"That should do for now," Darin said, snapping his spellbook closed, having repaired the last of the boy's clothes. They had stopped just before reentering the village to think of a plan in case anything were to go wrong. "So what will you do if you're recognized?"

"Uh..." Argent furrowed his brow in thought before shrugging. "Scream?"

Darin snorted. "Sure, and alert everyone in the vicinity while you're at it. Just do something that'll alert me, preferably something quiet."

They only had to travel another few hundred feet before they exited the woods and into the village, gradually making their way to the main square. Anticipation and anxiety began welding up in Argent as more and more people came into view. He had always stuck to the back alleyways, unwilling to be seen and keeping his eyes glued to the ground. Terrible thoughts ravaged his mind: Was it a mistake to trust Darin? What if he turns me in to the Order? What will happen to me then?

The image of a body suspended in the air struck him like a whip. He remembered the guards forcing them all to watch the light fade from their kin's eyes as a warning, and the memory jolted him enough for a gasp to escape him. The action alerted Darin immediately, and after a quick glance around, he pulled the boy to the side.

"Hey," Darin said, keeping his voice soft but clear, "I won't let anything happen to you. Can you hear me?"

Argent gave a shuddering breath, focusing on one of the buttons of Darin's shirt and giving a miniscule nod in response. Argent knew nothing was happening; no one chasing him and no one yelling at him, but he couldn't seem to stop shaking. If he was gripping too tightly onto Darin's arm, the other didn't acknowledge it in the slightest.

"Can you tell me what you hear?" the wizard asked. It was an odd question in Argent's opinion, and his face scrunched up in bewilderment. He had no idea what Darin was trying to do. Nonetheless, he did what he was asked. Anything to stop the images flashing in his head.

"There's...a bird. Somewhere to the left," Argent began, his voice a bit hoarse. "Someone's talking. Two people are."

Two gossiping women passed next to them.

"I think they just said something about someone's bad potato crop."

Darin smiled at that. "Are you sure? I heard tomatoes."

"No, I'm pretty sure it was potatoes."

"If you insist." Darin didn't comment when the hand holding his arm had stopped trembling and fell away. "Do you want some water?"

Noticing how dry his mouth was, Argent nodded, watching Darin's hand as it drifted over to the waterskin that hung at his belt. It didn't take long for him to detach it, and an even shorter amount of time for him to uncork it and hold it out to him. Argent took hold of it, grateful that his hands no longer shook, and took a few gulps before handing it back. A wave of shame washed over him as Darin put the waterskin back in its place.

"Sorry," he said, unable to meet the other's eyes. "I don't know what happened. I just—"

"You don't need to explain it to me if you don't want to," Darin cut in gently, giving the boy a small, reassuring smile before moving on to a different subject. Who knows what this boy has been through. "There's an early harvest of apples this year. Do you think an apple will hold you off till dinner?"

"I think two sounds more reasonable," Argent said, returning the smile when he heard Darin chuckle. He still felt a bit shaken and wanted to work off the nerves, and he knew walking would help. The sooner they left this town, the better.

"You're right. It wouldn't hurt to have a few to keep our energy up." Darin lightly grasped Argent by the shoulder, prompting him to walk beside him. He would have to keep an eye on the boy. One didn't have to be particularly observant to know that this town made Argent anxious, especially after that episode. It almost made Darin not want to let Argent travel alone, wherever the boy was headed now, but he couldn't force him to follow, either.

You can't save them all, a voice in his head reminded him, and Darin reluctantly agreed. He was not the hero they were looking for.

A few shops and a mishap (that involved an angry cat) later, Argent found himself equipped with a waterskin of his own and a bag that held two apples, a loaf of bread, and a small wedge of cheese. The third apple was already eaten and discarded. He couldn't help but keep glancing at the man next to him as they neared the town's exit. For one, why was he being so generous? What was the catch? And two, what does he do to have all this money in the first place? Sure, Darin bargained, but even then, things were only haggled down a few picks.

"How do you have so much money? The bag was nearly a hash itself." Argent eyed the common clothes Darin wore. "You don't look rich."

"That's because I'm not," Darin chuckled. "But I suppose I like to live frugally and choose my investments. Besides, I'm on the road nearly all days of the year, so anything I buy needs to either be a necessity, practical, or light."

"Why are you on the road so much?" Argent asked next.

Darin was about to respond until a rough voice called from ahead of them.

"Halt, in the name of the Order of Ordephus." Two soldiers stood in their way, just as they were about to pass through the gates. Dread pooled into Argent's stomach. He was so close to freedom; he couldn't go back now!

One of the soldiers approached, almost seeming to stare down the boy making Argent want to shrink away. Thankfully, the soldier's attention shifted to Darin before he spoke. "You're that wizard from earlier today, aren't you? The one looking for mana potions."

"Ah, that would be me," Darin replied in a perfectly amiable tone. "The shop was drained by the time I arrived, but that's alright. I'll live without them."

The soldier grunted before changing the subject. "You didn't have a boy with you previously."

Argent's first instinct was to run.

I'm caught! The Order caught me, and they're gonna—he would've ran if it weren't for a gentle hand placed on his shoulder.

"You would be correct," Darin grinned, giving Argent's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "But I ran into a friend today who mentioned one of her sons had magic potential, and I offered to take him on as an apprentice. As you can see, it worked out quite well."

The soldier waited to see if Darin would add anything else, but when he said nothing more, the soldier asked, "What kingdom do you hail from?"

Darin seemed to be taken off guard by the question. "Paraglia."

"Hm." The soldier once again glanced at the boy. "Paraglian wizards are different from Lotenian wizards, are they not? Why not have the boy study under someone from Loten?"

"I spend a lot of my time in Loten—we, as in Paraglian wizards, aren't very suited to battles as you already know—so I've picked up on quite a few of their techniques. Even if my magic can't properly utilize it, I believe I'm perfectly capable of teaching it." Argent could see Darin growing restless, and it appeared the soldier did, too.

"The boy should train under an Alliance wizard, then, to prepare him to serve our kingdom. He would reach his full potential that way."

Him reaching his potential is the least of your priorities, Darin thought bitterly. This nonsense has gone on far enough.

"Pardon my terseness, but the subject of my ability to teach a young magic wielder, regardless of what kingdom we come from, has already been discussed between myself and the boy's mother," Darin began, his tone still amiable, but with a sharper edge beneath it. "If she ever changes her mind and decides he should train with the Alliance, then I would gladly return the premium in full. But until then, he will be my apprentice." He waited a beat, looking between the two soldiers. "Is there something else you need? I would like to make it to the next town before dark."

The first soldier looked at the one still by the gate, the second one shrugging his shoulders before the first took a step back. "Apologies for the delay. Ordephus be with you."

"Thank you." Without another word, Darin walked past the soldier, Argent close behind, and through the gate. They were a few feet away before they were stopped again.

"Oh, and traveler," the soldier said, continuing when he knew he had Darin's attention. "There's been a recent break out at the Iforia Mines. Most of the dragonkind who escaped had already been caught, but there are a few who have yet to be found. There is a reward of one pure if you bring one, preferably alive, and a jewel for valid information. You can report your findings to any Alliance soldier."

"I'll keep that in mind," Darin replied, turning forward to progress with their journey. Fortunately, Argent felt more at ease when the town was no longer in sight, but Darin looked every bit annoyed that he should have been while talking to the soldier. "Nosy bastards," he muttered, dropping the facade.

Argent couldn't help but guffaw at the sudden outburst. The remaining adrenaline made him giddy, and he continued to laugh into his hands.

"Ah, sorry." Darin gave Argent a sheepish smile. "I didn't mean for that to slip."

"What did you mean when you said Paraglian wizards aren't good for battles?" Argent asked once he had calmed down. "I don't think you're that bad, since, um, you did catch me. With the vines."

"Thank you for thinking I'm not 'that bad,'" Darin chuckled, "but that wasn't the kind of fight I was referring to. One on one is very different from one against many. Either way, I'm glad my citizenship prevents the Alliance from bullying me to join the army. I prefer not to fight battles I don't support."

"But what's the difference? Is it because you use a book?" Argent glanced at the spellbook before looking back up at Darin. "Loten wizards don't use anything."

"That's correct," Darin nodded. "And it all has to do with mana concentration. With Loten having the most mana reservoirs, people born here don't need to worry about exhausting their own supply since they will simply reabsorb it fairly quickly. Ormathians also have their fair share in mana reservoirs, but over there they still use channeling devices such as staffs or wands to lessen the amount of wasted potential. Now with Paraglia, mana is quite scarce there, and honestly, very few wizards come from Paraglia because of it. We need to be careful when using mana since we could easily drain our own mana supply and start ebbing away at our lifeforce. To prevent this, we use spellbooks, the most efficient way of channeling mana. The lack of mana reservoirs in Paraglia is also the reason why mana potions are currently quite scarce as they're all being sent to supply the army's wizards."

"So...now that you're in Loten, doesn't that mean you don't need the spellbook here?"

"Well, that's a valid point, but we also need to take into consideration that after training with a spellbook—" Darin stopped, raising his hand towards a branch ahead of them, and a pulse of magic ripped through the air. The branch nearly snapped in half, its leaves flying everywhere in ribbons while the bark was stripped clean off. "I never had to learn to restrain my magic when not using it."

Argent's mouth dropped open in shock as he stared at the branch before looking down at his hands. "How am I not dead?"

"Because there's a difference between being peaceful and harmless," Darin explained with an amused smile. "Just because I can injure someone doesn't mean I should, especially if they did something relatively harmless, such as stealing a bag."

He gave a meaningful look down at the boy, and Argent turned away with a nervous laugh.

"But in any case," he continued, "even you could do something as devastating with magic, so that's why it's important to choose your method of channeling and sticking to it to optimize control."

"There's no way I can do that," Argent exclaimed, pointing at the branch.

"Yes, you can. Aim your palm towards that tree," Darin instructed, pulling out his spellbook and casting a barrier before them. Argent did as he was told, baffled, but curious.

Spellbook still in hand, Darin laid two fingers lightly at the base of the boy's head, sending a small concentration of magic into him to kickstart the process. In an instant, Argent felt a surge of power travel through his arm and out his hand. He jolted back at the sensation and yelped as the tree snapped in half at the impact, sending shards of wood in every direction. If it weren't for the barrier before them, both he and Darin would have looked like porcupines. The tree slowly toppled back, landing with a great crash.

"And now to leave the scene of the crime," Darin said with a grin, shaking Argent from his stupor and disabling the barrier. Together they sped away, only slowing down when they were around the bend. Unable to keep his excitement contained any longer, Argent turned to Darin, beaming in delight and practically bouncing along as they walked.

"I can't believe that just happened!" Argent exclaimed, "I didn't even know I could do that!"

"Really?" Darin looked surprised at that. "Has no one ever told you that your kind can naturally do magic?"

"Can we?" The boy shook his head. "Why would they if we can break trees in half? Trees! Can you do that?"

"I can, but it isn't practical to do so." Darin couldn't help but smile at the boy's elation while digging around in his bag, pulling out the partially filled mana potion and offering it to the boy. "Drink the rest of this. You wasted quite a bit of your mana supply from doing that, which is why it's important to learn how to regulate the flow."

He was too distracted before to notice the slight headache at the base of his skull, but now that Darin mentioned it, Argent began to realize how tired he felt. Not physically tired, but mentally. It was like trying to wade through sludge; unpleasant and hard to concentrate.

"Oh," was all he said, reaching to take the potion. "Is that why my head feels fuzzy?"

"Mhm. Now drink it."

Argent popped off the cork before downing its contents—it tasted surprisingly pleasant with a slight sweetness—and within seconds the fogginess faded away.

"Whoa," he said, looking at the now empty bottle in surprise. "That works really fast. Um...now what do I do with it?"

"I usually keep the bottles to be refilled when I find a mana supplier," Darin explained, taking the bottle from Argent's hand and putting it back in this bag.

A sudden thought appeared, now that his head was cleared, and Argent looked up at Darin urgently. "What if I do that again by accident? The whole breaking trees in half thing?"

"You won't," Darin assured. "All that happened by my prompting since you haven't taught yourself how to expel any mana on your own yet. And even by then, you wouldn't be able to do it as forcefully."

"Because I need to get better at it first?"

"Magic is actually quite explosive when you first learn how to use it, hence the tree," Darin commented offhandedly.

Argent made a confused sound. "That doesn't make sense. Why won't I be able to break trees, then?"

"Because I won't let you," Darin said with a slight smirk. "You shouldn't make it a habit of doing property damage."

"What—" Argent sputtered indignantly. "You were the one who made me do it in the first place!"

Darin only laughed.

They continued walking, the sun starting to dip below the trees when Argent realized the implications of their conversation.

"So...does this mean you'll teach me how to use magic?" he asked, glancing hopefully up at Darin.

"Do you want me to?" The man's face was serious as he returned the gaze and waited for Argent's reply.

Argent paused to consider. Originally, he wanted to go home to Nortempress, but...what waited for him there? He was too young to know anything more than his name when he was taken away from his village. He couldn't remember his parents, if he had any siblings, his surname; he wasn't even sure if there was anyone to return to there. The man before him, on the other hand, although he was kind, he knew there was something strange about him. Darin no longer felt dangerous like when they first met, but there was a reason why he asked what he was.

Argent looked back up at Darin who was still waiting for his reply. "Well, you did say I had to stay close to you to keep the glamour up, right? So why can't I actually become your apprentice?"

The man quirked a smile. "I'm not letting you tag along for free, nor am I particularly lenient in teaching."

"As long as you feed me, I won't complain," Argent grinned, subtly reminding the other of his promise.

Darin couldn't help but laugh at that. "Of course."

I can't save everyone, but at least I can save one, and Darin was content with that thought.

"So, where are we going?" Argent asked, bounding ahead a few steps before turning to walk backward, his hand laced behind his head. "Does it have to do with your job? You didn't get to tell me what you do."

"I guess you could call me some sort of wandering merchant," Darin replied. "I run errands for an apothecary in Langerich to gather foreign ingredients from places normal merchants can't reach. In fact, I'm heading there now to drop off a few things gathered from the Paraglian border. Usually, I would offer to gather the same ingredient to any other apothecaries on my route, and they would either put in an order or decline. Other than that, if a town has a problem that can only be solved magically such as an unseelie on the loose or a weakening barrier, I would offer to help." Darin shrugged. "The pay is unreliable, but it's better if an unseelie is eradicated than left to wander."

"You really do travel everywhere, then," Argent said in awe. "What's the most dangerous place you've been?"

"Blackridge Mountains. No argument there." Darin grinned. "Not that the giants there are particularly dangerous, but the weather is absolutely brutal."

"Will we be going there?"

"Someday, perhaps. It depends if there are any commissions for it in Langerich."

Argent nodded, spinning around to face forward. "So Langerich first, and then wherever the commission takes us. Got it."

* — These are some of the currency names.

Sliver: Smallest amount
Pick: 10 slivers
Hash: 5 picks, 50 slivers
Jewel: 2 hash, 10 picks, 100 slivers
Bar: 5 jewels, 10 hash, 50 picks, 500 slivers
Pure: 10 bars, 50 jewels, 100 hash, 500 picks, 5000 slivers

(Someone please confirm my math. I haven't taken a math class in three years, and I'm pretty sure I did something wrong XD)

Word count: 3306