A Rare Talent

You'll be living for free, Karl.....saves you the expenses.... Karl couldn't get a hold of his thoughts as he walked down the town square. He pushed through throngs of people, trying to maintain his balance and keep his hair covering his arched ears. Anything could happen in town, or so his parents used to tell him. You'll just have to start living the free life, get employed and enjoy the benefits.... There's nothing wrong with her...with her flashy smile and cleavage...

"Welcome, welcome, welcome! Step right into everyone's favorite magic shop....."

Karl snapped from his thoughts only to realize he was standing in front of it. The tent was actually much bigger now that he was closer, with strips of crimson and whites that accentuated it with a sense of purpose. As he stood before the tent, he noticed the entrance was a wide, open flap in the tent, adorned with intricate patterns of crimson and white. The opening was tied back with a pair of golden tassels, which sparkled in the morning light. A sign above the entrance creaked gently in the breeze, bearing the words "Magic Shop" in bold, golden letters.

Karl's attention shifted to the man standing before him, who appeared to be the owner of the shop. He wore a long, pointed hat, reminiscent of those worn by stage magicians, and his bright, multicolored clothing seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. A small, delicate design of a feather was etched into the skin just below his right eye, adding to his charm.

As Karl approached, the man broke into a wide grin, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Welcome to my Magic Shop, young adventurer! What can I get for you today?"

Karl hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "I don't know... I haven't decided much," he admitted.

The man chuckled, his grin growing even wider. "Well, no worries, my young friend! We'll figure it out together." He swung an arm across Karl's shoulder, drawing him into the tent. "Come on in, come on in!"

As they stepped inside, Karl's eyes widened in wonder. The inside of the tent was surprisingly spacious, with three distinct shelves that seemed to stretch up to the canvas ceiling. The first shelf was labeled "Spells" in bold, golden letters, and it was stacked with a few books that seemed to be bound in a strange, glowing material.

The second shelf was dedicated to "Potions", and it was lined with small, delicate vials that varied in size and color. Karl's eyes grew wide as he stared at the vials, fascinated by the strange liquids that seemed to glow and bubble within.

The third shelf was labeled "Familiars", and it was stacked with stone tablets that seemed to be etched with intricate designs and drawings. Karl's curiosity was piqued, and he found himself wondering what kind of magical creatures these tablets might represent.

The man, seeming to sense Karl's wonder, chuckled and clapped him on the back. "I see you're a curious one, eh? Well, let's see if we can't find something to spark your interest..."

"So many things in one place...." Karl mumbled.

The man chuckled. "I'm Ryūjin by the way, and who might you be?"

"Karl." He said firmly. "Karl Sawyer."

"Wonderful name you've got there," Ryūjin said. "But, before we get down and dirty, first tell me what you're?"

"What I am? What do you mean?"

Ryūjin sighed. "Are you a Hunter, a mage? Or just someone whose looking for an investment?"

"Oh, that's what you meant? I'm a mage." Karl said.

"A mage erh, I love mages." Ryūjin said. "Now let's get straight to the point. What can I get for you? What are you looking for exactly!?"

Karl cleared his throat, holding back a smile. "To be honest, I don't even know what I want. I'm still learning magic, and I want something that can make me a bit more powerful compared to what I am, currently."

Ryūjin's eyes sparkled with amusement as he listened to Karl's request. He chuckled, and said, "Well, well, well! You've certainly come to the right shop, young Karl! I'll find something that'll make you a bit more... formidable, shall we say." He walked towards a set of drawers, swinging them open with a flourish. "But before I start searching, tell me, why do you want to learn magic anyway?" He asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

His expression turned thoughtful, and he said, "I've always been fascinated by the idea of magic. I want to become an Archmage... perhaps change the world a little."

Ryūjin's chuckle was low. "That's quite an... odd dream you have there, Karl. Becoming an Archmage isn't just about waving a wand and reciting incantations, you know."

Karl shrugged, a hint of a smile on his lips. "I hear that a lot."

Ryūjin's expression turned serious, and he said, "It takes years of hard study and dedication if you want to become what you want, kid. Are you prepared to put in the work?"

He nodded, his eyes already wandering towards the shelves. "Yea, yea..."

Ryūjin chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to find something to suit your... ambitions. Ah, but I think I see something that might interest you..."

Karl walked towards the potions shelf, his eyes scanning the rows of vials. He read the labels beneath each set, his eyes widening in wonder:

Healing

Agility

Intelligence

Invisibility

Invulnerability

Poison Antidote

Cure Paralysis

Teleportation

Water Breathing

Ryūjin's voice drifted from behind him, "Ah, yes... those are some of our more... popular potions. But I think I have something even better suited for an aspiring Archmage such as yourself..."

"Something like what?" Karl turned around, staring at Ryūjin once more. Ryūjin was drawing something from the set of drawers. It looked like a crystal ball, engraved with strange drawing across its globe. He asked, "What do you want me to do with that glass ball?"

"The crystal ball isn't for you, kid." Ryūjin said. "But it'll help us identify what your innate magical affinity is, and from there, I'll be able to pinpoint which spells you're compatible with."

"Oh, right...." Karl mumbled.

Ryūjin snapped his fingers and an pale aura shrouded the ball, making it start floating in the air, on its own accord. Karl stared, fascinated by the display of magic. Ryūjin smirked, "I want you to place your hand on top of the glass....and let it work its magic."

"Sure," Karl was hesitant at first, until he placed his hand on the spherical surface of the glass ball. The surface was ice cold under his skin, sending a jolting shiver that made him wonder if he was holding pure ice. Underneath his chest, he could feel his own heartbeat—a silent thudding that rang in his ears, making him gulp. Don't worry Karl, it's all gonna be okay... "Is this it?"

"Something is not right..." Ryūjin said, before turning around and walking back to those drawers. "...sometimes I forget how to use this thing...."

So much for a responsible seller... Karl cocked a brow. "How can you forget something so important?"

"Dude, I get busy with trying to keep a lot of things in check." Ryūjin walked from the drawers, holding a yellowing page that had chipped edges. "I've got it," he stretched the page a bit, his eyes scanning the surface narrowly. With a chuckle, he said with a low tone, "Prepare to be amazed."

With that, he snapped his fingers and Karl felt something raced through his bones—the same rattling sensation he always felt whenever he wanted to use magic. He looked at the crystal ball, and for a moment he thought he was hallucinating. From within it, he saw something that flickered to life like a spark. At first, it swirled—dark and smoky like a cloud, until it expanded enough to fill the inside of the glass.

"Interesting.." Ryūjin said with a mischievous tone. "..very interesting."

"What does it mean?" Karl couldn't wait to get an answer.

Ryūjin walked a bit closer to the crystal ball, his eyes never leaving it. He had seen different types of magic before, but what he was seeing was something else. "It means, you my friend have got quite a unique talent."

"Unique talent? How unique?" Karl asked.

"Your magic is a bit rare, something you'd expect to find in the North." Ryūjin said, remembering the last time he saw something like this. "It's called Storm."

Karl eye widened. "You mean Storm Magic? I can control the weather?"

Ryūjin laughed. "Don't be stupid. Storm is a very powerful element in its own nature. Which reminds me, I should have something that can help you out with your dream to become the strongest."

Karl watched Ryūjin walk to the shelf written, Spells. He pushed the few books that were there, staring at their covers for a moment. Karl was silent, trying to understand the significance of what Ryūjin had said. Storm? What was storm? He bit his lower lip, turning just in time to find Ryūjin walking back to him, holding a book that was written: Rune Magic.

"Rune Magic?" Karl asked.

Ryūjin smirked. "It's infamous in the North. Master it, and you'll be invincible."

"But I don't know how drawing runes can help me become the strongest," Karl said.

"Kid, you have a long way to go if you're still thinking like a peasant." Ryūjin stood in front of Karl. "Just to be sure, are you in any guild?"

"Guild?" Karl cocked a brow.

"Yes. A guild." Ryūjin repeated. "A magic guild. Black Wind Guild? White Fang? Brotherhood?"

Karl removed his hand from the glass, curiosity burning through him like liquid fire. There was something that he couldn't quite bridge together. Why didn't he ever hear about any magic guild when he was at the farm? He shook his head sideways, trying to calm himself. "I'm not in any guild."

"I guess that's a shame then," Ryūjin said. "What makes a mage stronger isn't knowing a lot of spells, but it's experience. Experience is the best teacher, near death experiences. The more you fight, the more you start understanding how your magic flows. It's a shame you don't even know about any of this...and yet you want to become an Archmage."

"I grew up at a farm and I'm still learning." Karl challenged. It wasn't his fault that he didn't know so many things when it came to magic. If you asked him about farming, he could tell you in depth but magic, it was something else entirely. "So don't antagonize me."

"It's not like I really give a damn about where you grew up, I'm just saying you fascinate me..." Ryūjin said. "...you remind me of my youth."

Karl clicked his tongue, a bit annoyed. Ryūjin just chuckled, before he started flipping through pages inside the book. Karl couldn't help his eyes from staring at the pages, with inscriptions that were blended with a shimmering silver. There was something about the book that made him want to just grab the book, and read it. "What's that book?"

"It's called a Grimoire, kid." Ryūjin said. "Do I have to tell you everything? You should just be my student, and start working for me."

"I think I'll pass...."

"As I expected..." Ryūjin stopped going through the pages, and a smirk flashed across his face. Karl cocked a brow, wondering why he was staring at him like that. "... I've found a spell for you."

"What kind of spell?" Karl asked.

"Why don't you see for yourself.." Karl took the book from Ryūjin, and to his amusement—it was quite heavy. His eyes met with the page where the spell was at. It was nothing but a Rune, engraved into the page with silver lines to form something that looked like a triangle, with a crescent line cutting through it. Underneath the drawing, words formed a spell: Seal Of Aegis.

"What does it do?" Karl asked.

Ryūjin smirked. "If I tell you, I'd be spoiling the fun....but I figured it's the only thing compatible with you for now."

"Sure..." Karl said. "But I have a bad feeling about this."

"Bad feeling?" Ryūjin asked.

"I think you should have given me something, like something a bit more explosive or destructive....or colorful." Karl said. "Maybe something that has something to do with my wind or fire magic? Runes are kinda not my thing."

Ryūjin cocked a brow. "Wait, you've got two more elements?"

"Yes." Karl said. "I even create a spell of my own."

"What are you?" Ryūjin whispered.

"What do you mean?" Karl was confused.

"It takes months, if not years for someone to be able to weave the magical properties necessary to create a spell, and you're telling me you created a spell of your own. To make it worse, you have two more elements, apart from the one the Essence Stone showed me..." Ryūjin breathed. ".... you've got quite the talent."

"I don't know if I'm supposed to be shocked by this, or not..." Karl gave an honest answer. "I think you're just exaggerating to make it sound interesting....don't you think?"

"No kid, I mean every word." Ryūjin said. "But not to waste much of my time, that's the only spell that I'm willing to sell to you kid. Its something entirely unique—its from the North. I'm pretty sure with it, you'll be invincible around other mages."

"How much is it?" Karl said.

"The spell costs twenty gold coins." Ryūjin said.

Karl eye widened. "Twenty what!?"

"You heard me...." Ryūjin said. ".... It normally costs a lot more than what I proposed, but it's just that I like you kid so I tend to give you something at a cheaper price."

"At this rate, I'll go broke."

"But it's worth it...."

*

Karl took a deep breath, staring at the few gold coins that were left in his pouch after paying for the spell. He wasn't sure if he had done the right thing by paying for something he didn't quite know. He gritted his teeth, placing the pouch back into his pocket. He looked at Ryūjin , who was wearing a confidential smirk as he placed his gold coins into his pouch.

"Now, my spell?" Karl said, feeling cheated.

"One transaction done," Ryūjin snapped his fingers, and Karl felt something raced through his veins, like a jolting sensation. The page slowly started dissolving into nothingness, and Karl felt something odd—something that planted itself at the back of his mind. He could almost picture something vivid playing in his mind, something like a triangle with a crescent cutting through its belly. He blinked once, twice and the sensation faded as quickly as it had begun.

"What was that?" Karl asked.

"I completed the transaction..." Ryūjin said with a confidential smirk. "all that's left is for you to find a way to hone that spell."

"How?" Karl asked.

"You'll know when the time comes...." Ryūjin said. "In fact, I have a proposal for you...but that's only if you're interested."

"Interested?" Karl asked.

"Yes. There are games that go on every night in Dale, normally called by people...the Dungeons." Ryūjin said. "Mages and other skilled fighters will be there, participating."

"You want me to participate? I can hardly fight." Karl said.

Ryūjin smirked. "That's the whole point. Experience is the father of knowledge. You get into that ring, you fight and you get more acquainted to your magic. This will help you in your journey if you ask me."

Karl crossed his arms. "What's in it for you?"

"The dungeons are a gambling hub," Ryūjin said. "I'll sponsor you, and on every match that you win, it'll be a sixty, forty."

"I don't know...." Karl said. "....give me time to think about it."

"How long do you need cause tonight there'll be another game." Ryūjin said. "You're allowed to just come and watch first, whilst you think for a way forward."

"I guess I'll do just that."

"Good boy. Meet me here at nine tonight..." Ryūjin said. "...in fact, I'll come pick you up. Where are you staying?"

"At Griffin..." Karl said.

Ryūjin grinned. "Perfect!"