It seemed the city lord had decided not to seek vengeance against Marie so Paden and their group left the city with no fuss. They had been on the road for three hours as Marie continued his lessons inside their carriage and was now instructing him on the items she purchased from the shop.

“This is a testing crystal,” Marie told Paden as she held up a long slightly narrow clear crystal the length of his palm. “The purpose for these crystals is to determine your elemental affinities. Darkness is obviously your strongest element. However, most mages have affinities for all elements to varying degrees. So long as you have average affinity to an element, you will be able to cast their lower tier spells, albeit with some difficulty.”

“If your affinity is lower than average?” Paden questioned as he thought about what other affinity he hoped he had.

“Then don’t bother. The time and resources needed to cast even a single lower tier spell makes bothering with that element moot. Now grab the crystal and channel your magic into it,” Marie directed him as she tossed the crystal over to Paden.

Paden grabbed the crystal and felt the familiar spring of warmth in his chest as he channeled his power. However, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He thought and decided to move that warm feeling through his right arm and into his hand where he was holding the crystal.

Like a click, it all came together, the warmth in his chest became a single stream that extended from his chest to his hand. It seemed to pool so he directed it into the crystal as it began to take shape. What he saw was close to the sight of the night sky he gazed upon when he slept outside at night during his past hunts.

The crystal took the color of darkness throughout but noticed other colors. It made him think of the large white lights of the stars that dotted the black curtain of darkness. Peering within he noticed medium sized blue balls that circled inside the crystal.

Marie took a look at his crystal and smiled but quickly frowned. “Excellent affinities for Darkness and Light? Odd. Those elements usually do not exist with one another. High affinity for water. Good. Lot safer to practice with that element when learning to control one’s magic,” Marie informed him while she was inwardly going wild.

“Eh. Light too?” – Paden.

“Yea. Weird. More like, impossible,” Marie muttered under her breath.

“Why?” – Paden.

“I have seen people with light and dark affinities before. Even our family has records of such people in our family and from other old families. People with light and dark aspects always die. Their magic builds up and the pressure squeezes blood from every pore and orifice of their body. Not a pleasant sight,” Marie recalled grimly.

Paden shuddered. Did this mean he was going to die?

“Don’t worry,” Marie told him sensing his fear. “If you were going to die, you would have long ago. Mages with light and dark affinities always die the first time they cast magic. You have been using magic for weeks now with nothing happening. Congratulations Paden, you are now the first dual light dark element mage,” Marie told him with a toothy grin completely passing the subject of him unknowingly almost perishing.

“Does that mean I get to learn from Uncle Weillin as well?” – Paden.

“Yes, we should tell Weillin when we make camp for tonight. Also, keep the matter of having light element affinity secret for now. Don’t tell anyone, not even Axel or his family,” Marie warned him gravely.

Paden nodded his head as even he could see such knowledge becoming disastrous for him. Best case, he is held in high regard and seen as a promising talent by the kingdom. Worst case scenario, Paden is outright murdered to make sure he doesn’t grow up to be like his father. Marie nodded happily seeing her nephew understood.

“This is a spell ring,” Marie showed him the bone ring she ‘retrieved’ from the shop. “This ring is a lower tier ring but good for beginning mages like you to learn the intricacies of controlling such items.”

Marie handed Paden the ring and he got a good look. The ring itself was made from a bone of something he didn’t recognize. He looked and saw engravings in the ring and wondered if that contributed to the particular spell it could manifest. Even though it was his first time seeing such an engraving he felt inexplicably drawn to it as though it were calling out to him.

“The ring is engraved with a lower tier Dark Arrow spell. Compared to most dark spells of that level, Dark Arrow possesses substance to it. It is classified as lower tier but lethal nonetheless. We will practice later. Do not use it outside our lessons unless it is an emergency.” – Marie.

Paden put on the bone ring on his right middle finger. He felt a cold sensation as if the ring were made from steel that was left out in the cold. The strange feeling seemed familiar and almost comforting as though it was winter and he was snuggled up against a fire wrapped by a large blanket.

“This is a meditative bracelet. It’s medium tier so somewhat adequate. We have better at home so this will suffice for now,” Marie explained casually as she handed Paden the bracelet.

Paden took it and examined the bracelet closely seeing it was made of silver. However, he couldn’t determine the purity as his aunt had in the shop. How did she do it? He looked on the outside and inside seeing there were inscriptions but there were obvious differences between what showed outside and inside. How can she look at this complicated set of inscriptions and determine its function?

“The meditative bracelet is invaluable to mages. Meditation is required to further our own power and, more importantly, our connection with our element. As we train in the grand elements, this connection becomes all the more paramount.” – Marie.

“Grand elements?” – Paden.

“We define elements by order of ordinary, grand, and divine elements. Water, wind, earth and fire are all lower elements. Light and darkness are attributed to high elements. Classifications vary depending on the system a kingdom trains its mages in. Mages of various kingdoms have been trying to standardize the classifications but each of our understandings differ leading to conflicts,” Marie informed Paden while sighing.

“Well such matters are beyond one as young as yourself for now,” Marie continued to explain. “All you need to know is that item will aid in your training. Keep it on you at all times. Even when you sleep, do not remove it.”

Paden nodded as he understood her explanation unhooking the clasp to put it on his wrist. As soon as he closed the clasp, he was struck with a strange feeling of euphoria. It was as if he was walking in mist and the gods suddenly decided to make everything as clear as day. The feeling was intoxicating, addicting, making him feel relatively giddy.

Marie watched the expression of her nephew change rapidly understanding what he was feeling at that moment. It was the same of any mage who received a meditative tool for the first time. She herself felt uplifted when she received one as a gift from her older brother. It is something that is inadequate to aid her now but she still carried it on her.

Marie sat back and drew out a flask of alcohol to drink in her memories as she quietly observed her nephew. It would be some time before Paden snapped out of the initial effects of the bracelet. Even so he would be a little open to suggestion for a short time afterward. She would have some fun with him, she thought with an impish smile.

Five hours on the road had passed before they made camp for the night. Paden had just broken from his initial experience with the meditative trance under Marie’s instigation. She sheepishly looked at her nephew, giddy as could be.

She led a submissive Paden out the cart by hand as Weillin saw the look on Paden’s face and realized what was happening. He gave a helpless look to Marie who returned a wide grin. He chuckled as he gave a nudge to Randolph and pointed out Paden. Randolph took one glance at Paden’s euphoric look and gave a knowing smile.

Marie sat around a camp with Jacob fire as Leanna and the girls arrived. They began preparing dinner. They didn’t even recognize the odd state of Paden until some time had passed by. However, the twins ran over to Paden and began requesting things of Paden. Because of the state he was in, he allowed everything from pats on the head to letting them sit on his lap.

Marie looked at this and laughed to her hearts content as Leanna had finished with dinner, letting it stew so she had time. She walked up to Marie who was giggling as she looked at Paden and asked what was so funny. Marie told her everything causing Leanna to grin merrily.

“Paden, come over here and place your head on my lap,” request Leanna as she patted her lap for him to come.

Padden walked over calmly and did as she asked as Leanna smiled brightly. She had always done this when he was younger but he became rebellious as he got older. She ran her fingers though his hair as the girls saw this and gave each other confused looks. Marie filled them in causing Mary and Bea looked at each other with a mischievous glint in their eyes. Leanna got up and went to check on dinner as Mary and Bea rushed Paden from both sides.

“Paden what do you think of me and Bea?” – Mary.

“What do you mean?” Paden asked innocently not thinking of their intentions. Marie and Leanna were off to the sides, laughing at his remark.

“What I mean is, do you think we are cute?” Mary asked as she looked into his eyes a look returned by Paden.

Normal Paden would have become flustered by this time. Normal Paden would have steered the conversation a different way. He would have understood the deeper meaning of her words and chosen his words carefully. However, what came out was…

“You two are very cute. Whatever, man marries you two in the future will be very blessed,” Paden told them with an innocent smile causing the two to blush.

His calm demeanor, innocent words and those fair looks made Paden appear very handsome. The hearts of Mary and Bea were moved as they hugged him slightly surprising and puzzling him. Even Leanna and Marie were slightly moved by his demeanor.

Axel had just come around with Weillin and Randolph having been told about Paden’s state and he was highly amused. He looked at his daughters fawning over Paden who didn’t shy away like usual and bellowed in laughter. He almost couldn’t believe the two were the same boy as he looked at him.

Axel sat down across from Paden and looked at the boy with a grin. According to Weillin’s story Paden will snap out of it soon enough. Best part, the boy would remember every embarrassing moment too. This is too good, Axel thought while chuckling to himself as he sat down next to his wife to watch the whole thing go down.

Paden sat with both girls cooing in delight by his side. They knew it was induced by his state but the words were from his heart nonetheless. Carol and Cheryl saw their sisters and threw a tantrum for a moment before Paden silenced them. A few kind words of rebuke followed by patting their tiny heads and they fell as easily as their elder sisters as they sat on his lap.

The adults all watched this with amused expressions as some of the other groups caught on to something happening with Axel’s group. Eber and Gerard came over and saw the scene of Paden calmly being mushed between his sisters knowing instantly that something was up. Axel called them over and Weillin told them what was going on sending the two roaring in laughter. This was the best form of amusement they had while travelling.

Some other people joined in and learned what was going on. When Leanna finished dinner, Eber suggested the girls take turns feeding Paden. The poor boy sat submissively as the girls fed him. Mary and Bea mischievously used the same spoon to feed themselves. The adults noticed their subtle moves as stealing indirect kisses from Paden amusing the whole crowd.

Just as they finished their meal, Paden started coming around. “Huh?” Paden spoke aloud. Paden was distracted and wondered why the twins were on his lap and the two flanking his sides. Then he remembered it all.

Paden flushed red as he recalled every embarrassing moment and looked at the crowd that had gathered. A lot of mothers and other women were disappointed as looking at the boy gave them great amusement. Paden wordlessly got up and scurried to his tent to hide, the laughter of the adults following him as he made his retreat. So embarrassing, thought Paden as he hid from sight.