Miwah put a hand on the Beacon stashed underneath her robes. "You... know about our necklaces, then?"

"As soon as I saw the one hanging on the neck of the Bahnwan, I knew exactly what you girls were. Now, mind telling me your names?"

"I am Miwah," the seamstress said.

"Tamma."

"And I'm Aurrie."

"Good. Now that we can properly address each other, we can have a real conversation." The witch returned to her spot at the other end of the table. "And you're telling me that Narrita isn't with you?"

"No way," Aurrie said. "She hates us almost as much as we hate her."

"What a shame. Purifiers are more powerful in numbers. Back in my day, every Purifier I knew would have died for each other. A few even did."

"You must not know Narrita then, ma'am," Tamma said. "She might be a contender for the nastiest person on the island! She and her gang cause nothing but trouble!"

"I see." Gertrude sat down in her chair and leaned against its back. She tilted her head down with closed eyes as she contemplated. "I will admit that she seemed a bit... rough around the edges. But perhaps she's a victim of circumstance. Forced into a life that she never would have willingly chosen."

"That doesn't excuse all of the terrible things she's done!" Tamma said. "Robbing. Extorting. Cheating. All manner of illegal activities."

"I understand. But as you can see, I have been around for a long time. Besides dark magic, I am also very good at understanding people. Something tells me that Narrita can change."

"Well, until that day comes, I think we'll keep bein' enemies," Aurrie replied with her arms crossed. "Especially after what we did to her crew."

"I know. She told me about what happened to her snake."

"Did she tell ya about the other two Cutthroats we had to put down?"

"No. Was that recent?"

"Happened earlier today."

"Ah. Then it makes sense why she wouldn't want to tag along with you. And why you wouldn't want her joining your party."

"Cutthroats only look out for themselves," Tamma said.

Gertrude rested her arms on her lap and looked at the assortment of objects on the table. "You girls are here for a Spell Stone, not to be lectured on judging others. You three may be young but seem to be levelheaded. I'll leave my opinions on the matter to myself."

"Thanks," Aurrie said genuinely. "Gettin' this Spell Stone is our top priority. Dealin' with Narrita can come later."

"Right then. I shall begin." The witch extended her arm across the table and gathered the materials with her long and boney fingers. "I suggest you pay close attention. Crafting Spell Stones is a lost art that many take for granted. You never know when you may need one."

The trio became quiet. They all leaned forward in their seats and watch closely as the witch started putting the ingredients into the bowl. With a wave of her hand, a purple mist filled the container. The black powder swirled around in the air as Gertrude elegantly maneuvered her fingers like a conductor. All three stared on in awe as all the objects twirled and spun a few feet in the air before landing back in the bowl.

"Now the components have been properly mixed, it's time to form the stone itself."

"That was quite the show you put on," Miwah said.

"Thank you. Just because I'm old, doesn't mean I know how to have a little bit of fun."

"Oh, so you were showing off, eh?" Tamma asked.

"You could say that. Simply dropping them into the bowl and giving it a decent shake would have sufficed as well," the witch said with a smirk as she moved towards her cauldron. "I'll make a few stones for you, although it most likely won't be necessary. My magic should be more than potent enough to eradicate a hive within a day. But it couldn't hurt to be too careful."

"You want us to get up and watch you?" Aurrie asked.

"Sure. There are a few more steps left. And I'm always willing to teach those that have a genuine curiosity." As the three got up from their spots on the table, the small rabbit came scurrying out from the corner. He darted towards the table, passing over Tamma's foot. The hunter let out a loud shriek as she hopped back and pressed her back against the wall. 

"What in the world is that?" Tamma said as she covered her racing heart with her hand. "Some sort of beast formed by dark magic?"

Edith came skipping out of her room and crawled underneath the table. She reemerged with the small animal resting on her shoulder. "No. His name is Mister Cuddles," the girl said as she patted the bunny's back. 

"Lass..." Tamma said with exasperation. "Do you know that Mister Cuddles... is supposed to be... resting?"

"He already napped today," Edith said as she narrowed her eyes at the hunter. "I know how to take care of Mister Cuddles!"

Gertrude put the bowl back on the table and stood over her daughter. "You'll have to excuse Edith. She's not used to seeing other people. But I assure you, Mister Cuddles is of no threat to you whatsoever."

"You sure about that, ma'am?" Tamma asked, still standing against the wall.

"Are you afraid of rabbits that you come across all throughout Farrowport?"

"Of course not."

"Then you have no need to worry about one that is missing a good portion of its flesh and muscles." Gertrude reached down and rubbed the center of the rabbit's head with a pointer finger. "Mister Cuddles is as harmless as they come."

"But doesn't it bother you that what you're doing... isn't right?"

"I've learned my lesson long ago." Gertrude her head on Edith's head and brushed her hair with her fingers. She went silent for a moment as she gave her daughter a long gaze with sorrowed eyes. "But Edith here has a natural affinity for such magic. I've told her to be careful with her abilities. But you know how inquisitive children can be. You tell them not to do something and it only makes them all the more curious."

"She hasn't tried bringin' back..." Aurrie paused her sentence. Gertrude stared back at her with a raised eyebrow as she waited for the housekeeper to finish her statement. "People, has she?"

"That's a complicated affair. The more complex the being, the more elaborate the ritual is to bring them back. Of course, Edith here would never try to wake a human from their slumber. Isn't that right?" Gertrude gave the child a few pats on her head.

"No, mother," she replied as if she had rehearsed the response countless times before.

"Good. I hope you three don't mind if Edith and Mister Cuddles join in. She always enjoys watching spells being cast. And we rarely get visitors, so I'm sure she would appreciate your company."

"I am fine with it," Miwah said. She turned to the other two. "And I am sure the others would be as well."

"Good. Go ahead and hop on your stool, Edith. That way you can watch me make a Spell Stone." The child eagerly obeyed. With Mister Cuddles still clutched tight against her chest, she climbed on the wooden box beside the cauldron. She peered down into the empty container while bouncing up and down on her toes.

"What kind of Spell Stone are you making, mother?" the girl asked.

"Just something to help our guests out with a bug problem they're having."

"I can help!" Edith said with a big smile. "Me and Mister Cuddles catch butterflies and moths all the time."

Miwah smiled back and tilted her head to the side while waving one hand at the girl. "Oh, we appreciate the offer, Edith. But these bugs are dangerous."

"Yeah, we don't want you gettin' hurt or nothin,' Aurrie added.

"Oh. All right." Dejected, Edith returned to watching Gertrude working on conjuring the Spell Stone. The old woman closed her eyes and raised both hands. She wiggled her fingers as her body faced the table with the bowl of materials. The witch lifted the contents as if with her mind; the ominous concoction swirled and looped in the air before going inside the cauldron. 

"There. Now that's done, all that's left is to cast the solidification spell," Gertrude said as she clapped her hands.

"You make it look easy," Miwah said eagerly. 

"To me it is. But it takes decades of practice to get where I am." Gertrude opened her eyes and looked at her daughter. "Edith. Go to the shelf and get me the green potion from the bottom shelf."

"Yes mother." Edith hopped from her platform and scurried to the other side of the room. She picked up a small vial with a glowing green substance and ran back to the witch. "Here you go."

"Thank you, child." Gertrude picked up the glass container and peered at it through the bottom. She gave it a twirl and tapped the side. "You three might want to brace yourselves. This stuff is very reactive."

The group of Purifiers scooted a few inches away from the cauldron but kept their eyes on the vail of green liquid. Gertrude popped the cork that kept it sealed. With the cap removed, a faint green mist escaped from the glass and soon filled the air with a nasty odor. 

"Gross!" Edith said as she pinched her nose with her fingers. The other three turned their heads away with curled noses but kept their gaze focused. With a steady hand, Gertrude tipped the vial to the side and let a couple of drops fall into the cauldron. 

"That should be enough." Gertrude stuff the cork back into the vial and took a step back. "Now here comes the magic."

Large green bubbles emerged from the top of the cauldron, popping once they ballooned to full size and releasing more of that putrid odor. The bubbles became more numerous, popping at a rapid rate. Soon the cauldron was filled to the brim with green suds and the surrounding area covered in a green mist. 

As soon as the bubbles popped, the reaction died down. The bubbling turned to a faint sizzle before going silent completely. Gertrude ran to her platform and hopped on top. She and her rabbit both looked down inside the massive bowl. "Look! It worked!" she said with excitement. 

Gertrude put on one leather glove. "Hold on, Edith. Don't touch it just yet." The witch reached into the cauldron with her protected hand. Her hand emerged with a closed fist as she moved back to the table. Her hand hovered over the smaller empty bowl before transferring the objects in her hand into the dish. "There we go." Three dark green crystals landed with a clank. All three girls leaned forward and stared at the glowing, jagged stones.

"That's it?" Aurrie said. She sniffed a couple of times and angled her head slightly away from the Spell Stones. "Chaston made it seem like makin' these things was like makin' a full-blown piece of art."

"It is art," Gertrude snapped back. "I'm a master of my craft, so it only took me a few minutes. But for the average Spell Stone maker, this specific stone would take almost an entire day to make. And even then, it wouldn't be as effective as the ones on this very table."

Tamma reached forward until Gertrude put her gloved hand over the Spell Stones. "Don't touch them just yet. They're still a bit fragile. I don't want you accidentally breaking one and filling this place up with any more of that foul stench."

"Got it," the hunter said as she sat back in her seat.

"Just to be clear, how do we use these Spell Stones?" Miwah asked. 

"Drop them. Crush them in your hand. Throw them against the wall. Do whatever it takes to break them. Once the stones are shattered, a green gas will emerge and fill the area. That scent means it's working. While the gas is unpleasant to any creature with a nose, it's lethal to insects. Nearly any bug that inhales it will die within seconds."

"That's perfect!" Aurrie said with glee. "Sounds like our Insectus problem is solved!"

"I wouldn't get too excited," Gertrude said sternly. "I have never come across that breed of monster before. Sounds to me that they're not of the same ilk as the regular ants and spiders that roam this island. I can't guarantee that these Spell Stones will have the effect you're looking for. The smaller, maggot-like creatures might succumb to the effects, but I have my reservations about what will happen to the queen."

"Great," Aurrie said with a huff. "We came all this way for a total crapshoot."

The witch shrugged her shoulders. "That's life, isn't it? One big gamble."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Aurrie said. "But I still appreciate what ya did for us. Hope I didn't come off as ungrateful."

The witch smiled. "Back when I first started as a Purifier, I too was impatient. So I understand your desire for results. It's quite the burden you've been given."

"You can say that again," Tamma replied.

"Thank you, Gertrude," Miwah said. "Hopefully this will prove to be helpful."

"I hope so too," the witch said. "For your sake. And the rest of Farrowport."