Max Mana Capacity: 100

4 Unspent Skill Points. (Used to upgrade/learn different skills)

From the last he had checked, the numbers had increased by about double what they had been. Not all of them had though, the stamina and mana had not changed. Moving to the map, he saw that they had traveled about one hundred kilometers from where he believed them to have stopped when he looked at his book.

He decided to take a moment to breathe. It was a lot of information to be taking in, especially when he did not understand most of it. He looked up from the book, to find them still running. How can these things keep running? Horses back home would have tired out already, and how are those people still keeping up with us? Verin had looked behind where the group was running. He could still see the people behind them. In fact, they looked closer than they had been, but not by much.

Behind where they were moving, Zeth turned around on his horse-like creature and loosed an arrow. It flew fast and looked like it was going to land. Instead, the person trailing them dove onto their side and slid for a moment before jumping back to their feet to keep running. After seeing the arrow, Verin remembered something. When he tapped the book to select a mage, it was supposed to grant him power. He did not need to check the book to know how to use it. It was like he had always known. Just to be sure, he opened the book to the new section.

Novice Mage Skill List

Magic Arsonal: Grants users with the ability to use magical weapons.

Magic Hands: Grants the user to cast spells without magical tools, but at a less efficient cost.

Basic Bolt: Grants the user the ability to conjure and launch small bolts of mana. Effective against unshielded and unarmored targets.

You have 5 unspent skill points. Can use 4 to learn a new Skill.

I best hold off on getting a new ability until I fissure out what this first one does. After getting no information about how to use the skill, he decided to rely on what was now just inside his head. He shuffled in his saddle to sit facing backward, which was hard with still-bound legs. He then raised both his hands, cupping them together. Almost immediately, before his hands even connected, blue streams of light began to form between them. He could feel something drain from him, it was not pleasant, but was not horrible. He also knew that It would not harm him until he used too much. Once the streams of blue started to coalesce into an orb, he pushed his hands out in front of him. The blue orb shot out faster than an arrow being shot from a crossbow. He had not really aimed where he was launching it, and the orb hit a tree about 2 paces from the third figure in the distance. Startled, Zeth and Beck rode up next to Verin, as he continued to launch more orbs of blue light.

“That was awesome!” Zeth shouted with his bow in one hand and an arrow still knocked, drawing Verin's attention. He had not noticed them riding up beside him. “I did not know you were a mage.”

“I don’t even know what I am doing.” Verin shouted in response.

“Whatever you are doing, just keep doing it.” Beck said.

Verin continued to launch the blue orbs. He would occasionally hit their pursuers which bought the group time. The pursuers were not just running after the volley started. Arrows the size of spears were shot at the group. None of them hit, but a few got too close to comfort. A few bolts of what appeared to be lighting also shot toward the group. None hit the group or the mounts they were on, but the other two pack horse things were not as lucky. Verin had thought them dead, but he did see them rise up off the ground and run in the other direction.

Baren would fit in perfectly with those horses Verin thought, thinking back to when he had dared him to stand close to a lightning rod. He did not expect him to actually do it, but because he had, he not only got the gold he was promised, but he also earned the nickname Sparky from the rest of the town. He would occasionally spark for a couple of hours after he was hit with the lightning. They both got a mouthful from Baren’s mom who had kindly taken in Verin after his parents had passed away. Turning his thoughts back to the present, he continued to launch attacks at his pursuers.

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

After about a dozen more orbs, Verin was starting to get the hang of making and launching the orbs. He would focus on something, and then blue misty lines would appear around him. As he maneuvered his hands, the mist would move in front of him in the shape of a ball. Once he felt the orb was large enough, he would cup his hands slowly together. This would condense the mist into a solid blue sphere that glowed. He would then open between his fingers and the orb would fly at a mind-boggling speed. If the orb hit one of the pursuers, they would be sent backward, mostly unharmed to his surprise. After a moment, they would be back on their feet and would continue their chase.

After about an hour of riding, they were in sight of the town. Gabriel ran ahead of the group to one of the guard towers next to the entrance to the town. He managed to get a group of soldiers to ride out and help the group. With the amount of people who came out, the people following stopped just out of range of the arrows and disappeared into the forest.

“Those were the elves I mentioned,” Callin said. He gestured to Verin as he spoke again. “They heard this fool here.”

“What was with that yelling,” Gabriel asked Verin as they began to walk into town with their mounts.

Verin's leg bindings were starting to come loose with the heavy riding and slowly came off his legs. One of the city guards removed them and bound his hands after calin had asked the man to.

“I'm not sure,” Verin said once they were done. “It felt as if someone was boiling me.”

“What was with those orbs?” Calin asked.

“What orbs?” Gabriel asked.

“Verin here was throwing blue orbs which slowed the elves down,” Zeth said.

“I'm not sure what they were,” Verin said. “When I woke up I just knew how to make them and throw them.”

“So you are a blood mage then?” Gabriel started. “Well, you said blue and blood mages use red.”

“That makes sense,” Verin said. “I'm no blood mage, at least as you described earlier. I'm not sure what that was. All I know is that it was mana.”

“Humans cannot do mana-based magic,” Calin said.

“According to this book I have,” Verin started, before summoning the book and giving a mental command for the others to see it. “I am not a human, which is strange.”

“If you are not human then what are you?” Gabriel asked.

“According to this book, I am an outworlder thirdling.” Verin said, reading from the book. He was still trying to get a hand on not having to use his hands to hold the book.

“I have not heard of an outworlder or a thirdling.” Zeth said.

“I'm not sure what a thirdling is either,” Calin said.

“A thirdling is a mix of three races equally.” Beck said. He had not spoken in a while.

“How is that possible?” Gabriel asked.

“It is said that the creator can do it.” Beck said. “Though there has never been any documentation on it before.”

The creator? Verin thought. Who is that?

“Captain,” The lead guard started. “Shall I take the prisoner to jail for you?”

“Please do.” Gabriel said. “I am returning to take him out though. Find out what you can from him, and give me the report if I should return. I Have to get moving. I am already behind schedule.”

“Very well. I will keep him here until you give the order.” The Guard said.

Verin got led away from the group and was guided by the two guards which decided to take Verin to the jail. He knew that if he went to jail it would not go well for him, but his hands were tied, and he felt completely drained. The adrenaline had worn off, and his muscles were exhausted. He was barely able to walk now. When they arrived at the jail, he was locked in a cell, after they searched him to ensure he had no weapons. They tried to take the necklace and it did not come loose. They eventually gave up after trying to break it off and after it broke one of their tools.

The guards left Verin in a cell. They removed his hand bindings and left him alone. There was a cot in the corner made of straw. There were no windows, and the floor was covered with more straw. It was surprisingly clean. It seemed as if very few people were ever put in jail. Verin sat on the cot and continued to go over the book. There was not much new. Still the options to gain more information, but without any specific detail, as to what it might give, and the ability to learn a new ability. After careful consideration, he decided to go to bed. He was exhausted and learned that he was mana-deprived, during his reading.

Mana Sickness: When a mage or other spell caster uses too much mana in one session, the user will be left tired and drained. It will take time for mana to regenerate. Continued use at low mana will result in various consequences.

Making the book vanish, Verin laid back on the cot. Within minutes, he was asleep.