"Won't be long now i'd say"

A large man sporting a rough beard and fur coat places a hand on his nephew's shoulder. Arden Dewitt is traveling on a passenger ship to his new home in Evermore, along with his brother Arthur and uncle Edwin. 

It's been a rough few weeks since the attack on their hometown of Coldwell. After their uncle had brought the boys to safety with the remaining members of the Grimcolt tribe, he decided it was in their best interest as their new guardian to finally leave the frozen land and start anew. 

The land they hailed from, Hirium, was a frozen wasteland where only the bravest of adventurers would dare travel. Pockets of tribes can be found living in caves and mountains, with the Grimcolt tribe being the largest. The town of Coldwell was where most who dare to live here called home, and was led by outlaws outside of the jurisdiction of the council of mages. The residents here would utilize both ice and fire magic for everyday tasks, from keeping the town warm to fending off wild animals. It is said the last dragon in existence, a behemoth nicknamed 'Claw', watches over the land.

Or at least she used to.

"Uncle, when can we eat? I'm starving."

"We'll reach land in about an hour or two."

"You said that this morning."

"Oh come now Arden, we must have a bit of patience. This is a long journey, but it will be worth the wait."

"I hope so…"

His stomach growls as he stares off into the distance. It's been several days since they've had a chance to eat. The rations dried up last night, and they had little money left over. Were it not for his uncle selling everything he had left of value and using his contacts at Evermore to find them a new home, they probably would have been stuck fending off wyrmlings until their inevitable demise. It's a shame that it's had to come to this, but that's not to say it wasn't a good decision. Arden had often heard tales from his uncle about his time at Evermore, and how he had to watch over his brother, Arden's father, while they went on adventures together. It's also where his parents met.

It's night by the time they arrive at Evermore, and all but a handful of shops are closed. As they step into the local inn, the warmth of the nearby fireplace and the smells of various foods lifts them from their awful mood, and before long they even fill their stomachs with cheap food. Worth the wait? Perhaps not, but it's satisfying all the same.

'Some time later'

It's been a few months since the Dewitt family have landed at Evermore. Since then, the boys have settled in quite nicely. Arden will begin attending Evermore academy of magic as a first year, while his brother and uncle tend to the bakery they've recently opened. It's a small store, but one that has been growing in popularity in recent times thanks to the amount of new students getting ready to attend Evermore. 

It's midday when Arden and his friend, Charlie, are leaving the local Cat Co. store, with Charlie having bought his first wand.

"...But what if something goes wrong?"

"Ah, relax. We have plenty of time to practice"

"I don't think any amount of practice will be enough, I'll always be behind."

"Maybe, but just think about what we're about to do. The two of us, taking on the world of magic head on. We're going to make it big, I'm sure of it!"

"And how exactly are we going to do that? This is the first time I've ever held a wand, and you only recently started making things happen."

"Ah, we'll figure it out as we go. Don't worry about it so much, let's just have fun doing it."

Walking down a side street toward the market area, an older boy can be seen sitting atop a pile of boxes, twirling his wand. A small light twirls around the tip and he glances at the boys as they begin to pass him by.

"Nice wand"

"You can say that"

"I heard there were a couple of normies coming to Evermore. Times have really changed, huh?"

"Guess so"

As they keep walking, a few more boys walk out of the nearby alley in front of them

"You know, there's a toll if you want to walk through my street."

"A toll? Who do you think you-"

"Look, we don't want any trouble, ok?"

"Hear that Kaleb, they don't want any trouble."

The boy hops off the pile of boxes and starts walking toward them.

"Name's Kaleb. That's Asher, and Rowan. You know, around here you two stand out like a sore thumb. You'll soon find that without friends you might end up a target. But for a couple of coins, we can help you out."

"No no, we're ok, we'll just - "

Arden walks up to Kaleb

"Only a couple?"

"Only a -" 

With a swift kick, Arden brings Kaleb to his knees. 

The boys are promptly chased through town as they try to find somewhere safe to hide. Knocking over boxes, pushing a few performers to the side, and even tripping over a stone cat partially embedded into the ground, they eventually make it out of the crowded market area and slip into 'Jake Harwell's Laughter House'. 

The joke shop is a place the boys would frequent from time to time, and contains everything from Fizzling Gouchers to Dingle Floppers. The owner is said to have been quite the trouble maker before he graduated, and turned his mischievous ways into quite a successful business, especially for Evermore's standards. 

'Ring a Ding-Ding! Oh Ring a Ding-Ding.'

The flamboyant bell on the top of the door rings throughout the shop, and a tall, lanky young man with a baby face and a wide smile turns around from stocking the shelves on the left side wall. From the outside, this shop wouldn't seem like much at first with the small sign hanging above the door. But as you step inside, you can see a large space packed full of various toys, candy, and posters. A large statue of a smiling head rotates slowly in the center of the store surrounded by small floating clouds and various toy animals who seem to swim through the air, playing with each other. Barrels full of various sweets surround the head, while the walls are lined with knick knacks and doo dads that are actually banned in most countries. Mr Harwell prides himself in being one of the only stores in which his products have been notoriously used to both prank a few of the council members as well as save a small town from a pack of Jackle-ators. 

"Heya boys, welcome back! Just stocked the stink bugs and hecklings in the back, let me know if you need anything!"

"Thank you Mr Harwell."

The boys make their way into the back, trying to catch their breath. Charlie is especially winded, not being the type to exercise anything other than a fork to his face. For Arden however, it's just another day.

"We should be safe here for a bit. I'm pretty sure we lost them in the crowd."

"I hope so. I just want to go home already. "

'Ring a Ding-Ding! Oh Ring a Ding-Ding.'