The sun had barely risen when Piper and Chloe gathered Ian in the training yard. The cool air still held the scent of morning dew, and the soft rustle of trees filled the space as Piper clapped her hands to draw his attention. Ian sat cross-legged on the smooth stone floor, still groggy from sleep, while Piper stood with her arms folded and Chloe leaned casually against a nearby post, her usual calm smile resting on her face.
"Before you can learn to control what's inside you, my lord, you must understand what it means to grow as a mage," Piper said. "There's an order to magic. A hierarchy that separates the beginners from the legends. You are at the beginning of it all, so you need to listen carefully."
Ian rubbed his eyes and nodded. "I'm listening, though I still don't get why there has to be all this ranking nonsense. Why can't people just use magic and be done with it?"
