top of page
  • TikTok
  • Facebook
Copy of Copy of Copy of A Potion.png

Chapter one
of
A Potion of 
Puzzles and Predicaments

I took a deep breath, clutching my thesis proposal to my chest as I strode through the hallowed halls of the Skyshroud Academy for Alchemical Arts and Enchanted Endeavors. This was it, the moment I'd been preparing for since the day my father conjured me into existence with a powerful potion and a pinch of pixie magic.

I glanced at the grandfather clock ticking away in the corner, its pendulum swinging in perfect time with my footsteps. Precisely on schedule, as always. I may be part-pixie, but punctuality is my superpower.

As I made my way towards Professor Periwinkle's office, I couldn't help but reflect on the journey that had brought me to this moment. Being the product of an unconventional magical union had its challenges, but it also gifted me with an insatiable curiosity and a natural affinity for alchemy. From the moment I could reach the workbench, I'd been mixing potions and unraveling the mysteries of the elemental world.

I paused outside the professor's door, taking a moment to straighten my robes and ensure that my short green hair was tucked neatly behind my pointed ears. First impressions were everything, and I wanted to project an air of confidence and competence, despite my diminutive stature.

I knocked twice, the sound echoing through the corridor like a pair of well-timed hiccups. The door swung open, revealing the venerable alchemist hunched over his desk, his nose buried in an ancient tome that looked like it had been sneezed on by a dragon with a pollen allergy.

"Ah, Ivy!" he exclaimed, looking up from the book with a twinkle in his eye. "Right on time, as usual. Come in, my dear! I've been eagerly awaiting your thesis proposal."

I stepped into the cluttered office, dodging precariously stacked piles of scrolls and narrowly avoiding a collision with a potted plant that seemed to be engaged in a lively debate with a nearby coat rack.

 

"Professor Periwinkle," I began, handing him my meticulously prepared proposal, "I present to you my thesis potion: The Elixir of Elemental Harmony. A concoction so powerful, so complex, that it requires ingredients from the farthest reaches of Prismania."

The professor's eyebrows shot up like a pair of startled caterpillars. "The Elixir of Elemental Harmony? Why, that's a most ambitious undertaking! The ingredients alone are nearly impossible to obtain. The Whisker of a Sneezing Dragon, the Giggle-Inducing Fungus, the Tears of a Clown Fish mid-pratfall... Are you certain you're prepared for such a challenge?"

I drew myself up to my full height, which admittedly wasn't much, but what I lacked in stature, I made up for in sheer determination. "Professor, I've spent countless hours in the library, poring over every tome and scroll related to this potion. I've practiced the brewing process until I could do it blindfolded, with one hand tied behind my back, while reciting the entire periodic table of magical elements. I am ready."

Professor Periwinkle stroked his beard thoughtfully, accidentally dislodging a quill that had taken up residence there. "I don't doubt your dedication, Ivy. Your work ethic and passion for potions have always been exemplary. Why, I still remember the time you accidentally brewed a Laughter-Inducing Libation in your first year and had the entire academy in stitches for a week!"

I felt my cheeks flush at the memory. It was true, I had always been an overachiever when it came to alchemy. But this quest was different. This was my chance to prove to everyone, including myself, that I was more than just a bookish prodigy with a knack for brewing.

"But gathering these ingredients will require you to venture far beyond the safety of the academy," the professor continued, his expression turning serious. "It will be a quest fraught with danger, whimsy, and the occasional encounter with sentient shrubbery. Are you prepared for that?"

I met his gaze with a steely resolve that would have made a cockatrice blink. "Professor, I may be small, and I may be part-pixie, but I am 100% ready to prove myself. I've got a traveling potion-making kit, a pocket guide to magical flora and fauna, and a heart full of determination. I won't let you down."

The professor sighed, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Very well, Ivy. I hereby grant you permission to undertake this quest. But on one condition: you must take one of the academy's loaner familiars with you. A little extra guidance never hurt anyone, especially when faced with the unpredictable wilds of Prismania."

I bit back a groan. A loaner familiar? Really? Those creatures were notorious for their questionable advice and propensity for breaking into song at the most inopportune moments. But I knew better than to argue with Professor Periwinkle when he got that twinkle in his eye.

"Of course, Professor. I'll head over to the familiar center right away and select a suitable companion for my quest."

 

With a final nod and a flourish of my cape (because every self-respecting alchemist needs a good cape), I left the professor's office, barely containing my excitement. I was really doing this! I was going on a quest to gather the most rare and powerful potion ingredients in all the land!

As soon as the door closed behind me, I let out a squeal of joy, leaping into the air with a pixie-powered pirouette. I rummaged through my satchel, pulling out my trusty traveling potion-making kit. The sleek, leather-bound case was emblazoned with my initials and packed with all the essentials: vials, beakers, a collapsible cauldron, and a handy guide to brewing potions on the go.

I hugged the kit to my chest, grinning like a fool. This was really happening! I was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, and nothing could dampen my spirits...

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ivy the Pint-Sized Pixie."

...except maybe running into my infuriating rival, Rogue.

I spun around, coming face-to-chest with the bane of my academic existence. Rogue towered over me, his blue hair artfully tousled and his almond-shaped eyes glinting with their usual mix of mischief and superiority.

"Hello, Rogue," I said through gritted teeth, refusing to crane my neck to meet his gaze. "Shouldn't you be off somewhere, I don't know, stroking your own ego or charming unsuspecting potions into doing your bidding?"

He smirked, leaning against the wall in a way that managed to be both infuriating and unfairly attractive. "Clever as always, Ivy. But no, I'm actually here on important business. Some of us have actual quests to undertake, you know. Real alchemist stuff."

I bristled, my fingers tightening around my potion kit. "Oh, is that so? Well, I'll have you know that I just got approval to go on a quest of my own. A quest to gather the rarest, most powerful potion ingredients in all of Prismania. For my thesis project, which is going to revolutionize the field of elemental alchemy, thank you very much."

Rogue's eyebrows shot up, his smirk faltering for just a moment. "Is that so? Well, color me impressed. I didn't think you had it in you to venture beyond the library stacks. Guess there's more to you than just being a walking, talking potions textbook."

I felt a surge of indignation rise up within me. How dare he underestimate me like that? I'd show him. I'd show everyone. 

"Listen here, you overgrown excuse for an alchemist," I snapped, jabbing a finger into his (annoyingly firm) chest. "I am more than capable of handling myself on this quest. I've got skills, knowledge, and a whole lot of pixie-powered determination. So you can take your patronizing attitude and shove it up your alchemical apparatus!"

For a moment, Rogue looked taken aback, his eyes widening at my uncharacteristic outburst. But then, infuriatingly, his smirk returned, wider than ever.

“Ooh, kitty's got claws!" he purred, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, Tiny. I'm just messing with you. Honestly, I think it's great that you're going on this quest. It takes guts to venture out into the unknown like that."

I blinked, thrown off balance by his sudden change in tone. Was that...a compliment? From Rogue, of all people?

"Oh," I said eloquently, feeling my anger deflate like a punctured balloon. "Um...thanks?"

Rogue chuckled, pushing off the wall and sauntering past me with an infuriating air of nonchalance. "Don't mention it, Pixie Dust. Just try not to get yourself turned into toad slime or anything out there. I'd hate to lose my favorite academic rival."

And with that, he disappeared around the corner, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open like a suffocating fish.

The nerve of that guy! One minute he was insulting me, the next he was almost being nice? It was enough to give a girl whiplash.

I shook my head, trying to clear the confusing thoughts from my mind. I didn't have time to dwell on Rogue and his mixed signals. I had a loaner familiar to acquire and a quest to begin. The Elixir of Elemental Harmony wasn't going to brew itself, after all.

With a determined set to my shoulders, I marched off towards the familiar center, my mind already racing with plans and possibilities. This was my chance to prove myself, to show everyone what Ivy Pixiebloom was truly made of. And I wasn't going to let anything, or anyone, stand in my way.

 

As I walked, I couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in my chest. Sure, I was nervous about venturing out into the great unknown, but I was also exhilarated by the prospect of adventure. All my life, I'd been the odd one out – the half-pixie, half-potion prodigy who never quite fit in. But now, I had the chance to forge my own path, to make a name for myself beyond the walls of the academy.

And who knows? Maybe by the end of this quest, I'd have more than just rare potion ingredients to show for my efforts. Maybe I'd have a newfound confidence, a sense of belonging, and the satisfaction of knowing that I'd achieved something truly extraordinary.

But first, I needed a familiar. And not just any familiar – I needed a companion who could keep up with my quick wit, my insatiable curiosity, and my tendency to attract trouble like a magnet attracts iron filings.

Luckily, I had a feeling that the perfect partner was waiting for me just around the corner. After all, if there was one thing I'd learned in my years at the Skyshroud Academy, it was that the universe had a funny way of providing exactly what you needed, exactly when you needed it.

 

Even if what you needed was a sarcastic, singing, slightly deranged magical creature with a penchant for getting you into (and out of) the most ridiculous situations imaginable.

But hey, that was just part of the adventure, right?

With a spring in my step and a glint of determination in my eye, I pushed open the doors to the familiar center, ready to meet my destiny head-on.

Watch out, Prismania. Ivy Pixiebloom is on the case, and she's about to show the world what a half-pixie, half-potion prodigy can really do!

© 2023 by E.East Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page