Richard was sore all over. He quietly thanked Grogg for what training he had managed to provide him, or Nuvirlums newest training course would have killed him. Richard had never thought of himself as a weakling. He just didn't over-exert himself when he did do a little exercise. Right now though, there were muscles he had no name for that were screaming at him for waking them up from their lifelong nap. He gasped gently for air, doing his best not to look like a fish doing the same. But he must have looked worse than he thought.

"Och, it wasn't that bloody bad, lad. Get yourself together." Nuvirlum wasn't even sweating after their two-hour-long workout. "You'll get bloody used to it. This is what we'll be doing every bloody day until I feel you're ready to bloody move on." Richard moaned, thinking about doing this every day going forward. Nuvirlum just laughed. "Be bloody glad I'm not making you go through a full Dwarven training session. None of this bloody shale-weak two-hour session fluff. We train ten hours out of the day." He thumped his chest, making a sound like someone had hit a stone slab.

"Go on then, lad. Hit the bloody steam room and get yourself cleaned up. I'll see you back here tomorrow." The Dwarf patted Richards upper arm, the highest point of Richard Nuvirlum was capable of reaching, and headed for the front door.

Richard gathered his bag and cloak, but instead of heading to the steam room, he turned and followed Nuvirlum out the front door. The Dwarf was nowhere to be seen, as Richard enjoyed the burst of cold air on his hot, sweaty skin. He much preferred to deal with the sweat and dirt for a short period and bathe in the privacy of the apprentice washrooms rather than in the communal steam room the Gym offered.

His cloak billowing behind him, he traveled back the way he had come. On his journey to or from Yelxidors apartments, he would pass by any number of shops and street vendors. Sometimes he would stop for a snack from one of the vendors but today he had a different idea in mind. Shrugging his shoulder to try and work some of the feelings back into his arms, he made his way through the center portion of town until he found what he was looking for. A small bell chimed as he entered the apothecary.

"Be with you in a minute!" A calm, motherly voice called out from behind a curtain. "Feel free to look around."

Richard did just that. According to the books he had studied, the way to make potions stronger was to infuse more mana into them. He had double-checked with Yelxidor, to make sure he wasn't missing anything, and his master had confirmed that he was correct. After the talk they had about the dangers of dumping loads of mana into spells to make them stronger, Richard couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated that one of his next studies did exactly that. Yelxidor pointed out that even though he'd be infusing potions with more mana, it wasn't nearly as much mana as he had been using to create his modified spell. It did, however, open an opportunity to him. Thanks to Tied to Infinity, he didn't have to wait to brew high-level potions, and he intended to take full advantage of that.

Richard looked over all the bins of supplies the apothecary had set out, actually recognizing a few after his studies. What he was really here for was to see the potions available. Those were back towards the curtain inside of a locked glass case. Bottles and vials of liquids set alongside salves and tinctures, each one a different color or size than the other. Richard took a small notebook and pen out of his bag and wrote down all the information he was there to gather.

Just as he finished writing in his notebook, a large matronly-looking goat lady came from the back of the store. She had rough-looking white fur with small horns protruding from the top of her head just over her large red eyes. She wore a large, bluish tabard with some symbol he didn't recognize. It reminded him of the tabards the local clergy wore, so maybe she was part of the Church. She eyed him, not quite in disgust, just hesitantly.

"Can I help you with anything, my child?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

Richard smiled at the goat towering above him. "Good afternoon, ma'am. I was hoping to buy some potioneering supplies."

"You wish to purchase supplies to brew potions?" She asked dubiously.

Richard nodded. "Yes, please." He flipped to a different page in his notebook, where he listed off the ingredients and supplies he wanted to purchase. Coming further into the room, the goat lady helped Richard locate all the ingredients he had listed. Then they had a short discussion about the type of brewing supplies she had available. In the end, he picked a new set of cast iron brewing supplies and enough ingredients to create a dozen health potions so long as he didn't screw anything up. He handed over the coin the goat lady asked him for and put all the other items in the cauldron to carry.

"Thank you, my child." She pocketed the coin and bowed slightly to him. "May you always be filled with determination."

Richard bowed back, thanking her before returning to the darkening streets. No longer overheating from his gym session, he pulled his cloak tight again and started back towards home. Less than two streets later, he realized he had a problem. The cast iron dragged on his already aching muscles. Setting everything down in front of another shop, he worked his shoulder again, trying to get some feeling back in it. He groaned, thinking about how much further he had to go. Thinking it over, he decided to invest some of his precious stat points he had been saving since his adventure. Throwing ten points into strength, he felt a surge of energy through him. His pain from the exercises didn't get any better, but he suddenly felt like he could sprint the full distance to Ott. Picking the cauldron back, up it didn't drag on him at all, and he wound his way through the streets, thinking about how he might go about earning a few more stat points.

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Richard sat in the small room Yelxidor had given him the new supplies set up next to him. He was in a fresh set of robes after his bath and felt much more relaxed after a good hot soak. He was going over all his notes about health potions. Health really wasn't a difficult potion to brew. Still, he wanted to be as familiar with it as he could be before he decided to brew any of them. He studied his notes for about thirty minutes, working out whatever might go wrong.

Thinking over his plan, Richard couldn't help but think back to his experience with the Wyverns. He had been trying to find the right time to speak with Yelxidor about his concerns with his skill. Now seemed as good of a time as any. Closing his books he left his room and went to the library in search of Yelxidor. He found the old Elf sitting in his favorite oversized armchair, reading a thick book. He looked up as Richard approached.

"Good afternoon Richard. Tired of studying in your room?" He asked as he marked his place in his book with a finger.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something." Richard sat in a chair across from Yelxidor.

"Of course. I cannot promise I have the answers you are searching for, but I will always listen." He said, adjusting himself in his own chair.

Richard didn't say anything for a moment attempting to gather his thoughts. Finally, everything he had been thinking just came tumbling out. "So when I was on that job and taking on those Wyverns, I realized just how overpowered I could be. Like, I always had that thought in the back of my head, but it wasn't until I just wiped out a herd of dinosaurs in less than a couple of minutes that it really settled in. I felt so bad. Like, they basically didn't have a chance. I mean yeah, the one almost got me, but if I had been more prepared, it wouldn't have even gotten a chance." He looked over at Yelxidor, who had an unreadable look on his face. "Right?"

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Shaking his head slightly, the Elf moved his book to the table next to him. "I am afraid I am unsure of what you are asking, my boy."

"Is it right of me to use my full power against others?"

This time the elderly mage looked confused. "Whyever would it not be?"

"Well... I dunno, really. It just doesn't seem fair, I guess. And I know not everything is fair. It just feels... cheaty."

Yelxidor nodded. "Ahhh, I do understand what you are saying, Richard." His blue eyes stared into the distance for a moment. "No. It is not in any way 'cheaty'. We are all born or gifted with different abilities. Yours is no different." Richard had thought hearing those words from his master would make him feel better, but it didn't. Yelxidor sighed wearily. "I see this weighs heavy on your mind. It is a good thing to worry about even your adversaries. However, you cannot allow that worry to consume you. Others will not have that worry and will not hesitate to take any advantage they have."

"I know." Richard said deflatedly, sitting forward and clasping his hands. "I just-sonofabitch!" Pain blossomed throughout his face as a small book flew into the bridge of his nose. Yelxidore still sat across from him, but he could feel the mana his teacher used to fling the book at him. "What the Hell, Yelxidor?!" Richard yelled.

"Did your cheaty advantage stop me from using my skills to injure you?" Yelxidor asked calmly. "True, now you could burn me to cinders with that unique skill you have. Of course, all my knowledge and experience would probably allow me to find ways around whatever you could do." He continued in a conversational tone.

"Fine! I get it!" Rubbing his nose, Richard came away with a small amount of blood. He cast a low-level heal wiping the blood away. "Jesus, blame a guy for having a moral dilemma."

Yelxidor chuckled. "Forgive an old Elf for cheating his way through this discussion. I have been where you are and have assisted many apprentices through similar issues. After so many, I find it is simpler to show rather than tell."

Richard kept rubbing his nose, even though the pain was gone. "Next time, could you maybe, show without hurting me?"

Yelxidor took a drink from a large mug Richard hadn't noticed before. "I will try, my boy. I cannot make a promise, though."

Richard sighed and sat back in the chair. "Thank you, Yelxidor. I wish I could say I feel better about it, but I don't. I do understand, though."

"And thus you learn one of lifes many lessons." Yelxidor nodded sagely.

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Richard was in the courtyard practicing his water alteration spell. He was trying to summon it as ice and thought maybe if he was surrounded by snow then maybe that would help. Whether it was the presence of snow or he just finally managed to do it correctly, his water element spell formed ice for the first time. A small, irregularly shaped lump of ice sat hovered before him. He lost track of time as he practiced again and again. By the time he was done with his morning training, he could not only alter the spell every time he tried but even managed to make progress on shaping the ice he created. The more he practiced the more control he would have over the shapes and other modifications he would be able to make, eventually making a blizzard in the middle of the desert if he so chose. He thought back to the Elf who had iced the street when he first got to town, wondering how long it would take him to learn that kind of manipulation. He had four lumps of various shapes dancing around him as he celebrated his accomplishment when he turned and saw Yelxidor and Nuvirlum standing in the doorway.

"Uh, hi." He said sheepishly, letting the lumps fall to the ground. Nuvirlum burst out laughing, holding himself up on the wall next to the door.

"That was an interesting dance you were doing." Yelxidor said, attempting to hide a smile. "And what that song you were singing?" Richard mumbled an answer shoving his hands in his pockets. "Beg your pardon, dear boy. I must be losing my hearing in my advanced age." Yelxidor twisted his finger in his ear, knowing full well he could hear Richard fine.

"Snow Misers song." Richard said louder this time.

"That was the single funniest bloody thing I've ever seen in my bloody life!" Nuvirlum started imitating the dance Richard had been performing.

"Ha-ha." Richard scooped up a handful of snow and threw it at Nuvirlum. The Dwarf just dodged and kept laughing.

"Alright now. Let us all calm down now." Yelxidor said with a smile on his face. "We all celebrate in our own ways. There is nothing wrong with enjoying our victories."

"Aye! But we don't all have a bloody song and dance number to go with our victories." Nivurlum roared with laughter again.

Richard sighed and let the Dwarf laugh himself out.

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Richard was leaving the Gym again, still feeling like he'd been beaten rather than just exercised. It had been a later training session today and being so late in the season, the sun was already very low on the horizon. Lamps were lit, casting flickering shadows everywhere. He was making his way through an area of the city that held many crowded taverns. This close to so many smithies, lumbermills, and other industry-related businesses, it was a popular place for the workmen to visit after the day was done. It was a noisier part of the city and as such Richard almost missed a scream that was cut short, coming from the alley he was passing.

Turning to look down the alley, Richard was just able to make out what looked like someone being pulled deeper into the shadows around a corner of the building. Looking around, he didn't see any of the city guards. Not wanting to risk letting whoever it was get hurt while he looked for the guards, he quickly made his way down the alley. Approaching the corner where he had seen the person disappear, he quietly pressed himself up against the wall of the building. Listening closely, he could hear several people further down from the corner.

"Scream again, and I'll cut your tongue out." A male voice said.

"Please, I-" A female voice sobbed before the sound of a slap cut her off. The sounds of two men laughing cut through the night.

Peeking around the corner there was just enough light spilling from a third-floor window further down the alley for Richard to make out three Human males surrounding an Elven woman kneeling in the muck behind the tavern. The biggest man was holding a short knife to the Elfs throat and leering down at her. The other two seemed to be keeping watch, though they cast lustful glances at the woman from time to time as well. All three of them had the unsteady stances of men full of alcohol.

The big man started to talk again. "Now you got two choices, little miss. You can remove that pretty dress yourself." He ran the knife lightly across her skin. "Or I can." The poor girl started sobbing even harder.

Richard was furious. He stepped around the corner, and one of the two lookouts shouted. The big man turned and, upon seeing Richard, he grabbed a fistful of the girls hair, lifting her in front of him with his knife pressed even more firmly against her neck.

"Look, mate, this one's ours. No stealsies." A grin broke out across his face. "Of course, if you're not that particular, you can wait till we've had our fun, and then you can have her." He broke out laughing.

Richard lashed out with kinetic magic and slammed both the watchers into the walls lining the alley. Their skulls bounced off the bricks, making a cracking sound and slumping to the ground, unconscious. The first man looked around, trying to figure out where the attack had come from. In his drunken stumbling, he sliced into the Elfs neck, causing blood to start pouring down her front. Swearing, the man forcibly tossed the girl down in front of him and started to run away from Richard and the girl.

Richard didn't want to let the guy get away and prey on someone else, but the girl was now bleeding badly. With a quick yank on the mans feet using Kinetic magic, he flew forward, landing hard on his chin. Sliding several feet through the muck, the man groaned in pain but didn't get back up. He approached the girl attempting to look nonthreatening. Her eyes were wide had a look of terror on her face as he kneeled next to her. Richard held up his hands, showing them to be empty.

"It's ok." He said gently. "I'm not like them. I'm here to help." He could see she didn't believe him as she tried weakly to push herself further away from him. "Here, look." He gently moved the womans hand so he could see the cut on her throat. It was much deeper than he had thought, and with as much blood as there was, he was worried it might have hit an artery. Working quickly, he cast a healing spell over her, his healing magic was still not the most powerful, but it sealed the wound up quickly enough. The womans face gained some level of color back as her blood started reaching its destination again, and her breathing steadied.

Smiling, Richard held out his hand. "See, I'm not going to hurt you-"

The woman screamed again, scratching the back of Richards hand with her nails as she batted him away. "Don't touch me!" Her face was now a mixture of hate and disgust. "Filthy humans!" She spat in Richards face as she struggled to her feet. "You should all be fed to the beasts under the Gray!" With that, she fled down the alley, leaving a stunned, numb Richard kneeling in the muck.