Serene Illusions CHAPTER 1

Tabika's head was bent low as she worked, mixing multicolored liquids between jars. Her slightly curled, mousy brown hair fell in waves down her slim back. Her jade green eyes gave a small twinkle of excitement as she selected a small stirring rod from the old canister beside her, mixing the watery ingredients into a sludgy brown solution in a cup.

A sudden gust of cold wind forced the canister over, spilling the solution and soaking the parchment that Tabika was scribbling the steps onto. In a haste, she yanked the information out of the way before the sogginess spread to her chicken-scratch handwriting.

She let out a small sigh, realizing that she would have to rewrite the steps. She looked towards the open window and gave a foul glare to it. A small 'mow' followed by a purring noise came from just below it, where a small black cat sat, his tail swishing. Tabika knew that the cat had pushed through an opening in the frame, in turn opening the window. She gave the furry creature a glare that would put any strict instructor's to shame.

The cat replied with a small purr and an apologetic rub on the arm as Tabika leaned to shut the window. She yawned and gave his head a small pa. The purr grew louder as she grabbed a washrag and went to wipe up the spilled potion. "I know you didn't mean to Cala…hey, stop that." She looked over to see the kitten rubbing his face against a glass bottle affectionately.

Cala merely yawned, stretched, and scratched a white tuft of fur under his chin. Tabika smiled and picked him up, cradling him with one arm and grazing his stomach with the other. A cold wind blew and ruffled her hair. She knew that she had shut it just a minute ago and the kitten had stayed within her sight the entire time. She set the cat down and shuffled silently towards the window. She then leaned out just in time to spot a mass of unruly, short, black hair running towards the forest.