"Molly," I say a pressure revealing itself off my chest. I made the choice because I've know Molly for a long time, all my life infact. And I trust her more than I do Ilo and his wife, his wife in particular just sets off alarms bells in my head the longer I am near her. 

Ilo nods dissapointment visable in his face."If that is your wish," he looks at Molly," I presume you are leaving on the midday train. You two should hurry it will be leaving in a few minutes. And Cobon," he looks at me,"I won't ever hold you against this. If you need anything don't be afriad to ask. Me and my wife will be going back to our store the Traders Infestation at Strongwall in a couple of days. Goodbye you two."

We say our goodbyes and quickly get our stuff ready to leave. Ilo and his wife don't walk with us down to the train, which I'm glad it would only make it more awkward. As me and Molly take our seats on the train she starts describing Baseline to me.

"It's big with about fifty thousand people living inside the city walls. You will notice the walls first they are massive. They are fifty five feet high and twenty feet thick. Sentries walk along the entire wall watching out over the forest. Oh before I forgot the moment you step foot in Baseline you are not allowed to leave the city." She says rambling.

"What," I yelp.

"The forest are too dangerous, most guards won't even let you out unless you sixteen and above," she tells me.

"What do you mean by dangerous," I ask inocently,"a few wolves can't be that bad."

"Trust me Cobon there are more than just wolves, near Baseline there is a large population of andaconi eating the wolves. Andaconi are huge snakes big enough to eat a man whole. They are second tier beast and usually need two to three people to kill them." She leans back in her seat getting comforable."I'm going to sleep now the train will take six hours to get to Baseline. When we get there I'll show you where you will be living from now on." 

She closes her eyes going to sleep. She's always been lucky like that, she can go to sleep anywhere. The train starts up and begins to head down the mana feild tracks. The train system here is a bit simple, but at the same time complicated. 

A train is a large mechanized vehical powered by a mana engine. I don't know how mana engines work but from what I've heard the mana inside causes some type of force that causes something to move which causes something else to move which causes the train to move. A plus explanation skills. The tracks are made from wood and a special tree wood from Iron Pine trees. The Iron Pine wood is about seventy five percent the strength of iron and can be produced at a much more stable and larger rate than actual iron ore. The train tracks themselves are very limited in number. Only five city states have them availble. The tracks for Baseline start at the Baseline platform then make a large circle around the countryside before finally stopping back at Baseline.

We got this technology from the Gold Elfs when we first made contact as a symbol of peace. I think that was a hundred years ago now if I remember my history right. The forest screams by with giant trees blocking the intieror. I think that describes most of the forest around here.

I rest my grimoire on my lap and open it starting from where I left off.

[3 Hours Later]

I crack my neck a seriers of pops echoing into my ears. I've been hunched over for about three hours reading the grimoire. So far it's explained how the five basic mana types are used by beginners and how each one can be utilized for diffrent feilds of study. Thankfully their were some drawings to help visualize.

I continue reading. Its still on chapter one.

To summerize each feild of study can be accessed by all mana types, but certain ones are more favorable to specific mana. Now with chapter one out of the way this book will teach the reader what is most likley their first spell. This spell is non combatant and can be used without any affinity. This author suggest you be sitting down in ethier a bed or reclinerable chair before reading the next page. And to be excited.

My grip on the grimoire tightens. A little grin peaks the corners of my mouth. I make sure I'm seated firmly and grab the handle attachted to the side of my chair and recline as far as it will let me. Recliners work by a string system when the string is slack the recliner is straight up as you pull on a handle it tightens the string making the chair lean back. It really isn't a string more like a inch wide rope, but the image is clear. For a recliner to actually be brought into a house the rope must be fasined to the ground making it a costly indevor only the wealthy can afford. 

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The seat reclines only a few inches, but this will have to do.

Remembering what happend last time I use my feet to move my stuff, an assortment of wool bags tide together, out from underneath my seat out into the middle of the floor. Mentaly preparing myself I turn the page of the grimoire.

The first spell that shal be taught in this book seriers is the spell Light Finger. This spell forces mana into a chossen finger and creates an arua of light around it. Advancment of this spell can make both hands light up. 

Light Finger. ASDCCHJWQWERTYUIKJHGFDSZXCVBNMGFDSXCVBNKHGFDXCVBNMKJHGFDCVBNGFDCC.

My eyes are filled with blue, that goes right into my brain.

[In the engine room]

The train conductor peers over the engine doing a quick examination. Given the reasent advents from Strongwall he has every reason to be checking over the engine. This engine cannot malfunction not on this trip. 

After triple checking he goes to the train operator giving him his report. Both are wearing grey uniforms with a grey leather head peice that block their faces.

"Nothing amiss sir, as long as nothing catostrophic happens the engine will be completely fine." 

"Good," the operator says pearing out infront of him. A control panel filled with levers infront of him."Elf technology is reliable it won't break on us."

"Sir I'm not worried about the engine, I'm worried about what that messanger told us."

"Understood, I almost didn't restart the engine when I heard, but it hasn't been long enough for the surrounding area to be dangerous. And at the speed we are going anything that approaches will be splattered."

"Do you think the king will shut down the tracks when return?"

"Undoubtably, one it will be stupid to run a train through that mess, and second I'm sure as hell not going to be driving it. But speaking of Strongwall how in the hell did they mess up this bad? This is more than a few recruits getting drunk an entire legion wasn't doing their job. The pact should reprimand them."

"How though, they can't cut off trade?" The conductor ask leaning on the wall."And worse have happened in the past. Baseline was forced to pull everyone back into the city walls, and couldn't get out for weeks."

"I remeber hearing stories about that. I was living in Icelfrost at the time several people thought that Baseline had been gutted." The operator says lowering a few levers.

"Almost was. If rienforcments hadn't been sent Baseline would have fallen. Alot changed after that incedent, the school program got more rigourus and the walls were improved."

"Aye, if something is capable of breaking through that wall the whole pact would be in danger." The two go quite peering into the tracks ahead.

[Cobon]

Knowledge fills my brain. How mana can go up my arms to my fingers and produces light. How the light envlopes my fingers with very little control of my own. After several minutes the blue light stops filling my brain and I relax my back hitting the seat with a thud.

"Huh what the." Molly sits straight up looking around startled.

I don't respond emidaitly my mind a blur of instructions.

Spell Light Finger Learned.

Spell category added to stat screen.

Screens appear in my vision confusing my already bruised mind. They dissapear quick, not without allerting my sister however.

"What did you just do?" She ask leaning in close to me. Her eyes suspicious.

"Read a grimoire .... head hurts .... got a spell." I sputter out closing my eyes. The tension is slowly difussing, but not fast enough for my likeing.

"Well that would cause a headache, let me see the grimoire," she doesn't wait for my permission and just takes it flipping through the pages.

I open my eyes sitting straight up in my chair. Rubbing my face I look over to Molly.

"I didn't think that it would be that forceful." I tell her.

"Well you are magically getting knowledge shoved into your noggin I wouldn't think it would be gentle. You should be careful with how many spells you learn this way, some of my friends in Baseline are mages and they say that there is a limit to how many spells can be learned from grimoires." She closes the book and sits it on my bags.

"I wouldn't want to learn all my spells this way. It feels wrong." I shake my head getting rid of the last feelings of tension."But thats not important right now." I say the grin from before reappearing on my face.

"I just got a spell! I am defianatly going to try it," I move my arms to where they are facing ahead of me. Readying the spell.

"How about no," Molly the destroyer of fun and happiness grabs my hands and pulls them back to my chest."I'd rather not be blow up today."

"I ain't gonna blow stuff up honest," I beg,"It's just a light spell."

"Now you are defanatly not," She says enfasising the word defanatly."The strongest mage in the mages program is a light mage."

"Really what does she do-" PFFFSCREEEEEEECHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The train jerks foward sending me and Molly flying to the ground. Then I'm turned upside down floating in midair. I look at Molly her eyes meet mine as we both slam into the side of the train cart.