"Make sure you don't forget anything before we leave"

After slipping on her shoes, Wendy unzips Mr Hoppington and begins handing him her things. It was handy having a friend that can also be used as a backpack, moreso when it can move on its own. Three pieces of candy, four sandwiches sliced diagonally wrapped in tropicanus leaves, two small containers of maga juice, a book of plants, and her small pouch of coins. He zips himself up and extends his arms out, allowing Wendy to place him on her back. Walking out her bedroom door a familiar voice pipes up.

"Ahem! I think you're forgetting something young miss"

Walking down the path toward town, the day finally came for her first magic lesson. Wendy was both excited and a bit nervous. After the incident with the boars, she still wasn't sure what she was getting herself into, but it would be nice to see Sable again. It didn't take long to get to town, having gotten used to walking everywhere. As busy as ever today, the streets were flooded with both tourists and locals alike. 

Mr Norris, a local tavern keeper, was watering his hydrageon flowers, waving to Wendy as she passed by. Mr and Mrs Psu were handing out flyers for half off brackleberry sundaes today only. Wendy made a mental note to come by later as she grabbed one. Mr Allistor could be seen peddling his trinkets to another unfortunate soul who got caught by his sweet words that had a habit of luring the most gullible of patrons, something Wendy fell victim to herself, having bought a puzzle box that kept changing its pattern every five minutes. 

"GET BACK HERE!"

Rounding the corner toward The Majestic Owl, two boys can be seen running out of a joke shop with several older students chasing after them. Maybe a practical joke gone awry, or one too many fizzling gouchers that were set upon the older students. Either way, whatever they did, it had to be pretty serious if even the store owner, a usually kind young man with a penchant for mischief, is angrily hitting the boys with his sweeping broom on their way out. The boys could be seen ducking into an alley in an attempt to escape their fate. It's a shame that one leads to a dead end.

Opening the door to The Majestic Owl, they are greeted by Sable who was stocking a shelf nearby. Her father, Charles, is speaking to a hooded figure with very shiny black boots. 

"He'll be with you in a moment. Please, have a seat in the back."

They are led to the back corner of the shop, a cozy little area with several reclining chairs and small tables with miscellaneous books. A bit of a different feel from the maze of a shop that surrounds it. Browsing the collection, most of the books tend to be on either taxidermy, runes, or broom maintenance. There was even one about a slothopede that had terrorized a remote village over the course of a decade. Not long after learning how the beast was decapitated by a traveling knight, Charles arrived with several books and posters.

"Before I begin, I've brought some reading material I'd like you to look over tonight."

Picking through the pile he has sprawled out over the table, he picks up a light green book and flips through it before settling on a page. 

"Now, do you remember what we talked about last time?"

"Yes sir. There are four basic elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. Through them, everything is created."

"Precisely. Now do you remember what makes someone like you special?"

"....Is it because I can use all the elements at once?"

"Yes, that's it! Now, to continue from there, sorcerers can not only use all the elements simultaneously, but also at a greater rate. Allow me to demonstrate"

Pulling out his wand, Charles swirls it around in the air before pointing it at his hand. In his hand, a small ball of water begins to form, no less than the size of his palm. This isn't the first time Wendy has seen magic being used, but it always captivates her nonetheless. 

"Ok, now I want you to pull out your wand and focus. Envision any body of water, it could be anything from a cup to a raging waterfall. Think about how it flows freely when it moves, and how cold it feels to the touch on a cold winter night. Now take that image and allow the mana from our world to flow through your body, all the way to the tip of your wand."

Wendy closes her eyes and tries to envision a waterfall. The way it flows off the rocks and crashes into the stream below. How powerful it can be when touched and how cold it can get at night. She can feel the mana flowing through her rapidly as a strong stream of water forces itself out of her wand, crashing through the table below. 

"CONCENTRATE! You must be the one in control, do not let it get the better of you!"

Gripping Wilfort with both hands, the stream of water slowly subsides. As she closes her eyes, the once mighty waterfall has now taken the form of a large sphere, floating mere inches above the ground. 

Wendy is grinning from ear to ear as Mr Hoppington and Sable clap at her achievement.

"I did it!"

After a bit more practice outside, so as not to destroy any more furniture, it was time to call it a day. Charles has decided that before she learns anything advanced, it would be best if she first got control of her magic. Given that Sable was able to take control of her magic at a younger age, she volunteered to teach her how to focus.

To celebrate a successful lesson, Aurelia takes them all to get sundaes, offering to take Sable along with them. That's when Wendy remembers her flier from early. Pulling it out, she holds it in the air, happy to know that she's getting fifty percent off. Hopefully the brackleberry tastes good, though given her previous encounter with some of the food in town it's going to be a bit of a coin toss.

Passing by the nearby park in front of the ice cream parlor, she notices one of the boys from earlier sitting with an older boy. His messy long black hair doesn't seem to be enough to cover the black eye he is currently sporting, and judging from the sour look on his face with a nearly melted popsicle in his right hand, it doesn't seem like any amount of ice cream can make him feel better. That of course doesn't stop the older boy from smacking his back and laughing at whatever one sided conversation they are having. Wendy manages to catch his gaze for a moment, with almost soulless green eyes staring right through her, before he turns away.

Entering Mr and Mrs Psu's store, strangely named 'Psu Shop', the cold atmosphere and loud music seem to work perfectly with one another. Small metallic white tables and chairs lined the walls inside and out, while rows upon rows of different ice cream flavors sat behind a large counter. Flavors like 'rainbow starlight', 'brownie batter', and 'Shingleberry' are among the many varieties the Psu Shop has to offer. The most popular flavor 'Super Happy Bug Time' seems to be out again, a real shame. The girls take their seats near one of the front windows as Aurelia goes to wait in line. Wendy can already tell that the brackleberry sundays will be worth the wait.