The next morning I awoke aching all over. I was confused when I saw that I was enclosed on my right and left by stacked crates, but then I remembered. After my near-breakdown last night, I'd found someplace more secluded and hidden amongst the buildings to try and sleep.

Yawning, I sat up, raking my hair out of my eyes. Before I did anything else, I checked the wounds I'd gotten yesterday. The injuries on my arms and neck seemed to have scabbed over along with the stab wound. Through some kind of miracle, none of them looked to be infected. Unfortunately, I hardly had more than a moment to feel relieved before a familiar pang dug into me. The research could wait, I needed food.

I slowly stood, putting a hand to my head when a light dizziness enveloped it. I shook it off and followed the buzzes of conversation and general chatter out of the alleyway. Eventually I emerged onto a now-bustling street. I slipped into the crowd as naturally as I could, trying to look like I knew what I was doing. Still, I felt incredibly out of place. If this town was significant to me, then I would've felt some kind of familiarity, right?

Even with my attempts of acting normal, it didn't stop people from giving me odd looks. I thought it was because I apparently looked so young, and catching a glimpse of myself in a shop window proved my thoughts right.

Besides my mess of dark hair and brown skin—opposites of the much lighter hair and skin colors of nearly everyone I passed—my distinct purple eyes were large and my face was quite youthful, if not thinner than it should've been. If I'd seen myself amongst this crowd, I probably would've given that boy an odd look too.

I had no idea where I was going. With no money, I knew I would have to resort to begging or stealing. After what happened yesterday I really didn't want to steal. Maybe begging would work out? I definitely look disheveled enough to pass as a beggar, I thought grimly.

Wandering around some more led me to an open marketplace in what seemed like the center of town. Doing a quick sweep of the area, I was relieved to not spot Dahlia anywhere. My heart sank at the probable reason why she wasn't here, but I had to try and dismiss it. Taking a deep breath, I approached the first stand that sold food.

"What do you want, kid?" the elderly man running it asked gruffly.

I was already regretting this. This was a horrible idea. "U-um—!" I froze up, not sure what to say.

"If you're looking for a handout, you won't find it here," he huffed. "Now get out of here before I call the guards!" I flinched back before retreating. Yeah, I was regretting this. But I had to keep trying.

I next approached a stand run by a young woman and tried to initiate conversation before she could. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wonderin' if you..." I started. "Wh-what I mean to say is that I... Sorry, lemme start over again..."

"You obviously don't look like you're gonna buy something, so I suggest you leave." While not as rude as the man, her rejection was still scathing. I admitted defeat again and left.

I continued this sorry routine of asking and rejection. Some of the other stands started to notice what I was up to and refused me before I could even open my mouth to speak. Soon there were only a few stands left I hadn't approached, and their owners were giving me dirty looks. I really should've just given up since I clearly wasn't going to get anything, but the growling in my stomach was worse to listen to than anything those vendors could say.

Desperate now, I went to a fruit stand run by the least threatening-looking person, a younger man with a round face. "Can I help you?" he asked in a polite but strained voice.

I took a breath. "I-I was wonderin' if..." No, I should just outright state what I wanted. "I'm out here on my own, and I'm hungry. But I don't have any money, so—"

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you anything unless you can pay," the young man refused.

"Okay. Sorry for botherin' you," I mumbled, turning to leave. Now what was I going to do? I slowly looked about at the remaining stands, deciding whether to go ask the elderly woman who was scowling at me or a middle-aged man who looked like he wanted to wring my neck.

"Just get out of here!"

The shout was accompanied by a sudden, sharp blow to the back of my head. The clang of metal vibrated my skull, and I stumbled, almost going down and startling those around me. Utterly stunned at what just happened, I cautiously probed the spot. I bit my tongue so I wouldn't cry out when a particularly painful spike struck me. Luckily, I hadn't gotten hit where I'd previously been bleeding from, but now I surely had two head wounds to deal with.

"If ya can't pay, then leave us alone!" the voice shouted again.

Through my wavering vision I could see people as they formed a circle around me. Nobody made a move to help or ask if I needed any. The other thing I saw was the blurred outline of some object on the ground to my left. Blinking, I realized it was a hard metal canteen, the leather strap attached to it laying around it.

"Dirty Rattata like ya are better off as slaves! At least you'd be doin' something instead of botherin' the rest of us!"

I couldn't stand the insults any longer. Anger flaring, I staggered to face who was yelling. My actions might have looked more serious if I didn't look so off-balance, but I didn't care. The circle of stunned loiterers parted to reveal an older man, who was giving me a deathly scowl. His hand was still partially raised from lobbing the canteen at me.

Even from where I stood, I could see that the man was two or more heads taller than me and had the mass to match his height. He could snap me in half without trying. I gave him a quick glare before picking up the canteen. If I wasn't going to get any food, then this would have to compensate.

"What the hell do ya think you're doing?" the seller growled.

I looked back at him and held up the container a little. "If I'm apparently so 'dirty,' then I'm sure you wouldn't want this back after I've touched it, huh?" I said, eyes narrowing.

"What did you just say to me?" He stepped out from behind his stand and began approaching me. Fear shot through me in one quick bolt, and my body acted before my mind could. I instinctively held the canteen tighter and backed away. "I could call the guards right now, you know," he said.

I gritted my teeth, trying to appear as angry as I felt. "I heard the guards are pretty shit at their jobs around here," I fired back.

"Not if I said you're a magician. Then they'd come in seconds, have you hauled off and your head lopped from your shoulders," the man said. Whispers began to leak out from around us, and I tensed up.

"I-I could do the same for you. You attacked me first," I tried to retaliate. But despite what I was saying, on the inside I was terrified. It seemed that he could discern this from the wavering in my voice.

The guy laughed dryly. "Big talk from such a little man. You should worry about growin' a pair before ya try to spout off at someone twice your size." He stepped forwards again, now close enough that he was towering over me. I stumbled back, trembling, almost bumping into the people behind me. "Now hand it over if you wanna keep your life."

"Leave him alone, Hayden."

Everyone, and everything stopped. A small sea of faces turned to look at the younger man who had refused me moments before. His face was tense with nervousness as he spoke.

"You basically forfeited that thing when you threw it at him, and he's right that he could call the guards on you for attacking him like that," he said. "I'll even pay for it if eight incos is worth that much to you! Now lay off, all right?"

The brute scowled. "There's no way in the Distortion World I'd—Hey!" Before he could get another word out I bolted, slipping through the gaps in the people like a Seviper and fleeing the marketplace. Somehow, no one gave chase, and I was gone in moments.

I took shelter behind a building to catch my breath, hopefully far enough away from the marketplace. I kneeled on the ground doubled over and shaking, clutching the canteen to my chest like at any moment it would be snatched away. My mind raced. I couldn't believe I managed to get out of another situation like that without getting killed... again!

I looked down at my prize, and I scowled. Like I felt guilty for taking the canteen. Sorry that I wanted to eat! The only thing I felt bad about was getting that other man wrapped up in all of it. I should have run before...

But now I'd ruined my chances of getting anything from that marketplace, or even going back there without being arrested. An empty canteen wouldn't substitute an apple or anything else edible. I groaned. What did I have to do to get something to eat and not be killed over it?

Then, like some cruel taunt, I caught the light scent of baking bread. I felt the childish urge to smack my head into the nearest wall out of frustration but ignored it. I might as well see where it was coming from. If it wasn't the marketplace, then I might have another chance at begging.

It really wasn't that hard to find where the scent was coming from. At the end of the alley I found what seemed to be the back end of a bakery. A couple Rattata were milling about while Pidove and Starly peered down from the edges of the rooftops. They all seemed to be waiting for something.

The back door of the building opened, and out stepped a frustrated-looking woman in a stained apron. She carried a tray of burnt bakery goods. I could hear her muttering about "yet another dozen lost" and how she would "teach that boy a lesson."

With a huff she dumped the tray into the trash bin, and she barely had time to close the door before the bin was swarmed, and I was one of the participants.

Am I really doing this? I wondered as I snatched a small loaf of bread, nearly avoiding a Starly's vicious Wing Attack in the process. But the answer was given when I began tearing into the loaf. I had to choke back the urge to gag as it felt like I was eating a chunk of coal, the bread was so burned.

Maybe I really was a Rattata, considering that I was willing to eat out of trash bins.

Without really thinking, I ate the entire loaf before I could consider that I should save some of it. But those thoughts were the farthest from my mind at the moment. From what that woman was saying, maybe I'd have another chance at getting my hands on more food and actually preserving it this time.

Finally satiated, I set out to do what I initially planned: find out what the hell a magician was.

Not wanting to ask anybody for directions, I took my information search into my own hands. I stuck to the major streets, thankfully being able to read the signs, and I came across a small library down a road that branched off from the major east-side street. Well, the hanging sign above the door read "library" while the building itself looked like any normal cottage. They got points for trying.

The moment I stepped into the library, an incredible sense of calm washed over me. The noise from outside seemed to blur into nothingness, only the light rustling of paper and occasional footfalls on the wooden floor providing noise. I took a moment to breathe in the atmosphere, and I reveled in the scent of musty leather and paper.

Why did I feel so... at home here?

I snapped out of my stupor quickly and vanished into the narrow but tall shelves before anyone noticed me. It was probably for the best that I look for the history section on my own.

My fingers glided over the spines of the books before I located one that likely contained what I was looking for, given its straightforward title. Encyclopedia Magica: A Guide to Caelum's Magicians and History.

   The book itself actually wasn't that large, maybe two-hundred or so pages. I sat down right there in the aisle and opened the book. Not even ten pages in, I found the apparent definition of the term.

"For as long as humans have lived on Caelum's islands, there have been those among them who aren't as human as they appear. At an unspecified point in history, these humans were dubbed as 'magicians' by the non-magic people of Caelum. Their origins are unknown, but they have an odd magic that manifests in ways similar to Pokémon moves. There are even eighteen distinct 'types' of spells.

"A magician has the appearance of a normal human, but at any time they are capable of transforming into their magician forms. This is the only state in which they can cast their spells. Drawing even more similarities to Pokémon, a transforming magician sometimes takes on the physical traits of Pokémon depending on their type. This manifests itself in ways such as Persain-like eyes and whiskers for Normal-type magicians or the star-shaped marking of an Alakazam for Psychic-types. Depending on the island's native Pokémon types, people of similar spell types tend to dwell there, such as Fire users being found on Rubrelum and Normal users populating Tranquelum."

I flipped back to the table of contents, trying to find a chapter detailing the different magician types. A majority of the book's pages were dedicated to this chapter. Between the Ground and Poison-type sections, I found the section on Ice-types.

"Ice-type magicians are uncommon compared to the other seventeen types, the third-rarest breed behind Ghost and Psychic-type magicians. This is likely due to their more physically fragile bodies, which for the most part match the defenses of the type they take after. When transforming, Ice magicians grow frost across the majority of their skin before icicles of varying sizes emerge on their arms and neck that are quite sharp. Along with this, their breath always mists regardless of the temperature. Their known spells are Glacies Testa (Ice Shard) and Caligo (Mist)."

Like I'd thought, I was an Ice-type magician. If I already wasn't enough of an outcast around here, then the "third-rarest breed" stuff reaffirmed it. I continued reading, educating (or likely re-educating) myself on the different magician types.

   Time seemed to become irrelevant as I read, and I actually found myself enjoying things. It was like a wave of ease had come over me. I wasn't worried about anything as I became lost in what was on the page.

   At one point, a section heading in particular caught my eye, and I curiously read it.

"The Cleansing or Black Purge."

The enjoyment died away a little then. Despite the morbid-sounding title, my curiosity begged me to continue on, and I did so.

"Magicians quickly established themselves as the powerful beings that they are and rose to power, enslaving non-magicians and claiming Caelum for themselves. However, the non-magician denizens of Caelum refused to be subjugated by these tyrants."

What followed was something I expected. The non-magicians rose and rebelled against the magicians, eventually ending their reign. Three great war heroes of each island were crowned as their monarchs, bringing on an era of peace and prosperity known as the Diamond Age. But what I read next made me feel sick.

"After the fall of the magicians, the newly-crowned King Ghazee of Rubrelum ordered the mass extinction of all magicians. Magicians were captured and executed by the hundreds with the remaining known magicians fleeing to the Far Plains of Tranquelum. Non-magicians had and still have no qualms about how a magician is captured and executed, going to lengths such as—"

I couldn't bring myself to read the rest of the section; I could already tell what it would entail. With that, I was done with reading. But before I closed the book, I noticed a small, bolder paragraph at the bottom of the page. It read, "A notice to all Caelum citizens: If you encounter or know of any magicians, report these individuals to your local guard. Any citizens who bring in a magician themselves, dead or alive, will receive a reward. However, this is not advised as they are incredibly dangerous."

"Incredibly dangerous..." So that man hadn't been exaggerating when he said the guards would have my head if he told them I was a magician. Maybe they wouldn't have believed him if things had gone down that route, but given that all magicians seemed to be wanted, I couldn't take any chances with dismissing it. Against my better judgement, it wouldn't be smart to stay in this town for much longer.

Uncertainty still lingered in my mind. At the same time, what if somebody I knew lived in this town? Denying how I'd felt before, I couldn't just leave without making sure. I gritted my teeth as I tried to come up with a plan. After a minute, I finalized something. I'd spend tomorrow searching, and if nothing came of it I would leave. But I might as well prepare for that second option anyways.

I returned the encyclopedia to the shelves and went searching for a book of maps or something simpler, anything that would include a map of Tranquelum. Figuring another encyclopedia could do the trick and searching half the section I was in, I found exactly what I was looking for. Funny that I could remember how the Dewott Decimal system worked, yet I couldn't remember my last name.

I cracked the new book open, and I was pleased to find several iterations of Tranquelum maps throughout the years. The coastal city of Erinne and more inland village of Stilden were the closest to Lainsel, though Stilden appeared to be a tad closer.

I took a glance about, and when I didn't see anyone watching I hid the book beneath my cloak. There was another copy of it on the shelf, so it wasn't like I would be taking the only one. I expected to be caught as I was leaving, but luckily whoever was supposed to be running the front counter was gone. It was a shame how easy that was, because now I knew trying to get what else I needed would be tougher. I needed supplies, including a bag of some sort to carry it in along with "my" book. I remembered seeing bags and packs for sale at the marketplace, but again, that place was off-limits to me.

Maybe I can try and activate my powers and use Mist to obscure the place? I frowned. I didn't even really know how to transform into my magician form. It had just sort of... happened with Dahlia.

"Hey, you!"

I looked up, an audible "huh?" spilling from my lips. Blocking my path was a duo of boys, one appearing twelve and the other fifteen.

"Um, what do you want?" I asked cautiously.

"You're the thief that stole Papa's canteen!" the youngest boy proclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

"And we're here to get it back." The oldest held out his hand. "So hand it over!"

I could hardly believe this. That guy was petty enough to send his kids after me? "You're joking, right? He made the first move, so I'm keepin' the canteen." Already I could tell my words would be ignored.

The youngest kid strolled up to me casually. I stepped back, glaring at him. He looked at me with a shit-eating grin. "Papa said we could take from others if they take from us," he said matter-of-factly. "So if you won't give us what's ours, then we'll take whatever we want."

Without warning he grabbed hold of my cloak. A sudden, protective surge rushed through me, and anger boiled up in my chest. I protested and tried to pull back, but the kid's grubby little fingers were latched on tight as he examined the swirling designs.

   "This is pretty cool, so we'll be taking it." He yanked hard on the cloak, and in an instant I was seeing red.

"Don't you even think about it!" I shoved the kid with all of my strength, who fell down flat on his ass. He looked up at me in stunned silence before bursting into tears, fat droplets rolling down his face.

The older boy's expression became outraged. "What was that for?" he cried angrily. "Now you're really gonna pay!"

My jaw dropped when black lines began to slowly snake out from under the boy's clothes and across his skin. It was as if his veins were filling with ink. His eyes were clenched shut, and I could see him trembling as the darkness spread, as if the process was painful. He then forced his eyes back open. His pupils had completely consumed his eyes, turning them black as tar. Beads of blood dripped from his eyes and ran down his black-webbed cheeks.

"You're really in trouble now," the younger boy said with a triumphant grin, "because my big brother's a Dark magician."

The older boy extended a hand out at me, and I braced myself for what he might do. "Venae Tenebris," he hissed. Black energy began to gather and crackle in his palm. That was Dark Pulse. I tried to move, but then waves of pulsing darkness exploded out from his hand.

All at once I felt the negative energy in me flare violently and curdle. My stomach turned, my heart's rhythm staggered, and it felt like my head was filling with static. I sank to my knees, shuddering as everything inside me rebelled all at once.

Before my thoughts could even start to regather themselves, I was slammed into a wall back-first. Pain crashed through me, and I gagged as the air was forced from me. I collapsed to the ground, utterly stunned but with the anger still bubbling in my chest. The encyclopedia had fallen from my grasp and into the view of the boys.

"What, did you steal this too? Then you deserve to be stolen from," the older boy taunted. He then grabbed my arms and pinned me down. Somehow this kid was stronger than me, and he managed to resist any struggles I attempted. He subdued me with another Dark Pulse, and I clenched my jaw as the churning within me threatened to make me sick. "Do it now. I'll make sure he doesn't move," the magician said to his sibling.

The younger boy started pulling at my cloak again. It was then then the red-hot anger was dampened by a bitter cold. Pearly frost crept over my exposed skin, the sight of which caused the younger boy to back away and the older to hesitantly let go me. My teeth ripped into my lip as I stifled an agony-filled scream, and icy spikes tore my wounds anew.

"M-magician?" the younger stuttered out, shocked. He jumped to his feet and hid behind his brother.

Once the pain receded, I staggered to my feet, brushing some of the dust and dirt from my face. The boys were staring at me in stunned silence, and I glared back. "You still want my cloak? You'll have to pry it from my dead, cold hands," I growled as I raised a hand. But then I balked when I realized what I was doing. No, I can't attack them.

The Dark magician smirked. "I can just knock you down again! Do you really think you can beat me?"

But I don't want to be robbed either. A nervous smile cracked my face, an equally as hesitant laugh leaving me. "Nope, I don't!" I said. "Caligo!"

The alley became choked with mist, reducing the brothers to barely-discernible shapes in the swirling vapors. I didn't care about not stealing now. I quietly walked up to the older boy and yanked his satchel from his shoulder. He let out a surprised cry, and I pushed him away before he could attack me again. Even if I couldn't hurt them, I still wanted payback.

"Karma's gonna come for you!" the older boy yelled, stepping towards where he thought I was. In reality, he was going in the wrong direction. "That's what Papa always says!" he continued. "Some pirate's gonna snatch you, and you'll spend the rest of your life livin' like the Rattata you are!"

I think I can say karma's come for you first, I thought, knowing not to give myself away. I freshened up the mist again before leaving the brats behind.

Figuring I should probably make myself scarce after what just happened, I decided to head back to the alley I'd slept in previously. It was as good enough a place to hide with the crates providing some cover. I sat down and started investigating the satchel I'd taken.

There wasn't much there. The first thing I saw was a list with jotted supplies on it, most of which were already in the bag like a couple spools of black sewing thread with a pack of needles, a three-foot length of brown cloth, and a bit of chalk. Maybe their mother was planning on making something? Well, it was mine now. I tucked the Tranquelum encyclopedia into the bag along with the canteen, electing to have less free-hanging items to possibly clatter about as I walked.

I frowned when I saw a drop of blood run down onto my hand from under my sleeve. With the last pulses of adrenaline still hitting me, the pain in my arms hadn't really registered until then. I carefully rolled up both my sleeves, wincing all the while. Yeah, it wasn't pretty.

Following a bit of difficulty, I tore away my sleeves and began wrapping them around my bloodied arms along with my neck. It was warm enough that I didn't need long sleeves anyways. Combined with the cloth from the bag, I made myself some half-decent bandages.

With a sigh, I leaned my back against the wall and pulled my knees to my chest. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the hollowness in my gut that had returned to taunt me. There might be more burned food up for grabs tomorrow, though I knew I'd already pushed my luck with that...

Sudden noises startled me into awareness. My eyes flew open, only to be greeted with shadowy darkness. I must've dozed off and not realized it. Confusion struck me, spiking with fear when the noises came again. It was like light scuffing, quiet in reality but loud to me.

My heart jumped into my throat at the thought that it was somebody looking for me. It could be that Dark magician again, back for revenge. Wait, no... These footfalls were too heavy to be a kid's. They grew closer before pausing somewhere down the alley to my left. Then the sounds resumed. They grew ever closer, oh-so steadily.

Then a pair of boots became visible through the gap in the crates. I glanced upwards, and I flinched when I saw the cloaked figure of a person towering over me, turned to the side. My hands covered my mouth to stifle my breathing, eyes wide as I stared at the person. They hadn't noticed me, but they just stood there silently, not moving a muscle. But then they spoke.

"Was I mistaken?" was all they said in the low, smooth cadence of a man. He turned around, and for a moment I was able to catch a glimpse of narrow purple eyes slightly shadowed by dark bangs. My own eyes widened even more.

I wormed my way out of my hiding spot and stumbled to my feet. I caught a glimpse of the man's cloak fluttering as he briskly turned out of the alley and onto the road. Without a word, I followed him.

By the time I reached the road, the man was almost out of sight. I pursued him around the corner he'd turned, and I saw him vanish into an inn. I almost continued my chase, but then I figured I'd be kicked back out the moment I tried to go inside. I lingered outside the building for a moment, staring at the dim light emanating from the windows. It was strange...

For some reason, those eyes had felt so familiar to me.