Green Magic

The sun blazed in the sky as the figure of a small boy made his way through the lush forest. His form shook with the force of his steps and his pointed hat refused to stay in one place on his head. He passed the vibrant trees and followed the worn path, his pace quick. It didn’t take long for him to come to a clearing in the trees. There was a garden in the middle that held a number of herbs and vegetables. Off to the side, another boy sat still, watching a small cauldron bubble. His hair glowed in the sunlight and he had a purple cape draped over a simple black tunic. The boy stomped over. 

“Is there something you need?” the boy asked. He kept his eyes on the cauldron and waited for a reply.   

“You said that would be done before I got here, Sol,” the boy growled. “I don’t have time to wait.” The boy shifted his weight and crossed his arms. He tensed at the chuckle that followed his inquiry.   

“You should be more trusting, Heath,” Sol rose as he spoke and dug into his pockets, pulling out an empty vial. “This potion works best when exposed to direct sunlight, so I had to let it sit until just now.” Sol held the vial over the cauldron and ladled out the thick, simmering substance. He filled the vial and placed a stopper in it. He looked at Heath, his eyes glowing with the light of the sun. Heath looked away and rubbed his eyes. 

“Hey, watch the light show. You trying to blind me or something?” Heath said. Heath heard a snort and felt as the vial was placed in his hand. He gripped it and smiled wildly, looking down at the small miracle. 

“And you swear that it will do what I need,” Heath dared to look up at Sol. Luckily, the boy was already looking back at his cauldron. He waved a hand over it and simmering lights fell down, cleaning the cauldron of any leftover potion. He nodded at Heath.  

“All you have to do is apply it to the object you want to affect and recite the spell you found,” Sol said. Heath nodded vigorously and turned to leave. Sol watched the boy go with a roll of his eyes. 

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Heath hurried back through the forest and down a path that was marked with floating lanterns. He broke into a run as a village became visible from the path. He stopped at the town gate and pulled out his identification card, flashing the two guards and hurrying pass. The town itself was bustling. Everyone was run around, preparing for the night’s ceremony. Tonight, was the 31st, the day of the Rejuvenation. Everyone was expected to participate after dinner.   

He slowed as he walked on, stopping every now and then to purchase a few vegetables and a loaf of bread. He headed toward a large building that sat off to the side of the little market. He held his card to the door and waited as the door glowed first black then pink. Once the pink hue had faded, Heath walked through the door and down the hall. The door closed behind him.   

He hurried down the hall and turned right, coming to a small kitchen. The boy quickly put away his shopping. As he turned to leave, a man appeared. He stood tall, with jet black hair that seemed to melt into his full beard. Heath grinned awkwardly and kept his hands away from his pockets. 

“I see you’re back with the food,” he said. Heath nodded at the man. 

“Everything you asked for. And I put it away as well.” Heath shuffled his feet a bit. 

“Well done,” the man said. “Dinner will be ready in a few hours. Can you go let everyone else know?” Heath nodded and hurried out the room. Once he was out of view, he pulled the vial out of his pocket. It was still warm to the touch and Heath gripped it as he hurried up the stairs. He came to double doors and was met with a group of young boys and a number of greetings. 

“Hey you’re back.” 

“How’d it go?” 

“Did you get it from Sol?” 

A number of calls rang out but Heath shushed them all. He moved to the center of the group and held out the vial. The boys gasped and pointed. Heath smirked and pocketed the vial.   

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The boys grew more and more restless as the night drew closer. Heath himself felt his stomach roll as dinner time grew near. When they heard the town bell chime the sixth hour, Heath got up and headed down the stairs. The other boys watched him go and a few wished him luck. Heath snuck down the stairs and carefully walked to the kitchen. He paused as he heard rustling in the dining room, but he pressed on until he reached the kitchen. He hurried over to the large pot that sat on the fire. When he lifted the top, he could see a rich stew filled with greens and meat. He pulled out the vial and poured it into the food, stirring it using a nearby ladle. He then stepped back and raised his hands, chanting the words he had memorized this morning. He repeated the chant until he couldn’t hold his arms up anymore. Panting, he opened his eyes and grinned wide as he looked into the pot. However, before he could close the pot and make his escape, he heard a throat clear behind him. Heath steeled himself as he turned to face the older man. 

“And what are you doing,” the man asked. He approached the pot and looked into it. He snorted and turned to Heath. 

“It's too late,” Heath said with a smile. “I finished my spell and there is no way to reverse it.” The man nodded and looked at the pot again.   

“The spell you used was impressive,” the man said. “But you still have much to learn.” The man placed the lid back on the pot and tapped it twice, then waved his hand over it. Heath watched in dismay as the lid was lifted and the stew looked to have been returned to its original state.   

“But that wasn’t supposed to be possible,” he said. Heath dropped to his knees. “The potion and the spell were supposed to wipe all traces of any vegetables from the stew. 

“Oh, it did,” The man said with a chuckle. “But I just added more. The stew will have to sit for a bit longer but I was able to fix it up.” The man patted Heath’s head. “Nice try though.”