"Are you going to be leaving now?" Edith asked the group. She stood on her toes, allowing just her eyes to appear over the table.

"I'm afraid so, lass," Tamma said. She got up from her seat and put a hand on the child's shoulder. "We've got a lot of work to do. The sooner we head back, the better."

"Why don't you come along?" Aurrie asked Gertrude. "You've got a lot of power at your disposal. Someone like you could easily change the tide of battle."

"Physically, I'm frail. I can't walk all the way through that swamp."

"Oh, right," the housekeeper said.

"Besides, someone needs to stay here to make sure Edith is safe. I'm not endangering my daughter if I don't have to."

"I understand your concern with your daughter, ma'am," Tamma said. "But if this Insectus swarm gets out of hand, it'll only be a matter of time before they come to get the two of you."

"Then I'll defend my home and family to my last breath," Gertrude said with confidence. "But I have faith that you three will be able to overcome this threat. You're Purifiers, after all. You were chosen to deal with dangers like these."

"We understand," Miwah said. "And appreciate all that you have done for us so far."

"Where is your Mentor?" Gertrude asked. "I assume you've met one already?"

"Yalch," Tamma said. She gestured towards Aurrie's necklace with her thumb. "Taking a bit of a rest at the moment."

"I see. Has your Mentor been effective in teaching you what it takes to be a proper Purifier?"

Miwah and Tamm both nodded while Aurrie stretched her hand out and wobbled it.

"I would not be alive if Yalch never found me," Miwah answered.

"And I'm starting to get the hang of how to handle my powers. And he's been more than nice to us." Tamma added. All eyes then turned to Aurrie.

"I think he coulda done a better job," Aurrie said bluntly as she leaned back in her chair. "I'm not sayin' the fella's bad at what he does, but there's room for improvement for everybody. If you know what I mean."

"Well, everyone learns differently. So Yalch has to accommodate for that. But all Purifiers must face their first threat head on. It may seem scary at first, but the sooner you learn to overcome and act without hesitation, the better. That's something I wish my Mentor had put more of an emphasis on when I first started out."

"What was your Mentor like?" Miwah asked.

"Blunt. Straight forward. Had very high expectation," Gertrude said. She put her hand over her mouth and gazed at the wall in pensive thought. "There are many times I wanted to quit. I thought I wasn't good enough. My life was at risk. The lives of my teammates. Innocent people. Loved ones. But I had a higher calling and Zunth made sure my teammates and I reached our true Potential. If I backed out like I wanted to when I faced my first adversary, I wouldn't be who am I now."

"Your Mentor wasn't too friendly I take it?" Tamma asked.

The witch shook her head. "No. Zunth took nothing less than the best. You're familiar with how uncommon girls with Potential are, correct?"

Miwah bobbed her head. "Of course."

"Well, I've seen Zunth refuse Beacons to girls he believed wouldn't be able to keep up with their duties on more than one occasion."

"Part of me wishes Yalch was a bit more careful in handing out the necklaces," Miwah said with a giggle.

"Like I said, every Mentor teaches differently. And every Purifier learns in their own way. There is no correct or incorrect manner to this."

"What else can you tell us, Gertrude?" Tamma asked. "We haven't even been doing this for a week. We'd appreciate any bit of info you could give us."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Gertrude returned to her seat. Edith stayed standing on her toes, her eyes jumping between her mother and the Purifiers. "Let's see. What would I have liked to know when I was first starting out?" The witch sat back in her seat, tilted her head up and tapped her chin. "Ah. I know. Keep your powers secret. The fewer people that know about what you're capable of, the better."

"We have been doing that..." Miwah tailored off towards the end of her sentence. "But sometimes transforming in front of others seems inevitable."

"I understand. I've transformed in front of my fair share of bystanders. But don't go around telling people for the sake of popularity or leverage. It can bring all sorts of problems that you don't need complicating your already dangerous job. And if transformation is a must, at least try to hide the fact that it's your Beacons that are responsible."

"Can I see one of your necklaces?" Edith asked.

All three of the guests looked at each other, waiting for someone else to say something.

"I've told her some of my stories as a Purifier. So you can ignore the bit of advice I just gave you. This time."

"All right then." Aurrie took her necklace off and handed it to the girl. "Be careful with it now. I don't wanna have to replace it."

Edith held the stone in one hand. She pulled it close to her face and tapped it gently with her finger. "There's something moving!" she exclaimed.

"It's our friend," Tamma said. "He's just... resting in there."

As Edith watched the swirling mist inside the stone, Miwah leaned closer towards Gertrude. "Does she..." the seamstress whispered. "Have Potential?"

"She doesn't," Gertrude said. "It’s not a trait that passes between generations. But that doesn't mean she isn't destined for greatness. Edith has tremendous power. What took me almost a decade to learn, Edith’s already able to do."

"Like what?"

"Low-level necromancy." Miwah watched Mister Cuddles sniff the jewel hanging on the Beacon. "When I was her age, I was learning how to make bread with my mother," Gertrude said.

"Then she must have a very bright future ahead of her. With a mother like you and so much natural talent, she could probably change the world."

The witch remained silent as her face turned somber while she watched Edith continue to play with Aurrie's Beacon.

"Miwah," Tamma said curtly. The seamstress quickly turned away from her conversation with the witch to face the hunter. "Think it's time to be heading out? Not like it's going to be getting brighter any time soon. And we still have to go back through the swamp."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot about that part," Miwah said. She got up from her seat and bowed towards the witch. "Again. We cannot thank you enough. Not only have you given us the Spell Stones needed to deal with the Insectus, but we you also gave us crucial advice."

"It was my pleasure," Gertrude said as she got up from her seat. "Say goodbye to our guests, Edith."

The child handed Aurrie her necklace and then picked her rabbit back up. With Mister Cuddles resting against her chest, she gave the trio a friendly. "Bye-bye."

"Hopefully we'll se ya soon, kid," Aurrie said as she strung her Beacon around her neck. As Tamma and Aurrie headed to the door, Miwah reached down and grabbed the three Spell Stones in the middle of the table.

"Here. Put them in this so they don't get lost. I had to use up my last weevil rock to make them. So unless you want to go cave exploring, use those wisely."

Miwah nodded her head. "We will."

"Good. Now, I want all three of you to stay safe, understand? We would love to have you stop by again. It does get a bit lonely out here and I'm filled with all kinds of Purifier advice for anyone that's willing to listen."

"We'll visit when we don't have an island-destroyin' threat loomin' over us," Aurrie said as she put one hand on the door.

"You three are always welcome here. Just try not to let anyone else know where we are."

Tamma pinched her fingers and mimicked the motion of locking of a key in front of her lips. "I'll stay quiet. You have a Bahnwan's word on that."

With one last wave, the group left the small shack. A chilling gale passed through the still forest, making the girls tense up from the sudden rush of cold.

"Gah. We should have asked her to make a hearth Spell Stone," Aurrie said as she rubbed her bare arms with her hands.

"Let us not ask for much more. Gertrude has already been more than generous," Miwah replied. She wrapped the excess of her sleeves around her arms.

"I don't know about you, but I think she coulda done a bit more," the housekeeper replied. "If the Insectus starts spreadin', it's only a matter of time until they find their way here."

"Do you really expect an elderly woman to fight our battle?" Miwah asked as the group started to head towards the swamp.

"One that can bring back the dead? And kept talkin' about how great she is with magic? Yeah, I expected her to at least make an offer," Aurrie rebutted.

"Edith needs her," Tamma said. "Don't know what's going to happen to that poor lass once Gertrude finally passes."

"She seemed spry for her age. I am sure she has many years ahead of her," Miwah said.

"I hope so. For Edith's sake."

Only the moon provided any illumination. Tamma's movement slowed as she struggled to see where to lead the group. Miwah and Aurrie stayed close behind, soon growing restless after a long period of time without reaching the swamp.

"You know where you're goin'?" Aurrie asked.

"It's hard to see right now. I'll have to use my other senses."

Miwah and Tamma turned silent. The hunter sniffed the air a few times and then tilted her head in a specific direction.

"You figure it out yet?" Aurrie asked impatiently.

"Quiet!" Tamma replied bluntly. "I think I hear something... odd..."

The group went quiet again. Instead of the usual rustling of leaves and branches, a deep moan escaped through the trees.

Tamma turned around and pulled the other two girls in the opposite direction. "We need to get going. Now!"