《Making magic, Forging fame.》


 Standing up from slumber.

    I opened my eyes, the world was dim, out of focus and being pushed against the side of my face. My eyes stared across theinconveniently cold, hard stone floor. I place my hand against the ground in anattempt to push myself up; i succeed completing the hardest task ever completed in my memory and with the power of gravity to stop me floating away; I stand. The word focuses on becoming focusedand reveals two things: firstly i was in a room filled with various items, each varying in shape, size, and quantities of dust. But all had aquired the appearance of degredation from the passinof time. And secondly there was two peopleapproaching an arguement while aproaching me.


    The first spoke with the hesitant rapidness that denoted unease: "...know what will happen when she finds out?"


    "If she finds out. Nobody enters here, nobody checks here, nobody will miss what''s here. I doubt anyone even cares what''s in here." The second spoke with anonchalant air.


    "We don''t know what''s in..." His speach stops as he can see me and i stare back as i have nothing better to do. Any person would notice that the second person has a bright shining but cool looking flame dancing in his unburned hands.


    Theirsurprise indicatingthat i am not meant to be here, there silence speaks the same for them.


    Danger. I turn to flee, and run, and make it five steps before something wraps around my feet causing me to trip, and fall. The bindings continued to wrap around my body going from my toes to neck.


    "Who are you?" witharrogant overtones, the calmer voice asks.


    huh, strange i can''t remember."Don''t know." i reply calmly like he lier that i currently am.


    "How did you get in here?"


    How did i get here? Where is here?"Can''t remember."


    Whispering ensues. I Try to move and, with the wiggling fortitude of effort, manage to roll on to my back. The whispering stops.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road."If you don''t run i''ll untie you." thefirst voice said.


    "Sure." i stated. There was a pause then the rope was unwrapping around me. Allowing me to once more obtain the great success of standing up. I looked at them, both male, about fifteen, considerably taller than me, wearing satchels over their shoulders, both seemingly empty.


    "Follow us." he said, i followed. They walkedquickly.


    "Where are we going?"


    "To Her." The second spoke, as if it was a fate as grim as death.


    We exited that room through giant wooden doors that stood silent and heavy, but opened just the same. Following this they lead me througha series of corridors, up four flights of stairs and two hallways before we finaly arrived at a plain door, and entered.


    The room had a cylindrical shape and was warmly lit by a flickering light kept in translucent bottles hanging from the ceiling. It was furnished with several bookshelves around the walls, a few chairs, and a large oak desk. The two appeared restless in this room, as if the airburned their skin. "Sit here and wait for her to return."


    I walked forward and sat on one of the vacant chairs. Then one of them passed me a dark leatherbound book and said: "Take this, we were never here." I looked at the book it felt heavier than it appeared, i looked up to question the reason for giving me the book but as i did, the door closed and I was alone.


    I opened the book, it was filled with lines forming various stars, loops and circleson each page. the book contained no writing. I glanced through the entire book until the last page, the final circle in it''s center was a single character that i couldn''t read.


    That book made no sense. Were the circles meant to mean something? i flicked through the book looking for more characters or hints on what the purpose of the book was and found nothing else. I placed the book on the desk, and went to the bookshelves to pick another book, maybe one that i could read, mabe one that could tell me what that book was or why it was gift-worthy. I picked one, randomly from the shelves, one with words, and sat down to read.


    As i opened the book, a small red crystal fell from the inside of the cover onto the floor, i picked it up absent-mindedly and placed it down on top of the circle book.


    Suddenly, with a flash of light the crystal exploded, and i fell unconcious.

 A first day, a first name.

    It was the cold that awoke me, it was carried on the air like a fine mist that permiated the soul. My eyes opened to the sight of a tall woman standing over me, her eyes were cold with the piercing look as she both literally and metaphorically looked down on me.


    "Who are you?" She asked, her voice with the cold devoidance of the absence of emotion.


    "I don''t know." I stated. Her expression was unmoving as if my response is a lie not worth hearing, or she was deaf. "I do not remember who i am." Realising that laying down was not the ideal pose for good impressions, i upright myself, bringing me to my feet, yet despite the added distance from the floor, the woman still stood over me.


    "You do not belong here." Her words cold, slow, measure, certain. Testing.


    "Where is here?" I ask, making my eyebrows do a questioning pose.


    "This is my castle, it is where the young are taught." For a brief moment i am able to detect a hint pride in her voice before it returns the previous emotionless and unrevealing tone.


    "What are you teaching them?" I ask


    She hesitates, her expression falters to disbelieving my apparent stupidity. Then her cold demeanor changed, becoming hostile. I instinctivly step backbout of self preservation. She reaches out, making a grasping motion with her hand, as she does the misty cold air swirls around her outstretched arm, condensing into a pale blue ghostly snake coiled around her from her elbow to her wrist.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Do you think you can play the fool here? Tell me who you are and who sent you and i will not kill you." The hostility in her voice was threatening enough without the threatening words or the snake.


    "I can''t remember." I said panicking. I thought hard to how did i get here, it hurt, the pain of remembering was barely numbed by my panic. Suddenly flashes of fragments of peices of memories appeared: pain,so tired but i must not stop they are coming, sadness, the forest rushing past as i ran, falling, falling.


    "Well then you must die." The snake sprung from its coiled position, flying near instantly arriving before my face and stopped. The snake stared into my eyes burning my skin without heat, without touching.


    "It apears you were telling the truth." The snake dissipated. The tall woman calmly walks around the room to behind the desk and sits down.


    My heart beat loudly."Why did you do that?" I feel exhausted.


    "I Had to make certain that you are not a spy." She said that as if it explained everything. "Since you are not that means that you will need to stay here." She reaches into a draw under the desk and places a dull metal tablet decorated by eight small circles held together by a larger one. "Place your hand in the center." In fear of incurring her wrath i immediatly do so. The main circle glows and of the eight surrounding circles four glowed. "That''s enough". I take my hand off, she stares at the glowing circles intently as if it told my life story. She places a a sheet of paper on to the table. "You will stay here to learn or untill you regain your memories, you will work with the guards to pay for the duration of your stay. You look to be about twelve so you should fit in with the new group, do you remember you name?"


    what?"No."


    "In that case you will be needing a new name. You shall be called..." She turned over the peice of paper, placed it in front of her, picked up a feathered quill and wrote at the top of the page "Lore."

 The work of a warrior

    Since the lessons don''t start for a week , and the sleeping halls are being cleaned, i have been given a bed in the servant quarters to sleep in. Unlike the guards that seem to remain here all the time, the servants are down to a few people due to everyone leaving for the winter.


    After waking up, i make my way outside, taking the side-door.


    The castle is surrounded by fields covered in a thin glaze of snow, slowly melting, showing the begining of spring is arriving.


    Surrounding those fields were forests that extended indefinately.


    "Magestic isn''t it. It''s especially beautiful during winter though." I turn behind me, a tall muscular man unshaven and coarse in appearance, but stood straight and upright none the less. He was cloaked in thick furs and carried two swords on his left hip.


    "Yeah." I say back.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "You must be the new recruit. I heard about you from the captain. Must''ve been terrified by that frostbite of a lady. Her glare is colder than a mid-winter''s night breeze." His smirk revealing that he knew something that i didn''t.


    "Yeah."


    "heard you lost your memory. Won''t matter too much, teaching the basics will be easier that way."


    "Yeah."


    "Don''t say much do you? Well not that it matters anyway, though probably should get you warmer clothes, it may not be cold now but wait until the wind picks up. Come on." And with that he headed across the fields. "I''m wolf by the way."


    I quickly follow him "Lore".


    On the edge of the forrest is a stone hut camouflaged by the thick vines that coated its walls.


    Wolf goes inside, i wait outside. After a few moment he returns with a worn thick cloak, cloth unlike wold''s fur, and patched many times "Here, a coat would have been better but it''ll be fine as it is."


    It fits well, this is surprisingly warm."thank you."


    "Let''s go cut down some trees." With that we walked into the forest, eventually coming to a clearing. Wolf hands me an axe.


    "I thought i would be doing guard work." I inquired.


    "We''re warriors yet we hunt for food, we guard for money, and we cut wood for the fire''s warmth. Only the stupid follow their name. And only the lazy don''t finish their work.


    And with that we cut the wood.

 To spell the soul and call the spirit

    I had slept peacefully all night, so why does my body hurt.The long days work the day before had taken its toll on my body, the cool morning air helped, but not by much. Wolf was waiting outside like the day before and was less than simpathetic: "Looks like you lead a life of luxury before, don''t worry the pain will fade Like snow in spring. Come on, the others will be Returning from the hunt soon." I drag my body after him, despite the dull relentless aching.


    By mid afternoon after returning from delivering the cut logs to the stone hut, i descover Several new figures in the clearing, and two dead bears, i aproach with caution.


    "Even so, to hunt two so quickly is impressive."


    One of them turns, noticing me. "Looks like a student got lost again."


    The others turned to face me. Now that i had their attention i could introduce myself: "hi.."


    "This is Lore, he will be joining us, i know he is not of age but he actually cant remember a thing, so i''ve been teaching him to collect lumber all day. Isn''t that right?" Wolf interupted


    "...Yeah" becomes my introduction.


    "What''s your spirit?" A young muscular woman asks.


    what spirit? "err..."


    Wolf''s ability to interupt was welcome: "lost memory. I''ll tell the others we''ll be feasting, you can show him.", And with that he walked off deeper into the forest.


    "Why me?" She said, already walking towards the castle. Looking over her shoulder, "you coming?" I follow.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    It was only after we had left the forest did she say anything "I am raven." she said.


    "Lore. Where are we going?" I say.


    "There is this awesome ancient magic, that anyone can use, and it allows us to summon spirits." She said in an excited tone that didn''t suit her expression.


    "Why?" I ask.


    "A spirit is a part of you, but isn''t you, it can change you or fight with you." She said vaguely. She stops. "My spirit is an ape. I actually look like this." mist poured from her as her height and muscles shrank. Her tall muscular complexion became slim and feminine. "What do you think?"


    I stare at her.Wow she''s so"Beautiful."


    "Thanks." She smiled. "Come on."


    We arrive at a large room on the second floor of the castle. One the one side of the room is a giant mirror, on the other is another circle, in the center of the circle is a single rune large complex rune, surounded by a smaller line of runes which spiral outwards.


    "The spirit you have is random so don''t worry if it is terrible. Just touch the circle and see what happens."


    I walk towards the circle, it seems off somehow, like it the circle just told a really stupid lie. But i can''t place my finger on it so i reach out and place my hand on it. Each rune glows, they shine in a thousand thousand different colours. Then the light begin to flow towards the center getting brighter as they do so, it feels like my bones are being pulled out through my hand.


    Then it stops. Returning to normal. A small flame is emmited and hangs in the air before flying straight into my body. Although it doesn''t burn i can still feel its presence.


    "You have an elemental spirit. They''re pretty rare." Raven spoke with a voice that displayed her knowledge and almost concealed her disapointment as if she was expecting a giant dragon to fly out. "Lets return."


    Behind the stone hut was a small glade, where at least two dozen gathered, half of them appeared to be preparing food, the others appeared to be idling in wait. All of them carried two weapons on the waist, and each of them had at least one sword.


    "Why do you all carry one sword." I ask raven.


    "When we come of age, our parents give us a sword made by their own hands. Although it is not as sharp or durable as a professionally made blade it is always good to have a backup weapon."


    "Nah, he meant why haven''t you broken yours with all that brute strength. You break everything else. In fact you''ve proba..." Wolf had mysteriously appeared next to us and unmysteriously been punched in the face.

 The path away.

    The road ahead snakes around trees just like it had done for miles past. The ache that once plagued my arms now reside in my legs. Yesterday it was declared that we needed to visit the town, so i was involuntarily volunteered into this journey, a day away by foot after foot after foot along this long monotonously long road. There were four of us:


    The captain, a man by the name of Boar, his age was vastly greater than others with his age apearing to be aproaching fifty, yet he looked strong enough to pull a carriage, one that would mean i wouldn''t have to take another step.


    Secondly was Fox a tall man, thin man. His sword broke on the hunt, and its repair and replacement is the main reason for this trip, the two halves of the blade were sheathed, bandaged and strapped on his back.


    Then there was Wolf. Then there was me.


    Wolf had been suspiciously silent for the most part of this trip. And continued to act increasingly nervous the further we got.


    "Wolf what is your spirit?" I ask.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "What?" He looked as surprised as a man who was asked a question while deep in thought. "It''s a rabbit. Good for luring and distracting. Not good for much else.


    Fox turned his head. "You know exactly what it''s good for." Then laughed. "Mine is only good during winter, shame the last of the snow melted." His skin and hair suddenly turned to the palest of white and his eyes became a blood red. "See." He said.


    Boar sighed. "Stop showing off."


    "Captain''s spirit is a leaf that numbs his entire body, including his sence of fun." Fox said.


    "Or maybe i wan''t to get there sometime today." And then silence ensued.


    <hr>


    It was late evening by the time we arrived to the town, which stood tall enclosed by walls sitting on a river and flat lands that had many farms. After entering we went straight here to a large one floored detatched building that heat poured out from. We entered.


    The contents of the interior revealed this place to be a blacksmiths. A gruff old man walked over. "Wasn''t expecting you for another week, but lucky for you i finished it early." He passed a small parcel to wolf.


    Wolf looked relieved. "If you don''t mind i''ve somewhere to be." And left in a rush.


    "I thought we came to repair a sword." I say.


    "Who is this, your illegitimate child?" The old man says with a frown.


    "Who knows? Are you going to fix the sword or not?"


    "Yeah, yeah, same price as before, just pick it up in the morning."

 To forge.

    the morning the air was cold but the sun shone bright. The streets were nearly empty as we navigated the streets to the smith, Wolf was still gone.


    "I hate getting up so early. I hope my blade is rejoined when we get there." Fox said.


    "Probably not, it would probably be done by noon." Boar replied impatiently.


    "Then why are we going so early." Fox called in a long tone that was synonymous with tiredness and annoyance.


    Boar glared at fox, as we walked for the next hundred meters.


    "Oh, right, wolf. Totally forgot." Fox realised.


    "Where is wolf?" I ask.


    "He went to settle an old debt, we may probably never see him again."


    "Fox its too early for this." Boar said.


    Apon arriving at the smith, we see wold pacing back and forth with a stupid grin on his face. Fox laughed: "seems that you got away with it. Captain lets go celebrate."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Boar replied swiftly, "Isn''t lore too young to drink?"


    "We can leave him here, we can apprentice him out for the day. What do you think lore?" Wold says.


    "If it means no more walking." I assent.


    <hr>


    "Do you know anything about weapon smithing?" The old man said, be believed that introductions were a waste of time and said so from the begining.


    "No." I said.


    "Know anything about tending to fire?"


    "No." i said.


    "How about making tea?"


    I said "No."


    The old man sighed, "Just stand over there and do nothing." He grabbed a peice of metal from the flames placed it on an anvil then smote it with hammer. Each strike like thunder, each strike reshaping it making it thinner, longer, sharper. Every strike rang like an explosion, burning into my mind. I was mesmerised and deaf. He placed the sword back into the flames, passed me the hammer and said: "Now you do it."


    The hammer was deceitfully heavy, old man passed me a pair of thick leather gloves, i picked up the glowing mishapen sword and held it ontop of the anvil with one hand, and swung the hammer down on a thicker area of the metal. It produced a heavy note, the vibrations making my arm go numb.


    "Good. Again." The old man commented.


    I slowly lift the hammer above my head and swing down again.


    "Again."


    The already heavy hammer seems to be getting heavier. I use two hands to lift the hammer above my head.


    I swing with my whole body, watching the hammer closely so that it hits the mark....


    A dull thud echoes out.

 Flames of metal.

    I was awoken to a screeching sound, the old man had propped me up against the wall while he ground the side of the blade into a keen edge, my focus drawn to the dancing, fleeting sparks that flew from the blade held steadily against the spinning stone.


    The old man stopped, moving the sword away from the still spinning stone and placing it onto the anvil. The weary look on his face turned to a bemused one with a small chuckle when he saw me. "Don''t get up, you hit yourself pretty hard." He said, then he left the room before momentarily returning with two metal mugs, "Here, it''s water. " He said passing me one. "It''s hard to trust a person, especially those who try to change the world on a whim. You have a look of a magician about ya, but you act like a warrior. Surpose you ran away from home and joined a group." He looked at me the same way he looked at the metal as it came from the fire. "You know why boar comes here everytime one of his breaks their sword?" Old man retreives a stool from the courner of the room and sits down.


    "Because he trusts you?" I reply with uncertainty.


    "Partly, partly. There are other forgers of blades around here, but they always use magic to melt the iron before pouring it into a mould, it''s faster and cheaper." He drinks deeply from his cup. "But the blade is weak, so they melt rarer, stronger metals for the sword to be made of. You see the problem don''t you?"


    "No." I say.


    "The best weapons will be made by the richest people." He sighs. " What if a sword of iron could be made into a sword just as good, what if it can be made better? A mage uses magic to change the world to suit them, but a warrior uses their own hands to reveal how the world should be." He looks down at his cup. "Those with spirit seek to improve how something is. Those with will seek to change it for something else." He looks up at my blank face.


    "Take juniper for example, she was born blind, but instead of spending her time searching for a cure, she spent it listening and singing, now she can sing even the most dull days into bright ones."


    "Who is juniper?"


    "Did nobody tell you? I suppose it wasn''t their place. Juniper is wolf''s fiance, don''t ask for details you can get it from them. oh that reminds me." He picked up the sword and moved to start sharpening it again. "There is another peice of metal in the forge if you want to try again." The grinding sound started again as i stood up.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The metal glowed brightly in the fire. Unlike before when only the end glosed, this peice glowed uniformly. "Use the tongs." Instructions called out from behind me. I pick up a thick set, and use it to almost drag the mis-shapen block of iron to the anvil and hold it in place. I pick up the hammer and swing it over my head letting it fall, sounding the strike upon the metal, i raise the hammer again and again despite the strain on my arm and strike, with each strike the metal became flatter, and the metal became cooler, i turn it over and strike it again and again, making this side to match the other, until i drop the hammer in exhaustion. I breath deeply, my right arm ignores my attempts to move it. "You did well." The old main praises, "But you should have reheated it sooner, if it gets too cool you risk cracking the metal." He takes the tongs from me and places the metal, back into the flames. "The longer the metal stays in the flames the harder it gets, but too hard and it becomes brittle, you have to watch out for that." He sighs picks up the cups and fetches more to drink. Passing me the cup. "Its important to drink water while your in here or you''ll dry out."


    I drink the water in large gulps, refreshing me.


    "Hello? A quiet voice came through the door slightly ajar.


    The old man turned to face the door, folding his arms. "What have i told you about hesitating outside."


    "Ah, sorry, i thought you were with someone." The voice''s owner entered as timidly as she had spoke. She was a very plain woman, who appeared to be in her mid twenties. Her face was plain, in a way that she could not be called pretty but nor could it be said that she was ugly, her eyes were covered with a strip of linen.


    "Did you get lost again juniper?" The old man said emphasising on her name as if to clear any doubt of her identity.


    "No. Not this time, i i wanted to tell you that you were right about wolf. He kept his promise like you said he would, we''re getting married." Although remaining quiet the timidness in her voice gave way to excitement.


    "Really? congratulations. I suppose that bracelet was a gift from him too." His voice perfectly imitated surprise his face however did not.


    She raise her wrist, showing off silver bracelet made of flowing interweaving bands of silver. "Lovely isn''t it." She smilled.


    "Yeah it looks so well made, he must have asked a great silversmith to make it." The seriousness in his voice was only betrayed by the grin on his face. "By the way, this boy here is my apprentice for the day his name is..." His voice trailed off signifying either he forgot my name or wanted me to speak.


    "Lore." I say.


    "Nice to meet you. Oh i am interupting aren''t I. Sorry, i''m probably boring you with my life story, i''ll be going now." She turned and fled.


    "Don''t worry about her, she''s just shy." He removed the barely sword shaped metal from the flames. "Worry about getting the edges strait."

 To draw blood.

    My arms ache, my arms are heavy, my arms don''t move.


    Yesterday evening the trio returned drunk and singing. Although The old man was kind enough to let them stay for the night, on the floor of the forge, and woke us all up with the loud striking of the hammer on the anvil. "Wolf go get juniper before she wonders off looking for you. Boar if you''re to hung over to walk get a carriage. Fox get your swords, they''re done. Lore go with wolf, make sure he gets there." He striked the anvil again. "Now" and we left.


    We come to a bakery. "Let''s go inside. Don''t get the wrong idea juniper''s father is a baker. Oh and juniper is my wife, or will be." Wolf spoke and enters the shop. Following him and the smell of fresh bread i enter. The enterior is filled with a few chairs, some tables with fresh bread and a large bread oven that appears lit. Sitting on one of those chairs is juniper looking down deep in thought. Wolf slowly approaches her. "Hi." He says.


    She turns her head towards the sound of his voice suddenly as if surprised. "Hi." She says back.They face each other with the hesitating expectation and uncertainty that reveals their feelings, changing the atmosphere of the room to that of their own world.


    I cough. Loudly. Twice.


    Wolf says: "oh, lore this is juniper, juniper this is lore."


    I say: "we''ve met."


    Juniper says: "shall we go?"


    Wolf carries her bag. We leave. I feel less awkward.


    <hr>


    The horse that boar had bought was a slow plough horse that only needed ocasional guiding and a cart that was sturdy enough to feel the shape of the road when you sat on it, So i walked. By the time the sun was approaching its zenith, we were aproaching halfway, and everyone had appeared to have entirely recovered. The peacefull and tranquill sound of the forest was interupted by the sharp howling of a wolf. Just as suddenly boar got up jumped off the cart and drew his sword. Followed by Fox and Wolf. "What is going on?" Juniper asks.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Wolves." Boar replied.


    "You see the irony of this don''t you." Fox joked.


    "Only because your the one about to be bitten." Wolf says back.


    Several wolves burst out out of the trees. Their eyes practically glowing with the desire to kill. My heart beat faster, I feel fear and panic grasping at my lungs. They split into three go after boar, two after fox, two after wolf. The wolves lunge.


    My head hurts.They took her, i''ll kill them all. "Aaaaah" the pain is searing, i fall to my knees. The panic becomes loss and fear becomes anger. A wolf emerges from the trees and rushes at me. I can''t breath. It''s jaws open. I raise my arm to defend myself, and it''s jaws bite down upon my arm. The sharp pain overrides the one in my head, bringing the world back into focus. I raise my right hand, the air shimmers, revealing a ball of fire. The wolf let''s go and jumps back. The ball of fire flies after it landing on its fur, slowly singeing it. It runs off in a panic, the flames flow off and return to me, dissappearing. The remaining wolves follow the first back into the forrest.


    Four dead wolves lay littered on the ground.


    "Are they gone?" Juniper asks, her voice shaken.


    Boar looks over at me "yeah they''re gone." He approaches me kneeling down he says "Not bad for your first fight." He grabs the edge of my cloak, tears off a long strip of cloth and begins to bandage my wound.


    "Yeah and don''t worry about screaming when it bit you, wolf would have done the same." Fox said.


    "Lore was injured? Is it bad? Will he be ok? He''s not going.." juniper panicingly asks.


    "Calm down he is fine." Boar spoke with reassuringly experiance as he tied the ends of my makeshift bandage. "Sit in the cart, rest your arm."


    I climbed onto the cart sitting next to juniper. "You alright?" i ask her.


    "Is wolf injured?"


    I look at wolf draining the blood of a wolf. "He looks unharmed."


    "Then i''m fine." She sighs in relief. "Are you ok?"


    "Yeah its fine." I say. "Wounds heal."

 Medicine and soup.

    In my absence more of the servants had returned, and the castle began spring cleaning for the new year of students.


    Boar spoke, briefly breaking the long held silence, "Go back and rest." He stopped the cart. I got off. And he lead the horse and cart through the narrow gaps of the fringe of the forest. I walk around to the side entrance as usual, but unlike before a cart ladden with large boxes. stood before it.


    I enter the castle and head towards my bed in the servants quarters. Falling on to it i sleep instantly.


    <hr>


    "Hey wake up. You can''t stay here and expect to be paid if you don''t do any work." The restfull sleep ended by the verbal assault of the person standing over me. "Get to the kitchen in five minutes or don''t bother being here tommorrow." By the time my eyes come into focus, revealing the sun itself had not risen he had gone. I yawn, i stretch, i avoid being kicked out of castle by going to the kitchen.


    The kitchen, which was large enough to for twenty people to cook in, contained four people, and of those four two were cleaning, one was reading and one was stirring a cauldron. The person reading looked up, "what took you so long? Were you attacked by a pack of wolves on the way?" This revealed two things: one, he woke me up. Two, i did not like him. "Students will begin arriving tomorrow." He turned his head, looking at a mid-teen woman cleaning, "Fennel, you can teach him. You can both help in the dormitories." He continued reading as if the matter was no longer his problem.


    Fennel is auburn haired and although older is about the same height as me. She leads me to a room filled with shelves filled with various cloths, she passes me a drap grey set of clothes aproximately my size. "Everyone wears the same clothes." She turns around to face away. "Put them on."


    I undress slowly due to the fact that i can only move one arm. They are slightly to large for me but function well enough. "Done." I say after five minutes of contortionate exercise.


    Fennel turns around, her eyes immediatly drawn to the slightly bloodied makeshift bandage on my arm. "You''re injured?" She is shocked. "We should go straight to the infirmary." Pulling me by my uninjured arm she leads me across the castle and up a floor to a hall. The dim light of the rising sun filteres through the windows revealing the contents of haphazardly placed beds, shelves, books, two unopened crates and an old guy drawing a circle onto a large desk. "Hey doctor." Fennel says.


    The doctor looks up, "Finaly, someone comes to help me rearrange this..." He sighs staring at my bandaged arm. "..or you just ignore me until I''m needed. It''s Temple in either case" He takes his hands of the desk and the incomplete circle fades. "Put your arm on the desk." He says. painfully, i place my arm on a different part of the desk than where the circle was drawn. With a wave of his hand over the bandage somehow splitting it into two, causing it to fall off my arm and reveal my wound. I look away. Fennel gasps behind me. "Impressive that you aren''t screaming in pain." He walks to one of the shelves inspecting it''s contents. "I''ve had to treat students who have fainted from a papercut. Ah." He picks up a glass bottle of pills and moves to another shelf. "Although there was this one kid who managed to set himself alight, twice." He picks up a thin black needle and returns to the desk. He removes a single pill. "Here eat this."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I swallow the pill. "Good. This may hurt a little." He quickly stabs the needle through my hand. I gasp in pain. Followed by a dull thud behind me. I turn to see fennel laying on the floor. "She is going to be fine." And intense itching sensation in my left arm, turned my attention to it. The wounds were healing quickly, becoming flawless. The doctor takes out the needle. That wound closes too. Temple picks fennel up and places her on a bed. "If you''re not to busy you wouldn''t mind helping me, now?"


    was i meant to be learning something? "Sure." I replied. Agreeing to spend the next hour organising the room.


    <hr>


    An hour later the sunlight was pouring into the castle, and my sleeping cleaning instructor woke up after all the work had been done. "How long have i been asleep?" Fennel says with an urgancy that contridicted her sleepy expression.


    "An hour." Temple says, lightly and effortlessly adjusting the position of his heavy desk complete with a complete circle on top of it.


    "Breakfast should be being served then." Fennel says as she slowly staggers out of the medicine hall in a sleepy trance. I follow her, the further she walks the more awake she becomes until we finaly arrive at the kitchen. Which is empty. She ladles some of the hot liquid from the cauldron into two bowls, and passes one to me, before leading me into the adjoining dinning hall.


    Filled with a couple of dozen people, the room was abuzz with the chatter of recent events. He-who-woke-me-up stood up as if to make an anouncement. We sit down, and begin to eat our soup. "The lady will be giving her speach to us tonight so make sure to make yourselves look presentable and act presentable. And the captain of the gaurds wants me to remind you that although the forest is safe, that does not make it a suitable place for... your... romantic entanglements. That is all."


    The conversations of gosip became renewed by this.


    <hr>


    The remainder of the day passed cleaning the rooms of the students.


    At the end of the day we assembled in the entrance hall of the castle. And ordered into neat rows and columns. In front of us stood a grand staircase. On top of the staircase stood a woman wearing an icy blue dress which matched her expression i had not seen her since my live and die enrollment, next to her stood an elderly woman who i had not seen since she lead me to the servants quarters since she couldn''t find me a room.


    The lady stepped forward. "I thank you all for taking the time from your busy schedules to meet me here, And i would like to thank you for the hard work you will be putting in to the year ahead. Like any student who comes here to study i wish only that you will try your best in..." Her eyes that were roaming the crowd stopped, just as her speach did, apon seeing me. She started walking down the stairs. "...everything you do, for like the grandest of spells, each piece no matter how small it seems..." She walks towards the crowd who part before her, she stops in front of me. "Can not be out of place." Sensing danger i turn to flee, only to be stopped by the vice like hold on the back of my clothes. "And when you work together you can accomplish things equal to the greatest magic." Currently being dragged up the stairs, the effect of this speach is lost. "And to that end i hope this year brings what your looking for." And with the end of her speach she turns and leaves the hall.

 Accusations.

    I was dragged back to the lady''s office.


    "You think you can just spy and sneak in this school, without me noticing?" Everything about her displayed her anger, from her raised voice, to holding me against the wall. The only exception was her emotionless expression which somehow displayed a murderous intent. The already cold room got colder, "Who sent you?" My breath began condensing in the air.


    "I wasn''t sen..." I spoke quickly but was still interrupted .


    "You had no reason to be with the servants, other than to have free access to the castle." She pushed me harder against the wall. "Why are you here?"


    "I don''t know." I speak truthfully. But the cold feels like it''s biting at my skin. She, however, looks like the cold doesn''t affect her. I summon my spirit, causing a small ball of flame to hover next to me. The room slightly warms. She looks at the small flickering ball of flames in surprise. She steps back releasing me. I fall to the ground.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A coldness radiated from my heart. I look up to see a snake of clear ice coiled around her gloved arm holding the fire ball in its jaws. "The last time i saw you, you were willing to die before revealing youself. But are you willing to endure?" I try and will the flames back to me, instead the snakes jaws closed slightly causing the fire to grow dimmer and my entire body tingle in pain. "Why were you sent here?" Her voice is becoming more insistent.


    "I dont know." I rolled on to my feet and lunged at the snake on her arm, one hand wrapping around the snake sending a burning sensation down my arm, one hand reaching for the fire, making it dissappear on touch. I looked back at the lady, only to see a fist strike my head.

 Talk of healing.

    My senses slowly return. I can''t feel my left arm.


    "Nnnwond yooa nnsume that, you are a fool." The lady is shouting.


    "Forgive me lady sapphire, i did not think.." that voice for some reason annoys me.


    "No, you didn''t. Your lucky that that you came or your time here would be over." Interupted the lady.


    "I understand."


    I open my eyes and try to sit up, groaning in effort. The lady stares at me.


    "You are full of surprises." The emotion in her voice has disappeared sending chills down my already cold spine. She turns her head to the man bowing before her. "You may go." He nods and leaves.


    "I should go too." I say standing up.


    "Stay." Her concealing tone wavered slightly. I stopped, uncertain of what would happen next, and we stood in silence.


    "I am sorry for what i have done." Although older, stronger, scarier, her voice came out hesitating and uncertain. "I thought you were a spy."


    I stay silent.


    She looks down at my arm. "You should go see temple about your arm." I nod, not even looking at it. Then turn. Then leave, quickly.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    <hr>


    I enter the hall of medicine, which in the absence of sunlight is lit by jars of different coloured flames scattered across the room.


    Temple is at his desk both hands grasping a small cauldron, into which he is staring intently. A puff of pink smoke pours from top. He looks up. "I wasn''t expecting anyone. You injure yourself?"


    I lift my arm up and place it on the table, it was covered in a lacework of dark cracks and splodges of bright red on a pale blue of a arm.


    "What have i told people about not touching strange looking objects." He grabbed a jar of purple fire and poured it out onto my arm. It burned for a few seconds before extinguishing. He raised an eyebrow staring at me. "Just because there are many kinds of wolves doesn''t mean you have to pick a fight with all of them." He goes to a shelf picks up a bright red needle and places it in a jar of soft orange flames. "Why pick a fight with little sapphire anyway."


    "She thought i was a spy." I said.


    Temple froze. "Why you?"


    "I appeared here, with no memories."


    Temple dropped a small flower in the jar. "Oh, that''s you. Still you''re a little young to be a spy." He waked back to me. "Hold still." And jabbed the needle into my arm. I feel nothing, he removes the needle and places it back into the jar, once the needle is hot enough he jabs it back into my arm for a few seconds then repeats.


    "Isn''t this meant to hurt?" I ask.


    "Don''t worry you''ll be able to feel something in that arm in a few days." Temple seems unconcerned.


    "You shouldn''t blame sapph... The lady of the castle about accusing you, it is possible to remove certain memories of a person and send them to infiltrate your enemies."


    "Then why does she think i''m not a spy."


    "Removing all memories is both difficult and inconvenient, the longer you forget the less impact revealing your memories has on you, and your aptitudes are too good risk as a spy And you act so stupidly for someone with any memory."


    "Couldn''t i have removed my own memories."


    "Then your memory won''t be coming back for a while." He places the jar of fire on the table. "Done."

 The young.

    I woke up in my bed in the servant''s quarters with everyone else, this time however, i snuck off outside and headed towards the forest. I check the stone hut, empty. I begin to walk towards where i cut wood.


    "But the flowers that withered in winter." A song flows floats though the trees like a light breeze. "Shall grow once more in the spring." I follow the sound of the song heading towards the fire. "And like in the year that has ended." I approach quietly so no to disrupt the song. "Their light, warmth, and beauty, will sing."


    I peek around a tree, revealing juniper and wolf alone, together. Juniper appeared embarrased despite only singing to one person, she spoke shyly: "I still don''t understand how you like.."


    ''snap'' i turn to see fennel standing behind me, holding my cloak. "I came to return this before you leave." She passes it to me then returns to the castle. i put the cloak on, and head towards where i cut logs.


    Raven was cutting trees ferociously in her muscular form, i call out. "Hello." Raven stops leaving the hatchet in the tree.


    "Took you long enough." She sound annoyed.


    "Sorry, i was delayed." I said.


    She sighed. "It''s fine."


    "Where is everyone else?" I ask, grabbing an axe.


    "Heron and Spider are doing the survival ritual." She hits the tree with the axe. "Captain is leading a hunt for those wolves." The axe moves fast enough to be heard. "Boar is ''busy''." She axe whistles as sharply as it swung into the tree. "And i''m left on lumber duty." The tree creaks then falls down into the clearing.


    I swing my axe at the fallen tree to remove its branches."What''s the survival ritual."


    "If two warriors fall in love and wish to settle down and to start a family, they are sent into the wilds to spend a month alone and together." She says, hidding the longing in her voice with a veil of annoyance.


    "Sounds easy." I say.


    "Yeah." She sighs.


    <hr>


    Mid-afternoon the day''s work had been done, the sky was clouded and rained lightly, i stopped at the edge of the forest waiting for it to rain to stop, when movement caught my eye. A horse and carriage came into view from the road, my curiosity compelled me to investigate, i walked along the forest''s edge towards closer to the road. Then along the road to the carriage.


    The horses looked well groomed and the carriage well maintained, i walled around to the side facing the main entrance of the castle, the door of the carriage was open, i looked inside...Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Took you long enough." A girl was inside. Her hair like a river of night, her eyes like flashes of lightning. "Hurry up and take my bags, if you don''t you will have to deal with my mother." I paused, uncertain. She, however, rolled her eyes, "The lady sapphire."


    A shiver went down my spine, and my completely numb arm burned. "Of course, i''ll do it immediatly." I reach into the carriage and pick up two large but light bags. "Are you coming in?" I ask.


    "Are you going to stop the rain? You can tell my mother, that i won''t come in until the rain stops." The dread of talking to her again feels deadly. I look up at the sky, it looks like it won''t stop raining soon. I slowly lower my head to face her, my eyes stop on the roof of the carriage.


    I summon my spirit above my head, and will it, bigger, flatter. Warping the shape of the spirit is uncomfortable, but bareable.


    "Oh aren''t you handy." She seems surprised. She exits the carriage. "Follow me." She says. Maintaining the shape of the fire-roof, carrying her bags, and walking close to her is difficult. We enter the castle. And I recall my spirit.


    The entrance hall is a small room with large doors either side. Two people are talking in a hushed tones but clearly arguing. One, telling by his wettened appearance was the carriage driver, the other was by his past appearances was in charge of the servants.


    "Don''t worry, i''ve got one" The young lady said. They both turned silent to her arrival.


    The driver spoke politely, "Then my duty is complete, young lady. With your permission i will return."


    "Go, i''ll be fine." The young lady said. The driver noded then left. The young lady approached the ''head'' servant and said with absolute certainty "I choose this servant."


    The ''head'' servant replied. "Your mother was very specific, no personal servants, no handmaids, no bodyguards."


    The young lady all but ignored this "Then i shall speak to her directly." She looked over her shoulder at me. "Follow."


    <hr>


    A familiar door. The knocks sounds loud. "Mother."


    A sound of rushing comes from within. A pause. "Enter." The voice sounds exceptionally nervous, but still sounds like my death to me.


    The young lady opens the door, I sidestep out of view. The young lady enters.


    I close my eyes and listen:


    A light set of rapid footsteps. The sound of a light cloth impact.


    "I missed you, Rose." Came an older voice shaking slightly.


    "Me too." Came a younger voice. Two light steps. "Since i haven''t seen you in a while can i have something?" Said the younger.


    "Certainly." Said the older without delay.


    "Can i have a personal servant?" Said the younger.


    a pause. The olders breathing became faster.


    "You don''t need one, so ask for something else." Spoke the older voice slower than before.


    "There is nothing else i want." Said the younger voice.


    "I can''t break the rules for one person, and besides that, don''t you have some at home." Spoke the older voice.


    "But i don''t have any here, Besides he is young, and can control fire, and is polite." The younger voice spoke quickly. Her breathing becoming shallower.


    A pause.


    "There are no servants like that. If they can use magic they should be a student." Said the older voice.


    "No he was a servant, he wore the serving clothes, And was stronger than other boys, and he acted like he was afraid of you. So can i have him?"


    "There are no exceptions, no servants." The older voice spoke with authority.


    A foot draging on the floor, a light footstep.


    "Oh" The younger voice, slightly lower in tone. The older''s breathing stopped.


    A heavier footstep.


    "I, I will think about it." The older voice said, in a rapid hesitating tone.


    A pause. A soft thump of clothes. A whisper.


    I open my eyes. I turn to leave.


    "Send him here." The lady sapphire spoke.

 To be two people.

    "Send him here." The lady sapphire spoke.


    "Oh, i forgot." Rose runs out, grabs me by the arm and pulls me into the office.


    "So can i have him?" Rose asks.


    I stare at the floor.


    "Go put your bags away. I''ll talk to him."


    The lady stares at me silently until Rose''s footsteps fade from earshot.


    "You can''t expect to be a servant and learn magic." The lady spoke with annoyance. She spoke without the icy air as she did before.


    "Your aptitude for magic means that you can become a great magician, And your innate Spirit strength means you can become a great warrior. But you seem to keep ending up as a servant." I look up, she is glaring, i look down, the floor is flat.


    "I have to ask you two questions. One as the lady of this school. One as a mother." Her voice seems nervous. "Could you work as servant for my daughter?"Stolen novel; please report.


    I am surprised that i have a choice in this matter. But considering her actions over the past few days maybe i don''t. "Yes." I say carefully.


    She sighs in relief. "Do you want to learn magic?"


    "I thought i couldn''t be both." I reply


    "Answer the question." She says.


    "Yes." I agree.


    "Good." She turns to her desk and begins writting. "You can''t be both servant and student aa one person, so you will need to be two, one as a servant, one as a student and warrior, you will need to get some things made to fit from town, you''ll need to rush if you don''t want to miss class." She opens a draw from the desk and removes three gold coins, and folds them into the letter. She passes it to me. "Give this to captain."


    I stare at the letter.


    "Go." She said.


    I turned to rush out the door.


    "Oh and if you touch or harm my daughter in any way, i will kill you."


    I leave. Quickly.


    <hr>


    I run to the forest, weaving through the trees to the fire, to see a group lazing around, boar stands up and approaches me quickly. Everyone becomes silent.


    "What is it." He says as if preparing for battle.


    I pass him the letter. He reads it sturnly. Then laughs. Everyone stares at him, "Me and lore are going to get a few things from town, we''ll be back in a few days."


    Raven said "I''m coming too."


    "Fine." Boar relented. "But we leave now.''

 Myth and lore.

    The drizzle had stopped just after making the ground soft. Which made the journey on the cart easier.


    raven, boar and i sat watching the forest slowly scroll past.


    I sigh.


    boar spoke, "If you didn''t want to become a servant you didn''t have to say yes."


    "So i don''t have to do it?" I asked hopefully.


    "Never back out from your agreements." Boar said.


    "The lady said that students don''t get private servants." I pointed out.


    "And it will cause her a mountain of problems." Boar defended. "Besides she has her reasons."


    "What are they?" I demand.


    "I won''t tell you everything, because it''s not my story to tell." Boar speaks, pauses, then speaks again: "sapphire doesn''t see her daughter often, usually once a year. Rose''s father has enough money and power to give Rose anything she wants. Sapphire has given her very little, she sees herself as a failure of a mother."


    "Oh" Is all i can say.


    "So rose asked for something ridiculous to see if her mother loved her?" Raven infers.


    "No, it''s more likely she acted spoiled." Says boar.


    I sigh and we sit in silence.


    <hr>


    I fell asleep on the way there, when i woke up i found myself in an inn. After breakfast we leave.


    I stretch in the morning light. "What are we buying?" I ask.


    Boar sighed. "A mask." We walk down the street to a large square filled with a dozen stalls, going round the edge until we come to a store with a giant hammer made entirely of metal leaning against the wall. We enter.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Welcome to the hammer''s mold." Said a man from behind a counter. "We can reshape almost any metal into almost any shape. What do you need?"


    Boar speaks, "Mask, steel, light, durable."


    The man speaks. "And for whom will the mask br made?"


    Boar replies. "The kid."


    "Do you need a plain mask or shaped mask?"


    "Plain"


    "Would you like it in any colour?"


    "No."


    "Does it need to cover the whole head or just the face?"


    "Face."


    "Got it." He dissapears through the back of the store.


    "Do they always ask so many questions?" Raven questions.


    "Yeah, you should always say little or else you''ll be here all day." Boar answered.


    "Why do i need a mask?" I ask.


    "You''ll wear the mask as Lore, the student and the warrior, you''ll take it off as Myth the servant." Boar said.


    "Sorry for the wait, i decided to increase the eye size, to allow for growth." The man returned with a dull grey mask. He hands it to me, with an expectant look on his face.


    I put it on, it feels light. I shake my head, it stays firmly in place. I take it off.


    "That will be half a peice of gold." The man says. Boar gives him a gold coin, the man returns five silver.


    We left.


    Following this:


    Raven found a shoe store and bought shoes that made me look taller.


    <hr>


    We arrived in front of a tall building shimmering in appearance, looming in height. Above the wide open doors were the words mage''s guild. Boar seemed uncomfortable entering. But wentered anyway, i followed.


    Raven whispered, "Why are we here?"


    Boar spoke in a low voice, "Rose knows he can manipulate fire, but if he does it again she may realise it''s his spirit."


    I say, "So?"


    "Two people rarely have the same spirit." Boar explains. He walks over to a counter and says, "Source awakening, fire."


    The woman behind the counter says, "four silver." Boar hands over the coins. "This way please." She leads us to down a flight of stairs to a empty room with a large magic circle glowing softly. "Please step inside."


    I step inside the circle, the woman hands me a red stone.


    "Remember just because a person has aptitude for a certain element doesn''t mean they have a source. If you do have one do not be dissapointed by it''s small size, as they can easily grow. If you wish, source stones are available for sale. You may feel tired after doing this, but don''t worry this is normal. Please crush the stone when you are ready."


    I look at the inanimate stone and crush it. It turns to powder in my hand. As if picked up by the wind it dissipates. Slowly a tiny droplet of blood red flame drips out of my hand and floats up. Followed by another and another, floating weightlessly in the air, with each drop i feel more tired, my eyes grow heavier, i try and will the flames back, they flow together forming a large ball of fire. My entire body is becoming heavier. I attempt to absorb the flames, it hurts, like my soul is slowly exploding, but i feel less tired, i continue, the ball gets smaller and smaller, and dissapears.


    I breath heavily. I feel so tired. I close my eyes. And sleep.

 Late for a lesson

    "Hey wake up."


    I open my eyes and stare at the blue sky.


    "Wake up." Raven says.


    I sit up and look around. We are stationary on the cart, on the road in the forest.


    "You''ve slept long enough." Raven says.


    "What happened." I yawn.


    "You took a whole two days with that fire light show." Raven says. "Then you slept for a day. Oh, i was told to give you this when you woke." Raven passes me a letter.


    It reads:d.''


    "So is a source like a spirit?" I question.


    "I asked that." Raven says, "They said they the difference was like that between a glass ball and a self filling bottle of sand."


    Boar passes me a set of fur clothes. "Put these on."


    I climb off the cart and go behind a tree to change.


    Boar calls out, "We are behind schedule. So hurry up."


    The clothes fit well.


    I return to the cart. Raven passes Boar a small box. Boar opens it up and beckons me closer. The inside is filled with many vials of different coloured liquid. "What''s that for?" i ask.


    "You are going to have to take off your mask when you enter class. You will need a disguise." Boar replies opening a red bottle. He picks up a paintbrush. "Hold still."


    "So why do i need a mask at all?" I question.


    Boar draws a red line down my face, "It doesn''t work long term, and it''s expensive."


    "And it''s hard to remove and reapply quickly." Raven adds.


    <hr>


    Wearing the mask enter the entrance hall of the castle. There stood the older woman from the lady''s speech. She frowned heavily at me.


    "You''re late. Lessons started a day ago. And while i understand your circumstances that does not mean i will tolerate any disruption to the running of the school or the running of the castle." She said sternly as if politely describing my death. "Now if you would follow me."


    I was lead to a room on the second floor. She opened the door long enough for me to be forcefully pushed in, before closing the door behind me.


    The classroom is filled with rows desks of escalating height, facing a large black board. My entry had drawn the silence and attention of the dozen children my age, and a thin neatly dressed man.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The neat man spoke. "You must be Lore. Masks aren''t allowed so could please remove it."


    I slowly reach up and remove my mask, revealing a scarred face, and drawing shock and a single gasp from the others.


    "I think in this case i will make ab exception." The man says. "Please take a seat."


    I quickly return the mask to my face and look at the desks. I spot Rose, she appears to be sulking by herself on the back row. I walk up and sit right beside her, saying nothing.


    A flash of light.


    My left arm burns with a tingleing numbness. I slowly turn my head.


    With her head in her arms she mumbles, "Sorry, perhaps you should sit somewhere else."


    I ignore her.


    lesson 1: General magic<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    Magic has many forms and elements.


    The eight main elements form a circle, they are:


    Fire, life, earth, gravity, water, soul, wind, and lightning.


    They can be used in many forms.


    Chanting is the most used in battle due to the consistancy of the effects and the ease of group chanting. However the chants are often overly long.


    Circle magic is the most used out of battle due to it''s activation speed and ease of use. However takes a long time to prepare.


    Source magic is a magic that represents a certain aspect of an element, a single person can have one source. However if not born with one can obtain any with the right resources and it is often difficult to control without minimal training.


    Spirit magic is an ancient magic which is used to draw out one''s spirit, however with the exception of the warriors they cannot be used for long periods of time. However if a spirit is destroyed it is perminantly destroyed.


    After a lesson of randomly being hit by lightning it was lunch. The cafeteria was a large hall above the kitchens. Since i couldn''t eat without removing my mask, i sat in silence, just resting my eyes.


    <hr>


    A hand grabbed my shoulder shaking me awake. I turn to see it was a boy from my class, with straw coloured hair and an impish grin he said, "You can''t sleep now, it''s fencing." I follow him to the next class. He leads me through an unfamiliar part of the castle and outside to a large courtyard. It appears we were the last ones to arrive.


    "Welcome everyone, I am snowdrop and i will be teaching you the art of the sword." A tall woman stood with a thin sword on her waist and a wooden sword in her hand. She points the sword at a pile of wooden swords "Everyone take a sword."


    We all pick up a sword.


    She continues, "Fighting is an artform and as such requires time, practice and experiance to master."


    The boy who lead me here spoke up, "But there is no way that you can be stronger than a warrior right?."


    "Strength is not everything in a fight." She replies. "Perhaps a demonstraition would help, who would like to volunteer?"


    Everyone turns to face me. I sigh. I should have askes for a different backstory.


    I step forward and approach her. She holds her sword across her body with two hands. I copy her.


    She steps forward swinging her sword down. I raise my sword between her sword and my body.


    thwack, the sound of her sword clsshing against mine echoes across the courtyard. The sound reminding me of something familiar. Snowdrop steps back, pulling her sword back then lunging, thrusting.


    I step back releasing the grip from my left hand. I press my hand into the flat of the blade of my wooden sword, spining it to block snowdrop''s thrusting sword.smack


    borrowing the force from the block Snowdrop circles her sword around mine aiming towards my head.


    I slide my right foot back releasing my sword from my right hand, catching it in the left, with the flat of the blade running down my forearm, i raise my left hand.crack.


    Snowdrop''s sword is stopped my mine.


    I step back, returning the sword to my right hand Snowdrop swings her sword overhead, i sidestep to the left swinging my sword horizontally at her exposed torso, she ducks reversing her sword diagonally up my body, i flick my sword 180 degrees in my grip, and moving it into a block. whack


    I lose my grip on my sword as it is knocked from my hand.


    "As you can see strength isn''t everything. Now everyone form a line and we shall practice the basics."


    I go pick up my sword.

 Reactions

    The next day I wake up, i go to the classroom. Although it is still early Rose is in the classroom, sitting in the same place as the day before. I walk up and sit right next to her. This earns me a zap.


    She looks up breifly, she spoke in a sullen voice "You don''t have to keep sitting next to me."


    I take some writing tools from the desk and write ''you dont have to keep shocking me''.


    she reads this, "My source is lightning, my spirit is a lightning bird, they are hard to control. So you should sit further away or get shocked."


    I stand up.


    "I''m fine without any friends." She comments.


    I sigh. Your mother will probably force me to interact with you here anyway i think to myself. I sit back down.


    "Why aren''t you going?" She asks.


    damn it, what do i say.I think hard. I slowly write the first thing i can think of:''a rose with thorns is no less beautiful'' I look at what i wrote,and now i''m dead, i thought.


    I look over at rose, she smiles. "Thank you." She says.


    I sigh.


    Lesson 2: chanting pronounciation<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    In this lesson i learnt the whine from being hit by lightning in the ear is louder than human talking.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    <hr>


    After lunch was alchemy.


    It was taught by a man with a ridiculously long white beard with the name bramble. "Everyone seperate those with a fire and air affinity on the left everybody with an earth or water affinity on the right." He divided us into two groups. He picked up a small flower and showed it, "This is called a sweetflower, using alchemy remove the impurities and form a pill." Everybody moves as if knowing what he means .


    I grab a fire cauldron and place a flower inside and watch it burn, to ashes. nope.I look at the others, they place their hands firmly on either side of the cauldon. I place another flower and put my hands on either side of the cauldron, the position of the flame and material fills my head, i exert my will slightly on the flame finding out that i can control the flame. I wrap the flame evenly around the flower, it turns to ash faster. I stare at the cauldron. I move the flame to the ash attempting to melt them together. It doesn''t work. I force the flames to burn hotter, they still don''t melt, hotter, hotter, hotter. The ashes start to change slightly.


    boom , a ball of fire erupts from the cauldron.it wasn''t that either.


    "What are you doing?" Bramble yells. "If you''re not going to take this seriously then you can leave."


    I stand and leave.


    now what? i think to myself.


    <hr>


    Wondering the halls i came to a familiar set of large wooden doors. I enter.


    Inside is a mirror and a spiralling set of characters forming a circle. This is where I got my spirit. I summon the little ball of fire. It floats gently towards the mirror. I follow. As i approach writing softly appears glowing, i don''t recognise any of the characters. I look into the mirror. The ball of fire floats closer to the mirror, i stare at it, it drifts through the mirror.


    I reach out slowly, and touch the mirror.

 The red fox in the mirror.

    The world rushes around me, the comes into focus so quickly that it makes me doubt my eyes.


    I stand in a forest, Each tree standing tall, and bright as if every inch was showered in light. Under my feet are thousands of blades of grass each one slightly standing out forming a collage of leaves. The trees continue nigh endlessly. I look behind me, revealing a little ball of fire floating motionlessly in the still air. I focus on it, and it moves to my will, like a dance to the beat of my heart.


    I walk forward, the ball of fire following me. I come to a stream, the water is so clear it is barely visible, inside it swim small fishes and orbs of blue light.


    With a suddenness like waking from a dream, a deep growl comes out behind me. I turn, quickly. There approached a lone wolf, larger than me in both height and width, with fur the colour of grey stone and eyes the colour of a bleeding wound.


    It growled again, the growl echoing through my brain, awakening a memory that hurts in more ways than one.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    My breathing was shallow as i held onto young girl, she couldn''t have been older than eight, blood slowly dripped from her still chest, an arrow lay cast aside on the ground the tip was dyed in the colour of her blood. The growling of wolves waking me from my lament i lay her body apon the harsh land and picked up the solitary arrow, brandishing it i yell "you can''t take her."


    The wolf, i stare at it in anger, i point at it, willing the ball of fire to burn it, burn it, burn it. The ball of fire flies towards the wolf.


    With reflexes that imply expectation, the wolf bites down on the ball of fire, swallowing it whole. I obtain the feeling of losing myself, of fading. I open my hand, showing my palm, and focus. A blood red flame is thrown from my palms enveloping the wolf, burning it slowly peice by peice into a large pile of ash.


    I walk over to the ashes of the wolf, the ashes move as if caught in the wind spiraling upwards revealing the ball of flames, before flowing into the fireball.


    The ball of fire begins to expand, becoming longer, pointier, growing legs to form the shape of a small fox, the flames die down revealing a red fur coat. I stare at it, it opens its eyes, staring at me.


    I reach out slowly and touch it.

 Enchanting.

    I take my hand from the mirror. The words that glowed on the mirror fade, as if it were broken. I turn, looking over my shoulder to see if anyone is watching, revealing that i am alone. I leave the room with as much haste and silence as i can muster, close the door behind me.


    I wonder the castle aimlessly for a breif period of time, until i smell something delicious then i wonder the castle following the smell. This leads me towards the kitchen. I sneak into the cloth storeroom, change into serving attire, hide my mask and clothes then walk into the kitchen.


    The kitchen is bustling with activity.


    "Oh it''s you." The man from before spoke, "While you are here you will adress me as quartermaster." He looked around the kitchen in judgement, with a satisfied look he turns back, "Follow me." He says. Leading me out of the kitchen. I reach out and snatch a roll of bread, and follow him.


    The quartermaster leads me through the castle, narrating the points of assisting and serving others. I listen while eating the bread, it tastes delicious. I am lead to the student''s rooms. The quartermaster knocks on the door, "and remember to be polite." He walks away.


    "Come in." Rose''s voice comes through the door. I quickly finish the last of the bread, and enter her room. I look around the room, it is a mess, her clothes flung across the room, her desk covered in single sheets of paper covered in segments of handwriting, balls of scrunched up paper litering the floor, a plate of half eaten food by her bed and a huddle of blankets in a Rose-shaped heap, which speaks, "could you clean up."


    "Of course." I reply with a slight bow. I pick up her clothes fold them neatly and place them into the draws. I put the balls of paper in the bin. I approach her desk to sort the paper.


    "Not those." Rose leaps out from her bed and towards the desk with enough speed to cause me to jump back in shock. A flash of light occurs.


    Almost Instinctivly fire flows from me to intercept the bolt of lightning, the lightning strikes the fire, the fire envelops the lightning, the lightning disolves in the fire until it becomes naught, i quickly reabsorb thr flames. "Careful, i could be injured by that." I comment.


    "You''re good with fire, you should be a student here, if i ask my mother i''m sure she''ll let you." Rose offers, which somehow really irritates me.


    "What''s on the paper?" I deflect. Rose turns around quickly to gather all the lose paper and places all of it into a draw in the desk.


    "They''re nothing." Rose says slamming the draw shut. She turns arround while keeping a hand on the draw making sure it remained firmly closed. "That''s all for today, go tell the kitchen i''ll be eating in my room again." I hesitate for a second. "You may go." She stated. With a nod of my head i left.


    <hr>


    The next morning i get up early and head to the kitchen as Myth. Despite The sun having only just risen, the quartermaster looked as attentive as ever. Under his instructions, fennel and i take food and drink to the lady''s private dining room.


    With fennel holding two plates and with me carrying a jug of some kind of liquid arrive at a sparce room with a single table large enough to seat several people, but currently seated two: the lady Sapphire and her daughter Rose, they sit talking to each other in quiet voices. Fennel places the plates in front of them, while i pour into the already present cups, pausing breifly to use my source fire to catch the lightning that was going to strike Fennel.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "See, you were right, he should be student. And if you let him attend class he can stop others from getting hit my my lightning." Rose says excitedly.


    "I apologize for interrupting, but i have no desire to learn magic." I say quickly, filling up sapphires cup.


    Sapphire speaks in a straight forward, no exceptions, tone: "That settles the matter." But apon seeing Rose''s disappointed expression adds in a soothing voice. "Besides what about your warrior friend..." I back away from the table so not to intrude.


    Fennel stands next to me and whispers. "You can use magic?"


    I whisper back, "Only that one trick. Do we just wait here?"


    "Yeah until we are told to leave or until they finish eating. Just being able to do that is impressive."


    <hr>


    After leaving i sneaked away to change into my Lore disguise and attend lessons.


    Lesson 3: Enchantments<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    Magical enchantments are split into three types,


    Firstly there are the circle enchantments which is done by engraving or drawing circles on an object so that it fan be used later, magic is only needed when activating the circle, the stronger the material the circle is on the more times that it can be used before breaking.


    Secondly there are runic enchantments which can alter the physical and magical properties of the material. Magic is required at both the embedding of the runes and the activation. Each rune added makes the materiao more resiliant to additional runes.


    Thirdly there is soul runes which probably* work by reshaping the soul of whatever touched it.


    After hearing this i get an idea, i wrote ''is there anywhere i can get some metal?'' And showed it to Rose.


    She said, "Yeah, you can buy it at supplies, if they don''t have the type you want you can order some."


    ''thanks''


    <hr>


    After recieving directions.


    Supplies was a dimly lit large room stacked with various boxes of varying ages none older than ten years. Sitting on what looked like the most comfortable chair in existance, was a balding middle aged man. When he saw me he jumped up and spoke in an overly friendly tone, "young student what a surprise, i surmise this isn''t a social visit, so what can i get for you."


    I speak, "metal for enchanting."


    He sighs, disappear behind a stack of boxes before returning with a small thin square of solid iron. "That will be 1 silver."


    "Can i pay in source energy?" I ask.


    "Absolutely, here use this." He passes me a small clear crystal.


    I slowly pour the blood red flame into the crystal until it glows a bright red. Stopping, i ask, "Is this enough."


    "Indeed it is, tell you what since i''m feeling generous i''ll give you a free empty source stone." He takes the glowing red crystal from my hands and passes my a clear one.


    <hr>


    After recieving additional directions.


    I Enter the library. A room filled with many leather bound books on many wooden shelves, the usefulness of the knowledge in the books is only exceeded by the signs above their shelves, Making finding a dictionary on enchanting easy. I place the book metal and crystal on the table. I look around to make sure no-one is watching.


    I pick up the metal, and pour source fire down the centre, focusing the flame, melting the metal into two halves. I flick through the book until i find the rune for earth, i shape the blood red soft flame into the shape of that rune, and gently compress it into a peice of metal. Next i compress the rune for lightning, the rune is slightly repeled by the metal as i do so. Finaly i compress the rune for target, and with a large amount of strength and energy compress it into the metal.


    I feel exhausted. I hold the metal up to the light revealing the runes in the reflection. I feel pleased.


    While putting the book back on the shelf someone entered. I quickly pick up my items from the table before they come into view.


    "What are you doing here?" A woman appeared from around a shelf. I pause uncertain how to answer, realising that it wasn''t good to play with fire in a library. "Afternoon lessons have started." She said. I left quickly.

 Side effects.

    I rushed forwards, heading towards one of the numerous rooms, to what appeared to be a room of numerous kitchens. The lesson had already begun and the teacher was already half way through the explanation. Using maximum effort to be silent, i stand next to Rose only for lightning to anounce my arrival.


    "...then we will bake for 40 minutes. Remembernot to burn yourselves when you take it out. Leave it to cool for a while before doing anything else." The teacher finished giving instructions. "Then begin."


    I turned to rose who grabbed my arm, pulling me to a kitchen set. "We are making cake." I looked around, everyone else had paired up.


    Taking the enchanted metal from my pocket and hand it to her, "What is this?" She asks,


    I shrug, a small bolt of lightning shoots from her body, and strikes the metal, both avoiding my body and my sense of pain.


    "Wow, where did you get this? Mother said that she wouldn''t be able to get one for a few days." She throws her arms around me in a hug. "Wait here." She walks off, approaching a group of girls, she says something, the girls to jump, and turn to face her, she holds up the metal laughing slightly. They start talking.


    I look back at the small kitchen i am meant to be using. It contains a few items. I stand uncertain of what to do. The others have their back turned making me unable to see what they''re doing. I looked inside the cupboards and found some apples, a small leafy plant, small pots of various powders, a bottle of some kind of liquid, and various other miscellaneous foods. I look back at Rose who is still talking, and then i stand still for the next few minutes trying to figgure out what to do. Rose eventually returns.


    <hr>


    After class i change into myth, and knock on Rose''s room door. "Come in." she says.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    I enter carefully, her room was not as much of a mess as i found it the day before, and ask, "Is there anything i can do for you, young lady?"


    She fiddles with the enchanted metal, "No, not today." She says absent mindedly.


    I clean up her room anyway. "Would you like your food delivered to your room today?" I ask.


    She looks up, surprised that i am still here, "No, i''ll eat with everyone else." She said. "If you were a warrior, what would you like as a gift?" She asks.


    I pause, "Why do you ask?" I say.


    "Well i was given this, and i want to repay him." She says.


    "Why don''t you ask him?" I speak uncertainly, avoiding answering.


    "I wan''t it to be a surprise." She says.


    My head hurts like it''s filled with iron, "you know everyone will have a different opinion though, isn''t there a better person to ask?"


    She pauses for a second, and then another, and then speaks. "How about a dagger?"


    I sigh, "Is that even allowed?"


    "I''ll ask mother."


    "Are you sure that''s a good idea?" I speak as if it was a bad idea.


    "Why wouldn''t it be?" She speaks as if it''s not.


    I pause thinking of something to say, a knock apon the door sounds out. I open the door, it was the girls from before. "Rose?" They called out.


    "Let them in." Says Rose.


    I open the door wide for them to enter. With a slight bow, "I apolgise, but i am needed elsewhere." I excuse myself. And close the door, leaving.


    <hr>


    The next mourning i delivered the food with a different servant, i poured the drinks as before.


    "Oh, and look at this." Rose showed Sapphire the enchanted metal.


    "What is it?" Sapphire asks.


    "It absorbs lightning." Rose says.


    Sapphire looks surprised, "Where did you get that?" She sounds surprised.


    "It was a gift." Rose says.


    "Who gave it to you?" Sapphire asks, in a tone that was barely asking.


    "A boy." Rose says. I feel my life shortening.


    "Which boy?" Sapphire, somehkw manages to make each question sound slightly less like a question everytime she speaks.


    "Lore." Rose smiles brightly when she says that name, sapphire frowns darkly when she hears it.


    Rose continues, "I want to give him something in return, do you have any ideas?"


    Sapphire smiles slightly, "how about a knife." The way she said it made my back feel like it was being pressed into the cold of a dagger''s blade.


    Rose smiles, "I said that, but Myth thought it wouldn''t be allowed."


    Sapphire turned, looking straight into my eyes, chilling my very soul. "I wonder why."

 An amount of risk.

    After rose had left for class, lady Sapphire forced me to stay behind.


    She spoke clearly, devoid of the emotions she showed when talking to Rose and without the hostile air she used when threatening my life. "Where did you get that?"


    I looked away from her enquiring glare, "Where did i get what?" I asked with the innocence of a condemned man.


    "You know what." Her voice revealing a hint of annoyance.


    "I made it."


    She paused as if my reply was unexpected, and spoke as if it were a lie. "There is no one here who can teach you."


    "There''s books in the library."


    "Show me." I move to retreive the books from the library. "Show me, the enchanting."


    I take out the other half of the metal i bought. Flame flows from my finger as i draw the rune for lightning. I will the fiery rune into the metal and force it to bind. I pass the metal to sapphire.


    She stares at the metal uncertainly, then slowly red sparks start jumping from the metal in her hand. I will the soft flame into a shield infront of me as the sparks become faster and brighter, striking the flames strongly.


    I glance at the lady, her face filled with curiousity, as the lightning became stronger she seemed uneffected. A bolt of lightning tore through the firewall drawing my attention back to my defence, i focus the flames making the wall smaller, but thicker. The lightning was becoming blindingly bright, i close my eyes.


    boom, with an explosion like thunder and a flash the was blinding even with my eyes closed the wall of fire dissipated out of my control and i am knocked back against the wall.


    I open my eyes, revealing the charred remains of the room. I look at lady sapphire, her skin is covered in light blue scales and she is clothed in an opaque ice. By her feet are few scraps of burned cloth that i can only assume were her clothes.


    I break the silence, "Can i leave now?"


    She looks up as if surprised i was still here. "You?" She said uncertainly.


    "Yes?"


    "Do you know what you did?"


    "No."


    "You couldn''t have been practicing this for more than a week, yet your enchantments are stronger than iron." Her words spoke of admiration, her tone spoke of something else.


    "It''s not that difficult."


    "The reason that we don''t have an enchantment teacher is because it''s too difficult."


    "So i am going to teach enchanting?"


    She looks tempted by the idea. "No. There is only so much you can do. Also being this good at enchanting, at your age, is not a good thing."


    "So i don''t use that magic again."


    "That would be wasting your talents and your potential for impovement."


    "So i practice in secret?"


    "For now don''t use it unless absolutely necessary." Her warning was slightly more threatening than cautionate.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Fine by me." I slowly edge towards the door. "Now if you excuse me i have to be somewhere other than here."


    <hr>


    I walk quickly through the halls, rushing to where my disguise is stashed.


    "Hey servant." I freeze at the sound of a commanding voice behind me, i turn around. Snowdrop strides towards me.


    "I am sorry but..."


    "I am sure whatever you are doing can wait." She interupts disregarding me entirely. "Follow me." She walks past me without stopping.


    "But..."


    "Now." She demanded.


    "Sure." I sigh.


    I followed her to a store room filled with various weapons. She pointed at a box of wooden swords. "Carry that for me."


    I picked it up, it weighed heavily on my arms.


    "This way." She walked out to the courtyard where she taught the sword.


    I place the swords down to where they were before. "If this is all..."


    "You must have been to an arena before, have you ever seen a warrior fight with two swords?" She asks. She paces back and forth.


    "No." I reply impatiently.


    "Of course not, warriors fight with their strength, stamina and accuracy. A few novices use the duel swords approach, but they could never master the style enough for it to be used with one sword." She turns to me. "Can you duel weild a single sword?"


    I say nothing and stare at her.


    "Of course not." She continues her pacing, and her monologue.


    I walk away no longer listening. I reach for the door. smack, something strikes the back of my head, i look at Snowdrop, "Did i say you could leave?"


    I look down at the wooden sword she threw at me. "Can i leave?"


    She scowls at me, "No. Return the sword."


    I pick up the sword and slowly approach her, stand infront of her, hold out the sword and drop it into the box. "I am leaving." I turn around to leave.


    "How dare a mere servant disrespect me?" I look over my shoulder to see her draw her sword, it''s thin silver blade shining a perfect reflection. I pivot to face the immenant attack.


    She kicks the sword box pushing it to me. "Arm yourself." She says then walks to the centre of the courtyard.


    I pick up two swords. Holding them parralell to each other, pointing at Snowdrop. I pause for a second, then run at her. She remains steady, unflinching at my charge.


    I raise a sword and slash down across her body.


    She flicks her wrist bluring her sword as it flashes to intercept mine.


    My sword completes its ark, revealing the absence of half the blade. I jump back.


    She lunges forward, thrusting with her sword.


    I knock the blade aside with the sword in my left hand, and stab forward with the half sword in my right.


    Snowdrop pulls back her sword striking mine with her pommel.


    I swing the sword in my left hand towards her unguarded face.


    She leans back, stepping back avoiding the dull edge of my sword, and following through into another lunge.


    I force myself backwards, falling down away from the tip of the sword.


    She steps forward, the blade''s point resting above my vulnerable neck. "You did well, but you''re too young, too inexperianced to defeat me." she took the blade away from my neck, "but disrespect me again and i will not hesitate to kill you." She sheaths her sword. "Go."


    I stand up quickly and leave.


    <hr>


    I change into Lore.


    "There isn''t much time left for class" i say to myself, and head towards the library.


    I pick up the book on rune enchanting, sit down and read it


    Runes: An educational guide


    ''Rune enchanting is the embodyment of the freedom of the dark magic it is derived from. Unlike circle magic which damages or destroys its medium when activated, rune magic will often damage the material apon inscription.


    By channelling magic into a rune the nature of that magic is altered to match the description of the rune, this means that although magic can be...''


    <hr>


    The afternoon class was on spirit control. I walked outside with everyone else onto the grass field. The sun was shinning and a gentle breeze blew.


    Rose was walking next to me, "Hey, why weren''t you in class earlier? I was going to show you how good i was at maths.


    I shrug.


    We stand in the center of the field.


    "Everybody knows how to summon their spirits, and that is what you''ll do. Everybody spread out" The teacher called out, and the students dispersed. "Keep your spirit summoned as long as possible. Begin."


    One by one everyone summoned a random creature or plant that was their spirit. Rose summons a bird made purely of lightning. I sit down on the grass and summon my spirit. The little red fox appeared in a flash of fire, it''s appearance hadn''t changed since the last i saw it. It looked around curiously then climbed onto my lap and layed down. I reach out cautiously and stroke it, the fox doesn''t appear to mind.


    I look over at Rose, she is using the metal peice i gave her to protect herself from the lightning of her spirit. I look at the others who are doing worse. A few of them are trying to control their spirits, some of them were already physically showing their exhaustion from keeping their spirit summoned, whilst two had already collapsed.


    I lay back amidst the chaos, and stare at the driftng clouds.

 Plan of defence.

    "That''s enough." The teacher called out.


    I sat up to see that nearly everyone else had collapsed from spirit exhaustion. Rose was the only one who still had her spirit, which had stopped giving bolts of lightning, but she was swaying enough that a mild breeze would knock her over.


    "Recall your spirit." The teacher yelled at Rose. Rose''s spirit faded and returned to her, she fell back into a seated position, exhausted.


    "The lesson is over, you can leave." Half of the students slowly make their way back to the castle, the others give up and remain strewn across the field moving just enough to prove they''re alive.


    I look at the fox, it jumps nimbly on to my shoulders.


    I approach Rose. She looks at me, then speaks, "I thought i would be the best at this." She doesn''t look saddened by this though. I offer my hand, and help her to her feet. "Thanks". She sways heavily, falling on to me.


    I catch her, supporting her weight. And begin walking her back to the castle.


    Following her directions, although unnecessarily, i take her back to her room, before disappearing and changing into Myth. I recall my spirit, a wight presses against my mind as a flood of memories rushes in. Appearing suddenly on a grassy feild, resting on the Lore''s lap, watching as one by one each student faints and their spirits fade.


    I shake my head clearing my mind and return to Rose. I enter her room to find her asleep on the floor, i pick her up careful not to wake her and place her on her bed. And leave.


    I change back into Lore and return to the library to continue researching runes.


    <hr>


    The Following weeks were uneventful, Sapphire and Rose continued to eat breakfast together. Lessons took place in the morning covering both generic and magic subjects, from the great works of poetry to the great mistakes of magic to military tactics to the variations of source types to painting. Practice took place in the afternoon. I was no longer allowed into alchemy after the fifth explosion.


    <hr>


    "Hey what are you doing next week?" Rose asks. The math lessons were overly repetitive, and the work set was often completed early.


    ''nothing. why?'' I wrote back.


    "The arena in town is performing a play." She spoke overexitedly.


    ''they perform plays?''This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Yeah, it''s the opening of the roads. Want to go see?"


    ''sure''


    "Great." She smilled brightly.


    At the end of the lesson i went to back to the library, while everyone else went to eat lunch i devoured knowledge. The library was as quiet and peaceful as the shelves had books, and of books there were many, but on the subject of rune enchanting, there were only a few. I reached out randomly and picked a book from the shelves, ''Purfume, A Scent For Every Reason.'' I place the book back. I wonder the shelves for a while and pickup another book ''The Mystery of the absent dragons'' I open it up,


    Book: The mystery of the absent dragons


    ''I have spent my life searching for the truth and yet it still remains a mystery, where are the dragons?


    Historical records show a species intelligent, strong, immortal, with their own ways, and perhaps their own language, some ruling of the land as a wise king, some slaughtering unceasingly and reveling in chaos. Yet nearly 4000 years ago, almost simultaneously, they dissapeared, with only the wyverns remaining in their place.


    The last one being killed in the...''


    I close the book. I didn''t need another history lesson. I place it back.


    "Looking for a book?" The librarians voice startled me. As the librarian arrives suddenly.


    I shake my head in response and look back at the shelves, and they looked bleak.


    "Oh, i know just the book for you." She disappears in a figurative flash and returns momentarily holding a book, "Here."


    I take the book, ''Circles for runes.'' i nod in thanks. But she had already left.


    I sat down and read the book, it detailed various circles that could assist in rune enchanting.


    The Following class was circle construction held in one of the numerous halls. This was lead by Temple.


    "Today we will be practicing attack and defence." Temple spoke while handing out thin wands tipped with a milky white crystal. "Since you will all be using the same wands the strength of your circles will come from it''s stability rather than its energy." He directed us into groups of two.


    I faced Lavender, one of Rose''s friends.


    "Begin." Temple declared.


    I raised the wand and waved it in the air, leaving behind a trail of white light, which i use to carefully draw a basic circle. Every circle has a command and mine stated, ''Stop all things from passing through''. I finished and looked at my opponent.


    Lavender was rapidly and flawlessly drawing petals onto her circle changing into a flower. She completed the petals, i brace for impact, yet adds another layer of petals.


    thud, a circle flashes causing a dull thud as an impact hits a shield. The others are completing their attacks, a few of which successfully strike their opponents.


    I look at lavander who keeps adding more layers of petals each layer having less than those before it. I quickly draw a second shield circle, followed by a third.


    Lavender completes a layer. Then stops to admire her work.


    I add a fourth layer.


    "Stop wasting time and attack." Temple calls out.


    "Do i have to, it''s so pretty." Lavender complains.


    "Now."


    "But..."


    "Now."


    "Fine."


    I look across. The magical flower is gently spining. Lavander raises her hand to the center of the circle, and taps it gently.


    th¨¹m, the air reverberates and vibrates instantly shattering the first circle, then the second shatters, then the third, then the fourth, in quick succession.


    My body feels like it''s being hit a thousand times as i''m sent flying back.


    I twist my body, landing on my feet.


    I try and write another circle yet my hand shakes to much to complete it.


    "Lore is out." Temple says.


    So i sit and watch everyone else get hurt instead.

 Practice of two.

    The following morning serving Breakfast.


    "Speaking of want to go shopping with me?" It was the Lady Sapphire who asked this.


    "I wanted to go see the play with my friends." Rose replied as an answer.


    "There will be plenty of time, i can not see why you can not do both." Sapphire reasoned reasonably like a reasonable person that i doubted she was.


    "Then sure." Was Rose''s reply.


    "So who are you going to see the play with?" Sapphire asked.


    "Carmine and Lavender. Since Lavender and Thorn are going out, He''s probably coming too." Rose said leading to a conversation of gossip.


    Gossip: love is like a thorn pricked heart<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    Sapphire: "Really? In a relationship so fast?"


    Rose: "Well it''s like this: Lavander often complains about the drab interior of the castle."


    Sapphire: "It is functional. But go on."


    Rose: "Well one day while she''s outside, Thorn sneaks into her room and paints the walls of her room bright pink."


    Sapphire: "She must have been suprised."


    Rose: "She was. When she found out it was him, she pretended to be all angry and confonted him and you will never guess what he said."


    Sapphire: "Did he say sorry?"


    Rose: "No, he said ''I just made it more fitting for your beauty.'' and she gave him a kiss right then and there."


    Sapphire: "That must have shocked him."


    Rose: "Yeah, who knew she woukd act so brazenly."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Pause.


    Sapphire: "Yes, because of that."


    "So it''s just the four of you going together?" Sapphire inquired.


    "No five." Rose corrected.


    "Who is the fifth?" Sapphire asked.


    "I''m not saying." Rose readily refused.


    "Why not?" Sapphire persisted.


    "Everytime i''ve mentioned him you''ve always react badly." Rose stated.


    "Oh, him, i do not react badly." Sapphire disputed.


    I look down, the liquid in the jug i''m holding is frozen over either willingly in protest of sapphire''s lie or because of sapphire''s magic magically threatening to freeze my blood. With a flick of my wrist, a seed of soft flame flies onto the ice slowly melting it.


    "It gets colder in here everytime i say his name." Rose points out.


    "You are just imagining it." Sapphire claims.


    "Myth, doesn''t it get colder every time i mention Lore''s name." Rose calls out to me suddenly.


    "I would rather say that it get''s colder everytime you make mention of a boy." I say respectfully and deflected fully.


    "See, every time." Rose says righteously.


    "That is not the point." Sapphire said.


    "What''s the point?" Rose asked.


    "You are going to be late for lessons." Sapphire spoke.


    Rose stands up. "I''m still right." Then makes her exit with haste.


    Sapphire looks at me with a frown, signaling my immediate exit, with a slight bow i turn and leave.


    <hr>


    The lesson and practice of that day had merged into one; it was about secondary affinities. We sat down in the middle of the surrounding field with our legs crossed and hands open palms up and on our knees.


    "In each hand i want you to focus on the seperation of elements, draw it out, focusing it into your hands. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth. Bring these elements into being."


    I thought about it for a second, closed my eyes. In my left hand i force the heat to gather, igniting into a flame. Slightly diverting my focus into my other hand i tried to focus on earth gathering, combining, fusing above my palm. With a puff of smoke it ignited into flames, causing me to loose focus.


    I opened my eyes, everyone else was struggling with mixed results. I bring my hands together, this time focusing on the single earth element, its solidness and stillness. Slowly drawing it together into a single entity.


    A coarse pebble sized stone fell into my hand. It surprised me and it disturbed my focus and i accidentally set it on fire causing it to burn in a flickering green flame.


    "I got it." Rose said next to me. I looked at her just in time to see a ball of water strike me mask with a concussive thud. "Oops." She commented on her mistake.


    I sigh. I focus on the flame and lift it from the stone before dispersing the heat and extinguishing the flame. I look at rose who with a grin hold in one hand a ball of water, while in the other rests a miniture tornado.


    "Lore don''t get distracted." The teacher yelled. And i turned back to conjuring stone and fire.

 Impatience.

    Time passed like water down a river or a bird falling from the sky: if it goes on for long enough you stop caring. There were no lessons for the next week, i however still had my duties as a servant. However now i was pretty sure that the clear liquid they drank for breakfast was the juice of some kind of fruit.


    "Myth." The lady sapphire called out.


    "Yes my lady?" Was my response.


    "Go tell the stables to ready the horses." She commanded.


    "Yes my lady." I complied, like a person who new where the stables were, passing the jug to another servant and quickly leaving. Decending to the main entrance and exiting to the castle''s exterior, bathing in the morning sunlight. I looked around walking the castle''s perimeter looking for a horse or signs of horses.


    Finding the stables was easy with the help of good building design and entring was easy with the help of poor security. The stables was a wooden constuct that looked to be able to house two dozen horses in individual stalls but on count only had eight.


    "Hello?" I called out in hope of not having to instantly learn how to saddle a horse.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    A freckled woman with hay stuck in her hair stuck her head out of one of the empty stalls, "Want something?" She asked.


    "Lady sapphire wants the horses readied." I relayed.


    "Oh, right, yeah." She spoke with a mix of surprise and relief. "Tell her that they will be ready momentarily."


    "Sure." I say, and leave, exiting the stables.


    "Let me help." Says fennel.


    I turn, looking back at the stables, "weird." I say.


    I return to the entrance. Rose is standing there impatiently. She sees me, "Aren''t the horses ready yet?"


    "Momentarily." I speak. "Where is your mother?"


    "She said something less conspicuous than her noble clothes for shopping." Rose said then threw a small pursed bag to me. I looked inside, it was filled with gold coins. "You''re buying." She said. I looked at her. "And carrying." She added.


    "Uh, one moment." I rush inside and picked up my cloak and placing it in one of its pockets and the money in the other and return to Rose.


    "You''re still wearing that?" Rose criticized.


    "It''s warm." I responded.


    "How? It''s not even in one peice." She questioned. "And its not that cold."


    "Look the horses are here." I said pointing at the three horses being led by the woman from the stables.


    "Oh finally." She said, walking towards them. "Come on." She waved me to follow, so i follow her the short distance across the grass to get to the horses thirty seconds faster. She effortlessly climbs on to the horse.


    The woman from the stables passed me the reins to one of the horses, "Have you ridden a horse before?"


    "I''m not sure." I say.


    "Just get up. You''ll figure it out." She said. "I''m Amber if you wanted to know."


    "And i am myth."


    "And i am bored." Rose said.