"-up! Wake--- laz---"

"One more hour," mumbled Vera. She was back in dreamland once more.

She felt something hit her at her legs. Her eyes snapped open immediately.

"What th-"

"WAKE UP, YOU LAZY WEREWOLF! IT'S MORNING ALREADY!" shouted the old lady in front of her. The old lady grumbled angrily and walked away.

'Ouch, everything hurts.' She stretched her arms, and stood up. Crispin popped up into her thoughts.

'Damn you, Crispin. I'll make sure you'll suffer for that. I'll-' A nasty smell wafted through the air.

'Holy, it smells horrible,' thought Vera as she tried to stop herself from retching. She looked for a mirror, and saw amber eyes staring back. Her fang were sharp, too sharp. She screamed.

---

"You're awake now, huh?" grumbled the old lady. "Get your lazy ass over here."

She walked near the sink, beside the stove where the old lady was cooking a stew. 'Is this the source of that horrible smell earlier? Nasty old fart. What is her name again? Meda, the priestess, right?'

The old lady, Meda, tossed something at her. She scrambled to catch them, "Hey! At least give a warning first!"

Vera looked at the items she caught. 'Potatoes and a knife?' She looked at Meda. 'What am I supposed to do with this?'

"Peel those potatoes. I'll get them in 5 minutes."

Vera, befuddled, just stared at the priestess. She looked at the potatoes and knife, questions in her eyes.

"How am I supposed to peel this in 30 minutes, let alone in 5 minutes?"

The potatoes just stared back at her.

---

She got a few minutes of scolding from Meda for not peeling the potatoes. After a few minutes more, she got berated again, this time, for skinning too much of the potato, leaving a small one.

"How did you manage to a potato of this size," Meda made a fist, "to a size of a coin?! These potatoes are now useless, thanks to you, nincompoop!" Meda turned around to mix the foul smelling stew, leaving the peeled potatoes aside.

"Incompetent apprentice, my ass," thought Vera.

"I HEARD THAT! YOU'RE ANSWERING HUH?"

'Crap, did I say that out loud?' Meda smacked her and went on another tirade.

'This is gonna be a long, long day.'

---

After they ate the stew ('poison,' thought Vera), Meda asked her ('commanded,' corrected Vera) to prepare the medicines and salves as they their patrons and customers were going to arrive in an hour. She obeyed in fear of getting smacked again with the gigantic staff of the elder.

'What are these?' She looked through the jar, seeing weird squiggly pink objects. Curious, Vera opened the jar containing the salve. A foul smell punched her sensitive nose.

"What the hell are these horrid things!?" exclaimed Vera as the jar shattered upon contact with the ground.

"SARAH! What happened?" Meda looked at Sarah, who was clutching her nose, and the shattered glass beneath her. Meda's eyes blazed in cold fury.

"Get out." Meda pointed outside.

"What?"

"GET OUT! DON'T WAIT FOR ME TO GRAB THE STAFF AND SLAM IT ON YOUR FACE!"

Needless to say, she ran outside quickly. As she ran away, she caught a glimpse of Meda, who was kneeling beside the shattered jar.

"My treasured salamander tongues," cried Meda. "Where can I get another of you?"

'THOSE ARE SALAMANDER TONGUES?!' She failed to notice the man on her path.

"Woah, miss! Be care-"

She slammed into him with full force. They rolled and rolled until they hit a tree. She stood up, and saw the man clutching his head. Her eyes roamed around his body, checking for injuries.

'Praise God, there's nothing,' thought Vera as she watched the man gather his wits. She let out a sigh of relief and mumbled a quick apology.

"Sorry for that!" and she ran away.

---

'Should I return now?' wondered Vera as she explored the forest around their apothecary. The skies above was darkening as stars popped up one by one. She felt the cold breeze graze her uncovered forearms. 'The sun is about to set. Maybe the old fart is worried about me? I highly doubt that, though.'

Vera raised her nose to track the apothecary's unholy scent. 'Thank the heavens for this sense of smell. I would've been lost already if it not were for it.' Her nose scrunched up for a few moments, until she caught the stench of the apothecary.

'Gotcha.'

Vera chased the smell like a hound out for blood. She felt the wind resist as she raced through, but her body just tore through it. Her heart spiked as she embraced her wolf-like tendencies.

"A-"

'Did I just attempt to howl? What the hell?' Vera shook her head violently.

She never noticed the black eyes following her movements.

---

She entered the door of the apothecary. The lights from the lamps hanging lit the otherwise dark place. She heard footsteps, slowly but surely approaching her position.

"Where have you been, Sarah?" said Meda as she walked with her staff at hand. Vera looked around, then back at Meda who was staring at her.

'Who's Sarah?'

Meda stared at her. "Are you gonna stare at me all night long, Sarah?"

'Oh, crap. My name in this world is Sarah, right?'

"I'm sorry, I am just too tired," explained Vera. "I just strolled around."

"Is that so?" replied Meda. She took a deep breath, eyes showing hesitance. Her hands clutched her staff even tighter.

"Sarah," Vera closed her eyes and braced for an impact.

'Here it goes again. Hopefully, it wouldn't bruise...'

"Please forgive me for my actions earlier." Meda scurried away to their living space. Vera was confused.

'What did just happen? Did she just...' Vera stood there, dazed.

"Sarah, come here! We're going to eat!" shouted Meda. Vera shook herself out of her stupor and went to the living space. Meda pointed at the chair infront of her.

"Sit there, I've prepared your favorite food." Vera sat at where the elder pointed. As she sat, she noticed Meda raising her hands beside her head with her eyes closed. Her ears picked up some pieces of what she said.

'Is it a prayer for the god of harvest?' mused Vera as she heard Meda whisper 'Great Neva' and 'lord of all harvests.'

'Perhaps a thanks for the food?' Vera imitated her nonetheless.

They sat there quietly as they ate.

---

"Thanks for the meal," murmured Vera.

"It was nothing," said Meda. They just stood there in awkward silence. Meda cleared her throat.

"If that's all, then I'll be heading to sleep. Make sure to clean the apothecary, and wash the dishes, too."

Vera nodded, and proceeded to work.

On the doorway, Meda turned to observe her. Although Vera did not see it, Meda had a faint smile on her face.

"Mischievous child," she whispered.

---

'This is very, very tiring.'

Vera just proceeded to melt on the floor. She groaned and rolled around.

'I just want to res-'

A soft knock and a faint voice was picked up by her ears. She opened the door. She looked down at the child. His black eyes stared at her amber ones.

"Have you got any food?" said the child. "I haven't ate all day long."

Vera invited the child to come inside. She looked for food inside the cupboards, but there was nothing edible.

"There's nothing here, kid. Just... Oh," Vera remembered the potatoes she peeled earlier. "I remembered something. Just wait here."

She proceeded to search near the sink. 'Maybe it's here?'

She found the potatoes and gave it to the child.

"This ain't much, but I hope it can satisfy you," said Vera as she gave three coin-sized potatoes to the child.

The child happily munched on the potatoes. "Thanks for this, big sister!"

After devouring them, the child stood up. "I'll go now, big sister."

"Are you sure? Do you have any place to stay? You can stay here tonight if you want." Upon hearing this, the child's black eyes sparkled.

"Really?"

"Yes," replied Vera. "You can sleep on my bed if you want. I'll just sleep on the floor."

"Thanks!" The child then happily skipped to her bedroom. He forgot one thing, though.

He shyly asked her after he realized his oversight. "Umm, may I ask where your room is?"

Vera laughed at him once she realized it, too. She pointed at the door beside Meda's room.

"There."

"Thanks again!"

"No problem. I'll be heading there in a few minutes."

"Okay!"

A few minutes later, she found the child snoring softly as he hugged her pillow.

'He's so adorable,' thought Vera as she prepared to sleep on the floor.

"Good night," whispered Vera. She looked through the window, staring at the sky littered with thousands of stars.

'Good night, too, my little sister.'