When Celeste was very young, she got very sick. Her mother Scarlett, didn’t take her to a Health Centre in Alena city where they lived. Instead, she gently put a jacket and hat on the feverish toddler Celeste, got on a late night train all the way to Serenity City where her Grandmother, Iris, lived. Celeste clung weakly to her mother’s neck as she tapped on a wooden door in an aged apartment building with concrete walls. 

Iris Raven Song opened the door with a raised eyebrow, but quickly took the toddler into her own hands as soon as she saw the feverish look on her face. Without a word, Scarlett turned around and walked towards the building’s elevator. Celeste wanted to call out to her as the metal elevator doors screeched closed, but all she had the strength to do was watch with tears slowly dripping down her chubby cheeks.

Iris was a gentle teacher. As soon as Iris had nursed Celeste back to health, she began to teach her granddaughter Elemental magic. Not everyone in the country of Edeth could had the ability to do magic, in fact magic was forbidden. One day this led young Celeste to ask her Grandmother, “Are we Outlanders?”

Iris Raven Song was standing in her old fashioned kitchen adding fresh laid eggs to her cake batter. She stirred it with a hand held whisk. The kitchen had a simple wood stove in a corner and a beautiful tiled counter made of mismatched antique tiles. Iris had found them in some jungle ruins of the Old World on her trips to the ground. There was a wooden counter right in the middle of the kitchen with a big basin on one corner for washing dishes. There was no refrigerator, instead there was a wooden door leading to an enchanted cold room where the leftovers and meats were kept. Most importantly to young Celeste, that was also where the ice cream was. Iris mostly preferred to buy fresh ingredients, as often as she could, from the farm shops.

Young Celeste sat on the counter top where her grandmother could see her. In front of her was an ancient looking cast iron kettle, coated with bright green enamel. Celeste had her hands held out to the kettle but her focus was on her Grandmother, waiting for an answer. “Celeste, Why would you think we were Outlanders?” Iris was amused at the idea. “Last time Mama visited, she said that all magic users are Outlanders,” Celeste looked concerned. She did not like the idea of being an Outlander. Outlanders were bad people. “Of course your Mama would say that,” Iris mumbled and rolled her eyes. Iris kept stirring the cake batter as she explained, “We are not Outlanders, We are Elemetalists. We all use magic but Elemental magic, our magic, is alive! It comes from nature. It is life!” Celeste watched as a sudden gentle gust of wind rippled through the kitchen plants even though the windows were shut. “Outlander magic deals with technology, their magic is dead!” As Iris emphasized the last word, there was an uncomfortable stillness in the air.

There were very few electrical items in the apartment. Very few modern items. Their apartment looked more like a cabin rather than an apartment in a high-tech floating city in the sky. Young Celeste furrowed her brow with a thought as she stared at the cast iron kettle. “Is that why we don’t use electric kettles? And I have to practice my magic by boiling water?” she asked seriously. Iris burst out in laughter. “So that’s what started these questions?”

Iris finally said, “Elemental magic leaves a stronger trace on electric items. Makes it easier to track us.” Her face changed to a serious expression, “Enforcement are like bloodhounds when it comes to magic. You have to be very careful when and where you use your magic.”