The trio was back on the top of Dollop hill. It was late afternoon, and the birds were more restless than usual. The abrupt fire downhill had set the garden's flora and fauna on edge.

Horacio, Pete, and Marian sat by the Willow tree. Bree had found a litter of puppies and was playing with them.

"I don't understand what happened. I don't remember creating fire," Pete said, shaking his head.

Horacio scratched his chin. "But the fact remains that you did invoke fire. Although, I observed you did it subconsciously. The process I put you through is for novice mages. I did not expect you to react to it so well and cause a wildfire!"

"It was unreal," Marian said, still eyeing Pete curiously. "It was as if you exploded with flames. I risked my life rescuing you from your own mess." She pointed to her soot-covered clothes.

"I'm sorry, Marian. I didn't mean to do it."

"It's oka-"

"Anyway!" Horacio interrupted their moment. "We need you to do it consciously. And more importantly, teach you to control the power."

Pete threw up his arms. "How do I do it, teacher?"

Horacio put on his straw hat. "The best way to manifest magic deliberately is to channel it into your skills."

"You mean into his archery?" Marian asked.

"Of course. Let's try it now. Up, boy!" The mage got to his feet, and the others followed.

"I'm ready," Pete declared. He was not at all sorry about the gazebo burning down or Marian getting charred. As long as he could gain a magical skill, it was worth it. The boy was surprised that there had been no system notifications yet.

"Aim that way," Horacio said, pointing towards a pond in the distance. It was downhill towards the north, where the grass ended and mudflats began. "We don't want my entire garden to burn down."

Pete nodded and strung up his bow. He took an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, and aimed above the pond. Immediately, crosshairs appeared in his eyesight. "I am ready."

Horacio walked closer and stood behind him, speaking into his right ear. "Now focus on the arrowhead and imagine it bursting into flames."

Pete furrowed his brows and concentrated. "It's not working…"

"Don't force it. Take a deep breath. Relax. Think back to the feeling you had when you set my gazebo on fire."

Pete took a deep breath and tried to recall the serenity and fortitude he had felt at that moment.

Sizzle! The tip of the arrow went aflame. Zip! Pete shot it into the pond. It extinguished with a hiss as it broke the water's surface.

"Perfect!" Horacio exclaimed.

Bree and Marian clapped their hands to cheer Pete on.

"Now," the mage instructed. "Let's move on to the next level. Use the fire without the arrow."

Pete raised his eyebrows. "What? I don't understand."

"First of all, drop your quiver." The boy placed it on the ground.

"Now, nock an imaginary arrow on the string. Just pull on air."

Pete held up his bow and pulled the string as if there were a real arrow between his fingers.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Now, visualize fire occupying the space of the supposed arrow."

Pete took a breath and focused on his imagination.

Spurt! Sizzle! Fire erupted in a single line parallel to his stance. Boom! It exploded, and Pete was thrown back. He fell hard against the grass.

[ PHY DMG ] [ HP -50 ]

"Argh!" Pete sat up and looked up at his hands. They were charred black. It took a quarter of a potion bottle to heal him.

"Again!" Horatio ordered.

The second time, his magic exploded with more damage.

Pete got it right the third time. The fire took an arrow's shape and rested on his bow like a regular weapon. The boy could feel the element as a physical material.

"This feels great. But it's hot. It's burning me."

Horacio shook his head. "No. It should not hurt you. It's your magic. Imagine it as an extension of your body. It should be destructive only to your target. Only when you wish it to be…"

Pete tried to connect with the blazing arrow. 'It's my magic, 'he told himself.

[ Willpower +1 ]

[ Your Dexterity has offset the absence of Magical Skill ]

He felt the temperature falling. It felt normal in no time. "Yes, it doesn't hurt me anymore."

"Shoot!"

Pete let go. The fire arrow shot out of his grip. Boom! It fell on the water's surface like a bomb. Splash! A waterspout spiked into the air with vapor and mist.

"Excellent!" Horacio declared. "You have a long way to go, Rob! But I think you have figured out the basics of generating magic!"

Ding!

[ Reputation +5 ]

[ Intuition +1 ]

[ Skill Unlocked: Fire Magic Lvl 1 ]

[ Loading Achievement Target… ]

[ Achievement Title: Master of Elements ]

[ Attain mastery over 12 magical elements ]

[ Reward: 10,000 💰, Surprise Rewards ]

"Wow, there are twelve magical elements," Pete said aloud.

Horace raised an eyebrow. "No, there are seven magical elements. Earth, Water, Fire, Lightning, Ice, Shadow, and Light. Where did you hear about twelve?"

The boy figured perhaps some elements were hidden to mages, or that they weren't discovered yet. "I misspoke."

****

The group returned to Horacio's cottage, where they rested for a while and snacked on blueberries and fresh honey.

"That was some day," the mage said, looking weary. "Please don't come back again, Mar. Leave your beloved Horacio to himself."

Marian cackled with her mouth full of blueberries. "I'm afraid we may need you at some other time." The mage sighed and drank wine from a mug.

The sun was going down, and Pete started getting apprehensive. His system would shut down at sunset!

"I am grateful for the guidance, teacher. But I have to be on my way now. There are some engagements I have to fulfill."

"Go on," Horacio said after a long burp. "Just be careful with your new magic. There is a tremendous latent power within you. Don't burn down the town with it."

Pete nodded and looked at Marian. "You go along," she said. "I'll have a drink with the old man and then retire. Now that you have cleared the last criterion, we can get you registered tomorrow. See you at the Guild!"

"Goodbye," Pete said, holding Bree's hand and taking her along.

****

After the duo left, Horacio turned to Marian. He had a severe expression, and that made the girl anxious. "What is it, old man? Don't even think about trying to kiss me again. Remember the beating from last time?"

The mage shook his head. "Where did you find this guy?"

"I.. uh.. met him at the Templar trials, as I explained earlier. You talked to Crease about him, right?"

"Yes. But there is something strange about him. He does not belong here…"

Marian sniggered. "You are drunk, old man. Listen to this—a funny incident. I took him to get appraised at the Adventurer's Guild. The draconite revealed him to have level 100 latent ability! Can you imagine the look on our faces? The clerk dismissed it as a faulty appraisal because of a defective stone."

Horacio narrowed his eyes and scratched his stubbled face. "I see."

"What?"

"Nothing. Could you get another bottle of wine from my cellar? I will be back in a moment."

"Where are you going?"

"I just remembered that today I was supposed to send an important message to a distant friend."