One Month Earlier....   

     The night was cold, a slurry of snow coming down onto the roof of the blacksmiths hut. The landscape blanketed with white crystals of frozen water, my breath would spew clouds of fog spiraling a few inches from my face before disappearing, their existence so short and sweet.

     I was standing in front of the fire at the forge watching and feeling as the flames jumped around and consumed the coal, the fire dancing while the coals glowed a bright red, sparks dancing to the heat. The fire warming my skin and lighting my eyes as I stared into the flames, a trance building as my mind was carried away.

     If I stood still and focused I could feel as the snow outside come down, combine, then slowly melt before hitting the ice already covering the earth around our hut. Each form of the water from ice to liquid was something I could feel happening, it was like I had a window into the nature of the element. I closed my eyes and could see as the crystal of a snowflake melted then hit the snow, combining to make a layer of ice. Why had I suddenly become so attuned to the elements, it was like a dormant power deep within me awakening for the first time. I liked it, it felt natural.

     Jack came out from inside the blacksmith hut and peered over at me, my mind entranced by the flames and absent.

"Your letting the coals get too cool again Adam. Adam. Hey!"

     I snapped out of my trance and looked over at him. He walked towards me and stopped within a few feet. He turned his eyes to the coals, pulling power from himself and adding to the strength of the flames. The flames gradually increasing until they were roaring once again, heating my metal back to its red glow, pops and crackles groaning in protest.

     Jack was a Mage with the ability to control Fire, which led to him becoming a Blacksmith. He could only control flames already present, making them hotter or cooler to help his metal shaping. He had a low level of skill in the Fire Element but he wielded it brilliantly, allowing him to create magnificent works of metal.

     He was not fortunate enough to be trained formally at The College, as is true with most common people.

     He was originally from a small town and learned his mage abilities alone, through many years of forge work, his need to perfect his craft to survive being the only motivation needed, life here was difficult. He was the toughest man I had met in my life. He was well built, from his heavy legs to his arms, thick from pounding metal all day, creating the forms he was envisioning. He had a thick beard that ran to his midsection, just to the length that the fire would singe it, stopping its further growth.

      Jack took me in before I was even old enough to know I didn't have a family. He raised me absolutely as his own, without me ever having to question his love for me. When Jack spoke, I listened. He was silent, always observing, thinking carefully before he spoke, and always acting rationally.

     Most days I spent my time learning the trade of becoming a Blacksmith from him, pounding the metal into simple forms. The skills of a blacksmith took years to perfect.

     Since I was young Jack has taught me how to wield a weapon properly, the importance of knowing how to defend yourself from others. I am only slightly above average when it comes to hand to hand combat, but I at least know that thanks to the training. He taught me well enough that I could hold my own in war and make it out alive, I probably wouldn't win against a well-trained knight in some fancy tournament. We focused primarily on making the weapons, I don't think we will ever need to wield them but preparation never hurt.

     In my blacksmith apprenticeship I was currently at the level that I could make small dirks by myself, they are small double sided daggers. They were simple enough that I didn't need any supervision, creating the rough form of a blade by smashing the hot metal with a hammer. I found peace and beauty in creating things with my hands, the moldable hot metal gave me joy as it finally began to take shape. As I was heating the metal I began yet again glazing over as I stared into the fire, the metal returning to the glowing bright red color as it began to overheat. Jack caught this from across the forge, standing there for a moment and watching. The feeling of the cold outside a contrast to the warm fire in front of me, its heat radiating through my body.

"Your staring off into the flames again Adam. Are you feeling something strange? I began feeling the elements around your age myself. Maybe we should talk about you visiting The College."

     The College is the most infamous school that has ever existed. It has always been referred to as "The College" regardless of its true name, which has been lost with time. Once a month they held tryouts to find prospective mages, taking them in and training them to become talented protectors and teachers for the realm.

     The College was once a neutral place to learn the elements, its legend spoken of commonly every household, it was the greatest honor most people could hope to pursue. No matter who was the leader of the kingdoms, they left the running of The College to the mages. They would train the mages to work for the greater good. They helped defend our cities, or taught classes to regular people helping them learn their abilities. They were a symbol of hope and goodness throughout our land. Each large town having a local branch presence in one form or another.

     After the Queen came into power she began forcing The College to work for her, recruiting the top mages or killing those who resisted.

     The mages had wanted to keep The College neutral as it had always been, but anyone who stood up to her was executed, effectively stopping any further attempts.

     Most humans have some trace amounts magic within them, and they would typically adapt it to their professions, but not many had the skill to make it into the College. Men and women that could slightly manipulate things such as fire could become cooks, or blacksmiths, wielding the flames enough to assist with their daily lives. While people who controlled water or earth, farmed, or found other professions that their skills would assist with. The College had so many classifications of abilities it was amazing.

      For example there were people who could only manipulate forces already present, or people who created the force from within themselves. Some people can control one element and a select few can control two. The college was the only place where the knowledge was kept and cataloged as things were discovered. They preserved this information and willingly shared it with everyone, always trying to further mankind. Even with The Colleges help most people can only reach a certain ability level. Typically the large royal bloodlines had all sorts of wonderful powers and abilities, their selective marriages leading to particular combinations of abilities. They stuck together in an attempt to keep the powers within their bloodlines, and concentrated into positions of power.

     Throughout history there have been mages that could naturally control multiple elements without formal training, their natural abilities rivaling even the most practiced College mages. There was a few from every town that helped bring balance to the power, a group of unknown and unaligned variables. Most of them rode powerful dragons that matched their ability levels, breathing fire, water, or shooting electricity.

     Lots of average people had dragons as well but most of them were much simpler in their ability like their owners. Sadly with the rise of the Fire Queen, most of these people and their dragons have begun to disappear, her army killing off anyone with power to solidify her position. Rumors can be heard in the dark corners of taverns about some ancient mystical powers, lying in wait for the next Alpha Rider, their chance to regain balance. Most people choose to ignore the gossip; I secretly hope it's true.

     I moved the knife out of the flames and finished pounding it into its rough shape before quenching it in oil to bring about an end to my day, the smoke rising from the wet blade in little curling pillars. I set the shaped blade out with the others I had finished today, getting them ready to pick up from this point when I begin tomorrow, the smell of the forges coal filling my senses and giving me the peace of an honest day's work. I walked into the house and washed off in the water basin before grabbing some logs and kindling, lighting the fire in my room, I stood close to the now roaring flame, warming my cold and barren room, the flame's shadows dancing about on the walls and bringing life to its simplicity. The room hardly had any decoration, only the things I really needed like a bed, fireplace, and a small perpetually empty table.

     I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. My mind raced away on thoughts of joining The College. What if I left the Blacksmiths life and became a real College mage, helping the world? I had always felt that deep down I was born for something more. I have always enjoyed my life with Jack as a blacksmith but I never knew my real parents, it gave me a tiny dream that my life could have been different, maybe I could have been someone important.