Soon the day came where I found a wooden door that would lead me toward my quest to become a mage – at least somewhat of one – I could never compare to the ones in my imagination, those that take out packs in violent explosions and blink between assailants to end up watching them drop with their throats cut from unseen wires.

The imagination I had dreamed up in the past days had me full of glee, but stepping foot on the barren ground beyond the doorway made me know that this was no easy task.

I was near bush and luckily I could find sustenance among the growth, yet the night fell and I was nervous once again. The hard ground would have to do near the fire, yet in the morning my self provocation would start.

I rose up ungently and made my way into the brush.

I figured I would start small and as the days went past the bugs I tried to incinerate were sparked.

I was in awe that through the nerves of the palm of my hand I could produce a spark unto a subject.

My previous studies were paying off as optimism lead me to know that this spark would lead to wildfire, my thoughts impetus would become a lance and my belief in light would be my shield.

Months went past and I started feeling like a bushwhacker/hermit that was marooned in his own tenacity and the field.

By this time I could char the land, defend myself against charging bushpigs with my blue/white shield and impale birds with thought-needles.

The added stress made me have to consume more food and being a hunter was not my style.

This echelon was coming to an end maybe soon I could be a mercenary that shall move up in the world to assassin.

Leeza would be proud to be alongside a fighter. A man that knows how to defend or ambush.

I will stay here until my craft has no more worth being swung at targets that do not deserve my touch.

In my last night there horror befell me.

The hands from below started clawing at me beside the campfire. The ground cracked beneath me and I was swallowed by the earth in a pool of abysmal blackwater.

I landed in a cavern, feeling stalked. The eyes that crept all around flashed – wolf like creatures sprang at me and I ignited their left over fur one by one. My needles, now more like nails pierced hearts while at the small battles end blood of mine trickled onto the rock. I knelt after such a flurry of energy left me in mere seconds as fear gripped me once again.

Dodging aside a huge axe clanged against the floor. I rolled over and shot out a few hard nails into the darkness I was too dazed to illuminate.

Catching my breath for a second I shone light into the blackness and beheld a wretched man prying one of my nails out of his shoulder. He looked at me with death in his eyes and thrust the bloody nail out in anger. He was getting ready to charge and in defence I raised my shield to weapon – my dire situation became the best of me and within my spirit surged the will to survive which had the shield shine so exorbitantly bright that even I was blinded.

A clang rang in my ears and we both fell to the ground.

The man was stunned and had lost the axe while I was getting to my feet, ran up and jumped over his back, shooting seering needles into him from above with the right and charring his left arm with my left.

This man was gone – in a near murderous stance I took pity and shot the last needle into the back of his head like the lance of my dreams. The eruption of blood let me know I was safe.