Healing is a complex area of study. For physical trauma, it is easiest if you use the soul as a guide. It is the simplest way of healing, but care must be administered as soon as possible, ideally within minutes. There are also long-term dangers to using this form of healing. Warped flesh, cancerous growths, and premature aging are chief among them. That does not even begin to mention the limits of such healing. - Royal College of Lucendia. Healer Colfin Asvel.

Darian ran a finger along the smooth flesh of the scar on his chest. The sensation was odd. The skin on his hands was still pink and raw from where they had caught fire. He let another hand go up to his nose, feeling how it turned sharply. More scars. It had been several days since the fire. At least my hands work.

He'd seen burn scars before and believed himself lucky. If not for Lys's healing, his hands might have turned into blistered mitts, completely unusable, or at the least, painful and inefficient. As it was now, it was looking like he might only have light scarring on his forearms. He marveled at the swift healing.

Magic. Over the days he'd spent recovering, he'd thought a lot about magic when he wasn't sleeping. He'd not seen any more strange wisps dancing through the air and only ever heard the faintest of notes. The first day, he'd been half convinced he was mad, hearing things that weren't there. There was also a strange tightness in his body. Like a string overly tightened on an instrument. He hoped it was similar to the scars on his arms and would lessen with time. Probably just another injury.

Still, the fact that he'd been able to injure himself magically perplexed him. He was a mage. The idea shook him. It was something he was still trying to process. "I didn't know what I expected, but I expected… something more."

The only differences he could see were the occasional distant note and the discomforting tightness that spread across his entire body. He'd expected something grand or… "dramatic." In the stories, mages had incredible strength and stamina, but he felt the opposite.

"I might still be recovering." Talking to himself was an old habit. A habit his cousin thought very strange.

He'd not left the house; this was his first time out of bed in over two days. Ava was probably the only reason he'd been getting fed. Darian hadn't seen or heard from his aunt. It was no surprise there, he thought bitterly.

What surprised him was that he hadn't seen his uncle either, and Ava kept refusing to answer any of his questions, telling him to 'focus on getting better.' It made him nervous.

A knock on the door broke Darian out of his thoughts.

"Darian, it's me," Ava said through the locked door. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Let me finish dressing." Darian moved on unsteady feet back to his bed, where his shirt and pants lay. As quickly as his weak body would let him, he slipped into the pants and pulled the shirt over his head. Taking a deep breath and doing his best to slip a serene smile on his face, he opened the door.

"You shouldn't be up," Ava had her hands on her hips, and her long brown hair fell freely down to her waist. She glared up at him, "You should be resting."

"I will go insane if I spend another minute in that bed. Besides, stretching my legs is just what I need."

Ava's glare faded as her eyebrows scrunched together, "The old man is here."

Darian's eyes widened, "Lys is here."

Ava nodded. Opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, then clamped it shut.

"What is it," asked Darian.

Her lower lip started to tremble.

Darian stepped close to her, trying to comfort her without coming into contact. "What's wrong, Ava?"

She looked up at him; her big brown eyes glistened. "It isn't fair… It was an accident. You stopped the fire. But you have to leave. It isn't fair." Darian stiffened as she latched onto him and pressed her face into his chest. He felt water wet his shirt. "They all say it's your fault. That you caused the fire and… and that it's your fault people got hurt and… and… it isn't fair!"

Ice entered Darian's veins. They were blaming him. "Who is saying it's my fault?" Ava just shook her head and started to cry harder. Setting his jaw and fighting his body, Darian gently wrapped his arms around Ava. "It's going to be okay."

Ava pushed herself away from him and wiped her eyes and nose. Sniffling, she said, "Preacher Ailis. He's been telling everyone it was your fault. That… that you're a monster and should be cast out. He said other things… I didn't understand them, but they scared father. And he says," she cut off choking back a sob. "Father says you have to leave. That you can't stay here."

Darian's heart broke to see his cousin so distraught. Ava had always been a light in the dark for him. Despite her mother's apathy and her father's attitude, she'd always been on his side. She'd always been fierce and unshamed in her love for him.

"I have to go away for a while, but it isn't because of the fire. I'm going to be a mage, Ava."

Darian winced as the distress in her eyes grew.

"But then you won't… you won't…" She wiped at her nose. "You won't be here."

Darian kneeled, offering a quiet smile, "I'll come to visit as often as possible, but I have to be trained. I could be dangerous to be around if I'm not trained. Besides, Lys is going to train me, and he's powerful. This might be the best thing for me." He hadn't considered it but realized it was true as he spoke. What would his neighbors do if pushed by a religious fanatic?

It hadn't been his fault. He had warned Merssing of the danger, but Merssing had ignored him and told him to get back to work. Maybe it was best that he leave before he was made to.

"I don't want you to go," Ava's voice broke him out of his thoughts, "besides it wasn't your fault. I heard Lord Blackwood say so."

"I won't be gone forever, Ava. Besides, think about it. I'll learn magic. I'll be a mage and practically be nobility. Besides, I'm sure I'll be able to come back and visit. Lys has to live somewhere nearby."

"Promise?"

Darian looked down at her; she was giving him puppy dog eyes. "I promise."

She nodded, stepping back from him and wiping her eyes.

"Darian," it was his uncle Cedric's voice, "get down here!"

Darian smiled at Ava before heading for the stairs, keeping one hand on the wall to steady his weak legs. He carefully descended the stairs and into the kitchen and dining room. His uncle sat at the table; Lys stood. Cedric looked down at his clasped hands, but he kept throwing glares at the old mage while Lys stood patiently as if he had all the time in the world.

"He's awake and can walk. He's recovered enough."

"What's going on," asked Darian.

"It's time for you to leave." His uncle's words shocked him. "You have no idea the trouble you've caused us, boy. Pack your things and go."

"Uncle, I don't—"

Cedric jumped to his feet, sending his chair shooting back into the wall, where it bounced to the floor. "Pack and leave!" His uncle was breathing heavily as he turned to Lys. "I've upheld my end of the bargain. We've cared for the boy long enough; now he goes with you." He turned back to Darian, "You are not welcome here. Go! Pack and leave."

"Uncle I—"

"Darian," Lys's smooth voice interrupted, "Time is pressing. Let us go collect your belongings and depart. Your uncle is under a lot of stress at our expense."

Darian felt numb as he turned around and went back up the stairs. Lys followed him closely. It was strange that the man dressed like anyone would. His clothes were slightly higher quality, but they were normal. Something about the way he moved set Darian's hair on end. Smooth steps like a silent predator. It felt like a spirit was on his heels, hovering over him.

He looked towards Ava's room. Thankfully, her door was shut. Darian hoped she hadn't heard what Cedric had said. He's never treated me that harshly before. He struggled to keep his shoulders square and fumbled with the latch on his door; his sensitive hands and weariness made it difficult.

It took him only a short time to pack his few possessions. Clothes, his mirror, and the mage lamp went into his only bag. With his knife and a small coin pouch on his belt, he turned to Lys and nodded. "That's it."

"Hand me your bag. You are still recovering, and we have walking to do."

Darian handed Lys the bag. His eyes shot open as it vanished from the mage's hand. "What did you do with my bag," demanded Darian. Other than what he was wearing, those were his only clothes, and the mage lamp was something he'd spent nearly a year saving for.

A light smile touched Lys's lips, and the bag reappeared in his hand. "It's far more convenient than having one of us carry it." He paused cocking his head, "Don't tell anyone I can do that. Many mages would kill to discover that particular secret, and I have no wish to draw that kind of attention to me or you." He straightened his face hardening, "Count this as your first lesson: Keep what I teach you to yourself. Knowledge is power, and people have done worse than kill to keep or gain it."

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Darian just nodded as the bag disappeared again.

"Good. I've already submitted your registration papers, so we are free to leave." Lys turned on his heels and moved out of the room. Darian watched him closely to see how he had attained that wraith-like quality. Darian couldn't see anything. He's walking normally. Yet even with his eyes directly on him, he gave off the air of a loaded crossbow, ready to spring into movement at the slightest need.

Darian kept his head down, trying to avoid his uncle's baleful gaze as he walked through the kitchen and out the front door. The quiet click as the door latch closed behind him had a deafening tone of finality, and as the gate latch closed behind them, he paused, looking back at the home. Something was bothering him.

Lys's voice intruding on Darian's thoughts made him jump. "That chapter of your life is over." He spoke softly, "Best to keep moving forward."

Darian turned from the building that had been his home for the last fourteen years and followed Lys down the street toward the northern gate.

It didn't take long before Darian was exhausted. Unfortunately, as he stumbled behind Lys, he wasn't tired enough not to notice the look on people's faces as they passed. Open disgust and rage painted their visages, and it was all directed at him. Darian's shoulders slumped, exhaustion and defeat weighing him down. I shouldn't have put the blazeleaf in the kilns. I told Merssing, and I did it anyway. If only he'd just gone to Brawn and told him. I could have gone to any of the foremen. Instead, he'd let Merssing browbeat him into compliance.

"Ignore them." Darian's attention went to Lys, "While you bear a small measure of blame, your superiors are ultimately responsible. Kiln drying that much kointh lumber was asking for trouble."

"It would have happened if I hadn't put the blazeleaf in the furnaces," asked Darian.

"Good chance it would have."

Darian looked around them, seeing hostility on any face that noticed him. "Then why do they blame me?"

"Preacher Ailis has done his rumor spreading well. The man is either a natural or very well practiced."

Darian ground his teeth in frustration, "that prick."

"Indeed."

The pair exited Mapleton, getting curious and wary looks from the guards as they did. It was past midday. Lys's home must be nearby. Still, Darian couldn't believe he lived outside the walls, and his trepidation only grew as Lys turned towards the Red Peak mountain range and continued walking.

Darian kept shooting glances back at Mapleton as they walked until, finally, it was out of sight, occluded by hills and trees. It was then that Lys stopped walking. "Hold a moment."

Darian sighed in relief. His body needed a break. He glanced around, looking for somewhere to sit, and his eyes fell upon a rock near the trail. He sat down.

"I would fly us, but flight spells are energy-intensive, so we'll have to settle for a slightly slower method of travel."

"Fly… Us?" Darian spoke slowly, trying to process what Lys had just said. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words died on his lips. Darian felt a tremble in the air, and the same distant notes he'd heard since the fire as a shining lattice of strange runes appeared before Lys. It was highly complex, like a tapestry woven by a master weaver. "What is that," Darian couldn't keep the awe from his voice.

"It's the spell construct for a travel disk. You wouldn't normally be able to see it, but I'm casting the spell in a way that you can." Darian looked in awe at the glowing web of runes. It was as large as Lys's chest and built of hundreds of interconnected runes.

The spell vanished, and in its place appeared a flat, opaque disk. It hovered several feet off the ground, four feet wide and eight feet long. Two low walls running parallel to each other looked like benches. If you flipped it over, it would make for an interesting table—one with really short legs.

Lys jumped onto the disk. Darian expected it to wobble, but it was as steady as any stone. "Get on. We'll talk as we go."

Cautiously, Darian boarded the strange disk. Reflectively, he grasped the bench as hard as possible, not trusting the magical object underneath him.

Lys nodded, and the second Darian was seated, the disk took off. Darian cursed as the disk rocketed off. Wind rushed through his hair, roaring in his ears and stinging his eyes. It got to the point where he had to twist his head away or keep his eyes shut. Suddenly, the roaring air stopped and became muffled. Darian looked around him; nothing had changed. They were still moving towards the mountains at blistering speed, but the rushing air had stopped.

"What happened?"

"A simple barrier to make your ride more enjoyable and to enable us to talk."

"Why didn't I feel that spell?"

"I wanted you to be able to hear, see, feel, maybe smell the travel disk spell, but you are such a new mage that for you to sense anything, it must be deliberate or powerful. That is why you felt nothing when I put up the barrier."

There was a slight pause as Darian processed what Lys had said. Then nodded. "I'm like a newborn; I'm still learning," said Darian.

"More like a zygote."

"I don't know what that is."

"It's one of the earliest stages of human development. Zygotes don't have any senses; they aren't conscious or capable of much except being nurtured and growing. You are a mage in the same sense that a zygote is a human. It will take time for you to develop."

"So I'm a child," asked Darian.

Lys smiled, "A very small, underdeveloped child. Yes."

Darian bristled, "I am not underdeveloped."

"You are not even a first-circle mage yet. By definition, you are underdeveloped." Lys chuckled, then turned serious. "You have questions. I will answer them to the best of my ability, but first, I must explain what your mother has gotten you into."

Darian swallowed and nodded.

"We're running on a limited timetable. My original plan was to train you for about a year and a half to two years before awakening your magic. What happened several days ago completely throws that out the window." The disk lurched, causing Darian to clutch at the bench he sat on. "Instead of about two years, you have six to eight months to learn a specific skill set. Your life depends on your ability to learn these skills."

Darian swallowed again; his throat had suddenly gone dry. "Are all mages like that?"

"No. It was a part of the bargain I made with your mother. She wanted you to be like me." There was a hint of trepidation in his words. "I have advantages that other mages could only dream of, but those advantages come with their own list of risks and downsides."

Does this mean he'll teach me to fight if my mother wanted me to be like him? Darian's interest was peaked. "What kind of advantages?"

"Control. If you succeed, you'll have a level of control that most mages would have to reach the late third circle to attain. Another is your magical senses, which will be similar."

"You keep mentioning circles. What are they?"

"There are five recognized categorizations for mages and a sixth unofficial one. You currently fall into the sixth."

"The newly… awakened is the term you used, right?"

"Correct," Lys said with a slight smile. "Technically, you are a first circle mage, but it's hard for me to call someone a mage unless they can cast spells, and it takes a year to two years for any newly awakened to develop enough to use magic properly."

Darian blinked in surprise and confusion. It would be over a year before he could use magic, "That doesn't make any sense. I put out the fire with magic."

"Smart observation. Awakenings are a unique situation. I will be honest: it isn't something I've ever studied, and those who have, have concluded it isn't simple magic at work. Notice that you didn't use a spell construct to extinguish the fire. It was all… instinctual. Brought on by a drive for survival. I have met only a single mage who could cast magic instinctually. No other has been able to replicate his abilities"

There was a pause as Darian considered, "What about the other circles? Are they just measurements of power?"

"They also include senses and control; most get caught up in the power side of the equation."

Darian wrinkled his brow in thought. "You said I have six to eight months; why such a short period?"

"I put a spell on you to slow your development. We have that long before you reach the point where the risk of the operation goes beyond what I am willing to stomach."

"It is dangerous?" Darian couldn't keep the fear from his voice.

"Yes."

"Do I have a choice?"

"You can work hard, survive, or slack and die." His deadpan look and flat tone sounded like a coffin lid slamming shut with Darian trapped inside.

They fell silent after that. Darian didn't want to ask any more questions. That's not true. You're just afraid to. Darian didn't speak up, instead turning to look out at the landscape as they sped across it. They had covered miles as he spoke to Lys. Rolling hills and spotted copse had turned into dense forest nestled among steep red cliffs, and still they traveled. Just how far from Mapleton are we?

They had to be further out than the lumber forts, which were situated at the edge of the great forests covering the red mountain ridges.

They traveled for another hour, their progress slowing as the terrain grew more treacherous until, eventually, two buildings came into view deep in the woods near the base of a massive stone cliff.

Both buildings were constructed of red stone and dark wood. They were surprisingly large, considering their remoteness. The disk slowed and stopped before the two-story house. The front door opened onto a large wooden porch.

"The second building is a greenhouse. The plants there are dangerous if they aren't fed or handled properly. Do not go in there without me."

Fed! If the plants aren't fed properly? Lys made it sound like they might eat him if he wasn't careful. Darian looked around cautiously as he stepped off the disk. "It can't be safe out here."

"The immediate area is quite safe. I have more wards in the square mile around my home than most mages know spells. Stay close to the house, and you'll be fine."

Darian paused on the porch, looking around. He was exhausted but felt a burning need to ask, "I have six months. What will I be learning?"

Lys nodded, "Physical fitness is one. You're in decent shape, but your body must be in top condition. The basics of reading, writing, and math. While not necessary for the operation, you'll have the time to learn their basics. And finally, a series of exercises to connect your link with ambient mana. For now, though, you need rest. It's early, but you are still recovering. We're lucky that your awakening was gentle. I've seen some that put new mages in bed for weeks."

Gentle! Darian's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. There hadn't been anything gentle about what had happened at the mill. It had felt like his insides had been torched repeatedly.

Lys opened the door and led him inside. Darian was surprised; he'd expected the interior to be something from a storybook, but it looked… completely bland. The stark look wasn't aided by the distinct lack of furniture. There was a kitchen that connected to a small dining room that had a table but no chairs. A small sitting room was situated next to it, and while there was a fireplace, there was nowhere to sit. No couch, no small tables, not even a rocking chair.

"Your room is upstairs." Darian followed Lys up the stairs. There were three doors, and Lys led him towards the one at the end of the hall. It opened as they approached, causing Darian to stumble in surprise.

The room was slightly larger than the one he'd had at his uncle's. A bed, a dresser, a tall standing mirror, and a large desk that took up most of one of the white plaster walls occupied the room. There was even a small bookcase filled with books.

Lys waved his hand over Darian's bed, and his small bag of belongings appeared, dropping onto it. "Unpack, then come down and get dinner. Rest after that." With that, Lys moved from the room the door softly closing behind him.

Darian unpacked, placing his few belongings on the desk instead of putting them away properly. He sat on the bed and was amazed at how soft it was. He sank into it, and it took all his self-control to stop himself from flopping down and closing his eyes.

Maybe for a minute? He shook himself. Food was necessary if he was going to recover.

It didn't take long before he returned to the soft bed with a full stomach. He barely managed to get his clothes off and didn't bother picking them off the floor before flopping onto the soft god-sent bed.

A last thought trailed through his mind before sleep claimed him. I didn't get to say goodbye to Mason…