Chapter 2

"Wendy, time for breakfast!"

It's bright and early in the morning. The sun begins to peek through the blue and purple curtains into her aunt's bedroom. Several birds who have made their nest in the nearby windowsill are feeding their young as the babies are excitedly chirping for their next meal. A slight summer breeze comes into the room, making the trinkets hanging above her head sway to and fro.

It's been a few days since Wendy first arrived at her aunt's doorstep. Her aunt elected to take several days off from her responsibilities to catch up, wanting to know everything that's happened since her last visit, and sharing stories with each other.

Miranda, Wendy's catfish familiar, a sleek and soft white creature, hops onto the bed and crawls under the blankets next to Wendy, meowing in her ear. Wendy eventually sits up, her hair a bright blue mess with a bit of dried saliva hanging off her mouth. It takes a few moments to remember where she was as Miranda continues to urge her to get out of bed. Pulling her arm, her animated stuffed rabbit, Mr. Hoppington Chesterfield the 4th, finally manages to get her moving.

The trio eventually join her aunt Aurelia in the small kitchenette of her cozy little home. Various plants and books decorate the room with two sky blue arm chairs and a small wooden table in the center facing a large stone fireplace where a flame sprite can be seen happily eating small pieces of wood. Wendy plops onto a chair and sinks into the soft fabric while Miranda lies by her feet. 

As Wendy closes her eyes again, being hugged by the unnaturally comfy chair, she is trying to remember what she dreamt of last night. She can see Miranda walking along a beach with a fresh caught fish in her mouth, glimpses of shadowy figures dancing in the waves, and a storm that begins to turn the sky dark. For a moment she could swear that Miranda was speaking to her but the smell of something very delicious brings her back to reality.

"Come now Wendy, it's time to eat. I made something very special today."

Aunt Aurelia places a plate on the small table in front of her full of food she's never seen before. Blue eggs with a pleasantly sweet scent, fried meat so tender it falls apart with ease, fluffy discs with cream and syrup, various yellow and red berries, and on top of that some freshly squeezed maga juice. With each bite, the mixture of flavors flooded her cheeks and before long she had finished the entire plate as Aurelia watched with a cheeky smile. 

"Seems like you enjoyed it, I made extra if you want seconds."

After their second helping of breakfast, Wendy plops back into the armchair, watching the fire sprite eat the last of its sticks. Mr Hoppington, after placing Wendy's plate on the table, walks on over to a small basket next to the fireplace. He grabs a handful of sticks in his arms and, upon staring at the fire sprite for a moment, tosses the small bundle making the creature jump with joy.

"You know, when I was about your age, your mother and I first started going to Evermore. She was a rambunctious little girl, while I was more quiet and kept to my studies. We had a lot of adventures growing up, but after she met your father her passion for discovering the history of our world really took off. " 

Aurelia sits down, joining Wendy in watching the happy little creature enjoy its snack.

"Not long after we graduated, you came along, and I was so thrilled when I was informed I'd be able to see you all again..."

Aurelia stares down at her now shaking hands and glances up at Wendy who seems to have noticed. She clenches her fist in an attempt to stop it, placing her hands to her side.

"I'm so sorry for everything you've gone through recently. But now that you're with me, I promise you'll be safe."

'Safe, huh?' Wendy thought to herself, unsure of how to really feel about the events that transpired less than a month ago. Most people would be unable to function after having lost people they've known their whole life. They'd dwell on it, contemplating all the possible ways they might have prevented their unfortunate end. Maybe they'd even act irrationally, lashing out at those who attempt to bring some semblance of happiness to their now miserable existence. 

But not her. Maybe it was the fact that it hasn't truly set in yet that Wendy hasn't felt sadness. It would be appropriate for her to cry right now. In fact it is more than welcome to show some kind of emotion. But something about that night felt…. Odd. And that alone has made her begin to question everything. To push the needless emotions to the side for now and let it all play out for the time being.

Closing the door behind them, Aurelia leads the way toward town. Their home is situated in a far off corner of town near the entrance to the Starlight Woods. A small stony path leads to the shoreline that eventually connects to town. A small pond that is home to water sprites and small duck-fairies can be seen not too far away basking in the rays of the sun. Surrounding the home is a wide assortment of various plants, some of which Wendy recognizes from her hometown, as well as an assortment of vegetables that seem to be native to this region. Plenty of animals can be seen along the path and treeline going about their day, some of which Aurelia tosses various scraps of food to. 

The town of Evermore, being the only town situated at the furthest end of the Black Lake, is one of the first and oldest known settlements on the Riggandian continent. It is said to be the birthplace of magic, and as such, witches and wizards from around the world tend to frequent it every summer when the school is on break, making it the hub of magic from across the globe. Evermore academy is also the oldest school, priding itself in having taught some of the most famous witches and wizards in history.

Walking past the shore and onto the docks toward town, Wendy is in awe of the amount of people crowding the streets this early in the morning. Women in large fancy hats can be seen dancing in the street alongside rabbits made of smoke jumping through the air. Children are with their parents enjoying the local scenery in a nearby park and various stalls are set up along main street with bits and bobs from all over. The town gives a sense of wonder with the amount of magic flowing through the air.

"Welcome to Evermore, Wendy!"

Weaving in and out of the crowd, Wendy and her aunt, with plenty of bags in tow, have finally made it to The Majestic Owl. It is a quiet little occult store that gets its name after the eight foot stuffed owlbear in the front window. 

"Ah, Miss Aurelia, welcome back!" 

A jolly old man with peppered hair and a large braided beard walks out from behind the small counter and shakes her hand. 

"I have your order ready as requested."

"Thank you Charles, as swift as ever." 

The shop is packed to the brim with books and magical items all along the walls. Rows upon rows of shelves containing various potions, taxidermied creatures, and various artifacts form a sort of maze that might deter all but the most dedicated of customers hoping to find the perfect item. 

"Ah and you brought someone with you today." 

The large man shakes Wendy's hand with a bright smile, welcoming her to his store.

"This is my niece, Wendy. She'll be staying with me for now on, so I figured I'd show her around town. Though I will admit, I didn't think it'd be this crowded out today." 

Charles and Aurelia chat for a while as Wendy explores the store. A little girl around her age stands on a little stool stocking shelves nearby, and a well dressed young man with dark red pointed shoes sits in a corner with a cup of tea reading a bright red and green book containing letters she can barely make out. Even with the crowds of people outside, this store seems to be a quiet little getaway from it all, despite the questionable items scattered about. 

A little toy fish seems to catch the attention of Miranda as Wendy accidentally knocks several items off a shelf, running off with it into the maze that is this store. 

"Please be more careful, I just stocked these…" 

The little girl walks up to Wendy as they both begin to pick up the various items that fell. 

"Oh, I'm sorry..." 

"You're not from around here, are you?" 

Wendy looks up at the girl giving her a puzzling glare. 

"I can tell by your hair, it's very pretty, like Professor Aurelia's" 

"Professor?" 

This is the first Wendy is hearing of her aunt's work. 

"Oh, you didn't know? Professor Aurelia is the current headmistress of Evermore. Took over a few years ago. She helps teach history to the 5th years in her free time."

Her aunt mentioned the school earlier but she never imagined she would be one of the people in charge. 

"I'm Sable, by the way, a second year. And you're...Wendy right?" 

"Yup, that's -" 

The room begins to illuminate a rainbow of colors from the small crystal ball Wendy picked up. 

"Woah, cool." 

The pair are mesmerized by the swirling lights within the ball growing ever brighter and more colorful. Charles grabs the ball from Wendy and small cracks are shown all around it as the lights slowly begin to die down. He has a bit of a concerned look on his face as he examines the ball, turning it over for a few moments.

"It's never done that before…" 

He says under his breath, wrapping the ball in a black cloth he pulls out of his back pocket. Charles holds the ball in front of Sable.

"Put this in the back for now, we're closing for the day." 

"But dad, it's still -" 

Sable immediately stops when she sees the once jolly old man contort his face in anger towards his daughter. 

"I will not repeat myself." 

She quickly grabs the ball and disappears behind a pair of black curtains. Charles informs them to come back in about an hour as he hands Aurelia her order, a book wrapped neatly with a little blue bow. Miranda, being ridden by Mr Hoppington, sprints out of the store as the door begins to close, fish still in her mouth, and Charles laughs saying she could keep it free of charge.