Prompt 1

A bell jingles above the door as Professor Rowena and I enter the shop of a notorious dealer in unregistered magical artifacts, just the place to acquire a focus for the new student of the College of the Eight . "A focus." Rowena begins as we approach the counter. "One of the most important tools for any caster. They come in many forms, however one must form a bond with their focus to access it's true potential." She waves her hand over a glass counter directing my attention to all sorts of wands, bejeweled rings, even crystal orbs. There must be over 100 trinkets in here, all doing their own thing.

"Rowena!?" A voice calls out from behind some display cases, crawling out is what I can only assume is another elf. Only this one doesn't have the purple hues, they just seem normal. "I had thought that was you I sensed, but I thought you were done training new students?"

"Aramius, it has been too long. This one is a special case, being handled by the Headmaster and myself personally." With this Aramius takes a beat to look me up and down.

"You must be special if he's devoting his left hand to you." He gets in a bit closer leaning over the counter. " I assume the two of you are here for a focus then?"

"Y-yes sir." I timidly say under the pressure of his eye contact.

"Where are you from?" He asks as he breaks the stare to search his wares.

"That's not important." Rowena's words stepping between his question and my ability to answer. Though thinking on it, I don't know where I came from. I don't know even how I arrived here.

"No need to tell me twice. We will just have to do this the hard way." He lifts a part of the counter to let us into the back of the shop Rowena doesn't hesitate to proceed, I carefully follow her lead. There is a low table with pillows for us to set on.

"Go sit at the table." She pushes me towards the table as Aramius collects a few of his trinkets. I sit at the table laying my palms onto the simple wood table. The table begins to glow with a faint white light that quickly gets brighter blinding me in the process I try to lift my hands to shield my eyes but I seem to be glued to the surface.

"Rowena!" Aramius calls out, she then slings a spell at the table exploding a emerald green smoke through the room as you can hear the entire shop just fizzle. I didn't notice before but the magic, you can feel it in the air. It was only now that the buzz is gone do I realize she's killed the power.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask backing away from the table now.

"Well" Aramius puts his hand to his chin scratching as thoughtfully forges his words. "The table is designed to tap into only a fraction of the user's magic, then feed it to an artifact to see if you and the focus are in fact compatible. You overcharged the table somehow."

"We need a focus. Can you just pick the most generic one? I don't know how long I have before the guard realize the spell center's here." Rowena sternly speaks.

"I don't think you're listening. He emits so much residual arcane energy he nearly destroyed the table. He shouldn't ever need an arcane focus, or any assistance casting." I can see fear grow on his face. "You should leave now, before the guard come. You can use the back door if you'd feel safer." I can see it on Rowena's face, her contemplating if I'm worth the apparent risk.

"Quickly boy." She shoves me further into the shop, towards the back door. Once we're in the alley she pins me to the uncomfortable brick wall with a knife to my neck. "What are you?!" The same fear I felt from him it's boiling over in her.

"I don't know!" She's stronger than I am, this just might be how I die.

"Something powerful enough to scare Aramius? If you're telling the truth what ever you're being hunted by is nothing to get involved in." She snarls as me before she lets me go. "You're lucky the Headmaster made it specific he wants you alive. Do not make me regret this."

"Please, I'm sorry I'm just as scared as you are. I don't know who I am, what I am" I look down at my hands just to remind myself I at least could recognize myself. Without any control left, with no sign of calm I feel the overwhelming fear myself my face now wet with warm tears as I break down before this stranger. Rowena crouches near me, placing a cold hand on my shoulder.

"I was an orphan, that is how I ended up on the surface world. I at one time too was alone, lost, uncertain of who I wanted to be or who I would become. Even if it is not who you were, you will become someone before long... Adam." She helps me to my feet before she opens a portal.