Finding yourself is easy. I find myself every morning. One of these days, I'm going to figure out which of these magic items keeps cloning me in my sleep.

-Basen Koh on journeys of self-discovery

Reid spent the last few months of his childhood impatiently waiting for it to end. School wrapped up, and his teacher declared that he knew everything he needed to know to be a productive member of society. He knew he had much more to learn about being a merchant, but he also knew he wouldn't learn it in Glarrus.

The town of Glarrus was tiny, located just inside a dangerous swamp, and not on any routes between cities. The mountains to the south meant that people didn't travel in that direction. The swamp to the north meant people were never coming from there. West was the Avennish border with Urish, and there wasn't an official crossing near them. That meant no one was traveling through the town in either direction. The only reason the town existed was the mining operations in the foothills south of town and the chance for occasional treasure in the swamp. Traveling traders came in on their rounds of the region, but otherwise, they had few visitors. It was a less than ideal location for Reid to master his new craft.

The worst was how his parents acted when he told them of his intentions. His father, someone who had always been supportive of him, was disappointed he wanted to leave and basically stopped talking to him. His mother just yelled at him whenever she had the chance and made him wish she was the one giving him the silent treatment. Regardless of what they thought, he was an adult in truth now and could do whatever he wanted.

He never told them about the mark. He'd mentioned the goblet and that he would use it to fund his eventual move, so they had nothing to worry about. He told them he'd send money back and continue to support them once he got on his feet. After suffering through the last month, he was really reconsidering that. His little brother and sister made him want to stay in touch the most. He was quite a bit older than Eric and Vie—eighteen to Eric's eleven and Vie's nine years. A few conversations had helped reinforce the idea that he would be leaving. While they were sad, it seemed like they were more excited about the prospect of not having to share a room anymore. He'd write to them. He just needed to figure out where he'd go and how to get there.

His opportunity to get out of town came with the arrival of a mage. After their adventures in the swamp, Samuel had told the mayor of his future plans. Reid's cousin was going to stay in town and become a watchman. The mayor was happy to hear it and supportive of his decision to keep his dark sight stone and gauntlet. The mayor put in a request with the capital to send out a mage who could awaken potential and help Samuel bind his stone. It had taken over a month, but the mage from the capital had finally arrived.

A crowd gathered in the town square, and Reid, Wes, and Orin stood up front where they could see the mayor, the mage, and Samuel. The mayor was a retired mine worker who had found an item that gave him the power of identification, like Reid's mark. He was old but still stood tall and strong. Samuel stood tall as well. He wore his gauntlet and a watch uniform. Their village only had one watchman, but he'd always prided himself on his uniform and was happy to give one to Samuel.

The mage didn't look like Reid expected. He expected a man with mysterious robes and a wise old look about him, steeped in arcane mystery. Instead, the mage was just an ordinary man in plain traveling clothes with a bent sword. It must have been magic since it didn't look usable as an actual sword, but it also didn't glow. The mage looked bored, but he didn't begrudge them their ceremony.

"Good morning, everyone! Today, we're here to celebrate one of our own unlocking his potential and becoming a mage!" the mayor said.

Reid perked up at that. On some level, he knew he was a mage, too. It was right there in that status he could read, but he forgot that even binding weak items could make someone a mage. All that was technically required was unlocked potential and a binding to a magic item.

The crowd cheered, and the mayor motioned for the mage to begin. The man didn't address the crowd, so everyone quieted to hear what he said to Samuel.

"Clear your mind. You'll feel a burning, then a warmth."

The mage raised a flat metal plate and pressed it to Samuel's bare hand. It was hard to see in the morning light, but Samuel glowed briefly and grit his teeth against some unseen pain. He didn't cry out, and the pain seemed to fade after half a minute. Samuel relaxed, and the mage pulled back the plate and looked at it.

"Two star potential. Congratulations."

The crowd cheered. They didn't know what that really meant outside of being able to bind one and two star items, and neither did Reid, but they were still happy for him. They quieted quickly when the mage continued.

"Now that your potential is unlocked, you should be able to feel the power of your gauntlets and your stone, yes?"

Samuel nodded.

"The gauntlets can't be bound. They'll feel closed off, but you can still feel their power. The stone can be bound. It should feel more open, and you should feel it pulling at your attention."

Another nod.

"Great. Just focus on that pulling and will your own internal energy to connect with it. It might take a few tries."

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The crowd stood in silence while Samuel narrowed his eyes and looked at the small white stone. After nearly a minute, he glowed briefly once more.

"Yes!" he yelled. The crowd cheered once more.

"Congratulations," the mage said, showing a little emotion and smiling at Samuel. He shook his hand. "You're now a lesser mage. You'll be a little more resistant to mundane damage, and your stamina should be a little higher. It's not a huge benefit, but it's something. Use your item often, and find another to fill out your second star if you want to grow to someday earn a third."

Samuel thanked the mage and the mayor and then joined the crowd to accept their congratulations. Reid kept an eye on the mage and saw the mayor hand him a small pouch in payment for his services. The mage didn't look like he would stick around, so Reid approached, cutting off the man as he was about to head out of the square.

The mage looked up, a little surprised to find Reid before him. "Can I help you? I can't awaken any more potential; my item only does that once a week."

Reid was really curious about the item that did that, but it wasn't the reason he wanted to talk to the man.

"Hi, sorry to just approach so suddenly, but, ahh. Well, I guess I'll get straight to the point. Can I return with you to the capital? I'm looking to relocate to study becoming a merchant."

The man considered it, which seemed like a step in the right direction.

"You look awfully young," he said, rubbing his chin.

"I'm an adult. Same as my cousin, Samuel. I'm going one way or another, and when I heard you were coming from the capital, it seemed like it might work out well for both of us."

The mage gave him a questioning look. "How so?"

"Well, I don't expect you to just help me get there for free. I can pay you in silver, or we can work out a trade of services."

The mage glanced at the sun, clearly not wanting to be delayed much longer.

"Listen, kid. I don't really care if you tag along. I just didn't want to get accused of kidnapping you. If you want to give me some silver, great. But I'm not interested in babysitting. I'm stopping by the inn in town for a meal, then I'm heading out. Meet me there in thirty minutes if you want to come with, but I'm not going to wait for you."

The mage didn't wait for a response and stepped around Reid. It had been a little brusk, and he had hoped to close a deal between them—maybe there were more hidden paths to upgrade his mark—but he was satisfied with the result. He could go with someone who knew how to get to the capital and would probably be safe to travel with.

Reid fought his way back through the crowd and found Samuel, who was talking with Orin and Wes. They were expecting him.

"Well?" Wes asked.

"He said I could tag along."

"That's great news!" Samuel said, clapping him on the back.

"Yeah, but he's leaving from the inn in a little less than thirty minutes."

"Ouch," Orin said.

"Go on then!" Samuel said. "Go get your things. We'll find your family and get them together! We'll meet you by the inn!"

Reid had hoped something like this would happen. He'd told his friends about it, but his family might be shocked. He found that he didn't care too much. Back at home, he grabbed his backpack, which he had packed in anticipation. He kept the mark on at all times, but he double checked to ensure he had the ice goblet and his coin purse. He'd been saving in anticipation, but kids weren't allowed to work in the mines, so it only held what few silver he'd managed to put together from odd jobs around town, pinching every copper and never spending anything.

He took one last look at his childhood room and the rest of the home he had grown up in. It was bittersweet, but he didn't let the mixed feelings dampen his excitement.

Reid found his confused parents, Samuel's confused parents—his aunt and uncle—his siblings, and his friends outside the inn. It was near the edge of town, well away from the lingering groups of people in the town square.

He didn't want to let it get awkward, so he just came out and said it.

"Hey, everyone. I'm leaving today. I'm going with the visiting mage back to the capital."

This moment had played out in his mind a few times, but his imagined farewells turned out to be nothing like what actually happened.

His friends cheered, and instead of looking upset or angry, his parents looked...proud. They came forward with Eric and Vie and wrapped him up in a family hug. It was nice, but he was confused. His confusion must have been evident because his father smiled and laughed.

He patted Reid on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, son. I've been a bad father the past few weeks. I just didn't want to see you go. Now that you're going, well, it's tough, but I wish you the best. I've always wanted you to be happy, and I'm proud you're following your dream."

Emotions flooded him, but he held it together.

"Thanks, Dad. You're right. This is my dream. Maybe I should have been a little less blunt about it and talked it over with you and Mom before deciding. Thanks for saying that, though it might have been nice to hear a little sooner than four minutes before leaving."

They hugged, and he found his mother up next. She fussed with his jacket and wiped at his hair.

"Mom..."

"Shush. Your father isn't the only one who needs to apologize. We've been acting selfish, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken all that out on you. Take care of yourself, and you better write and come back to visit, or we are going to have words!"

He smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

They shared a hug, and he said some goodbyes to his siblings. They were old enough to understand but didn't seem worried about him leaving. Eric asked if he could have Reid's room, which Reid laughed at and gave him his blessing. Vie was hanging onto their mother's arm and asking if they could go play now. He said he'd write to them and made them promise to write back.

Reid shared a quick goodbye with his aunt and uncle, who he'd always liked. They said they'd visit the capital sometime, which he would like.

He bid his friends farewell. They'd all been close for many years, so it was hard to say goodbye to them. Samuel was staying back to watch over the town, and Wes and Orrin still had two years of school left, so he'd at least know where to find them if he wanted to visit.

"Good luck, Reid. Remember us when you're rich!" Wes said, laughing.

"Good call! Yes, cousin, don't forget to send home cash with your letters to me," Samuel said in agreement.

"Thanks for everything, Reid. I'll write to you once you get settled."

"Thanks, Orin. When I have a place, I'll see if I can pay your way to visit."

They all liked the idea, and he hoped they'd stay in touch. After they all said goodbye, Reid was surprised to find the mage standing behind him.

"Are you ready to leave? It seems like you've just wrapped up your goodbyes."

Reid nodded, giving his pack of supplies one last double check before hoisting it onto his back.

"Alright, then. Let's go."

The mage turned and started down the road out of town, not sparing a word for the group of people behind Reid. He nodded to them, and they waved him off, staying next to the inn and waving until he couldn't see them anymore.

With his loose family threads at least somewhat tied up, he felt good about his departure. Through it all, he had always been excited about leaving, but part of it felt like it would be a betrayal. The idea had been reinforced by his parent's behavior. Now, for the first time since getting the mark, he felt like he didn't have some formless weight on his shoulders. He was on the road, about to plunge into adventure and begin his new life.