Chapter 4

"That's right, you heard correctly, fifty percent off of your next purchase!"

It's late in the afternoon when they finally begin to leave The Majestic Owl. Thanks to their new discovery, Charles decided to give Aurelia a discount on her next purchase. It's not much, but given how often she frequents the store, it's something she is definitely going to take advantage of. Afterall, she's had her eye on one particular Bumbleman paw, which is said to grant the owner anything they desire, so long as it is honey related.

She drools at the thought of never having to pay for honey again.

"It isn't much, but this helped me when I first started learning."

Sable hands Wendy an old leather bound book as they are making their way out of the shop. 

"What is it?"

"It's nothing special, just a history book. It's pretty thick, but I'm sure it will help you understand everything a bit better."

"It's pretty heavy, are you sure?"

"Trust me, this barely scratches the surface of what you're about to get yourself into"

She gulps, struggling to hold onto the book with her little arms. Just what has she gotten herself into?

"Now Wendy, before you leave, you need to understand something very important."

Given her weak nature, she drops the book on her foot, silently screaming as Charles continues to speak.

"It is important to not go about flaunting your magic. This is all new to you, so it's best to stick to using your magic during training for the time being. You won't have complete control of your abilities for some time, so it'd be best to avoid accidentally hurting yourself or others."

This was a reasonable request. Wendy spent most of her life not knowing how to wield magic, so pretending she doesn't have it now wouldn't make much of a difference in her day to day life. However, even with such a request, who in their right mind would be able to resist the temptation of playing with something so amazing?

"And Aurelia, I advise you to keep a close eye on her growth. You were once a student here yourself, so you know what it is like having to learn it all."

Charles advises Aurelia to take the time to properly teach her some of the basics before the start of the new school year. He even offers to teach her whenever she wants after hours with Sable, to which Wendy gladly agrees. It would be nice being around people her own age who have a better grasp of all this.

"Welp, I don't think a trip to Cat Co. is going to be enough to help you control your magic. How about you take some time to explore, and we'll meet back up at The Sauced Sorcerer in about another hour. It's a great little restaurant with a bright blue roof. Can't miss it, only one in town. If you have trouble, just ask one of the students wandering around. I gotta run an errand but after that we should be done for the day." 

Aurelia hands her a small coin pouch and pats her on the head before walking off.

As Wendy was exploring the various shops, she happened upon one particular store that was giving away free samples.

"Get your Slizzard Slush here! The fantastic carbonated drink that makes you question your life choices while also providing a relaxing sensation you'll feel all day! Hey little girl, would you like a free sample!?"

The worker gave off a creepy vibe with how unnaturally happy she seemed. This town in general was very different than how she'd imagine a place full of mages to be. Which got her questioning just what exactly this store was peddling.

What was a slush? Better yet, what was a Slizzard? Their marketing was definitely questionable, but Wendy tried it anyway out of curiosity. If you asked her if it was good, she could only answer it this way:

"... eh"

But at least she knew what slush meant.

It was the way it flowed into your mouth like melted ice cream that was still ice cold

This failed at being a carbonated drink, or maybe she had a bad sample. Either way she finished the Slizzard and tossed the cup in a nearby bin.

A few stores down she notices several students in a small park playing some sort of game. There were three players on each side of a small translucent barrier. They took turns flinging spells at the ball, trying to knock it into the other team's side. One student projected a small stream of water toward the ball while another conjured a hand that smacked it out of the air, gaining their team a point.

After purchasing a funny little hat for Miranda in the shape of an anglerfish from a sweet old elf woman, she finally sits down at a nearby bench to watch the street performers dance so she can enjoy her ice cream. Their displays of movements and magical abilities are awe inspiring, and the clouds of rabbits dancing around make Miranda give chase on a few occasions before they inevitably disappear. With various people from all walks of life walking by, she is a bit surprised when a small green man with large speckled glasses and a cart full of flowers stops in front of her.

"Ello yung mizz, oy couldn elp butt noytize ow bright unt full ev lyfe youze appeas tidayz. Wif air azz blue az youzes eet remoynzez me ev onez ev my favyrite flowez" 

The man rummages through his pockets, putting on an abnormally large pair of leather gloves before turning back to his cart. The cart itself is packed with various colorful potted plants, a couple of small bottled lights, some tools, and empty pots attached to the side, as well as a few hanging decorations with pictures of some plants and animals. On the side are the words 'Gibblezez Flowuh Shop.' Well at least they got one word right.

Turning back around, the small green man hands the most beautiful blue flower to Wendy she has ever seen. Its luminous form brings about a sense of elegance that rivals many plants she's seen in the past. It's almost as if this flower was made for royalty.

"Oy ope youzez lyke er azz mush azz oy do"

"Thank you sir! It's so pretty."

The small green man takes off his sun hat and gives a little bow before walking away.

After some time, Wendy manages to find The Sauced Sorcerer. Entering the store, she is met with a friendly young man with a singular eye in the middle of his face, who brings her to a table out on the back porch where many other patrons are enjoying their meals. The bright blue hair of her Aunt Aurelia can be seen not far away and she takes a seat across from her. 

"Sooo, how was it?"

Wendy talks with her Aunt about all the wonderful things she had seen, showing her Miranda's new hat and the flower she received as well. The one eyed waiter soon arrives with their meal, accompanied by a little pseudodragon that spits its little flame over the fresh star fruit pies. Patrons clap around them and the little dragon flies around happily. Upon finishing their meal, Aurelia talks with Wendy about life in Evermore, recounting her first time moving here, falling in love with this restaurant, and even purchasing her cozy little home .

By the time they get home, it is already sunset. A couple of small green men are carrying a little table into the home while another taller one walks up to Aurelia carrying papers. 

"Everything has been finished according to your specifications, miss. Just need you to sign here."

She signs the paper and hands it back to him, along with a small pouch 

"Thank you sir, this is for your troubles"

"Ahh, no trouble at all miss, we're here to..." 

He looks inside the pouch, eyes growing wide with a look of excitement on his face. 

"Come on boys! We're eating good tonight!" 

The team of green men skip happily down the path, arm in arm toward the sunset.

"Who are they, Aunt Aurelia?" 

"Those are some movers I hired in town. They are goblinoids, native to this region. Great workers, very friendly folk."

"Oooohhhh"

Wendy places her bags on the floor, as Mr Hoppington follows right behind on her broom. She plops onto the familiar arm chair, sinking into it after a long day. 

"Don't rest just yet, I have a surprise for you."

Wendy sits up and follows her aunt into a nearby room. Once littered with books and trash, it has now transformed into a bedroom with a lovely view of the garden outside. A small nightstand rests beside a handcrafted wooden bed, with a cozy armchair in the far corner of the room. A bookshelf with an assortment of interesting titles such as 'Magic and me', 'One toad, two toad, red toad, blue toad', and some choice books on magical flora and fauna sits beside the chair. Directly across from the bookshelf in front of the window is a small desk.

"I know it's a bit plain, but you have the whole summer to decorate it just the way you like. Oh, and one last thing"

Aurelia undoes her hair, letting it fall past her shoulders. From it she pulls out a nice little seashell hairpin, placing it in her hand.

"It's not much, but I'm sure you could use this more than me".