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It was a gray drizziling morning. The clouds covered the sun, and there was a soft mist in the air. Derick woke up in his small hut that a kind stranger had allowed him to sleep in for the night. It had been a cold, rainy night in which it would be most unfortunate to have to stay outside. Derick awoke from what he thought was in his dream, but was actually right beside him. An old man looking at him with an odd expression on his face: He had a whiskery face, and yellow teeth. He was looking at Derick as though he was nothing more than a dog.
"Wake up!" the old man had said. "It's time for you to go!"
Derick didn't understand what the rush was about. After all, the man was kind enough to let him stay in his hut.
"I've got company comin', an' I don't want you to be here when they arrive!" the old man said rudely.
Derick got up, stretched, and began packing his bags. He didn't have many possessions, but what he did have was very valuable to him. He carried a staff, which at the moment appeared nothing more than a stick with a nice little ornament on the top. Derick slid into his leather armour and put his pack onto his back.
The old man sat there staring at him, rolling his eyes out of annoyance. He kept looking to the door, looking for his company.
There was a loud knock on the door, which made Derick jump. It wasn't the knocking of a hand but of a large solid block of wood.
The door opened and in came two men: both carrying beautifully decorated staffs marked with strange symbols, and each of which had a different kind of crystal at the top.
The old man made to get Derick out of the back door as quick as possible, but was not quick enough.
One of the new arrivals stepped forward and surveyed the man. He was old in years, and one look at him made you think he was smart beyond imagination. The gleaming eyes of the man looked at Derick with compassion, and stared at him for a few seconds before turning to the homeowner.
"Who is this?" the old man asked.
"He is just someone I saw in the rain last night.. he's noone, really.." said the homeowner.
The wisened old man stepped forward and looked straight into Derick's eyes, as though trying to look past them.
A look of understanding dawned on the old man's face, and his stood back up straight.
"You are strong, and full of courage!" the old man said.
"Thankyou, sir" said the young Derick. Derick was in his 20's and full of life. He had many secrets of his own, secrets that he would never reveal to anyone.
Someone coughed in the corner. The homeowner stepped forward towards the old men.
"I had better let you two get acquainted...." and before any of them knew it, the homeowner was running away from his home, because, little did Derick know, the owner of the hut owned much money.
"You had better check your money bag" the wise old man said.
Derick put his fingers to his belt, but then looked back up.
"I haven't any money at the moment... he didn't steal any. Perhaps it was his hope to steal some, but little did he know, I am poor."
"I see... " said the wise old man. "My name is Argus. I am a wizard, and I was supposed to collect some money from him."
Derick's eyes widened at the thought of talking to a wizard. It had always been a dream of his to become one, but he never expected to. To be talking to a wizard was very rare. Wizards are usualy very busy, and they don't have time for poor people like him.
"Well, we had better go." said the wizard, and he and his companion moved towards the door.
Derick stood up intending to go also, for he didn't want to be home with the owner returned.
The two wizards moved outside out of sight. Derick stood up and made his way across the room. He opened the door and stepped outside, seeing the two wizards.

The wizards were standing up, their staffs raised. Both of them began saying somehting in a language Derick didn't understand.
Derick moved forward to ask them what they were doing, but suddenly stopped. It was very dangerous to interupt a wizard when he is casting a spell. It could go badly wrong, or it could miss. Derick sat there waiting.
The wizards kept mumbling words for a few moments. They stopped and searched the skies.
Derick didn't understand why they were looking at the sky, until he saw a large bird flying towards them.
But, it wasn't a bird. It was a body of a human. The human was flailing his arms in every direction, trying to escape from the invisible force binding him, but to no success.
The two wizards caught the man who was soaring towards them before he hit the ground.
Derick was utterly amazed. He stood in awe and looked up into the wizards faces, totally wordless.
"You liked that, Derick?" the kind wizard said softly.
"Yes" replied Derick. Suddenly he remembered, or didn't remember, that he hadn't given the wizard his name, yet he already knew it.
"Derick, tell me. If I were to train you, would you be faithful, and practice? As well of course as keeping the secrets of magic. I can see in your eyes that you very much desire to become a wizard like myself. I cannot promise you anything, only those with the gift can become wizards.
It is a wonderful gift, but at a terrible price. You will be restless for days with no energy, and no will to live. You will suffer most terribly before you are able to cast spells. It is not an easy road, wizardry."
Derick hadn't thought of this before. It would take years to become a wizard. He never really understood the art of magic, but desired with all his heart to become a wizard.
"I understand, sir Argus." derick said. He quickly added, "I have wanted to be a wizard my whole life, but never have I thought that I would actually be able to become one!"
"Then, if it is what you want, I shall train you." the wizard replied.
The three set off towards the town together, talking about wizardry.
"Tell me, master Argus, why is it that you will teach me the ways of magic?" for it had just occurred to Derick that it was strange for a wizard to dedicate so much time for someone he had only just met.
"I am doing it, because I am getting old. I will pass on some time, and I do not want my secrets, my methods, and my magic to be forgotten. I have been searching for the right apprentice for a long time, but I have not found one yet. I saw you, and I realized that you were the one. I knew that it had to be you, for mother destiny had picked you of all people."
They traveled together and went into town. They walked past the stone gargoyles near the gates, and past the guards on duty to a small pub. They sat down and had drinks.
The wizard looked over to Derick and smiled softly, saying "Let us begin."