Dread Mage

The journey would be long. It would likely span a couple of months, as Vell had estimated.

He didn't mind. Traveling on foot was his favorite way to get from place to place, and he wanted to avoid any major cities or settlements for the moment.

Being out of the sight of anyone's eyes, he thought, would be best.

But Sonder was getting antsy.

He noticed that he would stir at night and be absent-minded during the day. She was too deep inside her own mind.

And her restlessness grew with each passing day of their journey.

One evening, as they sat around the campfire, when Vell thought that Sonder's unease would reach a peak he didn't want it to, he asked her:

"Do you want to learn some more magic? While you have nothing else to do while we trek through the land, maybe you should focus your mind more on things that could help you in the future when your schooling really begins."

Sonder looked up from the crackling flames, her eyes flickering with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"More magic?" She repeated, "I've only scratched the surface with Lady Limerence."

He delved into his bag and produced Hiraeth, nestled comfortably in a small bed.

It appeared the sprite had already settled down for the night.

After placing the sprite bed on the ground, Hiraeth put aside a minuscule book and turned his attention towards them.

"Any reason to disturb my slumber?" He asked, hands on his hips.

"I'm sorry, but could you tell me where to find the second volume of 'Introduction to Initial Wizardry'?"

"Thirty-fifth shelf, second row, seventh book."

"Thanks," and Vell's hand reached deep into his bag until his whole arm was swallowed up and he pulled out a worn, leather-bound book. He opened it, and its pages were yellowed with age, filled with intricate symbols and ancient incantations.

"This," Vell said, holding up the book, "is a grimoire. I acquired it long ago during my travels. It's old, so it only contains rudimentary knowledge and spells, but I believe that it can expand your understanding of magic as a whole."

He handed it to her, and she took it.

Carefully handling it as it looked like it could go up into dust at any moment.

"Is this how you started?" She asked. "Becoming a mage, I mean."

"Of course, but I read everything when I was young-er; I still do, but not so much about magic. I don't think there is a book in existence today that would teach me anything new about the subject. Today I would rather read about the other crafts and history, especially."

"If this is the second volume, shouldn't I rather start with the first?"

"That would be a good idea, if there was one," Vell said.

"There's no first?"

"Possibly, possibly not. If there ever was one, it has been swallowed by the sands of time, much like many significant works."

With that, he retired for the night to let Sonder pour over the contents of the book.