Calm before the storm

Chapter 1

In the middle of a small clearing a Young man was humming quietly to himself as he reached down to pluck a brightly coloured flower from one of the plants many stems in between his fingers, It was a happy and lilting tune that carried in the breeze and still loud enough that some of the many birds that passed over head attempted to mimic it with their soft chirps and delicate whistles- the mixture of sounds only echoing the beauty that came from it's original source.

"Thank you." Jimin murmured gratefully to the plant as he gently placed the flower down in his woven basket atop the mixture of other green herbs and colourful flowers available in the woods along with a separate bag he used specifically for the slimy tuber's that grew along the grassy bank, the damp soil and clear crystal like water from the stream providing the perfect habitat for them.

Jimin smiled as the small plant waved one of it's luscious green leaves at him in acknowledgement and turned around to exit the small clearing through a gap in the tall tree's that surrounded it. Once free of the clearing Jimin walked over the trail in the over growth made from his footsteps until he reached the gravel path that would lead him home.

As he followed the path he tipped his head back to stare at the clear blue sky above him where not a single cloud was within sight. The heat was merciless, almost scorching and sent beads of sweat rolling down his neck and back but it was to be expected since it was summer, however that didn't mean that Jimin was use to the humidity and the tree's were providing little shelter from the sun.

It took him around ten minutes of walking in the sweltering heat to finally arrive at the wooden cabin that was at the end of the path. Unlatching the gate to the garden and closing it behind him he wandered up to the front door and entered the house, letting out a loud sigh of relief when the wave of cold air washed over him like he had been submerged into a large body of water.

Once the door was shut behind him the hallway was plunged into darkness, the curtains he had pulled together firmly before he left for the forest not letting in a single beam of daylight. Jimin fumbled with the basket in his hands as he wracked his brain for the words he seeked, the heat seeming to have depleted his usually instinctive memory despite knowing he need not say anything for it was his mother who had insisted he use the spells, and finally muttered uncertainly. "Ignis"

He hummed to himself in satisfaction when wicks several candles lining the walls burst into flames, the soft light filling the darkness, and strode into the kitchen of his small cabin, he had refrained from closing the curtain's in the kitchen since the plants that lived on the windowsills required the daylight to survive. Placing down the basket on one of the wooden counter's, Jimin immediately began pulling labelled glass jars down from shelves so the different plant's, flower's and herbs he had gathered could be organised and returned to the appropriate shelf.

Having completed his final mandatory task for the day Jimin quietly padded over to a large bookshelf that resided in the sitting room and slowly skimmed over the multiple book's with his finger until he found the one he was searching for. He reached forwards and pulled the book out from the shelf, almost dropping it on his foot after forgetting how heavy the thing was. With the uttermost effort Jimin hauled the book over to the small piled of fur's he used as a chair and flopped down on them, dragging the book onto his lap as he did.

He blew the thick layer of dust off the top of the thick leather binding and flicked through the yellow and aged pages within, stopping at a specific page and murmuring softly. "Aha!" For he had come across the page that held the instructions on how to create a calming potion. It was a basic recipe, one of the most basic recipes that Jimin had ever had to use but as he scanned down the list of ingredients he frowned to himself, he was running low on a few of the necessary ingredients for the potion.