The merchant district of Nova was buzzing with activity. That was not surprising to Jason, it was most of the city’s day off, and with a full purse, what better way to spend then go to the shops.

Alex lead them through the streets hastily, it was all the others could do but keep up. He finally stopped outside a large inn, clearly doing a booming trade, judging from the amount of noise coming from it.

“I thought we should eat first then go shopping”. They all trudged inside and were greeted by a roaring crowd. Soon a waitress came over and somehow found them a table, they all ordered some food and well water down wine.

Alex took a huge drink of his and noticed the tense atmosphere. “well, I think we should introduce ourselves properly” he was hard to hear. “I’m Alex Flameweaver, I come from an estate up north, I have two sisters”. He slumped down.

Jason went next. “Jason Blackwood, I live here, no brothers or sisters”. He cringed from the interest. The blond-haired girl spoke, clearly glad someone had started a conversation. “hi, I’m Eloise, I also live here, and I have a brother in third year”

Sophie was the daughter of merchants, who had recently moved to Nova City. The person Jason was more interested in was Kyler. “as you can guess, I’m part Elf, my grandfather was one”.

Jason was curious of how they met, Elf’s seldomly journey to human city’s. Kyler nodded, “yeah he was the diplomat at the time”. They talked freely; the tenseness of new people gone. The discussion was halted as their food was delivered. It was boar steak, freshly hunted from the Silent Forest. They dug in, causing a lull in conversation.

“so, Jason are your family mages or something, you seam really good at magic?”. Sophie got right to the point. Jason snorted and spilt some of his drink. Cleaning it he answered.

“no, not to my knowledge”. All their faces looked extremely interested. “really?”. Kyler asked.

He nodded, “my dad is the captain of the guard, my gander father was a Dungeon diver, but he didn’t have magic”. Eloise leaned forward “a Dungeon diver, it’s it really hard to be one without magic?” Alex nodded, “and we have to go in the Dungeon in four weeks”.

They all gulped. “only the first floor” Kyler spoke quietly. “wait what about your mother?”. Alex as usual had found something Jason didn’t want to talk about. But he had too. “um…. I don’t know, I’ve never met her”. They caught on and the rest of the meal was mostly silent. They then left after paying.

While making small talk they drifted too and from stalls set up on the path. Jason saw a shop that caught his eyes. “let’s go there”. The others looked at what he was pointing too. A shop, a magic shop.

The silence inside was such a change from the hustle and noise. The inside was small, crowded with tables filled with objects. Jason could feel the mana radiating of some rings.

“hello, it’s not everyday we get young mages here” the speaker was an old woman, her face filled with wrinkles. “hello” he answered bowing his head in respect the way his father instructed him.

“see anything you fancy?” she asked. “not yet”. She chuckled, “well, have a look around”. She then walked back out the door she had come from. Jason looked around and saw a row of staffs racked up on the wall.

“What are staffs used for?”. He had seen mages with and without staffs. Sophie looked over. “I asked my dad that, because he sells them, and he said that it helps channel mana outside the body”. “that’s all?” “yep” she nodded, “that’s their purpose”. Jason thought that was a cheat option. He then remembered something, “what about scrolls?”, Sophie could even answer that. “yeah, there for casting a spell from someone else, usually a different element to yourself”.

Jason glanced at the price tag and he nearly yelled. “fifty gold”. That was as much as his dad made in three months. Realising everything was well out of their price range they left.

They were sitting in the park when the ring. which had been normal, warmed, as if warning Jason. He looked around and saw the source of the warning. Five hulking men, slightly hidden in the shadows of a nearby ally. Hopping up he quickly grabbed the others and forced them towards a tavern.

It was too late; the five men staggered towards them and formed a semicircle. “we just want your money, give it now”. The leader said with practise. Alex came forward, “look we don’t want any trouble”. “and you won’t get any if you hand over your money right NOW”. Jason cursed himself for leaving his sword back at the tower. Jason pushed in front of Alex and whispered to him, “tell the others to get ready to run”. He nodded to the man. “alright, alright here”. He reached into his pockets and pulled out nothing.

Pressing his hand in the mans face he shouted “LUX”. He don’t hold back, light, the brightness of an explosion bust free from his hand and blinded the thugs. He didn’t wait around, he ran, faintly behind the others. Screams of pain was the only thing he heard as he ran. But peeking over his shoulder he saw the men charging towards them filled rage.

They ran, not slowing down for anything. Throw the streets, over a bridge and over some stalls. The men were gradually gaining on them, Jason noticed. He had to do something about that. Looking around he found an empty cart next to a stall. Flicking the owner, a silver he pulled the cart behind him and into the men.

He didn’t look back, but the sounds of crashing and tumbling made him smile. He joined up to the rest as they had slowed for him.

After they had ran far away, they slowed to a walking pace, and grinned at each other.

“dam Jason didn’t know you were such a badass”.

Alex slapped him on the back. Jason could only try and catch his breath. The girls were likewise impressed. “I would have never thought of using the spell like that” Eloise commented. They nodded.

Jason looked around; they had run back in the direction of the school. And he thought they were back, but around them was not the white marble, he had gotten used to, but black stone. It looked dimly familiar.

“where are we, I thought we were back at the school?”. Kyler further reinforced the thought. They are looked at their surroundings.

It finally clicked with Jason. “we’re at the Knight’s school, I didn’t know it looked so familiar”. Alex’s face turned white. “oh, we are so screwed”. “why?”, He gulped, and glanced around as if someone was looking for him.

“we’re not supposed to be here”, Sophie frowned, “why, is it against the rules?”, He shook his head. “no, it’s because this is their territory”.

He pulled them along trying to find an exit. “there is a strong rivalry between the two school, and if they find us here, it might be worse then the thugs”. Jason headed his words and joined in the search.

Their efforts were in vain, because the first exit they found, lead out onto a sparring field, that was in use. The fifteen or so cadets looked up and saw them.

“Oi, what are you doing here?” the eldest of them yelled as the crowd came towards them. Alex was muttering under his breath, “we are so dead”. Jason went forward. “we just got lost”. The boys in the back were grinning, seeing were it was going.

The oldest boy looked suspiciously at them, then pointed to another gate on the other side of the field. “over there”. The boy had the look of a shark on his face. Jason nodded and they walked over. The horde followed them closely. Then about halfway across, we they had just gotten to the main sparring circle. Then the oldest boy called out to them again.

“you’re not mages, are you?”. Jason cursed. “and what is we are?”. The boy pattered his practise sword at his waist. “will have to teach you a lesson for coming here”. The rest of the boys cut them off, slashing their chances of escaping.

Jason thought furiously. An idea came to him. “do you even know how to use that?” he gestured to the blade. The boy looked at him with rage, clearly, he had hit a weak spot. “the hell did you just say”. His eyes sparking with violence.

Jason stepped forward, “you heard me, can you even use that sword, or is it for decoration?”. Some of the boys at the back, snickered, but stopped when a dark look was shot their way.

“look I have an idea”. He looked down at his feet, “this is a sparring circle right, how about this”. He was getting strange looks from both groups.

“we fight one on one, and if we win, we can go”. The boy laughed. But then considered it. “two of us, since there is five of you, and no magic tricks, just blades”. Jason was glad it wasn’t shot down.

“and if someone wins, they can fight again”. The boy nodded, “ok, you have a minute to decide who goes first”. The two groups separated. Alex looked at him like he was crazy, he might be.

“you know there all third years, they destroy you”. He shook his head, “my dad trained me, I’ll be fine”. Despite saying this, his hands were shaking.

He then went over to the circle and waited for the cadets to choose. Predictably the oldest boy went first. He handed Jason a wooden sword as he came over. “so, you’re not empty handed”. Jason nodded.

“what rules are we using?”, “submission or till unconscious”. Jason winced, not the best rules.

The two sided gathered around them, the boys cheering sound like, “show him no mercy” to “don’t go easy”. Jason’s side was quieter. Sophie biting her nails and Alex constantly running his hand throw his hair.

“begin” was shouted and the match started. The boy held his sword loosely, not thinking that a mage would now how to use one. Jason knew the longer the match went on, the more likely they would find out he was good at crossing blades.

He also knew that the boy would underestimate him, so he ran forward with his sword up. A flash of surprise came across his face as he saw Jason rushing towards him. Hurriedly raising he sword he swung at Jason. “parry this you filthy casual”

So slow. Jason was used to his fathers speed, which was much faster than the boys. Ducking underneath the blade. he parried it behind his back, sliding his own blade down the boys, he slammed it into his neck, sending him reeling back.

The boy dropped his blade and clutched his neck. Jason pushed his advantage. He slashed back and smacked him in the head. The boy dropped like a stone in water.

Silence.

The crowd of boys looked at each other. Their grins gone. It was over so fast some of them hadn’t seen what happened. The boys second yelled at the younger one to grab the boy. The dragged him off somewhere, probably to a healer.

Another boy came forward, this time a little hesitantly. They hand not expected a mage to know how to use a sword.

Jason stepped back to his starting place. He raised his sword, his advantage gone. The boy stepped into a defensive stance.

“Wait”. Yell was heard. They looked around. It was an instructor. “what’s going on here, who are these people?”.

Now of the boys answered so Jason did. “we just got lost and ended up here and the leader made us fight to be able to leave”. The instructor looked around. “we’re mages” Jason added and understanding came across his face.

“who were you fighting?”. Jason shrugged “I don’t know sir”. The instructor turned to the boys. “he just destroyed, Davin sir”. He instructor looked back at him. “destroyed?”. The boys nodded, finally glad an adult had stepped in. The instructor asked a few more questions.

“fight me” he barked at Jason. He jerked; this was not what he was expecting. “what?”. “I heard you took down one of my best students, I won’t to fight”. Jason seeing no alternative nodded.

The man snatched one of the training swords from one kid and came toward Jason. “get ready”.

It was on. Jason attacked; he was easily parried. He frowned. It was going to be hard. The man then stabbed at him. Following his father’s teaching he blocked. The man left no room to attack, blow after blow rained down on Jason.

Jason rolled away, the match should be over, but it wasn’t. The man had ample opportunity to finish him, but he didn’t. Jason realised he was testing him. With this in mind, he defended, flowed from stance to stance his father taught him. A peace came over him. He then saw an opening. He slashed. But to his avail it was blocked. It left him off-guard, but the instructor backed away.

The instructor let him catch his breath. “Ok, I see how you could beat Davin”. Jason planted his sword in front of him and rested on it, chest heaving.

“your good, who taught you?”. Jason bowed his head from the compliment. “my father” seeing another question coming, he added “he’s the captain of the guard”.

The man frowned, “ah, your Leon’s son then”. He nodded. “what a waste for you to become a mage”. Jason didn’t answer this.

“I would like to continue training with a sword”. The man grinned, that was the correct answer.

“what days are you free, or have time?”. Jason was unsure where the man was going with the question, but he replied. “I’m free in the mornings on all days, and I have sixth and seventh day off”. The man nodded, deep in thought.

He looked up and grinned, “how about you come over in the mornings, I have fourth year classes here. I know your father would want you to continue your training”. Jason’s jaw dropped.

“what… I can really come here?”, the man sifted, placing his hands on his waist, and looking up. “I would have to ask the tower, but why not, can’t waste talent like that” Jason bowed. “I would love too, thank you so much”. The man blushed. “now get out of here” he yelled.

For the rest of his schooling, Jason would wake at dawn. at go over the Knight’s training field and spar with the rest of the fourth-year cadets, before coming back to the tower for his normal lessons. His friends were very impressed with his fighting skills.