Aiken watched in amazement as a chief bandit executed a series of attacks upon a Jr. Balrog, and rather than finishing it by continuing to barrage it with stabs, retreated to a corner. The Balrog, taking advantage of the cease-fire, advanced upon the thief, eager to devour this nuisance once and for all. Or so it would have, because the Chief Bandit, with a satisfied smirk, detonated the sack of mesos and obliterated the Balrog as if it were a snail. Aiken then went back and replayed the last bit of the video in slo-mo. In another window, there was a video of a mage hurl a spear of electricity through a gigantic mushroom, which resulted in a fair amount of carnage and one of the much sought-after Ilbis.

Aiken’s 13th birthday approached, and with it came the time to choose your first job advancement. It was found long ago that young children couldn’t handle the amount of power that coursed through one’s body when using a certain amount of mana, and as a result, died on the spot. So, the age restriction was initiated as a safety precaution. Seeing mages destroy monsters with nothing more than a wave of their wand astounded Aiken, but so did thieves’ incredible speed and agility. He would have to choose as soon as he could, as the money he made by hunting as a beginner gave him little more than the essentials. He rented living quarters at the outskirts of Kerning City. His bed was made from scratch, his computer salvaged from someone else’s trash, his clothes painstakingly made by hand. Perhaps he would go to bed early tonight and go to Ellinia’s library to study a bit more about rogues and magicians.

*knock knock* Aiken woke up to the sound of constant knocking, and grudgingly woke up from his bed, muttering ‘who the heck is here at this time…?’

He opened the door to find his two, and perhaps only friends who were all smiles. ‘Happy birthday!’ they yelled, and rushed in.

‘Wow, thanks!’ Aiken said in surprise as they set up all the food they brought. ‘This is great! I haven’t had anything to eat in the last three days…’ he trailed off as he realized what he was saying.

‘That’s not true, is it?’ Alexis asked, concerned.

‘Well… I suppose it is… Don’t worry about me, I’ll manage. I think.’

‘Why didn’t you tell us before?’ demanded Samuel. ‘You could have died while we were gone or something!’

Aiken replied, ‘people are usually judged at first by what they have. I don’t really have anything, do I’

‘We’re your friends!’ Alexis cried. ‘Surely you would have known we wouldn’t just leave you, not after all we’ve been through!’

‘There wasn’t much I could do, was there?’ Aiken replied. ‘If I told you, I know you would have helped me. you’re not like me, but it’s not like you’re rich, either. I couldn’t just take away what you had…’

Samuel broke the silence by saying ‘well, let’s eat, then! You’re not getting any fuller, you know! Come on, the sundaes are getting cold!’

After three days of starvation, every bite was the very definition of satisfaction. However, this food wasn’t to last forever, and living for several years with so little taught him to value everything he had.

Aiken had just finished eating his slice of cake, the taste of which he had long forgotten, when Samuel handed him a small box.

‘What’s this?’ Aiken asked, confused.

‘Aiken, as beginners, we prefer to save our money, but we’re not THAT cheap!’ Samuel said. ‘It’s your present! It’s not much, but it’s the best I could get.’

Aiken opened the small box, and discovered just how lucky he was to open that end when he pulled out a short, but lethal looking dagger. To try it, he slashed at a flap on the box it came in, and found that it sliced through it effortlessly. ‘I don’t doubt that this was the best you could get!’ Aiken said happily.

‘I haven’t forgotten, either, here’s my present.’ said Alexis, handing him a small pouch. He eagerly opened it to find a handful of coins and a sapphire. He took the blue gem out, and watched the light that seemed to shine from it.

‘It’s beautiful.’ Aiken said simply, and gazed at the sapphire for a few more moments.

‘Sorry about this, but we have to leave.’ said Samuel, checking his watch. ‘We promised to help with refining minerals at Perion for some extra money. If you want, we’ll try to get you a job there.’

‘No thanks.’ Aiken said. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll manage. Especailly since I’ll be making my job advancement in a few days.’

‘Good luck, then.’ said alexis. Aiken watched his friends leave, unable to remember the last time he had been this happy.