"Hm, is there anything I can do to pass the time...?" she wondered, swinging her legs. Next to her, the ermine continued chasing after some airborne fluff, wholly entertained. "Maybe there are fewer people inside now--"

Right before she could get up, someone asked, "Anyone sitting here?" Looking up, she saw a boy about her age, with sandy brown hair, beryl blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin. Under the afternoon sunlight, there was a smattering of faint, dark freckles across his nose and cheeks, resembling stars in a constellation. This unusual person also wore garments fitted for a newsboy: a wool vest with a pale shirt underneath, which accentuated their modest ribbon brooch and corduroy suspender pants.

"O-Oh, er...S-Sure, you can sit here..." Aurelie stammered, much more nervous than anticipated. "When was the last time I talked to another human my age? Oh, hazelnuts, I hope they didn't notice..." she frantically thought.

"Hehe, thanks," the boy merely chuckled, the soft sound reassuring Aurelie's trembling shoulders. Sitting down beside her, he gestured to the moving silhouette atop his shoulder, while explaining, "I saw you had a weasel as your familiar. If you don't mind me asking, then do you have any pointers for taming a creature like them?"

"Who are you calling a weasel?!" Edward balked, his mouth held agape. "For your information, son, I ain't some weasel! I'm an ermine, for pecans' sake!" Which only amounted to futile squeaking when the boy curiously tilted his head.

"Huh, looks like they're full of energy too. If only my own familiar was like that..."

"Oh, t-they're not actually my familiar. I'm only just a first-year, so this is just...!" Scooping up Edward with her hands, she was about to put him away, before said creature threw a ballistic fit--thrashing and turning around, while also gearing up to teach someone a lesson.

"Just wait until I get these furry claws on you! I bet you wouldn't even last a second while I'm around!" he hissed.

"...Erm, my animal companion? And this one's an ermine. They're usually a bit larger and feistier than regular weasels," she answered with a sweat drop rolling down. "Case on point when my father's already sending some mean glares his way."

"Whoops, forgive me for jumping to conclusions. I almost thought you were a second-year," he laughed with an embarrassed flush to his face, before extending a hand. "Name's Alexander Cousteau, but most people just call me Alex. And this here is my little buddy, Carol--" While the boy gestured with his shoulder, Aurelie spotted something white peeking out from within the shadows, revealing itself to be a jittery yet fluffy rodent. Its long tail was accentuated with a tiny cotton ball at the end, matching its velvety, snow-white fur. When two, large ears gave way to curious blue eyes blinking at her, Aurelie couldn't help but stare back at it.

"Woah, it's so cute. What kind of animal is it?"

"Ah, this is a Magicreature called a snow vole. You can usually find them in the rocky foothills of Snowcrest," Alex explained, pointing towards the range of mountains piercing through the misty clouds. From this distance, their small yet distinct shapes were nothing compared to witnessing them in person, where their enormous altitude spanned upwards to its snow-capped summits. Many have dared to climb its treacherous heights, yet when faced with rumors of hauntingly dreadful wendigos and vengeful lycanthropes, only some reached the closest peak before retreating.

"It's...a little skittish of everyone, and it took about three weeks before they finally warmed up to me. Literally." Gently scritching it under its chin, Alex coaxed the little creature onto his hand, which soon curled up on his palm. "Still, we're only in the taming phase, so can't be rushing things this fast."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Taming phase..." Aurelie perched her chin, muttering, "You mean...a period set aside for you to develop a bond with your familiar?"

"Bingo, you guessed it." Nodding, Alex continued, "All second-years are required to embark on field trips held throughout the year. Especially during the spring and winter months, this is usually an opportunity to venture out into the wilderness and hopefully come across Magicreatures. The distinction between them and regular animals is how much magical energy they're imbued with." Smoothing over his familiar's pristine fur, he noted, "Hence why Carol's uniquely different from their fellow voles."

"Hm, I see...So these Magicreatures...Do they have to be related to your attribute?" the ashen-haired girl asked, her fascination piqued. "Because if they initially came from Snowcrest, then surely they must be well-adapted to Crustallum."

"Hey, looks like someone did their research," Alex laughed, giving her a half-hearted smile. "To answer your question, it's generally recommended, but it's not the end-all-be-all. Some people tame Magicreatures just because they're interesting, or that they've already formed a friendship with it. Just like your animal companion..." Pointing at the ermine now sulking away in one of Aurelie's pockets, he continued, "...They're usually registered as Support Companions by the academy, while all Magicreature familiars are already listed as one by default. Main difference is that normal Support Companions are only limited to certain places around campus. Especially when they're just there for emotional or moral support."

"So...case in point, does that mean your elemental attribute is Crustallum?" Aurelie pressed on, giving him a sidelong glance.

"Pfft, couldn't even dodge that question, could I?" Letting out a frank chuckle, he raised his other hand, creating miniature snowflakes to appear in the air. Each one had its distinct shape, where fractals expanded outwards into intricate, icy branches. They pirouetted in the air like freefall ballerinas, becoming immersed in the powdery flecks around them. Yet despite its fragile beauty, the boy's expression was anything but mesmerized. "...My folks back home are avid practitioners of Liquidum, especially when we're from a seaside port and all that. So just remembering how shocked they were at last year's evaluation only brings back some painful memories."

"O-Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel bad..." Twiddling with her thumbs, Aurelie nervously grimaced. "...I'm interested in all sorts of magical elements, so seeing how you conjured snowflakes out of nowhere is enough to amaze me."

"Pfft, is that so...?" Snapping his fingers, each of the snowflakes exploded into whimsical fireworks of snow, eliciting a sudden sneeze from the former.

"Hey, what'd you do that for?!" Brushing away the powder from her bangs, Aurelie faced him with a peeved reaction, which only empowered him with a peal of laughter.

"Sorry, sorry...Speaking of which, I haven't gotten your name yet. Mind doing me the honor of knowing thy fair maiden?"

"Hmph, flattery like that won't get you anywhere, Mr. Alexander." Crossing her arms, she introduced herself. "My name is Aurelie Erwin, and this ermine here..." She paused, contemplating whether she should say her father's name or make one up on the spot, before the ermine squeaked out, "Just call me by my nickname, Relly!"

"...His name is Eddy," she finished with a resolute nod.

"Hehe, that's cute. Oh, I meant your ermine--" the second-year quickly assured, waving his hands. "...But Aurelie...That's a pretty name. Haven't met someone with a name like that before. Where are you from actually?"

"Oh, the Haven of Kismet. It's...a rather remote location, as far as I'm aware. Even one of the tellers from this morning told me that."

"Really? I've heard lots of stories and fairytales about that place, so I'm surprised not many people heard about it. Well, maybe it's understandable, considering it's hardly a dot in the atlas books." Alex shrugged, earning a petulant "How rude!" from one of the satchel's pockets.

"Yeah...It's a pretty small place to begin with, and the town of Kismet is just a mere remnant of what it once was," the ashen-haired girl muttered, staring down at her lap. "I'm guessing one of the more popular stories you heard about is how the animals there bestowed vengeance upon the settlers."

"Yep, that's the one! If I recall correctly, it went like this..."