𝑭𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝒀 ⇢ Sebastian Sallow

IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE TWINS TO REALIZE THAT ELEAZAR FIG WAS A VERY STRANGE MAN. Surprisingly, it wasn't the fact that he waved around a twig nor his strange clothing which caught the attention of the local beggar. No, his strangeness came from something else, something Léna wasn't quite capable of discerning yet. The Cavalier twins had an entire new world to discover, a whole bloodline to unravel. Professor Fig had been very kind from the start – their first meeting had been fleeting, the pair of white-haired siblings welcoming the man into the pub where Paul worked.

They'd sat for a bit, listening to Fig rambling about an impossible world that couldn't possibly exist. Léna had been eager, a part of her buzzing with energy at the mere idea that they might be, in fact, special, but even she had reservations at the mad ideas the stranger was throwing around like cheap coin. It wasn't until Professor Fig pulled out his wand and fixed himself a good cup of ale than the twins realized this was no charlatan or magical, but a full-blown wizard. After that, things moved pretty smoothly.

The letter had arrived in late July, but by September 1st both twins were more than ready to abandon their lowly life in the suburbs of London and move into this new fantastical journey they'd been promised. Fig had even procured each of them with a twig – a wand, Léna kept reminding herself, the feeling of the small object against the side of her body oddly satisfying even when she hadn't dared used it yet.

Paul was the fortunate one, he'd caught on quick, using spells here and there for the past months. Fig supervised the whole thing, watching as Paul Cavalier slowly began to fill the shoes of a wizard. He was a natural, whatever little spells he had learned quickly becoming part of his repertoire while Léna remained the same. She was the one who was most excited about this, and yet, the girl only touched her wand to tuck it in the waistband of her pants. There was something overwhelming about it, the way the wooden stick weighed heavily against her side, the way she could feel the magic humming in the air. Léna couldn't bring herself to do it, to wave her wand around and conjure something.

Fig had assured her that by the end of the year she'd be one of the best in her class, but no amount of encouragement was enough to pull the girl out of her misery. Magic was overwhelming, as was everything that came with it. Even here, when they stood in front a horseless carriage pulled by sheer power of will, something nagged at the back of her mind.

Eleazar rounded the carriage, waving his wand around as the last of the luggage lifted in the air and neatly arranged itself atop the carriage. Léna and Paul shared a look, watching the spectacle with amazement as the professor slowly made his way towards them.

"Ah! It appears we're almost ready to depart" he announced, glancing towards the sky as he watched the morning fog slowly dissipate. The man smoothed down his robes, pulling on the fabric before turning towards Paul with a grin "It's a pity we didn't have a bit more time to spend on spell-casting"

Paul nodded, his usually stoic expression being replaced by a kind smile before he tugged on his sister's sleeve. Léna rolled her eyes before eventually caving in, she too plastering a fake smile on her face. Paul and the professor had spent most of the morning practicing spells while they waited for the carriage for arrive. Meanwhile, Léna had sat on one of the empty barrels outside of the butcher shop, legs dangling from the side while she watched the show. Fig had tried to convince her to join, but the girl had been quick to decline. She wasn't ready for this – not yet, at least. The professor turned, his calm gaze now sweeping over the whitehaired girl.

"I presume you've been practicing the spells we worked on"

Léna nodded. Although she hadn't had the courage to pick her wand up yet, she had practiced her latin well enough she was nearly fluent. She'd also taken the time to learn the hand movements necessary, flicking her wrist at the right angle so when she finally dared to pick up that wand she wouldn't feel underprepared. Léna was an overachiever, which somehow was a stark contrast to her brother's neglecting attitude. Paul was the kind of person who sat back and watched things happening, if he got swept up in the drama, he flowed with it. Léna couldn't figure out how he had managed to keep his job for so long considering his penchant for trouble.

Paul tugged on Léna's sleeve once again, excitement spilling from his lips as he locked onto Fig's eagerness.

"I have, professor!" he announced happily while pulling out his own borrowed wand.

Fig nodded, taking a look at the small object before his gaze fell on Léna once again. The girl repressed a sigh, digging into the waistband of her pants and pulling out her own wand. If her mother could see her now, she'd probably faint – seeing her little girl in such vulgar clothes would have been the end of Nora, but Léna had always been a pants kind of girl. She didn't have time to fuss around a skirt nor stuff her insides into a tight undergarment. This was better and easier. Besides, where they were going, she'd have plenty of time to play dress up. Fig returned his attention to Paul, his smile sincere.

"Well, I'm quite sure I've never seen anyone take so quickly to a second-hand wand. As for miss Cavalier, I'm sure she'll get the hang of it, eventually" he narrowed his eyes, a brief pause cutting his speech short before he quickly recovered "The two of you will be a force to be reckoned with when you get your own"

Paul's shoulders relaxed, the praise in Professor Fig's tone somehow catching him off guard.

"Thank you, Professor Fig. I appreciate you working with us before the term begi–"