1 The Warlock

Carbonated drink.

They come in a variety of brands and flavors, earning the favor of many.

"Mama! I want to try this one this time!"

People of Dewtown treat carbonated drinks as their main source of hydration, adults and children alike.

Deep in the woods, Gravius was doing his usual experiments. He mixed different kinds of carbonated drinks into various pots of his to make potions. Some good potions for healing and some contain a little bit of poison for young women who need them while going outdoors at night.

Knock! Knock!

"Um, excuse me? I was told a prodigy lived in this place...?"

Prodigy.

He has been called that ever since his mother spread the news of an anti-aging potion he made. Although that was centuries ago, Gravius still remembered it clearly like it was yesterday.

"Gravius here, at your service," the prodigy in question responded. His pair of ruby eyes met the customer's gaze, causing her to recoil. That silver waist-length hair of his matched the description of a famous magician recorded in history books and the customer didn't need to hesitate before talking.

After fulfilling his customer's request, Gravius sent her off with a smile and resumed where he left off earlier.

Gravius had just discovered a way to turn non-living things into humans.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

With a swipe of his finger, a book from one of his shelves floated and came to his side. It was a recipe book the warlock had kept since he was younger when his magic first manifested.

"Hmm..." A hum escaped Gravius' lips as he picked up a pen from his working table. "I can just add another ingredient into this recipe and mix in another random carbonated drink again," he scribbled some words on the pages while mumbling some thoughts to himself.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

He swung his hand in the air again. Necessary ingredients were poured into the mixing pot on his will. He then cast a spell into the pot and everything was ready in no time.

"Next up is the carbonated drink and we're finished!"

Gravius looked around the shelves and tables, trying to see if he could find any carbonated drink he hadn't tried before. His eyes shifted from one shelf to another until they landed on an unopened bottle.

"Aha!" He took out the bottle that had been covered in dust. It has been kept nicely in the depths of his shelves for years.

With a single blow from his mouth, the clouds of dust disappeared into thin air, revealing an abandoned bottle of carbonated drink. He tilted his head in question, wondering how he had missed out on one when he had even used the same one twice before.

Examining the packaging of the said bottle, Gravius finally found out the reason behind it being abandoned—it was a brand he didn't like because he thought the name sounded lame, Awwi.

To him, it sounded more like the cry of a baby when it's feeling uncomfortable rather than a name of a brand. He clicked his tongue and opened the lid reluctantly. A decision has been made in the warlock's heart as he brought the bottle to his mixing pot: that he will never get a drink he doesn't like, ever.

It's just a waste of money.

Gravius used a scoop to scoop a small portion of his potion mixture into a small bowl as a tester. He was supposed to pour a small amount of the Awwi carbonated drink in his hand but instead, he accidentally did it the other way round.

There goes the warlock's clumsiness that causes nothing but trouble.

He stared at the liquid as it mixed into the translucent bottle, trying to think of a way to undo his actions.

"If only I made an undo potion..." Gravius muttered to himself.

While he was regretting the actions his clumsiness caused, a bright light shone from the carbonated drink. Gravius squinted his eyes at the shining bottle while trying to figure out what had just happened.

For all these years, never once had he ever thought of his clumsiness as a burden. Or perhaps he had that thought because his clients never seemed to complain when he requested help from them. But after witnessing this unfateful event, oh how the warlock regretted being so clumsy.

Gravius used his hands to help himself up from the floor, patting the back of his robe for any dirt that might have stuck on it.

Clap!

He clasped his hands together and summoned a gust of wind, attempting to keep the blinding light away. As expected, it was no use.

"Wait, can wind even blow light? What a dumb move I've done."

Snap!

This time, he snapped his fingers and his eyes were finally free. He crawled towards the direction where the light previously was. It was a good thing but what's even better to him was that the carbonated drink he despised so much had disappeared too.

"Hooray! No more Awwi!" Gravius couldn't help but cheer.

He jumped in joy and grabbed another bottle from his carbonated drinks collection shelf. He brought it to his mixing pot, wanting to test out his recipe for real, but that was when he realized he messed up.

The bowl was empty, leaving not a single drop of the potion he made left.

"Did I just waste a bowl of my potion?"

Gravius scratched his head in frustration. Now that his precious ingredients have gone to waste on a crappy carbonated drink with a lame name that he despised so much, he couldn't help but let out a grunt in annoyance.

It should be near the time for his clients' arrival but he didn't even bother looking at the clock. They were just on the other side of the door, ready to get a refill of potions from the person who they referred to as a prodigy, when they heard the sound of clatterings from the inside.

"Master Gravius!"