A week had passed since Cathal had joined Fairy Tail. Through that week, Cathal had dedicated himself to reading all the books he could on history, geography, and magic, so that he would be prepared to go out into the world and do quests as a Mage. There was though, one single piece of information that left his mind spinning.
*
Three days after Cathal joined Fairy Tail, in the guild's library.
"Warframes?!" Cathal exclaimed, bewildered at what he was reading in the book. It was an ancient tome, focused mostly on ancient races and Lost Magics. "Warframe Take Over magic is... a Lost Magic?"
In his stupor, Cathal hadn't realized that Makarov had entered the library and was looking at him with eyes fool of amusement. Ignoring his spectator, Cathal continued reading.
"Warframes are an ancient race of warrior gods, known to be able to step up to the most savage, brutal, and terrifying of threats with insurmountable courage. Their powers were a rare thing, each of them having dominion over some element or concept, being able to control flames, nature, magic, or even disease. One was even known to be able to open a door to the sun. Nobody knows where they originated or what exactly they were, but all people know is that one day they disappeared. With time, Warframes –and consequently the magic that allowed people to control them– were forgotten. If they were to ever return, we can only hope it is in the hands of someone with good in their heart."
Cathal's mouth was wide open. He knew the story of Warframes and, if he was being honest, reading that was quite the surprise. Somehow, whatever had put him in this world had turned Warframes into a part of its history.
"I guess my magic is much more special than I originally thought." Cathal said, a small smile making its way to his face.
"It is, kid." Makarov said behind him, startling Cathal and making him drop the book. "Hahaha! No need to be afraid, brat."
"Master, you can't do that while hiding your magic!" Cathal scolded him. "You're going to give someone a heart attack!"
"Ha! I should be worried about that with how much stuff you lot destroy on the daily." Makarov joked. "Your magic is special Cathal. Very much so. Use it wisely."
"I... I will, Master." Cathal answered, realizing the weight behind Makarov's words... and behind his new powers.
"And drop that Master stuff!" Makarov said, his brow furrowed momentarily before adopting a gentle smile. "Call me Gramps. That's what the young'uns here do."
"O-Ok. Gramps." Cathal said, a comfortable silence settling between them.
"I'll leave you to your reading then." Makarov said, leaving the library and giving Cathal some space so he could sort his thoughts. He could tell that, while perhaps not really from a dark past, Cathal was also a troubled kid. Just a bit more mature than the rest of his family.
*
Now caught up with all the information he needed to know, Cathal was ready to start picking quests from the guild. While he certainly appreciated Makarov's help to settle down, he didn't want to take things for free. And there was no better way to return all the help he had gotten than doing quests without bringing a bad name to Fairy Tail. Other members already did that. If anything, he would be the one responsible member.
That was why Cathal was, currently, looking through all the quests listed as available in the guild's headquarters.
"Escorting a member of a merchant guild... capturing a rogue mage... a magic beast subjugation quest, that one sounds interesting." Cathal said while reading through the quests.
"Perhaps you would want to look among B and A-rank quests, kid." Macao said while sitting from the bar. "You may be new here, but your power is enough to do those. Personally, I would recommend the monster subjugation. Less messy."
Appreciating the rare moment of seriousness from Macao, Cathal looked at him and nodded in thanks. Then he started looking through the B-Rank quests. While he also thought he was ready for more difficult quests, he certainly was not going to start straight from the top of the list. He was going to ease into it, as anyone would when starting something they are new to.
"There is a monster subjugation quest... a bunch of rogue golems that have gone berserk..." Cathal read the details of the quest. Apparently it was not that far from Magnolia, close to Morgate Town in the southwest. "It's around the Forgotten Deserts... yup, this one sounds good. Graaamps!"
Calling for Makarov, the old man made his way down with an annoyed look on his face.
"What is it you brat! You've called me five times for nothing in the last two days!" Makarov said, clearly annoyed. Cathal was really sure he had just interrupted his 'recreational' reading.
"I want to take this quest!" Cathal said, showing Makarov the paper. The old man just grabbed it and, after reading through it, signed it for him.
"Sounds good enough, but not too hard." He commented. "You're good, but be careful still, it wouldn't be the first time a quest is graded wrong."
"I know." Cathal said, confidence present in his face. "Thanks, Gramps! I'm gonna go prepare my stuff!"
With that, Cathal left the guild running to go to his new place, an apartment in a building not too far from the guild. Apparently it used to be the dorms for the male members of Fairy Tail, sort of a counterpart to Fairy Hills. Alas, the owner stopped contracting members of the guild when the entire building was destroyed in a scuffle. He had made an exception for Cathal since he was young and seemed to be a proper human being.
"Rations... pocket change... enough water... a map... yup, that's everything!" Cathal said while checking his backpack. He had enough food for a couple days, which he was pretty sure the quest wouldn't take. It would probably be a matter of going, talking to the employer, destroying the golems, and coming back.
"I just jinxed myself, didn't I?" Cathal said, a bad feeling spreading through his body. "Let's not temp Murphy anymore..."
With that said and everything packed, Cathal left his apartment and went straight for the Magnolia train station, which was on the outskirts of the town. After buying a ticket to Morgate Town, Cathal hopped on the train and lay down in his compartment. It would be a short trip, but Cathal was excited all the same. After all, it would be his first work as a mage of Fairy Tail.
"I will definitely enjoy my life this time around..." Cathal said, reaffirming his promise to himself. "No more wasting away."
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Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter, thought not by much. On a different note, I've uploaded pictures of Cathal in the auxiliary chapter! Also, leave a comment with your opinions and drop your Power Stones! Engaging with readers is part of what keeps me motivated to write!