Alex was with his father, standing at his mother's closed casket. Seeing the casket was enough to bring Alexander's heart to his stomach but the American Flag draped over top of it gave the feeling a certain intensity. At his side, he clutched a small cluster of roses and lilies, as he knew those were her favorites.

He remembered how her eyes would light up every Mother's Day as he'd present a tray with a vase of these beautiful flowers and some haphazardly prepared eggs and toast. And how every anniversary, his father would come home late at night, presenting her with a large bouquet. He'd always get a playful scolding from her for mixing in some orchids, but her smile showed that she didn't seem to truly mind.

He placed the small bouquet on the casket as a tear slid down his cheek. As he and his father found their way back to their seats, the military officer gave the command to begin the 21 Gun Salute. One shot. Two shots. Three shots.

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Alex woke up to a banging on the door. Groggily, he replied. "I'm awake."

"Hurry up, idiot," Kieran's voice sounded through the door. "Master Azerael's waiting." Alex groaned, unsure which was more agitating. His dream, the fact he was waking up anywhere but home, or the fact that he was woken up by an asshole like Kieran. Whatever the case was, Alex wasn't entirely excited for the day as he slipped on the vest and grabbed the wooden sword off of the desk.

As he made his way outside, Alex saw Taber and Emily stood by the picnic table. Emily greeted him with a somber yet compassionate smile as Taber patted him on the shoulder. "You good, man?" Taber asked.

"I've been better," Alex replied. "Still unsure as to whether or not this is worse than Mom's death." Taber's eyes drifted downward as he stumbled for the right reply. However, everything he thought of felt too awkward. The three turned to the sound of the cabin door opening as Azerael stepped out, his black cloak draped over his torso.

"Good morning, you three. I trust you've all rested well?" Azerael's eyes scanned the three until they landed on Alex, who was still visibly disheartened. "Well enough, at least." He drifted down the steps onto the grass, the fallen leaves crunching softly beneath his black leather boots. He gestured to the training grounds just across the yard. "Come this way and we shall begin."

The three traded glances and followed Azerael to the patch of densely packed sand. After they arrived shoulder-to-shoulder at the spot, Azerael turned around and handed each of them a small, clear, pearl-like crystal that shimmered in the morning sun. Alex looked at the crystal, and then looked at Azerael. "What exactly... is this?"

Azerael nodded, understanding his confusion. "That is known as an Affinity Crystal. It's highly sensitive to Arcanic Energy. Based on your elemental affinity, it will shift its color to match it." Azerael pulled out one more, holding it in his hand and channeled a small amount of energy into his palm. The three observed as his crystal shifted its hue rapidly between red, blue, orange, green, yellow, white and purple. Constantly shifting until he ceased the flow of energy. The three Earth children were stunned.

"Bad example, I am aware," Azerael spoke. "Due to my Curse, my affinity is all over the place. However, all that matters is what each color represents." He focused energy into his palm once more as the colors shifted far slower. "Red represents an affinity for Fire Magic." The crystal shifted color, continuing to do so for the rest of his explanation. "Blue is Water Magic. Orange, Terra Magic. Green, Wind Magic. Yellow, Lightning Magic. White, Light Magic, and Purple, Darkness Magic."

He put his crystal away. "The first order of business is to learn how to channel even a small amount of energy. For now, it isn't essential to have a firm grasp. Even the slightest exposure to your energy will trigger it." Azerael directed them to put their crystals away for time being.

"With Magic, visualization is everything," Azerael began. "If you cannot visualize what you wish to conjure, then you might as well pilot a boat without sails." Alex and the others nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "In order to gain control over your Arcanic Energy, you must visualize your Arcanic Origin, located just behind the sternum, next to your heart. Close your eyes and focus."

The three followed his instruction. Closing his eyes, Alex furrowed his brows, trying to focus on the center of his chest. For almost a minute, he didn't feel anything. Same old feeling as any other day. However, just as he was about to give up hope, he felt a small warmth in his core. Alex's eyes rushed open as he shouted with a triumphant excitement, "I felt it!"

Azerael glanced at him, taken aback slightly, but only for a fleeting moment as he gave a slight grin. "Impressive, Alex." Azerael unfolded his arms, taking a few graceful steps closer. "It usually takes people a lot longer to get the basics down."

Alex scratched the side of his face with his finger. "I... have been told I'm a fast learner in the past."

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"That's good. Perhaps the next couple of months won't be as difficult as I had previously assumed." Azerael took a step back to his original place. "Now, let's give the other two some quiet," he suggested in a more hushed voice, glancing over to the other two. Taber's face was calm, breathing in and out in steady, rhythmic motions, until his grin entailed that he had finally figured it out. Emily, however, appeared to be focusing just a little too hard, her eyes clammed shut, anguish painting her face.

"Emily," Azerael said, moving toward her, his voice still a soothing whisper. She glanced up at him, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. "Try not to force it. You'll become discouraged much faster, and the frustration will eat away at you."

"I'm sorry, I just-" Emily's soft voice broke slightly. "I don't know what to do...

"Tell me, young Emily," Azerael spoke. "What is it that you do in your free time? What helps to relax your mind?"

Emily sniffled, then choked back the lump in her throat. "I... I draw."

Azerael placed a hand on his chin. "I see." He pondered for a moment before folding his arms again as they disappeared behind his raven cloak. "When you began drawing, you used particular lines and shapes to assist you in better understanding the structure of the human body, correct?"

Emily's mood improved gradually, the familiar subject soothing her. She nodded. "I used to use guidelines."

"And after that, you gradually got to the point where you didn't need to rely on them as much?" Emily nodded in response. In the next moment, Azerael grabbed Emily's hand, placing it to the center of her chest. "It's often easier to focus on a point where you can physically feel it. Think of your hand as your guideline. Now, focus on that guideline."

Emily closed her eyes, trying to flush away her prior anguish. She focused on the feeling of her hand on her chest, once again trying to visualize the light at her core. It took her a few tries until she was able to think of herself as separate from the physical world, as if she was floating alone inside of a void, until she finally felt it - the warm radiance of her Arcanic Origin.

Her eyes opened, her heart fluttering from the relief. Azerael smiled her way and nodded in approval as she softly smiled back. Without wasting too much time, Azerael turned his glance to the rest of them. "This is the easiest part of learning how to utilize your Magic, and the most basic skill you will possess as Mages, Warriors and everything in-between. Many learn this in roughly five minutes, the same amount of time as Taber, though not many think of the practicality of physical touch in the process. Thus, even though young Emily had the most difficulty among the three of you, she was able to get a basic feel for it much faster than anybody else in her shoes."

Azerael pulled out his crystal, holding it up. "Now, I want all of you to remove your Affinity Crystals from your pockets." The three traded glances before following suit. As they removed them, they found that they had taken on a new color as they glowed. Taber's crystal was orange. The color of Terra Magic. Emily possessed an affinity for Water Magic. And finally, as Alex beheld his, he observed the deep red hue. Fire.

"Congratulations," Azerael continued. "You have all passed the first assignment of your training." He held out a hand, as if to collect the crystals as the three placed them into his palm. Azerael pocketed them soon after. "Now, before you can begin to use your elements as tangible spells, you must master the second-most basic skill." He shifted his cloak over his right shoulder as the pressure in the air around them became denser. Nowhere near as dense as when they had first met him, but noticably more than just a second prior.

"Learning how to channel that energy consistently throughout your body is key for several reasons." He raised the index finger on his right hand. "Firstly and most importantly, the Arcanic Energy will make your body more durable, allowing you to withstand otherwise fatal injuries." He raised the next finger. "Secondly, Arcanic Energy boosts your physical abilities, allowing you to move faster and hit harder. And thirdly," he said, raising one final finger, "constantly circulating your Energy will allow you to cast your Magic more efficiently, more rapidly, and without wasting Energy."

The three nodded. In the eyes of Alex and Taber, this seemed simple enough. They hadn't faced any real challenge in visualizing their Origin, so realistically, they thought, this shouldn't be any different. Emily, on the other hand, was hesitant, remembering the troubles she had faced just to complete the first part of training. To move on so quickly, she felt, was daunting. As if reading her thoughts, Azerael turned his attention to her, placing a hand on his chest and nodding once. Emily's looming dread diminished slightly, understanding his gesture.

"This is gonna be easy," Alex exclaimed, his eyes reflecting the fire of his birth element as he punched his fist into his palm. The others, inspired by the sudden shift in Alex's demeanor, agreed as they immediately began to practice, using the same visualization tricks of their first assignment.

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After an hour had passed, Alex had finally gotten that warmth flowing consistently throughout his body. All over, he felt the subtle rush of energy flowing through his head, torso, arms and legs. He voiced his accomplishment to Azerael, who turned to him. "Very good. Now, take a step forward."

Alexander's expression shifted immediately into one of dumbfoundedness, as if Azerael's words came as a shock. "Wait, what?"

"Take one step forward. Easy, right?" A wave of embarrassment flushed over Alex as Azerael used his words against him. Alex took a step forward as the once warm and energizing rush brought on by focusing his energy faded in an instant. Alex's expression reflected the same confusion of his thoughts.

Azerael continued, with the articulation and preciseness in his tone that reflected his knowledge and wisdom. "In order to master this technique, you must be able to sustain it while moving. Additionally, while it is more effective to keep a clear mind while utilizing it, you must also be able to sustain it with a mind full of racing thoughts. And, most importantly, you must be able to keep it active in the heat of combat."

Hearing the daunting checklist under which they must master this technique, Alex suddenly came to regret his confidence just the hour prior. This was nowhere near as simple as their first assignment.

Mastering this ability, they realized, would be far from easy.