I had been training for a couple years now and was finally getting the hang of both. At ten I had been showing more signs that I truly could one day wield both magic and sword effectively.

  I had turned ten a few months back, Jerek’s was a little before mine. Today is Mariel’s birthday, she asked if we could enter the Emberroot Pit dungeon for her birthday.

  A little exploration accompanied by her father. A wonderful idea.

  Now, the guild has very tight restrictions about children exploring their dungeons. Children are never to be allowed in anything greater than a rank-C. Furthermore, a rank-C can take just one child, same with rank-B.

  However, A-rank adventurers can take two children. S-rank’s can take up to five. So there are a few schools with S-rank teachers so there can be field trips to dungeons and whatnot.

  Clearly there were three children, and unfortunately Eric was A-rank. Under normal circumstances he could only take two of us. But fortunately we were given special treatment.

  Eric was A-rank, and sure low ladder A-rank. But he had been that way for around two decades. Two decades without a single incident in his party. Which meant he was sometimes given special permission by the guild.

  He simply asked and given that the three of us were enrolled already for the Imperium Academy for when we were twelve, my parents were officers, Jerek’s were nobles, and Mariel was his own offspring — they accepted the request.

  I had scraped together every coin I could—and a few I probably shouldn’t have—and bought something for Mariel’s birthday.

  A pendant.

  Simple on the outside, but lined with a clever bit of enchantment work.

  It wasn’t just jewelry.

  It stored ambient mana from the world, and even a trickle from the wearer themselves.

  When the time came, she could draw on that stored mana and pour it into her next swing or spell, sharpening her blade, strengthening a heal, or letting her strike harder than she normally could.

  A hidden reserve. A trump card when things went bad. The kind of gift someone really only gives to a person they trust on the battlefield.

  I had walked to the guild with my blade and book with me, alongside the pendant for Mariel.

  If today was important to her, I wanted to make sure I contributed something meaningful. I’d seen her heal others so many times that I wanted her to have something that protected her for once.

  When I arrived I only saw Mariel, Jerek was probably running late. Her father was reserving our slot for the dungeon. Perfect time to give it to her.

  “Hello, Mariel!” I exclaimed as I got closer to her.

  Her warm smile and rosy cheeks lit up when she saw me.

  “Hello, Cade!”

  I smiled in return.

  I took the pendant out of my pocket and gave it to her. “Happy birthday Mare.”

  Her smile vanished. Her expression went blank.

  Did I do something wrong?

  She picked it up and examined it. The yellow gemstone reflected softly against her hair, and for a moment she looked like she was glowing.

  She continued to study it and then looked back at me.

  “You got this… for me?”

  Shit, I did something weird.

  I looked down and softly nodded.

  When I looked back up she had a tear forming.

  Fuck.

  “Cade. This is the greatest thing I’ve ever been given in my entire life.” She paused and hugged me. “Thank you so much.”

  Holy shit. What a relief.

  “Of course.” I hugged her back. “I wanted to do something nice for you. Oh and just so you know it stores ambient mana from you, or the surrounding atmosphere and you can channel it into an attack, defense, or support. I charged it with my mana before I got here.”

  “Thank you, Cade.”

  She had just gotten done wiping a tear away when Jerek made his grand entrance.

  The door flew open and in came Jerek wearing possibly the most expensive armor I had ever seen a child wear.

  It was a combination of classic white and black, but with a light blue, dark purple, and a subtle red to throw the colors together. Beautiful… but not exactly practical looking.

  “Alright kiddos.” Eric strode back from the guildsman and noticed Jerek. “Dude what is that?”

  Jerek held his noble head high. “Whatever could you mean? I am wearing luxurious armor to protect myself on this daring mission.”

  “Yeah but you look like an idiot.”

  Jerek jokingly acted offended. If I hadn’t rescued him all those years ago he probably would’ve actually been offended by that.

  His eyes walked to meet Mariel and I. “You guys like this, right?”

  We looked at each other then back to him.

  “No.” We said in unison

  His head dropped.

  “Don’t worry though, Jerek.” Eric got down on one knee. “I was going to bring the three of you to a blacksmith anyway. He’ll reshape your gear there.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  A smile slapped across Jerek’s face. “Really?”

  Eric nodded.

  “Lead the way my daring rescuer.”

  Eric stood back up and rolled his eyes but began walking.

  Hmm, blacksmith?

  We walked about a mile before I had to ask. “When you say blacksmith, could it be—”

  Eric interrupted me. “Yes! The legendary blacksmith that your father and I entrusted with the shaping of our gear when we were making a name for ourselves.”

  Fenrick Cinderheart. He’s one of twelve blacksmiths who hold a permit to create relics, they require a permit to be made because they’re illegal to make unless the emperor allows it directly.

  A relic is where a very specific metal called dark mithralite is infused with the blood and mana of whoever the wielder of that item will be.

  The reason they use dark mithralite is because it absorbs mana, and for some reason holds its best enchantments when the user infuses both their mana and blood.

  A good example is Blight Grand Marshal Aldric Veran’s Witherband. Aldric Veran is the headmaster of Imperium Academy. The reason a headmaster has one is because he is still a Grand Marshal.

  Veran was formerly an S-rank adventurer who was given guild-permission to need a relic to slay a powerful monster. Veran obtained his relic with the ability to spread unfathomably powerful morvain rot.

  Morvain rot is the very essence of decay. The monster they were fighting would constantly regenerate when the party did damage to it. So legend says Veran pleaded for the relic and when given to him he slayed the monster with ease.

  Now it sat encased in magic-resistant glass, proudly displayed at the Imperium Academy.

  We reached the outskirts of the city and stopped in front of the Cinderheart Forge — arguably the largest, loudest, and most legendary forge on the entire continent.

  Books had been written about this place. Fairytales were born here. Half the relics in the Empire had originated from its fires.

  When we walked inside heat washed over us like a breath from the earth itself.

  And there, waiting for us as if he knew exactly when we’d arrive, stood Fenrick Cinderheart himself. Several sets of pre-made gear rested on display beside him.

  “Eric!” Fenrick called with a wide grin.

  “Fenny!” Eric marched forward, and the two exchanged a warrior’s handshake — forearm to forearm, a greeting reserved for old comrades.

  When they separated, Fenrick spoke first. “It’s been too long. I met your wife earlier to go over the order, but I’ve been dying to see you and Mariel again.”

  Mariel blinked. “Again?”

  Fenrick approached us with surprising gentleness for a man built like a stone anvil.

  “Yes. I met you when you were only a baby. Your father invited me and my lady over — Cade and his parents were there too. Along with a few of our old brothers and sisters in arms.”

  Her brow lifted even higher. “You fought alongside them?”

  Fenrick chuckled. “Aye. Every now and then, even a blacksmith has to delve into a dungeon or two. Hard to forge legendary weapons, or even relics without getting one's own hands dirty.”

  She nodded and went back to being gentle and relaxed.

  He approached me now.

  “And you—Cade. Last time I saw you, you were barely tall enough to look over a table. Your father always said you’d grow into trouble.”

  “He wasn’t wrong,” Eric muttered.

  Fenrick continued. “How are you? How are Vance and Kestria?”

  Those were my parents' real names, not ‘mom’ and ‘dad’.

  “They’re well. They are letting me train in both magic and the sword.”

  His face lit up — somehow even more. “Wonderous! I already knew that, but it still is awesome to hear good news from the prodigal son himself.”

  The what now?

  “Im sorry, I’m who?”

  His face got a bit more serious. “You’re kidding, right?”

  I shook my head.

  “Kiddo.” He got down on a knee to meet my gaze. “You’re enrolled to the Imperium Academy early, which is cool. But you’re the first to be enrolled as a book n’ blade since Aldric Veran himself.”

  “Oh wow, really? None of the Iron Legion was?”

  Fenrick shook his head.

  “Awesome!” I exclaimed.

  Then Fenrick noticed the very colorful, and smug-looking Jerek standing a few feet from me. “My goodness, what are you wearing?”

  Jerek made his way closer before striking a pose. “I am in dire need of removal of this absolutely obnoxious armor, for I am helpless in this gear. I also should note, I did not dress myself.”

  Well that clears that up well for me. I'm glad he didn’t willingly put that on.

  “Right,” Fenrick started while studying the gear. “I’ll have everything ready in about twenty minutes. No need to pay for this Eric, your wife covered the rest of the stuff already, this is free.”

  Eric shook his head. “No, you’re going to get payment for this, I insist.”

  Then a back and forth made the smithing take double as long as intended but when it was done we all tried out our gear.

  “Now, I know you already had some on your way here. I’ll make sure whatever you don’t wear winds up staying here until you need to head back home, no sense in forcing you to all go back to your own homes then to meet up again at Emberroot.”

  “Thank you old friend.” Eric said and gave Fenrick another warrior's handshake, then we thanked Fenrick as well and then left for the pit.

  As we got to the entrance it was both really cool, and really boring. It was exciting but also it was an E-rank dungeon. Which is the lowest rank.

  The reason there are some dungeons located within city limits is because legend says the first emperor who saved us from a war decided to keep the lower tier dungeons still in the same relative place as major cities.

  The reason for this was mostly for training. There are one or two cities with S-rank dungeons, but those are for thrill seekers, and children are actually not allowed to be born into, or live in those cities.

  The rest of the dungeons are spread out amidst the badlands, ruins, etc.

  As we entered into the pit the air thickened instantly; heat shimmered off the stone walls like breathing.

  That’s because there is a magma pit at the bottom, most of the monsters here wielded swords infused with magma, or used low level morvain magma magic.

  We ventured through killing monsters and listening to everything Eric told us to do, following directions, orders, etc.

  Our strategy was simple. I was the major offensive fighter. I would cast spells for wide areas to crumble, but I’d also lead head in with my sword. Jerek was our shield. Any monster who could wield medium level morvain magic was brutal for us.

  Typically they’d exhaust themselves with just one spell though, so Jerek would block it for us then myself and Mariel would go in with swords. Our sword styles were technically different but they complimented the other’s.

  Jerek even once had to use something called shield magic. Shield magic isn’t used often because if you’re carrying a shield you want to be physically resilient. When Jerek first wanted to wield a shield he already had experience using magic.

  He simply shifted his readings to shield magic. It reinforces his physical shield, or gives an ailment to whatever touches it.

  So either it makes it resistant to pierce damage, or could perhaps convert magic into mana stored within the shield for a pulse to be used later. Similar to Mariel’s pendant.

  We made our way to the boss at the end of the dungeon where there was a final boss who had both an axe and was chanting a spell.

  Eric said he’d fight it first to make it weaker, but wouldn’t kill it. As Eric fought it I noticed some things unique about magma magic, which differs from fire magic.

  Fire magic rose and spread, and was light. Whereas magma hung heavy, slow, and deadly — more earth than flame.

  We watched from three different viewpoints as Eric tired the boss out a little when I got ambushed. A monster threw magma magic at me and I felt the shift in the air but I was too slow to react.

  A small amount hit my shoulder but the rest was blocked. When I looked up Jerek had jumped in the way of the magic and blocked it for me. Mariel was already enroute and chanting a spell to heal me.

  Jerek had just then dispersed all the power he had been collecting from the dungeon into this one monster. “Don’t hurt my friends.”

  Mariel healed me using some of the magic stored in the pendant. “Are you alright Cade?”

  I stood back up. “Yes. I’m alright.”

  Eric’s voice cut through our conversation. “Alright kiddo’s, your opening is here.”

  We all nodded and leapt into action.

  I began the offensive chanting, Jerek began the defensive chanting. Mariel began chanting for temporary stat boosts. All while gaining more mana in her pendant.

  I through morvain fire at the monster as Jerek jumped in front of its frontal assault, perfectly blocking the attack. I jumped onto its weapon and began running up its arm before delivering a slash to its head.

  I barely missed its eye.

  We cycled strategies but dungeon bosses are one or sometimes two levels higher than the floor itself. So this is at best a C rank monster. Another reason why only C rank and higher can enter dungeons like this with a kid.

  After a little more fighting I told Mariel to enchant her sword with offensive lucen magic. The reason is because although we can’t actually permanently enchant a weapon like a relic, she can wrap magic around the blade to deliver a more powerful blow.

  She does so and I distract the monster with Jerek. I wait for the opening.

  Now.

  “Jerek block the next attack and I’ll run back up its arm. When I go for its eye Mariel deliver that blow, with amplification from the pendant stab right through the monster's heart.”

  They nodded. In perfect unison Jerek blocked, I ran and distracted, then Mariel delivered the killing blow to the heart. Clean, tight, efficient.

  Eric began clapping. “Well done, everyone. Let’s collect the last of the loot and head out.”

  We took various items some monsters dropped, such as leather, cloth, or other low level goods and we left the dungeon.

  After getting back to the guild to confirm we left, we traded our goods with vendors and split profits amongst me and Mariel. We wanted to give Eric some but he refused. And well Jerek is a noble, so he had plenty of coin already.

  Eric left and we grabbed some food just the three of us.

  We laughed, we ate, and we drank. The drinks were non alcoholic but it was symbolic nevertheless.

  As we parted ways for the evening I walked back to my house and greeted my parents before saying goodnight.

  But I couldn’t go to bed just yet. There was something I had to check with the booklet.

  I opened it up as I did some nights and examined it. Once again it felt like I was being guided to something in the book.

  “What are you?” I blurted to myself.

  When I blinked and opened my eyes again, the words on the page moved.

  The words were assembling themselves in a different way, almost as if it was trying to let me read it.

  The page was slowly becoming readable. I flipped some pages and the rest were still ineligible. But the first fifth of the booklet or so was readable.

  I wasn’t going to let this go to waste. Maybe I was hallucinating but I felt like I was being permitted to read it now. The language didn’t change, but the fact still stood that I could read it, I don’t even know how.

  But it felt like examining the booklet weekly was paying off because in the dungeon if I didn’t sense the morvain magma I would’ve surely lost a limb.

  Was reading the booklet going to help me improve?

  Only one way to find out.

  And for the first time, I felt like I was becoming someone I could believe in.