Fae mana curled into Felin's avatar as he emerged from the Mana Ocean on top of Amy's table, taking the form of a black cat with yellow-green eyes. He was about to do his customary greeting when he noticed the strange look on his Apprentice's face.

"Something's wrong?" He asked. Amy only nodded grimly.

"Do you remember the plague I was worried about?"

"Oh... Yes, yes I do," Felin frowned, connecting the dots somewhat.

"Well, it's like this: Kurt, the child who visited me-..."

While Amy explained the situation, Felin's expression only grew gradually worse, not stopping to ask questions at all and only listening. Amy herself couldn't keep the anger off her own face, it becoming more severe as her buried frustration rose back up to the surface.

"...-so I'm thinking that this has to be a magical plague if it's evolved this quickly. I was going to ask you if we could visit the Tower again, but I think this is more important. Do you think I'm wrong or anything?" Amy asked, pensive.

"I agree that it seems like something magical. You said it shared symptoms with cholera, right?"

"Yes; the aches and cramps can be 'hidden' among the flu symptoms but the diarrhoea makes it seem more likely. I don't know if they're vomiting or not but I wouldn't doubt it."

"Should we perhaps investigate the water supply first then? If it seems like cholera."

"I would agree but first I should be out there managing the plague before it gets any worse. When it's contained, I'll then go out and look for a cause. The lead about 'cholera' is on shaky ground anyways, if anything I learned about magical plagues in School is right, but it's worth looking into."

"Good reasoning, my Apprentice," Felin complimented, smiling proudly. His tone turning teasing, he added, "But what's this about searching the Tower, I hear?"

"It was more of a fancy than anything solid," Amy said, becoming a bit red. "It's just... I'm an Apprentice now so I thought I'd be better prepared to go into the Tower than before."

"I'll have to teach you a couple more defensive Spells, but of course, as long as I'm with you, you'd be allowed back into the Tower. Not now, however. Not the right time."

"Not now, yeah," Amy trailed off, clenching her fist. "It seems I have a talk with Henry to get to."

"Indeed, my young Apprentice, indeed," Felin smiled, hopping through the air over to her shoulder. "Onwards, then?"

"Onwards."

Pulling her jacket closer, and composing herself enough to be polite, Amy stepped out of her house and went on forth, to the plague.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Miss Wachlund, but the Mayor is currently occupied," Ella, the attendant, said, sitting behind her desk at the village hall. "Would you like to organise a meeting another day? Mayor Peters will be in meetings all day, you see."

"It's fine, Ella, don't worry about it," Amy said, turning away from the desk and moving towards the stairs. Maybe it was her current mood getting to her, but the village seemed especially ominous today on her walk, not many people going about; particularly strange for midday. Maybe they know about the plague, and the village is getting restless about it. Just that more important that I deal with it then.

"Umm, excuse me, Miss Wachlund? Where are you going?" Ella asked politely, though she couldn't hide the small shake in her voice; still afraid of the Witch. And today, for once, Amy would use that reputation to her advantage. "Miss... Miss Wachlund?"

Amy didn't turn around and kept on going, quickening her pace as she made her way up the stairs to the top floor. She could hear the scraping of Ella's chair as she got up from her desk, then the clacking of her boots on the stairs behind her, trying to catch up. All the while, she was repeating the same words, but the Witch wasn't listening. Maybe it was that same fright that made her not make a proper attempt to stop her. I'm feeling bad about this - sorry, Ella - but something's got to happen about the plague.

By the time she'd made it to Henry's door, she could hear the muffled talking of a few familiar voices from within. Two she recognised immediately, that being of Henry and his secretary, Leo. Although she recognised the third, it wasn't enough to attach a name or face to it. Giving a resolute nod to the invisible cat on her shoulder, Amy pushed the doors open wide, and made herself known.

Even if she didn't want to admit it, Amy cringed back slightly at seeing the trio's reactions to her rude interruption, and stopped still at seeing who the mystery person was. Henry's and Leo's, sitting around the desk and conversing, were ones of suspicion, with a sliver of fear, if she was reading that rightly. Perhaps afraid at what an angry Mage could do, given that they're both in the know. The third person was definitely a surprise, however, and someone she'd prefer not to be here for what was to come. Maria. Why is she even here? Something to do with her business maybe? Too late to back out now though.

Trying to take the pause in her stride, Amy marched on, ignoring Maria's obvious shock, right up to the desk, not allowing anyone a word. And, with the last bit of confidence left in her, that she hadn't burnt to get this far in the first place, she slammed her hand onto the desk, and gave her best impression of the Witch; maybe a bit of her mother's angry face too.

"What. Is this. I hear. About a plague," She practically shouted, ignoring her friend's reaction, recoiling away from her, the best she could.

"Now, now, Amy, let's calm-" Henry pleaded.

"No! I will not calm down, Mayor Peters!" Amy yelled. "Not when you purposefully hid this from me. ME! The one person who'd get in trouble for this. The one person who can even fix it!"

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Miss Wachlund, please," Leo tried to intervene, moving to get in between her and the Mayor. "This is not the time for wild accusations-"

"Accusations?" Amy laughed, more in disbelief than anything else, turning her glare towards him. "Don't you dare try to lie to me Leo. Don't you dare!"

"Amy? What's going on?" Maria asked innocently, concerned at her friend's strange behaviour.

"Yes, Miss Wachlund, what is going on here?" Henry glowered, leaning back in his chair.

"Oh, and of course you're playing oblivious! The 'great Mayor Peters' re-elected every single time, playing the simple politician, working hard for the people's pleasure," Amy mocked, growing angrier the more he tried to brush the problem away. "You aren't tricking this voter though, Henry!"

"Amy-"

"I was ready to go in here and sort this out like adults, but no~! You just had to drag it out," Amy frowned, glancing at her friend for a moment. "You want to know why I'm acting like this, Maria? Because this snivelling snake decided to slide back on his deal with me. Because he couldn't bother to even monitor the situation for me. Did you know that there's a plague in the village? Did you? It's in it's early stages, yes, but it's clear to me what it is, and that is a plague! Those symptoms I heard about? Those aren't from any regular illness or ailment. That's something sinister.

"So tell me, your magnanimous majesty, Mayor Peters, why you didn't deign to tell me anything about this. Why you've hid this from me. And why you didn't even bother to put a guard up for it!"

"Now that is simply untrue, Amy-!" Henry retorted, his face clouded with rage, growing more angry as the Witch went on and on.

"Then why don't I know about it?!" She shouted back, noticing something off as she did so. Somewhere during her tirade, Felin had left her side. Probably for the other task I set him up to do when I was making my way here. I hope my suspicions aren't correct, and the stuff about the guard probably isn't, but it isn't looking good. And honestly, I can't believe I've made it this far. I expected to falter a lot earlier than this. Guess that just means I got to keep going then. Even if it's making Maria really concerned from the look of it.

"The guard, if, if there were any signs of plague, would've notified you immediately! And if we - as you so said - 'sorted this out like adults' then you would already know this and we wouldn't have had this argument!" Henry replied, getting up from his chair. Leo, noticing the worsening atmosphere, shuffled further back than he already had during Amy's rant, mirroring Maria in a way, who was just as scared as he was surprised.

"Then tell me, Henry, just tell me, that there isn't a plague; deny it straight to my face, so I-"

"There isn't a goddamn plague!" Henry screamed, his patience finally breaking.

"Well then, I guess that's it then," Amy grinned darkly, feeling something distant stirring inside her. "No more plague for the great Mayor Peters. I guess it just doesn't exist? A figment of my imagination-"

"Don't you dare mock me Miss Wachlund," Henry said, putting his face closer to hers, practically going over the desk. "You will not like it when I punish you for this."

"Punish? Hah! Punish?!" Amy giggled, genuinely put off-guard. "You can't 'punish' me Henry."

"Don't you think I can? I hold your livelihood in my hands. I can exile you from this village at a whim, and get you hunted down by the government if I so wish. Would you like that?" Henry threatened, any facade of propriety or respect completely thrown away.

"I think you misunderstand where you stand here, Henry," Amy spat, "And it sure as Hell isn't above me. If you even think of doing anything you just so sweetly said, I swear by all of the absent gods that you will not last a day."

"You threaten me?" Henry gaped, confused. Why is he confused? That... makes no sense?

"What? Did you expect me to keel over and kneel for you, oh great Mayor Peters?" Amy pushed, feeling a vaguely familiar whirlpool swirling within.

"Fine then, if someone has to be the 'adult' in the situation, then it might as well be me, insolent child. Go!" Henry exclaimed, gesturing towards the suddenly alarmed Leo in the corner. Ah, I see what's happening. "Take her to this... this 'plague' she's dreamed up!"

"Retreat like the coward you are then!" Amy snapped back, the touch of mana drifting along the fingertips. It ran up her arms towards her face, in a familiar working she had cast not even a week before. Some part of her was horrified at having the working be casted involuntarily again, but another part, one she didn't know she had until this moment, one she immediately reviled, revelled in it. "But remember this, Mayor Henry Peters.

"Threaten me one more time, and I am gone. You will have the full force of the Empire fall down upon you for letting a rogue Mage go and you'll never be elected again," Amy hissed, Monstrous Visage forming around her face. Her features twisted horridly, her sinister smile gaining fangs, curling unnaturally large at the edges, as her eyes became slitted like a cat's. "And if it's up to me? Then I wouldn't leave you with just your life ruined. I meant what I said, unlike you, I imagine. Because you don't have the guts to go through with it. And you don't realise what it means to mess with a Mage. I do though.

"I do."

Silence permeated the room, Amy's declaration frightening all; including Maria. Her friend had drawn back in shock, afraid at seeing Amy's transformation, perhaps even reconsidering the rumours she had always dismissed about the Witch. Shit. I just spilled the truth about magic with her here. Dammit. Why did I have to be so heated there? It didn't even really feel like I was there for half of that; too caught up in it. Hopefully she won't connect too many dots, but it's too late to take back what I mentioned about Mages.

"Leave me. Just... just get out of my office," Henry relented, slumping back down onto his chair, exhausted.

"As you wish, Mayor Peters."

Turning away, she gave a quick look to meek Leo, who was already preparing to follow her and lead the way, much to his dismay. Without waiting for him, the Witch continued onwards, leaving his office and ignoring Ella who had been waiting near the stairs. At the look she got into the office through the open doors, she took off back down to the reception desk, not liking what she saw. It was in watching Ella leave that she didn't notice someone approaching from behind.

"Amy?" Maria asked, her voice shaky and torn. "What... What happened in there?"

"Maria, I..." Amy trailed off, eye's wide, as she looked back to her friend, her shoulders scrunched up and arms crossed, almost protectively; of herself. The working had worn off, yet she was still scared. Scared of her. "Go- go back home, Maria. Thing's... will be getting busy soon."

"What-" Maria almost said, cutting herself off and wincing. She only stood there, in the middle of the corridor, in silence, her eye's glancing back and forth between Amy and whatever could distract her.

"I'm sorry... I-... Go home, Maria. I'll... I'll talk to you later, alright?" Amy smiled weakly, not wanting to see if her friend agreed or not, afraid of what answer she would get. The Witch walked on, Leo by her side, more confident. It was only when the two had left the village hall that the secretary relaxed a little. Odd. "Why...why was Maria in there, Leo?"

"Oh-!" Leo jumped, not comfortable with being talked to by the Witch. "She was... she was sorting out a deed. For a- a bigger house. Umm... I really shouldn't be telling you that, so please don't ask again, Miss Wachlund."

"Of course, Leo. I wouldn't do that to you," Amy nodded, ignoring his mild shock at her acceptance. Some time during her trek back through the village hall, Felin had once again appeared on her shoulders. "Lead the way then, Mr. Secretary."

"Follow me, Miss Wachlund," He said, heading towards the other side of the village from her home.

When some distance had been made between her and Leo, Amy looked to her Familiar and whispered, "Did you find anything?"

"I did, but it's better discussed in private; certainly not here." Felin suggested, eyeing the back of Leo's head.

"Alright."

With her head held up high, but not too high, not with everyone around the road giving her weird looks, the Witch followed.