“And what do I see? A dying old man greedily gasping for the breath of life he gave up long ago? Pathetic. Haha.” A voice calls out.

Fahran looks up and sees an old friend. Fahran smiles. “Old bastard. Come to gloat? To see me in this state might be my greatest shame.” He says with a laugh.

Fahran stands up to greet his old friend, hugging him tightly. “My love, how do I look? Does it seem… appropriate?” He asks, anticipating the answer.

The old man opposite Fahran smiles. “It's enough to bring a tear to my eye, old friend.” He says before letting out a sigh. “You've earned this my friend. Alas, even here, you can only grasp so little.” He says with a shake of his head.

Fahran laughs. “I don’t dare argue with the heavens. We can only take what we can get.” He says before sitting down once more and gesturing to the seat beside him.

The old man sits, and the two look over the porch, indulging in the scenery.

Fahran lets out a sigh. “How is it, Jamahl… Our work… Was it worth it?” He says.

Jamahl lets out a laugh. “Maybe not to you, you old bastard. But… Out there… In the kingdom you built… Many will inherit your will… You might not see it now… But eventually, the seeds will grow… And that, will be glorious.” He says with a bitter smile. “Now pass me that tobacco, old bastard. I’ve been sitting here so long.” He says impatiently.

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Fahran hands his friend his pipe and passes him his tobacco pouch.

Jamahl packs the pipe and with a thought, flame ignites and he breathes in the fully flavoured smoke. “Ah.” He exclaims with an exhale. “The best tobacco always ends up in your hands. You should share more often.” He says, amused. “So? What have you been working on here? Don’t tell me you've been idle?” He says.

Fahran lets out a chuckle. “Just something to keep my mind occupied.” He says, taking a sip of alcohol. “Speaking of… What would you say to someone learning magic for the first time?” He asks, curious.

“Hah.” Jamahl says with a shake of his head. “Only take what you need. What you can digest. Otherwise, it will just rot you from the inside out.” He says, looking back on some bitter memories.

Fahran smiles. “That’s a good one. What else? You must have more.” He says.

Jamahl lets out a chuckle. “Here’s one… There’s always someone better…” He says as he glances into Fahran’s eyes.

Fahran lets out a laugh. “Don’t put yourself down, you old beast. Who does not know of your savagery? No, but you’re correct. Even for me…” He says as he looks at the sky. “There’s someone better.” He says before shaking his head and sighing.

…

…

So many of you… are miniscule. You’re a grain of sand on a beach… A piece of stardust in space… But in each of you is a path to be as great as the world, as great as the universe… As I see you know, you are miniscule… But this is a piece of the river… Down the road… You are an ocean.

Keep it in mind as you act in this life. Ask yourself, is this worthy of a god? Is all this good I’m doing kind of lame? Would I prefer to be a war god or a good god?

If you’re going to walk the path of magic, you might as well walk forward with this in mind. Magic can take you further than you know possible. But to get there you must walk each grueling step. But don’t look down on hardship. If you see it as I do, that hardship is heaven’s consideration of your path, of your dreams. Somewhere in that hardship is a choice you’ll have to make, it is something you crave, something you desperately want to be. In that fog of indecision, you’ll have to walk forward. And each step forward will continue to decide your future. If you’re going to walk the path of magic… Walk boldly…