Leering eyes studied Amy on her way to the Mayor's office in the village hall, all wondering about what kind of business someone like her would have with the respectable man. Extortion, perhaps? Blackmail? Nothing good. If only they knew what the horrid Witch was thinking on the inside, and then they could have the evidence to finally kick her from their village. For all that she has done. For all that she is doing. For all the ruin she will bring upon them. For justice.

"What the Hell am I doing, Felin?" Amy whisper-shouted, trying to calm her shaking as she approached the village hall. Ominous looking clouds hung far in the distance, as if mirroring her own mood. "What am I even going to say?"

"The truth," The cat responded, speaking normally yet somehow remaining unheard, "Although some... adjustments might need to be made. If it was a Mage, well, no embellishments needed, they'd understand. A mundane, though? They'd assume the worst if you said you had cast a Spell of sorts on someone."

"Then what? I just, oh so innocently, used some magic on some random children?"

"Yes," Felin said, "Exactly that. Less sarcasm though."

"In what world would that work?"

"Our one. Mundanes are always so afraid to offend the big dangerous Mages, no matter the age. I doubt a hundred years has changed that attitude. You say anything, and that anything goes. Within reason, of course."

"Ah yes, why have I never thought that? Of course I can just say I used magic on a child and I'll get off free."

"Don't word it as badly as that. Use the fact they don't know as much about magic as you to your advantage. Perhaps you consumed some mana to imbue yourself with energy, scaring them off?"

"You don't consume- Ugh!" Amy grumbled, trying to act as inconspicuous as possible, "I get what you mean, but I don't think it'll work."

"Just try it. What's the harm?"

"Oh, I don't know, losing the Tower, like you pointed out?"

"Psshh, it won't end up as badly as that," Felin said, rolling his eyes. "The worst you'd get is a Mayor who's suddenly very scared for his life. Perhaps, instead of mana, he'd think you could suck out his lifeforce! Like a vampire!"

"Would they actually believe that?"

"Of course they would. They're mundane. They don't know a thing. Mostly. Half the time at least. Well, maybe not half-"

"I get it, Felin, I get it," Amy said, shaking her head. "No need to make me doubt myself more than I already am."

"Indeed! I expect confidence and courage from here on out, my dear Mageling! To return triumphant from your conquest to this petty ruler, victorious over your battle with these foul, small vagrants!" Felin grinned, gesturing at the air, seemingly randomly.

Letting her Familiar tire himself out through his wild imaginings, Amy entered the village hall, a decently sized wooden building that was among the tallest of the buildings around it, and approached the attendant at the front desk. The foyer was on the small side and even then it was only half filled on its busiest days, and today it was totally devoid of business. The attendant perked up at her desk upon noticing the Witch approaching, used to her occasional visits now.

"Do you wish to see Mayor Peters, Miss Wachlund?" The attendant asked, fidgeting lightly under her desk.

"Yes please, Ella." Amy smiled, trying to put her at ease. Despite her many visits, the girl never seemed to get less intimidated by the Witch, the rumours assumedly ruining any sort of impression she could make.

"Follow me, then."

The pair continued up a set of stairs to the third floor of the hall, past the floors with the various paper pushers and the occasional tax collectors. At the top, there was a long hallway with only two offices, the rest utility closets and otherwise. One was for the Mayor's secretary, a kind gentleman called Leo, and the other for the man himself, Henry Peters. Somewhere during the trip up, Felin had vanished from her shoulder, disappearing somewhere without even letting her know. Damnit, Felin, I swear if you weren't an immortal Archfey who could probably erase me from existence with a word I'd promise to strangle you next time I saw you, but a promise like that would surely mean something strange from what I know of fae so far too.

"Mayor Peters?" Ella said, knocking on his door, "Miss Wachlund is here to see you."

"Yes, yes, come in," A tired voice came from the other side, muffled. Bowing to her slightly, Ella opened the door, allowing her through. Amy walked on past, giving the attendant a nod, before she closed the door behind her leaving her alone with Henry.

Every time she had come to his office, the size of the piles of paperwork on his desk never seemed to decrease, only staying the same level each time. She'd wonder if he even did any work at all, especially for a village of this size, if she hadn't seen Leo come in one time and replace what work he had done with more. A large window, maybe even one the largest in the village besides the church, looked out to the side, almost the entire village visible, her own home hidden behind the creeping treeline.

"What brings you here today then?" Henry asked, setting his quill down, "Another transfer request?"

"That would be handy, but no, I'm here for... something else," Amy smiled weakly, something in the tone of her voice tipping the Mayor off.

"Oh?" Henry said, squinting his eyes and leaning in, "What's wrong?

"Well... Some children decided to bother me again, the one's I've mentioned before."

"Ah yes, those. As I said before, I've done everything I can to-"

"This time they went a bit far though."

"A bit... far?" Henry frowned, his brow creasing in concern.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"I recently got a cat, and have been... nursing it while I considered if I should keep it around or not. I decided to, though, and have been letting it out more in public than when it was in my house," Amy explained. Technically, it's all true too.

"And?" Henry said, raising an eyebrow, unsure of how this related.

"They came up to me accusing me of poisoning Kurt, another kid who sounds like he became severely ill, as if I had casted a 'spell' on him."

"I see," Henry said, his face relaxing and twitching a little, "I assure you, there have been no leaks about you, and I'm already aware of Kurt's case and others-"

"Others?" Amy pressed, "If there were others, why haven't I been contacted about it? I may be a Mage, but I've never lied about being a herbalist either."

"Their parents are... apprehensive about seeing you. For reasons that should be clear. They wish to wait for the next caravan cycle to buy some medicine for it."

"From the way the kids described it, this isn't some common cold going around, is it?" Amy pointed out, aware they were probably exaggerating slightly too, "This obviously isn't something that should be waited on. Haven't you talked to them about it? To get them over it?"

"They... they also think you've done something to him, and the others." Henry admitted, looking abashed.

"What?" Amy blurted, "I get the children, but them too! What the Hell, Henry? I should've known about this!"

"They insisted, okay?" Henry said, his calm facade breaking slightly, "These aren't some random people, they're influential elders in the community telling them to wait. If the parents went to you, it wouldn't just be them who would be ostracised. Their children would suffer and they'd have no life in the village. And-"

"More than they're suffering now? I get there could be some exaggeration, but they said Kurt was dying. If there's anything you should talk to me about, it's that. A situation where anyone in the village is in danger is my problem, not just yours, Henry."

"I don't know if it's gotten any worse, but the last time I visited, it was bad, but it was still along the lines of a flu. Still bearable without your help."

"Fine. Just... you need to tell me if anything changes, okay?" Amy said. "This is my job. Stuff like this... it can get out of control, fast. We don't want a plague on our hands."

"And this isn't a plague!" Henry insisted, wincing as he realised he was more forceful than he would've liked. "I'm sorry Amy, I've just been busy lately. I promise you, if I even get a hint of it getting worse, I'll tell you."

"That's all I can ask for, Henry." Amy sighed.

"Okay... Let me draft up a notice for the guards then. I'll get someone to check on them every couple days and they'll report to you if they notice anything."

"Good."

"Is that what you came for then?"

"No, actually, that wasn't at all what I came here for," Amy admitted, looking ashamed at getting so far off track, rubbing the back of her neck. "As I said, they went a bit far bothering me this time."

"Oh, yes, I remember," Henry said, looking away. "Sorry, please continue.

"Well, my cat was there and this one kid, Alice, decided to kick him."

"I still don't quite see why this concerns me and not their parents."

"I... ended up scaring them away. And slapped her."

"Oh. I see why now."

"And the way I scared them was... magical. Somewhat."

"Oh. Oh dear," Henry lamented.

"It's not as bad as you're probably thinking. I just... made my face look a bit odd, and it scared them," Amy explained, alarmed at seeing the usually composed man so down. Maybe thinking of the paperwork he'd have to do because of me?

"That's... better. I don't think I need to note it then for the report," Henry sighed, Amy flinching at the reminder of the report. "Do you want me to make a note of it separately though? In case I get a visit by some angry parents?"

"Yes, that's why I came. They don't like me enough already, and this might push them over the edge. And I doubt Alice would be particularly truthful about why and how she got slapped, either."

"For sure," Henry nodded, drawing out two blank documents from under his desk. "I'll get started on the notice and note, then. Thank you for letting me know about this, Amy. As I've always said, I appreciate the work you-"

While the Mayor was about to repeat his usual goodbye to Amy, thanking her and sending her away, something interrupted. A quiet shout carried to the office, from Ella, the attendant, downstairs. Her voice was barely able to be made out, until heavy stamping announced the arrival of someone else, Ella sounding close behind.

"Please, you can't just-" Ella shouted,

Throwing the doors open, two middle-aged women marched into the room, much to Ella's dismay. As soon as she saw the face on one of them, Amy knew who they were, the relation starkly clear. Alice's and Alex's, and who she assumed to be Rupert's, mothers had come to complain. Their imminent words of rage were stopped short upon noticing the other visitor to the Mayor's office, their expressions darkening further.

"It's you." Rupert's mother spat, standing to the side as tall as her son was.

"Seducing the Mayor, are we?" The other mother grinned darkly. "I've always wondered how you aren't out yet, and here I find you. The nerve-"

"Ladies, please, calm-" Henry tried to intervene, standing up from his seat.

"Don't you dare, Henry Peters, I've had it up to here with you-"

"I'm done," Amy announced, her words, although quiet, somehow cutting through their argument. For a moment, when the two mothers had come through those doors, Amy had thought about arguing with them. Yet, for some reason, she realised she didn't want to. It could've been cathartic, perhaps, with the Mayor backing her up, or maybe terrible, considering the sort of insult Alice's and Alex's mother had started with. All together, however, it simply didn't seem worth it. What would it achieve? Anything the parents did against her could actually be punished, Henry hopefully able to do something about it unlike how he wrote off the children as 'playing'. Maybe he was forced to write it off. By these village elders. Elders she had never met or seen. If the parents did end up punished, their actions would only escalate. And if they weren't? Well, they'd have the courage to do something drastic. Either way, like she said, Amy was done. She couldn't decide what allowed her this sort of clarity, stuck between the moment Felin was harmed, or when realising that the Mayor was useless. Because, as much as she appreciated what Henry had done, the Mayor was indeed useless. Nothing he did could stop them. The parents or their children. He lacked the spine. A bit hypocritical, I admit, but it's true. I suppose it takes one spineless person to recognise another. "Have a nice day, I'm leaving."

"What?" Rupert's mother spluttered. Unfortunately, the other one was not so taken aback.

"How dare you, you whore, you don't get to-..."

What the woman said to Amy, she'd never know, as she'd stopped listening as soon as she began to walk away. She paced past a meek Ella, hiding behind one of the doors. She rushed down the stairs, and saw the other fathers and their children, sitting on chairs. They noticed her, and tried to speak. She ignored them. She ran out of the village hall, sprinting past and heading straight back home. She didn't know when Felin returned to her shoulder, but he did, a proud and somewhat surprised look on his face, gazing upon her fondly. She made it back to her home in what might've been an hour or a minute, shutting the door tight behind her. Shakily, she slumped down the back of it, collapsing onto the floor, sobbing.

Even though Amy had ignored them, even though she hadn't played their game, she couldn't help but feel angry. Frustrated at how, yet again, she had run away. It might've been for the best, knowing that it was pointless to argue, but it didn't stop her feelings from boiling over. So, Amy sat there, crying, venting her rage in the only way she knew how. Felin watched on, an anchor among her misery, a light paw on her leg, understanding.

Time passed meaninglessly, what might've been hours feeling like minutes, where seconds dragged into eternity. All Amy knew was that when she wiped the last tears from her eyes, the sky outside was darkening, and dark stormy clouds covered the sun. A new thought came to her, staring at those storm clouds on the horizon, from her house, her cage, its presence odd, as if it wasn't her own. That doubt was fickle and soon passed as a new kind of feeling set in. Confidence. Something she hadn't felt in so, so long. This was her own thought, her own belief. She didn't know how she knew. It was instinctual. No. That was the wrong word.

It was magical.

"Felin."

"Yes, my dear Mageling?"

"Tell me how to ascend to Apprentice."