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Chapter 2 Dear Liam

Liam studied the package left for him by his dad. It was long and oddly shaped, the entire object bound in dense cloth. He carefully unfolded the object as he looked one more over the letter his father left him.

_"Dear Liam, If you are reading this, my son, then it means you have set out into the world and left home. Hopefully under the best of circumstances. I know your mother would never let you leave home easily. Before anything I want you know how proud your mother and I are of you and wish you the best in finding your place in the world whatever that may be. I have a feeling though you'll have at least some sort of interest in magic like your old man though! Even as I write this letter with you in my arm, not even 3 years old, you can't keep your little paws from playing with the catalyst crystals on my desk! Regardless of what you grow up wanting, what I want is for you to have this staff and book of basic spells I've wrapped up for you. The staff holds the first catalyst I ever crafted since I became a mage, and now I want to pass it on to you in the hope that it will protect you just as it had for me so many years ago. Stay safe my son and once again, your mother and I are and always will be proud of you.

Love, Dad"_

As Liam finished reading the letter one last time, he set it aside and rubbed his eyes free from the tears forming in them. Though his eyes were watering from his father's words he couldn't help but smile. The letter brought the young fox a sort of relief knowing his father did not simply abandon his family and actually did have love for both his son and his wife, at least from the impression the letter gave him. Liam's heart was welling with a feeling he hadn't felt for a while, but truly craved deep down: hope. His eyes were drawn back to the now unfolded package and laid upon that wooden staff his father left him, they snapped wide, causing the boy to stare at it in awe, the book included with it which explained the odd shape. He picked up the wooden staff and looked it over.

It was simple in design, a curved oak shaft with an almost crescent like branch near the bottom. Every inch of it was rounded and at the top of the staff held a large sapphire orb which could only have been the catalyst his father mentioned in his letter. He held the staff in both of his paws, his heart fluttering with excitement at holding a real mage's catalyst, made by his father, no less! It may have been simple, but the power in the staff was apparent as he held it, a certain aura that made his senses tingle. Liam decided to set it aside finally and in turn pick up the book that was rested in the unfolded cloth wrappings.

Liam crawled onto his bed, propping himself up against the pillow and opening the bindings of the book were several of the pages fell out onto his chest. The boy quickly rearranged the pages into the bindings and carefully began to read. The book was, by no means complete however, only the first 20 pages having information pertaining to catalysts, magic, history on magic use, and a few pages of spells that had obviously been written in by his father judging from the handwriting. His father must have meant for him to fill the rest of the blank pages as he traveled.

It didn't take long for Liam to lose himself within the pages, every little detail contained in the tome fascinated his young mind and tickled his sense of wonder for all things magical. Hours passed, the young fox's nose buried in the book his father left him, studying every bit of information he could, giving an even stronger read-over on the topic of catalysts and their functions.

"Mages would not exist without catalysts. Catalysts are crystals found in places with strong magical energy across the world that have been collected and refined into polished spheres and attached to various implements and tools to allow the manipulation of magic around them. Only catalysts can manipulate magic freely, as most creatures and people do not possess enough natural attunement to control magic energy without them." Liam read aloud, taking a moment to look into the sapphire catalyst atop his staff. "I can't wait to try some of the spells dad left me!" The kit said, barely unable to contain himself.

His focus was interrupted suddenly by a passing owl's screech as it flew past his window, startling the boy. Looking out his window he came to find he had been reading throughout the night, and started to realize just how tired he had become. Young Liam decided it was best to leave his practicing to the following day, after all he was eager to look at the job board and try to earn himself some coin. With what little energy he had remaining, Liam began to disrobe, allowing his vest to slip from his shoulders and land on the bed with a soft thud. After, he bent down, loosing the front of his shorts, then reaching up to do his nightly stretch, allowing the fabric to pool around his ankles, stepping away and lazily shuffling them to the side to join his discarded vest.

Liam huffed softly to himself as he flopped onto the sheets and rolled himself under the inviting covers before stopping a moment to look down at his undergarments that hugged his waist. Liam nibbled his lip a bit as he contemplated a moment. He quickly came to a decision, laying back on his covers and lifting his hips as he tucked his young fingers into the sides of his underwear and tugged them down off his hips. The boy was unable to help letting out a childish giggle as he stripped the last piece of clothing off his body as dropped it off the edge of the bed, now laying on his blankets naked as the day he was born.

The sensation tickled his innocent young mind, the thought of being in bed in nothing but his bare fur. There was a strange sense of freedom about it, the way his naked privates brushed along the blankets. He nestled under the covers, still giggling quietly to himself as he enjoyed his nudity in a strange bed he'd never been in before. Eventually the boy had fallen asleep, dreaming peacefully of the day ahead of him while he allowed the blankets to whisk him and his new-found freedom away to another adventure in dreamland, allowing his fantasies about what magics lie ahead to roam free in his own little world.