Why? Perhaps he would never know. The question still haunted him, a constant companion over the next several days. Of course, there were periods when the question faded from thought. But, the repetitive tasks he completed did little to distract his mind. Two other unexplained scratches had appeared, solidifying his first experience in reality. Eiron tried not to think about any of it. Once in a while, he succeeded.

Lessons on Essence were a far lighter burden to bare. Though, with the harvest drawing ever nearer, the lessons had been put on hold. This did nothing to stop his imagination. It was an entirely new world with incredible possibilities. One far removed from the stale fields and their drudgery. Was he beginning to hate them? Had he always hated them and only now begun to realize it?

He considered the question, on his walk home one evening, when the monotony was broken. A brightly painted cart was rolling into town, drawn by a mule. Olias was back! The sight quickened his steps and he approached just as the man jumped down and tied off the mule. As people noticed the cart, they slowly gathered around it in the square. Many of them bore pouches or small bundles of various trade goods. Olias would have a busy night. But as luck would have it, Eiron was first in line by a decent margin.

While the villagers were gathering coins from under the floorboards or trunks, Eiron hovered around the cart. A cheery voice carried him the rest of the way.

"Hullo lad! Just give me two jumps of a lamb and I'll let you take a look!"

Olias stretched out his back and dusted off his clothing. Undoing several latches along the cart, he opened up the side to reveal a flat area, perfect for displaying wares. Through a small door in the back, he climbed in and began unpacking a few items.

It didn't take long, but even if it had, Eiron was content to wait. Besides, all he could do was look since he lacked that one thing merchants and traders loved above all else. The novelty was what he was after so he waited patiently until Olias waved him closer.

"Alright, let your eyes fix their hunger."

Shaking his head, he cringed at his line but Eiron didn't notice. Laid out on a small counter were a wide variety of objects. Silver rings and necklaces, set with tiny gemstones, were arranged in a neat pile in one corner. On the other side were metal utensils, knives, and a compass. Front and center were the interesting items. A small whistle called his name but right next to was a set of hand-carved dice. There were practical things as well. Shoes, bolts of cloth, even a leather bracer.

All of these were quite interesting but Eiron's full attention was directed to a row of orbs near the trader. Where had he- of course! How could he have forgotten? With a rush, the unwanted memories came rushing back in. Right...that was where. His metal sphere from Maris bore a strong resemblance to the ones before him.

"What are those things? The spheres?"

"These? Well, they are just something adults buy now and then. I wouldn't worry about them until you're older."

"Oh. Well my Ortus was a few weeks ago. I know about the-" He glanced around and noticed several younger children standing nearby, straining to see what was on display. "-the things."

"Is that so? Well then, as long as you're not trying to pull a fast one on me I'll share a few things you don't know." Olias winked as he gestured grandly to the five spheres resting in carved-out divots. "These are just some silly orbs that some people say caught the soul of the air or the heart of the water. Very poetic for some metal circles. They have such strange imaginations, but who am I to turn down a deal?"

"I think I understand...somewhat. I'm still early in my lessons."

"Don't worry about it in the slightest. Typically only those pompous nobles buy these anyway. I just bring them along in case I run into some of those arrogant...ahem...fools, on the road."

They shared a short smile. Eiron couldn't look away from the spheres for longer than that. He reached out to touch one but Olias skillfully intercepted.

"Not so fast there, they're quite...fragile. Yes, so fragile I can only let you hold them if you buy them. Dreadfully sorry lad."

"Fragile? But I held one before and it was fine."

Genuine surprise flashed across Olias's face but professionalism prevailed.

"Did you now? I'm sure that was quite the experience! Probably one best talked over in a quiet location with the Elder, if he's still around. It's been a while since I've been through these parts."

"Um, okay. The Elder's fine, same as always. But how much does that one cost?"

"This one? I'm afraid I couldn't let it go for less than three Silvdec. A steep price to be sure, but that's nearly what I had to pay for them."

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Three Silvdec?! That was more money than Eiron had ever seen! Even after the harvest when his parents counted the money, it was rarely more than a few silvers. His mind jumped to the shelf in his bedroom. Was his actually the same thing? Was he rich?

He stood there in stunned silence. Olias grinned at his reaction, cocked his head, and inspected Eiron more intently. He leaned in closer, concern replacing that hint of greed.

"What happened to your arms laddie?"

Eiron was shaken from his visions of wealth by the painful question. In resignation, he glanced down at those arms he'd been trying to ignore.

"I'm fine. Just scratches from the fields."

"Those don't look like scratches from a loose rock or thorny bush..." Olias scanned the square before leaning in and softening his voice. "Are you sure you're alright? If there's anything going on...Or you need someone to talk to..."

Uncomfortable, Eiron clasped his hands behind his back. His fingers traced the latest cut, feeling the narrow scab. It was like a mountain range with tiny peaks and valleys. He should probably say something.

"Really sir, it's fine. I'm not even sure how I got them."

"Hmm, is that so. If there's any sort of trouble, just let your parents know. Or if that's not an option, then the Elder. Can't let those thorns get the better of you!"

"Okay. Thank you for showing me your wares."

"But of course! How else am I supposed to convince you to buy them?"

That final, playful wink, undercut with compassion, sent Eiron on his way. He suppressed a shudder as he imagined how Olias would have reacted to the truth. At least now he knew how valuable his sphere was. He passed the many families lining up to barter and headed straight for his bedroom.

Relief! It was there, resting on the shelf just as he had left it.

Tentatively, he reached out and picked it up. It was still warm...if you could even call that warmth. The metal itself was cool to the touch, nearly cold. But the air around it was noticeably higher in temperature than the rest of the room. Suspending it between his fingertips, Eiron raised it up and inspected it closer.

The etched lines curved around the sphere in a mesmerizing pattern. It must have taken ages! Squinting, he could make out a faint seam around the center but he dared not attempt to open it. If he asked the Elder, would it be taken away? It was apparently very valuable. Should he give it up voluntarily? No, it had been given to him personally...he owned something worth three Silvdec. Astonishing.

After indulging in a few more minutes of daydreaming and scrutiny, he wrapped it in a sock and slipped it under the rest of his folded clothing. Closing the trunk, he continued about his evening but a portion of his mind never left that hidden wealth.

Once every three or four days, he would sneak back out to the river. He couldn't spare much rest, so the amount of time spent submerged in the river was far less than that first night. However, pulling in Essence offset his exhaustion. Not entirely, he would be spending every night in the water if that were the case, but enough to hold the misery at bay. The rate at which he recovered from those horrible cuts was faster too. Unless that's just how those wounds healed.

Upon waking, it always hit him as a shock that he was acting like this. Not only sneaking around like a thief but also the dangers. Arcleum could strike at him whenever they wanted a midnight snack. Maybe he could fight them off like last time but he didn't want to find out. The Essence itself was also a vast unknown. The Elder had said not to practice at all, let alone experiment with a new source of essence. Some nights though, it was too great of a temptation.

A thought struck him the next day when he was back in that loathsome field. He was even tired of complaining about it. The memory of draining the Sulcar, and its subsequent death, had triggered a new idea. Why only pull essence? If he was pulling in the water essence, could he add to what it already contained? Whenever he reached out, he could sense some essence in each plant anyway. Would more essence cause it to grow faster? Maybe make it more resistant to being choked out by the weeds?

He stood straight up and smacked himself on the forehead. He didn't need to wonder and theorize, he could just try! To start, he walked up and down each row, searching for a weak plant. Proudly, he couldn't find many. There were only two or three that fit his purposes, it would be enough to test the concept without risking much loss. Squeezing between two rows, he sat down and crossed his legs. He cupped the plant in his hands, took a deep breath, and began.

There it was again. Inside the blub, the energy swirled around hypnotically. He reached out and tried to coax some essence to travel from himself into the plant. There was a large problem. Eiron wasn't holding any essence. Another slap, his forehead was getting sore, and he jogged to the river. Plunging in, he gathered a bit of essence, and climbed back up the bank, dripping. Consoling his oversight with the fact that he needed a bath anyway, he returned to his seated position before the plant.

This time, as he touched the bulb, he could feel a hum. The essence within both himself and the bulb shifted their movements until they were swirling at the same rate. Mentally crossing his fingers, he focused intently on adding more to the bulb's reserve. Was it...it was working! Maybe? Something was happening, to be sure. In his excitement, he almost lost whatever this connection was. It wavered, hanging on by a thread, but slowly regained its stability.

He could feel it within, a building of momentum. The Essence desperately wanted to be released. He gave it a tiny nudge. Incredible! Almost effortless, it simply flowed through his arms and fingers directly to the plant. In an instant, he was empty. The Sulcar had drunk up every drop of the essence he had just collected. Had it done anything?

Leaning closer, he inspected each leaf and the bulb itself. The color was the same, the stem seemed to be normal, was this all a waste? He sat back, dejected...and promptly froze. Every other plant in the entire field had changed. They were all smaller by an inch or two in both height and diameter. He rubbed his eyes, was this why they weren't supposed to practice? This was impossible. Wait. They weren't smaller at all. This one, the one that had been the smallest and most withered, it had passed them all.

With a vibrant smile and a gleam in his eye, he rushed back to the river.