A Potential

She couldn't help but ask Paige as she curiously looked at the clothing stores, armories, magic pills and magic herbs stores that were on their way, "Earlier you told me that some mages have to go to other cities to be able to find magic herbs, how do they get around ? What means of transport do they use ?"

Paige burst out laughing and she apologized right after for her behavior, she said to her with a grin, "Tell me Cassy, this is really the first time you've left your village isn't it?"

Cassy just nodded, this girl's memories were absolutely of no use to her, Paige then smiled at her and took her hand in hers, "Don't worry, you can ask me all the questions you want I will always try to answer them.

As for transportation, we have teleporters that connect us to all the cities on the continent, but the further you want to go, the more expensive it is, they are at the end of the main shopping street where there are the most hotels.

If you succeed to enter the Academy you will be able to try one, the Academy of the city of Catara is in a remote area because the worriors need space to train and the forests around it are full of magic herbs for mages."

Cassy smiled at her and said to her, although she wasn’t sure that Paige would be able to enter the Academy as she didn’t have a colored aura, "Sounds like you're looking forward to it."

Paige really had a radiant personality and it made her feel good to have met someone like that, she just hoped that her parents would be like her, she then hesitantly replied to her, "My father is a warrior and my mother is a mage, my older brother became a warrior and as for me I hope to be able to follow in my mother's footsteps.

But even if I can't become a mage it's okay, I'll just stay and help out my mother in her store, I will be happy as long as I can take care of the magic herbs."

Cassy then asked her, "When will you know if you are a mage or not?"

If her mother was a mage, then she had a good chance of becoming one so why couldn’t she see any aura around her ?

Paige then explained to her, "I'm going to find out soon, my mother told me that on my 16th birthday, she would give me the magic herb called Soul’s revelation, I still have a month to wait but I can't stop thinking about it.

Let me explain to you, this magic herb allows you to find out if you have a particular energy reserve, once swallowed you do a first test to find out if you are a mage, a warrior or a simple human.

And if you realize that you have a energy reserve then you have to do a second test to know if you are a mage or a warrior. This second test will allow you to know your potential if you are a mage, and if you are a warrior then your potential are already unlimited, it is up to you to work hard to become stronger."

Cassy then heard Paige click her tongue to show her displeasure and she was only reassured when she then said, "I hate these people who are watching you like you're a freak, luckily we're not too far from my mom's store."

Cassy smiled and squeezed her hand saying to her, "Don't worry about it, I know exactly what I look like right now. Tell me Paige, your mom is really going to let me enter her store like this, my feet are really dirty you know."

Paige laughed and said to her, "Of course not, I'll get you some shoes, I think we're probably about the same size... Are you hurt?"

Cassy shook her head and smiled to reassure her, she couldn't tell Paige that she had self-healed with her white flame, she wasn't even sure she knew what it was, so she decided to redirect the conversation to another topic and she asked her still curious, "You just said that mages have potential, what does that mean exactly?"

Paige smiled at her again and quickly explained, "Mages have limited potential unlike warriors, depending on their potential they will be able to accomplish more or less. The second test I told you about, you're going to take it tomorrow to get into the Academy of Catara. As you have already turned 18, you don't need to use the herb I told you about, this energy reserve is naturally released when you turn 18. All mages have a colored aura and the color represent the level you will be able to get. 

I hope it works out for you because the Academy of Catara is a very demanding Academy that only accepts mages who have a minimum potential of level 3."

Cassy hoped so too, otherwise she would only have to spend her time reselling magic herbs to be able to make a living, at least at first, afterwards nothing would stop her from developing her gifts.

But she was still confident, her parents had always told her that she was really unique and tomorrow she would finally find out how unique she was.

So Cassy said to her, "I hope so too, tell me Paige, how many different levels are there?"

Paige then quickly said to her, "See that store on the corner over there, that's my mom's store, so if you want I could better explain to you later when we will be settled.

And oherwise to give you a quick answer to your question there are 10 levels in all, but those with a potential of level 8 and 9 are almost non-existent, and on Astoria there is no mage with a potential of level 10."

Cassy was starting to get sweaty hands now that she knew she was arriving at her mother's store, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious, so to calm down she remembered that she could always use her white flame to help her mother with the magic herbs in her store, and then she felt Paige squeeze her hand a little tighter and she said to her, "Don't worry, I promise you my mother is an angel, it's going to be fine."

And as they finally arrived in front of the store that was called 'A Thousand and One Magic Herbs', Paige said to her, "Wait for me here I'll be right back."

Paige disappeared inside the store and Cassy took the opportunity to look through the window, there were really a lot of different magic herbs, and the store seemed really big, about 100m2 she would say, which seemed really huge for a store that only sold magical herbs.

And her mother's store must have been doing really well because she could see a lot of customers inside, and apparently there was also a floor because she had seen Paige disappear down a staircase leading up to the first floor.