Being a witch meant only one of two things. You’re either a good or a bad witch.

However, Eunji Jung, was an exception.

She was a good witch with bad powers.

When she was only five, she teleported the class bully into one of the neighboring towns. His parents scolded Eunji as if she was their flesh and blood for thirty long days.

At age nine, she scared away the fishes that resided in the river that ran through town simply because she would not allow the fishermen to have it their way.

On her thirteenth birthday, she chased away businessmen who wanted to put up a ‘party house’. With some Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo she sure showed them a real party.

Just when the townspeople thought she had run out of magic, at sixteen Eunji revealed a new trick she mastered. Though it was a branch from her main prowess, teleportation, Eunji managed to learn the art of teleporting her own self. The downfall, however, was that she had no control over where she goes. At times, she has to return home on foot. On the positive side, she could not transport far. And wherever she went, her town was always in view - besides that one time she teleported into a ditch and nearly freaked out because she could not see a darn thing.

Now twenty-four, she has matured and grown out of taking shortcuts. In other words, she preferred the long way home by walking, skipping and on special occasions...bouncing.

“Eunji!”

The lass twirled around when she heard her name called. Before she was the town’s beauty and more importantly her best friend for life, Naeun Son. Eunji released the woven basket she had been carrying as she spread out her arms, “Boyfriend!” She cried.

“Boyfriend!” the other woman squealed. With short hops, the taller ran toward Eunji. Dramatically they both met halfway with a tight and loud - very loud - super hug. “I miss you so much, boyfriend!”

Eunji was in awe, “I miss you more boyfriend!”

“I miss you the most!”

“I miss you the mostest!”

And their missing each other did not stop there.

On their way to Eunji’s home - hand in hand - Naeun beamed. “I miss you the mostest times one thousand!”

Her competitive side cannot lose, not now, “And I miss you the mostest times one thousand and one—” before their friendly act could get any farther, the sight of Eunji’s aunt silenced them immediately.

“Enough! If I could hear you two coming down the hills, there’s no doubt Mr. Kim and Ms. Peggy didn’t hear you too!”

Mr. Kim and Ms. Peggy were the mean neighbors who were not afraid to speak their mind. If they were unhappy, the whole town would feel and hear it. If they were happy, if only.

“Well if they didn’t hear us, they definitely heard you,” Eunji commented.

The short lady with a messy bun ignored her and instead snatched the basket from in-between her arm and waist. As the older took a second or two to count the items in the basket, she tossed her head up with madness in her eyes, “You’re one short. Where’s the third potato?”

Eunji chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head, “Well you see, I gave it to Mr. Ko—”

“Mr. Ko the town’s homeless again! What is my baby going to eat now that we’re short a potato?” Her aunty screamed.

Naeun’s eyes gaped from all the ears bleed she was mentally having, meanwhile Eunji sighed and tried to get through her guardian. “Aunty, your baby is twenty-five. He doesn’t even live at home anymore—”

“He comes over for supper. You knew that!”

“And he knows they’re third cousins yet he can’t stop chasing Eunji around and confessing his forbidden love for her,” Naeun whispered, only for Eunji to hear and elbowed her.

“Go back to town and fetch me that third potato! Or you won’t get rice tonight!”

The two young ladies stood their ground when the older slammed the door in their faces. Eunji heaved a sigh of relief as Naeun puffed out her cheeks and cheekily stated, “Gee I wonder who ate her bowl of sunshine this morning,” Eunji tried to hide a laugh when Naeun added, “how do you live with grouchy?”

“Don’t be too hard on her. She’s the epitome of raising four boys,”

“She only has but three sons, Eunji,”

“I know,” Eunji smiled before turning her back to the front of her home and hurrying back the direction they came from. Naeun, who finally understood her joke, giggled as she chased after the other.

Naeun stumbled a little as she tried to keep her sandals on. “Wait up boyfriend! These aren’t my running shoes!” Rather than stopping, Eunji jogged backward as she waved for her friend to pick up her pace.

• • • • •

Behind the wooden counter, an older folk who obviously lived from payday to payday, had his hands clasped together before him. His face was pointed toward the ground and even behind the fixture, he felt unsafe. Opposite of him were two young men in similar attire. Fastened over their draggy black satin renaissance tops were olive brown bonafide wool vests, and strapped over those were the men’s weapons. One handled double blades while the other was confident with a bow and arrow.

Aside from the weapons, anyone who had the pleasure - correction, displeasure - of coming across them would already know the trouble they bring. Their uniforms are rare to find and wear unless they belonged to an army group dubbed ‘Takers’.

“Pl-please spare me,” the bartender plead.

The one with the bow leaned forward and with a sinister tone, he repeated, “I said point me the direction to Escaty Valley,”

“Ne-never heard of it, s-sir,”

Suddenly the dim room got darker. And when the worker thought the day would mark his last day on earth, a voice from somewhere saved him.

“What business do you gentlemen have in Escaty Valley?”

The two males turned around. In the corner of the room, at the table that sat directly under a dead light bulb, was a man not much older than them. Somehow, as the only area without light, the man appeared dark and even dangerous. As weaponry masters too, the nameless duo noticed a curvy wooden piece in the form of a dagger resting on the table’s surface.

If it was not a sign that the customer was not to be reckoned with, then who knows what is.

“We’re on a scavenger hunt,” answered the only one who has been doing most - all - of the talking so far.

“Oh? If I may be so bold, mind sharing what it is that you’re after?” not once have the seated spared the pair a glance as he took a sip from his cup.

“Seeing that you’re bold enough to ask, you must be gall enough to know, no?”

The paying guest smirked. “I heard Takers don’t normally leave their nests. You’re a long way from home,” the male finally glanced their way, his brown pupils was a pigment away from being black, “Around these mountains, Takers are the object of scorn. The locals here won’t be of any help to you. I am familiar with Escaty but unless you show me your card, I’m afraid I am just as unhelpful,”

The duo exchange a needless verbal glance before the one with the bow submit for the both of them. “Sunflower eaters,”

• • • • •

Back in the heart of their small valley, Eunji and Naeun walked past a pigpen; except it housed boars. The owner and feeder, a boy no more than twelve, poured a batch of sunflower seeds into the steel trough. As the mammals squirmed and fight for their share, despite there being enough for all of them, Naeun tugged Eunji’s arm. “So? Have you figured it out yet? How to control where you go?”

Eunji flattened her eyes, trying to make out the species of the bird perched on a branch ahead of them. “Nope,” she answered, “but with practice, it seemed I’m able to go farther than usual,”

“By how much more? A step? Two steps? Ten?” Naeun bounced up and down a little and in a tiny voice she begged adorably, “How mannnny?”

The one being questioned shrug nonchalantly, “I never counted but possibly more than twenty?”

“Possibly?” Naeun expressed disappointment; her brows were pressed together, and her abnormally round and big eyes were now angry almonds. “How can you be as cool as a cucumber? You used to run to my window whether it was dawn or morn and tell me every little thing that happened to you. Now you won’t even spell a word about your abilities,”

The memories made Eunji smiled. Naeun has always been Eunji’s biggest fan, and Eunji was endlessly grateful that the prettiest girl in the valley admired Eunji more than anyone else. At times, Eunji was Naeun’s first priority too, regardless of what anyone said.

“Why are you ignoring me Eunji? If you won’t talk to me, I’m going somewhere else,” Naeun threatened. Quickly, Eunji stopped her as she hooked their arms together again.

“Don’t leave yet. Help me get one more potato for aunty then we’ll go outside the walls and I’ll show you what I’ve accomplished so far. Promise!”

“Pinky swear?”

Eunji wrinkled her nose as she ruffled Naeun’s hair. “Pinky swear,”

• • • • •

On boar backs, the duo patiently trailed behind the odd one on foot. Despite not having a mount, the man strode calmly down the dirt path. “When we arrive, I warn you fellas to keep your eyes off the ladies there. Particularly the valley’s finest in the name of Eunji. She’s mine,”

The male with the bow turned to his partner and scoffed a funny smirk. Then facing forward again, he asked, “Tell me kind friend, how brutal are the rumors?”

“Rumors?”

“Takers. What do the locals say about us?”

“Well, what they have been saying for decades,”

“Precisely?”

The walker hummed, “The typical. Orphans, trained to slay wild dragons with a varied set of skills. Their mounts consist of tamed boars, bears, you know, the predatory kind. However, seeing that you both are on the backs of boars, I dare say it’s hardly a rumor. Do you folks really ride bears too?”

“Sure. What else do they say?”

“Well, that your kind got your name 'Takers' from taking any sorcerer you come across—” the man stopped dead in his tracks when he realized what he had done. Once he turned around to face them, the man with the bow was dismounted and hastily knocked him out cold with one punch.

Then he popped and stretched his neck before sighing, “Outsiders. They truly are clueless,”

The other glimpsed over the unconscious body before locking gazes with , “You need more practice, Ken. He’s a man, not a snail-tailed dragon,”

His partner identified as Ken flattened his eyes a bit, “I tried to hold back but him calling us orphans irked me,”

“He’s not entirely wrong,”

Ken shook his head, “What do you know Leo? What do you know,”