I awoke the following day, and everything was still quiet in the house; Mother and Father must still be sleeping, but I could hear the village waking up outside my window. Since I'm the only one awake, I sit in bed and glance around; I notice the book from the woods on the table next to my bed. "How did this get here?" I wonder aloud.

"I noticed you forgot it, so I brought it with us; you should be more careful. If this got out to your world, it could start the beginning of the end of everything you know and love. like that magus who summoned me here in the first place." Belroth informed me. I just nodded to myself and started reading the book. It was... well, I don't know how to describe it besides absolutely amazing; it told of places I could never dream of. A world ruled by two queens and a king that never aged, where strength and cunning meant everything, where a deal was only held to the letter and not the meaning behind it. It told of other worlds like where Belroth came from, but instead of despair, it was ruled by lust or greed. Of worlds where their gods walked among men, even giving birth to crossbreeds called Nephilim. Of worlds beyond the farthest stars where ancient abominations from before time itself resided. "forget about all that for now, while yes, making contracts with other beings will give you more power if you don't take the time to learn and integrate the powers you get before getting more your body will explode. Take a couple of years to learn my powers fully, and then we can add more. Remember, my powers are only limited by your imagination; get everything you can from me, and we can talk more once we both agree you're ready for another companion."

"you're right. I need to learn to walk before I can run, but I plan to gain the power of everything in this book and others you may know but aren't here. I will be strong enough to protect everyone I love and destroy anyone who tries to take them from me." I vow, feeling the brand on my chest start to heat up a fraction.

"I would expect no less from one I've bound my power to, but just remember our pact: one sacrifice every new moon." Belroth says with a hint of pride and approval in his voice.

I got up from bed, hid the book underneath, and headed outside to the backyard to practice with my new powers. "I've already learned how to make fire appear and how to move it, what should i try next?" i wondered out loud and take a few minuets thinking about what I've read in the archives and what i wanted personally. i summoned fire to my right hand and start to play with it, i keep it in my hand but make it shoot out a couple feet in front of me, as i do this i imagine the flames compressing in on itself until they transform into a whip and swing it around to test it out. Every time I flick it, I can shoot a ball of flame out from the end. I dismissed the whip and summoned a new ball of flame and stretched it again, but this time into the shape of a sword and focused on sharpening the edges, which made them turn from red to blue, then to white, all while the handle and center of the sword stayed the same. While keeping the sword in my right hand I summon an other ball in my left hand but instead of shaping it into a weapon I focus on making t a shield, just a standred small round one. Once I get it into the shape I want, I hear a cough from behind me and turn to see Father leaning against the house, watching me practice. "Father, I thought you were still asleep; how long have you been watching me?" I ask with a hint of worry in my voice. Had he seen me use my magic without an incantation?

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"I heard you get up and leave the house, so I thought I would come see what you're up to. i see that you have a decent handle on your magic and are even able to do silent casting most cant do that until they're at the adept rank at earliest but here you are a newly awakened novice able to do it without a second thought, most impressive! What do you say we have a little spar?" Father replies with a smile as a spear rises from the earth. Without a second warning, he rushes at me and thrusts the spear towards my right shoulder; years of training with him as a child kick in, and I deflect the spear with my sword, melting the tip a bit from the intense flames but reforming almost instantly as he pulls away. Still, I don't give him a chance to breathe. i swip my sword towards his left leg trying to limit his mobility while brining my shield to smash into his face, I hesitate in shock as the flames of my shield wash over his face but do nothing else. "I see I interrupted you too early with your shield. Try condensing it more, make the flames solid, and try again." Father teases me and steps back, giving me a minute to do that while summoning wind armor around himself. I charge at him again, and we continue to exchange blows. Various cuts appear on my arms and chest. We keep sparing until half an hour after sunrise when Mother comes out and tells us breakfast is ready.

" very good son we will continue tonight, keep practicing and work on some new moves I expect you to land at least on blow and deal some damage. Reflect on your strengths and areas where you are lacking. While fire is commonly known for its offensive potential, it can also be used for movement, and while it will hurt, it can also be used for healing." Father smiles and heads inside.

As I start to follow him, Mother stops me, heals my wounds, and leads me inside with a hand on my shoulder. "I figured since you're finally home, I should make one of your favorites, crepes with chocolate chips and maple syrup, a glass of orange juice, and some apple slices." With a massive grin on my face, I head inside to have breakfast, then it's to the archives to figure out more skills and maybe to the walls to spar with the guard or the hunters to get some practical experience, but that's for later, for now, I'm just going to enjoy breakfast and spend time with my family.