Leverage

Bells ringed as the door yawned open.The air was herbaceous,a little spicy.Potted plants and dried leaves hung on the ceiling and lines of bottles on dark shelves.Glowing orange orbs float aimlessly,illuminating the place showing its dark wooden interior.

The man behind the encounter with flowing dark ponytail was fiddling the bird skulls attached to his waist.Smiling,he said welcome,a practice he always does when a customer enters.His face lit up with recognition when he saw a white hijab,moreso the towering bag.

"Oh,here for the eucalyptus stalks again,missy?"He asked.

She didn't answer,she didn't even looked at him.

He felt ignored,no he was,but he still smiled.Silence hanging dead in the air.

She walked straight into the corner unhooking a stalk with long and slender sickle-like leaves.

"Are you perhaps a monk or something?It's alright if you don't want to answer."

She won't,that he already knew.This isn't the first he tried to strike a conversation with her and it always ended the same.Left unanswered,ignored.Best he can get,a look and a few words.

Despite that he still persevered to talk to her.His reasoning?He hasn't had an interesting customer for such a long time.

Nosy much?Well,he doesn't think that way and besides he wasn't borderline crossing.

She looked around the shop,walking from shelf to shelf until she stopped.A familiar smoky aroma in a wooden cart full of small bundles,inside were coffee beans.

"This is new."

The apothecary thought,blinking several times.

He was concerned.The past weeks he noticed she had eye bags,now it disappeared and yet she still looks haggard.A matter of fact,why does she look worst than the last time he saw her?

She picked a bundle then went into the counter then placed the items in front of the apothecary.

Smiling,he was about to take the items.

"Wait."She blurted.

He was surprised.Wondering what could it be?What will this woman say,the one who nearly bought all of his eucalyptus stock.

He watched as she lowered her bag on the floor and brought out a jar full of small 

blue lights.

"Mana fireflies."He thought.

She placed it on the counter and looked at him with a straight face.

"Is this enough?"She asked.

It took a while before he finally got what she meant.

"Well,to be honest missy~"He said,pitch going up.

"Mana fireflies aren't that hard to obtain."

Wait,this was the perfect opportunity to 

get her to talk!

He smiled."Having trouble with some spell of yours?You know I can help,but I don't think you have anything right now."

She sighed,a very heavy one.Her reaction amused him.So this woman is "capable" of emotions.

She knelt again and rummaged her bag.She brought out something large covered in paper then settled it on the 

counter.

"Meat is expensive no?How about I will give you a large portion of meat alongside the fireflies."

He blinked several times looking at her,for once that smile dropped.She realized how desperate and ridiculous she is but it can't be helped.She had long swallowed her pride anyway.

When he heard that,he tried,really tried to hold himself back alas he cracked a smile and worst,a tiny laugh.He looked away and regained his composure,his exquisite smile back on his face and looked straight 

into her eyes.

"Are you serious right now?"

He gestured around him with his hand.

"Missy,as you can see I own an apothecary.I don't have problems keeping up with the economy."

"But~"He abruptly said with a finger up."I have a proposition,that is if you are really that desperate,missy."He said as he shook the eucalyptus stalk.

She tsked."It can't be helped."She thought.

"What is it?"

"There is this plant."He said.

He knelt and opened one of the shelves in his counter then brought out a large book.He opened it and licked his fingertip then turned its sepia pages.

He turned the book around,the page showing an illustration of a curled hairy stalk with an orb dangling on its end.

She raised her eyebrow.

"Running an apothecary solo is lonely you know~"He said,she cringed but you will never know that she did with a straight face.She did not fancy that tone of his.

"So~"He placed his elbows on the counter."I don't have time to gather all the ingredients,especially foraging.Why buy outside town when we are blessed with such a bountiful forest,am I right?"

"Get to the point."She thought.It was unfortunate she can't say that when the favor was on his side.

"I want you to gather as much as you can.You can find them in the east."

She nodded.

"So can I?"She said pointing on the eucalyptus stalk and the bundle of coffee.

"Oh,eager are we,missy~"

"Why of course,of course!"He said while handing the items to her.

"Take the meat,I have enough already.I will take the mana fireflies though."

Lifting the jar,he brought it against the light.The fireflies compliment the orange lighting.It was beautiful.

"Even a tiny light can make things less bleak,no?"

He heard bells ringing and the door closing,she left without listening to his quote.Now,he was offended.

What a peculiar traveler.

She visited the bestiary.It was commonly frequented by hunters but when she entered the building,there was not a single soul except the reception.

The woman behind the desk was surprised to see her,that was understandable since hunting wasn't successful these days.Nevertheless,she was still relieved.A single client can bring two more,no?It doesn't hurt to be optimistic.

She greeted her,offering her finest smile,perhaps her most.

"I would like to rent traps."

"About that,traveler—"She trailed awkwardly."We no longer rent our traps.Business has been hard these days.I hope you will understand."

There goes my paycheck,she thought.

"Even for a shadow fiend?"

Did she just heard that right?A shadow fiend.That could help the bestiary a ton!

"Excuse me for a moment,traveler."

She has to tell her boss about this!

And so that was how the traveler managed to rent any trap she wanted as long as the bestiary will get around 70% of the hunt.That was fine,she only needed the fiend's heart.

But why was she walking to the forest alongside the bestiary's vice owner?She insisted that she can handle her own but the vice owner upon learning about the fiend was even more insistent.

On the bright side though,things will go faster and the sooner she can have the fiend's heart the sooner she can leave.She had occupied much of her time hunting down a shadow fiend and a part of her have grown desperate.

The vice owner pulling the cart of traps,noticed a few things from their client,aside from obvious details like her gigantic bag.He wanted to confirm his suspicions.

"I know this is out of the blue,ma'am.But correct me if I am wrong,do you work for the Church?"

She felt her heart stopped briefly.

"Used to."

She reluctantly answered.

"Oh?You aren't the first to hunt down psuedo spiritual creatures and most of them,no,all of them are demon hunters working for the Church."

He had a realization."Oh...so you are that traveler Keeran has been talking about!"

"Keeran?"

She asked.

"The apothecary.I guess those eucalyptus stalks are for the fiend.You know,he's so curious about what you're doing with it and that is all he can talk about!"

He chuckled.

"It's my first meeting a demon hunter who isn't working for the Church."

There's a spark of curiosity in his eyes,he again turned to her.

"By the way,have you met the Chosen One?"

"No."

"Oh."

They continued to trudge deeper in the forest until she recognized the mound where she drew the circle in the beginning.She took a net and told the vice owner which trap he should unload and where her cave was.

"Really,that's all you need,ma'am?"He asked.

"Yeah."

"But those traps aren't enough to take down shadow fiends."

"Fiends?"

She asked confused.

"Well,they hunt in packs,right?"

He was doubting if this traveler was indeed hunting a shadow fiend.It would be a shame considering the fact that he carried half of their traps here.

"You do know what a shadow fiend is?"

He asked again.

"Yeah,there's only one."

She answered.

"That's...uncommon but not impossible."

He said.

She turned around and started walking away.

"Where are you heading at,ma'am?"

"Somewhere."

With a net on hand,she left the vice owner with the traps,off to do something that she should have done long before.

The sun lowered a bit,casting shadows tilting on the west.Leaping branch by branch,someone as silent and swift akin to a jungle cat.He landed on the grass making only a rustle,not even a thud.

He stepped forward before he let out a yelp and was lifted off the ground.He was caught by a net,limbs uncomfortably folded by how tight he was closed in.

He struggled,trying to make himself comfortable.It was the least he can do and he didn't bring his daggers with him.

He heard a rustle,someone was drawing near.He struggled moving his head to locate where the rustling was and then he saw her.

A woman covered in white with striking  purple eyes was standing a couple of meters away.Her expression,unreadable.

He let out a sigh of relief.

"Um,hey miss,could you please..."

The woman drew her cross bow,an arrow aimed at him.

"...lend me a hand..."

He trailed away.

This isn't how he had imagined their encounter would be.