``But that's not fair!'' Each word was interjected by the stomping of a small paw on the ground, a thump of a thick, rudder-like tail as its owner let herself give in to a miniature fit. Leona, a young otter of only 14 winters, huffed about, crossing her arms as her tail betrayed any semblance of calm that she tried to affect. ``It's not fair that everyone else gets to go see him and I'm stuck here doing...practice! I know everything you're trying to teach me, and I know that YOU know that I know!'' Another thump of her huge tail, another stomp of her paw onto the soft ground.
The other she had been nearly shouting at, an older otterfolk with a tinge of grey around the muzzle, sighed and shook his head at her antics. ``Leona...it's not that you're stuck here, it's just...'' He trailed off, putting thought into his words, something that his younger counterpart seemed to be incapable of. ``It's just that this newcomer might be a little dangerous is all. We haven't seen someone like him around Valley, well, ever. Once myself and a few others have talked with him and determined that he's safe to be around, then you can go see him.''
This only set Leona off further, her ears flattening against her head as her indignance grew. ``But others get to go and talk to him! To see him! Why not me? I'm sure some of the micefolk, frogs...even rats get to talk to him and see him!'' She huffed loudly, nearly whining at this point. She was worked up, for certain, and nothing would stop her. As her temper grew, the manifestation of her magics began to crackle about her in little blue-white sparks of lightning, coursing along her whiskers before arcing off in little snaps of displaced air.
The other otter, an experienced Stormcaller by the name of Trest Silverpike, took a step back to avoid his own whiskers from getting scorched from the arcs of electricity coming off of her. ``Settle down, Leona. This isn't a `never'. This is a `soon' kind of deal.'' He raised his hands, as if to placate her. The girl took a large breath in through her nose, then exhaled loudly, shooting a cutting glare at Trest.
''Fine. But you'd better let me see him the moment that I can, otherwise I'll show you just how much I've learned.'' The little otter thumped her tail once more, sending a small crack of thunder splitting the air. Trest simply smiled at her, then walked from the open pavilion they had been standing in, down the long pathways towards the main square of Three Tree City.
Leona looked out over the city that had been her home for her entire life, leaning on a railing and letting the wind ruffle the fur of her neck, shivering gently at the feeling of it. It was a beautiful day, like many were around these parts, and the river that ran nearby the city glinted silvery blue in the sunlight. She could hear animalfolk below her, chattering and talking about the newcomer in the city, the odd traveler that had wandered in only a few days ago. Rumor had it that he was a great Weaver, a legendary spell caster the likes of which hadn't been seen in ages and ages. And she wasn't allowed to see him! Not yet, they claimed, but would they ever let her see him?
The young otter huffed out another sigh, twitching her nose to rid her whiskers of the static that had built up there with her outburst. She was strong in the magical arts too, something close to being able to Weave, or at least harness an amount of power close to it. So why in Valley was she not able to go and see this mage that rivaled her own powers?
Leona made her mind quickly. She was going, no matter what anyone else said to her. It was high time that she made her own choices. After all, her current teacher, Trest, had been skirting danger for years, playing with the Calamity Beasts as he and most other otterkind did. And he said one day that he had started doing it when he was only 12 winters old! Younger than she was!
Leona huffed once more, thumping her tail on the ground for good measure before starting to trot towards the main square. And let anyone try and stop her this time! She passed by shop windows and taverns, homes and places of business alike. Here in Three Tree City, many animalfolk gathered and enjoyed their lives, knowing that they were safe from Calamity here, or at least better protected than out in the wilds. She caught her reflection in some glass outside of a shop selling hats, looking in it to take a moment and fix her hair and straighten her whiskers.
The young otter sported a head of coppery red hair, flowing down to her shoulders when she didn't care to tie it back behind her in a short tail. Her eyes were a light turquoise, like some of the more pretty shells that she could find while diving, and her fur was a rich brown, with creamy colored fur spreading from her nose down to her navel. She adjusted her belt, which had a small glass orb attached to it, containing a fine hair, dropped by a Calamity Beast not long ago and which gave off a pleasing electrical feel to it. Leona nodded, finishing her preparations by adjusting the short blue demi-hood that she wore, with the emblem of a playing otter emblazoned on the back of it.
The streets were awash with animalfolk, going about their business and mostly ignoring Leona as she moved through the crowds, pushing past mice and frogs, racoons and squirrels, the occasional lizard or bird flitting through the crowd. It was a diverse and wonderful place to live, and Leona loved every second of it, even when she was forced to her studies. The crowd grew thicker as she moved closer to the square, the buzz of something exciting happening loud among them. She pushed through a throng of animals, careful not to step on any tails, and found herself in the clear, only to nearly run headlong into another animal who was walking up the main road.
With a startled squeak, embarrassing certainly but better than falling on her rump, Leona stumbled back, looking up at the unfortunate animal that she had nearly bowled over. Or been bowled over by, as it turned out.
A larger otterfolk stood over her, a full head taller than she was, wearing a red and blue outfit that intricately layered over him. Several glass spheres rested at his hip, each crackling with inner light and arcing the occasional flicker of lightning over the surface, although unlike her own never going past his body. He had streaks of white and grew around his muzzle and face, although his posture spoke of a youth that defied his coloration. His tail was thick and strong, eyes bright and inquisitive, teeth pearly white. Leona found herself staring, trying not to blush. This otter cut a striking figure, that was for certain.
He blinked momentarily, before leaning down and helping pull her to her paws. A little arc of lighting shot between them, making her jump and him blink once more, looking at her more closely, as if inspecting her now. Leona felt that she was under scrutiny, something that she hated from her mentors, but for some reason didn't mind from him. His attention was captivating, and it was all directed at her.
She was so engrossed with the otter standing there that she almost missed several other important figures standing with him. Trest, with his silvered muzzle looking far less distinguished than the stranger's, a mousefolk with a large sword strapped to her side, and several others that followed in his wake, as if he were the most important animal there.
''Sorry...'' he said, almost a little sheepishly. The stranger rubbed the back of his head, moving as if he weren't used to his body or something was wrong with it. He kept his tail still, not moving it about as a normal otter would do, and his ears didn't flick and twitch as he spoke, giving her no clues as to how he was feeling about the entire affair. ``I didn't see you there, you best watch where you're going...kid...'' The last part was said with an unsure air about it, as if he wasn't quite sure the age at which to address Leona.
The little otter puffed up at that, a scowl appearing on her face, her tail thumping in the way it did when she was getting beyond irritated. ``Kid? Kid?!'' Trest made a face, shaking his head and giving her the `we'll talk later' look. But Leona wasn't stopping, not for just a look like that. ``Listen here, old man, you almost ran into me! Why don't you watch where you're going? I'm on my way to meet someone important. A powerful mage that'll teach me the ways of Weaving and make me the strongest storm chaser that's ever been seen by otterkind!'' She was grandstanding, by a longshot, but she was feeling a little angry, the sparks flickering between her whiskers again. ``So if you'll excuse me, I need to be on my way.''
The little group around the otter fell silent, Trest in the back with a face that was morphing from amusement at her antics to near horror. The mouse, who Leona was starting to believe was more important than she originally thought...wasn't there a mousefolk who carried a sword like...
Leona felt like she had been on the receiving end of a Calamity Beast's lightning as realization struck her. This was the stranger, the mage of great renown that Trest had talked about, that she had wanted to see. And she had run headlong into him and been rude! Leona took a deep breath, her tail flicking and ears flat against her head. ``I uh...excuse me. Uh...sir. I didn't realize...''
The otter frowned for a moment, then chuckled, shaking his head. ``It's no worries, honest. Just...be a little more careful, alright?'' He looked back at the mouse, who had put a hand on the hilt of her sword, looking at Leona with what could only be described as a sort of maternal disappointment. ``Mabel, we have to talk about the situation out at the edge of Valley, start making some plans...'' He started to walk again, still slightly stiff and awkward in his gait. The mouse, which Leona now recognized with another start as Mabel, the hero of Valley, followed the strange otter down the road, giving Leona the smallest of nods as she passed.
Trest stopped by his student, putting a hand on her shoulder. ``I should have known that you'd come this way, regardless of what I said. I was going to come and get you in a few hours, after I'd talked with Ral and Mabel, but I suppose I need to tell you now.'' He started to walk in the same direction as Mabel the Hero and Ral, the stranger. Leona followed behind, trotting to keep up with him. Trest cleared his throat, slipping into his teacher voice. ``Ral, the otter you so kindly ran into earlier, is...not from this place.''
``From outside of Valley? Why would anyone want to live out there?'' Leona knew that Valley was vast, and she hadn't seen much other than the city and the river.
Trest shook his head. ``No, not from outside of Valley. From somewhere entirely else. He called it Ravnica, called it a plane. It's a city that covers as far as the eye can see, and the more past that still. He said he's not normally an otterfolk and that something about the magic of this place forced him into that form.''
Leona stopped, shaking her head. ``That's...what?''
''It's a lot to take in, I know. But when Ral explains it, the concept makes sense.'' Trest continued to walk, expecting his student to follow after him. Leona kept pace, taking nearly two steps for his one, adjusting the wide belt around her hips as they went. Like most animalfolk in Valley, Leona wore sparse clothing, enjoying the natural feeling of walking around in only one's fur, choosing to accent their looks with clothing rather than use it to conceal anything. ``Think of it as he's a visitor, from a faraway land, seeking to understand our ways and help us with our problems.''
Leona twitched an ear at that. Problems? Were there problems in Valley that she hadn't heard about? It was entirely possible, certainly, since she wasn't confided in nearly anything that went on around the city. She hurried after him, heading towards a large open building halfway up the huge trunk of one of the trees that made up the city. ``What problems? Is something the matter? What's going on?'' Her questions spilled from her, going unanswered as her mentor lead her up the stairs towards the open building.
At the center of the room was a large table, made of a sturdy looking wood and covered with a large sheet of hide that held a very complete map of Valley. Several large markers were settled on the map, placing the known Calamity Beasts that stalked the land and their locations and dens. Standing around the map, looking down at it with paws crossed over his chest, tapping one paw against the wooden floor, stood the otter that she had just run headlong into, the one her mentor called Ral. He was deep in thought as he stared at the map, listening to something that Mabel was telling him and nodding softly as she spoke. They both looked up as Trest and Leona entered the building, the younger otter trailing the older one. Ral gave her a look, the smallest of smiles on his face, even though the rest of him stayed nearly completely still.
``Well if it isn't the little firebrand from earlier. This the one you were talking about?'' Ral walked over to Trest and Leona, giving Trest a nod as he stepped aside, leaving Leona face to face with the other otter. ``Leona, right? Leona Broadcreek? My name is Ral Zarek, I'm a Planeswalker from a place called Ravnica, and I believe that you might be like me.''
