Chapter 5

  “Rise and shine little flower!” Rolund hollered, barging into Caspian’s room already fully dressed in his thick leather armor. Caspian grumbled from under his thick sheets and waved at the air in the general direction of Rolund.

  “No. Go away.” He mumbled under his breath, returning his arm to the warmth of the sheets.

  Rolund moved to the edge of Caspian’s bed and yanked on the fur blanket, uncovering him in one swift movement. Caspian curled in on himself and stuck his tongue out at Rolund. The man laughed and moved to the side of his bed, grabbing it and tilting it just high enough to send Caspian tumbling to the floor.

  “What time even is it?” Caspian groaned, raising his head to look out the window, the sun hadn't risen yet.

  Rolund lowered the bed and shrugged, his face looking a lot less excited as he feigned ignorance. “Y'know what? I didn't really think about it. Probably not too early.”

  Caspian gave Rolund a blank look. “The sun hasn't risen yet.” He said, his voice matter of fact.

  Rolund chuckled inconspicuously, slowly backing up as he rubbed his hands together.

  “Well… I uh… I think I'm gonna go make breakfast.” Before Caspian could object, he backed out of the room and closed the door. Caspian sighed and stood up, rubbing his eyes as he walked over to his dresser.

  He pulled it open, pulling out a pair of loose leggings and a tunic. Caspian thought about his time with Rolund as he pulled his fresh clothes on. Rolund had taken him in almost 2 months ago, and now he felt more at home than ever. He sat down on the bed, his eyes focused onto the small Sun Drop on the top of his dresser.

  Ray Balman had given it to him recently, promising him he could use it when Caspian registered his potential with the Sorcerers Guild. Wait, the registry. Caspian remembered what today was now! He jumped up, sprinting to the door and wrenching it open and dashing out. His feet slammed against the hardwood floor as he flew down the hallway, sliding to a stop in the kitchen.

  “It's registry day!” Caspian yelled, excitement thick in his voice.

  Rolund laughed heartily, laying two plates of steaming meats and vegetables on the large table. Caspian practically leaped into the chair and began digging into his food. He scarfed down the piping hot food, barely registering it burning his tongue.

  “Slow down! Gods, kid!” Rolund said, chuckling as he ate his food as well.

  After they had both finished their food, Rolund and Caspian left the cozy cottage, making their way towards the center of the city-sized grounds. Caspian was giddy beyond measure, struggling not to run off towards the registry building. They had discussed it a few weeks ago, and the prospect of Caspian becoming a sorcerer excited him beyond words.

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  They reached the building after a few minutes of giddy walking, Caspian barging through the doors while Rolund followed close behind.

  “Hello young man,” The woman sitting at a large table of magical items said, leaning forward to rustle his hair. She turned her attention to Rolund and stood swiftly, standing at attention. “Good morning sir. What is the reason for your visit today?”

  Rolund went to speak, but Caspian interrupted with bursting excitement. “I'm getting registered today!”

  Both of the adults chuckled at Caspian’s excitement, Rolund nodded along and waved for the woman to relax. She nodded and sat down again, turning her attention to Caspian.

  “So,” She said, a grin growing across her face. “What's your guess? 1 through 4 star?” She laid her hands on her thighs with an exaggerated movement, further playing into Caspian’s excitement.

  Caspian thought for a moment, then looked at the woman with a determined stare. “I'm gonna be a 3 star, like Rolund.” He craned his neck to look at the older man who grinned back at him.

  The woman cocked an eyebrow with confusion, her voice was inquisitive but not aggravated. “3 star huh? Most usually want to get 4 star levels of potential.”

  Caspian shook his head, the determined look still plastered on his thin face. “No. I don't care about power. I want to be like Rolund and help people.”

  The woman saw Rolund puff out his chest behind Caspian, the older man was beaming with pride and joy at the boy’s words. The woman giggled to herself and pulled one of the many items off of the table, it was a large spherical crystal that had multiple colors embedded into it. Blue, orange, silver, gold, and others.

  “Here, take this and kinda just… focus on it.” She said, placing the orb into Caspian’s hand.

  Caspian turned the orb in his hand, inspecting it closely. “Just… Focus on it?” He asked, confusion clear on his face.

  The woman nodded once, shrugging her shoulders. “Yep, that's it. Not much to it honestly.”

  Caspian took a breath, taking his time on the exhale. He shook his free hand to ditch the nerves before holding the orb up to his eyeline. Focus, he thought to himself. Just, focus. It took a long moment before anything happened, Caspian nearly went to ask if he was doing it wrong when it happened. The orb began to glow, it changed colors several times before settling on a bright teal color.

  The glow grew brighter and brighter until it nearly blinded even Rolund, the only 3 star in the room. And then, the glow dimmed, further and further until the glow was gone entirely. Caspian blinked his eyes several times until the blindness faded enough to see the world again. He turned to the woman and saw her look of shock and amazement, Caspian turned around to see Rolund and saw he had the same look on his face. They both stared at the young man for a moment before Rolund erupted into joyous laughter.

  “What? What does that mean?” Caspian asked, confusion and even a bit of worry grew on his face.

  Rolund moved to him and grabbed him in a massive bear hug, still laughing heartily. “That my boy! That means you have the potential to become a 4 Star sorcerer!”

  He set Caspian down and then grabbed the orb, returning it to the woman who then set it on the table. She was grinning wildly as well, seeming just as excited as Rolund about the news.

  “I've never seen that before! Dear Gods, this is amazing!” She spouted, her face twisting into a giddy grin. “Young man, you have the potential to be one of the most powerful people on the planet!”

  Caspian looks between them, his eyes wide with shock. A… 4 Star sorcerer? They were people so powerful that even the most mediocre of them was still the stuff of legends. They were also so rare that not even a thousand existed in the entire world. Rolund had told him that, making it clear that it would be best not to expect that outcome.

  “I…” Caspian stuttered, the realization finally hitting him. “I'm gonna be a 4 Star. Oh my Gods! I'm gonna be a 4 Star!”