Brew 2

That night, Toriyami walked past Emery’s room, his ears perked up, expecting to hear Emery’s soft snores that he grown familiar with. Instead, there was silence.

Curious, he slowed his steps, looking to the small gap under the door, noticing the steep glow of candlelight coming through. His brow furrowed as he hesitated, taking a deep breath before gently pushing the door open.

His heart ached at the sight before him-Emery slumped over in her armchair, the grimoire spread open across her lap and her cheeks stained from crying. Toriyami smiled softly, stepping inside and lowering himself beside the chair. Without a word, he placed a comforting hand on Emery’s. “This isn’t an ordinary grimoire, is it?” he asked gently, his eyes meeting Emery’s puffy tear-stained ones.

Emery shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. “It belonged to my grandfather,” she murmured. “I-I didn’t realised how much he went through.”

Toriyami didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he reached for the grimoire, Emery giving him a silent nod, giving him permission to take the grimoire from her lap. Toriyami was gentle as he raised the grimoire off her lap, his fingers tracing the aged leather, feeling the faint imprints of time’s passage.

He turned the page delicately, scanning the faded ink and the intricate sketches. A quiet chuckle escaped his lips as he noted the lost language. “It’s quite old,” he mused as his eyes landed on a particular date. “Very old indeed.”

He exhaled in wonder before settling in comfortably on the floor, grimoire in hand, beginning to read out loud.

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

Many centuries ago, the small tea shop was once home to an inspiring wizard, Blaise Mickleright.

Blaise sat in his study, surrounded by wooden boards littered with sketches and notes, all references to the nearby forest. Years of independent study, of countless nights pouring over spells, incantations and potions, had finally paid off.

In his hands, he held a letter – a letter that shimmered with golden lettering and a trace of magical dust.

A wide and goofy grin spread across his face. This was it.

The recognition he had longed for. The conformation that all his hard work had not been for nothing. This letter was proof – Blaise was about to become the first independently taught wizard to be invited to join the prestigious Aethera Magic Council.

An honor usually only held by those who had gone under formal magical training but here he was, standing on the precipice of change. Aethera was emerging from the dark times, and he was determined to become a part of that change.

“Right!” Blaise muttered to himself, stretching his arms above his head, rolling his shoulders to shake off the tension. “Time to start packing up. Here I come world!”

Still grinning, he moved toward the large board in front of him, carefully peeling off notes and stacking them into neat piles. But just as he turned to reach for another set –

A rustling noise.

His ears twitched. A faint laugh.

Blaise whipped his head towards the open window, eyes narrowing. Three sets of tiny hands clung onto the windowsill.

His heart dropped.

Three mischievous fairies hoisted themselves up with each, their tiny figures slipping into the study, wings fluttering in excitement.

Blaise’s jaw clenched. “Oh no you don’t-”

The smallest fairy, clearly the ringleader, of the group, gave a playful gesture for the others to follow his lead. Fairy dust sprinkling across the floor as they scattered.

Their eyes locked onto the prize.

The letter.

The bravest fairy smirked, darting towards it. Without hesitation, he snatched the corner of the letter and began to drag it across the desk. The other two cackling in delight, quickly flitting to help him.

Blaise stood frozen for a moment before panic kicked in.

“Oh, come on!” he groaned, dropping his papers as he lunged forward.

The fairies let out high pitch giggles, their small bodies moving with surprising agility. With an effortless lift, they hoisted the letter into the air and flew it straight out the window.

Blaise vaulted forward, his chest hitting the desk with a loud thud, knocking the air from his lungs. “Oi,” he groaned, scrambling to his feet.

Without a second thought, he jumped straight out the window.

As he sprinted, the cold air hit Blaise’s face, desperately chasing after the tiny thieves, his legs carrying him the winding path of the dense forest. Above him, the fairies laughed and teased, flitting between the tree branches, taunting Blaire with the stolen letter.

“Get back here you little troublemakers,” he huffed, pushing past the low-hanging branches and the uneven paths. His breathing heavy but he refused to stop.

As he ventured deeper into the woods, he gradually started to slow down, noticing something strange. The forest here was different.

An area of the forest he was unfamiliar with.

The air hummed with magic, subtle and ancient, unlike any part of the forest he encountered before. His frustration wavering, his natural curiosity sparkling in his chest.

He came to a halt in front of a small clearing, his gaze locking onto a bush, blooming with delicate and glowing flowers. The petals shimmered in the light, layered in two perfect tiers – each five petals surrounding a silver core.

Blaise bent down, mesmerized, gently cupping one of the flowers in his palm. He brought it closer to his face, careful not to break the fragile vine it sprouted from.

“They are beautiful, aren’t they?”

A voice.

Soft and welcoming.

Blaise’s breath hitched. Slowly he turned his head and found himself face to face with a beautiful sight. Delicate pointed ears. Long flowing white hair, adorned with small braids intertwined with flowers. A serene warm smile.

Blaise swallowed thickly, his heart pounding. “A fae…?”

The fae nodded stepping aside, gesturing toward a small wooden table set beneath the trees.

“May I offer you a cup of tea?”