Brew 1

Emery smiled as she sat in her rocking chair. The cool spring air hitting her face as she continued tying the sticks together, whispering small chants as the broom started to take shape. Today was not a particular day. It was not a holiday nor a celebration, it was simply the first day of spring. As the flowers started to loom, so did the possibilities.

Emery could meet new friends, new patrons could stumble upon the tea shop; “Perhaps even love,” Emery laughed, finishing off her broom with a neatly tied pink bow. “Finished!” She proclaimed holding the broom upright, admiring her handy work.

“Very well done,” praised Toriyami as he walked through the tables, using his elbows to lean on the window shelf.

Emery stood up, her eyes crinkled as she smiled proudly. “One of the first thing they teach you when you start practicing magic is how to create your own broom,” She spoke with a nostalgic tone as she performed several practice sweeps, testing the durability.

She hummed thoughtfully, considering if it maybe time to teach her own apprentice the craft. Her movements and humming came to an abrupt halt, realising that this morning had been awfully quiet. Perhaps a bit too quiet.

Crash! Break!

The broom in Emery’s hand’s dropped, her hands called into fists, her expression darkening. “Hanaki,” she growled through gritted teeth.

“I believe the noise came from one of the back rooms,” Toriyami presumed, his voice calm amidst the upcoming chaos.

Emery stomped off, heading in ther direction of the noise. Her shoes echoing against the wooden floor as she passed through each each room, inspecting each for any signs of disturbance. Each seemed untouched, the calmness seemingly never being broken.

Finally she reached the last room. Taking a deep breath she grasped the door handle tightly and gave it a firm squeeze before pushing it open.

Her face was emotionless as she strode into the room, surveying the damage. Papers were strewn across the floor and beneath the pile, sat Hanaki, her young apprentice, rubbing his head head with one hand and holding crumbled pieces of paper in the other.

“Hanaki,” Emery growled, her voice low and firm. She stepped closer and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up slightly to meet her gaze. “Explain,” she demanded, her piercing blue eyes boring into his trembling green eyes.

Hanaki raised his hands in surrender, stammering; “I-I was cleaning! When I opened the closet door the papers just…fell!”

Emery’s gaze shifted to the closet, narrowing suspiciously. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she slowly released him. Sighed, she placed Hanaki on his feet and turned away, bending down to begin stacking the papers herself. Her apprentice stood sheepishly behind her, too nervous to offer help.

“Honestly Hanaki,” Emery muttered as she continued stacking the papers in her arms, occasionally brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face, "spring cleaning doesn’t mean ‘create a mess’.”

“I didn’t mean to!” Hanaki whined, his voice carrying an edge of frustration. He bent down hesitantly, picking up a few stray sheets, his ears reddening in embarrassment.

As Emery carefully gathered the papers, her hands brushed against something hard nestled into the pile. She paused, her brow furrowing in curiosity. Gently pushing the remaining papers to the side she uncovered and ornately bound, purple book adorned with gold accents. “What’s this?” She murmured, running her fingers running over the smooth cover. Her gaze lingering on the intricate symbols etched into the spine – a language she wasn’t able to decipher.

“Careful!” Hanaki blurted out, dropping the papers he had been holding. “What if it’s cursed?”

Emery shot him a sharp look, her lips curlinto a slight smirk. “I assure you, it’s not cursed,” she said with a soft laugh. “This… is a grimoire.”

Hanaki’s eyes widened. “A grimoire?” he repeated, his voice trembling slightly as he took a cautious step back.

Ignoring his reaction, Emery carefully opened the book. The pages were filled with beautiful twirling text and detailed sketches of plants, magical creatures and long forgotten spells. She flipped through the pages, her expression growing more intrigued with each turn.

One page in particular caught er attention. It featured a sketch of a figure with flowing hair, delicate pointed ears and a serene expression. The note scrawled beneath it written in a lost language Emery couldn’t read.

She frowned, tilting the book closer to the light. “I can’t read this..” She muttered her annoyance growing the more she looked at the page.

Hanaki lent over her shoulder. “Maybe Toriyami can help?”

“No,” Emery sighed slapping the book shut with a soft thud. “I’ll figure this out myself!” She declared, her determination outweighing her frustration.

-------------------------------------------

The following morning, Emery sat at her desk, the grimoire spread out in front of her. Golden rays of sunshine streamed through curtains, illuminating the golden accents on the book’s cover. With a gentle touch, she began to flip through the pages, her fingers gently running across each sketch and word, hoping for a spark of inspiration.

Toriyami stood outside early in the morning, sweeping up the fallen leaves, whistling a light tone Emery could hear from the other side of the wall. Emery giggle to herself, knowing Toriyami was trying to lighten the mood but her attention from the grimoire never faded. “There just has to be a way,” she muttered under her breath.

She lent back in her chair, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face and behind her ear. Her annoyance showing her eyes at the idea of not being able to read the words on the page. “Come on,” She whined leaning forward, over her body hovering over the pages. “There has to be a way.”

The sunlight on the page, guided her eyes to a particular corner of the page. Squinting her eyes, Emery looked closer, the sunlight illuminating once invisible lost language. She gasped, eyes widening as the ink appeared to come alive. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and began to speak.

The words of the incantations rolled off her tongue, her voice growing with confidence as each syllable became clearer.

The shimmering patterns of the page sudden began to pulse, the words lighting up and casting a soft and steady glow in the room. Before her eyes, the words on the page began to jump and rearrange themselves, morphing into a language Emery understood.

With the last word of the incantation spoke, the light began to fade Emery’ heart pounding as the words on the page now readable. “Yes!” She exclaimed, jumping on the spot and clapping her hands.

With haste, she grabbed a blank notebook and pen, quickly scribbling down important words as she read. The energy in the room palpable as if the grimoire itself was alive and feeding into Emery’s excitement.

As her eyes continued scanning the page, Emery’s hand stopped scribbling. Placing the pen down and raising the grimoire up, as if wanting a closer to connection to it. “Grandfather,” the word escaped her lips, a single tear running down her cheek. “Oh grandfather,” she closed the book holding it close to her chest, the tears continuing to fall as she realised what she was truly holding.