Erin leads me back to the village as I stop to look around and really take in how much destruction the bandits have done. "Roofs are caving in; walls are broken beyond repair." I point to an area that could easily be taken out to build new houses and shops, but Erin sighs and tries to keep leading me into the village.
"Look, no one will move in or out because Compound City is our neighbor practically."
I clap my hands together. "So, I just have to beat their ass if I want to get this village alive again?"
Erin laughed but could tell I was being serious. "Well, I would imagine that is the case."
We kept walking through the village when we reached a blue and purple building. Honestly, you could not miss it. "Uh, wow, kind of stands out like a sore thumb."
Erin elbows my side, and I cough a little. "Cannot you be nice, Ren?"
I laugh. "Hey, I am just calling it how I see it."
Erin and I walked up to the door, and she knocked softly as an old man's voice called out, "Coming."
We waited outside as I noticed a bird flying overhead. "Huh, first bird I have seen since being here. Unless we want to count the bandits, because I sent them flying."
Erin looked at me dumbfounded. "Wow, that joke was horrible."
I look at her and laugh it off. "Not my proudest joke."
Finally, the doors to the building open, and the first thing you are hit with is the smell of cigars and a flea market. I look over to Erin as she smiles. She is most likely used to this smell, I think to myself.
As me and her step into the building, the old guy starts to size me up and down.
"So, you are the new guy that my granddaughter has been hanging out with."
I look at the old guy. "No sir, I just protected her when the bandits attacked, and I also helped save another lady."
The old guy laughed. "I am just messing around with you, take it easy."
I nod as me and Erin sit on the floor. The old guy watched as he lit another cigar.
"So, what do you two kids want with an old man like me?"
Erin perked up and smiled. "I was wondering if you could teach him magic since he wants to take on Compound City."
The old man looked at me once more. "You are too weak to take on Compound City. Do you know how much mana you have? Do you know how to use magical spells to the fullest? You are also a sword user but want to learn magic?"
The questions just seemed endless, going in one ear and out the other. I nodded at every question he asked, hoping there was an end in sight.
"Erin, do you think he has the skills?"
She stops and looks at me. "Well, yes, I do believe he has the skills to take on Compound City and much more."
The old man smirked. "She is talking a big game for you, do you not think?"
I clap my hands together. "No sir, I think she is right about me and my skills."
The old man started looking around the room for a book. He started rummaging through bins of scrolls and even through a bin of books. Finally, he pulled out this dusty and worn book and threw it to me.
"Read that, kid, and then you will be able to train with me."
I take the book and look at the name: Understand Magic and Yourself. I look up at Erin and the old man. "Do I really have to start from the basics?"
The old man looked at me like I insulted his family lineage. "Yes, you need to start from zero unless you are fine with dying and living a worthless life."
I stand up and walk outside with the book in hand. I start reading from chapter 1.
"In order to use magic spells or even summon a magic circle, you need to have a good use of mana. Without mana, you cannot wield magic."
I keep walking until I reach the riverbed and I sit down by the river, staring into it. I see something shining in the water. I take my shirt off and jump into the water. That is when I hear a voice calling to me.
"Come to me, young one."
Now, I think most people would get out of the water if they heard a voice calling them, but I was wondering who and what it was.
Back at the old man's place, Erin looked at the old man. "So, Grandpa, what was the book you gave him?"
He lights another cigar and sits down. "Well, with this book he should be able to understand his mana and himself, but I also think he has found that the book will lead him to something important."
Erin looks away. "You are not trying to kill him, right?"
The old man laughs. "Oh God no, if he really is our savior then maybe he can awaken the true mana inside of him. Rumor has it that when a magic user with a pure heart comes in contact with the book he should then be led to the water and in time, he will find something or someone who will aid him in battles."
Erin looks at her grandpa. "I hope you know what you are doing."
I finally reached an area in the water, and it seems to be a cave. I slowly start catching my breath and I still notice a blinding light coming from this cave. As I approach it more, I start to notice that it is a ring. "Really, all that for a ring?"
The ring talked back. "Really, all that for a weak looking human?"
I laughed as I snatched up the ring and started inspecting it. "So, what the hell are you?"
"A ring."
I start getting mad as I make my way out of the cave with it. I swim back up to land and throw my shirt back on. I start walking back through the village. As I reached the old man's house again, I called out, "Coming in."
As I reached the living room the old man was waiting for me with a smile on his face. "So did you find anything?"
I showed him the ring. "And it talks."
The old man takes it out of my hand and starts inspecting it. "You know this ring was my ancestor's. He was a guardian from a long time ago. These guardians were big as titans and could wield all sorts of magic."
So, I tell him, "Was that book just for show?"
The old man laughed and smiled. "Damn, you read right through me. I knew the ring was in there. Hell, old legends always foretold a pure of heart magic user liberating this world."
I look around. "I am not exactly pure of heart if you ask me."
The old man looked at me with a stone face. "The ring would not react to you if you were not pure of heart."
I shrug at the idea. "I mean; I guess. It is so hard to believe this rustic green looking ring belongs to someone though."
The old man got giddy. "Now I want you to summon a fireball."
I stand in the middle of the room and start tracing my fingers in a circle pattern to summon a magic circle. Once I do that, I start tracing another pattern to summon a fireball, and when I did that, I notice that the once small fireball I could summon has now turned into a very large fireball. I undo the magic circle with my left hand, so I do not burn the town down. Once the fireball disappears the old man stands up and gives me a high five. "You might be the one who can take out Compound City now."
I look out the window of the old man's house in the direction of Compound City. Little do they realize they just got their death warrant issued.