Her room wasn't anything monumental, but it would suffice. It was larger than her bedroom back in Page, for starters. In fact, Elaine was somewhat baffled at how average it all seemed. For a lowborn like her, it was more than enough. However, this was a school that openly welcomed itself to nobility. Would this meet their expectations? 

Eh, why pester herself with meaningless questions? She had her own problems to obsess over.

There were two beds—one fixed on either side of the space—and also a comfy-looking couch complete with a side table, empty bookshelves to use at their discretion, two separate study tables, empty portrait frames hung up on the wall, and the floors were matted. There was even a narvali—an amethyst glass orb fixed on a pedestal. She could use one of those to contact someone else across long distances. Unfortunately, they were extremely expensive. Neither of her parents owned one.

Just like Raze had told her, student uniforms were already hanged in the closet at her bed's footboard. There was still enough room to fit the rest of her clothing though—it wouldn't take long as she didn't own much.

"I was a bit worried I'd have to spend my first semester alone," Fearne said. "They told me one of the students canceled their enrollment."

"Is that so?" Elaine replied, opening her suitcase, shifting through her belongings.

"I don't mean to intrude, but I've got to ask. What's your story?" Fearne was sitting on her bed, kicking purple socks over the side. The red mark that had smeared on her face from the fall she'd taken had vanished, thank Aeris.

"What do you mean, my story?"

"They told me you were scouted by one of the Glyph staff," Fearne elaborated. "It's always interesting to hear how it happened, you know? For me, I was helping my parents out in their gardens. It was rainy that day, so we were rushing to pick all of the berries as quickly as possible, you see?"

"Gardens?" Elaine asked. "Let me guess, you're from the countryside, aren't you?"

Fearne fought back, and failed, to hide a self-conscious blush. "Am I really that obvious?" she laughed, stroking her ponytail. 

Elaine had suspected as much. She carried a hint of an accent, one that stretched the vowels of every other word. She camouflaged it well.

"Anyways, I was just finishing up my patch when one gentleman in a gray cloak appeared suddenly on our grounds. I thought it was a robber, or maybe a rogue sorcerer. We tend to have a lot of them out there. But he was quick to explain that he worked for Glyph Academy," she exclaimed, almost as if she didn't believe her own story. "My folks were skeptical of him at first, as was myself. But when he showed us documentation, as well as an official Glyph-administered wand, we knew he had to be telling the truth."

"I can imagine you had the shock of your life," Elaine chuckled.

"I thought it was a dream..." Fearne curled her knees against her chest, lacing fingers around them. "People in my town always complimented me for my magic. They said my Essence was strong enough to pass for a Professional Sorcerer. Of course, I never took them seriously. I just thought they were being nice. But...to think I'd actually have the opportunity to study at Glyph Academy of all places, why, it's like I've been blessed by Aeris herself."

Nodding at the arrangement of her belongings—neatly fixed dresses and skirts dangling off of hangars over her footwear and suitcase—Elaine shut the closet doors. A solid snap! crunched in her ears, causing the girl to shudder. She spent a reluctant stare at the deadly plant sitting snugly in its pot on the opposite end of the room. A veladora snaptrapper. 

That species wasn't native to Incante. How did Fearne ever manage to procure one? She'd spotted the girl feeding it a rat earlier on. She pretended not to notice, lest Fearne caught wind of her alarmed wince.

"Your family are farmers of some kind, I take it?"

"Medical Mages, actually," Fearne said, lifting a finger. "They're quite famous where I come from. I learned everything about Abjuration from them, they're incredible at what they do. After I graduate, I was hoping to follow in their footsteps and become a Medical Mage myself."

Elaine peeked over her shoulder. "Really?"

"Allegedly, even once I'm made an official Professional Sorcerer, I still have to undergo three years of additional training as a junior Medical Mage before I can be properly certified." Fearne laid back on her bed, an arm stretched out over the side. "It'll be a pain, but I'm hoping to make a name for myself as a commendable Medical Mage. That's my dream."

Gulp the veladora snapped its fangs, and Fearne giggled into her hands. It couldn't be. Did she actually understand what the little beast was saying?

"Anyways, enough about me," Fearne said, pitching up in a swinging motion. "What made you want to study at Glyph?"

"Oh, um, well..."

"I don't expect you to have attended Orientation considering you just got here today," Fearne said. "But I guess the semester doesn't technically start until Thursday anyways, so it's not like you missed out on anything important. The campus was almost entirely empty until just a couple of days ago, actually."

So that explains the long line of people I saw earlier, Elaine thought.

"The students here, may they be noble or lowborn, hail from all across the country. It's a big change from what I'm used to."

"You can say that again," Elaine scoffed. "As for myself, well, I come from Page. My family owns a potion-making business there."

Fearne drew a finger to her lips. "Page?"

"I wouldn't blame you if you've never heard of it. It's a pretty small town. Anyways, the only reason I'm here is..." 

Elaine trailed off. As she looked at Fearne, who was now leaning forward in anticipation of her story, the rest of what she had to say dehydrated on her tongue. Elaine forged a smile. 

"I've wanted to study magic since I was a child. A Glyph representative spotted me practicing my magic one day. I guess they were impressed, and so, here I am."

"Fascinating," Fearne said, head in her hands. 

Luckily, she didn't appear to have caught on to her blatant lie. Elaine wanted to tell her, truthfully. But Ellend was still a touchy subject to tackle, and she didn't feel comfortable elucidating on his complicated predicament to a girl she hardly knew. She'd explain everything to Fearne in due time. Just not today.

"As of now, there's only a single spell I'm remotely confident in casting," Elaine said, admitting a partially ashamed grin. "How about you?"

Fearne blushed. "Oh! Uh, nothing too crazy."

"But you do know some spells, don't you?"

"Well, yes—"

"Could you show me some of your magic?"

"Wait, now?!" Fearne gasped.

"Pretty please?" Elaine scuttled off her bed and migrated over to Fearne's, plopping right next to she who was now fidgeting with her ponytail.

"...Err, I guess it couldn't hurt," Fearne uttered. 

She extended her hand towards the satchel lying on the nightstand, retrieving from it a wand. Unlike her ordinary wand, this one had a peculiar tendril-like design spiraling up from the green handle and coiling around its shaft. To Elaine, they resembled the persistent weeds that often ensnared the base of their mailbox.

"I've mainly practiced using healing magic, but I'm partially educated on Plant Magic too." Fearne twirled the wand three times, and then softly uttered the name, "Flosero."

The bracelet adorning Fearne's wrist underwent a remarkable transformation. Countless plant buds emerged along its perimeter, steadily growing larger until the flowers contained within unfurled. Each bloom displayed distinctive colored petals: some were a deep purple with speckles of yellow, others were a delicate pink with winding green spirals, and some were a vibrant red with streaks of gold. Gradually, a sweet, rich fragrance permeated the room. As Elaine breathed in, she identified the scent and could almost taste the fruity flavor lingering in the air.

"My mother taught me this when I was little," Fearne said, smiling fondly. "It comes in handy when I'm trying to—"

"Awesome!" Elaine exclaimed. 

Before she realized what she was doing, she'd seized Fearne's wrist into her grasp, tugging the girl closer as she thoroughly inspected the transformed bracelet. 

"I've never seen Plant Magic up close! Does it work on inorganic material too? Is the bracelet itself enchanted in some way? Can you make any kind of flower species bloom or is it only limited to—"

"Elaine!" Fearne squealed.

"Hm?"

"You're kind of cutting off the circulation to my arm. Please let go..."

"Ah! Sorry!" Elaine gasped, relinquishing her stronghold on poor Fearne's wrist. 

Elaine often found herself pondering whether she possessed two distinct personalities, or perhaps even two separate brains. One part of her was rational and logical, while the other seemed utterly infatuated with the mysterious allure of magic. This internal conflict occasionally led to moments where she would impulsively act without fully considering the consequences as if her body were moving of its own volition.

"Wow, that's some grip you've got," Fearne chuckled, fingers massaging her wrist. "Like I said, it's a fairly basic spell. I can teach it to you later if you're interested."

"Please and thank you!" Elaine said, clasping her hands together with a loud slap! "There aren't a lot of mages where I'm from, let alone Professional Sorcerers. So I can't say for certain I won't, um, freak out whenever I see a new spell. Sorry in advance if I overreact like that again."

Fearne laughed into her palm. "Don't sweat it. I don't think there's a sorcerer alive who isn't at least somewhat crazy about magic. It's kind of our trademark."

"Yeah, I suppose," Elaine snickered. Being crazy is a trademark?

She jumped off Fearne's bed and made her way back to her side of the room. A number of her belongings still needed to be sorted out, but the growling of her stomach made her acutely aware of how hungry she was. As a sorcerer, she knew the importance of maintaining a healthy diet, or so Ellend persistently told her. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that his emphasis on a healthy diet was just a flimsy excuse to justify his own insatiable appetite.

As Elaine looked outside the window, not a sliver of sunlight seeped through. The evening seemed to have the world in its grasp, almost as if it was setting the stage for the arrival of the Twin Sisters. Raze had made it clear that dinner was to be finished by seven, leaving them with just under an hour to find their way to the cafeteria, and only then did it dawn on Elaine that she should have asked the sorcerer for a campus map.

"Say, Elaine?" Fearne asked. "Perchance, are you busy tomorrow?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Elaine shrugged. "Why? Is there something you were planning on doing?"

"Yes, actually," Fearne confirmed with a nod. "And seeing as how much you adore magic, I just figured you would want to join me."

Elaine raised a brow at her. She couldn't deny that she was most definitely intrigued.

*

* *

Compared to casting spells or invoking a charm, Enchantment was an exceptionally more intricate and challenging artform to learn. It wasn't enough to wave a wand around or to recite archaic verses in a specific order. No, you'd have to acquire a deeper understanding of the object you intended to imbue with magical properties. If you'd get even the slightest detail wrong the enchantment wouldn't work.

And so, as she was handed the pot, Elaine made certain she was extra careful. She didn't exactly have that many tokens to spare, and she hadn't the slightest interest in wasting the little she did own on a pot of all things. Apparently, it was enchanted to boil water without a heat source; a kettle and a match could accomplish that much. It felt light in her hands, and running upon its orange-colored, clay surface were cracks that leaked Essence, turquoise energy streaming out as clouds of mist.

"Eh? What do you think?" asked the clerk, a small man with a long chin and spindly, dark hair. He leaned over the stall's table, eagerness warping his face with a twisted smile.

"Um, I'm sure it's wonderful..." Elaine said, softly placing the pot back down. "But it isn't something I need at the moment. Sorry."

"Yeah? Well if you change your mind, lass," she heard him call as she strode off, "you know where to find me!"

Elaine rolled her eyes. Clerks and vendors were always the same no matter where she went. Although she had to admit, this town did have its own personal charm, and its shopping district was huge. The marketplace in Page couldn't hope to compare.

Stalls and booths spanned in every direction, organized in a winding and expansive maze. Multi-colored flag lines billowed overhead, extending from the top of one stall's tarped roof to another. The streets were flooded with people, way more than what Elaine was used to. However, there was enough room to where she felt not the need to fret over some drunken sulmo absentmindedly ramming their shoulder into her.

Interestingly enough, there were a fair amount of students out and about as well. Elaine could pick them out in the crowd as some were wearing their Glyph uniforms. Not her though, she settled for her usual attire—a plain, white top matched with a brown, knee-lengthed skirt and leather boots.

 Elaine frowned. She was in a new place, perhaps it was also time for her to acquire a new wardrobe. Clothing that would better help her fit in with the rest of her noble classmates. Although, she was already spending on a budget. Maybe if she were to—

She shook her head, banishing the thought. She had already made up her mind about what she came for. Her mother taught her once that if she were to ever venture into a marketplace without a plan, she'd wind up with empty pockets within the hour. Darah Harwood didn't suffer fools, and Elaien was by no means a fool.

Clutching her satchel close to her waist, Elaine followed the path ahead, swerving into a different street. Open-air booths stretched before her. On each table, there was a myriad of trinkets and doodads. 

To her left, a collection of straw dolls. They were enchanted to walk and jump on their own, and they predictably attracted a nice sum of children. That vendor would make a handsome load off of parents forced to purchase the toys, all so that they could silence their squealing brats—Elaine didn't envy them. 

On the right, she spotted a man wielding a sword with a blade that curved, testing how it felt as he cut the air in front of him. It was of a foreign design—from Rymevar, probably—and the runes running across its reflective, metal blade told Elaine that it was indeed enchanted. She was starting to suspect that nearly everything in this market was magical in some capacity.

As she pressed onward, Elaine noticed a trio of boys marching in her direction, shoving through the crown with scowls and curses. Elaine narrowed her eyes at them. They were students, and two were in uniform. The tallest of the bunch—a kid with darkish brown hair—had something smeared all on his oval-shaped face. As they got closer, Elaine noted with surprise that each one of the boys had spots of red, chunky ooze splattered all over them.

"That bastard," the tall kid grumbled, stalking past Elaine, eyes squeezed into slits. "When I see him again he's dead! I'll teach him to make a fool out of me!"

The two others trailed behind him in a hurry. As they passed, Elaine's nose recognized a familiar, sugary scent. A pastry-like fragrance. These boys, they'd been covered in...pie? She shot a confused stare at them as they disappeared into the distance, not caring for whoever they knocked out of the way. It'd probably be best to stay clear of them. Their type had a tendency to cause trouble.

"Elaine! Over hear!" she heard Fearne shout. 

She made out the girl standing at a stall only a few meters from her, sandwiched between two others that were greater in size. Fearne was wearing a green-colored short dress ornamented by flower patterns spiraling over her waist as well as red, open-toed flat sandals. 

There was a wand in her hands. Not a commoner's wand, but a Fiend Wand. This variation had a sleek shaft made from pale-colored wood. Meanwhile, there was a jagged, smoky crystal poking out of its handle. Fiend Wands were specifically designed to enhance the effectiveness of cloaking and invisibility spells. Some sorcerers in the Arcanum used them for reconnaissance missions.

Laid out on the table in front of her was a wide and varied assortment of wands, each unlike the other. Elaine's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as she scanned them, and with great intensity. 

"Not bad, aye?" said the vendor. He had a sharp face like a ferret with a long nose that arched and slicked-back dark hair. "It cost me an arm and a leg to snag these beauties."

"They're all lovely," Elaine said. And expensive as hell...

"You said your brother lent you his wand to borrow, right?" asked Fearne. "Well, why not buy one of your very own?"

"Hmm? I suppose I could. Then again, none of these are in my price range. I'll tell you what I really need though. A wand holster." She motioned to her wand that stuck awkwardly out of her satchel, and its handle constantly kept ramming into her side.

"If it's a wand holster yer looking for, then I've got just the thing." The man ducked behind the stall in a flash. When he stood again to his feet, he was carrying a small, tube-shaped holster. It was made of black leather, and was approximately the same size as her wand. Fourteen to fifteen inches give or take. "Here you go, miss. This ought to do the trick."

"It's perfect, thank you."

"Ah, ah, not so fast," the man said, pulling the holster away before she could grab it. "Nothing around here is free, I'll have you know."

"Oh. Right, of course. How much?"

"Three rubies, please."

An audible gasp lunged out of Elaine's throat. That was more than half of the tokens she owned! "You've got to be joking. All of that for a wand holster?"

The man scoffed. "Come now, darling. This is the average price of just a regular holster. And this one here's made of fine leather."

"Can't she have a student discount?" Fearne suggested. "We're freshmen. At Glyph Academy."

"Nope. I don't do discounts," he denied, folding his arms. "Not even for you Glyph mages. Look, if you can't pay then move along. You're making me lose business."

Elaine glared. She always found it funny how people treated her once they realized she wasn't stacked with tokens. But she couldn't deny it would be nice to own a holster, and the other shops she eyeballed in passing were selling theirs for even greater prices. This might be the best offer she could realistically afford. Sighing, she reached into her satchel, searching for the pouch of tokens.

Suddenly, someone slammed a hand onto the stall table, causing a startled Fearne to hop in her place. "Now, now. Let's not be so hasty," the stranger said, the corners of his mouth quirking up into a smile. "Lend me your ear, friend. Just for a sec. I'll help show you a new perspective."