Finally, finally I have the opportunity.

It's been a couple of months since Asara arrived here and she teaches me every day how to perfect the use of magic, she is a great tutor and I don't doubt that, but she is only in charge of teaching me how to use magic in one way. She can teach me how to use combat magic, but not how to put it into practice, after all she is not a combat tutor, it is not her job. So when I saw Amos I knew I had an opportunity in front of my eyes, I'm not going to waste it.

And this is where we are now:

"Uncle Amos, let's fight!"

His face totally represents the word confusion. It's as if a question mark magically appeared on the side of his head.

"Uh, just a second. I don't think I heard you right, Rayzel."

"Ray's fine, it's simpler." I say trying to gain his affection and trust.

"Sure, Ray. So, did you just say you want to fight with me, did I get that right?"

"Yes! I want to show you everything I learned from my training. I heard from mom that you are very strong, I'd like to see it with my own eyes," a clear lie.

"Your mother said that, really?" Amos says as a small smile takes shape on his face. "All right. Cast a spell on me, if you manage to hurt me I'll have a fight with you otherwise not."

After that proposal, Amos takes distance from me: about ten meters.

It turns out to be easier than I thought, it's very easy to convince if she's in the way.

"Here I go!" I say with a smile on my face and a voice full of elation.

I slowly accumulate mana in the palms of my hands, visualize how the fire in them work into a single spherical mass, then put them side by side ready to push that gigantic fireball, and a second later I push it. The fireball shoots straight out, smashing everything in its path, and connects head-on with Amos. Or so I thought.

It all happened so fast, the second that fireball came in contact with Amos' palm, it was gone. Amos simply stands in front of my eyes unharmed with his right hand raised.

That spell is the strongest spell I have and it didn't even give him a scratch.

"That's it?" Amos says with a look at me that shows some disappointment-. I guess that's it, you still want to know my answer? I think you already know it.

"Say it. I want to hear it."

"You're good, I admit you have talent, but nothing I haven't seen. There are hundreds like you who made it and thousands more who are now nothing," Amos says, then turns in my direction and crouches down to look me straight in the eyes. "I wonder which side you'll be on."

"I'm still learning still. Asara is an amazing person who will no doubt help me go far with magic, but her help alone is not enough. I'd like to have yours as well in the future."

"I'll think about it."

"I'm counting on it." I say these words full of hope, then smile.

There is a gulf between us, I wanted to see it with my own eyes and it marks the goal where I am heading. Thank you Amos.

After this confrontation, if you can call it that, I have some tea with Amos and Asara. A bit of chatter and a bit of laughter are part of the atmosphere. The day goes by slowly, after a few hours Amos leaves, but not before having a little chat with mom and leaving the idea that he will be back in the near future.