I looked out of the window in my room, smiling and feeling a surge of satisfaction. I had managed to survive the first semester of classes, with only a few setbacks, and was well on my way to becoming a skilled mage. I still had several things to finish tonight, and with that in mind, I made my way down to meet Sig.

Sig stood alone, where we always met for class and exercises, with his arms crossed and a large wooden box on the ground next to him. As I approached, he turned towards me with a grin on his face,

"You took longer than I expected to get down here. I was debating on giving this away if you were any slower!" Sig said, kneeling next to the box and undoing its metal clasps.

I raised an eyebrow and took a step closer as he flipped open the lid on smooth hinges and pulled out a long object wrapped in cloth. Slowly, Sig began unwrapping the fabric, gradually revealing what it hid.

I saw that the object was a spear of some kind, though not like any that I had ever seen before. The speartip, rather than being a short, triangular piece of metal, was instead much longer, with a flat blade and a small crossguard where metal met wood.

Handing it out to me with a smile, I gripped the staff and examined it more closely. The shaft was rectangular with rounded corners rather than circular, and I saw that the finish was black and glossy, clearly of high quality. The blade itself was a dark metal, with silver edges and a quick test found that it was razor-sharp.

I spun it through several flourishes, noting that its near-perfect balance mostly offset the increased weight compared to my practice staves. My muscles were much stronger now, and I knew I could swing the weapon around for long enough if it came to a fight.

"Is this a spear?" I asked after a few seconds, stopping my practice swings and turning to Sig.

"Close. It's called a sword-staff, similar to a halberd but with a long sword blade rather than an ax. Walk me through what makes it a good weapon for you. We can call it a test to make sure you get to keep it." Sig said, crossing his arms and staring at me.

I spun the weapon again, moving through the forms Sig had taught me, considering what he expected me to say.

"It is long, just like a spear and provides comparable range but unlike a spear, because it has a full blade rather than just a point, it will retain effectiveness if anyone comes in close and can slash, rather than just thrust. And because it has such a long handle, I can put much more force into a strike than I could with most swords." I answered after a minute, looking to Sig for confirmation.

"Very true, well done. I had a few modifications made to this one, just for you. The shaft is a bit shorter than normal, and the shape allows for a more precise grip, so you can slash accurately. The entire thing is reinforced with very simple enchantments to increase durability and resistance to the elements. You shouldn't need to sharpen it, though I'll warn you it's far from unbreakable. And I have one little surprise added to it that you may enjoy." Sig said, holding out his hand for the weapon.

I handed it back to him, and Sig gripped it in one hand before narrowing his eyes slightly. After a second, the weapon shone brightly before shrinking down drastically, becoming what looked to be an overly large knife. Sig let out a slow breath after, sweat beginning to gather on his brow and a grimace briefly crossing his face.

"I'm not entirely sure how it works, but the nickname I use is an easy-storage enchantment. Very convenient, though your natural mana powers it, which can be a pretty large chunk of energy, and the weapon will remain just as heavy in every form. It was the only way to have this thing made and not have it be exorbitantly expensive, and I still had to call in a few favors." Sig said, returning the weapon to me along with a matching sheathe. It took me several seconds of concentration to activate the enchantment, returning it to full size in an instant.

"Master, I do not know what to say. Thank you." I said, bowing to hide the barest shimmers of tears in my eyes. I was not one to get overly emotional, but this was a far greater gift than I had expected. The Estton's provided me with much, but that was in expectation of returning their investment.

"Straighten up and look me in the eyes. I also have a notebook of forms and drills for you to practice while you are away. Nothing unusually complicated, but useful and should help you get used to the new weapon."

I nodded, gripping my new tool and moving it through stances and strikes, getting used to the heft and balance. After several minutes, I noticed that the weapon was still light enough that I could hold it in one hand and cast with the other, leaving me capable of using magic.

With my Mana Shell, Arcane Beam, and Flicker Step spells combined with this weapon, I could be very dangerous on the battlefield. I would be terrible at battling in groups, but I would be more than capable by myself. Chuckling, I pushed dreams of dancing around a battlefield from my mind, knowing I was still years from that level.

"Thank you again, sir. I will find a way to repay your generosity someday." I said, bowing low again at Sig.

"Don't worry about it. You'll be sixteen soon enough, right? We can call it an early birthday present, from teacher to student." Sig replied, waving one hand. I did not bother mentioning that I had no idea when my birthday was, and simply used the First Day as my defacto birthday.

Leaving Sig down there, I focused and returned the weapon to its dagger form, buckling on the sheathe. With my cloak, I could hide the blade well, and its small size made it portable enough to function as my primary weapon.

And the drain, while more significant than I expected, was enough that I should not have any serious concerns about running out of mana as long as I was careful. I would never have as little mana as I did right now, and once I began training my magic for more than durability, I would have more than enough power to offset the enchantment's cost.

Back in my room, I stretched before glancing at the window again. It was late at night, and Leon had warned me we would be meeting at first light to start the journey. Usually, I would train for several hours still, but it may be better to get some rest. I had a long day ahead of me, and I should get as much sleep as possible.

Before I could decide for sure, I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I had a suspicion who it could be, which was confirmed when I opened it to find Amelia, standing there with an annoyed expression.

Pushing past me without waiting for an invitation, she turned with her arms crossed and glared. I stared back at her with a raised eyebrow, closing my door quietly and walking a few steps further into the room.

"You were planning on leaving tomorrow without saying goodbye, weren't you?" she asked after several seconds.

"Of course not, but some things have gotten in the way," I replied, not an altogether untrue statement. I had wanted to say goodbye to her, but some things had kept me from following up on those plans.

Amelia snorted, replying, "You aren't a good liar, you know. Though I suppose I can let it slide just this once."

I shook my head, stepping past her and sitting down in a chair.

"I meant to come by, but I was not sure what to say to you. As I have made abundantly clear, I am good at many things, but this is not one of them."

Shaking her head, Amelia walked over to me, sat down, leaned forward, and looked at me silently until I looked up and met her eyes.

"Just be honest, then. I sort of put myself out there, and you never gave me an answer."

Silence stretched between us, and I rubbed my palm with one hand, not looking up. Logically, I still felt it was a bad idea, but emotions did not often listen to logic in my experience. After several seconds, I felt a hand on mine, and I looked up to see Amelia looking at me.

"How about we make a deal? Next semester, whatever this is, we can figure out together, okay? Just take some time and think about things while you are away. But until then, I had a small present for you to bring along on your trip." Amelia said, a smile coming to her face.

Reaching into her pocket, Amelia pulled out a small box, handing it out to me. I opened the box, finding a small ring made of silver, with a white stone set in the front.

"What is this?" I asked, grabbing the ring with two fingers and turning it over while examining it.

"This is what we call a spell gem, inset in a silver band. The stone is imbued with a specific spell, that you can push mana through and cast it without actually knowing the spell. In this case, it's a cleaning spell that you can use to wash yourself instantly without soap, water or anything else. I figured it may be useful for a trip into the woods." she said, smiling and leaning closer.

"This is great. Thank you, Amelia. But I am sure this must have been very expensive. You did not need to go to such lengths for me." I answered, looking back up to her.

"I made it myself, though, to be honest, I had some help. I have a friend who is pretty and loves alchemy, and I offered to introduce her to Simon if he helped me out. As you may imagine, he jumped at the chance. The ring itself was not as expensive as you may imagine, since the spell itself is so weak, so it just took a few weeks of work to figure out."

'Regardless, thank you. I will be sure to take excellent care of it." I said, smiling and slipping the band onto one of my fingers.

Standing, Amelia looked to me and said, "Well, I suppose I should let you get some rest. Stay safe out there, and make sure to use that ring, if only for the rest of the group's benefit. Oh, and keep an eye on Simon! If I don't trust you on your own, I trust him even less. That boy would run from his own shadow."

I stood myself, walking her over to the door and chuckled, replying, "I will be sure to watch out for him. I should thank him for the gift as well."

We stood near the door, and Amelia stared at me quietly before leaning in and pulling me in for a hug. Several seconds passed before she released me and walked away down the hall, her hand reaching up and wiping at her face. I followed her with my eyes before letting out a sigh and closing the door. It was several hours of tossing and turning before I finally fell asleep.

The next morning, I returned to Cortos' sanctum, grabbing all of my bags before teleporting back to my room and dressing myself quickly. Thick traveling clothes, my armor, and my hooded cloak all covered my body, protecting me from the chill beginning to set into the air. On the right side of my hip hung the short sword Leon bought me, and on the left, the sheath for my sword-staff that Sig had provided.

Finally, I grabbed the knife I had taken from the thieves those months prior, and slipping it into my boot, straightening and moving my leg to make sure it would not be uncomfortable.

Briefly looking at myself in the mirror, what greeted me was a young man, looking almost dangerous rather than the child I had been just six months prior.

"Take care, Fortuna," I said to the feline, who yawned at me in response, a feeling I can only surmise as encouragement briefly touching me.

Down in front of the Academy was a massive group of several dozen students and five masters, all already mounted. I quickly found the Esttons, who were already sitting astride large horses, packs filled with supplies. One smaller brown mare was nearby, and I mounted it, grimacing at the bruises that would likely form by the end of the day.

"You ready to leave?" Leon asked me, slapping my arm lightly with a hand.

I glanced backward at the Academy briefly before turning to Leon and smiling.

"As ready as can be, sir."

Within a few minutes, our group began riding away from the Academy, moving slowly through the streets before exiting the city. All too soon, we were well on our way, and the capital was nothing but a distant speck on the horizon.