I just had a dream. A really weird dream, but a dream nonetheless, about me being in another world.

I woke up in a forest and saw a city nearby. While I was walking over to the city, I was attacked by a wild beast. I managed to evade the beast long enough for my Savior to come and save me. But in those last moments, I had used magic, and it had tired me so much that I fell unconscious. It really was awesome using.

I wish that was real. How cool would it be to actually use magic!

“Dunk, Dunk, Dunk”

A dunking sound in the back of my head quickly made me release that I had a massively huge freaking headache. So huge in fact that I could figuratively hear the dunking sound of a frying pan hitting me in the back of my head. No, this time frying pans were not going to cut it. I could figuratively hear the dunking sound of a sledgehammer hitting me in the back of my head.

Why do I have this massive headache! Did I get drunk? How many shots did I take? Wait, no that isn't something I would do. How many flasks did I drink? Wait, who am I even asking these questions? I'm just thinking stuff.

The bed I was sleeping on wasn't what I was used to. The bed I usually sleep on is big and wide, while this one I big and narrow. I could not even roll around without falling off.

“Sir, are you awake?”, an unknown female voice asked. It seemed I was not alone.

I opened my eyes and looked around. It seemed I was in some sort of a hospital. There were a couple of beds on the side of mine, with small curtains to serve some sort of privacy. There were a couple of shelves, to the side of the wall, with small vials with labels I could not read from afar. The house I was in seemed to be made of a combination of stone and wood masterfully put together. This was not something you would ever see.

“Sir, are you even listening to me?”, the unknown lady asked again. It seemed she wanted my attention for something. It looked like she was some kind of nurse here?

“Yes, what is it?”, I asked her, with the best smile I could muster. I had to make some kind of a good first impression.

She seemingly ignored my perfect smile and goes through her list of questions.

“Are you okay? Do you feel pain anywhere? Do you have anybody in town who should know you are here? Are you in good enough condition to be able to leave within ten minutes?”

“Yes, I am okay, no I do not feel pain right now, no I do not have anybody in town who should know that I am are here, Yes I do certainly hope so.”

Much to my relief, She seemed to accept my answers.

“Okay, good. But, I've got a question to ask real quick. How did you end up fending off a wolf in the middle of the night? You should be lucky that one of the hunters found you before it was too late.”

Oh crap, that was real. Wait, that means I have magic!

“I got really unlucky, but that's a story for another time, but just so you know, it includes a lot of alcohol, a Mexican mariachi band, 100 grams of LCD, and of course the wolf.”

She seemed to just stare at me for a few seconds, and then just shrugged, mentally deciding that it was the crazy talk of a strange man.

“With you being alright, you can just leave when you want, though, you should know that staying here when you aren't sick is going to cost you money. Hope you have a safe trip.”, she said, and with that bounded away to another patient.

I got out of the bed, found the exit, and walked outside.

It was a sunny and warm day. I liked it.

Okay, what to do? I need somewhere to live, find stuff out about my magic, and find the hunter to say thank you. Okay, what of those three things are the most important? MAGIC HERE WE GO.

But where would I find out stuff about my magic? Maybe the local mage, if they have one. I should just go over to somebody, and ask them. I saw a woman in her thirties go past me and I decided to take my chance.

“Excuse me, madam. May I ask you a question?” I asked the woman while trying to do my best trademark smile.

“No, fuck off, and get away from me, you creep”, answered the woman, with visible disgust on her face, from seeing my creepy, smiling face.

“Oh, okay. Sorry for bothering you”, I said and quickly walked away.

Mental note: Don't ever smile in front of strangers.

I walk over to another person and ask for directions to the local mage without smiling. Surprisingly, there was one in town. I walked over to the local mage using the directions I was given.

The mages shop was surprisingly close. Less than a five-minute walk, and it would have been less if there weren't so many people. This city was really crowded in the middle of the day. I hoped it would die out later in the day.

I looked up at the sign, to see what the shop was called.

Glautru's magical goods and services

It was a rather long name, but I paid it no heed.

Having read the name, I walked inside the establishment.

The mages building was quite small. It had at most 3 medium-sized rooms, and one of them was used for the shop itself. The other two were probably storage and bedroom. The only person in the shopping area was me, and I could not see the supposed mage anywhere.

“Hello, Is anybody there?”, I asked the empty room.

“Who is it?”, I heard a male voice shout from the other room. That was probably the mage.

“Just a customer who wants to ask a few questions!”, I shouted into the other room. Wonder how he looks like.

The mage walked into the shop with a spring to his step. He probably does not get a lot of visitors

The mage was a small man. Probably only 1,6 meters in total. He almost had completely gray hair with just the tips still being black.

“What do you want to ask questions about?”, asked the old man.

“About magic”, I answered the old man.

The mage looked a little confused from my answer. He looked at me for a few seconds before realization finally grew on his face.

“Ah, yes. I'm guessing you are a newly awakened mage?”, the old man asked.

I nodded.

“Good. My name is Glautru, The Seer. Do you know what a seer is?”, the old man asked.

I shook my head.

He sat down at a table, and motion for me to do the same.

When I sit down in a chair, he begins explaining.

“Okay, How about I just explain how magic works. Every mage has something called their Talent. My talent is Seer. It makes it possible for me to see things nobody else can see. Some seers are known to see all, but not all can do that for one reason. Mana. Mana is what mages use to channel their magic.

There is a talent for mana, and not everyone has equal talent for it. Everyone starts out with almost equal mana reserves, but one with greater mana talent can get bigger mana reserves faster than one with bad mana talent. I have lower than average mana talent, so I don't have big mana reserves, meaning I can only cast some basic seer magic. One of those seer magics is seeing other peoples magic talent and mana talent.

Now, come closer, and let me use magic on you.”

I stood up, and walked over to him. He stared at me as his eyes became brighter and brighter with a silver hue. They finally stopped glowing after 30 seconds, and the mage was panting.

“It seems you have a dual affinity”, He said, with slightly widened eyes. “Shapeshifting and Primal magic.”

“I'm guessing you want to know what it is?”

I nod with excitement.

“Okay, let's start with Shapeshifting.

Shapeshifting is the ability of a mage to completely transform its physical form or shape. This is of course achieved through the use of channeling magic in his or her body.

The art of shapeshifting is very delicate. You are shifting, in most cases, your entire body, and one simple mistake can make a world of difference. You could make it so you would always feel pain, or you could lose all your senses.

A master of shapeshifting can be forever young if they so wish, and if you ever get to that stage of mastery just know that, if done right, you can, within limitations, use your powers on other people.

The problem with shapeshifting is that you have to use a lot of mana while shapeshifting. You will have to wait for your mana reserves to get bigger before you start to practice it.

Now let's get to Primal magic.

Magic is the lifeblood of many worlds. Yet in its raw form, magic is not an ordered force—it is the all-encompassing chaos of possibility. The same energies that can be shaped to create explosive fireballs, raise the dead, see the future, heal the sick, and summon demons can do that and more without the direction of skilled Spellcasters. Normally, this unfocused magical potential does not exist in reality; it lies beyond reality, where it waits to be tapped. Where exactly magic comes from remains a lively debate today, but when that magic is unleashed without any attempt to focus it—when it leaks into the world in its raw form—the result is known as primal magic. That's where you come in, Of all mages in the world, only one out of a hundred thousand even has a chance to have a talent for primal magic. The potential of primal magic is near infinite, but it is also dangerous. One wrong step and anything could happen. LITERALLY, anything could happen. So be cautious with it, and don't take chances without studying it first. Remember, don't tell anyone about your talent with primal magic. Practice a certain aspect, and tell people, that's all you can do. I would recommend using the elements, and telling people you are an Elementalist."

"You got all that? ” The mage stopped explaining, and I had one more question to ask.

“Yes, but, what about my mana talent?”, I asked. If I had a bad mana talent, I would never get to practice shapeshifting.

“You are In luck. You have an excellent mana talent. Just remember to empty your mana reserves every day, and you will have enough mana to practice shapeshifting in no time.”, The old man answered.

“Okay, thanks. Final question. Do you know of a cheap place to stay? Like an Inn?”, I asked, hoping he was fine with answering one more question.

“Ah yes. Right down the road is an Inn. Just say you know me, and you can stay for free a couple of days. Darius, the owner, owes me a favor.” He answered.

I got a few books about shapeshifting, and primal magic for free from him. The mage was fine with as he already had several copies. He also gave me five silver, if the owner refused me entry

“Thanks for the help. See you later”, I said, and walked out the door, and headed towards the Inn.

From the outside, the Inn looks beautiful, rustic and cozy. Large stones and stone pillars make up most of the building's outer structure.

It's impossible to see through the large, curtained windows, but the liveliness from within can be felt outside.

I look up at the sign for the in, to see what it says.

The Eolian

What a strange name, I thought, as I walked inside.

As I enter the tavern through the hard wooden door, I'm welcomed by overall happiness and aromas of roasted meats.

The bartender is engaged in a conversation, but still manages to welcome me with a friendly nod.

It's as lovely inside as it is on the outside. Squared, wooden beams support the upper floor and the Christmas-like lights attached to them. The walls are completely empty, besides the lighting, most likely because the drunks stumble against the walls too often and would knock off anything on the walls.

The tavern itself is packed full of people. Locals seem to be the primary clients here, which is a good sign. No angry tourist. Several long tables are occupied by, what looks like couples, lone travelers and anybody else who enjoys great company. The other, smaller tables are also occupied by people who are playing games and, judging by their laughter, are either telling jokes or great, perhaps embarrassing tales. Even most of the stools at the bar are occupied, though nobody seems to mind more company.

The signal the bartender and ask for a room. He takes out his hand to receive payment, but I mention Glautru, and he just laughs. He gives me my key, and I head straight to my room.

The room was not that luxurious. It had an average sized bed, a table with a candle, and a window.

I used all my magic by making seep out of the air. The surge of tiredness came again, but I could hold myself up for a few seconds before I fell on the bed.

I fell asleep without even looking at the books.

Maybe tomorrow, I thought, as I lost consciousness.