Soon the man had ushered me inside his not-so-humble abode. To bring the tonics inside and to wait while he gathered the payment. The place gave off a sense of orderly chaos. The walls and overall architecture were well-adorned and clearly made with care and high-quality materials. However, the place was filled to the brim with strange apparatuses. I guessed they were advanced machinery. The likes of which I had only ever read about. I take a comfortable seat on the couch amidst the mechanical mess. And within a few minutes. Soon the well-dressed noble is back and once again I am confronted with his strange appearance, not only did he dress himself strangely. His skin was like a dark oak tree. It reminds me vaguely of a people I read about once, but I can't put my finger on it. "Would it be rude to ask?", I ask myself, not only is he a valuable client of Claire's, but also a mysterious, possibly dangerous man, one I don't want to offend. However, before I could ponder it further, I yet again heard their heavy steps.

  "Found your pay little lad!" - The man walks into the room pompous, His adorned vestments restraining his movements to some extent. But he seems accustomed to the factor, in his nature - "Here you go kid!" - The smiling man places the somewhat heavy pouch in my outstretched hand.

  After getting rid of the lump in my throat I speak.

  "Sir... If I may ask, where are you from? I never met anyone with skin as dark as yours"

  The man's eyes crinkle further. - "The northern lands! A great state!" - He hesitates, his expression distant for a moment, before continuing, with a less cheerful tone - " For... most anyway..."

  My mind races to connect the dots, producing a sound more excited than I myself was prepared for "YES!" - I fluster clearing my throat - "A-apologies, I just remembered it now, I read about the people in the north... N-not very much. I didn't have the time sadly, but in the texts I studied, it said they were quite important in their arcane discoveries and contraptions! Magic tempered especially by the sun and heat!"

  The man laughs, the sound gruff and joyful "Right you are lad! There the burns twice and in some places even Thrice as bright as here!" His voice soars proudly "That's why we are colored the way we are! Our skins are extra strong, resistant to the heat that for others would be unbearable!" - He grabs my shoulder like I was a long-time friend - " You wouldn't last ten minutes! Haha! Not without some proper protection at least!"

  I can't help but smile, the middle-aged man's strong charisma-filled demeanor was moving. He carried with himself a careless wisdom, no doubt obtained from a well-lived life. Something to envy. Many may grow arrogant with intelligence, and gain a sense of superiority over others, much like many nobles and studious folk I met. But it seems he was able to avoid this more inimical consequence, with humility and grace.

  Encouraged by the positive response I decided to alleviate the other bit of curiosity burning in my mind.

  "That's incredible! And if I may ask sir, what are those machines all around us? What is their purpose?" - I ask curiously.

  "Ah, those are mostly scrap, some of them have niche uses but they are all failed projects and experiments"

  "Your projects sir?" - My interest peaked.

  "That's right! Ever heard of an artificer lad?"

  My eyes widen. The hints were there to suggest it, but why would an artificer be here in a faraway forest? They usually can only be found in capitals, and accompanied by those of high status, as their unique skills are heavily sought after. And exceptionally well compensated for their services.

  "Sir... Are you aware of how comfortable of a life you could live with your unique set of skills? Why be here In the middle of nowhere? When you have such luxurious accommodations..."

  The man sighs, leaning back on his armchair " I know my friend, but... comforts aren't everything, and to be honest I never much cared for the overbearing life of royalty, constantly being paraded around, having to endure fa?ades, liars, and pretenders... And the constant noise and spectacle, ugh" -He shakes his head with a displeased expression- "That isn't life lad, not for me anyway..."

  "This..." - He gestures to the machines scattered around the room " This is what makes me happy, being mostly left alone, to practice my craft... Not that I mind good company once in a while" - The man shrugs " Might not look like much, but... It's peace."

  I am left in awe, as I silently contemplate the wise artificer's words, before speaking calmly.

  "That... is a very enlightened perspective, sir. You have my respect, not that it counts for much coming from someone as young as me." - I explain humbly.

  With a smirk, he rebutted - " Non-sense boy, you are wiser than many noble man and women I met in my day"

  "heh... I am flattered. It means much coming from you sir..." - I allow myself to accept the praise, before infringing yet another question upon his wealth of knowledge - "Perhaps my appearance alone isn't very telling... But I have some bare wisdom over magic... I am a wizard sir. And I'd like to ask you if you have any advice for me, e-even if the ways we control magic are quite different..."

  The man's brows lift in surprise "A wizard? Mmm, I have to say friend, apart from the robes, you really don't look the part" He gets up from his armchair, which creaks upon being freed from his heavyweight "They usually are a lot more... Unpleasent... I guess it's hard to keep yourself humble when you can bend reality to your will so simply..."

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  "Met my fair share that would fit that description sir... Yes"

  He laughed - " I see things haven't changed that much... since I came to this place" - He paces himself to that door he produced Claire's due from. - " Luckily I find you much better company, so I am gonna show you something amazing Lad, come with me"

  Reluctantly, I follow after the man through halls and chambers, until we reach the door characterized by an ominous glow bleeding through the frames, he unlocks the strange passage. Inside a dazzling sight. Beautiful light that sparked, ran, flowed. Trapped inside a structure, akin to something between a cylinder and a dome, of thick glass.

  "What... in the world is that..." - I step closer to the hypnotizing wonder. Touching my hand to the glass, it seems to act as a catalyzer, and the otherwordly effects start to swarm closer orbiting my hand, just on the other side of the transparent barrier.

  "A plasmatic unstable mana construction. In this special container, it can't escape, nor take form by itself. A handy way of storing magical power without it draining away, or interfering with my machines" - The man speaks eloquently, with a proud smile stamped in his complexion.

  "Absolutely... incredible..." I say, pure wonder and shock in my eyes as the colors swirled before me" You said... it was unstable. Is it dangerous?"

  He shakes his head " Oh no, I don't mean 'unstable' in that manner... While this much stored energy can't exactly be described as 'safe'. It won't detonate on us any time soon. When I refer to instability, I mean it constantly collapses onto itself, remaining pure, instead of taking form... See it for yourself, cast a spell onto the recipient"

  I snapped my eyes at him in shock, but his expression was confident, sure that nothing could go wrong. The assurance of the wise Artificer paired with my wonder and curiosity drove me to do as I am told and so I let my mind be filled with thoughts of heat and fire, as I canalize my being into the recipient. And it reacts, the turbulence inside aggravates my concentration. The solution turns to a mix of tones red and orange. But instead of remaining or continuing to transform. The changes reverse, as the beautiful sight trembles and collapses back into its natural state.

  "Without this... my craft would be impossible to practice... It was quite expensive to get my hands on a good quantity, but I won't need to replenish it for another 5 years or so..."

  "... Sir... I am glad that I got to see such a phenomenon... But if I may be so rude... What does this have to do with advice?"

  He laughs" Oh my friend, I apologize for the confusion... Let me explain... As you must know, a magic user's understanding of the forces he intends to control is crucial to the growth of their power, and the wise use of it... While I may not be able to provide much direct advice in your craft, as it differs substantially from my own. I can show you this, and help you understand that magic is... Chaos...order...nature...Man... Divine and mortal... it's incomprehensible to many, and even those who seek to understand it are constantly dumbfounded by its elusive nature... But the beauty and power it possesses is beyond this world, and it rewards those who don't give up on it... Be patient, be inquisitive, and your power will grow in time"

  I smile, though the man lacks a full understanding of my situation, I decide to take his advice to heart - " Thank you, sir... I am grateful that you would share your wisdom with me"

  He smiles wide and shuffles my hair"It's no problem little lad, though you should be on your way back to the brunette. If you delay much the sun will go down and the forest will be much harder to navigate"

  "Brunnete...?" - I ask clueless.

  "yes? You were sent by the town's alchemist, were you not?" - he says with an equal amount of confusion.

  "That's correct, but... Miss Claire has orange hair"

  The man laughs - "Orange you say? Last time I met her that wasn't the case. But it makes sense for a young alchemist, likely an accident with some prosperity herbs" - He nudges me " Don't ask her about it though friend, Women can be sensitive over their hair, and she seems like a dangerous lady to offend"

  "Is that right?" I chuckle, trying and failing to accompany the man's easy enthusiasm " Well then... I won't, and you are right, I should get going, thank you for the hospitality, Sir..."

  He nods and guides me silently to the front door "Come visit soon mage, I enjoyed our talk... Oh! And my name is Caldolor, but you may call me Cal"

  I smile as I finally wave goodbye to the eccentric hermit "I will try to find the time Sir, and... the only name I ever had is Match"

  And just like that I pace away from the artificer's lair. My steps quickly become longer as the dark hues begining to populate the skies reminding me of the man's cautious warning.

  The path back went mostly smoothly, tripping on some exposed roots aside. And a starry eyed Claire eagerly received her payment and congratulated me for a successfull mission. Before promptly sending me off to bed, so she can have some peace to count her coin, an order I happily took after the eventfull day.