Canary
Yeon puts all her might into slicing carrots and apples on a wooden chopping board, her arms quivering. Behind her, other people practice spells with their own carbuncles. The Veena rents a topaz carbuncle here at the Arcanist’s Guild, since she isn’t focused on advanced learning. People who are only interested in recreational Arcane arts are paired with older carbuncles that have plenty of experience with beginners. One of them, the topaz carbuncle she signed up to practice with over the course of several months, waddles up to her.
“Almost done, Canary.” He tilts his head upward and sniffs at the snacks she’s preparing. She pushes the carrot and apple slices into a bowl, then walks to a corner of the large room. It has Canary’s small cushion where he sleeps, a training dummy, a spellbook, and a wand. This is where they train. It smells faintly of salt, given that the guild is nearby the wharf. Well, Limsa Lominsa is a port after all. Yeon sets the bowl down in front of him and looks around the room. Some are struggling to keep the attention of their familiars, as some instructors laugh at them lightheartedly. She giggles too, and smiles as they go and help the beginner arcanists. Her laugh is cut short, because she’s a beginner too.
Looking down at Canary, the Viera sees that he hasn’t started nibbling yet. “Sorry!” She quickly gestures for him to go ahead and eat. At that, he seems to smile at her as if to say ‘You got distracted,’ and proceeds to munch from the bowl. Here, she was told that some carbuncles wait for permission to eat. Canary was one of the polite ones. In the middle of the room where there are small stairs leading to a training circle, one miqo’te is hesitant to feed their ruby carbuncle. Once they stick their arm out, the little companion jumps at their hand, and they squeal in fear. Canary turns his head to see his ruby friend giving the miqo’te a hard time, and he makes an interesting kekeke sound.
After he’s done, he nudges her. Yeon gets up and retrieves the beginner’s spellbook and simple wooden wand from beside his small bed. He sits across the empty popoto sack propped up by the wall while looking up at her. The sack is his little training dummy and she points her wand at it.
“Topaz, ruin my enemy with your potent earth damage.” Canary hits with his tail, a rush of earthen particles cracking against the popoto sack. She reads more from the book, words she’s mostly memorized.
One instructor had told her to concentrate on things that either bring her happiness or anger while casting spells. It’s about intention, motivation, and pronouncing the syllables correctly. So she focuses on her safe spaces, such as her private quarters. The cozy alcove bed, the flowers she takes care of. The swimming pools in the Brimming Heart of the Goblet, how the sun-warmed water calms her. Splashing.
“Drain my enemy’s energy. Fester from this aetherflow.” Yeon repeats some other spells and doesn’t notice when Canary growls at her. She begins to panic, unsure of why something feels wrong and puts that panic into her words. Splashing. Waves in the Mist. The moon hangs far away in the sky but its reflection ripples through her hands before she dives. Searching for someone who would not appear. Giving up. An ache blooms in the back of her head. Canary whines and it sounds like a scolding. A sweat breaks on her brow. She continues as he follows her spells reluctantly. Think of happy things. Yeon doesn’t want to channel rage, but how could she not when her father took the child away? Becoming dizzy, she stops and slumps to the floor. Canary takes the spellbook and wand away, pushing them with his claws back to their original spots. Then, he sits in front of her.
“Today is not my day.” Her glum face says it all. The topaz carbuncle’s claws scrape on the floor as he shuffles to her and taps her shoulder with his nose. They sit beside each other in silence until an instructor reminds her that the session is over.
