Chapter 1: Interest

  I used to do experiments with my dad. He was always interested in how the world worked and so wanted me to know how amazing the spectacles it produced can be. We also often cooked dinner together as an experiment.

  The mixing of oil and water becoming two separate layers but also being able to mix temporarilly, the blue-ing of steel after its heated, and the mesmerizing nature of boiling water were some of the things that actually interested in me in my otherwise uneventful lifestyle.

  Now I’m 13 and I have to help my parents with our farm. I spend my days chopping wood, watering and picking crops and sometimes doing cooking. There aren’t many other houses nearby and while other families who are also farmers do live nearby, no children my age are among live closeby.

  I had an errand my mom assigned to me so I went out to town which was a fair distance, so I had to take a carriage. I had to buy some cooking utensils because ours needed replacing as well as some ingredients for cooking that we didn’t produce on our farm.

  As I was exiting the gardener door, I heard some whispering on the right of the shop. There was an alley there and I went to check it out cause it kind of made me interested.

  I turned and find two people in black robes talking to each other in a dark alleyway and it was hard to see what they were doing because the sun had almost set. One of the men handed a pouch like thing to the other that quickly stashed it away but then they noticed me and gave me a sinister stare. I froze. As soon as they started approaching me, I ran as fast as I could trying not to get any more involved than I was. They started chasing me through the shallow alleyways and as I was thinking that I couldn’t escape, I triped and fell. I blacked out.

  I woke up in bed with pain in my stomach and shortness of breath. I felt a bit relieved but couldn’t easily calm down.

  “I always see these kinds of nightmares. I wonder if it’s normal to always see the same dream”

  I noticed that the air was cold and there wasn’t much sun coming through the windows. I stepped on the cold ground and went outside to find my mom gathering the laundry by the big willow tree we have outside our house. The grass was green, very much so as it had been raining almost every day for a week.

  “Good morning, Agis!”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Apparently, it was about to rain. As I looked up, I saw dark gray clouds reaching across the horizon only becoming lighter around the mountains that were very far away from our home, Archinis. My mother told me to go help my dad who was gathering firewood carry it back home before the rain started.

  I took the stone path and started marching towards the forest near our house. It’s only recently that I started going by myself as my parents trusted me a bit more now that I have grown up a bit. They were still worried though, especially mom.

  As I was getting closer to the forest, I noticed a figure sitting by a tree on the side of the path. I approached and found a tall man dressed in a cyan robe with crimson outlines. He seemed exhausted and maybe needed some help.

  “Hello there, are you alright sir?”

  “Ah yes thank you.”

  “You seem tired”

  “I am travelling back to my lab you see, but these constant storms have exhausted both my resources and my strength. I am also quite a way from the next town.”

  “Lab?! You’re A MAGE? “

  “Ah yes let me introduce myself. I am Katalys, Katalys the Mage. I come from the Imos Continent.”

  “Wow a mage that’s so cool! I’m Agis… Mister Katalys, is what you do dangerous?”

  “If you have spent enough time practicing and understanding what you are doing, it’s not dangerous at all.”

  “Huh…”

  Suddenly my dad burst to the scene, introducing himself and being just as surprised as I was to find a mage all the way out in the farming village that is Archinis.

  Katalys explained that he went to discuss magic with one of his fellow mages and apparently that mage lived not so far from here, in the middle of the forest, near the giant tree that’s right in the center but he had run out of supplies because of the storms, forcing him to stop travelling.

  “We would be glad to have you stay over for dinner until after the storm stops.”

  “I will gladly take this offer. Thank you for your kindness. I’ll be sure to repay the favor.”

  “Ah there’s no need”

  We took off for home each with some firewood. Me and dad carried them in a basket while Katalys used his backpack to carry the logs.

  “Thank you for the Help, Mister Katalys”

  “Don’t mention it, Agis”

  As I lit the fire to start cooking, Katalys seemed interested in what I was doing. I guess it wasn’t common for boys my age to dabble in cooking…

  Me and mom made some hearty beef stew with meat from one of our cows and potatoes we picked yesterday.

  Katalys placed the things he was carrying with him that he had placed on the ground as he was resting a bit on my bed, as I was the one who wanted him to rest on mine.

  As I was peeling the potatoes, I noticed his staff that he had balanced against the wall, so it didn’t sit on the ground. It was probably because it didn’t work as well when it was cold.

  I got a bit closer to take a look and knocked it down by accident. I then placed it back up saying

  “I can’t let his staff get cold”

  Katalys had woken up and was coming from the bedroom as he noticed me and became interested in what I said.

  “You have some sharp intuition. Let me show you some magic then.”

  Katalys placed his hand out and I felt a bit of air brushing my arms as it was rushing towards him. Then a small cinder turned into a brighter flame that was hovering over his palm. It was truly magical. I felt the same feeling I had felt when I found things in cooking that made me interested in it. Somehow I knew that I wanted more of it no matter what.