter a spacious room. The inside is enchanted to be bigger than it seemed. Sitting in an armchair near a small table with tea, was Mauve. "Sina" she said as I sat on a chair. The word bounced off her tongue as she stressed each syllable making it sound like See-na. Giving it an air of importance. "Have some tea. I made it from the fresh Chrysanthemums outside." she said as she offered me a cup of tea, it's delicate fragrance and sweet aroma banishing any thoughts of going back to the shop and finish the rest of my errands. After a few sips, I tell myself.

I look into the cup. The tea looks like a melted ruby and I can see a few red petals swirling around. The flavor is mildly sweet, the bitterness of the red chrysanthemums is balanced just right. It's both fresh and savory and I find myself drinking until I drain the entire cup. "How did you manage to make good team with those bitter red chrysanthemums?! If Madge can make half as good tea than she could bribe me to do almost anything."

Mauve chuckled. "With the right ingredients, you can do anything. Besides, it's my cup of tea." I was about to comment on her wordplay when something clatters onto the ground. I reach over and pick up a glass orb the size of my palm. A fairy light. I hold it closer, fascinated by it as it waves skeins of light into a sphere. It shimmers as the light shifts, making it flash several colors. At night, the sphere of light will be as big as the glass orb around it and light will seep through, making it flare. "Oh for goodness sake, you can keep that. Back in my day, I made a lot more of those." Mauve was one of the handful fairies that was gifted with light magic but it was notoriously difficult to master.

"Thank you. You didn't have to give it to me."

"It's nothing, really and I have a feeling it will come in handy one day."

I nodded and placed it carefully in my satchel. The glass orb clinking softly against the bottles of healing potion. Oh shoot, I had forgotten to deliver the potions. Before I could utter a word, that foreign power appears, sending a chill down my spine. Something's not right. Noticing my unease, Mauve suggested that I go out and gather more red chrysanthemums for tea. "Remember, the eyes are the key." she said as I headed out the backdoor.

I ran out, grateful for the fresh air that calmed my nerves. I found a small patch of chrysanthemums nearby and reached for Mira, only to grasp empty air where the hilt should've been. With a jolt, I realize, I must have forgotten my knife near the spring when I panicked. I focus my instincts, letting it guide me to my Mira. It turns out to be in Mauve's home. Sighing with relief, I head towards Mauve's oak. I probably dropped it when I reached over to pick up the fairy light.

Suddenly, I see a familiar purple glint that disappears as a gloved hand sheaths it. A hand that belongs to a figure clad in dark hunting letters with several wards whorled into it. They stole my knife, the only relic of my past. Before I know what I'm doing, I hurl myself at the figure and tackle him, reaching for the blade. It's the male with the purple eyes. His eyes flash with surprise before they turn cold and calculating. I barely have time to grab the blade before he lifts his hand and casts a blinding spell. The air get knocked out of me as his friend slams me face first into the dirt. Quickly, I swing Mira up, slashing his arm while I kick him off. I scramble to my feet, as he sweeps his leg to knock me off balance. My hands lung for his foot but he's too fast and I find myself falling backwards. Without missing a beat he grabs my arm and twists it behind me and pins me to the oak tree. His fingers shift on my elbow. My face is pressed on the window and look in to see Mauve lying on the floor.

"What should we do with her?" said the figure with the rough voice. His grip tightened one me as I struggled.

"Probably a lowly witch thief who has no business stealing this blade." said purple eyes as he twisted my wrist and snatched Mira. "Just wipe her memories and toss her somewhere."

"Give Back my blade" I said in a calm and deadly voice that wasn't entirely my own.

Purple eyes ignores me and polishes Mira. He gives me dismissive gaze like I'm a annoying pest and walks towards the door. "Take care of that one quickly. We don't have time to spare." He tosses Mira in the air and catches it and smirks. Taunting me.

Rage bubbles in me. Without warning, that shadowy magic flowed out of me, coursing through my veins, empowering me, forging me, protecting me. I turn in time to see a wall of shadow slamming into rough voice. Everything went into slow motion as my senses sharpened like a knife, making me deadlier so I honed the weapon that was me. A war cry comes out of me as I cut through his wards like paper. Black magic explodes out of me, covering half the forest in an inky ocean. It dissipates, leaving behind a dead forest. It's blackened oaks and wilted plants almost as black as the ocean that created it. The two figures have disappeared along with Mira.

Standing on the ground protected by a shield is Governor Shang of Black Spring province. "Jessina Farren, you are under arrest for destruction of the forest."