“Now where to eat? We have Charles’s, they are always good. What do you think Katy?” Antonio asked.
“I… umm… don’t know.” Katy never ate out anywhere before, she has only had what she could take from a supermarket, but she did not want Antonio to know that.
“What do you like to eat?” Antonio smiled down at Katy.
Katy thought about the things she had taken to survive, but really, she couldn’t think of a favorite thing. She loved strawberries; maybe she could get some of them. “I like strawberries.” Katy stated as she looked up at Antonio.
“Well we can get some of them as well, but let’s go to Charles’s and get some dinner.” Antonio led her toward a large building that stated Charles’s Kitchen. They walked in and sat down at a small table that was available near the door.
A young woman came up to the table “hello, may I get you something to drink?” She asked as she handed them each a menu.
“I will have a pineapple juice. How about you Katy?”
“Umm… water…. Please.” Katy was unsure of what there was to drink, there were a lot of different ones on the menu, pineapple seemed to be the only real normal drink, but Katy went with water that was always safe. There was no way she was ever going to try anything called Dragon’s Blood or a blood smoothie.
“Okay a pineapple juice and water, do you know what you want, or do you need a few minutes?”
Antonio answered right away. “A few minutes please, this is Katy’s first time.”
“Alright I will be back with your drinks.”
“So what do you think Katy Lily?”
“Umm… I… don’t know.” Katy was honest she didn’t have anything to compare it to, after all living on the street of New York you were more alley to get your supper out of a garbage can than you were to go into a restaurant.
“You are just not use to it all yet is all, don’t worry Katy Lily. You will see there are good things in life to counteract all the bad that should have been prevented.”
Antonio probably would have gone on but as he was beginning his next sentence a small black kitten, whose hair was black as the night with no stars and no bigger than a palm jumped up in front of Katy Lily and meowed.
Katy looked into its emerald green eyes. Katy reached out and grabbed the kitten and pulled it close to her. She petted the kitten and listed to the kitten purr in response.
“Well, look at this, I wonder what its name is?” Antonio said, with a smile that looked like he held back a laugh.
Katy looked down at the kitten and asked “what is your name? Hmmm… What a pretty kitten, I wish you were mine. I wonder who’s kitten are you?” Katy looked around as if to try to find someone that looked like they were missing the kitten. The kitten just meowed a couple of times, and to Katy’s astonishment she understood the kitten, she was shocked. “Antonio, can kittens in our world talk?”
“Well that is what meowing is, of course very few magical people can understand cats, and they only reveal themselves to a select few. Did you understand the kitten Katy Lily?” Antonio asked; he kept his thoughts to himself, but if he was right Katy found her first, and thus strongest, familiar.
The kitten purred away against Katy’s hand. “Yes, she said her name was Starlight and I was hers.” Katy with a mile-wide smile, she was the happiest she had ever been. She was soon going to have a place to call home; she had a new kitten and a new life.
“That is very lucky of you, to have a familiar choose you.”
“What is a familiar?”
“It is a Spirit, so to say; really it is a supernatural entity that is here to assist their witch or warlock. They usually take a form of a cat; however, they can take many forms. They are your friend, your assistant, and your protector. They choose the witch or the warlock. Most witches and warlocks have up to five familiars, most find their second during school. The others in their travels. I was going to suggest a pet to take to school with you, but that has been solved on its own! So, what looks good to you?”
Katy was so busy with Starlight, who curled up on Katy’s lap and fell asleep, that she forgot to look at the menu and saw the waitress coming, she looked down at the menu at the sandwiches, and saw nothing that looked normal, there were buffalo burgers, dragon burgers, and many different things. “A cheeseburger?” Katy had them at fast food places when she was able get a few dollars, she liked them.
Antonio said nothing but he did seem to have a scowl on his face “did you never have a decent meal?” He finally asked, too many signs that she was never taken care of in her life.
Katy felt like she had done something wrong. She slouched down and then answered. “I did okay, it was better when I had my mom, but I think I did okay, I was able to get water, breads, fruits and vegetables.”
“I am not mad at you; didn’t anybody ever notice that there was a young child running around?”
Katy looked at him and got angry, fire in her eyes, stood up and knocked Starlight off her lap. “Come on Antonio, you found me in an alley living out of a cardboard box! I lived on the street! I had to sneak into stores, steal food, wash up in the bathrooms; I walked around offering to do chores for a few dollars so I could buy a hot meal. I only went into homeless shelters so I could grab some clothes. The state took me once right after my mom died, they put me in an orphanage where they basically used us as slave labor, then sent me off to a foster home where they did the same thing. I was better off on the street so I ran away!”
Antonio said nothing but seemed to absorb the information.
Katy sat back down, she never realized she stood up, she sat and held and petted Starlight, and whispered “sorry for waking you.”
Before Antonio could say anything, the waitress returned. “What can I get you two?” She asked as she placed the pineapple juice and water on the table.
“We will take two of your buffalo burger baskets with cheese and bacon. Thank you.” Antonio waited until the waitress walked away then took a moment to form what he would say very carefully. “Katy Lily… I didn’t mean to offend you; I never lived in the non-magical world. I thought the adults in all worlds took care of the children of their world. I mean the meanest of our creatures take care of their young. It took me for a shock that you have defended for yourself for three years.”
“Well, I have, I think, done okay, I went to school, I took care of myself, I may not know a lot about the worlds around me, but I know enough to keep myself safe.” Katy’s anger disappeared. “I am sorry for yelling it is just, I don’t know what came over me. I should not be yelling, I should be thanking you, it really has been the happiest day of my life.”
“You should have had a lot of happier days. And I know you will now that you are going to be in school and back in our world.” Antonio said no more as the waitress brought their meals. “Thank you.” The waitress left, “well dig in Katy Lily, it really is quite good, now we just have to figure out what you can do until you can come to school on the second.”
Katy did not know what to say, she just ate her fries, and gave Starlight a few chunks of her buffalo burger, while she got lost in her thoughts. She forgot that she did not leave for school until the second. What would she do for the next three days before she went to school? She did not really want to leave this place; she did not want to go back to that box she had lived in. But it seemed like she would have to, she did not have anything there, she did not have anything anywhere, she wanted to jump into this new life, go to school and never look back. But now it seems she may have to suffer three more days back at that cardboard box. Before Katy could respond, a man walked up to the table, he looked to her a lot like Antonio, but his skin had a much darker color, and he seemed a little older as well.
“Well, son, how is you first assignment from the school going?” Katy put it together this was Antonio’s dad, this must be Professor MacCathmhaoil.
“It is going great Dad! Please meet Katherine Lillian Fitz; she is a Fire elemental as well. We just got done with all her shopping. I was just trying to think about what to do with her, as she has nobody. I cannot allow her go back to that alley I found her in.”
Professor MacCathmhaoil pulled up a chair. “Well she could stay with us, I am in charge of transportation of the first though fifth years this year, the Fire house is taking a plane out of New York this year, that way I can ride on the Fire Plane. The other heads of houses are flying out on their planes as well, Professor Tuchman for Earth leaving out of LA, Professor Basset for Spirit leaving out of Houston, Professor Marko for Water leaving out of Miami and Professor Plato for Air leaving out of Chicago.”
“Well that solves that Katy Lily, you can stay with us.” Antonio said with a smile.
“I don’t want to be a burden.” Katy played with her fries and looked down; she did not want to meet their eyes.
“It will be no bother for you to come and stay with us.” Professor MacCathmhaoil stated, as he reached over and grabbed a few of Antonio’s fries. “In fact, it will be a good thing, my wife Sandra always wanted a daughter, she will dote on you, and stop complaining that she lives alone most of the year until you go to school. Trust me; a couple days of peace would be nice.” Professor MacCathmhaoil got up from his chair. “Well I have to go; I have to talk to Headmaster O’Cuinn. I will see you two at home.” With that Professor MacCathmhaoil walked out of the restaurant. And Antonio and Katy finished their meal in a comfortable silence. After Katy had pushed her plate away, Antonio signaled for the bill.
“Antonio what next?” Katy wanted to explore more, but she also needed to buy things for Starlight, but she could see it was close to dusk.
“Well we have to stop by Ray’s Pet Shop and get a collar, bowl, litter box, litter, and food for Starlight. I also thought we would stop by Kandi’s Sweets, and Ross‘s Amulets and Talismans.” Antonio said as he stood up and took some coins out of his pocket, he left them on the table.
Katy stood up, and picked Starlight up off the table, she had curled up on the table after she ate a few chunks of Katy’s burger. “Okay.”
They walked out of the restaurant and back into the center of the community. “See over there is Ray’s we will stop there first so we can get Starlight’s supplies.” They walked over to the pet shop and walked in.
Katy could not believe her eyes, there were so many different animals and sections dedicated specifically for the type of pet they had, so Katy and Antonio walked right over to the Cat section.
“Well Katy Lily, we need a carrier, a collar, a bed, a litter box and litter, two bowls, some food and some treats, so pick them out.”
Katy looked at all the walls, she saw a basket carrier with a pillow of deepest orange it was not to big nor to small, she chose that, and she chose a blood red collar and had a tag made up that stated simply Starlight. She chose a bed with a dark orange pad, a dish bowl set one red and one orange, a basic gray litter box and a small bag of litter. She also bought a few boxes of cat treats and a box of food.
“You really just needed the cat treats, after school starts, they will provide milk and food for the animals, they will also make sure that there is fresh litter for the cats.” Antonio stated as he paid for the items. They did not cost much just one Berry for everything.
Next, they went to Kandi’s Sweets, there were so many different kinds of sweets, Katy had to stop herself from buying everything, after all her money needed to last her all year. But she bought some suckers, gummy animals, and few sugar wands. They walked to Ross’s Amulets and Talismans and again once inside Katy was fascinated by everything inside. “What are we getting here?”
“We are going to get you a necklace. A crystal, they are especially important to have, they can help you heal, to connect, to be happy, to meditate, to foretell the future and even help balance you. Each gem says something about the person they connect to, it says something about that person; it says something about the hidden meaning of their soul and purpose in this world. My mother has an amethyst necklace, it helps her with healing. She is a Healing master, she works at the local magical hospital she is the head medicine woman for her ward, which is poisons and their antidotes. My father has a Jet ring and I have a Tiger’s Eye ring. We are going to find one for you now.” Antonio took Katy’s hand and walked up to the counter. “We need to see some stones, for they young lady here.”
The woman behind the counter and pulled out some stones, they were red ones, blue ones, clear ones, so many different ones. “Close your eyes young one; I will place these stones in your hand, when you feel yours close your hand.” Before Katy could ask when she would know the woman continued “you will know when yours is in your procession.”
Katy closed her eyes and held out her hand. Just like with the wands it seemed like so many different stones were placed in Katy’s hand, before that warm sensation that signaled that the correct crystal was placed in her hand. At that moment of connection, she knew it was hers. Katy closed her hand and opened her eyes. “I found it.”
“Yes, a beautiful light blue topaz, great for healing, and opening one’s self, protection from darkness and divination, as well as many others magical uses. This is a very versatile crystal and an exceedingly rare color.” The woman stated as she took the stone back from Katy’s hand. “Did you want a necklace or a ring?”
Antonio spoke up at this time. “Necklace, white gold chain.”
“Okay, it will just be a few moments, I just have to cleanse the crystal and set it.” The woman walked into a back room.
“That was a really pretty stone, it reminded me of a clear blue sky, but how does that work, the choosing?” Katy asked Antonio as they waited.
“Nobody really knows, it is the same way the wand and staff choose their witch or warlock. There is something within your elemental power that connects you to the stone, something inside you, it is magical.” Antonio said with a smile and a wink.
Katy pondered this while she and Antonio waited for the woman to come back, and as she said it did not take long, she was back within moments.
Antonio took the necklace looked at it, and then paid the woman a Berry and turned to Katy. Antonio then took the necklace and stood behind Katy and placed it around her neck. “There, perfect!” Antonio took Katy’s hand again and walked out of the store.
Katy looked down at her new necklace and really looked at it; she could feel the warmth of it, as it had started to heal a lot of the damage that she had sustained in her young life on the streets of New York.
Kris Charles - Author 