Brian walked into the main room he shared with Master Nigel carrying a plate of bread, meat and cheese, "Master, do you have a moment."

Master Nigel didn't even bother to look up from the parchment he was reading and just grunted, "How can I help?"

Brian put the platter on the table, "Have you had lunch yet?"

"I had breakfast only a couple of hours ago," Master Nigel muttered, this time picking up the second piece of parchment and comparing the information on the two.

Brian slid the platter of food towards Master Nigel with a smile, "It is more than two hours past lunch, Master. You should eat."

Master Nigel finally looked over at Brian and scowled. Then, his stomach growled, and he rumbled loudly in the quiet room. "Traitor," Master Nigel said of his stomach, and Brian laughed. "It is no traitor if it keeps you alive, Master."

Master Nigel harrumphed but reached for some cheese and a slice of meat. He brought the meat to his nose and sniffed, "Is this ham?"

"I think so. The cook didn't tell me. She just handed me the tray", Brian replied in the way of explanation.

Master Nigel harrumphed again and started making a sandwich. Brian sat down next to his Master, "It has been more than two weeks since I earned my second Vocation, and we have not had a chance to do any training. Do you think we may have some time today?"

Master Nigel leaned back in his chair, taking a bite of his sandwich, "Has it been that long?"

Brian just nodded.

"I am sorry," Master Nigel said, "I had not realized that I had been so remiss in my responsibilities."

"Do you have some time now?" Brian asked hopefully.

"Not really, but if we keep putting it off, we will never find the time."

Brian smiled at the promise of some training.

Master Nigel leaned forward and slid the food platter over to be between them, "Let's have a bite to eat while we review your current status. You have only been my Apprentice for two weeks, and other than a few conversations around the fire, you and I haven't talked. Now, I read your report from school, but it doesn't tell me much. So, let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Master Nigel smiled as Brian nodded in agreement, his mouth full of cheese, "Good. Your records show that you were made a Novice Mage when you joined the Academy two years ago. Correct?"

Brian nodded again.

"And, due to the war, you agreed to take your test for Apprentice Wizard two years early."

Brian nodded again. A large group of Novices agreed to join the war if they succeeded in getting their second Vocation. The tests were grueling, more so for the Masters than the Novices. At the same time, several Apprentices decided to try and get their third Vocation early and become Journeymen. They were only allowed to do this if they agreed to join the war. Not as many were successful, but there were some. The last group of people to join up with Master Nigel were the Journeymen who were already that rank and who had heard about the Call to Arms. They knew that the recruiting would be at the Academy and showed up, ready to join.

Brian frowned, "I am surprised we only have Rogdar as our only Adept. I thought there would be more, considering the number of Masters we have with us."

"The only reason there are as many Masters here is the Academy. Once a mage reaches Adept, they tend to become reclusive and avoid populated areas. As Journeymen, they are still learning their trade," Master Nigel explained, "If they can become a Master, they need to find employment while perfecting their skills and becoming a Sage. Most mages never make it to Master, let alone Sage."

"Why not?" Brian asked.

Master Nigel shrugged, "A hundred different reasons, I suppose. Time, money, family, life. All good reasons to distract someone from progressing as a mage. Some find they don't like it as much as they did as they were younger, some decide to take a different path entirely, and some don't survive long enough. To be a Master takes a great deal of commitment and perseverance. Many don't have that."

Brian paused in his chewing and thought about what Master Nigel said. It was true. The amount of effort that was necessary to become a Master was staggering. He was lucky that he qualified for Apprentice after only two years, but Master. That was something else entirely.

"Do you think you have what it takes?" Master Nigel asked him, giving him a steely stare.

Brian looked over at his Master and smiled, "If the gods don't stand against me, I will."

Master Nigel returned the smile, "Then let's see how you have progressed. How are your Mental Attributes?"

Brian smiled and grabbed some more cheese and meat, "Well, my Intelligence is up to 78, but my Focus and Wisdom have stayed the same at 67 and 71." Intelligence was how well he retained information. Focus was how well he maintained concentration on one thing without his mind wandering or being distracted. Wisdom had to do with his decision-making abilities.

"I figured you would see increases to your Attributes with travelling on the road and being exposed to new things."

Brian shrugged. He was sure it had to do with one of the other mages learning a new spell that created wine. The stuff smelled offal, tasted worse, but worked at getting you drunk. He didn't remember much of that one night. Not that he would admit to any of that. Any gains he may have made during the trip were probably lost that night.

"Did you see any improvements on your Social Attributes?" Master Nigel paused to pour two mugs full of watered-down wine. "With all your interactions with new people, that should have helped."

Brian looked at his Sacred Scroll a moment before reporting, "Wits is still high at 84. Presence is 32, and Charm is 47" Brian frowned as he discussed his Presence and Charm.

"Are you upset that two of your Attributes are below 50?" Master Nigel asked carefully.

Brian sighed, "I don't know. No one likes to be thought of as below average. Especially when it comes to Presence." Presence was known to represent one's appearance, how much they stand out from a crowd or how much they catch your eye. It was primarily first impressions. Having an Attribute at 32 was well below average. Charm was how charismatic you were. It is an Attribute that determines how much people like you after they talk to you or get to know you. His was average. At least his Wits was high. 84 was his highest Attribute and meant that he was very quick on his feet, having quick wits. Of course, that was tempered by his age.

"Remember, all of this is fluid. In ten years, these Attributes will all change. Hopefully, by going up, but that is not always the case. My Focus has dropped by almost two points in the past ten years, and I don't expect to see that changing any time soon. It has to do with age. How did your Physical Attributes fair during the ride?"

Brian grimaced, "They are still horrible, Strength is 38, Endurance is 42, and Dexterity is 41."

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"I am confident that your Endurance and Dexterity both increased."

Brian nodded, "Yes, but more than two points each, and my legs are still sore from riding out here."

"It was better than walking, so don't complain. Besides, we needed to get here quickly."

Master Nigel paused to consider his words, "You are lucky. You are at the age when most of your Attributes advance quickly with use."

"Master, who decides what the Sacred Scroll shows us? I mean. I know the numbers are a numeric representation of ourselves, but who decides that it should be?"

Master Nigel scratched at the beard on his cheek before answering, "The easiest answer is the gods. You already know the story of how the Sacred Scroll came to be, but no one can say with any certainty if it is the gods or a specific god or something else. Of course, if anyone asks, we always say it is the gods."

"But the priests can talk to their god, haven't they asked? Surely they would know."

"Perhaps. For some Priests, it is inconceivable that their god is not responsible, in some way, for the Sacred Scroll. It would never occur to them to even ask the question."

Master Nigel let Brian contemplate that for a few moments before continuing, "Now, let's talk about your Words of Power. What level are your Words that you got as a Novice Mage?"

"Elemental (General) is 8, Summoning (General) is 3, Enchanting (General) is four and Protection (General) is 4.

"That is good. You will need to get them all over level 10 before you are permitted to become a Journeyman. Your new Words will need to be over level 5 as well. How are they coming along?

"Elemental (Fire) is 2, Elemental (Earth) is 2, Elemental (Water) is 1 and Divination (General) is 2", Brian said with his voice going softer.

Master Nigel frowned, "That is my fault, not yours. I never taught you any of the spells to go with it. The fact that they are not at level 1 is impressive. You have been busy, even if I have been negligent in teaching you. How did you accomplish that?"

"I used the spells I learned from Elemental (General), as well as the Primer we were given in the Academy. I converted General Patterns to their base forms and then applied them to their Elemental forms. I already had Fire Light from Elemental (General) and added it to Elemental (Fire). It sucks that I have a duplicate Pattern, but the new Pattern is stronger. I created Sense Earth for Elemental (Earth) and Purify Water for Elemental (Water) from the Primer. I got Fren to teach me a quick spell called Sense for Divination. It has a really short range, but it is great for sensing things around you."

Master Nigel observed Brian. An Apprentice teaching a spell to another Apprentice was against the rules of the Mage College. Not that they are still there. And for him to convert those three spells from more complex spells was a feat all on its own. That wasn't easy to do and could be very dangerous.

"I want you to show me the spells you converted and how you did them. All your notes, too. It is perilous to do that, but I want to see your methodology since you succeeded."

Brian went into his room and grabbed the notes he kept in a small book, and brought them over to Master Nigel, who had cleared some space in front of himself.

Master Nigel and Brian spent the next hour reviewing the steps he went through to convert the more complex spells he had in his Elemental Primer into the Elemental Word of Power to Fire, Water and Earth. The only spell he already knew was Fire Light.

After the review and the dozens of questions, Master Nigel smiled and reached for his pipe, "Excellent work. In the future, you will need to present me with your work before you try your hand at this again. It can be dangerous and affect your ability to grow. A level one spell may only have a mild backlash if done incorrectly, but a level ten could quickly kill you."

Brian could only nod. He knew he was taking a risk but also knew the risks were minimal, and he was meticulous in his work.

"Now, tell me about your Magical skills."

"My Directed Spells is at 8, Spellcraft is at 12, Ritual is a 4, and Magic Awareness is at 2"

Brian frowned at the review. All were pretty good except for Magic Sense. Directed Spells was from Elemental and helped him with his attack spells. Spellcraft was used for creating new Patterns that were used in Enchantment. Ritual was specific to Summoning and allowed a caster to substitute a Ritual for a spell they don't know from that Word of Power. Magic Awareness was important for detecting Protection. He never used it because he had Wizard Sight.

"I read that you had Mage Sight. That is a terrific Advantage, but you can't rely on it much. You need to turn it off and use your Magic Sense instead. I want to see improvement on that Skill at our next meeting", Master Nigel admonished. No one knew that Brian had Wizard Sight instead of Mage Sight. It did the same thing, except that he saw magic in colour instead of just seeing magic. This made a huge difference, as he could tell the types of spells people were casting. It also allowed him to see the Pattern locked in a Matrix instead of just seeing the Matrix. Again, very handy, as you can only cast spells in your Matrix, and if you know what spells a mage has prepared, that gives you the upper hand.

Brian nodded again. Not much you can do when you're given a direct order, "I have one more new Skill from Divination called Prediction."

"Good luck with that one," Master Nigel frowned, "I was never very good with divination. Mistress Zara might be able to help you with ways to practice that skill".

Brian leaned forward and whispered, "Can it foretell the future?"

Master Nigel laughed, "We can launch fire through the air and cause the earth itself to shake, but you draw the line at believing that fortune-telling is real?"

Brian couldn't help but smile, "I guess that believing that one can tell the future means that the decisions we make don't matter because things will happen a certain way anyway."

"You mean that things are predestined," Master Nigel clarified.

"Exactly. If our decisions are already determined, then do we have any control over our fates."

Master Nigel picked up a cracker and held it over the table's edge, "If I drop this cracker, will it hit the floor?"

Brian narrowed his eyes, becoming suddenly suspicious, "So long as no external forces influence the outcome."

Master Nigel smiled, "Good point. Is it fortune-telling to know that if I drop this cracker and neither one of us use magic to stop its descent, it will hit the floor?"

"No," Brian shook his head, "It is a known probability."

Master Nigel popped the cracker in his mouth, "There you go," he said between crunches, "That is what fortune-telling is all about. Master Nigel used a napkin to wipe his mouth, "Knowing what will happen based on what you know about the people involved and what they are most likely going to do based on their circumstances, their options available to them and their disposition. Some things are straightforward to figure out. Other things are hard. As your Skill in Prediction increases, you will learn to see patterns in the way people behave in the way events unfold, and you will learn how to predict how people will respond. It requires a very high Wits and an excellent Perception."

Brian mulled over Master Nigel's words as he sipped at his wine. "Are people that predictable?"

Master Nigel shrugged, "Most. Some try to be unpredictable, but even that can be predictable."

Master Nigel noticed that Brian was not convinced yet, "If you go to Mistress Zara and she says, 'I know why you are here.' Is it seeing the future? Or did she know that you learned Divination as a new Word of Power? She knows that I am horrible at Divination and probably don't have an outstanding Prediction Skill and would suggest you talk to her instead of trying to teach you myself. Therefore, she knows that you will show up in the next day or two and ask her to teach you the Skill. See. The Pattern is there. You only need to open your eyes to see it. As you get to know people and how they behave, you will be able to predict their responses to certain things. This can help you in being prepared."

Brian nodded at this. Being unprepared was the bane of all casters. Mages only had one Matrix for each Word of Power. Each Matrix can only have one Pattern or Spell. The mage could be in trouble if they prepared the wrong spells.

Master Nigel changed the subject, "You mentioned that your Spellcraft was at level 12. That is impressive considering you are an Apprentice Wizard and not an Apprentice Enchanter."

Brian grinned, "They are fundamentally the same. The spells we learn are just Patterns that we put into a Matrix. When we Enchant an item, we are creating a Pattern. Almost the same Pattern we put in a Matrix. Once I realized that they were the same, I could apply the same rules for modifying Patterns as I could to modifying an Enchantment."

"Are you sure you are just an Apprentice?"

Brian blushed, "Mage Sight allowed me to see the magic. Once I figured out what to look for, I realized that Patterns follow the same rules. I don't have any experience with modifying Enchantments or Patterns, but it was enough for me to figure out the three new spells I created for Fire, Water and Earth."

"Don't let Master Garrett hear you say that. Creating Enchantments is something that only Adepts are supposed to strive for, and Masters hold over their Apprentices. The fact that you figured it out as an Apprentice will win you no friends among the Masters and too many friends among the Journeyman.

Brian sighed, "Knowledge is Power."

"Where did you hear that?

"Master Xavier said it a couple of times on the trip here.

"No surprise there. It is true that Knowledge can give you Power, but it is more important to know how to use that Knowledge or even when to use it. Now, I want you to work on your Magic Sense, and I want you to increase your Fire to level 4. At that level, you are going to be able to use Firebolt. In this case, instead of me teaching you the spell, I want you to create the spell yourself. But don't activate it until I had a chance to review it."

"Do you want me to use Fire Light to get Fire to level 4?" Brian groaned inwardly. Using a level 1 spell to get the Word of Power up to level 4 would mean he would have to use the spell thousands of times.

"No, I am not that cruel. Instead, I will teach you the spell Warm, it can apply to anything you touch, and you don't have to worry about causing damage to it."

Brian smiled at the idea of learning a spell, especially one that is as versatile as that one. He already had ideas for applying it to different things. And tonight, his bed would be toasty warm.