"A mission?" Clifford muttered. "Am just a common weak mage, what has any mission got to do with me? I can't refuse anyway, he'll burn me like he did burned Freddie." He looked at the burnt body of Freddie and shivers ran down his spine.
"Yes! A mission, come closer, I need to put you to test first.The old man said.
Clifford moved towards the old man slowly and wearily.
The old man puts his his hands in to his robe and brought out an object, Clifford was prepared to dash away if the old man made attempt to hurt him.
The old man brought out a glowing object, was spherical in shape about the size of a tennis ball and purple in colour, it's purple light was so bright it illuminated the dark alleyway with it's purple colour.
"An Orb." Clifford said silently. He felt a great wave of Mana hitting him, he has never felt such amount of Mana before. He felt like he could devour the whole Mana which would increase his magic powers exponentially.
He suddenly had a great urge to snatch the orb away from the old man and make a run for it. He got lost in the imagination of things he would do when he acquired the powers of the orb. He got so entranced by the Orb, that he stood there for five minutes, motionless with his mouth slightly opened, his sight never leaving the Orb.
"No! I can't snatch it, it's not mine." Clifford shook his head and looked at the old man. " What's the test?" He asked.
"You just passed it." The old man replied while putting the orb back.
"Passed? How? Clifford was confused.
"Not many can stand a minute before the orb without getting controlled by it."
"Controlled? How?" Clifford asked with a confused expression.
"The orb has a mind of its own, it wields great unimaginable power, the greatest power in all of Earth. The power of the Primodials. It's the most precious item in all of Earth. Every major force out there wants it." The old man said.
"The Primordials!" They've left for secluded cultivation, haven't they? How come you've got an orb with their powers in it." And how did you have an item that every force out there wants in your possession? Clifford asked.
"There's a lot you don't know kid, you don't need to know much, it would only put you in danger. The Orb is too powerful, it'll be misused if it got into the wrong hands. I stole the orb away from the interim leaders, for the greater good. They are coveting the power of the orb and wanted to acquire it, they've found a way to break the oath the Primordials made them swore. Ivy Mason, one of the interim leaders, also the most trusted disciple of Heather Parker, assisted me in stealing it. She saw the bigger picture and decided it's best if the orb is kept away from the leaders.
"That explains why you have it in your possession. But, what has it got to do with me?" Clifford asked.
"It has a lot to do with you boy.
"You have a good heart," the old man said while walking towards the darker part of the alleyway. "Follow me Kid," he said.
Clifford followed behind wearily.
After walking about ten metres, the old man stopped and said."You have a good heart, but you're weak. To take on this mission, you have to be strong kid. It's not a mission for the weak and pathetic."
"You've found the wrong person for your mission. if you want someone strong, go to the high tier cities, you'll find a lot of them there." Clifford said while shaking his head.
"A lot of strong mages with corrupt minds, I would rather have it in the hands of your type than them." The old man said.
"But, I'm weak, so weak I can't even protect my self. Clifford sighed heavily.
I'll make you powerful, powerful than you could ever imagine. The old man said.
"You can do that?" Clifford asked?
"Only if you promise to protect the orb with your life." The Old man said.
"Protect the orb?" An item wanted by the major forces. I can't do that, I can't bear the risk." Clifford refused and started retreating. It's the most dangerous mission, he can't take it.
"Clifford Harrison! The old man called.
Clifford froze, "you don't seem to be from around here, how did you know my name?" Clifford asked.
" I know a lot about you kid, more than you know about yourself." The old man replied.
"It doesn't change anything, I'm not going on your suicide mission."
"Your father!"
Clifford stopped retreating, looked the old man in the eye, the little memories of his father he had flooded his mind. "You know something about him?"
"He wanted you to have something." The old man puts his hand into his robe and took out a bracelet, bluish in colour. "I believe this is yours, you gave it to him that morning when he went to the battle of no return."
Clifford quickly grabbed the bracelet from the old man, clutched it tightly with both hands. "Is he alive? He asked with eyes clouded with tears.
"He might be alive," the old man replied
'He might be alive?" Hope flashed across Clifford's face. He would do anything to bring back his father, any slight chance and he would be ready to take it.
"Yes," replied the old man.
"Where is he?"
"I'm afraid we'll have to strike a bargain if you want to know that."
"I have to protect the orb? Is that the part of my bargain?" Clifford asked.
"Yes boy!"
"Give it to me."
"Relax boy, I'll have to empower you, I can't hide the orb with me anymore, they've discovered the orb is in my possession and they're searching for me even as we speak. I was almost caught and killed, I had to flee from the high tier cities to the lower tiers. See." He opened his robe for Clifford to see.
"Oh my God!" Clifford gasped. The old man has sustained life threatening injuries, his chest almost caved in and he has lost a lot of blood.
"I have little time left, I'll give you a powerful meditation technique, it'll help to increase your magical powers greatly." He puts his hands in his robe and brought out a scroll and a ring. "Have them both."
Clifford took the scroll and the ring from him.
"That's a spatial ring, it contains some magical equipments that would be useful for you. There's a bracelet in it, it will help you to absorb energy and mana and transfer it into your body. With it, you'll have your own Mana. Through converting the earthly Mana to your own Mana is the beginning of the real path to becoming a mage.
"How do I continue honing my magical skills once I've stabled my path as a mage."
"You have to get enrolled in to a mage academy to do that"
"Who's gonna sponsor me?" Clifford asked.
"There's a recruitment tournament coming up in a month's time in all mage academies, the top thirty best will get admitted in to the academy, free of charge. Steady your path as a mage and register for the tournament. With the meditation law I gave you, getting into the top thirty shouldn't be a problem."
"Alright." Clifford nodded with resolute eyes.
"About the orb, you have to protect it and deliver it into the hands of Valentine Carew." The old man said.
"The first and the most powerful mage? A primordial! How am I supposed to meet him? He's in secluded meditation. How do I find him? Clifford asked with a confused expression.
"He will be back from seclusion very soon. Every three years, all mage academies in all of Earth will participate in a single competition. The top three student mages from each academy would represent their academy. They would compete for the best four students in all of Earth. The four would choose a Primordial each as a mentor. They would become an official disciple of such Primordial." The old man explained.
Clifford frowned, the mission is much more difficult than he thought, it's no easy task."That means I would have fight my way into the best four of the world?" He asked.
"Yes boy!" The old man replied.
"How about my father? How will I know where he is."
"They're here! I can feel their aura." The old man quickly took out the orb and a silver box. He placed the orb carefully into the box and handed it over to Clifford. "Take the orb, protect it from them and deliver it into the hands of Valentine Carew only."
Clifford took the box from the old man and placed it carefully in his backpack.
"How about my father?" He asked again.
"There's only one person that knows about him kid," The old man paused for a minute before uttering the name. "Valentine Carew!"