"Mana is the source of all existence. Even in places where the connection to mana is tenuous, it still exists. Life creates it, makes it grow. It surrounds us, binds us. You must feel mana flowing around you. Between you, me, the trees, the rocks, even between the land, and the ships on the sea."

'Why does that sound so familiar?' Richard thought as he listened to the aged Elf in front of him. He had thinning hair, a long silver beard, and even wrinkles around his eyes. Richard wasn't sure if the Elves of this world were as long-lived as the ones in most fantasy worlds from Earth, but if they were, this Elf must be considerably old.

"Normally, a new mage can cause more harm to themselves than anything else due to their limited mana. You are like a storm on the ocean, and everyone around you is in a rowboat. You must find your center before you accidentally drown all those near you. That is why we cannot allow you to leave yet."

Richard nodded. "Ok, that makes sense. But, you know, you could have just explained that to me instead of LOCKING ME UP FOR THREE DAYS!" Richard shouted that last part, jumping up from the Gnome-sized couch that had been his bed for the past 72 hours.

After discovering his abilities the desk Gnome, he refused to think of any other name for her, ran into the back of the building. She had been gone for only a couple of minutes before two Elves in flowing black robes had followed her back out. They had ignored Richard when he tried to get any explanations out of them, instead, focusing on his guild crystal display. The next thing Richard knew, he had a pair of manacles covered in yet more runes and glyphs clamped around his wrists and had been unceremoniously shoved into a small room. A magical barrier had kept him from exiting the only door to the room, whose only contents were the couch, a table, and a small bookcase that housed a couple of this world's equivalent of Harlequin romances.

"A decision had to be made about how to deal with the situation." The Elf told him matter-of-factly.

"I'm surprised you didn't just go straight to killing me with the way humans are treated." This journey was in no way going the way he had hoped.

"That was the most popular consensus." Richard stared at the Elf as he said this. "But in the end, I was able to convince them that it would be a waste to so casually toss aside an unlimited font of mana. Even if it did come in the shape of a human."

"Gee, thanks." Richard couldn't keep the venomous tone out of his voice.

"You would have preferred death?" The Elf asked, looking at him calmly.

"Of course not. But that doesn't mean I enjoy the thought of being used as a tool either!" Richard was normally a fairly level-headed person. Sure in his youth he had been quite hot-headed, but it had cooled as he aged. However, with the way things had been, that hot-headed youth was starting to make an appearance again.

The Elfs eyes took on a dangerous glint. "You would do well to calm yourself. I managed to convince them to allow me to teach you to control your powers. But if you become hostile or prove yourself untrustworthy that decision can be reversed."

Richard sat back on the couch sullenly. "Fine. It's not like I really have a choice do I?"

The Elfs expression softened. "I understand it may not be the most desirable of circumstances. However, it is better than the alternative. And being my pupil is not the worst thing in the world. So long as you are in my care you will have a place to stay and your basic needs will be met. A much better deal than you would get as just another faceless, low-ranking member of the Explorers."

'But that's kind of what I wanted.' Richard thought to himself. 'Well, at least he's offering to teach me magic. I won't have to try to figure it out on my own.' He sighed and looked at the Elf. "So what next?"

Smiling the Elf tapped a few of the Glyphs and the manacles fell off. "Next we give Daphimila her breakroom back." Great, now he had a name for desk Gnome...

On their way out the Elf stopped and pointed into the corner of the room where Richard had torn a small shrubbery from its glazed pot. "May I ask what it was you were attempting with that?" He gave Richard a curious look, obviously unable to figure out what escape plan could use a Shrub.

Richard shrugged before answering. "Do you see any toilets in here?"

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Richard sat at the table in a private library surrounded by books and papers. 'I traded one life behind a desk for another.' Richard had expected to need to learn magic by actually doing magic. Turns out Yelxidor Gembells idea of learning was more akin to Richards's days in college. Lectures, notes, hours of reading books, and writing about what he had learned so that Yelxidor could tell him how wrong he was.

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It had been two weeks since he had taken Yelxidors offer to become his pupil and Richard didn't feel like he was any closer to casting his first spell than he was when he first landed on the hillside outside of town. Yelxidor was teaching him how to sense mana both in and around himself. But he hadn't quite gotten that down so far. Other than that he had been learning magic theory, the basics of how magic worked in this world. He thought he understood some of it, but it was overly wordy and felt like it was specifically written to be confusing. If his knowledge of his world's history was anything to go by he would bet money that the reason it was written this way was to keep the knowledge secret more than anything to do with it actually being this complicated.

A small chime went off and Yelxidor came in through the double doors that lead to the rest of his apartments. Today his red robes were trimmed in black with gold scrollwork up the hems and arms. "Looking fancy today Yelx. Is it a special occasion?" Richard asked, feeling a little underdressed in an unlaced white linen top, with brown linen pants over stockinged feet. No shoes. He hated shoes. At least when he wasn't on a cross-country trek.

"You know very well that I do not appreciate you shortening my name like that." Yelxidor replied bustling about the library, straightening imperfections only he could see. So far he had been as good as his word. He didn't treat Richard like most of the people he had met in the town. Not that he wasn't strict or brusque. But that was just his personality. Not anything directed specifically at Richard. "But, yes it is. I came to tell you that you would have no lessons this evening."

Richard perked up. A free night? That could be fun. "Any particular reason?"

Yelxidor was now returning the books that Richard had been studying. "Though it has fallen out of fashion, today is an old Elven holiday. With your entrance into the city and being placed into my care, it almost slipped my mind."

"That's pretty cool. What's the holiday?" Richard asked genuinely interested. Yelxidor was starting to get used to Richards Earth slang. Some of it anyway. He thought Richard had been insulting him the first time he said how cool his fire summoning was. Richard had gotten a thirty-minute lecture on disrespecting his teacher before the miscommunication was straightened out.

"Night of the fey. Not its traditional name mind you, but as close as can be translated into the common vernacular. It is a night where we pay tribute to our ancestors." He stopped straightening and smiled as his eyes were unfocused, seeing the past. "When I was young we would stay up late into the night telling stories and singing songs of the great Elves that came before us. We would eat, drink, and say prayers to those who built the society that we lived in."

He shook his head slightly coming back to the present. "But that's all considered ridiculous now. Ancient traditions that have no place in a modern society. I am likely the last around who still celebrates it."

"You don't have to be." Richard had spoken before he had thought. Yelxidor gave him a puzzled look. "What I mean is; I'd love to hear some of those stories and songs."

Yelxidor gave a harsh laugh. "You want to spend the night listening to an old Elf tell stories of even older Elves?"

"Sure."

"And just why would you want that?"

Richard thought before answering, "I don't really know how to explain it well. But I think it would be interesting and educational, hearing the histories of your people, seeing the ways you honor them. I would be very grateful if you allowed me to join you."

Yelxidor looked at Richard for a long moment. "You surprise me, Richard. I am an old man and not surprised easily. You remind me of humans as they were long ago."

Richard filed that statement away, intending to follow up on it later. "If you truly wish to join me, you may. I will be in the dining hall at sundown." With that Yelxidor left. As the doors closed behind him, Richard felt a bubbling sensation in his chest and heard a small ding in his ears. He noticed his Guild Crystal giving a slight glow and pulled up his information. He was presented with a new screen and couldn't help but smile and what he read.

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New skill learned! Diplomacy. You've become better at dealing with people during sensitive situations.

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