Chapter 38: Better safe than sorry...

¡Ah, it was only the second day and I was already abandoned! Sascha let out a sigh and absentmindedly rubbed her still flat belly. "We have been abandoned."

The young human was speaking to the babies growing in her womb. Therefore and others, it was obvious that she did not expect to receive an answer, it was for this very reason that Sascha's soul almost escaped when a singing voice pleaded next to her ear.

"Hurrah! It's better this way! Who wants to have that tyrant around? " Bell buzzed around happily, in her mind the phrase 'for days' repeated over and over again. Finally some peace and quiet! Finally a break from the tyrannical demands of the witch! It was the intimate feelings of this pixie, who, noticing the blank and slightly surprised expression of the human, exclaimed. "What about that face?"

The pixie stopped in midair, Sascha could hear the soft buzz of her wings flapping, it was a lot like the buzz of a bee flying.

"Nothing." She murmured this when she regained her wits. Damn, she had completely forgotten about the pixie! Sascha gave her a light look and without bothering to say more she began to go about her own business. After firmly closing the Witch's door, she returned to her place. In the light of the magic lamps, she inspected the place and was surprised by the state of it, with the sole exception of the mattress, bedside table, and the bathroom was a total disaster.

It was so obvious that the witch did not supervise the pixie work that she made you want to cry just by looking.

"I was exhausted." Sascha whistled into her mouth, feeling tired just thinking about the amount of work that awaited her. The faint buzz of a pixie flying from her caught her eye and Sascha peered at Bell. Schemes swam behind those beautiful emerald eyes.

Skin suddenly bristling, the pixie drew her neck back before giving the human a wary, suspicious look.

"You-u, what-u are you looking at? Hey? What are you up to? Hmp? " he gulped, his throat suddenly dry. Bell was well aware of the dangerous way Sascha's eyes shone on him, they looked like the eyes of a wolf spotting her prey.

A slow, wicked smile curved Sascha's red lips.

It was dusk when they began and it was the many hours of the night when they finally ended. During this time Sascha worked tirelessly with the help of a very reluctant Bell to carry and move heavy objects. The poor pixie cried in her heart. Awuuu! Awuuu! Where did my precious rest go?

After removing a couple of boxes with notebooks crammed with magic formulas incomprehensible to her and that had nothing to do with her specialty, Sascha discovered the existence of a sofa. As they were of no use, the boxes were carried by a sulking Bell to the witch's cellar.

A little later, Sascha also discovered a beautiful old wooden screen, its existence was hidden under layers and layers of old curtains, half-eaten by bugs.

The fire pit in the center of the shed was thoroughly cleaned. The perimeters of this were made with bricks chiseled in stones that after being thoroughly cleaned, revealed a distinguished bluish-gray color. The pixie approached her carrying a pewter pot, which had been dug up in some corner. Bell did some water magic and wiped off its sooty surface. Once she cleaned the cauldron, it was hung from support over the pit.

Meanwhile, Sascha cleaned and organized the surface of the cluttered desk. A cloud of dust fell on her face as she shook the various volumes on it. "Coff, coff," she coughed with her nose itching and her eyes watering. Through a wet patina, Sascha read some of the titles.

Talismans, and practical effects I, II, and III.

The art of amulets I and II.

Herbalist of endemic plants of the Forest.

Herbalist of spiritual plants I, II an,d III.

And etc. Sascha's eyes widened and the curious creature inside her gloated, so what if she didn't know what the talismans or amulets were? They were owned by the witch, so naturally, they had to be something amazing, right? With this kind of thought, Sascha set aside the first volumes of each for her later study and light bedtime reading and set them aside.

She carried them to the pallet - it was her light reading to sleep - when the sound of crumpled paper crunched under the soles of her feet. She paused, discovering their existence.

Sascha's eyebrows arched as she picked up the chips. The feel of the paper was strange, smooth, and elastic, it felt different from the usual paper. Drawn by the sudden silence, Bell flew to her and slowly took a seat on her shoulder.

"They are made with fibers from magical plants." The pixie said, sensing the reason behind Sascha's puzzled expression. "That is why the texture is different."

"Why?"

"Can't you tell just by looking at them?" At her blank look, the pixie ruminated. "Sigils need magic cores to work. The talismans are just canvases made of paper, if it were not for the mana infusing the fibers, do you think the glyphs could be activated? "

A light went on in Sascha's head and understanding filled her eyes. "You mean they are magic tools?"

The pixie nodded seriously.

Sascha carefully studied the small paper rectangles between her fingers, reading the arcane glyphs written on their surfaces. In her mind's eye, Sascha saw the mana streams glistening on the paper. Instantly a doubtful look appeared in her eyes. "Are they effective?"

In her eyes the rectangles were no more than three by four inches, so ... how good could they be?

The pixie let out an exasperated 'hump' before saying nothing more. "Activate one and see for yourself!"

Sascha's heartbeat with sudden excitement and curiosity. She first put the books on the pallet and the rest of the talismans, taking a random one, which she had not even checked. Which Sascha would regret later.

She slipped a wisp of her mana onto the talisman and ...

"Wuaa! Wait, that's ...! " Too late, the little pixie's protesting voice came a second too late. Because with a sudden flash the talisman just shone to life.

'Puff' an explosion thundered, instantly thick dark smoke filled the shed. Eyes crying and noses itching, both the pixie and the human fled outside.

Coff ... coff ... "Mad human, couldn't you read the glyph earlier? That was a damn spicy smoke bomb. " The pixie choked several times, but still he made sure to curse the silly human.

Sascha didn't answer her, with a grimace she managed to flee to the pond, where she made sure to wash all the tear gas from her body. Still, it took a while for both the human and the pixie to feel comfortable again. On the other hand, the fox and the pixies prowling the vicinity were having a pleasant time.

They did not return to the shed until all the smoke was gone, and once they returned, Sascha Bell's urging ended up using various arcana of water and wind to ventilate and clean the place.

Better safe than sorry, right?