The next week passed much the same as the first day of training. By the end of the first week, the villagers were rousing from their beds and clamouring into the town square diligently at the sound of the bell. Murphy dedicated his afternoons to study, doing his best to make his way through his books. After his experience at the fire, his attention was focused on aspect. He knew better than most how aspects could be mixed, but the storm he had seen mixed by young Cardic, had him yearning to understand it further.

His tomes only offered a logical approach to the questions he had, with aspects being measured in frequency, volume and density. It was illuminating to see the equations associated, even if he couldn't understand half of what he read. His main approach was experimental however. The books referred to the mixing of volumes of aspect as 'entropic reconstitution'. The process of new aspects being created from others was thanks to aspectral particles colliding and changing in frequency. Without understanding the maths, his best approach was to try and collide differing clouds of aspects, and record the resulting 'reconstituted' aspects forming. Recording the results, and testing the effects of the new aspects in isolation, taught him enough for the formation of a theory.

Each aspect he tested seemed to only spawn a limited range of new aspects. When merging the aspects of stone and fire together, the reconstituted aspects would all be more obscure aspects of either 'stone' or 'fire'. Through that he discovered how the aspect of glass was born, as well as things such as iron and carbon. Through water and wind aspects he would reconstitute aspects such as 'mist' and various aspects of gases. The water and wind seemed to have no chance to birth the aspect of 'iron', just as the stone and fire had no chance to create the aspect of 'mist'. Each aspect appeared to have a direct relationship with another above it. The lower forms of aspect he generated, could be reconstituted into their higher forms in turn, though to a much greater cost of Aspect and Daions.

His theory stated that, given the parent and child nature of different aspects, there had to be an original form. The original form would be the true aspect, and the entropic reconstitution of the true aspect was responsible for the existence of all others.

He felt proud when he stated his conclusion in some of the blank pages of his grimoire. The implications of his statement had him excited for further study. If there was infact a true aspect, then it would be the force responsible for everything there was. Pondering his greatness for figuring out the truth of life, he shut the lid on his ledger box, vanishing the book safely inside. His revelry was rudely interrupted by a voice at the barn door.

"Is that a magic book?" Cardic asked, excited.

"Don't you have chores to do?" Murphy asked in response, sighing in defeat. Cardic had attached himself to the travelling wizard like a tick to a sow. All week he followed Murphy around, giving him reason to seek seclusion in the outskirts of the village for his experiments.

"Uncle always does my chores when I don't. He gets red in the face and all loud, bit he still does them, so I don't worry." He strode into the barn, wasting no time in prodding through Murphy’s things. His belongings were scattered about the stall, the weeks business standing in the way of the necessity to clean. The result of his laziness, was that Cardic had no trouble searching for treasures.

"I'll be red in the face if you keep bothering me when I'm busy," Murphy snapped, snatching the bag of Chips pieces from the boy.

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"I wouldn't bother you so much if you would give me some magic to practice," Cardic offered, crossing the stall to examine a cooking rack closely.

"I don't have any magic for you, I've told you that already," he responded impatiently. "Besides, your uncle would have my hide if I went teaching you spells."

"Oh sure. It's my uncle you're afraid of," Cardic said with a sarcastic tone.

Murphy paused, considering the statement. "And what do you mean by that?" He asked, turning a suspicious eye to the boy.

"I just mean, that I don't think my uncle is the one who's got you so scared you can't get your staff up" Cardic chuckled.

"Who am I supposed to be afraid of then?"

Cardic smirked, and slowly made his way across the stall. He strode with one arm behind his back, enjoying his moment of power. Murphy glared at him, hoping a stare would force the boy to finish his mockery.

"I reckon," he started slowly. "That you're afraid of your boss. Scared he's going to shout at you, or punch you to the dirt again."

"Am not!" Murphy scoffed, rising to the bait a little.

"Are too. Otherwise you'd be using your magic in town already, instead of hiding out in Greks back paddock doing your spells in secret"

"I would be using my spells in town if I wanted. I just don't want to is all," Murphy defended. "I know what you're doing, and it won't work. Serril was right about one thing to be true. Magic is dangerous, and I don't think you're ready for the runes."

"As dangerous as a wyvern, set on eating up your whole town?" Cardic posed.

"Well…" Murphy mumbled, stumped. "I suppose not, but."

"And when you're all gone off and the next thing comes by, how am I supposed to protect my town without any spells" Cardic continued, cutting the wizard off.

"What makes you think that you should be the one to defend your town in the first place?"

"Who else is going to do it. Dalley is the strongest we've got, and his hammer arm still seizes on half his swings. I've got magic, all I need is some spells."

Murphy held up a finger to silence the boy while he processed the argument. As much as it frustrated him, he couldn't fault Cardic's reasoning.

He sighed, and dropped his arm. "Fine…" he relented through gritted teeth. "I'll teach you one spell, and only one. If you want it so bad after that, I won't be the one responsible for you blowing your face off."

Cardic beamed with excitement, looking as if he was about to dance out of his own skin. "You just wait!" He declared. "You'll be able to tell people you taught the world's greatest wizard his first spells."

"Spell." Murphy corrected sternly. "Just one. I'm serious, and you can't be telling any soul I taught it to you either, I don't want the trouble."

"We'll see" Cardic said with a musical cadence. "Let's go now then, no time to waste!" He ran to the door of the barn, bouncing on his feet. "I know a place that's good and secret. The whole town knows about your spot, you're not a very sneaky wizard."

"Don't get so far ahead of yourself," Murphy said, forcing himself to repress a smile at the boy's excitement. "We're going to need a few things first. A real spell doesn't come from nothing after all."

"Name it, and I'll bring back two."

Murphy shuffled through his scattered things, until he found a particular piece of cloth, and a long strand of twine. Giving them to Cardic, he listed what they needed. "Fill this cloth with as many cold coals as you can fit, and a bundle of the driest sticks you can find, about as thick as a homely thigh. Also bring the hide of the most fearsome beast the village has to slaughter."

Cardic frowned as he took the items. "I'm not a fool. I want to learn magic, not run your errands."

Murphy laughed. There was a time that he could remember having the same attitude. "We need ink and parchment if we're to make a rune. If you want to learn a spell, you need to learn what makes it."

Cardic studied him suspiciously. "If you're having me on wizard, I'll make sure they remember that in my stories."

"You won't make it far enough to have your stories if you keep wasting my time," Murphy snapped. "Go on and get me my stuff, before I change my mind."