"You are a wizard, aren't you?"

The sudden sound scared me to full consciousness, in my alarm I turned to face the voice as fast as I could, nearly tripping over my robe, not accustomed to moving so quickly in such heavy clothing. I stare at my uninvited visitor with the fiercest expression I could muster... For only a few seconds, before I realized that it was no sneaky robber, nor a dangerous bandit, much less a magical creature that had come unannounced to my camp. Rather who stood before me was just an unusually well-dressed woman. She had sholder lenght hair, that was of a beautiful coppery orange tone, it was clear she wasn't noble, she had no Jews and her clothes were devoid of any clear crests that could identify a possible family, and her skin was sun-kissed, seemingly once pale but tanned by the bright daylight. Even so, I'd never seen a commoner in such elegant clothing. The girl carried herself with confidence, seemingly standing unaffected by my previous glare, or my defensive stance.

image [https://i.pinimg.com/736x/81/fa/0f/81fa0fa2b2921571f3c4f7c3bfa5f03f.jpg]

"So are you?" - The girl asked, a tinge of impatience in her voice.

The girl's dry tone ridicules the fast rhythm of my heart. I have met plenty of bold, blunt people, but to sneak up upon a stranger in the middle of the night and act so nonchalant is nothing short of intimidating.

My mind reels, and in my confusion, I struggle to find meaning behind her words and try to reorient myself.

"Y-yes, I am..." - I speak, my want to give a more detailed, and nuanced answer is absolutely crushed by the awkwardness of the situation. It seems the time I spend without using my voice has made it harder to find the correct words.

"Great!" - The girl said relieved -"You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find Mages around these parts. I have a proposition for you, but first, the introductions" She approaches me fearlessly - "The name is Claire, pleased to meet you" She puts her hand out for me to shake.

Even as I question the woman's sanity, I can't help but do as she says and greet her. Looking down at our conjoined hands, I notice something strange, her forearm bears a symbol carved of ink. It resembles a bubbling flask. Markings like those are incredibly rare, I only ever saw such designs in books. Their description is of permanent marks, that solidify a will and a purpose. Like a promise to oneself forever etched into their skin.

"I am... Match" - I say under her intense inquiring gaze.

"Match?" - She says with a smirk"Quite an unusual name isn't it? But I suppose being a bit strange comes with being an arcane enthusiast" - she shrugs - "Anyway, I have a business deal for you. You see, the one who stands before you is a great alchemist. Remedies for every ailment, versatile Tonics for every task, or simply a good explosive or corrosive mix isn't a problem for me..." - After the proud declaration she pauses before continuing in a more humble tone - "...However, even if I can't make miracles, the ingredients I can get my hands on are only so powerful by themselves. But! with proper mana infusion I would be able to do much more! And that's where you come in, if you lend me a little bit of your magic, I promise to pay you handsomely! And if you can frequently come around to keep me in stock, then this can be very lucrative for the both of us, what do you say?"- Her excitement is palpable, to my dismay. How can I tell this girl that she was unfortunate enough to have run into perhaps the only wizard who couldn't help her?

"I am... Sorry... I can't" - it's all I can muster.

She looks at me skeptically, but she doesn't seem fazed.

"Liar. I've seen you use infusion magic, the things in your pocket. Runes right?"- Her tone is defiant, leaving it clear she won't be convinced with a simple no.

"S-Sigils actually...." - I correct - "Look... they are infusion magic, but... I just don't have the mana to help you"

She arches a brow before speaking-"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, you are a wizard, yet you say you possess little of the energy required to perform spells? Do you think I am stupid?"

"I know it sounds silly... but it's the truth, even if I were to infuse your potions, I don't think it would improve them in any significant way..."-I say with sorrow.

The girl, however, didn't seem any closer to standing down-"Very well then! Let's put it to the test, come with me"- She turns and starts walking, after a few steps she turns to look at me, noticing I am not following her, she calls "If you don't come, I will tell the town's fold that some shady hobo is in their woods, and they don't take kindly to creeps sneaking around"- I swallow in fear. Having no choice I simply follow her steps with a defeated posture. We enter the village and approach the building, which I can only assume is her house. The place is definitely more impressive than the other simpler residences around it, but it still has a rustic feel to it, it's made mostly out of wood and thatch, with clear mark burners around what I assume is the section dedicated to alchemy. The alchemist seemed to notice me staring at her abode, however, she remained wordless as she guided me inside, and into her lab. A few alchemical contraptions can be seen on the balcony, some seem pretty fancy, which makes me wonder again how a girl who seems of plebian origin got her hands on such expensive material.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

She sits me down, on the stone floor, and puts a flask half filled with water in front of me.

"Now imbue the water with your power, then I will be able to test how much it improves the outcome of the elixir in comparison to the common liquid, and you better try, I will know if you don't."- she warns looking straight onto my soul.

This moment... It's like reliving that stupid test again, and I do not enjoy it in the slightest. I swallow, putting my hands out, I can only try my best, I focus on the water, trying to imagine my mana binding to it, flowing out of my body, and into the flask, I stay like that for the next several minutes, the time appeared stretching out indefinitely, sweat started dripping, my hands were cold, I felt like I was about to pass out, but I kept pushing and pushing, I don't know why... Surely being soaked in my own exertion would be enough to convince the young alchemist to let me go without further inquiry, but I decided to push myself further still. Perhaps I was curious. If I was able to actually do something like what she wanted me to. Something useful for someone else. But my weakness is eager to remind me of my place, as I collapse to the floor. Surprisingly the girl rushes over to check on me, kneeling beside my barely conscious self.

"Are you okay?! What happened?"- she says in a rushed tone.

"I am fine... I am used to it at this point, don't worry. You need to do the test don't you?" I say trying to ease her, while simultaneously wanting some space to recover.

With some hesitancy, the girl stands and rushes over to test the contents of the flask. Meanwhile, I prop myself against a wall, trying to make my breathing steady once again. Slowly I lift my head, watching her perform the experiment... I can't really make out the details as she has her back turned to me, but as her posture slumps I immediately understand. I have disappointed someone yet again. I sigh, knowing nothing has changed. The woman turns back and kneels in front of me yet again, getting to my eye level, however, I avoid looking at her, ashamed.

"you were being honest... the potion's power only improved by about 3%..." - she says, seeming regretful over pushing a pitiful fool so far.

"I tried to warn you... But... it's fine, you don't need to feel bad for me, your logic was sound, a mage really shouldn't be this weak"

For the next moments she stared at me, I could almost feel her mind reeling trying to understand the situation.

"Why were you out there, like an animal in the forest? Aren't Wizards Nobles?"

"Most are... but I am a rare case..." - I say sincerely.

The girl shifts closer, her body language is inquiring and curious. Then and there I knew nothing less than the whole story would satisfy her. And so I tell her, everything, the story of the boy with a dream too big for his own good, who worked himself to the bone for a chance at learning, and then was shut down over and over again, who was never meant for more, yet kept stubbornly insisting. By the end of it, the girl's eyes are watery, and so are mine.

"Don't pity me, really, it isn't as bad as it seems, I never lived for praise, respect, or status. I am... happy, just being able to study magic" - I affirm.

The girl wipes her eyes and shakes her head trying to quickly regain her composure as if embarrassed she allowed herself to lose it in the first place. The alchemist stands up and offers me a hand which I take and bring myself to my feet with some difficulty.

"I can't offer you that deal, not when your improvement of my potions would be so negligible" - she says crossing her arms and everting her eyes from mine.

I chuckle weakly-" Yes, I imagined so, but still I am glad for your sympathy, it was nice meeting you Miss Claire"- I say honestly, this wasn't a bad interaction at all, yes she was pushy, but in comparison with what others have done and said to me? she was an angel made flesh. Not wanting to overstay my welcome, I get ready to leave, but she stops me.

"Not so fast Mr. Let me finish" she speaks " - Though I am unable to give you THAT deal, I could offer you another agreement..."

She gives me enough time to turn and face her before she continues.

" I don't want you to think it's out of pity... I merely recognize that I won't find another mage any time soon, so I gotta make do with you"

" if you keep on enchanting my potions, it should be enough for a small market increase. That isn't enough for monetary compensation, but how about I let you live here? I can fix you up a bed in the attic, not much, but there should be enough space for you to sleep and study. You can also eat with me and I won't charge you, sounds fair?"

My eyes widen, i am sure she is aware that is an incredibly generous offer, but I can tell she doesn't want me to make a big deal about it. I'd be a fool to deny such an opportunity but the best I can do is nod wordlessly. It was enough for her to get the message at least.

"Welcome aboard then, mage"- she says with a smile.

A good shiver runs down my spine, as my entire being understands the weight of this marvelous new beginning.