The Flames of Life

Jason walked over to his father, seeing the once tan man pale as the stones from the city. His once clean-shaven face was ruff and hairy, and his hair was long and greasy. He was so far gone, that he couldn't even speak. His fingers made different movements, but nothing he could understand. He held his hand, feeling cold and lifeless. As he looked into his eyes, all he saw was the husk of his father that remained on the bed. He couldn't deal with seeing him like that, so he left the room after a few minutes. He then decided to go downstairs, to see if his mother needed any help in the kitchen. As he made his way into the small cooking area, his mother embraced him. He hugged her back, feeling the previous gloominess fade away. "My boy, I'm so glad your back."

"It's good to see you Mom."

She hugged him again, but made spare time to get to the point. "The main reason I asked you to come back was because your father's savings are about to run out. I hate to ask you to work as soon as you've come home, but that's sadly how it is."

Jason understood the circumstances, but made sure to also ask his question. "I'll get right to it, but I've found this book on my travels. My old tounge isint the best, so maybe you could help me to translate it."

As his mother picked up the book and began to read, his eyes began to widen at the contents it held. After only reading the first four pages, she put the book down. "Jason, do you actually know what this is?"

He seem confused by the question, and said "Its a book that teaches you how to use rune and crafting magic?"

"Well you have the first part correct, but the truth if the matter is that it's forbidden magic."

Jason was scared by those words, as he only knew of three magic types that were forbidden: Shadow, Blood, and Holy magic. If this type was on the same scale as those types, he didn't want to even attempt to use it. But she then continued to read on, and seemed relieved. "Well, it's not actually forbidden magic. The problem with these magic types is that their rare and highly sought after."

Jason and her talked about the book for a few hours, using both if their knowledge of the old tounge to help translate it properly. But after finally understanding the first three pages, his mother asked him "Have you actually tried to use it?"

Jason pondered on the idea, realizing that after all that time he hadn't tried it once. "Sadly, no."

While Jason expected her to be angry with him, she smiled and said "Then you better for to it. These first pages show how the basics can go unseen, so get going."

Going was an improper term to use his aptitude for it. Their was a basic spell on how to test ones affinity for rune and crafting magic. The two types were one in the same, as one heavily influenced and dirived from one another. The test proceeded to Jason making a glow rune. There were three possible results: red light, blue light, and white light. As Jason finished making the rune, it shown a bright white light. No longer did he need candles or fires for him too see, which would make normal chores much earlier. The light it produced was clear as the sun, so the changes in flame wouldn't effect his work. However, he spared only minimal time for magic after he got the forge back up and running. His father was three weeks behind on orders, so he got right to work. After one week back in the forge, he figured out how to use a rune to hear things up. It greatly assisted in keeping the metal hot, and was much more effective than his normal coal forge. Jobs were being done much quicker, so he finished four weeks of work in only two. People were quite happy to get their orders, and everyone gave their condolences about his father. But around the same time his saved up materials ran out, so did the last strands of his father's life. He passed away in his sleep, leaving this life in at least a peaceful manner. No one in the family cried, except for his sister Mary. They had all been expecting his passing, and said their goodbyes more times than they could count. A small funeral was held in his father's honor, but many people from the surrounding towns came to pay their respects. Jason spent the extra time to carve his father a grave, which read "May you smile and laugh every day, or life's light and joy will fade away. For dark is potent as glass of rum, but never as warm as the gleaming sun. For lust no greed shall give you glee, if you intend to live life happily."

His father has always been a positive person, so he hoped that his father would approve of the short poem. As the sun faded past the horizon, everyone who had came had already left. Jason was now alone in the forge, pondering on the times he had with his father. The man was tall and sturdy, which clashed with his persona. He ways always calm and positive, always trying to see the light in the dark. While he knew not everything had something positive with it, he always said "Life will get you knowhere if you only see the dark in the world, and just as far if you live in the light. In time, you will come to realize that life is best kept in the middle, in the small area between the shadows and the sun."