Ana’s mother had passed away in the year when she turned five. Her mother had a horrible disease that ate at the magic power of a human. The disease only affected those who could use magic but did not. After her mother passed away Ana cried for days after which her father introduced her to magic. He taught her everything he knew of his element that was fire.

Fire was at the top of the food chain followed by Earth, Water, Air, Light and Dark. The rulers of the lands ranked mages by their main element and their overall strength and usefulness. Light and Dark had the least amount of uses in the world. They could not even be used in battles.

Ana had affinity to fire, water and air but her main element would be fire. She went with him to his workshop and practiced her fire there while her doll and her father made weapons.

Today was one year after her mother had passed away and she had yet to turn six. She was at her father’s workshop along with her doll. She practised her basics, just as she did once a day for the past year. Her father taught her even if she could use the greatest magic she would get nowhere if she lacked control.

Her father was busy igniting the stone furnace once more as he had done every day. The doll was ready and waiting for white hot ingots. Her father took a few minutes before he got the furnace up and running. She had noticed his flame grew weaker when her mother passed away. She wanted to strengthen her flame to be the guiding beacon for her father. She wanted to help him as much as she could. She also packed lunches for them as she knew they would not return till night.

She produced a small flame on her palm and bended it into different shapes. This was one way to practise control over magic. She would think of a shape and then shape the fire to resemble the shape she thought of as accurately as possible. A few times her shaping failed and the flame shot from her hand against the wall in front of her.

After the basics she would try different things such as making a whip of fire and using it as a whip. She would then follow with something like a tornado of fire but she was not allowed to make it bigger than her fist for what happened to the shop previously.

She made a small ball of fire that was compressed enough for it to attract wood or iron shaving. She brought it close to her doll and saw that the part of the doll closest to the ball of fire had turned white hot. She pulled it away and realised she just made something new, a sun or the concept of a sun in this world. Ana tried to dissolve this dangerous thing but to no avail. Water would be caught in its effects and form a sphere around the ball of fire before evaporating into a mist.

Ana slightly panicked and thought of what would happen if she made another. She duplicated the ball and brought them closer. They consumed each other, what was left was simply a larger version of the ball of fire.

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Ana ran out of the workshop and decided to get rid of it. She tossed it into the sky with help of her air element the ball flew high and fast.

When she went back to the shop there was a sudden explosion a few kilometres away. A large burning cloud could be seen in the distance. Ana quickly returned to her corner in the workshop and practised further hoping her father would not think it was her fault.

Later that day an old man in a robe entered the village. He was in search of the mage that made a large explosion just outside this village. He asked around the village and was told the only mage in this village was the famous blacksmith Reinald.

The old man wandered the village. He was searching for The Red Drake Smithy. A red haired man and his red haired daughter passed the old man but he did not pay them mind. Their magic power was not large enough to cause the grand display of magic that happened just outside the village. Unknown to the old man the people that walked passed him was Ana and her father. The old man however was very surprised to see a golem follow Ana and her father.

The old man’s interest was quite peaked but now was not the time for him to get side tracked. He had a mission. He must find the person that did that damage before the soldiers of the kingdom did. The old man was a master mage, his rank, Wizard. It was the second highest rank for a mage. The highest would be Arch Mage but there was only three Arch Mages on the whole continent.

The old man ignored the golem and continued his search and little to his knowledge, Ana and her father took the next couple of days off. He would not see them anytime soon.

Ana had a unique experience. She saw an old man that wore a robe on her way home. Her father told her that must have been a high ranking mage judging from his clothes. She was interested in this new species she had discovered (The old mage) and she wanted to study it a bit but her father forbade her. The following days the two of them would go to the lord’s castle and spend a week there. Ana was also quite excited in spending some quality time with her father.

Her father wanted to ask the lord a favour. He wanted to let his girl be taught magic by a high ranking court mage. He knew the lord would not refuse a request from him but when it came to politics the lord was quite cunning and stubborn. A court mage was the ultimate political tool followed by a daughter and then a son. A son could always take over but he could not spread his influence much. A daughter could be married off and gain profits for her family. A court mage on the other hand would be lent out for favours and was used as a line of defence.

Her father simply hoped that the lord accepted his selfish request. He would even return to work for the lord if he had too.