THE FARMER

"What… what is this?"

"That is the rest of your answers. The answers that I am not able to give you."

Rasmodius had gone over the basics – Keepers, Vessels, wild magic – then, before Hazel was able to ask more questions, had gingerly placed the most disgusting concoction Hazel had ever seen onto the table in front of her. The drink looked like a cheap decoration from a Spirit's Eve pop-up store: comically green and nearly viscous, with neon-colored steam flying from the surface like steam from dry ice. Whatever the stuff was, it boiled in the mug despite not being actively heated.

Hazel's face crinkled in disgust. "'Answers' smells a lot like manure."

"There is no helping that, I am afraid."

Hazel brought her hand to her nose in a futile attempt to stop the stench. "And how is this… expired smoothie supposed to bring me more answers?"

"The drink is ritualistic. Once you consume it, you will fully enter your role as Vessel."

"Surely, there's another way. A better smelling way."

"Unfortunately, there is not. I…" He paused for a moment. "I wish I could tell you that you have a real choice in the matter, Hazel. Truly, I do. But you, in some way or another, have already agreed to the position. You have entered the contract; you already hold the magic of the Vessel.

"Because of this, the only agency available to you is slim and unforgiving. You have three choices: drink and accept your position, allow the decay to continue and likely rot alongside everything else, or…" He trailed off.

"Or?"

Rasmodius sighed. "You die, and the magic is inherited by someone else. However," he added quickly, "I will not be allowing that third option."

Hazel almost rolled her eyes. "That's reassuring."

"You jest, but your well-being is my responsibility."

"Right, sure." She sighed, and thumbed the outside of the cup that held the green potion. The ceramic was suspiciously warm. "So, what's gonna happen when I drink this?"

"Admittedly, I am not sure. Connor never told me. The notes from past Keepers are infuriatingly vague. The most direct indication says something regarding the essence of the forest permeating your body, though how that effect will manifest is still an unknown."

"'Permeate my body'? That's not wizard slang for turning me into a forest monster or something, right?"

Rasmodius blinked, visibly surprised and confused by the question. "No, of course not."

"And what about our predicament?"

"In what regard?"

"About me feeling your non-physical… stuff."

"My non-physical…? Oh. Oh. Yes, well. You are talking about the phenomenon which you referred to as my 'vibe', correct?"

"That's the one."

"Well," he cleared his throat. "That will be something I will have to explain to you. At another time. Later, that is. Not now." He cleared his throat again and his face reddened slightly.

"Sure, fine," Hazel sighed again. She didn't have the time to unpack all that. "Let's just get this over with." She wrapped her fingers around the warm ceramic cup with one hand, and pinched her nose with the other. "Here goes nothing, I guess."

Hazel drank the entire cup in three large gulps.

"Huh." Hazel placed the cup back on the table. "It doesn't taste as bad as it looks."

"How do you feel?"

"A little nauseous, and – " Black began to spot her vision. "Dizzy? And…"

The black began to consume her vision. The last thing Hazel saw before she lost consciousness was Rasmodius, lunging forward in a desperate attempt to catch her as she slumped off the chair.