In the deep forests outside the walls of the great city of Gravel Crossing stood a new house. A large manor, one could comfortably call it a small palace, that seemed to have come out of nowhere one day, like it had sprouted from the forest floor itself. It was, in fact, conjured up by magic.

It was the new abode of Aliva the archwitch, who had moved here so that she might acquire exotic compounds and rare materials for her studies and experimentations from the city's famous markets, while maintaining enough distance from the city so that no one would bother her.

The cityfolk, however, had already managed to anger her.

And she was fuming. Furious. Livid.

Within days of Aliva settling in to her new home, she'd ventured into the city, and found out that the local Adventurers' Guild had posted a bill that labelled her as a potential threat, requesting it's members to investigate.

Who did they think they are? Do they have any idea who they're dealing with?!

Aliva paced up and down in her study, the clacking of her heels on the hardwood floor the only sound resounding through the room.

If I had decided to be a 'threat', I would've razed this place in an instant! And none of those incompetent mooks could hope to stop me!

Increasingly frustrated, the flames fanned by her own increasingly judgemental thoughts, Aliva tried to snap herself out of it, trying to channel her anger more constructively.

A letter! A strongly worded letter! I'll settle this in a properly civilized manner.

Taking a deep breath, Aliva walked over to her desk, conjuring up some parchment and writing implements out of thin air.

Before she could put down the first word on the sheet, she was disturbed by footsteps.

Oh, and there it is! Helldamned trespassers!

Softly chanting, she marched towards the sound, the sound of her own swiftly footsteps silenced by her magic, as she moved towards the sounds of the intruder, building up tendrils of black smog in her hands as she prepared to cast a curse.

Here, around the corner.

Aliva spun around the wall, "Emarcesco!" she chanted, and the hallway in front of her filled with the black smog and a pale violet light.

"Well then, let's see what we have here." Aliva said, a little calmer by means of catharsis, slowly squatting down to get a better look at whomever she just shrunk as the smog and light faded.

On the floor stood the shrunken form of -