The Witch in the Wilds
In front of me, sprouting from the base of the tree, was a mushroom. This mushroom was like nothing I had seen on Earth. It looked as if it had formed from obsidian, the way it was semitransparent yet very dark in colour. And around it, a halo of purple sparkles shimmered in the air. I reached down and plucked it before tossing it into an already full cloth messenger bag that was fully loaded with many more like it. "I guess that should be enough." Luna chuckled at my appraisal, "More than enough, the quest just said, 'minimum twenty,' and yet here we are with close to ten times that amount." She patted her own equally full bag of the Warlock's Boils.
I grinned at her, "If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right!" I opened my map and checked to see how close we are to the witch's cabin. It looked as though we were only about 20 minutes away. We walked with our weapons at the ready as we proceeded into the depths of the forest. We made our way without further incident to the location marked on my map. As we got close, We found a substantial hedge of evergreen bushes forming a natural barrier around the abode of the woman we were seeking. The place where the path led was the only visible break in the perimeter. Yet it was guarded too, but instead of a natural wall of greenery, there stood an iron-wrought gate. My eyes alerted me to the magical nature of the gate, and as I concentrated, I found wards of all kinds magically carved into the metal.
A soft elbow to the ribs grabbed my attention from the gate's unique fortress-like nature, as Luna was pointing out a particular spot of the hedge wall. The place she was pointing to looked like the rest, except that we could see a small green hand stuck out of the branches. We could see the goblin's hand moving slightly in what could only be assumed as a last desperate bid for freedom. Then as we watched, a few creeping root-like tendrils slithered out of the bush around the arm. They snaked their way, encircling the arm out to the tips of the fingers. Then in a swift movement, they pulled themselves and the goblin appendage back into the darkness of the hedge.
Luna and I started at each other, wide-eyed at what we had just seen. "Worry not. My darling plants anesthetize the goblin intruders before they use them as sustenance. They do not suffer. Much." Looking towards the far side of the gate to find the source of the grandmotherly voice that had just spoken such foreboding words, we found a hunched old woman. She looked like a grandmother we had come to visit with the soft smile on her wrinkled face and her frame wrapped in several hand-knitted shawls. With a casual flick of her hand, I watched several strands of mana flow forth from her fingertips to simultaneously interact with all the wards of the iron gate. The gate unlocked and swung open to welcome us inside.
"Come on in dearies, you are from the Adventurers Guild, yes?" I walked in as Luna followed behind me. "We are. We have come to deliver a message. How did you know us to be adventurers?" Grinning as though I had asked the right question, she replied, "I would love to say something such as, 'At my age, you can just tell.' But much more simple than that, I can feel the mana of your guild tags resonating through the air." I scratched my chin at her answer. "Is there any way to stop that from being perceived?" I wondered aloud. Clapping her hand together a single time in happiness, she answered, "Oh, how I do love an inquisitive mind. I can sense the mana on you. Are you a user of the arts? Hmm, or maybe something else?" Her eyes glanced at the gauntlets I had now clipped to my belt. "I am not from this continent, but I believe my skill set is referred to as a Magebreaker around here. However, I am not part of any religious organization like the Magebreakers of this continent are. I was just trained in these skills where I was raised."
The elderly woman cut into my personal space, standing only inches from me. She stared into my eyes, peering into my very soul as she questioned, "So you do not hold a small-minded fear of the unknown?" I shook my head. "You do not despise those who have more knowledge or power than you?" Another shake. "You don't cut down and destroy all that which is beyond your comprehension?" A final shake of my head. "No, I hold no such beliefs. In fact, my curiosity drives me to learn where I can. Meeting one as powerful as you are is a chance for me to learn and grow."
Detecting the truth in my words, the witch grinned again, "Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear. Now come on inside. Lunch is ready." She took Luna's hand and led the way inside the log cabin that stood at the walled area's centre. From where I followed behind them, I could hear the witch say to Luna, "You best keep a smooth talker like him in your grip, dearie. Otherwise, someone might just whisk him away..." Before cackling at her own comment.
As we arrived inside, we found a very well-organized single room. It had a kitchen with a large hearth on one side and a laboratory on the other. Between the two lay a large bed against the third wall and racks upon racks of books, specimens, ingredients and glassware. In the very middle stood a wooden table with several chairs around it. The witch indicated for us to take our seats before she went over to the kitchen. We sat in silence as we watched our host collect some wooden bowls before proceeding to the large black cauldron. Scooping out servings with her long-handled ladle, the witch would then let go of the bowls, and each would remain suspended in the air. As she walked to the table, the bowls smoothly glided behind her. As she took her seat, the bowls finally passed her to land in front of each of us.
"Oh, the drinks!" The sorceress placed her palm on the table before drawing it upwards. Beneath her rising hand, a pitcher and wooden cups emerged from the table. Luna clapped at the exceptional showmanship of the magician in front of us. "Now, let's eat." We all tucked into our meal of what tasted like beef stew and crusty rolls. To wash it down, we had apple cider in the summoned jug. The meal was delicious, and it warmed me up quite nicely after the chilly weather in the dark forest.
After the meal was complete, Luna brought the dishes to the kitchen before returning to the table. "Now, why don't you young'uns introduce yourselves?" Nodding, I introduced myself and Luna and explained our status as new aspirant adventurers. "Well, you can call me Granny Gabella. Everyone does. Now you have a note for me, hmm?" She refocused us on our original task. Luna retrieved the wax-sealed envelope that Kyana had entrusted us with that morning. Cracking the seal, Gabella pulled out the letter inside and unfolded it. "Oh. Mhm. Yes. Oh, dear." She then glanced at me over the letter, "And you got the mushrooms, dearie?" "Yes, Ma'am," I tipped the two full bags of the requested fungi onto the table.
Granny let out a low whistle of appreciation. "That is plenty of Boils! More than we need for the quest. How about I take 'em off your hands. Maybe in exchange for a few starter pieces for an aspiring mage and a first-rate alchemy lesson?"
"It's a deal!" Clasping hands to seal the deal, Gabella rolled up her sleeves as she readied to brew some potions.