Miwah tossed and turned. Sunlight poked through the window, casting a beam of brightness directly on her face. The seamstress squinched her eyes tighter as the rays continued to focus on her skin, creating a hot and tingling sensation. The discomfort became too much, making Miwah jump straight up from the bed. The blanket she had draped over her body slipped to the ground. She kept her eyes closed and rubbed out the bit of sleep that still remained with the palm of her hands. 

As she sat up straight, she heard chatter. Tamma's voice was obvious. But a familiar voice accompanied her in conversation. A soft and squeaky voice. Miwah turned her head to the side of the room, her eyes squinting and her hair astray. 

"Look who's finally up!" Tamma said with a wide smile. She sat crisscross on the floor and waved at Miwah. Floating in front of her just a foot away was Yalch, who also greeted the seamstress with a gentle wave of both of his hands. 

"Good morning, Miwah!" Yalch said as he floated towards the seamstress. She still had a look of weariness as her gaze shifted between the ghost and Tamma. "How was your rest?"

"Fine. I should be asking you the same thing."

Yalch chuckled. "Oh! It was pleasant. Got some well-deserved shut eye!"

Miwah nodded slowly. "That is good to hear. How long have you been up?"

The ghost turned to Tamma. "How long do you think we've been talking for?" he asked. 

"Maybe half an hour. Forty-five minutes," she replied.

"I see," Miwah said. "So... if you have been talking with Tamma... does that mean..." The seamstress spoke slowly, trying to convey her thought without being too direct. 

"Oh!" Yalch jumped upwards, startled upon realizing what Miwah was hinting at. "You're right! That does mean she has Potential!" He smiled again as he put his hands together and shook his entire body giddily. "Give her a Beacon, Miwah!"

The seamstress tilted her head downwards and nervously twiddled her fingers. "About that..."

"Is everything fine?" Yalch asked, his smile turning into an expression of concern. "Nothing happened to those Beacons, right?"

"Well..."

"Miwah!" The ghost became horrified. "Do you know how rare those necklaces are?"

"No!" Miwah shot back. "I still know barely anything about being a Purifier! You took a nap when I needed you most!"

"But I would cease to exist if I didn't rest! Then who would guide you on the ins and outs of being a Purifier?"

Miwah sighed. "I apologize for the outburst. I am just... frustrated."

The ghost floated next to the seamstress, letting his hand slip through her shoulder as he imitated a series of patting motions. "I know, I know. I think anybody would be if they were in your situation. But I need some details if you want my help! What happened while I was resting?"

"I... I lost the rest of the Beacons."

Yalch positioned himself in front of Miwah's face. He placed his hands over his mouth while his large round eyes stared at the woman in shock. "Oh no..."

"She didn't lose them," Tamma said as she stood up. "They were stolen."

"That's even worse! Do you know how much power is in each one of those things? And now you're saying someone took the remaining three?"

"Yes. I thought I would be able to activate my Purifier abilities to deter them, but nothing happened once I pressed the jewel against my heart."

"That's because it takes a while for your Purifier form to recharge. But that fight with those bad guys on the boat was long before I took a rest. You should have been able to transform unless you activated your powers sometime before your encounter with the thieves."

"That's exactly what happened," Tamma said. "I found Miwah in the middle of one of the island's forests and we were attacked by an angry animal. She did that... light thing and managed to slay it. We went back into town and we were stopped by some gang members."

"How rude!" Yalch interjected.

"A woman took them," Miwah replied. "We were then surrounded by the rest of her crew. I followed the instructions that you gave me but nothing happened. She made me hand over the Beacons after threatening Lug."

"Lug?" Yalch asked.

"My brillick!" Tamma replied, pointing at the dormant animal prone on the ground. 

"Oh. He looks friendly."

"He is," Tamma replied while smiling.

"Why would anyone want to hurt him?"

"Narrita, the leader of that gang of crooks, noticed the necklaces while we were sorting through my wares for the market. She's more than willing to use violence to get what she wants."

"That's terrible!"

"Tell me about it,” Tamma said.

"What do you suggest we do, Yalch?" Miwah asked. 

"We get them back!" Yalch replied, punching an open palm with his other hand. "Beacons are rare. And they're definitely not something that you'd want getting in the hands of someone with nefarious intentions."

"Are you saying we take them by force?"

"Or steal them back! As long as they're in our possession, it doesn't matter how you get them."

Tamma took one finger and poked straight through Yalch's back. "That's quite an aggressive plan for a someone that looks so cuddly."

"That's because it's my job to make sure that Purifiers do the best they can when it comes to dealing with the evil of this world! I'm not here to make friends, although that is a nice bonus that comes with my line of work." Yalch turned around and scanned the hunter from the bottom up. "Besides, don't you want to be able to do the same thing that Miwah can?"

"Wait." Tamma blinked twice with an agape jaw. "Are you talking about that light... transformation thing?"

Yalch nodded his body up and down quickly. "Uh-huh."

The hunter then turned towards Miwah. "We're getting those necklaces back."

"I like you already!" Yalch said.

"We?" Miwah repeated back to Tamma. "You want to try and take the Beacons back along with Yalch and I?"

"Normally I'd just call it a loss. Dealing with the Cutthroats is rarely worth the effort. But now there's a lot more on the line." Tamma pointed to herself with her thumb. "Namely, me getting a powerful Purifier form."

"And they could be used for great evil if they slip into the wrong hands!" the ghost blurted out.

"That's important too, I guess."

Miwah turned her body to the side and let her feet drop to the ground. "It is great that we have a team. But we have no idea where the Cutthroats are. Let alone if the necklaces are even still in their possession. It would not surprise me if Narrita has already sold them off to someone else."

Tamma shook her head. "You've got it all wrong. I know a bit about the Cutthroats. They rob the poor and scam the rich. Narrita knows what she stole is worth a decent bit of coin. She's planning on maximizing profits. I can almost guarantee she has them on her while she goes around looking for some wealthy sea trader to show them of to in an attempt to bamboozle them."

"Do you know where we can find them?” Miwah inquired.

"Yep. I've got a couple of ideas where they could be. They've got to spend all of that ill-gotten money somewhere."

"So we have a plan then!" Yalch exclaimed as he spread his arms apart. 

"Not quite a plan," Miwah responded in a low voice. "Perhaps the basis for one, but it is not what I would call a coherent 'plan.'"

"What do you think then, Miwah? You're the one that's most powerful here," Tamma said. "Or at least that's what I assume. Yalch here seems to go through everything, and everything goes through him!"

"That's true," the ghost said, letting his arms droop down in front of him as he frowned. "Only those with Potential can talk to me. It can be a lonely existence when I'm not working with any Purifiers."

"Got any spells or powers?" the hunter asked. 

With his head hung low, he shook form side to side. "Just Insight, really."

"So nothing that could be useful in a fight."

"Nope."

"But you can go through walls!" Miwah said in realization. "And you are essentially invisible! That means you can be a scout."

"Oh... that's right." Yalch tapped his perfectly round chin. "We could use that to our advantage."

"Have Yalch sneak in, get some surveillance done and report back the details. I think that's a solid plan," Tamma replied. "From there we can figure out whether or not we've got a shot of overwhelming them. And if Miwah can manage to save her Transformation for the proper time, I think she could easily fend off against multiple Cutthroats."

"I think so too," Yalch said. "I've seen her in action before. She got the hang of it the moment she transformed!"

"And that was against the Ghenka Clan. The Cutthroats are nothing compared to those brutes!" the hunter added.

"What about you, Tamma? What will you be doing?"

"I could provide back-up. Keep an arrow drawn. I'll try not fire it, but if things get dangerous, I might have to."

"And what if they go all out against you, Tamma?" Miwah said as she looked at the hunter with a glare of worry. "I may not be able to properly defend you. I am still new to using this Purifier form."

The hunter smiled with confidence. "You underestimate me, Miwah. An important about being a hunter is knowing when to strike."