They say when I was born the fire exploded into a pillar up the chimney. That all the candles in the room melted into puddles. I do know that I have always felt fire or friction heat around me. As a child others were forbidden to play or even be around me. By the time I was five I could bring fire to me as if it was answering my call.

I was tested by priests and a mage and both found no sign of evil or magic. My mother was the one to teach me control. I knew she was frightened and that she loved me. It was that balance that helped me learn. The older I got, the more I learned about myself and what I could do. By the time I was sixteen I could even make steel burn.

None of the girls in the village wanted anything to do with me. I had several older brothers that would take over the farm. There was nothing here for me so I packed a bag and kissed my mother. I left and headed to Camdon which was a large city. It was at the mouth of a large river and was a port with merchants from around the world.

My father had given me a dozen coppers which was all he had. For the first time he ignored everyone to look into my eyes, “you are my son Ryan. You have a gift from the gods. Do not listen to those that would call it evil. Do not be afraid to use that gift.”

I nodded and swallowed to hold back the emotion, “yes father.”

He nodded and gestured to the road, “fare you well.”

My brothers slapped my shoulders and my two sisters kissed my cheek. Before I knew it I was walking away on the small road beside the farm. I knew how to use a sling to kill rabbits and knew wild plants and was able to feed myself. It took two months to reach Camdon and it was like nothing I had ever seen.

I walked the cobblestones staring at the huge houses and shops. In a large square where the market was I began asking around and looking for work. I was speaking with a baker in front of his shop when I heard a disturbance. I turned and saw four rogues with naked blades stalking a noble holding a dagger.

I took several steps, “hold!”

One of the men sneered and slashed towards me with the blade he held. I ignored it since he was to far away. I pulled and the fire was there and I gestured, “so be your fate.”

Their clothes exploded into flames and their weapons began to glow red. They screamed and dropped the weapons and staggered around slapping and rubbing at the fire on their clothes. They kept yelling and men appeared and threw buckets of water on them. I pulled the fire away and they fell to their knees.

Of course the noble was having his turn and ordered the men to be arrested as thieves. I moved back to the baker but he wanted nothing to do with me. I picked up my pack and looked around before heading to the smith. I was waiting to speak with him when the noble found me. He caught my shoulder and turned me, “I would thank you.”

I shifted and held the flames back, “it was nothing.”

He snorted, “it was a great deal.”

I waited and he looked at the smith, “what is it you are doing?”

I reddened, “looking for work.”

He blinked and then grinned, “in that case I have something for you.”

I hesitated but he pulled and turned to walk and I followed, “what is it you need?”

He slowed until I was beside him, “do you know of the Saints Raiders?”

I shook my head and he almost missed a step. He reddened, “they are a company of men that hunt large bands of raiders and thieves. Mostly they go after bands of pirates but right now we have a large group of raiders to the southeast.”

He looked at me, “you can summon fire yes?”

I nodded warily and he grinned, “I have a very small ability to do magic but you did not use magic.”

We left the market and headed down a large and busy street, “priests and a mage have examined me. I do not have or use magic.”

He nodded, “it is called mind magic but that is not accurate.”

He guided me into a very large inn and through a side door. My mind was spinning, he had just told me something I did not know about my ... gift. I caught his arm before he could start across the room. He looked at me and I cleared my throat, “what is mind magic?”

He blinked and then shrugged, “I do not have a lot of information about it. The girl that I know has it, can move things with her thoughts. It is the ability to do something outside of the body without physically causing it ... I think.”

I nodded, “like starting fires.”

He nodded, “outside the body so yes.”

He pulled and I went with him as I tried to think. The men in the room spoke normally if a little subdued. When the noble stopped at a large corner table the room went silent. A large grey haired man sighed, “I told you Andrew, your skill is not enough and your magic ... not strong enough to matter.”

The noble blushed and gestured to me, “I brought someone you would accept.”

The man looked at me, “and why would we accept him? He is a boy and from the look does not have any skill with weapons.”

The noble grinned, “he has mind magic.”

The older man sighed and sat back as he looked to a sad looking girl beside the fire, “Megan.”

The girl looked up and at him and he gestured to me, “this one claims to have your ability.”

A dagger flashed up from the table and at me. My left hand snapped out and caught it and I struggled to keep it away. The man snorted and shook his head, “yeah I do not see it.”

The noble opened his mouth but I growled and pulled at the feel of flames. The fireplace exploded into a pillar that shot up and flame blossomed out and into the room. Men yelled and dove aside and the girl spun and was jerked back. I spun the dagger and slammed it into the table, “do not do that again.”

The older man stood as he looked at me and the fire died completely. He glanced at a man in a robe and his face was white as he shook his head. I turned and took a step but the noble touched my shoulder, “wait?”

I looked around and the older man cleared his throat, “so your mind magic is flames.”

I turned and looked at him before looking at the girl, “tell me about mind magic?”

He turned and the girl straightened and moved away from the man that had pulled her back. She stopped at the table and her eyes searched mine, “it is not magic.”

I nodded and waited and she shifted and looked down, “it is an ability your mind has to reach outside your body to effect something. A mage once told me of a man that could hear thoughts and a woman that could see the future truly. He said another ability he had heard of but not seen was a boy that could vanish and reappear somewhere else.”

I nodded, “so what I do is mind power?”

She nodded and the older man cleared his throat, “how strong is your gift?”

I glanced at him before looking at the girl. There were things I was just noticing, like the chain collar or the silver bracelets that looked more like restraints. The older man shifted as men around me moved. I glanced around and looked at him, “strong enough to turn everything in this room to ash in only moments.”

He smiled, “and your reach?”

I shrugged, “I have started a fire almost a league away.”

The men murmured and he leaned on the table, “how much?”

He was looking at the noble and I turned as he smiled, “ten gold crowns.”

I realized he was selling me and laughed and the older man looked at me, “what?”

I chuckled and then stopped and took a step and put my hand on the table. Smoke rose around my hand as I looked at the older man, “try to chain me and I will roast you and everyone in this building.”

He grinned and looked at the mage and I reached out as he began to gesture. He screamed and thrashed as smoke exploded from his clothes. Tiny flickers of flame rose around my hand as I looked at the man again, “test me again.”

He swallowed and held up his hands, “I...”

I pointed to the girl, “you want me to join you? Give me her.”

He hesitated and then licked his lips, “you want her?”

One man slowly lifting a crossbow yelled as I reached for it and it exploded in flames, “you wish me to fight for you? Stop acting like the thieves and bandits and start bargaining like a man.”

He grinned and then laughed and turned, “Megan!”

She was frowning and glared as he gestured, “you have a new owner.”

I nodded and lifted my hand and pulled the fire away from the table. I looked at the white faced noble, “you should run before I decide to punish you.”

He looked across the table before he spun and ran for the door. I looked at the glaring mage, “you should know better. Release the seals on her before I show you my true ability.”

He gestured and I heard the metal bracelets hit the floor. I smiled and looked at the older man and pulled out the bench and sat, “now. We should talk of payments.”

Several men laughed and he smiled and sat, “ale!”

I shook my head, “water.”

The girl was still glaring at me but was holding the slave collar. Ben was the leader’s name and they were only here for the day. We reached an agreement which included a bed and food and pay or a percentage of anything the company took. I stood after we shook and looked at the girl, “your room.”

The men grinned and her eyes narrowed, “if you think...”

I caught her hand and pulled her close, “what I think is you know about the mind abilities.”

She shifted and then nodded and I headed for the stairs, “plus I need a bath.”

She laughed as she followed, “yes.”

I shook my head, “I have lived off the land for weeks. I did wash in streams and once a river but it is not a bath.”

She opened the door to her room and I took my pack off. I set it down and pulled out my drying rag. She waited and then led me down to a bathing room. The water was barely warm and she shook her head as I started filling two tubs. I stripped and glanced at her as she slowly took her clothes off.

I went to one of the tubs and put a hand in. Moments later the water was streaming and I pulled my hand out, “let it finish filling and the water should be cooler.”

She snorted and lifted a foot to feel the water and then stepped in and sat with a sigh. I looked at her while heating the water in the other tub, “you like the water that hot?”

She leaned her head back and smiled, “it is the best I have felt since I was sold.”

A few minutes and I was sitting in my bath and washing, “so tell me about mind abilities.”

She turned her head and smiled before she nodded and started talking. There was a lot she did not know but whoever the mage was that told her had given her more information than I had. Each time she said the water was getting cold I reached over to put my hand into her bath to heat it. We were wrinkled and pink when we got out and smelled like the scented soap.

I had told her about myself and my family and she had told me about being abandoned and then enslaved. We went back to her room and I pulled out a set of clean pants and my other shirt. I took my dirty clothes and hers when we were done and we went back to the common room. I gave the innkeeper the last of my coppers to clean our cloths.