During the further course of my stay, at home, it was really enjoyable, there solely were any issues. I had fun with my brothers, fighting; I enjoyed playing with my sister; I savoured speaking with my parents and loved being with my family. So the time ran by and the day I needed to go back to the academy came.

  As we had agreed, I met the wagon driver punctually at 7 o’clock at the market—The same spot where he let us out. The other students came one after another too. The journey, was as uncomfortable as ever, and I was happy to arrive finally in front of the academy.

  Going over the vivid school-garden, many greeted me ans asked how I was doing. Some of my closer friends even came along to my dormitory, whereas I put down my luggage. Then I went with them and we sat down outside, in front of a little flow. There I told them about my stay, and even more about Aldorem. They were really interested in the city, as Aldorem was unique—a one of a kind. The more I explained about it, the more they were fascinated.

  We sat there until late in the evening, thereafter we decided to go for a while hunting, before separating. I trained for myself late into the night.

  In the academy, the time went by and by, day after day. I learned new things, theoretically as well as practically. Formations, signs, orientating, new fight styles and more. My strength skyrocketed, I was now able to shatter rocks into fine pieces, and even unroot small trees. My potential kept increasing through regularly meditating, but it feels like I will unavoidably catch up with it soon. Which would result in stagnation of my strength, so I want to try avoiding it through focusing more on mental training in the future.

  My magic abilities just now, are pretty strong, even though I can only do the energy shield and the same energy-ball, Nian showed me in the fight. But I felt lately as if my mental training was getting more ineffective, so maybe I should try experimenting more with it.

  But all of this would need to wait for next year, as my second year at the academy was coming to an end and I had to learn really hard.

  I made it trough the exams and evened my way to the next class, I was on top of my class and in the top ten. I was really proud and took a good breather in the following break. This time I wouldn’t go home, not because I didn’t want to. It was due to the excessive snow this year, blocking the whole way, and the sight as well as the orientation. So I was needed to stay, which wasn’t as bad as I thought. I had a lot of fun with my lots of friends. We played in the snow, looked stars in the night, played games and sat by a fire until late in the night. And of course I trained.

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  The school began again and it was nice to see that all my friends passed and took classes with me. In the lessons I paid a lot of attention, when theory way explained, whereas in practical classes I would just do whatever I felt like doing. It felt as boring as ever.

  Winter was nearing it’s end, as the snow melted away. As soon as I could I wrote a letter about all news and why I couldn’t come to my parents. It was send away with a whole bunch of other letters. The following week hundreds of letter s came from the other direction, as well as one from my parents. In it they wrote about the bad weather, and how it affects Aldorem. They say it feels sadder and lonelier than ever. Furthermore, where the mines more dangerous and more accidents happened, but luckily not to my dad. They wished me in the end a good time; and so I had.

  Week after week I trained, but only my magic, I tried out new ideas and perfected them. So now I can give my defensive shield properties. Like bursting out energy when being hit, of the same strength; or being more effective against elements. Furthermore I learned to make the shield completely around me, so it can protect me from everywhere. But the best is I can stack them and create a multi-barrier. But sadly it uses most of my magic power to create even only four barriers, without properties, stacked upon each other. In my all day life I got used to having always one barrier protect me, so I wouldn’t be killed that easy.

  Then I learned some new offensive magic. For once the energy-ball, than an energy-lightning and finally the energy-wave. Energy lightning is extremely easy to create, but gets potentially harder the furtherer away someone is. Also it has the negative side, that it needs to be given more magic power to stay intact. The effect depends on the amount of energy put into it and can vary from a little shock to a destroyed tree. I like it a lot as the attack comes with lightning speed, and doesn’t require a long gathering of energy. The next attack is the energy-wave, it is sharp wave that originates from me and then goes in a straight line outwards, depending on the energy is strength as well as reach. The attack is extremely inefficient in itself. But the true power lies when one only directs the wave attack in a little area to attack instead of all around. Then it slices stones clean trough.

  But the highlight is without doubt, the energy-sword. It is like a sword, but created of purely my energy. It shines blue and is really good, I tested it out, and it can slice good, but not as well as my dagger, from back then. Which doesn’t mean anything as I still am a noob with this type of attack. In the future I will definitely use it more often and train it.

  My 19 birthday flew by, I received only some small, but nice presents and then half a year was already over again, and the next day I was to go back home.