Blackscale

by Leviathan

Training

“How in the name of everything holy am I supposed to do this!?”

Sicarius sat a few meters from me, extremely carefree. He had me in some sort of training room that was somehow even farther down in the ground than the rest of the sanctuary. He was trying to teach me how to wield a throwing knife. Without magic. Using my pasterns. With ordinary non-magical throwing knives. It had proved to be difficult.

He laughed. Laughed. “Come now, It’s easy really. You just balance it on the cleft of your hoof, keep it moving perpetually around the bend of your pastern, spot your mark, lead in with a sidearm pitch, and presto! You just stabbed a dude!” I absolutely loathe being mocked. Especially by someone who I can’t mock myself.

“How is that easy!?” I snapped at him as I, once again, dropped the small practice knife. It hit the ground with a solid thunk. I could not help but groan, this task was becoming incredibly tedious. My back ached from leaning over to pick the up the thing.

Every attempt I made always ended the same. I would pick up the small blade, balance it in the cleft of my hoof, attempt to spin it consistently to gain a bit of momentum, pull my arm back in preparation for the swing, and drop the knife. The constant failure was extremely demoralizing. Which in turn caused me to do even worse. It also didn’t help that Sicarius was simpering and repressing giggles as I continually failed.

Sometimes he was unable, or unwilling, to even extend that common courtesy. “HA HA HA HA HA *HACK* HA HA HA HA Ha Ha ha ha ha ha ahhh...I completely forgot how fun it is to mentor a new initiate.” He was panting heavily following the bout of laughter, chest heaving outwards as he struggled to regain his composure. “But yeah, you’re doing great.”

I may have been a bit confused. And slightly, extremely irritated. “What do you mean I’m doing great? I haven’t even managed to throw the knife!” I was finding him to be a horrible teacher, considering I had failed to do anything thus far.

He leveled off the last of his vexing snickers with a simple throat clearing. “No, you’re fine. Not like ‘damn, you fine girl,’ fine, but like ‘you have performed in a fine manner,‘ fine. You’ve got the right idea, and you’re performing the right motions...” He left the sentence hanging clumsily. I was just waiting for that annoying little impostor noun to appear.

“But...?” I drew out. I hated that word so much.

“But you suck...hard.” He finished. What a wonderful thing to hear from your new mentor. Best encouragement ever. Those were exactly the words of encouragement I needed. I mean really, what could possibly be more inspiring?

He was not done, however. No, he had even more to add to his inspiring little comment. “Right now you suck worse than a dirty pan. I mean, you can reuse a dirty pan if you’re desperate, but you...if we tried to use you or rely on you even once in a real situation we’d all die. I’m eighty-seven percent sure of that. So yeah...great job besides that, though.”

I stared at him for a minute. “So you’re telling me that you would rather use a dirty pan than me? So, not only would I be the last creature chosen for a mission, but I would also be the last thing?” Why was I even here, anyways?

“Unless you can throw that dagger. In which case I would have to flip a coin. Now chop, chop, there are only so many centuries before the apocalypse.” He clapped two paws together, indicating for me to continue with the frustrating “training.”

I picked the tiny dagger up again, balancing it in the cleft of my hoof. I breathed in deeply as I let my eyes bore into the practice dummy, marking the spot I wanted to make contact with. I rotated the small blade around my hoof, applying a continual push to keep it spinning around my pastern. At least that was something I had progressed in. A few hours ago I had not even been able to keep it spinning in motion..

I took shallow breaths as I brought my leg, blade still whirling around it, behind me. I didn’t dare move my head to see if it was still spinning correctly, for fear it would cause me to lose my balance. With as much force as a unicorn could muster I whipped my arm about my body. I could still feel the blunt of the blade moving around my hoof. That was a good sign. Maybe.

I felt it leave my grip, smoothly releasing. I watched in awe as, instead of heading towards the dummy, it somehow veered to the left, making a beeline for my giggling tutor. Sicarius’s eyes followed the small saw as it spun towards him. His expression was one of mingled surprise and shock. Obviously neither of us had expected me to succeed in actually throwing the thing.

It was only through years and years of having honed his reflexes that he managed to duck away from the oncoming projectile. It arced through the air, colliding harmlessly with the ground. I stared at Sicarius as he just sat there, expression changing from bewilderment, to disbelief, to...amusement?

He coughed, clearing his throat. Again. “Hm. Well, uh...so, that was...the, uh...” Was he...? He was flustered. That obnoxious, chortling buffoon was flustered. I was a little proud of myself for managing to put him in such a state; he did not seem the type who was often caught bereft of his speech.

Might as well have a little fun(now that I knew I wasn’t in danger from this group). “Looks like I missed, huh.” I smiled.

He gave a nervous smile back. “Yes, I guess you did. If it makes you feel any better, I would definitely take you over the pan now. You’re far more fun.”

I smirked, knowing my next comment would be just witty enough to catch him off guard. “Thanks. Though I think my aim will improve if I aim for the center of mass instead of the head.” I wore a broad smile, trying not to make the implication too obvious.

Sicarius bit his lower lip. “You know what? I think that’s enough blade handling for today.” I thought as much.

He grinned. His face was once again the picture of jubilance. “Instead, let’s find out what your magical alignment is.” The subject certainly changed fast.

I blinked. My magical alignment? What was that? I was unicorn, so wouldn’t my magical alignment be magic? “What are you talking about?”

He stared at me intently. “Miss Lulamoon. You really don’t know anything about magic, do you?” Evidenced by the fact I knew nothing about magic.

“Not really. I didn’t exactly have many prime opportunities to study magic at the orphanage.”

Sicarius stared at me with a hint of disbelief. “But Star said you killed that pony with a kinetic blast! You gotta know something.”

“Nope.” What would magic matter have mattered to me? It’s not like I had any chances to wield it, and with my old home being the way it was, flashy magic would have probably just made some bitter earth-pony angry.

There was a long drawn-out sigh as he pushed his lower lip out in a look of petulance. “I hate starting from scratch. Scratch stinks. Do you know what sourdough bread tastes like when I make it from scratch? Do you? Because it tastes like soggy dough.” He paused, pouting a little bit. “So I guess you don’t know the six fields of magic either then. I’m going to have to explain that to you, huh?”

I nodded in affirmation. I had no idea magic was even split into fields. I learned something new everyday.

He sighed once more before starting. “Okay, so there are six fields of magic: Ruination, Creation, Restorative, Distortion, Mysticism, and Universal Illusion. Remember those, alright? It’s important...and basic.” I nodded. “Good, now lets talk about these fields as individuals.”

“Ruination covers any spell that is meant to destroy, rend, or assimilate another object. Common spells from this field create fire or another destructive element and wield it as a weapon. Usually the subject of destruction is susceptible to whatever element is harnessed. If improvised in a skillful manner you can also use the offensive spells from this field defensively. That really falls to the caster’s talent, though, as the spells are still primarily offensive.”

“Creation covers any type of particle manipulation, summoning, or transmutation. Spells from this field are used to create new objects that previously did not exist, change one object into another, or summon a shade. This form of magic is quite powerful and highly controversial. Matter manipulation is dangerous to the caster, the subject, and the environment. Most governments have outlawed this field of magic, including Equestria. Don’t worry, that won’t be a hindrance to us, though.” He wore a sly smile.

“Distortion is the most versatile, and most commonly used, of all of these magics. It deals with the widest range of spells, going from basic levitation, to teleportation, to cloning. This field deals with any type of spell that distorts physical laws. Levitating a ball? Distortion. Making a wall change colors? Distortion. Traveling through time and space? Distortion. Ripping Celestia’s castle from the ground, swinging it like a bat, and then making it dance afterwards? Distortion. If you don’t know how to categorize a spell, it’s probably Distortion. It’s also the field that most magical beings lean towards.”

“Restorative is just that, restorative. It covers any type of magic that is meant to heal or empower, be it of a physical or magical nature. It isn’t rare to see magical creatures lean towards this field, but it isn’t common either. Mainly because it is the second hardest field to master, or even learn for that matter. Medical magic is extremely complicated and requires a vast amount of energy. You’re not likely to be good at this field, but who knows. You’re semi-capable.”

I decided to ignore that last comment. Trying to decide whether it was an insult or not would be a waste.

“Then there’s Mysticism. It is the hardest form of magic to learn and master, technically. It revolves around temporal contact with the meta-physical world. In other words, it is the study and practice of spiritual affairs. Most magical formula of this revolve around predicting future events, meditation, peripatetic astro nomadism, spiritual deviation, and emotional or soulful eradication or manipulation, and mental domination. I’m going to be extremely straightforward; I’m more likely to turn into a manticore with an alcohol addiction then you are to be a mysticism adept. It’s just that rare a field. There are only around two-hundred mystics. And I’m rounding up.”

“And lastly we have Universal Illusion, the weakest and most pitiful field of magic. It’s extremely simple and any yokel could be good at it. It revolves around using your magic to create a false image. The images are easy to detect unless properly masked and completely useless for anything. The amount of magic required to dispel an illusion is akin to the amount of magic required to lift your left hoof and rub your head. I hope that you have no connection or alignment with this field as it is just that pointless.” He had a significant amount of disdain towards illusion, apparently.

That didn’t quite make sense, though. I specifically remembered Star mentioning something about him being an illusionist. “But I thought that you were good at illusions? So wouldn’t you be inclined towards Universal Illusion?” Truthfully, I didn’t even understand how he could use magic. He had no horn or any other output device.

He acted quite incredulous at that. “I work with real illusionary magic, thank you!” He looked away from me with a humph.

“Real illusionary magic? Could you explain?” Illusions were illusions, right?

“Later, first let’s find out what your alignment is. I’m going to ask you a series of seven questions. I want you to answer them honestly. Otherwise this won’t work. Are you ready?”

I hated it when my questions were ignored. Still, I nodded.

He flashed a quick smile. “Good. First question: Are you prone towards outbursts or exclamations of rage when dissatisfied?”

“No.”

He showed no sign of a reaction. “Do you find the natural world fascinating?”

“Yes.” Who doesn’t?

He still showed no signs of a reaction. “Are you empathetic towards others pain? Would you rather put yourself in their place?”

“No.” Screw them.

“Do you often find yourself aimlessly moving things about, such as your hooves or an external object?”

“Nope.” Not ever.

He squinted at me. “Alright. Do you often find your imagination getting away from you, dreaming of a fanciful place or having something out of the ordinary?”

“Never.”

I almost thought I saw him smile. “Okay. Do you ever hear voices?”

I looked at him for a moment, gauging if he was being serious or not. Did he really ask me if I heard voices? I mean seriously? “Of course I don’t.”

“Great. Final question: Do you look at others and wonder how they perceive their surroundings?”

“...Yes...” I looked away for a moment. It was rather fascinating. Who was to say that any one creature perceived things the same way as another. I could be looking at a color and see blue while another would look at it and see a completely different color. And that, that was an interesting concept to wrap my head around.

He just stared at me. “Alright. Now I am going ask you a few more questions. These ones will be a bit more...in-depth. Are you-”

“Are you going somewhere with this?” I interrupted. “I realize these questions have something to do with you figuring out my ‘magical alignment,’ or whatever, but couldn’t we just as easily do that by teaching me a little magic from each field and seeing which one I gravitate to?” That seemed like the logical thing to do.

He laughed again. “That would be appropriate and the simplest way, but sadly it’s impossible.” He had that big, goofy grin on his face still. I was starting to like that grin, it was...fun.

“And why is that?” I asked in reply to his statement.

“If I gave you a spell from each field and told you to perform each one, it wouldn’t help any.” I was really hoping he would elaborate. “Each field of magic works on a different level, or degree. Spells from one field can’t be dragged across the border of another field and compared to its spells.”

“The amount of magic, as well as the potency is skewed when you try to do something like that. The only way I could perform a test like that would be if I found a spell from each field that had the exact same potency, capability, magical consumption, and radial effect. Which is nigh impossible. So, instead, I’m going to narrow down your field of choices a bit and then will do some testing. It will save time and energy, specifically yours.”

“Oh, okay.” That made sense. I suppose if I had stopped to think about it I would have been able to come to answer like that.

“Can we get back to my questions now? I really want to see if my gut was right about you or if it was just hungry.” His eyes peered at me questioningly from beneath his bushy brow.

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry for interrupting.” Not really.

“Sure you are. Now, first question: Do you like to craft things?”

Odd question. Sometimes at the orphanage I had entertained myself by messing with coil from my bed frame and an assortment of other junk. So, I suppose, “Yes.”

“Have you ever conned another, say cheated them out of their bits or food?”

“Yup.” That had been one of my favorite pastimes. Manipulating others to get ahold of something to eat was basically necessary to my lifestyle. It was always a ridiculously uncomplicated affair, as well. Mainly because ponies are idiots. There was one instance, for example, where I threw a pebble at the back of one, rather violent, foal’s head and upon their turning around I simply pointed at another foal. The idiot took the bait and just leapt on the other foal, leaving me with their tray of food.

“Do you think of yourself as physically weak?”

“Yes.” I was definitely not Neighvid Hasslehoff.

“Which of these three would you prefer in order to address that weakness: getting buff, working around it with clever tricks, or summoning a demon from the depths of Tartarus in order to have it rip the life from your enemies and feast on their innards while slowing releasing a dreadful cackle that resonated within the bones of ponies for miles to come?”

Well, those all sounded so wonderful. “Can I choose all three?”

“Yes.” Great. “Now onto my last question. When playing Hide & Seek, how do you go about hiding?” .

What...? Was he being serious? Did he really want to know my strategy for a foal’s game? “I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand.”

“I’ll repeat. When playing Hide & Seek, how do you go about hiding?”

“You’re being serious aren’t you?”

“More serious than the difference between a potato and a catapult.” What did that even mean!?

“Okay then. I haven’t really played many games like that in my life. I suppose I would search for a place they wouldn’t look.”

He scoffed. “Well, obviously, but could you be a bit more specific?”

“Could the question be a bit more specific?” Really, it was unfair to give me so vague a situation and expect specifications. I hated double standards.

Surprisingly, he smiled. “Quite right. It’s better to obtain the correct question before attempting to divine the correct answer. Here is your scenario. You’re playing Hide & Seek against an intelligent opponent who knows you’re intelligent. They have sharp senses and unlimited resources. How would you hide?” He was watching me closely. I didn’t know why this question was important, but I was determined to give a satisfactory answer.

“I suppose I would hide myself somewhere obvious. Somewhere simple where they would think to look.”

“Why?”

“If they’re intelligent, and think that I’m intelligent, then it would stand to reason that they would assume I would hide somewhere secretive, right? So instead of doing what would be expected, I would try to be unexpected.”

“Is that it? You would be unexpected?” He asked, eyebrow arched.

“That and I would lay down a few false leads. Maybe make a game out of the...game.” That was what things were in the end. Games. My life up until that point had been one long bluff, trying to make something out of nothing. I just hoped someone was enjoying watching me suffer.

“You’d make a game out of it? Lead your pursuer on a wild goose chase, as it were?” His voice was questioning, as if probing me to see if I was being serious.

“That’s right.”

“Interesting. So, why not just hide somewhere you were sure they wouldn’t find you?” He asked.

That was an easy enough question answer. If I laid down false leads it would buy me time. It would give me an opportunity to retaliate against anyone pursuing. There are, after all, two players in every game. “Then I would continue to be a victim, a runner. I would have no way to strike out against the seeker.”

That grin spread across his features again, warming up the entire room. “Being a victim does get boring after a while, huh? But even now, even considering what you’ll be doing with us, you’ll still be the victim. Everyone is a victim. You’d do well to remember that.” He looked oddly thoughtful.

It was out of character. Which annoyed me. If he was going to act foolish, that was one thing. But if he was going to become a philosopher on a whim...well consistency in his strange actions would be nice.

“Sorry to say, but the victim never changes.” He added somberly.

His expression flipped in an instance. His drooping gaze and hard frown morphed into a crooked grin and cocky stare. “On a different note, I think I know exactly what field of magic to start with.” His expression changed...again. Now he sported a more devious look, front paws clamped together, eyebrows bent downwards, and a curved grin. The best word to describe it would be comical. “I can’t wait to rub this into Star’s face.”

“Rub what in his face?” I figured it would be best to deal with whatever was distracting him before getting any information about myself out of him. I did not want his mind to wander. Well, wander more.

“Why, the fact that I was right about you, of course!”

“What were you right about, exactly?”

“That you would be an illusionist!” Sicarius shouted.

Well, that was...disheartening. Extremely so. To know that the field of magic I would excel at would be the one that wolf had made a special note of calling “useless” was not a boost for my self-esteem. “So, basically, I’m useless.”

“No, not at all.” His tone was flat, confused even. “Why would you think that?”

“...” Probably should have expected that. “Five minutes ago you called the field of Illusion useless.”

“What? No I didn’t. I would never tell such a horrible lie.” Either he was a fibber, or he had a short memory. “I said that Universal Illusion was useless.”

“So, basically, I’m useless.” I deadpanned. I might have been forced to play them, but I hated games.

He looked even more confused. “Uh, no.”

Was there something I was missing here? Was there some insider secret he had failed to clue me in on? “But-”

“You’d be good at Perceptive Illusion. Which is incredible. It is beyond useful. I happen to be a practitioner of the art.” How? He didn’t have any external participle to expel a force of magic. Maybe he had an internal one?

Ew. It was probably better not to think about that. “So, what’s the difference between Universal Illusion and Perceptive Illusion?”

He clapped his paws together. “I’m glad you asked, Trixie! You see, Universal Illusion is magic, plain and simple. You discharge energy towards a certain goal or work, and create a result. That’s what makes it useless. Illusions aren’t about your magic or what you can do, there about what everyone else can do.”

Come again?

“Perceptive Illusion isn’t, in technical terms, even magic. It is a scientific process. One you manipulate.”

“What kind of process is it, if it isn’t magic?” It was an oddly confusing thought. What form of non-magic required magic. The ability of everyone else, not myself, was a confounding component as well. That sounded like nothing I had ever heard of(of course, my basis of magical knowledge was relatively non-existent).

He smiled, of course. “It is magic, but it is theoretical in the minds of modern scholars. According to the theory it is based off of, there is magic in everything, not just sentient beings. A type of latent magic that is dormant within every single item, creature, and idea within our world.”

“Perceptive Illusion uses trace amounts of magic from the caster in order to call upon this latent energy. Now, this energy cannot cause any real damage, being dormant and rather ineffective, but it can temporarily cloud the senses. The caster can mold it within an object so that it appears to have changed. And unlike Universal Illusion, this change can be focused, limited to only those you want to experience the illusion.”

Strangely, I wasn’t confused. That had made perfect sense to me. “And utilizing this latent magic I could, for example, change the way a pony perceived its surroundings, right?”

The hair on the nape of his neck rose an inch in anticipation. His brown eyes looked...excited. “Yes, yes! That is exactly right! This energy can be used to trick entire crowds, molding them to see, hear, smell, feel, and even taste, what you will them to.

“With just your wits and this latent magic you could bring an entire civilization crashing down. You could dethrone kings and invade the minds of others. You could subtly plant an idea. Because, unlike the proper fields of magic, this ‘non-magic,’ this technique, affects the senses. And your opponents senses are far more dangerous to them then any fire, knowledge, or creature you could create ever would be.”

That sounded magnificent. I had always found it rather easy to manipulate my peers, and now? Now I had an advantage that played upon that strength. Perhaps the hand I had been dealt was not so unfavorable after all.

I forced myself to swallow down my growing excitement. “When do we start?”

“Right now, of course! We’re in the training room, after all!” He beckoned me forwards, even though there hadn’t been much distance between us to begin with.

“Now, I want you to close your eyes.” I did as I was told. “Clear your head, this is a little bit more complicated than active magic- at first.”

Clear my head? There was kind of a lot going on for me to do something like that. “Can’t I just ‘feel up my magic,’ or whatever?”

“First off, no. Secondly, that is not a good way to phrase that question. Thirdly, you’re not trying to access your own magic, or rely on your own senses. Your trying to access the dormant magic within everyone else. So clear your head. And keep your eyes closed.”

“Alright, alright.” Okay, so clear my head, clear my head. Do some cleaning. Better make sure to get everything. What’s that in the corner? Is that some dust? Better get that out of here. Then again, that would be a futile gesture, wouldn’t it?

If I dusted that mass it would be ensuring the inevitable by just pushing the dust a few feet away. Then I would move to dust that dusty dust and it would move again. So I guess it was okay to leave the dust alone because it just so happens dust is one badass powder. Yeah, definitely shouldn’t mess with dust.

Wait. Where was I supposed to do with my thoughts once I got them? Where was I supposed to clear them to? This is why I hate unspecific expressions! You know what? I’m just going to assume my mind is clear and move on.

“Alright, I’ve uh, cleared my mind and whatnot.”

“Good. Now I want you to reach out with your magic, even your meager knowledge should enable you to do that. Try to feel me, my presence. It shouldn’t be too hard. I have quite the personality.” His tone implied just a bit of pride.

Unenthusiastically, I added, “Yes, that you do.”

I had to feel his presence? I could do that. Probably. All I had to do was reach out, whatever that meant, and feel up Sicarius’s essence. Wow, upon thinking that I realized that I could have probably phrased it in a more eloquent, less revolting way.

The tendrils of my magic were unsteady, not as a sign of weakness, but as a symbol of an undisciplined nature. Still, that didn’t prevent me from being able to latch on to my surroundings. At least I could do this. Even if it was more basic than levitation. The feelings were quite amazing, as well.

“Alright. You’re doing okay. Now I want you to imagine from my perspective.” Wait, what?

My nose was scrunched up against his unusual request. “Hold on. How? I don’t see how-”

He interrupted me with a soothing cooing noise. “Shush. It’s okay. Just imagine. Imagine you’re my perspective. Think about what you’re envisioning.” His voice was calm and relaxing, no doubt for my benefit.

“So I’m you.” What would I see if I was him? What would I be-

It was right then that he chose to interrupt me. “No.” What now? What could I have possibly done wrong now? “You’re not me. You’re my perspective.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Believe me, there is a colossal difference. You’re trying to manipulate my perspective, not my mind.”

I knew that. But what was the difference between what could be perceived and what could be thought? “Now that you bring it up, why am I not just trying to control your mind?” That would make more sense, wouldn’t it? It seems like it would be far more effective in a real situation as well.

His reply was a small chuckle. “Because then you wouldn’t be within the realm of illusions, you would be in the realm of Mysticism.”

If that were true, then why not just attempt mysticism? Didn’t mental domination invalidate perspective illusions? What was the point of creating a lie when you could just force someone to believe it? “Why don’t we just use Mysticism then?”

“Even though Mysticism powerful, it is flawed and difficult. If you try to mentally subdue someone you’re in for the fight of your life. For many reasons. One, they’ll probably notice you trying to worm your way into their head and cause a commotion. Two, you’re in their mind, their domain. Meaning that you would be fighting them on their terms. Three, it is absolutely exhausting.”

“But still. Illusion just happens to be the easier of the two? That’s the only reason we use it?” Good to know that my potential was to be second best to some other field.

“No. I find illusion to be far more helpful. With this type of illusion you’re manipulating a dormant piece of magic, making them far less likely to notice your presence. Plus, you can use it on multiple targets at once. And it hardly drains any magic. The manipulation it wields is, without a doubt, far superior to mental domination.”

So I wasn’t cursed with second best. That’s good. “Getting back to the subject at hand, what do I do now that I’m your perspective?” I was hoping to get this over with so I could open my eyes again. I didn’t like the darkness.

He smiled. “Are you going to give me an answer or just sit there grinning?”

His smiled increased ten-fold. “How did you know I was smiling?”

“Because I can see-” I stopped mid-sentence. Wait, how did I know that? My eyes were closed. Yet I knew somehow. I could feel his smile. I could feel it like it was my own. But I could still feel my own, too. It was...odd. Was I in his perspective? Was this what he wanted of me?

“What?” Sicarius asked, “You can see it? I doubt that. Unless you have a third eye.” I could feel his snarky smile. “No, you felt it. Didn’t you?” His smile was cocky and his hungry eyes just egged me onwards. Or were they my eyes now?

“How is this possible? How am I in you’re conscious? I’m seeing what you’re seeing...I’m feeling what you’re feeling...it’s not possible...”

“Just not probable, my dear. The reason you’re able to access my perspective as you are is because I’m letting you. It will take a lot of training before you can reach someone who isn’t guiding you. Think you’re ready for that?”

It was such an incredible feeling. I was still me, yet I was also him somehow. It was like I was seeing the world in the same place, but as two different entities. His perspective was so botched and flowing, I felt like the entire world had been recreated just for my benefit.

I wanted more. Most creatures are limited in seeing the world from their own outlook. But this...this gave me an opportunity to view the land not just from my perspective, but from everyones’. I was given free reign to see it all, hear it all, feel it all, smell it all, taste it all...more than once!

“I know I am.”

He smiled. I had a feeling I made a good choice in coming here. Here, here I had a future.