Advent - 1.4

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Just before Morgan got home, her phone rang.

“Hey…”, she said.

“Kitten! Are you alright!? Were you in that? What happened? Are you injured?”

Her mother’s voice sounded utterly terrified.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m almost home.”

A deep sigh came from the other end of the line.

“You’re alright… I…”

“Mum”, Morgan interrupted, “I’m just unlocking the door. I’m coming up now.”

“Good god! That’s… wait! What about Syl and Hannah? They were with you, right?”

The girl was greeted by the cats’ concerned meowing as the bloody smell from her trousers and shoes wafted up the stairs. She put down the phone and called up to her mother standing in the half-opened door.

“They’re okay. They got injured but they’ll be fine.”

The woman sunk to the ground and leaned on the door frame. A hand met her forehead.

Quickly, Morgan made her way up and fell into her mum’s arms. The hug was reciprocated with tender force, as if Bethany never again wanted to let go of her daughter. Crawla bumped the girl’s arms with her nose. After a few more moments, the position got too uncomfortable for both of them and they slowly disentangled.

“Let me look at you!”, her mum said.

While she got fussed over, Morgan lovingly petted the black cat. Over in the living room door, her father and Ellie were looking at both of them. Morgan smiled at her family, some tension leaving her body.

“I’m gonna go take a shower and get some fresh clothes, if that’s alright?”

Cleaning herself of the blood did not take that long. Her shoes were luckily impregnated and rinsed off with lots of soap and scrubbing. Morgan didn’t even try to wash her trousers. The blood had soaked the linen and dried up. It was easy to break off the flakes but the cloth fibres themselves had a red stain that was most likely there to stay. She got some new clothes after taking a quick shower to collect her thoughts.

When she got back to the living room, Morgan found her mother and Ellie sitting on the couch and joined them after giving her father a hug. Then, after gentle prompting from her parents, she retold the events of the day. When the tale reached the injuries of her friends, she played down the actual scale. Luckily, they seemed to buy it and soon the family was just sharing each other's company. Olivia was out with some of her friends as well but returned soon after they were done talking. She had been called by their mum while Morgan was in the shower and reassured them everything was fine where she was.

While the family talked through the shock of the sudden violence, Morgan’s fingers played with the earbud Avenger had given her. She was a little disappointed in herself for having brought it back home. Now, the heroes knew where she lived. They could pressure her to get on board against her will, if they were so inclined. The best option was to give them just enough they would leave her be without getting caught up in being a ‘hero’. That was a fine line to walk. At least it seemed like Avenger was a genuinely good person from the little interaction they had. The biggest risk were the unknowns possibly behind her. Someone had to pay for that hero suit and Robot’s technology.

When the news jingle played, Morgan realized the TV’s volume had been turned up and her family was no longer talking. She shared a smile with Ellie when she looked around before focusing on the broadcast.

“Earlier today, a violent man, yet to be identified, mounted an attack on Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich. The park was filled with a crowd of people enjoying the sunny summer day when the attacker erected walls of ice all around and locked them in. Early reports show at least 26 dead, with over 40 injured. The attack was stopped by local vigilantes calling themselves Avenger and Robot with lethal force. The police confirmed the heroes saved at least 50 people if not more by distracting the villain. Officer Roads is with our team on location. Over to you, Holly.”

The scene switched to the officer that had interviewed Morgan. He was standing before a part of the ice wall, a female reporter holding a mic.

“Thank you, Steven! I’m here with officer Roads, one of the first responders on the scene. Officer, what happened here today?”

“Yes, well. Everything happened very fast. I talked to some of the witnesses and the criminal had entered the park in disguise. A simple costume with a ski mask and black clothes. He walked around the park but only drew little attention from most. When the first figured out something was wrong, the wall was already going up.”

“And it stopped everyone inside? Not even someone with a strength Relic to break through?”

“Apparently, it shot out spikes at anyone who touched it. It no longer does so but the plenitude of sources leads me to believe that was indeed the case.”

“That sounds terrifying! How did the villain have this much power?”

“We are not sure but we believe the criminalhad levelled up. He showed skill with shooting spikes of ice at moving people. He may have been used to lethal weaponry beforehand.”

“How would he have levelled up?”

“That is something I can only speculate on and thus will refrain from answering.”

“Fair. Then, the heroes. Were they helping, or making things worse?”

The officer's face showed a hint of embarrassment for a moment.

“Yes. Yes, they helped. Nobody inside the trap had the presence of mind or skill to oppose the criminal. Without their distraction, many more might have died. That said, they were unable to solve the situation without resorting to lethal force.”

The reporter gasped.

“So it’s true they killed him? What’s going to happen to them, now?”

“That… is yet to be decided. With the circumstances, it can be argued they acted to protect their fellow countrymen. However, they were not authorized to do so. I have word that a team of lawyers is currently working out the details. It is likely their punishment can be lessened, though. These two risked their lives to help others without any promise of reward.”

He turned to the camera.

“I have to warn you, however, people of Norwich. Acts of vigilantism are not legal in any way. The police are working on a training program incorporating Relics which will soon be opened for public applications. My personal understanding is that the heroes will be assigned to join that program as well.”

“Thank you, officer. This was Holly Smith live from Chapelfield Garden with officer Roads. Back to the studio.”

The buzz continued while Morgan digested the new information. It looked like the authorities had a good hand on things. She might even be able to avoid any major contact with the heroes if they were picked up for a proper training program. Whatever that entailed. Even with that, there was a weird feeling in her heart. Like someone had just taken something from her. Was she actually interested in helping Avenger? The girl had been trying really hard. Maybe she was worth some effort.

Morgan shook her head. What was she thinking, trying to be a teacher in a field she had absolutely no authority on? For total strangers throwing themselves into danger, nonetheless. This was stupid. Her mum pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Hey, Kitten, let’s get dinner ready?”

When they reached the kitchen, Morgan was just about to ask what was for dinner, when her mother suddenly pulled her into a tight hug. She was sniffing and sobbing. Between tears, she got out a muffled “I was so worried” before another body tackled them. Morgan recognized the lavender shampoo only Olivia used in their family.

“I’m glad you’re okay”, her sister said, close to tears as well.

That broke the dam and Morgan felt her eyes water as she tightened the hug even more.

“Me too”, she cried, “me too…”

They shared their warmth for a while longer before reluctantly disentangling. The girls and their mother had to wipe snot and tears from their faces when another small body crashed into Morgan. Ellie joined the crying, rekindling their feelings and prompting another group hug. This time, it was finished off by their father’s strong and gentle arms.

“Stay safe, kids”, he murmured into his wife’s hair.

After dinner, Morgan lay on her bed playing with the earbud again. For a moment, she considered if this might be something to mind-control her. Were there even Relics capable of that? If so, that was a terrifying idea. She hesitated. Something made her think the heroes would resort to that. They were really just trying to stay in contact with her. And recruit her. She put it in. Nothing happened. There was nobody speaking on the other end, nor was her mind being taken over. She did feel a slight reaction when she thought about speaking. The earbud gave a hint of mental feedback before an electronic voice spoke ‘microphone on’ in an androgynous tone. Another flex of her thoughts and ‘microphone deactivated’ sounded into her ear. She found she could even adjust the volume and a pleasant jingle played to let her get a feel for it.

With a sigh, Morgan took out the earbud and placed it on her bed table. She had more important things to do than playing with sci-fi technology, like making a healing potion for her friends. Rousing her mind and activating the knowledge part of her Relic, she felt a slight itching of her nose. Luckily, it did not transform her with just this. Otherwise, she would have had to lock her room.

Going through the things put into her head by the ‘system’, she looked for what she needed. The healing potion was called a ‘Basic Rejuvenating Potion’ and made by combining three separate ones. First, a ‘Bloody Mary’ to restore lost blood. Second, ‘Knitted Balm’ to close wounds, both internal and external. The two worked together to heal any wound. The last part was called ‘Severed Spirit’ and numbed pain. It looked like further improvements to that one could eventually lead to literal out-of-body experiences but even the most basic upgrade required something Morgan had never heard of outside fiction: soul fern. Maybe the world had changed as well and nobody had noticed yet? Otherwise, how was she supposed to get her hands on all these outlandish ingredients? At least the Basic Rejuvenating Potion and its base components were made from normal things.

The one common denominator between all of them was spring water. She found it would be best to simply take it fresh from somewhere in the wilderness but that seemed like an impossible effort in any reasonable time frame. It should be possible to find something but it was much easier to just buy it from a supermarket. That was true for pretty much everything she needed. Other than mint, which she could take some from the kitchen. There might be some aloe vera and spinach as well but she doubted it.

The big question was, where to brew? Morgan did not want to have her family see her transformed self. Call it vanity but she was simply not comfortable with it. It was difficult to pin down a reason but she knew it in her heart. That meant, she would have to wait for everyone to leave, which was unlikely to work unless she skipped school. Her parents being downstairs was just waiting to be discovered, especially with how much work she had to do this time.

Morgan needed a different place. One that was secluded, had a basic kitchen and that she could get into. There was somewhere like that: St Simon and St Jude’s church. The place was rarely used even in daylight with lots of foliage covering the approach. Sylvester’s father kept it clean and had taken them a few times when she was visiting her best friend in secondary. She knew there was a backup key hidden under a flowerpot next to the door. If she went at night, nobody would bother her. And it had a small common room at one end with a kitchen. There was only one tiny window and it was covered by moss and ivies so no light would leak out. It was perfect.

Now she only needed to buy the ingredients. It was Saturday evening and it would be difficult to get everything on a Sunday. She knew there was a grocery store open until late a few stations away. A quick glance at the clock told her she had a little over an hour before it closed.

Morgan hurriedly got up, losing the earbud somewhere in her mattress. She put on her jacket and sneakers. A glance into her wallet revealed three 10£ notes, enough to get what she needed. Her mother stopped her just as Morgan was about to leave.

“Where are you going, Kitten?”

“To the super. I need some things.”

“Can’t that wait until Monday?”

She shook her head.

Morgan’s mother smiled wryly.

“You have your phone?”

“Yes.”

“Text me when you’re coming back.”

Shopping went over without a hitch. Morgan was carrying a grocery bag and a five-litre canister of what was advertised as ‘fresh spring water’ on the label. A quick inspection with her magical understanding told her it would work even though the ‘fresh’ was not quite truthful.

She got off the bus at Tombland stop and hurriedly walked down the street. Hopefully, her parents would not be looking out the window or at least not recognize her with the hood up.

Two streets down, St. Simon and St. Jude’s stood on the left. Morgan crossed and entered the slightly overgrown grounds of the tiny church. The gate squeaked a tiny bit as she closed it behind her but she ignored it and moved to the door. The key was where she remembered and soon Morgan was standing in the small common room of the building. She texted her mother that she was on her way back and used her phone’s light to find an empty cupboard for the non-perishables. Everything else went into the back of the small fridge. As she grabbed her root beer and dark chocolate as well as the bag of wasabi cashews her phone beeped with an answer. Morgan waited another minute before rushing back home as fast as she could without getting too out of breath.

As expected, her mother was waiting in the kitchen. Her father sat there as well, the two talking quietly until she got into the room. Crawla welcomed her with a meow and Bethany rushed in for a hug. Morgan felt her mother’s hands shaking on her back. It was a little oppressive. Stumpy saying something from their feet made the woman let her go.

“Yes, yes, I know, Stumpy”, Beth bent down to pet him, “But it’s not that easy.”

Another meow was the answer.

Morgan’s father ruffled her hair which earned him a playful swipe from his daughter.

“What’d you get?”, he asked.

When she showed him, he gave her a tight hug as well.

“If you need anything tonight, just come over”, her mother said.

“Thanks”, Morgan answered.

A few minutes later she was indulging in her snacks and videos of black cats. Somehow owls and spiders had shot up on her cuteness list as she dug through the depths of YouTube. Then came snakes before she finally caught herself and returned to crows. It was two in the morning when Morgan decided her parents would be sleeping and she tiptoed out of her room. Her steps were delicate and somehow made not a single noise. She was glad for her Natural Agility Trait. Without it, her nerves would have prevented her from sneaking out.

Stumpy watched her put on her shoes and jacket once again. She gave him a soft smile and pet him behind his ears.

“Don’t tell mum, okay?”, she whispered, “I don’t want her to worry.”

Meow, came the answer, just as soft. Something warm flowed through her heart and she knew he understood and would not tell if she came back before her mother found out.

“Thanks.”

Morgan had charged her phone and brought a flashlight as well. She used the light of the street lamps to get inside the church, this time being especially careful with the gate to make sure it didn’t creak. Somehow, she succeeded.

Once inside, she held the phone’s light pointed at the floor to locate the window. Even with the ivies and trees covering for her, she did not want to risk shining a light directly at it. The limited glow proved to be a slight issue at first until Morgan got used to it. Her phone was propped up on a shelf peeking out just enough to shine onto the counter. She got out her supplies from the fridge and cupboard and found three pots. It was time to brew.

A tingling feeling emerged from the tip of Morgan’s nose and ran to the back of her head before heading down her spine. The witch shuddered as her body shifted and suddenly she stood hunched over her ingredients. Her nose twitched and she let out a groan. Some distant part of her mind had hoped it would not have to come to this but that seemed to be impossible. The scent of the spread-out ingredients brought her mind back to the present.

Of the three potions, the Knitted Balm would likely take the longest. She had to boil three types of meat on the bone until the spring water turned into a thin broth. That was why she started with that. The first pot was filled about two-thirds to the top with water and Morgan turned on the stove to start heating it. Then she got to preparing the meat. She had bought chicken wings, pork ribs and some meaty cow bones for soup. The ribs were ripped into slices by sharp nails. Each piece of meat had one bone. Next, she removed some of the meat from the wings. A little beef would go into another potion and was cleanly removed from a few bones. They would still do for the Knitted Balm.

The water was getting warm and Morgan quickly dipped a finger inside. It was almost ready. She set up the other pots, this time with only a little water. Spinach was next. She had bought a frozen pack which had thawed by now after a few hours in the cupboard. The witch wrung it out as much as she could over the sink before cutting the leaves into fine slices. This time she remembered to use a knife. Then, the bones went into the hot water. Chicken, beef and pork. Morgan held the pot between her palms and felt warmth flow into the metal. The water bubbled a little as most of the energy flowed into the meat, instantly heating it up. For this one, only time was needed.

The other pots were close to ready and Morgan took out the aloe vera. It was one of the main ingredients of the Severed Spirit and needed to be pressed to have the juices dissolve in near-boiling water. That was easily done by just squeezing two fingers together and sliding them down the leaf. After four of them, the witch was satisfied and took a wooden spoon. When she started stirring the mixture, more energy flowed through her body. The aloe juice was collected on the wood and then started to slowly dissipate. Morgan grinned. This was going well!

The last pot was fully boiling now so she had to continue with one hand. Luckily, everything was prepared. The beef and spinach went in at the same time and Morgan gave a few shakes to mix them thoroughly. Then, she picked up another wooden spoon to stir that mixture as well. After a minute, she noticed she was making fast left-hand turns with her right hand while moving in slow eights with her left. It was strange how she suddenly had such clean hand-eye coordination. Even earlier, everything just… flowed. The effects of her Trait were not this extreme, were they? She should have noticed them sooner if that was the case. Was her Relic improving her coordination when using it? Thinking back, she even dipped her finger in water that had to be over 50°C and touched a pot filled with near-boiling water. She definitelyhad boosted resilience, at least when it concerned her crafting.

The witch shrugged and turned off the second plate. The aloe juice was dissolved in the water and had spread her energy cleanly throughout it. She even took the pot from the stove. The last step for that one was going to happen once it had cooled down a little. Morgan focused on the Bloody Mary. The spinach and meat had been heated up enough and soon energy would flow into it from her nose. That felt… off. It would work fine but with the way the ingredients looked… Morgan focused. Not on her nose but on the budding potion. Something deep inside her resonated with her wish and her knowledge cleared. Of course, she could adjust the preparation methods! She had toevery single time. No potion was the same, after all. She would never get the exact same amount of ingredients and even if, they would be different at the core. Only if someone had a Relic that could perfectly copy objects might things be the same but even then, the surrounding air pressure and temperature would change things. What exactly, Morgan was not sure. But she knew she could rely on her feeling. Her senses would tell her what needed to be done.

Energy shot from her nose into the wooden spoon and invaded the ingredients. Within moments, the meat and spinach had turned into a disgusting ooze of green and red. A soft glow emanated from some spots within the mixture. Morgan sniffed. A scent of blood and earth filled her nose. It was a little off but it would work. She had been slightly late with her infusion of magic. Morgan kept stirring as she reached up to her mouth. Just before she bit into her thumb, she stilled.

The witch blinked. Then she ripped open her finger on the razor-sharp teeth it was resting against. Quickly, she held her hand out. Red dripped into the potion. One drop, then two. Then, a third. She looked at her thumb. The wound was closed, a few drops of red still on her skin. Her nose tingled and she wrinkled it. The next moment, her thumb was in her mouth. The taste of iron on her tongue made Morgan let out an involuntary moan.

The next thing she noticed was her lying on the ground, the potions still bubbling on the stove. Morgan held her face, a few tears running down her cheeks. She was back to her normal self.

The girl rubbed the wetness out of her eyes and smacked her temples. She had to finish her work. Before she was even back on her legs, the Crooked Nose had returned.

The witch looked over her work, satisfied that nothing had gone bad. The Bloody Mary was nearly done after she had added her witch’s blood. By now, it almost looked like soft pink veins snaked through the viscous liquid. The Knitted Balm had been boiling for long enough as well. Morgan moved over to the sink, pouring the broth through a sieve. The potion was caught in another pot. Morgan took the bones from the sieve and crushed them between her fingers. Slowly but surely the protein and calcium mixed into a soft and slightly grainy balm. Occasionally, she added some of the broth to decrease the viscosity, all the while carefully guiding energy into her fingertips. After nearly fifteen minutes, the Knitted Balm was ready. It was still rather warm and fluid and would turn into a proper balm after sitting for an hour. That was if she did not plan to further process it.

The Bloody Mary was finished as well by now and Morgan turned off the stove. The last step was the Severed Spirit which had cooled down sufficiently by now. She took out the mint and, similar to the Chilled Dream she had made for Sylvester two weeks earlier, ripped it into thin slices. This time, she cupped them in her hands and felt energy flow into the herb. The mint froze within seconds and was quickly added to the potion. A few swirls with her spoon and it was done.

The finished potions spread out on the counter filled the witch with happiness. This was very fun, even if she had scared herself with how much she enjoyed the taste of blood. She made a mental note to try some while not transformed into the old hag. Maybe it was a side effect of the Relic…

Before cleaning up, Morgan had one last step to finish. Combining the three mixtures into a Basic Rejuvenating Potion. There were two ways to mix the liquids. The first was focused on one, exacerbating its effects. That would require a 7:3:3 ratio. The other way was a 3:3:1 ratio with Severed Spirit being the least to create an all-around effective potion. That was, however, only the finished product. When it came to mixing them, she would have to go drop by drop, one by one. Sometimes one potion would be twice or thrice in a row, sometimes one would not be added for multiple rotations. It sounded very convoluted. At least it basically guaranteed she could sell the base potions without worrying about someone else successfully combining them.

Morgan stilled. Selling potions was an interesting idea. She could use her Relic to make something nobody else could. Most likely. It was a ‘unique’, after all. That would be worth some deeper consideration after she fixed her injured friends.

The next half hour was filled with careful administrations of this or that liquid into a thermos. Luckily, mixing required no additional energy, just attentive measurement. One by one, the drops found their way into the Basic Rejuvenating Potion. The light of her phone was just enough to see what she was doing. When the bottle was filled halfway, she considered stopping. This much would likely be enough to heal both Sylvester and Hannah without issue. Still, she had enough to fill the thermos and then some, so she continued.

It took almost another hour to finish up. Morgan was completely absorbed by her work and when she finally finished and closed the plastic bottle she had taken for the last bit of liquid, she raised her arms and let out a raspy laugh.

At that moment, the light turned on. The witch flicked her head over to the door where the intruder stood. Morgan barely noticed her nose returning to normal as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. Then, she saw who had caught her. It was Sylvester’s father, the caretaker of the church.

“Um”, Morgan tried to find words.

“Huh. When I got woken up because someone had once againsnuck into Jude’s, I did notexpect that to be you.”

“Hi?”

Samuel Smith brought a hand to his face.

“Yeah. Good evening. Or good morning, almost. It’s like an hour before dawn. What are you doing here?”

Morgan glanced at the messy kitchen counter.

“Cooking?”

“Of course.”

The man stepped into the room and closed the door.

“See, here’s the deal, Morgan. You’re a good lass. I don’t mind you being here. I just want to know why you’re here at four in the morning and why the hell you looked like a witchjust now.”

Morgan sighed.

“Right… Sorry, Mr Smith. I’ll… explain. It’s… my Relic. I can make potions but I turn into… that. I don’t really want my family to see so… I snuck out.”

“Potions? What kinds?”

“All sorts. I wanted to make a healing potion for Syl and Hannah and bring it to them tomorrow.”

She gestured with the plastic bottle holding a deep red liquid.

“That’s… it?”

Morgan nodded.

“Can I see?”

“I… yeah, sure. Here you go.”

Samuel took the plastic bottle and carefully held it up to get a closer look. Whenever the liquid shifted, soft lines would glow throughout it forming something eerily similar to a web of veins or one of those animations that showed what synapses looked from inside the brain. He held the bottle to his ear for a moment before opening it and carefully smelling the liquid.

“Ugh, smells like blood.”

“It’s supposed to restore blood and close wounds.”

“Have you tried it?”

“No. But I know it works.”

“Relic?”

She nodded.

Samuel returned the bottle.

“This is enough to heal both of them?”

“Not quite. But I got a full thermos over there.”

Mr Smith sighed.

“Right. Okay. Here’s the deal. I’m gonna keep quiet about you being here tonight. If that stuff works and heals both of them… You can keep using the kitchen here. You should probably stick to the nights. Sometimes artists meet here throughout the week to work on something. I’ll even get you your own key. Just give me a text whenever you come here so I don’t have to check every time someone calls in the middle of the night.”

Morgan closed her mouth. It took her a moment to regain her composure.

“Thank you, Mr Smith. That’s really helpful!”

“Samuel is fine. You’re trying to save my son.”

“Save is maybe going a bit far. I’ll just accelerate their healing.”

“We have a deal, then?”

“We do.”

Morgan dipped her head as they shook hands.

“Now go. I’ll clean this up. Your parents are gonna wake up soon.”

“Probably. Thanks, again. I’ll see you.”

Morgan was out on the street moments later, the thermos and plastic bottle in a grocery bag. She found her thoughts drifting back to when she was discovered. It was weird how little she reacted to being seen in her other form. Maybe part of that was that it was not her family. The thought of other people seeing her was never quite appalling but she didn’t want her ‘normal’ self associated with the wrinkled witch. It was somewhat refreshing how Mr Smith basically just ignored it after she explained that it was part of her Relic.

Morgan stopped her train of thoughts as she reached her home. The sky was still dark but it would soon start to light up. She snuck up the stairs after taking off her shoes, relying on her agility to keep as quiet as possible. Getting through the door was the toughest part with the lock clicking open. At least the hinges were well-oiled.

Stumpy waited for her on the kitchen table. He was napping but perked up when she got in. His eyes took her in and she gave him a pet behind his ears as she passed by. The three-legged cat hopped off just as she got into her room. The potion was hidden deep inside her locker and within moments, Morgan was in her bed. Before she could even start counting black sheep, she was already gone to the land of dreams.

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