The General was in his fifties (as far as I could tell) and he looked rather experienced, as well as busy. There were piles of documents on his old desk and his kind but stern eyes looked reddish and tired. Still, he didn't make me wait too long and he was very kind to me during our entire conversation, even if he was disappointed in my grades and abilities. See, magicians were a very valuable addition to armies, especially if they were well rounded and skilled. Usually, magicians could wield various elemental magic, like fire, ice, earth, water, lightning and even more, as well as cast protective shields. It was quite a rare case to major only in one element and it was not recommended. But I did. Not like I had any choice, actually. Quite mysteriously, I had little to no talent in defensive magic or other elemental magic, except for the fire one. Also, I wasn't a very good student, which showed on my Assessment Sheet.

"So," the General frowned ever so slightly. "You can only do fire-based attacks?"

I nodded.

"What about shielding?"

I shook my head. "Sadly, no. But I'm awfully good at healing!"

The general smiled at the silly grinning me, but I could see it was a polite smile of pity. Inside, he had already discarded me as a failure. Yet, he didn't say that to my face and I thought it was very kind of him. I could see he was thinking very hard as to how to break it to me that I will be sent to some remote village, where there was no action whatsoever, or I'll have to assist some other, more powerful magician. I decided to ease his job. Hey, he looked really considerate, what else could I do?

"Um, sir," I broke the silence and he lifted his eyes up to look at me. "You don't have to think that hard. I know I'm branded as a failure already, so no worries."

I casted him a grin as I continued. "I can work under some other magician, I don't mind it, really. But if it's possible, could I stay here in town at least for a while?"

I need to make as much money as I can while I can.

The general stared at me for a while and then sighed. "You're a nice girl, Aleta, you really are. You made the journey here all alone, which was very brave of you and I wish I could send you out to a battle as the main magician, but without any skills in protective magic, I just can't. You'd be butchered."

Or not. I was too agile to be butchered, but I had no wish to tell him that. My agility and sword fighting lessons were kind of... illegal. Well, if to be more exact, I blackmailed the professors into teaching me all sorts of tricks... Anyways, going front line into battles really wasn't for me. I'd rather sit back in town and make money.

"I will think more about your case and, meanwhile, you will be assigned to serve here, in Trarton," the General noted and I did a few somersaults in my head.

Oh, yes. The heavens still love me.

"You have to go and report to our Head Magician Oheli," the General continued. "He will be responsible for your further training and your accommodations. Also, he will assign you missions."

I nodded, thanked him politely and we bid our goodbyes. Well, that wasn't so bad. The General seemed like a really good man. I almost pitied him. He really wanted to make me feel more welcome here and send me out to some glorious mission. Pfft. Like I needed one. I'll leave the quest to save the world to someone else. I'm no hero material.

I nodded to myself and went out of the Barracks, passing a few idle soldiers on my way down the steps. Then, I halted and took a good look around. Ah, I am so lucky, after all... To stay in this town, only if for a little while... Aaaaahhh... The gold that awaits me!

I grinned and skipped gleefully, heading south to where the magician I needed to contact was residing. Better get it over with as soon as I can. On my way I stopped by the blacksmith and the street vendors, taking a look at the stuff they were selling. The weapons were either out of my league strength-wise or too expensive for my pocket. And I was too stingy to buy myself a few potions. They were so expensive here. Well, that's capital city for you.

I sighed and headed onwards across the town, making sure to note every little detail I could. No knowledge is useless. Everything can be used to gain profit. So, I'd better not miss anything. In a city like this there is bound to be lots of possibilities and chances to get richer than I am now.

And such a chance soon offered itself to me on a golden platter. There... a crying woman? Hmmm... certainly, she has a problem that needs to be taken care of, right? At a fitting price.

***

"You want a magician?" The General looked up at the warrior in front of him. "Hm, perhaps, that would be truly useful. We can't underestimate those bandits, after all."

"Yes," Elek nodded his head as he got comfortable in one of the chairs in front of the General's desk. "A magician would be a nice addition to my current team. Without a magician we would be easy targets and we will use up most of our potions just to keep our health level up. Especially, if the bandits were to have a magician on their side."

"Indeed," the General sighed. "I understand your position, but right now we have no magicians to spare. Well, if Oheli is free, you could take him along. He's the best one around, but usually he is conducting some research claiming it to be too important to leave unattended."

"Mm," Elek mumbled. "Didn't a young girl magician come by today?"

The General raised his brows questioningly, but nodded his head. "Yes, there was a girl magician today. Why? You know her?"

"Assign her to me," Elek smiled contently.

"Whoa, are you kidding?" The General shook his head. "I can't send her out into battlefield and into the bandits' den, of all the places. She's too inexperienced and she's what magicians call a failure these days."

"A failure?" Now it was the warrior's turn to be surprised. "Are you kidding? How so?"

"She can't do any magic except fire-based techniques and some healing spells," the General replied. "She can't conjure even the basic shield."

"Really?" Elek stared at the general in front of him both surprised and baffled. Surely, they can't be talking about the same person? "Show me her papers."

The General reached out towards his drawer and took out a folder of assessment papers. He held it in his hands for a moment and then handed it to Elek.

"Usually, I don't show these to just anyone, but for you, my friend, anything goes," he shrugged.

Elek nodded in gratitude and turned the pages. "Level zero in protective magic?! No talent in elemental magic, except for fire element? But..."

"Told you so," the General nodded. "A pity. She seemed such a nice girl too."

"Level 5 in all Fire based techniques: Fireball, Fire Missile, Homing Fire Missile, Firewall... Are they kidding me?" Elek shook his head. "Something must be wrong with these papers... Level 3 in Major Healing Spell? Oh, this is just sick!"

"What do you mean?" The General leaned forward over his table. "A mistake in the Assessment Papers?"

"General," Elek shook his head. "I've just had a chance to see that girl in a fight and trust me; her level in fire spells is at least 8 or even greater. She cast a fire-based spell that set over 15 imps on fire at the same time right after having cast a major group healing spell. That young woman is way better than it says here."

"Hmmm, she did not mention anything to me," the General leaned back, propping his arms on the armrests.

Elek merely smiled as he shrugged, "I'm just telling you what I saw, old friend."

"Still, if she can't conjure even a basic shield to defend herself or teleport out of combat area, you will spend more time trying to protect her than actually doing the real fighting."

"I doubt she needs any protection," the young warrior knitted his brows in thought. "As I saw it, she was incredibly agile and quite well rounded in melee."

"Melee?" The General stared at Elek baffled. "Ha, I've never seen a magician do close combat!"

"Well, I just have, and trust me, she could hold her own really well," Elek smiled. "General, she managed to cast a healing spell while evading enemy attacks. Now that should say something about her concentration level. So, I want to give her a chance. See how she fares in real combat with a team."

"Hmmmm," the General leaned forth again and took the girl's assessment papers in his hands. "Well, if the Holy Knight himself says the girl is good, then surely I can't protest. Alright then, go talk to Oheli and take her out on a mission. Let's see if she's any good."

Elek grinned and rose. "I assure you, General, she is."

***

I sighed and plopped down to the ground, hugging the sheep in my arms.

"You are going... nowhere!" I heaved and pressed the animal tighter.

It gave a bleat and looked at me with huge round brown eyes. So innocent. Ha. You wish. I've been trying to catch it for the last three hours. Remind me not to stop by a crying a woman next time...

It turned out that she was a shepherd girl and she had lost one sheep in the fields, but was too afraid to go back as she saw an imp somewhere in the distance. Her master would surely punish her for losing his sheep though. So, she promised to reward me if I found it. And so, I ventured out, thinking it was easy money. Ha, guess again. Well, the imp was easy to get rid of, that one was true. But the sheep... Oh, the sheep... I even thought of burning it to crisp, but the promise of the dangling coins called my sanity back.

Disgruntled, I returned to the city only by sunset, with the sheep bound with a rope and trudging after me slowly. Oh, and lucky me, instead of getting paid I was scolded by that woman for being late! I got only mere 10 gold coins... I mean, 10? For five hours of chasing a damn sheep around?! You have got to be kidding me!.. I should have crisped that cursed animal when I had the chance...

Stupid shepherd girls. Stupid sheep. Stupid me.

I grumbled under my breath and stomped across the yard of a two-story house, where the magician was supposed to live. I sure hoped he was still at home, cause I was tired and depleted out of my energy and mana and way too hungry. But as soon as I neared the house, I felt the familiar sense of danger that always warned me and, surely, soon enough I felt the distortions in the air and three magical missiles hurled towards me at immense speed.

Cursing quietly, I rolled sideways and immediately jumped, evading a medium sized fireball. Isn't this supposed to be a safe zone?

"I heard you were incapable of creating shields or teleporting and it seems to be true," I heard a voice and twirled around to see an old man across the yard.

"Uhhh..." Did I miss the introductions?

"I applaud your agility and reflexes though. Surely, it was unavoidable in your kind of situation," the elderly continued and I cocked my head to a side wonderingly.

"Please, tell me that you're Oheli and this is all but a joke," I finally said, my voice hopelessly hopeful.

"True, I am Oheli," he answered and I sighed with relief. "But this is no joke."

Nooooo... Is it because I was late?!

"I want to test your capabilities," the magician said and raised his arm readying a spell.

Ohhh. A test! I love tests! NOT.

"Can't it wait till tomorrow? I'm so tiiiiired..." I whined, wondering where all my luck has gone today.

"All the better," the man smiled almost in an evil way and shards of ice flew my way.

I cursed and immediately formed a fire shield around myself. It surrounded my body as if a second skin, albeit one tinted in orange, and the shards melted as soon as they hit it. Magic missiles followed ice and I flipped and rolled, evading all of them, only to become entangled by some roots growing up right under my feet. Gah, those magicians, so troublesome...

I quickly expanded my shield downwards and used its flames to burn the roots. Meanwhile, a fireball hit my fire shield, but I paid no heed to it as it got consumed feeding it more energy. It was a little trick I managed to add to the traditional fire shield spell.

"Ohh," Oheli mused. "Interesting, but you are not gonna win with defense only."

I smiled innocently at him though a storm raged inside my mind. I conjured a fireball and sent it into the wizard but he put up his shield immediately, deflecting it. Not waiting any longer, I hurled three more fireballs at him and while they all got neutralized by his shield, I dashed full speed at him. As expected, he was too busy keeping his shield up against the flames and so he could not react quickly enough as I suddenly appeared in front of him, my blade by his neck. He stared at me surprised and then chuckled contently.

"Not bad, not bad."

I stepped away from him and put my dagger down, retorting sarcastically, "Well excuse me for being too tired to use something stronger than this."

"Stronger?" the magician whispered, staring at me somewhat surprised, but it evaded my attention at the moment.

"And sorry for coming late too. I was trying to save a damsel in distress," and a sheep too, I noted mentally.

The old man smiled at me and nodded. "I see, I see. How... peculiar. But come inside, do come inside."

I followed him into the house as he continued talking about something and I noticed he had a strange habit of repeating things twice. Old age much?