Author's Note: Hey, guys. Sorry this one came a day late. Real life decided to be a pain yesterday. Strangely, it happened on chapter 13. Weird how that worked out, huh? Oh, well. Enjoy.

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By the time I managed to limp my way back to the mansion, the sun was already rising. I could have gotten back much sooner, but trying to climb a three story stone wall with several broken ribs, bruises and whatever else is just as hard and painful as it sounds.

Just as I expected, I received an earful from Roland about sneaking out. As punishment, I was going to have to recover from my injuries on my own. No help from a healer or anything, just bandages.

"Every time you feel that pain, you're going to remember how stupid you just were, " he said. "You could've been killed!"

Since when does he care? Who does he think he is, my father?

I was too tired to argue with him about it, though. And once I really thought about it, it was risky.

I bet my life in combat with a creature several times my size for maybe finding a way to cast magic. For the first time in a while I started to wonder if I really needed magic at all. Why do I want magic so badly?

At first the idea was just as something to get back at the city guard. It was something I thought I needed to survive. The simple fact that I'm still alive now without it means that it isn't true.

So what is the real reason then?

By the time I headed back to school, I still didn't have my answer.

"Fen? What are you thinking about?" Milena asked me as we walked through the academy's front gate.

"I was wondering why I wanted magic so badly," I replied.

"Well, isn't it just because you want to fit in?" she asked. "Oops! I mean- no. It's not that you don't, it's just..."

"Fit in, huh..." I said.

While Milena kept panicking I seriously thought about what she said. Was that really it? I am the only wulvari in the capital. Possibly the only one in the entire kingdom. Was I really just trying to belong?

I pushed it from my mind as I waved goodbye to Milena and headed for my Magic Theory class.

Today's lesson was on special affinities. There are five discovered main affinities. These are fire, water, earth, wind, and light.

Light was one I hadn't heard about before. Apparently healers were of the light affinity, but that's not all they do. They can also manipulate light itself and at the highest levels of power can even be used to attack. Seeing people actually do that, though, is very rare. Healers are far too valuable to be sent into combat, so research into their offensive capabilities hasn't really gone anywhere.

Supposedly, the king has the light affinity.

Special affinities are ones that either don't fit these or are derived from the main affinities. Magic was only discovered just over three hundred years ago and new affinities are being discovered all the time.

Milena's ice affinity is a sub-type of water. Normally, it's incredibly difficult for someone to use spells from another affinity. Since ice is a sub-type of water, though, Milena could use water spells without much trouble if she worked at it.

That's easy to understand, but there are stranger ones out there, too. The teacher said that the blacksmith out on main street is a special sub-type of earth. He can use all the earth spells, but every time he does, it comes out as iron instead of regular stone.

There were more weird ones, too. Fire magic with blue flames. Wind magic that uses smoke.

It was around this point in the lecture that I found the answer I was looking for.

I don't need to worry about the city guard anymore. I don't care about fitting in. The real reason is just because it's too damn interesting!

People make these amazing things happen all the time. Even when they were throwing it at me, I still couldn't help but think it was cool.

I've come this far. I'm not stopping now!

During the lunch break, I headed out onto the campus. Milena was kind of mad at me for ignoring her for the past few weeks and heading to the library and demanded that I had lunch with her.

On the way there, I started hearing people whispering about me again.

"Hey, that's the kid who tried to pass the practical without using magic. They say he almost won."

"What's with the bandages, though?"

"I heard he picked a fight with a dire bear and won. Still without magic."

"No way in hell. That's gotta be a lie."

"I saw the practical. I think it's possible."

"But he's only 12!"

I heard that and more the whole way out to the courtyard.

"Hi, Fen. People are talking about you. Did you know?" Milena greeted me with a question.

"Yeah, kind of hard not to notice," I replied as I sat down on the bench next to her.

"You seem a bit happier. Did you find an answer?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm not giving up, yet. It's got nothing to do with protecting myself or fitting in or anything like that. Magic is just too damn interesting!" I replied.

We chatted like that for a while until some kid came up to us and started talking.

"Ah, Miss Milena Firth and... Fen? Was it? Let's do away with the pleasantries, I know you're honored to speak with me. Anyway-" he yammered on and on.

Who the hell is this annoying little prick?

He had dusty brown hair and brown eyes. He also had an annoying way of smiling constantly, yet it couldn't possibly be more obvious that it wasn't sincere. He was skinny and small to the point that you'd think he was sick. And that aggravating way of speaking...

"Ah! Wormy," I said.

"Wha-!? W-what did you just call me!?" he replied.

"Milena, this is the guy I fought in the practical exam," I said as I introduced him to Milena.

"Hello, Wormy," Milena greeted him with a smile.

"M-my name isn't Wormy! It's-" he yelled.

"You got brown hair and brown eyes. You're skinny and have an earth affinity. Wormy is very fitting," I said as I grinned at his misfortune. Even the casual passersby listening in were nodding their heads and agreeing with me. If I played it right, I could get everyone in the academy to call him that.

I wonder, if I asked the king, can I get his name legally changed?

"Would you like to eat with us, Wormy?" Milena asked. She must've felt sorry for what I was doing to him.

"W-well... as a matter of fact I would, but... My name-" he mumbled.

"You eating or not, Wormy?" I asked, cutting him off.

I thought today was going to be miserable. But thanks to Milena getting me thinking about these things, I've renewed my determination. Once I heal up, I'll try again with a better (and safer) plan. Until then, I've found an entertaining new "friend" to play with.

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