The next day:

I awoke the next morning with a slight pain in my head but otherwise feeling far better than last night. I still was unable to move much as some of my bones were still realigning. I could hear them clacking back together still. It was a sickening noise, but after listening to it in silence for hours on end, it faded from my attention.

"A curious position to find myself in," I muttered to myself. I had awoken just as the sun was rising and was surprised to find Harrow by my bedside already. My throat and lungs healed just enough for some semblance of speech, I greeted him for the morning.

"Good morning, Prince Harrow," I gave my best attempt at formality in my fragile state. My words came out raw and course. He chuckled kindly at my attempted amenity.

"Please, Viren," he got up from his chair, "Just call me Harrow, today is no different from yesterday." I turned my head and nodded both to acknowledge what he had said as well as to check if my neck vertebrae had finished reconnecting themselves.

I was nice having him here again, warming to know he had come as promised. After we finished greetings, Harrow seemed to want to ask a question that had to be on his mind and was evident on his face. Sensing his curiosity, I asked him about it. He hesitated before he asked.

"Grandfather said that you never learned your family name, is that true?" I paused for a moment before nodding. In all honesty, I'd never been ashamed of not knowing it. I had hardly though about it for most of my childhood.

"My father was sparing with his words to me." I explained, I was strong enough to speak clearly now, though my jaw still felt sore.

"The family name never came up in any of our conversations, the few that we had." I laughed somewhat bitterly, not entirely enjoying the conversation though there was a feeling of relief that he had brought it up. It had been buzzing in the back of my mind ever since King Armin had mentioned it.

Harrow nodded, "I see, has not knowing ever bothered you?" I thought about it for a moment.

"Not quite, I never had to use it while under my father and I had no real reason to be interested in it until he left." I trailed off, the pain of my last blood relative leaving me was still fresh in my chest. Harrow paused and leaned in to check on me.

"Are you still feeling alone?" I gave him what I thought was my best brave smile.

"Hardly, I have a friend in you now." He smiled warmly, comforted by my words. I myself felt better saying it. It chased away the darkness of being alone, warmed me as the hearth does. Harrow's empathy was one of his enduring characteristics, showing through even the budding years of our friendship.

We sat in silence for a few moments. I thought on what the family name meant anymore. My father had been the only carrier of our family name in Katolis and now that he was gone, it was left to me.

Thinking through it, I questioned whether the family name would in actuality do me any good. Its most recent head had just abandoned his position at one of the most prominent, military posts in Katolis. Yet I still wanted to know, if not to help me advance then perhaps simply to know. I looked up at Harrow.

"Actually," he looked up at me as I spoke, "While not knowing the name has never explicitly bothered me, I would like to learn what it was though in my…" I attempted to shift slightly in bed as Harrow watched.

I grimaced with the effort of just wiggling, "Current condition," I continued, "I'm hardly in any shape to travel down to the castle records or officers barracks to find out what the name is." Harrow rested his chin on his knuckles for a moment, thinking, just like his grandfather. Then he looked up at me, eyes bright with kindness.

"Well," he said slowly, "I am free for today and…" He smiled at me from his chair, "I do feel like helping my friend." I raised my eyebrows up at him.

"The future king of Katolis is going to search through some dusty records to find my family name?" I breathed out through my nose, amused.

"Consider me flattered." Harrow got up from his chair, smiling at my sarcasm.

"Consider it," He replied thoughtfully, "A duty to a citizen." He smiled down at me again.

"A duty to a friend." I nodded and smiled back at him.

"Harrow," he turned back to me just as he was opening the door, "Thank you." He nodded kindly and left the room without another word. I realized as he left that I hadn't told him about my revelation about magic. I had been meaning to be able to share it with at least Harrow. I wanted to become High Mage Candor's apprentice as soon as I was able.

I sat in silence for hours contemplating these things, waiting for Harrow to return. The door opened and I leaned up in bed, surprised that I could sit up already. I had been expecting Harrow but instead I was greeted by the older, whispy-haired face of High Mage Candor. Oddly enough, he seemed somewhat surprised to see me there despite being there when I had arrived.

His mouth opened and closed while his eyes moved up and down my body. Then he made a low, contemplative noise before stroking his hair and taking a seat in the chair Harrow had been sitting in all without saying a word.

Then he spoke, "Hello again, boy. You're recovering well." He looked very pleased with himself.

"I'm very proud." I started to say that I hadn't done anything but he cut me off.

"Very proud of myself," he clarified with a grin that bordered on madness.

It seemed my future mentor was perhaps a few stones short of a castle. Nevertheless, my determination to become his apprentice still remained, after all, opportunity took many forms, in this case it was madness. Oblivious to my thoughts, Candor continued.

"The magicks used to save you from your unfortunate swim in the pavement were of my own personal design. The…" He trailed off looking for the right word, his voice still buzzing.

He started again, "The fatality you obtained from your deep dive into stone was well… fatal, obviously, so your life required another's." I was morbidly curious, the idea that I had actually been dead only to return had made the allure of magic all the sweeter to me.

He breathed in and out rapidly, remembering how he had brought me back. He seemed to find pleasure in remembering the process as he smiled eerily while in recollection.

"Your soul, and thus life, had left your body by the time you were brought to me. You were passing on the doorsill of death and the only thing that can pull a soul back is of course another soul." I nodded, it might not seem intuitive to most but I accepted and understood what he had said in an instant. There was of course the next obvious question which I asked.

"Where did the other soul come from?" He smiled madly, still reveling in his revelations. Then he leaned in to my ear, and whispered through rotting teeth.

"Later, later, all things are known in time." Somehow, this was worse than if he had just told me. Then suddenly he turned to a table, full of tomes I realized and began to scribble.

I looked around the room, taking it in for the first time. This was his study, various books sat haphazardly on tilted shelves and various eyes and liquids hung from the ceiling. I felt at home. Candor began muttering to himself in different voices as I lay back down.

"The boy had it does he"

"I would say that he does, you only need look at his eyes."

"Born to wield the magic of the dark."

"We'll discuss that later."

"Right."

He turned back to me, his face frozen in a peculiar smile before his face loosened and he just watched me in the bed. We sat there quietly, perhaps waiting for the other to say something. Remembering my question, I broke the silence.

"High Mage Candor?" He continued watching me, "Yes?" Only his lips moved, he was studying me, I was certain.

"Have you an apprentice of your own?" I asked. He continued watching me but still responded.

"I have not, though I've noticed that you seem to have the spark necessary for dark magic. Do you wish to become a mage?"

"I do, High Mage. It's what I was born to do. I can feel it." He smiled, though this one lacked the insanity of his previous smiles, this one was… understanding. His madness seemed to noticeably fade, falling off as a cloak falls of the shoulders.

"As you feel it, so do I. I will take you as my apprentice with the blessing of the king and of course once you are able to walk again we shall begin." Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Harrow entered with a scroll.

"Greetings, High Mage Candor," said Harrow as he came in, "How is Viren doing?" I was able to answer this as well as before my fall, giving Harrow a pleasant surprise.

"I'm doing much better, thank you, Harrow," I replied. He raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"You've healed a lot since this morning." I nodded, giving him a small smile.

Candor coughed into his fist, "Viren is actually more inclined to magic overall, it might explain his recovery being quicker than anticipated." Harrow looked a little surprised though I don't blame him as even I had never considered mageship. Politics and statesmanship had seemed to be the closest to my passion that could be managed.

"It's true," I said, "Being High Mage Candor's apprentice is what I truly feel is meant for me. I am meant to practice magic, to be a mage."

Harrow nodded, "I'm glad you found what you want to do but now that I'm here, I found your family name." I stopped for a moment. I had forgotten about it in my eagerness about dark magic.

In the corner of the room at the hearth, Candor tossed a pouch onto the logs with a few words that I didn't recognize and it immediately became a blaze. His eyes had a faint purple tinge as he turned back to us smiling maniacally again.

"Besides Viren, that's my latest miracle, instant fire in a pouch. It's a result of some of my more recent exploits." Harrow and I both nodded impressed by the trick. Candor headed for the door after grabbing a telescope.

"I will see you both later barring disaster," he said to us, "I'm off to talk to the stars." I waited until he left to ask Harrow a question.

"Did he mean…?" I trailed off, unsure of how crazy Candor was.

"No, he meant talk." Harrow grimaced and shrugged, "He's insane but he's brilliant. Probably the best mage in the Pentarchy, crazy though he may be." I nodded, his madness didn't worry me nearly as much as perhaps it should have. I just wanted… needed to learn dark magic.

Harrow coughed and pulled out the scroll and began again.

"Anyway, I found the scroll with your family name. It's from your father's records. I haven't opened it yet though." He smiled at me.

"I'd figured you'd like to be the first to see it." I nodded, thankful and began reaching for the scroll when High Mage Candor popped his head in the door.

"Prince Harrow," he said, "I would like to ask you to leave Viren to rest for the night." Candor winked at me, somehow not as mad as he had seemingly been moments ago.

"I believe Viren has an important day tomorrow." Harrow nodded and left the scroll by my bedside.

"You can open it if you'd like." Harrow said as he headed for the door.

I smiled, unsure, "Thank you, Harrow." I paused for a moment, rolling the scroll in my hands.

Harrow and Candor bid me goodnight and I sat in the flickering fire of the hearth contemplating the closed scroll. Not tonight, I told myself. Not now, my mind resolved. I set the scroll gently on a table near the loft where I had been laying and drifted into sleep, not to awake until tomorrow.

-:-:-

The next morning, I was summoned to King Armin's throne room. My body had completed its healing overnight so I was able to walk there on my own. When I arrived at the throne room, High Mage Candor was standing to the right of the king.

Candor was dressed in a simple brown cloak and with a pendant around his neck and pouches hanging from a belt around his waist. He did not seem to care for or have need of the pomp and circumstance of most of the castle officials. I could understand that in a way I suppose.

From his throne, King Armin beckoned for me to come forward, "High Mage Candor has told me you have hopes of becoming his apprentice. Is this true?" I kneeled when I reached the throne.

"Yes, your majesty, I would like to become his apprentice and learn to be a mage with your blessing." King Armin sniffed out through his nose, sounding amused. I noticed the he had a seemingly knowing twinkle in his eyes.

"I though I'd seen that same glimmer in your eyes that I always see in High Mage Candor's." He smiled at me, bidding me to rise, "It seems I was right." He breathed out slowly as he stood up and spoke. Candor indicated for me to kneel and I did as King Armin began the initiation.

"Do you, Viren, promise to preserve and protect Katolis from threats foreign and domestic so long as you draw breath?" Just as my father had, I would protect and defend this kingdom

I nodded, "I do, sire."

"And do you swear to serve the people, with dignity and respect?" Before coming to the castle, I suppose the people had been all I had left.

I nodded again, "I do, your majesty."

"Very well," He looked up towards the crest on the far door before finishing, "Then, with the power of the Katolis crown I appoint you, Viren, as the apprentice to High Mage Candor." I took a breath in. Though it had only been a few days since father had left, it felt like it had been years. I was to be a mage.

A personal realization had become reality in barely days. Few dreams became true in such a short time. I had not expected to be the lucky child who would have such good fortune fall upon me yet here I was nonetheless. I was standing in the presence of a king whom I would serve and a high mage who would teach me. Opportunity, it seemed, had fallen from the sky.

"Thank you, sire." I had risen but I kneeled again. Candor moved towards me and lifted me up. I looked up into his firm, mad eyes as he clasped his hands on my shoulders.

"Welcome to mageship, Viren." I only nodded and smiled in response. My future had truly begun.