Silently following after the aged form of Granny Wren, Lucas walked into the back room of the potion shop.

  “James, be a dear and go man the shop for a bit. I need to have a chat with this young man for a little while.”

  Wren’s instructions pulled James away from the large, cauldron-like pot that he’d been working on. He glanced from Lucas to his grandmother for a second before shrugging and heading towards the door.

  “The potion is almost done, grandma. Just make sure to take it off the heat if you’re still talking in ten minutes,” He called back over his shoulder.

  When the door closed behind the man, it left Lucas and Wren alone. The older woman didn’t address Lucas at first, instead stepping over towards the pot that James had been mixing.

  “Hmm. He did a good job on this one. Just about perfect,” Lucas heard the woman mutter to herself.

  While she was checking on the liquid in the pot, Lucas took the chance to check out the room itself. It was larger than he’d expected from such a small looking shop, with the back space looking like it was just as big as the main shop itself. Unlike the main shop, the back was a much darker space. Large portions of the room were painted in shades of grey for Lucas where his darkvision came into play. The only spots in the room that were well lit were the areas around the multiple cauldrons of bubbling liquid that lined the left wall of the room. It was easy to see where all the potion brewing took place.

  On the right side of the room was an actual garden. It was fairly small, but it was full of all sorts of different plants that Lucas didn’t recognize, as well as a couple that he did like clovers, basil, and even a couple carrot stems.

  Lucas watched as Wren checked the pots one by one. Some she left alone while others she stirred a few times or tossed in an ingredient. Once she was done, she moved towards a table towards the back of the room, taking a seat in one of the chairs and gesturing towards the other free chair at the table.

  “Come. Take a seat.”

  He nodded and joined the old woman at the table, sitting across from her and quietly waiting for what was to come. He did his best not to flinch as she stared at him, her sharp gaze sending a small shiver down Lucas’ spine.

  “Most people think that illusions are weak and situational at best. They think that they’re best used to hide and conceal things,” She began. “They’re right that Illusion magic can be used for such things, but the truth is that someone who knows how to use illusions properly can do horrible things.”

  Granny Wren looked away from Lucas, staring at an empty wall as her eyes became distant. When she spoke again, her voice was soft and somber. “Illusions can twist the senses of a person, make them fear things that don’t exist and feel things that aren’t real. It can aggravate a person’s worst fears and create many new ones. And a strong enough mage could even cause their illusions to inflict real damage upon a person, not just to their mind but to their body.”

  Her gaze returned to Lucas, determined and firm as she stared him in the eyes. “So, I hope you can understand why I would be hesitant to teach someone that I do not know anything about an incredibly dangerous type of magic.”

  Lucas was dumbfounded. He was one of the people that the old woman had mentioned first, thinking that illusions would only really be good for hiding or making little traps. But the more that Wren explained, the more he understood why she was being so serious. Suddenly, his affinity for Illusions went from something he figured would be a bit useful to something that could potentially be very dangerous.

  He swallowed, his mouth shockingly dry as he looked at the old woman. “I understand.”

  “Lissa seems to like you; she wouldn’t be helping you if she didn’t. It’s for that reason that I’m even humoring you in the first place, child. But, if you want me to teach you, I need to understand what kind of person you are. So, you are going to drink this, and I will ask you some questions. If any of your answers don’t satisfy me, I will refuse to teach you.”

  As she spoke, Granny Wren pulled a small vial from her pocket. Inside was a crystal-clear, sky-blue potion of some kind. It was only a bit, less than a mouthful at best. She slid it across the table to the young man, watching him closely.

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Lucas took the vial, holding it up and looking at the potion within. “What will this do?” He asked.

  The old woman actually looked happy that he’d questioned her. “Good, you’re not a fool. Never drink a potion offered to you unless you know what it is or trust the person giving it to you completely. As for what it is, that’s a bottle of liquid truth, difficult to make, but worth it in this case. It won’t force you to talk, but it will make you unable to lie when you speak for the next ten minutes.”

  Really, Lucas should have been used to finding out about wild and crazy things being real that he’d thought only existed in fantasy. But the idea of a real-life truth serum was hard to believe. But the old woman seemed pretty sure of it, and she was the one making potions.

  “Only ten minutes?” He asked, slowly swirling the potion within the vial.

  “Yes. That dose will only last for ten minutes, no more. You have my word,” Granny Wren replied.

  Lucas debated on saying no, on not drinking the vial and just walking off. But he needed the help, and he didn’t think that Lissa would have taken him to the old potion maker if she wasn’t trustworthy.

  After a few more seconds of silence as he looked at the blue liquid, Lucas popped the top off the vial and downed it in a single gulp. It was surprisingly tart on his tongue, tasting faintly of pears. But other than that, he didn’t feel any different.

  “Good,” Wren spoke. “Now, what are your intentions with the Stella family. Do you plan to hurt any of them? And do you plan to hurt anyone in Helstrum?”

  The questions were not what Lucas had been expecting, and the surprise showed clearly on his face. The old woman just chuckled in response.

  “This place is my home, child. I’ve lived here since I was younger than you and I’ve watched most of the people who live here grow up. I care quite a bit about keeping them all safe.”

  As Lucas went to reply, he felt the potion at work. It wasn’t exactly compelling him to speak, but the true answer to Wren’s questions practically dominated his thoughts. It was practically impossible to think of a lie, and even harder to think of actually voicing those thoughts.

  “I’m staying with them until I can get home,” Lucas replied, the words flowing freely once he let them. “The trip back home through the portals is too dangerous for me to make by myself, so I need to get strong first before I can get home. I don’t want to hurt anyone in town or Fay and her family.”

  “Interesting…” The old woman cocked an eyebrow as she listened. “You said your home is on the other side of the Mirrors. Are you a new blood, then?”

  “Yes, at least I think so. That’s what Fay and her parents have been calling me.”

  “A new blood. You certainly are a rare find. But I don’t see why you need to learn magic if you just wish to get home. Magnus’ daughter or even Magnus himself could easily escort you back to the Mirror that you came through. So, why do you need to learn magic?”

  “Because I want to come back.”

  The words slipped out before Lucas could even finish the thought, and even he was stunned by the genuine truth that he felt deep down. He did want to come back; he wanted to visit and see more of the amazing world of magic that he was learning about. He wanted to learn more about magic. And he wanted to spend more time with Fay.

  “Found out how amazing magic really is, have you?” The old woman laughed a bit. “Or maybe you found something that makes you want to come back. Either way, I understand why you wish to learn magic, now. It wouldn’t do for you to die on the way back to Helstrum if you’re brought back home and wish to return.”

  Wren’s mood had visibly improved, and she even had a slight smile on her lips when she looked at the young man again. Lucas felt his hopes grow, wondering if he was going to get the chance to learn from the old alchemist.

  “Does that mean you’ll teach me?” He asked.

  “I might,” Wren replied, freezing Lucas’ growing hopes. “But I have one last question I want you to answer. Tell me, Lucas, what will you do with your magic if I teach you how to use our shared affinity for Illusions? You have an idea of just how dangerous it can be now, so would you do with that power?”

  It was a heavy question, and one that Lucas really had to stop and think about. He could have just given a simple answer, that he just wanted to learn, but he felt like Granny Wren was looking for something more than that.

  Lucas fell silent as he thought about what he really wanted. So far, he had been focused on getting home and just learning everything he could. But if he actually managed to do that, to get back home, what would he do next?

  It took a minute or two before Lucas figured out what he actually wanted. And when he tried to speak, the potion didn’t make any moves to stop him.

  “I want to pay Fay back for saving my life,” He began. “I want to see more of this world while helping Fay on some of her jobs when she joins the Hunter’s Guild. I want the chance to try and help her like she’s helped me.”

  As much of an impact as Magnus and Lissa may have had on Lucas, Fay was the one who was really driving Lucas to return. She’d quickly become a dear friend to him in a matter of days, and he wanted to do more. But without magic and practice, he was way too weak to keep up with the blonde.

  “A good answer,” Granny Wren replied as she nodded her head.

  “So-“

  “Yes,” She interrupted, a smile growing on her lips. “I will help you learn how to use Illusion magic.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Cue Legend of Zelda item get sound.exe

  You can find it here if you want to check it out. Those who join can read a full 8 chapters ahead.