"Alright then, we've got a majority of our shopping done so far today. There's only a few items left on the list. You still need a cauldron, a wand, and some robes." 

"Where would we find wands?" 

"Ah, well the local Cat Co. store of course. But we'll save that one for last." 

"Cat Co.? What's that?" 

Cat Co. is the leading manufacturer of catalysts for the past several hundred years, growing in popularity in recent times with the inclusion of mix and match customization as well as custom orders. 

These days, normal witches and wizards have the standard collapsible wands, a form of catalyst that harnesses the magical energy of the world made specifically for practicing a variety of magic, while many others use catalysts for day to day things from transportation to carrying their groceries. 

While checking out some of the local vendors' food stalls, the crowd parted ways for a group of people in dark red and yellow armor with large weapons on their backs. Three children follow right behind them, all wearing dark red and yellow cloaks, carrying bags full of supplies. Something about them makes Wendy shiver as the children look miserable and sleep deprived. One particular girl with bright fiery red hair and glasses seems to have the worst of it. Her poor posture, and heavy eyes alone could tell more stories than she could imagine.

"Those are the elite mages of house knightstar" 

Thinking back, Wendy vaguely recalls reading about house knightstar from one of her aunts books, but fell asleep soon after.

"People around here give them the utmost respect as they are one of the five houses responsible for protecting the realm. It's thanks to house knightstar that we've been at peace for over one hundred years."

Aurelia and Wendy sit down for lunch at Cafe de la Cafe, an overtly luxurious Cafe that supposedly specializes in hot yet sweet beverages that tickle your nostrils, and freshly crafted sandwiches that seem very visually appealing. In reality they are in fact so bland and hard it's a wonder how they're still in business. Oh, and the drinks? Lukewarm at best and reek of fish. Maybe it's the absurd name of the restaurant or its locale that allows it to get away with charging an exorbitant amount of coin on the most basic of meals. Or maybe it's the fact that it opens only during the peak hours of the summer that somehow allows it to stay in business every year. Either way, the meal was average at best, and the drink was about as bland as the food.

After purchasing a cauldron from a shady back alley dealer with a single eye and several gold teeth, as well as getting fitted for some new robes by an old woman with rancid breath, it was about time to head back to the Majestic Owl. Arriving at the storefront with the windows having all been covered, Aurelia knocks three times. Almost immediately Charles opens the door and welcomes everyone inside. 

Making their way toward the back end of the store, the once maze-like area has now been mostly cleared with shelves packed against the walls. With a snap of his fingers, the area becomes slightly illuminated, and from behind the curtain comes Sable carrying a rather large crystal ball fitted with bands of spiked metal holding it in place. She carefully places it on the table before eventually taking her seat.

"Ladies, please, sit." 

"What's this about Charles, you seemed concerned earlier"

Charles walks over and takes the seat across from Wendy with a big plop. It's a wonder the seat could withstand him as it seems to groan when the jolly old man places his full weight upon it.

"Well, I don't mean to make you worry, but I just had to confirm this myself without interruptions."

"Confirm what exactly?"

"If i'm correct, you will see yourself in a moment."

Charles places his large hands on one side of the crystal ball. A yellow flame manifests within, twisting and turning around until he lets go. Sable does the same and a larger green flame moves around more freely.

"Wendy, would you please place your hands on the ball?"

Wendy hesitantly reaches out. The moment her finger tips touch the ball, the entire room begins to light up in a rainbow of color as a giant bright flame escapes the ball and dances around the room. 

"I...I don't understand sir. What's happening?"

"Allow me to answer your question, with a question. Have you ever made things happen that you couldn't explain? Something that felt natural to you, even if you never knew why?"

Wendy nods her head. Aurelia grabs Wendy's hands, examining them thoroughly. The light in the room gets sucked back into the crystal ball and Sable claps, turning on the lights. 

"No no no, this doesn't make any sense... Wendy, when did you get this?"

Touching her palm, Wendy notices a light blue mark in the form of a water droplet.

"I'm... not sure. I found it when I was playing with Miranda."

Miranda sits up straight, having heard her name, now staring at everyone as all eyes turn to her. Her eyes are glowing a faint blue. Keeping eye contact with Charles for a moment, she lets out a low growl then proceeds to slowly grab her toy and walk away, squeaking as she goes.

"That, miss Aurelia, is the mark of a sorcerer"

"I don't understand Charles. From the moment she was born, Wendy had no innate magical abilities. It's why her parents sought to bring her here, in hopes of finding something, anything that could help her."

"Well miss Aurelia, some sorcerers have been known to develop a bit later in life. Special circumstances may act as a trigger to allow her true abilities to manifest. Can you think of anything recently that may have happened?"

She pauses for a moment, trying to recall the past few days. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary, unless you count when Wendy attempted to stop the duck-fairies fighting with a couple of earth sprites over food. That's when it hits her.

"...The storm."

"Exactly. Now I'm no expert, but something about that night felt... unnatural. I felt shivers down my whole body and Sable fell ill for several days. Now I've heard about strange events in the past that couldn't really be explained, but this is the first I'm finally seeing of a new sorcerer being in our midst because of it."

Aurelia gives Wendy a big hug, picking her up off her chair. This is the best news she's heard in quite a while.

"Well this is fantastic news! Who would have thought that you would end up as a sorcerer!?"

She laughs, swinging Wendy around the room. Wendy, however, still seems a bit confused as everyone congratulates her. 

Setting Wendy back down, Charles motions for his daughter to grab something from the back. 

"Alright, so you know how magic works, don't you?"

"Yes sir. Magic is something everyone is born with. We use our bodies to collect small amounts that fall to the earth from the invisible life streams above us."

"That's partially correct. Not everyone is born with the ability to use magic. What most people don't know is that the life streams actually flow through the earth at various points instead of just existing above us. This allows for special events to happen that can create new life, alter the landscape, or even give special people the ability to harness a greater amount of mana to create great feats of magical power. Ah! there it is".

Sable arrives with a large scroll, handing it to her father. He then hands her the crystal ball and spreads the scroll out onto the table.

"This is something I made myself." 

On the scroll is a map containing representations of the various elements, all interwoven together, as well as a depiction of the planet with several ribbons weaving in and out of it. Charles explains that there are four basic elements that make up the basis of all magic: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. Through them all things are created. Witches and wizards harness these basic elements to create magic using their reserves of mana. Through combinations of these elements, mages have been able to heal the sick, protect themselves, grow food faster, and much more.

Sorcerers on the other hand are able to do what regular mages can't: utilize all the elements simultaneously and at a greater rate. Sorcerers are single handedly responsible for the greatest events in history, both good and bad, and as such many are cautious when a new sorcerer is discovered. Even in Evermore, there are mixed feelings regarding sorcerers as the last known clash between them nearly destroyed the town several hundred years ago.