"I can't believe I'm bothering with this," Vivi spat. She looked down at the papers in her hand, each labeled with a different and likely unique hex mark. The ink was practically fresh, they were brand new and ripe for the use. And nothing about that made Vivi feel any bit at ease. In fact, the recency of the hexes only made her certain that the man she had been hired by was simply mad. Some might call him a scientist or a revolutionary in the field, but she knew just from one glance at his sadistic little face that he was nothing more than a hound for pain. He just wanted her to test these so that he could understand what would happen, not for any real reason beyond it. It wasn't about strength or power, it was just about being in control of the fates of others. She hated that. But she hated being without funds even more, and without connections just a bit more than that. If she was going to make a name for herself, she needed a chance to gain some notoriety for herself. Without a name, well, no one would think much of her when she needed it.

"Alright let's just get this over with." Vivi wandered the streets for a while, looking for a suitable target for the first test. Eventually she managed to spot a good one. An average joe some might say, he seemed like a good candidate. A sample of just about anyone really, and what could be more perfect than that? Taking out the first slip of paper, Vivi focused on the man as she carefully read the words inscribed under her breath so as not to give away her intentions. As she spoke the final word the man ahead seemed to suddenly get very jittery. He couldn't stop fidgeting, as if something was biting at him or scratching just where he couldn't reach. As Vivi watched, his discomfort only grew until he had to leave in a haste, likely to seek shelter in his own home. A success, it would appear. That would mean a lot to her employer, which meant pay for her.

With a shrug, Vivi moved on. She dallied around the streets again, searching for another test subject. This time she chose a woman, young and full of vim and vigor. Someone who, under any normal circumstances, wouldn't have any conditions afflicting their health. Vivi hid in an alley as the woman passed by and she quickly spoke the words of the second hex. As she finished, the woman suddenly stumbled. Confused, she tried to keep walking only to discover a new limp in her left leg. Vivi, for her part, looked at the paper with a bit of confusion. The hex was supposed to remove the woman's ability to walk for a few hours, but it seemed to be only partially effective. That wasn't her problem, all she needed to do was report it.

With her two tasks done, after around an hour of work, she returned to the hole in the wall magic shop where her employer operated out of. "The first one worked fine, the second only made the target limp. Might want to work on that." She accepted her payment without further discussion, wanting to get as far away from the man as she could before he decided to hire her for more dirty work.

[583/500 Words]