Caldera

____& Buddy

“Who’s that?” Cal asked keenly, wondering if it was someone she knew or had heard of. Flynn was the old guard she’d talked to for any length of time, but she’d met a few of the others in passing and had made a point of trying to remember their names.

She simply nodded at Whimsy’s answer to her question, struck by the vagueness of it. In the Volcano, there was no education for education’s sake: school built skills for careers, and apprenticeships led to specific, more or less guaranteed jobs. It was uncommon to find a person in the Volcano who was not sure of their future path, even from a relatively young age – careers were usually born into rather than chosen, particularly amongst the top and bottom classes. For the rare middle classes, choice was still limited but at least less so than those destined to be farmers or leaders.

Shaman was different, though – freer of class restrictions, with more social mobility. That much was apparent just from walking around the market, and speaking to people like Whimsy. It was strange to be able to speak to young adults who still didn’t know what they wanted to do with their lives, and had the freedom to make that choice.

The fudge bag was half empty already. Cal slipped it into the little pack she had clipped onto her leather holster, making a mental note to return another day to get some more. Buddy had gotten bored of the conversation and was trying unsuccessfully to graze on the grass, which had been thinned and flattened by hundreds of feet over the years. Cal rubbed his neck fondly and smiled at her new acquaintance.

“Well, we’re going to head off. Going to try and see some more of this world.” Easily the best thing about Shaman was the prospect of being able to explore it. Cal fully intended to take advantage of unemployment by travelling as much as possible. “Any good sights you can recommend?”