I spent all night trying to figure out how I could convince my mother

to let me go train. I knew the conversation wouldn’t be any easy one

,but I couldn't just leave my mother without talking to her.

I woke up early the next morning. Using a flint, I started a

fire in the hearth and began cooking some rice porridge. While it was

cooking, I swept out the living room, making sure the house was as tidy

as possible.

I didn’t hear my mother enter the room and she startled me. “Ok, what do you want?”

I threw my hands up in mock outrage. “What, can’t I be a good son and make breakfast for you?”

She rolled her eyes. “Aww, you are not the least bit subtle, now

what is it?” She went to check on the rice porridge and continued. “Was

it another fight, you didn’t break anything?”

I shook my head. “No I didn’t break anything.” I looked down at the ground and paused. “But I was wondering…”

“Ah ha I thought so.” She replied.

I steeled my resolve. “I was wondering if I could leave the village to train for half a year.”

My mother stopped what she was doing and walked over to me. “Now what makes you think I would ever agree to that.”

I balled my fist, a bitter taste took root on my tongue and my

heart pounded. “ I... I need to get stronger, I need to find a way to

stand on my own and I need to do it quickly.” I took a deep breath and

slowed down. “Tora said I might have a chance to enter school, but I

can’t do that as I am now.”

She made eye contact with me, I

could see them misting. “You don’t have to be strong, you don’t have to

go anywhere.” She pulled me into a tight embrace. “You can just stay

here in this village, you could be happy here.”

I let her hold

me for a little while, but I wanted to be taken seriously. I tried to

break away, each attempt using more strength, but I could not break free

from her hug. My frustration was mounting and I somehow activated the

white glow. The added boost still wasn't enough, all it did was alert my

mother I was trying to break free.

She let go and stopped sobbing. “You almost broke free there.”

Her eyes were wide.

My mother was not a very strong mage but she

had always towered over my physical power because of my lack of

element. I knew I had her full attention now.

“ I can’t tell you how ,but I have a way to get stronger so I can stand

on my own. It something I have to do.”

The silence felt

palpable, like an oppressive gulf between us. I could see her running

through things in her mind. Her face morphing from surprise to concern.

“ You…” She stopped her voice quivering. “ You promise you will be

safe.”

I nodded, trying to hide just how much this training terrified me.

“Well

at least you let me know you were leaving, already better than your

father.” She let out an awkward laugh but the tension remained. “ Go

talk to Tora and come home for dinner, you can leave tomorrow.”

I felt a pain in my chest. I knew it must feel like I was

abandoning her. It must seem like this life with her wasn’t good enough,

but I had to do this.

After breakfast I went to find Tora. I would have to tell him I would be

gone and I hoped to get more information from him. Why did he think I

would be able to join school ,and why did he send Skerk and Erda to tell

me.

I found Tora in the village center, as usual he had a mountain of paperwork at his desk.

I approached slowly. “Elder, there is something I need to ask you?”

Tora jumped up from his desk. “Oh Jeru, yes yes, come take a walk with me.”

I followed him out of the office trying to get a read on the situation.

He stopped for a moment. “Now Jeru, I am sorry about that little

scuffle earlier, that was not what I intended.” Tora never broke eye

contact with me.

I wondered if he was being genuine or if he sent them to test me.

“Elder, why did you send them, why do you think I can enroll in school or be conscripted?”

Tora

kept walking his pace quickened a bit. “There is something about you

Jeru, a determination. I saw it in how you performed your chores and I

saw it in your father.” He turned to me. “I figured there might be more

to you than we all know.”

The hair on my neck stood up. He knew something, suspected something ,but was it because of me or my father.

I forced an awkward smile and bowed. “Thanks for the praise elder, I hope I can meet your expectations.”

He patted me on the shoulder. “Oh I’m sure you will, and to prove it why don’t I take you to tour the school.”

My

body stiffened. I needed to be cautious. How many times had I tried to

peer over the walls to get a glimpse. Risky or not I had to go.

I bowed again. “Thank you elder.”

Tora entered the school and took me into the main building.

Everything around me was new and uncharted territory. There were walls

of books and scrolls,each element had its own shelf.

Tora interrupted my brief exploration. “Now Jeru, I think you should meet Darisa. She is the headmaster of our small school.”

My chest felt compressed as I saw her. Dark black robes to match

her jet black hair. The same cold demeanor and icy glare, we had met

before. Her eyebrows arched steeply when she saw me.

She reached out her hand to shake mine. “Is this the special

case I have heard so much about.” She smiled bearing her teeth at me.

“Well, we will have to see if he has what it takes, this isn’t a place

for worthless children.”

If her tone hadn’t been an indication

of her disdain her vice like grip was. Even without her shadow tendrils

her grip squeezed my hand to the bone.

I let out a nervous laugh.

“Ha ha of course, as I was trying to tell the elder I will be going

into the wilderness to train for the next two seasons to see if I can

unlock my power.”

Tora finally jumped in. “Oh a splendid idea, I trust when he comes back he should meet your expectations Darisa.”

Her gaze was like a venomous snake. “Oh if the boy thinks he is

up to it?” She summoned her shadow tendrils and let them swirl about

her hand. A show of power. “I’m sure he doesn’t have a lot of knowledge

on the subject. Some of the other classes are about to have a spar maybe

we should let him get a real look at what we do here.”

The statement didn’t escape my notice. She remembered catching me peeking over the walls.

I tried to seem as unfazed as possible. “I would like that headmaster.”

She froze, probably hating that I would assume she would be my headmaster one day.

She gestured towards the school yard. “Fine, follow me and let us go watch a fight.”