Arlutrix passed through two villages before settling down in the third village he crossed. He said no words to anyone except the inn's owner, asking for one room. The owner gave Arlutrix the key without questions about the unconscious girl in his arms or the blood staining his clothes. Once inside the room, Arlutrix set you on the bed, throwing pink sparks toward your chest. The warm clothes you were wearing slowly transformed into comfortable clothes that wouldn't hurt your skin or irritate the wound as it healed. 

Looking at his clothes, he saw the torn cloth, blood, and water that drenched his clothes. The blood made his hands shake as he started changing his clothes. If it were anyone else's blood, he wouldn't be surprised, but it wasn't anyone's; it was yours. His clothes changed into the robe and thin clothes he had before starting the journey. The tank top underneath his clothing changed into a long-sleeved shirt to keep his arms warm.

Once his clothes finished changing, he sat on the floor, leaning against the bed frame. Arlutrix was at a loss. He had hoped that he had started the healing process in time before your soul left the world. The black wisps on your stomach told him you were still healing, but it was taking a long time, which concerned him. 

He sat on the floor for a while before he went to the market. The sun had started rising in the sky when he entered the village; the markets were open by now. All his possessions were taken while in the castle, including his money. But he had his magic, which would be helpful enough.

The market was bustling with the early morning crowd, with people hovering over stalls constantly. As he did in his younger days, he would walk by the stalls and call for the food products to float to him while the owner was occupied. He even stole a basket to store the food products. Carrots, beets, strawberries, and other foods sat in his basket while he passed by everyone. His basket became so full stall owners started to take notice and try to sell items to him, ruining his hidden appearance.

   "Young man, why don't you buy some fish? You can have a nice stew, or some stirfry--"

   "No, thank you. I have plenty of foods. "

   'Everyone's taking notice of me now. I won't be able to steal any more food. How ironic, they all think I'm rich. '

Arlutrix walked away from the market with a smirk as he returned to the inn, feeling exhausted. His steps were sluggish, but he maintained his calm appearance as he walked through the streets toward the inn, where you lay unconscious. 

   "Excuse me, young man have we met before? "

Arlutrix stopped in his steps and looked toward a man looking at him. The older man had a white beard that matched his hair, but Arlutrix did recognize him.

   "You're the baker from the winter festival. "

The man smiled, happy to be recognized by the young man. The baker patted Arlutrix's back, still smiling at him.

   "Yes, I am! I thought I recognized you. I'm visiting my sister's bakery, but someone is missing from your side. Where is your friend? "

   "She's. . .not doing well. "

   "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe something warm will help her. "The baker said with a sad smile.

The baker gestured to the open bakery, where the smell of cookies, bread, and delicious desserts emanated. Arlutrix shook his head, showing the baker a small smile.

   "I appreciate it, my friend, but I have spent all my money in the market. We haven't had the greatest last few days, and now we finally have food. I couldn't take from you without giving anything back. "

   "Then, let's make a deal. I'll give you some food, and in exchange, can you write down the spell you use for fire for my sister? "

Arlutrix was shocked and stumbled on his following words, trying to piece together what the baker had said. The mage knew he didn't show any of his powers in the city while the festival was present, but how the baker knew puzzled him.

   "Excuse me? "

   "My sister is having trouble with her magic. She can't maintain a hot enough flame, and I think it's because she doesn't have the right spell. I'm hoping you know a spell for fire? "

   "You're. . .mages? "

   "Why, of course! How else can we get so many treats ready to sell? "The baker laughed.

   "Why are you talking so casually about this? Aren't you afraid? "

   "I am, but to the world, we are simple bakers. No one would know if we kept it a secret. Even then, I'm a very likable guy. I don't have a high social status, but I have made an excellent impression on everyone I meet. In any case, I need defending; there will be plenty of people to have my back. Do we have a deal? "

Without words, Arlutrix nodded, not knowing what to say to the baker. Entering the bakery, he was greeted with warmth and the smell of fresh bread. The baker led the curious mage to the back of the store, where the sister stood holding a flame in her hands. Unfortunately, the flame was small and not big enough to provide any use. 

   "Sis, I would like you to meet a friend of mine. I'll get him some bakes goods while he helps you with your magic. "

   "Oh, okay. Thank you, so much sir. "

   "It's nothing." Arlutrix finally responded.

The baker took Arlutrix's basket to fill it with wrapped goods. Then, the baker stepped out of the room, closing the door and ensuring no one would enter the back so the magic could remain hidden.

   "Do you know the spell? "

   "I don't know it fully. My sparking happened two weeks ago. I've only managed to create this little fire ever since. I've only been studying a variety of spells relating to fire, since I own a bakery and all. But I still can't understand what I'm doing wrong. "

Arlutrix felt a smile appear on his lips, hearing of an event that he hadn't seen or experienced in years. The sparking event used to be celebrated with joy, but now, sparking had to be hidden. As the word means, sparking is when a person is filled with magic and becomes a mage. Usually, the owner will feel as if they have been filled with something or overwhelmed by a sense of fullness. Then, a small light will appear on their wrist. Upon touching the spark, it will explode, into tiny sparks, like fireworks, before turning into wisps and fading. The person has then become a mage. The event was called sparking because it would be like a spark before it faded. A mage's sparking could happen at any age, but it changed lives forever when it happened. From there, the new mage could focus on one type of magic or multiple types.

Arlutrix remembered his sparking when he was younger. A blue spark was sitting on his wrist, and he showed his father. His father smiled brightly at him and hugged Arlutrix tightly, going into their home to show his mother. Then, over dinner, his parents watched with eagerness as Arlutrix touched the spark, which exploded into sparks before turning into blue wisps that faded. After, he started to learn all the types of magic from his father.

   "Do you have the spell written somewhere? "

   "Over here. "

Arlutrix followed the girl, and she pointed to a piece of paper. Reading over the spell, Arlutrix could see the problem. The words were twisted around. So Arlutrix took a quill, dipped the feather in ink, and started writing the correct spell on the paper.

   "You have it backwards. And the wording for the spell is too complicated. Start with summoning the fire before calling to it. You can use different words in magic, but they have a category. Beginning, you should say, 'J'invoque le feu.' Once you've gained control, you can start calling it, saying, 'Le feu vient à moi.' After more training, you can start retrieving fire by calling the words in your mind. Later it will become instinct. Try it. "

The woman nodded, holding her hand out with her palm opening. 

   " J'invoque le feu! "

A large fire appeared in her palm, but the woman grew scared and waved her hand, getting rid of the fire. Arlutrix congratulated her by clapping his hands. The woman was so shocked her happy reaction was delayed until her brother walked in. He handed the bag to Arlutrix,m with five bags sitting on top of the vegetables and fruits. The sister walked toward her brother and summoned fire again, showing that she had finally learned the technique. A huge smile danced on the baker's lips, smiling at his younger sister.

   "Thank you, my friend. We appreciate it. "

   "Thank you for the food. We'll need all of this so we can continue our trip to Silv. "

   "We wish you luck. "

Arlutrix nodded and stepped out of the bakery with the delicious baked goods in his basket. He continued walking until his name was called again.

   "Arlutrix!"

The mage turned around again, looking at the person who had called him this time. Arlutrix was tired and wished for a night of deep sleep, but he turned out to talk to the person who had called him out of politeness. But his eyebrows rose upon seeing the person who had called him. The mage was so caught off guard he had to grip the basket in his arms before it fell from his arm. 

   " Father? "