The Magic of Discovery

The seaside air was strong here. The bustle of Scala Ad Caelum was found here in form of laughter, crowds, and various stalls selling each their own brand of wares to any and all passerbys. Lucille might recognize a few landmarks or rather the dock she sat at awhile back in the distance as this collection of places of business was found chiefly here by the water. Pleasant scents wafted from the restaurants that were present, barkers called out to would be customers, and the birds called from the trees that were in the park relatively close to where Lucille made her way through.

It was a peaceful albeit lively area. A telltale sign that life persisted here despite the ongoings of other worlds. She'd recognize some of the produce from the stalls, likely provided by Skylark. Even the bookstores had some of the same books she had in her living quarters. The weapons sold bore a more high caliber look to them than the training ones she had seen provided in the training grounds. The patrons traded the gold spheres they held for the goods otherwise known as Munny which Lucille had learned in the books was a universal currency accepted most everywhere.



The main focus in the promenade currently was of what appeared to be a mascot character handing out balloons he seemingly conjured from thin air. A large plushie creature with a black and white cat adorned with a crown and wearing a red cape perched atop it was surrounded by children and amused walkabouts.



"Awright there, folks! If ye kin can stand a wee bit back, ol Cait Sith kin show you a right bonnie trick!" declared the now standing cat who held up a bright yellow megaphone in one hand and a raised the other hand into the air. The crowd around him took a few steps back with wonder in their eyes. The cat then began to meow phonetically to a little tune whilst performing a little jig still atop his mount. As the last movement, he did a spin while the giant plush he stood upon raised its arm up and from it came a miniature display of sparkling lights accompanied by little pops of fireworks. There was a grand applause as he handed out more balloons to the children who bid him farewell. He waved back in response and received a few bits of munny placed in the open mitt of a hand of the plushie. "I cannae take yer hard-earned munny, folk. Not without returning the favor! Haste ye back for my next performance or a wee bit of fortune telling!"

While the plush was placing the munny in a basket to the side, the cat itself noticed Lucille and gave a chipper greeting."G'day te ya, lassie! Aye, am he! Fortune-teller and Guardian extraordinaire! Am sorry but ye're a wee bit late for ma performance. Unless ye here for a fortune telling or a business proposal, am afraid I cannae help ye!" He paused a bit with a gloved hand on his chin. "Rydia, ye say?" His tail swished behind him and he tilted his head thoughtfully. "An what, pray tell, did the lassie say aboot lil ol me, eh?"


He spoke in a very whimsical, flighty tone. Like he knew more than he let on and definitely had a way with words that was similar but different than the way Cid spoke.

He held up his balled little fists to his face. "Aw ye flatter me an um aye," he nodded mindfully "Lady Shantotto's a wee bit on the rough side but her magic's second to none. Rydia doesnae even come close in this cat's personal opinion." He hopped off his mount which vanished in a poof of colorful smoke as he tread upon the ground with his leather little shoes. He pointed out to the promenade at a group of stalls. "There are all sorts livin' about the area here who wanna make a livin' an am here to oversee that what they bring to Scala here can help folk out. Granted there are a few off-world merchants here scattered about." He admitted with a shrug. "An some I cannae allow. In fact, one person in particular is not here legally in terms of how the Masters handle things like this. By all rights, they shouldnae be allowed to ply their trade here at all."

He gave a quiet sigh and placed his hands on his hips. "But me an her, we struck a deal, y'see; she can conduct business here so long as she doesnae cause trouble. Besides, she has a heart o' gold that one. An a gold tooth if I recall right. She's the one ye seek though..."

He paused and looked to Lucille with a hand on his chin. His ears perked up. "You're that new lass who's been trainin' with Lightnin'." said he with voice full of intrigue. "An you think that Rydia's trainin' doesnae match your style an that Shantotto's sounds a wee bit impossible at the moment...you want somethin' in-between...."

He looks up to her. "An what makes you think this lady will have the type of magic trainin' you seek?"

He listens to her explanation, nodding at certain points of her logic. "A gut feelin', eh?" he repeats to himself while looking to his left slightly away. "Nae wrong with going with your gut an takin' a gamble, that's for sure." He looks back up to her once she is finished and gives a small chuckle. "We Guardians take the same gamble when trainin' new folks such as yourself, lassie. Sometimes, we're not sure what will stick; it's all about what the trainees want."

He pointed up at her decisively. "An you seem pretty sure this is what you want so good on ye for that!" he nods and turns to face the promenade and the assorted stalls that decorate its breadth. "Got a right bonnie head on your shoulders there, lassie. Some just go along with what they're told to do because someone else thinks it is a good idea. But when you wholeheartedly agree it's somethin' you need...well then, I'd say it's worth the risk of givin' it a try, aye?"

He scampered ahead and made a gesture with his hand to follow. "I'll take you right to her, then. Just be aware; she's an eccentric old bird, she is!"

He looked back to her with an affirmative nod. "Aye. She definitely is not a stick in the mud though sometimes it looks as if she's been in alot of mud!" he remarks. He leads her through the assemblage of stalls. Some were selling things that seemed quite useful such as jars made from prismatic glass. Some sold dried goods like herbs and spices and toted themselves as an apothecary of sorts. Some carried weapons that were more specialized than the ones Lucille saw from the other stores. And relatively speaking, these stalls were definitely of things that were all handmade by the respective owners of each stall they passed.

On their way, they would also pass a fountain denoting the Masters once more along with bunches of children around it partaking of ice cream. Among their numbers was a familiar face; Laguna. He recognized Lucille and gave a small wave as the children gathered around him as he handed out the shiny currency to them to spend on more of the sweet treat.

In one of the corners of the area was a rather sizable stall and a tent behind it. The stall contained various objects, some of which Lucille would recognize from her own world. Cait Sith walked right up to it and whipped out the megaphone he carried and spoke into it. "Awright, Owl Lady! Ye've foisted your last bit o junk! Come on out with yer hands up an we can do this the easy way!"

There was a crashing sound from the tent followed by a scrambling figure that burst from it with a staff that bore an owl figurehead pointed squarely at Cait who chuckled warmly, putting away the megaphone. The figure was a golden-eyed woman with orange hair that was greying and a gold fang peeking from her mouth. She looked panicked at first. Then annoyed when she saw Cait Sith. She set the staff down and gave a grunt. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me three times and I'm going to curse you, you lousy furball!" she chastised then broke into a smile. "Ah but I gotta respect a good prank when I see it."

The Guardian bowed. "Sometimes, ye make it too easy! How's business?"

The woman shrugged as she leaned over the counter. "Eh, slow. Though a little while back, managed to meet a good kid. I tried booting up the price but she was going to pay even more! You got some real pieces of work attending this place, Cait." She then looked to Lucille and raised a quizzical brow. "Speaking of, who's this? Another one of your promising Wielders?" She inquired as much with an almost mocking tone.

Cait Sith shook his head. "Oh, perish the thought! She's no wielder! In fact, she's lookin' for a magic teacher!" He scurried over to Lucille and bowed. "Lass, introduce yerself!" He whispered as he nudged Lucille's leg

The lady looks over the stall to Cal, raises a curious brow then looks to Cait who shrugs. "Quest, huh?" she remarks with a hint of boredom. She wasn't a huge believer in destiny or fate but these people here were cut from an entirely different cloth. Their stuff usually entailed alot of that nonsense. The Guardian folk here were pretty strong and knew what they were talking about but for some, they were a bit much. "Well, that's what ya get with a hackneyed education, kid." She sighs and stands upright to get a better look at Lucille. She picks up her staff and taps the owl figurehead that suddenly comes to life. it hoots inquisitively, flies around the woman a few times then settles upon her left shoulder. "Borrowing isn't necessarily a bad thing either. Heck, I do it all the time! Sometimes, even legally!" she remarks with a wink and wave of her arm. "This little guy helps but where I'm from, having magic is something all things are naturally born with. Humans can't normally do magic and yours seems particularly...unique."

Even Cait acknowledges this."Aye. It was a wee bit of a shock to me as well! A Dream Eater! In this day an age!" He raises a finger. "Ye gotta admit, that's right within your wheelhouse, eh?"

The woman furrowed her brow and looked at Lucille with scrutiny. "I dunno. I'm not taking on students, especially ones who have...feh...destiny doggedly on their heels- OW!" The little owl on her shoulder pecked at her neck and spread its wings, hooting defiantly. The woman rolled her eyes. "But that Wielder doesn't count! They're just a kid who lost their home and-"

Cait's ears droop as he clambers up onto the stall and whispers into the woman's ear. Her expression widens then becomes filled with remembrance and then pain. Finally, she looks to her right with a frustrated expression with her teeth grit and her irises contracted.

"They're always making more orphans like these, huh?" she sighs with a relenting look to Lucille. She keeps on eye on her for a bit then glares at Cait. "I see what you're doing. You're trying to make me into a Guardian and cut into my me time!" She pokes the little cat's chest.

Cait held up his hands defensively. "Perish the thought! I'd nae make you a Guardian unless it was something ye really wanted! Honest!"

The lady looks back to Lucille then Cal and then speaks up. "Well, introductions first. I'm Eda, the Owl Lady; the most wanted Witch on the Boiling Isles!" she recites with no short amount of pride in her intonation while turning up her nose to make herself seem noble. She then points squarely at Lucille. "So the teachers here ain't cutting it for ya. Got a doe-eyed upstart with green hair that knows her basics but doesn't quite mesh and a shortstack whose prerogative reminds me of why I hate higher education. Fun lady though." She adds thoughtfully. "But tell me, kid; what is it YOU wanna do? What does magic mean to YOU? Ya know...without all the glitz and glamour of all this...destiny and quest malarkey."

The owl and Eda look at one another when given the answer. A memory flashes through her head of a simpler time where she thought magic was fun and cool. Back when it wasn't restricted where she came from. Back when things made sense and she didn't have this THING plaguing every aspect of her life. She grips the charm on her chest and lightly smirks.

"Cool, huh? Spoken like a real dreamer. I admire that." she looks to Cait and narrows her eyes. "That's twice now I've spoken to a person here who wants me...ME as their teacher! Do you have ANY idea how much that's gonna cut into my time selling stuff?"

Cait shrugged then folded his arms, placing one hand on his chin. "Y'know...I could compensate ye for yer troubles. A wee token of appreciation.."

Her expression went flat. "You're going to make me a Guardian, aren't you?"

The cat chuckled and shrugged. "It'd certainly makes things a wee bit easier, aye? I wouldnae expect ye to do it all for free either!" He looked to Eda, knowing full-well her situation. He made a cutesy expression with hands balled up and raised to his face. Eda then looked to Lucille and saw a bit of herself in there somewhere. She then looked to the owl who tilted its head and gave a happy trill.

"Alright alright alright!" she clamored with hands raised. "Fine. I'll do it! But I get the final say so on what goes and what doesn't!" she pointed at Cait firmly. "I don't have to stay here to teach and it'll get the Masters off my back finally but I still get to hawk my wares! Little extra change never hurt anyone." she insisted. Cait nodded in understanding. Eda grumpily groaned and looked skyward."Guess Eda is a Guardian now. Yay." she celebrated unenthusiastically then scoffed.

She looked to Lucille and gave a plaintive smirk. "You sure about this, kid? I ain't exactly teacher material."