Nothing was more painful than failing to control your own magic. The pain that it could cause a person was unbearably agonizing. It felt as if your insides were on fire and attempting to burn their way out. But more so, that they didn't belong there. It was like your body thought every cell in itself was a foreign invader, an object that didn't belong there. It caused your brain to force your body into a severe paroxysm. Until you could learn to grasp control over it, using it was simply dangerous. The only person that could provide any modicum of relief would be another wizard. Sorceresses and Sorcerers weren't of any use, especially since they're powers were very limited in comparison to that of a wizard. The magic in women just wasn't nearly as powerful as the magic that existed in men. However, that wasn't to say that a sorceress could in no way overpower a wizard. In most confrontations between the two, it was more of a matter of skill rather than magical strength. Although, when it came to putting up shields around certain objects, or to block certain doorways, a wizard's shield was always stronger than a sorceress's. While a sorceress could put up a shield that could keep a wizard from entering a certain place, if the wizard had the proper training, and knowledge of such things, he could easily unravel the threads of the shield and make it through.

A sorceress was unable to do that to a wizard's shield. It was impossible. They didn't have the power required to break such threads, or to unravel them. Sorcerers are a completely different story. They had often been called "wizards with the calling." Simply put, they weren't born with an innate ability to use magic. They had to spend years, and years, of their life learning to control some of the simpler elements of it. They, in no way, had the same strengths as either a sorceress or a wizard. Since it was very rare for someone to be born with the calling, rather than with magic itself, they were very few in total.

Ariq could feel the extreme pain flowing through his veins with his life's blood. He could feel his nerves screaming out at his brain, overloading him with torment. Then, as soon as all hope was lost, relief spread through his entire body. His breathing was rapid, yet unfulfilling. While the constant stream of pain had been cut off, the ache of what he'd already been forced to feel was still there. He let out a small sigh as he attempted to sit up. The amount of exertion that it took his muscles in order for him to move caused him to lose his breath and fall back to the ground. He blinked a few times, before just leaving his eyes completely shut. He could see no hope. No chance of ever being able to get through this.

"This isn't the first time this has happened. Don't give up now, Ariq." Brother Aloysius Albaun stood over Ariq in plain blue robes. He was a frail man who looked to be in his eighties. He had silver hair that stuck out in every direction, given him a mad appearance. His eyes were a dark green, and as youthful as Ariq. While his body looked extremely frail, and old, he was often more energetic than half of the young wizards that he trained. He often said, "The more one focuses on their age, the more they will feel it." That was his reasoning behind why he had just as much energy as Ariq while he was currently one hundred and seventy four years old.

"This hurts more than it did last time," Ariq said, his voice was hoarse and fragmented, "I can hardly move my muscles. It even hurts to speak." He didn't like showing weakness in front of his mentor, and especially in front of the other students. There were three main schools of magic: Fire, Frost, and Arcane. Very few wizards lived long enough to master more than one of the schools. While most wizards had the ability to use abilities that were from each school, such as being able to cast a fireball, or to use a blast of arcane energy to knock something out of the way, it was nearly impossible to find someone who could do more advanced spells. Ariq, however, was able to use all three schools of magic with extreme ease. During his testing as a young boy, he was required to use a rather difficult spell from each school of magic. The school that the boy was going to be taught often depended on which spell he was able to produce. Which school of magic that the boy was more inherent too often came easiest to him, and was usually the only spell that he was able to complete. Ariq had managed to do all three spells with extreme ease. Brother Aloysius was one of the most talented Arcane Wizards in existence, and while he normally wouldn't teach other wizards how to control their abilities, he had ended up taking an extreme interest with this young wizard.

"Of course it will hurt even more. You are stretching your limits and attempting magic that has the potential to destroy you. It is like trying to lift a boulder. While you may be able to accomplish such a thing, it is going to take extreme toll on your body because you aren't used to it. You aren't used to the force that it's going to require, and your body has never had to taste that amount of stress before." He took a step towards Ariq and gently placed his index finger directly between Ariq's eyes. He let his magic flow through and into Ariq. The magic was a wave of alleviation for Ariq. He waited until the old wizard had pulled his finger away, before standing up and thanking him.

"But, Brother, I don't understand why it hurt so much this time. I was casting plenty of spells, using plenty of energy, and even the times that I lost control, I never felt this much pain." Ariq licked his lips as he straightened his robes. He was very eager to hear what the brother was going to say. The man was full of infinite knowledge. He was, after all, the oldest wizard alive. He had been around for nearly two hundred years, and probably knew more about Arcane magic, and possibly Fire and Frost, than anyone else alive.

"Ariq, before you were lifting stones. Now you are lifting boulders. Just like you felt pain when you were unable to control the magic of your previous spells, you will feel the pain of these. But these are much more complicated. They aren't child's play, so to speak. You are using much more magic, and its going to require more effort on your body. And when you can't control your magic, then your body feels the effort of the act that you are doing. That is how things are with Arcane magic. You will find that Fire and Frost are different.

"When you conjure fire, if you are unable to control it, then you simply get burned. Frost, according to most wizards, is perhaps the easiest magic to control. If you can't control Frost, it simply won't happen. There is no effort from your body. Arcane is different. Arcane uses the energy in your body, your life force. It uses your body as a conductor, of sorts, to channel the energy from the things around you, and to use it to your benefit. If you cannot control that energy, than it wears down your body. Arcane is perhaps the most dangerous schools of magic, and the one that requires the most studying.

"Because of this fact, there are plenty of wizards that haven't even learned how to put up a single shield. They are either not talented enough, or are far too lazy to try and figure it out. It is also why the only Sorcerers that you will ever come across in the world are limited to being able to use very little fire and frost manipulation. Arcane is magic itself, and unless you are born with it, you cannot use it. Sorceresses are more apt to study Arcane magic for many reasons. They enjoy the fact that there are wizards out there that cannot use it, which allows them to be able to shield their homes and to keep out unwanted visitors. It is also what makes Sorceresses extremely dangerous. They are inherently born with the ability to control the arcane aspect of magic. Now, they often are able to light a candle from across the room, or to throw fire at you, but it isn't as easy for them as blasting you through a wall with energy."

Aloysius turned away from Ariq and walked about twenty feet from him. They were out in the courtyards of the temple that Aloysius oversaw. The court yard was about one hundred feet long and one hundred feet wide. There were small patches of garden that were separated throughout it, each with a different type of flower growing. It was truly a magnificent place, and very peaceful. Often Ariq would sit out on one of the benches that were spaced every 25 feet, and watch as the birds flew by, the cats played, and the other Brothers walked in deep discussion. This was also the place that Ariq had chosen to practice his magic. Aloysius hadn't declined because the old man enjoyed the courtyard just as much as Ariq. After all, it had been created by Aloysius himself.

Ariq had been focusing on learning the arcane aspects of magic before he was allowed to learn about Fire and Frost. Aloysius said that to learn all three together would be a foolish thing to attempt, and that it would also keep Ariq from being able to focus on what he had to learn. He also didn't want to feed the boy arrogance. Such arrogance would only end up getting him killed when he joined the Order and was forced to go out into the real world to settle disputes. That was often what was required of a wizard. They were considered the wisest of mankind. They were advisors to kings, and the hand of Justice throughout the world. They bowed to no one. They were taught from a young age to avoid losing control of themselves to their emotions. They are taught to be rational, not emotional. Because of this, it is very rare that a Wizard will marry someone for love. In fact, it is very rare that a wizard will marry. Usually they only sleep around so that they are able to create more wizards. It is with great pride for a wizard to be able to teach his own son.

"Ariq, try again."

Ariq nodded towards Aloysius. Closing his eyes, Ariq took in a deep breath. He surrendered himself to the energy that was deep within him; the magic that was part of what made him. He extended his right arm towards his mentor, arcing his fingers towards the man. He could no longer feel his body, but the energy that surrounded him. He could feel the life force within the plants, and within animals, that filled the garden. He could feel it all mingling together with his magic, joining as one. Pulling the heat out of the air, lightning fired from Ariq's fingertips. The sound of thunder resonated through the garden as the lightning ate through the air, eager to lick Aloysius's skin.

An instant before it could make contact with Aloysius's chest, it redirected into the palm of his hand. As soon as every ounce of the lightning had been absorbed into a small sphere of energy that hovered half an inch above the palm of his hand, it vanished into nothing. Ariq opened his eyes, his arm having lowered to his side. A smile spread across his lips. The last time he'd attempted to send forth that energy, he'd ended up on the ground convulsing in pain.

"I did it! I actually did it!" His voice expressed the triumph that he was feeling; the sense of accomplishment. He'd actually managed to conjure lightning. It was the strongest thing he'd ever done. He wasn't even sure if his lightning would have been that powerful, but the fact that he'd managed to send it at his target was the only thing that mattered to him. He had just done something none of the wizards his age had managed to accomplish. They were all still learning how to move an object with their energy. That was something that Ariq had accomplished with extreme ease. The other students had been quite jealous, and that was mostly due to the fact that they thought he was only an arcane wizard. They had no knowledge that he was actually able to learn all three schools of magic. To them it was impossible. They would never be able to perfect each field, no matter how much they tried. It simply wasn't innate to them.

Without that innate ability to control it, they couldn't manage anything more than a simple ball of flame, or the ability to freeze water. They were, after all, arcane wizards. It amused Ariq that he'd been able to accomplish this on his second try. He'd been reading about how to do it, and practicing drawing energy from places other than his body, for a week. The fact that he'd been able to actually produce lightning on his second try seemed more than a miracle to him. He really wished that he'd been able to share this moment of triumph with a friend or something, but he was more of an outcast amongst the other wizards. The only person that ever treated him like he was some amount of a friend was Aloysius. Aloysius had always been there for him, since the day he first showed signs of having magic. Ariq had been forced to leave his mother, and his father was a man that he'd never come to meet. He could only imagine that he was some great wizard that was overseeing a kingdom far away. That the reason for him being absent in Ariq's life was because he had more important things to do.

"Very good, Ariq," Aloysius wore a smile that matched Ariq's, "Not only did you manage to do something none of the other wizards in this temple have done at your age, but you also managed to do it on your second try. You actually came very close on your first try, which is something that impressed me enough. I do believe that this is enough for the day." He walked over to his pupil, placing both hands on his shoulders, "Make sure you get plenty of rest. We're going to be doing a lot of training tomorrow. We need to get you ready. I've heard that King Anselm's kingdom is nice this time of year, and seeing as how tomorrow is your birthday and you'll be eighteen of years of age, we'll be going to celebrate your entrance into manhood!"

"Seriously?" Ariq asked, completely confounded by the words.

"Oh yes, you aren't a child anymore. Since you will be eighteen, you will have to pass a series of tests, and then you will become a wizard. Although, with your talents, I suspect that you will have years and years ahead of you involving tons of studying. After all, you have to learn all three schools of magic. In the fourteen years you've been here, I've been able to teach you the basics. You've learned twice as much as any other student in this temple, simply because for you it is inherent. You seem to be able to just do it, whereas the rest of them have to actually spend weeks upon weeks studying how to accomplish things that you can do after five days worth of study, and another three days worth of practice." Aloysius clapped his shoulder, "but don't worry, m'boy, as long as you keep your head clear and focus on your studies, you'll get where you want to be."

That was exactly what Ariq had intended on doing. He wanted to become one of the most powerful wizards, simply so because then he would be able to find his father. He figured if he could do that, then he'd be able to find out why he and his mother had been abandoned. There were so many answers that he wanted, so many rumors that he wanted to disprove. Every one of the students at this temple still had both of their parents. They were still a part of their life, even if the parents only came during the end of the week to see their children. Ariq hadn't seen his mother since the day he had taken the trials to become a wizard. There were many times that he often wondered whether or not he would have liked to go back and turn down his offer into this academy.

If he did that, then perhaps he would have been able to stay with his mother and he would still have a family. Here, he was alone; friendless and empty. No one would say more than a few words with him. None of the other students would practice with him, not that they could really handle practicing with him. He was more advanced than any of them, which made it extremely difficult for him to mingle. The older wizards, even the ones that were only a few years older than Ariq, left him to be and wouldn't practice with him for no other reason than he was not a wizard; they were. Because of this, Ariq had ended up staying mostly in his room, or out in the courtyard. It was forbidden for him to practice some of the higher level magic, such as conjuring lightning, without an instructor around. There had never been a student who had been able to conjure lightning, and because of that Aloysius had felt that it would be safest not to allow Ariq to practice without the guidance of a wizard who would be able to control the situation, should it get out of hand.

It was a danger to the other students because they had no defense against it. While some of them were far along enough to conjure a shield of hardened air, most of them wouldn't even think fast enough to actually accomplish that task. It would put the rest of the students in danger, and that was the primary concern of Aloysius and the other Brothers. Ariq didn't hate his mentor for this. He knew that there could be dangers of such a thing, and he would hate being out in that courtyard completely alone when he lost control of his magic. The feeling of his insides trying to eat themselves out was something that he just didn't ever want to experience again. Because of this, Ariq would only practice conjuring the little fire and frost that he was taught to do so far. There wasn't much fire and frost that could be learned at the Temple of the Arcane, so it was near impossible to get any training outside of conjuring a ball of flame, or the ability to freeze a body of water. But, it was enough to allow Ariq to allow Ariq to pass by some of his boredom.

"Brother Aloysius?"

Aloysius looked at the young wizard closely, "Yes?" His voice was calm, and gentle. It was that of an older man caring for a boy of a younger generation; the voice of comfort and wisdom. His dark green eyes depicted nothing but sheer kindness. They were the kind of eyes that could make someone stop in their tracks, the kind of eyes that could make your heart skip a beat as soon as they landed on you. The kind of gaze that could make you tremble at your knees. It was astringent and delirious at the same time. Ariq usually lost his train of thought when his mentor gazed at him in such a manor. It made him feel inferior, as if anything that he could say wouldn't be good enough for his mentor.

"I was wondering when we would be heading out to Lord Anselm's kingdom. You had said that we would be going. Would it be before or after the wizard trials?" His voice cracked halfway through the sentence. He was afraid that his mentor would see right through him, see the nerves that melted away the moment he'd gotten Aloysius's attention.

"We will most likely leave out for his kingdom in three day's time. There we will have a huge celebration! I am sure there are many boys turning into men tomorrow, which means that this weekend there would be a grand celebration as they join the army. We're going to leech off that celebration, and perhaps add a little to it." The old man seemed completely uplifted by the thought of getting to celebrate the occasion. Ariq wondered if he had alternative motives.