It was a typical day in the town of Lockhome.

The same typical sound of chatter filled the streets with the same typical people repeating the motions of their typical lives. 

Mizini Moon raced quickly down the stone paved roads on foot with the same old delivery box attached to a vest strap around her torso. Carved upon it was “Vastaro”.

She heaved heavily putting in all the effort her legs could summon. Her destination was the eerie shop on Kyr lane. 

“Watch it!” shouted a bystander and she zoomed past him in a flash. “Sorry!” Mizini replied almost losing her balance.

She noticed the eyes of the town’s folk piercing her.

Of course, she knew why. There is, always was and always will be one reason.

Mizini grabbed her tattered, dirty cowl and covered her face more to hide it from the masses. She had no time to fret over the obvious, she was already late!

And she had promised her mother she would never be so again! The sweat flew from her forehead as she ran with vigor. Lockhome was a very small humble town of Delunedor, which was the great land of magic and lore. Witches of all kinds resided there, and it held many great lands and temples. Lockhome, however, was just a town for witches to come and live out their remaining years in peace and quiet.

Mizini noticed a familiar road and slashed across the street filled with moving carriages.

The horses all jumped up in fright as she almost grazed them.

“Sorry!” Mizini shouted once more.

She wasn’t usually this reckless, only when it came to her duties bestowed upon her by her mother. She would rather anger the folk of the streets than face her mother’s scorn. Mizini noticed a sign hanging off of nearby buildings swaying in the wind. It read: Kyr Lane

There it is! She thought

She picked up her pace realizing her destination was close at hand occasionally looking back at the box tied down to her back. It would sometimes fall off from her careless steps.

She turned into Kyr Lane dodging the bodies of the busy road like obstacles. She wasn’t too late, was she?

There was no time to pull out her pocket watch and check.

She slowed her pace a few feet just in front of an old eerie shop labeled: Kroshers’ Potions

Mizini immediately noticed the foul smell of brewing potions. Kroshers’ Potions had a long history in Lockhome, particularly a reputation of being old, worn and downright creepy.

The old potions lady who lived within was a regular customer of Mizini’s mothers’ delivery service. 

Her name was Eda Krosher. She would rarely leave her shop, and when she did the children of the town would mock her saying cruel things. 

Mizini wasn’t as crude as they were, but she did understand where they were coming from. Lady Krosher was certainly not a beauty to behold.

She finished untying the box from the back of her strap and slowly walked to the front door of the shop with the box in hand.

She winced at the odor but kept her head on straight realizing her duty.

She lifted her hand and made a fist slightly knocking upon the door.

“Come in!” shouted an old grotesque voice.

Mizini took a deep breath and opened up the door from the small handles below.

 The mist that filled the potions shop slowly spewed from within as the doors opened. Mizini waived her hand in front of her face sickened to her displeasure.

“Hello. I’m here with the Vastaro delivery.”

She managed to choke out

She saw within the same shop she visited so long ago as a small child.

It was filled with books and caldrons of all different types. 

Shelves along the walls held the literature in place and candles filled the room with light all around. 

There were no windows. Which made the shop quite . . . eerie to say the least.

Mizini walked in trying to see past the thick fog of smoke making it hard to see in front of her.

“Lady Krosher?” asked Mizini.

“Ah.” that same aging voice sounded as an old woman came out from behind the curtains hiding the back room.

“You must be Mizini Moon?” Krosher asked.

Mizini held up her hand as if to greet her.

“I’m here to deliver that pipe you ordered”.

Lady Krosher rubbed her hands together staring at Mizini past her stringy white hair that fell in every which way.

“I’m excited to have a new pipe to add to my collection.” she spoke exposing her yellow aging teeth.

Mizini squinted at the sight of this woman, but cracked a smile across her face despite her disgust.

She reached around her back and pulled out a small scroll from her waist pouch. She opened it and read it to the old Lady.

“That will be twenty-four silver pieces, please.” she spoke

Krosher smiled filling her face with wrinkles.

“Twenty-four silver pieces you say?” 

Mizini nodded.

“Those pipes are getting more and more expensive as time wears on.” she griped. “But then again, I lost track of time long ago!” 

Mizini let out a courteous laugh and stepped backward.

“Oh, but it’s worth it mind you.” said Krosher

She walked over to Mizini and took the box from out of her hands.

Slowly opening it she revealed a beautifully crafted wooden pipe carved like a tree with many faces.

“Mmm.” She expressed feeling it with her boney fingers.

“What a delightful piece of work.”

Mizini smiled.

Her mother, Tessa Moon, owned the most famous pipe shop in all of Delunedor known as “Vastaro”.

She made a living off of carving and making the most exquisite pipes known to the land. And all the elderly lady magi whom settled in Lockhome would visit Vastaro and smoke out of their pipes telling stories of their past.

It was more of a lounge than a shop now and it was very good income for her mother. Mizini couldn’t help but notice Lady Krosher staring deep into her hidden face. She nervously looked back and forth as the old woman gazed into her soul.

“Um, hello.” said Mizini. “Twenty-four silver pieces. and I need to be on my way. You see, tomorrow is a big day and.” 

“Is it true about your eye, little one?” Krosher asked interrupting mid-sentence.

Suddenly an awkward silence filled the room as Mizini held up her hand to her face. “I want to see it.” said Krosher. “I hear it is blue. Like the skies.”

Mizini let out a large sigh and pulled back her cowl exposing her purplish-brown hair and revealing her eye.

Just as it was known, Mizini’s left eye was blue, while her right eye was brown.

She slowly looked up at Lady Krosher.

“You see? Now can I please be on my way?”

Lady Krosher suddenly started laughing cupping her hands over her mouth. “Hahahahaha”

Mizini rolled her eyes as the old woman made it clear she was amused. “Is there something funny about my eye?” she asked. Krosher held out her hand as if to silence Mizini. “It’s not that.” she spoke. “Your eyes are so similar to that of your sisters. Ten years ago, she was the one delivering these pipes to me, and now you, her younger sister, have taken her place in the job. Of course, she was never late.” Krosher explained handing Mizini a small pouch of coins.

“Twenty-two silver pieces.” 

Mizini looked down on the pouch and grinned nervously.

“I was late?” she coyly asked.

Krosher nodded her head pulling out her pocket watch. “This pipe was supposed to be delivered to me at exactly six pm. It’s currently seventeen after six.”

Mizini tightly gripped the small pouch in anger.

“I nearly got myself killed coming here!” she shouted.

Lady Krosher held up her boney finger and started waving it about. “No excuses! Two silver pieces is a merciful deduction”.

What a bitter old hag! Not only did she mention her older sister in comparison to her, but she also left out two silver pieces on her payment. Mizini’s mother was going to be furious! “But I . . . I.” Mizini fumbled on her words.

“Have a good day then, child.” said Lady Krosher pushing her out of the shop out onto the streets once again.

She stood there in disappointment staring down at the bag of silver pieces in her hand. Two pieces deducted. 

More could be said about Mizini’s pride. It was shattered!

“Well. fine!!” shouted Mizini placing the silver pieces in her waist pouch. The folk in the streets stared as she threw a fit.

This was the last thing she wanted to happen since she was on thin ice with her mother. She mumbled and grumbled to herself storming away from the foul-smelling shop.

She hoped she didn’t have to deliver a single pipe to Kroshers’ Potions ever again! She aggressively walked down the street covering up her face with her cowl once more in humiliation.

Her eye wasn’t the most accepted sight in these streets. It was popular belief that if a person born into a bloodline of magi had some kind of defect, they were an omen and should be shunned, especially if it was an eye.

The eyes were viewed as a window to the soul and the very thing that connected the lady magi to their powers.

Mizini lived most of her life shunned by the people of Lockhome. She wasn’t the social type anyway. 

Always with her nose stuck in a book or walking through the northern hills alone. Well, Mizini had one friend her age. But he wasn’t what you may expect. You see, he has four legs and a very, very big mouth.

Not to mention a set of whiskers. 

“Why you little RUNT!” a man suddenly shouted.

A crowd of bystanders suddenly all spread out in direction as a heavy-set man barreled through the streets holding a broomstick over his head.

Mizini’s eyes widened as she noticed what was happening.

“Not again.” Mizini whispered to herself turning in the direction of the chaos.

“I’ll teach you to spy on my daughters!!!” the man yelled.

Mizini walked alongside the road looking through the legs of the people hoarding the sidewalks.

“Where are you?” she asked.

Suddenly a small black cat came running out of the crowds as if his life depended on it. Mizini could see why. A very large angry man was in pursuit and he was the target of a broomstick thrashing.

“Over here!” shouted Mizini.

The black cat noticed her quickly darting in his direction and jolted to meet her half way.

 “What have you done this time!?” 

The black cat ignoring her question jumped up onto her shoulder with perfect timing.

“Just run!!” he shouted.

Mizini ran as fast as she could to evade the heavy-set man.

She looked back and noticed the large man losing steam and falling behind. 

“Keep off of these streets you freak!” the man shouted furiously. “And keep your feline locked up where it belongs! Or I’ll kill it next time!”

“Norwo!” cried Mizini. 

 “Wow! That was a close one!” The black cat shouted.

Rolling her eyes, Mizini smacked her gums.

“One day I’m not going to be there for you, Norwo.”

Ah yes. Norwo. The most hated vermin in all of Lockhome.

He was a perverted black cat who would spy on all the women of the town. There was a myth that he was once a human boy who wasn’t any different. A pervert who spied until one day he came across a skilled druid witch whom turned him into a cat as punishment for his ways.

That’s why he could talk. But Mizini didn’t believe that story. It just sounded like a poor excuse for a little cat with bad intentions. “Spying on the Dragic girls again?” asked Mizini. “I have no idea what you mean.” Norwo answered. “I was just minding my own business.”

“You’re the worst liar, you know? The Dragic girls are the most beautiful in Lockhome and you’ve had a thing for them for as long as I can remember!”

Norwo just avoided eye contact.

“Well, I think you have other things to worry about.” he said putting his paw up in the air as if to point.

Mizini looked back and noticed all the silver pieces she had collected falling out of her waist pouch. They bounced and rolled along the streets as beggars and children chased them collecting them for their own.

Mizini’s slammed on her breaks and frantically went chasing after all the little runts to no avail. They all got away with the silver pieces. After searching to salvage any and all she could, she managed to find a piece or two on the streets. Now her mother was going to be furious!

What would she tell her? How could she even face her? This was a very important delivery for her mother. Mizini was disgracing the business.

Nonetheless she had to get back.

The town of Lockhome was reaching its evening hours as the skies darkened and the populated streets became less and less so.

Mizini had to hide Norwo in her cowl since her mother couldn’t stand the sight of him. How could she blame her?

Still, Mizini felt pity for the little feline. She too was his only friend in the world. And Mizini was known for being the most stubborn person when it came to helping others. 

She entered a quiet part of town which was nothing more than a collection of homes and shops. Yet it was so much more to Mizini. It was where she grew up, a humble stretch of trees and stone path that led to the bustling part of town she had just come from. She never really liked going into town where there was so much chaos and noise. She preferred the serene nature of grassy plains where the sun kissed your skin and kept you just warm enough from the cold autumn wind. The sound of wind blowing through the leaves and the sound of a running stream of water through rounded eroded stones was music to her ears.

The town seemed to rob people of their identities. It made them lose their role in the grand scheme of nature. Instead of fitting in with the beauty of the earth they became slaves to the concepts of men. Acquire silver, acquire fame. Acquire anything other than what comes free in one’s heart. Yet, these things Mizini had to keep to herself. Though Lockhome was a town littered with the magi of the craft, it was still taboo. Witches had all but ruined their reputation as spiritual beings. Delunedor the land of these magi was no longer a belief so much as it was a business. Witches had gone from being withdrawn mountain dwelling druids to mercenaries who banished evil spirits and sometimes even other witches for a quick fix of silver pieces. Mizini knew little of it personally, but she had overheard the elderly witches’ gossip many a times before. 

Soon Mizini would come to find that the secrets of the world of Delunedor weren't far off. Some things that call upon our name disguised in the wind end up at our front door.