The door to The Crag Tavern crashed open, nearly spilling Sam onto the floor as he lurched across the threshold. The entire taproom turned to see the young man drenched in sweat, and holding what looked like a wooden sword. The weapon was glowing faintly, which caught their interest. A few recognized Sam and hurried out of their chairs to help him, but he waved them off, his eyes locked on a corner table furthest from the door.

  ? “N-Not yet,” he gasped, his voice barely audible. He fixed his gaze on Lucian Peran. The elven man leaned forward with obvious interest, his fingers steepled together and obscuring his mouth. “I’m almost there.”

  ? Sera stuck her head out of the kitchen at the tumult of noise, and her eyes widened as she took in Sam’s exhausted appearance. But Sam ignored her as he had everyone else, lurching across the remaining distance with a determined look on his face. It was a matter of feet, but with his mana depleted and his ki nearly at the same level, it felt more like miles.

  ? “H-Here,” Sam finally grunted, depositing the sword on the table before Peran. He almost let out a whimper of relief as he ceased the transfer of his ki, collapsing to his knees. “It’s- It’s done.”

  ? “How curious,” Peran mused, leaning forward to look down at where he kneeled on the floor. Sera was at his side in an instant, one hand slipping around his chest to lift him with surprising strength. “You used your ki to power the enchantment as well?”

  ? Sam nodded weakly, then thanked Sera as she deposited him into a seat. “I didn’t have enough mana to make the trip.”

  ? There was a pause long enough that Sam looked up, wondering why his soon-to-be mentor wasn’t commenting. Peran wore a slight frown as he looked at Sam. His eyes briefly unfocused, and the frown deepened. “Hold on, now. Have you not refined your mana?”

  ? Sam could only blink at him, not understanding his meaning. He’d never heard of mages refining their mana before. At least, it wasn’t included in the textbooks that his mother had brought home from the Church. “Refine? How?”

  ? A small part of him felt proud at the look of befuddlement that crossed over Peran’s face. He wasn’t sure if he’d done something spectacular or unknown, but the way he’d tackled the challenge *had* surprised the elf. Peran rose from his seat and swept around the table to lay a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “This is surprising. Here, rest a bit. I’ll want an explanation.”

  ? Sam shuddered and let out a little gasp as he felt heat pouring into him. It wasn’t mana or ki, but somehow, whatever Peran did awakened his own body and mind’s natural regeneration. He felt his expended energies replenishing themselves quickly, strength and vigor filling him many times faster than seemed possible. It was far from instantaneous, but within a minute, he was halfway back to full condition, and he could look around the taproom with a clear head.

  ? “What did you just do?” Sam asked, looking down at himself. His clothes were scratched and muddy in places. It seemed he’d fallen on the road more times than he’d remembered. “I feel… incredible.”

  ? “All things you will learn in time,” Peran told him, looking more pleased than he’d expected. “By Viraelis, I don’t know how I didn’t notice that. Get up and come with me.”

  ? Sera was quick to voice her disapproval. “Look at him! He’s exhausted and filthy! Let him rest a while before he works anymore!”

  ? Sam only gave her a faint smile, rising more easily from his seat than he’d taken it. He patted her gently on the shoulder to avoid getting any of the dirt on her. “Don’t worry, Sera. I feel great. He somehow refilled my ki, so I’m not too bad now.”

  ? “He… refilled…” Sera couldn’t seem to grasp what he meant. “What?”

  ? He shook his head, suppressing a smile. Mostly. “It’s good, don’t worry. I… don’t know how he did it either, but I’m not that tired anymore.”

  ? He could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced, but she allowed the separation. “Alright. Just don’t do anything too dangerous, alright?”

  ? He smiled at her concern, then followed in Peran’s footsteps. The elven man had already exited the tavern, but was waiting for him on the dusty main street of the village. Sam narrowed his eyes against the blinding light of the sun and came to a halt a few feet away. “What did you mean by refining my mana? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  ? “How did you learn that your mana could be channeled into an object?” Peran countered his question with one of his own. “And how did you learn that ki could accomplish the same feat?”

  ? Sam frowned. “It was in one of the Church books that my mother owns. It said that mages were known for their ability to imbue mana into objects to strengthen and reinforce them.”

  ? Understanding dawned in the older man’s eyes, and he nodded slightly. “Yes, of course. That does make sense. The damn Six-Points wouldn’t record the most basic facts in the textbook a fully-fledged priestess would use.”

  ? Lifting his right hand, Peran coated his fingers in mana. “You can see this, right? It’s not just a faint sense that you have?”

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  ? Sam nodded his agreement. He’d gone through all the preparatory exercises that unblocked his mana’s natural channels through his body, including the ones that led to his eyes. He could see the flow of ki, mana, and aura, though the latter wasn’t as easy to grasp.

  ? As he focused on the elf’s mana, something intangible changed in it. It started as nothing but a shimmer, a faint ripple in its movement that seemed to go against the normal pattern. Then, it seemed to become less dense, like honey suddenly turning into water.

  ? “What did you feel just now?”

  ? “Your mana became less dense,” Sam reported. “It’s the same amount, but it flows more like water now.”

  ? Peran nodded his approval. “The volume did actually change, but of course, you wouldn’t be able to sense that. I unrefined my mana. What you saw was a one-to-ten scale. When you refine your mana, it is a ten-to-one. As in, for each ten mana you refine, you gain one for the effort.”

  ? He paused then, appearing to consider what he’d said. “Well, there are some who can make that as efficient as eight to one, and I’ve heard rumors of a few gifted mages going as low as five to one. But as a general rule, ten to one is the equation.”

  ? ?Then he began explaining how it was done, guiding Sam through the process. It was an incredibly strange sensation, feeling his mana shrinking and yet becoming denser, even if it wasn’t difficult. His mana didn’t seem to like being condensed in that manner, and each tidbit of refined mana was much harder to control. Still, he gathered enough of it in one place that it was palpable. A drop of honey at the tip of his right pointer finger, amidst the thin water that flowed throughout the rest of his body.

  ? “You grasped that exceptionally quickly,” Peran commented. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you fully convert half your mana by the time we reach High Thael.”

  ? A thrill of pleasure ran through Sam’s body at the mention of where the Academy was located, and it shattered his focus. The condensed mana dissipated into thin air, leaving nothing behind of its existence but a cool breeze that ruffled his hair. “So it’s true? You’ll take me to the Academy?”

  ? Peran nodded. “More than that. You will officially become one of my students, if you accept. I’m far from the typical teacher, but I have a few graduates, and none have failed to pass the expectations set upon them. You will be no exception.”

  ? Sam agreed at once with an eager nod. “Of course. I’ll work as hard as I can to surpass your expectations.” He wouldn’t just do as well as the other students. He’d pass them in no time. He’d never give Peran a reason to regret offering this chance. “What happens now?”

  ? “Your mother already knows of my intentions, and while she disapproved of my methods, I doubt she will try to sway you against your decision. Nor can she, if she doesn’t wish to break the law.”

  ? “My father isn’t fond of magic,” Sam added. “But he won’t try and stop me either. He’ll be disappointed by the lack of help around the farm, though.”?

  ? Peran didn’t smile, but it was a close thing. “Yes, well. You will have the opportunity to pick up work after your first examinations. Mages are well paid for their services, and you can always direct a portion of your earnings to your family. It’s quite common among our students who are born in the more isolated regions of the country.”

  ? “I guess we should still go and talk to them, though,” Sam reasoned. “It’d hardly be fair if I just burst back in and said I was leaving for a few years.”

  ? “Quite so. In fact, I suspect one young woman will feel your absence particularly strongly.”

  ? Sam turned to follow Peran’s stare, and spotted Sera leaning against the exterior wall of the tavern, her arms crossed and a deep frown set upon her face. With a guilty start, Sam realized she had overheard the entire conversation. “Ah… Right.”

  ? That did earn a smile from the elven man. “Well, I’ll leave you to that. I’ll finish my meal. Return to this tavern by the lunch hour tomorrow, and we will depart.”

  ? Sam nodded, dipping his head so low that it was nearly a bow. “Thank you, Master Peran.”

  ? “Quite so, Novice Bragg. I look forward to your career as a mage.”

  ? And with that, his new mentor returned to the tavern, pausing beside Sera to pass a quiet word, then pushing the door open. Sera’s scowl only deepened, but she said nothing back. Once the door had closed, she strode quickly over to where Sam stood. He had to resist the instinct to take several steps back. He half-expected her to slap or shake him. But instead, she broke into a broad grin once she was within reach and leapt at him, her arms wrapping around his neck, embracing him tightly.

  ? “I’m so happy for you!” She said, perhaps a little more loudly than was necessary for how close they were. After barely a second of hugging him, she pulled back and inspected him at arm’s length. “You’re going to be a mage! Well, you already are one in my eyes, but you get your dream!”

  ? Surprised but relieved, Sam allowed the giddy excitement that had filled him to show on his face. He nearly did a little jig on the spot, but settled for lifting Sera and spinning her around. “Thank you! Thank you!”

  ? Neither was sure what or who he was thanking, but neither cared. Sera let out a laugh as she was lifted from her feet, and clutched his shoulders to steady herself once he’d set her down. Then they embraced again, and Sam breathed in deeply, memorizing the faint flowery scent that, to him, smelled like comfort and peace. The excitement was quickly supplanted by a deep sadness. The knowledge that he’d be so far from her filled him, heavy like stones in his stomach, but he didn’t allow it to show on his face. Sera, too, kept hers at bay, offering only a small, sad smile.

  ? “Well, you'd better get home,” she said, then surprised him further by rising onto the tips of her toes and kissing him gently. “You’ve got to pack.”?

  ? He didn’t want to leave her, either now or in the future. It felt right to have her in his arms, her slim frame pressed against him, and her head resting against his chest. But she gently stepped back, breaking contact, and he accepted the end of the embrace. “I’ll see you again tomorrow,” he promised. “I won’t leave without saying goodbye again.”

  ? “I know you won’t,” she said, smiling up at him. Tears were welling in her light brown eyes, but she refused to blink, preventing them from falling. “You’re going to be a great mage, Sam. I just know it. A great mage.”