Call of Ring(Compleled)

9 Continuing Education

The above pictured is known as “The Ring of Cora”. Tradition holds that it contains the power to help people move freely between worlds. Wars have been started and many people have died, fighting to gain possession of this ring. The allure of the power within is rumored to have caused people to act in ways that are far from their natural character.

This was the description that Blake had read the night before. It was the only thing of interest that peaked his attention in that first book handed to him by Dorkus. After that book, Blake selected another, and the three of them got lost in time, reading in the underground room for what seemed to be hours. It was as if the time spent reading in that cave had quenched both a thirst for knowledge and somehow also satisfied any appetite for hunger.

When they exited the cave it was dark. Without any words exchanged between them, they went to their respective rooms and retired for the night.

It was daylight when Blake awoke from his sleep. He got up quickly, feeling well-rested and by some miracle, completely healthy. But his overwhelming feeling was a desire to know more about the world he now inhabited. He put on his brown robe and left his room. Gaius and Dorkus were seated near the fire stove. Dorkus got up and dipped a ladle into a steaming pot on top of the stove. She poured the hot liquid into a small pottery mug and handed it to Blake. Taking a seat near the couple, Blake gratefully sipped his tea.

Dorkus broke the silence.

“It’s time we begin your learning journey, Blake.”

Blake didn’t even need to respond. His face gave away his enthusiasm. He simply nodded and kept sipping his tea.

“You have surely heard by now that we are in the Midori Kingdom. But you may not know that we have three empires on our continent that are often at war with each other. We all inhabit different geographic areas, and we are governed separately by different Kings. Our continent is called Delphine, and the two other countries are the Vex Empire to the South and the Bron Empire to the Southeast.

Gaius broke in.

“Our world is filled with magic. It is the mission of every young person to attempt the pursuit of becoming a mage. Some never discern extraordinary things. Consequently, they never find their personal powers. Others achieve levels of intermediacy, but few are experts. We suspect through all of our reading that some of this might be completely up to chance. The kingdom you were born in, the family you were born into.”

Blake interjected with a question:

“Who was that man in the street who attacked me?”

“We don’t know, but he was obviously testing out his wood element powers. A beginner for sure, but he did manage to use his power to temporarily forge wooden armor. And it did extend his life, if only for a few extra minutes,” responded Gaius.

“So was that a test for me?” Blake asked, hoping there was an answer to his question.

“We suspect it was Blake,” replied Dorkus. “We also think that King Adelai has some sort of mage’s intuition that you have the potential to affect our world. He would be proud to know that you have passed your first combat test.”

“But I didn’t use any powers…that I know of. It was simply my combat experience.” As Blake heard these words come from his mouth, he wondered where he had acquired this skillset. He couldn’t remember, and this frustrated him greatly.

“But now you must observe, study, and fine-tune your senses to any opportunity to learn the arts of our magic. We suspect you may be one of the rare ones to achieve an expert level,” stated Gaius.

Blake was too confused to be flattered by this declaration. He had so many questions but wasn’t sure which to ask first. Concluding that he had to start somewhere, he launched in with a first and then a second. In his mind, they were both related.

“How can I learn more? Where do I start?”

“We are suggesting a two-fold approach. One: Read, and read more. We have more than enough resources to keep you busy for some time. Two: Wander throughout our community; pay attention to detail, and trust your instincts.”

This advice given by Dorkus was good. A place to start.  

“How will I know when I have made progress? Or when I have graduated to the next level?” Blake inquired.

         “We are here to help you on this journey of learning. Each day we will de-brief with you, helping you to understand for a time, but then you will move on,” came the affirming words of Gaius. 

         Blake wanted to ask what that meant but decided against it.

        It was time for a walk. Time to explore. Time to observe. It seemed like they could read his mind, because Gaius got up, and walked over to a small table near the rear exit of the house. He grabbed two coins and handed them to Blake.

         “Go out and explore. While you’re out, buy something to eat.”

         Blake wanted to refuse the gift but quickly realized that he had no money and no source of income. He was their guest. And they were indeed his host family.

         He rose to accept the gift and thanked his hosts.