The drizzle had stopped just after making the ground soft. Which made the journey on the cart easier.

raven, boar and i sat watching the forest slowly scroll past.

I sigh.

boar spoke, "If you didn't want to become a servant you didn't have to say yes."

"So i don't have to do it?" I asked hopefully.

"Never back out from your agreements." Boar said.

"The lady said that students don't get private servants." I pointed out.

"And it will cause her a mountain of problems." Boar defended. "Besides she has her reasons."

"What are they?" I demand.

"I won't tell you everything, because it's not my story to tell." Boar speaks, pauses, then speaks again: "sapphire doesn't see her daughter often, usually once a year. Rose's father has enough money and power to give Rose anything she wants. Sapphire has given her very little, she sees herself as a failure of a mother."

"Oh" Is all i can say.

"So rose asked for something ridiculous to see if her mother loved her?" Raven infers.

"No, it's more likely she acted spoiled." Says boar.

I sigh and we sit in silence.

I fell asleep on the way there, when i woke up i found myself in an inn. After breakfast we leave.

I stretch in the morning light. "What are we buying?" I ask.

Boar sighed. "A mask." We walk down the street to a large square filled with a dozen stalls, going round the edge until we come to a store with a giant hammer made entirely of metal leaning against the wall. We enter.

"Welcome to the hammer's mold." Said a man from behind a counter. "We can reshape almost any metal into almost any shape. What do you need?"

Boar speaks, "Mask, steel, light, durable."

The man speaks. "And for whom will the mask br made?"

Boar replies. "The kid."

"Do you need a plain mask or shaped mask?"

"Plain"

"Would you like it in any colour?"

"No."

"Does it need to cover the whole head or just the face?"

"Face."

"Got it." He dissapears through the back of the store.

"Do they always ask so many questions?" Raven questions.

"Yeah, you should always say little or else you'll be here all day." Boar answered.

"Why do i need a mask?" I ask.

"You'll wear the mask as Lore, the student and the warrior, you'll take it off as Myth the servant." Boar said.

"Sorry for the wait, i decided to increase the eye size, to allow for growth." The man returned with a dull grey mask. He hands it to me, with an expectant look on his face.

I put it on, it feels light. I shake my head, it stays firmly in place. I take it off.

"That will be half a peice of gold." The man says. Boar gives him a gold coin, the man returns five silver.

We left.

Following this:

Raven found a shoe store and bought shoes that made me look taller.

We arrived in front of a tall building shimmering in appearance, looming in height. Above the wide open doors were the words mage's guild. Boar seemed uncomfortable entering. But wentered anyway, i followed.

Raven whispered, "Why are we here?"

Boar spoke in a low voice, "Rose knows he can manipulate fire, but if he does it again she may realise it's his spirit."

I say, "So?"

"Two people rarely have the same spirit." Boar explains. He walks over to a counter and says, "Source awakening, fire."

The woman behind the counter says, "four silver." Boar hands over the coins. "This way please." She leads us to down a flight of stairs to a empty room with a large magic circle glowing softly. "Please step inside."

I step inside the circle, the woman hands me a red stone.

"Remember just because a person has aptitude for a certain element doesn't mean they have a source. If you do have one do not be dissapointed by it's small size, as they can easily grow. If you wish, source stones are available for sale. You may feel tired after doing this, but don't worry this is normal. Please crush the stone when you are ready."

I look at the inanimate stone and crush it. It turns to powder in my hand. As if picked up by the wind it dissipates. Slowly a tiny droplet of blood red flame drips out of my hand and floats up. Followed by another and another, floating weightlessly in the air, with each drop i feel more tired, my eyes grow heavier, i try and will the flames back, they flow together forming a large ball of fire. My entire body is becoming heavier. I attempt to absorb the flames, it hurts, like my soul is slowly exploding, but i feel less tired, i continue, the ball gets smaller and smaller, and dissapears.

I breath heavily. I feel so tired. I close my eyes. And sleep.